Category Archives: The Bible

The Bible

Martin Luther Rediscovers the Bible

In the 1500’s there were many men and women who helped to change the world, but none as much as the German monk-turned-professor Martin Luther. He helped reform Christian tradition by speaking against the many religious errors of his day and comparing them to what the Bible actually teaches.

Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

One area was the doctrine of justification by faith and works. Luther taught that the Scriptures declare a sinner is justified by faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) and not by works of penance. It is by grace that a believer is saved, plus nothing. Luther brought people back to what the Bible teaches, and not what traditions were teaching. That gracious salvation would lead to a changed life of good deeds, not the other way around.

Another problem that Luther wanted to fix was the medieval view of indulgences… a document Christians could buy which was supposed to pardon a person from the sins they had committed. Luther criticized this teaching because he believed it replaced the Biblical doctrine of repentance (1 John 1:9-10).

Another tradition Luther objected to was denying the authority of the Bible, by elevating religious traditions above the Old and New Testaments. Luther faithfully preached that the Bible, not the church, is the ultimate authority over matters of faith and life (Acts 5:29). Because the Bible was only allowed in Latin, an academic language, Luther chose to translate the Word of God into the German tongue so that any literate person in his land could read the Bible and learn its glorious message.

Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Luther and his fellow Reformers also helped restore congregational singing, lay leadership, the sanctity of common work for the glory of God, and a renewed focus on the centrality of the gospel in every area of a Christian’s life. While Luther had real flaws, he played an undeniably important role in the development of theology and the church in the 16th century.

Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

The King of Glory Rules

In Psalm 24 the phrase King of Glory is mentioned four times.

DSC_2805Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.
Selah

God is the Author

God is the author.  God is the author of life, DNA, faith and the Bible.  In Genesis chapter one, the Bible says that “God created the earth and the heavens.  In Hebrews chapter twelve Jesus, the son of God is the author of faith.  In Hebrews 12 it says “…looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,”.   DNA is the code used my almost all living plants, animals and man to decide how a biological system should be constructed protein by protein. God as a biological software engineer designed DNA.

Lake Pend Oreille at Sandpoint, Idaho - Sunset

Lake Pend Oreille at Sandpoint, Idaho – Sunset

Hope Propels Us

Yes, when we have hope, it makes us go faster.  Hope propels us.  Think about how much hope the Bible gives us.  In the Bible God wins, the enemy, Satan looses.  Men and Women  created in the image of God have the opportunity to serve God and fulfill their  destiny.  Psalm 43:5  Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him,  who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Spokane River

Spokane River

There is not a time we cannot hope in God. God is our hope. No matter how bad the situation is, we can always hope in God.   God can fix even the impossible. Our hope in God is not in vain; in time God will help us.

Spokane Clouds

Spokane Clouds

Death Connects Us to Eternity

When people die it helps us connect with eternity, especially when its someone we know, love and respect.  Experiencing the death of someone we care about causes  us to think about eternity.  

The Bible is the book most qualified to tell us about eternity.

What Happens When Someone Dies

There is a day on our calendar when we are appointed to die. The day is printed in invisible ink, but God can see it. God knows the day. He gives life and He takes life. We try to extend life with diets, exercise, and doctors, but life and death is in the hand of God.  The day of our birth and death is set by God, not me. The fact is that all of us are born, we die and we all pay taxes. None of us choose when we are born and when we die. Everybody faces God.  After death we all face God to determine eternity. Some for eternal rewards some for eternal punishment.Ok, So what happens when I die?  When we die, we at some point will face God to give an account for our life.

1. For the believer it is to inherit eternal life.
2. For the un-believer it is to receive eternal punishment.

Here are some verses from the Bible on death and what what happens after we die. As a main point and side point, the Bible is the book most qualified to tell us about eternity.

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame, to everlasting contempt.
John 3:36  He that believes on the Son has life eternal, and he that is not subject to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him.
Psalms 39:5 Behold, thou hast made my days as hand- breadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before thee; verily, every man, even the high placed, is altogether vanity.

When we die, we at some point, will face God to give an account for our life.

1. For Believers, there is the Judgment Seat of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Romans 14:10 But thou, why judgest thou thy brother? or again, thou, why dost thou make little of thy brother? for we shall all be placed before the judgment- seat of God.

The judgment seat of Christ does not determine our eternal destiny; that issue is decided the moment we receive Christ. Knowing that in the future we will stand before Jesus Christ and face a personal review of our lives should always motivate us to love the Lord, grow in the Lord, obey the Lord, live righteously and live faithfully in the present.

2. For un-believers, there is the Great White Throne.

The “Great White Throne” judgment described in Rev. 20:11–15 is for unbelievers. This final exam for all un-believers is a picture of God’s holy rule and requirements.

20:15 Only God’s elect, those whose names are written in the Book of Life, will escape the lake of fire. To be written in the book of life is to believe on Jesus for eternal life.

When people die it helps us connect with eternity.  When someone we care about dies, this helps us connect with eternity.

The Bible is God’s Story

The Bible is God’s story written from His side.  So when there is an argument between two people, each person has a side. Well the Bible is God’s side of the story. We may have our worldview and opinions, but God has His worldview and thoughts. After all,  He created the world and our ability to even have a view. His thought, that is God’s thoughts are recorded in a story book called the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, God has a lot to say. Look at this verse in second Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,  for correction,  for instruction in righteousness:

The Beautiful Spokane River

The Beautiful Spokane River

What is the Bible?

Wow, what a great question – What is the Bible?  The Bible is God’s Word to us. The Bible tells us what God thinks, how God feels and why He created the earth and mankind.      The thoughts of God about the earth, man, sin, Jesus Christ, righteousness, heaven and hell are all addressed in the Bible.  The Bible answers some big questions like,  Why did God create me? and How do I become a Christian?

Four Main Points about the Bible:

1.  The words of the Bible are God’s words.  The words in the Bible are not opinion or human concepts. – 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching…

2.  The Bible makes clear how one can become a Christian, live as a Christian and grow as a Christian.  Many others items and things in the universe are just not found in the Bible  because they are not necessary for our Christian living. – Psalms 119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light;  it imparts understanding to the simple.

3. The Bible is a very necessary book since it tells us about God, man, sin, Jesus Christ, heaven and hell. – 2 Timothy 3:15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

4, The Bible stands alone as the only book that tells us everything we need to know to become a Christian, live as a Christian and grow as a Christian.  In this area the Bible is sufficient. – 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Hopefully this short answer to “What is the Bible” has helped you and me understand more about the Bible.  Later we will talk more about what is in the Bible such as poetry, history, teaching, theology, stories and prophecy.  In the Bible is also encouragement and warnings for our Christian life.