A.W. Tozer Quote on the Bible

"Read it much, read it often, brood over it, think over it, meditate over it—meditate on the Word of God day and night. 

When you are awake at night, think of a helpful verse. 

When you get up in the morning, no matter how you feel, think of a verse and make the Word of God the important element in your day. 

The Holy Ghost wrote the Word, and if you make much of the Word, He will make much of you. It is through the Word that He reveals Himself. Between those covers is a living Book. God wrote it and it is still vital and effective and alive. God is in this Book, the Holy Ghost is in this Book, and if you want to find Him, go into this Book." ~A.W. Tozer

God's Word is Pure and Purifying

“The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;”

As we continue in our study of Psalm 19:7-11, we come to this phrase.  Let us examine God's Word with open hearts and allow this words to change our attitude about the beautiful Scriptures.

God's Word is Pure

No error defiles God’s Word, no sin pollutes it. It is clear, clean, sincere, as defined in the Hebrew. It is not mixed with any blackness, any untruth, any corruption. 

In our world, “pure” oftentimes isn’t completely 100% pure. But the Scriptures are. They are a thousand times more pure than anything we can imagine on this earth. It is free of any mixture of men’s inventions or the dross of corrupt knowledge (Charles Spurgeon). It is clear of all chaff and impurity. In all ways, it is perfectly pure. Listen to what David says about God's Word:

“The words of the Lord are pure words,Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,Purified seven times.” ~Psalm 12:6

The apostle Peter offers application: "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2).  Let us desire this 101% pure milk, for by it we will grow.  It is not defiled with anything that would hurt us, but will only teach and train us, purifying us even as it is pure.

God's Word is Purifying

God’s Words are the enlightening of our eyes. Oftentimes, we face a problem and we just can’t make sense of it. Something comes up and we don’t know what to think of it. But because God’s Word is completely pure itself, it can remove the layer over our own eyes.

God’s Word purifies our own thoughts, removing all the darkness and sin within our minds so that we might clearly see with His perspective. It enlightens us to our own sin and depravity, which we ourselves are often blind to. 

 God’s Word reveals even to us as believers sins we have not noticed, and outlines a way that we might repent and turn from our sins. It shares with us a message of hope, opening our eyes to the love of our Lord. Indeed, the Scriptures enlighten our eyes in so many ways.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." ~Psalm 119:105

Amen!  Let us take time to study this pure Word, because, even as it is pure, so it will purify our heart, our emotions, our minds, and our actions.  It will remove the sin, the dirt, and the grim.  It will cleanse us from the defiling worldviews of the culture.  Indeed, God's Word enlightens our eyes, giving us wisdom from above to know how God would have us to act and believe.  Let us devote ourselves to the Scriptures, my friends!

God's Word is Sure and Full of Wisdom

“The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;”

As we continue in our study of the Word of the Lord through Psalm 19:7-11, let us look at this precious line from verse 7.

God's Word is Sure

The Lord has borne witness to many things--His creation, for example. He has laid down an account of these things in His Word for us. And we can know that it is sure. It is correct; it is infallible. God has borne testimony against sin; he has testified of our fall and our restoration. And it is sure.

The Hebrew for this word "sure" means “to be established, be faithful, be carried, make firm.” And certainly that is what the Word of the Lord is. We have no reason to doubt, but can rather stake our entire lives on these truths; they will never fail us.

I like what Charles Spurgeon has to say about this topic:

"God's witness in his Word is so sure that we may draw solid comfort from it both for time and eternity, and so sure that no attacks made upon it, however fierce or subtle, can ever weaken its force. What a blessing that in a world of uncertainties we have something sure to rest upon! We hasten from the quicksands of human speculation to the terra firma of Divine Revelation."

God's Word Gives Wisdom

And this sure Word contains within its pages such knowledge and wisdom that even those who are babes might be made wise. It contains gems of truth that even a young one can understand. And through that understanding, they grow to be among the wisest of all. Again I like what Spurgeon says: "Humble, candid, teachable minds receive the word, and are made wise unto salvation. Things hidden from the wise and prudent are revealed unto babes. The persuadable grow wise, but the cavillers continue fools." Those who approach the word humbly and with a teachable spirit can learn the truths that will make them wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15).

When God's testimonies are our meditation and when we study His words, we gain wisdom that is greater than all earthly teachers, no matter how "smart" or good at learning we think we are!

"I have more understanding than all my teachers,For Your testimonies are my meditation.I understand more than the ancients,Because I keep Your precepts." ~Psalm 119:99-100

Isn't that such an encouraging thought though? God's Words can make you and I wise! They can give us the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding we need to navigate this crazy life.  

"But what is so amazing about wisdom?" you may ask.  

Solomon gives the answer so much better than I ever could:

"Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,   and the one who gets understanding,for the gain from her is better than gain from silver   and her profit better than gold.She is more precious than jewels,   and nothing you desire can compare with her.Long life is in her right hand;   in her left hand are riches and honor.Her ways are ways of pleasantness,   and all her paths are peace.She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;   those who hold her fast are called blessed." ~Proverbs 3:13-18

God's Word imparts this precious and life-giving gem called wisdom.

Psalm 119:130 reminds us, "The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple."

Do we value God's Word for what it is --> faithful and dripping with wisdom?  Do we approach God's Word every morning seeking to learn from it's pages how we might live out our lives?  Do we recognize the surety and firmness of God's Word?  Do we live in light of this understanding?

May this new understanding of God's Word cause you to run closer to it that you may gain the wisdom from its pages.  It will never falter or fail. None of its words will return back void.

Be Diligent to Seek Him

Over these past few weeks, I have been learning an important lesson. Not a lesson I hadn’t heard about before, but one that I had somehow lost in the business of life.

It’s a lesson on denying my flesh in order to seek the Lord.  You see, recently, I have been super busy with work and school, and somehow my relationship with Jesus seemed to take the back-burner. And then the Lord opened my eyes to how I was gratifying the desires of my flesh instead of denying myself and spending time with Him.  I often found myself sleeping in—because my body needed it, I told myself.  While being well-rested is important, I had allowed my flesh to gratify its desires under the guise of “Oh, I need the sleep.” As a result, I wasn’t getting up early to seek the Lord, and I drew further and further away from Him.

And you know what I found?  In those few weeks, the more I drifted away from Him, the more I didn’t want to seek His counsel or spend time in His presence. The more it became a duty and not a pleasure. I found that the more I allowed my flesh to take a hold over my life, the more it did!

What have I learned from all this?  It is so important to stay close to the Lord, to stay sensitive to His Spirit so that we do not drift away from Him. It can happen so quickly if we let down our guard even for a moment.

We have to be intentional about seeking Him. It doesn’t just happen.  We must be diligent to seek His face if we desire His wisdom and guidance.  We must deny our flesh and take up our cross in order to offer ourselves as living sacrifices.

Hebrews 11:6 says God is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  We must be diligent to seek Him.

Jeremiah 29:12-14 says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” Let us seek Him with all our heart, and we will find Him.

Be encouraged today, my friend, and may you learn from my example the importance of seeking Him with our whole heart.

Sharpen Your Sword

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." ~Ephesians 6:12-13

I'm sure you have heard this quote before.  But pause and think about it for a moment.  Do we really live our day to day lives with the awareness that we have a real and living enemy that seeks to corrupt our minds and destroy our souls?  Do we live complacency, or are we fully clad with a suit of armor, reader at a moment's notice to be called into battle?

And what about your sword?

In the army (back when they actually used swords), how many hours a day did a soldier spend practicing his swordsmanship?  Was he expected to simply run out on the field of battle without ever having practiced?  No! Rather, a swordsman brandished his sword every day, mastering the art, to the point that the sword became almost an extension of his hand. It became very natural to him.  The good soldier was adept at his craft and could fight well no matter the distractions.

You see, it takes practice.  Much practice.

We have been given a sword.  The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Our sword "is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

But do you and I know how to use this sword against the very real enemy of our souls?

Let us learn to sharpen our sword against our enemy and to prepare for battle.

What does this look like on a practical level?

If there is an area of sin or temptation that you are struggling with (ex. fear or worry), make a list of some Bible verses that remind you of the truth in that situation.  Memorize them.  And recite them often whenever you feel tempted in that area.

Remember how Jesus Christ used His Sword against the enemy when He was tempted in the wilderness.  He quoted Scripture at the devil.  Let us learn from His example and do the same in our own life, whenever the devil tries to spit lies into our face, let us turn on him and throw the truth in his.

As you go about this next week, may you sharpen your sword in preparation for battle.  May you clothe yourself in the whole armor of God, that you may take a stand against the devil's schemes.  And because Jesus Christ is on your side, you will win the victory.  Amen!

Encouragement in Memorization

Memorization. It's so wonderful and so rewarding. But it's also a struggle. A real struggle. Other memorizers from around the country experience the same struggles you and I do, and they have some wisdom that I pray will encourage you in your own memorization journey:

"Probably the hardest time I have had while memorizing was when I qualified for the National Bible Bee competition last year (2013). It was the first time I have ever qualified, and I was quite discouraged with the 750 Bible verses, about 60 of those passages from Genesis and Exodus. But over time, with God's help and strength and the encouragement of many friends and family members, I was able to almost get all of them perfect. :) The most important thing I learned from that memorizing journey was to recognize that God is the source of any strength and memorizing energy I have. I must be in prayer and asking Him for His help, checking my motives and seeking to grow closer to Him or my efforts will be in vain. It is very easy to become self-focused, prideful, and derailed from the true reasons for memorizing. I have found that praying before I memorize helps my motives to be better." ~Hannah, 18

"The issue for me is not memorizing, but keeping up what I've memorized. Also, head knowledge without a heart resonance is a big trap that I've fallen into many times. It leads to major pride: "I know all this..." "I can quote the entirety of this chapter or this book..." Ugghh! Instead of just knowing a verse word perfect, I have to say, "What can I learn? What does God mean? What is He trying to teach? I need to know this verse so that I can know God." Praying through prayers that I've memorized is a big help in getting the words in my heart. Whether your memorizing prayers or genealogies, never, never, never forget to pray. That should be the impetus behind your knowledge of the Bible." ~Audrey, 16

"Sometimes I get behind on reviewing verses; they just build up until I have so many to review that it is really discouraging to think about it. Because of this, there have been a couple times I took a really long "break" from memorizing. But God is faithful and when He sees that the time is right He encourages me through other peoples' testimonies, through reading the Bible, through sermons, or other mediums to get back to memorizing. Lately He's been showing me a more practical side of memorization--being able to use promises of the Bible in praying for people--which has kept me motivated so that the review doesn't pile up." ~Rachelle, 23

"Mainly, not getting burned out and tired of memorizing. It can get routine at times. When I get bored, God shows me a passage that I really need to read and memorize. Also, time is a huge issue. In this modern world, people always want to do things and go places. It is difficult to set aside large quantities of time to study God's Word. But when you think about it, it is God's time. Because it belongs to Him, I am actually setting aside time for other things beside Him. This reversal of views encourages me to memorize more." ~Allison (not me :P), 14

"I often get distracted while memorizing — sometimes through outward distractions, like noisy siblings :), or internal ones, like wandering thoughts. God always showed me when I was getting of course, though, and He gave me the strength and desire to get back on track. I also faced laziness — I would keep putting off memorizing — but once again, God gave me the desire. This is why it's so important to ask Him for help and commit the memorization process to Him at the beginning and throughout the journey, because only He can help you through the troubles. It's all and only His power." ~Aberdeen Livingstone, 15

"One thing I continually fight against is pride. It's so easy to fall into thinking you are so much better just because you know a lot of verses. But God keeps reminding me that Scripture memory is not about comparing myself to others - it's about my relationship with Him. The verses I memorize are first and foremost for drawing me closer to Him, and for applying to my life. Another thing I have struggled with is not wanting to memorize verses - I guess you would call it just being burned out. But when that happens, it helps to open the Word of God and read it slowly and carefully, forcing myself to take in each word rather than skimming. And as I have done that, each time the Lord renewed my desire to memorize, and even gave me an excitement and awe of Him as I began again." ~Lisa, 22

Joshua 1:7-9

"Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

~Joshua 1:7-9

Today, as you go about your day to day tasks, meditate on these verses.  Especially think about verse nine in the context of the other two.  What does it mean?  God has promised to be with us and to help us meditate on His words and obey Him.  We do not need to fear, for although the path of obedience and of knowing His Word intimately will not be easy, it is possible through Christ. 

May the Lord bless you today as you grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  May He always be front and center in your life.

Live for Him

"One thing I have desired of the Lord,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord,

And to inquire in His temple."

~Psalm 27:4

As we launch into a new year, I could give you a 101 suggestions for goals and projects that will change your life.  I could share my personal New Year's resolutions with you in the hopes that it will spark a new determination on your own part to strive for something higher and nobler.

But instead of focusing on what we can do, let's take a moment to focus on HIM.  After all, who are we?  What have we done in our own strength that earns us any merit?

Rather, let us fix our eyes on Jesus Christ.

He is our Lord.  He is our treasure.  He is the Lover of our soul, the One who pursued us and poured out His very life's blood--all to win our heart and our very life.  

Why would we even try to live on our own? Why would we try to aim for anything besides Love itself?  What else is worth pursuing?  He alone is worth every spare moment of our time.

He gave His all for us.  And He--the King of kings and Lord of lords--had something to give.  We...we, have nothing.  Why would we keep our very little from Him? Why would we strive to accomplish our own goals?

This year, let's live for HIM.

May He be our focus in all things, as we remember always what He has done for us.  He is so very worthy of everything we have and everything we are.  Let us fix our eyes on Him this year!

As you strive to run this race with endurance looking to Jesus, it is my prayer that your veil would be lifted as you turn to Christ, so that you might see Him in a new and amazing way!  He has great plans for you this year, as you put Him first in all things!

Guest Post: Bible Memory Goals

The following is written by a dear Bible Bee friend, Anna M.  She is a fifteen-year-old Bible Bee senior, and has a lot of wisdom and encouragement to share with us on the topic of memorizing God's Word.  More of her writings can be found here: Sweeter Than Honey Blogspot.   I pray that you would be blessed by this just as much as I was!

With 2016 just around the corner, most of us are probably making goals and plans for next year.  I thought that this would be an appropriate time to share some things that I've learned about memorizing/studying during the Bible Bee off-season.  By the way, this post focuses more on memorization than study, because I'm not starting an in-depth study until mid-January, and because I enjoy memorizing more than studying :).

It's very important to memorize everyday.  A few weeks ago, I missed a day due to business. The next day, I was feeling tired, and I lazily thought, Well, since I missed yesterday, surely another day wouldn't make much difference. So I didn't memorize that day either.  Then, the day after that, I still didn't "feel like" memorizing, but I realized that I was being tempted, and if I missed yet another day, would I ever memorize again? It's a slippery slope to miss even just one day, and we have to be careful that we don't gradually go from being faithful memorize-ers to forgetting completely about doing it.  Consistency is everything when it comes to memorizing.

I'd really encourage you: don't wait until you feel like it to memorize.  There have been so many days that I didn't feel like memorizing in the afternoon (the time that I usually do all my memorizing), and so I planned to memorize after supper.  Well, after supper I would be cleaning up the kitchen, and then we would fold laundry while Daddy read a book, and I never ended up memorizing that day, or I would be trying to memorize in just a few minutes before I went to sleep and I wouldn't really have time to meditate on what I was memorizing.  The truth is, most of us won't "be in the mood" to memorize until we are actually doing it.  Memorizing is something that I love and enjoy so much, but when I'm not doing it, I forget how much I love it.  

I've also found that when I commit to a reasonable amount, I'm more likely to get it all done.  Last year, I made too many plans for after Bible Bee study and memorization, and so I wasn't able to do all of them to the best of my ability.  Of course, it's also quite possible to make goals that aren't high enough.  I did that in 2013, so I didn't feel overwhelmed, I just didn't end up doing as much memorizing as I probably would've if I had made more plans.  Hopefully, I will find the right balance this year :).

It's also important to have a plan.  Rather than just picking a few random verses to memorize each day, I've found it helpful to memorize portions or books of the Bible.  Not only does this help with context and understanding what you are memorizing, but it also helps you to make goals.  For example, if you decided that you were going to memorize the book of James in January and February, you would need to memorize two verses a day on most days.  Memorizing books also keeps me motivated, because I get excited when I'm nearing the end of a chapter or book! :) If you don't know what to memorize, here are a few suggestions:

Isaiah 53 -- A beautiful chapter foretelling the death of Christ.  
Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) -- This passage teaches us how to rightly obey God.
Psalm 119 -- One of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible.  Its focus is God's Word.
An epistle -- The epistles are a great place to start if you've memorized before, but have never memorized an entire book of the Bible.  They are filled with encouragement, exhortation, and God's truth.
A gospel -- When I first heard about someone memorizing a gospel, I was more than a little surprised. Was it really possible to memorize a whole gospel?  But as I turned the thought over in my mind, I decided it would be a good idea to try it.  I had memorized some epistles, and I wanted to try a different genre.  I first thought about Mark since it's the shortest, but then I found out that John was less than 900 verses, which was a good bit less than I had expected.  So I thought and prayed about it for awhile, and I started memorizing it on November 12, 2014.  Ironically, John 1-12 was the study passage for this year's Bible Bee, so I had a nice head start on it :). I'm still not finished with it yet (I'm in John 17 at the moment), but I hope to finish it sometime in the next few months, by God's grace.

Whatever you decide to memorize, I would encourage you to make memorizing God's Word a priority and to be diligent with it.  It's not always going to be very easy, but it is so worth it!

If you have any tips, I would really appreciate them.  I still have a lot to learn in this area.

"Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day."

Psalm 119:97

Seek Him First

I have prayed much about what the Lord would have me to write as we focus our thoughts on New Year's goals and resolutions, and He has led me not to say my own words, but rather to speak His Words.  Do not close this article or take it lightly.  Pause for a moment and allow your heart to prepare itself to read these words.  They are living and active and have the power to change your life this next year, if you will take them seriously and meditate on what they say, applying it to your life. 

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” ~Matthew 6:33

Our New Year’s resolutions are to be all about.  I have found in my own life that when I seek His kingdom (the spread of the gospel) and God Himself (through His Word and prayer) all other things simply fall into place.

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” ~Philippians 3:7-11

Take out your list of goals for the next year.  Ask yourself honestly if you are counting all things loss for the sake of knowing Christ.  Is He your number one priority?  If He isn’t, I can assure you through my own experience that 2016 will be meaningless and joyless.  We must seek Him, for “in His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” ~Galatians 2:20

Read this one over a few times.  Is it true of your life?  Do you live as if you were dead and He only alive?  Allow the Scriptures to pierce your heart and change your life.

I close with a prayer from Ephesians 3:14-21. Please, do not close the article yet.  Read to the very end.  I can promise that even as these words are spoken over you right now, they will bless you. Remember Who it is you serve. And put Him first in all things.

“ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Search the Scriptures

Acts 17:11 says "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."

How many of us are like these men in Berea, searching the Scriptures daily? How many of us go home after hearing a good sermon, only to further dive into the Scriptures to see what they have to say about this? How many of you, after reading this article, will dive into your Bible to see if it is expressing a biblical worldview? How many of us, after hearing the opinions on the theology discussion look to see what the Scriptures have to saw about the subject?  Searching the Scriptures in such a way is something that I do not follow perfectly, so this exhortation is just as much for me as it is for anyone else.

I wonder what would actually happen if we did this... If we searched the Scriptures every day, to find out if there is truth in what we are reading, hearing or seeing. I know one thing for sure, we would all gain a biblical worldview.

1 John 4:1-3 adds, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." We are called to test the Spirits.  How can we discern what is a lie without first knowing the truth?

The enemy is trying to deceive us so that he might corrupt our hearts. That's his number one specialty --deceit. We mustn't let him win this battle; we mustn't believe his lies; and in order to do this, we need to be continually searching the Scriptures.

The more we abandon the Bible, the more the voice of this world and the voice of the devil drowns out the voice of truth. I've been told that if you hear a lie long enough, you'll believe it. If we are not continually flooding our minds with truth, they will be corrupted by the sin and dirt of the devil. 

My friends, we must not let this happen! 

1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, "But test everything; hold fast what is good." Let us test everything that we read, hear, and see; holding on to only that which aligns with a biblical worldview.

Paul once said of Timothy "and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15). Timothy held fast to the Scriptures.  He spent time in them.  And, as Paul says, they made him wise.  The Word of God teaches us what is truth, because it is the very words of the Lord to His people.  We must be spending time each day in these words so that our minds can be transformed.

How can we expect to grow, if we don't consume the pure milk of the word and the bread of life? We must be reading the guideline for life, if we expect to follow the straight and narrow way. If we want to become more like Christ, we must first know what He is like. The people you spend time with are the people you will imitate. When we spend time with God, we will find ourselves subconsciously imitating God.

Let us be diligent to read God's Word and hide it in our heart so that our feet may be planted firmly upon the truth of God's Word!

Meet with God Today

Imagine walking up a mountain alone. But it’s no ordinary mountain. The ground beneath you is shaking, and the entire mountain is covered in smoke. At its peak is a thick cloud with lightning and thunder. God descends onto the mountain in fire, and each time you speak to him, he responds in thunder. This is what Moses experienced in Exodus 19.

Now compare that experience to your last time in prayer.

Distracted, obligatory, ordinary — I doubt any such words came across Moses’s mind as he ascended the mountain. But some three thousand years later, we rarely marvel that God permits imperfect humans into his presence.

How did the shocking become so ordinary to us? Is it even possible for our experiences with God to be that fascinating?

A mentor of mine lives in India. Last year, he called me on the phone crying, distraught over the state of the church in America. “It seems like the people in America would be content to take a selfie with Moses. Don’t they know they can go up the mountain themselves? Why don’t they want to go up the mountain?”

When was the last time you enjoyed meaningful time alone with God? Time so good that you didn’t want to leave. It was just you, reading God’s words, in his holy presence.

I was fifteen years old when my youth pastor taught me how to pray and read the Bible alone. Now, more than thirty years later, I still can’t find a better way to start my days. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t refocus daily by going up the mountain.

It is alone with him that I empty myself of pride, lies, and stress.

Pride: standing before a Person clothed in unapproachable light has a way of humbling you (1 Timothy 6:16).Lies: speaking to an All-Knowing Judge tends to induce honesty (Hebrews 4:13).Stress: kneeling before the God who causes men to fail or succeed replaces our anxiety with peace (Psalm 127:1) ....

It was simple for Paul. He loved being with Jesus. “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Knowing Christ deeply consumed him (Philippians 3:8). There is no substitute for being alone with God. If you don’t have time, you need to quit something to make room. Skip a meal. Cancel a meeting. End some regular commitment. There is literally nothing more important you could do today.

God literally determines whether or not you take another breath. “He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Could anything be more important than meeting with the One who decides if you live through this day? Could anything be better? How can we not make time to be with the Maker of time?

What plans do you have today that you think so important that you would race past the Creator to get to them?

[From Francis Chan's article "The Greatest Thing You Could Do Today"]

The Praise of Mary

Knocking boldly upon the door, Mary offered up a silent prayer that she and the One in her womb would be accepted at the house of her cousin. A virgin becoming pregnant was a thing to be disgraced, and she didn’t know if Elizabeth would let her stay in her home or if she would be thrown out on the streets. Creak, went the door, revealing Elizabeth. Mustering up her courage and drawing strength from the One, true God, Mary greeted her cousin.

Hearing that greeting, Elizabeth went silent. This is a little awkward, thought Mary. What is she thinking? Does she see how big my stomach has grown?

But Elizabeth abated her fears, exclaiming, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

A few tears sprang to Mary’s eyes, as she heard these words, realizing that not only was she accepted, she was blessed. Oh, the Lord is so good! Her heart was overwhelmed with love for her King, and she could not keep it in.

Bursting into joyful song, she began,

My soul magnifies the Lord,
   And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
   For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
   And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
   From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
   He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
   And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
   And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
   In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
   To Abraham and to his seed forever.

The Lord led me to memorize these beautiful words of praise this morning, and as I meditated on the words, they became more alive to me.  I decided to share my thoughts with you all as well, that you might be blessed through her life, even as I was blessed. But as I prepared my thoughts, I remembered that I had written about her life over a year ago, and decided to share that again with you while weaving in some of the things the Lord revealed to me this time around.  Mary's story of meekness and praise is so beautiful to behold, and I pray that we might emulate her heart this Christmas season.

Mary was a young girl, a beautiful virgin.  The Lord choose her, of all the millions of women in the world.  Why?  Because she was highly favored and pleasing to the Lord.  He delighted in her, because of her delight in Him.  He was her passion, her stronghold, her dwelling place.  His Word was her refuge, her comforter, her strength.  She knew her Lord in an intimate way, she knew of His character, and she loved Him for it.

God chose to place His only Son inside her, because she would love Him more than her life and treat Him as a King, because of the love that she had shown for the Father.  Her praise floated up to Him on a continual basis.  She was so in love with Him that she couldn’t contain her jubilant praises.

The same was true of her trip to Elizabeth’s house.  Gratitude for God filled her and spilled out in song.  In this song of praise, Mary cited at least fifteen verses in the Old Testament.  She had filled her mind with words from the prophets and psalmists that praised God.  This young peasant girl knew the Scriptures.  She understood the things of the Lord.  She meditated on His Word as she went about her work and as she lay in bed waiting for sleep to come.  Whenever she opened her mouth, God’s Word poured forth, because that is what was in her heart.  

As a result, His words became her language.  

I don't know about you, but compared to Mary's words of praise, mine seem rather weak.  It's not that God rejects "weak" praises, but He does offer us more and deeper things in our worship, if only we will seek Him with all our heart.

Mary knew the Scriptures.  And she knew her Lord.

When she worshiped Him that day, she was not merely thanking Him for what He had done, she was worshiping Him for Who He was.  She had meditated often upon His character and knew intimately the different aspects of His character. And she was only a young teenager!  All we who are still in our youth have no excuse for not memorizing and meditating on God's words so that we might gain a beautiful knowledge of the Lord like Mary had.

Will we too choose to fill our heart and mind with the praises of God?  Will we memorize and meditate on the words of God in such a way that we come to know the Lord in a very intimate and personal?  Will you and I choose to delight in the Lord as Mary did?

Live on God's Word

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” ~Matthew 4:4

We have often heard or read the words of Jesus and agreed with them in our minds. Yes, it is necessary that we should live by the Word of God. We sing songs on God's Word and sometimes even memorize it. We know that we should be spending time with God every day.

But...do we actually live by God's Word?  Is is our very life's breath?  Is our every waking moment spent in its pursuit.

Let's really get practical here.  We're not talking about what place God's Word should take in our life.  We're talking about what place it does take in our life right now.  You ate three times yesterday, right? (Well, Thanksgiving day may have been an exception, but on a regular basis, you eat three meals.)  About how long does an average meal take to consume?  About thirty minutes, right?  That's an hour and a half of eating, plus any snack time.

Let me ask you now, how much time do you spend each day feeding on the words of Christ?

Was it a foundational part of your day, or did you spend just a few minutes in it?  Was your every spare moment consumed in its pursuit, or did you waste away the precious moments of your day feeding on your own thoughts, a phone, or a computer?

Not having enough time isn't a good excuse.  You found time to eat, didn't you?  Three meals!  We just don't make time to read God's Word.

We must understand something.  God's Word is more valuable than our everyday food.  Repeat that a few times.  Just as vegetables and meat sustain our earthly body, God's Word sustains our soul and spirit--our spiritual bodies.  We can't except to live a healthy, satisfied life as a child of God if we are not spending time in God's Word!

"as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby," ~1 Peter 2:2

We must desire God's Word and actually spend time in it if we wish to be grown by it. Just before Moses death, some of his final words to Israel were these:

“Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.” ~Deuteronomy 32:46-47

What would it look like if you and I made God and His Word the center of our life?  Not just talking about making it of great importance, but actually doing it.  I've had enough talk.  Let's move into action here, my friends.  

Let us resolve to really and truly spend time in God's Word.

Will you join me in real action?  This isn't light and fluffy, and it won't be easy. But we didn't sign up for easy, we want life-changing.  And that's what we'll get.  May we too (though practice and not just theory), not with our heads but with our hearts, echo with complete fervency the words of Job:

"I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;I have treasured the words of His mouthMore than my necessary food." ~Job 23:12

How to Abide in God's Word

As you may remember, in our last article we studied abiding in God's Word as John 8:31-32 says:

"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'”

Today, I want to examine some ways that we can apply this principle to our lives. Whenever we study God's Word it is very important not to simply leave it at head knowledge. We gained a lot of valuable information when we studied John 8:31. Now we want to apply it to our lives.

How can we do this? Although this is not comprehensive nor written by a trained professional, here are some ideas that you can incorporate into your life and watch to see how they work.

1. Prayer.  If there is one thing that the Lord has been teaching me it is that I cannot do anything on my own.  I'm a list person. I like having a process for everything.  And abiding in God's Word (although there are some principles) cannot be reduced to a list. So although we may suggest ideas for how to abide in God's Word, what we really need is the Holy Spirit's help. Without Him, we can do nothing.  I am always reminded of Jesus' command to His disciples to "watch and pray."  They could do their part--the watching--but they must also pray that the Lord would do what only He could do.  So when we approach this whole issue, we must begin (and end) in prayer.

2. Read God's Word. Study it.  The more you are in God's Word, the better.  What you spend the most time with is what you will be thinking about.  The more we devour God's Word and immerse ourselves in it, the more we will be--in reality, in it.

3.  Memorize and meditate on God's Word.  We can only read His Word for so long. If you are anything like the normal human being, your free time is quiet limited.  You just don't have two hours each day to spend reading God's Word.  When we take the time to hide verses in our heart, we can pull them out for meditating on as we drive to work, take a walk in the park, or do the dishes.  Whenever the mind is idle we can be meditating on God's Word.  This will allow us to abide in God's Word throughout the day.

4.  Listen to the Bible on audio.  Many listen to music or sermons.  Yet those were not commanded by Christ. Those are not identifying features of Jesus' disciples.  Abiding in God's Word is.  I say this just as much to myself as to others. Imagine what it would be like if you and I spent the time we are listening to music, or a sermon, or an audiobook; what if we used this time to listen to Scripture? I know I would have an hour or two each day devoted to listening to Scripture!  Folding the laundry, doing the dishes, driving to and from--all are good times to listen to God's Word spoken and allow it to saturate our minds.

5. Talk about the Scriptures with others.  Everyone! The more it is in your mind, your heart, your eyes, and your lips; the more you will be abiding in God's Word.  Talk about what the Lord is teaching you through His Word.  Ask what others are learning.  Discuss with others the meaning of passages and how the Lord has used verses in your life.  As you spend time talking about God's Word with others, you will find yourself more and more abiding in the Scriptures.

Remember once again that none of this is possible without the Holy Spirit's help.  It must be Him.  But with His assistance and guidance, we can abide continually in God's Word.  It will take some time to develop the discipline, so give yourself some grace, but keep moving forward, further and further--deeper and deeper--into God's Word.  And watch as the truth sets you free -- free-er than you ever thought possible.

Knowing God

“The difficulties of life do not have to be unbearable. It is the way we look at them - through faith or unbelief - that makes them seem so. We must be convinced that our Father is full of love for us and that He only permits trials to come our way for our own good.

Let us occupy ourselves entirely in knowing God. The more we know Him, the more we will desire to know Him. As love increases with knowledge, the more we know God, the more we will truly love Him. We will learn to love Him equally in times of distress or in times of great joy.” ~Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

Do we devote ourselves entirely to knowing Him?

That I May Know Him

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." ~Philippians 3:7-11

Do you and I count all things loss that we may gain Christ? Are we willing to sacrifice anything--food, sleep, entertainment--to get to know Him more? How desperate are you to know Him?

This is a message the Lord has really been challenging my heart with.  You see, it is through knowing God that we gain strength.  It is by knowing Him that we gain faith and confidence for the tasks ahead.  How can we trust a God Whom we do not know?  How can we love this Savior Whom we do not know?

Do you know that God delights to be known?  

He wants you to know Him!  Jeremiah 9:24 says, "but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”"  He wants us to know Him

Jesus outlined eternal life when He prayed to His Father in John 17:3: "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

I'm not talking about simply knowing that you died for you and rose again on the third day. 

But do you really know Him?  

Do you know Him like you know your best friend?  Could you tell me the thoughts and desires of His heart?  Do you know His character like the back of your hand?  Does just the thought of Him bring a holy fear into your heart and an equally amazing feeling of love?

In times of trouble, do you rely on the knowledge of Him, or do you turn back again to your own fears?  Is your knowledge head knowledge, or heart knowledge? Does knowing Him change everything about what you say and do?  If it doesn't then you don't truly know Him.

The Hebrew word for "know" means "to perceive; know by experience; recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess; consider; to be skillful in the knowledge of."  It is so much more than just reading a couple verses on His mercy and "knowing" that He is merciful.

This is knowledge gained through time and experience.

Proverbs 3:6 puts it this way: "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." This word "acknowledge" here is the same Hebrew word for know! Do you know Him so well that you acknowledge Him in all your ways?

I know I have a lot of learning yet to do.

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Did you hear that? Even just one of His characteristics surpasses all understanding!  Imagine learning His countless trillions of characteristics!

It is the study of a lifetime. But it is the most precious study ever.

I have been learning this week how Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  And let me tell you, that knowledge is so precious.  It has drawn me closer to Him in so many ways.

What about you?

Are you pursuing the knowledge of your Savior? Do you count all things loss to know Him Who is beyond comprehension?  Remember that although we can never fully know Him, what knowledge He does reveal to us will be beyond our wildest imaginations.  Are you willing to seek His face today so that you might get to know Him better?  He is waiting for you.

2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

Stand on Truth--Not Emotions

"Suddenly, I felt enveloped in a spiritual vacuum. “Lord, where have You gone? What have I said or done to grieve You? Why have You withdrawn Your presence from me?” My prayers, my expressions of worship, seemed to go no higher than the ceiling, there seemed to be no sounding board. 

I sank to the floor and quietly and purposefully began to search the Scriptures hidden in my heart . . . I quoted Numbers 23:19: “God is not a man, that He should lie . . . hath He said, and shall He not do it?” “Lord, I believe all that the Bible says. I do walk by faith and not by sight. I do not need to feel You near, because Your Word says You will never leave me nor forsake me. Lord, I confirm my faith, I believe. 

The words of Hebrews 11:1 welled up, unbeckoned, to fill my mind, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence, of things not seen.” The evidence of things not seen… evidence not seen—that was what I put my trust in—not in feeling or moments of ecstasy, but in the unchanging Person of Jesus Christ. 

Suddenly I realized that I was singing, “When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace.” I was assured that my faith rested not on feelings, not on moments of ecstasy, but on the Person of my matchless, changeless Savior, in Whom is no shadow caused by turning. ~Darlene Deibler Rose

Oftentimes the circumstances around us scream at us to deny our Lord--to doubt Him.  But remember, no matter what you are feeling, God cannot lie.  He does not change.  What He has promised He will fulfill.  That is a promise we can stake our lives on.

"Let God be true but every man a liar." ~Romans 3:4

No matter what is going on around us, remember Whom you serve.  Trust in Him, no matter what your feelings say.  The devil will try to plague your mind with lies--just as He asked Eve to doubt God's Word, so he will place questions in your mind.

We must not let our emotions control us.

"The difficulty is to keep a tight rein on our emotions. They may remain, but it is not they who are to rule the action. They have no authority. A life lived in God is not lived on the plane of the feelings, but of the will." ~Elizabeth Elliot

You MUST fight lies with TRUTH.

Know God's Word.  Memorize it. Hide it in your heart.  Just as Darlene quoted Numbers 23:19 and Hebrews 11:1 when the devil was placing doubts in her mind, so we must fight Him with Scripture.  Know God's Word and believe it with your whole heart.

God's Word IS true!

But will you believe it?  Will you stand on it? Will you place your trust in it and allow it to prove itself to you?