Break thou the bread of life, O Lord, to me,
As thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for thee, O living Word! Mary Artemisia Lathbury (1841-1913) vs 1
Thou are the bread of life, O Lord, to me,
Thy holy word the truth that saveth me;
Give me to eat and live with thee above;
Teach me to love thy truth, for thou art love. Alexander Groves (1843-1909) vs 2
DID YOU KNOW
That 50 are sold every minute.
That 72 thousand are sold every day.
That 26 million are sold every year…making
The Bible the best selling book of the year, “every year”!
The Bible was the “1st Book” ever printed. Down through history, The Bible has been frowned upon, despised and has been destroyed over and over again, and yet, it keeps resurfacing…it keeps coming back. That must say something about the resiliance and power this book holds from the ages of antiquity to it’s relevance today.
You say how can that be, when history shows so much has changed and continues to change. That’s where the never changing love of God and his Son Jesus Christ comes in. The Bible is steadfast and reliable and it holds secrets of the past and provides us with signs of the present and holds the truth of what’s to come.
The Bible is the Word of God. It contains all of God’s promises for everyone. God’s divine instruction book for everyday living.
The Books of the Bible were written by those who trusted God, who followed God’s direction and loved God without question, so that we could understand God’s love for us in today’s times. God’s words are unchanging. As in the days of the Old and New Testaments, the words speak to us in the 21st century. It tells of things that happened in the past, of things happening today and of things yet to come.
The Bible tells us how God sent his Son Jesus to earth. God’s plan was to rescue us from sin and to do that he had to send His Only Son to be the Saviour of the human race.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word became flesh and lived among us.” John 1:1,14
Both the Old Testament (Isaiah 53) and New Testament (The Gospels), tell of Jesus’ coming, but it was in the New Testament that He came to live among people. He came to teach people of God’s love for them. Jesus told stories (parables) to help people understand what is good and true and wrong and evil, so that we might make better choices in the way we live our lives.
Jesus chose 12 men of various walks of life to be his assistants, that he might have more help in getting the good word out. They were called his disciples. There was Matthew a tax collector; Peter a fisherman; Luke a doctor and John also a fisherman, to name a few. These men ate, journeyed and ministered with Him as he taught them.
One day Jesus took his disciples “spiritual mountain climbing” and provided them with eight upward steps in the divine life. These eight steps became: The Beatitudes of Christ (Matthew 5:3-10)
The Initial Step, Humility
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The 2nd Step, Penitence
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
The 3rd Step, Meekness
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
The 4th Step, Spiritual Appetite
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
The 5th Step, Mercifulness
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
The 6th Step, Heart Purity
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
The 7th Step, Peacemaking
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
The 8th Step, The Summit, Suffering for Christ
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Holy Bible, book divine, Precious treasure, thou are mine;
Mine, to tell me whence I came; Mine, to teach me what I am.
Mine to comfort in distress, If the Holy Spirit bless;
Mine to show by living faith, Man can triumph over death.
John Burton, Sr. (1773-1822)
The Bible, The Word of God – was written with a purpose: To Authenticate the Divinity of Christ; To give Hope to Everyone; To Relate the Human Experience as a Warning; and To Give Knowledge of Eternal Life.
Obedience To God Brings Answers To Our Prayers
God’s Ten Commandments Teach Us How To Live (Exodus 20)
The First Four Are About Our Love for God
1. “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
2. “You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything…; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.”
3. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”
4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
The Last Six Are About Our Love for Man
5. “Honour your father and your mother.”
6. “You shall not murder.”
7. “You shall not commit adultery.”
8. “You shall not steal.”
9. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.”
10. “You shall not covet…anything that is your neighbour’s.”
“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” 1 John 3:22
