Most of us know that the Holy Bible is not just a single book. It's a collection of 66 books divided unevenly into 2 parts; The Old Testament and the New Testament. This post is just a simple bird's eye view of the scriptures to us who live on this side of the wonderful resurrection of Christ.

Leading into this overview, let's make sure we're on the same page about a very important factor: Though God used multiple writers to get his Word to us, he retains authorship. The Bible is God's word to man, not man's word to man. It is without error or flaw.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21)

Let us not fall into the trap of thinking that the Bible is the product of a bunch of old religious men from long ago. Instead it is the powerful Word of God that is sharper than any two-edged sword and still a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path!

                                                             Basic Overview of the New Testament

The Gospels.
The first 4 books are referred to the “The Gospels”. Each book is entitled The Gospel According to Matthew or Mark or Luke or John. Here we get overlapping accounts of the life, ministry, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are not comprehensive accounts. Even in the Gospel of John we read, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:30-31)

Though these 4 books are considered the beginning of the New Testament, the actual New Testament doesn't start until after the death of Jesus Christ, or the end of these books. Testaments or Wills are not in effect until after the death of the testator. Nearly all of Jesus' teachings, miracles, and ministry are under the Old Testament.

Acts of the Apostles.
The most pivotal book of the New Testament in my opinion is the Book of Acts. Here's where we read about how the apostles carried out the commands of Christ. Want to know exactly how the gospel of Christ was preached to the world? Read the book of Acts! What I find interesting, and a stark contrast from today is that the same gospel message was preached everywhere it was preached in Acts.

Jesus gave the keys to the kingdom to Peter who preached the first New Testament gospel in Acts 2. Philip preached the same gospel at Samaria in Acts 8. Paul preached the same message many years later at Ephesus in Acts chapter 19 and beyond. And those who received the word responded in the same way. The book of Acts gives us the blueprint for what to preach since it would be through the apostles' word we would believe on Jesus - and they did it without PA systems, HD monitors, fundraisers or even pocket New Testaments!

The Epistles – Letters of Encouragement and Instruction.
22 books of the New Testament are devoted to teaching, admonishment, correction and encouragement to whole churches or individual believers. Paul the apostle was inspired to write most of them, but the Lord used other writers including Luke, Peter, James and John as well.

Keep in mind that these letters are not written to the general public. This is private mail to fellow believers who have already obeyed the gospel that was preached in the book of Acts. Within these letters we read about how to treat one another in the Kingdom of God, how to be a light to the world around us, severe warnings against departing from the faith, and how to always be ready for the soon coming of Christ.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

May our knowledge go far beyond a basic overview of the New Testament. May we search the scriptures daily for treasure the way miners diligently seek for gold!

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Are you the type of Christian who loves God but doesn't regularly pray and/or read the Bible on your own? It's something you do along with others at church, but it's not part of your daily life? If so, take heart! This isn't a guilt trip blog post, but a reality check with a few helpful tips. 

I've been there and have to admit sometimes I still let my everyday priorities get out of whack!

I don't think we need to be sold on the benefits of a daily devotion to prayer and Bible reading. What we need is a way to make them part of our daily life. A way that works for each of us personally. Allow me to offer a few ideas that have helped me to be more consistently in the word and prayer.

Perspective. Way too often I think of prayer as some service I do for God like a favor. The opposite is much more true. Prayer is deliberate communication with the Lord. It's how we acknowledge him in all our ways so he can direct our paths. If we don't remain connected to him through prayer and interaction with his word, we will not have his mind. We'll have our carnal, fleshy, wicked mind...

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after 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 be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  (Romans 8:5-8)

Position. The Bible doesn't make any one position (kneeling, bowing, etc., ) a requirement. I remember in a prayer meeting years ago, a fellow minister regularly walked around the room and prayed. That was new to me, but soon I was doing it. I found it particularly helpful during early morning prayer! Don't be bound by the idea that one physical position is more “holy” than others. God is more interested in the position of our heart then the position of our bodies.

There are times when kneeling is absolutely the right way to approach our God. Sometimes we need to humble ourselves and honor him as The Almighty God who has no equal. There is none beside him; No one above him. He is our friend, but he is also our King.

Time of Day. Starting the day with prayer is always a good thing, but what if you're not a morning person? Since the Bible doesn't stipulate any one time of day over another for prayer, we shouldn't either. Some of us are sharp in the morning, while others are night owls. You might be at your best during a midday work break. No matter the time of day, be realistic with who you are and make an appointment with the Lord when you're most fresh.

Prayer Length. Here's a question for you: Who is going to be more physically fit: the person who works out ten minutes a day everyday, or the person who exercises for an hour once a week?

The Bible doesn't command us to pray for a certain amount of time, but our love for God should motivate us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). If you're like me, you've set some unrealistic prayer goals for yourself only to fall short and feel guilty. How about we do something very different. Let's lay a foundation of some ultra-realistic goals that are simple to reach and build from there. Consider this: The person who prays 10 minutes a day for 7 days will have prayed longer than the person who prays for an hour once a week. The same goes for Bible reading. I agree that it's the quality and not the quantity of time that's important, but most of us have neither. Look at this as a place to start.

Using an ultra-realistic strategy, I suggest setting a timer for 10 minutes, then turning our attention to heaven. If regular prayer is completely new, then set it for 5 minutes for a whole week, then bump it up to 10 minutes.

Try this:  Start by praying the scriptures. Open your KJV Bible to Psalm 103 and read out loud of the praises to God and the promises from God. Then confess any sins, seek forgiveness, make your requests known, praise the Lord for his goodness, then be still and listen. Prayer is 2-way communication. Give him time to speak. You will be amazed just how fast 5 or 10 minutes passes. You'll soon find that the timer will go off, but you won't be done. 10 minutes will become an effortless 15 minutes or more a day and your relationship with Christ will deepen dramatically. In his presence, you'll discover greater peace in your life while hearing his voice more frequently throughout the day.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalms 16:11)

Have ideas for daily devotion, prayer and Bible reading? Share them in the comments below!

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For to be carnally minded is 
death; but to be spiritually 
minded is life and peace. 

Romans 8:6  

2. Pray In The Spirit
Jude writes, But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (Jude 1:20-21). The value of praying in the Spirit is incalculable. I write more about praying in the Holy Ghost here.  See Rom. 8:26-27 

3. Meditate upon the Word
Learn to go beyond just reading the scriptures. Meditate upon them, let the words of Christ sink into you. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. (1 Timothy 4:15)

4. Fellowship with other Believers
Being with other like minded souls is a real morale boost and facilitates iron sharpening iron.

5. Share the Word
Teach a Bible Study to someone! It's one of the most amazing ways to learn the Word of God and become solid in what you believe. Start with a simple, free topical Bible Study and share it with a friend. Then watch what happens to you!

We'll never get the mind of Christ by accident. It takes deliberate effort. But read the top verse again and remember the benefits of being spiritually minded: life and peace!

 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish
ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God
which I command you.
Deuteronomy 4:2    

The headlines today are alive with talk about people burning the Koran. Interesting that burning Bibles, removing Bibles, and forbidding Bibles has been going on for quite some time and for some reason it's not news. Apparently it's not a big deal that the foundation of our faith is regularly assaulted. Well, it's not just news; it's a battle. The longest running war on earth has been between the Word of God and Satan.

Remember the scene in the Garden of Eden? The serpent came to Eve in all of his subtlety and got her to question the Word of God. Then he lied to her and told her that she wouldn't die if she ate of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the Garden. The father of lies, lied. Imagine that! She ate, so did Adam, which introduced sin into the world and death that follows sin.

Is there anything Satan won't do to get us to disobey God? I doubt it. I believe he'll do all he's allowed to do. In these last days I believe he's working overtime because the coming of the Lord is near and his time is short.

I've found a repeated command in the scriptures that is pertinent to today. It's a theme throughout the Old and New Testaments. You can find several scriptures on this in the Bible studies here on the site. Here's one of them:

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5-6)

Throughout the scriptures, God commands us to not add to or take away from the scriptures. His word is pure. It is truth. If we change it, it is no longer perfect. If we compromise it, it is no longer God's word.

I grew up with King James Version. After reading the Bible through one year, I decided to go through it using a different version. I noticed slight differences here and there but didn't think much about it. After about three weeks into the new reading, I honestly felt like I was going through the motions of eating without getting fed spiritually. That's the only way I can describe it. I went back to the KJV and got fed again.

The usual claim I hear about different versions is that the newer ones are easier to read. They really say the same thing without the archaic “thees” and “thous.”

I bought that idea until I had Bible studies with people who used different versions. They were not necessarily easier to read and there were clear changes. Disturbing changes. Let me give you one example. Do you know what will happen to those who's names are not found in the Book of Life? It's a little different than a $5.00 fine. Here's the answer...

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15).  That's the KJV. Is that difficult to understand?

Now see this for yourself. Compare Rev. 22:19 in the KJV and in the NIV.

Is there a difference?  Is it a "little" difference?

I wrote earlier that I felt a difference using the King James Version. Some would argue back to me that I shouldn't use “feelings” to validate the KJV. Fair enough. Let me ask this: Has God made a real difference in your life? How have you explained that change to your friends?  Did you use a scientific instrument to verify that change or was there an unmistakable change in your heart and mind that became evident in your actions? 

I went back to the King James Version because of how I felt, and what I saw comparing versions. I've also sought God over and over about this. He's answered me time and again. Later, someone showed me a video about a college professor's six-year study into different versions. What Gail Riplinger has uncovered is at least interesting.  For me it was hair raising. I've included portions of interviews she's given to a Christian TV show below. They're short and worth a few minutes of your time.

If you're like me, you'll probably do some more online research about Gail Riplinger. Keep in mind that the internet is a great tool. But since anyone can write anything and post it, it can be as accurate as a bathroom wall. Gail has been highly praised and viciously persecuted. I don't agree with everything she presents, but I believe she does make a strong case. She didn't change my mind on using the KJV. Rather, she validated what God had already showed me. You'll obviously draw your own conclusions.

Have you Asked God about his Word? Do you think he has an opinion on the subject? Take the Bible studies and compare verses. Do you see additions and subtractions? According to the scriptures, how does God feel about that? Ask him. He'll answer!

Enjoy these older, but thought provoking videos...

Here are more videos on this series

Here is the playlist of the 27 episodes Gail Rippliger appeared:

Dr. Frank Logsdon, member of the translation committee for the New American Standard Version (NASB), has denounced his work on that Bible and urged all Christians to return to the Authorized Version, commonly known as the King James Bible. Says, "‘I'm In Trouble With The Lord."  Read More Here...

Please share your thoughts and pass this along to others!  Thanks!