When one begins to read the Holy Bible, it can be confusing. Where do I start? What translation should I use? How am I supposed to apply this to my life? How do I know that what I am reading is true?

The Holy Bible is God’s given, breathed word, written down by men anointed and chosen by Him for all His children to read, follow, and share with others. We are to treasure it within our hearts and our minds, and use it to live by daily.

2 Timothy 3:16-17-All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the servant of God^[a]may be thoroughly equipped for every good work

It is important to read ALL Scripture, as some only focus on New Testament, as this is the new law in which we are to live by. But how can we love Jesus and fully accept Him as our savior without knowing His story…How everything worked up to Jesus’s birth, death, then resurrection? To fully comprehend the full power of God, one must go all the way back to see God’s love, mercy, anger, and forgiveness of His people, who saw very miracles happen before their very eyes, who claimed to love God yet disobeyed Him, turned from Him and rebelled against Him time after time. Sound familiar?

“Matthew 4:4- And Jesus said, “And so it is written :Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”

The Old Testament and the New Testament go hand in hand, you cannot have one without the other. To only read the New Testament is like reading half a map. How can you tell where you are going if you don’t know where you’ve been? The Old Testament tells the events leading up to Christ, as it also is a true story that can parable endless situations in our lives. Add to that prophets, praises like Psalms, lessons on wisdom such as in Proverbs, and deep rooted meaning and intertwined messages about our future. Remember, Old Testament = Old= History, or HIS Story. New Testament = News, important info about Jesus Christ, His teachings, His strict instructions, His Apostles, His disciples (us), His Church, and His second coming.

I do not recommend reading the Bible cover to cover, as the Bible as not meant to be a story book, it can jump around a little, cause the reader to become disinterested because you can come across Books that become a stumbling block, thus causing you to put down your Bible and conclude that the rest of the Bible is in fact just as boring. Read however the Spirit leads you, as it can be different person to person. But I recommend a chapter out of the Old Testament, a chapter out of the New Testament, a Prophet, and an inspirational such as Psalm, Ecclesiastes or Proverbs. New believers or Non-believers, I suggest beginning in John, Matthew, Genesis, a Psalm, and Isaiah or Ezekiel. Colossians, Galatians, Ephesians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Philippians, and Romans, though they are all good. These books will give you a good idea about Salvation, Jesus’s gift to you, and what we must to in return to serve Him first and foremost, and how to help those around us. Remember that it is not enough to read the Bible, but to really comprehend and study it. Otherwise you are reading words on a page that are meaningless to you.

For an easy-to-use online Bible, I recommend BibleGateway.com or the YouVersion app. You can download both easily onto your phone or tablet.

I also recommend getting additional books that will help you as a guide throughout the Bible. One I really like is Know Your Bible by Paul Kent. It’s a walk through summary of each book, and can help with studying and getting right into the Bible. I also recommend to go with your bible the book God’s Promises for Everyday by Jack Countryman. You can buy it on Amazon for literally $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Promises-Every-Jack-Countryman/dp/0849962684/ref=asc_df_0849962684/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312115051380&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4666501709686254412&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002322&hvtargid=aud-467077737785:pla-571874065838&psc=1

If you have any questions whatsoever, please do not hesitate to reach out for me, so that I can help however I possibly can.