The Word of God

The bible, both the O.T. and N.T., is about Yeshua and what He has done, not about me and what I must do! It reveals, is the story of Missio Dei, the Mission of God. Once you come to understand this and read it from that truth you can truly understand it, it must be read though the lens of the gospel to unlock its real story.

There is no book I have read more thoroughly or consistently throughout my life. I first started reading it at age nine, and it has formed a foundation for my faith, understanding of God and my testimony. I could not count how many times I may have read it throughout my life, but it has been more than once a year and some books would equal once a week ever since I was nine. I have dissected it, exegesis it, study it in its original languages and read a host of translations of it. I have translated it myself from it original language into English, and studied almost every form of the original copies of it from the Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint to the Textus Receptus, Byzantine text, Stephens text and even the Codex Vaticanus to name a few. Studied it on my own, in college, in a group, I have discussed it, debated it, meditated on it, sung it, shared it, taught it and preached it. But most of all I have always loved it, with a fervent and passionate love, it has been the foundation of my life and faith even though I have not always been faith to it, I have never rejected, added to or subtracted from it or changed it to meet my beliefs, it but it has formed mine.

The verbal word of God was first given, heard by man in the Garden of Eden, the first written word of God was given the burning bush on Mt. Sinai, and from that point tell the last disciple of Christ God gave both His word to be recorded by man and has instructed various men to record the story and dialogue of God with man, know as the Scriptures or Bible. In the bible we find the story we find ourselves in, God's mission of redeeming His creations, a love story of God pursuing His periodical children. The story of a passionate lover in pursuit of His bride.

I believe all of the scriptures to be the only inspired, infallible, and authoritative word of the living God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21). It is without error in its original text. It is the only standard by which we are to live and measure all things. It reveals to us the person and nature of God. It is in the study of the word that we learn who God is and what He requires of man. The word of God will stand for all eternity (Is. 40:8). We must study it diligently in order to interpret it correctly (2 Tim. 2:15; 4:1-5). Discovering the historical-cultural context enables the Holy Spirit to correctly apply its meaning to our lives (Heb. 4:12-13). Without the context our understanding is limited. The Holy Spirit illuminates our minds and hearts to the original author's intent (Jn. 14:26; 16:13). Illumination is for the revealing of the mystery of and glory of Jesus. All of scripture points to Yeshua who was and is God come in the flesh. The purpose of scripture is to reveal Jesus and the Mission of God, His love for us and lead us to Jesus that we may know Him fully. The Spirit and the Word work together to reveal Yeshua in all His glory. It is in the word that we learn who we are and why we are, and who we are to be. It reviles to us the church and what it is to be and its purpose and mission on earth. The Bible is not a rule book to be read in the spirit of law, but a love letter to be treasured in the freedom that Christ gives. The Scriptures give us Messiah that we may have an earthly testimony about God come in the flesh, and that our knowledge of God may be complete in him. The Spirit of Yeshua will lead us to align our lives with the inspired Word of God, not against it.

Everyone must answer the questions: Is the bible about me and what I must do? Or is it about Jesus and what He has done? Is it about a angry God and His judgment and condemnation? Or about a lovesick redeemer and His sacrificial pursuit to redeem His love, His bride? How one answers these questions determines what they understand about the bible, and how they see and understand the stories in it. The bible is all about Missio Dei, the Mission of God to redeem creation; it is about Jesus and what He has done, His sacrificial love to win back His love. When you understand it's all about Jesus then you understand that:

Jesus is the true and better Adam, who passed the test in His garden and His obedience is ascribe onto us.

Jesus is the true and better Abel, thou innocently slain, it's is His blood that cries out not for our judgment but for our acquittal.

Jesus is the true and better Abraham, to accept the call of God and leave the comfortable and status to go into the void. And a promise to His seed to be heirs of a better inheritance not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith

Jesus is the true and better Isaac, who was not just offered up as a sacrifice by his father, and God responded “Now I know you love me, because you did not withhold you only son, your son whom you loved." That now we stand at the foot of the cross and say to God, Now I know you love me for You did not withhold your one and only Son, whom You loved.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph, who is at the right hand of the King, and forgives us who betrayed and sold Him, and He uses His power to save us.

Jesus is the true and better Moses, who stands in the gap between the people and God and mediates a New Covenant. Who is a new and better rock of Moses, who when stuck with God’s rod of justice give us water in the desert.

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. John 5:39-40