KEY SCRIPTURE: 1 Timothy 4:13. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Apostle Paul admonishes pastor Timothy to keep reading the scriptures. Reading is a practice that everybody must never stop.

The mind is a very important tool that must be trained and taught for ignorance is too expensive to live with. Many people could have prevented their death if they had the proper knowledge. Reading imparts knowledge. Reading the scriptures enlightens you about God and his dealings with His children.

Reading will give you knowledge when knowledge is received in the proper order it gives birth to understanding. The proper application of what is understood is wisdom. Proverbs 4:7 says “Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding”. We saw that to get wisdom one must first acquire knowledge, and knowledge is a product of reading. Every Christian must develop the habit of daily reading the Bible. It is proper to read through the whole Bible.

The Bible is one unit made of 66 books. The grand theme of the Bible is God’s plan of redemption for men. Any child of God who consistently reads the Bible will grasp the general message of the Bible. He will be able to blend scriptures from various portions of the Bible to lead a successful life.

It is sad to realize that a lot of Christians do not know the scriptures. This has allowed false teachers to easily deceive them. If you are a literate person then please read the scriptures. Laziness is one of the major causes why most Christians do not read the Bible. Your success in life is directly related to the information from the word you know and your ability to rightly apply them.

Don’t allow laziness to rob you of your blessings in this life. There is always a blessing in reading the scriptures. Anytime you read the Bible you directly fellowship with the Spirit of God and He imparts to you the life of God.

Be disciplined to be an ardent reader of the Holy Scriptures.

CONFESSION

I am dedicated to reading the Bible every day. It feeds my mind with truth and my heart is at peace. My health springs forth as I am exposed to the truths of scriptures.

FURTHER STUDIES.

1 Thessalonians 5:27. “I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren”

Colossians 4:16 ” And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Philippians 4:6 ” Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Peace of mind is a very indispensable virtue for every human being. Unfortunately, most people don’t have it.

God created men to have peace, through fellowship with the Him. Men lost this peace when they broke fellowship with the Lord God (Gen.3:24). Most people keep searching for peace, yet, in the wrong places. Some go for pleasure yet they are woefully deceived. To some people, if they could get enough money all their troubles will cease. Well none of them have found true satisfaction in money. The truth is, nothing physical can give man the peace of mind he desires.

What is peace? Peace is to be one with yourself through your relationship with our heavenly father, through our Lord Jesus Christ. The book of Romans 5:1 put it this way”. Therefore, being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus. Peace is an inner tranquility or stability irrespective of what may be happening around. God’s word is the main source of real peace. Some people try to create a mechanical peace through yoga and other practices. (Yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, includes breath control, simple meditation and the adoption of specific bodily postures. This is widely practiced for health and relaxation.)”.

These things attempt to make people feel relaxed yet it does not give true peace Jesus is the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). He is the only one who can give men real peace. Peace is a power that possesses the soul of a man. This power is called the peace of God (Phil 4:7) It is the word of God that builds faith in God for a man to receive this power called the peace of God.

Every state of worry, anxiety and mental tension are all signs of the lack of the control of the word of God in the heart of a man. Remember that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17. Give attention to the reading studying, and meditation on God’s word. It is not just ordinary words that you are receiving, but life from the Spirit of God.

  PRAYER.

Heavenly Father you are the foundation of life, for all virtues proceed from you. I pray for the many people who have forsaken you, to look for peace else where to turn to you, through our Lord Jesus.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Isaiah 9:6 ” For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Ephesians 2:14. ” For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 119:11.  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”.

The bible says sin is a reproach to any people. The international standard version put Proverbs 14:34 this way, “Righteousness makes a nation great, but sin diminishes any people”. Sin brings people down or brings shame on a people.

Jesus came into this life to take away the sin of all men (John 1:29). Sin was the main cause for our Lord Jesus suffering and giving His life. Sin must not be allowed to thrive in any man. What is sin? Sin is any act, proceeding from a heart that fails to honour God. It takes away the rule of God over the heart of man. The rule of God is the kingdom of God over our lives. Sin deprives God of His rule over the hearts of men. It is in the light of this that every child of God must give the word of God that attention to keep him from sin. David said, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. (Psalm 119:11). God’s word has the power to keep a man from sin. Note also that when you give attention to please self, sin would take over and that would also keep you from the word of God.

2nd Timothy 3:15 says reading the word and giving it the needed attention, would make one wise unto salvation. It means it would help you to act rightly. The word would renew your mind. Remember the state of the mind is the real direction for the whole body.

 The main challenge about people falling into sin is their mind set. A Holy man knows he is holy. He thinks about right things. Basically, his thoughts are on the things of God. Such a person normally does not notice sin when it ‘comes around’. I mean when conditions for temptation present themselves, they hardly see it. Sight is controlled by the preoccupation of the mind. It is the mind that sees. This makes it very paramount for every child of God to give great attention to the word of God. He must control his thought  life by the word of God.

The Bible said our Lord Jesus was tempted at all points yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15a). Jesus was never drawn unto lust (James 1:10). His mind was fixed on pleasing God because He was occupied with Him.

   CONFESSION

The word of God is my delight and I meditate on it day and night. My life keeps shinning and no sin finds its place in my life. My heart is fixed on the Lord, obeying Him always.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Psalms 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Philippians 2:15 ” That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world”;

KEY SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 23:29. “Is not my word like as a fire? Saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”

God’s word has a number of symbols that the Bible reveals. These symbols show us what the word would do and it is worth knowing them as we apply the word in our lives.

1. The word as a hammer.

 As a hammer the word breaks up every hardened and stubborn heart. If there is any stubborn heart with you keep applying the word and that unwanted nature would be crumbled   It also hammers all demonic powers as we apply the word against them. Jeremiah 23:29 “Is not my word like as a fire? Saith the Lord: and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

2. The word like a lamp. As a lamp it guides us in darkness and exposes all the deception of the devil. Go to the word for light in any aspect of your life that is filled with darkness Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”.

3. The word is like a mirror.

As we behold the word as a mirror we see a reflection of ourselves which is the righteous nature of God. We are transformed into this image from glory to glory. Keep reading the bible and the wrong things about you would vanish. 2 Corinthians 3:18 ” But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

4. The word is like milk. The new Christian must be fed with the word of God, by which he may grow. This is very necessary to keep him or her up in the Lord. Milk is always tenderly given to the new born. We must lovingly and cautiously give the new born in Christ the milk of the word. 1 Peter 2:2 ” As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”

4. The word is like a seed. As a seed it will produce whatever it talks about, if we sincerely plant it in our hearts (that’s if we believe what it says). We should never be occupied or worried about how bad a situation may be; just allow the word to be planted in your hearts allowing it to grow. It would bring a harvest of results. (1st Peter 1:23). Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall accomplish that which I please and prosper in the thing where to I sent it”. Just keep the promise of scripture in your heart and in your mouth and you would surely reap the harvest of miracles.

 CONFESSION

God’s word does everything and so comes in various symbols. I yield myself totally to it so that whatever it came to do in my life, would perfectly be accomplished.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Psalms 19:10 ” More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb”.

Matthew 4:4 ” But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 1:1.  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

I believe it is a desire in the heart of many to have an encounter with God. Indeed God gives His children all forms of physical encounters. God desires to make Himself available to us such that we would enjoy his presence and power. God has His identity on the earth, that everyone who desires to fellowship and encounter Him may easily do so.

The word of God is God’s identity on the earth. Our key scripture says the word of God has always been with Him from the beginning and His word is also God. God and His word are one. When you mix the word of God in you with faith, you operate just like God. The Lord said all things are possible to Him that believes. (Mark 9:23). The scripture also says with God all things are possible.(Mark 10:27)  . God and His word are one and faith in the word of God opens the door for God to come in to do as He would do by Himself.

Through the Bible we understand that God’s word is a person. Our Lord Jesus is the living word of God. Revelation 19:13 reads “And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and His name is called the word of God”. This revelation given to John is speaking about our Lord Jesus. He is the living word of God. When you go into a time of studying the scriptures in meditation and prayer you are in direct fellowship with Jesus Himself. His presence and power begins to fill you. God’s word is indeed amazing. It must be the delight of every child of God to give God’s word all the attention.

The word is His identity. Your faith in the word is not a dependence on an intangible thing. It is a dependence on the almighty God. He is the all-time covenant keeper who cannot fail. When you believe in the word, God gets into operation through you. You must feel very comfortable trusting God through His word. Anytime you are acting on the word don’t expect God to act sometime later because, God is at home in you, working through you.

Whatever you believed to see is done right then, although it may not appear immediately.

Remember faith is not tomorrow but now.

   CONFESSION

Thank you Father that you   are one with your word. I am a success in life as I keep your word in my heart acting on it always.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Hebrews 4:12.  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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.

John 1:14 ” And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 3:15 ” And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

What is wisdom? Job 28:28 says the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding”. According to the bible, Psalms 14:1 ” The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. “No man can despise God and His word and be a wise man. (Note: Europe currently despises God yet they thrive, because their culture is built on one aspect of scripture that is integrity and fairness to all)Africans are suffering because we claim to worship God yet have not built our culture on integrity and fairness to all. To really fear God is to do what he says in His word and that is wisdom.

Some other person defined wisdom as seeing all of life from God’s point of view. Wisdom is also defined as knowing what is right, and doing it, such that your life is placed at an advantageous position.

When men practice the principles in God’s word, then are they really wise. In our key scripture we learn that it is the Holy Scriptures that makes one wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. God’s word builds faith, and shows us what to do and how to do it such that we stand out successful. True wisdom equals true success.

2nd Timothy 3:16,17 follows up from our key scripture that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto every good works. God’s word teaches us what to do. It reproofs us of things that we may not be doing right and when we are out of the right course it corrects us. The scriptures also instructs us in the paths of righteousness. This according to the Bible will make you perfect and prepared for every good work. What a resource material. No wonder the Bible is currently the most sold or circulated book on the earth today.

The irony of life is that a great number of people keep making serious mistakes. Some get themselves into conditions that are very deplorable. The sad truth is that many people don’t read the Bible and others may hear what it says yet refuse to practice what the scripture say. Psalm 19:7 says “The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. You can’t practice what the Bible says and be insignificant in the society.

You can have a great life with impact on your world if only you are a doer of what God’s word says.. God’s word would make the simple (the unlearned, the ignorant) man wise. God’s word is to make you perfect.

  CONFESSION

I am given to God’s word. I read, study and meditate on the word day and night. My life is made perfect and colourful, for His word makes me wise. It is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

FURHTER STUDIES.

Proverbs 4:7 ” Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding”.

Psalms 119:98 ” Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Acts 4:19 ” But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye”.

Apostle Peter and John were arrested by the religious leaders for healing a lame man. They asked them (Peter and John) not to preach anymore in the name of Jesus. Our key scripture  reveals the answer they gave them ; “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye”. These men decided to commit themselves to the word of God.

Life circumstances may bring our way many situations that put a lot of pressure on us, to choose to do what may please us. We must always choose to do what God has said. God and his word are one Commitment to His word is commitment to Him. We may be tempted to relate to others according to how they treat us, yet the word says, we must forgive one another and be kind towards one another. Romans 12:21 reads “Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good”.

We cannot walk with God and continue to live by our flesh. To be fleshly minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:6). It is a big irony to have a nation like Ghana as a Christian nation, yet a number of the public officers demand bribes before they would get their services executed. Contracts fees are not paid promptly because these officers demand monies before they make payments. . Most of these officers are supposed to be Christians. No wonder it is claimed there is so much hardship. Such people have put the fleshly gains ahead of the word of God. This thing gets serious when Pastors use all kinds of means to extort money from the congregation. Many organize programs with an agenda to make money. Remember what 1st Timothy 6:10 says “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some converted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”.

The flesh must never be allowed to rule and dominate us. Our commitment is to what God says, not what would make us feel comfortable at the expense of our spouses, neighbours. And what have you?

The Christian is the salt of the earth. Salt must dissolve, that is lose its state, so it could be beneficial to others. We are primarily givers not takers. This is what God’s word demands of us.

   PRAYER

O Father help the church to understand our role on the earth, to be the light that we are. Let your children esteem your word above all gains.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Philippians 2:15. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”

Philippians 3:18-19 ” (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”

KEY SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:23 ” Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

All Christians are born again by the word of God. According to our key scripture God’s word is an incorruptible seed.

Every creature have its habitat. Plants survive on the land, because they are products of the land. The fish stays in the water because that was where it came from.  James 1:18 reads “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures”. We have been begotten by the word of God. The word is a natural habitat. We are not products of reason and the senses.

It is a great temptation for a number of Christians to turn to the senses or reason. The senses comprise sight, touch, smell, hear and taste. These have become the normal sphere of acknowledgement for many Christians. It is wrong. The Bible says the just or the righteous ones would live by faith. (Romans 1:17). 2nd Corinthians 5:7 also reminds us that we walk by faith and not by sight”.  The child of God must commit himself to the word of God. There is no victory for us if we allow the natural to control us.

We as humans live in a natural world. There are a lot of things that come to us by virtue of the natural world. Things that have to do with purely our day to day natural world must be related from that plain. If the condition or event contradicts with what the Bible says then we must move away from the natural order of events to the word of God. In many of these cases, committing to the word may seem unreasonable yet your outcome will be victorious.

When Daniel in the Bible was told that the King had made an irreversible decree that no one should ask anything from anyone for thirty days. Daniel decided to stay with the word. Doing that meant he would be thrown into a Lion’s den, yet he chose to do so. Daniel was committed to the word of God. He was tried and cast into the Lion’s den yet the word prevailed. Daniel was not destroyed. Daniel 6.

 Stay committed to the word of God.

CONFESSION

God’s word reigns supreme in the realm of the spirit. I believe in the word, irrespective of what I see feel or hear. I reign in life because I am committed to the word.

FURTHER STUDIES

Acts 20:32 “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”

2 Corinthians 4:18.  “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”.