The Importance of God's Word

THIS WEEK I have a few different things to share. I've had a nice week, and the weather is getting brighter. Yesterday I got to meet with Jenny White and a few others at Five Guys (Burgers and Fries) for our Life Group meeting, and we discussed chapter 5 in the Purple Book. The Co-author of the Purple Book, Steve Murrell, spoke at Southpoint last week. That's so cool! I'm grateful to God for my church.
Chapter 5 is called "Spiritual Hunger & God's Word," where we discussed just what God's Word is. It can be considered to be the message of salvation through Jesus, to be preached to every part of the world. It could be considered to be the whole contents of the Bible. It can also be considered to be the person of Jesus Christ. It is all of these things because it is God speaking to us. It is His way of giving us direction and helping us to see what we are doing right or wrong. It is God's coming near us, and His drawing us near to Him - Hallelujah.
Whether it is represented in the words of a pastor or a friend, whether it is in the proclamations of a prophet or straight from Jesus' own mouth, God's Word is how He talks to us. And the more we become familiar with it, the more we understand it and the more we recognize when He is urging us directly that we should do this or not do that. Jenny White describes it very aptly: it is like the Spirit telling us we have a smudge on our face, and, like a very good friend, shows us where it is and that we should wipe it off, never making fun of us for it. It's really great, isn't it, that we can have English copies of the Bible to read, to make us familiar with His commandments. I've got my purple copy of the Word in a pink zip-up cover, my Bible that I got in 2006, the best Christmas present I ever got. I told Jenny that I'm extremely excited about the idea of getting a Bible for a friend of mine. She really wants one, and I'd absolutely love to get her one because I know there is some life-changing awesomeness in there. You see these prophecies over here, telling about what God will do, and you see it come to pass over here, or anywhere in history. Over here you see red words telling perfect wisdom and Truth (Casting Crowns "The Word is Alive," look up them lyrics), and the honest emphasis the disciples use when they write about His glory. So I'd love to get my friend a Bible and give it to her.
Today Pastor Russ was back from South Africa. The airport had been delayed and he missed his flight the first time he tried to leave for South Africa, but upon the insistance of the ones he was coming to visit he made sure he caught a later flight. So that worked out, and he went there, stayed four days, and came back. He returned with a powerful message to describe the term "revelation." We know that this is the name of a very unique and powerful book of the Bible, the very last one, mostly pertaining to the end of the world. But the word also applies to any God-given "revealing," an opening of one's eyes and ears to spiritual truth. An example is in Mark 8, where it becomes clear to Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the one whom God sent to save the world. He had seen miracle after miracle, and only now it was clear as day and fresh as rain. Jesus is the Christ! Son of the living God. Only now did he realize it, having received a revelation. It is vastly different from intuition because it does not rely on human whims. It is what God is telling us. And we are able to hear it much better and to identify what He wants us to do when we have spent time looking in the Word and reflecting on His commandments. Matthew 13 tells us about what might happen to the Word once it has been heard and enters a heart. It might be ignored, it might be initially accepted and then forsaken, it might be hindered from growing by a person's care for worldly things, or it just might grow up healthy and productive. That is when it can teach a person amazing new things, and that person can spread it to other people. Like using a candle to light a candle. Heaven knows this world needs a few candles lit around here.
There are a few different places in the Word that I've been particularly drawn to lately. Last week I told you about wonderful Luke 15, about how God sent God-in-Man Jesus came to save what was lost - us. And before that I told you about opening to Jeremiah 29:11, about how God knows exactly what He is doing and He cares enough to watch out for each of us. There is no other God, and no other like Him, let me tell you. The other day He pointed this one out to me, Romans 14:19 "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." That is a good one to keep in mind when you are trying to build a good relationship or any good friendship. Then He reminds me that when it all adds up, all that really matters in the end is my relationship with Him, because in the end He's all I'll have forever. So what I do now is what matters forever, and that's a good reason for my relationships with other people to be ones that reflect His love and which help me and the people I know to grow stronger in our faith in God. They should be the kind of relationships that are really founded on that Solid Rock of our Salvation, Jesus.
Another of my favorites is Philippians 4:4-9. It's a little long, so I'll just tell you what it means to me. It means, 'Don't worry, just pray about it. Have joy no matter what's going on, pray with gratitude, and He will grant peace and guidance and guard your heart and mind. Think about wholesome thigns and reflect on what is good and glorious, and He will definitely grant you peace and keep you from feeling like you have to do this alone." That is one that God often shows me when something's up, and it is one of my favorites ever. Go look it up. It's right between Ephesians and Colossians.
When I started blogging today I thought all the things I was going to tell you were a little scattered, but I prayed about it, and look at that. It all came together, and I've learned something this week.
One more awesome thing: Pastor Russ's son was with a mission trip in Peru, and they came to a little, tiny village called Corral. Nobody had ever told anyone there about Christ. When this group had delivered their message and presented their drama performance they invited any person to come forward who wanted to receive Christ as the Savior and Lord of his life. Every single person raised his hand in that village! Every single person in that village!! Only God can do that. That is a marvelous miracle, the kind you hear about in the book of Acts, when hundreds of people are entering the church daily. Wow, right? Wow.
Well I've enjoyed typing to you. Please remember to pray for Haiti and Chile as the people try to recover from both loss and injury. And pray for the missionaries there and everywhere. You know, there are all kinds of people being converted lately. I've heard of Al Quaeda being saved. God rules. I will type to you again next week. Please post any miracle you have experienced or heard of, or any part of Scripture you feel God has been pointing out to you lately. God bless.