There is POWER in the Blood to deliver us. And, there is POWER in the Word to sustain us. However, the Word of God is despised by the foolish and neglected by the deceived. Since we will be judged by the Word of God, we certainly ought to learn what we can about it and do something about it ... before we get there, shouldn't we?

NOTE: References to the Bible (or the Holy Bible) and the Word of God in the following are made in regard to the King James Version of the Holy Bible. Although fifty-four men were nominated, only forty-seven were known to have taken part in the work of translation. The translators were organized into six groups, and met respectively at Westminster, Cambridge, and Oxford. Ten at Westminster were assigned Genesis through 2 Kings; seven had Romans through Jude. At Cambridge, eight worked on 1 Chronicles through Ecclesiastes, while seven others handled the Apocrypha. Oxford employed seven to translate Isaiah through Malachi; eight occupied themselves with the Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. Four years were spent on the preliminary translation by the six groups. The translators were exacting and particular in their work. The completed work was issued in 1611. The Authorized Version, as it came to be called, went through several editions and revisions, and eclipsed all previous versions of the Bible.

The Holy Bible we use today is compilation of writings spanning about 1600 years regarding what God has communicated to man kind concerning everything from before the Creation of the world all the way to the future with the Redeemed Bride of Christ (the Church) standing before the Throne in Heaven. The Word of God is still just as significant today as it was when Jesus walked the sandy shores of Galilee about 2,000 years ago ... if not more so, because we are living so close to the end. And, although there were many writers, there is only one author ... God. In the Bible, we find everything we need to know about our inner person, the proper relationship with God AND with others. There are warnings in it. There are blessings it. And, there are curses in it. There are "How to's" in it. There are "Why's" and "Why not's" in it. And, there are all sorts of things in it that are essential for our "everyday living". Also, throughout its pages, you will find the greatest love letter ever written .... from God to mankind ... YOU. When you read and study God's Word, you should do so as if it was written specifically for ... and directly to ... you, and take everything to heart. Take it on a very personally level. AND, make a personal commitment to allow it to be the rule and guide of your faith and moral conduct in ALL of your "future" transactions ... because you certainly cannot do anything about your past, can you?

The Old Testament has 39 Books in it.

The New Testament has 27 Books in it. 3 X 9 = 27

For a total of 66 Books in the Bible. 39 + 27 = 66

The Bible was written by inspiration by about 40 men in a period of about 1600 years dating from 1500 BC to approx. 100 AD. The word is a lamp (Psalms 119:105) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. AND, the Word is our Spiritual weapon (Ephesians 6:17) And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We all need that light ... AND weapon.

The Bible was written as inspiration through the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21) For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The Bible contains 3,566,480 letters ... 773,746 words ... 31,102 verses ... 1,189 chapters ... 66 books

The middle ... and shortest ... chapter of the Bible is (Psalms 117:1-2)

1. O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 2. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.

The middle verse ... or the very center ... of the Bible is (Psalms 118:8) It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. (That should be at the very center of our faith)

The longest verse in the Bible contains 90 words (Esther 8:9)

Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.

The shortest verse is (John 11:35)

Jesus wept.

The longest word in the Bible is found in (Isaiah 8:1)

Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.

In Ezra 7:21 there is every letter of the alphabet except the letter "j"

And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,

The Old Testament can be broken down into 4 parts:

1) Writings of the Law - First 5 Books (Genesis through Deuteronomy) ... the pre-historic record found in Genesis, along with promises, and personal accounts of devotion to God as well as deception, murder, betrayal, captivity, deliverance, the founding of the Nation of Israel, 613 Commandments that were given to Moses on Mount Sinai upon which human government was founded which contained rules and laws governing daily living, offerings, sacrifices and worship.

2) Writings of History - The next 12 Books (Joshua through Esther) ... The storyline of the Nation of Israel from its founding under Moses for over 1,000 years through the time of the last of the prophets ... 400 years before Christ. It covers the conquest of Canaan through the time of the Judges, the Kings, through numerous battles, and the building of Solomon's Temple, followed by Jerusalem and the Temple being destroyed and left in ruins, being led away into captivity, later to return to rebuild the Temple, the walls and the city of Jerusalem.

3) Writings of Wisdom in Proverbs, Songs and Poetry - The next 5 Books (Job through Songs of Solomon) ... Inspiration writings which were written as guidelines and instructions to live by and to enhance personal dedication and commitment to God.

4) Writings of the Prophets (or Prophecy) - The remaining 17 Books (Isaiah through Malachi)

The first 5 (Isaiah through Daniel) are referred to as the "Major" Prophets

The last 12 (Hosea through Malachi) are referred to as the "Minor" Prophets

These are communications from God spoken through the mouth of Prophets concerning future events as well as God's dealings with an idolatrous, adulterous and rebellious people AND news of a coming Messiah who would repair the breech which sin had caused, and lead God's people to an ultimate, lasting and complete victory.

The New Testament can be broken down into 4 parts, also:

1) The Gospels - The first 4 Books (Matthew through John) ... The "Good News" (Gospel) of Jesus Christ which covered His family tree, His supernatural birth, His early years, His earthly ministry which ended with His betrayal and His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. This period of time was still under the Law, as it was before the birth of the New Testament Church and the out pouring of the Holy Ghost.

2) History - The next Book (The Acts of the Apostles) ... The History book of the "original" New Testament Church containing what the "footprint followers" and "original" New Testament Leaders embraced, preached, practiced, taught AND defended.

3) Epistles (Letters written to individual Christians or to Church Congregations) - The next 21 Books (Romans through Jude) ... The first 14 Epistles are attributed to the Apostle Paul, bearing the names of the individual Christian or the name of the Church Congregation they were sent to ... while the last 7 Epistles bear the names of the Apostles who wrote them. In the Epistles we find words of encouragement and wisdom as well as instructions for worship, discipleship, discipline and daily living.

4) Prophecy - The last Book (The Revelation of Jesus Christ) ... Visions given to John, the oldest and last known living "original" Apostle, concerning things to come as well as warnings against complacency and apathy. While the Book is named "Revelation" (singular) it contains "revelations".

The Word of God is to be READ ...

Exodus 24:7 And he [Moses] took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.

2 Kings 23:2 And the king [Josiah] went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.

Nehemiah 9:2-3 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

As a side note: The Word of God is to be READ ... But NOT in this way ...

Jeremiah 36:9-10 & 21-31 And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem. Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD's house, in the ears of all the people. ... So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king. Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them. But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them. Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim the king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not.

The Word of God is to be "studied" ... spoudazo {spoo-dad'-zo} (Strong's # 4704) meaning ...

1) to hasten, make haste

2) to exert one's self, endeavor, give diligence

2 Timothy 2:15-19 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

The Word of God is to be "Heard" ...

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The Word of God is to be Searched ...

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Acts 17:10-12 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

The Word of God is to be Internalized/Meditated upon ...

Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The Word of God is to be Believed/Trusted ...

John 20:31-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

The Word of God is to be Obeyed/Applied ...

James 1:22-25 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Since the Word of God is our light AND spiritual weapon, it would behoove everyone of us to learn everything we possibly can about it. After all, a good soldier becomes exceedingly familiar with his weapon. AND, he values and protects his weapon because it is essential to his very survival. We will never learn all there is to know about the Word of God. But, that does not mean we should not dig into its rich vein of "spiritual gold" regularly. By the way, reading a portion of the Word only once is merely scratching the scratch of the surface. Each and every time we read a portion, we can gain a greater understanding, and learn something new and different ... which we did not grasp the previous time(s).

The Bible has about 40 writers who came from various backgrounds. Those who say God can't or won't use them, are selling themselves AND God short ... way short. Contrary to the belief of some, God didn't just use those who were polished, educated, well to do, orators and speakers to do the job He called them to do. No siree! Some of those whom God used to give us the Bible we have today were considered to be ignorant and unlearned by the religious socialites of their day. But, what they had that many do not have today is a great desire, a great love, a great burden, a great vision, and a great commitment. People who possess these qualities are few and far between today. But, thank God, there are still a few men and women who have these qualities, and not just willing to be used of God ... but are allowing God to use them. God is NOT looking for ability. He is looking for availability. And, anyone He calls ... He qualifies AND equips to do the job He has before them. So, it is NOT a matter of whether or not we "can" do the job ... but whether or not we "will" we do the job.

In closing, I would like to leave you with the story about Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, And Nobody

This is a little story about four people named

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and

Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.

Everybody thought that Anybody could do it,

but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when

Nobody did what Anybody could have done

Author unknown