Commentary on the Bible for Christian Leadership - Intro from D.C. Bell

 

I believe the Bible is God's inspired Word to us. It pierces us. It's alive. It's new to us each day. It's a rich treasure, but more than that. It's God's primary way of speaking to us. Seriously, think about that. Words, from God, that speak to us. Wow!   But if you are a Christian. If you know God. If you know the Holy Spirit. Then you know this is true: God's Word is alive. He really does speak to us through Scripture.  

It's certainly mysterious. But you see, God didn't choose to use words as a magic trick. He has a purpose in why Scripture matters. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." The Bible really does teach us. That is, God teaches us through His words. The Bible is our Guide. God is the best Coach ever. He cares for each of us. More than cares, loves.

I always believed there was a God. I remember thinking about God and even talking to him as a little kid on the farm in Saskatchewan. But at the age of 19, I read the back page of a pocket-sized Gideon's New Testament and confessed to God that I was a sinner. I knew that too well. I accepted Christ Jesus as my Rescuer, my Lord, and my Savior. The words in that little Bible said God loved me, and I trusted that overwhelming truth; I still do today. I moved to a new realm, from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light. I am a sinner saved only by the loving grace of God Almighty.

I started reading the Bible every day when I was about 25. Ya, I know. I really got right to it from 19 to 25! I'm a bit of a slow learner. This was also the time of my life when my wife and I started to regularly go to Sunday worship. Recently I decided to write down a few thoughts and comments as I did my morning Bible reading before work. That's what this is. Sometimes it is just a quick note. And other times, it is a prayer. I'm obviously no theologian, but I make no apology for believing God speaks to ordinary people like me (and you).

I know he does, and I don't think he needs or expects us to have any special qualifications other than loving him and expecting to hear from Him. I do hear from Him every time I read His Word. And you will as well every time you read Scripture. It's essential, though, to know Jesus. It's something called having the veil taken away from your eyes so you can see. You still have a veil over your eyes if you don't know Jesus and haven't accepted his marvelous gift of eternal life. Don't take my word for it. That's what the Bible says. I want you to hear from God. I want to hear from God! So I encourage you to accept God's gift of eternal life and a relationship with Him. A rich, ever-growing relationship. Then the veil will be removed, and you'll be able to hear from God. But once you accept the Gift, make sure you don't ignore it. You have to grow as a Christian. Over the last 25 years, I know I've matured as a Christian (and as a man, a husband, and a dad), but I often fall short. I hope my honest commentary on the Bible and my prayers will transparently show that I need to grow. I want to grow and become more like Jesus. More holy. And I want to use my life to help others to grow in their relationship with God.

This life is short. I pray that Christian men and women will live the lives that God wants us to live. I pray that we will experience unity in God Almighty. Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit desire, nay, demand such unity. And I pray that our lives show that we love God and obey him by putting our love into acts of service and action. All the characters in the Bible, except the King of Kings, failed and fell short of God's perfection. I fail a lot. Too much. Too many times. But I want to live the Good Life. I want all of us to live up to God's standards for His people and His community.  

You don't need an education to hear from God. You need to believe in Jesus Christ and read His word. That said, the Bible actually encourages education. God says to add to your moral character understanding and knowledge, amongst other things. I have a BA, MBA, and JD - but I don't see myself or define myself through education. At heart, I'm a farm boy from northern Saskatchewan. My background, like yours, I'm sure, has an enormous impact on how I see things and who I am (for better or worse).   As I said, I don't have any formal theological training. Although I suppose that's not true if you include loving God and his Word and the church as theological training. If that's the definition, then I do indeed have many years of training. That includes listening to God through His word and experiencing the ups and downs as a follower of Christ, a sinner saved only by Jesus. I hope and trust the Holy Spirit to lead in terms of theology. I'm always learning new things, so I look forward to gaining more insight into complex issues and God's rich Way. If we ask for more understanding, God gives it to us. He's the fountain of all knowledge and understanding. He's the Source. Maybe ask Him for more wisdom right now. Why not!

I also don't have as good of grammar as I should. Please forgive my inconsistencies. Sometimes I'll capitalize "his" and "godly," and sometimes, I don't. But I won't ever use a small "g" for God or a small "j" for Jesus. That'd be nuts. So apologies up front for failings of that sort. I just want to write as I read the Scripture each morning, and I don't want to overthink editing (nor do I have the time to do much editing).

My Bible commentary is written to my family and friends, you included. I love visiting with my friends and family about God's Word. If we are friends or work colleagues and we've never had these conversations, then I'm truly sorry. That's on me. Those are the best conversations! I love hearing how God speaks to people and how people see God's involvement in their lives. My friends see things I don't see; that's why the conversation is so rich. We learn together from God. So my Bible commentaries are maybe just a conversation starter. God speaks to us. And then, we can use that conversation to build each other up. Really.  Seriously. The conversations about God's Word are some of the highlights of my life. Thank you for sharing His love and how He speaks to you with me. My friend in the Faith in Christ is anyone that believes in Jesus Christ as the One who forgives them. 

Also, I aim to speak to Christian men and those seeking to lead. That's a noble aspiration. I also write to my daughter and to my four sons. I think of them and pray for them daily in my morning coffee/Bible time, and they, together with my wife, are my joy. I hope they read this commentary someday. Maybe they can listen to it as they do something fun. I treasure the time with my family. Family is indeed sacred. I also hope they read my prayers interspersed in the commentary. I trust God will answer them. I also pray often and often think as I'm writing about my friends and my family. I pray for my parents daily and often for my brothers and their families.

    You'll see in my commentary that I believe we need strong leaders and godly leadership. That will be a consistent theme. You'll see a lot of commentary about leadership and organizations. That's on my mind a lot. I want to encourage people to live to their God-given potential.   And I want to improve organizations. That exercise goes together. I also want the church to be healthy - strong in faith and love. I think it's currently quite weak in many ways - at least in many areas of the world. Thankfully, the Bible is all about the Great Healer, Jesus Christ. He builds and heals and strengthens His church.

  I think a lot about organizational design and leadership. Every place I've worked has been rich in relationships. Even the worst clients I've had have had good, interesting people working there. I hope some young business people can read these commentaries. We can all grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Truth. Understanding God's way, as early in life as possible, is of tremendous value here and for eternity.

    I don't think we can or should separate the spiritual from the secular. We are who we are: people created in God's image. And we are all sinners, saved only by God's Grace. It is God alone who offers Salvation, and He alone who saves us. We must take our full selves to work every day and live and work for God's glory. I'm preaching in my commentaries to myself as much as anyone else – I know I'm a piece of work and need the sermons. If, by chance, any of the commentaries strike a chord with you, please email me and let me know your thoughts and reflections.

  After my first 50 years (I'm a 1971 baby), I conclude that what I treasure most in life are my family and friends. There may be seven billion people on earth, but how many do we get to eat with, share, serve, and love? Not many, really. In a lot of cases, adult men don't have anyone they consider a real friend. That's sad. But it's true. I want real friends. If you are one of them, thank you for your friendship. Thanks for putting up with me. I pray that we will share eternity together with God. That will be eternal friendship!

The favorite part of my day is my morning coffee and time with God. And I share this time with my best friend, Kari-Lynn. I thought I would like to marry her the first time I saw her. She was a cheerleader. She is smart. And wise. And she's always been a cheerleader or encouragement to people. She had no clue who I was as she was a couple of grades ahead of me. The poor girl had no idea what she was getting into, five kids and three grandkids later. Yikes, the time has flown since the late 80s. Our marriage has strengthened; actually, it's strengthened as our walks with God have strengthened. Our morning Bible study contributes to that. Kari and I love this time sitting beside one another, alternating who gets up off the couch to get the second cup of coffee (usually me). For a few years, we read the Bible aloud and then discussed the chapter. But over the last few years, we just read on our own (and I've been writing these commentaries in my notebook). And then we pray. Mostly silently. But occasionally, together out loud. But always beside each other.

    The Holy Spirit, through Scripture, is what gives me peace of mind and heart. I cherish time with God. And I'm amazed that the Creator of the universe gave us the gift of written language, His Scripture. And He loves us so much that he's open to spending time with each of us, teaching us, counseling us, and disciplining us (amongst other things) as we read and think upon His Holy Word.

I want to mentor other Christian men. And I'd love the opportunity to help you get to know God better and live your life according to God's standards. We are a special people; we are God's children; those who believe in and trust Jesus Christ – that is the privilege of a lifetime, nay, of eternity!

So, with all that boring intro out of the way, please read each Bible Chapter before reading my commentary. And then, feel free to agree, disagree, or respond to my comments. And as I pray, I'll also be praying for you. Please pray for me. Thanks!

David C.M. Bell

Banff, AB