Wednesday with the Word: I Have Hidden Your Word

A few weeks ago, I wrote about taking up the "whole armor of God" part of which is the “Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:16). In that post, I mentioned that a knowledge of God's word is essential. You can't use what you don't know.

The Psalmist writes it this way” I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.(Psalm 119: 11)  If we know God's word, we can use it to protect ourselves from Satan's deception, just like Jesus did (Matt 4:1-11).

So, how do we hide God's word in our heart, so that our Sword of the Spirit is ready when we need it? We must commit scripture to memory. I know. I can hear the groaning from all parts of cyberspace. Memorize scripture? Yes, memorize scripture. For some of you memorizing anything is a challenge, and for others, just the thought dredges up unpleasant memories from Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.  I understand that, but I would submit that you “can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.”(Phil 4:13) That one is a good place to start! It was the one my sister hung on to when she got clean and sober after a twenty-year meth and alcohol addiction. It still makes her kids cringe, but the up side of that is that they know it too!

Even I, who never had trouble memorizing large passages of scripture, find the older I get, the more I have to work at it. I still do though. Work at it, I mean. Ed does too. One problem we both have, and I think I have mentioned this before, is that we grew up with the King James Version, and recall many verses from that, but know them in the newer versions too. Its like growing up in a bilingual household. Sometimes, scriptures come out half  KJV and half NIV! However you say them, they have the same meaning, and the same power!

So how do you get started memorizing scriptures? I don't think there is any one way to do it. A lot depends on you. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Normally, I think people start memorizing what grabs them. One way to start is just to start reading your Bible on a daily basis, and pay attention to what speaks to you, those things that hit home. Those are the ones you want to commit to memory.  Ed and I both write what we want to memorize on 3x5 cards and keep them in our Bibles. Once we learn them, they go into a card file box and they get reviewed weekly. Writing them down also helps with the memorization process.

Maybe you already have some idea of what you want to learn first.
How about John 3:16? Genesis 1:1? Romans 3:23?

Want an easy start? Learn the shortest verse in the Bible. John 11:35 says “Jesus wept. “ Ok, so why would we want to memorize that? It shows that Jesus cares about us, and hurts when we hurt. Read it in its context, and you'll see what I mean.

A little more adventurous? How about the 23rd Psalm?

When I was 14, my grandma challenged me to memorize the 7th chapter of Acts. It is Stephen's testimony and has 60 verses. As I said, memorizing came easy for me, so it took about two weeks. I still know most of it, and with a little effort, it would all come back. My point is that once its in there, your subconscious has it. Before Jesus was crucified, he promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them to remember all things (John 14:26) I believe the same is true today. When we make the effort to commit God's word to memory, the Holy Spirit will help us remember just what we need, just when we need it.

The 119th Psalm, part of which I quoted at the beginning of this post has a lot to say about God's word. Verse 105 says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” Yes, I did say “verse 105”. There are 176 verses in Psalm 119, making it the longest chapter in the Bible. Talk about a memorization  challenge!

Seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, start small, memorize what speaks to you, or pick up a challenge. However you decide to go, start learning God's word, so your sword will be honed and ready when you need it!

See ya tomorrow!

Connie

Wednesday With The Word: The Gospel in a Nutshell

Our winter storm is over, but it left us nearly 10 inches of the powdery white stuff. Now we are supposed to go back into the deep freeze. The low temperature for tonight is supposed to be -10, which means we will be bringing our dogs inside. The cats will be thrilled.

Ed finally got home about 1:00 this afternoon. He is tired and thankful that he has the next two days off. I am too.

Because I know that God is in control, I can experience stressful times like the last few days with an internal peace. When Ed remarked that I had a fire going today, I told him that the Lord started that one, because I didn't have to work nearly as hard to get it going. When I realized I had a good fire, I gave credit where it was due, and thanked Him profusely.

Non-Christians usually react to that kind of remark, as they would to someone they believe is mentally deficient. Thats ok, because the Bible says the unsaved can't understand. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says:

"The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit."

The "Spirit" in question is the Holy Spirit, the third part of the God-head, which is given to the believer when salvation occurs. How does salvation occur?

One must 
Hear the Gospel (or Good News)
Believe it
Repent of sin
Confess faith
Be Baptized
Walk the Walk

So what is the Gospel?

The bare bones of it is found in what is probably the best known verse in all of the Bible: John 3:16.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Sin is disobedience to God. A literal usage of the word is "missing the mark" like an archer who misses the target. Adam and Eve sinned when they disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, and every human being on the planet has followed suit, except for one, but we'll get to that in a minute! The Bible says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Rom 3:23.

The problem is that God cannot tolerate sin. Now, he could have just left us like this and banished us all to the lake of fire dscribed in the book of Revelation (Rev 20: 14-15), but He loves us, and wanted to redeem us from our sinful state. I Peter 3: 9 says "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) When God sent Jesus into the world as a human being, his job was to remain sinless, and sacrifice his pure and blameless life for the sins of the entire human race. He did exactly that.  Only three days later, God raised him from the dead, and now he sits at God's right hand waiting for the time to come back and get those who accepted his sacrifice on their behalf.

That is the Good News! Jesus died for you!  Do you believe it? Well then you're going to need to repent. That means you're life is going to change directions. Then you need to confess. That means you need to speak out and tell what you believe! Baptism is how we show that our old sinful selves are dead and buried, and we come out of the water a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Lastly, you have to walk the walk. That dosen't mean you won't trip and fall, because you surely will. You have to keep getting up. It dosen't mean that your life will be perfect. You still live in the world, and you are still going to have problems, but you won't ever be alone again!

One more thing. There is nothing you can do to earn salvation. We have all "earned" eternal damnation, just like it says in Romans 6. but there is more to that verse (remember what I said about taking things in context?) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." It's a gift! 

Will you accept it?

See ya tomorrow!

Connie

Wednesday With the Word: Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

With all that has gone on lately, with so much sickness and death,  my mind has often gone to the scripture that was my grandma's favorite: John 14:1-3. She, of course, recited from the King James, and although she has been gone for over thirty years, I can still hear her voice saying:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

When the time came for her to go, like Miss Betty, Grandma was more than ready, because she absolutely believed the words of her Lord.

The New International Version (NIV) says it like this: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. “

John 14 is part of a lengthy discourse that ends in chapter 18 with Jesus' arrest.  Jesus was trying to prepare his disciples  for what was about to happen. Of course, they were pretty clueless, and promptly forgot everything he said in the horror of the events in the following days. Even with the joy of the resurrection, they might have forgotten much of what was said that night. However, Jesus made them another promise.

 “All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  John 14:25-26 NIV

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit did come, and did remind them of everything that Jesus' had told them. The disciples, now apostles, would spread the good news which brings life to all who accept the gift of grace.

For over 2000 years, believers have held on to the promise of His return. The promise that He is coming back to take us home with Him.  For us as well, the Holy Spirit teaches and reminds us of those things the Lord would have us know.  In this life, we will experience disaster, heartbreak, and even death, but His promises still hold for us today.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV

May you find peace today in Him.

See ya tomorrow!

Connie