The Wonders of God’s Word

The Wonders of God’s Word

Psalms 19: 7-11 NKJV

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.

   While we can learn much about God from nature and from teaching and from prayer, we learn the most about Him from His Word.  God reveals himself through his Word.
   Here in Psalms 19, David uses different synonyms for God's Word; he mentions the law, the testimony, the statutes, the commandments, the fear of the lord and the judgments of the lord.  He tells us of the benefits of reading His Word and praises its value as being worth more than much gold, and sweeter than honey.
The Law of the Lord (7a)
When David writes, “the law of the Lord,” I believe he is referring to the revealed Word of God, which we call the Bible or the Scriptures.  I’ve read commentaries where they say David is only referring to the Law of Moses, but that denies the Divine inspiration of the remainder of the Old Testament as well as the entire New Testament.
   The Word of God is perfect because it is directed toward the well-being of mankind.  It gives us direction, instruction and correction as well as comfort and encouragement. The Law was given for our own good, because God loves children and what He has told us in His word is what is best for us.
Galatians 3:24 tells us that the Law was given to lead us to Christ.  Without the Law, we would not know we were lost in sin and separated from God.
The Testimony of the Lord (7b)
Learning what God has done, starting with creation, tells us about God’s character and about His purpose.  His testimony gives us a solid foundation to stand on and this gives us stability in our lives and helps us to stay on course and be easily led astray.
The Statutes of the Lord (8a) and the Commandment of the Lord (8b)
Some translations say “the precepts of the Lord,” are the rules of life we find when we study God’s Word.  After trying to understand why these are in the Bible, I’ve finally come to realize that the “dos” and “don’ts” are not put there to restrict my life.  They are not written to confine me.  By following them, I am free to live a better life and to enjoy a Father-son relationship with God.  By following His statutes and commandment I am spared a lot of pain and confusion and fear.  Following His statutes truly does make my heart rejoice.  They also revive and refresh my mind and encourage me.
The Fear of the Lord (9a)
If God is so loving, kind and compassionate, why does Scripture say we should "fear" Him?  This is not a fear as in being in terror of God.  There is a fear like that but it is what an unsaved person should have when facing a Holy God.  But the fear David writes about here is a reverential fear.  The Hebrew word used is one that means piety and reverence of God.  When we approach God in prayer, we should remember Who He is, and not come to Him in a flippant manner.  He is the Most Holy God, Creator of heaven and earth, and we should show Him the respect due to Him.
The Judgments of the Lord (9b)
God is fair. We often think that life is not fair, and there is so much injustice in the world.  But we need to take comfort knowing that God is fair and it is His judgments that will be the last word in our lives.

Stephen Cram                   April 29, 2012                  Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

A Spiritual Sword for a Spiritual Battle

A Spiritual Sword for a Spiritual Battle

Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

   One by one, Paul has compared the pieces of a Roman soldier’s armor to the spiritual truths we learn from the Word of God.  These are the Christian principles we learn to live by.
   -We learn truth to hang our lives on and to gather everything else in.
   -God’s righteousness protects our heart from damage.
   -The Preparation of the Gospel gives us a firm foundation to stand on.
   -Faith is like a large shield turning back the enemy’s attacks.
   -Salvation keeps our minds working clearly and free from confusion.
   Now we come to the offensive weapon in our armory.  The Roman soldier’s gladius, or short sword, was a formidable weapon in the hands of a well-trained soldier.  It was shorter than most swords, but it was lighter in weight while still being thicker than other swords.  It was also double-edged and had a sharp point.  It was strong enough to break another sword and being double-edged it was as dangerous on the return swing as on the first swing.  Being pointed it was dangerous in close quarters fighting when a swing was not possible and the soldier could only stab.  Of all the weapons at the Roman army’s command, the gladius was the most common and most used of them all.
   Comparing the Word of God to a sharp, two-edged sword is both simple and powerful to us.  We have a weapon to use against the enemy that is effective when used right.  The Bible will not be effective sitting on the coffee table covered by dust.  It will not be effective if we regard it as a good luck charm, a silver bullet of a magic cure-all.  To effectively use this sword, we must first remember and believe that it is the Word of God, as Paul writes in this verse, “which is the word of God."  If we do not have the confidence to believe that the Bible is the Word of God, you will never be able to grow in Christ and will never be able to carry it into battle.
   When we gain confidence in the Bible as God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will make the Scriptures alive to us in ways we never knew they could be.  He will write them on our hearts and they will become part of our lives and will always be with us.
   Paul, when speaking at Antioch in the book of Acts, (chapter 13,) said that David was a man after Gods own heart.  When we look at David’s life, we see that he loved God’s Word and also said he took delight in it.  He hid it in his heart.  He said that God’s Word would be a light to us and would guide us.  Do you love God’s Word?  Do you take delight in reading and meditating on it?
   I truly believe that one of the biggest obstacles to our growing in Christ is that we look at studying His Word as something tedious that we must endure.  We look at the Bible as boring and wordy and old-fashioned.  Memorization is practically unheard of and is rarely encouraged from the pulpit. Our Sunday school met as a group for 15 minutes before class time and the superintendent would call on students to recite scriptures we had memorized.  She would even call on, (GASP!)  the adults, (Surely not!) who would fidget like little kids and stumble through their memory verse much to the delight of the younger kids.  Can you imagine that happening in church today?  People would faint from shock if the Pastor called on people at random to recite memorized scriptures.    
   Oh, woe to us.  We live in padded, secure world where no churches challenge us; they protect us and sooth our nerves and tell us what great men and women of God we’ve become.  When in reality we’ve become like the church of the Laodiceans who thought they were rich and well-off but whom Christ said were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
   Think of that Roman soldier in training, practicing sword thrusts and moves and positions.  He practices until he can use his sword like an extension of his arm  and develops a great fighter’s instinct.  At the time of battle he will instantly recall which thrust, which position suits the exact moment.  He will be able to use his sword with precise accuracy without a second thought because he is so familiar with using it.
   Most Christians today are so ignorant of the Bible and what it says that when they are confronted by a crisis in life they think they can blow the dust off it and open it and the perfect answer will magically appear to them.  This will not happen.  To properly be prepared for those spiritual battles in our lives we must become familiar with the Bible and practice with it until it becomes a natural extension of our lives.
   Effectively using the sword of the Word takes practice. The best example of this was Jesus combating the temptation of Satan in the wilderness.  He quoted scripture.  Paul wrote to Timothy, “Study to show yourself approved of God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed.”  (My paraphrase.)   Paul could use the sword of the Spirit at whatever confronted him because he had worked with it and knew it in his heart.  In the same way, our study and interest in the word of God prepares us to use its truth and its principles at the moment of whatever crisis confronts us.  We can use the Bible to answer every lie that comes from the world, the flesh, and the enemy with the truth from the Scriptures.  That is the time when the Bible will truly be the Sword of the Spirit in our hands.
Ephesians 6: 13& 14a
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore


Stephen Cram                            April 22, 2012                         Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

Assurance of Salvation

Assurance of Salvation

Ephesians 6:17

 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Paul wrote about this same idea in another passage:

1 Thessalonians 5:8

But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

   The Bible uses metaphors to teach us lessons by comparing a spiritual truth with a common, everyday thing to help us understand it better.  In this passage, Paul is comparing the spiritual protection we receive through Christ to the armor of a Roman soldier. 

   In this verse, Paul tells us to "take the helmet of salvation."  In ancient Rome, the helmet was usually a leather cap studded with metal for extra protection.  Higher ranks would attach a plume or some type of decoration to identify the solider to his regiment.  The helmet was used, quite simply, to protect the head.  A blow to the head could cause death, but even a glancing blow could cause dizziness, temporary blindness, confusion, and other damages.  A soldier would be foolish to go into battle without his helmet.  Even in our modern army, they still wear a helmet designed to give maximum protection. 

   In our lives, we often are attacked by powerful forces that would like to hinder our Christian lives.  Christians who walk away from the faith and quit church and drop out of fellowship are no longer a threat to the enemy.  No ‘Gates of Hell” will be overcome and no lives will be drawn to God. 

   Salvation is pictured as a helmet protecting your head from damage, and by head I mean your thoughts and your mind.  Having a sure knowledge of salvation protects us against discouragement, and against the desire to give up.  It gives us hope not only in knowing that we are saved, but that we will be saved.  It is the assurance of eternal life with God and the final victory over death. 

   One of Satan's most effective weapons against Christians is discouragement.  When we are properly equipped with the helmet of salvation, it's hard to stay discouraged. Our hope isn't in our self or in our ability to keep our self close to Jesus. Our hope is in Jesus Himself, and in the rescue He brings to us.  To put our hope, our confidence in anything else would be as foolish as a soldier going into battle without a helmet.  Don’t let discouragement defeat you, remember that Christ has forgiven you and you will spend eternity with Him. 

   A companion to discouragement is doubt, and doubt can lead to confusion.  This hits new Christians especially hard, but no Christian is immune from an attack of doubt.  A respected man in our church shared his doubts with a new Christian, me, and taught me to question God’s Word.  This led me to doubts and confusion and robbed me of the joy of being saved and soured my fellowship with others.  It was more than a year before I determined in my heart to believe His Word above all.  Only then did the confusion and despair lift off me and I was able to recover the joy of being saved.  I regret the lost time and pray no one else has to struggle with those doubts.  Being focused on the surety of your salvation will clear away doubts and allow the Holy Spirit speak to your heart through God’s Word. 

Stephen Cram                       April 15, 2012                            Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8 

Use Your Faith As A Shield

Use Your Faith As A Shield

Ephesians 6:16

above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 

   Paul, in verses 14-15, described three aspects of spiritual armor to have at all times.  He described truth, which he likened to a belt, righteousness which is likened to wearing a breastplate, and the preparation of preaching the Gospel which he likened to wearing sturdy footwear.  Before we can use the next three pieces of armor, we need to be rooted in truth, we need to be clothed in God’s righteousness, and be prepared to share the Gospel with a lost world.

   At this point, after writing about the three pieces of armor to have with us, Paul says, "Above all."  He then tells us about three more pieces of this spiritual armor that he says we should take up, implying we should arm ourselves with them.  I don’t believe he says “above all” to lead us to believe that these three items are more important to us, but that we should not forget to arm ourselves when we prepare for battle. 

   Now, in verse 16, he writes, “taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”  Your faith is compared to a shield.  People think that a shield is purely a defensive item of armor.  And for the most part, that’s true.  Here Paul says to use it to protect yourself from the fiery darts of the wicked one.  The enemy tries to weaken us through tactics such as fear and unbelief.  The shield used by the Roman Legionaries was not the small round one often pictured in movies but a large, oblong shield that could protect the whole body.  In ancient warfare, arrows were often used at the beginning of a battle in the hope of catching an enemy soldier unprepared.  Arrows would be shot in great numbers and some would be on fire.  They would cover the enemy like a deadly cloud and plunge down upon them.  The idea was not only to injure the enemy, but to shoot at him at all sides with a massive number of arrows, and thus confuse and panic the enemy.

   Think of all the harmful and destructive things that fly through your mind at times, as though they were a cloud of arrows shot by an enemy to strike you down, or at the very least cause you to become confused and to panic.  I urge you to have your faith ready to use when you have:  Angry or bitter thoughts or thoughts of vengeance, desperate thoughts or depression, proud, vain, or selfish thoughts, irrational fears, jealous feelings, lust, or any other destructive thoughts.

   The wicked one, the evil forces in the world, will hurl these “firey darts” at you whenever an opportunity arises.  These thoughts will hit our minds as if they were flaming arrows shot by an enemy to confuse us or cause us to panic.  Faith quenches them and stops the attack.  

   Stop trying to trust God and just trust Him.  God honors you when you come to Him in humility and depend on Him in faith.  The flaming arrows will be caught before they can injure and confuse you.  Don’t be fearful of the enemy and his attacks, be faithful to God and stand in His strength and you will come through your battles safely.

Stephen Cram                           April 8, 2012                          Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8 

Put Your Boots On Before You Go Out

Put Your Boots On Before You Go Out

Ephesians 6:14-15

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 

15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

   The church I grew up in generally had a summer picnic at one of the local parks.  And someone always organized games for us which nearly always included a tug of war.  One year I wore sandals to the picnic and we ate and fellowshipped and then the games began.  After a bit we were called to line up on both sides of strip of grass for the tug of war.  I was selected to be the anchor for my side and wrapped the rope about my waist and got a good, two-handed grip on it.  The lady organizing the game shouted “Go!” and we began to pull.  That was when I discovered that sandals with smooth soles make lousy footwear for a tug of war.  The sole were too slippery and I couldn’t get a firm stand with my feet and so could not pull the rope with any force.  We lost.

   In the days of hand-to-hand fighting, having good footwear was invaluable in your ability to fight.  If your feet kept slipping, you were at a big disadvantage.  One of the innovations introduced by the Romans was nail-studded footwear.   Ancient Jewish historian Josephus described these sandals as:  "shoes thickly studded with sharp nails."  Many historians believe that one reason for the great success of Roman armies was that they could march long distances over rough ground.  It was not unusual for them to march 15 miles in a day!  Then when they fought they had firm footing on just about any type of ground, even muddy ground.

   In Paul’s metaphor about armor, he begins by describing the armor to always have with you; your belt, your breastplate and then your shoes.  Your belt keeps everything in place, your breastplate protects your heart, and good shoes on your feet give you firm footing.  In order to stand in your Christian walk with the conflicts and struggles that comes with living for God, we need good shoes to help us keep our firm footing.

   Paul tells us to put the preparation of the gospel of peace on our feet.  Preparation as its used here is a word that means literally "a prepared foundation."  The gospel is that prepared foundation that provides the footing for everything we do.  The idea of preparation is to be ready for whatever comes our way.  The best preparation you can have is to have the Gospel with you and be ready to share it wherever and whenever you can.  This preparedness is at the core of the Great Commission given to us by Jesus Himself. 

Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

  

   He commanded us and expects us to be prepared to tell the Good News to everyone.  To do so we need to know and know well the Good News of Jesus.  Have you ever given your testimony to anyone?  Your testimony is your best selling point.  I’ve heard dozens of stories about what God did for others, but the story I know best is what God has done for me.  I have no doubts about God’s grace or God’s mercy or God’s love because I’ve personally experienced them first hand.  I can say that I know God loves you, and I really know He does, but my testimony about His love for you will not carry the personal conviction of telling someone about God’s love for me.  The enemy can present lies and distort the truth and confuse the unsaved. He can cloud their minds and agitate them so they will not hear the Gospel.  But the Holy Spirit is at work in people’s lives and when He has one ready to listen He needs us to be prepared to give the Gospel to them.    

   Be prepared and get your testimony ready.  You’re under orders to march into battle.  You have the armor you’re to always have with you.  Now it’s time to take up the rest of your armor.

Stephen Cram                           April 1, 2012                 Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8