The Importance Of The Word In Your Everyday Life
What does the Word of God mean to you?
What is
the Bible?
The Bible
is GodŐs Word
The
magnificence of GodŐs will revealed.
Many
authors but one Holy Spirit.
Divine
information that feeds the human spirit.
Divine
illumination that guides manŐs path.
Psalm
119:105 (King James Version)
105Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
The Bible
never contradicts itself because the revelation is the very breath of God that
makes it alive and powerful.
Hebrews
4:12 (King James Version)
12For the
word of God is quick (alive), and
powerful,(dunamis) and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to
the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
This
Teaching Syllabus is all about recognizing the importance of the Word of God in
our daily lives. The above Scripture contains so much revelation that we are
going to spend some time here and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal more to us on
principles that we may not have seen.
1) The
Word is alive.
a) The
Bible needs to be much more than the center-piece on our coffee table. We must
digest the Word in order for the Word to become alive in us.
2) The
Word is full of power. (dunamis)
a. the
Greek word for power here is dunamis, meaning inherent powr,
or power stored up within something.
b. Taking
the Word into your heart, focusing on it, thinking about it, muttering it, and
then lastly getting an image of that promise on the inside of you. God tells
you His will for your life in the written Word of God. See
1
yourself
the way God sees you!
3. Only
the Word of God can separate the soul and the spirit.
Man is a
three part being. Man is an eternal spirit, he has a soul, and he lives in a
body. (for more information concerning this subject you can study the book I
wrote, The difference between the spirit and the
soul available on line at: www.ncmitraining.com
)
Psalm
107:20 (King James Version)
20He sent
his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
His Word
will deliver us from SatanŐs destructive schemes.
His Word
brings healing and wholeness to the spirit, soul, and body of every man to
those who will receive it. Read the following verse and see how the Apostle
Paul divides man into a three part being.
1
Thessalonians 5:23 (King James Version)
23And the
very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit
and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
His Word
in written form is progressively revealed to the reader by the Holy Spirit is
life changing.
His Word
is multi-dimensional. It speaks from the past, it speaks to the present, and
speaks to the future.
His Word
never changes.
The Word
of God is the perfection of the Father and the personality of Jesus, revealed
to us by the Holy Spirit.
John
1:1-4 (The Message)
The
Message (MSG)
Copyright
© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
1-2 The
Word was first,
the Word
present to God,
God
present to the Word.
The Word
was God,
in
readiness for God from day one.
3-5Everything
was created through him;
nothing—not
one thing!—
2
came into
being without him.
What came
into existence was Life,
and the
Life was Light to live by.
The
Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the
darkness couldn't put it out.
Jesus and
the written Word are one.
Hebrews
1:3 (Amplified Bible)
Amplified
Bible (AMP)
Copyright
© 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman
Foundation
3He is
the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the [a]out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the
perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature, upholding
and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of
power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of
sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty
on high,
His Word,
the Logos, forever holds the worlds together and without it nothing could
exist. His Word is so much more than a historical book of reference.
The Bible
is far superior to any religion and has the capacity to free any man from
SatanŐs bondage just by accepting His Word at face value.
The Bible
is supernatural. Even Satan can read the Word to see his demise is eminent.
Even the prophets speak of his future in Ezekiel, Daniel, Jeremiah, and
Revelation.
Jeremiah
1:12 (Amplified Bible)
Amplified
Bible (AMP)
Copyright
© 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987
12Then
said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching
over My word to perform it.
The Bible
is Revelation Knowledge and is inexhaustible as it unfolds the Covenants
between God and man.
Only the
Bible can divide a manŐs thoughts and his true intentions of the heart. It is
only GodŐs Word that can feed a human spirit what it needs.
3
1 Peter
2:2 (King James Version)
2As
newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
His Word
causes the spirit in man to grow and to mature even as a baby grows into a
child, to an adolescent, and then into manhood.
Ephesians
4:11-14 (King James Version)
11And he
gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers;
12For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ:
13Till we
all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they
lie in wait to deceive;
God chose
the Five Fold Ministry Gifts (listed above) to unveil Revelation Knowledge of
His Word through preaching and teaching.
His Word
is His will for man.
His Word
is His plan for man.
His Word
must be acted upon.
His Word
must be received literally.
His Word
is holy.
His Word
never changes.
The Bible
is GodŐs Word on everything.
The Bible
has inherent miracle power when received in faith.
The Bible
is to be your final authority.
The Bible
can set the sinner free.
His Word
is a sword when spoken in faith.
4
The
vacuum for the supernatural is in every man can only be satisfied by feeding on
and digesting the Word of God. The Word is manna from heaven that feeds the
eternal spirit of man and causes his mind to think like heaven thinks.
Man can
come to know His Creator intimately through focusing his life around the
written Word of God and truly taking it to heart. The Word speaks. The more we
meditate on the Word the louder it will speak. There comes a place in time when
everything you see, everything you hear, and everything you think, is perceived
through the lenses and the filters of the Word of God. The living Word becomes
your final authority. Your soul
hungers
for more; that is your mind and will is surrendered to the living Word and can
recognize the difference between thoughts of the old way of living to the
thoughts that are the way Heaven thinks about things.
The Word
becomes profitable. There is no gold, silver, or precious stones compared to
the written Word. There is only one true interpretation of the
Bible and
it is through the Holy Spirit illuminating the reader. The reader must be
enlightened by the Holy Spirit to enable true study.
Psalm
119:130 (Amplified Bible)
Amplified
Bible (AMP)
Copyright
© 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman
Foundation
130The
entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives
understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.
It is
GodŐs will to reveal His Word to man. It is SatanŐs desire to choke the Word.
Satan constantly works to twist the Scriptures and get Man something outside of
true Revelation Knowledge. As Man receives the Word with gladness, Jesus tells
us in the above Scripture that only one out of four people who hear the
Word will ever actually bear fruit that remains.
If Satan can
get the believer distracted from the importance of the Word, then he has
accomplished stealing the Blessing that comes from being governed by the Word.
Satan
does not mind the believer getting religious by counting his sins and trying to
live morally. The Devil just wants to keep the believer out of Revelation
Knowledge.
5
Revelation
Knowledge is the ability to understand Scripture under Divine Interpretation
that comes from the Holy Spirit.
Mark
4:18-19 (King James Version)
18And
these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19And the
cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other
things entering in, choke the word, and it
becometh unfruitful.
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6
THE BIBLE
IS SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED
A manŐs
spirit must be recreated to understand the mysteries of the Bible. The
recreated human spirit can be educated. The new creation man can have the mind of Christ.
1
Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified Bible)
16For who
has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as
to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But
we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts
(feelings and purposes) of His heart.(B)
The
unregenerate man can only cloud the issues of what the Word presents because
the Word is spiritually discerned. Thank God for His saving grace that when the
unregenerate man hears the Good News of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit hovers over
the Word to explode inside is thoughts to bring him to a place of conviction in
his spirit. The human spirit once alienated from
God can
become born again by receiving the Word of God. There is no greater miracle in
the earth than the saving grace for man to understand that he is in need of a
Savior. The Word brings that revelation to the lost man and once received can
change him from the inside out.
The Holy
Spirit does not expect the unregenerate man to understand the
depths of GodŐs saving grace.(Ephesians 2:8)
All the
natural man needs to do is just to believe in His saving grace.
God even supplies the saving grace for the unregenerate man to become born
again! Oh the goodness of God!
Ephesians
2:8 (King James Version)
8For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God:
There are
those preachers who confuse the issue by taking the Word beyond grace and into
the letter of the law. The letter of the law is nothing more than religious
thinking that puts people into a maze of legalism where nothing is good enough
and GodŐs favor has to be earned. Religion always short-circuits the power of
the Word. The Word must be believed by faith. You cannot earn the unmerited
favor from God through works. If you are
willing,
the Holy Spirit will take the Word that is ministered through anointed teachers
and reveal to you His instruction in righteousness.
7
1
Corinthians 2:14-15 (Amplified Bible)
14But the
natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or
welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the
Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is
incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and
becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually
discerned and estimated and appreciated.
15But the
spiritual man tries all things [he [g]examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and
discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one
[he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or
appraise or get an insight into him].
The Word
of God must be spiritually discerned. Natural knowledge has nothing to do with
the education of the human spirit. If you can read, you can study, and if you
can study, you can reap the benefits of the Word of God regardless of age or
education. If you can hear, then you can learn to listen with your heart. As a
believer, we are to honor the Word of God and give it preeminence.
GodŐs
Word must be spiritually discerned. The Word of God is full of benefits which
can only be obtained through a teachable
spirit.
Psalm
103:1-3 (Amplified Bible)
Amplified
Bible (AMP)
Copyright
© 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman
Foundation
1BLESS
(AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is
[deepest] within me, bless His holy name!
2Bless (affectionately,
gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget
not [one of] all His benefits--
3Who
forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your
diseases,
Matthew
5:3-5 (King James Version)
3Blessed
are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed
are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed
are the meek (teachable spirit): for they
shall inherit the earth.
A meek
spirit is a teachable spirit.
8
2 Timothy
3:16
16All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Timothy
3:16 (Amplified Bible)
16Every
Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for
instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and
discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living,
in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action),
The Word
of God is inexhaustible in revelation, and man will study His inexhaustible
riches for eternity. The Word of God is profitable to anyone who will learn and
study the contents!
Carnal
men argue the Scriptures.
Demons twist
the Scriptures.
Preachers
can scream the Scriptures.
Religious
men confuse the Scriptures.
Righteous
men believe the Scriptures.
Whether
the Scriptures are:
Old
English
New
English
Modern
English
Revised
English or
TodayŐs
English
The Word
of God still has to be taken literally and must be digested and believed.
Then, acting on GodŐs Word as truth.
Psalm
119:103 (King James Version)
103How
sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
If the
Word says I am saved, then I am saved. (Romans 10:9-10)
If the
Word says I am healed, then I am healed. (1Peter 2:24)
If the
Word says I am more than a conqueror in this world, if the Word says it, then I
am! (Romans 8:37)
9
Dare to
speak GodŐs Word over your daily life!
For every
problem in life, there is a promise in GodŐs Word to deal with every issue you
will ever face.
The
Canonicity of the Word means that even
though there were many authors from many different places; and even though the
Bible took
hundreds
of years to complete, it still never contradicts itself.
The Bible
is a supernatural book. When the Bible is quoted as a believer, angels are
eager to respond to the believerŐs bidding.
New
Living Translation (NLT)
Holy
Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by
20 Praise
the Lord, you angels,
you
mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening
for each of his commands.
Psalm
103:20 (New Living Translation)
When you
speak GodŐs Word, you give your angels the right to come to your rescue and
work for you in more ways than you can ever imagine. Or you can whine and
complain and they will just have to stand by with their arms folded, until you
decide to line up what comes out of your mouth with the Word of God!
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MORE
SCRIPTURES ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD
2 Timothy
2:15
15Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth.
2 Timothy
2:15 (Amplified Bible)
15Study and be eager and do
your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman
who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the
Word of Truth.
Are you
sitting under people who can feed the Word of God to you on a level that you
can experience growth in your spiritual walk? Are there mentors in your life
that can Ňrightly divideÓ the Word of God for you? Are you skillfully being
taught GodŐs Word or are you Ňdrying up on the vineÓ spiritually speaking?
If you
can rightly divide the Word, then it is possible to wrongly
divide the Word. There is a difference between reading the
Word and studying the Word.
The Word
of God is the only source in the Universe that has the power to transform manŐs
unregenerate mind. If you know the Lord; if you have received Jesus Christ to
be your Lord and Savior (see the sinnerŐs prayer at the end of this teaching
syllabus) then you should know that something happened to you in your human
spirit. The Bible says that you become a new creation.
2
Corinthians 5:17 (King James Version)
17Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
The
Scriptures tell us that as Christians, that even if we are born again, we must
renew our minds to the Word of God.
Romans
12:2-3 (King James Version)
2And be
not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is
that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
11
3For I
say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to
think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according
as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
The
Scriptures tell us that we must renew our minds to the Word of God. How is this
accomplished? You have to daily spend time in the Word of God.
In the
Gospels, you learn about the life of Jesus; what He did during His three
earthly years of ministry. In the book of Acts, you learn about the early years
of the Church after Jesus ascended into heaven. In the Epistles, you see the
writers sharing with the Churches how to live a victorious life through being
empowered by the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, you see the Ňscarlet
threadÓ of a remnant of people that loved God and kept His commandments and
statutes. The Old Testament has historical accounts of the children of Israel
and the Law of Moses showing the need of a Savior. There were Prophets in the
Old Testament that spoke of their day, and, prophetic future events of our day.
From
Genesis to Revelation the Word of God speaks. The Word is God-breathed and
written for man. (2Timothy 3:16)
1 Thessalonians
2:13
13For
this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the
word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as
it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that
believe.
1
Thessalonians 2:13 (The Message)
The
Message (MSG)
Copyright
© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
13And now
we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of thanks! When you
got the Message of God we preached, you didn't pass it off as just one more
human opinion, but you took it to heart as God's true word to you, which it is,
God himself at work in you believers!
How would
you like for the Apostle Paul to say that your local church Ňtook the Word of
God to heart?Ó
12
2
Corinthians 6:7 (The Message)
1-10Companions
as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of
this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us,
I heard
your call in the nick of time;
The day
you needed me, I was there to help.
Well, now
is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don't put it off; don't
frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over
everything we're doing. Our work as God's servants gets validated—or
not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post,
alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're
beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without
eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and
honest love; when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power;
when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when
we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted;
ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored
to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed
in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching
many; having nothing, having it all.
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13
THE WORD
OF GOD WILL RENEW THE MIND
The Word
of God tells us a metamorphosis is needed within the soul of man. Remember the
soul is the mind, will, emotions and intellect of man.Let us look at the
following verses again.
Romans
12:2-3 (King James Version)
2And be
not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3For I
say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to
think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according
as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
How is
this mind renewal accomplished? You have to daily spend time meditating in the
Word. After 25 years of pastoring a Church, I believe it is hard for people to
understand that going to church once or twice a week is not enough to live a
victorious life. That is one of the reasons I am writing this teaching syllabus
so that you can do a spiritual check up to see where you are with the
importance of Scripture in your daily life. One of the fastest ways to become
stagnant in your walk with God is cheating yourself in your daily intake of
GodŐs Word. There is no way you will be able to keep your emotions intact
everyday by just hearing one Sunday morning service every week. If you eat natural
food every day, you need to eat spiritual food every day
also.
You will
have trouble keeping your marriage alive if you just include a Wednesday Prayer
meeting with the Sunday morning Service. Your kids will be hard to harness in
their teenage years if you go to all the trouble of 3 services a week if they
are not sitting under anointed teaching from their Youth Pastor. It has to be a
daily consumption and you as parents have to have a hunger for
the Word yourself! If you would rather go to a soccer game then go to Church
then you most likely will have children that feel the same way. I know I have
gone over to meddling, but, itŐs true anyhow!
When do
you spend time in the Word? Are you too busy? Excuses wonŐt do when it comes to
living a life worth living.
14
Psalm
103:1-5 (Amplified Bible)
Amplified
Bible (AMP)
Copyright
© 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman
Foundation
1BLESS
(AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is
[deepest] within me, bless His holy name!
2Bless
(affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one
of] all His benefits--
3Who
forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your
diseases,
4Who
redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and
crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;
5Who
satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and
situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong,
overcoming, soaring]!(A)
Proverbs
4:20-24 (The Message)
Learn It
by Heart
20-22
Dear friend, listen well to my words;
tune your
ears to my voice.
Keep my
message in plain view at all times.
Concentrate!
Learn it by heart!
Those who
discover these words live, really live;
body and
soul, they're bursting with health.
23-27
Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that's
where life starts.
Don't
talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid
careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your
eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch
your step,
and the
road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look
neither right nor left;
leave
evil in the dust.
HOW DO
YOU SPEND TIME IN GODŐS WORD?
You have
to learn to concentrate! You have to make a decision of no return that you are
going to memorize the promises inGodŐs Word until you can quote them. The above
Scripture you just read said that when you take
15
GodŐs
Word seriously, it will even affect your health. When you think about it, the
book of Proverbs is all about a Father writing to his son about the different
distractions that are out there in the world. The Father told his son, ŇNeither
look right or to the left!Ó Refuse to be distracted! GodŐs Word wil always
bring a supernatural wholeness to the one who takes His Word seriously and
stays with it.
SIDESHOW
DISTRACTIONS
Listed
below are a few things I thought of that could be sideshow distraction that you
might be facing in your life. Things
that may be putting a heavy demand upon your time, your money,
and your energy. Feel free in this syllabus to add a few more to
the list as you talk it over with the Lord.
#1 Your
job.
a. all
the extra pressure the boss puts on you that goes beyond your job description.
b.
attitudes from the boss and fellow employees
c. the
energy spent on trying to please everyone in the office
#2 Your
friends
a. trying
to juggle the time needed to spend with friends
b. having
the feeling that you might have talked too much when you should have just
listened.
c.
learning to say, ŇnoÓ when you feel like you have to say, Ňyes.Ó
#3 Your
family
a. the
attention your spouse needs
b. the
attention your children needs
c. trying
to be more than one place at a time during the Holidays
d. the
demand from your relatives to make every shower or wedding
#4 Your
hobbies
a.
feeling guilty for wanting to spend time doing your hobby
b.
feeling resentful because you gave up your golfing trip to have some Ňfamily
time.Ó
16
#5
____________________
a.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
b.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Proverbs
4:20-24 (New Living Translation)
New
Living Translation (NLT)
Holy
Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of
Tyndale House Publishers.
20 My
child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen
carefully to my words.
21 DonŐt
lose sight of them.
Let them
penetrate deep into your heart,
22 for
they bring life to those who find them,
and
healing to their whole body. 23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it
determines the course of your life. 24 Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away
from corrupt speech.
2 Peter
1-21 (The Message)
The
Message (MSG)
Copyright
© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
1-2I,
Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you
whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God's
straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with
God and Jesus, our Master.
Don't Put
It Off
3-4Everything
that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by
getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The
best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific
promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of
God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.
5-9So
don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given,
17
complementing
your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert
discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and
generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With
these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your
feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of
our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before
you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
10-11So,
friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off;
do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing, the streets
paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior,
Jesus Christ.
The One
Light in a Dark Time
12-15Because
the stakes are so high, even though you're up-to-date on all this truth and
practice it inside and out, I'm not going to let up for a minute in calling you
to attention before it. This is the post to which I've been
assigned—keeping you alert with frequent reminders—and I'm sticking
to it as long as I live. I know that I'm to die soon; the Master has made that
quite clear to me. And so I am especially eager that you have all this down in
black and white so that after I die, you'll have it for ready reference.
16-18We
weren't, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you
regarding the powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ. We were there for
the preview! We saw it with our own eyes: Jesus resplendent with light from God
the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: "This is my Son, marked
by my love, focus of all my delight." We were there on the holy mountain
with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears.
19-21We
couldn't be more sure of what we saw and heard—God's glory, God's voice.
The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it.
It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising
of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that
no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it's
not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy
Spirit prompted men and women to speak God's Word.
18
LEARNING
TO SPEAK THE WORD
Ephesians
6:17
17And
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword (machira) of the Spirit, which is
the word (rhema) of God:
The joys
of learning such a supernatural book. There is no other Book like it in the
universe.
The Word
governs the three worlds. Above the earth, on the earth, and under the earth.
The Word
releases a God given authority when it is spoken by a Believer who understands
that God is watching over His Word.
When a
Christian speaks the Word of God from his mouth, he becomes a powerful weapon
in the realm of the spirit.
I want to
encourage you to learn the Scriptures so well that you can have a supernatural
recall to where certain scriptures are. This is accomplished by speaking the
Word of God out loud every day. If you can memorize a joke, lines to a play or
words to your favorite song, then you can learn to quote the Word of God!
Make a
quality decision that from this day forth, you will find a Scripture for every
promise that is in the Bible. For an example; if you need a verse in the Bible
that promises GodŐs healing power, memorize 1 Peter 2:24 or Psalm 103:1-4. If
you need a verse that speaks of GodŐs Divine protection, memorize parts of
Psalm 91.
Speaking
GodŐs Word if you become afraid you could learn 2 Timothy 1:7!
Listed
below are some of my favorite daily Scriptures. Speak them, read and meditate
on them and then, God promises you good success and a life full of love thatŐs
worth living!
19
Who does
God say that I am?
I am
forgiven of all my sins.
1
John1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I am a
child of God.
1 Peter
1:23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
I am a
new creation.
2
Corinthians 5:17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
I am
loved with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah
31:3The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with
an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.
I am a
temple of the Holy Spirit.
1
Corinthians 6:19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
I am
victorious.
Revelation
21:7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be my son.
I have
everlasting life.
John
6:47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting
life.
I have
abundant life.
John
10:10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am
come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
I am free
from condemnation
Romans
8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
I have
the peace of God.
Philippians
4:7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
I am
healed by the stripes of Jesus.
1 Peter
2:24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being
dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
I can do
all things through Christ.
Philippians
4:13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
I have
the mind of Christ.
1
Corinthians 2:16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct
him? but we have the mind of Christ.
20
This
could be the most important prayer you will ever prayÉ
Father, I
believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is Your Son and that He was crucified,
buried, and resurrected, to pay the price in full so I can live victoriously
over sin, sickness, and poverty (both spiritual and natural), and spiritual
death.
Jesus, I
confess You as my Savior and Lord. I Thank You that I am saved. I now become a
new creation and I become righteous in You. Old things have passed away and all
things become new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21).
Thank
You, Lord Jesus, for empowering me with Your Spirit so I can live an
overcoming, abundant life and become a bold witness of You!
Today my
new life begins in You, Lord Jesus. Thank You!
_______________________________________
Signature
_______________________________________
Date
21
SELF
CHECK
1. What
makes the Bible different than any other book?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Define
Hebrews 4:12 in your own words.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What
kind of person sees the Word of God as ŇmeaninglessÓ or Ňnon-sense?Ó
_____________________________________________________________
4.Where
does it say that GodŐs Word is Ňprofitable for instruction and training?Ó
_______________________________
5.In your
opinion, what Bible translation do you like the best?
___________________________________
6. What
is the Canonicity of the Word?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
22
_____________________________________________________________
7.What verse
tells us we are to study the Bible? ______________________
8. If we
can rightly divide the Word, we can ____________ divide it.
9.
According to Psalm 103, list 3 benefits David said there is in remembering
GodŐs Word?
1)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2)________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Where
does it speak of GodŐs Word compared to a sword?
____________________________
11.
Define: Machira:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
12.What
happens when we hear the Word preached?
_____________________________________________________________13. Where is the
verse that say, ŇFaith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God?Ó
___________________________
14. In
your own words, what is the connection with Faith and the Bible?
_____________________________________________________________
23
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. How
did Jesus defeat the devil?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
16. How
does this compare to the Christian defeating the devil?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
17. Faith
is the ________________ of things hoped for; the _______________ of things not
seen.
18. Where
is the verse that tells us what Faith is? ______________________
19. Where
is the Scripture that tells us we need to renew our minds?
______________________
20. List 3
things you have learned in this syllabus that you didnŐt know, or, that
ministered to you:
1)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
24
_____________________________________________________________
2)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
21. What
is Revelation Knowledge?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
25
Answers
to Self Check:
1.The
Bible was written over hundreds of years, and, had many different authors. The
Bible never contradicts itself.
2. This
verse tells us the Word of God is alive and powerful. The Word can separate the
soul and the spirit of man. No other force in the Universe can separate the
soul from the spirit. The word divides our thoughts (soul) from the intents of
the heart. (spirit)
3. The
natural man. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
4. 2
Timothy 3:16
5. I like
the Amplified Bible, and The Message Translation. (answers may vary)
6. The
Canonicity of the Word means that even though there were many authors from many
different places; and even though the Bible took hundreds of years to complete,
it still ever contradicts itself.
7. 2
Timothy 2:15
8.
Wrongly
9.
1. He
forgives my iniquities. (sin)
2. He
heals me of my diseases.
3. He
delivers me from destruction.
4. He
renews my youth like the eagle.
5. He
crowns me with loving kindness and tender mercies.
10.
Ephesians 6:17
11.
Machira is the Greek word describing the 18 inch long double edged roman sword
that had a very sharp point. It was light and easy to maneuver than the longer,
heavier Barbarian sword which helped Rome conquer the known world of that day.
12. Faith
comes!
13.
Romans 10:17
14. Faith
is GodŐs energy and force to carry out His perfect plan in us and in the earth.
Faith is the raw material of things supernaturally hoped for, and faith carries
the title deed of things not seen. Faith is an offspring of knowing GodŐs Holy
Word.
15. Jesus
spoke the Word back to the devil.
16. We
too are to speak GodŐs Word in the midst of tribulation and when we are
tempted.
17.substance,
evidence
18.
Hebrews 11:1
19.Romans
12:2
20.
Answers may vary.
21.Revelation Knowledge is the ability to understand Scripture
under Divine Interpretation that comes from the Holy Spirit.
26
Are you looking for answers
to your Bible questions?
Do you desire to study the
Word of God with other Christians from around the world? What are you waiting
for?
There is a Bible
Correspondence School waiting just for you!
New Creation Missions
International
For more
information concerning our weekly classes being taught in Wagoner, Oklahoma
please call (918)-485-5777.
Other
classes available on-line. Contact the ministry at: ncmidave@yahoo.com
Pastor
David Ward says, ŇThere is a Free Study Center waiting for you that will help
equip you spiritually! ÉÓ
About the
Author
Dave
& Vonda Ward
David and
Vonda Ward have been involved in singing, teaching, and prophetic ministry
since 1982. They have pioneered several Churches in the United States and
abroad. In 1989 they founded New Creation Missions International.
The
WardŐs ministry has carried them to over 20 countries preaching the Good News
of Jesus Christ.
N.C.M.I. has been involved in outreaches throughout the world
including Medical Missions to Central America and to the Chernobyl Children in
the Ukraine. They have delivered over a million dollars worth of humanitarian
aid to the region working with Funds for Democracy and Development under
the direction of the United States State Department under President Bush Sr. in
1994. www.ncmitraining.com
With a
unique teaching ability, Dave Ward has held prophetic conferences and PastorŐs
Seminars worldwide teaching people with hungry hearts the whole counsel of the
Word of God. He has also authored a book entitled Prophetic Prayer to
Sonship and Climbing Your Summit that is available
through their ministry.
David and
Vonda Ward are currently overseeing New Creation Missions International
Training Center, which is their mission thrust to the world from their home
church, Legacy Family Church and World Outreach Center, Inc. in Wagoner,
Oklahoma. They also travel extensively with two of their sons, Jordan and
Caleb, who have a Christian Band named, Consumed By Fire as they
minister to Churches, Youth Groups, and Venues across America. www.consumedbyfire.net
Books by David P. Ward
Prophetic Prayer to Sonship
Climbing Your Summit
From the lower to the higher life
The difference between spirit and
soul
No Leaf the Same
My vision of Heaven
The Importance of the Word
In every day life
56 KOINE GREEK WORDS
THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
A FatherŐs Love
Pastor WardŐs books are available
for purchase on line by going to the MinistryŐs web store at www.ncmitraining.com . Or you can write
the ministry at:
David P. Ward
New Creation Missions
International
2101 S. Dewey Avenue (Hwy 69)
Wagoner,
Oklahoma 74467 USA
Unless otherwise indicated, all
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Other quotations are from:
The Message
(MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,
2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H.
Peterson
Amplified Bible
(AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964,
1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
New Living
Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation
copyright © 1996, 2004 by
The Importance of the Word
In your daily life
ISBN 0-88144-220-8
Copyright ‹ 2008
by
David P. Ward
Legacy Family Church and World Outreach Center,
Inc.
New Creation Missions International
2101 S. Dewey Avenue (Hwy 69)
Wagoner, Oklahoma 74467
USA
Published by
NCMI PUBLISHING
Printed in the United States of
America. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or
cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express
written consent of the Publisher
Acknowledgements
Praise and thanksgiving to our
Lord Jesus Christ who makes all things possible!
I dedicate this book to Kenneth
E. Hagin, who was the greatest mentor in my life that taught me the importance
of the Word of God.
To our partners around the world
who believe in this Prophetic Ministry.
Thank you.
GodŐs richest blessings be upon
all of you!
David P. Ward
Legacy Family Church & World
Outreach Center, Inc.
New Creation Missions
International
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of
Contents
What does the Word of God mean to you? Page1
The Bible is spiritually discerned Page 7
More Scriptures about the Word of God Page 11
The Word of God will renew the Mind Page 14
Learning to speak the Word Page 19
Who does God say that I am? Page 20
The most important prayer you could ever pray Page 21
Self Check Page 22
Self Check Answers Page 26