There is a book (who runs may read)
Which heavenly truth imparts,
And all the lore its scholars need,
Pure eyes and Christian hearts
- Words by John Keble (1792-1966)
“There is no remedy for comfort like that which is poured from the bottle of Scripture.”
- C H Spurgeon
You will see writing in parentheses below – these are all quotes from the bible. Google the quotes and you will find them on the internet. Or, click the title and you can read the bible online!
This Christmas 2009, why don’t you pick up a bible and start reading? Dip in to it. Read it from cover to cover, or start at one of the Gospels – John is preferable. John begins with The Word, or Jesus. Pray to God for guidance as you read, so He may reveal His truths to you in His Word. I found it difficult to start reading the Bible on my own. I needed Christian fellowship and friends, in order that I may know Him. Scripture is ‘God breathed’. Now, more and more I am able to understand His word on my own, in delight! You can contact a Christian friend and ask them what is meant by certain passages of scripture. The Lord will guide you in everything, in getting to know him, if that is what you desire. ‘Where your treasure is there will be your heart also.’
The Bible was just a book to me, when we first started holding our bible study group a few years ago. I knew little and I certainly didn’t know how to pray. We followed the Book by Book series (Biblical Frameworks)from All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. Richard Bewes and guests took us through books like Genesis, Exodus, Ephesians, James, 1 Peter, Timothy, Galatians, Psalms, John, and Phillipians. We have also studied the last book of the bible - Revelation through a 6 month series of sermons by Mark Burch as he preached to a congregation at Willow Park Baptist Church in Canada. I attended two study weekends and went through the Book of Esther and then another year studied parts of Isaiah. Church sermons, particularly during the last five years out of the 15 years we have been attending, have also given me an insight into the character of Christ and His purpose. How many times have I thought about the incredible relevance and poignancy of hearing the word at that particular time of listening! There is no doubt in my mind, soul, heart and spirit – Jesus is the divine son of God – and Jesus came to save us from the wrath of God because Jesus suffered on the cross in our place. This is a treasure to know and to have the experience and revelation of knowing. People who don’t know this don’t know the one true God. Man is naturally rebellious and proud. Search your heart. Not until we repent and ask Jesus to show us the way, will we have the opportunity of knowing Him. And we can know Him through the Bible, through His word.
Our bible study group consists of around 10 people. We have poured over the scripture together, on a Monday evening, in one like mind and spirit and have helped each other in discovering more about Jesus. We have all been made richer with knowledge and wisdom of His words. We were simply, a group of Christian friends desiring to know more about Jesus. We have a Methodist lay preacher among us who has been great when instantly being able to refer us to specific passages, in order to cross reference. My father-in-law had been a Methodist all his life, but before we got down to really studying together, he had not been taught that Jesus is not only written about as a prophesy in the old testament, but that Jesus can be identified throughout the Old testament. The bible has helped us all in our daily lives providing us with reassurance, giving us confidence in Him, comfort and strength, and helped us to know Jesus, the tri-une God, as well as His purpose in this world. We have been blessed.
This world we live in does not provide us with the ultimate answers to life, which is why the bible was written – to give us the answer, the light and the truth. The bible explains the devil and his workings; why satan has dominion over the Earth today. We are tiny specs of dust, smaller than that – when we compare our little frail bodies with the size of the universe. And yet God loves and cares for each one of us – even He has numbered the hairs on our head. Mind boggling! How can we rely on our own strength and our own intelligence to give us the answers? Can’t we see, that all along, God has been calling us from the beginning? He calls all sinners, you and me. And we CAN be perfectly clear about what He is and who we are when we study His word. Jesus 'did not come to bring peace to the world', but to reveal himself as peace in us, by His spirit. This is a true experience of a Christ follower. Emmanuel means ‘God with us’.
My family - brothers and sister and our Indian brother, Jesus calls you to hear Him, and you can only do this by putting your pride and rebellion away and drawing closer to Him. ‘Faith comes by Hearing.’ Wake up. The time is short. The truth that Jesus offers is far greater than all the so claimed truth offered by any other, false, claims. The Bahai faith I see as guilty of all, because they do not recognise Jesus as divine. If they did, then their faith would fall apart. The Lord Jesus loves all people and wants nobody to stumble.
All has been said in the Bible that there is to say. Your identity could be in Christ and you don’t have to change a thing. If any change will come, it will be God’s will, not yours. I pray for you, my brothers and sister and close family every day, for the ‘veil to be lifted’ and your heart to be filled as mine is. I am not being patronising or big-headed because I know I am not. I speak and 'boast from God'. He has given me permission – for it is in His word. If you mock me, you mock Jesus.
Scripture promises Jesus is coming again. It could happen later today or in 1500 years time..’no one knows the time’.
Oh, just READ THE BIBLE – it is all in there – and it may change your life, heart and spirit as well, like it has me. And millions of others. The Bible is the LIVING word.
into the temple. Last evening we had a sermon on this passage from the book of Luke 21-38. Our pastor, Gary Aston at WHBC reminded us that Jesus came to earth with a 'combative' purpose.
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