Early in the first days of his/her Christian experience, the new disciple should be directed to take the Pre-encounter class.

In this class, the disciple is prepared for one of the cornerstones of our discipleship program: the three-day Encounter. The Pre-encounter Class is important basic instruction, and is essential for the Encounter to be of maximum value and success.

Location: The class can take place in either the church or a cell.

Speakers: These can be pastors, church leaders or a cell leader.  The people leading the Pre-encounters should be those who are more experienced biblically, spiritually and clearly understand the vision.

Duration: One hour per week for six weeks, or schedule as needed. Logically, everything really depends on the needs of the person. If it is a new believer, it is important to consider how much information can be processed at a time, so that the person can grow naturally.

The preparation for the Encounter starts as soon as the connection process begins. Participation in a class with other people, with someone who has more experience in teaching, is of great value.

Goal: To lead the new believer through basic steps of the Christian faith. The goal is to assure him of his salvation, explain the benefits of the Cross and the power of God to deliver and prepare the new believer for the Encounter.

Lessons and Materials:

The following five lessons can be used, with the final class to be direct preparation for the Encounter. As an alternative, the booklet “Preparing for the Encounter” may instead be the primary curriculum..  The “Preparing for the Encounter” booklet contains six lessons and specifically prepares the disciple with important information for the upcoming Encounter and should be given to the disciple.  The same material is covered.

Pre-Encounter Class One
A Basic Evangelistic Message

Goal: This message demonstrates the surpassing love of God for the lost for person you are witnessing to in order to lead them to Christ.

THE FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS
‘But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

‘But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12

The whole  universe is governed by laws. These laws were established by God to maintain the perfect order of the universe, “. . . upholding all things by the word of His power.” (Hebrews 1:3)

Just as natural laws exist, so also do spiritual laws. Man has chosen to break them by his own will. This is why we need to know God’s purpose for our lives.

LAW ONE:  GOD LOVES YOU, AND HAS A MARVELOUS PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

“I have come that they might have life, and have life more abundantly” (John 10:10)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

God wants the best for us, and has a plan for us to have an abundant life.
So why don’t most people HAVE abundant life?

LAW TWO: MAN IS SINFUL AND IS SEPERATED FROM GOD
No matter how “good” you are, you are still a sinner. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”(Romans 3:23).
For this reason, man does not know or experience God’s plan for his life. 

God’s reason for creating man was so he could have a close friendship with God.  But because of man’s stubborn self will, he chooses to do his own thing, and is now separated from God. 

Man has a nature that openly rebels against divine authority. Instead, we like to fulfill our own wants and desires. Sometimes man is actively rebellious, and sometimes he is passively indifferent, but the result is the same.

Sadly, this means that your immortal soul will be eternally separated from God and will go to a place of continuous torment, where there is no rest day or night.

Man was in a terrible position. There was no other way to redeem mankind, except for the sacrificial offering provided by God. That offering had to be His own Son.

Isaiah said: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus willingly accepted our punishment in order to grant us complete redemption. “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:21). “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”’ (John 14:6). Only through Jesus we receive salvation and forgiveness of sins.

LAW THREE: JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY TO SALVATION

“I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me” John 1:6

“God demonstrates his love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave them the right to become children of God, to those who believed in His name” (John 1:12).

Through Jesus Christ, you can know and experience God’s love and salvation.
 
LAW FOUR: WE MUST INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVE HIM AND MAKE HIM LORD OF OUR LIFE.

For a man to make this peace with God the Father, it is necessary to turn to Him, to surrender his will and to ask Jesus to come into and take control of His life. 

We Receive Christ Through Faith. 
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).

When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8.)

We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer
(Prayer is talking to God)

God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."

All the punishment that we deserved as sinners fell on Jesus - the man who never committed any sin. All the good that Jesus deserved, came to us simply by believing in Him. God sees us through Jesus and we communicate with God through Him.

APPLICATION
After sharing these four spiritual laws, we should lead the person to give his life to Jesus. Then we guide him through the prayer of commitment.

Pre-Encounter Lesson 2
THE NEW BIRTH

GOAL
To identify why the new birth is required.

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”’
John 3:3

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17

OPENING QUESTION:  Do you think you have experienced the new birth?

INTRODUCTION
When we are born, God had already created within us our sex, our skin color, height and weight, temperament, even some habits and desires. But when we are born again, we acquire a spiritual life and spiritual mind that will be very different. We now become the mind of Christ.

For a long time people have looked for solutions to humanity’s problems simply in social reform, forgetting that the root of every problem is in the spiritual realm. Once the spiritual problem has been solved, that will reflect in every area of peoples’ lives.

The new birth is a creative act. God takes the believer’s faith, and joins it to the power of the Holy Spirit. This produces the miracle of a new heart and spirit “. . . that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)

EVERYONE NEEDS A NEW BIRTH
“Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?”’ Proverbs 20:9

Jesus said “You must be born again.” (John 3:7) If Jesus had spoken those words to Zacchaeus (a cheat), or Mary Magdalene (a prostitute), or the thief who hung next to Him on the cross, you might just decide that only “bad people” must change. However, it was not like this. Jesus said those words to Nicodemus, a teacher of the law, who prayed two hours a day, fasted twice a week and was zealous in following religious rules.

The idea that man can spiritually change himself is completely without foundation. The new birth is not just an intellectual decision, but it is a spiritual miracle.

WHO BRINGS ABOUT THE NEW BIRTH?

God said through the prophet Ezekiel, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit in you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My laws judgments and do them” Ezekiel 36:26-
This new birth comes directly from the Holy Spirit, who through faith releases the spirit of life into the new believer.

God decided to reach out and make you a new person! He alone decided.
The Apostle James writes “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures” (James 1:18).

When you hear the truth of God’s Word, something inside your heart recognizes it. There is power in the Word of God. It has power to renew and to give life. It has power to resurrect and bring about deep and real changes in the life of man. Jesus Christ said: “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. “ The truth is Jesus… as He said of Himself: “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

Jesus also taught:
The words that I have speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

The new birth can only be happen by receiving the Holy Spirit. In order to receive Him you need to “die to sin.” That simply means you choose to give up your “right” to do as you please, and you become a follower of Jesus Christ. This must be a true and heartfelt decision. The Holy Spirit is holy and He will only live in a life that has been changed by the blood of Jesus.

HOW DOES THE NEW BIRTH CHANGE YOU

2 Cor 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
When you are “born again” whether or not you see it yet, EVERYTHING about you has changed. Here are just a few highlights:

•	Your Spiritual eyes are opened. Sin blinds the eyes, but when we accept Jesus, our spiritual eyes are opened. Only the spiritual man can see the kingdom of God. His spiritual eyes are opened, and he can perceive all the things that are hidden to the natural man. Paul said: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9.
•	You have moved from darkness into light. Sin takes us through dark paths. Conversion makes us turn our backs on darkness and directs our steps onto a new way, the path of light. Proverbs 4:18 says “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”  As you continue to walk with God, you become more and more full of light.

•	You are converted from Satan’s property to God’s. Sin enslaved us, keeping us under Satan’s dominion. When we were converted to Christ, we came under the government of God. You are no longer a slave! The things you could never become free of before are now things you can overcome.
•	Through faith in Jesus we receive forgiveness for sin. Our sins deserve punishment, but Jesus Christ carried them in His body. He was punished for us. Now God sees you as Holy and clean.
•	We receive God’s special favor, the promise of his “inheritance.”
Paul said: “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us, how will He not also give everything to us? (Acts 9:1-9) The special relationship you now enjoy with God brings untold blessings into your life.

CONCLUSION
No matter what his current moral state, every person needs a new birth. We must be born again. We cannot change ourselves; the new birth is produced through the Word and the Holy Spirit.   Only through the new birth can a person receive “spiritual sight”, moving from darkness into light and from sin to holiness. The new birth comes through faith. We should believe what God’s Word says about becoming a brand new person..

APPLICATION

Have you have experienced the new birth?

Considering the benefits of the new birth. Have you received and experienced these benefits?

Consider the importance of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. If God gave Jesus to redeem us from our sins, how much more will He give to us?

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8.31-32

Pre-Encounter Lesson No. 3

DELIVERANCE

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32

GOALS
To give the basic elements of deliverance from different kind of bondages that may exist in the new believer’s life. During the Encounter there will be ministry time in these areas, and if there is the right response and attitude, a miracle will take place.

The work of Christ when He came to the world - to die, to be buried and to rise again - was at very high price. We can be sure that whoever believes in Him will experience deep deliverance from any king of demonic power or influence. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” Isaiah 61:1.

The deliverance is complete when the person feels that the oppression of past curses no longer hold him, when vices do not dominate him, when there is deliverance from the sin of his forefathers, and when he feels that the fullness of God is flowing freely through his life.

THE CONDITION OF A SINNER
Man rebelled against God and became involved in all kinds of evil. All these things brought consequences for man. He began experiencing all kinds of curses, in such a way that the enemy built up strongholds around him, bound him, oppressed him and enslaved him. Because of sin Satan found a legal right to rule man and enslave him.

Sin separated mankind from God. Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin”’ (John 8:34).
The world, with all its deceit and destructive values, leaves a great emptiness in the soul of man.
“For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:16,17.

The pleasures of the flesh with all its vices not only corrupt the mind, but also weaken one’s health, provoking all types of sicknesses and cutting short one’s life.
‘And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” Galatians 5:24 “The works of the flesh are evident, which are:
adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 The Devil brings all kinds of bondages into the life of the sinner. “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10)

And the Lord, rebuking the religious leaders of His time who were acting with a hypocritical attitude, told them, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44.

When someone allows sin in his life, bondages, curses, and strongholds will arise, affecting the whole human life. “. . .may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 shows three areas that the enemy tries to control, dominate and enslave.
 
These bondages can take hold of people:
1.Spirit - blinding and keeping them in darkness. This makes people surrender to sins of idolatry and to the practice of witchcraft. Man thinks he is serving God and does not realize that he is actually displeasing him. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
2. Soul - the worst wounds that mankind suffer are afflicted in the soul and their main cause is rejection. Jesus suffered rejection on the cross of Calvary, so that we would be accepted by God through Him. Only through Jesus can the soul’s wounds be healed.
3.Body - The enemy has attacked mankind with all types of sicknesses and deformities. Whoever rejects God exposes himself to suffer the consequences of sin with all kinds of sicknesses and curses.
	I
4.Finances - with poverty and ruin. Moses said: And you will grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be taken away from before you and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them.” Deuteronomy 28:29, 31

THE PROVISION OF GOD
We are freed by the power of the cross. Jesus brought all our curses to it, as it is written in Gala tians 3:13, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’)’~ On the cross He reversed the curse and has now the right to deliver us. We do not speak about the cross itself, but what the work on Calvary represents. The death of Christ became our death; it is there that all our debts were cancelled. All the rage and anger of Satan were crushed by the power of Jesus. The cross became the mortal weapon used against our adversary and the kingdom of darkness. The cross alone can set man free from slavery to sin, Satan’s oppression and the consequences of the curse. The cross sets man free and enables him to walk the path of blessing. Paul said: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
(1 Corinthians 1:18) 
Verse 21 adds: “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” Then verse 23: “but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness.”

The cross delivers us from:
•Sin - Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
• Demonic bondages - Luke declares “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and who went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. “Acts 10:38
• Ruin - the psalmist declares that God “sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Psalm 107:20
• Affliction - Isaiah 63:9 says: “In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them, and carried them all the days of old.”

PREPARING FOR DELIVERANCE
a. Desire to live in freedom. God is willing to deliver us. He gave us the means to be delivered in Christ, but man has to desire it with his own will. Matthew 11:28-30 says: “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
b. Identify the causes for the bondages. Psalm 139: 23,24 says: “Search me, 0 God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”
c. Repentance and confession of sins. Deliverance is not a substitute for repentance. Because of sin, Satan has legal rights. Those legal rights will only be made void by repentance and when the person renounces his sinful life. “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3)
d. Faith. Hebrews 11:6 says: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
e.Take hold of the truth. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
f.Prayer and fasting. “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21)

APPLICATION
Pray with the new believer using the steps given above. During the Pre-encounter sessions, encourage them to register for the Encounter. If they are willing, their lives will be completely transformed.

Pre-Encounter Lesson No. 4

THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-1 7

GOALS
For the new believer to experience assurance of salvation through the work of Jesus on the cross.

INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS
There are two frequently used questions in “Evangelism Explosion”:
1)If you were to die right now where would you spend eternity?

The next question follows on from the reply to the first:

2) Supposing you arrive at the gates of heaven, what would you say to God if He asked you: Why should I let you in?

GOD’S PLAN
God’s plan for salvation has the following aspects: Justification, regeneration, sanctification and redemption.

JUSTIFICATION
Justification means to ‘declare righteous’. This is the act through which God declares that the sinner who believes in Jesus, and confesses his faith in Him and His work is just and acceptable in His sight: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).

SANCTIFICATION
To be sanctified means to be holy and set apart for God. A person becomes holy through grace. Sanctification is consecration fully to God both in the moral and spiritual realm. Holiness is produced in the believer by the work of the Holy Spirit: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

REGENERATION
Regeneration is to change one’s way of thinking in relation to sin. Our mind becomes open to everything relating to God, especially to the incarnation of His Son and His redeeming work. It is the Holy Spirit who permits this regeneration in the inner man both morally and spiritually: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

REDEMPTION
Salvation is directly associated with the redemption of man, and this redemption is likened to someone paying a ransom for a slave. Because there was no one on earth able to pay the price to ransom (redeem) mankind from his sins, God sent His only Son to do it, delivering mankind from eternal
condemnation: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Paul said: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians. 1:7)

GOD’S PROMISES FOR YOU
Eternal life
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he that believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (John 6:47-51)

Forgiveness of Sin
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”(l John 1:8-10)

Position of a son:
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

Inheritance with Christ
‘And if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” (Romans 8:17)

Things that you should know regarding:
The new nature
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”(2 Corinthians 5:17).
The inner witness
“For you did not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom cry out, ‘Abba, Father’. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:15-16)
What your life will long for:
A hunger for studying the Bible
“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that ye may grow there by.” (1 Peter 2:2)
A holy life
“But as He who called you is holy, so you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy. ~“ (1 Peter 1:15-16)
Love for the brethren
“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.” (1 John 3:14)
Witness continuously about Christ
“For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)

FINAL QUESTIONS
According to Galatians 3:13, from what did Jesus redeem us when He died crucified on the cross?

APPLICATION
Examine your whole life and see if there is any area of sin that you have not confessed to God. Renounce it and begin to enjoy the sanctification that comes with salvation.

Pre-Encounter Lesson No. 5

THE POWER OF THE SCRIPTURES
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Verse to memorize
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:26-27)

GOALS
For the new believer to experience the power of theWord of God.
To keep the Word in their heart and be able to put it into practice.

QUESTION
What steps should be considered to enable you hear the voice of God?
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which / command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)

INTRODUCTION
We should love the Word and follow its instructions as the captain of a ship adheres to his compass. The Bible is a great treasure as it contains the answer to all our needs.

WHAT IS THE BIBLE?
The word Bible comes from the Greek terms ‘bib- los and ‘biblion’ (in the diminutive form) both of which mean ‘book’. “Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

IMPORTANCE OF THE BIBLE
Apart from having power to transform lives, the Bible also stands out because:
•It contains God’s word and the revelation of Christ.
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)
• It contains the divine laws.
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will for give their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
• Its content, in 66 books, summarizes the work of about 40 writers from different periods.
Jesus said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”(Matthew 24:35)
Isaiah prophesied: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands for ever.”(Isaiah 40:8)

Things that make the Bible unique:
• The Bible is the revelation of God to mankind. 2 Peter 2:19-20 says: “While they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”
•It refers to the salvation of mankind. “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly I say unto you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:32-33)
•It refers to the truth.
“I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” (1 John 2:2 1)
• Jesus is the central character. “Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say ‘Show us the Father?”’ John 14:8-9

HOW TO DRAW NEAR TO THE WORD
1.Listen carefully to the voice of God on a	daily basis.
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I 	command you today that the Lord your God will 	set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the 	Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)
2.Read it with a right attitude.
3.Meditate on it (undertake detailed study) 	“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” (John 5:39)
4. Put its commands into practise. “You word is a lamp to my feet, and a fight to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
5. Communicate it and confess it. 	“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10)

HOW TO STUDY THE WORD
A.Choose an appropriate place.
B.Make studying a habit.
C.Keep a devotional notebook in which you write every day: Message from God for me today The promise of God for my life The command to obey
Personal application 
Scriptural verse to memorize

BENEFITS OF TIME IN GOD’S WORD
• It teaches (doctrine)
• lt convicts (makes us aware of our pitfalls)
• It corrects (lead us to the right path)
• It instructs (shapes our character).

GETTING POWER FOR LIFE
Set apart fifteen minutes a day to do as follows:
• 5 minutes to speak with God.
•5 minutes to read the Bible, starting with the Gospel of John and finishing with Revelation.
•5 minutes to meditate on what you have read.
If we discover the secret of living in communion with God, we will find ‘heaven’s treasure’.

FINAL QUESTION
What are the benefits for the person who draws near the word?

APPLICATION
Determine to maintain a real relationship with God through regular daily Bible study. Determine to read a set number of chapters every day and memorize the texts God uses to speak to you directly. Start with the Gospel of John.