DO YOU ‘KNOW’ THE WORD?
“For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation
is hidden from God’s sight, everything is uncovered and laid bare
before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4.12-13
Beloved, I’d like to ask you a question:
Can you walk with God and not know God’s word?
- It was through the Word (Logos) that the world(s) were framed – that is, they came into existence – 1.3; Gen. 1.1ff; Ps. 33.9
- It is by the Word that everything is sustained and held in its natural order – 1.3; 2 Peter 3.7
- 107.20 The Word of God heals and delivers… (He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions)
- 119.11 If this Word is hidden in the heart –it will prevent – hold off – put a stop to “sin” – (Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee)
- 119.89 Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven
- 119.160 Thy Word is true from the beginning: and every one of Thy righteous judgments endureth forever; Jn. 17.17 Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth
- 119.140 Thy Word is very pure: therefore Thy servant loveth it; Prov. 30.5 Every Word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him
- 119.114 Thou are my hiding place and my shield: I hope in Thy word
- 1.14 This Word – eternal truth – was made flesh – and that Word was/is Jesus – who still lives among us – giving us the opportunity even today – to behold His glory
The Bible — this God Breathed Book…this Inspired Word, Infallible Word, The Word of God…
- Sanctifies/consecrates/cleanses/makes holy – 1 Tim. 4.5
- Jesus told His disciples – in 15.3 – that the Word He had spoken to them – that Word – had made them clean
- Speaking through the Prophet Jeremiah (23.29) – the Lord says – His Word is like fire – and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces
- In Luke 11.28 – Jesus said — …blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it.
- If you’re in a battle – in a fight with the enemy – feeling inundated with the rigors and difficulties of warfare — 12.11 gives us key to victory … “And they overcame him (the devil and all his cohorts) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
No wonder the enemy of our soul has worked so hard to keep you and I away from the truth concerning the fullness of the Word of God. No wonder, he has diligently sought to birth complacency and apathy towards the Word. It’s no wonder that the forces of darkness – have worked so hard to keep the Word of God out of you and you out of the places and opportunities that are provided for you to grow in the Word of God!
- 2 Cor. 4.3, 4 tells us, “And even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
- Mark 4.14-20 tells us that this Word is a seed and our hearts is the soil!!!
- Jesus in 10.10 warned us that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy —Steal What? Steal the seed of the Word out of the soil of your heart (out of your DNA)– before it can become revelation!!
The devil knows – that if the Word (σπερμα = sperma/seed of God) goes in – deep into your heart (into your DNA) – into good fertile soil – it will yield fruit à it will restructure the way you think (which will be reflected in the way you speak and what you do/actions) à resulting in increase, and bring forth an abundant harvest (some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred fold!!!) — Mark 4.8, 20 The thief knows – that if he can keep you out of truth and the truth out of you – if he can keep you from hearing the Word – believing the Word – speaking the Word – doing the Word — then he can prevent the Word from ever being confirmed or accomplished and from manifesting – in your life!!!
Most folk think that God is going to somehow just give them the treasures of wisdom and insight contained in The Bible, by osmosis or some type of supernatural impartation of divine revelation…
It doesn’t happen like that! You can’t just lay the Bible on your head, close your eyes and wait 5 minutes – and think the Holy Spirit is just going to download all 66 books into the hard drive of your heart! We have to mine for it! We have to dig deep – and the mine shaft goes through the pages of Scripture – one page – one chapter – one book – at a time!
Most Christians – including those who have been saved for countless years – most Christians are clueless about the TRUTH contained in the Bible. Folk can’t find the book of Psalms or Matthew! God forbid, I should say ‘open your Bible to Obadiah, Habakkuk, or Zephaniah.’ Some folk think that Ruth and Timothy are a new sit-com – like Will & Grace! We can’t even quote a Bible verse for every year we’ve been believers! We know the theme songs of television shows (e.g. Let me tell you all the story bout a man named Jed… or Green Acres is place for me, farm living is the life for me, land spreading out so far and wide, darling I love you but give me that country side…New York is where I’d rather stay, I gather ‘lurgic’ smelling hay, I just adore a pent house view…) and movies and a kazillion songs on the radio – but we are Biblically illiterate!!!
And yet – THE BIBLE IS THE BLUEPRINT FOR LIFE!!
- The writer of the book of Hebrews said that the Scriptures are “living and active” —not dead and buried – not boring and irrelevant like some of us think they are
- God’s Book may have been written centuries ago – but it is more up to date – more contemporary than any book on engineering, law, or medicine – because it reveals timeless insight about the human heart and God’s character — These don’t change!!
- The writer of the Book of Hebrews also stated – that the Word of God is sharp enough to cut through bone and marrow!!
- God’s Word – cuts deeply and accurately into the most remote corners of our heart (that’s why a lot of folk won’t read it…) – then He heals that area à and changes us!
Do you need to know what is in the heart of God?
Do you need wisdom when you are confused?
Do you need peace when anxiety and stress threatens to turn your world upside down?
Do you need encouragement because you have failed at something –or feel as if you have been betrayed?
The answer to all these questions is yes!! We all do!! So how do you and I obtain the faith to believe God in good times and in bad times – how do we get the faith to stand with God in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or for worse…?
Faith – to stand ‘with God’– comes through hearing the Word of God!!
Faith to carry Revival Glory comes through hearing the Word of God!!
FAITH TO PROPHESY – TO RELEASE THE VOICE OF GOD FOR EDIFICATION, EXHORTATION COMFORT, SIGNS, WONDERS, MIRACLES — COMES THROUGH HEARING THE WORD (LOGOS & RHEMA) OF GOD!!
- 10.17 “Faith comes by hearing…”
Here’s my point…
Becoming a student of God’s Word – will cost you some time, energy, commitment and discipline — but it will result in a wealth of insight, direction, revelation and understanding!! And that (insight, direction, revelation and understanding)– shuts the enemy out!!!
Here are some practical ways we can absorb God’s Truth and revive our lives:
HEAR THE WORD
- In the field of education – experts tell us that about 10% of what we hear stays with us
READ THE WORD
- We absorb 25% of what we read
- Many Christians murmur, grumble, groan and complain that they don’t know what God’s will is!!! Well, you and I can know His will – if we read His book!!!
STUDY THE WORD
- Hearing and reading are effective – but not as effective as studying!
- The discipline of Studying allows us to take in and apply 50% of the truth!!
MEMORIZE THE WORD
Hearing, reading and studying the Word of God will have a huge impact on your life – but memorizing the Scriptures is even more effective in changing your life, because:
- 80% of what we memorize stays with us!!!
MEDITATE ON THE WORD
So – as believers – with a passion to grow in our walk with the Lord – we need to: hear the Word, read the Word, Study the Word, Memorize the Word —- and — MEDITATE ON THE WORD!!
- Now in your mind – superimpose over the word meditate – the word MARINATE!!!
- God wants His Word – not just to be a “spice” that accents our life – adding a little flavor to it — but the Lord wants His Word to be a DAILY MARINATING PROCESS THAT LITERALLY SOAKS INTO THE CORE OF WHO WE ARE – forever changing our identity!!
- We need to be so immersed – soaked – marinated in the Word of God that we are able to follow Paul’s direction: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” – Rom. 12.2
Let me end – where I started – by asking again this question: Can you walk with God and not know God’s Word?? This week – be intentional about finding opportunities to:
- Hear the Word (bible study, audio CD’s or Tapes)
- Read the Word (start a ‘read through the Bible program’)
- Study the Word (Tues. nights, individual devotional Bible studies, LIFE Groups, etc.)
- Memorize the Word (how about Hebrews 4.12-13)
- Meditate on/Marinate in the Word (say and pray the Word)
I want to be so filled with the Word of God that my testimony echoes that of the Psalmist who said, “Even at night my heart instructs me”– (Ps. 16:7)!
For two years, my son had gently nudged me to ‘try CrossFit.’ Needless to say, I ignored him. Until one day, while in the bathroom with a full mirror view of my aging body and its overstuffed rolls, I decided to make a life change! I went to this ‘CrossFit’ place my son had recommended to check out just how this could possibly help me. On that first visit I met the Owners and talked to them about the program. No hard sell. They simply invited me to come try a free workout. So, I did. It was humilitating. Here I was, an aging ‘former’ athlete and I couldn’t do one push up. NOT ONE! So, they graciously modified it for me. “Try it on your knees.” NOT! I couldn’t do that either. As the young people would say, “OMG!” Embarassing! No problem, they urged me to try it by leaning into the wall. They were willing to meet ME where I was and help me to grow — stronger. The Coaches introduced me to push-ups, sit-ups, and squats to start. And even though the old athlete and marine vet in me was utterly mortified, the competitor in me experienced an AWAKENING! I needed this! Every sweaty minute of it! So I decided to give myself a four month trial. I told the coaches I would try it from the end of August until the end of that year. They smiled graciously, sensing the rebirth in my soul — they knew I was hooked! The ‘On-Ramp’ (the introduction to CrossFit movements, terminology and technique) lasted about one month. By its end, I lost ten pounds. I was approved to try my first real WOD (Workout of the Day). It happened to be the memorial WOD on September 11, 2014. Another OMG moment! This workout consisted of : 30 air squats, 19 power cleans, 7 pull-ups, 400 meter run — six rounds (meaning, repeat 6 times)! I thought I was gonna die right in the middle of it. The floor, walls, anything I could lean or lay on, soon became my best friends. 
By the end of the second month, I had lost another ten pounds! And by the end of that ‘trial period’ — I had lost a whopping 40 lbs. Day by day, WOD after WOD (plus a complete change in eating habits) I was becoming leaner, stronger, more flexible — my stamina increased, my endurance grew! I was completely hooked! Let’s just say, “I drank all the kool-aid.” 
I have lost around 73 total pounds. I feel healthier than I have in 20 years! I am completely addicted to taking care of this “temple” — my body, in which The Word tells me, Holy Spirit dwells! If I could, I would shout it from the rooftops: 
Soterios 