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This blog is all about the the inspired Scriptures, which are the Word of God.  The devil is always seeking to undermine confidence in God's Word and here I provide evidence to bolster your faith in God's Word, as you take your stand against the evil one.

Jesus said, “The Scripture cannot be broken.” (Joh 10:35).

And the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2Ti 3:16-17).

I hope this will be an encouragement to you in your walk with God.

The Scripture Must Be Fulfilled	The Conciseness of God	Pros and Cons of the NIV
God's Word Never Fails	Understanding the Gaps in Scripture	The Bible is the Word of God
Numerical Patterns in Scripture	Read the Bible for All Its Worth!	Oral Account of Creation from Adam to Abraham
Unidentified Descendant of Jacob Who Went to Egypt	The Uniqueness of God's Word	Bible Reading Plan
The NET Bible	Progressive Revelation	The Unity of the Bible
Who Was the Exodus Pharaoh?	Jacob Was 77 Years Old When He Married	Decreasing Lifespans of Biblical Characters
Significance of the Number 3 in the Bible

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master. 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Uniqueness of God's Word

Unlike any other book, the Bible is unique, since it is the Word of God. Let’s look at some of the unique characteristics that make the Word of God different from all others.

As our main text, let's consider Hebrews 4:12-13, which says: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

It is Living and Active
First, we know that “the Word of God is living and active” (Heb 4:12). Here are some examples of what it means for the Word to be living and active.

It is alive! The words of men are merely dead words, whether they are found in a newspaper, history book, political speech, comic book, or legal contract. They are not alive. But the Word of God is alive. It is called “the word of life” (1 Joh 1:1).

It speaks. It is not just black words on white pages. It actually speaks. It comes forth from God’s mouth. Jesus said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" (Mat 4:4).

It is what God says, not only what He once said. It remains in the present tense, so that thousands of years after it was spoken, it is still speaking to us today.

“He again fixes a certain day, Today,’ saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, ‘Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’ (Heb 4:7)

It convicts, judges and penetrates deep within us “…piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

It bears fruit after its own kind, just as any organic seed or organism does. Jesus said, "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.” (Luk 8:11). He said, "The sower sows the word…And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." (Mar 4:14,20).

If you want to have good fruit in your life, then read lots of Scripture, believe it, and put it into practice. When you do that, the very things you read in Scripture will be seen coming forth in your life. Whatever you put into your mind and your heart, that is what you are going to become. The seed of the Word that you heard will take root inside of you and bear good fruit.

The Word is the seed by which we have been born again. In our natural birth we were conceived from human, perishable seed. But in the second birth, the seed is the imperishable Word of God. While natural seed may perish, this seed will never pass away. Peter said, “For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1Pe 1:23)

It does not return to Him empty, void, or without results. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah saying, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it  without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Is 55:10-11, NIV). It accomplishes God’s desires and achieves His glorious purpose.

It is eternal. “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” (Ps 119:89, NIV). Peter quoted the prophet Isaiah saying, “For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which was preached to you” (1Pe 1:24-25).

It gives light. The psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path…The unfolding of Your words gives light.” (Psa 119:105,130a). Peter wrote, “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (2Pe 1:19)

It generates faith. Paul said, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Rom 10:17).

It originates from God. Speaking of the Scriptures, Peter wrote, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2Pe 1:20-21). The inspired writers of Scripture spoke from God as the Holy Spirit carried them along.

It IS God. The Scripture is very clear about this. It’s an indisputable fact.” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Joh 1:1). It cannot be denied that the Word is God.

The Word is a divine Person, not merely a set of letters and punctuation arranged together and printed on a page. That is why the Scripture refers to the Word as “He.” It says, “He was in the beginning with God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Joh 1:2,14).

Therefore, the Word of God is interactive. These days interactive websites and software are very popular, because we like to interact with what we are seeing and reading. Likewise, we can interact with the Word. God speaks and we respond, and this process continues back and forth between us through His Word and by the Spirit.

The Word is God’s Son. As I have just quoted, John said, “as of the only begotten from the Father” (Joh 1:14). The apostle Paul wrote, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (Heb 1:1-2). While God spoke through the prophets in the past, now the Word has come to us through His own Son.

The Word sustains and upholds all things. “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…” (Heb 1:3)

These examples I have just cited illustrate how the Word is living and active, making it one of a kind.

It is Sharp!
Secondly, we know that “the Word of God is… sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow…” (Heb 4:12). Here are some examples of what it means for the Word to be sharper than any two-edged sword.

It penetrates right through anything. A two-edged sword is sharpened on both sides of the blade, and a sharp one can easily cut through a person’s flesh. But even the sharpest two-edged sword cannot pass through everything. For example, it cannot penetrate through steel or thick rock. Yet the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. It divides soul from spirit, and joints from marrow.

When a surgeon uses a sharp scalpel to cut a patient open, he can do open heart surgery with it, whereby the chest is opened and a saw is used to cut the breast bone, so that the heart can be operated on. But even the sharpest scalpel cannot divide the human soul from the spirit. This is something that only the Word of God can do, cutting easily through even those things that are invisible.

We know to be careful when handling sharp knives, such as those used in the kitchen, because we respect sharp knives and understand they can easily cut us badly. However, the Word of God must be handled even more carefully that any sharp knife.

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.” (Heb 2:1)

“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.” (Heb 12:25)

Total Exposure
Finally, since the Word of God is living, active, and very sharp, it exposes everything. Nothing is hidden from it. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” (Heb 4:13). It doesn’t matter if you go to the bottom of a deep mine shaft and hide there, God will still know every thought you have and every word you speak, as well as the motives and intentions of your heart. In other words, He even knows the attitude behind your thoughts and words.

“For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths.” (Pro 5:21, NIV).

Putting it All Together
Based on what we have learned from Scripture about the Word of God, we know it is alive! It speaks. It convicts, judges and penetrates deep within us. The Word is the seed by which we have been born again. It bears fruit after its own kind. It does not return to Him empty, void, or without results, but accomplishes God’s desires and achieves His glorious purpose. It is eternal. It gives light. It generates faith. It originates from God. It IS God. It cannot be denied that the Word is God. The Word is a divine Person. The Word of God is interactive. The Word is God’s Son. The Word sustains and upholds all things. It is so sharp that it penetrates right through anything, dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow. The Word of God exposes everything. In light of all these wonderful, unique characteristics of the Word, it is truly unlike any other word or message or book. Therefore, it must be handled even more carefully that any sharp knife.

When you open the Bible to read it, pray first and ask the Lord to speak to you through it, and expect Him to do so. As you read, listen to what He is saying to you, believing and accepting it. Interact with Him, praising Him for what He says to you, responding to Him, claiming His promises to you, and repenting for sin whenever He exposes it to you.. May we once again have a reverence for the Word of God, instead of treating it so casually as is so common these days. Let's humble ourselves and tremble at His Word. The Lord declares, "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word." (Isa 66:2b).

Attributions: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as The Bible is the Word of God, Read the Bible for All Its Worth!, All Scripture must be fulfilled and The Bible Never Fails. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Bible Reading Plan

The psalmist said, "How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word." (Ps 119:9-16, NIV).

Let me encourage you today to read lots of God's Word. But it won't happen accidentally. You will need to plan to do so. A good starting point is to read 25 to 30 chapters per week. In order to do this, you will need to pace yourself and ensure you read at least 4 to 5 chapters per day. Delight in God's Word and hide it in your heart. Seek Him with all your heart. Stay on the path of purity by living according to His Word.

There are 929 chapters in the Old Testament and 260 chapters in the New Testament for a total of 1,189 chapters in the Bible. If you read 4 to 5 chapters per day, you will easily finish reading through the whole Bible in around 264 days or about 37 weeks, which is around 8 to 9 months. It's about 100 hours of reading, if you take about 5 minutes per chapter, but I encourage you to take as long as you need to meditate on it, so the Lord can speak to you.

Please find the Bible Reading Chart at this link, which you can download and print, in order to help you mark off the chapters in each book of the Bible as you read them. I gave this to my children, and one of my daughters used it to help her read through the Bible in about two months. Therefore, it doesn't have to take you 9 months to a year to read through it. Depending on how motivated you are, and how much time you spend at it each day, you can finish it much sooner. Don't neglect His Word.

Attributions: Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as The Bible is the Word of God, Read the Bible for All Its Worth!, The Uniqueness of God's Word, All Scripture must be fulfilled, and The Bible Never Fails. I also recommend Keeping a Prayer Journal, Life Transformation Groups, How to Start an LTG, Doulos Training School, and Scripture Alone.You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Numerical Patterns in Scripture

Throughout the Word of God we see amazing and supernatural patterns in the numbers.  We don’t focus on this most of the time, since that is not the purpose for reading the Bible. We are supposed to focus on the message itself. Nevertheless, these patterns do exist and they help our faith when we see them, because we know it would be impossible for them to exist apart from the Lord’s awesome design.

You see the Bible is actually a compilation of shorter books written over a period of about 1,600 years that were later assembled together in what we call the canon of Scripture. And when the forty men, whom the Lord inspired, wrote the original manuscripts, there were no chapter or verse numbers. These were added many centuries later.  So man did not intentionally create these patterns that I am about to show you, but God saw fit that it would happen that way.

In the Beginning
The Creation of all things by God in the beginning is recorded in Genesis 1:1 and reaffirmed in the New Testament in John 1:1; and 1 John 1:1, where we learn that the Word of God was with God in the beginning and actually was God. 

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen 1:1)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Joh 1:1)

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life…” (1 Jn 1:1)

Note that John also says, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Joh 1:3,14).

Also see Is Jesus God?.

The Mark of the Beast - 666
In the Word we learn that the mark of the beast is either the name of the beast or the number of his name, which is 666, and that those who take the mark will not enter the kingdom of God.  We find some interesting verses bearing those numbers in Jn 6:66 and Is 66:6. But first let me give the explanation of the mark from the apostle John’s apocalypse.

“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.” (Rev 13:16-18)

“Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.’ Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” (Rev 14:9-12)

Now take a look at what happened in John 6:66.

“As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.” (Joh 6:66)

John 6:66 describes an apostasy during Jesus day when many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.  We know that according to Paul’s second epistle to the Thessalonians, there will first be a great apostasy (defecting from the truth or falling away) among Christians before the man of lawlessness is revealed, whose number is 666 (Rev 13:18).

And the prophet Isaiah wrote about the sound of the Lord’s voice from His temple, as he takes vengeance on His enemies in Isaiah 66:6, which is in perfect harmony with what we have just read in Revelation about the punishment for those who take the mark of the beast -- 666.

“A voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple, the voice of the LORD who is rendering recompense to His enemies.” (Isa 66:6)

Now back to John’s gospel for a moment, and we see that Jesus explained to His family why His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.

“The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.” (Joh 7:7).

And from the context we observe that right before many of Jesus’ disciples walked away from Him, He had been teaching that unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He said, "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." (Joh 6:53-58).  It was that teaching which caused many disciples to leave Him.

It certainly was not the twelve disciples who withdrew and stopped walking with Jesus, but it was many other disciples.  We know this because when those disciples withdrew from Him, Jesus said to the Twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. "We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God." (Joh 6:67-69)

One last verse I would like to point out in connection with 666 is Genesis 6:6.

“The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” (Gen 6:6)

It says that in the days of Noah when the thoughts of all men were continually evil, the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, he regretted it, and it brought pain to His heart, because of all the evil deeds men were committing, which were taking them down to hell.  This too seems to fit right in with the number of man, who was created in the sixth day, which is the number six. And it also fits in with passage about the number of the beast, which is 666.

Also see The Mark of the Beast (666) and Drifting Away.

The Mark of God

In both Revelation 9:4 and Ezekiel 9:4, it speaks about the mark (or seal) of God to protect those who are God's people:

"They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads." (Rev 9:4)

"The LORD said to him, 'Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.'" (Eze 9:4)

The Punishment for Sin
In both Ezekiel 18:4 and Revelation 18:4, we find a warning about the punishment for sin.

The Lord told Ezekiel that the soul who sins will die.

"Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.” (Eze 18:4)

The Lord explained that children would not die for the sins of their fathers, but for their own sins.  And the Lord revealed to the apostle John the need for separation from Babylon in order to avoid participating in her sins and receiving her plagues.

“I heard another voice from heaven, saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues.’”(Rev 18:4).

Also see Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Sin and Consequence, The Dangers of Disobedience, and Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven.

Delivered from the Bondage of Slavery
Both Exodus 6:6 and Romans 6:6 speak about deliverance of God’s people from bondage to slavery.

The Lord told Moses, “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” (Exo 6:6)

The apostle Paul wrote about being delivered from slavery to sin when he said, “Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” (Rom 6:6)

Also see my articles called, Having a Servant's Heart  and The Truth Set Me Free!

The Fruit of Repentance
Both Matthew 3:8 and Luke 3:8 speak of the need to bear the fruit of repentance.

"Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance." (Mat 3:8)

"Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham." (Luk 3:8).

Also see my article called, Repentance That Leads to Life.

He Laid Down His Life in Love
We learn from the 3:16 verse in John’s gospel and his epistle that God in His great love for the world gave His only begotten Son, who laid down His life for us in love. That’s in John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16.

“"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (Joh 3:16)

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1Jn 3:16).

Also see The Sacrifices of God and The Love of Jesus.

The Love Chapters

Most people who read their Bibles should be familiar with the love chapter in Paul the apostle's epistle to the Corinthians. First Corinthians chapter 13 is the famous love chapter, since almost every single one of its 13 verses is about love. Here is a sample you're probably familiar with:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails." (1 Cor 13:4-8).

But did you know that John 13 is the other love chapter in the Bible? Most of the chapter is about love and how Jesus showed the full extent of his love to His disciples by washing their feet. Here are some excerpts:

"Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love." (Jn 13:1b).

"One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him." (Jn 13:23).

"“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:34-35).

So it's not just a coincidence that both John 13 and 1 Corinthians 13 are about love and that 1 Corinthians 13 has a total of 13 verses.

The New Covenant
The New Covenant is cited in both Jeremiah 31:31 and Hebrews 8:8.

“’Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,’ (Jer 31:31)

“For finding fault with them, He says, ‘Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;” (Heb 8:8)

What a rare coincidence that both the chapter and verse numbers match in the Old Testament reference to the New Covenant (31:31), and they also match in the New Testament reference to the New Covenant (8:8). Both passages from Jeremiah and Hebrews refer to the New Covenant in Jesus' blood, which God in His love is inviting you to enter into.

Also see The New Covenant and Law of Love in the New Testament.

No Condemnation
In both John 8:1-11 and Romans 8:1-11, we learn that there is no condemnation for the repentant soul who walks by the Spirit and not according to the sinful nature.

“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they *said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."] (Joh 8:1-11)

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. But the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; so that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For they who are according to the flesh mind the things of flesh, but they who are according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be. So then they who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ is in you, indeed the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of the One who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised up Christ from the dead shall also make your mortal bodies alive by His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Rom 8:1-11, MKJV).

Also see The Beauty of Brokenness, By Grace Alone and Keeping Power of God.

Prayer Promises About Asking
The Lord Jesus promised us that we would receive whatever we ask for in prayer, and these are recorded in Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:11; John 14:14; and Matthew 21: 21.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Mat 7:7)

“’Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?’” (Luk 11:11)

"If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”  (Joh 14:14)

“And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen.’” (Mat 21:21)

If you look at the verse immediately after Mat 21:21, the Lord said, "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Mat 21:22)

Another interesting aspect about this promise is not only that the chapter and verse references are 7:7, 11:11, 14:14, and 21:21, but that in the English language, the Lord’s promise in Matthew 7:7 creates an acronym for the Word “ASK”:

Ask, and it will be given to you.
Seek, and you will find.
Knock, and it will be opened to you.

Let that encourage you and build your faith! Also see Prayer Promises.

This is That
In Acts 2 when the disciples were all baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter explained that this was that which the Lord prophesied through the prophet Joel. The passage quoted by Peter in Acts 2 is written in Joel 2.

“But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: “And it shall be in the last days,” God says, “that I will pour forth of My spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My spirit And they shall prophesy. And I will grant wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. Te sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved.'” (Act 2:14-21)

"It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls." (Joe 2:28-32).

Also see Baptized with the Spirit and Holy Fire Baptism.

Keeping the Sabbath Holy
In both Exodus 20:8 and Ac 20:8, the context is about keeping the Lord’s Day holy.

The Lord told Moses when He gave him the Ten Commandments, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exo 20:8).

And in the early Church, they gathered on the first day of the week for worship services. Luke recorded in the book of Acts: “(7) On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. (8) There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together.” (Act 20:7,8).

Moreover, it is in Jn 20:8 that we read about the apostles discovering the empty tomb on the first day of the week.  "So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed." (Jn 20:8).  However, on that particular morning, they did not gather for worship due to the fact that they did not yet understand what was happening. John says in the next two verses, "For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes." (Joh 20:9-10).  Therefore, it wasn't until later that night, after the Lord's appearances to them, that they were gathered together on the first day of the week, and the Lord came and stood in their midst (Jn 20:19).

Another interesting side note is that the Sabbath is spoken about in the Synoptic Gospels in Matthew 12, Mark 2, and Luke 6.  In these chapters, we learn about the heart of the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus Christ.  It’s lawful to do good on the Sabbath, and we don’t observe it in the Jewish way, but we must keep it holy in honor of the Lord who rose on the first day of the week. And the chapter numbers twelve, two, and six do have a correlation with each other, since twelve divided by two equals six. Remember that God said, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.” (Exo 20:9-10)

Also see Keeping Sundays Holy - Part I and Keeping Sundays Holy - Part II.

Tithing
In both Proverbs 3:10 and Malachi 3:10, we learn about the overflowing blessings that come to those who practice tithing.

“9 Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Pro 3:9-10)

“’Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.’” (Mal 3:10)

It's interesting that these verses about the overflow from giving the tithe, which means "tenth", are found in the tenth verse of these two chapters. Be sure you are giving God the whole tithe, which is the entire first ten percent of all your income, because the tithe belongs to the Lord. If you are not doing so, He considers it stealing from Him (Mal 3:8). Whatever you give above ten percent is considered offerings.

Also see Is Tithing Required for Christians? and Where Should You Give Your Tithe? 

Marriage is for Life
The apostle Paul speaks about the lifelong nature of marriage in the seventh chapters of his epistles to both the Romans and the Corinthians, and it just so happens that the seventh commandment is "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery",

"Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man." (Rom 7:1-3)

"A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord." (1Co 7:39)

Also see Divorce -- Three Divine Revelations.

Three-and-a-Half years
We learn about the final three-and-a-half years in the twelfth chapters of Daniel and Revelation. That’s in Daniel 12:7 and Revelation 12:14.

“I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.” (Dan 12:7)

“But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.” (Rev 12:14)

Please get ready for the Lord's return, so that you are not left behind when the rapture happens. He is coming back right away, but He is only coming for the holy ones. Also see Rapture Revelation to Angelica Zambrano.

God Renders to Each Man According to His Deeds
In the twelfth verses of three different chapters in the Bible, we learn that God renders to each man according to his deeds. This is found in Psalm 62:12; Proverb 24:12; and Revelation 22:12.

“And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, For You recompense a man according to his work.” (Psa 62:12)

“If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?” (Pro 24:12)

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.” (Rev 22:12)

Also see Righteous Deeds and White Robes, The Judgment Seat of Christ, and Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice.

Forever and Eternity

We know that the number eight stands for infinity or eternity. In fact, the common symbol for infinity, ∞, which was invented by the English mathematician John Wallis in 1655, is a sideways numeral eight. Coincidentally the number of the name "Jesus", who is God over all forever praised (Rom 9:5), is 888.  That is the numerical value of the letters J-E-S-U-S. He says of Himself, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Rev 22:13). He is also a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek (Heb 6:19-20), without beginning or end, as the Scripture says of Melchizedek, "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever." (Heb 7:3)

Also see Eternal Destinations and The High Priest as a Type of Christ and Is Jesus God?

More Coincidences in Revelation
The first chapter of Revelation describes Jesus as the First and the Living One. The second chapter mentions the second death. The third chapter contains messages from Jesus to three of the seven churches. The fourth chapter describes the four living creatures around the throne of God.  It also describes the twenty-four elders, divisible by four. The sixth chapter describes only the first six of the seven seals. The twelfth chapter describes the crown of twelve stars on a woman clothed with the sun. The fourteenth chapter describes the 144,000.  One and four are the first two numbers of fourteen and 144,000. The seventeenth chapter speaks of seventeen kings represented by the seven heads and ten horns of the scarlet beast covered with blasphemous names (Rev 17:3,10, 12).

Moreover, the 666th Greek word in the book of Revelation is in chapter two verse ten, which speaks about the devil, while the 888th Greek word is in chapter two verse eighteen, which speaks about Jesus the Son of God. The 666th Greek word mellei (μέλλει) used in Rev 2:10 means "is about to", referring to what the devil is about to do to some of the saints in the Church in Smyrna, namely to cast them into prison for ten days, so that they may be tested. The 888th Greek word homoioi (ὅμοιοι) used in Rev 2:18 means "like", referring to Jesus' feet being like burnished bronze. As I've already mentioned, 666 is the number of the beast's name, who is the devil's antichrist, and 888 is the number of Jesus' name.

Sixty-six Books and Sixty-six Chapters
There are sixty-six books in the Bible, thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament.  There is an amazingly similar pattern found in the book of Isaiah the prophet, which contains sixty-six chapters.  Interestingly the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah reflect the same tone and message as the first thirty-nine books of the Bible! Likewise, the last twenty-seven chapters of Isaiah reflect the tone and message of the gospel recorded in the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. In the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah, one main theme is God’s judgment against sin.  In the final twenty-seven chapters, there is the hope of redemption and forgiveness.

Isaiah begins the last twenty-seven chapters of that book in chapter 40 with these words:

"Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God. "Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the LORD'S hand Double for all her sins." A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isa 40:1-3)

And Mark’s gospel begins with these words:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'" (Mar 1:1-3).

So when Mark began his gospel, he called it “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” quoting in Mark 1:3 from Isaiah 40:3. This gives further support to the fact that Isaiah 40 is the beginning of the gospel message found in the final twenty-seven chapters of that book. Also see The Bible is the Word of God.

Atomic Numbers That Match Verse Numbers

Seven months before I wrote this 2015 article, I had a dream back on December 5, 2014. In that dream, an old friend of mine, a brother in Christ who had passed on into glory some time prior to the dream, appeared to me. His name was Emile Vaillaincourt, and during his lifetime, the Lord had used him in the gift of prophecy.

In my dream, I was sitting down with my Bible open on a table to Rev 2:26-27 and Emile walked up, pointed at those verses and said, “That’s the number of iron.”  In the dream, when he said that, I immediately knew what it meant. I was amazed at how perfect the Word of God is that even the details like that all line up.  The verses say, “To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father.”  I had not been reading Revelation recently.

I looked up the atomic number for iron and discovered that it is 26 just as the verses are 26-27! I never knew this or ever thought about it.  I also discovered that the atomic number 27 is the one for cobalt, which is a brittle, hard, silver-grey transition metal with magnetic properties similar to those of iron.  I never even gave a thought before to the atomic numbers of iron or cobalt, or their magnetic properties.  But now I discovered they are both magnets. And Emile was into using magnets for health purposes, when he was still alive on earth.

One other interesting fact is that cobalt compounds have been used for centuries to impart a rich blue color to glass, glazes and ceramics, such as you see on expensive Chinaware.  The fact that it is used in ceramics is also interesting, since pottery is referenced in Rev 2:27.  So if you consider this verse from a chemical elemental perspective, you have a reference to an iron scepter (atomic number 26) striking pottery that is sometimes colored with cobalt blue (atomic number 27).

Putting it All Together
There is unity of Scripture throughout the entire Bible, even though we understand that it was written by forty different inspired men in different settings over a period of about 1,600 years. And we see these amazing patterns that are like divine fingerprints left on his Word, or His "voiceprint" if you will.  They confirm to us that this is no ordinary book, but the very Word of God.

We cannot isolate one part of the Bible for ourselves as the part we accept and not listen to the rest. We must obey the whole Bible.  For “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2Ti 3:16-17). From Genesis to Revelation, it is all the inerrant, infallible, inspired, wonderful Word of God.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted.  Photo of Bible showing chapter and verse divisions is by John Snyder (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the Home page, such as Significance of the Number 3 in the Bible, Numerical Coincidence Confirms Rapture, The Unity of the Bible, All Scripture must be fulfilled, The Bible is the Word of God, and The Bible Never Fails. Also see The 311 Moment, The Mark of the Beast (666), Resting from Work, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part I, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part II, Christian Sabbath is Sunday, not Saturday, and Famous Christian Sabbath Observers. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Bible is the Word of God

There are some who actually teach that the Bible is not the Word of God.  One such man teaches, “The WORD OF GOD is JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF, it is NOT A BOOK, it is not a physical Book, that is deception. The Book tells us about Jesus Christ, that which other people have experienced, their witness of God and Jesus Christ, but we must KNOW JESUS and HEAR FROM HIS SPIRIT…The Bible is not the WORD OF GOD, JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD.”

Some of this is true and some is false.  It’s true that Jesus is the Word of God and that we must know Jesus and hear from His Spirit.  But it is false to say that the Bible is not the Word of God.  Let me show from Scripture why that is false.

Jesus is the Word of God
John records in his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  (Joh 1:1)  Then he says, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Joh 1:14).  It is clear from the context of this passage that John is referring to Jesus Christ.  He taught that Jesus is the Word of God and that He is God.

Later in his account of the apocalypse, known as Revelation, John said of Jesus that “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” (Rev 19:13).  This is a basic truth that Christians widely agree upon.

Jesus said the Scripture is the Word of God
But in addition, we need to understand that the Scripture is also the Word of God.  Jesus said so Himself!  Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes, "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God," he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.” (Mat 15:5-6)

The Pharisees and scribes taught people to follow traditions of men.  For example, they taught their disciples that when they devoted a gift to God, they were not under any obligation to share any of that money with their own parents.  So even if their parents had a need for financial help, they told their disciples that they could refuse to give help to their parents on the basis that the gift had been completely devoted to God, and could not be shared with anyone else. 

Jesus said that by doing this, they invalidated the Word of God.  They made the Word of God null and void.  They essentially taught their disciples not to be concerned with the fifth commandment to honor your mother and father.  They taught their disciples that this man-made tradition has a greater importance than the commandment of God – the Word of God.  In other words, it was like deleting a verse from the Scripture.

Many religious teachers do this today.  For example, they teach people to bow down to men and kiss the rings of men.  In doing so, they teach people that this man-made tradition is more important than God’s own Word in the second commandment, which says we must make no idols or bow down to them.  And they do many things like this today.  They teach men to call them by titles like “Father,” even though Jesus Himself warned us to call no man “father”.  He said, "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Mat 23:8-11). These examples are sufficient to prove that many today still invalidate the Word of God with their man-made traditions.

When Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes that they invalidated the Word of God with their traditions, he was speaking of the Law – the Scriptures.  He was not speaking of Himself as a person.  If that were so, then He would be teaching that it is possible to nullify Him or invalidate Him.  We know that cannot be done.  So it is clear from the context that Jesus referred to Scripture as the Word of God.

Another time when Jesus called the Scripture the Word of God was in the wilderness, when He was tempted by the devil.  Satan tempted Him to turn a stone into bread to satisfy His hunger, “But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" (Mat 4:4)  Jesus said must live on every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.  In this case, He was not speaking about Himself personally when He used the expression “every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”.

On another occasion, Jesus used the expression “the Word of God.”  The Jews were preparing to stone Him for calling Almighty God His Father, thus making Himself out to be God’s Son.  “The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God." Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS'? "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?” (Joh 10:33-36)

Jesus responded by quoting the Psalm that quotes what the Lord says to the rulers when He judges them.  In that Psalm, the Lord says to the human rulers, “I said, ‘You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High. Nevertheless you will die like men And fall like any one of the princes.’" (Psa 82:6-7).  Jesus pointed out that the Word of God came to these human rulers.  If the Word of God came to them, then that proves they were mere men.  And Jesus showed that God calls the rulers “gods”. He even calls them “sons of the Most High” God. He used that to prove to his opponents that God even calls men gods and sons of God.  Therefore, Jesus proved that it should not be considered blasphemy for Him, the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, to be called the son of God.

Now in this passage, notice that Jesus said the Word of God came to these human rulers?  He was referring to the Scriptures, since the Jews He spoke to would all know that these rulers had received the Law, which they understood to be God’s Word.  So in these and other passages, Jesus taught that Scripture is the Word of God. Therefore, to say that the Bible is not the Word of God is to contradict what Jesus Himself said, as recorded in the Bible!

The Words of Jesus Recorded in the Bible are God’s Word
And we know that in the New Testament, particularly the gospels, much of what is recorded are the words of Jesus Himself.  Who could argue that this is not the Word of God? 

Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (Joh 6:63)  His Words are Spirit and Life.  Wherever the Bible records the Words of Jesus, these are the Word of God.  These words have the power to give eternal life and save your soul! So to say that the Bible is not the Word of God is to say that Jesus’ words recorded in the Bible are not the Word of God.  That is blasphemous.

The apostles certainly agreed with Jesus’ teaching about His own words, and they regarded His words with the highest reverence.  “Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.’” (Joh 6:68)

The disciples spoke the Word of God
And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (Act 4:31)

“So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.’” (Act 6:2)  The apostles were saying that they did not want to neglect the study and preaching of the Word of God.

As the apostles preached the Word of God, it spread.  “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.” (Act 6:7)

“When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.” (Act 13:5)

“Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.’” (Act 13:46)

There are many other passages of Scripture that show us the Word of God is preached and spoken, and is synonymous with Scripture.

Pauls’ Teachings and Writings Are God’s Word
Paul, Silas, and Timothy wrote to the Thessalonians and said, “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1Th 2:13).  The Thessalonians heard the Word of God from Paul and his companions.  And the Thessalonians accepted the message they heard as the very Word of God, which it really is!

Not only were the messages Paul preached the Word of God, but so were his writings.   Peter affirmed this when he wrote: “and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2Pe 3:15-16)

Here Peter taught that Paul wrote in all his letters according to the wisdom given to him, and that some things Paul wrote are hard to understand.  Peter also said that ignorant and unstable men distorted the things Paul said in his writings, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures. 

If I say, “I am going to do to this person what I also do for the rest of the children,” then we know that the person I am writing about is a child.  If I say, “I am going to paint this one the same color I paint all the rest of the cars,” then we know this vehicle I speak of is a car.  And when Peter says these ignorant men distort Paul’s writings the way they do the rest of the Scriptures, we know that Paul’s writings are Scripture, according to Peter.   Paul’s writings make up half the New Testament.  So just as Jesus referred to the Old Testament as “Scripture” and the “Word of God,” Peter also referred to half the New Testament as "Scripture," which is the same as saying it is the Word of God.  This agrees with what Paul himself said to the Thessalonians that the word he proclaimed to them was the very Word of God.  Why should it surprise us that his letters that have become included in our New Testament Bible are also Scripture?

The Scripture Originated with God
The Scripture did not have its origin with man, but with God.  Peter wrote, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2Pe 1:20-21).  The Scripture originated with God and through the agency of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men, it was both spoken and written.

Paul also taught this.  He wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2Ti 3:16-17).  He taught that God inspires all Scripture.  The Greek word that we translate as "inspired" is "theopneustos," which means “God-breathed.” All Scripture is God-breathed and proceeds from God’s mouth, including the Old Testament and the writings of Paul found in the New Testament.

The Word has the power to save your soul
Anyone who says the Bible cannot save you is lying.  This is a play on words that has no intrinsic value except shock value.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2Ti 3:14-15).  He was saying that Timothy had known the sacred writings or Scriptures from childhood, and that the Scriptures gave Timothy wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Rom 1:16).  The gospel is the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ that we proclaim, and which is written in Scripture.  Paul said it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

Of course, the only way to be saved is through faith in Jesus Christ, not through Bible reading. In other words, no one will go to heaven because they simply read the Bible.  But if we do what the Bible says and put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will be saved.  Jesus also said that we must be not only hearers but doers of his commands.

James wrote, “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” (Jam 1:21).  James taught that the word of God has the power to save your souls!  They point us to Christ, who alone can save us, and they teach us how to live righteous lives pleasing to God. Since the Scripture is the Word of God, and Paul’s writings are Scripture, then Paul’s writings have the power to save your soul, too.

Mixing the Word with Faith
It's absolutely essential to mix the Word of God with faith.  The writer of Hebrews said, "Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard." (Heb 4:1-2).

The Israelites whom God brought out of Egypt heard the good news just as we have.  It was preached to them.  But they failed to combine the Word of God they heard with faith inside their hearts.  As a result, they hardened their hearts and did not enter His rest.  The word did not profit them, and it will not profit you, if you don't combine it with faith.  True faith will do what the Word says, and not simply hear it.

Hearing from God
In my post, called Hearing the Lord's Voice, I point out the need to hear the Lord's voice.  Each one of us needs to hear from Jesus for ourselves. But when we do hear from the Lord, one way we can confirm that it really was the Word is that it will line up with the Word of God.  If it is contrary to the Word, then it is not the voice of the Lord.

Many people will say they heard from God, when in fact they did not.  This problem goes back thousands of years to the false prophets in the Old Testament, and it continues today with false prophets and false teachers of our generation.  There must be a standard by which we can judge a teaching or a prophecy.  Certainly the Holy Spirit within us can help us to discern whether a word is truly from God.  But if we have the Word of God in our hearts from studying the Scriptures, we will be able to test what we hear against what we know the Bible says.

There have been heretics and there will be until the end. Some false teachers came along in the past and taught a different gospel.  But Paul said to the Galatians that if anyone preaches another gospel besides the one they heard from him, that person would be eternally condemned.

The easiest way to know if someone's message is the true gospel is to compare it against Scripture.  This is what the Bereans did.  Luke wrote about the Berean disciples, "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (Act 17:11)  It did not matter to the Bereans if it was Paul the apostle preaching, they wanted to check what he said against the Scriptures to see whether what he said was really so.  And this is how we should be as well.  Check what you hear by examining the Scriptures daily to see if what you hear aligns with God's Word.

Let me encourage you to study the Bible and know what it means, and apply it to your life.  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (2Ti 2:15).  It's important that you know how to handle the Word correctly.

One of the ways the Lord speaks to us in through His Word.  Hearing from the Lord is not exclusively from the Holy Spirit without the Word.  And it is not exclusively from the Word without the Spirit.   In order to hear from the Lord, we must rely on both the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. When you read the Bible, ask the Lord to speak to you through His Word and to show you the whole truth.  Ask Him for understanding and expect to receive it.

Putting it All Together
So it is clear from Scripture that Jesus is the Word of God, the words of Jesus recorded in the Bible are God’s Word.  He Himself said the Scripture is the Word of God.  He referred to the Old Testament, including the psalms, as the Law, the Scripture, and the Word of God. 

We also know that the disciples spoke the Word of God.  The apostle Paul did this and the Thessalonians received his message as the Word of God, which it really is.  He also wrote letters, which were considered by Peter to be Scripture.  Since Scripture is synonymous with the Word of God, then Paul’s letters are the Word of God.  From this we can infer that the writings of the other apostles are also Scripture. 

All Scripture is inspired, in other words God-breathed.  No Scripture originated with man’s will, but with God.  All Scripture was communicated to man through the agency of the Holy Spirit.  And the word of God has the power to save your souls. 

It's very dangerous to tell people otherwise.  If people no longer accept the Bible as the Word of God as it really is, then they will certainly not obey what it says.  They will eventually get too busy to read what it says as well.  And after a while, these people will be so ignorant of what the Word says that they will be easily deceived by false teachers, who distort the Scriptures.

Therefore, anyone who teaches people that the Bible is not the Word of God is untaught and unstable, and is misleading others.  If we examine the Scriptures daily like the Bereans, we will find that what they are saying is not true. We should beware of such men, and correct them, if they are willing to receive it. The Scriptures teach that the Bible is the Word of God.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as All Scripture must be fulfilled, The Uniqueness of God's Word, and The Bible Never Fails. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Understanding the Gaps in Scripture

Grand Canyon from the South Rim, near the NPS Visitor Center

Back in 2003, my wife and I had an unexpected opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon in Arizona.  We never thought we could afford to go there.  But our Lord is an amazing God, and He provided.

One of my sisters and her husband graciously allowed us to stay in her time share condominium in the beautiful town of Sedona, Arizona.  Sedona is a fabulous Southwest vacation destination, also referred to as Red Rock Country.  And I used my sky miles from all the business travel I had been doing, so that we were able to get two free tickets round trip from Philadelphia.  I also had rewards points with Hertz rental car that enabled us to get a free car during our stay in Arizona.  Lastly, I had enough Marriott rewards points accumulated, so that we could stay at the very nice Courtyard Marriot in Phoenix on our first night there, before we traveled to the time share condominium in Sedona. I can't forget to mention that my wife's parents were gracious enough to watch our three girls for a week, while we took this fantastic get away.  All of this was unexpected.  The Lord provided it all free of charge as a wonderful surprise to us.

One of the things about the Grand Canyon is that when you stand next to it, you are overwhelmed with awe at the deep, vast expanse.  It's incredibly wide and deep.  I think the bottom of the canyon is about a mile down from where you stand on the rim.  Another thing about it is that when you look across the tops of some of the rock formations at certain angles, such as you see in the photo above, you cannot always tell that there is a huge gap between them.  It's not until you view them from a different angle that you see just how large a gap there is.

The Scriptures are like that, too.  There are some verses in the Bible that skip over large periods of time without any indication that they are doing so.  And when you read about the same events in other portions of Scripture, you get a view from a different angle, so to speak.  Sometimes you find out there was actually a large gap of time between two sentences. It’s important to be aware of this, so that when you read these passages and others like them, you can properly understand the meaning.

Here are some examples:

The First and Second Coming of Christ
The prophet Isaiah wrote: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God…” (Isa 61:1-2)

About seven hundred years later, when Jesus began His public ministry, he began by reading this passage from Isaiah in the synagogue.  “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, ‘THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.’ And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’"  (Luk 4:16-21)

Notice how Jesus stopped before reading the words “and the day of vengeance of our God.”  When He came the first time, it was not for the sake of vengeance, but to preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, and to proclaims the year of the Lord’s favor.  As Paul later wrote, “Behold, now is ‘THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,’ behold, now is ‘THE DAY OF SALVATION.’” (2Co 6:2).  When Jesus came the first time, it was not to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God.  That will be when He comes the second time to execute judgment and punish His enemies.

So in Isaiah’s prophecy, there is a gap of at least two thousand years between two phrases in the same sentence: “the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God.”

The resurrection and the ascension
At the end of Luke’s gospel account of Jesus, He records the events that occurred from Jesus’ resurrection until the day He was taken up to heaven.

In the passage where he records Jesus’ appearance to His disciples in the locked room in Jerusalem, he states: “While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and *said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’"  (Luk 24:36).  From that point, the passage continues until the end of the book, where Luke states, “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” (Luk 24:50-51).

In this passage, it all seems to be one continuous event, as though Jesus led the disciples from that locked upper room all the way to Bethany on the same day, and then ascended into heaven.

However, in Luke’s second account of these events in Acts, he expands on this further and reveals that there was a span of forty days between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension.

His second account begins like this: “The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” (Act 1:1-5)

Following his description of some of what Jesus said that day, Luke states: “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’” (Act 1:9-11)

So it becomes clear that there were forty days and many detailed events that occurred between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension, which Luke left out in His first account.  It was apparently for the sake of brevity that he did not expand on these events the first time.  As John states in His gospel, “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (Joh 20:30-31) The gospels are not an exhaustive record of everything that Jesus said and did.  So when you read the last chapter of Luke, you need to be aware that this gap exists.

The Ascension and post-Pentecost Events
In Luke’s gospel and Acts, he give two different accounts of what happened after the ascension.  In his gospel, he states, “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.” (Luk 24:50-53).  So in this record, it appears that the disciples returned to Jerusalem after the ascension and were immediately took up the practice of praising God continually in the temple.

However, in Acts, he clarifies that there was a gap of ten days that occurred between the ascension and their time of continual praise and rejoicing in the temple.  Luke records that immediately following the ascension: “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” (Act 1:12-14).  Here it is obvious that they first returned to the upper room in Jerusalem where they devoted themselves to prayer until the day of Pentecost.

Jesus’ death on the cross occurred on Passover, and his ascension was forty days later, according to Luke’s account in Acts 1:3.  The Feast of Pentecost occurs fifty days after Passover, so by simple math, we can determine that there was a period of ten days between the ascension and Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out.

The disciples were obedient to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit before they went into public to be witnesses for Jesus.  They knew they needed to first be endued with power in order to be His witnesses.  So it wasn’t until ten days after Jesus’ ascension that the disciples began to continually praise God in the temple courts.  This is another one of those gaps that occurs in Scripture. Luke’s first account leaves a period of ten days unaccounted for in Luke 24:52.  It was only later in his second account that Luke unpacked that further for us.

Paul’s first trips as a disciple to Damascus and Jerusalem
Luke leaves another gap in his record of events, and this time it is between Paul’s first visits to Damascus and Jerusalem as a Christian.

He records the events that occurred during Saul’s visit to Damascus immediately following his conversion to Christ: “But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket. When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.” (Act 9:22-28)

In this passage, it seems like Paul went directly from Damascus to Jerusalem.  However, in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he said his first trip to Jerusalem was three years after his Damascus road experience.  He wrote, “Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother.” (Gal 1:18-19). This corresponds with Luke’s account, which says, “When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.” (Act 9:26).

So what seems like an immediate trip to Jerusalem in Luke's account did not occur until an period of three years had elapsed!

In the same epistle to the Galatians, Paul stated that the second time he went to Jerusalem was fourteen years after the first visit, and that Barnabas accompanied him on this second trip.  He wrote, “Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also.” (Gal 2:1).  This corresponds to Luke’s account, which states, “But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.” (Act 9:27-28).  Barnabas did not go with Paul until his second trip to Jerusalem, and he was influential in helping Paul to obtain the right hand of fellowship with the apostles.

So what Luke covers in a couple sentences happened over a period of seventeen years total.  This included three years between Paul's trip to Damascus and later to Jerusalem, plus another fourteen years between Paul's first and second trips to Jerusalem.

Putting it All Together
These are just a few examples from Scripture that show how there are sometimes gaps in Scripture, where large periods of time exist between two sentences or two phrases in the same sentence.  These are not always further expanded elsewhere in Scripture, but when they are, it helps us to better understand what took place in the interim during the gap.

If we do not understand that these gaps exist, then we can become confused about the events of biblical history and arrive at wrong conclusions about what occurred.  This can sometimes lead to unbiblical theology, so we need to be careful and pray for a clear understanding of Scripture.

Paul’s instruction to Timothy applies to us with regard to this when he wrote, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2Ti 2:15).  We need to rightly divide the word of truth, and sometimes it requires us to divide phrases or sentences in Scripture.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The photo source is Couleurs de la Terre / Colours of the Earth

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as The Bible is the Word of God, Read the Bible for All Its Worth!, The Uniqueness of God's Word, All Scripture must be fulfilled and The Bible Never Fails. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.