About the Bible!

When I graduated from Seminary, my friends, Al and Cathy Warren, came over and gave me a very special Bible (which I am using today). On the inside of the cover, they had put the inscription of, "Pastor Mike, this Bible can keep you from sin, or sin can keep you from this Bible." Those are probably some of the most profound words ever spoken. Why is that?

We have to remember what the Bible really is, and what makes it so special. 2 Timothy 3:16 says all scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. Let's break this verse down a bit.

The first past of this verse says that all scripture is God breathed. The reason this is so important to remember is so we don't put our own twist on God's words. Psalm 119:89 says Your Word. O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. The key to understanding this verse is remembering that it is God's word, and we shouldn't change it to meet our needs. I assure you that as we read the bible, there are going to be parts that we're not going to like. This doesn't mean we can change it and keep the passages that'll make us feel good. But on the same token, it also doesn't give us the right to try to make it more "contemporary" to meet today's political correctness. The Bible's pretty black and white, so we have to stop trying to make it pastel. Think of it like this, a parent gives their child instructions in life not because they want to restrict them, they do it to protect the child. Of course they rebel and says it isn't fair, but ultimately it's for the good of the child. We're children of God, and His intention for the Bible isn't to make us miserable, it's to protect us. It's his love spelled out plainly.

The second part of the verse that we need to look at is and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. We need to be constantly learning, and making adjustments in our life to come closer to righteousness. In Matthew 22:29 Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God." Jesus took a very firm stance against the people of this passage because they were trying to rebuke, correct and train for their own purposes, not for righteousness. We have to be careful not to use the Bible to back our own needs and opinions. When we teach or correct using the Bible, it's meant to restore a person to Gods' righteousness and not ours. We need to learn, memorize and understand the Word of God so that we can bring others to His glory. We need to be able to explain why we live the way we do. We need to use the Bible as a template for our life, not our Life as a template for the Bible. If we really want to live a Godly life, then we need to learn what God's definition of a Godly life is. Let the Bible do the speaking, don't speak for it.

There's so much to say about the Bible. It is a book that can inspire, as well as convict. But no matter how you look at it, it's meant to be the instruction manual for life. The recent Muslim riots over the cartoon character demonstrates the zeal that they have for the Koran. We know the truth, so our zeal should surpass that ten fold. But that's not the case. In today's world and churches, the Bible is being watered down so more people will come to church and not be offended. If we are willing to alter God's Word so we don't offend people, then how offensive is that to God? It's a tough subject because it can open a lot of wounds, but sometimes it just has to be said. Remember, it's done so we can all meet in the kingdom one day and worship our Lord face to face. Now that is something to think about.

In Love,

Pastor Mike

Prayer request for the day:

I have a friend who is working with at risk youth in the inner L.A. city youth. Satan is attacking her with a fury, and I ask that you lift her and her ministry up to the Lord.