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Knowing God |
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God does not make it hard to know Him. He desires a personal relationship
with each one of us. We don't mean, of course, that you can
really know God -- no one can truly know and comprehend
Him -- but that you can know of Him and know that God is real
and cares about you.
By "knowing" God you can discover this relationship.
It includes the inspired Word, a personal Savior and a loving
Spirit.
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| THE BOOK |
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Wouldn't it be great if you could find in one book the answer how best
to live?
Perhaps that seems impossible. Actually, such a book does exist. It's
been around for hundreds of years. More people own this book
than any other. It's the most printed book in the history of
the world. It will tell you the story of God's love for us.
It's a fundamental part of knowing God.
Some people think it makes a nice coffee table centerpiece,
others hide documents in it and some keep one around for occasional
pithy quotes.
Many concede the good moral code of conduct in this book and
that it would be helpful, at times, as long as you don't go
overboard with it. This attitude says it's worthwhile in a limited
sense. That's the "take what you need and leave the rest"
approach. Unfortunately, far too few people read, study and
really apply this book in their lives. The testimonies of those
who have, however, are very powerful. There is a power underlying
the words that transforms lives. It is a wonderful book and
a "Book of Wonders".
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Yes,
of course, we are referring to the Holy Bible. The "Good
Book", as it is often called, might better be subtitled
"God's Love Letter To Humanity". This book is divinely
inspired. No one person penned its contents, but all were guided
and inspired by God's Holy Spirit. The various authors, some
40 in all, lived over a time span of about 1600 years. There
is no way they could have collaborated.
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Yet,
the Bible has a consistent unifying theme. All the parts fit
together. It essentially tells us of God's love for us and His
plan for the redemption of mankind. This Word of God is inerrant
and indestructible. It has truly stood the test of time.
Abundant life, real joy, true meaning
If
you really want to have an abundant life, to discover real
joy and meaning and to learn of the love and plan your Creator
has for you then the Bible is your instruction manual. This
book can and will change your life!
Your attitude towards the Bible will be dependent on what you think
about:
- Life
- Who made you
- Why you are here
- What you choose to do each day.
If you are content to just bump along in life, reacting to circumstances
and with no real thought about your actions, or their consequences,
then you'll have little use for this instruction manual. If,
on the other hand, you really do wonder what it's all about
then the Bible can do you a lot of good.
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Start with questions; look for answers
When
you read the Bible approach it with an eagerness and expectancy
to find answers. If you lack an open-minded attitude it will
hinder. Don't go there to prove your own opinions. Seek humbly
to find the truth without assuming you already know more than
what will be revealed. Recognize, too, that being educated about
the Bible is not the end purpose. God wants you to use the Bible
to know Him and His great love for you. Changing your heart
as a result of God's love and message is your goal.
The Bible can give us direction and guidance
in all areas of our life. As the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy
3:16-17, "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 straightens us out and teaches us to do what
is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully
equipped for every good thing God wants us to do."
Get a version that is easy for you to understand and enjoyable to
read. There are many available. Utilize study aids and resources.
An organized study approach is better and more fulfilling than
haphazard reading.
Meditate on your reading. Pray for understanding and how to apply the
Bible's guidance to your life. Recognize that understanding
means going deep. You can't be content with a surface examination.
There is a mystical and profound depth to the Bible's truth
and wisdom.
Discuss it with others. Fellowship is important to your growth, understanding
and application of the principles by which we live. As Paul
says in Romans 1:12, "I'm eager to encourage you in your
faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way,
each of us will be a blessing to the other."
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Get the Whole Picture
When
reading the Bible you will come across many passages that are
helpful. Others are going to seem impossibly hard or even contradictory.
You cannot just pick at the Bible and get the whole picture.
You must read it in context and you must read it with your heart,
not your head. Beware of reading into it what you want it to
be. This is God's inspired word and it is alive and will dwell
within you. It is meant for exploration, examination and absorption.
Recognize it for what it is. "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."(John 1:1)
This book tells us an interesting story. It begins with God and man
and perfect creation. It tells us of the falling away, of how
sin entered the world. It shows us how we, as humans apart from
God, have tried to live our lives from the seat of self and
how futile that is. Then it introduces us to God's way and our
ultimate redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ. It's
a love story of great mercy, forgiveness, and grace.
Another fascinating aspect of the Book is the people in it. You read
about incredibly heroic and holy men and women. You also notice
some downright wicked individuals. Most remarkable, to me, are
the people who triumph over circumstances in life, often despite
their failings and weaknesses. God somehow enables them to rise
to the occasion.
Read of the struggles and life journeys of Noah, Abraham and Sarah,
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Ruth, Samuel, David and
Solomon. Study the messages of the great prophets like Elijah,
Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Daniel.
...A young girl, Mary, visited by an angel and told that she would
bear God's own son.
...A wild man called John the Baptist, preparing the way for the
Messiah.
Discover the incredible story of Jesus of Nazareth. The very One to fulfill
God's plan of salvation was rejected and killed by the very
people who should have recognized him as the predicted Messiah.
Yet He touched and radically changed people like Mary Magdalene,
Peter, James and John. And after Christ' resurrection notice
the incredible change in a highly educated and strictly religious
man, Saul of Tarsus. His conversion was complete. What an individual
for God to choose and use. Saul became Paul and spread with
incredible fervor the message of God's salvation through Jesus Christ.
Reading the Bible is not a "once-through" project. It is meant
to accompany you in life. You can renew your mind daily and
find encouragement and inspiration. Most importantly you will
learn what God's plan is--to know and love Him and to believe
in His son, Jesus, who redeemed us from sin. If you choose to
believe in God's word and apply it in all areas of your life
you will know true joy and receive the reward of eternal life.
In the Book you will discover that God planned all along for
our redemption through the One.
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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973, 1978,
1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout
the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks
of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for
the offering of goods or services requires the prior written
consent of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All
rights reserved.
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PROVERBS 7:1-3
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"My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart."
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(NIV)
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JOHN 1:1-5
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"In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He
was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was
made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was
the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the
darkness has not understood it."
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(NIV)
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