I recently reached the first 25 hours mark on my Prodrive and was going to perform all the routine maintenance and upkeep. I printed the owner’s manual maintenance section. I printed the information from the Prodrive maintenance thread here on MMT – torque spec’s, recommended air filters, oil filters, spark plugs, etc. Then, off to the Briggs and Stratton website for information from them. I put it all together in a nice little binder with a spreadsheet in the back to keep record of any and all work to be done on the motor. Basically, I had a one-stop instruction “guide” and record for my Prodrive maintenance and upkeep needs.

Each of us have a one-stop instruction “guide” for our own maintenance and upkeep - it’s called the Bible. It is the most used guide out there and all based upon truths. However, the Bible is not just about knowing information, facts, figures and laws. Like the guide I made is for knowing about my Prodrive, the Bible is for knowing about God. Your goal for reading the Bible should be motivated by need-love, thankfulness, interest, faith and trust.

My goal in reading the guide I created is “how-to” instruction on something motor related. Dguidry once wrote a comment about the Bible which read, “It does not mean one cannot learn valuable life lessons from the stories in it.” The Bible is filled with practical examples of real interactions between God and people. You can learn a lot about God from reading how He responds to the actions of various characters in the Bible. His faithfulness to His children is constantly on display. His power to save, His forgiveness for sin and His mercy are very evident throughout the Bible. It can be very encouraging to read a “record” of these interactions.

Just like my Prodrive guide, the Bible is broken out into a library or “collection” of books written by different authors. Unlike my guide which took all of 15 minutes to create, the Bible covers a time frame that spans over 1500 years and several different languages! My guide is broken into several different parts – Prodrive Lower unit, Vanguard motor, replacement part numbers, torque spec’s and record keeping. The Bible is broken out into the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each of these are composed of several different parts. Here’s a “Periodic Table” of Bible Books:
BooksoftheBible-2560x1600.jpg
And who says scientists and theologians have different views?

The Bible is somewhat very chronological. The Old Testament is basically the life and times leading up to Jesus’s life. The New Testament covers a time span of Jesus’ life and after his death through the book of Revelations which talks about Jesus’ return.

The “Gospels” – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are often considered the best place to start reading the Bible. The Gospels basically chronicled Jesus’ life and his ministry. Another part is the “Epistles” which are the books of Romans, Ephesians and Philippians – “Paul’s Letters” in the table above. This part tells us how to live our lives in a way that honors God.

The Old Testament can be really tough reading sometimes. But, start with Genesis to learn about how God created the world and how mankind fell into sin. It also notes the impact that fall had on the world. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy get into all the laws God required the Jews to live by. You probably don’t want to get too bogged down in these…as we have done on at least one occasion here on MMT. Joshua through Chronicles gives a good history of Israel. Psalms through Song of Solomon give you insight on Hebrew poetry and wisdom. The prophetic books, Isaiah through Malachi, can also be hard to understand.

Not everybody can be successful at finding answers in the Bible. To be successful in Bible study, you should be able to answer “yes” to these three questions:

Are you saved by faith in Jesus Christ?
1 Corinthians 2:14-15 reads:
14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.

Are you hungering for God’s Word?
1 Peter 2:2 reads:
2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment

Are you diligently searching God’s Word?
Somewhat out of context, but Acts 17:11 reads:
11 And the people listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

If you answered “yes” to these three questions, God will bless your efforts to know Him and His Word. The truths of the Bible are hidden from those who have not come to faith in Christ. For Believers, the Bible is life itself. Jesus said to His disciples in John 6:63:

63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

When I read the Bible, my heart is filled with understanding and peace about whatever situation or question I’m facing. I often come across things that one may say is coincidence or chance. But, I know, it is God’s way of addressing a question about something going on in my life.

Remember, the key to understanding the Bible is asking God for wisdom Ask God to guide you in your decision making.
James 1:5-8 reads:
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

And yes…write it down…I quoted Dean Guidry!

And everybody said…..AMEN!

Amen. Brotha