Note* I will be posting these Bible Studies in the side bar of the blog. You can clink on the link to get which study you want. But I strongly recomend that you start in the beginning. I also suggest that you order your own copy of Frim Foundations, which can be ordered from here: www.ntm.org
When I first began the Chronological Bible study, I wasn’t too excited about it. Since we were going to be beginning in the beginning, it seemed like it was going to be “boring”. After all, I had been to Bible College, and I already “knew” all that stuff. I wanted to get to the important parts, lol!
So when the 1st lesson was the “The Bible” it seemed like I was going to hear the same ol’ same ol’. But I was pleasantly surprised and relieved at the same time. I didn’t know that I had misconceptions about the Bible.
The unique approach of the New Tribes Study is that God is the focus of the Study. Where as, when I usually study the Bible, I am studying a “topic” rather than God. I remember before I even heard about the study, praying and saying, “God, I don’t really *know* you. I so much want to *know* you! I know a lot about you, but I don’t really know what you are like.” About a month or so later, I came into contact with these missionaries, who are teaching the study.
And that is the purpose of the study. God is the focus.
The biggest misconception of the Bible that I had was that I thought God gave it to us for the express purpose of telling us what to do, and how to do it. And if I didn’t; look out! While that is true in a way, that isn’t and wasn’t the express purpose of the Bible. The Bible is *about* God. And the neat thing is that God *gave* us the Bible so we could learn to *know* him. *HE* is the central character of the Bible. Not the rules, not the “good” people, not the “bad” people, but God himself. He gave it to us, so we can get to know HIM. After I thought about that, the first time I heard it, I was like, “Wow! What a *privilege* and what a *blessing* to have the Bible. God didn’t *have* to give us His Word at All. He gave it to us because He wants us. He wants to have a personal relationship with us. Isn’t that amazing!
Who is God? What does He do? What is He like? How does He relate to man? These were questions that I consistently had, and do have. I thought that I had a good working knowledge of the Bible, but after going to this study for a while I found that I am all mixed up. Because I get a little truth here, and a little truth there, and somehow *I* am supposed to fit the puzzle together. The Bible wasn’t meant to be studied like that. Starting in the beginning, it is easier to build precept upon precept and make more sense of the Bible.
The Bible is not just a book of doctrines, or teachings *about* God; it is the story of history as seen from God’s perspective. This is so important to understand, because when man tries to view God and history from his perspective he can get pretty messed up. I know that I have had an unhealthy view of God. Sometimes that unhealthy view has made me angry towards Him. It has made me doubt His love. It has made me doubt His Provision. Oh, yea, I had the Bible verses that showed me that He was all these wonderful things, but how did I really know? That is what is neat about the Chronological approach. It is God’s own recounting of history from the beginning of How He is. We walk through the Bible learning little by little and seeing how God reveals himself with His own character, about Satan, and about mankind as He demonstrates His attributes in all the well known Bible stories that we learned as Children. But what was wrong about those stories when we were children, is that God got left out. The teachers made the man to be the hero; not God.
God wrote the Bible Himself, and it is important, because it is about *Himself* God does not change, and the Bible is not mere men’s ideas, but God’s own words. God is the Author.
Books written by men must be changed with the passing of time, as men discover things that they didn’t know before. But God’s Word has NEVER changed. It can be counted on, because God wrote it.
The Bible is not just another “religious book” Many men have tried to write books explaining what God is like, and because they are looking at God from their own perspective, they have made God into something that He is not. God reveals himself to us through His *own* Word. God tells us who He is: what He wants us to know about Him. What He is like. Isn’t that amazing!
The Bible is God’s voice speaking to us. Through His Word He shows what we really are like inside. It is God’s personal message to each of us, and it is the most important message we will ever be given. The Bible alone tells us what God thinks of us and what He sees as our greatest need. Isn’t that wonderful!? God wants us to know *him* and He is concerned about our greatest need!
So when I looked at it from that perspective, I found an amazing thing. God wants me to “know” Him! As I know my children, as I know my mom and dad, as I know my husband. God *wants* me! And He gave me His Word, so I can discover how great He is! What an amazing, loving God.
Thank you Lord, for your Word! Thank you for giving me to me, a human that has spoken many times against you! I have never really looked at things from your perspective. I never took into account how you feel about things. I have always been concerned for me, myself, and I. I have used you as a Genie to get what I want. I never took into account of what you wanted! Oh Lord, I am so sorry! Please, forgive me for being so self-centered. Lord I want to know *you*! I want to understand *you*. I want a relationship with you, as you had planned from the beginning. I love you! I am so sorry that I had perceived you wrongly. Teach me about you. Help me to discover how great you truly are. I love you!
And please Lord put the desire into other’s heart to want to get to know you. Please help them discover how much you Love them also, and want a personal relationship with them too. Please let them turn their focus off themselves and start looking at things from your perspective.
Amen.
So when the 1st lesson was the “The Bible” it seemed like I was going to hear the same ol’ same ol’. But I was pleasantly surprised and relieved at the same time. I didn’t know that I had misconceptions about the Bible.
The unique approach of the New Tribes Study is that God is the focus of the Study. Where as, when I usually study the Bible, I am studying a “topic” rather than God. I remember before I even heard about the study, praying and saying, “God, I don’t really *know* you. I so much want to *know* you! I know a lot about you, but I don’t really know what you are like.” About a month or so later, I came into contact with these missionaries, who are teaching the study.
And that is the purpose of the study. God is the focus.
The biggest misconception of the Bible that I had was that I thought God gave it to us for the express purpose of telling us what to do, and how to do it. And if I didn’t; look out! While that is true in a way, that isn’t and wasn’t the express purpose of the Bible. The Bible is *about* God. And the neat thing is that God *gave* us the Bible so we could learn to *know* him. *HE* is the central character of the Bible. Not the rules, not the “good” people, not the “bad” people, but God himself. He gave it to us, so we can get to know HIM. After I thought about that, the first time I heard it, I was like, “Wow! What a *privilege* and what a *blessing* to have the Bible. God didn’t *have* to give us His Word at All. He gave it to us because He wants us. He wants to have a personal relationship with us. Isn’t that amazing!
Who is God? What does He do? What is He like? How does He relate to man? These were questions that I consistently had, and do have. I thought that I had a good working knowledge of the Bible, but after going to this study for a while I found that I am all mixed up. Because I get a little truth here, and a little truth there, and somehow *I* am supposed to fit the puzzle together. The Bible wasn’t meant to be studied like that. Starting in the beginning, it is easier to build precept upon precept and make more sense of the Bible.
The Bible is not just a book of doctrines, or teachings *about* God; it is the story of history as seen from God’s perspective. This is so important to understand, because when man tries to view God and history from his perspective he can get pretty messed up. I know that I have had an unhealthy view of God. Sometimes that unhealthy view has made me angry towards Him. It has made me doubt His love. It has made me doubt His Provision. Oh, yea, I had the Bible verses that showed me that He was all these wonderful things, but how did I really know? That is what is neat about the Chronological approach. It is God’s own recounting of history from the beginning of How He is. We walk through the Bible learning little by little and seeing how God reveals himself with His own character, about Satan, and about mankind as He demonstrates His attributes in all the well known Bible stories that we learned as Children. But what was wrong about those stories when we were children, is that God got left out. The teachers made the man to be the hero; not God.
God wrote the Bible Himself, and it is important, because it is about *Himself* God does not change, and the Bible is not mere men’s ideas, but God’s own words. God is the Author.
Books written by men must be changed with the passing of time, as men discover things that they didn’t know before. But God’s Word has NEVER changed. It can be counted on, because God wrote it.
The Bible is not just another “religious book” Many men have tried to write books explaining what God is like, and because they are looking at God from their own perspective, they have made God into something that He is not. God reveals himself to us through His *own* Word. God tells us who He is: what He wants us to know about Him. What He is like. Isn’t that amazing!
The Bible is God’s voice speaking to us. Through His Word He shows what we really are like inside. It is God’s personal message to each of us, and it is the most important message we will ever be given. The Bible alone tells us what God thinks of us and what He sees as our greatest need. Isn’t that wonderful!? God wants us to know *him* and He is concerned about our greatest need!
So when I looked at it from that perspective, I found an amazing thing. God wants me to “know” Him! As I know my children, as I know my mom and dad, as I know my husband. God *wants* me! And He gave me His Word, so I can discover how great He is! What an amazing, loving God.
Thank you Lord, for your Word! Thank you for giving me to me, a human that has spoken many times against you! I have never really looked at things from your perspective. I never took into account how you feel about things. I have always been concerned for me, myself, and I. I have used you as a Genie to get what I want. I never took into account of what you wanted! Oh Lord, I am so sorry! Please, forgive me for being so self-centered. Lord I want to know *you*! I want to understand *you*. I want a relationship with you, as you had planned from the beginning. I love you! I am so sorry that I had perceived you wrongly. Teach me about you. Help me to discover how great you truly are. I love you!
And please Lord put the desire into other’s heart to want to get to know you. Please help them discover how much you Love them also, and want a personal relationship with them too. Please let them turn their focus off themselves and start looking at things from your perspective.
Amen.
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Hope your studying goes well!
The Firm Foundations: Creation to Christ study is currently in revision and the new version will be available for purchase this summer. You can sign up at NTMbooks.com to be notified when the new version is available.
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