!THE ESSENTIAL WORD!
The Bible tells us clearly that the Word of God to man is God-breathed. In the original inspiration by the Holy Spirit to those who were entrusted to record the Holy Scriptures, every word was inspired by the Spirit of God.
The apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, a young associate minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, says in 2 Timothy 3:16,17 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.
The writer to Hebrews (possibly Paul, though authorship uncertain) says in chapter 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It is very clear even from these few verses above that the Word of the Living God, recorded in our Bible and agreed upon by Biblical scholars in time past as the true and complete canon of Scripture, is powerful in its ability to build up the individual Christian in his or her relationship with the Lord God, and to provide a clear blueprint for the Church of Jesus Christ to grow and thrive as a healthy organism, imparting life to all who participate in its instruction.
That being said, our Creator God, who designed intricately every aspect of nature and flung the stars and planets throughout the universe - has given us creative ability under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the church is a place of great diversity in worship expression, meeting protocols etc - which is perfectly fine as long as the Biblical guidelines and foundation truth of Scripture is adhered to - without compromise!
Sadly, surveys have been conducted by reputable Christian data collection organisations and have shown that a high percentage of confessing Christians do not read their Bibles regularly, if at all. This is a tragedy for the modern church. I read recently that a survey by the Barna group in America revealed that a high percentage - nearly half of Millenials - people born from the year 2000 - young people, do not believe that Christians should share their faith with others if they already have adherence to another faith!
When we think of Jesus' own words about Himself in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me", it should ring alarm bells in the church that this generation of young Christians need to be instructed in the Word, that they may have hearts motivated with Christ's love to reach their peers with the life-transforming Good News of the Gospel.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
As a Christian for over fifty years of my life, if I am honest, I know that I do not read or study the Bible as much as I should. I have no excuse. I have time on my hands - no longer working, I have a number of Bibles in various versions, as well as unlimited internet access to every version currently available. I have no excuse. The devil will use anything, even legitimate activities to distract us and keep us from God's Word. Again, that is not a cop-out on my part, because as a Christian, redeemed by the blood of the Risen Christ, I have authority over any ploy from the enemy.
A number of years ago, my wife, Tessa was given a picture from the Lord in which she saw me picking up a sword. As I picked it up, at first it seemed heavy and in my hand, quite unwieldy. But as I continued to pick it up, I became more confident in holding it and, began to advance, skillfully wielding it as I moved forward. This was, of course, an encouragement to me to pick up the "sword of the Spirit" which, the Bible tells us is the Word of God.
Well known British Baptist preacher of the nineteenth century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who was affectionately known as "The Prince of Preachers" once said: There are ten people who are willing to die for the Bible for every one who will read it." A rather sobering thought!
We, as Christians are in a relentless battle with our enemy, Satan, whom the Bible says is a thief whose aim is to "steal, kill and destroy" mankind, and to keep followers of Christ from enjoying their Godly inheritance in Christ, through lies and deception, fear and doubt etc. To that end, another quote that Tessa often reminds me of - I think originating from Derek Prince, is: "You can't fight thoughts with thoughts! You have to fight thoughts (of doubt, worry, fear, anxiety, unbelief) with the Word of God."
Much has been said and written about concerning the difference between the logos word of God, and the rhema word. Logos and rhema are two Greek words which both mean "word." It was widely agreed by many scholars that the logos word is the Bible, the written word, whereas in almost all instances of the use of rhema, it is a spoken word.
Indeed, it can be rightly said also, that the rhema word is a word that seems to jump off the page to the reader, as it were, to speak into a particular situation or circumstance requiring a quickened word to inspire faith for a need to be met by God. Examples may be when seeking direction in life, when seeking the Lord for healing or deliverance, when there is confusion of mind, or a word to bring peace to the heart is required.
Jesus, in His own words, says in John 8:31,32 "If you continue in My Word, then are you my disciples indeed,
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."
For help in becoming a Christian, please logon to www.vision.org.au Click on Grow your faith, then Looking for God?
The apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, a young associate minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, says in 2 Timothy 3:16,17 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.
The writer to Hebrews (possibly Paul, though authorship uncertain) says in chapter 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It is very clear even from these few verses above that the Word of the Living God, recorded in our Bible and agreed upon by Biblical scholars in time past as the true and complete canon of Scripture, is powerful in its ability to build up the individual Christian in his or her relationship with the Lord God, and to provide a clear blueprint for the Church of Jesus Christ to grow and thrive as a healthy organism, imparting life to all who participate in its instruction.
That being said, our Creator God, who designed intricately every aspect of nature and flung the stars and planets throughout the universe - has given us creative ability under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the church is a place of great diversity in worship expression, meeting protocols etc - which is perfectly fine as long as the Biblical guidelines and foundation truth of Scripture is adhered to - without compromise!
Sadly, surveys have been conducted by reputable Christian data collection organisations and have shown that a high percentage of confessing Christians do not read their Bibles regularly, if at all. This is a tragedy for the modern church. I read recently that a survey by the Barna group in America revealed that a high percentage - nearly half of Millenials - people born from the year 2000 - young people, do not believe that Christians should share their faith with others if they already have adherence to another faith!
When we think of Jesus' own words about Himself in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me", it should ring alarm bells in the church that this generation of young Christians need to be instructed in the Word, that they may have hearts motivated with Christ's love to reach their peers with the life-transforming Good News of the Gospel.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
As a Christian for over fifty years of my life, if I am honest, I know that I do not read or study the Bible as much as I should. I have no excuse. I have time on my hands - no longer working, I have a number of Bibles in various versions, as well as unlimited internet access to every version currently available. I have no excuse. The devil will use anything, even legitimate activities to distract us and keep us from God's Word. Again, that is not a cop-out on my part, because as a Christian, redeemed by the blood of the Risen Christ, I have authority over any ploy from the enemy.
A number of years ago, my wife, Tessa was given a picture from the Lord in which she saw me picking up a sword. As I picked it up, at first it seemed heavy and in my hand, quite unwieldy. But as I continued to pick it up, I became more confident in holding it and, began to advance, skillfully wielding it as I moved forward. This was, of course, an encouragement to me to pick up the "sword of the Spirit" which, the Bible tells us is the Word of God.
Well known British Baptist preacher of the nineteenth century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who was affectionately known as "The Prince of Preachers" once said: There are ten people who are willing to die for the Bible for every one who will read it." A rather sobering thought!
We, as Christians are in a relentless battle with our enemy, Satan, whom the Bible says is a thief whose aim is to "steal, kill and destroy" mankind, and to keep followers of Christ from enjoying their Godly inheritance in Christ, through lies and deception, fear and doubt etc. To that end, another quote that Tessa often reminds me of - I think originating from Derek Prince, is: "You can't fight thoughts with thoughts! You have to fight thoughts (of doubt, worry, fear, anxiety, unbelief) with the Word of God."
Much has been said and written about concerning the difference between the logos word of God, and the rhema word. Logos and rhema are two Greek words which both mean "word." It was widely agreed by many scholars that the logos word is the Bible, the written word, whereas in almost all instances of the use of rhema, it is a spoken word.
Indeed, it can be rightly said also, that the rhema word is a word that seems to jump off the page to the reader, as it were, to speak into a particular situation or circumstance requiring a quickened word to inspire faith for a need to be met by God. Examples may be when seeking direction in life, when seeking the Lord for healing or deliverance, when there is confusion of mind, or a word to bring peace to the heart is required.
Jesus, in His own words, says in John 8:31,32 "If you continue in My Word, then are you my disciples indeed,
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."
For help in becoming a Christian, please logon to www.vision.org.au Click on Grow your faith, then Looking for God?
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