As we go through life, we have all kinds of questions and
events bombard us. Just as we learned in
grade school, life is all about the “How, What, Where, When and Whys”
Where do you go to get your information? I know before the Internet, we had to rely on
textbooks, encyclopedias, newspapers and/or people’s memories of an event or
the stories that were passed down to us.
Now we have Google! We have Siri
and Alexa! The world of information is
at our fingertips. But when events of
life hit us or questions arise do we go to the one place that will never fail
us? The one place that won’t give us the
wrong information or “fake news”. Do you
turn to your Bible?
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NKJV) “But you must continue in the things
which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned
them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are
able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work.
Paul is telling Timothy to read the Scriptures. The Scriptures will tell you how to correct
your wrongs, give you instructions on how to live your life and how to save
your soul.
In the book of 2 Peter, Simon Peter in his teaching to Christians
is telling us that all that they were being told was true. The stories of Jesus and His Power and His
coming were not fables, they weren’t just made up stories to entertain or fool
people. They were “eyewitnesses” of His
power and greatness. They are told that
they could believe the prophetic words of the teachers and Scripture. 2 Peter 1:19-21 “And so we have the prophetic
word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark
place, until the day dawns and the morning start rises in your hearts; knowing
this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretations,
for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
We are told in many places that the Bible is the place, the
only place that we should look for answers.
Give me the Bible, star of gladness gleaming,
To cheer the wand’rer lone and tempest tossed;
No storm can hide that radiance peaceful
beaming,
Since Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
Refrain
Give me the Bible, holy message shining;
Thy light shall guide me in the narrow way;
Precept and promise, law and love combining,
Till night shall vanish in eternal day.
Give me the Bible, when my heart is broken,
When sin and grief have filled my soul with
fear;
Give me the precious words by Jesus spoken,
Hold up faith’s lamp to show my Savior near.
Refrain
Give me the Bible, all my steps enlighten,
Teach me the danger of these realms below;
That lamp of safety o’er the gloom shall
brighten,
That light alone the path of peace can show.
Refrain
Give me the Bible, lamp of life immortal,
Hold up that splendor by the open grave;
Show me the light from Heaven’s shining portal,
Show me the glory gilding Jordan’s wave.
Written by Pricilla Owens circa 1989
So, when you need answers or are not sure of what to do or
which way to turn, turn to your Bible.
Just say, “Give me my Bible.”
That Lamp that shows me the way for one day I am going to walk the
streets of Galilee.
Have a Blessed Day
Are You Living the Pattern of Paul
“Brethren, join
in following my example, and not those who so walk, as you have us after a
pattern. For many walk, of whom I have
told you often, and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ:” Philippians 3:17
Paul is telling
in his letter to all the saints in Philippi to watch him, listen to him and to
do all that he does. He is telling them
to pattern themselves after him in his word and deed because there are many
people out there who claim to be Christians but are actually the enemies of
Christ. Is this not true today?
We all know
people that claim to be Christians. It
seems like everywhere you turn people say they are Christians and that “their
God” understands them and they change the meaning of the words in the Bible to
fit what they want to do and then say: “See! It’s right here!”
I have just
finished the “Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood. It is a book that is sent in America in an
unknown future time. The author doesn’t
tell you how America got to where it is now but from the characters you have an
idea. It is about a country that was
taken over by radical “Christians” because the country had turned into a
Godless society. It talks of Baptists
hiding in the hills and Jews being killed if they don’t convert. It is the story of a woman taken from her
family and made into a vessel to procreate the country with ideal people. I know it sounds far fetched but as I read
this book, I thought to myself if we are not careful, this is not
unrealistic. In some fashion this could
happen, look at what’s happening with ISIS.
We are on a slippery slope and only WE acting through God’s word can
stop it.
In Philippian’s
4:9 Paul writes: “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw
in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” We need to start doing as He commands and
live the life he commands. He has
promised us salvation if we follow his plan.
“For God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into
the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved”
John 3:16-17. He is telling us right here that His plan was always to save us
and love us.
John
11:25-26: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the
resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall
live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe
this?’” Do you? Are you teaching this?
Are the actions
we take today, right now, actions that would stop such a thing as the
“Handmaid’s Tale” or do our actions today make the story seem more likely? Are we doing all that we should to live the
life we are told to? Have you read the
story of Paul and are you using him as a pattern? If not, maybe you should
Have a Blessed
Day
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