Read Your Bible: What is the Bible?
by Pastor Dag Heward-MIlls
The Bible is the written Word of God. You must develop Confidence in the Greatest Book of All Time – the Bible.
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:20, 21
1. The Bible is a prophetic revelation.
The Bible reveals the nature of God to man. It explains the origin of man. It gives meaning to man’s existence on earth.
It reveals the future destiny of all creation. Above all, it reveals God’s merciful plan of redemption to us.
Knowing this first, that NO PROPHECY OF THE SCRIPTURE is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:20, 21
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners SPAKE IN TIME PAST UNTO THE FATHERS BY THE PROPHETS, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Hebrews 1:1, 2
2. The Bible is the good news of salvation.
The gospel is the good news of Christ’s saving power for us. The Bible is the only book that shows how man can be saved. The Bible contains His message of eternal salvation for all who believe in Christ, and eternal damnation for all who rebel against the gospel.
For I am not ashamed of THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.= Romans 1:16
3. The Bible is God’s warning to us.
The Bible is not a discussion of ideas and theories. It is an authoritative declaration of the facts. The truths that are expounded are awesome and non-negotiable. The aura surrounding the Bible is partly due to its authoritative and irrevocable truths.
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE, IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? Hebrews 2:1-4
4. The Bible is full of words of inspiration.
This is what differentiates the Bible from every other book. The Bible claims to have inspiration and motivation from God. In other words, it was virtually written by God through the hands of mortal men.
All SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Timothy 3:16
5. The Bible is a direct cutting message from God.
Thousands of people are converted when the simple truths of the Bible are shared. I was changed by the Word of God when I encountered it.
For THE WORD OF GOD IS QUICK, AND POWERFUL, AND SHARPER than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
6. The Bible is God’s wisdom for our prosperity.
God’s method for prosperity is not by clever ideas and human tricks. It is through His Word.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: FOR THEN THOU SHALT MAKE THY WAY PROSPEROUS, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:8
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Proverbs 4:20-22
7. The Bible is the explanation for the origin of the creation, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars and the planets.
In the beginning GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters Genesis 1:1-2
8. The Bible gives the truth about the future, heaven, hell and eternity.
And I SAW THE DEAD, SMALL AND GREAT, STAND BEFORE GOD; and the books were opened:and another book was opened, which is the book of life:and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12-15
9. The Bible is the explanation for the origin of the human race.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7
10. The Bible is the instruction manual for marriage.
WIVES, SUBMIT YOURSELVES unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Ephesians 5:22-25
11. The Bible is the good news about Jesus Christ.
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of ALL THAT JESUS BEGAN BOTH TO DO AND TEACH, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: Acts 1:1-2
And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John 1:24-25
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; Revelation 1:19
12. The Bible is the greatest book ever written. It contains history, biography, poetry, proverbial sayings, hymns, letters, rules, laws, parables, riddles, allegories, prophecies, making it the most remarkable book ever written.
13. The Bible has 66 different books. Some of these books are considerably large whilst others are very short.
14. The Bible points out the sins of mankind.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them Romans 1:28-32
15. The Bible is a wisdom book for life under the sun.
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.Ecclesiastes 1:9
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 1:14
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; Ecclesiastes 12:1
16. The Bible is used and is relevant in every country of the world.
It is a book which all races, nations, tribes, countries can relate to. It is not material which is adapted to any one nation or group of people.
And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many PEOPLES, AND NATIONS, AND TONGUES, AND KINGS. Revelation 10:10-11
17. The Bible is used and has been relevant throughout the centuries.
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. Luke 21:33
18. The Bible is a powerful and life-changing book.
The Bible is not an amulet, a charm, a fetish, or anything to work wonders by its very presence alone. It does not claim to be such; it does claim that if one will study and practice its teachings he will see wonders worked in his life both now and in the hereafter.
19. The Bible was not written chronologically and yet fits together perfectly. It was given, here a little and there a little, to many men through eighteen centuries (Isaiah 28:9-11): but regardless of this it, forms a perfect unity.
Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; HERE A LITTLE, AND THERE A LITTLE:
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. Isaiah 28:9-11
by Dag Heward-Mills
A best selling African author
The Bible is the written Word of God. You must develop Confidence in the Greatest Book of All Time – the Bible.
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:20, 21
1. The Bible is a prophetic revelation.
The Bible reveals the nature of God to man. It explains the origin of man. It gives meaning to man’s existence on earth.
It reveals the future destiny of all creation. Above all, it reveals God’s merciful plan of redemption to us.
Knowing this first, that NO PROPHECY OF THE SCRIPTURE is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:20, 21
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners SPAKE IN TIME PAST UNTO THE FATHERS BY THE PROPHETS, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Hebrews 1:1, 2
2. The Bible is the good news of salvation.
The gospel is the good news of Christ’s saving power for us. The Bible is the only book that shows how man can be saved. The Bible contains His message of eternal salvation for all who believe in Christ, and eternal damnation for all who rebel against the gospel.
For I am not ashamed of THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.= Romans 1:16
3. The Bible is God’s warning to us.
The Bible is not a discussion of ideas and theories. It is an authoritative declaration of the facts. The truths that are expounded are awesome and non-negotiable. The aura surrounding the Bible is partly due to its authoritative and irrevocable truths.
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE, IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? Hebrews 2:1-4
4. The Bible is full of words of inspiration.
This is what differentiates the Bible from every other book. The Bible claims to have inspiration and motivation from God. In other words, it was virtually written by God through the hands of mortal men.
All SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Timothy 3:16
5. The Bible is a direct cutting message from God.
Thousands of people are converted when the simple truths of the Bible are shared. I was changed by the Word of God when I encountered it.
For THE WORD OF GOD IS QUICK, AND POWERFUL, AND SHARPER than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
6. The Bible is God’s wisdom for our prosperity.
God’s method for prosperity is not by clever ideas and human tricks. It is through His Word.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: FOR THEN THOU SHALT MAKE THY WAY PROSPEROUS, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:8
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Proverbs 4:20-22
7. The Bible is the explanation for the origin of the creation, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars and the planets.
In the beginning GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters Genesis 1:1-2
8. The Bible gives the truth about the future, heaven, hell and eternity.
And I SAW THE DEAD, SMALL AND GREAT, STAND BEFORE GOD; and the books were opened:and another book was opened, which is the book of life:and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12-15
9. The Bible is the explanation for the origin of the human race.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7
10. The Bible is the instruction manual for marriage.
WIVES, SUBMIT YOURSELVES unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Ephesians 5:22-25
11. The Bible is the good news about Jesus Christ.
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of ALL THAT JESUS BEGAN BOTH TO DO AND TEACH, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: Acts 1:1-2
And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John 1:24-25
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; Revelation 1:19
12. The Bible is the greatest book ever written. It contains history, biography, poetry, proverbial sayings, hymns, letters, rules, laws, parables, riddles, allegories, prophecies, making it the most remarkable book ever written.
13. The Bible has 66 different books. Some of these books are considerably large whilst others are very short.
14. The Bible points out the sins of mankind.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them Romans 1:28-32
15. The Bible is a wisdom book for life under the sun.
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.Ecclesiastes 1:9
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 1:14
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; Ecclesiastes 12:1
16. The Bible is used and is relevant in every country of the world.
It is a book which all races, nations, tribes, countries can relate to. It is not material which is adapted to any one nation or group of people.
And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many PEOPLES, AND NATIONS, AND TONGUES, AND KINGS. Revelation 10:10-11
17. The Bible is used and has been relevant throughout the centuries.
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. Luke 21:33
18. The Bible is a powerful and life-changing book.
The Bible is not an amulet, a charm, a fetish, or anything to work wonders by its very presence alone. It does not claim to be such; it does claim that if one will study and practice its teachings he will see wonders worked in his life both now and in the hereafter.
19. The Bible was not written chronologically and yet fits together perfectly. It was given, here a little and there a little, to many men through eighteen centuries (Isaiah 28:9-11): but regardless of this it, forms a perfect unity.
Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; HERE A LITTLE, AND THERE A LITTLE:
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. Isaiah 28:9-11
by Dag Heward-Mills
A best selling African author
