Please View this, as I think it is Very Important

As you know, I have been posting my "learnings" of The Firm Foundations Bible study I have been going to. I found this video today, and it deals with the Chronological approach of teaching salvation.
To be honest with everyone, I cried through the whole thing as I watched. It is soooo important to give a *clear* presentation of the Gospel. Confusion abounds on every corner, and this video gives just an *example* of what a poor gospel presentation can do to people!
Please take a look! Renee and Roger Were Searching... Just scroll down a little way, and you will see their picture. Click on the picture and the video should start to play.

Firm Foundations Lesson 2- God Alone

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 recommend that you start in the beginning. I also suggest that you order your own copy of Firm Foundations, which can be ordered from here: http://www.ntm.org/


Now that I have a better understanding of what the Bible is for, things have begun to make much better sense; things that I should of known, but did not until I began to learn them in this study!
Remember the whole purpose of this study is:
Who is God?
What is He like?
How can we know Him?

Remember that God is the main character of the Bible; He is the one who gave the Bible and its message to us. It is a true account of history from God’s own perspective.

Firm Foundation’s study goes about explaining the Bible and its message by studying specific statements that God has made about Himself. It will also study what God does. God’s character and nature is revealed through what he has done through events that he has recorded in His Word. God has given a lot of knowledge about himself. Why? Because he WANTS us to know him!

Jeremiah 9:23&24
“Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD…”

Here are some questions to think about:

How great is God?
How important is He?
Did he have a beginning?
Will He have an end?
Where did He come from?
What does God need?

God is eternal. He has always been, and He will never end. Everything else has had a beginning. Before the beginning of the earth there was no universe, no earth, no angels, no Devil, no plants, no animals, no people. All of these had a beginning.

God is not a man, and man is not God. God has no beginning, and will have no end. Man is born and dies. God was not created. He has always been alive. He has always been and will always be the same. Gad can never die.

God is also a Trinity. He is eternally one God, but there are three persons who are equally God: These three persons are named in Matthew 28:19
They are God the Father, God the Son God the Holy Ghost. God is a Trinity of three persons, but Man is only one person. Remember that these three persons are one God who is eternal and all are equally God.
Kind of confusing? God is greater than are small minds can comprehend, and we believe it is true because the Word of God shows us that it is.

Because God alone existed before all things, God is completely independent of everything and everyone. He needs nothing to sustain Him. God was here alone before the earth, sun moon, etc. He does not need the earth or anything on it. He doesn’t need air to breath, or food to eat. He doesn’t need water to drink. He doesn’t need the sun. He can see without light. He does not sleep. God doesn’t need any source of energy, and he never gets tired, thirsty or hungry.

God NEEDS nothing. He doesn’t need anyone to teach Him. He knows everything; He has all knowledge, and is aware of everything. God knows everything.

How about us, what do we need? We need parents to be born, and parents to take care of us as babies. We needed teachers to teach us the things we need to know in order to survive in the world.
We need food and water to sustain our physical bodies. We need oxygen to breath. We need to sleep; we need protection from the weather. We are totally dependent, but God does not need anything or any person. WOW! How amazing is that!

God is Spirit. God does not have a body as we do, because John 4:24 says God is a Spirit. He does not have flesh and bones like humans, animals, birds, or reptiles. Because He does not have a material body, He does not have bodily needs. Man has a material body.

It is hard to imagine one who has and is able to do all of this, and yet have no material body. God is not just a “force” as some would describe Him to be. God is a Spirit, a Trinity of three persons, all with mind, personality, and will.

He is the God who has personally given us His Word so we can know Him. God has no limitations, but we are very limited in our understanding and are limited by our bodily needs.

Where is God? Where was He before everything else existed? God is everywhere, and it is repeated many times in the Bible that he is everywhere. God made everything and is present everywhere, but He is NOT “in everything.” God is higher than all. God is greater than all He has made. God fill the universe, God is here right now and can see us all. Man can only be in one place at a time. Only God and he alone is able to be everywhere all the time. Since He is everywhere there is no place that you can go where He is not there. You can’t hide from God.

God is way beyond our comprehension. We must admit that there is one who is infinitely greater than all, who is in every way superior to us. God is sovereign. The Bible says that God is “The Most High.” Ps 83:13, and Is 45:5.

Man should be under God’s authority and listen to everything God says.

God alone can tell us about the beginning, because only He was there in the beginning! Man was not there before the beginning. God knows how it came to be, and know all that came to be, and He has given us a record of all of this in the Bible.

The thing that most impresses me about this lesson, is that God doesn’t need anything. Yet he has made all of the earth and universe. Why, since He did not need it? Why if He was perfectly content in Being himself alone? Why? Of course that is for another lesson, but it will give you something to think about until then.

Also, try to remember that God WANTS us to KNOW Him. Begin to seek Him in that way. Ask Him to reveal HIMSELF to you. Not what you want in life. Not what you want after you die. But ask Him to get to KNOW Him as a “person” A “person” who WANTS you to know them. He Loves you, He wants a personal relationship with you. Seek *Him*.

Until then Goodnight!

Firm Foundations

Every Wednesday night I have been going to a Bible study hosted by some New Tribes Missionaries. The Bible study is a Chronological approach to Salvation. This studies main focus though, is not what man needs to *do* to be saved, but what *God* has already *done* for man.

This is the study that the New Tribes Mission uses to evangelize tribes that have never even heard of God the Creator; as well as tribes that have made a profession of faith without really understanding salvation to begin with.

God is the focus of the study, and its intended purpose is to build faith in God as the person studies the Word of God; and finds out who God is as he has revealed himself to man in the Bible. It begins in the beginning of the Bible, and each "bible" story that we know takes on a different perspective as God becomes the hero, and man is the sinner, who believes God.

Usually, when we hear different Bible stories, such as David and Goliath, or Noah and the ark, or Moses and the 10 commandments, we see the greatness of man. But in this study, we see the sinfulness of man, and the absolute greatness of God, as God deals with man according to his Justice, Grace, Mercy, Love, Holiness, etc. Our faith in God is increased as we see who he really is. More than our minds could of ever fathomed.

This study has been slowly changing my perspective on the character of God. I had always "known" He was those things, but I really didn't understand "how" he was, until I have *seen* Him with the way He has dealt with man in history past. I am finding Him to be so great and wonderful, while I am so little and nothing. My faith in his character is becoming more grounded in *him*.

While this study is intended for salvation, it is also a great study to become more grounded in one's walk with the Lord, because you start to *know* him on a more personal level. It is also for the purpose to help those who have doubts about their salvation and have a more clear understanding of salvation.

So far, in this study, we have come to Abraham. But I am going to share with you what I have been learning in this study. There are some thought provoking things, that many skip over, as they read the Bible. But I am discovering little treasures of truth, and finding out the character of God through these treasures. It is amazing! So tomorrow, I will post what I have learned about God's Word, aka, The Bible. Some amazing things, that I did not know, that has really helped me, and I pray will help you too.

Here is a link where you can order one for yourself if you want to. www.ntm.org

Jesus Died For Her Naughtiness

Since reading "The Lamb", the girls are having an awareness of sin and salvation. When Sweetie was being naughty, I asked her, "Sweetie, are you being naughty?" Sweetie looked guilty and wouldn't answer me, but then Bean piped up and said, "Yea, but Jesus died on the cross for her naughtiness!"

I found that interesting, because Bean is only three years old, but she is making a connection between being naughty and Jesus dieing for that naughtiness. I am praying that they will both come to a more clear understanding of salvation.

Sweetie was telling me the other day that she did not want to die. I said, "Well, what are you going to do so you don't have to?" She said, "Ummmm, be good!". So that pointed a clue to me, that she doesn't clearly understand. I am praying that the Holy Spirit will reveal to her, that no matter how good she tries to be, it won't merit her a place in heaven.

I remember being so confused about this when I was little. I thought that all those who loved Jesus would go to heaven, and all those who acted like the Devil would go to Hell. I was pushed into praying a prayer when I was four years old, because I was told only those who were saved got the cute little New Testament with Jesus on the front. So I prayed a prayer for the VBS teacher so I could get that Bible! I banked my salvation on that prayer for a long time. I certainly loved Jesus! I hated the Devil, but I had never come to terms that I was a sinner before God, and deserved to go to Hell. It took me a long time to understand that too!

The Lamb

The Lamb is an AWESOME book written for the child's understanding of salvation. It starts with the creation of Angels and Lucifer, and how Lucifer and 1/3 of heaven rebelled against God.

Children are then introduced into the Creation of the World and Man, and Man's sin against God. After Adam and Eve Sinned, God promised a coming redeemer that would save them.

God then took an innocent animal and killed it instead of Adam and Eve. Signifying that blood must be shed to pay for sins.

The Lamb is introduced to show that it is a symbol of the coming Saviour. The lamb was innocent. Not guilty of sin. He had to be spotless, and he had to be male. The sinner then placed his hand on the animal as he killed it signifying his sin was placed upon the animal, and the animal is being punished for the man's sin.

Jesus Christ is then introduced as the Lamb that took our sin upon himself, and died on the cross and has paid for all of our sins. He is *our* Lamb that takes away the sin of the world that was promised to Adam and Eve in the beginning when they first sinned.

The book is divided into chapters, with questions at the end of each chapter, to make sure your child understands what you have read to them.

It doesn't gloss over important issues, such as sin, the effects of sin, God's righteousness, Holiness, Love, Mercy, Grace, and Justice. But each chapter always ends on a hopeful tone.

I have read some of it to my girls, and Sweetie has become more aware of what sin is. Also the Justice of God. She thought that God should of killed Lucifer. However, I will be praying that she understands this on her own, and I am not going to be pushing her into a decision. But, it has been helping her become more aware of what salvation really is.

It also comes with a C.D. of the whole book complete with songs sung at the end of each chapter. The book is high quality hard cover with a dust jacket, and the illustrations are superb. $16.80 is the cost plus shipping and handling. However, I think it well worth over $30, because the quality is just that good.

You can order it here http://www.ntm.org/