Seeking Direction...
Over the past month or so, I have been pondering and prayerfully seeking a direction for our ministry. Each year, our church has a theme of sorts; last year it was "Priority Driven", making God our key priority and this year it has been "Driven" which is an amplification of the "Priority Driven" but simplifying life down to "loving God and loving others" (Matthew 22:37-40). These themes are not to be abandoned, but instead are to be continued--forever.
I have often commented on how God uses some of the most unlikely ways to bring my attention to things. I had a conversation with a man back in October about Christian education; his beliefs were, quite honestly, radically different than mine in some areas. It was a nice conversation, but I became convinced that although I am a pastor and have a good knowledge of God's Word it was time to "bone up" and take some more formal schooling in God's Word.
Like many folks, we I would love to go to college or seminary but quite honestly can't afford the time commitment, structure (I work shifts) or the money commitment either. So, I set to research what is available online, on the Internet. Now I will tell you up front that there is a virtual plethora of online programs, some good but many that are about as crazy as they come. Even worse, generally speaking, is if you do the following Internet search: "free online Bible course". You would not believe what crazy stuff came up.
However, after checking into all of this, I found one website that still quite honestly amazes me. Not only is this systematic course free, but the textbook (and other books written by the author) are available for free as a download. Even better, the author often sends out the books for FREE.
I myself do not take a pay for my ministry as that is not what God has called me to do, and quite honestly our little church cannot afford it. Folks, I have no problem with a pastor or scholar making a living. But what really rankles me is how often pastors, scholars and churches sell their books, CDs and videos at a huge price. This is fine for those that make a decent living, but for those that struggle or are poor, it excludes them from a teaching that--if truly inspired by God--could change their lives.
I started reading one of the books that the author, Galyn Weimers, sent me and was struck by one simple truth: the Word of God is often abused. It is neglected, misrepresented, twisted and many times ignored by those that claim to represent God. While this is no surprise when it comes to cults and fringe elements, it is astounding how many churches either ignore God's Word, marginalize God's Word or treat God's Word as a "necessary encumbrance", grudgingly reading it as "something we do in church". It is my hope--and fervent prayer--that over this weeks devotionals that you will see that God's Word is preeminent.
The Preeminence Of The Word of God
I'm a guy that, most generally, is quiet easy going. However, there are some things--right or wrong--that annoy me, like anyone else. Call them pet peeves, if you will. While some of them are character flaws and need some work, there is one annoyance that, if anything, is getting worse with time: people that mess with the Word of God.
I think there are far too many people that play fast and loose with the Holy Scriptures. They are abused; they are misquoted, misapplied, blasphemed, twisted, neglected, taken for granted. and often just given lip service. What is sad is this often occurs in people that profess Jesus Christ as their Savior.
A church I used to attend would play what a Baptist pastor friend of mine calls "Baptist Roulette" each Sunday. They would start off with a designated person just picking out a scripture at random and reading it, with no application, no feeling or expression at all. Most people, I could tell by their expressions, were thinking "just get this Scripture reading out the way so we can get on with it". How sad. This is a form of abuse of Gods word, by making it null and void in it's reading.
Satan does as much damage, if not more, in these ways above as he does by warping and twisting the Word overtly through cults, atheists and outright demon worship and witchcraft. There is a sense of inoculation to the Word of God that happens; give them a little bit here and there over time, and they will become immune to it. By taking God's Word and applying it in a vain fashion is nearly as bad as actually taking God's name in vain or outright blasphemy (Exodus 20:7). Or is it on the same level? I think that it is about as close as blasphemy, if not the same thing as blasphemy. Let me explain.
Take a look at Hebrews 11:3.
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Hebrews 11:3 (ESV)
The word of God literally created EVERYTHING. This does not mean that the word of God in and by itself did this; God spoke, thus is God's Word, and thus God spoke everything into existence. Now if you think about this, the next best thing to God Himself is His Word.
What does God say about His Word? We know that God holds His name sacred, as playing fast and loose with His name is prohibited in the third Commandment as mentioned prior. But God holds His very Word above His name:
I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. (Psalm 138:2, ESV).
God's Word talks a lot about itself. It reveals much; it is a "two edged sword" that shows us whom we really are (Hebrews 4:12).--JH
What The Word Of God Does .and Is
"Nothing can be more real and true than the Word of God which created and sustains our universe."--Galyn Weimers, The Word: Apparatus for Salvation, Renewal and Maturity
It's of the ultimate importance to give honor and credence to God's Word.
Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
Prov 30:5-6 NKJV
In the passage above, we can see that God's Word is pure. When I looked up the word I was a bit surprised to find that this is a word used by refiners. It is used of the refinement of metal to bring it to purity, but also means that it is a metal that is tested.
No matter when in history, there have always been critics or so called "higher critics" of God's Word. However, over the years God's Word is has been tested, found true and trustworthy. God's Word has endured the tests of time, and has shown it's purity.
It's important to note that we are never to "add to or take away from" God's Word). To do so invites judgment from God in the least, and in overt errors that are seen in cults no part in the tree of life (also see Revelation 22:18-19). One must be careful of how he or she handles the Word of God; the consequences for those that hear error and those that give error are very serious.
In his book "Doctrine for Difficult Days" (Thomas Nelson Publishers), the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee notes that there are four character traits of God's Word that divides it into categories. These categories are:
Revelation--That God has spoken, and how God has revealed Himself
Inspiration--That the Word of God was divinely inspired
Illumination--God's Word opens our eyes to divine truth
Preservation--God has preserved His Word throughout the centuries
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Psalm 19:1-3 (NKJV)
Divine Revelation
Revelation means that God has spoken. It means God has revealed Himself.
--J. Vernon McGee
It is important to note, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, that God chose to reveal Himself to us. You and I, by our very nature, do not seek God because of the sin in our hearts (Romans 3:10-11). Revelation, in short, means "God has spoken".
God reveals Himself to us in two distinct ways, natural and supernatural. God first reveals himself to us in the world itself, in nature, as we see in today's key Scripture. In fact, no one can deny that God exists because God reveals Himself in nature, so that none have an excuse (Romans 1:19-22)
All that one has to do is to see the intricacies of nature and one would be a fool to say that there is not intelligent design; and, intelligent design, intelligent designer. That would be God. Also, you may think it is harsh to say a person is a fool if they deny that the Intelligent Designer does not exist. I did not say it, God did:
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Rom 1:22-23, NKJV
God also reveals himself in His Word. The more that you study, the closer you get to God, and the more that you know about Him and can trust Him.
In fact, I find that getting to know the attributes of God is a great revelation of Himself to us. The more you get to know, even in the small way that humans can understand, how God thinks and is, the more you respect and honor Him. I found a chart of the attributes of God from H. Wayne House's Charts of Christian Doctrine and Theology (Zondervan) that lists--get this--23 distinct attributes of God. All of these attributes are shown in the supernatural Word of God, is "God Breathed":
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)
"God breathed" means that God supernaturally superintended His Word, put the inspired thought into the minds of the 40 some odd writers of the Bible and they in turn wrote, in their styles, God's revealing of Himself to us.
Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth" Jeremiah 1:9 (NKJV)
Divine Inspiration
Did you notice that God said, "I have put My words in your mouth"? We believe in what is known as the plenary, verbal inspiration of the Bible. We believe that the words are inspired, and fully inspired.--J. Vernon McGee, on Jeremiah 1:9
It is so important to remember that God wrote the Bible, not men. While the Bible did have human authors that wrote in their literary styles, they wrote what God had them write.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)
As we saw yesterday, all Scripture is supernaturally superintended by God. That means that God inspired it within the hearts of specially called men; it was as though God "breathed it into them" and they "breathed out God's words" using their writing instruments! The ESV translation above does the best literal translation, stating instead of "inspired", "breathed out".
God put these words into the hearts and mouths of the men that God called to His service. One of the knocks that liberal theologians and college professors use on unsuspecting students is to say "The Bible was written by men, and not by God". What Satan does when he uses this tactic is to do what he as always tried to do: discredit God. If he can discredit God's Word, then God is discredited.
The way that the Bible is woven together--over 1500 years with over forty authors--is supernatural in design. God took men from all walks of life--kings, farmers, scholars, fishermen, tax collectors, doctors and more--and put all of their writings together in one single volume that totally agrees with itself from one end to the other.
What concerns me these days is that most people do not look at the Word of God as being the real Word of God, but also state "there are many interpretations". In other words, people put their own spin on things. I have seen this happen; this is one reason why our church tends to do verse by verse exegesis (interpretation using historical and grammatical rules) to interpret the Word of God. Why? Because it reduces the amount of cherry picking of Scriptures; it is hard to lift a verse out of context when one is right in the middle of it!
The God breathed word must be interpreted not by what we want it to say, but instead what God meant it to say!--JH
Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Luke 24:44-45, NKJV
Divine Illumination
I remember back in the early 1970's, Ford Motor Company came out with the slogan "Ford has a better idea". The slogan was written under an illuminated light bulb, giving the idea that "the light of an idea" had come on in their heads when they designed their cars. This is similar to what happens when God illuminates the mind and soul when a person studies His Word. It is an "I get it!' moment, if you will.
When Jesus met with the disciples after His Resurrection, He "opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures". In other words, the light went on in them--they had an "I get it!"moment.
God does the same thing today in us when we study His Word. However, sometimes we come to God's Word with presuppositions; in other words we look for the Bible to say what we want it to say. For pete's sake, there are preachers that will preach one thing but teach that what they just preached means something else as "it's my interpretation". Let me be blunt: there is, 99% of the time, ONE interpretation of a passage of Scripture. It almost never means two things, and it there are NEVER two polar opposite meanings to a certain Scripture. By using good exegesis (interpretation rules) we do not get into what is called "eisegesis" (basically, making a scripture say what we want it to mean).
Take your time. Be honest with yourself, and most importantly with God and how you handle HIS WORD.
Preservation (Jeremiah 36:20-32)
This topic is a bit shorter, but concisely means that God preserves and protects His Word. Now give this some thought. God's Word--the entire canon or approved text of the Bible--has survived for nearly 2000 years. This is just flat out remarkable.
Jeremiah wrote, at God's order, a scroll to be given to evil King Jehoakim with His Word in it. Jehoakim cut it up with a knife and burned it in a fire; but God had him re-write the scroll, preserving His Word.
It's important to note that the Bible we have today is not a "translation of a translation of a translation of a translation". Each time a Bible version is created, there are manuscripts from the early centuries that are used in doing the interpretation. And if you compare the different translations, they come up virtually identical unless you have some bizarre versions like the TNIV, a few versions that are "gender neutral", or ones like the New World Translation cooked up by the Jehovah's Witnesses. God preserves His Word!
