There is the NIV translation, the English standard version, The Good News Bible is easy to read. The Bible is the word of God.
God’s words are true. Not because we believe. But because it is true. The world is round. Not because we believe, but because it is. Believing does not make it so, it is.
2 Timothy 3.16
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The Bible is a translation of sixty-six books that were written in Hebrew, Aramaic for the Old Testament. The new was written in Greek.
You may hear someone say “in the original Greek text it says”, and they will give you the word in Greek and its meaning.
I don’t know Greek or Hebrew but popular translations are in the
New International Version.
The English Standard Version.
The New Living Translation.
The King James Version.
The New King James Version
New American Standard
I think my first real time seeing a Bible was a version of the
Bible called the Good News. I was about 7 years old and saw it at a rummage sale at Venice Beach. It did not look like a Bible to me. It is easy to read and understand.
In my early days of learning I was homeless, sleeping on a friend’s couch at around 19 or 20 years of age, I read from a children's Bible. It had many pictures and was very easy to understand and the stories were inspirational.
Then I started with the King James version. Even though it is old English I was told that it was very accurate (not to say completely accurate) translation so when I did not understand an old English word, I would look up the meaning.
It included notes, that would refer to the Greek or Hebrew word meaning Depending on where you are led to study you could also obtain Greek or Hebrew reference book in which you can look up words to find a deeper meaning, understanding of a script that you want to know more deeply. I imagine that some words maybe hard to translate into are modern day language, so looking something up is very helpful.
Read the word of God, the Bible, on a daily basis. There is blessing just for reading God’s word. One is peace.
Where to begin?
Some like to start at the beginning of the Bible. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Makes sense. Others have said start, in the beginning of New Testament, others like the book of John, which is one I would recommend.
I would not recommend starting with the book of 1 Chronicles.
How much to read a day? It depends on your personality. You could start with ten minutes a day. The terrific 10. Fabulous 15 or the 30 and beyond.
You could read before bed. When I first started reading, a favorite time was before bed. Now I like starting my day with the Word. As you read, there will be stuff you don’t understand. Just read on.
The word of God is inexhaustible. There is no one who can say they have full understanding of all the Word of God, nothing left for them to discover.
The Word is alive. It is referred to as the Living Word. People who have dedicated their entire life have reread the word and discovered something new to them. Some have spent months maybe years on one book. Read, and if you don’t get something just read on. When you find something that you feel deep meaning, just soak that up like your favorite dessert. That is called meditating on the Word. If the word meditating is intimidating don’t sweat it. Soak it up. Now you know how the word meditate feels to you.
J C
The Truth
The
Way
The
Life
Psalm 16-8
Find a Church
And we have different personalities. I would first pray, Lord guide me to a church that would be good for me. It is ok to visit multiple churches to find the one for you.
There are different denominations that are usually described on a building or in a website. The building is where you go, for fellowship with other believers, paise God, give thanks, learn about God and His ways. People call this a church. It is really a church building. A place where the body of Christ meets. In the early days the people of the church met in various places one of them was the Catacombs. That was the church. Why would they meet in such a place? Well, the believers were under severe persecution back then in the Roman Empire at times. So the Catacombs were safer than the Coliseum. If you were a Christian at that time, it would be wise to turn down any invites to the Coliseum. Lions, tigers and bears oh my!
At salvation we were all placed into the body
1 Corinthians 12 ASV
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. 13 For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.
The people are the church in the body of Christ. Christ is the head of the Church and the believers are the body. The word of God is the Word of God, and that is what the church is taught from, goes by, directed, life guild, ordered, with absolute ultimate authority for the church. Cross up dripping with Jesus Blood.
You do not want to find yourself in heaven and hearing Christ say to you”, depart from me I know you not”. There are false churches and false believers, who may be deceived, for the devil is a deceiver and does deceive. The hard thing about being deceived is you do not know it. That is why the Word of God is just that, The Word of God. If any church does not abide by the word 100 percent, find another church or find an other god.
J C
The Truth
The
Way
The
Life
Psalm 16-8
The First Christian
Acts 11.25
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.
They were first called Christians in Antioch. Who are they? The Jews and Gentiles that believed in the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. Christ means Messiah. The first believers in Christ were the Jews, then Samaritans, then Gentiles.
Christ was asked what is the most important commandment.
To love God with all your heart, mind, and soul.
Second, to love thy neighbor as thy self. Christ gave what I call an eleventh commandment: you will know my disciples by the love they have one for another, and I command you to love one another.
Loving one another is foundational. As you walk the Christian walk, you must work on loving one another. That is a testimony to Christ. Be a light unto the world. Live for and become like Christ.
The flesh may not want to love the person or persons that is hard to love, but that is what we are to do. Not that you will always do that. But something to continually work on. Love in the spirit. Love out of obedience to God, and in that way, you honor God. Love to show you love Christ. Love because of the deep gratitude for salvation, heaven, blessings, not going to where you were headed. Peace with God. Love because God loved you when you did not love God. And so much more.
Even if at the moment your flesh, body is not feeling it, it is best to do it. Love God.
You may notice a sense of peace after words. Whereas, as if you returned, let’s say, anger for anger, then after words, you will feel anger. Peace is much better. Everybody says they want peace. So do the things of God and find peace. Or don't do them and get something you don't want. But learn as you learn the ways of God.
J C
The Truth
The
Way
The
Life
Psalm 16-8
Ephesians 6:
18 with all prayer and supplication, praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, 19 and on my behalf, that utterance may be given unto me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.
We pray sitting on a chair, sitting on a pew, standing in front of a pew, on our knees with head low and hands together asking pleases. Some people pray in the morning, some people pray when there is a bump in the night (Go look out the window, dear! Why me?). Some people pray over their food. I don’t pray when I am sitting on the stool. It's just fine to pray all day long as you can, morning rise, noon break,
Acts 6:4 King James Version
4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.
There is Supplication, a stronger degree. The dictionary term means, earnestly, begging. Maybe you have something very strong on your heart, and you pray from that place. Elijah prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and then he prayed earnestly that it would rain.
Philippians 4 ASV
With Thanksgiving, I think that's very important. A lot of people, including myself, can leave that out. I know God likes a thankful heart. You can see it in the Scriptures. When you're worried about something or you have something troubling you, it can be hard to be thankful, but God does like it when you are thankful. It’s like a degree of faith being thankful. It’s also a way of showing respect and love for God. Even if you don't get what you want, still be thankful.
1 Thessalonians 5 AVS 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward.Constant communion with God.
When we pray and ask for something, we are to pray, according to God's will, and what is his will, what is written in the Bible. So when we pray, and we ask in the mighty name of Jesus, we are praying and asking according to what is written in the Bible, that is scripture. We may pray for something to eat, but not necessarily pray for lobster and caviar with a glass of champagne.
John 14 ASV 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Some things we pray for we have to pray for a long time, could be days, months, years, decades. I heard a story of someone praying for a relative that was not saved, and they prayed for decades, and then on their deathbed they accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Now that's a lot of praying for one person.
Luke 18:1-7 American Standard Version
18 And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man: 3 and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by her continual coming. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his elect, that cry to him day and night, and yet he is longsuffering over them?
J C
The Truth
The
Way
The
Life
Psalm 16-8
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments and Questions