16 April 2013 by James Hoh CM –
One of the grave mistakes when reading the Word of God is to read it by flipping the Scripture at random to get a message. We could end up getting a wrong message from God. In fact, this is almost like the Microsoft Word function of cutting and pasting words and phrases from the Bible. If we are not careful, we could end up “killing ourselves” while thinking that it is the perfect will of God.
For example: …and went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:5, NIV)
… should do the same. (Luke 3:11, NIV)
…What you are about to do, do quickly. (John13:27, NIV)
“I think Judas read the Word this way and he just follow. That’s why he committed suicide. Therefore, random Bible reading is definitely not from the Holy Spirit!” he added.
The congregation broke into laughter! Rev George Dass of Kajang Assembly of God shared the message about the importance of studying and reading the Word of God in our lives.
Job says this in Job 23: 12
I have not departed from the commands of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.
And David said this in Psalm 1:2-3
…but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on His law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
“The promise of God says that when we keep the Word of God, we will have joy and delight too!”
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty. (Jeremiah 15:16, NIV)
Rev Dass stressed that studying the Word of God is absolutely important for the building of our faith.
“It is part of an important spiritual discipline that we have to develop if we are to grow spiritually and transforming our mind to the mind of Christ is the goal of our maturity.
“God cannot speak and transform us if we read the Bible out of a duty or a pledge to someone,” he said, “when was the last time you read the Bible and felt something different like God was speaking to you?”
Rev George Dass
Rev Dass showed us that even Jesus used the Old Testament to fight the enemy prior to His ministry and how He later ended his ministry by quoting verses out of the Old Testament. Jesus’ actions and words are a fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecies.
Rev Das stressed that Luke observed and said something very positive about the Berean Jews in the Book of Acts 17:11, that it should be an example to all Christians today:
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11, NKJV)
“We should have an attitude like the Berean Jews, daily examining the Bible for truth. But what happens if you don’t read the Word of God?”
Then he quickly gave his three pointers:
1. If you do not read the Bible, you can easily believe in anything under the sun.
Apostle Paul instructed Timothy one of the keys dealing with false teachers in 2 Timothy 2:15:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV)
“We must be able to correctly handle the word of truth. We don’t even know when someone quote the Bible wrongly. They sounded very familiar yet it is not in the Bible’’.
He cited some familiar examples: God help those who help themselves which is not in the Bible, or the whale swallowed Jonah when the Bible only says a big fish.
2. If you do not have the Word with you, you will have fear and anxiety.
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)
“Many people have anxiety and fear because they don’t read. But the more they read and study the Word, the more confident they are,” Rev Dass said.
“John 1:1 indicated that Jesus is the Word, so when we read and study the Word, we will have more Jesus.
“We are revived through the reading of the Word. This is assuming that we have a relationship with Jesus Christ.”
“We don’t have to be afraid of the devil because the One who is in you is greater than the one (devil) who is in the world,” he quoted from 1 John 4:4, NIV
“But at the same time, the Word checks and transforms us,” he added quoting the Word:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV)
3. If you do not read the word of God, your spiritual growth is stunted.
According to Rev Dass, “The only way we can be more like Jesus is to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so that we know exactly the perfect will of God.
“Therefore the renewing of the mind must be done in us unless and until this happens we cannot know the perfect will of God. And if we want the renewing of our mind to the mind of Christ, we must read, study and meditate on the Word of God.”
Finally, Rev George said that Apostle Paul urged us to dwell on the Word of God (not any other books or newspaper):
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8, NKJV)
He reminded Christians to build their spirituality on the solid foundation of the Word of God as part of our discipline.
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