The lines always seemed to move slow. After all, one must eye every dish and determine it’s tastiness. And of course, you have to decide whether that pot of greens beans looks better than the other two pots of green beans sitting there. One has floating pork bits; the other does not. We laughed and continued through the buffet line at church. Who can pass up all the side dishes those sweet little ladies brought from home? The last scoop of mashed potatoes didn’t make my plate that night. One night on the way home from small group, I listened to the guy on the local Christian radio station give a ten-minute presentation of what he had learned in church the previous day. It all boiled down to an appeal to make Jesus, in his words, our "role model." It was all very nice and inspirational. In biblical times, you read about murders, anger issues, stealing, adultery, wars, love, devotion, flooding, diseases, and healing. We see those same things today. And the list goes on.

I believe my first Bible was give to me for use in school by y parents. Living in Jamaica, a Bible was always on your booklist. It was a Good News Bible, and it had these cute figures as illustrations to help young minds understand the stories better. My second Bible was probably one from the Gideon Missionaries. According to the Bible, only the gospel is the power for salvation (Rom. 1:16). We must stop treating the gospel as though it were power enough for a conversion experience but falls short of empowering all the practical matters of faith that come after. What will motivate people to real life change that begins with real heart change? Not all the helpful tips in the universe. As I have established, the Bible provides the basis and framework and the Holy Spirit the filling/body. What is our role in all of this? Do you take the last spoonful of mashed potatoes, knowing the 50 people still in line are left with stuffing and scalloped potatoes? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Bible – Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

The Bible is alive and active, as Scripture states above. You will find answers to many questions, and now more than ever, we need the truth to guide us through the weeks and months to come. Over the years I have learnt that the word Bible was turned into an acronym. The most common one I have heard meant ‘Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth’. I went ahead and did some more research and found at least ten other variations that pretty much meant the very same thing: If the Bible is not essentially an instruction manual for practical application, then, what is it? If it's not mainly about what we need to do, what is it about? If it's not about us, who is it about? The Bible Is about Jesus

As an adult, I may have been gifted a Bible or two, therefore growing up Christian, I was always in arms reach of the Good Book. In my own efforts to know God and understand my walk, I invested in a study Bible some years ago. So, where does one look for insight into what is to come in the world we live in? Over the years, I have learned the Bible has the answers to what I can expect in the days to come. The Bible instructs me on what I need to do to prepare. I can never say I wasn’t told because the Bible has the answers. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans chapter 8 verse 26).

The Power of Salvation

I still have that physical Bible, but I must admit that my reading of it is done mostly via the Bible app on my electronic devices these days. Despite whatever happens, I still love having a physical copy and I do believe that this is something every believer should have. Written in the voice of a trusted friend, this book gently challenges pastors to rethink the “attractional” church model in favor of an explicitly biblical approach that is gospel focused, grace based, and fruit oriented. Jesus himself said so. In Luke 24, we see two of Jesus's disciples walking on the road to Emmaus and discussing the report they'd gotten of Christ's resurrection. Suddenly Jesus himself sidles up next to them. He asks them what they're talking about. They don't recognize him at first, so they explain that they are discussing the matter of Jesus, expressing their confusion about his having been given up to be crucified when all along they thought he was the one sent to redeem Israel. And they also weren't sure what to make of this astounding claim about his resurrection. Then Jesus does something very interesting: "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).