Assemblies of God Empowered Magazine God's Eternal Word | Page 5

So, read your Bible. If people were as diligent in reading their
Bibles as they are at reading posts on Facebook it would
solve many personal problems. Putting your problems
on Facebook might get you some sympathy; reading and
studying the Bible, however, puts you in touch with the
transforming power of God’s promises in both the Old and
New Testaments.
In recent times I have been speaking on spiritual gifts. I
have taught that God is able to communicate to us the
things he wants, so that he can strengthen, encourage
and comfort us. However, we don’t always need a
prophetic word from God. He has already disclosed
to us in the Bible understandings about his will for us.
The Apostle Peter encourages us to “… be mindful of the
words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and of
the commandment given to us by the apostles of our Lord and
Saviour” (2 Peter 3:2).
The Bible is more than a text book for Judaism and
Christianity. Its accounts, stories and teachings continue to
bring life and hope to the untold millions who follow Christ
on earth today. The psalmist remarks; “If your law (God’s Word)
had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction”
(Psalm 119:92).
Some people struggle to relate to God’s Word as being a
delight. For others the Bible seems like a closed book. If you
struggle to read the Bible, be honest and begin to seek God
for a breakthrough. The Bible leads to the great riches that
we have in Christ. It is the source of our authority. Begin to
pray that God will give you a love for the truth, but be aware
that every time we read the Scriptures a grace is offered to
us by the Holy Spirit, that will enable us to “love the truth”
(2 Thessalonians 2:10). If we do want to love the truth, we
will be drawn into wanting to understand it like the noble
minded Bereans (Acts 17:11). They wanted to know from
the Scriptures if what they were being told was true.
The Bible contains the guarantee clauses of Gods promises
to bless us as he did Abraham. It also makes clear ‘the
unchangeable nature of his purposes’ for those who believe
in him. These guarantees of eventual good outcomes,
despite suffering and difficulties, are backed up by two
things. First, what he has said in his word (Hebrews 6:18)
and secondly the fact that God has sworn oaths concerning
his intention to continue empowering his purpose in us in
this life and in the world to come. His Word is offered as an
anchor that creates a stable foundation for our lives and
reaches into eternity beyond the curtain of the here and now.
The Message Bible says it well:
"The revelation of God is whole and pulls our
lives together. The signposts of God are clear and
point out the right road. The life-maps of God are
right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God
are plain and easy on the eyes. God’s reputation is
twenty-four carat gold with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate down to the
nth degree. God’s word is better than a diamond
set between emeralds. You’ll like it better than
strawberries in spring, better than
red, ripe strawberries. "
(Psalms 19:7-10 MSG)
ISSUE #3 DECEMBER 2017 | 5