Tag / Bible

by The Monahans

Where Do I Start?

Where Do I Start 3 Whether you are a new Christian or just curious as to what the Bible is all about, you’ve made the decision to start reading this important book. But the Bible is a really big book, with lots of pages, and it may seem a little intimidating at first. And there’s the Old Testament and the New Testament and, looking at the shelves in a book store, there seem to be so many different versions. It can all seem very confusing, so where do you start?

I was there once, too. Twenty-five years ago, when I started thinking about God and the Bible, I faced this same dilemma. One day I simply walked into a local bookstore, bought a $3.99 paperback Bible, found a quiet place, and started reading. At page 1. “In the beginning…”

To my linear mind, this seemed perfectly logical. But was it? I learned later on that there are many ways to read the Bible and some ways could be better than others. I did go on to read the Bible from cover to cover, but also jumped around a lot as I got involved in a church small group study and followed along with my church’s weekly sermons. But I do think there is a better way for someone who is new to the Bible.

First a word about Bible versions. There are many English translations available, from the very Shakespearean sounding King James Version to the contemporary Message Bible, and all points in between. Regardless of the translation you choose, if your mind and spirit are open to God, the Holy Spirit will bring the words alive to you; all are based on the inerrant original manuscripts and translated by dedicated people committed to making God’s Word available to all. With that said, I feel the New Living Translation, or NLT, is a reliable translation that is very easy to read and understand. Perfect for getting started!

Now, for where to start. As much as I love the book of Genesis, I do not necessarily recommend starting there as I did. I think there is a better way. In terms of an overview; the Bible is actually one large book made up of several smaller books. And those smaller books are divided into two larger sections called the Old Testament and the New Testament. Within the Bible there are eight “genres” or types of writing. They are: historical, law, wisdom, psalms, prophecy, apocalyptic, the Gospels, and the Epistles (or letters). All these various books and genres can be a source of confusion and when we’re getting started, it really helps to have some guidance.

I can think of no better guidance than that of the late Reverend Billy Graham. Almost certainly the greatest evangelist of the last 100 years, Graham is known to have suggested starting with the Gospel of John. This is the fourth book of the New Testament. John was one of Jesus’ disciples, having walked and studied with Jesus for three years before Jesus was crucified. John went on the be a great leader in the early Christian church and his Gospel account helps us understand the depth and breadth of God’s love for us. It tells the story of the greatest life ever lived, the life of Jesus, and what Jesus did for us. It is an excellent place to get started so start here.

Next, according to information I found on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Associations’ website, Graham suggested reading the Acts of the Apostles (also called, simply, Acts), because it tells us what His first disciples did in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. In the days, months, and years following the ascension of the risen Jesus into heaven, the church grew rapidly, led by the courageous twelve apostles (and later, Paul) who literally risked their very lives to tell others about Jesus. The book of Acts is exciting and riveting, to this day I find it hard to put it down once I get started reading. I am confident you will experience the same!

After the Gospel of John and the book of Acts, Graham suggests we would do well to read the letters (epistles) of John (they are very short and there are three of them) followed by Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Then you may want to read Romans, which sets forth the great doctrines which Paul taught. Once you have finished reading these books, read through the rest of the New Testament. There will be certain things you read and may not understand, but ask God to help you and trust the Holy Spirit to bring you understanding. As you progress in your reading I am certain you will begin to experience the nearness of our Creator.

At first, commit to reading 10-20 minutes every day. Promise yourself you will do this every day for a whole month. I think you will be amazed before you are halfway through. The Bible is not a book about perfect people, quite the contrary, it is a book full of amazing stories of imperfect people just like you and I. Once you get started you will find the characters easy to relate to and their various stories as gripping as any movie you’ve ever seen. Try to read at the same time each day. And it can help to find a special quiet place where you can read undisturbed. Ask God to help you understand and trust that He will guide you.

My prayer for you is that you will be captivated by the Bible and that you will find yourself growing closer to God every time you read!

For more information, please check out the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s website by clicking here.

Here at Reign Drops, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
by The Monahans

That’s One Big Book!

Big Book 1  A manuscript that is essentially the founding document of Alcoholics Anonymous, which members of the recovery group call, ”The Big Book,” sold at auction recently for $2.4 million to Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts football team. It is the third time the 161-page typed document has been sold. It had previously sold in 2007 for $992,000 and for approximately $1.5 million in 2004. The manuscript includes notes and scribbles from one of AA’s founders, William Wilson, more commonly known as ”Bill W.” With more than 30 million copies sold, translations in 67 languages, and the world wide success of Alcoholics Anonymous, the “Big Book” is certainly a big deal!

There is little doubt that Alcoholics’ Anonymous has helped many people and it is pretty easy to see why the original manuscript of the Big Book would have such a high monetary value; but there is a book that has helped even more people, that has been translated into even more languages, and that is far more infamous. That, of course, is the Bible. It was hard to find exact numbers everyone agreed on, but as near as I can determine, as of 2017, the full Bible has been translated into 670 languages, the New Testament alone into 1,521 languages and smaller portions of Scripture into 1,121 other languages. And while the Big Book has sold approximately 30 million copies since it was first published, the Bible sells about 100 million copies per year.

AA’s Big Book was first published in 1939, nearly 80 years ago. To this date, as the original manuscript sells at auction, no one questions its authenticity. And why would they? Eighty years ago is what we would call “very recent history”. It is easy to compare the Big Book in circulation today with the original manuscript and conclude they are the same. With the Bible, we have approximately 5800 Greek manuscripts and about 24,000 complete or fragments of manuscripts in other languages such as Latin, Aramaic, Coptic, and so on. Some of these manuscripts date to within decades of the original writing. For example, the Gospel of John is believed to have been written between 70 AD and 90 AD. The earliest manuscript evidence is a portion of John’s Gospel known as Papyrus 52, which is dated to approximately 125 AD, or within about 50 years of the original. That’s less time than has elapsed since the original manuscript of the Big Book was written!

The amount of evidence supporting the authenticity of the Bible we read today is staggering. Consider this comparison: Homer’s Illiad is generally thought to have been written in approximately 750 BC. To date, 647 manuscripts of this book have been found. Only 190 contain a complete copy. The oldest manuscript is dated around 400 BC, or 350 years after the original was written. Despite this rather large time gap, no one questions the authenticity of the version of The Iliad we have today. Yet, as we mentioned, the Bible is supported by far more manuscript evidence dating far closer to the originals. And the documentation for the Bible doesn’t stop with the manuscript evidence; I do not have space here to go into all the details, but ancient, non-Christian sources also confirm many New Testament events as being historical. Some of these sources are: Flavius Josephus (A.D. 93), the Babylonian Talmud (A.D. 70-200), Pliny the Younger’s letter to the Emperor Trajan (A.D. 100), and the Annals of Tacitus (A.D. 115-117).

So when we read the Bible today, we can be confident we are reading an authentic document. Psalm 19 describes the Bible as perfect, trustworthy, sweeter the honey, and more desirable than pure gold. Psalm 119 declares that the way of purity is found “by obeying your Word” (Psalm 119:9). The writer of Hebrews teaches that “the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Hebrews 4:12) And the Apostle Paul tells us that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16).

In today’s world, it seems western culture has moved towards individuality and decision making based on felt needs. Children and young adults are told to be aware of their feelings and that what is right for them may not be right for everyone. This is, of course, very bad thinking – though it is nothing new. We read in the book of Judges, more than once, the words: “all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” (see Judges 17:6 and 21:25) History throughout the ages has shown that this never turns out good. Never. People, and society, need a moral guide to be successful. Of course, God knew this and so He gave us the Bible. The Bible is absolutely reliable for teaching us everything for Godliness and living. It is our moral compass and owner’s manual for life. By studying the Bible, you will be prepared to interpret events in the daily news, understand the behavior of your children, correctly discern the social issues affecting our world, and more. It is absolutely rich with truth from our Creator God, who’s greatest desire is that we should live long and full lives.

And the Bible is also 100% reliable for bringing each of us to eternal life through the grace of Jesus Christ. In the words of AA’s founder, Bill Wilson, “no one is too discredited or has sunk too low to be welcomed cordially.” We all inherently know that we have made mistakes, that we have done things we regret. Not one of you reading this would dare claim to be perfect, nor would I. And the Bible agrees, saying: “everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23) The unfortunate reality is that those mistakes we’ve all made are called sin and sin separates us from God; but God made a way for us to be reconciled to Himself through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. In the book of Acts, we are assured that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2:21) And so we find “we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 15:11) Won’t you avail yourself of this grace today, if you haven’t already?

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) And those are words you can count on, for we know the Bible is 100% reliable!

Here at Reign Drops, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
by The Monahans

Battle Ready

battle ready 2  We face many challenges in life. Some of these challenges are of a personal nature, involving our work life, marriages, families, neighborhoods, finances, health, or more. Others are cultural, we live in difficult times with many competing worldviews and a never-ending cavalcade of issues to be debated. When do we get involved and when do we accept our differences and move on? We also face world issues such as terror attacks, travel bans, wars and rumors of wars. The challenges can seemingly be endless for those of us living today.

So how do we face these many challenges? Perhaps we’re on a business trip and face a temptation to cheat on our spouse. Or one of our children is struggling with a behavior issue at school? Maybe our boss is being unreasonable and the job we were once so happy to have has become a place we dread going each day. How do we stand up for the Biblical definition of marriage in a culture increasingly hostile to the Christian worldview? Do we live in fear over the possibility of terror attacks or do we go forward with our life and travel plans regardless?

These are the kinds of concerns we all face in one way or another in this day and age but the way in which we face them has not changed! The Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 that “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”. And that truly is our first task: to remember that there is a spiritual war raging around us. We are in the midst of this spiritual war and Peter warns us: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Since we are on the front lines of a spiritual war, it is good for us to recognize that we are unequipped to win the battle on our own. Just as in any army, a soldier needs the proper gear to be equipped for battle. For today’s soldier they may be equipped with body armor, helmets, machine guns, night vision, GPS, and radio transmitters, and other special equipment. And just as the army soldier has specific equipment with which they are prepared for the fight, those of us engaged in the spiritual battle of life also have equipment that helps us engage the enemy. But unlike the army soldier, whose equipment changes with new battlefields and new technology, our equipment is unchanging and has been battle tested for thousands of years.

Ephesians 6:10-11 tell us to: “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” So the first tool in our arsenal is God himself! In Deuteronomy we read: “For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!” (Deuteronomy 20:4) and in Jeremiah 1:19 we read: “They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” So we see that God is on our side and when we acknowledge Him, we avail ourselves of his mighty power!

Once we acknowledge God, then we can put on his full armor. The first pieces of armor we put on are found in Ephesians 6:14: “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.” The belt of truth is God’s unchanging Word, which is found in the Bible. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16) It is by God’s Word that we know right from wrong, that we understand who God is and His glorious plan for the world. When we read and study the Bible we equip ourselves with the knowledge that comes from God and correctly inform our worldview.

The second piece of armor mentioned in Ephesians 6:14 is God’s righteousness. How do we put on God’s righteousness? There is only one way – it is imputed (credited) to us through Jesus Christ. So when we repent of our sins and believe in the atoning sacrifice that Jesus made for the forgiveness of our sins, we are clothed in the righteousness that comes from God (and we no longer have to try to get by on our own good deeds, a method that surely proves itself futile). The Apostle John wrote: “And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:5) So believing in Jesus is how we put on the righteousness of God and without that belief we are destined to lose the battle.

Likewise, our faith in Jesus Christ helps us with the remaining items of our spiritual armor: “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:15-17) When we come to Christ in repentance and faith and receive the gift of salvation, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and in the Spirit we begin to understand the Word of God more and more. We begin to have understanding and conviction of right and wrong that is in agreement with God’s design and from this we face the spiritual battlefield fully equipped so that we might stand firm.

But there is one last element of preparation for our spiritual battle, however, and this is one we cannot neglect. Just as an army soldier exercises to maintain top physical conditioning, we must pray continuously to maintain our top spiritual conditioning. “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (Ephesians 6:18) We see by way of example that Jesus prayed regularly throughout the Gospels (while Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. -Hebrews 5:7) and the Apostle Paul instructs us to “never stop praying.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

In James 5:16 we read, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” So let us not neglect prayer but let us seek to pray on every occasion, bringing our requests to God and asking him to prepare us for the battles we face every day. Paul teaches us in Philippians 4:6-7: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

In the spiritual realm, for those of us who have put our faith in Christ, victory is ours! As Jesus said: “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) If you haven’t yet placed your faith in Jesus, why not make today the day?

If you’ve made the decision to accept God’s free gift, or you just want to say “Hi”, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
by The Monahans

Am I A Killer?

killer 3  Never before in the history of the United States have we seen the depth of division we have experienced in the last few years. People stand on one side of the political spectrum or the other and hurl shameful insults and accusations at one another. Social media exasperates the situation; making it possible for people to make their thoughts known far and wide, often saying things to each other that they would never say to face to face. Friendships have ended and family relationships have been strained to the limit.

By way of the Internet we learn of news and views at break neck speed, often seeing the political reactions as quickly as the events themselves unfold. Social media allows people to share their views about such things on a worldwide stage once reserved for the political elite. And not all of us stating our views do so with the tact and discretion that those trained in political savvy might use, therefore our comments may seem harsher and less judicious, eliciting strong reactions from one another. We often see the words “hate speech” getting thrown around.

Maybe politics or social issues aren’t your thing; but if you’re honest wouldn’t you have to admit to feeling harsh, judgmental, or angry at someone in your sphere of influence, perhaps a coworker or a neighbor? I would hazard to guess all of us have harbored feelings of ill will toward someone for one reason or another. And whether our judgmental attitudes and/or anger is freely expressed across the world wide web, or via other avenues, or just stored up in our hearts, few of us have actually manifested these strong feelings into actual physical violence such as assault or murder. Most of us have the self-control to restrain our feelings from becoming actions, but does that clear us of wrong doing?

Jesus said, “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.” (Matthew 5:21-22) These are very strong words from our Savior. Clearly, it is not God’s plan that we treat each other poorly, or foster hatred towards each other. God’s desire and his standard are so much higher.

The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, captured the meaning of Jesus’ words quite well when he wrote, “The law of God is spiritual; it touches the emotions, the thoughts, the desires, as well as the words and actions of men. I have within me what would desire his death, and what is that, after all, but murder in the heart?” You see, it is the internal attitude that the law actually prohibits, so when our attitudes slip into the judgmental, when the words we speak (or type) are harsh or hateful, when we start to call each other names, we become just as guilty as if we had committed murder. That is what God’s law says and that is what Jesus taught.

And with that standard in mind, are we not being disingenuous if we claim we are not guilty of murder? For who among us would claim we have never had hateful, angry, or judgmental feelings towards another? “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.” (1 John 1:8) And this, then, is a perfect example of why we need Jesus Christ in our lives. Because if we have harbored a hateful or judgmental attitude towards another, and we must all admit we have, we are guilty of sin. And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). So we all need a Savior!

However, while our sin leads to death, the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). And that gift is available to all of us, no matter how guilty we are. And it is not hard to obtain, either, we simply must recognize and admit our need, then recognize and accept that Jesus is our solution. For “if you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) So if you haven’t already, why not make today the day you accept God’s free gift?

If you’ve made the decision to accept God’s free gift, or you just want to say “Hi”, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
by The Monahans

Happy New Year

2018   How many times have you made a steadfast New Year’s resolution, saying to yourself, this time it’s going to stick? Perhaps you even told your friends, made a pact with a family member, or in some other way determined to assure success. Were you trying to quit smoking, lose weight, stop drinking, or maybe shop less? Maybe you wanted to spend more time with your spouse, or avoid relationships altogether. Maybe you resolved to drive closer to the speed limit? How many times has your resolution failed mere days or even hours after you made it?

Often at this time of year we find ourselves focused on what we want to change about our lives. We look in the mirror and want to change what we see or we gaze at our bank account balance and focus on changing what we spend our money on. Some of us will devote real time and energy into a new diet plan or exercise routine while others may focus on improving our relationships. Still others may decide now is the time to find a new job or make that big geographical change we’ve been dreaming of. Without a doubt, New Year’s has become the time to look forward and plan for the changes we long to make.

But what if tomorrow never comes? Mathematically speaking, the probably exists that at least some of us reading this right now may not live to see New Year’s 2019 and it is in light of that possibility that I wish to emphatically urge each of you reading this to consider the chance that you will not see tomorrow. Psalm 39:4 states: “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.”  The Bible tells us it is appointed for all to die once, and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27) but that Jesus Christ was sacrificed to take away our sins (Hebrews 9:28) that we might have eternal life with God in heaven (John 3:16). Whether you believe that or not is irrelevant because “It is written, ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” (Romans 14:11)

Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess. That is the reality facing each of us when we die – whether or not we choose to believe it now. The difference is this: those who believe in Jesus Christ and trust Him for their salvation will be saved. And then there is everyone else. As it is written: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:12).

So with the finite nature of our earthly lives as a back drop, I want to implore each of you to consider the brevity of your mortal life on this planet, to recognize that physical death is not the end, and to challenge you with the task of accepting the free gift of salvation that is available through Jesus Christ, if you haven’t already. For the temptation, when it comes to our relationship with God, is to assume we have another day…or another hour. The fact is, we may not even have another minute. Please, please, reach out to God now, while there is still time.

And know that accepting Jesus Christ as your savior is a New Year’s resolution that will never fail!

Here are some resources that may help you:

NeedGod.com
Church Finder
Lee Strobel
Answers in Genesis

Take the time, do the research, learn for yourself the truth about God. But do it now, for tomorrow could be too late. Of course, we’re always happy to help answer your questions, too. Email us anytime at ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

God bless.

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