“Risikili”
– Part 5 – Can you trust your Bible? (2)
So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:3 NKJV).
We continue with RiSiKiLi−
You know− Read it, study it, know it, live it.
As we continue with the theme of the
value of God’s Word and figuring out the plan of God for ourselves, I’m posting
the remaining Bible attributes listed by Bible Scholar/Pastor/Teacher Jack
Hayford.
We must be able to trust God and His Word if we want to know His
design for our lives and be able to verify that the plan in fact does line up
with His Word, the Bible. Here is the rest of Pastor Hayford’s list
extolling the truth and value of Scripture. (If you missed 1-5, just take a
look at my last post – June 25, 2015.)
Pastor
Hayford continued:
THE ESSENTIAL PLACE AND
POWER OF GOD’S WORD*
The Word of God regenerates
new spiritual life where man has, by nature, died spiritually.
For you have been born again not of seed
which is perishable but imperishable, that
is, through the living and enduring word of God (1
Peter 1:23 NASV).
7. The Authority of God’s Word over Our Lives
As ‘spiritual’ people we are
to refuse the ‘natural’ inclinations of fallen man, giving place instead to
hearing and yielding to the authority of God’s own Word.
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in
heaven. 90 Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the
earth, and it stands. 91 They stand this day according to Your ordinances,
For all things are Your servants (Psalm
119:89-91 NASV).
8. God’s Word and Our Soul’s Nourishment
So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:3 NKJV).
9. God’s Word and Practical, Fruitful Living
The regular application of
the Word of God is the pathway to success and prosperity in living.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm
119:105 NKJV).
10.
True Spiritual Growth Requires God’s Word
True spiritual growth
requires the Word of God, which makes spiritual maturity genuine.
And
I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I
fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are
still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions
among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,”
and another, “I am of Apollos,”
are you not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through
whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? (1
Cor. 3: 1-5 NKJV).
11.
Loving God’s Word As Jesus Follower
To follow Jesus and to know
God, a continuing requirement of steadfast commitment to hearing, heeding, and
studying the Bible is necessary.
He who has My commandments and keeps
them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father,
and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (John 14:21 NKJV).
12.
God’s Word: Purifier unto Holy Living
The Bible shows us Christ’s
likeness so that we can be ordered and shaped into that image.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word
and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and
immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty
and continues in it, and is not
a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he
does (James
1:23-25).
13.
God’s Word, Evangelism, and Expansion
The spreading of God’s Word
and the fulfillment of our personal potential come by the Word of God.
For as the rain comes down, and the snow
from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it
bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater
(Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV).
14.
God’s Word: Read It! Study it! Memorize it!
God’s Word is the only
conclusive source of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding concerning ultimate realities
waiting to liberate and enrich those who will pursue its wealth.
Be diligent to present yourself approved
to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth (2 Tim. 2:15 NKJV).
If you do not have
revelation of these things, I implore you to ask God to help you receive this
truth into your spirit− that it will be Ramah Word to you. And ask Him to put into your spiritual belly
a hunger for God’s Word that cannot be satisfied. He wants to do that and you
will benefit in ways you could never have imagined.
As said by Pastor Hayford, “There
is no such thing as health or growth in Christian living apart from a clear
priority on the place of the Bible in the life of the individual or the group.
The Scriptures are the conclusive standard for our faith, morals, and practical
living and are the nourishment for our rising to strength in faith, holiness in
living, and effectiveness in service. The Holy Spirit who comes to fill us is
the same Person who has given us the Book to guide and sustain us.”*
*Spirit Filled Life Bible, Thomas Nelson,
Page xii
Note to readers: As you
consider the points mentioned by Pastor Hayford, other readers and I would love
for you to comment on how you’ve experienced having one of the 14 Bible attributes
help you personally. Feel free to comment below. God bless you as you glean
many blessings from the Word of God. Thanks for stopping by.
#11 When Jesus said, "My sheep know my voice, and they follow me," I used to wonder how I could KNOW if I knew His voice. After learning to feed myself spiritually from the Bible, now I'm confident that I know His voice. I love that the more I study the Bible, the more I know Him.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful comment, Lyneta. How very true-- as we know the Word, we know Him better and as we know Him better, we know His voice. I can tell that you cherish God's Word. Thank you for your comment.
DeleteThe one that stands out to me (and it was hard to pick) is that the Bible is the soul's nourishment. I have been experiencing that recently as I try to find peace in God's presence. We can't live well apart from God's Word, like we can't live for long without food. When we find nourishment in God's Word and value it, I truly believe we will keep coming back for more. Thank you for your posts on the importance of God's Word!
ReplyDelete