The author

M y personal library is extensive and covers many topics. My largest collection is Black history and biographies. It is fascinating to read the history of individuals and groups of people, who, in my opinion, do not receive the credit for the very numerous contributions to humanity and our nation. I have several books by Zora Neale Hurston (1891- 1960).

Her book, “Barracoon, The Story of the Last Black Cargo” is incredible. This true story centers around a man named, Oluale Kossola, who was the last living man brought from Africa to Mobile, Alabama in 1859 as a slave.

One author of Memphis history is Paul R. Coppock (1907-1983) who wrote a long running column for the Commercial Appeal which later became a series of books.

Another Memphis author is G.P. Hamilton (1867-1932) who wrote “The Bright Side of Memphis” (1908) and focuses on the achievements of Blacks in Memphis. Hamilton Jr. and Senior high schools are named after G. P. Hamilton.

Authors help me better understand the world, our culture, and my life. My favorite author is God (eternal). Through His Holy Spirit, God inspired humans to write the greatest of all books ever to be recorded. That book is The Holy Bible.

The Bible encompasses a wide range of topics and is a spiritual guidebook, it also tells future human history. The Bible lays down the principles and precepts of God’s expectations.

God does not desire our sacri_ce; God desires our obedience to Him (1 Samuel 15:23). When I disobey or fail to live up to what God expects, all I must do is ask God to forgive me and He does (1 John 1:9).

I _nd myself asking for forgiveness often.

One thing God does not want us to do is – complain. Job lost his family, worldly possessions and friends, but the author records Jobs statement “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:11). I have often thought about this and having read the story of Job many times, I have nothing in my life to complain about. Complaining, I believe, should not be part of a Christian’s regular thoughts or vocabulary. But the very thing I do not want to do is what I _nd myself doing – complaining.

Matthew, recorded Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we read, “You have heard that the ancients were told, you shall not commit murder and Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, You good for nothing, shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, You fool, shall be guilty enough to go to the _ery hell” (Matthew 5:21-22). I have failed in this point.

Jesus raised the standard in our public and private lives. His next topic hits our culture square in our face. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery, but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

I have failed in this point.

I imagine those listening to Jesus felt emotionally and spiritually beat up.

But Jesus did not come into this world to condemn this world. We read, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17). Thankfully, God did not send Jesus to condemn us – we have already condemned ourselves with our own words and actions. Jesus came to save, and I need His salvation.

I challenge you to read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as found in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 and see how your life compares to what Jesus sets before us. Jesus raised the expectations for us to realize that we cannot live a good enough life by ourselves or that we can enter heaven based on our good works – we cannot.

We need Jesus!

The author of The Holy Bible states that God sent His Son to pay the penalty of our sin. That penalty was death. But through Jesus’s sinless life, death on the Cross, and Resurrection from the dead, we have eternal life in Christ.

This eternal life Jesus offers is the subject of the greatest book, The Holy Bible, and written by the greatest author, God.

Reading God’s Word will help us to know truth and see things clearly in a confused world.

Are you confused? Do you need peace in your life? Read the greatest book by the greatest author – The Holy Bible.

Clayton P. Adams, West Memphis, AR email: claytonp adamslll@gmail.com.

Clayton Adams