Our Words... part 2

In my last full post, a week ago… sorry, life and nice weather just sort of got in the way… I spoke about some of the foundational truths of our faith that Piper and I learned over the years that just became a part of who we were.  In particular, I gave some examples of how the importance of our words seems to be solidly engrained into us.

I realized only recently that when Piper got sick, that I expected the same from those close to us within our circle of family and friends.  As we began to stand in faith for her, while delving into different courses of medical care, it literally shook, confused and frustrated me when some of them didn’t respond in like manner as us.  It turned out to be kind of funny when people of little to no faith or religious leanings agreed with us more than some of those with whom I expected to receive encouraging words and spiritual strength!

I concluded that last blog post talking about our sort of automatic response of speaking out words from our lips that line up and/or agree with the truth found in God’s Word.  But as I thought about that statement over the last few days, it dawned on me that some of you might not fully understand why that habit had become so important to us.  The answer came to me in the news when our President stood in front of a church in Washington DC in the midst of the recent demonstrations and riots and held up a Bible.  It was then confirmed when the House Speaker tried to imitate him by taking out another Bible and parading it in front of the news media.

In those two pictures I saw two completely different things.  To Piper and I, our Bible’s were/are more than just a good book filled with encouraging stories and sayings about God and His Son Jesus Christ.  To us, the Bible is a LIVING, BREATHING representation of Jesus Himself.  Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “God's word (ie; the Bible) is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God's word judges a person's thoughts and intentions.” (God’s Word ©)  The Passion Translations calls it “the living Word of God which is full of energy,” While the King James declares that the “The Word of God is quick and powerful.”

The word “quick” in the Greek is literally described as meaning “to live among the living and not be lifeless nor dead!”  “Powerful” is defined as “being active, operative, exerting force, power and influence and capable of having the desired result or effect.”  That doesn’t sound to me as if we are simply talking about a book filled with warm, fuzzy statements that make you feel good, but about a book with words that literally have the power and ability to change lives for the whole man or woman.  Words that have the tremendous power and anointing to initiate change in us not only spiritually, but also physically, mentally, emotionally and intellectually!

There is a small part in a Christian children’s movie, with a western theme, that we played for the kids years ago that has always stuck out in my mind.  In the scene, the bad guy throws a Bible that has been hidden in a treasure chest by his father down on the ground in disgust, only to be immediately retrieved by the Christian Marshal who was with him.  Upon picking up the book, the Marshal reverently wipes off the dust and says with deep conviction in his voice… “Don’t do that, that’s the Word of God!”

Now, like I said, it was a Christian kids movie and according to today’s standards… a little on the hokey side… but that instant response by the one character (who was then and still is a well-known Evangelist on the world scale) was sincere, honest and of the heart… and is exactly the same way that my wife and I have felt about our Bible’s for a LONG TIME!  When the character said that line in the movie, I could not contain myself from standing up in the darkened Children’s Activity Center where we were showing the movie on the big scene, and shout out “YES!”  But it really wasn’t as embarrassing as it sounds for the kids and parents there knew me enough to not be surprised by my reaction!

What I saw when the President of the USA lifted up a Bible in front of the church that day, was the leader of the free world holding up what should be the symbol of every Christian’s trust and belief in God and His LIVING and POWERFUL Word to overcome the anarchy that was breaking out in cities across our nation and in particular with the fire that was set in the church behind him.  What I saw with the House Speaker was a person making an empty attempt at showing how religious she was, and in doing so, was pointing all the attention onto her instead of onto the LIVING and ACTIVE, QUICK and POWERFUL Word of God.

My wife and I were always under the Bible based conviction that when a Christian speaks words that are in agreement with the Word of God, that they are in effect, releasing God’s LIVING, ACTIVE, QUICK and ENERGETIC words of POWER into the situation they are in the midst of, or are praying for in another’s life situation.  That’s pretty dynamic wouldn’t you say?  Kinda puts a whole new emphasis and meaning on the Word of God… On YOUR Bible…RIGHT?

What do you think about that?  Have a great week, and as you do, think about today’s post and then say with me… “I am expecting to have my spoken words line up in agreement with God’ Words that I study in my Bible!”