As a Christian, I don't let anyone define me but God Himself. He is my Creator and knows the plans He has for my life, Jeremiah 29:11. The Bible tells me that He see me as righteous, worthy of love, forgiven of every sin I've ever committed, in fact in God's eyes I am a saint. So, call me St. Bobbe! I'm not a saint to anyone else, just in my heavenly Father' eyes. During the painful times, I hold onto that.
"There is no one righteous, not even one. . ." Romans 3:10
"But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known. . .This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." Romans 3:22
The following short paragraph in quotes is the first blog I wrote. Sometimes it's good to go back to the beginning. I followed this blog with one on 'Bible Basics', then 'Why Study the Bible?' and 'Knowing Truth'. As of this date, I've written a total of 258 blogs. I hope I've never wavered in sharing the truth from the Bible.
WELCOME TO A STUDY OF THE BIBLE
Saturday, January 09, 2010
"Welcome to the most interesting, enriching and illuminating study of your life - the study of the Bible. The bestselling book of all time can be a bit intimidating, but please relax and enjoy the narrative, people and action that make this the most treasured book ever written. The Bible has permeated the world with wisdom, peace, joy and hope. Don't be left out for lack of knowledge."
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Before I began studying the Bible I would go to church and listen to what the pastor/minister had to say. There was always a Bible verse or two but mostly it seemed to me that the messages were about living a better life. I did not have a relationship with the Lord at that time and when I got bored in church, I would make a grocery list or write down things I needed to do the following week. It simply wasn't very important or interesting to me because I had not yet experienced a spiritual rebirth.
You may know more about the Bible than you think. Its content has become a part of the culture of many countries throughout the western world. This blog is also read in China, Russia, the Ukraine and some Arab countries.
Here are some basic facts. . .
** The Bible is a collection of sixty-six individual 'books' which are divided into two sections, the Old Testament, thirty-nine books, and the New Testament, twenty-seven books.
** These books were written by people chosen and inspired by God to record His message over a period of 1500 - 1600 years. There are forty different authors from all walks of life and periods of history. No wonder the Bible is so interesting!
**There is a period of four hundred years between the Old and New Testaments. The 'Gospels' the first four books of the NT were actually written for the Jews, as was the OT.
**The Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language and contains books written in various literary styles. You will find a collage of history, biography, prophesy, songs of love and wisdom and beautiful poetry. You may be amazed.
**The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, which was the common language of the day, also the Aramaic language common in Judea. These letters, called epistles were sent to various churches in Greece, Italy and Asia Minor. The first four books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell the story of Jesus, His birth, life on earth, death and most important, His resurrection.
**The book of Acts is the story of the early church. The new covenant comes in Acts, chapter 2 when the Holy Spirit is revealed to those who believe.
When you have a working knowledge of the Bible, you are much less apt to be led astray by hearsay or poor teaching.
**Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.
May I suggest that you inter-act with the Bible itself; you will be blessed as God speaks to you through His Living Word.
Thank you Lord for your Word that brings knowledge of who You are, wisdom, a peace that surpasses understanding and joy in every circumstance.
