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.
THE
BOOK
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".
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.
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.
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."
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.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks
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consent of International Bible Society.
"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."
(NIV)
JOHN 1:1-5
"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."
