Picky Eaters, I Mean Readers

We cannot know The Word by just reading our Bibles. We must believe The Word is True. We must receive The Word into our hearts. We must apply The Word to our lives. We must live The Word faithfully on a daily basis. 

Anyone can read the printed surface of their Bible and think they know what it means, even if they don't believe it. But that is not how The Word of God is going to be determined to be True. 

We need God's Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning of God's Holy Word to us whenever we read our Bibles, which must be done faithfully on our parts. No matter which translation is used, God's Word 'does not return void', right? So, regardless of which version is read by the seeker, we still need the Translator of God's Word to reveal what God is saying to us. 

We need God's Holy Spirit flowing through us and spreading God's Word in our lives and thoughts and emotions: strengthening us, guiding/leading us, helping us be the people of God, Christ's Ambassadors to the world we live in. And we need Him now. 

But we cannot have God's Holy Spirit, The Comforter, unless we first believe God's Word, Jesus Christ, is Lord. And then we must repent of our sins, the wickedness we have committed against The Word of God, be forgiven by God and receive Jesus Christ into our hearts. 
>Acknowledge Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son.
>Believe that Jesus Christ became sin and died on the cross in our place, conquered death and the grave; rose from the dead and walked out of the tomb. 
>Commit our hearts and our lives to serving His purpose.
>Delight ourselves in The Word of God by studying it out and praying that it is fully revealed to our understanding.

God Breathed

 theópneustos

A word so rare in The Holy Bible that it is only used once; that once is in 2 Timothy 3:16

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

Inspiration of God. God breathed on the writer of each book of The Holy Bible, that The Scriptures would reveal God and God's purpose, God's will and God's way to anyone who came seeking God in it, with a sincere desire to seek out God. 

Those seeking to discredit God will not find what they are looking for, though their eyes see contradictions, their hearts understand nothing in The Holy Bible. 

 Theópneustos: Theó (God) + pneustos (breath) = Godbreath, or quite plainly, God breathed. 

God still breathes. The breath of God is God's Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit goes where God sends Him and does what God tells Him to do. What is The Holy Spirit's primary responsibility? To reveal God to they who are truly seeking God with their whole hearts. 

2 Peter 1:21b "...but holy men of God spake as they were moved by The Holy Ghost."

Just Another Book?

If the devil knows the Scriptures better than you do, what are you going to do about it? 

When he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he abused Scripture by taunting Him with it. But Jesus used Scripture to send the devil packing. 

Start your New Year off right. Get your Bible off the shelf, pray over it and ask God to guide you in your understanding of it, and begin to apply it to your life. Otherwise, it's just another book on the rack.

I'm an overcoming Christian and my desire is that you are, too. I am overcome by the Amazing Grace God has for me. And I overcome the enemies of God using the Scripture as my level, my shield and my sword. 

GENESIS: BOOK OF BEGINNINGS. 
EXODUS: BOOK OF DELIVERANCE
LEVITICUS: BOOK OF WORSHIP INSTRUCTIONS-HOLINESS, SACRIFICE, ATONEMENT
NUMBERS: BOOK OF GENEALOGIES; LIVING IN THE WILDERNESS/ PREPARATION TO ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND
DEUTERONOMY: BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE AND BLESSINGS

(are you hungry yet?)

JOSHUA: BOOK OF CONQUEST-OVERCOMING OPPOSITION AND SHARING THE REWARDS
JUDGES: BOOK OF MILITARY HEROES WHOM GOD RAISED UP TO DELIVER AN IMMORAL PEOPLE
RUTH: BOOK OF FRIENDSHIP-THE DEMONSTRATION AND REWARDS OF BEING A FRIEND

1 & 2 SAMUEL: BOOK OF TRANSITION OF GOVERNMENT
1 & 2 KINGS: HISTORY BOOKS OF GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE IN A 400 YEAR SPAN
1 & 2 CHRONICLES: BOOKS OF HOPE

(gonna have to re_read my Bible again, all the way through!)

EZRA: BOOK OF RESTORATION OF THE REMNANT OF GOD'S COVENANT PEOPLE
NEHEMIAH: BOOK OF COURAGEOUS, RESOURCEFUL LEADERSHIP
ESTHER: BOOK OF GOD'S PRESERVATION OF HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE
JOB: BOOK OF 'WHY THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFER'-REVEALING THE CHARACTER OF GOD

PSALMS: BOOK OF PRAYERS, SONGS AND HYMNS-FOCUSING ON GOD IN EVERY SITUATION, CIRCUMSTANCE AND TRIAL

PROVERBS: BOOK OF APPLIED PRACTICAL WISDOM

ECCLESIASTES: QUESTIONING THE MEANING OF LIFE

SONG OF SOLOMON: BOOK OF AUTHENTIC LOVE

ISAIAH: BOOK ON THE HOLINESS OF GOD/SALVATION IS OF GOD

JEREMIAH: BOOK OF THE NEW COVENANT-GRACE AND FORGIVENESS WRITTEN IN THE HEART

LAMENTATIONS: SORROWING OVER GOD'S JUDGMENT OF HIS SINFUL PEOPLE-THE RESULTS OF IDOLATRY AND UNFAITHFULNESS

EZEKIEL: BOOK OF JUDGMENT & RESTORATION-INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY OF FORGIVENESS AND GRACE

DANIEL: EMPHASIZING THE TRUTH THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL OF HISTORY

HOSEA: BOOK OF STEADFAST LOVE

JOEL: PROPHETIC OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON GOD'S PEOPLE-REPENT AND RECEIVE

AMOS: BOOK OF REPENTANCE, WORSHIP AND CHANGED LIVES

OBADIAH: BOOK OF GOD'S JUDGMENT AGAINST ISRAEL'S ENEMIES

JONAH: BOOK OF REVELATION OF GOD'S HEART-MESSAGE OF GRACE FOR ALL PEOPLE, NOT JUST SOME; STEPS TO REVIVAL

MICAH: BOOK OF ACCOUNTABILITY

NAHUM: CALLED TO HOLINESS AS A WAY OF LIFE

HABAKKUK: CALLED TO FAITH IN DAILY LIVING

ZEPHANIAH: CALLED TO SERVE AS GOD'S COVENANT PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

HAGGAI: CALLED TO AUTHENTIC WORSHIP

ZECHARIAH: CALLED TO AUTHENTIC FAITH-REPENTANCE, REVIVAL, RESTORATION

MALACHI: CALLED AGAIN TO AUTHENTIC WORSHIP-REBUKED FOR SHALLOW WORSHIP

MATTHEW: REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST AS THE PROMISED MESSIAH/DETERMINING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN" AND "KINGDOM OF GOD"

MARK: REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST AS THE SON OF GOD AND THE SON OF MAN

LUKE: REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST IS GOOD NEWS-GOSPEL OF JOY, GOSPEL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOSPEL OF PRAYER

JOHN: BOOK OF RELATIONSHIPS BASED IN OUR LOVE FOR GOD AND GOD'S LOVE FOR US

ACTS: REVEALING THE PERSON AND PURPOSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

ROMANS: PROCLAIMING GOD'S POWER TO SAVE ALL PEOPLE

1 & 2 CORINTHIANS: LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN A NON-CHRISTIAN ENVIRONMENT

GALATIANS: JUSTIFICATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

EPHESIANS: REVEALING THE UNION & BOND OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH

PHILIPPIANS: LIVING A JOY-FILLED CHRIST-CENTERED LIFE

COLOSSIANS: REVEALING THE MAJESTY OF CHRIST

1 & 2 THESSALONIANS: PREPARING FOR CHRIST'S RETURN

1 & 2 TIMOTHY: THE PURPOSE AND POWER OF SCRIPTURE 

TITUS: REMINDED TO 'HOLD FAST' (like superglue) TO THE GOSPEL OF OUR SALVATION

PHILEMON: REVEALING OUR RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER IN CHRIST

HEBREWS: REVEALING THE AUTHORITY AND FINALITY OF JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR

JAMES: PRACTICAL & TRUE RELIGION VS. COUNTERFEIT RELIGION

1 & 2 PETER: LIVING A LIFE OF HOPE AND JOY IN THE MIDST OF CONFLICT

1, 2, 3 JOHN: LIVING A LIFE OF ACTIVE LOVE AND FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

JUDE: DEFENDING GODLY FAITH AGAINST UNGODLY FALSE TEACHINGS 

REVELATION: REVEALING GOD'S MAJESTY, POWER AND AUTHORITY

(this was a wonderful study today. took 3 hours just to get this far) I love my BIBLE!