whatbible

OUR NEED FOR GOD'S WORD

Before we consider which Bible or version of the Bible you should use I want us to first look at the importance of God's Word to our spiritual well being. If we understand the importance of God's Word it help us in choosing the right disciplines to put in place.

The Bible is the only source of truth regarding the true and living God. In it we discover His person, His likes and dislikes as well as detailed information regarding how people are to relate to Him and to one another. In it we are told the way of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and we find many historic details of God's dealings with humanity. It is without question the only true source of spiritual information regarding the Creator and sustainer of all life. BUT for the child of God it is MUCH MORE than this. MUCH MORE!

When a person comes to Christ in repentance of sin and is genuinely "Born Again" by the power of God's Holy Spirit that person literally becomes a new creation of God. Because of this a Christian can no longer, legitimately, say "I'm only human." Why? Because they're not! They've been given a nature and are, by God considered to a "new person". 2Cor 5:17 - This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! The words "new person" is from the New Living Translation (NLT) of the Bible. The New International Version (NIV) says it this way, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

This new creation of God, this new person is spiritual and lives within the our physical human body. When a person is "Born Again". a whole new life begins. Similar to natural birth this new life starts it's journey in infant form growing into maturity over a period of time. Just as our physical body need food for nourishment so does the new creation of God, the new person. God has provided very specific spiritual food for this new creation and it just so happens to be His eternal Word. God's Word is our spiritual food .Math 4:4 - But Jesus told Him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God"

Each species of God's creation has its own kind of food, so it is with the new creation. God's eternal word is spiritual food through which the new person receives nourishment for growth. 1P. 2:2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk (of the Word) so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment. It is through His Word that God has chosen to nourish His new creation. DO NOT MISS THIS POINT!

Over the years in Christian life and ministry I have found that those who spend time in the Word of God are the ones who grow strongest in the Kingdom of God. It requires a determined discipline to maintain proper daily devotions in God's read. Remember it's a habit for is in western countries to eat three meals a day in order to sustain our physical strength. How much more important is our spiritual strength! I want to personally encourage you to make the reading of God's Word on a regular basis a habit, something you would never consider being without.

I have found it helpful when reading the Word to remember that it's my spiritual food and I eat it when I understand it and when I don't. The Bible to the Believer is much more than spiritual i nformation. Every time we read it were are having a spiritual meal. I feel that if more of God's people understood this principle they would spend more time in the Word. To the child of God the Bible is much more than just book. It's God breathed and when we are reading it the Holy Spirit that that black ink on white paper and turns it into life giving spiritual food. Be encouraged to read it in this light.

IT IS GOD'S SPOKEN WORD TO US

Clearly the is exactly what it claims to be, "God's Word". Jesus acknowledge it as such and we need to as well. Because it is God's Word it requires and demands our deepest respect. We are talking about unholy words of unholy people. This is God's record of the things He has chosen to share with us.

Today there are quite a number of translations of the Holy Bible. Old Testament Scriptures were given and preserved through the Israelites in the Hebrew language while the New Testament Scriptures were written in Greek. Never of these languages translate directly into English very well. In other words it not as easy a this Hebrew word translates directly into this English word. Because of this any human attempt to translate these Scriptures into another language must be done with extreme care. God issued a very stern warning in the book of Revelation (the last new testament)
Rev 22:18,19 - And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book. I think it's quite safe to say that Bible translators are aware of this warning and purpose under God and with much prayer try to bring to us the most accurate renderings of Scripture in the common language of the people.

This desire (and personally believe, God placed) to have the Scriptures in the common language of the average person has lead to the various modern translations. The old King James Version of the Holy Bible came into being in England in about 1611 and has been used since then by most of the English speaking world. This form of the English language has ceased to be the common language of the people. We simply don't talk that way any more and over the years some of the words originally used no longer carry the same meaning. It is however a very accurate and literal translation and should be respected as such. It however difficult to read especially for the younger generations. For them it requires someone else with special training to intemperate what is being said. They become dependant on others (priests, pastors, teachers) who have had special training. Personally I find a danger here. God's people are to be dependant upon Him and it also has a tendency to elevate the clergy above the rest of God's people, As if they were some how superior and more spiritual. No so!

I feel quite strongly about people having God's Word in a language they understand very freely. My personal history and walk with God over the past 32 years has seen me change versions of the Bible tree times. For the first 17 years I used nothing but the Kings James Version of the Bible. It's what cut my spiritual teeth on. I both learned from it and preached and taught from it. It was quite a dramatic thing for me to change to the New International version in 1991 but I felt as a Bible teacher I was spending a lot of time explaining what various old English words meant and I came to understand that as great a Bible as the King James Version is, it was no longer the common language of the people. The transition was easy. All my memorizing of the Scriptures was from the KJV. All my teaching notes and Scripture references were in the KJV. Yet I felt changing to another version in a language more common to everyone was the right move. It was in 2000 that I was first introduced to the New Living Translation of the Bible, I liked it's easy readability and flow and that's what I'm presently using in my personal devotions and ministry material. There are certain versions that are more literal than the NLT so it's not a version you'd directly use to build church doctrine on but it is very accurate and pleasant reading.

With this in mind I understand God to be the only One with the power to bring life to any written word. I need to put my faith and trust in the Lord that he would be the One feeding me and teaching me through a version of the Scriptures that was easiest for me to understand on my own without the need of special dictionaries and helps (as good as they are and there is a place for them in the formulation of church doctrines etc.) The Bible you use should be easy enough for you to understand and something you are comfortable enough with so that when you are reading it you believe with all your heart that God will be speaking to you through it. Your life with God was never intended to be legalistically religious but one of personal relationship with God.

THE VARIOUS TRANSLATIONS

I want to give you a general overview of the various, more popular versions of the Holy Bible being used today. This can help you to chose a version or give you a better understand of the version you're presently using. Before I do this I want to suggest a book written by the late Bill Bright called "Discover The Book God Wrote" published by Tyndale. I've quite recently read it and and found it to be a great encouragement. You'll be able to find it or at least order it through any local Christian book store or online through something like amizon.com or amazon.ca Some of the information I'm now going to share with you has come from that book.

Strictly Literal
        New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Literal
        King James Version (KJV)
        American Standard Version (ASV)
        New King James Version (NKJV)
        Revised Standard Version (RSV)
        English Standard Version (ESV)

Literal with freedom to be idiomatic
        New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Thought for Thought
        New International Version (NIV)
        New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)
        Revised English Bible (REB)

Dynamic (functionally) equivalent (modern speech)
        Today's English Version (TEV)
        New Living Translation (NLT)
        Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Paraphrastic
        The Living Bible (TLB)
        The Message (MESSAGE)

These Bibles are available through your local Christian Book store or you can order them online through something like amazom.com or amazon.ca

You can also down load free Bible programs for your computer. I use both the Online Bible available at www.onlinebible.net and e-Sword at www.e-sword.net . Some of the Bible version are not free but they are available at a very reasonable price.

You can also read the Word directly online at www.biblegateway.com

HOW TO GET STARTED READING THE BIBLE

This part of the Web Site is pretty much intended for people who have very recently been "Born Again" by the power of God's Holy Spirit. When I started my journey with Jesus over thirty years ago I didn't know one need of the Bible from the other. It was virtually a whole new ball game for me. I was able to get help from Carol, my wife and the pastor, (evangelist) through whose ministry I came to Christ. He picked out my first Bible and it was his ministry I sat under as I started taking my first spiritual baby steps. I have since come to understand the importance of getting off to a good start in what I call "The Race of a Life Time".

I would like to help you get started into a systematic daily devotional time with the Lord. This is that time of the day for set apart you just you and the Lord, the when you talk to God in prayer and He talks to you as you read His Word, the Bible. There quite a few "One Year Bible Reading Plans" available to you. Bill Brights book Discover The Book God Wrote by Tyndale has a good one in it. Some of the more popular versions of the Bible also have a plan in them as well. They're all very good and designed to help you in discipled reading of the entire Bible in one year.

If you are recently saved I would personally direct you to first reading through the book of John in the New Testament along with Colossians, Ephesians and 1 & 2 Peter. I would also encourage you to read the Psalms and proverbs regularly. Remember, when you are reading you are not only seeking to find information about God but also being fed the spiritual food of God's eternal Kingdom. Don't be afraid to read and reread the same verses of Scripture or the same books of the Bible. When you find things that you simple do not understand or can't quite figure and put all together, don't worry about it just keep those things on the back burner in time God will have you fit together the pieces like a giant puzzle.

Always start your Bible reading with prayer, asking the Lord to reveal Himself to you through His Word while at the same time asking for the courage to apply the truths of God's Word to your life. 1P. 2:2- Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto [completed] salvation, (Amp) Notice from this Scripture that we are to earnestly desire (cry out for) for the spiritual food of God. He'll surely feed us when we have this kind of hunger. No starves in God's family when they are wanting to be fed!

When to see something from the God that you know to be God's will for then don't procrastinate, do it.
Jms 1:22-25 - But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

God bless as you seek to grow in your knowledge of God and your relationship with Jesus. If you have any question or if you feel we can help you in any way as you start your journey with Jesus don't hesitate to contact us by email at: newliferealities@gmail.com