The Quick and The Dead

Simply profound is how I describe it. That sounds like a contradiction, I know, and in a way it is. The way up is down, small is great, give to gain, die to live, life from death—are only some of the teachings within.

It could be titled The Quick and The Dead.

One book, with sixty-six within, contains everything for life and death and the pursuit of happiness, yet it’s smaller than one of the bills on Capitol Hill.

Proverbs, Mark and James are the ones I like the most. I suppose because they’re short and sweet—well, not all that sweet because they cut out the flowers and just hand you the meat. They’re concise; short and snappy. I like that.

How do you study the Bible, I’ve been asked. Well, I study it kind of like the book its self: Simple, profound and concise; short and snappy.

I start—or at least I try to start, sometimes I forget—with prayer. Asking the Author to explain His book always makes it clearer. And then I start reading at the beginning, of both, the Old and New Testaments; Genesis and Matthew. I also read a chapter in Proverbs that coincides with whatever day of the month it is. For example: If I am starting today, I’ll read Genesis 1; Matthew 1; Proverbs 11 (because today is the 11^th day of the month). I’ll read at least one chapter in each, per day; One OT, one NT, one Proverb. When I get to the end I simply start over. Of course, since the New Testament is shorter, I finish it before the Old, so I read through it more often. And since Proverbs has 31 chapters, if there aren’t 31 days in that particular month, I simply read the rest of the book on the last day of the month—that way I start with Proverbs 1 on day one of the new month. 

So there you have it: How I study my Bible.

Simple and yet profound because many times I find my readings complement each other perfectly even though it wasn’t scripted or orchestrated in any way—at least not by me. I believe the reason for this is because we aren’t talking simply about a book but, The Living Breathing Word Of God, which is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 )The quick and the dead; you’ve seen the movie. Quick means; alive. This book is alive.

Even though man has tried to destroy it through murder, laws, burnings and ridicule—it still lives. Although scholars have tried to explain it away; scientists have attempted to prove it away—no one can make it go away. It’s still a best seller today. And the more advanced modern day technology becomes, the more we see that this book is True—every single word of it. It’s a living breathing miracle right before our very eyes.  And not one jot or tiddle—one dot of an, i, or cross of a, t—will pass without being fulfilled just like it’s written in this book we call The Bible. And that’s why I read the Bible.  

The most important question of all is answered in this book, too. And that is: How to get your name in another book called; The Lamb’s Book Of Life. This is the book where all the names of those who will enter heaven are written. It’s like a guest book for a party, in this case, a wedding party. If you’re on the list, you get in—if not, you don’t. Everyone is invited, but the sad thing is, many won’t accept the invitation to get their name on the list—kind of like RSVP.  

This is for real and I pray you accept His invitation, and get your name on the list if you haven’t already done so, you better hurry because once the whistle blows; the bell rings; the trumpet sounds—it’s too late, and that could be today.

Let me know if you need help, I’ll be happy to talk to the Host with you about getting in. He will be glad to add your name, as a matter of fact that’s why he wrote the book we’ve been talking about—it’s really His Story, a simply profound love story, to you.