Word of God

I believe there are three major things that we can proactively do to cultivate our relationship with God. These are things that we should do often, and they are things that if we do them the way God wants us to do them, no one but us and God will even know they are occurring. The things I’m referring to are prayer, Bible reading and fasting. Each one is important, and I would argue that most Christians don’t practice them enough. Let’s take Bible reading as an example. How can we learn about the character of God, his commands, Jesus’ life, and how we are to live without becoming intimately aware of what the Bible says? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 describes the Bible like this:

“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.” 

And Hebrews 4:12 says this about the Bible:

“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.”

I encourage you, if you’re not reading the Bible on a regular basis, to begin doing so. Carve out time each day to read a couple of chapters. Don’t like to read? Invest in the spoken Bible as an app on your smartphone or as a CD collection. Is the Bible a little over your head? Invest in a study Bible, or get a devotional series that will walk you through principles of the Bible. Any way you engage the Bible, the Lord can use that time to teach, rebuke, correct and train you, as it says in Second Timothy. It is also the best way we can grow in our faith because the Bible teaches us that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. In all honesty, I can think of no better way to get to know God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit apart from reading the word of God.

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I can’t express how important it is for every believer to become familiar with what the Bible says directly from the Bible itself. If we do, not only can we learn how to live, but we can teach others to do the same. The Bible is the purest written directive to us from the God of all creation. Jesus used the words of the Bible to battle Satan in the desert, and if we know what the Bible says, we can as well because as Hebrews reminds us; the word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword. I’ve read the Bible several times, and even still, each time I read it, God reveals something new to me. The more I read it, the deeper I understand him. And I’m sure any believer reading the word can testify to the same. If you’re new to the Bible, I would encourage you to begin with the New Testament. And if you already know your Bible pretty well, I would challenge you to become a scholar.

God So Loved

Every once in a while, I like to reflect on the core message of the Bible; the fact that over 2000 years ago, God sent his son, Jesus, to be born of a virgin, to teach us how to live and to ultimately die so that sinners like us might live for eternity in heaven. And of course, three days later he rose from the grave, as only the true Son of God could, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. The entire Christian faith rests on these truths, and if we don’t believe, we will go to hell - not heaven - when we die. It doesn’t matter how good we think we are, we will go to hell without Jesus’ blood. And it doesn’t matter how bad we’ve been, with the blood of Jesus we can enter heaven. John 3:16-17 says this:

“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Many believers have committed that scripture to memory. It is that important. I encourage you to memorize it as well and think on it often. It is this truth that saves us. If you are reading this and have not committed your life to Jesus, I encourage you to do it today. I’ll always remember the simple ABCs of committing one’s life to Christ. A: Admit that you are a sinner. B: Believe that Jesus died for you on the cross. And C: Confess your sins to him and repent from them. Yes, when boiled down it is that simple. But it is also more complicated. If it weren’t, the Bible would be a pamphlet, not a book. If you don’t know Jesus, I encourage you not to go to bed tonight before giving serious thought to this decision which will ultimately decide your eternity.

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Christianity comes down to faith. Do you believe that God sent his son to die for your sins? Do you believe that there is a place called heaven and hell, and without Jesus’ blood to cover your sin you will not find entrance into heaven? None of us are righteous enough to get into heaven on our own; absolutely no one. We all need Jesus. If we don’t choose him, by default, we’re choosing hell. I pray that you choose him if you haven’t already. This is no joke. When you die, and we all will die, you’ll realize that heaven and hell are more real than this earthly life that we’re experiencing right now. I hope to see you in heaven. I have every intention of having my name written in the book of life, and I hope you do too.

Pass it Down

In Bible times, the Israelites didn’t have smartphones, tablet computers and laptops to take video, pictures or to write down important things that they would save for their children and grandchildren. Instead, they would usually pass knowledge and sentiments down through songs that they would teach their children. Other times, stories would be told and passed down through the generations. They might’ve also decorated their houses by writing important information and posting it on their doors or, even literally, wearing scripture on their wrists and foreheads as if it were a form of jewelry. Whatever the case, if something were important enough for one generation, it would be passed down to those who would be born after them. That is the way it was with the commandments that God gave them, so that future generations would continue to follow them. In Deuteronomy 6:6-9 the Bible says:

“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

Like the Israelites, God wants us to pass down our faith to our children. We need to talk about it when we sit at home and when we walk along the road, when we lie down and when we get up, as the Bible says. It should be so important to us, that we should make it a part of our daily conversation. Our children shouldn’t have to wait for Sunday school to learn about God. And we shouldn’t have to attend a Bible study to get our weekly dose of Bible knowledge. Families should talk about God on a daily basis. Do you? If not, I’d encourage you to find ways to make your faith a greater part of who you are. Just as important, we need to pass our faith down to our children so that they can pass it down to theirs and so on. We’re not just talking about a neat tradition here, we’re talking about generations of souls that need to be taught the truth.

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It is our responsibility to pass what we know about God to the next generation. It could be our kids, nephews, nieces, grandkids, or even our brothers and sisters. In a world where the gospel is being silenced and treated as irrelevant, those of us who know that eternity hangs in the balance should treat it as the most precious thing we can pass down to another. It is literally more important than anything you could ever give someone. And when God is talked about consistently, the truth can be planted so deep that when they grow old, they will not depart from it. God’s command to the Israelites is his command to us as well. God should be a daily conversation within our families, because if they don’t see us valuing the gospel, they may not either.

Hands Up

You’re probably familiar with the story in Exodus 17 where Moses ordered Joshua to fight the Amalekites. During the battle, as long as Moses’ hands were raised, they were winning, but when Moses got tired and lowered his hands they began to lose. In case you’re a little fuzzy on the story, in Exodus 17, verses 10 through 13, the Bible says this:

“So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.”

Often times this story is mentioned when highlighting our responsibility to hold up the hands of our spiritual leaders. I don’t believe that it directly correlates, but I do believe that the sentiment is sound. Though our pastors, evangelists and preachers may not need us to physically hold up their hands in the midst of a literal battle, like Aaron and Hur, we should support them, so to speak. I challenge you to encourage your pastors and let them know that they’re not standing alone in the ministry God has called them to. If they feel like they are operating solely on their own, they may become overwhelmed, and their arms may begin to fall. If our pastors are spiritually healthy, their flock will be also. We can stand in their corner to show them that we’re right there with them in the fight, encouraging them, or even physically helping them, when they are weak or overwhelmed.

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I encourage you to send your pastor an uplifting email or card, volunteer for some of the less glamorous church ministries, and pray for him and his family often. I believe that like Aaron and Hur, we have a responsibility to stand alongside our pastors with love and support as they go about doing the work of the Lord in our body. And I hope you would agree.

Future Glory

Life is filled with highs and lows regardless of whether you believe in Jesus or not. The difference between the state of a true believer and one who doesn’t believe, is not only their perspective on life, but also their perspective on the afterlife. In Romans 8:18 Paul reminds us:

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us.”

If you get a chance, continue reading the rest of that chapter. It is very uplifting to those who are suffering, or find this life too hard to bear. The Bible tells us that it rains on the just and unjust alike. So, blameless obedient believers may suffer the same trials as some of the most vile souls on this earth. The difference is found in this verse where Paul says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us.” The glory that he is referring to is eternity with our God in heaven.

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Paul said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us.” I encourage you to remember that whenever you can, whether things are going well or not. The Bible teaches us to think on heavenly things. Setting our mind on the future glory of heaven certainly qualifies. The Bible also reminds us that this life is like the blink of an eye in the span of eternity. We are like a blade of grass that springs up today and is scorched away by the sun tomorrow. But eternity is forever. So, whatever life deals you, whether good or bad, remember that it will not last. Remember that there is a future glory that will last forever for those who believe and have put their trust in Jesus. If you haven’t made the decision for Christ yet, I encourage you to do it today. No one knows how long they will live on this earth, but we do know how long we will live in heaven or hell; and that is hundreds, thousands, millions more times than the span of this life.