Applying the Holy Scriptures: The Back to Basics Series Three

By Reverend O.L. Johnson

Applying the Holy Scriptures addresses a long-standing criticism of the Bible: that it has no application for today. In this work, the author gives evidence to the contrary through quoting Bible verses which are applicable to twenty situations people face in contemporary life. The goal is to encourage reliance on Gods word as a source of solving lifes problems today. There is a solution there for all human ills.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490881898

Reverend O.L. Johnson

Reverend O.L. Johnson is an ordained Baptist minister and an associate pastor of his home church, the Greater New Zion Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California. He is an advocate of brevity and simplicity in his ministry which will be obvious at first glance of Applying the Holy Scriptures. His writing style is down-to-earth, easy to read and understand, and to the point. He offers a new experience in Christian literature that the average person can appreciate.

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Copyright © 2015 Reverend O.L. Johnson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-8187-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-8188-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-8189-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015908436

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/2/2015

CONTENTS

Preface

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Truth 1   Salvation through Random Acts of Kindness Is a Myth

Truth 2   The Lost Stay Lost without Christian Intervention

Truth 3   Your Words Speak Volumes about Your Character

Truth 4   You Can Get What You Ask for—Every Time!

Truth 5   Bad Is Contagious. It Will Contaminate Good

Truth 6   Misdirected Love Leads to Condemnation

Truth 7   Neglecting Opportunity Can Have Serious Consequences

Truth 8   The Capacity for Evil Is Universal

Truth 9   Rejection Comes When Least Expected

Truth 10   God Reveals Himself in the Words of Scripture

Truth 11   The Authority of Jesus Is Available to All

Truth 12   For the Believer in Christ, Intentional Sin Is Preventable

Truth 13   Cluttered Lives Prevent Personal Growth

Truth 14   Whatever We Do in Secret Will Not Forever Remain a Secret

Truth 15   The Things We Do Are Telltale Signs of What Influences Our Thoughts

Truth 16   Obeying the Laws of God Will Not Result in Your Salvation

Truth 17   God Really Does Want to Be Your Friend!

Truth 18   Anyone Can Have a Life Free from Worry

Truth 19   Prejudice of Any Kind Is Anti-scriptural and Offensive to God

Truth 20   In Spite of Popular Belief, There Is One, and Only One, Panacea for the Concerns of Life

To Mrs. J, my bride of thirty years,

my inspiration,

my sounding board,

my harshest critic, and

my staunchest supporter.

PREFACE

O ver the years I have found that the Holy Scriptures are not without skeptics, critics, and naysayers. There are those who see the Bible as a collection of fables, old wives’ tales, and unbelievable stories that defy logic and the laws of nature. They just cannot believe it’s possible for a mighty sea to part, allowing millions of people to cross over safely, on dry land no less! They can’t accept stories like this, or other similar stories, as truth. I certainly cannot convince any skeptic—and neither will I make an attempt to do so—that the Red Sea did actually part as Scripture says. I believe the Scriptures are true on issues such as this for one basic reason: God is omnipotent and can do anything he chooses to do, including the parting of an enormous body of water. Critics obviously do not believe in the power of God. That’s their prerogative, and I’ll leave it at that.

There’s another level of criticism of Scripture that’s more disturbing to me because, for those who accept the position, it robs them of the full impact that Scripture can have on everyday life. Merely because the Bible was written many centuries ago, some believe it is too old and outdated to have any relevance or application in today’s society. Although I respect a person’s right to his or her opinion, I respectfully disagree with this assessment of the Holy Bible. As I read and study Scripture, it’s perfectly clear to me that God is a pragmatist. When he gave the law to Adam in the garden and to the Israelites during the exodus, the law was relevant to the lives of all of them, and he fully expected all of his people apply the law to their everyday lives. Those laws still exist today, and their relevance and God’s expectation have not diminished over time. The same can be said for the gospel of Christ. It carries the same relevancy as the Law of Moses, and Christ certainly expects it to be applied to the lives of people so God’s ultimate plan of redemption can be realized.

The goal of this book is to show the relevance and applicability of the Scriptures. I’ve chosen to do it through the exploration of several Bible truths and how each is relevant and applicable to everyday life. I do not claim to have covered every truth in the Bible, and neither do I claim that what you will find in these pages will offer a solution to all the problems you may encounter in life. I do believe, however, that the truths contained herein will give you a foundation for forming your own opinion on the relevance and practicality of the Holy Scriptures. This is my prayer for all who take the time to read this with an open mind.

Blessings to all,

Reverend O. L. Johnson

FOREWORD

O nce again I have the distinct privilege of participating in a cultivating work penned by a prolific, prophetic, and perceptive