A preacher, ending his sermon, announced that he would preach on Noah and his Ark on the following Sunday and gave the scriptural reference for the congregation to read ahead of time. A couple of mean boys noticed something interesting about the placement of the story of the Flood in the Bible. They slipped into the church and glued two pages of the pulpit Bible together. On the next Sunday, the preacher got up to read his text.

"Noah took unto himself a wife." he began, "and she was" -- he turned the page to continue -- "three hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high." He paused, scratched his head, turned the page back and read it silently, turned the page. Then he looked up at his congregation and said, "I've been reading this old Bible for nigh on to fifty years, but there are some things in it that are hard to believe."

A woman parishioner demanded a house call by her pastor. He came, sat by her bed, and listened to her litany of woe. He counseled finally, "I think you will find help from some passages in the Bible which I wish to read to you."

In a syrupy voice she called to her little daughter playing in the next room: "Darling, bring mother that old book she loves so much." Promptly the little girl brought in a copy of a popular movie-TV magazine.

The Bible is everything because it is the only thing written to us by God!

The Word of God , The Holy Bible , The Scriptures, God's Testament, call it what you will...

KJV, NIV, NAS, NKJV, AMPLIFIED, NEB, GOODSPEED, ASV, RSV, NRSV, GOOD NEWS FOR MODERN MAN, TLB, which is best?

The one you will read!

If we spend 5 minutes a day with the bible it will change our lives! No telling what might happen if we put in a few hours each week.

There is no book that can offer you what this one can!

The Bible is everything because it is the only thing written to us by God!

Why read it? Why commit it to memory? Why listen to sermons and lessons on a weekly basis? Why is the bible so important?

Three thoughts to help answer these questions. I hope to inspire you to spend more and more time with this book, the Bible!

I. The Bible is God's Word.

The Bible is God's first and last word on every issue, doctrine, teaching, as well as every relevant subject we will ever deal with.

2 Peter 1:3 - Everything pertaining to life and Godliness

Every subject close to the heart of God is addressed in this book.

Marriage, parenting, youth , middle age , old age, ministry, faith, hope, peace, joy, happiness, career, wisdom, sexuality, where we came from, where we are going, our purpose, holiness, righteousness, heaven, hell, God, Jesus, the Spirit, how to live to please Him...

It's all here and so much more!

A key passage is Hebrews 1:1-3

God spoke in past times to those before us through the prophets, using many methods...but now in our time, he has spoken again delivering his final message once and for all through none other than His Son, Jesus Christ...

God has spoken to us...through Jesus...

This book we hold in our hands, whatever version or paraphrase, whether genuine leather, or paperback....used or new...underlined or clean, this is God's revelation to us. His final word!

There is no other testament of God. There are no other books besides the Holy Bible. Not the Apocrypha... not the Book of Mormon ...not the Koran... not the words of Chairman Mao... not the J.W. translation... not the writings of Ellen G.White (7th Day).

But knowing this is not as important as knowing the words of the Word!

God's final revelation is through no one else except the Son of God! The Bible is everything because it is the only thing written to us by God!

Again, why is the bible so important? Why should I read it? Another good reason is because...

II. The Bible Is God-Breathed.

An important Bible word: Inspired. It means, "God-Breathed."

We believe the bible is verbally inspired. God through His Holy Spirit was present with the authors of the New and Old Testament, guiding their pen so what they wrote literally was....God-Breathed!

Every word, every stroke of the pen on the parchment was from God through the agency of the human personality.

2 Timothy 3:16 - Inspired, i.e., God breathed
2 Peter 1:20-21 - Not a matter of our interpretation. Men were moved by God.

Some have said the bible contains the inspired word of God.

Others have suggested in as far as the scriptures are rightfully translated we have the Word of God.

Did you know God said many years ago He would protect His Word? [Psa 12:6]

The Holy Bible is literally God's love letter to the human race. This book should not be considered the writings of Paul and Peter, James & Isaiah, Moses & Daniel, Jeremiah & David, Solomon & Matthew, John & Amos...

This is far more...this is the inspired word of God. From the very heart of God to the heart of man was sent a book....and this is the book!

The inspiration is the only reason this book is of any value, It is meaningless without inspiration. It would just be another among many good books. The reason why we commit our lives to the God of this book, the Jesus of this book, to the of reading it, studying it, memorizing it, soaking our souls in it, conforming to it's teaching, loving it, spending money to buy books about it, cherishing it, buying it on tape, teaching it to our children, sharing it with people in our community, is because it is inspired. It is from God!

The very one who said, "Let there be light," is the same God who penned this book so we might have light for our souls.

Psa 119:105 - A lamp to my feet!

The Bible is everything because it is the only thing written to us by God!

Why should I spend time with the Bible... Another good reason is because...

III. The Bible Is God's Will.

How often have we asked, "What is God's will for my life? What is God's will for my children? What is God's will in this situation? How can I discover God's will in this matter?"

The answer to these questions is right in front of us. God does not make us guess. He reveals His will to us.

God's will is a matter of intrigue to God's people. Often we are willing to do anything out of the ordinary to discover God's will...

For Example:

	Laying out a fleece, drawing straws, or discovering an open door.
	I've prayed about this and I have peace.
	This cannot be wrong because God has directed me this way.

There is always a danger when we set up the test for God. This is worth noting, so note it: God is not obligated to take our tests. The Word of God, serves to limit our options in making choices to one or more right choices.

No drawing straws or laying out fleeces since the day of Pentecost...

How can we conclude prayer and peace are a sign of God's will, when at other times we pray and do the right thing, and there is no peace?

God's word, the Book we hold in our hands, is God's will for our lives!

1 Thess 4:3 - The will of God

This is only one passage of several in the NT with the phrase "Will of God" [Others: Rms 12:2; 15:32; 2 Cor 7-9,10; 2 Cor 8:5 and many others. An interesting study on your own with a concordance is to look up and read each verse in the NT that has this phrase.]

I want to know God's will for my life. I want to know His will for my marriage, His will for my parenting, and for my children. I want to know God's will for my life as a part of His Church. I want to know His will for my service and ministry. I want to know His will for my senior years. And we can know it! However there is a catch. It's a big one! To know God's will, we have to read God's Word! It will never be enough to listen to sermons & lessons! Never, never, never, never... You must read it yourself!

2 Timothy 3:17 - It's God's Will - It will shape your life

In 1989, Americans purchased Harlequin romance novels at the rate of 7191 per hour. If only God's people would show a similar interest in his word!

If you've ever been to Yellowstone National Park, you were probably given a piece of paper by a ranger at the park entrance. On it in big letters was the warning "Do Not Feed the Bears." You no sooner drive into the heart of the park, however, than you see people feeding the bears. When I first saw this I asked a ranger about it. "Sir," he answered, "you have only a small part of the picture." He described how the park service personnel in the fall and winter have to carry away the bodies of dead bears -- bears who have lost their ability to fend for food. That's what's happening to us. [Howard Hendricks]

The Bible is everything because it is the only thing written to us by God!

IV. Personal Application.

George Mueller said this about God's word: "The vigor of our spiritual life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Bible in our life and thoughts. I solemnly state this from the experience of 54 years. The first 3 years after conversion I neglected the word of God. Since I began to search it diligently the blessing has been wonderful. Great has been the blessing from consecutive, diligent, daily study. I look upon it as a lost day when I have not had a good time over the word of God."

It's been said that the bible that is falling apart usually belongs to a person who isn't.

Jesus in the 66 books of the Bible

	IN GENESIS HE IS THE SEED OF THE WOMAN
	IN EXODUS THE PASSOVER LAMB
	IN LEVITICUS HE IS THE HIGH PRIEST IN NUMBERS THE CLOUD AND FIRE
	IN DEUTERONOMY HE IS THE PROPHET LIKE MOSES
	IN JOSHUA HE IS HE CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION
	IN JUDGES HE IS THE JUDGE AND LAWGIVER
	IN RUTH HIS IS THE KINSMAN REDEEMER
	IN 1 & 2 SAMUEL HE IS THE PROPHET OF THE LORD
	IN 1 & 2 KINGS, 1 & 2 CHRONICLES HE IS THE REIGNING KING
	IN EZRA HE IS THE FAITHFUL SCRIBE
	IN NEHEMIAH THE REBUILDER OF THE BROKEN DOWN WALLS
	IN ESTHER HE IS MORDECAI
	IN JOB THE DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH
	IN PSALMS THE LORD WHO IS OUR SHEPHERD
	IN PROVERBS & ECCLESIASTES HE IS WISDOM
	IN THE SONG OF SOLOMON HE IS THE LOVER & BRIDEGROOM
	IN ISAIAH HE IS THE PRINCE OF PEACE
	IN JEREMIAH THE WEEPING PROPHET
	IN EZEKIEL THE WHEEL TURNING
	IN DANIEL HE IS THE 4TH MAN IN THE FIERY FURNACE
	IN HOSEA THE BRIDEGROOM MARRIED TO THE BACKSLIDDEN WOMAN
	IN JOEL HE IS BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE
	IN AMOS HE IS THE BURDEN BEARER
	IN OBADIAH THE MIGHTY SAVIOR
	IN MICAH THE MESSENGER WITH BEAUTIFUL FEET
	IN NAHUM THE AVENGER OF GOD'S ELECT
	IN HABAKKUK THE GREAT EVANGELIST, CRYING FOR REVIVAL
	IN ZEPHANIAH THE RESTORER OF GOD'S LOST HERITAGE
	IN HAGGAI THE CLEANSING FOUNTAIN
	IN ZECHARIAH THE MERCIFUL FATHER
	IN MALACHI THE SON OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, RISING WITH HEALING IN HIS WINGS
	IN MATTHEW THE MESSIAH
	IN MARK THE WONDER WORKER
	IN LUKE THE SON OF MAN
	IN JOHN THE SON OF GOD
	IN ACTS THE ASCENDED LORD
	IN ROMANS THE JUSTIFIER
	IN 1 & 2 CORINTHIANS THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
	IN GALATIANS THE ONE WHO SETS US FREE
	IN EPHESIANS THE CHRIST OF RICHES
	IN PHILIPPIANS THE GOD WHO MEETS OUR EVERY NEED
	IN COLOSSIANS THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD
	IN 1 & 2 THESSALONIANS THE SOON COMING KING
	IN 1 & 2 TIMOTHY THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN
	IN TITUS THE FAITHFUL PASTOR
	IN PHILEMON THE FRIEND THAT STICKS CLOSER THAN A BROTHER
	IN HEBREWS THE BLOOD THAT WASHES AWAY MY SINS
	IN JAMES THE GREAT PHYSICIAN
	IN 1 & 2 PETER THE CHIEF SHEPHERD
	IN 1 - 2 - 3 JOHN HE IS EVERLASTING LOVE
	IN JUDE THE LORD WHO CAME DOWN WITH 10,000 SAINTS
	IN REVELATION THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS!

Unfortunately many American homes, yes even so-called Christian homes, are like the one in which the little girl pointed to the Bible on the mantle that was never opened, and said to her mother, "Whose book is that?" Her mother quite startled by her daughters question replied, "Why honey, don't you know? That is God's book!" The child demonstrating that she had a very practical turn to her mind said, "Don't you think that we had better give it back to him? No one around here ever reads it." [Fickeet ]

The Bible is everything because it is the only thing written to us by God!

Alan Walker is editor of The Preacher's Corner and Minister of Evangelism at the Mt. Vernon Church of Christ in Springfield, OR. He may be reached at adwalker@pond.net.

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