The importance of Spiritual Discernment when reading the Bible.

I haven't been on ATS very long, but in my conversations with many it has become apparent to me that some people are truly blinded to the truth of Scripture. Many read my threads, and immediately seek to argue rather than truly discuss and seek truth. As I listen to the arguments many of the members here bring up; I begin to see just how much God truly guides me on my research of Scripture. My approach to Bible study for the past year has been to purposely seek out theological conversations(whether it be here on ATS or with friends or random strangers). When people brought up interesting points, I would talk it over with God, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in my search of Truth. God constantly amazes me with his wisdom, and no matter how much of himself he reveals to me my glass always fills empty. I wonder how many non-believers sincerely attempt to connect with God and acknowledge Him as they read to see if any answers are given to them.

When I see some people attempt to interpret Scripture it scares me as to how absolutely off the wall their arguments sound to me. It is like they purposely forget certain parts of the Bible all together in order to "torture" the data into a meaning that is completely incoherent with Scripture. This my friends is why its important to ensure that we approach the Bible with a sense of Spiritual Discernment. This goes for non-believers and believers alike I mean we are talking about the eternal condition of your soul. Is it really that hard(even if you do not believe in God) to say, "Hey God I don't know if you exist or not, but I really want to know if you are there, and if you are please show me the Truth as I search for you today." Then while you read or study if a question pops up in your mind ask God to show you the answer, and then honestly sit there and give the situation at hand some thought from both sides of the perspective. If you do not attempt to let God show you his Truth, I do not believe you will ever see it friends. Humble yourself before God, and empty your glass so that he may fill it. When you discuss with believers here on the internet instead of just shrugging off their opinions as though they are intellectually below you, stop and ask God(whether you believe in Him or Not) why do they see this so differently? Seek Truth friends; time is running short.


Then I have a couple matters that I would just like more opinions on. I hear many people speak of a pole shift that is meant to happen in our time, and was wondering how many of you think this could be the cause of the Global Earthquake mentioned in Revelations. Before I tell my little story, it is important to understand that before this experience I had no prior understanding of the literal meaning of the word "harpazo" that is "to snatch away, carry off by force." So, I was lying there on the couch with my girlfriend, and I dosed off. I remember a strange euphoric sensation right before I began to hear what sounded like a strong gust of wind, and then I remembered being tossed into what felt like a strong vacuum spiraling into myself. I remember calling out for God asking Him if this was him or if I had died. The Force kept growing stronger and stronger until finally it scared me so bad that all I wanted to do was to return back to my couch. I woke up feeling as though I had been slammed back into my body. I had leapt off the couch and was clutching my chest because of the adrenaline I had pumping through me. A few days ago I saw the literal definition of the word, and was reminded of this experience. Do any Rapture believers out there think it will be something similar to that nature or that it will be a bit more pleasant?

reply to post by ServantOfTheLamb


I found myself in two minds - one the teaching and knowledge I had been given as a child and church-goer plus the other views of members of my family that were from other religious backgrounds and the researcher for the truth. By researching I first read the bible from cover to cover and, it did not contain the sort of information I thought was fit for a holy book. I was actually disappointed and in truth disgusted. It was only at the NT part that I found I even connected.

In my researching I followed up Genesis and was quite honestly horrified to find it was not original, but merely an adaption from other cultures historical beliefs. Worse than that it had been twisted and so altered that the original meaning of the stories it was taqken from had been completely obliterated. I also looked into the politics that existed during much of the NT and again was horrified to find that instead of what I had been led to believe had occurred after Christ's resurrection, Christianity had not spread uniformly across the land, but existed in small pockets with their own versions. It was not until Nicea that even an idea of putting it all into one dogma occurred.

What I had the most trouble dealing with though was the size of the universe, how many other universes exist out there and how one God whose physical presence I emanated could have had a hand in the construction of all those stars, planets etc etc.

Its putting faith into 1 God and thinking that he is so uniquely tuned to me as an individual that is simply a step too far for me to feel right about. What I mean by that is that when one guesses something and its correct, one instinctively knows its right. I don't get that feeling when I consider God.

What I do relate to is a pantheon of Gods and a code of practise as a human being - which again I instinctively know is right and that comes from the Pagan ideal of Do as you would be done by. I also know that spirituality is a state of mind and heart which need to be balanced, things faced and owned to. It also leads me to contemplate other worlds and seeking the truth but not from a man-made political view point.

Hope that shows how I reached my religious point of view. I like your perspective and honesty in your post.

ServantOfTheLamb
Many read my threads, and immediately seek to argue rather than truly discuss and seek truth.

- Just because people disagree with you doesn't mean they are 'seeking to argue' or that they dont' care about truth.

- This isn't an echo chamber and it's not full of people who are going to automatically buy what is being sold.

- You said 'seek truth' .... and yet you have been given the truth that Noahs Ark was impossible and you disregard it because it doesn't match your version of truth. If you REALLY wanted to seek the truth, you'd look at the facts logically and objectively instead of dismissing them. A person 'seeking truth' that only matches their religion isn't really 'seeking truth'. Ya' know?

reply to post by ServantOfTheLamb



Many have hardened their hearts to the truth. Its sad, but Jesus warned us that it would happen.

As for the pole shift, it will happen at the 2nd Advent of Christ sometime in mid September of 2023. No one knows the exact day or hour of the pole shift, but it is described in the 6th Seal.

The rapture however, will occur on 9/16/2016, probably at 1:54pm eastern time.

You and I have discussed parts of my theory before, but now it has been confirmed by prophecy.

My calculations:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Prophetic confirmation:

books.google.com...

I never believed that prophets could exist in the Post-Revelation Church Age, but now I realize that I was wrong. The Age of Israel has its prophecies while the Church has its own. Pentacost transitioned us from the Age of Israel and the Rapture will transition us back to the Age of Israel.

All I can say is use 1 John 1:9 and read the visions of Iris Nasreen while in the power of the Holy Spirit. Test the spirit of her words. Do they glorify Christ? I think they do. Her visions also happen to follow the mathematical pattern that God has shown me.

Jesus never said, "no man knows the day or hour of the rapture". He only spoke of the rapture in parables because it was yet an unrevealed mystery at the time. Instead, He said that He would cut the Tribulation short for the sake of the elect. Therefore, no man knows the day or hour of His return to stop the Tribulation.

Now is the time for those who will hear to listen. Set aside your pride and humble yourselves before the Lord.

Believe on Jesus Christ as your saviour now, and you will escape the time of temptation that will fall upon the whole earth.

He paid for our sins on the cross so that we could be free from the penalty of sin (death). Time is running out. If you wait for the rapture, chances are you will not live to see His return 7 years later. Do not be fooled into thinking that your works are good enough to get you into heaven.

To be a true seeker of truth you have to sometimes step outside of the box. Unfortunately Christians (and other religions) refuse to see anything outside of their box because they see it as dangerous. Only looking for "truth" that fits in with preconceived notions isn't seeking for truth, it is seeking for confirmation bias.

To be discerning, you have to see the lies for what they are not accept everything as true. The bible is not 100% true or even 50% true, it's a tool for those in power to keep us blind, why else would it have survived for so long?

Accepting everything within the bible as true and as the word of god is the complete opposite of discernment.

reply to post by ServantOfTheLamb


From my point of view many people think their view is truth instead of the ego projection view it is.

There is only one single truth that is. This truth includes everything that is and every view of "what is". Since the bible do not contain that information then it is not the truth but a man made view that can if you are wise help you to find the thing that knows "all that is".

If you cannot read the map and find something answering back then seek in another way.

BELIEVERpriest
The rapture however, will occur on 9/16/2016, probably at 1:54pm eastern time.

First - There is no such thing as a pre-trib rapture.
That's a soul-candy invention by failed Anglican priest Nelson Darby back in the 1800s.

Second - Scripture scholars have been trying to figure out Revelations for 1500 years.
(prior to the year 500 AD it was rejected by the majority of the Christian church)
They are all much better versed in scripture than you or me, and none of them have dated it.

Suggested reading - The Rapture Trap by Paul Thigpen

FlyersFan

ServantOfTheLamb
Many read my threads, and immediately seek to argue rather than truly discuss and seek truth.

- Just because people disagree with you doesn't mean they are 'seeking to argue' or that they dont' care about truth.

- This isn't an echo chamber and it's not full of people who are going to automatically buy what is being sold.

- You said 'seek truth' .... and yet you have been given the truth that Noahs Ark was impossible and you disregard it because it doesn't match your version of truth. If you REALLY wanted to seek the truth, you'd look at the facts logically and objectively instead of dismissing them. A person 'seeking truth' that only matches their religion isn't really 'seeking truth'. Ya' know?

Present your best evidence against the Flood, then explain to me how it is not circumstantial.

Just one. Pick one thing. Explain to me why you believe it is not circumstantial, and lets discuss it.

ServantOfTheLamb
Present your best evidence against the Flood, then explain to me how it is not circumstantial.

- I already did.
- You dismissed the FACTS with your version of reality, which was 'I have faith' and 'God can do anything'.
Sure God can do anything - but just because he CAN, doesn't mean that he DID.
- Like I said .. it's useless to try talk to someone rationally when they dismiss fact - like you are doing.

Any ONE of these things disproves Noahs ark. Put together, they are absolute.

PANDO Tree Colony

Pando (Latin for "I spread"), also known as The Trembling Giant,[1][2] is a clonal colony of a single male quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) determined to be a single living organism by identical genetic markers[3] and one massive underground root system. The plant is estimated to weigh collectively 6,000,000 kg (6,600 short tons),[4] making it the heaviest known organism.[5] The root system of Pando, at an estimated 80,000 years old, is among the oldest known living organisms.[6][7]
Pando is located 1 mile southwest of Fish Lake on Utah route 25.[8] in the Fremont River Ranger District of the Fishlake National Forest, at the western edge of the Colorado Plateau in South-central Utah, at N 38.525 W 111.75.

Science Daily
At this time there are 6.5 million land animal species on the planet. There were even more back in what was supposedly Noahs time. Two of each animal would mean at least 13 million animals on that boat. NOT A CHANCE!! Couldn't happen.

Light doesnt penetrate the ocean more than about 500 ft. if the earth were submerged under 29,000 ft. in order to cover mt. everest, no marine plant life would have survived and the oceans would be dead. Obviously that didn't happen.

Could Noahs' Ark Have Actually Happened?

If the 2350 date were correct, then human civilization would’ve had to undergo an extreme population explosion in the millenium following the flood. According to Biblical sources, there would have been millions of Jews leaving Egypt, so assuming a global population of 40 million around that time (~1350 BC), and comparing that to global population estimates later in history (an estimated 200+ million by 0 AD), would require an incredibly high population growth between 2350 BC and 1350 BC (5,000,000 fold increase in 1,000 years), and a much lower population growth after 1350 BC – usually less than 5 fold population growth within any 1,000 year period between 1350 BC and 1800 AD.

(3) The distribution of animals is not what we would expect if there were a global flood killing all life. If all life was limited to the top of a mountain in the Middle East in 2350 B.C., then how to explain the distribution of animals across the world? All the kangaroos on the Ark went to Australia? How did the animals get to the Americas? If they crossed via an ice-bridge in the Bering Strait, then the Americas should be limited to animals that are warm blooded and capable of traveling hundreds of miles across snow. This means no reptiles, no spiders, etc. Yet, the Amazon contains a wide variety of animal biodiversity. And why didn’t American desert animals stay behind in the deserts of the Old World? (See related post: “Creationism versus Animal Biodiversity”)

(4) Genetic evidence shows that human beings are far to genetically diverse to be descended from a single family in 2350 B.C. If Noah’s Ark were true, then all men alive today would’ve gotten their Y-chromosomes from Noah, and all human mitochondrial DNA would come from Noah’s wife and the three daughter-in-laws. Studies of the human Y-Chromosome show that you’d need far more than 4,300 years to accumulate that many mutations. Human beings could not be descended from a single male in 2350 B.C. What the studies show, instead, is that, in order to explain the number of mutations in the human Y-Chromosome, you have to allow for roughly 60,000-90,000 years. Similarly, human mitochondrial DNA requires roughly 160,000 years to accumulate that many mutations — showing that Eve could not have lived 6,000 years ago as the Bible says.

AND MORE INFORMATION AT THAT SITE.

Adam and his Eves - A lesson on DNA and population distribution for you

Creationism vs Biodiversity

Additionally, once the animals left the Ark, there are a lot of nearby regions they could inhabit, but didn’t. For example, all varieties of rattlesnakes are found in the Americas (33 species, and numerous subspecies). There are none in the Old World – despite the fact that there are regions similar to the American deserts – the Sahara, the Middle East, the Gobi Desert, etc. Llamas fit this same pattern – found in the New World, but not in the Old World. The Caucus (where the Ark supposedly landed) and Himalaya mountains have different species than the Rocky Mountains and Andes. Why didn’t some of the Rocky Mountain species stick around in the Caucus Mountains – they were already there the minute they stepped off the Ark. Similarly, the species in the South American tropics aren’t found in Old World tropics (Southeast Asia and Africa), and vice-versa. For example, New World cats and monkeys are different species than Old World cats and monkeys. Theoretically, with the movement of creatures caused by the global flood, one could find the same species living in distant places. Somehow, we don’t.

National Geographic - Human DNA Journey
For Noahs Ark to have happened exactly as the bible claims, we'd expect the highest levels of genetic diversity to be in the Middle East. But the fact is that the highest levels of human genetic diversity occur in Africa where humanity evolved.

Noahs Ark Doesn't Float

Miles of coral reef, hundreds of feet thick, still survive intact at the Eniwetok atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The violent flood would have certainly destroyed these formations, yet the rate of deposit tells us that the reefs have survived for over 100,000 undisturbed years. Similarly, the floodwaters, not to mention the other factors leading to a boiling sea, would have obviously melted the polar ice caps. However, ice layers in Greenland and Antarctica date back at least 40,000 years.

Impact craters from pre-historical asteroid strikes still exist even though the tumultuous floodwaters would have completely eroded them. If these craters were formed concurrently with the flood, as it has been irresponsibly suggested, the magnificent heat from the massive impacts would have immediately boiled large quantities of the ocean, as if it wasn’t hot enough already. Like the asteroid craters, global mountain ranges would exhibit uniform erosion as a result of a global flood. Unsurprisingly, we witness just the opposite in neighboring pairs of greatly contrasting examples, such as the Rockies and Appalachians.

Even if we erroneously assume there to be enough water under the earth’s surface in order to satisfy the required flood levels, the size of the openings necessary to permit passage for a sufficient amount of water would be large enough to destroy the cohesive properties of the earth’s crust. However, the outer layer is firmly intact, and there’s no evidence indicating that it ever collapsed. All this hypothetical escaping water would have greatly eroded the sides of the deep ocean fissures as well, but no such observable evidence exists for this phenomenon either.

We can also observe algae deposits within the fossil layers, a phenomenon that could not have formed during the flood because they require sunlight to thrive. It’s quite reasonable to assume that the clouds would have thoroughly obstructed the sunlight during such a tremendous rain indicative of the flood. Setting aside this and all other known fossil inconsistencies with the Bible, archaeologists have found human footprints within the upper layers. Moving water simply could not have deposited these markings. As I alluded to earlier, this seemingly endless list of geological problems was completely unforeseeable to the primitive authors, thus the Bible offers no justifications or explanations for our discoveries.

If Noahs Ark happened - 16 million critters would have been on the ark. That's impossible.
If Noahs Ark happened - there would be polar bears and penquins and armadillos (etc) living in Turkey.
If Noahs Ark happened - human DNA diversity would be magnitudes less than what it is today.
If Noahs Ark happened - the human race couldn't reproduce and survive with only 3 pair of reproducing humans.
If Noahs Ark happened - the ancient civilizations of India would be disturbed. They aren't.
If Noahs Ark happened - where did all the water come from?
If Noahs Ark happened - where did all the water go? Not into space. Impossible.
If Noahs Ark happened - the Earths crust would have collapsed from the weight. It didn't happen.
If Noahs Ark happened - the oceans would be DEAD. And so would we because we can't live without them.
If Noahs Ark happened - the 100,000 year old reefs would be destroyed and dead. They are not.
If Noahs Ark happened - the sea algea would have all died from severe lack of sunlight for months and months, but we know from core samples it survived fine.
If Noahs Ark happened -we would have evidence of it in the ice core samples from the poles. There is no evidence in the samples.

3 pair of related (the men were all brothers) reproducing human couples from 4,300 years ago could not produce the DNA diversity seen today .. the numbers of humans seen today ... and they would have 'inbred to death' quickly due to genetic faults of incest. The three pair of reproducing humans from 4,300 years ago couldn't have magically transformed into negroids, caucasians, and asians ...

Humanity was down to 10,000, with perhaps 1,000 pairs of reproducing couples, and it caused a bottleneck in human evolution.
www.bradshawfoundation.com...
www.absoluteastronomy.com...

The Tragedy of Children Born with Genetic Defects Because the Parents Are Cousins

Better Health - Genes and Genetics

Consanguinity is often associated with factors such as:
Cultural and religious practices
Isolated groups (such as migrants) who prefer to marry within their own culture
Low socioeconomic status
Illiteracy
Living in rural areas.

Related parents are more likely than unrelated parents to have children with health problems or genetic disorders. This is because the two parents share one or more common ancestors and so carry some of the same genetic material. If both partners carry the same inherited altered (mutated) gene, their children are more likely to have a genetic disorder....

Degrees of relationship
Relatives are described by the closeness of their blood relationship. For example:
First-degree relatives share half their genetic information. First-degree relatives include a person’s siblings, non-identical twin, parents and children.
Second-degree relatives share one-quarter of their genetic information. Second-degree relatives include a person’s half-siblings, uncles and aunts, nephews and nieces, and grandparents.
Third-degree relatives share one-eighth of their genetic material and include a person’s first cousins, half-uncles, half-aunts, half-nephews and half-nieces.
The closer the genetic relationship between the parents, the greater the risk of birth defects for their children.

Incidence of birth defects in children of related parents
A child of unrelated parents has a risk of around two to three per cent of being born with a serious birth defect or genetic disorder. This risk is approximately doubled (to between four and six per cent) for children of first cousins without a family history of genetic disorders. The risk of birth defects or death for children of first-degree relatives – for example, parent and child or brother and sister – rises to about 30 per cent.

PDF - Having Children When Parents Are Blood Relatives

3NL1GHT3N3D1
To be a true seeker of truth you have to sometimes step outside of the box. Unfortunately Christians (and other religions) refuse to see anything outside of their box because they see it as dangerous. Only looking for "truth" that fits in with preconceived notions isn't seeking for truth, it is seeking for confirmation bias.

To be discerning, you have to see the lies for what they are not accept everything as true. The bible is not 100% true or even 50% true, it's a tool for those in power to keep us blind, why else would it have survived for so long?

Accepting everything within the bible as true and as the word of god is the complete opposite of discernment.

Please do not misunderstand me. I completely encourage a critical analysis of the Bible. It only strengthens my Faith. You seem to believe that I attend Church, and that I have heard an opinion about who and what God is and searched the Bible for "that" truth. That is not that case at all. I approach the Bible as an ignorant Child ready to be taught by God. When I was younger my parents were the type to show up on Easter and Christmas for appearances rather than to learn. I never really liked church, and I still don't go because I disagree with the way most of them are run. So my opinions on what the Bible says have been drawn from what I feel God has expressed to me through Scripture. At no point in time do I feel I approached my research looking for some preconceived notion, but rather that I approached my research knowing absolutely nothing on the topic and seeing what answers I got from God.

God claims in the Bible that he will preserve his word. You see friend here is why spiritual discernment is important.

"The bible is not 100% true or even 50% true, it's a tool for those in power to keep us blind, why else would it have survived for so long?"

The question you have asked yourself is why has the Bible survived so long. The Bible claims that God will preserve his Word. So if the Biblical God does in fact exist, wouldn't we expect to see his Word preserved? Now if you wish to argue that the Biblical manuscripts are not enough to recreate an accurate copy of the Bible then I suggest you do a bit more research.

Do you, like many others, believe that the people in power are part of the occult?

ServantOfTheLamb
The question you have asked yourself is why has the Bible survived so long.

The question you have asked yourself is why has the Qu'ran survived so long?
Just because something survives two thousand years, that doesn't mean it's 'truth'.
The prayers to the Egyptian gods are still surviving to this day on the pyramids.
That doesn't mean the Egyptian gods are real.
The 7,000 year old Summerian creation myths still survive to this day on clay tablets.
That doesn't mean the Summerian creation myths are real.

The Bible claims that God will preserve his Word. So if the Biblical God does in fact exist, wouldn't we expect to see his Word preserved?

Circular logic.
Oh .. and the muslims say the same about the Qu'ran.
That doesnt mean that God is preserving the Qu'ran.

reply to post by FlyersFan


You left out something. Food for the animals. If there was 16 million animals on the Ark it would take a enormous amount of food to keep them alive.

Noah's Ark definitely happened.
They wrote a book about it.
But like the rest of the bible's stories,
it was passed down by Word long before it was written on paper.

All you can do to disprove Noah's Ark is to test each theory on it against science.
You've proven the literalistic theory to be flawed.
Maybe it's time to look at the symbolism.
Is it possible that all the facts are true,
you just don't understand them?

reply to post by GodIsRelative


How can you say it "definitely" happened when there is no proof that it ever happened...

honestly all you have to say is "it happened because its in the bible"

That's more then enough to understand your position

GodIsRelative
Noah's Ark definitely happened.

Noahs Ark definitely did NOT happen.

They wrote a book about it.

'They' wrote a Qu'ran too. Just because there is a book about something doesn't make it real.

Is it possible that all the facts are true, you just don't understand them?

That's funny. I already have proven that the information in the Old Testament is dead wrong.
I understand that fact very well.

reply to post by ServantOfTheLamb

The question you have asked yourself is why has the Bible survived so long. The Bible claims that God will preserve his Word. So if the Biblical God does in fact exist, wouldn't we expect to see his Word preserved? Now if you wish to argue that the Biblical manuscripts are not enough to recreate an accurate copy of the Bible then I suggest you do a bit more research.

The Greek myths have been preserved far longer than the bible has, does that mean they are the word of god? The Qur'an has been preserved as well, does that mean it also is the word of god? What about the Vedas? Some of its teachings date back to 5,000 BCE. And Buddha's teachings?

The longevity of something doesn't speak for its validity. The fact is is that those in power do not let the real truth spread as they supposedly have with the bible without manipulating it to suit their needs.

If Satan is the god of this world as the bible states, what makes you think the most popular god isn't Satan? The Abrahamic god is by far the most popular on Earth, meaning for all intents and purposes the Abrahamic god IS the god of this world.

3NL1GHT3N3D1
reply to post by ServantOfTheLamb

 

The question you have asked yourself is why has the Bible survived so long. The Bible claims that God will preserve his Word. So if the Biblical God does in fact exist, wouldn't we expect to see his Word preserved? Now if you wish to argue that the Biblical manuscripts are not enough to recreate an accurate copy of the Bible then I suggest you do a bit more research.

The Greek myths have been preserved far longer than the bible has, does that mean they are the word of god? The Qur'an has been preserved as well, does that mean it also is the word of god? What about the Vedas? Some of its teachings date back to 5,000 BCE. And Buddha's teachings?

The longevity of something doesn't speak for its validity. The fact is is that those in power do not let the real truth spread as they supposedly have with the bible without manipulating it to suit their needs.

If Satan is the god of this world as the bible states, what makes you think the most popular god isn't Satan? The Abrahamic god is by far the most popular on Earth, meaning for all intents and purposes the Abrahamic god IS the god of this world.

You seemed to miss the point I was making. You said the Bible is not true, but at tool for those in power. The point I was making is that if God existed and the Bible was His Word it would still be here. So you do not find it hard to believe any other ancient writings existed without the help of TPTB, so why do you only accuse the Bible of being a tool for them?

I did not say that other writings couldn't be preserved. However I would like to give you something to think about. Vedic Astrology is about a 7000 year old system right? Dating it back roughly around 5000 BC. This is the Hindu Zodiac. The Zodiacs are perversions of the hebrew mazzaroth. Each star in each constellation has a hebrew name, and their meanings tell a story. It is how the people back in the day used to teach their children about God.

I believe Hindu Astrology as well as Babylonian Astrology are both perversions of the Hebrews "book in the stars." So does this not mean that the Abrahamic God could possibly out date Hinduism?

reply to post by ServantOfTheLamb


The best way to know if you are using spiritual discernment is to make sure you are seeing things through God's Eyes, from The Holy Spirit.

How do we know if someone has The Holy Spirit? Here is the answer:

1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:16
God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

So, if you are reading The Bible, you should do it with The Wisdom that God is Love and as a Peacemaker you are a Child of God. This is how you read while abiding in God (The Holy Spirit).