THE PURPLE BOOK and ONE 2 ONE

All righty boys and girls...get out your pens and Bibles...and lets do a little Bible study.

I have been known to write a Bible study or two in my time. My particular means of study is...the inductive method of asking the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and HOW of the surrounding context of what I am studying. Thus...when I write my workbooks...I ask a question... give you the Scripture reference where you find the answer...and then ask another question.

I recommend THE PURPLE BOOK. You may ask your self..."Self...what is the Purple Book." It is the brain child of two of the co-founders of Every Nation...Rice Broocks and Stever Murrell.

"The Purple Book is a 12-part Bible study designed to help you stand firm and grow strong in your Christian life. The Purple Book guides you into a solid understanding of the Bible."

There are 12 chapters in the Purple Book...each one chock full of lessons to mine for nuggets from the Word of God. Chapters includes:

1. Sin and Salvation
2. Lordship and Obedience
3. Repentance and Baptism
4. The Holy spirit and Spiritual Gifts
5. Spiritual Hunger and God's Word
6. Discipleship and Leadership
7. Spiritual Family and Church Life
8. Prayer and Worship
9. Faith and Hope
10. Biblical Prosperity and Generosity
11. Evangelism and World Missions
12. Resurrection and Judgment.

This is a great book for personal study, family devotions, small groups or Sunday School classes. The question is...WHY? "Because you need a FOUNDATION that no storm in life can demolish--and a heart that's shaped and guided by the knowledge of God's Word."

A great companion book is called ONE 2 ONE in the Discipleship Series...PERSONAL FOLLOW-UP AND DISCIPLESHIP by Steve Murrell.

ONE 2 ONE is a twelve-lesson follow-up and discipleship guide to help believers start right in their walk with God. Topics includes:

1. A New Start: Salvation
2. A New Master: Lordship
3. A New Direction: Repentance
4. A New Heart: Forgiveness
5. A New Standard: The Bible
6. A New Power: Prayer
7. A New Victory: Faith
8. A New Gift: The Holy Spirit
9. A New Life: Water Baptism
10. New Relationships: The Church
11. A New Mission: Evangelism
12. A New Enemy: Spritual Warfare

The idea is..."Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION: The old has gone...the new has come." (II Corinthians 5:17)

These two books gives a great start on the NEW journey.

The section called A NEW MASTER: LORDSHIP is worth the price of admission form me.

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, BOTH...LORD AND CHRIST." (Acts 2:36)

"Lordship is one of the central messages of the Bible. Jesus is referred to as "LORD" ninety-two times in the book of Acts and 747 times in the whole New Testament, while being referred to as "SAVIOUR" only twice in Acts and twenty-four times in the New Testament. The Biblical emphasis is overwhelmingly on the concept of LORDSHIP. Lord means master, the one who calls the shots, the one who makes the decisions" (excerpt from Chapter 2)

Old Ruminatin' Readin' Rod...gives these two projects...5 moo-moos.

Love and Purple...One 2 One Kisses
Rodney "Chewing The Cud" Boyd

THE BIBLE: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

Howdy Do...how are you?

Welcome to the first...RECOMMENDED RUMINATOR READING. As we continue to tweak the new website...we are adding a few things like the RUMINATIN' ROD RECORD REVIEW... and this review of various books that catch my interest.

I thought it would be appropriate...to start of the RECOMMENDED READING with the BOOK OF ALL BOOKS...the BIBLE.

Of course...the Bible...is not just one book...but a collection of 66 books (1) written over a 1,500 year span (2) written over 40 generations (3) written by over 40 authors from every walk of life including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc. (4) written from prisons, wildernesses, dungeons, hillside, palaces, prsion walls, on islands (5) written during times of war and times of peace. (6) written on three continents (7) written in three languages (Thanks and A Tip O Dat Hat to Josh McDowell and Evidence That Demands A Verdict for the above information). NOTE: Another recommended book would be Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.

The first picture that you see...is the first Bible that I purchased when I became a Christian in the fall of 1970...The Scofield Reference Bible. This is the one I cut my baby teeth on...look closely and you will see the teeth marks...and where I developed a love for the Word of God.
In the Ruminator Sunday School Class...where these next three pictures were taken...we have a passion for THE BIBLE. We study this collection of books... with an expectation for God to reveal Himself to us. It is called the WORD of God...and a word...is the EXPRESSION of a thought. It is spoken, written, revealed thoughts from one source to another. The Bible is the expression of God's thoughts...thoughts for us.

Oh there are many attacks on the validity of this expression of the Heartbeat of God...usually by people who are to intelligent for their on good...unlike us who believe this Book...as a revelation from the Creator of the Universe.

"For the WORD OF GOD is living and powerful/active...and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
(Hebrews 4:12)


It is beyond of the scope of this review to do anything but scratch the surface of this book...just to say...that:

"All Scripture is givne by inspiration (God breathed) and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction/teaching in righteousness, that the man (wo-man, hu-man) may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 3:16-17)

One of the best reviews of this book...is found within the book...in the Book of Pslams...chapter 119.

"How can a young man keep his way pure...by keeping it according to THY WORD...THY WORD have I hid (treasured/guarded) in my heart...that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:9,11)

The entire Psalm 119...aka the Longest Chapter in the Bible...is just filled with exhortations about the Word.



NOTE: The third picture shows someone who is hungry for the food on the table...and hungry for THE WORD. You go for it Carlita.

The Ruminator Sunday School class is built on a verse that we once studied in THE TOPICAL MEMORY SYSTERM...Joshua 1:8

"This book of the law (the Word) shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate (ruminate) on it (The Word) day and night...so that you might be careful to do according to all that is written in it (the Word) for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success." (Joshau 1:8)

The gawgeous Mrs. Hart...and her equally as gawgeous Mrs. Snavely checking out the Word... to see if these things are so. NOTE: Never take a teachers word about the Word...always check it out for yourself...then the ultimate Teacher..the Holy Spirit will teach you.

We have found...and I for myself have found that true prosperity (having enough to meet my needs...not my greeds...and an overflow to help others) and true success (accomplishing the purposes of God in my life) are directly linked to my relationship with THE WORD OF GOD.

Let the others poo-poo THE WORD...let others mock it as just another book...let the others bring it down to the level of other writings...as for me...this thing called the Word of God... changed...and continues to change my life.

Years ago...I had my Bible (New American Standard Bible) covered in leather...and had it handtooled with this inscription...MANUFACTURERS HANDBOOK. If ya want to figure out how this life works...go to the one who created it.

Well...that's it for this first Bood review. I give it 5 out of 5...plus another 5 moo-moos.

Love and Reviewed Kisses
Rodney "Love The Word Of God" Boyd