The Bible is God’s Gift To Us

I grew up attending Catholic schools and churches. The Catholic church has many rituals and prayers to memorize. It is interesting that Christians all believe in Jesus, yet denominations celebrate Jesus differently. We now attend Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, which is labeled Evangelical. Each service consists of singing, praying, reading the bible and studying the meaning of the scriptures. Our pastor goes through the bible cover to cover, which he says takes about 7 years. I love this, because there is so much to learn. Growing up in the Catholic Church, the focus was on the New Testament. So, delving into the Old Testament is enlightening. I am seeing how the life of Jesus was foretold over history and how God’s relationship with us has changed and evolved since creation.

The bible is the true and living word of God. The bible used to be studied in schools, until it was taken out in 1962. The bible is infallible. It is accurate, trustworthy, and we can always rely on it.*

For a time, we attended a Protestant church that said the bible was outdated, and we do not have to follow all the Old Testament now. If you ever attend a Christian service that says that, get up and leave. Run away fast. Once people start thinking that they know better than God, wow, we are in trouble.

The bible had 40 writers. It was written in 3 languages from writers in Africa, Asia and Europe. The bible is inspired by God and written by man. God breathed the words into men to write. People did not impose their own ideas into the bible. It is relevant. The bible is totally true with no mistakes.*

Once I started reading the bible, I realized that God speaks to me each day through the words that I read in the bible. Before I read the bible, I say a prayer and ask the holy Spirit to help me understand the words that I read. Sometimes, I can read the same passage and gain additional insight or new understanding.

This bible verse states how to become a Christian, “That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.” To be a Christian, you have to believe in Jesus, that he was crucified on a cross to forgive our sins, died and rose from the dead three days later.

And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
As the Lord has said,
Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
–Joel 2:32 (NKJV)

I keep seeing the word ‘remnant’ in the bible. Our pastor explained how God always leaves a remnant. Now, when I see the word ‘remnant’, it stands out. A remnant is a word that describes what is left behind. When there is a catastrophe, there is a remnant left behind. A small group of faithful believers, often living among non-believers. If you are a Christian, you know how hard it can be to live in society, and still be a Christian. The world tries to make us conform to their ways, but we have to stand firm in our faith and follow God’s ways. The bible helps me each day. I read it and find peace in my heart. Honestly, its quite selfish. I need to read it. I need God in my life. I am not happy, when I am too busy for God. I thank God for giving us the Bible, so I can read it and start each day with the Lord. The Bible is God’s gift to us.

*Reference – Listen to Pastor Hamrick to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible
THE BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS OF THE BIBLE – PART 1/7
Psalms 119 Intro
Pastor Gary Hamrick, Cornerstone Chapel
7/2/2017
https://cornerstonechapel.net/?page_id=418&i=1218