The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
One-Liners
[Note: Starting next week (December 22) I will post my blogs on Fridays instead of Thursdays]
Dan and I frequently share a laugh with pertinent one-liners from movies. Perhaps you will recognize the movie sources of some of them:
- Grandpa, they’re kissing again.
- He’s dead, Jim.
- Ricky Ricardo was Cuban.
- Try not. Do or do not.
These quips are, I am sure, recognizable to my generation and our kids. While we have a lot of fun with movie one-liners, I wonder if we as Christians are as good at recognizing “one-liners” from the Bible? Here are some to test out. Do you know where to find these phrases?
- Jesus wept.
- Worship the lord in the beauty of holiness.
- Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
How about “God helps those who help themselves”? If you don’t know that that phrase is NOT in the Bible, then you need to start reading the Word of God. If you don’t know what the Bible says, how will you know what it doesn’t say?
If you have never read the Bible before, a good place to start is in the New Testament with the Gospel of John. It outlines the basic message of God’s Word: Jesus, the Son of God, entered the physical realm as a human child, grew up, and died on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. He was buried and rose again the third day, just as biblical prophecy foretold. Salvation is offered to all mankind, only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
But don’t ignore the rest of the Bible. The Old Testament gives the complete story of why Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary, starting with the sin of Adam and Eve. I find it helpful to read through the Bible, cover to cover, each year with three chapters a day and six on Sunday. It helps me to remember what God has given us in His Word. There are other ways to read the Bible in a year without going straight through from Genesis to Revelation. Choice Gleanings and Our Daily Bread are devotionals which also give you references to read in order to finish in a year. They use both Old and New Testament passages each day.
While simply reading the Bible has its place, in-depth study is also important to our growth as Christians. I consider the Bible to be the equivalent of the “manufacturer’s instruction book” for humans. If we are to become what He created us to be, we need to study it in order to know God better.
So here are the answers to my little test above: John 11:35, Psalm 29:2, 2 Timothy 2:15, Revelation 22:13.
I pray that you will seek to know God better and better through reading, meditating on, studying, and applying His Word, the Bible, every day.
Update and Prayer Request: Yesterday Dan had his third infusion of Obdivo. He once again experienced a sharp pain in his back that was alleviated by a heating pad. Then his thumb also began to hurt. Both are areas of major arthritis involvement. Now we know it is directly related to his infusion. Our research reveals development of immunotherapy for arthritis so it may be that this is a “good” pain, signifying healthy activity towards healing of Dan’s arthritis. Please pray for continued strength and healing.
