Foundations of Our Faith

Phil Benedict

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

United Indian Mission

Greeley, Colorado

These guides are designed to help you to study, to learn, to understand, and to live what God teaches us in his Word, the Bible. God gave us the Bible to teach us how to know and to walk with Him. We can enjoy God’s blessings forever, rather than experiencing his judgement. His Word is eternally true. Take time to carefully read and think about the Scriptures used in this guide. Meditate on them and the truths they teach. Learn to love God and his Word. Regularly ask God for a right understanding of Scriptural truths and then make them part of you. Absorb them. If you go over the material too quickly without much thought, it will have little or no lasting impact on your life. Commit yourself to making Biblical truths the foundation of your life and to putting them into practice every day of your life.

Psalm One: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Many people begin a life of serving the Lord Jesus Christ but as time passes their commitment to Him dims. There is no longer any excitement or joy in their walk with God. This doesn’t mean that they no longer know God, but they are certainly feeling spiritually dry, unproductive, and they may be deeply discouraged. Others who begin a walk with God are, after many years, still strongly committed and enjoying a satisfying and productive spiritual life.

What makes the difference?

This is not always an easy question to answer; however, one thing is clear. Those who are committed and productive in their walk with God learn to regularly absorb and live the Word of God (the Bible). Those who become dry and unproductive do not make absorbing and applying the Word of God a regular part of their lives. God, who is the author of the Bible, expects us to read, to absorb, and to live his Word. We need to be willing to change attitudes and behavior patterns as we see areas of our life that need changing. Unwillingness to submit gives Satan a foothold and leads to defeat in our life.

The Word of God leads us to faith in God and through it we learn how to live a God honoring life. Through the Bible we gain understanding, encouragement, and strength, and it leads us to growth, fruitfulness, and peace. To neglect God’s Word leads to fruitlessness and frustration.

To be effective, our Bible reading/study needs to be regular. We must discipline ourselves and put effort into developing consistency–over long periods of time. Solid spiritual growth takes time. We cannot expect instant growth. Quick growth is sometimes shallow and does not last.

Be realistic in your expectations. God can work through any believer, even those whose growth is slow and sporadic; however, those He can consistently use are those who are faithful to Him and his Word over long periods of time.

What are some reasons that some people have a long productive walk with God and others seem to fall by the wayside?

What is one thing that individuals who have a long term productive walk with God have in common?

Read Ephesians 4:27. What does it mean to give Satan a foothold?

What does Satan want to do if he has a foothold in our life?

Are you satisfied with your walk with God?

To consistently walk with God over a long period of time, four things are important. They are:

1. To regularly absorb and to submit to the Word of God.

2. To develop good prayer habits.

3. To regularly participate and serve in a solid, Bible teaching and practicing church.

4. To honor God with our finances.

These four things are as important to our spiritual life as air, food, and water are to our physical lives. Which of these four things do you need to work on?

Each of these four things are important. This lesson concentrates on number one, the absorption of the Word of God.

Simply reading the Word of God does not mean you will automatically have a right understanding of the Word. Read the passage several times. Meditate on what you read. Ask God for a right understanding. You may want to use some trusted Bible study aids. You may also want to ask a Pastor who is a good Bible teacher. As you understand Biblical truth, be thankful and give God praise for the truths you learn. The put what you learn into practice.

To regularly read and study the Bible requires effort and discipline. Spiritual growth and walking with God does not come automatically. It is not a passive activity. It is an active pursuit.

Read Proverbs 2:1-6. List eight active verbs that are to be part of our pursuit of wisdom.

As a result of our pursuit, in verses 1-5, what does God do in verse 6?

When God responds to our pursuit of wisdom, what happens in verses 7-22? List ten things.

Now read Proverbs 1:20-33. What is the result of not pursuing wisdom?

It is important to remember that God will always respond to the prayer of a repentant person. However, when an unbeliever refuses to accept God or when a believer does not seek to know God better or seek wisdom, he may suffer the consequences stated in this passage of Scripture.

From this Scripture, when will God not respond to an individual’s call to God?

Now read II Peter 1:3-11. In verse 3, what has God given us?

What do God’s promises enable us to do in verse 4?

What is our response in verse 5? How hard are we to work at it?

Now read II Timothy 2:15. Summerize what it says.

How are we to handle the "Word of God"? How much effort are we to put into it?

The reason many of us do not spiritually grow very much is because we don’t put much effort into it. We are not saved by our good works or by our own efforts; however, spiritual growth takes consistent effort and discipline on our part.

Many Christians never develop good Bible reading/study habits. Some say things like "I just open my Bible and read where ever it opens". This results in little learning or long term growth. Others say they don’t read the Bible because they don’t know how to interpret the Bible. Correct interpretation is very important; however, most of the Bible doesn’t need to be interpreted. It says what it means and no interpretation is needed. What is needed is submission and obedience. Some others say they prefer to read the Bible "devotionally". What is meant by this is a little hard to define. It generally puts an emphasis on getting a good feeling from reading the Bible. There is certainly nothing wrong with good feelings, especially as they go along with being uplifted, inspired, and being encouraged through the Word. However, it is not enough to read just to get a good feeling. Long term growth comes as we correctly understand and then put into practice what God teaches in his Word. Many others know that they should read and study the Word, but other things continually get in the way. There just never seems to be enough time. The truth is that they really don’t value knowing God very much. Other things are more important.

It takes time, effort, and the illumination of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2) to understand spiritual truth. Understanding does not normally come from a single light reading of a passage in the Bible. We need to take time to read, and re-read again and again, and to meditate, and to pray for understanding, all in an unhurried and thoughtful manner. We need to give the Spirit a chance to work and illuminate our understanding. This process does not happen in a hurry. However, the rewards are tremendous as one begins to see God at work in his life.

As you read, there will be parts you don’t understand. That is okay. Nobody understands all the Bible. After you read it a number of times and have asked for the Spirit’s illumination, if you still don’t grasp it, you may wish to read some reference books or ask someone who can help. You probably will not completely understand it yet and you may need to leave that passage of Scripture for now. At some point in the future you may understand it better. There are some things that we will never totally understand while we are here on earth. Even good Bible scholars regularly debate many things they simply do not understand.

Many times in a Sunday School class or a Bible study very little learning takes place. Nobody has studied or prepared, and nobody really understands the text, and, as a result, nobody teaches. In the place of good teaching, questions like "What do you get out of this verse?" or "What do you think this means?" are asked. The resulting discussion is often a pooling of Biblical ignorance and misunderstanding. The overall result is little or no spiritual growth. Sometimes more harm than good is done because wrong ideas are suggested and accepted. It is a dangerous thing to mishandle the Word of God.

When we have the privilege of teaching the Word of God it is a tremendous privilege, but it also is a tremendous responsibility. It would be well for all teachers to seriously look at the warning given in James 3:1.

When we teach the Word, the passage we are teaching must be fresh and meaningful to us. When we have been blessed and challenged by a Scripture passage, then we can pass on that blessing to others. If we have not prepared and have not been blessed by a passage of Scripture ourselves, it is highly unlikely that we will be very effective in teaching that passage. When we are spiritually dry, we are not good teachers of spiritual truth. If a teacher will follow the suggestions given in this lesson, it could make a tremendous difference in his teaching.

There is no absolutely "right" way to have a regular Bible reading/study program. We are all individuals. If you have already developed good patterns of Bible study and are consistently growing in your walk with God, then there is no reason to change. However, if you are struggling in this whole area of Bible study, then here are some suggestions that may be a tremendous help.

This suggested pattern of reading/study is meant for the "average" or "ordinary" person who is not a Bible scholar. Anyone who has just a minimum reading ability can follow this pattern. If you have limited reading skills, a Bible like the New International Readers Version may be helpful. This version is written for individuals who have trouble reading.

Following are four approaches to reading/studying the Bible. Approach One is the foundation for just about any kind of serious Bible reading/study and it doesn’t take a scholar to do it.

Approach One centers around the idea of repetitive reading. Pick out a part of Scripture that you would like to know and understand better. Read that passage over and over and over again. The more you read it, the more it begins to sink in and the longer you will remember what it teaches.

Read it carefully and thoughtfully. Think, meditate, and pray about what you read. Ask God for understanding. As you read, be thankful and give God praise for the truths you discover.

This approach means that you will spend fairly long periods of time in a short passage. You may spend a week, several weeks, even several months digesting a single book or passage. That is

okay. It is much better to spend a longer period of time in a short passage than to cover more material and not absorb or remember much of what it teaches.

It is helpful to read in several different versions. This helps in understanding the passage and it also adds some variety to your reading. The King James Version, New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, New International Readers Version, and the New Living Translation are all good translations that are reliable and helpful.

If you are not sure where to begin reading/studying, then begin with the two year reading program at the end of this paper. It is an excellent way to start.

You may want to pick out one chapter or perhaps one Psalm. Read that one chapter several times a day for at least a week. At the end of a week’s time you will have read that chapter fifteen to twenty times. As you read it over and over, your understanding will gradually increase. Each time you read it, you will understand and appreciate those truths a little more. Each time you read it, it will sink in a little deeper and you will remember it longer. Remember--do not read in a hurry. Take time to slowly read, think, meditate and pray about what you read.

The same approach that we used for an individual chapter can be used for an entire book of the Bible. For example, the book of Ephesians has six chapters. The first day, read chapter one several times. The second day, read chapter two several times. The third day, read chapter three several times. Repeat this pattern until you have read the entire book. In Ephesians this would take six days, one day for each chapter. When you have finished the first six days, repeat this whole pattern, reading the whole book at least three or four more times. From time to time you may wish to vary the routine and read several chapters in a row or even the whole book at one time. Reading different versions will add some variety and help in understanding some parts of the book. That means you will be spending about a month reading the book of Ephesians. All this may sound like a lot of time in one book; however, each time it is read, your understanding will increase and you will remember it longer.

The same process can be used for longer books of the Bible. The book of John has twenty-one chapters and some of those chapters are quite long. You may wish to read only a half chapter a day and take about forty days or so to read through the whole book one time. Again, that is okay. We are not in a hurry. Now read the book again using the same pattern. Again, from time to time you may wish to vary your reading by reading several chapters in one day. Also using different translations will add variety and increase understanding. By the time you repeat this process four or five times, you will spend three or four months in the book of John. After absorbing the book in this manner, you will have a deeper appreciation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Several months is not too long to get to know the One who brought us salvation and whom we are to pattern our lives after.

You may wish to select a single key paragraph for study. Use the same process of repetitive reading. You will probably end up reading the shorter passage many more times. That is okay. As you begin to probe its depths, you will be richly rewarded.

Approach One should be the foundation of an individual’s reading/study program. However, sometimes there will be something you may want to look up to get some more information. The following are basic Bible study aids that can sometimes help.

A study Bible is a basic Bible study aid. It gives all kinds of information that is helpful. It gives short explanations of the text, historical backgrounds of the books and their authors, maps and charts, explanations of unfamiliar words, explanations of weights, measurements, distances, etc.

There are many different study Bibles. One good one is the NIV Study Bible. A more recent one that is very good is the MacArthur Study Bible. This is based on the New King James Version.

A Bible dictionary gives information about key Bible words and topics. There are a number of Bible dictionaries available, but an old trusted Bible dictionary is called Unger’s Bible Dictionary, or more recently the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary.

A concordance is a book that is used to find a Scripture when you cannot remember the reference. If you can remember a key word from a verse, you can look up that verse by looking up that key word. Some concordances also give a very short Hebrew or Greek definition of the Word. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible is the old standby.

This is a very helpful tool, especially for teachers and pastors. All the major topics of the Bible are listed along with the Bible verses that deal with that topic. It is very helpful when preparing a lesson on a particular topic.

Word studies take key words of the Bible and give more complete Hebrew or Greek definitions. They will often explain the word’s usage in a particular verse of the Bible. Some word studies are difficult to understand and use correctly, but with time and practice they can be very helpful for a more in-depth Bible study. The Expository Dictionary of Bible Words by Lawrence O. Richards is a fairly easy-to-use word study and is a good one for first time users.

There are literally thousands of commentaries and other books written about every conceivable Bible topic. Some are good, some are not so good, and others are just plain bad. We need to be careful what we read and accept. It is a good idea to check with somebody who should know before buying or using a Bible study book that you are not familiar with.

In a sense this is the opposite of Approach One. In this approach we begin reading through the entire Bible. If you average about two chapters a day, it will take you just over a year and a half to read through the entire Bible. This reading approach will give you a broad overview of Scripture and a basic understanding of God. You will not understand or grasp all you read and in places you may feel overwhelmed or get bogged down. Keep on reading anyway. You may wish to alternate between reading Old Testament and New Testament books.

It may not be the best to use only this approach in your reading and study of the Word. Approach One should be the foundation of your Bible reading program. Once you have Approach One going and you want to absorb more, then a through the Bible reading program can be very beneficial.

There is nothing like memorizing key verses of the Bible. Verses you memorize will become part of you in a way no other approach to Scripture can match. A good way to do it is to discipline yourself to memorize one verse of the Bible a week. Regularly review what you have memorized, or it will slip away. Children memorize very quickly and what is memorized as a child may stay with them for a lifetime.

Many Christians set aside a time each day to have a "quiet time" or "devotions". The idea is to have a time each day to read the Bible, to think and meditate about what you read, and to have a time of prayer. It is a time to be alone with God. This is extremely important. If you regularly spend time with God, you will grow in your walk with God. If you do not, your growth will be slow and sporadic and you will often feel spiritually dry and discouraged.

Many Christians feel frustrated in their attempts at being consistent and productive in their daily "quiet time" with God. Following are some suggestions that blend together a quiet time and Approach One. If you don’t know where to begin your Bible reading, then use the two year reading program at the end of this paper.

If you have already developed a healthy pattern of time with the Lord and you are growing in your walk with Him, then there is no reason to change. However if you are struggling with this, then putting into practice the following suggestions may well be one of the most important things you can do to grow in your walk with the Lord.

1. Start your daily quiet time by finding a time and place where, as much as is possible, you can clear your schedule and be alone and uninterrupted for about thirty to forty-five minutes or so. Once you figure out the time and place, keep this time as if you had a daily appointment to meet with God.

2. Now, as much as possible, clear your mind of everything else that would distract you or interfere with your time with God.

3. Think back over the last few hours or days. Confess any known sin that you have not already confessed.

4. Pray Psalm 139:23-24.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

5. Now carefully and thoughtfully read and re-read the passage of Scripture in your reading schedule. The two year reading program for new Christians is an excellent place to start.

6. Spend some time meditating on what you have read and learned. Pray through the passage with thanksgiving and commitment. Worship and praise God in relation to the truths you learn from this passage. This time of meditation can be a precious time of allowing God to speak to you, deepening your love for Him, and giving you understanding and insights that will sustain and strengthen you.

To quietly and unhurriedly think about or to ponder Biblical truths, asking God for understanding and submitting to his direction in your life.

7. If you would like to be a little more thorough in your reading, you may wish to ask yourself some questions about the passage. Following are some suggested questions:

a. What are the major truths in this Scripture passage?

b. What are the instructions or principles for living?

c. Are there any direct or implied promises or warnings?

d. What can I learn about God?

8. Now, seeking the Spirit's direction, determine what actions or attitudes in your life need to be changed and brought into line with what you have learned from His Word. Then determine that with his strengthening, you will make those changes.

9. Now spend time praying about current needs and those items on your prayer list.

Note: You may wish to jot down any blessings or insights you received. It is amazing how quickly we forget things. By writing them down it also helps us to have them available to share with others who can be encouraged and benefit from what has blessed us.

Do you have a regular quiet time with the Lord?

If you do, how can you make it better?

The Word of God leads us to faith in God and through it we learn how to live a God honoring life. Through the Bible we gain understanding, encouragement, and strength, and it leads us to growth, fruitfulness, and peace. To neglect God’s Word leads to fruitlessness and frustration.

Remember, it is not enough to simply read and study to gain more knowledge. God expects us to be submissive and obedient to his Word. Unwillingness to submit and to let Jesus Christ be the Lord of our life brings defeat and gives Satan a foothold in our life. Be willing to change attitudes and behavior patterns as the Holy Spirit brings to your attention areas of your life that need changing.

There is no clear cut right way to begin a Bible reading program. We are all individuals and all of us are different from each other. However, no matter who we are, we must commit ourselves to faithfully reading and absorbing the Word of God. If we don’t, we will join those who lose their spiritual productivity and the joy of walking with God.

The following Bible reading program is based on the idea of repetitive reading. Instead of reading a lot of Scripture, you read the same section of the Bible for several days. The reason for this is simple. Most of us do not understand everything we read the first time through. This is especially true of the Bible. It is rich in depth. The more we read a section of the Bible, the more we understand it and can put it into practice.

You are certainly free to read more than what is suggested in the following Bible reading schedule, but this is a good pattern to use as the core of your Bible reading/study program.

This two year Bible reading program is geared to those who are just getting started in their walk with God. It is a good one to help get new Christians started on a productive Walk with God.

Week 1. John 3:16-21 (chapter 3, verses 16-21) Read these verses every day for one week.

As you read think about what you read. Ask God for a right understanding of these verses.

If you have questions, ask someone who should know. Do not accept everybody’s answer as absolute truth. There are a lot of wrong or poor answers given when asking questions about the Bible. It is a good idea to be skeptical if an answer just doesn’t seem right.

Week 2. Read 1 John 1:5-10 and 1 John 2:1-6 every day for one week. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ we need to regularly confess our sin. We do this to keep our walk with God fruitful, productive and satisfying. When we sin we do not lose our salvation, but there is a loss of our joy and productivity. As soon as you sin, confess it and get back on track with God.

Week 3. Psalm 1 Read this chapter every day for a week. This is not a difficult part of the Bible. Read it and learn. Think about what you read.

Week 4. Read Psalm 32 every day for a week. Each day after you have read it, quietly sit back and think about what you have read. Thank God for the truths that you learn.

After you have read this Psalm for two or three days, begin answering the following questions.

From verses 1 and 2, who is blessed (happy)?

From verses 3 and 4, what is the result of not confessing sin (keeping silent)?

From verse 5, what happens when we confess our sin?

From verse 6, what should Godly people do?

From verse 7, what two things does God promise?

From verse 8, what does God promise?

From verse 9, what should we not be like?

From verse 10, what difference is there between the wicked and those who trust in God?

From verse 11, what should believers do?

Every day thank God for saving you and for the things He is doing in your life. Talk to God about yourself, your family, your friends, and others you know.

Week 5. Read Psalm 33 every day for a week. Again, each day after you have read it, quietly sit back and think about what you have read. Thank God for the truths that you learn.

Again, after you have read it for two or three days, begin answering the following questions:

From verses 1-3. Most of us don’t have harps and lyres, but what can we do to show our joy and give God praise?

From verse 4, what does it say about the Word of God?

From verse 5, what does God love?

From verses 6 through 9, what is God’s relationship to the earth?

From verse 8, what should our attitude toward God be?

From verse 9, who controls the people and nations on earth?

From verse 10, how long will God’s plan stand?

From verses 12 through 15, who does the Lord watch?

From verses 16 through 19, what will not save a nation? Who delivers us in times of trouble?

From verses 20 through 22, what does it mean to "wait" on God?

Who is our hope in?

What should we do while we wait?

Week 6. Read Psalm 34 every day for a week. Follow the same pattern that you followed in weeks one and two. Take time to think about what you read. This time, as you read it verse by verse, you make up the questions in your own mind and then think about the answers. From this Psalm ask yourself questions that have to do with what God does for his people and what our response should be. Don’t forget to take time to talk to the Lord and thank God for all the things you learn.

Week 7. Now read Psalm 139 every day for a week. Again, take time to think and meditate about what you have read. This is a very personal Psalm. It covers how deeply the God of the universe knows and cares about you personally. He protects and leads you. He not only knows you, but He designed you personally and has a purpose for you. The last two verses are a beautiful prayer of submission to the God who knows you so well. Again, after you have read it for two or three days, begin asking yourself questions about what is said and thanking God for the truths you discover.

8. Genesis, chapters 1-3. (This will take about two weeks) Read one chapter a day. Obviously this will take three days by reading one chapter a day. After you read all three chapters, start with chapter one again and read all three chapters again. Repeat this process until you have read all three chapters at least four times. These are very important chapters. They are the foundation on which all of the rest of the Bible is built. These chapters should be understood exactly as they are written. We don’t need to try to change anything to accommodate modern "scientific" theories.

9. (This will take about two months.) Now we are going to a longer passage of Scripture in the New Testament. The book of Mark has 16 chapters. The length of the chapters vary. Read one chapter a day. Afer you have read all 16 chapters, start over again and read it all the way through again. Then read it all the way through a third and a fourth time. The purpose of this reading is to get to know the Lord Jesus Christ better. Jesus is not only our Savior, He is also our example of living that we are to follow. If we are to be like Him, we need to know Him as well as possible. Reading the book of Mark through three times will help us to know Him better and to begin to live more like Him. Again, as you read, think and meditate about what you read.

10. (About four or five months) Now read the Book of John. John has 21 chapters. It is a little "deeper" book and you may need to go a little slower. There are some very long chapters. You may wish to take two or even three days to read and think about some of the chapters. You will not understand everything, but keep on reading anyway. As you move along in your reading, you will understand more and more all the time. Read the whole book at least three times. The book of John emphasizes the truth that Jesus is God. After you finish reading John through at least twice, you should have an even greater appreciation of Jesus, who is God himself, and have a deeper commitment to serve Him.

11. (About one month) Now to a shorter book. The book of 1 John has only six short chapters. Read a chapter a day. Carefully think about what you read. Repeat this process until you have read the book through at least four times. 1 John is a sobering book. It makes us examine our own way of life and ask ourselves if we really know God and are we living a life pleasing to Him. 1 John tells us that if we are living a sinful lifestyle, then we really don’t know Him. There are many tests given for us to use to evaluate our lives. This book should cause us to deepen our commitment to walking with Him. Don’t move through this book quickly. Spend a lot of time thinking and meditating about what you read.

12. (About two months) Now back to the Old Testament and the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. Genesis is an entirely different kind of a book. It is historical in nature. It tells of man’s beginnings and where we came from. Genesis is fifty chapters long. Read a chapter a day. Genesis is an important book, but for now you only need to read it through once. You may wish to come back to later. A basic understanding of Genesis will help you to understand what God is like, and it will also help you to understand much of the New Testament.

13. (About one month) Now back to the New Testament and the book of Ephesians. Ephesians is a short book with only six short chapters that are loaded with good teaching and practical instructions for life. Read a chapter a day and be ready to spend a lot of time meditating. Read through the entire book at least five times.

14. (About three months) Now for the book of Romans. Romans is sixteen chapters long. It is a "heavier" book than many others. Don’t hurry through it. Sometimes you may wish to spend two or three days in one chapter. You should read it though at least three times. Romans gives us the foundation of truth upon which our faith is built. You may wish to buy a commentary to help you understand some of the passages. John MacArthur’s commentary on Romans is a good one to keep handy as you read this book.

15. (About two months) The book of Proverbs is an entirely different kind of a book. Through the use of proverbs or wise sayings, Solomon, under the inspiration of God, gives advice on how to live. While some of the verses or proverbs tie into the verse before or after it, most of the verses are individual proverbs. Proverbs covers almost every conceivable topic. You will never digest all of this book. There is simply too much there. If you have school age children, this is an excellent book to read to them. In a very natural way it allows you to discuss with them right conduct in almost every part of life. There are thirty-one chapters. Read it at least once. You may wish to read it through again.

16. (About two months) Now let’s go to the books of 1 and 2 Peter. These books together have eight chapters. These are very practical books giving instruction on various aspects of our walk with God. These are not long chapters, but read just a single chapter a day and spend plenty of time thinking and meditating on the contents of each chapter. These are books that will have to be read at least four or five times through to begin to digest the contents. You will greatly benefit from the reading of these books.

17. (About two months) 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Like 1 and 2 Peter, these two books combined have eight chapters. Follow the same pattern given for 1 and 2 Peter. Read one chapter a day. Spend lots of time thinking and meditating, and stay in these two books until you have read the entire books through at least four or five times. These books will give you a lot of hope and peace about what God has in store for us in the future.

18. (About two months) Revelation. Revelation chapters 4-22 deal with the future. It is not easy reading and you will most likely be a little confused after reading it. Don’t expect to understand it all. Read the book through once or twice. It will give you some idea of the judgement that unbelieving people will face.

Now on your own you can continue studying the Bible. God gave us every part of the Scripture and each part has a purpose. Studying Scripture is a life time pursuit and it is part of our lifetime growing process. Continue studying and applying the Word, and you will have a productive and satisfying life time walk with God.

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October, 2001