"Just one Word from God will change your life FOREVER!"~Keith (and BrendaLee) Shealy
GOD SPEAKS in Truth to those who seek Him with their whole heart. But, what is the Truth He speaks in, or through? Jesus teaches us that The Word of God is Truth. So then, what is The Word of God, really?
Whenever I have asked this question to a group in various settings, the responses were most often the same. The individuals would raise their Bibles in the air saying, “This is God’s Word!” As true as that is, however, that response still falls short of God’s original purpose for giving us the scriptures. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)." “His name is called The Word of God (Revelation 19:13)." Jesus is The Word of God! God gave us His written Word, not as "an end" in and of itself, but as a means to an end! His ultimate goal is that we have an intimate relationship with Him by being transformed through The Word of Truth. As Jesus said in John 8:31-32, "If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know The Truth, and The Truth shall make you free."
That statement raises the question, "How does The Truth make us free?" The following verses are but a very small sampling of many Scriptures throughout The Holy Bible that can answer that question for us, in part or in whole. "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8)." “Be filled with The Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and The Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:18-20)." “My mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips: When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches (Psalm 63:5-6)." "(God is) my Maker, Who gives songs in the night (Job 35:10)." “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by The Word of God (Romans 10:17)."
In order to be made free by the Truth of God’s Word, we must, in faith, submit our time to The Spirit of God by reading His Word, memorizing it, thinking upon it, singing it—all through the day and through the night. Through the continual planting (reading, speaking, hearing, memorizing, meditating, and singing) of God’s Word into the soil of our souls, the transformation of our souls takes place. The Truth makes us free. We do not know how this happens, neither do we need to understand this for it to take place. "And He said, So is The Kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear (Mark 4:26-28)."
So, we can draw a parallel between The Truth that is able to make us free and our being able to watch a plant grow without ever knowing how it is happening. We accept it by faith and live in obedience to God’s Holy Word. Similarly, this concept of The Truth making us free is also found in John 6:63, "It is The Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are Life.” The definition of the word “quickeneth” or “to quicken” is to make alive. Hence, the words of The Gospel that Jesus Christ preached, when administered into our spirit by The Holy Spirit, will bring the Life of Christ Jesus into our being. So, when we sow of The Spirit into our souls day and night, then no matter what may come upon us, out of the abundance we have sown shall come forth praises and thanksgiving to God, with godly deeds revealing the character of Christ. Jesus said, "He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38)."
As we faithfully meditate on the written Word of God, the time will come when we will enter the most wonderful place of all—the place where we actually hear the Spoken Word or Voice of God. This is where the fullness or abundance of Life truly begins! You see, it is really very simple; reading The written Word of God under the tutelage of The Holy Spirit prepares us to recognize and hear the voice of God when He speaks to us! This is what Jesus meant when He said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)." This is also what is meant by “ye shall know The Truth, and The Truth shall make you free.” The written Word of God is simply the doorway into our being able to recognize and hear The spoken Word, the Voice of God Himself. This ability to hear God’s Voice is part of the most valuable prize of all, a close and intimate relationship with the true and living God!
Do you see why it is so important that we learn and obey the written word? Because it lays the groundwork for our being able to hear our Father when He speaks to us. It is only by His Spoken word or Voice that we can receive His anointing and be led into all good things. Only through our pursuing this kind of intimate relationship with God can we obtain a true life of integrity! "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105)."
If we want the abundant Life that Jesus came to provide for us, then we have got to be diligent in seeking after Him with our whole heart! We must be diligent to position ourselves for listening to hear His Voice and for obeying His every Word! "The 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 (John 10:10)." Our ultimate goal, every day, is to constantly grow in knowing The written Word of God so we recognize His Voice above any other! Jesus said, "My sheep hear My Voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal Life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My Hand (John 10:27-28)." Those who study to hear The Word of The Only Wise God, and who also listen to obey the Voice of our Father God, will always send up a sweet-smelling aroma that will bring pleasure to the Heart of our Almighty Heavenly Father!
Listen IN to podcast #TTM012 for the key to Overcoming spiritual deafness and Hearing God's Matchless Voice...
If you have not invited Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior in your life, stop right where you are and pray this in communication with God, "Father God, in the precious Name of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and The Lord of all lords, I lay my life at Your Feet. I come before You, confessing that I am a sinner, and I ask for You to forgive me of all my sins - those that I know I have committed, as well as those that I am not even aware of. I ask that You come into my heart and be my Lord. I lay my life, and everything in it, at Your Feet, and ask that You please take me and begin to change me to be like YOU. I ask that You redeem the time that has passed, and allow me the opportunity to become exactly what You have predestined me to be, from before the foundation of the earth. I commit my life to You now, and thank You for receiving me as Your own. In the wonderful Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, I pray, Amen." And AMEN!
Every one of the sons and daughters of The Most High God need, and do well to heed, the words of wisdom from Apostle Paul's writing in Philippians 4:8-9, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." Selah... Amen (Let it be so as we pray in The Name of Christ Jesus)!
Check out our Milestone Podcast #100 "You Were Born To Triumph!":
THANK YOU for choosing to plug in at the Pressin'IN Blog of TTM!
One great Truth Keith shares from all he has learned through 40 years of walking in oneness with God is, as Jeremiah says best, "Blessed is the man that trusts in The Lord, and whose hope The Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8)."
We must challenge ourselves to watch for and record the breakthroughs God helps us to press in to pursue and recognize, daily, as James 4:7 promises, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7)."
Halleluia! We look forward to hearing how we can stand with you in celebrating your wonder-full life with Jesus Christ being mentored by The Holy Spirit! God bless you,
...and the TTM Family!
One great Truth Keith shares from all he has learned through 40 years of walking in oneness with God is, as Jeremiah says best, "Blessed is the man that trusts in The Lord, and whose hope The Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8)."
We must challenge ourselves to watch for and record the breakthroughs God helps us to press in to pursue and recognize, daily, as James 4:7 promises, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7)."
Halleluia! We look forward to hearing how we can stand with you in celebrating your wonder-full life with Jesus Christ being mentored by The Holy Spirit! God bless you,
...and the TTM Family!
This blog, and each Pressin'IN message, is lovingly shared with our heartfelt thanks to our prayer and financial support partners! If not for our small group of faithful sponsors, and our joint passion for and bond with our ministry team, this work would not be made possible. Please be forward to share this with everyone God moves on your heart to connect with on this front. There are likely many people you know who need to hear this "Word of God" message, who will prayerfully, by your sharing it, be turned to God and all He has for their lives. We love and appreciate you very much!
Every gift is appreciated and helps.
Mail Tax-deductible Check Donations to: Toward The Mark, Inc., P.O. Box 1152, Yorktown, VA 23692-1152.
We INVITE YOU...
see and hear, follow and share, more TowardTheMark messages of the Gospel Jesus Christ preached:
~ Keith and Brenda "Between The Lines" Podcast on TTM's Libsyn Channel
(757)251-2440 TowardTheMark.com | Resources@TowardTheMark.com
No comments :
Post a Comment