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What makes the Bible

Before we get into some of the facts and reasons you should believe the Bible, I want to express what convinced me. I had read and been exposed to the Bible for most of my life, but it wasn’t until later in my life that I finally really believed it was the inspired Word of God.  I mean, who is going to believe that the world was created?  All the teachers I ever had in science had taught evolution as a fact and there was no way to take the Genesis account of creation and fit it into an evolutionary mold (see Creation vs. Evolution). 

I am actually a scientist and my field is not the biological sciences, but the hard sciences (chemistry).  I am trained in the scientific method so I had no problem studying evolution from this point of view and I discovered that evolution is the only explanation that could make any sense at all if you excluded God from the equation.  Even with this observation, evolution has huge holes in it and new evidence has a tendency to punch more holes in it.  It is full of rationalizations and justifications that sound more like whistling in the dark than real scientific fact.  This made me realize that evolution is a belief, not scientific fact.  This supported my observation that the world is so complex and interconnected, that for things to happen by chance, was impossible, no matter how many years you apply to the problem.  Once I realized this, the whole Bible came together and made perfect sense.  So creation vs. evolution was holding me back from accepting what was right in front of my face, God is speaking to me through a book that took over a thousand years to write and it is the method He chose to speak to mankind.

The following was derived from a lecture presented by Charles Swindoll on belief in the Bible.

What is your foundation in life? I mean, when you’re out of ideas, life is throwing curve balls and you're forced to face reality, what do you turn to?  Think about it for a minute, think past your first reaction, what really do you really rely on?  When it comes to knowing what is right or wrong, good or bad, helpful or harmful?  What do you use as your GPS to get through life?

I have found that there is no more reliable or practical source on earth than God's Word, the Bible. This timeless, trustworthy source of truth gives us a way to understand all the ‘whys’ of life.  God’s Word has provided millions over thousands of years the reference point to live life by.

So much for my experiences, the question still stands, Why should we believe the Bible?

God's Word Is Truth
"Your word is truth," Jesus said as He prayed to God the Father (John 17:17). Truth, real truth, truth you can rely on, truth that will never shrivel up or turn sour, truth that will never backfire or mislead, that's the truth in the Bible. That is what the Bible is about.

God's Book Is God's Voice
Scripture is "God's message." It is, in fact, "God's Word." The apostle Paul testified clearly to that truth in his first letter to the Thessalonians:

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Think of it this way: The Bible is God’s way of speaking to us.  If you are waiting for the sky to part and a big head tell you what to do, you are going to be waiting a long time.  God has put down his message to us, His opinion, His counsel, His commands, His desires, His warnings, His heart and His mind in the Bible.  He has used just about every literary form and example in the Bible to reach us. 

God's Word Will Endure
Do you realize there are only two things on earth that will last forever?  People (yes, you are made of eternal stuff) and God's Word. Everything else will ultimately be destroyed - everything else. Kind of sets your priorities straight, doesn't it? The stuff we place on the shelf or in the bank or live in, the things we love to show off, the things we're so proud of – it will all be gone someday (even the pyramids of Egypt are decaying).  But not God's Word!  Peter reminds us that the truth "stands forever" (1 Peter 1:25). Grass will grow and then it will wither; flowers will bloom and then they will die. But God's written message, the truth, will abide forever. All His promises will be fulfilled. His redemptive truth cannot be annulled or changed. His powerful Word will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which it was sent (Isaiah 55:10-11).

God's Word Is Inspired.

So how can anyone get so excited about something that was written by a bunch of people over hundreds of years?  We have no problem with God knowing and giving truth.  He gave it . . . but was the truth corrupted when He relayed it to earth through the hands and minds of imperfect men?

O.K. now we scare away most of you who have read this far, we are going to define some “spiritual” words.  The three terms we need to define are: revelation, inspiration, and illumination. Revelation occurred when God gave His truth. Inspiration occurred when the writers of the books of the Bible received and recorded His truth. Today, when we read, understand and apply His truth, that is illumination.

The critical issue - your confidence in the Bible - is directly related to your confidence in its inspiration. How then can we be sure that the Bible is free from error, absolutely true, and deserving of our complete trust? Paul provides great help in answering this question:

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

So if you have read some of the criticisms of the Bible, you will have seen what people like to say are errors and inconsistencies within the Bible.  This didn’t seem to bother Paul, even though the scriptures he was speaking of had many of these “errors” and he was a student of the scriptures (he was trained in the scriptures even before Jesus called him).  There are many arguments that can be made, but for me, I haven’t found anything that 1) that was of any import that would impact God’s message, and 2) that couldn’t be explained by some unique circumstances.  I trust God to reveal to me what he wants me to understand and I don’t sweat it if I don’t understand everything.  In fact, just doing what I know I should do is plenty to keep me busy!

How did God speak to the writers of the Bible, did they just hear a voice and wrote down what he said?

If you know much about the Bible, you realize that it was written by many different people with many different personalities. Peter doesn't sound like John; Luke doesn't sound like David. Somehow each writer's personality was preserved without corrupting the message with human weakness and error.  So I guess it wasn’t dictation.

So how did God cause this to happen? Second Peter 1:21 says: "For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."

The English phrase moved by is translated from an ancient Greek nautical term (phero) describing ships at sea.  A sail boat moves by the force of the wind, not under its own power. That's the word used here. The writers raised their sails, and the Holy Spirit filled them and they were "moved by" Him to write His Word.

God's Word Will Hold You Up
So our conclusion is this - the Bible contains a completely dependable, authoritative, inspired text that came from God. The question each of us must ask ourselves is this: Can I rely on it, especially when I am in trouble? My answer, and I pray it is your answer, is absolutely and unreservedly! The wonderful thing about relying on God's Word is that it gives you something to build your life on, it is stable. It tells of the good news (Gospel) of Jesus Christ that gives us purpose, hope, truth and a relationship with God. No other counsel will get you through the long haul. No other truth will help you stand firm in the storms of doubt and uncertainty. No other reality will give you strength for each day and deep hope for tomorrow. No other instruction has the power to give new meaning to your life.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

What is this all about?

Who is JESUS CHRIST?

This is a question that seems to cause all kinds of confusion and uncertainty.  Jesus’ life that he spent here on earth is evidence of who He is.  Simply put, Jesus is God that put on the body of a man and lived a life to demonstrate what God’s will is for us.  He put everyone else’s needs above His own and sacrificed his life to pay for our faults, errors, and stupidity.  The cool thing is that it didn’t stop there, he proved he was God by bringing Himself back to life and returning to heaven to rule over everything.  He is the one and only Son of the living God (do some research on the Trinity—there really is only one God).

So what does this mean to me? 

We like to pretend that we are in control of our lives and that doing whatever we want is the way to happiness, fulfillment and meaning.  If you have been around for a while, you eventually realize that we are not in control, happiness is fleeting, fulfillment never seems to happen and we have no idea why we are here.

Once we recognize that we can’t make ourselves happy, fulfilled or give ourselves meaning we have to make a choice, are we going to make something up that makes us feel better, or are we going to look for the truth?

I chose to seek the truth and I found it in Jesus Christ.  I didn’t find it in religion or in people, causes or science.  I learned about Jesus, God and the purpose we all have by doing some hard work.  I found that the Bible is reliable and still speaks clearly today. 

This web site is not going to answer all of the questions or claim ‘special’ knowledge.  Don’t take anyone’s word for what the Bible says, you have to read it for yourself.  Look on the Related Links page for web references that attempt to answer specific questions, but get and read a Bible.  If you are unsure you can trust the Bible, read this.  I recommend the Gospel of John or Romans to start the journey with, and you can still get Bibles at bookstores or even online (see related links).

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. “ Hebrews 11:6

Jesus Christ gives….

Search more about JESUS:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.   No one comes to the Father except through me.”

(John 14:6 NIV)

Jesus gives purpose

He shows us the way to a full and meaningful life.  By following Him we can achieve our true purpose in life and have the peace that our life has meaning.

Jesus gives hope

Jesus teaches us the truth about God, ourselves, the world and our place in it.  He gives us confidence in our future so we know our lives mean more than just the circumstances that surround us.

Jesus gives life

When we recognize our need and believe that Jesus Christ is the only way out of our mess of a life and he is worthy of all devotion, praise, and obedience we become true children of God.

Jesus gives the way to God

Jesus makes clear in his teaching that there is only one way to God, and that is through Him.  God made only one path to Himself, there is no need for many, one is enough.

Who is Jesus really?

Who is Jesus Christ? Is Yeshua (Hebrew for “Jesus”) really the promised Messiah of Israel (Hebrew for “Christ”) of the Old Testament?” Is Jesus Christ truly the Son of God … literally God Himself, the Divine living within human flesh? Were Jesus Christ’s claims that of a Liar or Lunatic … or is He really Lord of the universe?

You may want to take a tour of some of the major highlights of Jesus’ life. Or you may want to preview what people were saying before Christ was born. Of course, you may want to check out Jesus’ claims about himself. Some may be interested in learning about the muscle Jesus exercised and the miracles he performed.

Knowledgeable people will agree that Jesus Christ has made quite an impact on the world. You may even come to learn that Yeshua is indeed the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. If you prefer, you can take time to further investigate Jesus Christ’s claims in the New Testament.

But after all is said and done, the key question for you is, “What does all this information about Jesus Christ have to do with my life?” Or, you may have other questions. The following describes how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ today, experience forgiveness of your sins, receive eternal life, and gain a whole new purpose for living.

Just as there are physical laws that govern the physical universe, so are there spiritual laws which govern your relationship with God.

1. God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

(References contained on this page are from the Bible and should be read in context wherever possible.)

God's Love

"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV).

God's Plan

[Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" [that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).

Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life?
Because...

2. Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.

Man Is Sinful

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

Man Is Separated

"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as seeking to lead a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably fails.
The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...

3. Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.

He Died in Our Place

"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."(Romans 5:8).

He Rose From the Dead

"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to to more than 500..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

He Is the Only Way to God

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me."(John 14:6).

4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.

We Must Receive Christ

"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).

We Receive Christ Through Faith

"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).

When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth

(Read John 3:1-8)

We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation

[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.

These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

Which circle best describes your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
The following explains how you can receive Christ:

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer

(Prayer is talking to God)
God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, I invite you to pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

Did you pray this prayer?

YES I still have questions

I am already a follower of Jesus

If you don't find your language listed above, search here

for a more concise explanation of the Good News.

Verse of the Day

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;”

- John 11:25

How to pray jesus

How to pray jesus

What does it mean to pray in Jesus' name?

Question: "What does it mean to pray in Jesus' name?"

Answer: Prayer in Jesus’ name is taught in John 14:13-14, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Some misapply this verse, thinking that saying “in Jesus’ name” at the end of a prayer results in God’s always granting what is asked for. This is essentially treating the words “in Jesus’ name” as a magic formula. This is absolutely unbiblical.

Praying in Jesus’ name means praying with His authority and asking God the Father to act upon our prayers because we come in the name of His Son, Jesus. Praying in Jesus' name means the same thing as praying according to the will of God, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). Praying in Jesus’ name is praying for things that will honor and glorify Jesus.

Saying “in Jesus’ name” at the end of a prayer is not a magic formula. If what we ask for or say in prayer is not for God’s glory and according to His will, saying “in Jesus’ name” is meaningless. Genuinely praying in Jesus' name and for His glory is what is important, not attaching certain words to the end of a prayer. It is not the words in the prayer that matter, but the purpose behind the prayer. Praying for things that are in agreement with God’s will is the essence of praying in Jesus’ name.

Recommended Resource: Prayer, The Great Adventure by David Jeremiah.

Why pray every day?

"Pray always." (1 Thes. 5,17) What else does this simple scriptural sentence mean except that all our lives God calls us to prayer?
Praying is not easy. Every day so many other things call for attention. And the world around us puts little value on prayer; it tells us to put our minds to more important matters. It is not easy to pray today.
Yet God tells us to pray.
Beginning and ending the day are privileged moments for prayer. These morning and evening prayers drawn from the psalms and the scriptures also include selections from the word of God. During the Advent, Christmas, and Lenten seasons, which are the great seasons of prayer for the church, you will find special resources at this web site.
As you use this site, may the Holy Spirit within you come to your aid and guide you gently to the God who loves you.

Psalm 91

Psalm 91

 ¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”
 ³ Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.
 ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”