ALIVE

I never really got the point of history. I'd heard the default adult response too many times: "You can learn from history." Yeah, I can learn that Hitler was evil and that Napolean was short. I still haven't grasped the importance of reading about dead people. I mean, they might have been the big kahunas of their time, but if they're dead, they really aren't doing much, are they?
Religion is filled with the stories of dead people. Every religion has its roots and its history. Take Buddhisim's Sidhartha, or the Buddha. Sidhartha was a prince, living an extravagant yet sheltered life in his father's palace. One day he happened to see all the poor, starving beggars of his country for the first time, and from then on vowed to live a simple life outside the palace grounds and away from the comfort and wealth of his home. Then he died. The same goes for Muhammed, and every religion leader...except one.
Jesus Christ is the only religious leader who is alive today. The others had some nice ideas, but they all passed away. Jesus doesn't fade, and His followers don't either. Since Jesus is alive, His Word is still alive as well.
 Isn't that a powerful verse? God's word is alive and working! No matter how thick the walls around our hearts have become, the Holy Spirit breaks down the wall and sends the verses straight to our hearts, "where the soul and the spirit are joined".
I've had countless people tell  me that every time you read the Bible, you learn more from it. Even if you've read it 4 times cover to cover, you will always discover something new. That's the living power of Scripture and the working power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is alive! Every time you read the Bible, you can know God more.
When you read about Jesus in the Bible, you can be sure He made history -- but He is still making history today! You aren't reading about a great dead guy, but an amazing living Savior.

JUST DO IT!
Pick one of the shorter books of the New Testament. Read the whole book every day this week. God will point out something new each time.

"God's word is alive and working and is shaper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts." (Hebrews 4:12)