“Words From Heaven” The Bible
The Foundation of the Bible
What you believe about God affects your entire life. It affects how you respond to the consequences of your past. It affects your response to circumstances and situations in the presence and it determines the outcome of the future, in this life and the life hereafter.
That is why Satan has laid out a plan to distort our view about God. We live in a time which people are living by an un-Biblical view of God, His Son and the Holy Spirit. Satan effectively uses the media, music, movies, experiences, false teachings and people in general to distort mankind's view about the God whom everyone must face someday. The Bible says, "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19)
The Apostle Paul in prayer asked God to give the Body of Christ Holy Spirit knowledge of His love for them through the revelation of Words from Heaven.
God has shown His love for the church in many different ways. Grasping what the Word of God is and how people are to approach the written Word has an effect on those who may hear what is taught out of the Bible. Our spiritual heart beat toward everything surrounding the proclaiming and publishing of God’s Word determines the Holy Spirit’s influence in a work of God.
A church which is used by the Lord has Christians who are like what the Psalmist wrote, “Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep His statues and seek Him with all their heart. They doing nothing wrong, they walk in His ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.” (Psalm 119:1-4)
The God of the Bible has given revelation to mankind so they may know His will for them. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) Three times we see "word" (????? lógos) meaning to speak intelligently, an intelligent discourse. (The Complete Word Study of the Bible) This Greek word is the title of Christ (John 1:1; Revelation 19:13; Dictionary of Biblical languages) Jesus is the "Word" the logos of life. (1 John1:1; Dictionary of Biblical Languages) This is the very "Word" we are to preach. (2 Timothy 4:2; Dictionary of Biblical Languages) "It is the very utterances of the prophets the Word or Message." (Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains. New York: United Bible Societies)
Recently George Barna Research Group came up with these stats: Eighty-eight percent of Americans own a Bible. Eighty percent say the Bible is sacred. Sixty-one percent say they want to read the Bible more.
We have this exhortation from God’s Word to inspire people to read and pray for people to be enlighten with. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
God-breathed (?e?p?e?st?? theópneustos), means that the written Word of God was prompted by God, divinely inspired as opposed to (phusikós) coming from mankind's natural abilities. (Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers; (Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) "This is the Scriptural view of inspiration; that inspired men were [instruments] of God in such a sense that their words are to be received not as the words of men, but as they are in truth, the words of God." (Hodge, C. (1997). Systematic theology (Vol. 1, p. 157). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) "The Bible has revealed truths and facts which are infallible... All truths and doctrines of Scripture which are necessary to salvation [and living for God] are without mixture of error and are the infallible rule of faith and practice... It is the operation of the Holy Spirit upon the human mind for the purpose of conveying [God’s truth] to mankind." (Shedd, W. G. T. (2003). Dogmatic theology. (A. W. Gomes, Ed.) (3rd ed., p. 98). Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Pub.)
It is like this: God putting His hand on the hand of the writer and moving it for the author so that the Word is written down exactly what He wanted to say. Therefore, the Bible is from His heart to our spiritual heart. It's like taking the hand of someone who cannot write and helping them mark an X on a piece of paper.
"Imagine your spouse, who loves you with all their heart, leaves you a note that reflects their heart and will for you on the night stand. Let us assume that the note contains information that is protective and instructive, when followed and obeyed, will get you through the day well. How, will your spouse feel if you totally ignore the note or read the note and choose not to follow or obey."
God cares so much for us that He wrote down instructions that will get us through every day walking in His will. Too often that information sets on the night stand in a manner of speaking, ignored or even disobeyed. Consider how our spouse would feel if we eagerly seek out their notes of instructions and love.
You must understand, Biblically, our spouse is our partner in life whom God sent to help, encourage and strengthen us. God's Word, a letter of love was sent and excepting it brings thanks to the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 2:13-14 says, "And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers." (1 Thessalonians 2:13-14)
God says this about the Bible: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33) May our hearts be in accordance with Psalm 119:144, “Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live.”
Here are five reasons why we should read the Bible.
One: It contains God’s will for our lives revealing His wisdom, His goodness, His intentions, the fact of His coming judgements, and His heart. Getting God’s Word into our spiritual hearts is like finding that book written by someone who is good at something that you are interested in. The book is full of instructions, informing its readers the why’s and what for. Fully preparing and equipping those wanting to learn to be successful at what they desire.
All through grade school and high school, I despised reading. Then, I got in the horse business. I was not doing well, then I was handed a couple books teaching about being a farrier and how to be a halter horse trainer. I read those books, hungered and thirsted for was what in them. I applied what I learned, took heed to the warnings and had expectations of the outcomes which were sure to be enjoyed by doing what is right.
Can people around us see that we look to the Bible with an excitement because it is written by God, our Father? Or are the teachings of God’s Word just something we sit and listen to out of the cancer of traditionalism.
Second: It is nourishment to our souls. What happens to the human body if it does get nourished daily? You don’t live long if you are not being fed some kind of food. Going a week without eating or drinking leads to a weak unhealthy life. Our souls need nourishment, our spiritual hearts cannot have fellowship with Jesus Christ, enjoy illumination of the Holy Spirit and live a life which is pleasing to God without us feeding and meditating upon the written Word of God.
Can people see in us a life which is hungry and thirsting for the written Word of God? The child of God who understand the truths of God’s Word is like what the Psalmist wrote, “As the deer pants for stream of water, so my soul pants for you.” (Psalm 42:1)
Third: The Word of God gives us discernment. The Book of Hebrews says, “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 the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
There are three movements in the church of humanism giving false teachings on what it means to believe, have faith and using the grace of God as a license to indulge the flesh. Modern-day eloquent speakers and CEO’s are productive using gimmicks and socialism as tools to build a crowd – too often, starving the people of God’s Word keeping them from the Holiness of God in every part of their lives.
Feeding on the whole counsel of God’s Word gives the Holy Spirit what He needs to enable us to be a “living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God which is our spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1) If the children of God want the Holy Spirit to fan into flames the truths written in the Bible. Then they must seek and arrange those truths and precepts in their minds so there is something to illuminate in their hearts.
It is like a person who is in the woods wants build a fire for whatever reason. That individual must seek out the wood, arrange the wood in a pile so it may burn. So, it is with us, we must make the time to seek out what the Bible says, and arrange those truths so the Holy Spirit can set it ablaze in our lives. For example: Study what the Bible says about marriage, sexuality or prayer.
Fourth: The Word of God gives us instructions on righteous living. King David wrote, “How can a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed according to Your Word” (Psalm 119: 9 )
There are clear directives in the Bible for us, for correcting the World view and for determining the lies of the devil. There are clear instructions in God’s Word for addressing the issues which are destroying our nation and for guiding our country on the course to enjoying God blessings on her again.
Fifth: God’s Word gives us power to overcome. The Bible says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians )
When Jesus was tempted by the devil, He set His focus on the whole counsel of God’s Word and rejected what the devil wanted Him to do. (Matthew 4:1-11) When our flesh moves us to satisfy our desires which breaks God’s heart, we have the Word of the Lord to guide us to make the right decision. When the world view intimidates us to embrace lifestyles which are against the whole counsel the written Word, we can say like Jesus did, “it is written.”
When Satan tells us our efforts in our service to the Lord are not accomplishing anything. We can let the Holy Spirit call our hearts to remembrance, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:18)
A church is recognized by what she embraces. There are churches who are masters at praise and worship songs. People attend those churches because that is what they want to focus on. There are churches who are known for their mission’s vision. There are churches which have thrown off the guidance of God’s Word to embrace humanistic viewpoints. There are churches which are known for their hungering and thirsting after the whole counsel of God’s Word.
All churches, Christians who have been called out of this world, have an opportunity be involved in publishing the Word of God in the modern-day mission of proclaiming our Lord’s truths around the World.
