MY BIBLES

I bought myself a new Bible.  It's a English Standard Version Ryrie Study Bible.  I like all the study notes, charts, diagrams, and etc. that you get with a Study Bible even though it does increase it's weight and size.  Our pastor uses the ESV and apparently it is supposed to be closest to the original in translation.

I got the genuine leather binding and hopefully my new Bible will  hold up better than my last  which was The Defender Study Bible KJV.  The Defender is the most well-used of all my Bibles.  Nearly every page has verses underlined or highlighted and I have made notes in the margins.  It has been my Bible for the past 15 years, but the pages are literally falling out.  I keep it in a Bible case and still use it often because I know right where to find verses in it. 

Before the Defender KJV, I used the NIV Study Bible.  It was a gift from Larry, Christmas 1990.  I love this one because it is where I recorded our family records like births, deaths, and marriages.  It was also the Bible I used to read through the Bible in a year.

The Bible I used before the NIV was the New American Standard.  It was a gift from our Sunday School teachers when Larry and I were still newlyweds.  It is not a Study Bible, but it has a good concordance and chain references. 

I also have a beautiful blue leather KJV Bible that was a gift from my college roommate, Anna.  It's small and compact, which is probably the reason Phil used it when he was a teenager.  I keep it on my desk at work now and pick it up occasionally when I have time to read.  This was my Bible when I first read through the gospel of John in one setting.  The whole book, from start to finish, and it changed my life.  It was just the beginning of a life-long love for God's Word. 

I can't really say that any one of these Bibles is my favorite.  I have felt the power of the Holy Spirit speaking to me through all of them.  I believe that God's Word is powerful, no matter what translation.  Each of these Bibles has added to the treasury of knowledge of God's Word.  It is through the Bible that we come to know God and what he is like.  It's all in his Word: his love for his creation, his plan of redemption to save us, his sacrificial love in Jesus Christ who gave his life that we might live, his promise of eternal life for all who believe. 

"Oh how I love your law!  It is my meditation all the day."  Psalm 119: 97

My Favorite Promise

On Tuesday, this week, an unusual question came up at our ladies Bible Study.  "Do you think promises in the Bible are hard to recognize?"  We agreed that sometimes they do seem hidden and we tend to read right over them without stopping to thank God for his marvelous promises in his Word.

With this question still fresh on my mind, I considered what I felt to be God's best promise for me, personally.  I found my answer in John 14:26.  It is a promise that I rely on every day of my life. It is a promise that brings me peace and assurance. It is a promise that has kept me from sin.  It is a promise that has kept me on the path that God has for my life.  It is the promise of the Comforter or the Holy Spirit.

In John Chapter 14,  Jesus is explaining the role of the Comforter; which in the Greek is parakletos, meaning "called alongside".  It is through the Comforter that Jesus continues his ministry here on earth, by walking alongside every believer.  In this loving relationship we abide  in Christ and Christ abides in us and we abide in the Father and it is through this abiding relationship that Christ makes himself known to us.  This unique and wonderful experience is only for those who love Christ and obey him.

Look again at verse 26.  Christ promises us that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and he will remind us of all the things that Jesus said.  You can see why I would count this as one of my favorite promises.  I cannot even count the times the Holy Spirit has spoken to me through this exciting, abiding relationship.  A thought from out of nowhere urges me - "Call your parents".  A gentle nudge prompts me- "Pray about this."  A recollection from long ago reminds me- "I answered that prayer."  A timely suggestion directs me- "Forgive them and love them."

How does one experience this promise for himself?  In Acts 2:38-39, Peter is preaching on the Day of Pentecost, Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord shall call.

God's Word is filled with precious promises and I can hardly wait to discover another one.

Solomon, a type of Christ

There are many lessons to be learned from the study of the Old Testament.  Recently, when reading  1Kings, I discovered that Solomon is a type of Christ, or a typology.  A typology is defined by Webster as "a doctrine of theological types; one holding that things in Christian belief are prefigured or symbolized by things in the Old Testament".

Certain elements of Solomon's life are prophetic of Christ's life.  In my reading of 1Kings I discovered six interesting facts about Solomon that pointed to Christ and his ministry in the New Testament. 

1. Chosen by his father (1Kings 1:30).  David had many sons, but only one could be king and David declared that assuredly Solomon would reign after him.  Jesus, too was chosen by his father and declared to be the Son of God at his baptism (Matthew 3:17). 
2. Instructed by his father (1Kings 2:1).  Before he died, David charged his son, Solomon, to carry out his final wishes.  In fact, David had been instructing his son since a child.  We can read these admonitions in the book of Proverbs.  Jesus was always getting away from the crowds so that he could pray and he always did the will of his father (John 5:36).
3. Overcame his enemies (1Kings 2:24).  Solomon carried out his fathers wishes by killing his enemies.  Jesus overcame the enemies of God when he died in our place so that we could be forgiven of our sins and become the children of God  (Romans 5:8-10). 
4. Possessed supernatural wisdom (1Kings 3:28).  The people feared Solomon because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him; there was no one like him.  Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).
5. Established peace (1Kings 4:24).  Solomon had peace on all sides round about him and every man dwelt in safety.  Peace prevailed under his rule.  Jesus, too, will one day establish a kingdom of peace that will never end because he is the Prince of peace. 
6. Built the Temple (1Kings 5:5).  Solomon fulfilled his fathers desire to build the Temple in Jerusalem which became the center of Jewish worship.  He wanted to make a place for God to dwell with his people.  Jesus built a spiritual temple of believers who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, therefore becoming the dwelling place of God (Ephesians 2:21-22).

It is exciting to see that the Old Testament and the New Testament compliment one another.  God's Word is complete and there are pictures of Jesus through out.  His message of love can be seen from Genesis to Revelation and his salvation is found from cover to cover.

God is Speaking............Are You Listening?

This morning my alarm clock awoke me from a dream.  The only dreams we remember are those we have right before waking.  So, since then, I have been putting the pieces together to understand exactly what the dream was about.  In my dream, I was  visiting with a family with several small children.  The mother was concerned about her son who was 4 or 5 years old.  He was misbehaving and seemed out of control.  And she was worried too because he was not eating. 

I went over picked up the boy, cuddling him in my arms and said, "Let's pray about this and find out what God would have us do.  Maybe he will give us insight into the problem and a solution to help the child." 

The little boy looked up at me and laughed.  "God doesn't talk to people," he said, "and everyone would think I was crazy if I said I talked to God." 

The alarm sounded at that moment and as I reached to shut it off, I wondered, "Do people really think I'm crazy whenever I say I talk to God?"

Some people may have a problem with the fact that God is real and that he is involved in our lives.  It may be absurd to them to believe that God hears prayers and speaks to us.  But for those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it is a way of life.  They know because they have experienced it for themselves. 

Having a conversation with God starts with faith.  It happens only when you are in a relationship with him, meaning, you have trusted in his son, Jesus Christ for salvation.  You must believe that Jesus is God's son and that he lived a perfect life and that he gave that life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.  You must rely completely on Jesus to save you  for you cannot save yourself.  Your faith in Jesus makes it possible for you to know God, the Father.  He accepts you into his family and you become his child.  As a child of God you can know that he hears your prayers and he will speak to you by his Holy Spirit who lives inside every believer. 

So how does God speak to us?  God speaks to us in many ways.  He speaks through his creation, through his Word, through his Son, and through his Holy Spirit.  He speaks through Christian media, through people,  through angels, and through dreams and visions.

I thought it would be good to explore some of the many ways that God speaks.  Over the next few weeks I will return to this topic to find out what the Bible has to say about it.  For me, it has been a never ending quest, to hear from God and at times, I have been desperate to hear from him.  And if we know the ways that God speaks to us, then we can learn to listen.

Why Not?

Nearly everyone I know has several copies of the Bible laying around their house, but, I think we would be surprised to see how many people actually open it and read it on a daily basis.  In addition to these paper copies of the Bible, we have available to us, Bible "apps" for our computers and cell phones.  But having the Bible readily accessible does not necessarily mean that we will take advantage of it.  Why is it that Christians fail to study God's Word even though they know that they should.  I did my own survey, asking if it is important for us as Christians to study the Bible.  The results were unanimous.  Everyone said "Yes".  We also know that we should floss our teeth and take our vitamins and get more exercise, but, we don't always do these either. 


If we know that it is important to read and study the Bible, what are the reasons people give for not reading their Bible.  In his article,  Why should we study the Bible? , Dr. Richard J. Krejcir gives four reasons why Christians do not study the Bible.  The reasons are:

• Apathy - I can't get motivated to do it, other things are pressing, I just don't have time, I'm too busy.
• Arrogance - I already know what it says, I don't need it,  I can figure this out on my own, I've got this, it's not relevant for today. 
• Confusion - I don't understand it, there are so many interpretations, I don't know how to do it, it's too difficult.
• Falsehood - It's not really important, nobody knows for sure, I would never do that, I'll get by somehow.   

For me it's apathy, I'm not disciplined  and I tend to waste time.  Every morning I putter around my kitchen and laundry room doing what...., I'm not sure.  What I need to do is drop everything and get to the business at hand - spending time with God in prayer and Bible study.  I need to make it a priority, the thing I do first.  Each one of us is given a 24 hour day; how we use it is up to us.


Dear Father,  forgive me for wasting precious time doing things that will not matter in eternity.  Help me to make the most of the time that you have given me, Lord, and to make Bible study a priority.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."  (James 1:25)

The Only Book You Need to Read

My Granny Poole said that it's the only book you need to read.  I did not believe her at the time; I must have been maybe ten years old and thought her naive if she only read the Bible.  Now that I am as old as she was when she said it, I am inclined to agree with her.  I can still see her sitting there in her chair with her Bible opened in her lap, reading God's Holy Word.  She knew a secret then, that I have only since discovered - that is - everything I need to know is in God's Word.  Do you want to know what God is like?  The answer is in his Word.  Would you like to know what's going to happen in the future?  You can read about it in the Bible.  Need help with your marriage, your finances, raising your children?  The Scriptures will tell you what to do.  What about your health, your job, your in-laws, your leisure?  You name it, it's in his Word.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words shall not pass away.  Matthew 24:35.


But gaining knowledge and understanding are not the only thing that you receive when you read God's Word; God's Word has the power to change your behavior.  Whenever you read and study the Scriptures, you no longer sin or go astray; iniquity does not have dominion over you and you will not be ashamed.  You will be free from bondage to sin, putting your trust in God. In Isaiah 55:11 we read, So shall my Word be which goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.


Little by little, verse by verse, precept upon precept God's Word will change your heart as you read it daily and apply it in your life.  Your heart will be cleansed and enlarged, increasing your capacity to love God and others.  You will have an upright heart with a bent to do good if you allow God's Word to change you from the inside out. 


No other book is like the Bible.  The Bible is unique because it's author is God himself.  Some say it's his love letter to us.  It contains everything that he wants us to know.  I find new things every time I open it's pages, even in passages that I have read before.  I never get tired of reading or studying it because it speaks directly to me and to my situation.  Sometimes when I read it, I am encouraged to persevere, to keep doing what I'm doing; other times I'm comforted, finding assurance that God is with me through every trial.  Some days it makes me joyful, happy, and excited to read about his promises to us his children.  Then there are also times when I read the Bible and I feel convicted or sorry because I realize I have not done the things I should.  Always though, I sense the mystery and majesty of the Scriptures; because I realize that my understanding is limited and his Word contains so much more than I will ever be able to know and understand.  I feel as though I could spend a lifetime reading and studying and still only scratch the surface of what it all means.  O how I love thy law!  It is my meditation all the day.  Psalm 119:97


What about you; have you read any good books lately?