Manifesto

One of my favorite Christian Manifesto’s of all time is the Apostle’s Creed. I grudgingly memorized it as a child, but now that I have been saved by Jesus, it has such a rich, deep meaning to me. It is a summary of the faith that has been shared by millions over many generations and the Bible informs our minds and hearts about all the things spoken of in it.

I believe in God the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ his only son, our Lord
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilote,
was crucified, dead and buried;
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty,
from whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of the saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting, Amen.

The Bible is huge! 66 books by 40 different authors spanning thousands of years. For most Christians we believe it is how we can know God. It’s what he tells us about himself. But some of it is confusing, or we don’t see how it applies to daily life. Heck, most of us don’t even really know what’s in it. We know stuff like John 3:16 and Psalm 23, which are important and encouraging. Maybe we even remember a few old testament stories like Noah and David & Goliath from when we were kids, but in reality the Bible is like a very deep well, full of living water for dry and weary lives.

I love writing about the Bible because it is relevant to today. We can see ourselves in the lives of the week and weary, but also the proud and deceitful. We can weep with Mary and Martha when Lazarus dies and rejoice with them when Jesus calls him out of the tomb. We can identify with Peter who made promises to Jesus and then denied him 3 times, only to find forgiveness and be restored by grace.

I write about the Bible because in it we learn who Jesus was and what he was really about. He said and did some amazing things that are written by eye-witnesses who walked with him for 3 years. They believed so firmly in their witness of the resurrection that many of them were imprisoned and even died holding fast to their faith in Jesus and his promise that we are saved by grace and not by works of morality.

The Bible is a beacon of hope, a lighthouse, a watchtower. What I believe about Jesus, forgiveness and hope in this life is the most important thing about me so it is what I choose to write about. The grace of God has healed me from drug and sex addiction and abuse, eating disorders, depression and despair, and continues to guide me into peace, joy and a hope that knows if God can transform a life like mine then anything is possible. I believe in miracles!

The modern world wants to believe it has everything under control, but the story of scripture from Genesis to Revelation shows just how dark and cruel humanity has a tendency to be. The true light of the world is Jesus and the grace he brings to sinful people. In a world full of power hunger, rage, lust, greed, false spirituality, and hopelessness, we have a hope that has stood the test of time. Not the Bible itself, but the God and Savior the Bible tells us about.

The Bible is worth a lifetime of study. After 24 years as a Christian I still have so far to go, and this blog is part of my journey into knowing God by studying His Word and sharing what I learn in the Bible and in my daily life as a wife, mom, daughter, and friend.