The Bible
Read the Bible as though it was a love letter from God;
because that is what it is. The Bible is
the mirror of our lives. It reflects
God’s view of us: the way He sees us. It
reflects the love of God for us, and the depth of that love. The more we read it (and see our reflection
in it), the more clearly we can see why He created the world for us and why He
gives us the choice (free will) to receive what He has created for us.[1]
As we view our image, in the Bible, do we see ourselves as we
think we are or the way God sees us? God
has a purpose for each of us. As we
delve farther and farther into His Word, we will come to realize why we were
designed, each uniquely, as one of His children. He knew each of us before we were established
in our mother’s womb. Some may be called
to the mission field, some to the business world, some to pastor a flock, some
to raise families, some to be teachers, some to be protectors (such as
policemen and soldiers) and many other fields of endeavor: yet all to be His
children[2].
Be weary of deception.
There are many warnings throughout the old and new testaments about
those who will try to deceive: even if possible, the elect (those of us who are
God’s people)[3]. Always compare what you hear with what is in
the Word of God. These deceivers are
described, in His New Testament, as the spirit of Anti-Christ.
The Word says that the most important thing you can do is
to love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and your
entire mind[4]. God already
loves us; we are only returning that love.
For our protection, we are given the knowledge that there
are only two powers active in the world: God and the power of the evil one (and
his minions) that rejected Him in Heaven and were thus expelled. Why God gave Lucifer power over the earth I do
not know. What I do know is that there
are limits to his power and a limited time for him to have it. Lucifer, who was an angel of light, attempted
to over throw God in His Heaven. Hell
was created for Satan and his followers[5]. Hell was not created for man; however, man
has proven that in many cases he is not to be welcomed in Heaven. You can’t earn your way to Heaven by a journey
through Hell. God knew, from the
beginning, how mankind would either honor Him or dishonor Him. God morns: over those who prove themselves to
be unworthy. You can’t, by your own
efforts, earn your way into Heaven. You can’t work your way in, buy your way in
or sneak your way in. If you think there
is any other way to get to Heaven, other than through the blood of Jesus, you
are only deceiving yourself[6]. Because man cannot live up to the law of God,
He sent His son to pay the price of redemption for all of us: all we have to do
is repent (change our mind) and receive this most generous gift.
The Bible was given to us for several reasons: First, to
show us how He created the world, Second to show His love for us, Third to give
us a guide for living, Fourth to show us the way of salvation He knew we would
need and last but not least, to show us God’s way of thinking, which is the
mind of Christ.
You cannot live in grace if you are not in the will of
God. The Bible is the textbook which we
use, to determine whether or not we are in the will of God. No other piece of literature is acceptable as
scripture; which is why the Word says nothing is to be added to or taken away
from it.
I, and many people I know, can’t wait to be in Heaven and
walk and talk with God. We can have this
while we are here on earth, through the Holy Spirit. When Jesus said He would never leave you or
forsake you[7], He was
referring to His Spirit who comes to indwell us. Once the Spirit has come to indwell us, He is
truly going through every thing we go through as He is in us and takes no breaks
or vacations. He is there through the
good and the bad. We are never left
alone again.
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Sunday, September 16, 2012
The Bible
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