#here lies the long awaited life update for those who might be interested!

[mourntheantagonist]

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[nalu4emily]

The Unexpected Reward - Chapter 17

Summary:  Natsu and Lucy go on a job together, but what they bring home is something neither anticipated. Forced to make a life changing decision, they have to adapt quickly, but that's never easy, especially given the circumstances. As they work together on their toughest adventure yet, they find themselves drawn to one another, in ways they never realised. Rated Mature. 

"Hey, Flame head! Wait up!" Gray called over, catching the fire mage as he hurriedly made for the guild's exit. "Where're you going in such hurry?"

Turning to catch the ice mage walking straight for him, Natsu stopped to answer, "Home. I left Lucy and Haru asleep this morning, so I better get back to 'em."

"Oh... You've not been at the guild much lately, is everything cool with you?" The ice mage pushed further.

"Uh… Yeah! Been kinda busy and stuff, ya know." The slayer shrugged, not seeming too interested in divulging any further information.

"Well, are ya too busy to come on a mission? It's been some time since our last job together as a team." Gray asked, scratching the back of his head.

"It has been a while, now you mention it… I'd have to ask Lucy if she's feeling up to it yet, she's still not feeling too good… Anyway, catch ya later!" Natsu spoke cheerily and turned back towards the door, his hand reaching for the handle.

"Lucy's been sick for an awfully long time now, Natsu." He heard another voice say, halting him in his tracks, "Are you sure there's not something else going on?" Lisanna came up and elbowed him playfully in the arm.

"Hm?" He replied, retracting his arm back to his side.

"That's right! Lucy hasn't shown her face in months now. Has something happened? Are you guys having relationship issues?!" Levy gasped at the thought, her eyes wide with her mouth hung low.

"Relationship issues?" Natsu cocked his eyebrow in disdain; what kind of nonsense was that?

"I think you're getting a little carried away there, Shrimp. You've been reading too many books again." Gajeel teased, poking Levy's pouted cheek as he came up from behind. "And Lucy hasn't been gone that long… has she?"

"How suspicious… His beloved is sick and yet he's not with her!" Juvia murmured, appearing creepily behind Gray, making him shudder. "What is he hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything! You guys are looking way too much into this." Natsu lied, but for good reason.

The truth was a little more complicated than that. With Lucy being so unwell, she'd not been able to leave the confines of their house, having suffered greatly in the first months of her pregnancy. It'd been hard for the both of them, but Natsu had promised to look after her—to not leave her side, and he'd kept to his word. Having skipped out on job after job, and taking longer and longer breaks between each visit to the guild, it was only natural for their friends to worry and speculate, but it did put him right in the firing line.

He was wasting time. He had to get back to his partner and son, it wasn't fair to keep them waiting. The guild would get their long awaited answers when Lucy returned, which with any luck, would be very soon.

"Can I go now? I got things to take care of." Natsu huffed, starting to get frustrated with their incessant intrusiveness.

Trying to slip out from under the guilds snooping nose, the fire mage was beginning to question whether that was even an option any more, not with the amount of people now crowding him, wanting in on the action. He just hoped the great Titania didn't decide to intervene, then he'd be doomed.

"What things would that be then, Natsu? You're not usually this secretive." Lisanna hinted again, even more curious than before. "I thought you said you had to go home?"

"Just leave the kid alone, he's got his reasons." Laxus shrugged nonchalantly, pretending not to be interested, when really he'd heard everything.

"Yes, listen to Laxus!" Freed jumped in, also creepily appearing out of no where, making the lightning mage quiver. "Natsu doesn't need you all pestering him!"

Said boy sighed, glad to have someone on side and took the opportunity to make his leave—But things were never going to be that easy. The slayer found himself almost smacking his head against the thick, wooden door frame, utterly exasperated, when yet another of his guild mates decided to pipe up and add their two pennies worth.

"Yes, you're right. However, doesn't he usually have the kid with him? Why not today? So many questions that have yet to be answered. It makes you wonder really…" Evergreen chortled to the dubious guild members, hiding her conniving smirk behind her fan.

This was getting out of hand! They were just going 'round and around in circles and at this rate he would never leave. Being backed into a corner, he had no idea what was really going on. His guild mates were chucking all sorts of nonsensical bullshit at him.

Who knew what they were accusing him of? Because he sure as hell didn't know, and was pretty convinced now that they didn't either.

"I've already said Haru's at home with Lucy… The only reason I'm here, is to check in with Mira to make sure everything's ready for his party later. You know, for his birthday today." He explained once again, sighing loudly and slumping forward in despair. "I wasn't gonna bring him in early and spoil the surprise, now was I?"

He wouldn't have bothered with any of it, if it hadn't been for the take over mage and her desire to throw some massive party for the little boy, such was the way of Fairy Tail. But this time, Natsu would've much preferred to celebrate at home where Lucy could be present to enjoy it, too. However, Mira had made her own plans, having suddenly sprung the idea upon the unknowing young man one day in passing, and had given him little choice in the matter—his ultimatum much scarier than Erza could ever be.

"We're well aware of the little one's birthday celebrations today, Natsu." Erza's stern voice echoed through the hall, startling everyone into silence and swiftly marched herself right up to the slayer's retreating body. His heart raced as his worst fear became reality and felt a wave of dread as she approached at speed, her hardened features coming in way too close for his comfort. "However, that doesn't mean I'm any less suspicious of you."

"But why?! There's nothing to be suspicious about, I swear!" Holding his hands up in submission, the fire mage was stunned into silence; his mouth dropping open in disbelief; why were they all so hell bent on this? What even was this? He'd told them what he could; what more did they want? "Lucy and Haru are at home where I left them… What else do you want me to tell you?"

"So secretive and elusive… like you have something to hide. Have you no shame?" Ignoring Natsu's plea, the armoured girl had already come to her own conclusions and summoned one of her treasured swords to point directly at the slayer, her icy glare not the only thing threatening to pierce through him, "Our Natsu would never act like this! He's impulsive and reckless and just downright stupid! What have you done with the real one?"

The fire mage would've taken offence, had the red head not so angrily directed her sharp sword at the bridge of his nose. Narrowing his eyes at the sharp metal so close to him, he gulped thickly, praying to whatever god there was, that today of all days, Lucy might just walk through those big doors, saving him from the hell that was Erza Scarlet.

He shook in his sandals, showered in sweat as the red heads sword tip made contact with his skin, pushing his head right up against the wall, "B-But I am the real Natsu…"

"Then prove it! Explain yourself, now!" She was taking no shit from her fiery companion, not after convincing herself that he was, indeed, an imposter.

Desperate not to be on the receiving end of Erza's wrath, Natsu opened his mouth to speak, but just as quickly shut it again when the old guild doors suddenly creaked open. The sound of an infants voice followed by bickering between two others could be heard filling the loud silence, abruptly halting the interrogation of the defeated fire breather.

"See, Happy! I told you he'd be in here!" The young woman pointed, her eyes landing right on the dragon boy she'd been arguing with flying cat about, only realising moments later the presence of Erza's sword and every eyeball in the building staring unashamedly at her, "Uh… Am I interrupting something?"

"Lucy... you're here..." Natsu croaked in relief, never more glad to see his beautiful girlfriend as he sank to the floor. His voice cracking from the genuine fear the older girl had provoked in him, her sword now fully removed from his face. "My sweet saviour…"

"Uh-oh! Is Natsu in trouble again?" Happy giggled, glancing over at his pink haired friend, taking pity on his horror-stricken features.

"Lucy… You're alive?" Erza stated more than asked, stomping over to the young blonde to inspect her further.

"U-Uh…" The girl in question looked down at herself, confirming that she was definitely alive before looking back up again, confusion etched into her expression. "D-Do you want me to answer that?"

"Maybe you should lay off her a little; I'm sure Lucy's had it rough enough." Gray proclaimed bravely, unable to make eye contact with the unsettled knight.

"Please don't scare her off, not when she's only just returned!" Levy all but pushed Erza out of the way and threw herself at the blonde, who was now trying to balance the new weight along with the baby and herself. "I'm so happy to see you! I've missed you, Lu!"

"I've missed you too, Levy, but I'm sure Natsu's kept you updated." Lucy reassured her, then looked up to all of her other friends, "Hasn't he?"

"Natsu told us you hadn't been feeling well, but that's a suspiciously long illness Lucy, one I hope has a good explanation for making us all worry so much." Erza explained, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's one long tummy bug!" Mira giggled, walking over to the ever growing group to stand near Lucy. "Anyone would think that you were p-" She paused, eyes growing wide with realisation and darted them down to the stellar mages midriff, before promptly fainting on the spot.

"Huh? Mira! Would think, what?! What were you going to say?!" Lisanna yelled, desperately trying to wake her sister up.

"Oh! I get it!" Gray understood, thinking back to the weird conversation he'd had with Natsu in the park and how it all made perfect sense now. "It definitely explains that idiots weird behaviour." He reached out to pat Lucy on the shoulder affectionately and smiled at her, then turned to smirk at said fire mage still recoiling on the ground. "So that's the way you wanna play? Game on, Pyro!"

Turning his head, Natsu smirked back, accepting the silent challenge as he jumped back up to his feet, looking cocky as ever, "You know it, Frosty!"

"Wait, what does Gray know? Is he a part of it too?" Levy gasped, pointing her accusatory finger at the demon slayer.

"Hell no!" Natsu and Gray yelled out in defence, both offended and totally disgusted by the very thought.

"Then what? What is going on here?" Cana shouted from her bench, having heard everything. "Quit with the suspense and just be out with it already!"

"Juvia understands." Out of the shadows, said water mage appeared before her once 'love rival' and smiled happily at the girl she was about to congratulate, "Juvia is so very happy for you both!" She looked down to her own rounded tummy and placed a hand on it, a noticeable difference in size to Lucy's, "They will be the best of friends, Juvia is sure of it."

Lucy's smile reached the corners of her eyes, relieved the rain woman didn't see this as another rivalry, like their partners apparently did, "Thanks Juvia, I'm sure they will be, despite what their father's might think." They both giggled at the expense of the boys gormlessly standing there, along with the rest of the guild, who still had no idea.

"Hold up! So, what does that mean? You're having a baby too, Lucy?" Lisanna asked, cradling her sisters limp body.

The guild's eyes fell to Lucy, more specifically her stomach where if they looked closely, they would see a small, but noticeable bump stretching out her pink summer dress. She could see the expectant faces of her friends waiting for her to answer, and the warm presence of her beloved dragon slayer come to stand next to her, obviously noticing her hesitancy.

"Natsu, I think you should tell them, I know you're dying to." She murmured, her voice quiet but firm.

"Are ya sure, Luce?" He asked, assuming she'd want to do it after all this time, but seeing the certainty in her eyes and the bright smile lifting her cheeks, he took her hand and turned back to the crowd, not needing any more confirmation than that. He glanced at each person in turn, a sense of pride filling his chest as the words left his mouth, "Heck yeah, we are!"

The entire guild erupted in a chorus of whistles and loud cheers, shaking the very foundations of the building in their excitement for the couple, "Oh, wow! Thanks guys! You're too kind!" Lucy's smile shone brighter than it had done in ages, overwhelmed with glee that their guild mates were so pleased for them.

"They've all been worried about ya, Luce." Natsu whispered closely so only she could hear and leaned in to kiss her cheek, knowing just how much this all meant to her. He took the excitable little guy off her hands, giving her the freedom to catch up with everybody.

"I knew it! I knew there was something fishy about you two! But congratulations guys, that's great news!" Levy cheered, ready to get down to the nitty gritty of every dirty detail.

"You had us worried there, Lucy. For a while, I thought you were never coming back!" Lisanna shared, hugging the celestial mage tightly, probably a little too tight.

"Oh… I'm sorry to have made you all worry, but I'm feeling much better now." The blonde explained, a light tint of pink dusting her cheeks from all the attention she was getting.

She could see Natsu hadn't moved too far away from her and tilted her head to look at him. Chuckling to herself, she could hear Erza try to apologise to him, suggesting the boy punch her right in the face for making such a mistake, a suggestion that was right up his alley, if it weren't for Haru in his arms.

Catching his beautiful blonde staring at him through the corner of his eye, he turned in her direction and winked, grinning as he held the little boy up on his shoulders to walk back over to her, "You feeling alright, Luce?" He asked, worried she may have forced herself into attending the celebrations before she was ready.

She nodded shyly, a little taken aback by the overwhelming attention she was receiving. Feeling his hand once again take hold of hers, she stared up into his confident eyes, then up to the child having the time of his life on his fathers shoulders, "I'm okay, but today's about Haru, not me, and I wasn't gonna miss this for the world." She grinned up at the small boy and reached up to stroke his cheek affectionately, chuckling at his enormous smile.

"You're right! Come on, Lucy! I wanna show you what we've done!" Natsu all but dragged the poor girl outside, Haru and Happy in tow, to show her the sheer amount of effort that had gone in to making Haru's first birthday, special.

The entire guilds courtyard had been lit up like a Christmas tree, with nothing left untouched. Banners and bunting of every colour hung from every post, table and tree. Tables upon tables of delicious food had been laid out with the most gargantuan home made birthday cake (courtesy of Mira) proudly sat in the middle of it all. An enormous pile of gifts had also been laid out, all individually wrapped with little cards to say whom they were from and most importantly, the pool had been filled with all kinds of fun inflatables and toys for all the children to play with.

Lucy looked around in amazement. She couldn't believe they'd gone to so much effort just for a one year old, a child that would unfortunately never remember this, but it didn't matter, she and Natsu would for him. "This is incredible, Natsu! I can't believe you did all this without me!"

"Don't sound too surprised; I can help organise things when I want to. And it wasn't all me, Mira came up with the idea." He looked up to the child above him and chuckled, "You like it, Haru?" The child had no idea what was going on, with no concept of birthdays or parties, he simply cheered anyway, responding to his Daddy's infectious grin, "Good! Well then Luce, let's get this party started!"

With his grin turning evil, he squeezed her hand tight and dived head first into the pool, with no consideration for his, Lucy's or Haru's clothing. She yelped at the top of her voice, her only reply a cackle before being submerged under water, thus setting the mood for the rest of the day.

After a full afternoon of playing with the other children, eating lots of cake and other treats, and opening presents, Haru found himself in the pool once again, this time in more appropriate attire for the water. A pair of cute little lion themed trunks (gifted by Loke), and a cute turtle inflatable ring adorning his middle (a present from Lisanna), made it much easier for him to stay above the surface while enjoying a swim in the water.

Natsu, in his usual flamed swim shorts, also found himself in the pool, diving under and popping back up in random places to surprise the little boy. Haru loved a good game of peek-a-boo, the anticipation of where his Daddy was going to pop up next was just too exhilarating. He squealed and laughed every time he resurfaced, then his eyes would grow wide in anticipation when he dived back down again.

"Gotcha!" Natsu exclaimed, appearing behind the little guy and grabbing his sides. "Does Haru want a go?" He asked, lifting him out of the rubber ring and holding him above the surface with just his hands, letting the infant tread the water to keep himself up, "Look at you! You'll be swimming in no time!"

Lucy watched on from her sun lounger, not remotely amused that the slayer had got her cute dress soaked, or that she now had to lay in just her pastel blue bikini, feeling somewhat self conscious with everyone staring at her exposed belly. She laid comfortably basking in the hot sunlight kissing her skin, trying to catch some semblance of a tan, relaxing while she could. She felt happy, content even, thankful that her symptoms had calmed down just in time for Haru's big day.

It'd been a long time since she'd been able to do this without having to run to the bathroom. With no spell or potion being strong enough to truly rid her of the awful feeling, she'd become well acquainted with the toilet in their house, having spent most of her time with her nose down it. It'd been hard over the last few months adapting to her changing body, her wild mood swings and questionable cravings, but she also knew it would be worth it in the end and it was on days like this, with her friends and loved ones surrounding her that she sincerely felt it.

Smiling to herself, Lucy placed her hand on her small, protruding stomach, feeling the tiny flutterings of the little one moving around inside, "You're an active little one today." She giggled, looking to be talking to herself by onlookers, but she didn't mind. "Then again, you're active everyday."

"Juvia's baby is quite active too, but he's closer to his due date than yours and is much bigger." Juvia said, coming to sit on the next lounger. She cradled her own, much larger bump that'd been covered by a flowy, light green summer dress, finding her regular clothes to form fitting and hot to wear now. "It's quite the feeling when he does somersaults in Juvia's belly."

"He? You're having a boy?" Lucy asked, intrigued to learn more and catch up with her friend.

"Yes, Porlyusica told us the last time we visited. Juvia always imagined she'd have a little boy, maybe watching Haru has something to do with that." She gleamed, looking over to the small fella splashing about in the pool still, having the time of his life with his father.

"I'm so pleased for you! I bet Gray was thrilled!" The blonde exclaimed, knowing he would be.

"Of course! Gray was very pleased. In fact, he made us go out and buy all the boys clothes we could find in the market afterwards. Then he took Juvia home and made-"

"No, it's okay… I don't think I need to know any more!" Lucy felt her cheeks burn red at the very thought.

"Made Juvia dinner…" The water mage finished, furrowing her brows at Lucy's assumption.

"O-Oh… Oops! Sorry Juvia, I thought you were going to say that you guys-"

"Made love? I think those hormones are getting the better of you, Lucy." Cana appeared, wagging her imaginary tail at the slightest mention of sex. "They say you get more horny when you're pregnant. I bet you and Natsu are at it all of the time? Actually, I'm kinda surprised he's not over here right now, with you looking all juicy like that!"

"Cana!" Lucy spluttered, her cheeks burning even more furiously. "You can't say things like that in public!" She didn't want to discuss her sex life in front of others, even if what they were saying was true—when she wasn't heaving of course.

"She's right though, Lucy. Juvia hasn't been unable to keep her hands off of Gray." The blue haired girl reaffirmed, her eyes like love hearts as she thought of her beloved Gray. "And Gray hasn't been able to keep his hands off Juvia, either."

"Wow, looking kinda smug there… You were like that any way…" Cana murmured, shaking her head at the love struck girl.

Well, there went Lucy's relaxing in silence, now she could barely keep from her head exploding—Good ol' Cana! "I don't wanna hear any more!" The celestial mage reiterated, covering her ears for emphasis.

"Oh, come on, Lucy! You're pregnant! That didn't happen by accident! You and Natsu knew exactly what you were doing." Cana retorted, moving herself closer to the flustered girl, her boozy breath permeating the air.

"U-Uh… Well… No, actually. It was kind of an accident…" Lucy admitted, feeling a little awkward by saying that out loud, her friends surprised faces not helping matters, "But it was a good accident!"

"Huh… And here I was thinking you were the cautious type, Lucy… Not that it matters. It's good to let the mood just take ya." Cana grinned, her shock forgotten.

"Don't look so ashamed Lucy, you'll both have another sweet baby to call your own and that's a wonderful thing. I imagine Natsu was over the moon when you both found out." Mira beamed her usual motherly smile as she came to sit near them all, having wanted to get the details on Lucy's pregnancy since earlier, "If Juvia's is a boy, then I bet yours is going to be a girl, Lucy."

"You think so?" The blonde asked back, never having actually considered what the sex would be before, but the thought of having a little girl join the family sounded rather appealing, especially in a house dominated by boys.

"Yes, with Haru as well, we need a little girl to make it more even. And she's gonna have the cutest pink hair and big brown eyes, I can just see it now!" Mira was off in a little world of her own, thinking of blue haired baby boys and pink haired baby girls—she was incorrigible.

"Boy or girl, I just hope that after living in a house full of ravenous beasts, this little one might be more like me. Haru's just a dark haired Natsu, he even laughs like him." Lucy placed her hand where she could feel the little movements of her baby and chuckled down, "But who am I kidding? You've already got your father's energy, that's for sure."

"Hey! Don't say that like it's a bad thing, Luce!" Natsu overheard as he appeared out of no where. "There's nothing wrong with having a mini-me, ain't that right, kid?" He hi-fived the now dry child in his arms, having already dried himself using his magic. "Who cares what they are or who they look like? You'll be in there somewhere, Luce; you're their mother, after all."

"Yeah, you're right." She said, always fascinated by Natsu's simplistic, yet logical way of thinking.

"Any way, it's getting kinda late, I was gonna take Haru somewhere a bit more quiet," Natsu gestured to the current brawl taking place behind him.

"Leaving so soon?" Mira asked, standing to say goodbye to the grizzly birthday boy.

"Yeah, he's all pooped out from the busy day he's had and I think he's ready to go to sleep now. Thanks for organising it, Mira!" He said, before turning swiftly to Lucy, "You coming?"

The bikini clad girl jumped to her feet and stretched her arms up, feeling the tiredness begin to set in, completely unaware of her partners roaming gaze, "Yeah, sure... Just let me put my dress-"

"Lucy! Watch out!" She heard Natsu shout suddenly as she bent to grab the item of clothing.

Feeling herself being pushed back onto the sun lounger, she flailed and reached her arms out to catch herself. Darting her eyes up to see what was going on, she was met with the exposed back of the dragon slayer that had moved to shield her from something. Smoke clouded him and the infant; an unfamiliar heat emanated off of his body. The girl hadn't seen what'd happened, or what she'd been saved from, but if the harsh, heavy breathing of the man in front of her was anything to go by, it was a close call.

"Natsu…" She started, but stalled there after, unsure of what more to say to him.

"What the heck do you think you're doing, you old geezer! Do you have any idea what could've happened just then?!" Natsu bellowed, his voice teeming with rage as his eyes narrowed at the culprit. "You're lucky I was here to catch your stupid attack, or that would've gone straight for Lucy!"

The brawl had come to a complete stand still and Macao, the one that'd thrown a fire ball initially at Wakaba, had gone ghostly pale as the dragon slayer's piercing gaze stared him down. "Hey man, I'm sorry… I didn't even know she was there, it was an accident!" He held his hands up in submission, not wanting to enter into a fight with the maddened slayer, knowing that was one he'd never win. "We got a little carried away, that's all."

"Oh yeah? Maybe I should go all out and see how you like it? Try and dodge this one!" Natsu roared, sending a blazing ball of fury of his own hurtling through the air, aiming it right at Macao's cowering body. Turning hotfooted back to Lucy, the distant cries of the offender being struck by his magic was like music to his ears, his anger satiated.

"Are you hurt, Luce? Did anything hit you?" He did a full search of her body, checking for any kind of injury. His worried eyes eventually fell upon her exposed belly and instinctually brought his hand out to caress it softly, "Is the baby okay?"

Smiling up at him, she brought her own hand to rest on his cheek and pulled him closer, loving just how protective he could be, "Of course, our baby's fine. No need to worry." She guided his palm to where the little one was doing somersaults and allowed him to feel the light pads against his skin.

Unable to keep his infectious grin down for long, he pushed his mouth hastily against Lucy's in a kiss that turned heated all too quickly. Buzzing with adrenaline from the incident, Natsu moved his hand from her belly and tangled his fingers into her hair, holding her in place as he enjoyed the taste of her warm lips.

"That's it, fire breath, you took it too far this time!" He heard Gray shout from behind him, knocking him out of his 'Lucy' trance and pull away, glancing over his shoulder, "Look at what you've done to the pool, you dumbass!" The ice mage pointed to the steaming pit that was once the guilds pool, fuming at the state of it.

"Ha! Looks like you and Juvia are gonna have a fun time filling that back up!" Natsu guffawed, passing the fidgety Haru to Lucy.

"Screw you, Pinky! You're going down!" Gray threatened, launching himself at the fire wizard and starting yet another brawl.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy looked down at the sleepy boy rubbing his tired eyes, and decided to creep away from the fight that just seemed to be attracting more and more people, "Come on then, sweetheart. It looks like Daddy's got himself distracted again." She chuckled, disappearing back inside before anyone had noticed she was gone.

By the time the evening swept in, Lucy had found herself a quiet spot up on a small hill a little ways from the guild, overlooking the lake behind it. She sat cosily against one of the many old oak trees, with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and the baby laid across her chest, begrudgingly, but slowly falling asleep. She hummed her sweet lullaby to soothe her tuckered out child, hoping to coax him into closing his eyes.

It was moments like this that she cherished the most with Haru, just her and him with no one to interrupt. The atmosphere was peaceful and calm, exactly what she was looking for compared to the ruckus that was the guild's 'after' party that continued on down the street. She could even hear the rumble of their antics from where she sat, but luckily, it was pretty muffled, unable to spoil her quietude.

After weeks of staying at home, it sure made a pleasant change to be watching the sunset instead. She'd grown tired and achy after such a busy day, her feet were sore and her head had grown weary, but still she watched contented as the beautiful evening began to fade.

The young mother could finally hear the soft, even breaths of the slumbering child and gently placed him upon her bent up legs, covering him with her blanket to keep him from feeling the chill in the air. Staring at his little angelic features, she found it hard to fathom how drastically her life had changed compared to just twelve months before. She'd grown so much as a person and gained everything she'd ever wanted and more, making new memories along the way.

She and Natsu had unknowingly plunged themselves into a completely new world, taking on the responsibility of an abandoned child and calling him their own. Haru had opened their eyes to a life they never thought they'd get to experience, especially not with each other. The little boy had brought them together in a way that would forever bind them, creating the family unit they were today. It only seemed fitting to name this day as Haru's official birthday, for it was the day his life, and theirs, had begun anew.

Leaning her head back against the tree, becoming lost in her memories, her eyelids began to close, a wave of exhaustion rushing over her while sleep tempted her in. A rustle of a nearby bush was quick to quash that feeling though, as a startled Lucy snapped her eyes wide open and darted her head over to where the sound had come from.

"Oh, Natsu… It's just you…" She breathed, laying her bleary eyes onto that familiar toothy grin and untameable pink hair, a scaly, white scarf to match. "Tell me, what were you doing hiding in the bushes?"

"Looking for you." He said simply, walking out onto the hillside to join her, having deliberately left out the part that he'd been hiding there for much longer than he'd care to admit. In fact, one might say he'd been there the entire time, watching the beauty that was Lucy quietly sing their son to sleep and hadn't wanted to disturb her until she'd finished. "You left, so I had to come find ya."

"Oh, you didn't have to. I just wanted to settle Haru before he started getting grumpy. It's nice and quiet out here." Her voice sounded airy and light, her eyes half lidded and a little bloodshot. "You can go back and join the others if you want, I'm okay." She offered, but Natsu knew better than that, he always did.

"You don't have to pretend for me, Lucy. I can see how tired you are." He'd learnt pretty quickly in the past few months that pregnancy didn't just make her exceptionally sick, but that it had an array of different symptoms, some physical and others emotional, but all unpleasant and incredibly draining for her. "Why would I leave any way, you're all out here?"

"Happy's not."

"Yeah, and Happy's capable of looking after himself. He's too interested in Carla to notice we're even gone. You know what he's like." Natsu explained, scooting closer to Lucy to take the infant from her legs.

He set the baby down in his lap to keep him warm, the fluffy blanket tightly swaddling his body. The two mages cuddled up to one another, watching the twinkling stars come out to glimmer and shine down onto the glistening water in the distance.

"It's crazy to think it's been an entire year since we brought him home. Who knows where we'd be without him here?" Lucy reminisced, her gaze drifting from the moonlit lake, to the baby snoring peacefully without a single care in the world. "Or where his life might've gone, if we hadn't taken him in."

"We'd be what we always were," Natsu stated bluntly, tearing his own gaze away to look at the girl beside him, "Best friends, going on adventures and honestly, that's kinda the sad truth of it all. As for Haru…" He glanced down at his cuddled up son, smiling sadly as he remembered the first time he ever set eyes on the tiny, lifeless baby, that fateful day, "I made a promise to keep him safe; to make sure he lived… He was always going to come with me, there was never another choice. I just didn't know it then."

"And I'll be forever grateful that he did, because..." Lucy cleared her throat, feeling a little emotional at the thought, "Now, I have you and him! And nothing has ever made me happier! Choosing to adopt a child was the most daunting thing I've ever done, but it's proven to be the best decision I've ever made, one I'll always be thankful for." She gave her own toothy smile, a slight tint of pink dusting her cheeks as she poured her heart out to him.

Natsu felt his heart squeeze tight, her words reminiscent of his own feelings and quirked his lips up at her. Reaching his hand forward, he smoothed his fingers through her golden locks, before coming to rest it under her ear, guiding her to him, "Me too, Luce. Which is why…"

Lucy's breathing deepened the closer she got and felt his other hand come up to hold hers tenderly, paying no mind to him fiddling with her fingers, "Which is why, what? Is there something else?" She asked, cocking her head cutely as their breaths began to mingle. "Natsu?" Her eyes fluttered between his dark ones, waiting expectantly for him to finish.

"I… I wanna ask you something." He murmured just before claiming her mouth, connecting their lips in a kiss so sickly sweet, it made Lucy's belly fill with butterflies.

She could have melted into a puddle right then and there, the feel of his affections always had a way of making her turn to goo in his hands. Her spine shivered and the adrenaline buzzed through her system, not having the capacity to comprehend the words that'd been spoken, for her mind had been taken over by the feel of his hot mouth. Letting go of her hand, he snaked his fingers up to the other side of her neck and pulled her closer, craving those sweet cherry lips that he liked to nip at with his teeth.

Her fingers were now free to roam and touch as they pleased, tangling them up through his hair and tugging on the pink strands at the base of his neck. Desperate for breath, she pulled herself away and gazed into his half lidded eyes for mere seconds, before he impatiently delve down to ravish her neck. The sucking and biting just under her ear caused small gasps and whimpers to escape the increasingly aroused celestial mage, her eyes fogging with lust, until something bright caught her attention.

"What was that?" She asked panting, her voice raspy as she tried to catch sight of whatever it was again. It had flickered like a light, shined like a reflection and sparkled all at once, making her wonder if she'd really seen anything at all.

"What was what, Lucy?" He asked her, not meaning to sound quite so unsurprised, when usually he was the first to go looking for trouble.

"I thought I saw…" She didn't really know what she'd seen, her mind too muddled from the heated moment they were having; maybe it was just her eyes playing tricks? Or worse… someone was spying on them.

Natsu clasped at the hand she had buried in his hair and brought it into view, "Was it this, maybe?" He asked, drawing attention to one specific digit.

Feeling the contrast between his warm skin and the cold hardness of something else against her finger, Lucy peered down in curiosity, her breath stalling when her eyes laid upon the object of confusion. Gasping loudly, she clasped at her mouth, two enlarged chocolate orbs flickered between him and her hand in utter astonishment. Somehow, in the midst of their make out session, Natsu had managed to band the most simplistic, yet beautiful ring onto her finger, where it sat proudly and spoke of untold intentions.

"It's… I-It's beautiful! B-But how did you- When-" She stuttered, too lost in what this all might mean, searching deep within his dark eyes for the answers to her silent, but obvious questions.

"That's the right finger, isn't it?" He asked, looking uncharacteristically nervous, a small pink hue dabbing his cheeks. His heart was beating much quicker than he would've liked, hoping he hadn't screwed up already.

That was all she needed to hear to confirm her suspicions, her brown eyes wet with unshed tears, "N-Natsu, I… I don't know what to say-" She couldn't speak, this was too much and he'd not said anything yet.

"Lucy…" He spoke with every sincerity, taking the ringed hand and entwined their fingers. "I'm not so good with this stuff, but I know that getting married is important to you, which makes it important to me, too. I promised you forever and I guess you could say, this is me making good on that promise." He caressed her soft cheek with his thumb and smiled when he saw the glint in her eyes shine back at him. "So, what do you say? Prepared to commit yourself to this," he gestured to himself and winked playfully, "For the rest of your life?"

Finding herself unable to keep her emotions in check, the girl didn't answer, but instead, launched herself at him, giving him barely any time to move the slumbering child out of the way and brace for impact. Landing on top of the winded dragon slayer, she managed to catch herself with her hands and gleamed down at him, tears falling from her eyes and the smile on her face rivalling his. She leant down and connected their lips once again, taking the lead this time, unable to keep her happiness from pouring out.

To the side, still held in Natsu's opened out arm, was Haru, completely unaware of what was going down, his dreams taking him to far off places. His developing sibling in his Mommy's tummy, however, didn't seem quite so pleased, having been wedged between the two loved up adults as they made out under the sea of stars, had decided to take matters into their own hands. With one almighty kick, the kiss came to a quick halt when Lucy groaned and pulled back, grabbing hold of her bump to sooth the sore area.

"Jeez! Was that the baby kicking you? 'Cause even I felt that one!" Natsu looked surprised, amazed that their baby was so strong, at just five months, that he'd been able to feel the force of the kick against his own abdomen. "Is it still hurting, Luce? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it just shocked me, that's all. They've never been quite that strong before." She chuckled, sitting herself up and straddling his hips as she looked down to her belly, gently caressing it with her thumb, "You were just trying to tell Mommy to move, weren't you?"

Balancing himself up onto his elbow, Natsu also placed his hand on top of Lucy's bump and smirked, "Or maybe, they were just tryin' to get their Mommy to say yes."

"Like you needed an answer!" Quirking her eyebrow up at his smirk, she shifted back a little as he sat himself up against the tree, laying Haru gently next to them while Lucy remained in place, "But you haven't actually asked me anything yet. Who knows what I could be agreeing to? This is you, after all."

The young man chuckled and grinned his thousand watt smile, knowing she'd catch him out eventually, "Alright, have it your way." The mischievous look on his face didn't disappear, even when he tried to take it seriously, "Will you marry me, Lucy?"

She returned his beaming smile with one of her own, glad to have heard it come from his mouth and nodded her head enthusiastically, "Of course, Natsu, the answer was always a yes."

"Good. Can I go back to kissing you now?" He asked, but didn't bother waiting for a reply and went to pull that enticing mouth back in for a third kiss, hoping this time there'd be no more interruptions in the forms of sparkling rings or unimpressed unborn babies.

But just as their lips were about to touch, Lucy paused ever so tantalisingly close to him and furrowed her brows, causing the boy to sigh impatiently, "What is it now?"

"Have you been holding on to that ring all day?" She enquired, only realising now that he must've got it from somewhere.

"Nah, not all day, just the party. I had to ask Happy to go and get it for me while you were distracted with Haru." Natsu explained, scratching the back of his head, "I was gonna do it myself, but stuff happened and then you suddenly showed up."

"Stuff… happened?" Now she was even more curious; what could've gone on in her absence?

"Yeah… them." He shivered still traumatised, pointing over to where Fairy Tail's guild hall stood, still alive and partying, and Lucy understood immediately just what he was referring to, giving her an insight into what she'd unsuspectingly walked in on earlier that day. "So, I had to change up my plans."

"Oh! Why didn't you just do it tomorrow instead? Rather than make it difficult for yourself." She asked, feeling a little smug when she saw the light go on in his brain.

She'd stumped him there. Always the brains of the operation, he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that. He'd wanted to do it on a day that meant something to the both of them, but really, did it matter? The result would've been the same.

Noticing her cocky smirk and the playfulness in her eyes, he rose to the challenge, a fire in his belly, "Because, Miss Know-it-all, today was special, just like you said… And it wasn't difficult… I had it all under control…"

"Uh-huh…" She watched him become a little fidgety as if he weren't quite telling the truth and her smirk widened into a smug, toothy grin, "So you were just pretending to be scared when Erza was threatening you? I get it."

His eyes were sharp and intense, just like they were in battle, the one sided grin to boot as he bore into her playful expression, "Your playing with fire, Lucy…" His voice dangerous and brimming with cockiness.

"Then let it burn." She whispered close to his ear, barely able to get the words out before she found herself being forced onto her back, her hands held down above her head, with a fired up dragon slayer carefully leant over her form.

"You asked for it!" He growled, gulping down a large breath as he connected his mouth to the sensitive skin of her neck, torturing her senses with his loving but fierce embrace.

[ghostofnibelheim]

Verses Update!

//As previously mentioned, new AU verses were added! Check out what’s new down below, or go see the full page with the complete list of verses here!

Classic Fantasy - Dragon: (Ageless) Sephiroth was a noble dragon, known and worshiped by all as the guardian of the Fortress of Midgar. Until one day, the mighty dragon suddenly turned against the people he’d sworn to protect. Flying away to a distant continent, he razed a village killing all of its people and made its ruins his lair. Now he haunts the ghost town, facing any intruder who may trespass his territory. Many brave warriors and knights have tried to slay the corrupted dragon, and failed. Only a few were able to return from braving his might, and swear that the beast is nothing short of immortal. Yet whispers travel across the land, of the dragon obsessively protecting a lone, decrepit mansion. What kind of treasure could the dragon be hoarding in its darkest depths?

Classic Fantasy - Unicorn: (Ageless) They say that unicorns are irresistibly attracted to those pure of heart. To better entice his prey, this mysterious creature has used his magic to take the form of a beautiful man with long silver hair. Who is the virgin he has laid his eyes on?

Classic Fantasy - Centaur: (Age: 30) Born in a tribe of hunters and gatherers, Sephiroth has abandoned the herd to venture the world on his own. He’s never been near the more industrious society of humans and the other races. What awaits the curious adventurer?

Classic Fantasy - Elf: (Ageless) Immortality has a painful price. After spending countless centuries in the forest with his kin, Sephiroth decides to brave the unknown and wander the outskirts of the woods. He’s looking for anything, something that may make him feel alive, in this place where time stands to a still. Can his frozen heart beat anew?

FFXIV - Viera: (Age: 270) Name tbd when the naming conventions come out. A member of the Veena clan, this quiet and serious man wanders the peaks of his homeland as a warrior and protector. Skilled with the spear, he spends his days practicing and hunting... until the day the Garlean Empire emerged on the doorstep of the Skatay Range.

Machinabridged!: (Age: 22) Sephiroth has returned, swinging his sword and doing sweet multikills. Don’t get him started about that dragon he had to cut down in Nibelheim...

Dissidia - Warrior of Chaos: (Age: 22) Summoned by Chaos, Sephiroth roams the lands of World B, looking for a challenge, a purpose to his existence. Waiting for his puppet to find him, what other intriguing characters may he meet?

Dissidia - Warrior of Spiritus: (Age: 22) Summoned by Spiritus and thrown into his feud with the Goddess Materia, Sephiroth has little interest for chaos and destruction. But what is the truth behind this artificial world? He doesn’t like lies, and is ready to find answers of his own.

K Project - Strain: (Age: 27) Sephiroth is a mysterious individual. Orphaned and of origins unknown, he makes a living in Tokyo Metropolis as a model and musical actor. His most attractive feature that made him most popular are his peculiar cat-like eyes that his fans adore and swoon over. Yet, despite his popularity, he seems to live a very lonely life. Isn’t that a power-controlling device issued by the Gold Clan clasped on his ear?

[purrincess-chat]

Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s Spite Playlist: Original CH20

It only seems appropriate to end this fic with the same gif that opened it. Get your snacks and your tissues ready, lads. This is the end.

Previous   First

Chapter 20 no tears left to cry

Alya leaned against her locker a few weeks later, smiling down at her phone where an interview with Marinette and Nadja played about her foundation to help past akuma victims as well as an update on Adrien’s treatment. She was happy to hear that he was doing well and even happier to be forgiven by someone who by all means shouldn’t have forgiven her, but Marinette had always been like that. Even if they weren’t the best of friends anymore, it was a big relief to know that she didn’t hate Alya for everything she did, and although she couldn’t take back all of those wasted years, she could make up for them moving forward by helping others and being a hero in her own right.

“Ahem, excuse me miss, but it seems as though you’ve captured my heart.” She smirked at Nino’s voice over her shoulder, turning around and stretching up on her toes to kiss him. “You working at the foundation today?”

“Yep! I’ve been working on the blog with Gabrielle. We’re going to interview someone today about their experiences dealing with akumas over the past few years and meet with a licensed psychologist on coping mechanisms,” Alya reported as they walked, and Nino’s smile softened. “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just good to see the light back in your eyes,” he remarked, and Alya felt her cheeks warm.

As they rounded the corner past the library, Alya caught sight of Lila sitting alone at a table, leaned over her maths textbook with a bored expression. She pursed her lips before patting Nino’s back and stepping out of his arms.

“I’ll catch up with you later,” she said, and Nino quirked a brow but pressed on anyways as Alya entered the library. She took a deep breath before pacing over to sit across from Lila whose eyes narrowed the moment she sat down.

“What do you want?” She grunted.

“For you to listen,” Alya stated, clasping her hands together calmly on the table. “I don’t expect you to apologize because I know you’re not sorry, but you’re going to hear me out.”

Lila rolled her eyes, so she continued.

“I wasn’t entirely blameless in everything that happened, and I’ve come to terms with that, but I cannot deny that you used and manipulated me, and that’s not okay,” she said, gaze steady despite how Lila averted hers. “But even despite everything, I want you to know that I forgive you, and I hope that someday you find your true self underneath all those lies and stop manipulating people. It’s not healthy, and you’re just going to make yourself miserable in the end.”

“Is this some feeble attempt at making me realize the error of my ways and turning me to the good side?” She quirked an amused brow.

“No,” Alya said flatly. “It’s closure for me. I lost myself to you for a long time, but you have no power over me anymore, and I’m going to go live a happy life.”

“Whatever.” Lila rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to her homework, and Alya opened her mouth to say something then thought better of it and stood up.

She squared her shoulders as she walked out of the library, finding them much lighter than when she’d entered. All those years she’d been carrying extra burdens that no longer plagued her, and now she was finally free.

***

Sunlight streamed in from the window across the room as Adrien folded his last few shirts and tucked them into his black duffle bag. He smoothed the fabric before turning to glance at the window with a sigh. It had been five months since he’d checked into this mental hospital, and he knew a storm awaited him the moment he stepped out. Nevertheless, it was time. There was a lot of work to do.

“Are you all packed, Mr. Agreste?” The nurse poked her head in. “Your family is here.”

“Yeah.” Adrien turned back to his bag on the bed, zipping it closed and slinging it over one shoulder.

His heart pounded as they led him up the hall, through several locked doors and out to the lobby where two sparkling blue eyes met his, and he felt his nerves calm as she stepped into his arms.

“Is this everything?” Tom asked, taking his bag, and Adrien nodded.

“You could have asked for more clothes, dear. We have access to your house, and I could have gotten more for you,” Sabine said, placing a hand on her hip, but he simply shrugged.

“Everything I own is Gabriel brand, so I was more than happy to wear something of Marinette’s for a change,” he said, smiling at her sweetly. “A reminder of the people waiting for me.”

“We’ve arranged a room for you,” Sabine said with a wince. “We weren’t sure where you’d want to go once you were out, so we prepared it just in case.”

“Thank you. I’ll definitely take you up on that,” he said, then lowering his gaze, he pursed his lips. “I should go by the house to close everything out, I suppose.”

“You don’t have to do that right away,” Marinette started, but he flicked his gaze to meet hers with a smile.

“It’s okay. I’m ready,” he assured her, but she exchanged looks with her parents.

“Adrien, there’s something you should know before you go…” she started, biting her lip, and Adrien stopped, eyebrows furrowing.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, and she shifted her weight.

“It’s her…” She said. “She’s awake.”

***

There were a lot of emotions Adrien should have felt when he arrived at the mansion, but somehow as he stared up at the tall gate, he wasn’t sure he felt anything at all. How should he have felt after everything? Sad? He’d had enough of that. Betrayed? Tons. Angry? What would be the point?

The truth of the matter was, he just wanted to bury the past and move on. It was something that he’d struggled to come to terms with, but no matter how much he wished it, he couldn’t change what had happened. All he could do was press forward into the future and live a good life. A free life. Doing what he wanted with the person he loved by his side. After everything, it sounded pretty nice.

The mansion was just as cold and empty as he remembered, the tall portrait of him and his father still hanging in the foyer. He’d always hated that picture because he didn’t like to think about his mother being gone. After all, it’s not like he’d known she was only a few meters below him the whole time. How could he possibly have known that? It’s not like his father ever spent time with him let alone told him his dark and nefarious plans to take over the world.

His bedroom was relatively untouched since the last time he’d be in it. Dust had settled on every surface, and he glanced around with a sigh before setting out to get what he came for. The only things he had interest in taking with him were a few gifts from Marinette from over the years, some photos, and a few other important documents and school books. He didn’t really have a use for anything else, and if he was being honest, looking at everything made his stomach churn.

He sat on his bed next to the box with a sigh, gazing fondly at a framed photo of him and Marinette with their cheeks pressed together, elated smiles stretched on their lips. The one person who had always been in his corner no matter what. His partner. His Ladybug. The girl who taught him to never give up hope, and looking down at their smiling faces reminded him that not everything in life was so dark. He would find happiness again, and this time it would come with freedom. The life he always wanted was finally at his fingertips.

He carried the box down to the foyer, stopping at the base of the stairs to look back over the house he’d grown up in. The house he’d been imprisoned in for so many years. It felt a little bittersweet to leave it behind, and his chest ached a little bit at the thought of never returning. It was stupid really. He should be happy to leave, but part of him felt a twinge of sadness. Most of the memories he had there were of isolation and loneliness, but when that was all you’d ever known, change seemed so scary. But he’d had a taste of life on the other side, and he didn’t want to look back.

Pursing his lips, he set the box down at the base of the stairs and climbed back up to his room. If this was the last time he’d ever set foot in the house, he might as well enjoy it and do all of the things he’d wanted to do for years. Was it juvenile to throw darts at his father’s portrait in the foyer? Probably, but something about seeing them pierce his stiff cheeks made him feel a little better.

“Do you really hate him this much?” He froze briefly at the voice behind him but threw the next dart after a beat without bothering to turn around. “He did what he did for us, you know. He just wanted us to be happy.”

“Yeah, how’d that turn out for him?” Adrien grunted, aiming another dart. “You spent years locked in the basement. I thought you were dead. I’d accepted that, and ya know, he could have just been a father to me, but instead he decided to be a supervillain. He decided to terrorize the city on a daily basis, and now he’s in jail and none of us are happy.”

She remained quiet at that, so he turned around to face her with a shrug. All those years he’d wondered what he would feel if he ever saw his mother again, but now as he looked at her, he couldn’t help but feel like he was looking into the face of a stranger. She looked the same as she had the last time he saw her, but after everything, he had to wonder if he’d ever truly known her at all.

“I’m not exactly thrilled with him,” he said before climbing up to retrieve his darts, and Emilie paced up to meet him, a hesitant hand raised to reach for him.

“You’ve grown so much,” she remarked, brushing her fingers through his hair, but he stepped away from her advances, trotting down a few steps to resume his game.

“Yeah, that happens when you spend 4 years in a magical coma. You wanna explain to me how that happened?” He quirked a brow as he aimed another dart, and Emilie averted her gaze. “I had a lot of time to think in the hospital. Time to realize things. You didn’t end up that way on accident.”

“I’m not entirely innocent either, I admit, but we just wanted you to be safe,” she said, fiddling with her ring. “You were our precious boy, and we never wanted anything to happen to you, so we used the Miraculouses selfishly. We didn’t realize the repercussions of using a damaged Miraculous until it was too late for me. If we had known then we never would have tried…and now when I look at you, I can only feel regret for all of the years that I’ve missed. You’re grown up now.”

“Yeah, I’m not exactly the submissive little boy I used to be,” he said, sinking another dart into his father’s face. “Father didn’t expect me to be on the other end fighting against him, now did he? And it turns out he didn’t even need the Miraculouses to wake you up; he just needed a guardian, but then he wouldn’t have gotten to play the brooding villain with a tragic past and sappy motives, would he? Did he honestly expect me to forgive him in the end just because he was doing it for love?”

He held out his arms and quirked a brow, and when Emilie winced, he continued.

“I never needed either of you to protect me. I needed you to stop smothering me and let me be normal for once,” he said, clenching another dart in his hand. “I’ve been fighting on my own for years. Successfully, I might add. And who was I fighting at the end of the day but the very man who thought I was so helpless.”

“I don’t think he intended for any of this to happen. Neither of us did.” She flicked her gaze up to meet his, biting her lip as tears welled in her eyes. “We loved you so much.”

“Yeah, well you should have thought of that before playing with magic you didn’t understand,” Adrien said before landing the last dart directly over Gabriel’s heart and stooping to retrieve his box. “I’ve already closed out the deal on the house. With father in jail and you in a coma, they came to me to decide what to do with it, so I told them to sell the furniture and tear it down. Then we’re going to use the funds to build a new center for one of Marinette’s charities to help those who were akumatized and anyone suffering from trauma related to the akumas. I felt it was fitting all things considered.”

Emilie remained quiet as he headed for the door.

“And since you’ve been in a coma for a long time, I forgive you for not remembering,” he said, stopping in the threshold and turning to face her. “I’m 18 today. You and father officially no longer control me, so if you don’t mind, I’m gonna go live my life.”

“Adrien-”

“Goodbye, Mom.”

***

Marinette fiddled with the ring on her necklace as she sat on the bench at the train station, eyes fixed ahead until the person she was waiting on approached.

“Hey, am I too late?” He asked as she hopped up and stepped into his arms.

“Nope, he’s just getting his train pass squared away,” she said, stretching up to kiss him. “How did things go?”

“They went.” He shrugged, and when her eyebrows furrowed worriedly, he smiled. “I’m fine. I’m free now. Finally.”

“And what will you do with your newfound freedom?” She asked with a smirk, resting her chin on his chest.

“I’ve always wanted to see Belize. I’ve heard it’s-”

“Don’t,” Marinette sighed.

“Un-Belizeable.” He waggled his eyebrows, and she gave him a stern look. “But seriously, what do you say? You. Me. Christmas vacation in a few months? I think we more than deserve it.”

“That sounds nice,” she said, leaning against his chest with a sigh.

“You two can go anywhere you want now,” Tikki piped up from her bag, and Marinette lifted her purse with a sad smile.

“It’s weird, but in a way I’m going to miss being Ladybug and fighting akumas every day,” she said, touching her earrings reminiscently. “I’m not ready to say goodbye yet.”

“It was an honor having you as my chosen, Marinette. You were an excellent Ladybug,” Tikki said before flitting up to nuzzle Marinette’s cheek. “I will miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, Tikki,” she said, cupping her in her hands. “I was happy to be your Ladybug, and I hope that your next chosen feeds you lots of cookies.”

Plagg poked his head out of Marinette’s jacket, averting his gaze awkwardly before floating out to hug Adrien’s cheek.

“I’m sorry things turned out the way they did, kid. I really hoped that your dad would come around for you in the end,” he said softly, and Adrien leaned against him with a smile.

“Being Chat Noir was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’m glad that I had you as my kwami. You helped me feel a little less lonely all the time, and not to mention you taught me how to loosen up. I’ll never forget you, Plagg,” Adrien said, and Plagg closed his eyes, nuzzling closer.

“I’ll never forget you either, Adrien,” he said. “You’ll always be my Chat Noir.”

After a moment, Plagg pulled away abruptly, clearing his throat and taking his place next to Tikki, and Adrien and Marinette smiled in amusement.

“So you’ve said your goodbyes.” They turned to Master Fu standing with his suitcases. “All things must come to an end. You two fought very valiantly all these years.”

“Thank you for the opportunity,” Adrien said with a bow.

“Thank you for rising to the occasion,” Fu said with a smirk that faded into a frown. “I’m sorry for how the Miraculouses have plagued your life.”

“No.” Adrien shook his head. “Selfishness outside of my control plagued my life. The Miraculouses saved me. Being Chat Noir made everything a little bit more bearable and gave me the courage to reach for my freedom. So truly, thank you.”

“I’m going to miss you,” Marinette said, stooping down to hug him tightly.

“And I you, my young Ladybug. You have given me so much during your time. You helped me forgive myself for my past mistakes. You gave me hope for the future, and most importantly, you reunited me with the love of my life,” Fu said, placing his hands over hers. “You truly were a miraculous Ladybug, Marinette.”

She smiled, tears welling in her eyes as a voice announced a five-minute warning on his train, and the three embraced, their kwamis sandwiched between them.

When they pulled away, she removed her earrings slowly, placing them into the small box in her hand. She trailed her fingers over them one last time before closing the box and handing it to Master Fu. Tikki flitted in for one last hug, snuggling against her cheek as tears streamed down them. Once they pulled away, Marinette unclasped the necklace from around her neck, letting the ring slide from the chain into her palm before offering it to Adrien.

He eyed it in her hand a moment before picking it up and trailing his thumb over it. He really was going to miss it. All those nights in the rooftops attempting to charm Ladybug not knowing that over the next several years he would kiss her passionately every day. He wouldn’t trade those nights for anything. Not a single one.

Placing the ring in the box, he flicked his gaze back up to Plagg who stiffened.

“I’m gonna miss you, buddy,” he said, brushing Plagg’s cheek with his finger.

“Do you think we’ll meet again someday?” Plagg quirked a hopeful brow as Adrien closed the lid.

“If another tragedy like Hawkmoth were to take place, you two can never be Ladybug and Chat Noir again. Knowing your identities would put you both at risk,” Master Fu said, and Plagg slumped. “But in this modern age, it should be fairly easy to keep in touch.”

“Maybe we can visit you and Marianne across the pond sometime,” Marinette suggested. “We can pop over for tea any time.”

“That sounds nice.” Master Fu nodded.

“So this isn’t really goodbye then,” Plagg stated. “So there’s absolutely no reason to cry whatsoever because we’re going to see each other again.”

“Most likely,” Adrien said, placing the box in Master Fu’s hand, and Plagg peeked open an eye before flitting over to nuzzle Adrien’s cheek one last time, tiny tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Come visit soon, okay?” He blubbered, and Adrien chuckled, holding him close.

“I will. I promise,” he said before Plagg floated back down to Master Fu’s duffle bag where the Miracle Box was neatly packed away.

“Tell Marianne we said hi, okay?” Marinette said as Fu gathered his bags. “And take her out somewhere nice, okay?”

“I will,” Fu said with a laugh. “It’s been 80 years since we first met. That’s quite a long time to wait for a first date.”

“Just a little bit, yeah.” Adrien smirked. “Take care, Master.”

“I’ll see you both soon,” Fu said with a nod before retreating to his train car, and Adrien draped an arm over Marinette’s shoulders as they watched the doors slide closed. They stayed until the last car of the train disappeared through the tunnel before slowly heading home, finally free of their duties as Ladybug and Chat Noir.

***

“We’re back!” Marinette announced as they walked through the doors of the bakery, and Tom quickly moved around to greet them.

“Did you see your friend off?” Sabine asked, joining her husband.

“Yeah, he’s on his way to London,” Marinette said, stooping to kiss her cheek.

“Is this all you brought from home?” Sabine flicked her gaze to the single box in Adrien’s hands, and he shrugged.

“Everything in that house was bought for me. These mementos are mine,” he stated simply.

“Well, we did prepare a little surprise for you,” Tom said with a grin, motioning for them to follow as they headed for the stairs.

On the second floor, Tom opened the door to the spare room and gestured Adrien inside before draping an arm over his wife’s shoulders.

“It’s not much, but it’s yours for the time being, if you want it,” he said as Adrien stepped inside, glancing around at the cozy room. “It might seem a little lackluster compared to what you’re used to, but-”

“It’s great,” Adrien said, turning to him with a smile, tears welling in his eyes. “Thank you for always opening your home to me.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Sabine cooed, stepping forward to pull him into her arms. “This place is your home too. You have always been welcome here, so stay as long as you like, and know that we love you.”

“Thank you, Mom,” he said, hugging her tight. “I love you too.”

Tom and Marinette joined them in their embrace, happy tears trickling down their faces as Adrien held onto them tightly. The people who loved him no matter what. His family. The one he’d found for himself, and he was never letting go.

“Now, we do have a few house rules for you two,” Tom said once they separated, placing his hands on his hips. “At the end of the night when it’s time for bed, your bedroom is down here. Is that clear?”

“Of course.” Adrien nodded. “I promise not to do anything to disrespect either of you while I’m staying here.”

“Good.” Tom ruffled his hair.

“We’ll give you a few minutes to get settled in, but we baked a cake to celebrate, so it’s upstairs whenever you’re ready,” Sabine said, patting his shoulder as they slipped out to retreat up the stairs, leaving Marinette leaning in his doorway.

“They mean it when they say it, you know,” she said once her parents were gone. “They really do love you.”

“I know,” Adrien said with a smile, sitting on the bed with a contented sigh. “I’ve always known.”

“Papa is going to be watching us like a hawk,” she pointed out, and he chuckled at that.

“It won’t be long before we’re flying out to New York.” He shrugged. ���Aubrey wants to leave as soon as possible once we finish school.”

“Knowing her she’ll want to leave that night,” Marinette said, rolling her eyes before pacing over to sit beside him, leaning against his shoulder, and he kissed her temple softly.

“I’ll follow you to the ends of the Earth, love bug,” he murmured against her hair.

“I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side, chaton.” She brushed his nose with her finger before leaning up to touch her lips to his, and for the first time in his life, Adrien didn’t feel trapped or alone.

He was safe. He was warm. He was home.

**Five years later**

“Does the Eiffel Tower look different to you?” Adrien asked as he peeked out the window of Marinette’s jet as they circled around to the airport, and she lowered her magazine with a quirked brow, leaning over to look out.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen it last, but I think it’s still the same. It looks different when you’re not climbing it,” she said with a smirk, and Adrien sat back with a laugh.

“I once scaled it in 4 seconds flat,” he boasted as if she’d be impressed, but she simply rolled her eyes and brushed his nose with her finger.

“I was there when you did it, remember? You were so proud of yourself,” she said, lifting her magazine again. “I never wanted to disappoint you, but I did it in 3 and a half once.”

“What?” He gaped as their pilot’s voice sounded over the intercom, instructing them to fasten their seatbelts and prepare for landing, and he pursed his lips into a pout.

“I’ve already arranged a car to take you to your parents’ house. Tomorrow morning, you have an appearance at the De-evilize foundation then a phone interview with Mode. At 3 o’clock you’ll meet with your friends for tea for the rest of the evening,” Danielle listed, scrolling down her tablet screen.

“Thank you, Danielle.” Marinette nodded, taking Adrien’s hand as the plane descended onto the runway.

“It feels a little weird to be back. I guess in a lot of ways I’ve tried not to think about Paris since we left. At least, not the bad parts anyway,” he said as they paced across the runway to the car, hand-in-hand.

“You’re in a better place now than you were last time we were here,” Marinette remarked before he helped her into the car and climbed in after her. “You’ve come a long way.”

“Yeah,” he said, wiping his palms on his pants with a sigh. “I know, but I’m just a little nervous I guess.”

“You don’t have to see him, you know,” she pointed out, placing a hand over his. “You can sit with me while I do my interview.”

“No. I need to go. I’ll never really heal if I don’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Okay.” She pressed her lips together. “One thing at a time. That’s tomorrow’s problem.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” he sighed, relaxing his shoulders a little. “I’ve missed your dad’s croissants. We haven’t had them since they came over for Christmas.”

“I’m sure he’s made you plenty,” Marinette giggled, leaning against his arm.

Tom and Sabine welcomed them with open arms when they arrived, Tom giving them both a bear hug the moment they walked in the door, and Adrien was reminded that not all of his memories of Paris were bad. There was a lot of good still left there, and it gave him the courage he needed the next day to face the thing he’d been running from all these years. The past that he hoped to leave behind, but it was time to finally face it. To face him one last time.

“I’ll meet you after, okay?” Marinette said the next day on the curb outside their foundation headquarters - the center they’d built where his old house used to be. She stretched up to kiss him hard before he ducked into the town car and closed the door with a sigh.

Several times on the way he debated telling the driver to turn around, but he knew that he needed to go. Five years was a long time, and he needed to finally rid himself of his darkness because he wanted to live a long and happy life with Marinette. To put the past behind him for good and close the door without ever having to worry about it again, and this was the only way to do it.

Security was tight, but he barely flinched during the several searches he had to undergo as they made their way deeper into the prison. He wasn’t sure what to think about the whole time or what to expect when he saw his father, but when he was finally led in wearing a gaudy orange jumpsuit, Adrien couldn’t help but smirk. They stared at each other through the glass pane for a moment before picking up the phones.

“Adrien,” Gabriel said, his voice hoarse and grey eyes wide with emotion.

“Hello, Father.” He nodded curtly, pressing his lips into a firm line. “Long time no see.”

“I’d given up hope that you’d ever come here. It’s good to see you…You’ve grown so much,” Gabriel looked him over. “What have you been up to?”

“Marinette and I live in New York. She just finished up school, so we decided to make a trip,” he explained nonchalantly. “But I didn’t come here to catch up. I have something to say, and I want you to listen.”

Gabriel lowered his gaze with a sigh, running a hand over his stubble before nodding.

“I’ve been angry with you for a long time. What you did was despicable and horrible, and somedays I still can’t believe it’s real,” he started, twirling the phone cord around his fingers as he spoke. “All I ever wanted was for you to be there for me. To come to my fencing tournaments or even just have a meal with me more than once a month. I was willing to be patient with you for being busy with your work, but little did I know what kind of work you were actually doing.”

He flicked his gaze back up to Gabriel who swallowed hard.

“I should hate you, and maybe in some ways I do, but that’s not what I came here to say to you today.”

“Adrien-” Gabriel started.

“I forgive you,” Adrien cut him off, and Gabriel’s jaw dropped, lip quivering as tears welled in his eyes. “I forgive you, Father.”

Gabriel’s face fell into his hand, and Adrien sat back, running a hand over his face and tapping his foot.

“I don’t want you to be mistaken and think that this means I want you to be part of my life,” he continued after a moment. “This will probably be the last time we see each other because I’m going to ask Marinette to marry me, and when we have kids, your grandchildren, I don’t ever want you to meet them. I don’t want them to have a relationship with you, and I never want you to be part of their lives, and I will work hard every day of my life to give them what I never had: a real father.”

“I suppose that’s what I deserve after everything.” Gabriel nodded, rubbing at his cheek. “I’ve often debated what I would say to you if you ever came, but now I can’t seem to find the words, so I’ll just say this: I have always loved you, and I am sorry.”

Adrien held his gaze for a long moment before biting his lip and placing the phone back on the receiver. He flashed his father a small smile before standing up and following the guard back through the door. Never once did he look back.

---

“Marinette!” Macy squealed the moment they stepped out of the car, racing to hug her tightly. “Oh, last time I saw you was at Eliott and Lisette’s wedding in London. It’s been so long since you’ve visited us in Paris.”

“It’s been a while, but I knew it was in safe hands,” Marinette said, leaning against her shoulder before they pulled away, and Eliott stepped down from the front steps and held out his arms.

“Nice, scarf,” she commented with a smirk, tracing her thumb over her brand logo, and Eliott chuckled as they embraced.

“I only wear the best,” he said, lifting her feet from the ground and squeezing her tight. “Your color palette this year is stunning, no surprise.”

“Thanks,” she giggled as he set her down, and she exchanged quick hugs with Lisette and Martin while Macy and Eliott traded off with Adrien.

“Well, we’re not going to stand out here all day. Come inside,” Macy insisted, gesturing them into the house. “Martin and I imported our favorite tea, and we picked up some madeleines from the best bakery in town.”

She cast a wink at Marinette as they walked to the sitting room where her butler stood beside a fancy cart.

“So, how are things in New York? It’s been a couple weeks since we spoke last,” she started as they settled in, and the butler began serving tea.

“Great! I just finished with school, and I have a branding campaign coming up in a few weeks, so we’ll be traveling around a lot for the next year, but we’ve actually talked about settling back here in Paris once it’s over,” she said, placing a hand on Adrien’s knee and exchanging smiles. “How are things here? I’ve heard album sales are going well, and Eliott is playing the lead role in an upcoming show. Oh, and congrats on the engagement!”

“Thank you,” Martin’s cheeks flushed as Macy flashed the ring.

“Are you going to design the dress, Marinette?” Lisette asked, and Marinette bit back a smirk.

“Oh, I’ve already designed the entire bridal party,” she said, waving it away. “We can look at that later.”

“I asked her as soon as Martin proposed. There isn’t anyone else in the world that I trust to design for me,” Macy said, taking her hands. “It also helps when your sister-in-law is a makeup artist.”

Lisette flashed her a grin.

“When is the wedding? Have you decided yet?” Adrien asked, and Macy shook her head.

“We haven’t picked a date yet, but we’re hoping to do it before Martin applies to law school,” she said.

“Well, I’ll get everyone’s measurements before I leave today, and when you decide on the designs you like I’ll get started on them when I get back to New York,” Marinette said, and Macy perked up, clapping her hands together excitedly.

“Speaking of weddings, I’m surprised you two haven’t tied the knot yet,” Lisette remarked, and Marinette and Adrien exchanged smiles.

“We’ve talked about it, but we wanted to make sure that Adrien was okay after everything,” she explained, taking a sip of her tea, and Adrien shot them a wink.

“Well, Chloe and I have already planned your bachelorette party, so just be prepared,” Macy informed her, and Marinette chuckled.

“Why does that make me worry?” She laughed, and Macy bit back a smirk.

“It’s really good to see you both again for something that isn’t related to a charity or an event,” she said, and the looks on everyone’s faces seemed to echo the sentiment. “We’ll have to get together more when you two move back here.”

“We will, definitely,” Marinette promised, giving her hands a squeeze, and Adrien sat back with a smile as they continued on about Macy’s new album or work they’d done with their charities.

It was nice to catch up with friends again like Macy said, and it did help him realize that there were somethings he wanted to do sooner rather than later.

“Where are we going?” Marinette asked the next day as he took her hand and led her up the strip toward the Trocadero.

“You’ll see,” he said, taking a few more steps then turning to face the Eiffel Tower and adjusting her accordingly. “Right here.”

“Right here?” She quirked a brow, glancing down at their feet.

“Right here.” He nodded. “This is the spot where I was standing when I fell head-over-heels in love with you all those years ago. We were fighting Stoneheart, and you vowed to protect Paris no matter what, and it was the moment when you stole my heart and ran away with it.”

Marinette bit back a smile as he continued.

“I made my own vow that day that no matter who was under that mask, I was going to love you for the rest of my life,” he said, reaching into his pocket before dropping down onto one knee. “And I intend to keep that promise. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, my Ladybug, will you marry me?”

She cupped her hands over her mouth, eyes watering as she gazed down at him lovingly and nodded.

“Of course, chaton,” she said, pulling him up to meet her lips, their smiles and laughter breaking each kiss before Adrien lifted her up and spun them around.

Not everything in their life had gone the way they’d pictured it, but in the end they’d overcome every obstacle thrown their way. Akumas, broken friendships, fame, Lila, Hawkmoth, and the weight of Gabriel’s sins. They were both confident that no matter where they went in life that everything would work out so long as they had each other.

Fin

[zaritarazi]

idle souls, chapter 2

chapter 2: in which carter can't drive and kendra finds something very very dangerous -- kendra and carter begin day one of the excavation- or at least, they would, if kendra could get her thoughts in order. there's just something about this old Egyptian dig site that she finds so... distracting.

-- chapter 1 on: tumblr | ao3 note: sorry it took so long to update! everything is now planned out, though, so expect more frequent chapters going forward! also this is the last smut-free chapter so please expect filth from chapter 3 onwards

--

The liquor makes her dream of birds. Strange, fuzzy-feeling dreams, tinged with brown-gold feathers and the overwhelming sense that she is falling. It’s that identical tumble in her stomach, the sensation of sudden weightlessness and the anxiety of it, tying knots from her stomach all the way up to her throat. She tries to land and finds there’s no where to go- Then feels the world shift around her, almost as if knowing there is ground has changed the landscape entirely. Suddenly, she finds herself looking up, staring at someone else flying by. She opens her mouth to shout to them, to ask something that is yet unknown, that she will understand once it’s said, and she reaches her hand to block out the sun and-

Kendra’s phone is ringing so loudly that it splits her entire world open. Her entire being is thrust back into wakefulness with an unglamorous yelp, her legs tangled in the bedsheet. “Holy shit!” Her hand finds her phone before her brain fully registers it, thumb sliding right on instinct more than anything else.

“Dr. Saunders?” Carter asks from the other side, stunningly loud at this early hour of the morning.

“What?” Kendra manages, still not lifting the phone fully to her ear. If she does, it might kill her.

“Dr. Saunders,” Carter repeats. “I ran out to get coffee before we go, I don’t know your order. Isn’t that funny? I always ask someone, “What’s your coffee order?” It’s a great way to decipher personality, and-“

Kendra tenderly puts her phone a few inches from her ear. “Dr. Hall,” she says, carefully. “What time is it?”

“Seven thirty,” he says, chipper. “We said we’d leave the hotel at eight?”

keep reading or read on ao3

Kendra rubs her eyes. “When?”

“Last night,” he says. “I know we got to bed rather late but, I tried to shuffle us upstairs at a decent hour. Did I wake you?”

“No,” Kendra lies. “No. I’ve been up since- I’m up. How long have you been up for?”

“Oh, a couple of hours,” he says. “I work out in the mornings, shower, get coffee-“

The mere idea of a work out makes Kendra grown, her body trying to sink deeper into the mattress in protest. “Oh my God.”

“So,” Carter continues, oblivious. “What’s your order?”

“Coffee,” Kendra says. “For now. Black coffee. Biggest size you can get.”

“That,” he says. “Is a really interesting coffee order.”

She pointedly ignores his use of interesting, and the conversation she knows he’s going for. “Goodbye, Dr. Hall” Kendra says.

“See you in thirty minutes, Dr. Saunders,” he says.

She almost replies with, “Don’t threaten me,” but knows it’s far too early in the damn morning to provide that statement with any levity- And she’s not like, actually threatened by it. She feels a little like garbage, but that’s not entirely Carter’s fault. Only like- Half.

He didn’t ask her to have- Four? Five beers? She remembers him telling her to slow down somewhere around three. And then she, a PhD and genius, had told him, “Oh, I’m sorry Carter, did I ask for your input?” and had ordered another beer.

So if she wanted to blame Carter for something, it would be for being so easy to argue with.

She checks her phone screen again, the low blue hues of her background bringing her a moment’s peace.

A shower would probably be a good idea. Her hair’s going to poof up like crazy in the dry heat, but it’s just a dig. Who honestly bothers dressing up for a dig? She’ll put some lip balm on, smear herself with sunscreen, and call it ready.

Because she’s definitely sleeping in for another ten minutes.

She’s managed to pull her damp hair into something half-decent by the time Dr. Hall knocks on her door- Three heavy knocks that he probably finds terribly charming, like one can knock on a door in correct fashion.

She blows a stray strand of hair out of her face, pinning it back into her ponytail. “One minute!”

“I gave you thirty,” he responds, muffled by the door between them.

“I fell back asleep,” she calls back, making sure her tank top is tucked decently enough into her jeans.

“So you’re still in bed, then?” he says, and she knows he’s being cloying. She has to tell herself that, because if she rolls her eyes at him now, her ocular nerves will have detached from overuse by the end of today.

“I’m up,” she says, checking for her sunscreen. “I’m ready. Unclench.”

“I assure you,” he says. “I am as unclenched as can be.”

“Please don’t say those things,” Kendra says.

“It was your term!”

“Which I regret using, thank you,” Kendra tells him, opening her door. “Good morning, Dr.- Is that really what you’re wearing?”

He holds up her coffee, and stares politely into her eyes. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

“You’re overdressed,” she says. “No one actually dresses like Indiana Jones.”

“Well, I suppose I always do,” Carter tells her. “I like to.”

“You’re going to make a mess out of your clothes,” she says, taking her coffee.

“I’m aware of that,” he says. “I don’t mind the dirt, Dr. Saunders.”

“Oh, but those are such nice-“ And she’s not really sure where her mouth is going with this, at all, or why she’s even speaking. “Slacks.”

He grins at her. “I’m flattered.”

She takes a long, pointed sip of her coffee. “Shit,” she says, mostly to herself. “This is like, the best coffee I’ve ever had.”

“Of course it is,” he says. “You’re in Cairo.”

That earns him a look.

“You’ve got sunscreen, yeah?” Carter asks. “You’re covered in freckles, I’d hate for you to-“

“Got enough sunscreen for ten of us,” Kendra says, shifting her bag on her shoulder.

“Good,” he says. “Of course, I do always carry extra, but-“

“I’m fine, Dr. Hall,” she says. “We should get going.”

“Perfect,” he says. “I’m driving.”

“You’re what?” Kendra asks, only now realizing he’s been holding on to her wrist.

“Driving a car,” he says.

“I thought we’d call a car,” Kendra says. “Take the bus. Or something.”

“Waste of time,” he says. “I’m a perfectly good driver. Really.”

“That’s not-“ Kendra still hasn’t shaken off his hand, even though they’re already on the elevator. “That’s not something a good driver would say.”

He’s digging his Ray-Bans out with his free hand, because of course he has Ray-Bans, and of course he has to put them on and smile at her at the same time. “What’s wrong?” he asks. “Scared of a little adventure?”

“Hold this,” Kendra says, shoving her coffee against his chest so she can dig her own, ten dollar pair of sunglasses from her bag. “And no, I’m not afraid of adventure, ass, I’m afraid that you personally are going to drive us up and off the pyramids like it’s a freestyle ramp.”

“I’m sorry,” Carter says, and she doesn’t know what she’s doing that’s making him so genuinely happy, but he really doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of stopping. “Did you just call me an ass?”

“Yes, ass,” Kendra says. “Coffee me.”

“I was just under the impression that we were keeping our monikers professional,” Carter says. “If I’m an ass, then can I at least call you Kendra?”

“Get me to the dig site in one piece, and we’ll see,” she says.

He hands her back her coffee, gesturing to the front doors. “Your chariot awaits.”

“Never say that to me again,” Kendra says.

He, infuriatingly enough, just laughs.

The car is about two inches wider than a smart car, Carter’s music is terrible, and he drives like an extra in Ben Hur.

“Hey Carter,” Kendra says, her hand keeping her coffee steady in the cupholder. “I’m not gonna be embarrassed if I puke on myself, because it’s your fault for driving this way.”

“My driving is fine,” Carter tells her, which is a blatant lie. “It’s this traffic that’s the problem.”

He makes a swerve around a truck, and Kendra feels her stomach drop. “Carter!”

“You know, I’m kind of fascinated with how you say my name,” he says, and she feels like he’s about 2 seconds from hopping the curb and just driving on the sidewalk. “No one’s ever said it like you do before.”

“Well you’ve probably never been this close to killing anyone else bef- THE ROAD, CARTER!”

“I see it!” he shouts back. “And that’s not it, no. You just- Have a way of saying it that I can’t stop thinking about.”

“You know what I can’t stop thinking about?” Kendra asks.

“How much you hate my driving?” Carter teases.

“Don’t joke about this,” Kendra says. “I’m fearing for my life, here.”

“Well, lucky you,” he says, stopping the car in what Kendra assumes is a parking job. “Because we’re here.”

“Thank God,” Kendra says, her head lolling back against her seat. “I’m going to go pass out, now.”

“Can’t have you doing that,” Carter says. “The day’s just getting started.”

She ignores him, heaves herself out of his car. The site lays out before them, a series of old temples and tombs. Newly opened to archeologists by the government. Ready to go.

It’s funny. The way this tomb is laid out, something about it that Kendra can’t stop staring at it. Staring at staring and she thinks Carter might be saying something to her, but she continues to ignore it. Can’t he see what she’s seeing? These- Temples. This- Site. Can’t he feel that- That- Can’t he feel-

Kendra feels a lurch in her stomach. Almost like she needs to vomit, but not quite. Not like it felt when Carter was driving. This is a persistent, rolling feeling of sudden onset anxiety. Her legs shake, breaths coming shorter and shorter.

Carter catches her before she falls back against the car, brow knit in concern. “Kendra?”

She shakes her head, trying to gulp in as much air as she can, trying to remember how to breathe, how to speak- Why is this happening now?

She’s had panic attacks, lots of panic attacks, but never so suddenly, never this out of the blue, never for no reason. There’s no reason for this to be happening, and yet it is, and there’s a persistent ringing in her ear.

She fists Carter’s shirt in her hands, trying to come up with the words to tell him she’s fine, really, this is just- This is just a misunderstanding, her brain isn’t wired right all the time and she can feel her face burning, not from the heat, and thanks some higher power that at least she can’t blush visibly.

This is humiliating, utterly impossible to come back from, having a quivering panic in front of the site, clinging to Carter Hall for dear life.

“Kendra,” he says, and he takes her wrist. “Look at me. I’m going to count, and you’re going to breathe in time with it, okay? Just breathe. I’ve got you.”

She stares up at him, feeling smaller and more helpless than she’d ever want to feel in front of him in her entire life, and manages to nod.

“Okay,” he says, eyes unfairly green in the morning sunlight. “Just breathe in. Okay? In, and hold it-“

She- Despite her best interests-  Does as he asks.

“And out,” he says. His thumb strokes her wrist. “Good. Good. Again. In-“

She loosens her grip on his shirt, feeling her breaths start to come easier, waiting for her blood to stop roaring in her ears.

“What happened?” he asks, not letting go of her. “Did I say something?”

“No-“ Kendra says, finally pulling back from him. “I was- I was looking at the temples, like, really looking at them, and I was just- You were saying something, and I couldn’t-“ She’s staring at the site again, feeling herself trail off. “Something made me- I don’t-“

“Okay-“ Carter says, tugging her away from the site, over towards the camp on the other side. “You clearly need to get some food in your stomach. Caffeine can aggregate the nerves.”

“That’s the thing,” she says, letting him tug her towards other, human people, people that are going to see her come in with him. People she knows. Who are going to see her come in with Carter Hall. “I’m not- I’m not nervous. I don’t know what happened to me. I haven’t had an attack that bad since I was a grad student.”

“Well,” he says. “Sorry I wasn’t there to help you then.”

It’s kind of a funny thing to say, and Kendra would remark on it, but she can’t seem to get her thoughts in order. “Do you hear that?” Kendra says.

“Hear what?” Carter says.

“Like a low…” Kendra tilts her head back towards the site. “Ringing?”

He blinks at her. Pauses. Wrinkles his nose. “Actually-“ He nods. “Yeah. I do hear it.”

“What is it?” Kendra asks.

He shrugs. “Probably just equipment being set up,” he says. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. Come on. We should get you something to eat and put sunscreen on your shoulders.”

“Okay, mom,” Kendra says, finally tugging her wrist out of his hand.

“Ah, good,” he says. “You’re back.”

“Good as ever,” Kendra says, though she feels a bit like it’s a lie. She can’t shake this fuzz in her head, making her thoughts feel thick and cottony.

“You sure?” he asks, quietly, uncertain.

She catches his eye and nods. “Perfect.”

“Let me know if you need a ride back to the hotel, alright?” he says. “We’ve got a long couple months ahead of us.”

“With you driving?” Kendra says. “I’ll risk the heat.”

“You wound me, Kendra,” he says.

“You’re still standing, aren’t you?” she replies.

“For now,” he says.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she teases, and doesn’t even mind the way he pokes at her ribs in response.

He watches her eat. Not in a particularly sharp way, but in the way you would if you were feeding someone. In the sense that he wants to see her do it, that he’s concerned about it. “You know,” Kendra says. “Not everyone is okay with eating in front of other people.”

“Am I bothering you?” he asks.

“Perpetually,” Kendra says. “But not- It’s fine. I was just saying some people don’t like to be watched when they eat.”

“Are there times when it does bother you?” he says.

“I mean, no,” Kendra says. “Not like, often- I mean. If it bothers me, I’ll say something. It’s okay. You’re just. Worried.”

“Have you always had trouble eating in front of people?” Carter asks.

“Pretty sure you’re a PhD in anthro, not psych,” Kendra says.

He stares back at her.

“It’s really a nonissue,” Kendra says. “I was just saying that you watching me chew a croissant was making it kind of difficult.”

“I thought you might not be able to keep food down,” he says. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, God,” Kendra says. “The idea of you watching me throw up is so much worse.”

“I’m sure it would be fine,” he says. “I’ve got mouthwash in my car.”

“Oh, just what I’d want after throwing up at work,” Kendra says. “Hot mouthwash.”

“Well,” he says, getting up from sitting across from her so that he can move to her side. “If you’re going to put it like that.”

He offers her the rest of his blueberry muffin wordlessly, and she obliges.

“Maybe it’s just you,” Kendra says. “You annoy me so much with everything else that I can’t be bothered to worry about eating in front of you.”

“I don’t think that’s how that works,” Carter says. “Maybe you just feel comfortable around me. I have a very soothing presence.”

“You’re certainly a fabulist, I’ll give you that,” Kendra says.

“Excellent use of the word fabulist,” he says. “You know, it’s one of my favorite words.”

“I think any given person could assume that,” Kendra says. And just to make sure he doesn’t steer the conversation back to her, she says, “I can’t believe Dr. Sandsmark brought her daughter along.”

“Have you never worked with her before?” Carter says. “She usually brings Cassie if she’s on break. Otherwise she’s at boarding school.”

“I’d stay at school if I was her age,” Kendra says.

“Oh, come on,” Carter says. “You haven’t wanted to do this since you were a little kid?”

“Have you?” Kendra asks.

“I was born wanting to do this,” Carter says. “I’m just glad it’s as great as I always thought it would be.”

“That sounds pretty perfect, yeah,” Kendra says. “I kind of- Stumbled into it. Signed on to a dig to get out of state for once, and just- Knew it was what I meant to do.”

“What state?” Carter asks.

“Wisconsin,” Kendra says.

“Louisiana,” he tells her, and she can tell he thinks that’s charming.

“I guess it’s no worse than what I usually did during my breaks,” Kendra says.

“Which was?”

“Hang out by myself in whatever local library was nearest,” she says.

“You didn’t have a steady local library?” he asks.

“No parents,” Kendra says. “No one place to live.”

“Ah,” he says, taking a sip of water. “Same, by the way.”

“Oh,” Kendra says. “I didn’t know. I-“

“Don’t apologize,” he says. “I didn’t know either. Kind of funny that we both grew up that way, don’t you think?”

“I mean, if you think about how I’m me and you’re-“ She glances at him. “You.”

He cocks his head towards her, grinning. “Was that a dig?”

“No,” she remarks, evenly. She gestures around them. “This is a dig.”

He laughs. Smiling at her all the while, eyes shining with genuine amusement.

“It wasn’t actually funny,” Kendra says. “Carter.”

His laugh is more contagious when it’s not at her expense, or what she thinks is her expense, or when she’s resenting him for laughing. It’s actually almost kind of nice, makes her feel warmth spreading through her stomach.

“It’s not funny,” she repeats, nudging him with her hand.

“It was hilarious,” he says. “Because we’re on a dig! And you-“

“I get it,” Kendra says.

“You are so funny,” he says, squinting on that last word. “Really, truly hilarious.”

“No, pretty sure I’m not,” Kendra says. “But thanks.”

“You’re feeling better?” he asks, sliding so easily back into earnest that Kendra almost gets whiplash. “You look better.”

She swallows her embarrassment, looking down at the table. “Thanks.”

“When you’re ready to get started,” he says. “Let me know. I have to go talk to a couple of my colleagues for a second. Okay?”

“You’re good,” Kendra says. “Don’t need my permission.”

For the first time in two hours, he peels himself from her side. It’s not until he’s crossed over to another tent that she lets out a sigh- Maybe not in relief, but she definitely feels something odd, without him buzzing in her space.

The ringing in her head hasn’t stopped, not once, not for the entire time he was talking to her- And mentioning it might’ve made him fuss more, or worse, gotten him to take her to the ER, or something. She can only imagine the kind of nightmare that would be.

Still, she can’t seem to shake this feeling in her chest- It’s a mix of nerves and restlessness, and it’s probably just because Egyptian coffee is too damn good and she’s hyper caffeinated.

That’s all this is.

That has to be all this is.

“Okay,” Kendra says, handing out sheets of graph paper to her colleagues. “Start your quadrants, remember not to touch anything until we’re all good to go.”

She’d wandered off to the site without Carter. Surprisingly enough, she hadn’t meant to- She’d just sort of found herself walking towards it without thinking, and by the time she’d come back into her own head she’d been ducking under the entrance.

She hadn’t thought to wait for him, setting up LED lanterns along the corridors and the site. There’s enough cracks along the ceiling and the walls that there’s a decent amount of sunlight- And some parts of the site are completely exposed, sitting out in broad daylight.

For now, though, she stays inside, though the air is thick with dirt. She’s got a spare bandana to tie around her nose and mouth, and it’s already starting to dampen with sweat.

“You know,” Carter announces from behind her. “That is one damn fine quadrant.”

He catches her off guard, and she’s embarrassed at how she jolts in surprise- What’s more embarrassing is that when she turns around, she finds he’s left his good shirt in the car, and is wearing his undershirt tucked into his pants.

Kendra doesn’t mean to stare, not when he’s been so polite to her, but he’s already kind of shiny and like, really buff, and he’s just holding a clipboard and a pencil and staring at her.

She swallows, tongue heavy with the thick air. “Thanks.”

“Nice bandana, by the way,” he notes. “It brings out your eyes.”

She raises an eyebrow at him. “Clever.”

“Here,” he says, handing her an actual mask. “My guys brought supplies.”

“I’m good,” she says, if only for the effect of it.

“These are safer for you,” he says. “And your safety should be your first concern.”

“Is it yours?” she shoots back, and regrets it immediately as he decides to reach behind her head and untie the bandana for her.

“Your safety?” he asks, putting the cloth in his pocket. “Absolutely.” He slips the mask over her head for her, pulling her hair through the elastic. He moves to put it over her mouth-

And she does it more quickly than he can, finding herself breathing heavily, practically panting, his hands still lingering by her face.

“There,” he says, moving to pull his own mask on with ease. “Much better.”

“Th- Thanks,” Kendra says, tucking her head behind her ear. “Um- I haven’t started sketching so-“

“Mind if I tag along?” he asks.

“Oh, Carter,” she says. “You know I do.”

“Perfect,” he tells her. “Shall we start at the far end?”

“We shall,” she says, before she can catch herself.

She can tell what kind of face he’s making at her, even under his mask. His eyes shine in that exact way they always do, that fondness that shines through. She doesn’t quite understand it, why he’s always oozing it around her, but she doesn’t comment on it.

“Come on,” she grumbles, and he follows.

By the time Kendra remembers that she needs to pee, she’s pretty sure she’s sweat out at least most of her body weight. It’s been at least a couple of hours, and Carter has been mercifully silent, scribbling down his quadrant.

“Gonna go find the bathrooms,” Kendra says, nudging Carter in the side with her elbow. “Be back in a few minutes.”

“I’ll come with you,” Carter says, taking her arm. “Don’t want you to get lost.”

“I know my way to the exit,” Kendra says. “And you’re still working.”

“This place is a maze, Kendra,” he says, almost like he’s chiding her. “And you’re not feeling well. I don’t want you to get lost or get hurt.”

“I can make it to the bathroom,” she tells him.

He lets out a huff under his mask, kind of a silly, echoing sound, and levels his gaze with hers. “Dr. Saunders,” he says. “Please let me escort you to the bathroom.”

She tries to wrinkle her nose, and can’t, because of the mask- But the intent of the feeling is there. “Well,” she says. “If you’re going to say it like that.”

He takes her clipboard from her and leaves it on the table by the exit, leading her through the corridor and towards the outside.

“It’s this way,” Kendra says, turning to the right.

“No, it’s not,” he says. “The bathrooms were to the left.”

“No, I’m positive they were towards the right,” she says, crinkling her brow in frustration. How stupid does he think she is? “See? I can see sunlight at the end of this.”

“But there’s no string lights in this hall,” Carter says. “And you know that, because you’re the one who set up those LED lights, right? So the exit would’ve been that way. Are you feeling okay? We shouldn’t even be going-”

She doesn’t break stride, still tugging him towards the end of this seemingly endless, dark hallway. “I know I’m going the right way.”

“Kendra,” he says, trying to pull her back. He should be able to- He must at least be twice her strength. But it seems more like she’s carrying him along, unbothered by his efforts. “Kendra, where are you going?”

“To the bathroom,” she says.

“Kendra?” he repeats.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” he says. “Walk faster.”

She gets that familiar lurch in her stomach as they step outside, sunlight flooding her vision. “Oh my God,” she says, suddenly swooning- Yes, swooning- Against him. “Carter, I-“

She pulls off her mask, taking in the noon air, clenching and unclenching her fists.

He tugs off his own mask, letting it hang around his neck. “Kendra,” he says, cupping her cheeks. “Hey. Hey! Look at me. You with me?”

“Do you hear that?” she asks, wincing. “It’s so loud.”

He nods. “I hear it. Okay? I hear it too. Do you want to tell me why we’re-“ He looks over his shoulder. “What part of the site is this?”

“Hold on,” she says, grabbing his wrists for support. “Hold on. It’s so loud I can’t- It’s hard to think and-“ She shuts her eyes, resting her head against his hands.

He rubs his fingers against her temples, whispering softly. “Kendra,” he says. “I think I should take you back to the hotel.”

“I can’t,” she says, eyes snapping open. “Not until I find it.”

“Find what?” he asks. She lets go of his wrists, and he tries to grab her arm. “Kendra. Look at me. Find what?”

She honestly can’t believe he doesn’t know- He should be looking for it, too. She thought he considered himself an archeologist. “Help me find it.”

“Kendra,” he says. “You need some water, and you need to lay down. The heat’s bothering you.”

She looks at him. At him, the whole of him, right into his beautiful, enchanting eyes. “Please help me.”

He opens and closes his mouth a couple of times, and lets out a sigh. “Okay.” He raises his hands in surrender. “Okay. I’ll help you find it. Just show me where to look.”

They’re in what remains of an old room- It feels like a tomb, though Kendra can’t be sure yet, since they’ve barely started to investigate. There are two large columns by the rear wall, going up into what used to be the ceiling. Stone floors, mostly dirt. “Here,” she says, walking to her left. “It’s- I can hear it. I think- I think it’s what we’re hearing.”

He closely follows behind her, and she can feel his eyes on the back of her head. “So as you walk that way,” he says. “Does the ringing get louder?”

“Yes,” she whispers.

“Me too,” he says. “So this must be right. Just- Just find it, okay?”

She drops to her hands and knees, her fingers parting the dirt.

“Kendra,” he says. “Don’t- We haven’t even sectioned the area off yet, you can’t just go looking around. You know this. I know you know this. What are you doing?”

Her hand finds something- Cold, despite the weather. Smooth. She grins. “Here!” She wraps her hand around it, lifting it from the ground. “Look! I found it!”

“You have to put that back,” he says, staring at her wide-eyed. “You know you’re not allowed to do that. What if we mess up the entire context of the site because you moved that? How is that- Is it a knife?”

“Look,” she says, rising from the ground, ignoring the fact that she’s got clear stains on her hands and jeans. “Carter, look!”

“Hey,” he says, the worry written clean across his face. “Come on. You have to put that down. Okay? I’ll help you. Let me just-“

His hand covers her hand, wrapped around the dagger’s hilt.

Suddenly, her mouth tastes like blood.

She lets out a dry heave, her whole body bursting into a sudden, furious fever.

“Oh my God,” he says, grabbing her arms. “Kendra? Kendra? You look like you’re about to throw up, I’m taking you off site right now and-“

She looks up at his face, her vision swimming. He’s always been so handsome, smiling at her, his eyes lined with kohl. “Oh, Khufu,” she says. “Help me.”

Spots appear in her vision as Carter yells her name. She can see him- She can see him lying right there next to her, the life leaving his eyes, the blood leaving his body, Carter is dying and he doesn’t even know and-

“Help me,” she repeats, and blacks out.

[theinquisitivej]

Airplane Travel Log: 11-07-18

The following posts were made every hour, or as close to that as I could manage, during my long flight to Australia. As I progressed further along on my journey, my updates became less frequent due to me drifting in and out of sleep during those hours. I figured this would be an opportunity to write something a little different, as well as something to help make the journey go a little quicker. I occasionally mention the two people I travelled with and refer to them as S. and C., so that’s who I’m talking about when you see those abbreviations. I go into the films I watched, the things I did to pass the time, my thoughts and concerns about the flight itself, and generally discuss the details of the trip. Hope you enjoy this experimental post, and if you’d like me to do something like this again, let me know, and I’ll do the same on my return flight in three weeks’ time.

Hour #0:

Yay there are a load of films I haven't seen before on the screen in front of me! ...oh and I'm heading to Australia, that's cool too. Got a long journey ahead. This hourly log should be fun. Will try to watch a bunch of movies. I feel I should be trying to make all of them top-notch films to make the most of the opportunity, but ehhhhhhhhh I think some lightweight entertainment/ trash will go down well too. Once we're in the air, I think I'll get started on Game Night. S. will be watching that too, so we'll find out together where that falls on the scale. Let's get started with the fun.

Hour #1:

The comedy in this makes me titter. Not a lot of big laughs, but enough. The establishing shots that make things look like board game pieces are neat. Product placement is more apparent than usual and a little too on the nose, but nothing offensive. Rachel McAdams is the highlight - really watchable with pleasant delivery and immense likeability.

Hour#2:

Finished Game Night. Entertaining fun; not the most memorable film, but more effort put into its cinematography than you'd expect. I liked it. Also had food and stretched my legs. It's starting to dawn on me how much of this trip lies ahead... ah well, let's watch Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

Hour #3:

I am really enjoying this. Music evokes a classic Spielbergian adventure, actors are all having fun, and it evokes the tone of the original Jumanji while simultaneously being a light-hearted send up to videogames. The CGI and effects are occasionally ropey, but let's be fair, the original jumanji was MUCH worse in that area. Not a particularly deep blockbuster, but nevertheless an impressive follow-up to a cult classic that does its own thing.

Hour #4:

Yup, that was great. Just enough character moments to make it have heart. Makes you feel happy to watch it. Got an hour and a half left before our changeover. Feeling cramped beyond comfort; need to stretch my legs before I grow concerned that they'll never move again. After that, I reckon I'll try playing the Switch on a plane, like in those ads with the trendy people who go on spontaneous rooftop Switch parties. Time is slowly beginning to lose meaning...

Hour #5:

Knocked a couple shrines off in Breath of the Wild (yes I'm still on that). We're starting our descent now, so I guess I'll scrounge together my various bits and pieces before we have to rush to catch the next plane at our changeover. Precious, precious walking time... Should I catch some sleep at the start of our next flight? ...nah. I saw some anime  listed that looked interesting, I might check that out on the next plane.

Hour #6:

After a changeover with numerous checks and anxiety inducing stops-and-starts, am now sat down for the second (and longer) half of the flight. 13 hours of flight time await us, and the screens this time are... well a little more murky on video quality, and the headphone sockets don't quite fit our jacks. We've managed to get them to work, so watching films is still possible, thank goodness. While C. watches the football live (which apparently is a thing you can do on planes now which is cool), and S. watches The Post, I reckon I'm gonna check out Summer Wars. As an aside, there's a video explaining how the in-flight entertainment works; I've seen it four times now between these two flights, and there's a guy who just looks like he's having the time of his life. He is on a wonderous, mystical journey with this in-flight entertainment. I wanna be half as happy as that guy, cos he's the best.

Hour #7:

Watching Summer Wars, but we've been dealing with intermittent bouts of turbulence. Since none of us are especially seasoned fliers, this is kind of scary. If I go out here, then I'll have gone out watching anime; tell my story!

Hours #8-9:

Finished Summer Wars- that was pretty special. Lovely animation, as I've come to expect from Madhouse and Mamoru Hosoda, the team and director responsible for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. The pacing can be a little slow and drag in places, but it has that Yasujirō Ozu feel of quietly enjoying just being around its central family, and the combination of tradition and new technology in this film is fascinatingly depicted. As an aside, I'm pretty sure this is the animation studio taking another shot at the first Digimon Movie, because certain moments feel very familiar (Looking it up after the fact, Hosoda did indeed work on one of the short films that made up the first American Digimon movie, and apparently others have also pointed out a connection between that short film and Summer Wars). Anyway, turbulence is still around, still scary, but I'm tired; gonna fall asleep on S. now.

Hour #10-12:

In and out of sleep, interrupted by the occasional bit of turbulence. Have woken up now feeling at least partially rested. I feel too fresh from sleep to watch something just yet, so I'm gonna make some more progress on Breath of the Wild.

Hour #13:

As more shrines are ticked off, we're being handed pizza slices by the crew. Eating this has made it hit me that I have lost all sense of time. Is it time for breakfast now? Or lunch? Is today still yesterday, or is it in fact tomorrow? ... I'm going back to the Switch now.

Hours #14-???:

I have been drifting in and out of sleep for the last few hours now. Written up the paperwork I need to do to get into Australia, and from the looks of it we'll be landing in an hour and a half. The turbulence has died down, so I'm glad that's over. S. & C. were having a rough time with it, and even though I was confident that this is normal and not something to worry about, I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me nervous too. Am probably going to leave it there with the films; I'm too tired to really get into anything, so I think I'd rather get my bits together and enjoy the view as we come down.

Hour #LAST:

There was a beautiful sunset as we began our approach; I'd say it feels strange to see that happen after having breakfast not too long ago, but honestly, time is broken and I've lost all trace of reality. My bed calls to me. We've just gone through security now, and have got a train ticket to where we're staying. This is the last post I'll be writing. Despite how exhausted I feel, it has been a lot of fun going through this with S. & C. for company, and writing this has certainly made the trip more enjoyable. I'll probably do another one of these on the way back in three weeks. But before all that I'm gonna go collapse into my bed. End of log, or whatever you say when you end one of these.

[christianpublishinghouse-blog]

The Bible is a revelation from our heavenly Father, about our heavenly Father, i.e., his will and purposes. (1 Thess. 2:13) If we take the things we learn and apply them in our lives, we will live a life far more beneficial than those who do not. As we grow in knowledge, we will draw ever closer to God, the Giver of “Every good gift and every perfect gift.” (Jam. 1:17) We will discover the beauty of prayer. We will find that God is strengthening us to cope in times of trouble. If we live and walk in harmony with his Word, the opportunity of eternal life awaits us. (Rom. 6:2) However, there is but one problem that lies in our path. We have to know how to study our Bible if we are going to benefit from it. This author in this book will give you the absolute best information in this regard. Moreover, he will make it an interesting read as well as easy to understand. What lies below will serve as motivation as to why Bible study is vital to our spiritual growth, as we learn to walk with God like never before.

The Bible Gives Us Answers to Questions about Life

The Bible gives us answers to questions about this life and the one to come, which can be found nowhere else, and offers illumination to its readers. Those who take in this lifesaving knowledge are freed from the misunderstandings of life that dominate billions of others. For instance, here is one that might come to us as a shock. We are all Mentally Bent toward Evil.

Psalm 51:5 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

5 Look, I was brought forth in error, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

King David had his adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband exposed, for which he accepted full responsibility. His words about the human condition give us one reason for the evil of man. He says, “I was brought forth in error.” What did King David’s inspired words mean? Error: (Heb., ʿāwōn; Gr. anomia, paranomia) The Hebrew word awon essentially relates to erring, acting illegally or wrongly. This aspect of sin refers to committing a perverseness, wrongness, lawlessness, law breaking, which can also include the rejection of the sovereignty of God. It also focuses on the liability or guilt of one’s wicked, wrongful act. This error may be deliberate or accidental; either willful deviation of what is right or unknowingly making a mistake. (Lev. 4:13-35; 5:1-6, 14-19; Num. 15:22-29; Ps 19:12, 13) Of course, if it is intentional; then, the consequence is far more serious. (Num. 15:30-31) Error is in opposition to the truth, and those willfully sinning corrupt the truth, a course that only brings forth flagrant sin. (Isa 5:18-23) We can be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.–Ex 9:27, 34-35; Heb. 3:13-15.

David stated that his problem was a corrupt heart, saying; surely, I was sinful at birth. He entered this world a sinner in nature long before he became a sinner in thinking, words, and actions. In fact, this internal corruption predated his birth, actually beginning nine months earlier when he was conceived in the womb. It was at conception that the Adamic sin nature was transmitted to him. The problem with what he did, sin, arose from what he was, a sinner.[1]

What is sin? Sin: (Heb. chattath; Gr. hamartia) Any spoken word (Job 2:10; Ps 39:1), wrong action (Lev. 20:20; 2 Cor. 12:21) or failing to act when one should have (Num. 9:13; Jam. 4:17), in mind and heart (Prov. 21:4; Rom. 3:9-18; 2 Pet 2:12-15) that is contrary to God’s personality, ways, will and purposes, standards, as set out in the Scriptures. It is also a major sin to lack faith in God, doubting in mind and heart, even subtly in our actions, that he has the ability to carry out his will and purposes. (Heb. 3:12-13, 18-19). It is commonly referred to as missing the mark of perfection.

What is a sinner? Sinner: (Gr. hamartōlos) In the Scriptures “sinners” is generally used in a more specific way, that is, referring to those willfully living in sin, practicing sin, or have a reputation of sinning.–Matt. 9:10; Mark 2:15; Luke 5:30; 7:37-39; John 9:16; Rom. 3:7; Gal. 2:15; 1 Tim. 1:15; Heb. 7:26; Jam. 4:8; 1 Pet 4:18; Jude 1:15.

David is not here casting the blame onto his mother, as God never intended mothers to conceive and give birth to children who would sin. Nevertheless, when Adam and Eve rebelled, they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, they lost their ability to pass on perfection. Therefore, every child was born missing the mark of perfection. The Hebrew term translated “sin” is chattath; in Greek, the word is hamartia. Both carry the meaning of missing the mark of perfection, namely, falling short of perfection.

The verbal forms occur in enough secular contexts to provide a basic picture of the word’s meaning. In Judges 20:16 the left-handed slingers of Benjamin are said to have the skill to throw stones at targets and “not miss.” In a different context, Proverbs 19:2 speaks of a man in a hurry who “misses his way” (RSV, NEB, KJV has “sinneth”). A similar idea of not finding a goal appears in Proverbs 8:36; the concept of failure is implied.[2]

Genesis 6:5 The American Translation (AT)

5 When the LORD saw that the wickedness of man on the earth was great, and that the whole bent of his thinking was never anything but evil, the LORD regretted that he had ever made man on the earth.

Genesis 8:21 The American Translation (AT)

21 I will never again curse the soil, though the bent of man’s mind may be evil from his very youth; nor ever again will I ever again destroy all life creature as I have just done.

All of us have inherited a sinful nature, meaning that we are currently unable to live up to the mark of perfection, in which we were created. In fact, Genesis 6:5 says we all suffer from, ‘our whole bent of thinking, which is nothing but evil.” Genesis 8:21 says that ‘our mind is evil from our very youth.’ Jeremiah 17:9 says that our hearts are treacherous and desperately sick.” What does all of this mean? It means that prior to the fall, our natural inclination; our natural leaning was toward good. However, after the fall, our natural inclination, our natural leaning was toward bad, wicked, evil.

We should never lose sight of the fact that unrighteous desires of the flesh are not to be taken lightly. (Rom. 7:19, 20) Nevertheless, if it is our desire to have a righteous relationship with God, it will be the stronger desire. Psalm 119:165 says, “Abundant peace belongs to those loving your law, and for them there is no stumbling block.” We need to cultivate our love for doing right, which will strengthen our conscience, the sense of what is right and wrong that governs somebody’s thoughts and actions, urging us to do right rather than wrong. It is only through studying the Bible that we can train the conscience. Once it is trained, it will prick us like a needle in the heart, when we are thinking of doing something wrong. It will feel like a pain in our heart, sadness, nervousness, which is the voice saying, ‘do not do this.’ Moreover, if we ignore our voice, it will grow silent over time and will stop telling us what is wrong.–Romans 2:14-15.

James 1:14-15 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own desire.[3] 15 Then the desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

We have a natural desire toward wrongdoing, and Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:3-4), and he caters to the fallen flesh. James also tells us “each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own desire.[4] Then the desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15) We resist the devil by immediately dismissing any thought that is contrary to God’s values found in his Word. When any wrong thought enters our mind, we do not entertain it for a moment, nor do we cultivate it, causing it to grow. We then offer rational prayers in our head, or better yet, out loud so we can defeat irrational fleshly thinking with rational biblical thinking. The Apostle Peter, referring to the Devil wrote, “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Pet. 5:9) While the Bible helps us better to understand the gravity of our fallen condition, this should not cause us alarm as the Bible also shows us how to control our mental bent toward evil. We can renew our mind (Rom 12:2), acquire the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16)), take off the old person and put on the new person (Eph. 4:20-24; Col 3:9-10), among other things.

The Bible Offers How to Get the Best out of Life Now

Another facet of benefiting from the Bible is that it shows us the way to get the best out of life now, even in imperfection.

1 Timothy 3:2 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

2 The overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

All of us can benefit now by being temperate, not just the overseers. What does being temperate mean? Knute Larson wrote, “He must also be temperate, or balanced, not given to extremes. Temperate comes from a word meaning “sober,” or “calm in judgment.” It carries the idea of objective thinking and clear perspective. A temperate person is free from the influences of passion, lust, emotion, or personal gain.[5]

What did Paul mean by “sober-minded” (rendered self-controlled, LEB, HCSB) and how can we all befit from this as well? Sober Minded: (Gr. nepho) This denotes being sound in mind, to be in control of one’s thought processes and thus not be in danger of irrational thinking, ‘to be sober-minded, to be well composed in mind.’[6] Larson wrote, “All Christians are called to be self-controlled; this is an evidence of the Spirit’s life within. Here Paul required that leaders model this quality. A pastor is to be in control of himself, not given to anger, personal ambition, or passions. He is to be sensible and in charge of his life. Peter told all Christians to be “self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). Without the power of God’s Spirit, the human spirit is left alone to navigate the forces of evil and personal weaknesses. By the Spirit whom God has placed in all believers, we are given the ability to live beyond these evil influences; we are enabled to have a self that is controlled not by fallen nature but by God’s kingdom goodness.”[7] In just this one verse, simply looking deeper into just two words, we can see what personality changes we need to make that will make us a better Christian, a better person, and help us live a better life even in imperfection.

2 Corinthians 7:1 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

7 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Richard L. Pratt Jr, wrote, “Paul insisted that the Corinthian believers purify themselves from everything that contaminates. The tabernacle instructions of Exodus 30:20–21 are evidently in view here. In the Old Testament, ritual washings symbolized the repentance and recommitment of worshipers. Paul applied this principle to the Christian life. Although the ritual washings themselves were not to be observed in the New Testament, the inward reality that they symbolized was to be observed. Note that Paul mentioned everything. No defilement is acceptable in the Christian life, however small it may be. In fact, Paul had in mind both body and spirit. Paul probably mentioned the body in light of his discussion of the temptation to religious prostitution. Corinth was full of opportunities for fleshly defilement that led to the defilement of the inner person. Behavior is not just external; it corrupts the spirit of a person as well. Neither the behavior of the body nor the condition of the spirit should be overlooked by believers.”[8]

1 Corinthians 6:18 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Sexual Immorality: (Heb. zanah; Gr. porneia) A general term for immoral sexual acts of any kind: such as adultery, prostitution, sexual relations between people not married to each other, homosexuality, and bestiality.[9] Richard L. Pratt Jr. wrote, “Flee … immorality. It is likely that the apostle had in mind Joseph’s example of fleeing Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39:12). Paul instructed the young pastor Timothy in a similar way (2 Tim. 2:22). Rather than moderate resistance to immorality, Paul insisted on radical separation. Paul’s radical advice rested on the uniqueness of sexual sin. In contrast with all other sins, immorality is against one’s own body. The meaning of these words is difficult to determine. Many sins, such as substance abuse, gluttony, and suicide, have detrimental effects on the body. Paul’s words do not refer to disease and/or other damage caused by sin. Instead, his words are linked to the preceding discussion of 6:12–17. There Paul established that Christians’ bodies are joined with Christ so that they become “members of Christ” (6:15) himself. Sexual union with a prostitute violates one’s body by bringing it into a wrongful “one flesh” union, and by flaunting the mystical union with Christ (6:15). It is in this sense that sexual immorality is a unique sin against the body. It violates the most significant fact about believers’ physical existence: their bodies belong to Christ.”[10]

In review, what have we discovered in these three texts? Is there any doubt that if we possess the quality of being sober-minded (self-control) that we will not have better health and better relationships. Through ‘cleansing ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit,’ we evade damaging our health. Finally, the marriage is on safe grounds by our ‘fleeing from sexual immorality.’

The Bible Offers How to Best Live In an Imperfect World

Another aspect of the Bible is that it will help us to find true happiness in this imperfect world that we live in, with the hope of even greater happiness to come. Bible knowledge helps us to discover the innermost harmony and satisfaction that this imperfect life offers, and gives us faith and hopefulness of an even greater one to come. It assists us to develop such pleasing characteristics as empathy, love, joy, peace, kindness, and faith. (Galatians 5:22, 23; Ephesians 4:24, 32) Such characteristics will help us to be a better spouse, father or mother, son or daughter, friend, coworker, student, and so on.

The Bible helps us to See What the Future Holds

Another facet of the Bible is its prophecies, which will help us to understand where we are in the stream of time, and what is yet to unfold. Notice the conditions that are coming in the text below.

Revelation 21:3-4 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he will dwell[11] among them, and they shall be his people,[12] and God himself will be among them,[13] 4 and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

21:3–4. For the third and final time John hears a loud voice from the throne (16:17; 19:5). The word for dwelling is traditionally translated “tabernacle” or “tent.” When the Israelites had lived in the wilderness after the exodus, God’s presence was evident through the tent (Exod. 40:34). Part of the reward for Israel’s obedience to God was, “I will put my dwelling place [tabernacle] among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (Lev. 26:11–12). Israel’s disobedience, of course, led finally to the destruction of the temple.

The permanent remedy began when God became enfleshed in Jesus: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). A form of the same verb translated “made his dwelling” in John 1:14 is now used by the heavenly voice: he will live with them. Here, then, is the final eternal fulfillment of Leviticus 26.

They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God is a divine promise often made, particularly in context of the new covenant (Jer. 31:33; 32:38; Ezek. 37:27; 2 Cor. 6:16). In eternity, it will find full completion in its most glorious sense. One striking note here is that the word translated “people,” while often singular in Revelation (for example, 18:4), here is plural, literally “peoples.” This points to the great ethnic diversity of those in heaven.

The great multitude who came out of the Great Tribulation received the pledge of many blessings including the final removal of any cause for tears (7:15–17). Now this promise extends to every citizen-saint of the New Jerusalem. The picture of God himself gently taking a handkerchief and wiping away all tears is overwhelming. It pictures the removal of four more enemies:

•   death—destroyed and sent to the fiery lake (20:14; 1 Cor. 15:26)

•   mourning—caused by death and sin, but also ironically the eternal experience of those who loved the prostitute (18:8)

•   crying—one result of the prostitute’s cruelty to the saints (18:24)

•   pain—the first penalty inflicted on mankind at the Fall is finally lifted at last (Gen. 3:16)

All these belonged to the old order of things where sin and death were present. The last thought could also be translated, “The former things are gone.” No greater statement of the end of one kind of existence and the beginning of a new one can be found in Scripture.[14]

The Bible helps us Share the Good News

Romans 10:13-17 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

14  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how will they hear without someone to preach? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who declare good news of good things!”[15]

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord,[16] who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have;

“Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited earth.”

  10:14a. Calling requires faith. How … can they call on the one they have not believed in? In the Old Testament, calling on the name of the Lord was a metaphor for worship and prayer (Gen. 4:26; 12:8; Ps. 116:4). No one can call out to God who has not believed in him.

10:14b. Faith requires hearing. And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? More than anything else, this question is the crux of all missiological activity since the first century. God has ordained that people have to hear (or read, or otherwise understand the content of) the word of God in order to be saved. One who knows the gospel must communicate it to one who does not know it.

10:14c. Hearing requires preaching. And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Since no other media except the human voice was of practical value in spreading the gospel in the first century, preaching is Paul’s method of choice. And yet, in the media-rich day in which we minister, has anything replaced preaching as the most effective way to communicate the gospel? We thank God for the printed page, and even for cutting-edge presentations of the gospel circling the globe on the internet. But it is still the human voice that cracks with passion, the human eye that wells with tears of gratitude, and the human frame that shuffles to the podium, bent from a lifetime of Service to the gospel, that reaches the needy human heart most readily. Hearing may not require preaching in person today, but it always benefits from it.

10:15. Preaching requires sending. And how can they preach unless they are sent? Even when his servants were unwilling (e.g., Jonah), God has been sending the message of salvation to the ends of the earth from the beginning. Paul, a “sent one” (apostle, apostolos), was sent to the Gentiles, and he needed the church at Rome to help him. But he also wanted them to be available for God to send them. There were many, many Jews in Rome who were still stumbling over the stone in the path of salvation. How would they ever call on the name of the Lord unless someone is sent? Paul wants the church at Rome to get in step with those who have borne good news to Israel before, most specifically those who brought the good news of their deliverance from captivity in Assyria:

Original Context

“Good news” in its earliest contexts was that of victory in battle. In Isaiah it is deliverance from captivity in Assyria (cf. Isa. 52:4, 11–12), a type of the coming deliverance from sin.

Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Romans 10:15

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

    Paul’s Application

Just as the “good news” was delivered to Israel in the Old Testament, so it still must be delivered in Paul’s day. It is a different gospel—a better one—of permanent deliverance from captivity to sin

Six key terms, taken in reverse order, summarize God’s plan for taking the good news of the gospel to those in need: send, preach, hear, believe, call, saved.

With a final barrage of scriptures from the Old Testament, Paul proves his point that, in spite of sovereign election from God’s side of the equation, Israel is in a state of unbelief by her own choice. Personal responsibility is part of the ministry of the gospel, both in delivering it and in choosing whether or not to receive it. God’s responsibility was to get “the gospel” to Israel; it was Israel’s responsibility to act on it.

10:16–18. Unfortunately, not all the Israelites accepted the good news (the obvious implication being that some did—the remnant; cf. Rom. 9:27; 11:5, 25). Paul uses a situation in Isaiah’s day to illustrate:

Original Context

Isaiah was proclaiming good news of salvation to Israel (Is. 52:7, 10) but at the same time was questioning whether any would believe.

Isaiah 53:1

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

    Romans 10:16

For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”

    Paul’s Application

Paul’s application of this verse is the same as Isaiah’s, just a few centuries later. Israel once again was hearing the good news, but not believing.

The apostle John agreed with Paul’s assessment of Israel’s condition. Even though the Israelites saw Jesus’ miracles with their own eyes, “they still would not believe in him” (John 12:37). John then says this was in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:1, just as Paul did. Paul then reiterates what he said in verses 14–15, that faith can only come through hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. The word of Christ here is perhaps best taken as “the spoken words about Christ,” referring to the preaching of the gospel. Word is rhema, the uttered or spoken word as opposed to logos, the revealed word as expression of thought. A. T. Robertson has christou as an objective genitive (Robertson, 4:390), yielding “the spoken message about Christ.”

Is it possible that Israel did not hear—either in Isaiah’s day, in Jesus’ day, or in Paul’s day? Paul answers as if the answer would be obvious to anyone who cared to look: Of course they [heard]—and he uses another Old Testament quote to prove it, with another fresh application:

Original Context

In its direct application, this psalm supports Paul’s contention in Romans 1:20 that creation proves the existence of God.

Psalm 19:4

Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

Romans 10:18

Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

  Paul’s Application

Paul uses the “voice” of creation as an analogy for how the gospel has spread to the end of the (Jews’) world.

If we parallel Paul’s argument in Romans 1:20 with his argument here (Ps. 19:4 being the common element between the two), then just as all people everywhere “are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20) concerning the existence of God, so Jews everywhere are without excuse concerning the existence of their Messiah and his work. Having answered a first objection to Israel’s lack of responsibility, Paul answers a second.[17]

The Bible Helps Us Achieve and Maintain Our Spirituality

Matthew 4:4 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”[18]

John Macarthur wrote, “4:4 It is written. All three of Jesus’ replies to the devil are taken from Deuteronomy. This one, from Deuteronomy 8:3, states that God allowed Israel to hunger so that He might feed them with manna and teach them to trust Him to provide for them. So the verse is directly applicable to Jesus’ circumstances and a fitting reply to Satan’s temptation.”[19]  Indeed, Christians are fed by reading and studying the Word of God. In addition, our faith is strengthened when we experience the benefits of applying God’s Word more fully and accurately in our lives as we walk with God, putting him first.

  The Bible Helps Us Understand the Will and Purposes of the Creator

When we enter the pathway of walking with our God, we will certainly come across resistance from three different areas. Our greatest obstacle is ourselves because we have inherited imperfection from our first parents Adam and Eve. The Scriptures make it quite clear that we are mentally bent toward bad, not good. (Gen 6:5; 8:21, AT) In other words, our natural desire is toward wrong. Prior to sinning, Adam and Eve were perfect, and they had the natural desire of doing good, and to go against that was to go against the grain of their inner person. Scripture also tells us of our inner person, our heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

9 The heart is more deceitful than all else, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Romans 7:21-24 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

21 I find then the law in me that when I want to do right, that evil is present in me. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and taking me captive in the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

1 Corinthians 9:27 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Ephesians 4:1 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

4  Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

Ephesians 5:15-17 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 buying out[20] the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

There are horrific dangers and deceptions that lie within the world that is under the influence of Satan. God recognizes that we are imperfect, knowing that we have human weaknesses that he originally did not intend, meaning that he is aware of how difficult it is to walk in godly wisdom. He is aware that we are all missing the mark of perfection, and that we are all mentally bent toward evil. He knows that our natural desire is to do wrong, and our heart (inner self) is treacherous, and we cannot even know it. It is for this reason that he makes allowances for our imperfection. Jesus Christ offered himself as a ransom, covering our Adamic sin and our human weaknesses when we stumble at times, but only if we demonstrate trust in him.

We need to walk not as unwise but as wise. What does Paul mean by ‘wise’ and ‘unwise’ in this text? God has made known to us his plan of salvation, which was a mystery up until the time of Paul’s writings. At that time, he had lavished upon them/us, “in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ.” (Eph. 1:8-9) Yes, God has afforded his people wisdom, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.” (Eph. 1:17-19) It would take a wise person to understand and appreciate the mystery of salvation, and the fact that they are required to bring their life into harmony with God’s magnificent plan of saving the world of mankind who are receptive to accepting Christ. To be wise also means that these ones fully grasp the will of the Father (Matt. 7:21), and are carrying out that will to the best of their ability. Therefore, the wise accept, value, and see the significance of wisely walking worthily with God. On the other hand, the unwise are those of the world of humankind who are alienated from God, living their life in the moment, walking in the desires of the flesh, because they see God’s Word as foolish.

Turning our attention to verse 16 of Ephesians 5, we see that the wise know how to buy out the opportune time from the world, even though they live in the world, but they do not use it to the fullest extent, unlike the unwise. Why, because they know that the world of wicked mankind is passing away. The wise one buys time back from this wicked world. Some of the areas that can be bought from are watching less television, less time playing on the computer, other forms of entertainment, not always working overtime, or maybe even not taking a promotion that would cause one to miss Christian meetings, so he or she can focus on the better things. Some of these better things are personal family time, family Bible study, personal Bible study, religious services, sharing the Good News with others, congregational responsibilities, and so on. Notice below that we were formerly unwise, but are now the wise.

Ephesians 2:1-3 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

2  And you being dead in the trespasses and your sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among whom also we all formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Help in Understanding the Bible

The irony is that hundreds of millions of Christians are humble enough to recognize that the Bible is difficult to understand, it is a deep and complex book. There are tens of millions, who believe they understand everything they read, and for them, the Bible is easy to understand. The sad part is that many of the latter do not understand it any better than the former; they are simply putting a modern-day twist on Scripture and having it say what they want it to say. Even Peter in the first century, one of the pillars of the early church, an apostle of Christ, viewed the Apostle Paul’s letters as difficult to understand.

2 Peter 3:15-16 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

If we are to appreciate and apply the Bible in our lives, we must first fully understand it. We must know what the author of a Bible book meant by the words that he used, as should have been understood by his original intended audience. Then, we will be able to attach the significance that it has in our lives. If we are unaware of the correct way of interpreting the Scriptures, grammatical-historical interpretation, then we are going to be one of those ones who Peter spoke of as, “the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction.” Hundreds of millions of Christians unknowingly share an incorrect understanding of Scripture, because they are not aware of the principles of interpretation, and how to apply them correctly. More on Peter’s words in a moment.

Our first step is observation, to get as close to the original text as possible. If we do not read Hebrew or Greek; then, two or three literal translations are preferred (ASV, RSV, NASB, UASV). The second step is interpretation, What did the author mean by the words that he used, as should have been understood by his original audience. A part of this second step would be what the differences between the biblical audience and us are? The Christian today is separated from the biblical audience by differences in culture, language, situation, time, and often covenant. The third step is the implications or principles in this text? This is perhaps the most challenging step. In it, we are looking for the implications or principles that are reflected in the meaning of the text we identified in the second step. Part of this third step is making sure that we stay within the pattern of the original meaning when we determine any implications for us. The fourth step is the application. How should individual Christians today live out the implications and principles?

Certainly, no one would suggest that God intended such division and confusion. If each of us can give our own meaning to a text; then, it has no meaning at all, and has lost all authority over our lives. What does the Bible really teach? Look at the different views the Bible scholar have below.

(Inerrancy) Full inerrancy in this book means that the original writings are fully without error in all that they state, as are the words. The words were not dictated (automaton), but the intended meaning is inspired, as are the words that convey that meaning. The Author allowed the writer to use his style of writing, yet controlled the meaning to the extent of not allowing the writer to choose a wrong word, which would not convey the intended meaning. Other more liberal-minded persons hold with partial inerrancy, which claims that as far as faith is concerned, this portion of God’s Word is without error, but that there are historical, geographical, and scientific errors.

There are several different levels of inerrancy. Absolute Inerrancy is the belief that the Bible is fully true and exact in every way; including not only relationships and doctrine, but also science and history. In other words, all information is completely exact. Full Inerrancy is the belief that the Bible was not written as a science or history textbook, but is phenomenological, in that it is written from the human perspective. In other words, speaking of such things as the sun rising, the four corners of the earth or the rounding off of number approximations are all from a human perspective. Limited Inerrancy is the belief that the Bible is meant only as a reflection of God’s purposes and will, so the science and history are the understanding of the author’s day and is limited. Thus, the Bible is susceptible to errors in these areas. Inerrancy of Purpose is the belief that it is only inerrant in the purpose of bringing its readers to a saving faith. The Bible is not about facts, but about persons and relationships, thus, it is subject to error. Inspired: Not Inerrant is the belief that its authors are human and thus subject to human error. It should be noted that this author holds the position of full inerrancy.

(Creation Account) Were the universe and man created within the past 6,000 to 10,000 years, or are the days creative periods. Or rather, is there a large gap of time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, or the literary framework view correctly that asserts that God did not have Moses address how He created the world, nor the length of time in which to do such? This view holds that this account in Genesis 1 is merely a literary outline that summarizes a theology of creation.

(Providence) Is God sovereign over all things, or does God limit his control by granting freedom? (Divine Image) Is the image of God our soul, or is the image of God our God-given authority, or is it our relations? (Human Constitution) Are we made up of a body and soul, or body, soul, and spirit, or are we the person, a soul? (Atonement) Did Christ die in our place, or is it that Christ destroyed Satan and his works, or that Christ displayed God’s wrath against sin? (Salvation) Did God from eternity in the past predestine some to salvation, and others to eternal damnation, or is it that God loves everyone, and we can choose to accept or reject that love, with God not coercing them, while they must maintain an approved standing? (Sanctification) Is sanctification a declaration by God, or a holiness in Christ and personal conduct, or resting-faith in the sufficiency of Christ, or is it entire sanctification in perfect love? (Eternal Security) Do we retain our security in the Power of God, or do we need to persist in faith? (Baptism) Are infants to be baptized, or are only believers to be baptized? (Gifts) Is speaking in tongues a true sign of faith, or did speaking in tongues die out after the first century C.E.?[21] (Millennium) Is there to be a rapture before the reign of Christ, or are we working toward and waiting for a coming reign of peace, or is the thousand-year conquest of Satan symbolic? These sorts of questions could go on for hundreds of pages.

Help in Teaching the Bible

If we are to fulfill the great commission, that Jesus gave to every Christian, to proclaim and to teach the Good News, we must accurately understand it ourselves first. It was in the spring of 31 C.E., and Jesus was about to speak to a very large, mixed crowd on a mountainside, who were anxiously awaiting what he would teach them. He did not let them down in the least, as he was nothing short of astounding in what and how he taught them. “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching.” Astonished: (Gr. thambeō; derivative of thambos) This is one who is experiencing astonishment, to be astounded, or amazed as a result of some sudden and unusual event, which can be in a positive or negative sense.[22] What was so special about his way of teaching, in comparison to what they had been hearing from the Jewish religious leaders? He taught with authority from the Scriptures. He quoted or referred to the Old Testament, to support what he was saying. The Jewish religious leaders referred to other Rabbis as their authority.

At the end of his ministry here on earth, Jesus told all of his disciples that they too were to be teachers. He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20, ESV) The apostle Paul also exhorted Hebrew Christians of their responsibility to teach when they were trying to get away with doing the minimum possible. “For in view of the time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you from the beginning the elementary things of the words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Hebrews 5:12) Paul also told Timothy, “For a slave of the Lord does not need to fight, but needs to be kind to all, qualified to teach, showing restraint when wronged,”–2 Timothy 2:24.

What about us? Sadly, survey after survey over the last 35 years has shown that 90+ percent of Christians today are in the same position as what Paul had said to the Hebrew Christians. “For in view of the time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you from the beginning the elementary things of the words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Heb. 5:12) On this verse, Thomas D. Lea wrote, “First, he said, ‘You’ve been Christians long enough to be teachers, but you still need instruction in the ABCs.’ They should have been able to pass on their basic understanding of the Christian message to others. Instead, they needed a good review of the elementary matters themselves. Not only had they failed to move forward in their understanding; they had lost their grasp of the elementary truths of God’s word. ‘If the dark things do not become plain then the plain things will become dark’ (Thomas Hewitt). Second, these believers were in need of milk, not solid food! The term milk represents a beginning level of instruction for Christians. The term solid food describes advanced instruction. Both the milk phase and the solid food phase were important and essential. However, someone who never reached the solid food stage was seriously defective. … The writer of Hebrews was concerned that his readers should be showing signs of Christian maturity. They were still caught up in issues only ‘baby’ Christians found to be important.”[23] Do not be troubled by these words, as to biblical illiteracy among the Christians today, the church and its leaders bear most of the responsibility by far, with some going to the churchgoer as well.

Joshua 1:8-9 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid, and do not be dismayed, for Jehovah your God is with you wherever you go.”

We see that we need to meditate on God’s Word day and night (See also Ps. 1:1-3). The day and night are really hyperbole for reading it every day. The Hebrew word behind meditate (haghah) can be rendered “mutter.” In other words, as we read, we are to read in an undertone, slightly out load, like muttering to oneself. The process of hearing the words increases our retention of the material dramatically. As Bible students we read to understand and remember what we read, and we are obligated to share this good news with others. Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon (translated by S. Tregelles, 1901, p. 215) say of haghah: “Prop[erly] to speak with oneself, murmuring and in a low voice, as is often done by those who are musing.”[24]

The last phrase in verse 8, “you will have good success” can be rendered to “act with insight.” How was Joshua to acquire this ability “to act with insight”? He was to meditate on God’s Word day and night. What is the equation of Joshua 1:8? If Joshua were to read meditatively (in an undertone) from God’s Word daily, applying it in his life, he would be able to act with insight, resulting in his prospering. Of course, the prospering is not financial gain. It is a life of joy and happiness in an age of difficult times. It is avoiding the pitfalls that those in the world around us suffer daily. Moreover, it does not mean that we are to prosper or be successful in an absolute sense because bad things happen to good people. We must add the qualifier, “generally speaking,” if we follow God’s Word we will have success.

Basics of Biblical Interpretation

Step 1: What is the historical setting and background for the author of the book and his audience? Who wrote the book? When and under what circumstances was the book written? Where was the book written? Who were the recipients of the book? Was there anything noteworthy about the place of the recipients? What is the theme of the book? What was the purpose for writing the book?

Step 2a: What would this text have meant to the original audience? (The meaning of a text is what the author meant by the words that he used, as should have been understood by his readers.)

Step 2b: If there are any words in our section that we do not understand, or that stand out as interesting words that may shed some insight on the meaning, look them up in a word dictionary.

Step 2c: After reading our section from the three Bible translations, doing a word study, write down what we think the author meant. Then, pick up a trustworthy commentary, like CPH Old or New Testament commentary volume, and see if you have it correct.

Step 3: Explain the original meaning down into one or two sentences, preferably one. Then, take the sentence or two; place it in a short phrase.

Step 4: Now, consider their circumstances, the reason for it being written, what it meant to them, and consider examples from our day that would be similar to theirs, which would fit the pattern of meaning. What implications can be drawn from the original meaning?

Step 5: Find the pattern of meaning, i.e., the “thing like these,” and consider how it could apply to our modern day life. How should individual Christians today live out the implications and principles?

We know that Scripture makes it clear that there is only one acceptable way of worshiping God, the way outlined in God’s Word. Everything that we believe and do needs to be based on that Word, and our understanding of that Word needs to be accurate. There are 41,000 different Christian denominations, and clearly, not all are on the path of doing the will of the Father as outlined in the Bible, for Jesus said, in that day he will say to some, “depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matt 7:23) We can either place our trust in man, who bickers and argues over what the Word of God means, or we can take the Bible’s point of view itself. After all, it is the inspired Word of God, which is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”–2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

5 Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Milton H. Terry wrote, “It is an old and oft-repeated hermeneutical principle that words should be understood in their literal sense unless such literal interpretation involves a manifest contradiction or absurdity.”[25] Robert L. Towns writes, “The Bible is the best interpreter of itself. As we study the Bible, we should learn to compare the Scriptures we are studying with other relevant passages of Scripture to interpret the Bible.”[26] This book is the first step, HOW TO STUDY YOUR BIBLE. As to the second step, the reader can take advantage of the INTERPRETING THE BIBLE: Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics by this author (ISBN: 978-1-945757-07-5), so that we are not entirely dependent on the interpretation of others. In other words, we will be able to do as the Bereans did with the Apostle Paul, and for which he commended them,

Acts 17:10-11 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

Paul and Silas in Berea

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness,[27] examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Note that they (1) “received the word with all eagerness,” and then went about (2) “examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” If the apostle Paul was to be examined to see if what he said was so, surely uninspired commentators must be examined as well.

Are We Willing to Spend Time Each Week to Understand the Bible?

Many want to understand, to be fearless, and capable of sharing Bible truth with others. However, if this is to be the case, we must be willing to buy out a small amount of time from the wicked world under the influence of Satan that surrounds us (2 Cor. 4:3-4; 11:13-15) and invest it into a small study program. Many people want to do many things, but they allow their time to be used on frivolous pursuits. The thought of, ‘oh, if only I had started six months ago, I would be so far along now!’ Do not let another six months slip by.

Colossians 4:5-6 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, buying out for yourselves the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

The recommendation once more is to set aside one hour each day for God. If we are able to spend more time, this is entirely up to us. What must be realized is just how much time we give to the world around us, a world that lies in the hands of Satan. Is it too much to ask that we give one hour a day to the Creator of life? We can simply get up one hour earlier than we normally do, and we will have our study in before the day even gets started. The beautiful thing about that plan is; it will start our day on a spiritual track, meaning a better day from the beginning.

Digging Deeper

Psalm 92:5 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

5 How great are your works, O Jehovah! Your thoughts are very deep!

1 Corinthians 2:10 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

There is no doubt that God’s thoughts are deep, these deeper things of God are very complex at times, and as Peter tells us in the above, they are not easy to understand. Therefore, we must dig deeper by the use of the many wonderful tools on the market, along with prayerful reflection as we carry on in our studies. However, even before we begin that, we need to know (1) HOW TO STUDY YOUR BIBLE, and (2) that our way of INTERPRETING THE BIBLE is correct.

Psalm 139:17-18 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

Psalm 119:160 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous judgments endures forever.

As was true of the Psalmist, we should view God’s sharing His thoughts as very precious. We should be very thankful and appreciative that we have access to ‘the sum of God’s Word’ as being truths that He has revealed to us, and therefore, we must dig deeper in the sum of God’s Word.

How Does God Communicate With Us Today?

Setting any possible emotionalism[28] aside, we must ask ourselves if God is truly real to us. Can we say that God is our friend? James tells us in his inspired letter, “‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,’[29] and he was called a friend of God.” We all have heard the say, “actions speak louder than words.” Abraham’s actions evidenced that he had a deep, heartfelt faith, and truly loved God. He showed in his life that he was not just a friend of God in mere words but also in deed. The more we draw closer to God in both word and deed, the more he will draw closer to us.

What are some things that we can do to draw closer to God? The primary ways that we can draw closer to God are through communication with him. In prayer, we communicate with the Father. King David, in prayer, said, “Before him I pour out my complaint; before him I tell about my trouble.”[30] (Ps 142:2) How does God communicate with us? The only people in Bible times to receive direct communication from God (namely, spoken audible direction, visions, dreams, and angelic messengers delivered divine messages), were Patriarchs like Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Joshua. There were also the Judges like Gideon, Ehud, and Samson. There were the Kings like David, Solomon, Jehu, and Hezekiah. Then there were the Prophets like Elijah and Elisha, or Isiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Then, there were the Minor Prophets like Jonah, Micah, and Joel. Then there were Priests like Aaron and Ezra. Then, after the Babylonian exile, there were Governors like Zerubbabel. After that, we enter the New Testament era with John the Baptist. Then, there were the Twelve Apostles like John, Peter, James, and Matthew. Then, there were the Traveling Apostles or Evangelists like Paul and Philip. There were also more than one hundred Traveling Companions of the apostle Paul such as Timothy, Titus, Barnabas, and Tychicus.

Persons such as these might receive a message from God through a dream or night vision, where pictures of God’s message or purpose are placed in the mind of the sleeping person. The Bible says, “Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night.” (Dan. 2:19) We are also told, “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head [that is, in his mind] as he lay in his bed.” (Dan 7:1) There were also visions given when a person was awake, which was actually the more common way of communication. We are told, “In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel,[31] after the one that appeared to me at the beginning.” (Dan. 8:1) Of Ezekiel, it is said, “In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.” (Eze 1:1) The apostle John tells us, “And this is how I saw the horses in the vision and those seated on them …” (Rev. 9:17) Then, we have the apostle Peter who fell into a trance, and he saw the heavens open, giving him a pictorial vision of his next assignment. (Ac 10:9-17) There are times when angels served as direct representatives of God and visited persons such as Abraham, Moses, Daniel, the father of John the Baptist, Zechariah, and even Mary. The prophet Zechariah was having a vision of some horsemen and being visited by an angel. Then he said to the angel, ‘What are these, my lord?’ And the angel who was talking to me said, “I will show you what these are.” (Gen. 22:11-12, 15-18; Zech. 1:7, 9) The Bible authors “were inspired by God,” ‘speaking from God as they were moved along by the Holy Spirit.’–2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21.

The Bible is a perfect guidebook that was penned to get God’s people up unto the time of Armageddon. The only other future books to be written are to come during the millennial reign of Christ. Once the Scriptures were closed in the first century with the death of the last apostle, John, there was no need for any more books to be written or any more prophets. They then and we now have the complete revelation of God to get us to the second coming of Christ. The only person(s) we have needed since the closure of Scriptures in 100 C.E.[32] has been interpreters. There are two kinds of interpreters. One is a translator of the Scriptures, like Jerome and his Latin Vulgate, John Wycliffe with the first English Bible (written by hand), William Tyndale with the first English Bible in print, Martin Luther, and the German Bible, to mention just a few. From our modern day era, we have translators on translation committees, who have given us the American Standard Version (ASV), the Revised Standard Version (RSV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the English Standard Version (ESV), as well as the forthcoming Updated American Standard Version (UASV).[33] These ones take the written language of our Old Testament Hebrew-Aramaic manuscripts and our Greek New Testament manuscripts and render them into our modern-day languages. We shall call these specialists Bible Translator Interpreters. Who are the other interpreters?

All Christians are the other interpreters, ones who convey the meaning of our modern-day translations, namely, what the Bible authors meant by the words that they used. We explain the Bible by giving others the meaning, significance, and understanding of the Word of God. We shall call ourselves, who also are a specialist, Christian Evangelist Interpreters. What is an evangelist exactly? Who are all expected to serve in this role? Evangelism is the work of a Christian evangelist, of which all true Christians are obligated to partake to some extent, which seeks to persuade other people to become Christian, especially by sharing the basics of the Gospel, but also the deeper message of biblical truths. Why are Christians specialists like the Bible Translator Interpreters? It is because of the groundwork that needs to be laid. Preevangelism is laying a foundation for those who have no knowledge of the Gospel, giving them background information, so that they are able to grasp what they are hearing. The Christian Evangelist Interpreter is preparing their mind and heart so that they will be receptive to the biblical truths. In many ways, this is known as apologetics.

Again, we quote what the apostle Peter said of the apostle Paul’s writings, “some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2 Pet. 3:16) The Christian Evangelist Interpreter needs to read, study, and understand the verses of scripture, in order to obey the command by Jesus to teach and make disciples. (Matt. 24:14; 28:19-20; Ac 1:8) In order to teach another, we must clearly understand the Word of God ourselves first. Otherwise, how do we, 2,000-years removed from Peter, who felt the Scriptures were hard to understand, make it understandable to others? When we fully, completely, and accurately understand the Word of God; then, we can give reasons as to why it says what it say, and what the author meant by what he wrote. Moreover, we are also able to express it in our own words. There are two reasons why need to be absolutely certain that what we are conveying is accurate. First, it reflects poorly on us, our church and our denomination, and more importantly on God. Second, Peter said it himself, “the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” Whether we distort the Word of God intentionally (false teachers), or unintentionally because we were too busy in Satan’s world to buy out the time to understand better, it all ends the same way, our destruction.

We need to understand the cultural differences in the Scriptures, the Bible backgrounds, as we are 2,000-years removed from the New Testament era and 2,500-3,500-years removed from the Old Testament era. We need to appreciate original language words that are in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. This does not mean that we need necessarily to learn Biblical Hebrew and Greek. Some tools can aid us in this. We need to take what the author meant out of the text, not read our twenty-first-century mindset into the text. We need to understand the context. Context is the words, phrases, or passages that come before and after a particular word or passage in a speech or piece of writing and help to explain its full meaning. Context is also the circumstances or events that form the environment within which something exists or takes place. We need to be observant as we study, taking not of persons, place, things, and circumstances. Discover who wrote it, what the purpose was, what is being conveyed when it was written, and why it was written. Are we reading historical texts like Kings and Chronicles, or poetical like the Psalms, apocalyptic such as Daniel or Revelations, prophetic like Isaiah or Jeremiah, the laws like Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, or letters like Ephesians, Galatians, Hebrews, or the Gospels? What do we know about the people involved? Can we say that we know anything about Alexander, Demas, Hermogenes, Asyncritus, Hermas, Julia, Philologus, and Phygelus? What are some of the keywords that we can investigate further? What is the main theme of the Bible book we are studying? Interpret literally, unless the author did not mean for it to be taken literally. We need to understand how to apply what the author meant to our lives.

What if we have not been properly trained in how to study God’s Word properly? You are now holding the best book on that subject. It can be very disheartening to struggle through Bible reading and study when we do not know how to study properly, to interpret the Scriptures correctly. In addition, it is difficult to form a long for personal Bible study if we have had no training. We have taken a long way around to answer, how does God talk to us today? Should we expect dreams, visions, a voice from heaven, or a visit from an angel? What about a prophet, should we expect that God would raise up another prophet? No, those days ended over 2,000-years ago. God speaks to us when we regularly read his word, the Bible, and meditate on it.

Roadblocks to Regular and Consistent Bible Reading and Study

Psalm 119:97 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

Literally billions of men and women have a Bible. However, while they may own a Bible and even carry the Bible to their church meetings, can they honestly say that they love God’s Word? Is a person’s claim that they love the Word of God true if they are irregular and inconsistent in reading and studying it? Certainly not, the claim would be false based on their actions. On the other hand, there are former atheists, who had absolutely no respect for the Bible, who now read and study it daily now that they have converted to Christianity. They have grown to love God’s Word, and now are very much like the Psalmist, meditating on the Word of God “all the day.” Let us now look at some roadblocks that has gotten in the way for some, so that they had not read and studied their Bible consistently.

IT REQUIRES DISCIPLINE

Today, many associate discipline with punishment that is designed to teach somebody obedience. For Christians they see discipline as church rules: the system of rules used in a Christian denomination in order to keep the church organized, clean, and pure. This is not how the word is being used here. The primary meaning of discipline is training to ensure proper behavior: the practice or methods of teaching and enforcing acceptable patterns of behavior. Someone, who regularly and consistently cleans their house, mows their lawn, makes their doctor’s visits, cooks family meals, holds down a job, is a disciplined person. The same holds true of reading and studying the Bible, as well as preparing for and attending church meetings. If they are failing to do so; then, the Word of God is not their priority. Moreover, by extension, growing close to God is not their priority either because only by growing in the knowledge of God can one draw closer to him.

Without seeming too insulting, it really comes down to being lazy. If we fail to carry out regular Bible study, prepare for Sunday’s Christian meeting, and even fail to attend that Sunday, yet we go out shopping later that day, or turn on the football games, where are our priorities? Thus, a lack of discipline has become a problem that we must overcome. If we have the time to do things that we desire to do; then, these things are close to our heart. What do we do during our seven-day week? Do we read newspapers and magazines? Do we surf the internet and regularly post on social media? Do we go shopping? Do we watch sports? Do we have a garden that we care for, a pet that we are taking care of, go out to eat, take in a movie, and so on. Then, we need to ‘buy out’[34] the time from other activities in order to read and study the Bible regularly. (Eph. 5:16) If we fail to buy out this time; then, our claim that we love God and his Word is simply untrue. We may try to rationalize why we are too busy, but that will be irrational thinking. We need to have a genuine love for God and for people that need saving, being willing to make personal sacrifices, if we are going to grow in knowledge, so are to share biblical truths with others, to make disciples. (Matt. 22:37-39; 28:19-20; Phil. 4:13) We must cultivate qualities that make us a better Christian, a better disciple, to draw closer to God, namely discipline.

INEXPERIENCED AND UNSKILLED BIBLE STUDENT

Experience is knowledge or skill gained through being involved in or exposed to something over a period. I am not mechanically inclined. My father died when I was four, I had no older brother to train me, no uncles, and so I grew up without learning how to repair go-carts, mini bikes, cars, or motorcycles. I also never learned how to fix things around the house. All of my friends through life had these skills, which was a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because I had a friend that would repair things for me. I was always clumsy around tools and had no real self-confidence in this area.

The same is true with Bible study. If we have always been told that the Bible is easy to understand, just interpret it as you read it because it is straightforward, we were extremely misinformed. Here again, is what the apostle Peter said about the apostle Paul’s writings, “also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2 Pet. 3:16) This is not the apostle Peter that Jesus found on a fishing boat, whom Jesus said ‘be my disciple,’ or the apostle Peter that denied Jesus three times. Rather this is the apostle Peter 35-years later, who was one of the main leaders of the entire church, who had decades of study and teaching under his belt, not to mention being an inspired author himself. This experienced and highly knowledgeable, wise apostle Peter, felt that some things in Paul’s letters were “hard to understand.” We are 2,000 years removed, of a different language, culture, and historical setting, and we are going to be so bold as to say, the Bible is easy to understand. Peter also said the ‘untaught were distorting the Scriptures.’ There is the important correlation if you are untaught; you have no choice but to distort the Scriptures. Sadly, Peters last words should be a wake-up call of all of us, ‘distorting the Scriptures, to our own destruction.’ One thing that this book will bring its readers is this; we will acquire the skills on HOW TO STUDY YOUR BIBLE. We will also learn how to use the Bible study tools as well.

LACKING REASONS, ENTHUSIASM & MOTIVATION

If we were never disciplined to regularly and consistently take care of the important things in life and we lack the experience and skills to do so, how are we going to have enthusiasm and the motivation? Reasons are defined as a motive or cause for acting or thinking in a particular way. Enthusiasm is defined as a passionate interest in or eagerness to do something. Motivation is defined as the act of giving somebody a reason or incentive to do something. It is the intention of this author to give the reader many motives, to help form a passionate interest and eagerness, as well as incentives to regularly and consistently read and study their Bible.

A COMPLETE HEART

We cannot be halfhearted or in want of heart, or even double hearted. (Ps 12:2; Pro. 10:13) As a reader of hearts, God can see any insincere or feigned behavior on our part. He is well aware of our actions and thinking, even when we are alone. He knows our heart condition, what we are trying to do with our lives. If our heart is good, and we love God’s Word, he will know. (Josh. 1:8-9; Ps. 1:1-3; 119:97, 101, 105, and 165) A person who is halfhearted is lukewarmly worshiping God. (Ps 119:113; Re. 3:16) a person who is double hearted (literally, with a heart and a heart), is trying to serve two masters, or deceivingly saying one thing while thinking something else completely. (1 Ch. 12:33; Ps 12:2) Jesus clearly condemned such double hearted hypocrisy (Matt 15:7-8) A person being in want of heart is one who lacks good sense.

If we are not buying out the appropriate amount of time for reading and Studying God’s word, this is because we lack a complete heart. It is because we are not aware of our spiritual needs. Worse still, we might be aware of our spiritual needs but have chosen to ignore them, which will result in a calloused, unfeeling heart. Jesus pointed out that humans have an inborn, essential spiritual need. We long to be fed by God’s Word, which gives meaning to our life. In dealing with the heart, let us look at one of Jesus illustrations. The parable of the sower talks about three different types of soil, which can be viewed as three different types of heart conditions.

Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

The Parable of the Sower

3 Then he told them many things by parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow; 4 and as he was sowing, some seeds fell alongside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. 8 Still others fell upon the good soil and they began to yield fruit, this one a hundredfold, that one sixty, the other thirty. 9 The one who has ears, let him hear.”

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

13:3–8. The many things Jesus spoke in parables certainly included what was written in 13:3–52. It is possible that there were other parables that Matthew did not record.

The parable of the sower requires little comment, because Jesus himself explained the parable in 13:18–23. Note that the farmer sowed seed or several different kinds of soil. The soil along the path (13:4) would likely have been hard-packed from much traffic. There would be little or no vegetation or loose soil to hide or bury the seeds, so the birds could easily find them. The birds represent the devil, “the evil one” (13:19). Note also the variable quality of even the good soil (13:8); even among that which is conducive to fruit bearing, some soils do better than others.

As is common in storytelling today, Jesus used patterns of threes—three bad soils and three variations on the good soil. Usually the first two examples set a pattern, and the third example departs from that pattern, revealing the central message of the story. In this parable, the first three soils set the pattern of poor response to the seeds, and the fourth soil was the contrasting positive example.

13:9. Jesus repeated the challenge that Matthew first recorded in 11:15, after identifying John the Baptizer with “Elijah, who was to come.” He will repeat the same wording in 13:43, and the challenge is explained thoroughly in the following context (13:10–17).

In fact, the distinction between those who have ears to hear and those who do not is central to understanding all of Matthew 11–13. In chapters 11–12, the conflicts revealed the contrast between those who willfully chose to disbelieve in the face of overwhelming evidence, and those who humbly accepted the evidence and responded in faith and obedience to the Messiah. Those who had ears to hear would not only find understanding about the parable, but would realize that the parable was talking about their willingness to hear. Those who did not have “ears to hear” would go on in denial about the parable’s implications about their own unwillingness to hear.

13:18–19. These verses connect Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the sower and the soils (13:18–23) with the disciples’ privilege as hearers of the truth. Jesus was saying to them. “Because you have responded to what you have already seen with eyes, ears, and hearts of faith and humble obedience, I will show you even more. You have proven faithful with little, so I will trust you with much.”

Jesus identified the seed as the message about the kingdom—its arrival in Jesus and the way to participate in this kingdom. The “message about the kingdom” is probably identical to the “good news of the kingdom” in 4:23; 9:35. 24:14.

The soils were the issue. Throughout the parable’s explanation, Jesus compared the four kinds of soil with various kinds of people who had been exposed to his teaching. The first soil, that “along the path” (13:4), was packed and hardened by traffic. It represented the person who does not understand the word he had heard. The person represented by the hardened soil is one who chooses not to understand rather than a person who wants to understand but cannot. Such a person may actually understand Jesus’ teaching in a literal sense but refuse to accept its truth. The biblical concept of “understanding” goes beyond the idea of mental comprehension. It sometimes includes volitional acceptance. In 21:45, the chief priests and Pharisees knew the meaning of Jesus’ parable concerning them, but they refused to accept its truth.

The person who refuses to accept the word of God will fall victim to the evil one (Satan, represented by the birds in 13:4), who comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. If given even the slightest opportunity, Satan and his evil forces—archenemies of the kingdom of God—are able to remove or distort the truth, thus making that person even less likely to accept the truth in the future. This is one manifestation of the principle Jesus taught in 12:30: “He who is not with me is against me.” To refuse to accept his word is to move away from him. There can be no objective neutrality.

Many people who were exposed to the words and works of the Messiah (especially the religious leaders) fell into this category. They rejected him without any second thoughts.

13:20–21. The rocky soil (13:5–6) receives extra attention in both the parable and its explanation because this person’s response to the truth follows a two-stage pattern. His initial response is unreserved and emotional—joyful acceptance—but only because the circumstances are favorable. The cost of commitment is not yet obvious. This person’s commitment is not deeply rooted. We might say that the truly committed “pay their dues up front,” but the marginally committed cancel their membership when payment comes due. The cost of commitment to the Messiah comes in the form of trouble (thlipsis, “tribulation”) or persecution (diogmos) that come because of the word. As quickly as this individual had committed, just as quickly he defected, distancing himself from the word or message.

There is debate as to whether such a person is truly saved. This question cannot be answered from Jesus’ words, because it is not related to his purpose in the parable, and he does not make the answer clear. It is doubtful than the person was expressing true faith from the start.

13:22. The soil with thorns (13:7) is also assumed to produce some initial growth, as did the rocky places (13:20). But the influence which draws this person away from a sustained interest is not persecution but competing “gods”—the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. Rather than being driven from the truth by hardship, this person is lured away from the truth by promises of something better. Of course, these promises will never be fulfilled, because these competing gods or masters are deceitful.

Is this kind of person saved? The language may lean somewhat toward believing that this person had responded initially with sincere faith, for the seedling is not said to die (as we can presume with the rocky soil, 13:21), but rather to become choked and unfruitful. Still, without perseverance, there is no final evidence of salvation.

We have already seen in Matthew an example of a person who started following Jesus, but then began giving excuses for why he needed to postpone his commitment (8:21–22). But even more prominent in this category would be Judas Iscariot, who sold out Jesus for thirty coins (26:14–16, 20–25, 48–50; 27:1–10).

13:23. All three of the preceding “soils” had heard the word. So also the fourth good soil hears the word, but this one also understands. This person chooses to understand and accept the truth, also accepting the One who is truth (John 14:6). None of the other soils bore any fruit, but this soil yielded much fruit. Jesus did not clarify what caused the variability between the fruitfulness of various faithful followers. One factor may be the degrees of faith. Perhaps another factor has to do with the variety of tasks given to different believers by God. Some may have greater potential for bearing fruit than others (cf. the different number of talents and different levels of return in 25:14–30). Crop represents the tangible results of a life of faith, including godly character (Gal. 5:22–23) and other souls brought into the kingdom (Matt. 9:37–38; cf. John 15:1–17).

In Matthew, where the focus is primarily on Jesus, we are given little opportunity to see examples of the disciples’ responses of faith. The rest of the New Testament, however, is filled with stories about the fruit of faithful hearts. Prominent examples include Peter, John, Philip, Stephen, Paul, and Timothy.[35]

Reasons for Consistent and Regular Reading and Bible Study

CULTIVATE OBEDIENCE AS IT PROTECTS YOU

Many times this author has heard that God loves us unconditionally. This is not true. There are many conditions in the Bible that his servants are expected to believe, accept as absolute truth, and apply in their lives. Yes, obedience is a condition. If we lived a life of constant disobedience, would we expect that God would just overlook that because God is love? We must be mindful that God’s great love does not negate his other qualities, such as justice. R. C. Sproul says, “There are many facets to the question and countless reasons why we ought to study the Bible. I could plead with you to study the Bible for personal edification; I could try the art of persuasion to stimulate your quest for happiness. I could say that the study of the Bible would probably be the most fulfilling and rewarding educational experience of your life. I could cite numerous reasons why you would benefit from a serious study of Scripture. But ultimately the main reason why we should study the Bible is that it is our duty. If the Bible were the most boring book in the world, dull, uninteresting and seemingly irrelevant, it would still be our duty to study it. If it’s literary style were awkward and confusing, the duty would remain. We live as human beings under an obligation by divine mandate to study God’s Word diligently. He is our Sovereign, it is his Word, and he commands that we study it. A duty is not an option. If you have not yet begun to respond to that duty, then you need to ask God to forgive you and to resolve to do your duty from this day forth.” (Sproul 2016, 21)

Is it not sad that knowing the Bible’s direction can bring us great happiness is not enough of a reason to have a consistent and regular reading and Bible study? Knowing that a sound foundational knowledge of the Word of God will bring us the most fulfilling and rewarding educational experience of our life is not enough. We, as imperfect humans need to be forced to do what is good for us. How many have suffered a heart attack before they started exercising and eating correctly? Sadly, we must be commanded, forced, demanded to do the right and most beneficial things in life. Deuteronomy 5:33 tells us, “You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.” Joshua 1:8 tells us, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Jeremiah 7:23 tells us “ But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’”

If the command to embed ourselves in the Word of God is not enough, here is one that we can deduct from the Scriptures, which does not end well if we do not have a deep and correct understanding of God’s Word. At Matthew 7:21, Jesus tells us, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” What is the first and foremost question we should ask? What is the will of the Father? Jesus brings up those who wrongly believed that they were doing the will of the Father in verse 22. “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’” However, Jesus has some very bad news for these ones in verse 23. “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’” The apostle John tells us at 1 John 2:17, “The world is passing away, and its lusts; but the one who does the will of God remains forever.” Who will live forever? Oh, yeah, “whoever does the will of God.” There it is again, the will of the Father. We already noted that the will of the Father is the key. Thus, the second most important question is, what is the only way of knowing the will of the Father? Yes, the only way to know is by deep study of God’s Word.

The laws and commands within God’s Word are not an option. The path to eternal life is not clear unless we have the mind of Christ, a biblical worldview, which comes from study, so as to see more clearly. The Psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105) Right before telling us that it is only by the will of the Father, Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” This is the path to eternal life, and few are finding it, although many are on what they believe to be the right path.–Matthew 7:13-14.

BEING GUIDED THROUGH LIFE AS YOU STUDY THROUGH GOD’S WORD

The cynic would view God’s commandments to us are weighing us down and stripping us of our freedoms. The Bible student with his heart and mind being receptive to the Word of God will realize that these commandments are actually a blessing, which gives us access to a better life now and the eternal one to come.

The term commandment(s) translates the Hebrew word (miṣ·wā(h)), which means “command, order, commandment, i.e., an authoritative directive, either written or verbal, given as instruction or prescription to a subordinate (1Sa 13:13; 1Ki 2:43).”[36] All Christians are sons and daughters of the commandment. Psalm 119:76 says, “May your loyal love please comfort me according to your promise to your servant.” An outstanding way in which God comforts his people is by giving them exhortation and guidance. (Ps. 119:105) God’s commandments will guide us in the short term (daily) and the long-term (throughout our lives).

The term law translates the Hebrew word (tô·rā(h)), which means “law, regulation, i.e., a legal prescription of something that should or must be done (Ex 12:49; Lev 6:2); 2. LN 33.224–33.250 teaching, instruction, i.e., information that is imparted to a student (Ps 78:1; Pr 1:8); 3. LN 33.35–33.68 Torah, the Law, i.e., a written code (Ne 8:2).”[37] The author of Psalm 119 faced trials more extreme than most of us will ever know. Enemies of God ridiculed him and smeared him with falsehood. The princes were seeking his demise and persecuted him. At every turn, he life was in danger, and he was surrounded by wickedness. Even still, the Psalmist sang, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Ps 119:97) The Psalmist found great joy in life regardless of his hardships from those in opposition to him because he knew the law guided his every move. Apply God’s law in his life, he became wiser than his enemies, keeping him safe in the darkest of times. Being obedient to the law also gave him a clean conscience, which brought him peace.—Psalm 119:1, 9, 65, 93, 98, 165.

The term orders (“precepts” in the ASV, ESV, LEB, CSB, NASB et al) translates the Hebrew word (piq·qû·ḏîm, which means instructions procedures, rule of personal conduct. “precepts, directions, regulation, i.e., a principle instructing to do a certain action, which is to be obeyed by all in same society of the covenant (Ps 19:9[EB 8]; 103:18; 111:7; 119:4, 15, 27, 40, 45, 56, 63, 69, 78, 87, 93, 64. 100, 104, 110, 128, 134, 141, 159, 168, 173+).”[38] With heartfelt gratefulness, the psalmist speaks of these “orders” or “precepts.” He writes, “Consider how I love your orders! O Jehovah, according to your loyal love preserve my life.” “From your orders I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.” “I understand more than the aged, for I keep your orders.”–Psalm 119:159, 104, 100.

The term regulation (“statutes” in the ASV, ESV, LEB, CSB, NASB et al) translates the Hebrew word (ḥōq), which means “regulation, decree, statute, ordinance, i.e., a clear communicated prescription of what one should do (Ge 47:26; Ex 15:25).”[39] Over and over again the Psalmist asks God, “Teach me your regulations” (vss. 12, 26, 64, 68, 124, 135), and he also praises God for doing so. “Let my lips utter praise, for you teach me your regulations.” (Ps 119:171) The Psalmist not only wanted to learn the regulations set out by God but also desired to observe them. “I will keep your regulations; do not utterly forsake me!”–Ps. 119:8.

The term testimonies translates the Hebrew word (ʿē·ḏûṯ), which means “statute, stipulation, regulation, i.e., a principle or contingent-particular point of law, having authority to give consequences for not keeping, with a possible focus that these commands serve as a warning, urging, or witness to the covenant agreement (1Ki 2:3; Ps 19:8[EB 7]).”[40] The focus is on the fact that these commands are serving as a warning that is gone over again and again, repeatedly, i.e., a reminder. The Psalmist greatly appreciated these reminders and frequently tells of having kept them. (Ps. 119:22, 88, 129, 167, 168) The Psalmist sang, “Incline my heart to your testimonies [reminders], and not to dishonest gain.” (Ps. 119:36) The Psalmist had no shame when it came to talking about God’s testimonies. “I will also speak of your testimonies [reminders] before kings and shall not be put to shame.”–Ps. 119:46.

The above five terms “commandment(s),” “law,” “orders,” “regulations,” and “testimonies,” is used by the Psalmist as he refers to matters that has much in common with the Word of God. Another term that is a bit different is the Hebrew (miš·pāṭ) “judgment.” As God’s people, we are to have a reverential (wholesome) fear of his judgments. The Psalmist writes, “My flesh trembles[41] for fear[42] of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.” (Ps. 119:120) This is not dreading the Father; it is dreading displeasing the Father. The Psalmist tells us I will praise you with an upright heart when I learn your righteous judgments.” (Ps. 119:7) He goes on to say, “With my lips I declare all the judgments of your mouth.” (Ps. 119:13) He then says, “My soul is crushed with longing for your judgments at all times.” (Ps. 119:20) He also says, “I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous judgments.” (Ps. 119:106) The Psalmist follows with, “Hear my voice according to your loyal love; O Jehovah, according to your justice give me life. Great is your mercy, O Jehovah; give me life according to your judgments.–Ps. 119:149, 156.

Another word that the author of Psalm 119 seems to be fond of is (Heb. ʾim·rā(h)) “promise.” It is rendered “word,” “saying” (Gen 4:23), “instruction,” “teach” (Deut. 32:2), a “prayer” (Ps. 17:6), a “promise” (Ps. 119:41), and “a word” (or promise). (Ps. 119:133). The Psalmist uses it most often in references to God’s “promises” throughout Psalm 119. He writes, “Let your loyal love come to me, O Jehovah, your salvation according to your promise.” (Ps. 119:41) He then says, “I entreat your face[43] with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.” (Ps. 119:58) He goes on, “Sustain me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope.” (Ps. 119:116) The Psalmist then says, “Make my steps steady according to your promise, and do not let any error have dominion over me.” (Ps. 119:133) In his last use, he writes, “Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your promise.” The Psalmist uses the same word in reference to God’s “word,” i.e.,  a promise, assurance, or guarantee, namely, God gives us his “word.” The Word of God, i.e., the Scriptures are God’s “word” to us. The Psalmist says, “In my heart I treasure up your word, so that I may not sin against you.” Many verses later he says, “I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.” Yes, having God’s word and promises is like finding a great treasure.

GOD’S WORD IN YOUR LIFE

How Will You Know Unless You Study

The Bible Gives Us Answers to Questions about Life

The Bible Offers How to Get the Best out of Life Now

The Bible Offers How to Best Live In an Imperfect World

The Bible helps us to See What the Future Holds

The Bible helps us Share the Good News

The Bible Helps Us Achieve and Maintain Our Spirituality

The Bible Helps Us Understand the Will and Purposes of the Creator

Knowing and Applying God’s Word Can Protect Us from False Teachers

Knowing and Applying God’s Word Can Help Us Deal with Our Human Imperfection

“Deep study is no guarantee that mature faith will result, but shallow study guarantees that immaturity continues.” Dr. Lee M. Fields

Merely reading the Bible is no use at all without we study it thoroughly, and hunt it through, as it were, for some great truth.  Dwight L. Moody

Remember, Christ’s scholars must study upon their knees. Charles Spurgeon

Beginning with the Right Mindset

Ezra 7:10  Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to study the Law of Jehovah, and to do it and to teach its regulations and judgments in Israel.

Psalm 119:15-16 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

15 I will meditate on your precepts and keep my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

How Powerful Are the Scriptures?

Hebrews 4:12 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Joshua 1:8 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Ephesians 6:17 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Studying the Bible Helps with Life and Temptation

Proverbs 4:10-13 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

10 Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. 11 In the way of wisdom I have taught you; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. 12 When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. 13 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.

Bible Study Can Protect Us from False Teachers

Matthew 24:4-5 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

Matthew 24:9-11 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 And then many will fall away,[44] will betray[45] one another, and will hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not a great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

1 Thessalonians 3:5  Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

5 For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.

1 Timothy 4:1-3 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

4 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron, 3 men who forbid marriage and command to abstain from foods that God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the teaching according to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but has a sick interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who consider godliness to be a means of gain.

2 Timothy 2:15-17 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling[46] the word of truth. 16 But avoid empty speeches that violate what is holy, for they will lead to more and more ungodliness, 17 and their word will spread like gangrene; Hymenaeus and Philetus are among them.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

3 For there will be a time when they will not put up with sound teaching, but in accordance with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled,[47] 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

1 Peter 5:8-9 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

8 Be sober-minded;[48] be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your brothers in the world.

2 Peter 2:1-3 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their acts of shameless conduct,[49] and because of them the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Jude 1:4 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

4 Certain men have crept in among you who were long ago appointed for this judgment, ungodly men[50] who turn the grace of our God into an excuse for licentiousness[51] and who prove false to our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Acts 17:11 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness,[52] examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

1 John 4:1 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

4 Beloved ones, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Studying the Bible Helps Us Serve God Better

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 2:15 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Studying the Bible Makes Us Better Disciple Makers

Matthew 24:14 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the inhabited earth[53] as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 28:19-20 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and look, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in both Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the extremity of the earth.”

Hebrews 5:11-6:1 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

11 Concerning whom we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.[54] 12 For in view of the time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you from the beginning the elementary things of the sayings[55] of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food belongs to the mature, to those who through practice have their discernment trained to distinguish between good and evil.

6 Therefore, leaving behind the elementary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God,

Studying the Bible Helps Us In Our Defending God’s Word

2 Timothy 2:2 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

2 and the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

1 Peter 3:15 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being prepared to make a defense[56] to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect;

We Cannot Live On Food Alone

Matthew 4:4 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”[57]

God’s Word Does Not Fail

Isaiah 55:11 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Luke 1:37 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

God Guides and Directs Us Through His Word

Isaiah 30:20-21 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

20 And though Jehovah[58] give you the bread of distress and the water of oppression, yet your Teacher[59] will no longer hide himself, but your eyes shall behold your Teacher. 21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

Isaiah 48:17-18 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

17 Thus says Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am Jehovah your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. 18 Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;

Isaiah 54:13 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

13 All your sons shall be taught by Jehovah, and great shall be the peace of your sons.

Studying the Bible Is an Evident Demonstration that We Love, Respect and Honor God and His Word

Colossians 3:17 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Psalm 119:96-98 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

96 I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.

Psalm 119:47-48 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

47 for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. 48 And I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.

Studying the Bible Is a Path to What Leads to Salvation

John 5:39-40 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

39 You search the Scriptures[60] because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness about me. 40And yet you do not want to come to me that you may have life.

Store God’s Word in Your Heart

Psalm 119:11-12 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

11 In my heart I treasure up your word, so that I may not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Jehovah; teach me your regulations!

Psalm 37:31 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.

Scripture is God-Breathed and Fully Inerrant

2 Peter 1:20-21 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

20 But know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Proverbs 30:5-6 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, lest he reprove you and you be found a liar.

Studying the Bible Transforms Your Life

Romans 12:1-2 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

12 Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your rational service.[61] 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable[62] and perfect.

Ephesians 4:23-24 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and put on the new man,[63] the one created according to the likeness of God in righteousness and loyalty of the truth.

Colossians 3:8-10 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man[64] with its practices 10 and have put on the new man[65] who is being renewed through accurate knowledge[66] according to the image of the one who created him,

Keep This In Mind

Matthew 5:6 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Romans 15:4 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

4. Paul explains why he can appeal to Scripture in this way. Everything that was written in the past means “all that was written in Scripture”; it is not an endorsement of every piece of literature that comes down from earlier ages. But we should bear in mind that everything is comprehensive:[67] Paul is not saying that there are some good things in the Bible, but that all of it was written for[68] our[69] instruction (cf. 4:23–24). “Our” evidently has some emphasis: although it was written in earlier ages it was intended for our instruction (cf. 1 Cor. 9:9–10).[70] The reason23 for their being written was that we might have hope. The present tense of the verb points to continuous possession, and the article before hope seems to show that it is not the general hope of mankind of which Paul is writing, but the specifically Christian hope, the hope that is given by what Christ has done in winning our salvation, the hope that leaves no doubts and sustains Christ’s people in the darkest days (see the note on 4:18).[71]

Paul speaks of two things important in bringing this about: endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures. It is not clear whether we should take both endurance and encouragement as deriving from the Scriptures (as GNB, “through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us”) or whether we should see Paul as specifically linking only encouragement with the Scriptures (as Moffatt, “by remaining stedfast and drawing encouragement from the scriptures”).[72] Of course the Christian’s endurance and encouragement both come from God, and it may well be said that Scripture has a part in producing both. The question here is whether Paul is linking them both with the Bible or only one; his construction seems to show that only encouragement is here said to derive from the Bible. The apostle often speaks of endurance[73] and of encouragement.[74] Both are important. We need steadfastness in our Christian life and we need the encouragement the Bible can give; our life is a very poor thing without either.[75]

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Many have successfully conquered bad habits and addictions by applying suggestions found in the Bible and by seeking help from God through prayer. You simply cannot develop good habits and kick all your bad ones overnight. See how to establish priorities. Make sure that your new habits …

GOD WILL GET YOU THROUGH THIS: Hope and Help for Your Difficult Times

It may seem to almost all of us that we are either entering into a difficult time, living in one, or just getting over one and that we face one problem after another. This difficulty may be the loss of a loved one in death or a severe marriage issue, a grave illness, the lack of a job, or …

FEARLESS: Be Courageous and Strong Through Your Faith In These Last Days

The world that you live in today has many real reasons to be fearful. Many are addicted to drugs, alcohol, bringing violence into even the safest communities. Terrorism has plagued the world for more than a decade now. Bullying in schools has caused many teen suicides. The divorce rate …

JOHN 3:16: For God So Loved the World

John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible. It has also been called the “Gospel in a nutshell,” because it is considered a summary of the central theme of traditional Christianity. Martin Luther called John 3:16 “The heart of the Bible, the Gospel in …

THE BOOK OF JAMES (CPH New Testament Commentary 17)

…about God and his personal revelation, allowing it to change our lives by drawing closer to God. The Book of James volume is written in a style that is easy to understand. The Bible can be difficult and complex at times. Our effort herein is to make it easier to read and understand, while …

THE OUTSIDER Coming-of-Age In This Moment

THE OUTSIDER is a Coming-of-Age book. SECTION 1 Surviving Sexual Desires and Love will cover such subjects as What Is Wrong with Flirting, The Pornography Deception, Peer Pressure to Have Sexual Relations, Coping With Constant Sexual Thoughts, Fully Understanding Sexting, Is Oral Sex …

THIRTEEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP LIVING: When Hope and Love Vanish

Who should read THIRTEEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP LIVING? Anyone who is struggling with their walk as a young person. Anyone who has a friend who is having difficulty handling or coping with their young life, so you can offer them the help they need. Any parent who has young ones. And …

WAGING WAR: A Christian’s Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workbook

…Waging War is a guide to start the youth with the most basic information and work pages to the culmination of all of the facts, scripture, and their newly gained insight to offer a more clear picture of where they are and how to change their lives for the better. Every chapter will have …

THE POWERFUL WEAPON OF PRAYER: A Healthy Prayer Life

DOZENS OF��QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED: Why is prayer necessary? What must we do to be heard by God? How does God answer our prayers? Does God listen to all prayers? Does God hear everyone’s prayers? What may we pray about? Does the Father truly grant everything we ask for? What kind …

HUMAN IMPERFECTION: While We Were Sinners Christ Died For Us

There are many reasons the Christian view of humanity is very important. The Christian view of humanity believes that humans were created in the image of God. We will look at the biblical view of humanity. We are going to look at the nature of man, the freedom of man, the personality of …

FOR AS I THINK IN MY HEART SO I AM: Combining Biblical Counseling with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [Second Edition] 

In FOR AS I THINK IN MY HEART – SO I A M, Edward D. Andrews offers practical and biblical insights on a host of Christian spiritual growth struggles, from the challenge of forgiveness to eating disorders, anger, alcoholism, depression, anxiety, pornography, masturbation, same-sex …

APPLYING GOD’S WORD MORE FULLY: The Secret of a Successful Christian Life [Second Edition]

There is a genuine happiness, contentment, and joy, which come from reading, studying and applying God’s Word. This is true because the Scriptures offer us guidance and direction that aids us in living a life that coincides with our existence as a creation of Almighty God. For example, we …

PUT OFF THE OLD PERSON: Put On the New Person [Second Edition]

THERE IS ONE MAJOR DIFFERENCE between Christian living books by Andrews and those by others. Generally speaking, his books are filled with Scripture and offer its readers what the Bible authors meant by what they penned. In this publication, it is really God’s Word offering the counsel, …

WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD: Putting God’s Purpose First in Your Life [Second Edition]

A clean conscience brings us inner peace, calmness, and a profound joy that is seldom found in this world under the imperfection of fallen flesh that is catered to by Satan, the god of the world. Many who were formerly living in sin and have now turned their life over to God, they now know this amazing relief and are able today to hold a good and clean conscience as they carry out the will of the Father. WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD, has been written to help its readers to find that same joy, to have and maintain a good, clean conscience in their lives. Of course, it is incapable of covering every detail that one would need to consider and apply in their lives …

WIVES BE SUBJECT TO YOUR HUSBANDS How Should Wives Treat Their Husbands?

This book is primarily for WIVES, but wives will greatly benefit from it as well. WIVES will learn to use God’s Word to construct a solid and happy marriage. The Creator of the family gives the very best advice. Many have been so eager to read this new publication: WIVES BE SUBJECT TO …

HUSBANDS LOVE YOUR WIVES: How Should Husbands Treat Their Wives?

This book is primarily for HUSBANDS, but wives will greatly benefit from it as well. HUSBANDS will learn to use God’s Word to construct a solid and happy marriage. The Creator of the family gives the very best advice. Many have been so eager to read this new publication: HUSBANDS LOVE …

Christian Apologetics

DEFENDING OLD TESTAMENT AUTHORSHIP: The Word of God Is Authentic and True

How true is the Old Testament? For over two centuries Biblical scholars have held to the so-called documentary hypothesis, namely, that Genesis-Deuteronomy was not authored by Moses, but rather by several writers, some of whom lived centuries after Moses’ time. How have many scholars …

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DIE?: Should You Be Afraid of Death or of People Who Have Died?

People grow old, get sick, and die. Even some children die. Should you be afraid of death or of anybody who has died? Do you know what happens if we die? Will you ever see your dead loved ones again? “If a man dies, shall he live again?” asked the man Job long ago. (Job 14:14) Did God originally intend for humans to die? Why do you grow old and die? What is the Bible’s viewpoint of death? What is the condition of the dead? Are the dead aware of what is happening around them? What hope is there for the dead?

UNDERSTANDING ISLAM AND TERRORISM: A Biblical Point of View

Islam is making a significant mark in our world. It is perhaps the fastest-growing religion in the world. It has become a major obstacle to Christian missions. And Muslim terrorists threaten the West and modern democracies. What is the history of Islam? What do Muslims believe? Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? Why do we have this clash of civilizations? Is sharia law a threat to modern democratic values? How can we fight terrorists in the 21st century? These are significant questions that deserve thoughtful answers …

IS THE QURAN THE WORD OF GOD?: Is Islam the One True Faith?

…IS THE QURAN THE WORD OF GOD? Is Islam the One True Faith? This book covers the worldview, practices, and history of Islam and the Quran. This book is designed as an apologetic evangelistic tool for Christians, as they come across Muslims in their daily lives, as well as to inform …

REASONS FOR FAITH: The First Apologetic Guide For Christian Women on Matters of The Heart, Soul, and Mind

If you have the desire to become better equipped to reach others for the lost or to strengthen your faith, Judy Salisbury’s guide—written specifically to meet the needs of Christian women today—offers you a safe, practical, and approachable place to start. In her lively, …

BIBLICAL CRITICISM: What are Some Outstanding Weaknesses of Modern Historical Criticism

Historical Criticism of the Bible got started in earnest, known then as Higher Criticism, during the 18th and 19th centuries, it is also known as the Historical-Critical Method of biblical interpretation. Are there any weakness to the Historical-Critical Method of biblical interpretation …

BIBLICAL CRITICISM: Beyond the Basics

Biblical criticism is an umbrella term covering various techniques for applying literary historical-critical methods in analyzing and studying the Bible and its textual content. Biblical criticism is also known as higher criticism, literary criticism, and historical criticism. Biblical …

CHRISTIAN APOLOGETIC EVANGELISM: Reaching Hearts with the Art of Persuasion

APOLOGETICS: Reaching Hearts with the Art of Persuasion by Edward D. Andrews, author of seventy-two books, covers information that proves that the Bible is accurate, trustworthy, fully inerrant, and inspired by God for the benefit of humankind. The reader will be introduced to Christan …

REVIEWING 2013 New World Translation of Jehovah’s Witnesses: Examining the History of the Watchtower Translation and the Latest Revision

REVIEWING 2013 New World Translation of Jehovah’s Witnesses is going to challenge your objectivity. Being objective means that personal feelings or opinions do not influence you in considering and representing facts. Being subjective means that your understanding is based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or ideas. If the reader finds these insights offense, it might be a little mind control at work from years of being told the same misinformation repeatedly, so ponder things objectively …

REASONING FROM THE SCRIPTURES: Sharing CHRIST as You Help Others to Learn about the Mighty works of God

Use of REASONING FROM THE SCRIPTURES should help you to cultivate the ability to reason from the Scriptures and to use them effectively in assisting others to learn about “the mighty works of God.” – Acts 2:11. If Christians are going to be capable, powerful, efficient teachers of God’s Word, we must not only pay attention to what we tell those who are interested but also how we tell them. Yes, we must focus our attention on…

REASONING WITH THE WORLD’S VARIOUS RELIGIONS: Examining and Evangelizing Other Faiths

God’s will is that “all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4) God has assigned all Christians the task of proclaiming the Word of God, teaching, to make disciples. (Matt. 24:15; 28:19-20: Ac 1;8 That includes men and women who profess a non-Christian religion, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam to mention just a few. If there are Hindus, Buddhist or Muslims are in your community, why not initiate a conversation with them? Christians who take the Great Commission seriously cannot afford to ignore these religions…

CONVERSATIONAL EVANGELISM, [Second Edition]

Evangelism is the work of a Christian evangelist, of which all true Christians are obligated to partake to some extent, which seeks to persuade other people to become Christian, especially by sharing the basics of the Gospel, but also the deeper message of biblical truths. Today the …

THE CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST: Always Being Prepared to Make a Defense [Second Edition]

MOST Christian apologetic books help the reader know WHAT to say; THE CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST is HOW to communicate it effectively. The Christian apologist words should always be seasoned with salt as we share the unadulterated truths of Scripture with gentleness and respect. Our example …

THE EVANGELISM HANDBOOK: How All Christians Can Effectively Share God’s Word in Their Community, [SECOND EDITION]

…THE EVANGELISM HANDBOOK is a practical guide (for real-life application) in aiding all Christians in sharing biblical beliefs, the Good News of the kingdom, how to deal with Bible critics, overturning false beliefs, so as to make disciples, as commanded by Christ. Matthew 24:14; …

YOUR GUIDE FOR DEFENDING THE BIBLE: Self-Education of the Bible Made Easy [Third Edition]

The reader will receive eight small introductory books in this one publication. Andrews’ intention is to offer his reader several chapters on eight of the most critical subject areas of understanding and defending the Word of God. This will enable the reader to lay a solid foundation for …

THE CULTURE WAR: How the West Lost Its Greatness & Was Weakened From Within 

…The Culture War. How the West lost its greatness and was weakened from within outlines how the West lost its values, causing its current decline. It is a forceful attack on the extreme liberal, anti-religious ideology which since the1960’s has permeated the Western culture and …

EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN THE FIRST CENTURY Jesus’ Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth

EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN THE FIRST CENTURY will give its readers a thrilling account of first-century Christianity. When and how did they come to be called Christians? Who are all obligated to be Christian evangelists? In what way did Jesus set the example for our evangelism? What is the …

CRISIS OF FAITH Saving Those Who Doubt 

Inside of some Christians unbeknownst to their family, friends or congregation, they are screaming, “I doubt, I doubt, I have very grave doubts!” OURS is an age of doubt. Skepticism has become fashionable. We are urged to question everything: especially the existence of God and the …

INVESTIGATING JEHOVAH?S WITNESSES: Why 1914 Is Important to Jehovah?s Witnesses

The intention of this book is to investigate the biblical chronology behind Jehovah’s Witnesses most controversial doctrinal position that Jesus began to rule invisibly from heaven in October 1914. This biblical chronology of the Witnesses hinges upon their belief that the destruction of …

Translation and Textual Criticism

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BIBLE TRANSLATION: Bible Translation Choices and Translation Principles [Second Edition] 

…THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BIBLE TRANSLATION (CGBT) is for all individuals interested in how the Bible came down to us, as well as having an insight into the Bible translation process. CGBT is also for those who are interested in which translation(s) would be the most beneficial to use.

CHOOSING YOUR BIBLE: Bible Translation Differences

There are more than 150 different Bible translations in the English language alone. Some are what we call literal translations, which seeks to give the reader the exact English equivalent of what was written in the original language text, thus allowing the reader access to the actual Word …

THE TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT: The Science and Art of Textual Criticism

…THE TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT was copied and recopied by hand for 1,500 years. Regardless of those scribes who had worked very hard to be faithful in their copying, errors crept into the text. How can we be confident that what we have today is the Word of God? Wilkins and Andrews …

MISREPRESENTING JESUS: Debunking Bart D. Ehrman’s “Misquoting Jesus” [Third Edition]

Edward D. Andrews boldly answers the challenges Bart D. Ehrman alleges against the fully inerrant, Spirit-inspired, authoritative Word of God. By glimpsing into the life of Bart D. Ehrman and following along his course of academic studies, Andrews helps the reader to understand the …

Biblical Studies

HOW TO STUDY YOUR BIBLE: Rightly Handling the Word of God

A comprehensive book on HOW TO STUDY YOUR BIBLE by observing, interpreting, and applying, which will focus on the most basic Bible study tools, principles, and processes for moving from an in-depth reading of the Scriptures to application. What, though, if you have long felt that you are …

THE NEW TESTAMENT: Its Background, Setting & Content

…the author’s intended meaning to his original readers and how that meaning can then apply to us. Marshall gives you what you need for deeper and richer Bible study. Dr. Lee M. Fields writes, “‘Deep’ study is no guarantee that mature faith will result, but shallow study guarantees …

THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST: What Do You Know About Jesus? [Updated and Expanded] 

The life of Christ is an exhaustless theme. It reveals a character of greater massiveness than the hills, of a more serene beauty than the stars, of sweeter fragrance than the flowers, higher than the heavens in sublimity and deeper than the seas in mystery. As good Jean Paul has …

THE LIFE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL: The Apostle to the Nations [Updated and Expanded] 

Stalker’s Life of St. Paul became one of the most widely read and respected biographies of the Apostle to the Gentiles. As an insightful compendium on the life of Paul, this work is of particular interest to pastors and teachers who desire to add realism and vividness to their account of …

INTERPRETING THE BIBLE: Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics

Delving into the basics of biblical interpretation, Edward D. Andrews has provided a complete hands-on guide to understanding what the author meant by the words that he used from the conservative grammatical-historical perspective. He teaches how to study the Bible on a deep, scholarly …

HOW TO INTERPRET THE BIBLE: An Introduction to Hermeneutics

…Linguistic and literary factors are analyzed so that the various genres of Scripture are examined for their true meaning. The importance of having sound principles of interpretation cannot be overstated as to ignore them will result in all manner of erroneous assumptions. Beville presents …

THE CHURCH COMMUNITY IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE: Evangelism and Engagement with Postmodern People

Once upon a time, Postmodernism was a buzz word. It pronounced Modernism dead or at least in the throes of death. It was a wave that swept over Christendom, promising to wash away sterile, dogmatic and outmoded forms of church. But whatever happened to postmodernism? It was regarded …

DEVELOPING HEALTHY CHURCHES: A Case-Study in Revelation

…church. It offers an appointment with the Great Physician that no Christian can afford to ignore. Developing Healthy Churches: A Case-Study in Revelationbegins with a well-researched outline of the origins and development of the church health movement. With that background in mind the …

DYING TO KILL: A Christian Perspective on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

…liberties in a multi-cultural society that is becoming increasingly secular. This work provides an ethical framework in which euthanasia and assisted suicide can be evaluated. These issues are on the radar indicating a collision course with Christian values. It is time for Christians to be …

JOURNEY WITH JESUS THROUGH THE MESSAGE OF MARK

…Journey with Jesus through the Message of Mark is an insightful and engaging survey of Mark‘s Gospel, exploring each major section of the text along with key themes. It is a work that can be enjoyed by laypersons as well as pastors and teachers. Pastors will find the abundant use …

ANGELS & DEMONS The Bible Answers

What are angels & demons? Can angels help us? What does the Bible say about angels? What is the truth about angels? Can Angels affect your life? Who were the “sons of God” in Genesis 6:2? Who were the Nephilim in Genesis 6:2? Who is Michael the archangel? Can Satan the Devil control …

Bible Doctrines

WHERE ARE THE DEAD? Basic Bible Doctrines of the Christian Faith

What is the Bible’s viewpoint? Without delving into an endless stream of what man has said, Andrews looks at what the Bible says about death and the like. Why do we grow old and die? What happens at death? Is there life after death, or is this all there is? Do we have an immortal soul? …

IDENTIFYING THE ANTICHRIST: The Man of Lawlessness and the Mark of the Beast Revealed

Herein Andrews will give the reader exactly what the Bible offers on exposing who the Antichrist and the Man of Lawlessness are. If we look at the texts that refer to the antichrist and the man of lawlessness, we will have lines of evidence that will enable us to identify them. Why is it …

UNDERSTANDING THE CREATION ACCOUNT: Basic Bible Doctrines of the Christian Faith

Throughout the Scriptures, God is identified as the Creator. He is the One “who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it.” [Isa 45:18] He is the One “who forms mountains and creates the wind” (Am 4:13) and is the One “who made the heaven and …

The SECOND COMING of CHRIST: Basic Bible Doctrines of the Christian Faith

The information herein is based on the disciples coming to Jesus privately, saying, “Tell us, (1) when will these things be, and (2) what will be the sign of your coming, and (3) of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) What will end? When will the end come? What comes after the end? Who …

WHAT IS HELL? Basic Bible Doctrines of the Christian Faith

What Really Is Hell? What Kind of Place is Hell? What Really Happens at Death? What Did Jesus Teach About Hell? How Does Learning the Truth About Hell Affect You? Who Goes to Hell? What Is Hell? Is It a Place of Eternal Torment? Does God Punish People in Hellfire? Do the Wicked Suffer in …

MIRACLES – DO THEY STILL HAPPEN TODAY? God Miraculously Saving People’s Lives, Apparitions, Speaking In Tongues, Faith Healing 

Miracles were certainly a part of certain periods in Bible times. What about today? Are miracles still taking place. There are some very important subjects that surround this area of discussion that are often misunderstood. Andrews will answer such questions as does God step in and solve …

HOMOSEXUALITY – The BIBLE and the CHRISTIAN: Basic Bible Doctrines of the Christian Faith

Today there are many questions about homosexuality as it relates to the Bible and Christians. What does the Bible say about homosexuality? Does genetics, environment, or traumatic life experiences justify homosexuality? What is God’s will for people with same-sex attractions? Does the …

Christian Fiction

THE DIARY OF JUDAS ISCARIOT: How to Keep Jesus at Arm’s Length

…desert but none of such significance as a handful of scrolls retrieved from a buried Roman satchel (presumed stolen) at this site. The discovery has since come to be known as ‘The Diary of Judas Iscariot.’ In The Diary of JudasIscariot Owen Batstone relates the observations and feelings …

THE SECRET HIDEAWAY ON BRIDGETON HILL

Rachael Garrison knows all the shrewd ways to successfully close multi-million-dollar real estate deals with her father’s famous New York real estate enterprise. But beyond her savvy to rake in huge deals is her premonition that an impending global takeover of the world’s financial wealth is on the horizon by evil leaders of The Great Ten Nations. From New York City to the Irish Hills of Michigan, and into the streets of Detroit her life takes on enormous purpose as

THE RAPTURE: God’s Unwelcomed Wrath

Kevin Trill struggles with the notion that he may have missed the Rapture. With nothing but the clothes on his back and a solid gold pocket watch, he sets off towards Garbor, a safe haven for those who haven’t yet taken the mark of thebeast. While on his way to Garbor, he meets up …

SEEKERS AND DECEIVERS: Which One are You? It Is Time to Join the Fight!

There grew an element in the valley that did not want to be ruled by the Light of the Word. Over time, they convinced the people to reject it. As they started to reject this Light, the valley grew dim and the fog rolled in. The people craved the darkness rather than the Light because they were evil. They did not want to  …

The Shadow Flames of Uluru: Book ONE in the CHAOS DOWN UNDER 

When an ancestor saddles them with the responsibility to purge Australia of a demon threatening to wipe our humanity with black flames, fraternal siblings Amber and Michael Hauksby lay their lives on the line. As the world crumbles around them into chaos, and ancient marsupials wreak havoc in their hometown, they must journey into …

WRITE PLACE, RIGHT TIME: The Pre-Apocalyptic Misadventure of a Freelance Journalist 

“Write Place, Right Time” follows the pre-apocalyptic misadventures of freelance journalist Don Lamplighter. While on what he expects to be a routine Monday night trip to a village board meeting, Lamplighter’s good nature compels him to help a stranded vehicle. Little does he know that by saving one of the car’s occupants, he sets forth a chain of what to him seem to be unrelated events where he must use his physical and social skills to save himself and others from precarious situations.

[1] Anders, Max; Lawson, Steven (2004-01-01). Holman Old Testament Commentary – Psalms: 11 (p. 266). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

[2] G. Herbert Livingston, “638 חָטָא,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 277.

[3] Or “own lust”

[4] Or “own lust”

[5] Knute Larson, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, vol. 9, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 183.

[6] ’1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8.

[7] Knute Larson, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, vol. 9, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 183.

[8] Richard L. Pratt Jr, I & II Corinthians, vol. 7, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 377.

[9] Numbers 25:1; Deuteronomy 22:21; Matthew 5:32; 1 Corinthians 5:1.

[10] Richard L. Pratt Jr, I & II Corinthians, vol. 7, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 101.

[11] Lit he will tabernacle

[12] Some mss peoples

[13] One early ms and be their God

[14] Kendell H. Easley, Revelation, vol. 12, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 394–395.

[15] Quotation from Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15

[16] Quotation from Isaiah 53:1, which reads, “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of Jehovah been revealed?”

[17] Kenneth Boa and William Kruidenier, Romans, vol. 6, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 314–316.

[18] Deut. 8:3

[19] MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Kindle Locations 38817-38819). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

[20] (an idiom, literally ‘to redeem the time’) to do something with intensity and urgency (used absolutely)–‘to work urgently, to redeem the time.’–GELNTBSD

[21] B.C.E. means “before the Common Era,” which is more accurate than B.C. (“before Christ”). C.E. denotes “Common Era,” often called A.D., for anno Domini, meaning “in the year of our Lord.”

[22] Mark 1:27; 10:32; Lu 4:36; 5:9; Acts 3:10.

[23] Thomas D. Lea, Hebrews, James, vol. 10, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 95–96.

[24] See also Psalm 35:28; 37:30; 71:24; Isaiah 8:19; 33:18.

[25] Robert L. Thomas. Evangelical Hermeneutics: The New Versus the Old (p. 280). Kindle Edition.

[26] Towns, AMG Concise Bible Doctrines (AMG Concise Series) (Kindle Locations 1011-1012). AMG Publishers. Kindle Edition.

[27] Or with all readiness of mind. The Greek word prothumias means that one is eager, ready, mentally prepared to engage in some activity.

[28] Some have a tendency to be easily swayed by their emotions. They have an exaggerated or undue display of strong feelings, which makes their relationship with the Father and the Son based entirely on emotions. Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.” We have to have knowledge of the Father and the Son to know that they are real, which does not negate that we need to have emotions as well. However, a relationship that is based entirely on emotions cannot withstand difficult times.

[29] Quoted from Gen. 15:6

[30] THE POWERFUL WEAPON OF PRAYER: A Healthy Prayer Life by Edward D. Andrews (ISBN: 978-1-945757-41-9)

[31] Lit I, Daniel

[32] B.C.E. means “before the Common Era,” which is more accurate than B.C. (“before Christ”). C.E. denotes “Common Era,” often called A.D., for anno Domini, meaning “in the year of our Lord.”

[33] http://www.uasvbible.org/

[34] (an idiom, literally ‘to redeem the time’) to do something with intensity and urgency (used absolutely)–‘to work urgently, to redeem the time.’–GELNTBSD

[35] Stuart K. Weber, Matthew, vol. 1, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 192–197.

[36] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[37] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[38] IBID

[39] IBID

[40] IBID

[41] This (Heb. sā·mǎr) is literally to “bristle up” from some fearful expectation.

[42] This (Heb. pǎ·ḥǎḏ) is literally “to shake” because of fear, terror or dread over an expectation or anticipation of an impending judgment.

[43] I.E. your favor

[44] Lit be caused to stumble

[45] Or hand over

[46] Or accurately handling the word of truth; correctly teaching the word of truth

[47] Or to tell them what they want to hear

[48] Sober Minded: (Gr. nepho) This denotes being sound in mind, to be in control of one’s thought processes and thus not be in danger of irrational thinking, ‘to be sober-minded, to be well composed in mind.’–1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8

[49] Or their sensuality; their licentious ways; their brazen conduct

[50] Lit irreverential (ones)

[51] Or loose conduct; shameless conduct (Gr aselgeia) behavior completely lacking in moral restraint, usually with the implication of sexual licentiousness—‘licentious behavior, extreme immorality.’

[52] Or with all readiness of mind. The Greek word prothumias means that one is eager, ready, mentally prepared to engage in some activity.

[53] Or in the whole world

[54] Hearing, Dull of: (Gr. Nōthros tais akoais) This is an idiom, which literally means that one has ‘lazy ears.’ In other words, they are slow to learn, to understand, to react, lacking intellectual perception, with the implication that this is so because they are lazy. Have we become lethargic in the truth, to the point of having lazy ears? Are we slow to learn, to understand, to react, lacking intellectual perception?–Heb. 5:11.

[55] Sayings: (Gr. logia, on [only in the plural]) A saying or message, usually short, especially divine, gathered into a collection.–Acts 7:38; Romans 3:2; Hebrews 5:12; 1 Peter 4:11.

[56] Or argument; or explanation

[57] A quotation from  Deut. 8:3

[58] One of 134 scribal changes from YHWH to Adhonai.

[59] Lit your teachers. The Hebrew verb is plural to denote grandeur or excellence.

[60] The Scriptures do give us the path, the direction, the guidance to what leads to eternal life. Jesus was not condemning the study of Scripture for that purpose. He was condemning their motive, studying the Scripture, not out of love for God’s Word, but for dishonest gain. The Jewish religious leaders also misinterpreted the Scriptures.

[61] Lit the reasonable (or rational, logical) service of you

[62] Or well-pleasing

[63] An interpretive translation would have, “put on the new person,” because it does mean male or female.

[64] Or old person

[65] Or new person

[66] Epignosis is a strengthened or intensified form of gnosis (epi, meaning “additional”), meaning, “true,” “real,” “full,” “complete” or “accurate,” depending upon the context. Paul and Peter alone use epignosis.

[67] ὅσα, “whatever things”; NIV is not an exact translation but gives the sense of it. Notice that προεγράφη is followed up by ἐγράφη, “a classical idiom by which the preposition in a compound is omitted, without weakening the sense, when the verb is repeated” (M, I, p. 115). προεγράφω is used in a different sense in Gal. 3:1.

[68] εἰς conveys the thought of purpose, “with a view to”.

[69] This is Paul’s one use of ἡμέτερος in Romans (it is found once each in 2 Timothy and Titus, and eight times in all in the New Testament). His “our” refers to the Christians, which leads to the conclusion, “This statement is a bold generalization expropriating all Scriptures for the infant church” (Denis Farkasfalvy in William R. Farmer and Denis M. Farkasfalvy, The Formation of the New Testament Canon [New York, 1983], p. 105).

[70] διδασκαλία may be used in the active sense, “instruction”, or in the passive, “that which is taught”; here it is the active (BAGD). The word occurs 15 times in the Pastorals, and 19 times in the Pauline corpus out of 21 times in the New Testament.

[71] Cf. William Watty, “May I therefore suggest that this is our unique contribution to the world of to-day? It is to offer the Biblical message of hope from the God of hope to a world of shattered hopes” (ET, LXXXVII [1975–76], p. 50).

[72] Paul has διά before τῆς ὑπομονῆς and another διά before τῆς παρακλήσεως. It is this repetition of the preposition that seems to show that the two are separated. If he were saying that both qualities are derived from Scripture we would expect only one διά. Käsemann says that the first διά “denotes an accompanying circumstance, the second is causal.… Scripture gives comfort and leads to patience” (p. 383). NEB has “that through the encouragement they give us we may maintain our hope with fortitude”, but there seems no reason for linking “hope” with “fortitude”.

[73] ὑπομονή is found in Paul in exactly half its New Testament occurrences (16 out of 32; six in Romans); see the note on 2:7. It is often taken to mean “patience”, but this is too negative a virtue for this word. It is rather “fortitude” or endurance. Griffith Thomas quotes A. Beet on the importance of this word in the present context: “Our Christian character is seldom so severely tried as when we are put to inconvenience by the spiritual childishness of members of the Church.”

[74] παράκλησις is found in Paul 20 times out of 29 in the New Testament, three being in Romans. See the note on the corresponding verb in 12:1. It is often understood of comfort (as KJV), and it can refer to exhortation, but encouragement seems right in this place.

[75] Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1988), 499–500.

  Why Is Deeper Bible Study Important? The Bible is a revelation from our heavenly Father, about our heavenly Father, i.e., his will and purposes.