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    10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible
    10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible
    10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible
    Ebook99 pages1 hour

    10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible

    By Colin S. Smith

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    About this ebook

    If you're just beginning to explore the rewards of Bible study, here is the perfect introduction! Colin S. Smith has drawn from all four volumes of his work, Unlocking the Bible Story, to create this fascinating and thought-provoking guide. Using ten key words from his books, he leads the reader through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and opens doors to further inspiration. 10 Keys offers a bridge to his series, and is also a wonderful stand-alone book of revitalizing truths.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMoody Publishers
    Release dateJul 1, 2002
    ISBN9781575679679
    10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible
    Author

    Colin S. Smith

    COLIN S. SMITH is the senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in Arlington Heights, IL, where he has been since 1996. He is the author of The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life and can be heard on his Unlocking the Bible broadcast with Moody radio.

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      Book preview

      10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible - Colin S. Smith

      INTRODUCTION

      You are holding a small book that will give you the big picture of the Bible story. The Bible is the world's best-selling book, but it is long and sometimes difficult to understand. This book will give you a place to start. It's rather like a highaltitude flight over a range of mountains. You'll see what the ground looks like and get a good glimpse of the highest peaks.

      The whole Bible is one story. It begins in a garden, ends in a city, and all the way through it points us to Jesus Christ.

      The keys will open up the story of the Garden of Eden, where God introduces Himself and tells us who we are. We'll learn about the disaster in the garden and its effects on our lives today. Then we will follow the Old Testament story, discovering how right through human history God has been reaching out to men and women, making a way for us to know Him, and inviting us to come.

      The keys will also open up the story of Jesus, exploring His birth, death, and resurrection. We will discover who the Holy Spirit is, and see what God intends the church to be. Then we will take an honest look at the Christian life: the struggle that every Christian experiences and the power that God makes available to us. Finally, we'll take a glimpse at the highest peak of all—the new creation that God has promised when Jesus Christ returns in glory.

      It has again been a pleasure to work with the publishing team at Moody Press on this project. I am also deeply grateful to Greg Norwine and Tim Augustyn who serve with me on the pastoral staff at Arlington Heights Evangelical Free Church in Illinois. They had the idea for this book and have provided the questions for reflection at the end of each chapter.

      The Ten Keys are condensed from Unlocking the Bible Story, a series of four books that cover the story in greater detail. If you enjoy the highaltitude flyover and want to get closer to the ground, Unlocking the Bible Story will give you a map and a compass. There's so much more to discover.

      But for those who are new to the Bible or want a quick overview of the Christian faith, this is the place to begin.

      Join me on the journey. You're in for some breathtaking views.

      DISCOVER

      who you are and why your life matters to God.

      LEARN

      why this world is not as God made it.

      WORSHIP

      because Jesus has opened the way back into God's blessing.

      HE first thing Adam knew, he was staring into the face of God.

      God had formed his body from the dust of the ground, but it lay there lifeless, like a corpse until God breathed into it. Then Adam became a living being (Genesis 2:7), and in his first moment of conscious existence, he knew that his life had come from God.

      God is invisible, but right from the beginning of the Bible story, He has been reaching out to make Himself known. That's why He made Himself visible to Adam. We call this a theophany, an appearance of God in visible form. It was God's way of creating a relationship.

      God introduces Himself as our Creator and therefore our owner. He made you in His image (1:26), and you are of unique value to Him. God chose to bring you into being. He did that on purpose, and you will discover that purpose as you get to know the One who created you.

      THE GARDEN OF EDEN

      The Bible tells us that the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden (2:8, 15).

      We cannot be certain about the garden's location, but it is important to grasp that it was a real place. It was located near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (2:10–14), which run through modern Iraq.

      God prepared a place for Adam, and God put him there. He does the same thing for us. The Bible says that God has determined the exact places for all of us to live (Acts 17:26).

      The place where God puts you will not be perfect. Even Eden was exposed to the possibility of evil. But there is no better place to be than where God has set you down. You are not where you are by accident but by the plan and the purpose of God.

      God gave Adam the responsibility of naming the animals and caring for the garden (2:19). Work is a good gift from God, and God took pleasure in what Adam was doing. It may be hard for you to imagine that God would enjoy the documents you prepare, the components you assemble, or the home you create … but He does.

      A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

      The LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. (2:22; EMPHASIS ADDED)

      I'd love to have seen the expression on Adam's face! God appeared to Adam and said, Adam, I have someone I want you to meet! I have no doubt that Adam's jaw dropped wide open. He certainly seemed pretty pleased! He said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh (2:23).

      God brought them together. Try to picture that in your mind. The LORD God takes her hand and puts it into his hand and says, Here is the partner I have made for you!

      When two people marry, God does in an invisible way what He did for Adam and Eve in the garden. If you are married, try to picture God taking your hand and the hand of your spouse and joining them together. When you know God has joined you together, it

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