TEXT: ‘I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word’ (Psalm 119:16). Psalm 119, the longest psalm, mentions “Word” (meaning God’s Word, the Bible) over 40 times, so its significance cannot be overstated. God’s Word is one of the keys to having peace in our lives, ‘Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble’ (Psalm 119:165). Today’s Teaching focuses on several things we can do to benefit from God’s Word. 1. Believe the Word In 1973 a work colleague started witnessing to me about Jesus. My first reaction was, “You don’t believe the Bible do you? There are things wrong in it!” I didn’t say that from knowledge, but because of what others had said. The Bible is very special and not the thoughts of man. ‘For no prophecy recorded in Scripture was ever thought up by the prophet himself. It was the Holy Spirit within these godly men who gave them true messages from God’ (2 Peter 1:20-21 TLB). The key to becoming a Christian is linked inseparably with God’s Word, ‘So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’ (Romans 10:17) I believe that the Bible (Old and New Testaments) is God’s Word to man...
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TEXT: ‘So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’ (Romans 10:17). Marconi is credited with being the inventor of the radio in 1920, after discovering he could send a signal over long distances. Turn the dial on any radio today and there are a multitude of programmes on the AM & FM frequencies. Digital radio and the internet now mean virtually anywhere in the world one can pick up the broadcast of that invisible signal. The Bible says, ‘There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning’ (1 Corinthians 14:10 NLT). What sounds like gibberish to one person is clearly understood by another. The Bible says, ‘Faith comes by hearing’, so what are you listening to? What we are reading and hearing is sending out a signal to us, and it will influence us in either a good or bad way, if we let it. God’s Word acts in the same way, sending out positive signals. When we understand it, we can act on it because faith has been created. The unbeliever remains unmoved because it sounds like foolishness to him or too good to be true. What can help us to tune in to faith’s frequency? 1. Listen with your heart...
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TEXT: ‘And the Lord turned and looked’ (Luke 22:61). This is the third and final part in the teaching “Jesus Looked”. Sometimes words aren’t necessary, as one look can convey what’s needed to be said, or get things done. In Part 1, we studied “Jesus looked” – in anger at the scribes and Pharisees’ hardened hearts, as a reminder to Peter when he denied Him, and His look of love at the rich young ruler. In Part 2, “Jesus looked” – in the temple, at those who were giving, and to see the one who had faith. Three more “Looks” to finish with. 1. Jesus looked up to heaven – ‘I will lift up my eyes to the hills — from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth’ (Psalm 121:1-2). Jesus said, ‘I only do the things I see the Father doing’ (John 5:19). Perhaps that is a key for us. If through the eyes of faith, we can see the Father doing it, then we will have more confidence to use the name of Jesus to bring it to pass. When He wanted to heal – ‘Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”’ (Mark 7:34)....
Learn MoreTEXT: ‘And the Lord turned and looked’ (Luke 22:61). Sometimes words aren’t necessary, as one look can convey what’s needed to be said, or get things done. Mark’s gospel mentions several times, “He looked” and these two words caught my attention and formed the basis for this teaching. In Part 1, we studied Jesus’ look; in anger at the scribes and Pharisees’ hardened hearts; as a reminder to Peter when he denied Him; and His look of love at the rich young ruler. In Part 2, we study three more “Looks”. 1. Jesus looked in the temple – ‘And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve’ (Mark 11:11) His disciples had wanted Him to look at the magnificence of the temple, but Jesus was more interested in what was going on inside the temple. He didn’t like what he saw. What should have been the house of prayer for all nations, had become a den of thieves. Revelation chapters 2 and 3 record when Jesus looked at the 7 churches in Asia. He commended, criticised, cautioned and cajoled them to do the right thing which...
Learn MoreTEXT: ‘And the Lord turned and looked’ (Luke 22:61). Sometimes words aren’t necessary, as one look can convey what’s needed to be said, or get things done. Mark’s gospel mentions several times, “He looked” and these two words caught my attention and formed the basis for this teaching. 1. Jesus looked in anger At those with hardened hearts – ‘And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other’ (Mark 3:5). One would have thought the religious leaders would have welcomed with open arms anyone who could heal members of their congregation, but they would rather a hurting person stayed that way in keeping with their religious rules, than be set free by Jesus. It was a constant battle wherever Jesus went but He made sure everyone knew who was trying to stop the miracles. There are churches today where miracles of healing, gifts of the Holy Spirit and speaking with other tongues are not welcome. If ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8), then what He said and did then, should be re-enacted today...
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