How Accurate is the Bible?

There has been much said in the last few decades about the validity of the Bible. Many books have been written to try and discredit the Bible. Movies have been made that make the Bible seem like a fairy tale. So can we believe the Bible? Can we have confidence that the New Testament we hold in our hands is the Bible that the Apostles wrote? Is our Old Testament the same as it was in the time of Jesus. I believe the answer to be yes. The following excerpt from a classmate's blog explains why I believe this.

The Accuracy of Scripture

All New Testament copies have a whopping 99.5% accuracy rate. Although there are about 300,000 individual variations of the text of the New Testament, this number is very misleading. Most of the differences are completely inconsequential-spelling errors, inverted phrases and the like. A side-by-side comparison between the two main text families, that is, the majority text and the modern critical text shows agreement a full 98% of the time. Of the remaining differences, virtually all yield to vigorous textual criticism. This means that our New Testament is 99.5% textually pure. In the entire text of 200,000 lines, only 40 lines are in doubt which equals about 400 words, and none affects any significant doctrine. We can have confidence that the Bible we hold in our hands is accurate.

The Bible has withstood the test of time from critics. Its prophecies have proved to be true. It is scientifically and historically accurate. Its teachings are affective in any culture and any timeframe in history. The Bible is truly the word of God and we can have confidence in it! Do you need an answer? Searching for peace? Struggling with a relationship? Open your Bible and you will find the answers you need. God's word works every time!

Blessings,
Sullivan Jones

Healing Rain is Falling Down

I John 4:18 - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out all fear; because fear has torment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.

Fear is a very real thing. Sometimes it is almost tangible. All of us have experienced it at some point in our lives. Whether it be anxiety about an upcoming meeting or fear of disease, fear is real. It can paralyze our faith in God and cause us to make foolish decisions. The person who is afraid does not think rationally. Fear is an ugly thing but there is an antidote: Faith

Faith is the "knowing" that God loves me and will take care of my situation. Faith is rooted in love. When I understand how important I am to God then I understand that He will do everything in His power to make sure I am cared for. Zechariah 2:8 lets us know that we are the apple of God's eyes.  Imagine that! A God who can do anything and all of His attention and love is focused on me!

Lately I have been experiencing some medical, um "difficulties", shall we say?   The worst part of feeling any kind of undiagnosed pain is the not knowing. Our imaginations run wild with us. We always tend to think the worst. I suppose it is just hard wired in our DNA to always imagine the worst possible scenario. But situations are rarely as bad as they seem. Our adversary, the devil, would like to convince us that things are much worse than they are. Yet God is bigger than our obstacles and He knows how to see us through every situation.

This morning I awake with a song in my mind. The lyrics are

"Healing rain is falling down, Healing rain is falling down.
I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid."

I realized suddenly how true this is. God is a healer and I choose to believe in his ability to heal rather than in my irrational fear of what might be wrong with me. If you need a healing today (whether physically, emotionally, or otherwise) why not sing this with me as an expression of your faith in God. It will also serve as a sign to the nagging enemy of fear to back off and leave you alone.

"Healing rain is falling down ..... I'm not afraid."

Psalm 23: 4 - I will fear no evil for thou are with me.

Wisdom - The Most Important Thing

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7 

Our world is full of choices. Knowledge is everywhere. The internet has brought the world within in reach with the click of a button. If you want to know about penguins or polar bears, no problem. Just pull up Mr. Google and "Voila." (By the way, did you know that penguins live at the south pole and polar bears at the north pole? They will never have a chance to meet.)

Yet with all this knowledge there is very little wisdom. Wisdom, in my own simple definition, is the ability to take all this vast array of knowledge and break it down to where it can be applied to our lives. What is the best thing to do right now in my situation? Which car do I buy? What doctor do I go to see? Can I afford to buy this? And the list goes on .....

There will always be questions but thankfully there will always be an answer. Things become  much clearer after a time of prayer and reading God's word. Are you concerned about something? Uncertain about the next move or whether to move at all? Ask God for wisdom and spend some time reading his word. You might find that things are much simpler than you originally thought.

Yes, knowledge is important but wisdom is the most important thing.

Seeking Him Daily,

Sullivan Jones