The Holy Bible is the most purchased, most owned, most stolen, most distributed, most quoted, most interpreted book ever published.  Over three billion copies have been printed in over 300 languages.  Millions of sermons, lessons and stories have been preached, taught and told concerning its message.  People who have never seen a Bible know what it is when it is mentioned.  In the ancient past God’s people (the Israelites) were known as “the people of the Book.”  When one hears statements such as, “Thus says the Lord,” or “It is written,” the hearer automatically knows that the speaker is referring to the Holy Bible.  Of the seven billion plus people on the earth today, 75% have access to its message in one form or another.

Yet, the world’s most popular tome is the least understood, least believed, most misquoted, most maligned, most rejected and most ignored written material known to mankind.  And who leads the world in such treatment of God’s Holy Word?  The people who call themselves by His name.  Church people have a love-hate relationship with the Holy Scriptures–they know they need it but refuse to believe and obey it.  The entirety of the civilized world intuitively knows that the message within the Bible is special, which explains the number of Bibles that continue to be produced, purchased, awarded and stolen.  Often a child’s birthday presents include a Bible, even though the recipient might not yet be able to read it.  In many cases a Bible is the lone book lying on the living room coffee table.  It is routinely carried on Sunday morning to a building where its owner hears a message the speaker claims is taken from it.  Being ignorant of its contents, the parishioner does not know that what he is hearing is a “perverted” gospel (Gal. 1:6-9).  Afterward the yet unopened Book is returned to its assigned resting place where it remains until the following sun god worshiping day when it is used as a “book drop” to impress others who are using their Bibles for the same reason.  The Author’s name is also routinely “dropped” in order to add to the Book owner’s religious credibility.  Once returned to its assigned position, it is ignored while its owner enjoys the true purpose of the church’s sabbath–football.  The church owned Sunday for almost 2000 years.  It is now the sole possession of the NFL.   Meanwhile, God’s Sabbath is rejected and its observers labeled as reprobates.  Church people have set aside God’s Sabbath (Saturday) for doing chores, recreating, shopping, etc.  This in spite of His command to: “Remember (from Eden) THE Sabbath and keep IT holy” (Exo. 20/ Deut. 5).  Shopping, t.v. watching, housework, yard work, car washing–holy?  Check out Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-14 for God’s answer.  Recall that for 333 years God’s people kept the Lord’s Sabbath until Pope Sylvester I officially changed it to Sunday in 364 A.D. in order to appease the sun worshipers in the church who insisted on worshiping their god on his day–Sunday.

God has much to say about His Word/Truth/light/way.  Let us review some of the statements He made through His servants.  In Ephesians 2:8 Paul wrote that we are being saved by God’s grace through faith, that without faith one cannot be saved.  If we are being saved by our faith, then we need to know the meaning of faith.  Faith is believing God’s Word (Rom. 10:19) and obeying (working) it (Jam. 2:10,14, 17-20,24,25).   The church is commanded to study the Bible in order to gain God’s approval (2 Tim. 2:15).  The church is commanded to use God’s Word to prove/test everything she is told by her leaders.  To test them we must compare their words to the Holy Scriptures (1 Thes. 5:21/1 Jn. 4:1).  Their words reveal whose “voice” they are hearing and who they are serving.   Jesus warns us not to assume that all church leaders who identify Him as “the Christ” are in fact His people.  He warns that most church leaders, whom He calls “false prophets,” are being used by Satan to “deceive many” in the church (Mat. 24:5).  These are the same “many” who enter his (Satan’s) wide (Catholic/Protestant) gate (church) and walk (obey) his broad way (doctrines) unto death (Mat. 7:13,14).  After conducting the commanded testing of church leaders and church doctrines I have concluded that 99% of church leaders are false prophets, and that the same percentage of church people are false Christians.  I challenge anyone who doubts this statistic to honestly compare their church’s doctrines and customs to God’s commands.  A good starting point is the Introduction to this website.

Perhaps the ultimate statement concerning the importance of the entire Bible, which God calls “the Law,” was written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy the evangelist: “All Scripture is given by inspiration (through the Holy Spirit) of God and is profitable for instruction, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness,” without which he (Timothy) could not be saved (2 Tim. 3:14-17).  Paul states that only the Scriptures can “make you (Timothy) wise UNTO salvation” (vs 15).  Paul told Timothy that he would receive eternal life ONLY if he believed and obeyed God’s Word until the end of his life (Mat. 10:22).  If this was true for God’s hand-picked New Testament evangelist, is it not true for everyone else?  In this passage Paul is referring to the Old Testament Scriptures, for the New Testament did not yet exist, and would not exist for another 30 years.  Concerning those ancient Scriptures, God tells us that they were written by “holy men of old” who spoke and wrote as they were led by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21), and that their words were preserved “for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world have come” (1 Cor. 10:11).  We are that generation “upon whom the ends of the world have come.”  Those who have been called to teach and preach God’s Truth do so under the power of the same Holy Spirit that continues to lead the true sons of God (Rom. 8:14).  Those who believe and obey that Spirit-empowered Word have ears to hear God’s Truth–TO “HEAR” THE “VOICE” OF GOD–HIS HOLY BIBLE.  These are they whom God calls His “little flock,” His “Very Elect,” His “remnant” who will rule and reign with Christ in the Kingdom of God which He will establish upon His return to earth (Rev. 5:10; 11:15; 20:6; 22:5).  See The Kingdom of God and  God’s Very Elect: Future Caretakers of the Universe. L.J.