TEN IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT GOD # 1 - GOD'S MESSAGE TO YOU

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God shall stand forever."  Isaiah 40:8

Ten important things, ten blogs. If I tried to write all I've learned in one blog, it would not only be way too long, you probably would  be overwhelmed. So, I'll take one important fact at a time. My list of ten may not be the same as your list. You can send me your list in the comment section. I'd really like to see it. I view and erase the comments daily, and you don't need to worry that anyone will see your e-mail address.

      Why is a study like this even necessary? I'm often asked why I write a Bible blog - the answer to these questions is the same. If you are a believer, or a seeker of God, you want to know the facts, you want truth. Not all pastors are equipped to share the God of the Bible. They may allow their feelings or humanism to get in the way of a truth they're uncomfortable with. They may get involved in teaching practical daily living skills like relationships, finances, health, and parenting. This is good; God has valuable input from His Word on all these subjects.
      However, what I want most is to learn more about the person of God. I want to experience the Holy Spirit in my life, I want to feel secure in my relationship with God. I want to see with eyes of faith. I believe others want this too. So, I write.    
      We need to start with the Bible. Christianity isn't a made-up religion like the New Age Spiritual movement. The Bible verifies and validates Christianity.

# 1 God has written a personal message to us.

      His message is contained in the Holy Bible. The Bible, it's characters, personal stories, history, poetry and message of redemption has intrigued the world for centuries. Do you know that more copies of the Bible have been printed than any other book ever written? It is also the most vetted book in history. The writings of Aristotle, Socrates and Plato have never been scrutinized to the same degree as the Bible.
      It's important to know that the Bible is a combination of  historic facts, symbolism to illustrate a truth, and stories that give us a picture of spiritual truth. By faith, I believe that the Bible contains exactly what God wants us to know, no more, no less.
      It's good to know some basic facts. . .unless we believe that the Bible is truly the Word of God, we will not have confidence in its message and see no value in studying it.

   *  The Bible is a collection of sixty-six individual 'books' divided into the Old Testament, thirty-nine books, and the New Testament, twenty-seven books.

   *  God chose some forty authors who wrote over a period of 1500 - 1600 years. Some authors were kings, some prophets, some were simply fishermen. These people lived during different periods of history; no wonder it's so interesting. Most of the authors never met, however their message was consistent throughout Scripture.

   *   The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, speaks of God's plan to redeem His lost sheep - John 10. The Bible states that we are redeemed through the person of Jesus Christ who is the Messiah, Savior, and Lord of all.

    *   The Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language and is the 'Covenant of the Law',i.e., The Ten Commandments, see Exodus, chapter 20. The New Testament was mostly written in Koine Greek, the common language of the day, as well as Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus Christ. The Covenant of Grace is taught in the New Testament, see Galatians 3: 24 - 25, Also Romans 3:24.

   *   The book of Acts, authored by Luke, a doctor, is a history of the early church. The four gospels were written for the Jews, the New Testament, The Covenent of Grace begins with Acts 2 when the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit.   

   *    Modern day science, as well as archeology, continues to validate the Bible. Adam and Eve. . .just a story, or did they really exist? Our DNA roots came from someone the scientists call Eve, found in the same region as the Garden of Eden written about in the book of Genesis. Really? Eve, the scientists say, is the mother of us all.
   
      I don't pretend to know everything about the Bible. I only know what the Lord has taught me. I've come to know Him - God, through a study of the Bible. My hope is that you will too. If you were to remember just one thing from this blog, it should be this;

God's message to us is written in the Bible, and Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

Lord, I thank you for your amazing word, for sovereignly choosing those who would record your story, and for giving us a desire to learn about who you are and what message you have for us.