The Bible’s Big Story

The Bible is one unified book telling the story of God’s glory through creation, humanity’s rebellion, God’s covenant promises, and their complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Everything moves toward Christ’s preeminence. The Old Testament prepares the way; the New Testament reveals Him as the fulfillment. Together they form 66 inspired books—39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New.

The Old Testament (39 Books): God’s Promises and Preparation

The Old Testament shows God creating the world, choosing a people, giving them His law, and promising a coming King who would fix what sin broke. It repeatedly points forward to the Messiah.

Law (Pentateuch – 5 books): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
These lay the foundation. Genesis shows creation, the fall, and God’s first promises. Exodus–Deuteronomy record God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt, the giving of the Torah at Sinai, and the covenant instructions for a holy people.

Historical Books (12 books): Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.
They trace Israel’s life in the Promised Land, their cycles of obedience and rebellion, the rise and fall of the monarchy, exile in Babylon, and return. They demonstrate that human kings fail, but God remains faithful to His promises.

Wisdom and Poetry (5 books): Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.
These teach how to live wisely under God’s rule. They explore suffering, worship, daily righteousness, the emptiness of life without God, and the beauty of covenant love.

Prophets (17 books):
Major Prophets (5): Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel.
Minor Prophets (12): Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

The prophets confront idolatry, call for repentance, warn of judgment, and repeatedly promise a coming Deliverer, a new covenant, and a kingdom that will never end.

The entire Old Testament builds expectation: a seed of the woman, a descendant of Abraham, a prophet like Moses, a son of David, a suffering servant, and a King who will reign forever.

The New Testament (27 Books): Christ’s Arrival and the New Creation

The New Testament announces that Jesus is the promised King. He is the preeminent One in whom all God’s promises find their “Yes” (2 Corinthians 1:20). It shows His life, death, resurrection, the birth of the church, and the final renewal of all things.

Gospels (4 books): Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
These present Jesus from four angles: as King (Matthew), servant (Mark), perfect man (Luke), and eternal God (John). They record His teaching, miracles, crucifixion for sins, and resurrection.

History (1 book): Acts.
Luke’s second volume shows the Holy Spirit empowering the early church to take the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. It records the rapid spread of the message that Jesus is Lord.

Letters (21 books):
Paul’s Letters (13): Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon.
These explain the gospel, the meaning of Christ’s work, how the church should live, and how believers stand secure in Him.
General Letters (8): Hebrews, James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude.
These encourage perseverance, warn against false teaching, and call for holy living.

Prophecy (1 book): Revelation.
This apocalyptic letter reveals Christ as the victorious Lamb and coming King. It comforts suffering believers and shows the final defeat of evil and the making of a new heaven and new earth.

How the Two Testaments Fit Together

The Old Testament is not obsolete. Jesus said He came to fulfill it, not abolish it (Matthew 5:17). The New Testament constantly quotes and explains the Old, showing that Christ is the true temple, the better Moses, the perfect high priest, the faithful Israel, and the eternal King.

Everything in the Bible centers on the supremacy and preeminence of Christ that we have been studying in Colossians 1. He is the goal of the Old Testament promises and the living reality of the New Testament gospel. The whole book calls you to trust Him, repent of sin, and live under His rule until He returns.

If you want to go deeper into any section—especially how Colossians fits into the larger biblical theology of Christ’s preeminence—let me know which part to unpack next.

LOST IN THE CHURCH:

[GETTING LOST IN CHURCH]

Part Seven

Worshipping the Word of God/Scripture.

The Word of God, together with the Church, are among the things given to us for the purpose of salvation, to bring people to God, although they themselves are not God. Therefore, I can say that the Word of God is like a signpost pointing us to where Christ is.

When a person ends up building his life upon the Word of God without going to Jesus Christ, this becomes the foundation of one of the greatest deceptions of religious spirits and idolatry in the Church.

If you read John chapter five, you will see how the Lord spoke to those who had fallen into this kind of deception:

> “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39–40



Today, many people have ended up in religious institutions, while others have ended up in Scripture, yet they have never truly come to Jesus to receive life.

Jesus did not come to establish any religion or bring a system of laws to the world; rather, He came to restore the RELATIONSHIP between humanity and God—the relationship that was lost in Eden. It is within this relationship that salvation and eternal life are found.

> “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3



A person can know all the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, and may even teach them with great skill and accuracy, yet never have encountered or truly known the Lord.

It may be easy for someone to explain things about the Lord based on what they have heard from other people. However, it is completely different to know the Lord personally.

Jesus is the Way and the Life. There is no way for anyone to come to the Father except through Him. And when He says that He is the Way, many people picture a dusty road, a gravel road, or a paved road. But the Way He is talking about here is a Person.

To know the way to heaven is to know a Person. And you cannot truly know Him without having a relationship with Him.

> “Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:23



It is entirely possible for someone to preach, teach the Word of God, cast out demons, and perform many works of the Kingdom, yet still not know the Lord—and likewise, not be known in Heaven.

It is easy for a person to build a name for himself and become famous on earth, but it is very different to be known in Heaven.

Many of the things we glorify on earth are often considered worthless before God. Therefore, it is possible for someone to be well-known in Heaven while having no name or recognition on earth.

Glorifying the Word More Than the One Who Gave the Word

There has been a very strange tendency among people to glorify the Word of God more than God Himself, who gave the Word.

In this way, many people hold on to what God said yesterday against what He is saying today.

For example, it is possible for God to say “Yes” yesterday concerning a particular matter and say “No” today, according to His will and timing.

If we have not learned how to walk with the Lord, it is very easy to cling to a dead word, which undoubtedly becomes an idol. In this way, we have many churches today that have died because they continue holding on to a dead word.

The Apostle Peter is one of the examples in Scripture of someone who almost made such a painful mistake. He resisted the Lord’s command concerning the animals, relying on the earlier word from the same God who had declared those animals unclean.

However, by His great mercy, the Lord corrected Peter and told him:

> “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” Acts 10:15



#ToBeContinued..!

Mwl. Ernest Nyalula
WhatsApp: +255 616 609 885

#LostInTheChurch #JesusChrist #WordOfGod #Christianity #ChristianLife #FaithInChrist #KnowJesus #RelationshipWithGod #BibleTruth #SpiritualGrowth #KingdomOfGod #ChristianTeaching #FaithAndTruth #GodsWord #JesusIsTheWay #ChristianYouth #GospelTruth #WalkWithGod #KnowGod #ToBeContinued

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Yesterday was such a beautifully blessed day filled with hilarity, accomplishment, and love. With help from our guests, my storage unit is now empty and all that was left is now properly stored in my shed. My shed, appropriately named: All Things Not Garage, is tidy and does not look like anything that I would own. Now, the little garage which sits right beside the shed of all things not garage, it is a little more cluttered, but still does not look like anything that I would own … it is tidy-ish. My third yard got mowed without issue and I got me a nice hot bath. Played games on the phone with the littles, got cuddles and lots of giggles. However, the biggest event for my day was when we tried a new translation AP so that me and my friend could have a conversation. WE had a conversation … a conversation of giggles and hearty laughter.

As we tried to talk slow, but fast enough and fast, but slow enough for the AP to understand two old ladies … let's just say the translations … well, some were good and correct; others were good for loud laughing. This actually got me in trouble, because my daughter-in-law was trying to put the kids to bed.

In this transaction of trying to talk to each other without one of the kids being there to translate for us, these two old women laughed and bonded in love. Love for fun. Love for family. Love for the Spirit who wants us to understand each other a little better.

Sometimes, as adults, we get too caught up in the adulting part of life that we forget to remember to have fun. We forget that we are allowed to laugh. We are allowed to let go. We are allowed to be free of all the adult rules from time to time and just act like kids. To let our bodies feel the ache of stomach cramps from laughing too hard and too much. We are allowed to live.

This day even ended with hilarity. As I was saying my prayers and giving thanks, my mind was everywhere. Then when I went to recite the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven, hilarity be thy name….” I kid you not it took three tries before I got the words right. And yes, that caused even more laughing for me.
Today I would like to encourage you to find that inner person who is screaming for laughter. Who is crying to have gut-wrenching aches from too many giggles. Do not allow the enemy to keep you from the beautiful smiles and joyful bliss of laughter. Being an adult is hard enough; do not take away your playtime. Find time today to enjoy the blessings, instigate laughter, and smile because it looks good on you.

Be blessed.

**For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. – Romans 8:20-21

Daily Devotional
Have an understanding heart.

I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart. 1 Kings 3:12

Solomon in his youth made David’s choice his own. Above every earthly good he asked of God a wise and understanding heart.... The power of his understanding, the extent of his knowledge, the glory of his reign, became the wonder of the world.

The name of Jehovah was greatly honored during the first part of Solomon’s reign. The wisdom and righteousness revealed by the king bore witness to all nations of the excellency of the attributes of the God whom he served. For a time Israel was as the light of the world, showing forth the greatness of Jehovah. Not in the surpassing wisdom, the fabulous riches, the far-reaching power and fame that were his, lay the real glory of Solomon’s early reign; but in the honor that he brought to the name of the God of Israel through a wise use of the gifts of Heaven.

As the years went by and Solomon’s fame increased, he sought to honor God by adding to his mental and spiritual strength and by continuing to impart to others the blessings he received. None understood better than he that it was through the favor of Jehovah that he had come into possession of power and wisdom and understanding, and that these gifts were bestowed that he might give to the world a knowledge of the King of kings.

As the man is converted by the truth, the work of transformation of character goes on. He has an increased measure of understanding, in becoming a man of obedience to God. The mind and will of God become His will, and by constantly looking to God for counsel, he becomes a man of increased understanding. There is a general development of the mind that is unreservedly placed under the guidance of the Spirit of God. [237]

AN INVITATION TO GO DEEPER

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Dear Father,

You instructed a young prophet, saying, “Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.” But there was an old prophet who came and misled him, saying, “I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water.” But he lied to him. This very act cost the young prophet his life.

The unsettling part of this story is that the Scripture refers to a man who caused the downfall of another in the same field he operated, a prophet! I strongly believe in and advocate for mentorship, and a model who has gone before us often has greater influence on our decisions, especially when its a trusted voice. Today, I am concerned about people we look up to, whose words of direction and contributions to our assignment, although genuine, may lead us astray.

I think of those moments in our destiny when, in what seems like a dilemma, we must choose between obedience to You and what appears to be rebellion against a trusted voice. And like the younger prophet, we may be faced with the risk of letting our guard down. How can we, in such situations, know which way to go? Especially when what they talk us into is not bad in itself. If a man who clearly heard You fell victim, how can we trust our own discernment?

I do not have all the answers, Father. But I have developed a pattern: whenever I experience contradictions, to always check back with You. I believe in mentorship, but I also believe that every trusted voice may not always speak a trusted word.

Translations;
Slide 1: English
Slide 2: French
Slide 3: Bengali
Slide 4: Hindi
Slide 5: Urdu

#LettertoGod
#mentorship
#instructions
#dilemma
#obedience

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𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

Sometimes we think healing means the memories will disappear.

But healing can look different.

The story remains, but the pain no longer controls you.

The wound becomes a scar.
The scar becomes a testimony.
And what once broke you can become part of the story God uses to strengthen you.

You can forgive without excusing.
You can remember without remaining bound to the past.
You can move forward because God is greater than what happened to you.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

#Healing #Forgiveness #GodHeals #ChristianFaith #GodsGrace #HurtPeopleHurtPeople

Am Reagan a servant & winesss of Jesus in these last days. Listen what the son speaks to last days people now. Heb1:1-2, acts26:16, joel2:28, john2:17

Question:
1. WHICH CAME FIRST: PENTECOST OR PAUL'S CONVERSION?

The Day of Pentecost came first.

Pentecost: Acts 2:1-4 — About 30-33 AD. This is when the Holy Spirit came down.
Peter stood and said: Acts 2:16-17 — “But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh... and your young men shall see visions’”

Paul’s conversion: Acts 9:3-6 — About 34-36 AD. Roughly 1 to 4 years AFTER Pentecost.

So Peter declared the last days had begun on Pentecost Day. Paul's vision came AFTER the last days had already begun.

2. WHY THIS MATTERS FOR THE VISIONS — RED 7, GREEN 7, SKELETON, I SAW AFTER VANISHED.

Because Pentecost was first, then Paul's vision, it proves this:

Acts 2:17 did not stop at Pentecost. Paul's vision in Acts 9 and Acts 26:16 — “I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness” — is proof that visions are counted in the last days.

That means:
If Paul could see a vision AFTER Pentecost and it was counted as part of Acts 2:17,
Then the visions Red 7 in the sky, Green 7 on the wall, and the Skeleton visions that vanished afterwards are ALSO counted as part of Acts 2:17.

The Bible says Acts 2:17 says visions shall STILL happen up to now in these last days.

Hebrews 1:2 — “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” — God still speaks by visions, by His Son.

Joel 2:28 = Acts 2:17 — It is for now. It has not ended.

3. THE CONFIRMATION I SAW IN THE SEARCH WITH THE WORD

Shows this correctly:
“The Day of Pentecost came first”

The last days began at Pentecost, and Paul’s vision was inside the last days. So are here today we live.

SUMMARY FOR THIS AS A WITNESS:

Last days began on Pentecost Day - Acts 2:17
Pentecost came 1-4 years BEFORE Paul's conversion
Therefore Paul's vision counts as a last-days vision
Therefore THE visions Red 7, Green 7, Skeleton also count as last-days visions that God still gives now - Acts 2:17 still happening

Am a servant and witness of Jesus.whom Christ appointed to testify to what l have seen him through the visions l saw like Paul. Acts 26:16, with visions message that those in darkness their get opened. and alarm spiritual awakening,renewal, revival, repentance and obedience to word/commandments to have life. matt25:46, john8:12, acts26:16& you last age don't perish in sin/ darkness. proverbs 29:18
I saw what God showed me through his son as visions l saw in these last days. calling me to testify that l have seen him.

Habakkuk 2:3 — The vision awaits its appointed time, it will surely come.

Dear Father,

You instructed a young prophet, saying, “Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.” But there was an old prophet who came and misled him, saying, “I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water.” But he lied to him. This very act cost the young prophet his life.

The unsettling part of this story is that the Scripture refers to a man who caused the downfall of another in the same field he operated, a prophet! I strongly believe in and advocate for mentorship, and a model who has gone before us often has greater influence on our decisions, especially when its a trusted voice. Today, I am concerned about people we look up to, whose words of direction and contributions to our assignment, although genuine, may lead us astray.

I think of those moments in our destiny when, in what seems like a dilemma, we must choose between obedience to You and what appears to be rebellion against a trusted voice. And like the younger prophet, we may be faced with the risk of letting our guard down. How can we, in such situations, know which way to go? Especially when what they talk us into is not bad in itself. If a man who clearly heard You fell victim, how can we trust our own discernment?

I do not have all the answers, Father. But I have developed a pattern: whenever I experience contradictions, to always check back with You. I believe in mentorship, but I also believe that every trusted voice may not always speak a trusted word.

Translations;
Slide 1: English
Slide 2: French
Slide 3: Bengali
Slide 4: Hindi
Slide 5: Urdu

#LettertoGod
#mentorship
#instructions
#dilemma
#obedience