Bible Immersion: A Life-Changing Way to Encounter the Word of God

By Patricia D. Nordstrom

Most Christian are quick to agree that the Bible is the word of God. Very few have continually experienced how powerful Scripture can be in ones actual day to day life. Bible Immersion is a very easy to learn technique that involves listening, reading, thinking, and writing. It is changing many lives. Those who use it daily are growing to sense God's love for them in unmistakable ways, as they hear God speak to their hearts through His word. Bible Immersion is Bible study for life!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973629832

Patricia D. Nordstrom

Patricia D. Nordstrom is the founder and director of The Bible for Food Recovery, a 501(c)3 ministry. Through small groups, retreats, conferences, and seminars, she successfully teaches Christians how to break free from emotional eating and compulsive behaviors with food. She is the author of Ninety Days: Encouragement for the Christian Overeater and Think Fast: 31 Days Toward a Lifetime of God-Honoring Eating. For over 30 years she has maintained a binge-free eating lifestyle and a 70 pound weight loss.

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Copyright © 2018 Patricia D. Nordstrom.

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Unless otherwise cited, all scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-2984-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-2985-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-2983-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018906430

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/2/2018

CONTENTS

How this book is set up

Bible Immersion Essentials

1. The Purpose of This Book

2. Called to Be Light Bringers

3. Twenty-four Hours of Potential

4. What is Bible Immersion?

5. Let’s Get Started

6. Scripture, Thoughts, and Prayer

Quick Start to Bible Immersion

Daily Pages for Your Bible Immersion

Readings to Help You Stay on Course

1. Reading Through the Bible Each Year

2. Pray Without Ceasing

3. My Weapon Against Overeating and Depression

4. God’s Daily Reminders

5. Fear Not

6. Remembering the Call Upon My Life

7. Don’t Fool Yourself!

8. My Great High Priest

9. Showing True Love and Compassion

10. Seeking God First

11. There’s Nothing My God Cannot Do!

12. When Sheep Rebel

13. Read. Study. Apply.

14. Unbelief

15. Deeper Waters

16. My Bible Immersion Story

17. Standing Firm Through Hard Times

18. The Way, the Truth, the Life

19. Workers of Evil

20. Build Each Other Up

21. Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

22. Diversion

23. Marching Orders

24. My Help Comes from the Lord

25. Rising Above the Flesh

26. Standing Firm

27. True Inspiration

28. Speak Life

29. Ungodly Counsel

30. The Best Way

31. Most Important

32. God’s Wonderful Truth

33. Favoritism

34. Keeping the Lord the Highest Priority

35. Walk Away from the Tube

36. Relapse—Bible Style

37. Light to All

38. Good Work. God’s Work.

39. Solomon’s Downfall

40. When Faced with Physical Pain

41. Aborting a Return to Sinful Behavior

42. Ugly and Despicable

43. Living Water

44. Sadly Mistaken

45. How to Use the Bible as an Inventory Tool

46. Keeping the Right Size

47. How to Have an Abstinent Day

48. The Living, Active, Powerful Word of God

49. When the Goings Get Tough

50. Verses and Prayers to Fight Discouragement

Testimonies and Examples of Scripture, Thoughts, and Prayer

Ellen, New York

Eunice, Ohio

Carrie, Washington

Tammy, Georgia

Dawn, Massachusetts

Annette, Texas

Kim, Georgia

Danielle, New York

Dorothea, New York

Deanna, Florida

Dorothea, California

Sherri, New Jersey

Bridget, Hawaii

April, New York

Drena, Maryland

Debbie, Indiana

Kathleen, California

Sharon, Virginia

Mindy, California

Patricia, Maryland

Meechie, Maryland

Jasmine, Washington D.C.

Laura, New York

Jill, Connecticut

Wanda, Maryland

Lydia, Virginia

Robin, Ohio

Mary, New York

Myesha, Maryland

Barbara, New Jersey

Diann, New Jersey

Rebecca, California

Daily Page Example

Through the Bible in a Year

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I thank Him for loving me. I thank Him for rescuing my soul.

I also dedicate this book to my loving husband Jeff. Our eight children (four of our own, plus their four spouses): Kurt, Amanda, Sirah, Trisha, Jacob, Christina, Alex, and Alli. And our eight grandchildren: Kat, Matthew, Sebastian, Timothy, Elliot, Nicholas, Joshua, Donovan, and Corinne.

All proceeds from this book go to The Bible for Food Recovery, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit ministry. Bible for Food is dedicated to teaching others how to acquire freedom from the stronghold of compulsive eating, through a vibrant relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our members are encouraged to read, study, and apply Scripture daily. In addition they are taught to practice clear, clean, and committed abstinence. As members we choose to be disciplined in our eating so that our commitment to living out The Great Commission is never compromised.

Our website is: www.bibleforfood.org.

How this book is set up:

I. The Essentials

The scope and vision for the book

The definition of Bible Immersion

How Bible Immersion is done.

II. The Daily Pages

A place to record Bible Immersion

Making the retrieval of the insights quickly

Space for recording prayer needs of others and plans for service

III. The Readings

Further instruction on Bible Immersion

Background information about the author

The authors own insights from immersing in the word

IV. Testimonies

Bible Immersion from students’ perspectives

Inspiration of students who use Bible Immersion

Encouragement to try and continue in Bible Immersion

Appendix: Through the Bible in a Year Calendar

Bible Immersion Essentials

1

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

~ John 13:17

The purpose of this book is to share with you a very simple yet effective way to study the Bible that I call Bible Immersion. I have practiced this method for over 26 years. I have taught it to individuals, in classes, through workshops, and in seminars. It is easy to learn, and I have seen it bring about life-changing results in both me and in my students.

The best way to learn Bible Immersion is to jump in and try it. Therefore, this book will invite you to become interactive in learning it. After you have gotten the gist of the how to of the technique, I encourage you to begin using Bible Immersion each day. Nothing that I write will convince you of how life-changing it is like your own firsthand experience. Most who use it consistently for just three weeks, are amazed! My prayer is that God will capture your heart as you sense His closeness and deep love for you through immersing in His word.

2

CALLED TO BE LIGHT BRINGERS

For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. ~ Ephesians 5:8

In a dark world, we have been called to live lives that draw others to Jesus. We are compared to a city on a hill that cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14). We should shine in ways that cause the unsaved to step back and take note of our lives. In the book of Acts is an example of what I mean. It shows how uneducated fishermen become transformed to be bold men of God (Acts 2-4).

The narrative unfolds: Jesus has returned to His Father, but not without leaving the promised gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter heals a man who has been lame since birth. Not surprisingly, the word spreads like wildfire and the crowd comes to see with their own eyes what has happened. Peter uses this opportunity to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Peter speaks with boldness about Our Lord and Savior, Jesus. His sermon causes the number of new believers to reach an all-time high of 5,000 men. When the rulers behold the confidence of Peter, and of John who is with him, they are blown away: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. ~ Acts 4:13

And this is the point. If we are going to be light-bringers into the world, we must spend significant heart-to-heart time with Jesus. Jesus is revealed through learning Scripture and living it out. Therefore Bible study cannot be a hit-or-miss endeavor. It must be daily and purposeful.

3

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS OF POTENTIAL

Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. ~ Psalm 40:5

As human beings we start each day with 24 hours. Those of us who are adults have control over how our hours will be spent. If I say that I love Jesus and I want to be like Him, then it follows that I need to make the time to learn about Him and to hear from Him. The Bible is the unmistakable place where this learning can occur.

Each day I need an intuitive, hands-on way to get into the word of God. I need to be drawn in so that I keep coming back to Scripture. I need to engage not only my mind, but my heart and emotions as well. I need to hear God speak directly to me and into my affairs.

This happens in Bible Immersion and more. It is practical and captivating. It has made the study of Scripture a delightful want to as opposed to a dreary have to. I have heard more than a few students ask that I pray for them to stay with Bible Immersion for the rest of their lives. And I do pray for them, because my prayer is the same for me! I never want to turn my back on this God-given treasure because the growth that Bible Immersion has brought about in my life is incredible!

{Dear Father, please fill me up with your Holy Spirit so that I might show others what You have shown to me. Your word is truly powerful and active. Living out Your word gives me a life beyond my wildest dreams. Living out Your word brings healing into my world. Thank you for the Bible. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who opens up its meaning to my heart. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.}

4

WHAT IS BIBLE IMMERSION?

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ~ Joshua 1:8

Bible Immersion is the systematic practice of reading through the whole Bible each year, combined with deeply studying the Bible each day. This daily study includes finding a heart connection with a section of Scripture, writing about this connection, and praying sincerely for change.

Bible Immersion takes seriously that "all scripture is God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It stands upon the belief that God is speaking to His children through His word. It stands upon the fact that every born-again believer has the indwelling Holy Spirit. Therefore, every sincere encounter with a significant amount of Scripture will reveal a message for the believer. Serious students of Bible Immersion come to the word each time expecting to meet Jesus, and they are not disappointed!

Bible Immersion draws the student into the whole word of God. When practiced consistently, the student begins seeing changes in their emotional responses to life’s circumstances. They become more peaceful. They are able to make wiser and more decisive choices. They see their faith growing.

Each day I can count on Bible Immersion to reset my thinking back to Truth. I am kept standing strong in my faith—maintaining a passionate gratitude for my salvation. Each time that I am done with Bible Immersion I feel better. And if I do not feel better, then I know that I am not done! God speaks to me through His word and I am learning to reprioritize my life so that I do not go out into my day without this vital time with my Savior.

{Dear Father, grow me up to become strong in You. May I see the beauty in your commands; they lead me to the best life possible! Keep me growing in the love of Your word as I see the changes that are occurring in my life. I pray to speak, think, and live out Your word, in the power of the Spirit, more and more each day. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.}

5

LET’S GET STARTED

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ~ John 14:26

The first step for any effective time in the word is fervent prayer. I ask, therefore, that you stop reading, bow your head, and engage your heart. Ask the Father to give you an earnest filling of the Holy Spirit. Let Him know that you desire to hear and understand the lesson that He has for you in His word. Ask that when you finish your Bible Immersion time, you will have the willingness and the strength to walk out in faith, in this very day, to do the things that He reveals.

You will need a day by day assignment. Keep in mind, one of the key components to Bible Immersion is the willingness to make reading through the Bible each year a life-long discipline. In order to do this, you will need to read about three chapters of the Bible each day. If you search the web, you can find many Through the Bible in a Year reading schedules. I prefer one that assigns daily readings in both the Old and the