Saturday, July 14, 2007

FWD: Morning Manna (July 15); BP: Heb. 4:1-13; RBTTY: Acts 19:21-41; Ps. 13-15

 
Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net

 



-----Original Message-----
From: "Apostle Tom" <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sat, 14 Jul 2007 12:21:43 -0500
To: pressingon@hotmail.com
Subject: Morning Manna (July 15); BP: Heb. 4:1-13; RBTTY: Acts 19:21-41; Ps. 13-15
 
 
July 15 “The Living Word”  
 
“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; neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight—but  
all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to  
do.”  
Hebrews 4:12-13  
Through its pages we find all we’ll ever need (and more) about His  
heart, mind and will.  
The Bible.  
Although it’s gone through numerous translations since it was  
originally penned by its Old and New Testament authors, the fact remains  
that God’s Word—also known as “The Law of the Lord” (Ps. 1:2), Holy  
Scriptures (Rom. 1:2), the Word of Life (Phil. 2:16), etc.—is still “alive  
and well” here on Planet Earth.  
 
Today’s Manna, written by an unknown author to Jewish-Christians  
undergoing severe persecution, reminded them (and us) that God’s Word is  
“quick (Grk. ‘zao’—‘living, lively, etc.’), powerful (Grk.  
‘energes’—‘active, operative, effectual, etc.’) and sharper than any  
two-edged sword.” We’re then told that it’s able to strip away any veneer  
of pretense and lay bare the inward “thoughts and intents (Grk.  
‘ennoia’—‘inward aspirations, moral understanding, intellect, feelings,  
will, etc.’) of the heart.”  
 
Now, we know both by experience and the Word that “the heart is  
incredibly deceitful, desperately wicked and no one can know it” (Jer.  
17:6). Simply put, there are none of us who always know what our true  
motive is when say or do anything. Consciously, we may be acting “in good  
faith” and seemingly with “a pure heart;” however, only God Himself knows if  
our words and deeds are for His glory or for our own selfish ends.  
 
That’s why we must continually look into “the Mirror of the soul”—i.e.,  
God’s Word—to both see what we ought to be and what we really are (James  
1:22-25). And, even then we must constantly depend upon the Holy Spirit to  
“guide us into all truth” (Jn. 16:13), lest we fall into one of the devil’s  
traps or be seduced/deceived by our own “lusts of the flesh, eyes and pride  
of life” (I Jn. 2:16; James 1:13-15).  
 
Before we can do this, we must first reach the place where we are  
thoroughly convinced that the Bible is God’s “inspired Word, given for the  
purpose of correct doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in  
righteousness” (II Tim. 3:16). Only then will doubt flee and delight reign.  
And, only then can we rest assured that we are on the road to “spiritual  
maturity, thoroughly equipped to accomplish all that God desires for us in  
life” (II Tim. 3:17).  
 
Do you love His Word, Pilgrim? Can you say with the Psalmist David  
that His Word is “more desirable than 24-karat gold and sweeter than honey  
and the honeycomb” (Ps. 19:10)? If so, you’ll know that the only thing  
sharper than a two-edged sword is a scalpel—and only then can you willingly  
say, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.”  
 
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