I was rousted out of my bed with the thought to write about the inspired writings of God, our Holy Bible. Apparently there will be someone, or someones, that will be interested in this writing sometime future :o} This is my testament of what the Bible means to me. I don't just *believe* what I'm about to say; I know these things to be true. While you read on, consider this ... the Bible is the number one BEST SELLING book of ALL TIME! How can that be since the writings within are between 3,500 to 1900 (+/-) years old!? Think about it ... NO other book in human history has survived being in print as a best seller as long as Genesis! It can be so because it (the books of the Bible) were written by divine inspiration.

        Yes, written by men but those men were ALL chosen men, all following the Lord in their hearts and minds and therefore worthy to write the things God inspired them to write. Yes, it was written in the terminology of the day, which may differ from our own to some degree but the *spirit* of what was being said from God to man is still in tact to this very day! Yes, it was translated from original ancient biblical hebrew, and ancient greek, and even ancient aramaic, to latin and then to many other languages but those that translated still kept the spirit of the books. Some books were in older Bibles, subsequently dropped, some books never made it in at all. Still, overall, God had His divine hand in the works. I know the Bible to be the true and inspired word of God, it is our (mankinds') manual for life!

        Did you know that you cannot really understand the Bible unless a few certain conditions exist in your life and soul?

1) TRUST JESUS and give your life to Him! You cannot understand the things of God unless you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, asking Him to come into you and to be your Lord & Savior. You must confess your sins (your transgressions of God's holy laws, the 10 commandments) and believe that Jesus took your punishment when He died on the cross. Had He not have died in our place, in our stead, and for our transgressions, we would not have the ability to be with God for eternity. You sinned, you could not possibly pay your fine, God provided a scape goat in the person of His Son, Jesus, to take your place. Your fine is now paid in full and you are free to go if you choose to believe in Him, the sacrifice He made for you. As I've mentioned in other writings, no other *god* mankind has claimed as their own has ever offered His own life a sacrifice for the entire world's sins ... only Jesus has done that! You must believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, in a newly resurrected body shining brightly with all the light and love of our Father God, Jesus is now in heaven at the Father's right hand, He is preparing a place for those of us who believe and we will soon join Him in like state of being. Once you have asked for forgiveness, asked the Lord to come into your life and heart and to allow you to know of God, He will send you the Holy Spirit to indwell within you, and this is a key step because the Holy Spirit within you is your Guide to all things regarding God and His kingdom. You cannot understand anything of God without the Spirit, it's impossible, it will seem foolishness to you! Then you need to get full immersion/submersion baptised, I have written more about this in other articles.

2) READ the Bible. It is said the King James Version (KJV) is the most accurate but I suggest perhaps not just having that but maybe one or two other version. The New International Version (NIV) perhaps, or the New Living Bible (NLV), I personally like the New American Standard Version (NASB), or perhaps the New King James because it takes out all the old english terms like 'thees' and 'thous' and replaces them with 'the' and 'you', etc. So a KJV for starters and then add on as the Holy Spirit inspires you. Buyer beware though, there are versions that can sway from the truth somewhat ... the more *modern* versions. Stick with the older, more stable versions.

3) STUDY your Bible! I would even suggest you get a Study Bible, mine is the Ryrie Study Bible and I've used it for years ... I write in my Bible just as I would any notebook. Don't think your Bible to be so holy that God would be insulted by you underlining passages or writing in it, my Bible is my brain for all things of God and I am quick to write in the margins anything the Holy Spirit shows me *between the lines*! There are some that believe writing in your Bible is sacrilige, nothing could be further from the truth ... a true Christian studying the word of God will either keep an extensive notebook of all they've learned and/or they write in their Bible near the passages, and/or underline/highlight passages, where they have gained better understanding. God wants you to study His word so don't be shy ... in the physical aspect of things it's just a book, you cannot take it with you when you leave this world ... my thought regarding keeping notes in my Bible is that a well used and ragged Bible (which mine surely is) is a loved and charished Bible and the reader is a true seeker of God's word. It is my hope that my Bible will be passed on to someone who cares and they in turn will benefit from my notes within :o}

4) PRAY! Pray for guidance and understanding. This is an awesome book, all of it ... every single passage has some *hidden* meaning just waiting to be revealed. Seek them out in all earnest. Pray to God your Father and ask Him to show Himself, He's in there! Pray for all things in the name of Jesus, because without Jesus you would have no hope of salvation or understanding.

5) PRAISE GOD often, show Him you are greatful for the gifts He's given you. He's granted you eternal life AND knowledge of Himself. As it is said, now we see in a mirror dimly but someday when we are resurrected to a new body and a new life we will understand it all. Thank God for all He's done for you. This should be the first thing & last you do, start and end all prayers thanking and praising God..

        Here are some interesting facts about the Bible:

OLD TESTAMENT ~ 39 books ~ History of mankind Law for mankind Prophesies passed, present & future

NEW TESTAMENT ~ 27 books ~ History & Testamonies of Jesus Christ Sacrifice He gave for you Prophecies passed, present & future

        You cannot understand the whole meaning of the Bible without the Old Testament so if someone tells you that it is only a *book of old* and not necessary for today ... that's hogwash ... not the truth. Think of it this way, as you understand your life because you have lived it, you have a history, so it is with the Old Testament. It is the history of mankind right up to just before Jesus' birth. It was not abolished because of His birth, as a matter of fact He said in Matthew 5:17 "Think NOT that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am NOT come to destroy, but to fulfil." (CAPS and bold emphasis mine for clarification). And fulfill He did! The Old Testament is paramount to your understanding, it's truly and deeply all about Jesus and you cannot possibly fully understand Him without it! His birth, life, death & resurrection fulfilled some 100 (some say more like 330) prophecies from the Old Testament and they are still being fulfilled today! The truth is the whole of the Old Testament cries out to His coming in the flesh, as a man, to suffer and die in our place so that we can live ... what a truly loving God that is to send His only begotten Son to take on the punishment for the sins of the whole world! I cannot really even phathom that kind of love. Many of the treasures of my understanding have come from the Old Testament! Thank you God, thank you Jesus.

        The New Testament is the witness to the fulfillment of the Old Testament and is testimony to Jesus' second coming where He will return to earth as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When He comes again He will come in might and power and with the full wrath of God against an ever increasingly sinful, immoral world. If He did not come we would certainly destroy ourselves (remember that gift of ~free will~ God gave us and we've most certainly abused)! I don't understand why people think prophecy cannot be fulfilled, if God is all knowing, the Creator of all, then surely He can reveal things yet future if He has a mind to do so, right? And so He has to those that seek Him out. Again, these things are foolishness to those that haven't invited God into their lives ... why should He reveal Himself if you have not asked Him to? His Son Jesus died for you, of His own free will, but by the same token you have a free will also, the choice is always yours. Seek not, and you will find not ... but SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND! That's a promise and it's true, I'm living proof!

        Some say *He's not coming!*, it's been thousands of years and no Jesus yet! True, it has been thousands of years but consider this, if you aren't saved today but are tomorrow ... or in 10 years from now ... and had He of come today, and you were not saved, you would never get the chance to give your life to Him. His sacrifice was necessary, just as His *delay in coming* is also necessary ... it's by the compassion of God that NONE SHOULD PERISH! For me, I've been a Christian most of my life as far as I know, but I was 18 when I truly surrendered my life to Jesus (in a way that I remember doing so), if He'd of come when I was just 15 what opportunity would I of had to accept Him of my own free will ... if He were here on earth what choice would I have to believe or not believe?

        Did you know that Jesus cannot come back until His Father God sends Him? What infinite compassion & patience God has for a sinner such as myself! When Jesus does return, it will be the end of this age and earth as we know it. All chance to accept  Jesus by faith will be gone because you will then not need *faith* as He will be undeniably here for all to see. EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW (Rom 14:11 & Phil 2:10) at His return! We have the opportunity NOW to choose Him in faith, without seeing ... by sheer faith and of our own free will. To not do so is certain eternal separation from God Himself, the result is eternal torment. God's patience has lasted well into 6,000 years but it's soon coming to an end, Jesus' return is imminent! If you haven't done so yet, please take that leap of faith into eternity ... you have nothing to loose and everything to gain!

        Know this, beyond a shadow of a doubt ... the Bible IS the truly inspired writing of God, all of it! Friend, the Bible IS your manual for life ... live it, search it, study it ... you have much to learn and much to be greatful for!

OLD TESTAMENT Before Christ (BC)

NEW TESTAMENT Anno Domini (AD) ~ After Death

Book Name	Book Dates	Book Author	Book Name	Book Dates	Book Author
Genesis	1450-1410	Moses	Matthew	60s	Matthew
Exodus	1450-1410	Moses	Mark	50s	Mark
Leviticus	1450-1410	Moses	Luke	60	Luke
Numbers	1450-1410	Moses	John	85-90	John
Deuteronomy	1410	Moses	Acts	61	Luke
Joshua	1400-1370	Joshua	Romans	58	Paul
Judges	1050-1000	Uncertain	1 Corinthians	56	Paul
Ruth	1000	Uncertain	2 Corinthians	57	Paul
1 Samuel	930 +	Samuel +	Galatians	49 or 55	Paul
2 Samuel	930 +	Samuel +	Ephesians	61	Paul
1 Kings	550	Jeremiah	Philippians	61	Paul
2 Kings	550	Jeremiah	Colossians	61	Paul
1 Chronicles	450-425	Ezra	1 Thessalonians	51	Paul
2 Chronicles	450-425	Ezra	2 Thessalonians	51	Paul
Ezra	456-444	Ezra	1 Timothy	63	Paul
Nehemiah	445-425	Nehemiah	2 Timothy	66	Paul
Esther	465	Uncertain	Titus	65	Paul
Job	Uncertain	Uncertain	Philemon	61	Paul
Psalms	Various	Various	Hebrews	64-68	Uncertain
Proverbs	950-700	Solomon +	James	45-50	James
Ecclesiates	935	Solomon	1 Peter	63	Peter
Song of Solomon	965	Solomon	2 Peter	66	Peter
Isaiah	740-680	Isaiah	1 John	90	John
Jeremiah	627-585	Jeremiah	2 John	90	John
Lamentations	586-585	Jeremiah	3 John	90	John
Ezekiel	592-570	Ezekiel	Jude	70-80	Jude
Daniel	537	Daniel	Revelation	90s	John
Hosea	710	Hosea
Joel	835	Joel
Amos	755	Amos
Obadiah	840 or 586	Obadiah
Jonah	760	Jonah
Micah	700	Micah
Nahum	663-612	Nahum
Habukkuk	607	Habakkuk
Zephaniah	625	Zephaniah
Haggai	520	Haggai
Zechariah	520-518	Zechariah
Malachi	450-400

The list above was compiled from my Ryrie Study Bible (NASV)
Notice the dates are from about 1450 BC (OT) to around 90 AD (NT).

God Bless and thank you for reading :o}

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