Billy Graham was once asked; if you had it to do all over again, what would you do different? His answer was that he would have read the Bible more, he would have studied Gods Word more, and that he would have prayed more. I thought that it was quite remarkable that a man who has spent his entire life bringing people to Christ would say such profound words. It does lead me to think about a couple things when it comes to his ministry. Was he not as qualified as he should have been? Should he really have taken his own advice? And If he had read more, and studied more, and prayed more, would his ministry been even more amazing than it was?

Well there's no telling now. but what I can tell you is that you don't need to know everything to give people a message from the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God uses people in many ways and in Billy's case, he was to tell the world that Jesus Loves Them and Give Your Life to Christ, plain and simple, that was the message that Billy Graham sent thru the world. He wasn't the most knowledgeable person when it came to the Bible by any means, but he understood that God was using him in the way God needed him to be used in that particular time. His qualities far surpassed his imperfections every single time, because God's will was being done.

So let's take advantage of the wisdom that Billy is giving to us and start with more reading. When we start reading the Bible it can be a little confusing for some. And there are certainly a lot of scriptures that can be taken different way, and that's not to mention all the verses that may or may not be figurative. Then we have to deal with all the parables. What do they mean? Some even have double meanings. And I can even go as far as to talk about the sandwich stories which most of you don't have a clue what those are. This can be extremely intimidating for some, and that keeps people away from reading the Bible. Others feel that they are not getting anything out of reading the Bible, and they quit reading. Some even feel inferior and refuse to humble themselves to the reality that there is someone out there that is more intelligent than they are.

And of course there are the simple general excuses like not having the time or we're just too busy. whatever the excuse is, it's just that, an excuse. And Satan will place every single obstacle he possibly can in front of you to keep you away from God's Word. it's no wonder that most people in the world don't read the Bible at all. And the numbers get worse as every year passes.

There is really nothing I can say or do to make you read the Bible more. This is something that you have to do for your self because you want to learn more about the Lord and Savior who not only created the Heavens and the earth, He has the answers to your salvation in His Word.

I can merely encourage you to read more. Be consistent, 15 minutes a day, an hour a day, 3 times a day. what ever it takes, DO IT!!. You will find out that the more you read, the more you will be getting out of your readings. When i first started reading the Bible, I was slow and really had a lot of trouble. Now I am quite quick, and things make so much more sense. I actually have to train myself to read the Bible slower. But that comes later in the study phase.

So don't worry about catching everything you read in the Bible on the first round, just keep reading, We need you to get in the form and habit of reading. If you don't understand something, move on. God will give it to you at another time. I have read the Bible dozens of times not and am still always finding new and exciting elements that I never saw before.

That's what we want you to do. enjoy the reading of His Word. It is going to be your favorite book. I find myself reading about a story that I read before and it actually brings me back to the story like I have personally been there before. That's when the Bible really comes to life. After reading it the 4th or 5th time, you will even be discovering new truths about an old friend. You just can't beat it.

Reading other peoples writings.

Like the messages you are reading right now, i think it's great to get a perspective from other parties. I do want to point out that everything should be backed up with the Bible. I almost have to put this out as an absolute warning that we need to really pay attention to what we are reading and make sure that it is in line with what the Bible is teaching. We can get a vast amount of knowledge from reading other people's inspirations and perspectives but we can also get a lot of deceptive garbage. And when you get discernment, you will have that wisdom to know the difference. I know even some mainstream Christian preachers that I really would never read their stuff, because I know how ignorant they really are in so many of their teachings. The best advice that I can give you is that we need to know how to eat the watermelon and spit out the seeds. Lot's of people are really good at parts of the message, Like Billy, but, like Billy, they don't have The Whole Message. We can get value from their lessons and that is great, but don't stop there, READ MORE!!!! Get The Whole Message.

Scriptures Regarding - Reading More

2Kings 22:8-20 (Reading the Word Brings Repentance)

8 Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 So Shaphan the scribe went to the king, bringing the king word, saying, "Your servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of those who do the work, who oversee the house of the LORD." 10 Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king.
11 Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. 12 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor[a] the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, 13 "Go, inquire of the LORD for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us."
14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke with her. 15 Then she said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Tell the man who sent you to Me, 16 "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants—all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read— 17 because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath shall be aroused against this place and shall not be quenched.'"' 18 But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Concerning the words which you have heard— 19 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the LORD. 20 "Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place."'" So they brought back word to the king.

When we are reading, we first need to humble ourselves before the Lord. Thanking God for the knowledge He is providing, that His will be done thru the messages He is teaching us. The Pray More section goes into more detail about conditioning ourselves to receive His Word.

Nehemiah 8:12-13 (This is the start of realizing that is in our duty to read more)

12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. (This is The Feast of Tabernacles)
13 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law.

Nehemiah 13 1-3 (This is the Principles of Separation and shows the procedures for reformation)

1 On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

Revelation 1:3 (Reading the Bible gives knowledge of prophecy, and you are blessed)

3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Exodus 24:7 (This is the start of responsiveness, being obedient to His Word)

7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient."

Jeremiah 36:21-28 (This is where there was rejection of the reading of God's Word, and yet God's Word remaines)

21 So the king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll, and he took it from Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king. 22 Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning on the hearth before him. 23 And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe's knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. 24 Yet they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words. 25 Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them. 26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them.

Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll
27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying: 28 "Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.

Now that you are realizing the importance of reading the Bible more - We can get into the 2nd lesson - Study More

Study More

Study More Some things come easy, other things take more study. And if you want to learn what God is asking of us, we need to Study More. Click here For Study More.