By Fard Bell 2-1-2011

When I was a child I remember attending my first funeral. Growing up I remember being told and believing that God is always good. And that when people die they go with God yet at my first funeral I remember seeing everyone crying and weeping, and wondering to myself, if when people die they go with God, then how can that be sad? As I looked around, it was as if a voice inside of me was whispering to me “some are sad because they are going to miss their friend, and some are sad and angry because they don't understand.” That was the day I realized not even adults know everything. That was also part of the process of me having many conversations with God from then, and knowing I could always go to God with questions and He would always have the answer. As a child in those moments, I was experiencing the power of God's omniscience. He gave me revelation when I had questions I couldn't ask my parents. Since then, there are three things I have learned His omniscience:

1) God's knowledge is absolute and unquestionable, 2) God foreordains situations and events according to His omniscience, and 3) God is incapable of error or omission.

The first thing I learned about God is that His knowledge is absolute and unquestionable. In the story of Job, God's hedge of protection was removed from him and he lost almost everything, short of his life. Starting in Chapter 6, Job complains about his suffering, trying to make sense of his circumstances without knowing that what was really going on was between God and Satan. Because He was all-knowing, He knew that He would place Job's experience in the Bible and use it for the benefit of believers thousands of years later. Even though Job did not know that his experience and temporary suffering would impact generations of believers, through God's omniscience, He knew better. Job could only see how his circumstances affected his personal life, but he could not see outside of his present time as God does, who sits outside of time. In Chapter 38:17 God challenges the knowledge of Job as compared to the knowledge of God... “Have the gates of the depth been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell me if you know all this.” God makes it clear that His knowledge is absolute and unquestionable. Isaiah 55:8-9 states, “'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'”

Next, I learned that God foreordains situations and events according to His omniscience. In Genesis 41, God foreordained that there were going to be seven years of great plenty, and seven years of famine in the land of Egypt, and that Pharaoh would select a “discerning and wise man” over the land of Egypt (Genesis 41:29-33). Long before these events took place God, in His omniscience, began making provisions. In Genesis 37, when Joseph was 19 years old, God began speaking to him in his sleep. Joseph shared those dreams with his brothers. His brothers had no clue that his “insulting” dreams were actually symbolic of foreordained events setup for their own good. They didn't know that his vision of them “bowing down to earth before him” (Genesis 37:10) would literally save not only their lives, but preserve the children of Israel. In their ignorance and jealousy, Joseph's brothers sold him to slavery and passed him off as dead to their father. Through the course of events, God eventually positioned Joseph as that “wise and discerning man” selected by Pharaoh as governor over the land of Egypt to provide for His people during those seven years of famine (Genesis 42:6). God knew His plans for Joseph and His people long before the events ever took place.

Finally, I learned that God is incapable of error or omission1. Everything came to pass that God showed Joseph in his dreams. In Genesis 37:7, Joseph shared his dream with his family. In Genesis 37:10, his father rebuked him and said to him, “what is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down before you?” His father saw no evidence of why they would ever bow down to him. By Genesis 42:6b, what God had revealed to Joseph came to pass exactly as God showed it years earlier. Although at the time that God spoke to Joseph it seemed to his family that the dream was in error, God was never mistaken, He showed them exactly what was to come.







1The Foundations of Christian Doctrine, by Kevin J. Conner.

Fard A. Bell
March 1, 2011

Throughout history, there has been one book that has withstood the test of time against all odds.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God and time and time again, God has put people in place to preserve
His Word and translate His Word so that all nations can receive the gospel from generation to
generation. It is His commitment to that cause that has brought us the King James translation of the
Bible. Ephesians 3:1-4 reads “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles, if
indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that
by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you
read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ).” God's commitment to our
understanding of His Word is unwavering. I appreciate what great lengths God has taken to deliver the
King James Bible to us in a language we can all understand.


The history of how the King James Bible was developed can be best summarized by “The
Foundations of Christian Doctrine, by Kevin J. Connor:


“The Bible has had a truly remarkable history. Over the last 3500 years it has not
only been the most loved but also the most hated book in existence. No book has
ever suffered the persistent opposition that the Bible has, Roman emperors issued
edicts ordering its annihilation. Untold thousands of Bibles have been burned and
countless Christians have been executed for possessing a copy of it. It has been
rejected, corrupted and challenged. Its infallibility and authority have been attacked
from every angle. However, through the centuries the Bible has survived all these
storms and triumphed over them to remain the most significant book in human
history. Gods miraculous preservation of His Word is another proof of its
inspiration.” (p 35)


I recognize the efforts that many have gone through to get something so precious, the most
valuable resource in the world, into our hands. I will never look at the Bible the same way knowing
what I know now about how it got to me in English form. People died to get this book to me. There are
so many who have bore the cross to deliver to us the infallible Word of God, in spite of constant violent
opposition. Three of these men are John Wycliff, Martin Luther, and William Tyndale.


When I first learned about John Wycliff, I was amazed at how God used him to help get the
gospel to the people it was being kept from. Wycliff was an English theologian who was an advocate
for translating the Bible into the common language of the people. He translated the Vulgate, the 4thcentury
Latin version of the Bible, into English in 1382 at a time when the Bible was not written in the
language of every day people. The Roman Catholic church did not want the Bible translated to English
and they had the translated Bibles banned and burned. John Wycliff was one of the first brave scholars
willing to go against the Roman Catholic church to further God's work. He was definitely a catalyst
toward the development of the King James Bible.


Another scholar that got my attention was Martin Luther. Luther was a German priest and a
theology professor who initiated the Protestant Reformation. At a time when the Roman Catholic
church was selling indulgences, an idea which expressed that God's pardon from certain sin could be
purchased with money, he spoke out against it in his “Ninety-Five Thesis” in 1517. He also was
responsible for translating the Bible into German, which made a major impact upon other scholars who
later helped in the development of the King James Bible. When Martin Luther refused to retract all of
his writings he was excommunicated by the pope and condemned as an outlaw by the emperor.


A third scholar who stood out to me was William Tyndale. Tyndale was one of those scholars
who was influenced by the work of Martin Luther. He moved to Germany to translate the Bible from
Hebrew and Greek to English at a time when he could not get permission to do so from England. This
was perfect timing because printing machines were now available which made wide its distribution
possible. He had to risk his own life by smuggling the translated Bible back into England in corn sacks
in order to deliver the Bibles to the masses who had no translation of their own to read. He felt like the
Word was for the people, not just royalty. In 1535, Tyndale was arrested by church authorities and
jailed for over a year. He was tried for heresy, strangled and burned at the stake in 1536.


God has always gone through great lengths to preserve His Word even to this day. He has made
us promises that He has never broken. He has promised to preserve His Words: “The Words of the
LORD are pure Words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them,
O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” (Psalms 12:6-7) He has commanded
us to neither add to, nor take away from His Words: “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes
and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the
land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the Word which I
command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the
LORD your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:1-2) He has shown that He cares about each
and every one of His Words: “Every Word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in
him. Add thou not unto his Words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” (Proverbs 30:5-6)
He said His Words will never pass away: “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my Words shall not
pass away.” (Mark 13:31) He said He would curse anyone who changed His Words: “For I testify unto
every man that heareth the Words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things,
God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from
the Words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of
the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19)


In summary, these men answered to God's divine call to make sure His Word has reached us. They
gave their lives to that call - Tyndale gave his life to that call literally. God used them to fulfill His work in the preservation of the Bible.
Reading about these three men makes me reflect on what gifts and resources I have been given to
continue Gods divine work both within me and through my life. No opposition in the world will stop
God from getting His Word to us. The Bible is indeed God's miraculous preservation.

By Fard Bell 3-29-2011




God reveals Himself to all mankind through nature, through our conscience, and even through history in ways that make it pretty obvious that there is a Creator at work. Psalms 19:1 says “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork. ”According to Kevin J. Connor, author of The Foundations of Christian Doctrine, these are known as “General Revelations” of God. Although these “General Revelations” each contain layers of amazing evidence that point to God as our Creator, they do not reveal to us however, who God is entirely and therefore, are insufficient to provide us with a complete revelation of God. It is not enough to know that God exists. Even a child can perceive that we were both created and have a Creator. What is more important is that we know not only that God exists, but also who He is and what His divine desire and plan is for us. There are however, several “Special Revelations” which refer to those acts of God whereby He reveals Himself and His will to specific people. I wish to illuminate two of those special revelations, including the revelation of God in personal experience and the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. I agree with Connor when he said, “Christ is the sum total of the revelation of God including His will, His nature, His person and character. To look at Christ is to look at God, for Christ is the expressed revelation of God in human form.” John 1:1-5 says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” When I read the Bible and look at the personal experience that Saul (later known as the Apostle Paul) had, and His revelation of God in Christ, and even my own personal experience, it reminds me that a revelation of God without a revelation of Christ is an incomplete revelation of God.

For the first example, let's take a look at Saul (later known as the Apostle Paul) and his personal experience with God in Acts 9:1-9.

“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.”




Notice how God not only reveals who He is to Saul, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” but also His desire and plan for Saul, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” This is a classic example of a Revelation of God through personal experience and a Revelation of God in Jesus Christ.

Saul, a scholarly Pharisee, had a revelation of God without a revelation of God through Christ, and one absent of personal experience. With all of his knowledge as a Pharisee, his education was not suffice to truly know who God truly was and what His desire was until God was revealed to him through Christ, in a personal experience. He actually thought he was serving God by arresting and murdering those who had a true revelation of God through Jesus Christ.

In Galatians 1:13-14 Paul later admits, “For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.”

Saul's story reminds me of my own personal experience with God. As a child I remember feeling the presence of God through the birds and the trees and sunshine. I remember His divine protection miraculously stopping a truck from running over me, healing me from asthma, giving me special knowledge and insight when no one else's answers would satisfy my curious mind. I remember having complete strangers pray with me and verbalize the secrets of my heart through prophecies. I remember God delivering a bible to me on my 7th birthday although I did not attend church and being comforted by scriptures such as Psalm 23 when I was afraid of the dark. I remember being forced to watch movies like “Jesus of Nazareth” and “King of Kings” with my dad. When I look back over my life in retrospect, I can see God progressively revealing Himself to me every step of the way. But none of those experiences compare to my personal experience with God when He revealed Himself to me in a dream and said “I am with you, and I am pleased.” That personal experience with God left me with an unbreakable relationship with my God and caused me to seek Him even more diligently. In February 2001, while attending Howard University in Washington, D.C., God sent His servant by the name of Osaze Murray to approach me and ask me about my relationship with Christ. At that time I had a revelation of God without a complete revelation of Jesus Christ. Osaze challenged me to ask God to reveal Christ to me. I did so and God was gracious enough to grant my request. One month later I was overtaken by His Holy Spirit which opened my mind and heart to receive the revelation that Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God and I forever acknowledge Him as my Lord and King!

If you have yet to receive a revelation of God, look at the magnificence of nature and the universe He created for you and marvel. Listen as the conscience He gave you gives you a sense of what is right and wrong. Look at God's hand through history – how He produced, preserved, and protected the Bible, His God inspired, infallible Holy Scriptures just to deliver His Word to you. Be awed by His miracles and fulfilled prophecies! Remember that in some cases God will reveal Himself to you instantaneously, and in many others, as in my life He is revealing Himself to you progressively, each revelation building upon the other. Believe that He would not have given you the mental and spiritual capacity to receive revelation from Him unless He intended for you to receive it. Pray for God to reveal Himself to you in a personal way and look closely at your life as He shows you an instantaneous or progressive revelation of Himself! In the words of Connor1, The purpose of all the revelation of God is that man may come to know God in a personal way. It is not enough for men to say they know God in nature, conscience, history, miracles, or prophecy. Man must come to know God in an experiential way. From the fall of man unto this day, there have been millions of people who have known God in a personal way. Most of all remember that Christ is the sum total of the revelation of God including His will, His nature, His person and character. To look at Christ is to look at God, for Christ is the expressed revelation of God in human form. A revelation of God without a revelation of Christ, is an incomplete revelation of God.

1Connor, Kevin J., The Foundations of Christian Doctrine,   

Dear Fard & Friends, 

Remember the grass always LOOKS greener on the other side... That is, until you get into the new grass and see the imperfections. Remember the 80/20 rule. At times what we already have is 80% pleasant and maybe 20% unpleasant. Then another 20% comes along and we risk losing the 80% to go after the 20%. Let's be wiser than that. Let's BECOME MORE grateful and more faithful with that which we already have, so we can be trusted with the more that is to come. Luke 16:10-12 


Your P.L.A.T.I.N.U.M. Coach,

Fard A. Bell