is writing in your bible wrong

I would much rather be an encourager. Do you get what I am saying here? Some people love to, some preachers make all of their notes for their lessons in the margins, while others think it is down right heretical to write in their Bibles.  Â, Then there is the issue of sharing photos of your Bible journaling and how it leads to pride and competition because you aren’t doing this in your ‘inner room’. Matthew 6:1-34 ESV / 7 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Is it wrong to write in/ highlight parts of the Bible? Maybe that spark will burn a bit brighter than it would have if we had just written, “Amazing!” in our Bibles. Here is my concern with writing in your Bible: In my personal reading (of all books), I tend to underline and write in the margins.  And it has nothing to do with Bible journaling (can you guess where the issue is rooted?  Bible journaling – even full page journaling – is not destroying God’s word (ummm…nothing can destroy His word).  You know, I am tired of hearing this argument because it assumes that anyone who Bible journals are an idiot and completely gullible – helpless against the flesh. That’s not our goal.  To try and squeeze me into a religious mold of who others think I should be would negate who God created me to be.  Someone who is defacing something will have a hardened heart full of hatred for whatever they are defacing. And it is weird. I hope so. No, as long as you are not marking or writing in your Bible to deface or desecrate it, there is nothing wrong when you do so with good intentions. We may never know the “why” until eternity but must trust that he was in his own way a believer in Christ…we can’t say for sure, Now as far as your post goes; the book of 1Corinthians, Titus and 1Timothy show us the fruitless arguments that are nearly the same as today. Then I want to consider an alternative (or maybe an add-on to what you’re already doing).  Now that can be scary, can’t it?  Honestly, I just felt sorry for this woman – she was the one who was so angry!  Â, I read a comment on one post where the commenter went as far as to say that Bible journaling is another way the devil is corrupting faithful people…then I look at her gravatar (from Nightmare Before Christmas, perhaps?  We try to pull Him down to our level, making Him smaller than who He is. I had a great experience with the verses I underlined, so I naturally want to hover over those verses again at the expense of the rest of the verses in the chapter.  Or I could be in the check-out at the grocery store and treat the cashier with disdain because she has tattoos and piercings (or for whatever reason).  Imagine what would happen if we started to give our brothers and sisters in Christ the benefit of the doubt…especially if the strife is coming from Bible journaling…, God’s word isn’t being changed. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Parts of it really resonated with me, and parts of it, frankly, I could do without. I can. If we can articulate even a shadow of the beauty that we see in God’s Word, if we can write down and communicate a sliver of the glory that we see, maybe we’ll end up with an even greater affection within our hearts for the Lord. Markings from an incredible study in Romans.  The above statement is simply me thinking the best of someone rather than assuming they are a crazy fool or a complete idiot. It is completely acceptable and allowed to write in your Bible!  It is very visual, I see it fully. Some people don’t write in their Bible because they feel weird about it — but don’t worry; you aren’t defacing or treating the Bible as common! Do whatever is easiest for you to start a new spiritual discipline of journaling through the Bible. A thumb removed from the body is horrific. That tells me he designed us, every last one of us, to be able to write. 3) You’ll remember more of the Bible.  My notes, highlights, and ‘doodles’ help me to remember who He is and who I am. in my last post in the series. Bible verses about writing Writing is not only a job, its therapeutic. I have a bible for my old testament class, well specifically for it, I will probably write in it. There’s barely a page in it that doesn’t have at least one verse underlined. If that is drawing you closer to Jesus, don’t stop.  It’s with the…HEART. I love that Bible journaling is a way to get closer to God.  Things that are beyond our understanding. The Bible was not meant to be read as an inspirational verse calendar. If I can be lead astray to materialism so easily over coloring tools, then I think I have bigger problems than Bible journaling. Including your judgment of a fellow sister in Christ. 8 Tips For Engaging with Your Bible Devotionally January 05, 2017 Reading the Bible devotionally is about engaging with the text at the heart level.  I would think that flippantly and angrily saying a fellow believer is being controlled by Satan (see above) dishonors God much more than writing or drawing in a Bible. So is a Bible verse. ( Log Out /  Do you write in your Bible? I don’t even highlight passages.  BUT…tearing out pages of scripture that is uncomfortable for someone toying with sin is completely different than painting or drawing over words in a Bible as a form of worship after reading a piece of scripture that brought hope to a broken heart. Interesting, hey? After logging in you can close it and return to this page. So, in other words, not my business. Eventually, I stopped using a notebook and just used the Bible to take notes.  So, I thought I’d address the question Is Bible Journaling Wrong? Or Even Evil?  The pain lasts a very long time. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer, this is something that can play a vital role in your spiritual walk. I also enjoy reading the different translations. Jesus I’m sure is very happy that you’re writing in your Bible, taking notes! I have to remember that, too. I believe, though, that people make such topics controversial and divisive when they really shouldn’t be. I wonder what he was thinking when he did that.  And that is what I take issue with. Because I am careful to whom I listen to does not mean I am ‘judging’ the other person – I think some solid teaching on the subject of ‘judge not’ would be beneficial here.  Matthew 6:6 was quoted here – ummm…I think it has been taken way out of context in order to make an argument. Â, Most people are linear(auditory)-sequential – meaning learning is step-by-step. That’s just common sense, too. It made me really happy to see such a lovely post to encourage healthy discussions about Bible Journaling. BUT, if it is changed, then the issue is not with Bible journaling. And Bible journaling certainly is a foolish argument!  The scars never quite heal. The Bible writers were poor historians, let alone conveyers of messages from an infallible God.  I think there is more to it than that.  Bible journaling – even full page journaling – is not destroying God’s word (ummm…nothing can destroy His word). Â. But if you’re just taking notes, there is nothing wrong with that. Closed for business, but be sure to check out my new place!  When I read anything, it is like a movie playing in my mind. Now I don’t mean to merely highlight and jot down some cross-references, or even scribble some observations without any readers in mind. If you want to run away from the nightmares and embrace the dreams, then make sure that you are: Interpreting the Bible according to God’s interpretation and not your own; Reading the Bible every day  Honestly, I just felt sorry for this woman – she was the one who was so angry! I am careful from whom I receive teaching from. 4. Â, Defacing something is solely for the purpose of ruining it, for destruction. It is definitely NOT sacrililigous (spelling?) Or download a journaling app on your phone. As emotions rise and become tangled, jumbled thoughts, it can be relieving to find the words to untangle them and put them on paper.  Not someone else’s).  And, really, I’m not that great of an artist – I don’t think quite that highly about myself. 8 Tips for Engaging with Your Bible Artistically January 06, 2017 God invites us to meditate on his Word (Ps. Add Bookmarks , Highlights , and private or public Notes to any verse in the Bible . I look back 10 years ago and see how I would get upset over things that I don’t get worked up about now.  Yes, my, If you are at risk of being led to materialism through Bible journaling supplies, or any other means…know that this has much more to do with some form of bondage deep within your heart than it has to do with actual objects.     Â, I am working on an in-depth Bible study of the book of John and there is a chapter that touches on this kind of divisive behavior.  It is very visual, I see it fully. Some feel that it is taboo to do so, while others write notes and mini sermons that they want to remember.  The scars never quite heal.  Â, If you are at risk of being led to materialism through Bible journaling supplies, or any other means…know that this has much more to do with some form of bondage deep within your heart than it has to do with actual objects. What, if anything have I done wrong? Sad but true story. Now, I know that there are ‘prophets’ out there who declare that they get special revelations from God just so you’ll drink their Kool-Aid (whatever that Kool-Aid might be).  It helps me root the word of God deeply within my.  My ideas are motivated and stirred through my in-depth Bible study! You know how you read a post and the author sounds angry…or judgemental (maybe both) – and you leave the site feeling condemned?  We think in pictures – holistically. My old NASB Bible I got when I was 19 has tons of underlining and notes in the margins. Or do you say, ‘Honey, remind me later to tell you about…’” I blinked. I’ve read in some posts that God’s word can become secondary to my own ‘self-expression’. Â.  Isn’t it? Maybe putting our emotions into words as we read Scripture will help us grow more confident in sharing our love of the Lord with those who don’t know him. The login page will open in a new tab. You are choosing to judge that person without knowing them based on what their profile picture is and what they have said on their page. The written word is powerful.  As I scroll through her wall, I see it is littered with OMG, wtf, and other curse words as well as posts with sexual innuendos. “He cut out passages with some sort of very sharp blade and, using blank paper, glued down lines from each of the Gospels in four columns, Greek and Latin on one side of the pages, and French and English on the other.”  A good reading of Matthew 15 might be helpful for some who are so wrapped up in man’s teachings.  It assumes that their faith and self-control is very weak. Or someone who maintains a healthy, balanced diet?   Â, Most people are linear(auditory)-sequential – meaning learning is step-by-step.  Again, the issue here is the condition of the, Hey, you know what? Writing in my Bible and drawing in my Bible Journal helps my heart honor God (see, it’s about my heart. Verse of the day.  When I read a passage of Scripture, meditate on it, consider what God is saying, what God wants to teach me, and think of how I can apply it to my life – that’s when I might be inspired to journal.  What we are doing for His glory should far outweigh our concerns about what others shouldn’t be doing.  BUT…tearing out pages of scripture that is uncomfortable for someone toying with sin is, Defacing something is solely for the purpose of ruining it, for destruction. Thanks for sharing. I see that you linked back to one of my comments from my post on this topic. Quotes “I’m a little pencil in the […]  In other words, are you more concerned about being ‘right (in your own eyes) than about the person you are arguing with? to write in your Bible. I use the app because it’s easier to search and find what I want and just more convenient for me in general.  Being a visual-spatial makes Bible journaling very appealing to me.  I honor God by keeping my Bible clean and wrinkle free.  So malicious!  Let me say this: I have yet to meet someone who is dim-witted enough to actually think that Bible journaling is a substitute for in-depth, fruitful Bible Study.  The argument was likened to Thomas Jefferson tearing out pages of God’s word he didn’t like – now, being Canadian, I’m not familiar with this story, so I don’t know how true it is. Writing down a prayer before delivering it publicly can aid a speaker in saying exactly what he or she means to say, lessening the possibility of distractions due to poor wording or mental lapses. ).Â, Another argument was that painting or drawing over the words in scripture is defacing God’s word. If you want to remember to share something with your sweetheart when you have time, do you write a note? 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