“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:7–8, NLT)
Emanuel Cleaver II, a Democratic Representative from Missouri, ended the opening day prayer before the 119th Congress by saying, “Amen and a woman” (See a video of it below). Instead of ending the prayer with the normal “Amen, he ended the prayer with “Amen and a woman” to be politically correct. Let me tell you, his words are not only politically incorrect they are biblically ignorant. The word “Amen” comes from the Greek word “Αμήν”, meaning “so be it” or “so let it be”. This word has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with “men” or “man” or even “human”. Rep. Cleaver may have sounded politically correct and knowledgeable to his ignorant peers, but the biblically learned among his associates would have known he was not making any sense. As a Christian, you need to be knowledgeable about the Bible and God, so that you may be able to tell when someone is playing with biblical words to sound impressive or make a point. You need to know the Bible in order to stop people like this congressman from turning a biblical word into a farce. You also need to know the faith well enough that you are not led astray by the likes of this congressman; those who preach political correctness and NOT true faithfulness. Political correctness is his God. From his statement, it is what he worshipped in his prayer.
Every year, fewer and fewer people attend what many deem as “old fashioned Bible classes”. Many churches have done away with confirmation programs and even adult Bible classes. Some churches only teach children about the Bible. Some church leaders think they can learn all they need to know about the Bible from the pulpit on Sunday morning during worship. All these churches will lack basic biblical knowledge. Sunday morning worship focuses on showing reverence and honor to God. Its focus is not always on learning God’s word or meditating on God’s truth. To grow in your faith, you need to take the next step. You need to actively study the Bible and meditate on its meaning. Bible Study classes, Bible reading programs, courses on the Bible and many other training tools will help you to learn God’s word. Without a well-rounded study of the Bible, you will be swayed by worldly people who play around with God’s word and peddle their own brand of truth.
After Moses died, as narrated near the end of the book of Deuteronomy, Joshua was chosen to lead the people of Israel to the new land promised by God. In the verses for today, Joshua reminded the people that Moses left a “Book of Instruction” for the people to read and obey, namely much of what we have today in Genesis through Deuteronomy (Joshua 1:8). Moses wanted the people to meditate continually upon God’s word. Joshua wanted the Israelites to “be careful to obey all the instructions” that Moses left the people as written in the Book of the law, i.e. the first Bible. After telling them twice in two verses to obey the words in the Bible, Joshua reminded the people to “meditate on it day and night”. The Bible isn’t some book you pick up and read like a novel. It is meant to be weighed, pondered, relished, studied, plumbed for its significant messages. There is so much depth of meaning in the Bible that even after a lifetime of study, I still learn many things about it constantly. You will, too!
“It is said that when the famous missionary, Dr. David Livingstone, started his trek across Africa he had 73 books in 3 packs, weighing 180 pounds. After the party had gone 300 miles, Livingstone was obliged to throw away some of the books because of the fatigue of those carrying his baggage. As he continued on his journey his library grew less and less, until he had but one book left--his Bible.” (Today in the Word, April, 1989, P.28). If the great missionary David Livingstone, a highly trained pastor, believed the Bible to be the most important book for his ministry, you can be sure it is absolutely vital for your spiritual life!
“A man in Kansas City was severely injured in an explosion. Evangelist Robert L. Sumner tells about him in his book The Wonders of the Word of God. The victim's face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight as well as both hands. He was just a new Christian, and one of his greatest disappointments was that he could no longer read the Bible. Then he heard about a lady in England who read braille with her lips. Hoping to do the same, he sent for some books of the Bible in braille. Much to his dismay, however, he discovered that the nerve endings in his lips had been destroyed by the explosion. One day, as he brought one of the braille pages to his lips, his tongue happened to touch a few of the raised characters, and he could feel them. Like a flash he thought, I can read the Bible using my tongue! At the time Robert Sumner wrote his book, the man had "read" through the entire Bible four times.” (Robert L. Sumner, The Wonders of the Work of God.)
Have you kept up with your Biblical studies? Have you spent time “meditating on it day and night” or only when you feel up to it? Attacks on God and the Bible occur frequently. Will your knowledge of God and God’s word be able to keep you grounded in the Word of God when push comes to shove?
Every year, fewer and fewer people attend what many deem as “old fashioned Bible classes”. Many churches have done away with confirmation programs and even adult Bible classes. Some churches only teach children about the Bible. Some church leaders think they can learn all they need to know about the Bible from the pulpit on Sunday morning during worship. All these churches will lack basic biblical knowledge. Sunday morning worship focuses on showing reverence and honor to God. Its focus is not always on learning God’s word or meditating on God’s truth. To grow in your faith, you need to take the next step. You need to actively study the Bible and meditate on its meaning. Bible Study classes, Bible reading programs, courses on the Bible and many other training tools will help you to learn God’s word. Without a well-rounded study of the Bible, you will be swayed by worldly people who play around with God’s word and peddle their own brand of truth.
After Moses died, as narrated near the end of the book of Deuteronomy, Joshua was chosen to lead the people of Israel to the new land promised by God. In the verses for today, Joshua reminded the people that Moses left a “Book of Instruction” for the people to read and obey, namely much of what we have today in Genesis through Deuteronomy (Joshua 1:8). Moses wanted the people to meditate continually upon God’s word. Joshua wanted the Israelites to “be careful to obey all the instructions” that Moses left the people as written in the Book of the law, i.e. the first Bible. After telling them twice in two verses to obey the words in the Bible, Joshua reminded the people to “meditate on it day and night”. The Bible isn’t some book you pick up and read like a novel. It is meant to be weighed, pondered, relished, studied, plumbed for its significant messages. There is so much depth of meaning in the Bible that even after a lifetime of study, I still learn many things about it constantly. You will, too!
“It is said that when the famous missionary, Dr. David Livingstone, started his trek across Africa he had 73 books in 3 packs, weighing 180 pounds. After the party had gone 300 miles, Livingstone was obliged to throw away some of the books because of the fatigue of those carrying his baggage. As he continued on his journey his library grew less and less, until he had but one book left--his Bible.” (Today in the Word, April, 1989, P.28). If the great missionary David Livingstone, a highly trained pastor, believed the Bible to be the most important book for his ministry, you can be sure it is absolutely vital for your spiritual life!
“A man in Kansas City was severely injured in an explosion. Evangelist Robert L. Sumner tells about him in his book The Wonders of the Word of God. The victim's face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight as well as both hands. He was just a new Christian, and one of his greatest disappointments was that he could no longer read the Bible. Then he heard about a lady in England who read braille with her lips. Hoping to do the same, he sent for some books of the Bible in braille. Much to his dismay, however, he discovered that the nerve endings in his lips had been destroyed by the explosion. One day, as he brought one of the braille pages to his lips, his tongue happened to touch a few of the raised characters, and he could feel them. Like a flash he thought, I can read the Bible using my tongue! At the time Robert Sumner wrote his book, the man had "read" through the entire Bible four times.” (Robert L. Sumner, The Wonders of the Work of God.)
Have you kept up with your Biblical studies? Have you spent time “meditating on it day and night” or only when you feel up to it? Attacks on God and the Bible occur frequently. Will your knowledge of God and God’s word be able to keep you grounded in the Word of God when push comes to shove?