John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
(There are so many, today, who cannot accept this could ever possibly mean what it sounds like it is saying.)
(There are seven times the scriptures use Word with a large W, to refer to Jesus, the Son of God:)
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
I John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
I John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Revelation 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
(Scholars are quick to point out that in "the original Greek", people understood a deeper theological meaning, "the Logos".
The average person hearing the gospel in the 1st century, and the new Christians in the new churches, were not theologians.
Like it wasn't for a few hundred years that the doctrine of the Godhead was figured out.
And that was after much study of the scriptures, in order to refute the growing teachings of heretics.
Another example is the word, "hell", where scholars are quick to point out that the Greek word, "hades", is a better word.
If they are referring to the 1st century, then it was the only word used for that, at that time.
However, an average person first hearing the gospel at that time, only knew of that word's use in their mythology.
i.e., the place of the damned, where Perseus crossed the river Styx to go cut off the head of Medusa.
And it took years for people's traditional understanding of "hades" to be corrected by scriptural teaching.
So, after a millennium and a half of church history, with much preaching, teaching, and studying of the word of God,
the word, "hell", in our language, came to encapsulate all the scriptural teaching on that place.
So, when someone reads, or hears, a scripture containing the word, "hell", they no longer think of Medusa, or the river Styx.
But rather, they understand quite well what is being referred to.)
(So, it is quite interesting that in our Bible, that word of God with a small "w", is used to refer to the inspired scriptures.
Whereas the Word of God with a large "W", is used to refer to the Son of God.
Could it be, in s supernatural way, that the word of God, is somehow, Jesus in print?)
John 6:63b the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
(The scripture is spirit, life and truth, and yet, also, the Son is a Spirit, the life, and the truth.
And is it any wonder that the entire small “w” word of God is all about the large “W” Word of God?)
Hebrews 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
(Everything was made by the large “W”, Word of God:)
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
(Everything was made by the small “w", word of God:)
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
(Not only did the large “W”, Word of God create everything by the word of his mouth, it's also how he holds everything together:)
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3a Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
(So, when scientists, who reject the Bible, try to figure out what holds all the atoms together, they search for sub-atomic particles.
They spend billions looking for tachyons, neutrinos, Higgs bosons, quarks, gravitons, and dark matter, while they miss the truth.
Everything in creation is held together by the word of God, the same word of God that is written down in the book on your lap!
So, the worlds were framed by the book, and held together by the book.)
(We also received faith by the book, and were born again by the book:)
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
I Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
(When all the Christians, living or already passed, simultaneously hear his word audibly, it will be with Jesus' loud shout:)
I Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
7 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
(So, we are going to be raptured by the book.)
Matthew 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
(When Peter heard Jesus speak the word of God, "Come", he received faith to do it - he walked on water by the book.
So, why is it so hard to understand, that when we heard the gospel, we were supernaturally brought to the cross by the book.
In that light, you also have been brought to the creation, to the kingdom, and to the new Jerusalem, all by the book.
We believe that John was actually brought to heaven, and to the future, in the Spirit.
So, why is it so hard to believe that when we read those inspired scriptures, that we also are taken to there, by the book?
Every time we read it, we get a heart test by the book:)
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.
(Even the various critters that we eat, are all sanctified by the book:)
I Timothy 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
(And like as Jesus, the Word of God with a large "W", is eternal, the book is also eternal:)
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Psalm 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
I Peter 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
(So, what is the book to us, then? How much does it mean to us? What did the book mean to David?)
Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.
81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.
103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
(He tasted it, and it was sweet, and so did Jeremiah and Job:)
Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
(If there is a chance that the word of God is not quite as wonderful to us, as it was David, Jeremiah, and Job,
then there are somethings that we can do: 1st, get alone with the book, each day, if only sometimes for a short time;
2nd, begin asking Jesus for joy from his word, and love for the book, and keep asking every day, until the answer comes;
3rd, begin praying the words back to Jesus, try reading one of David's psalms out loud, while kneeling in prayer;
4th, ask Jesus to take us, in the Spirit, by the book, to those times and places written of, in the book.
Is not Jesus in us, and we in him? Is Jesus not in the present tense, even in the past, right now?)
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
(He's there now, so why not you, in him, there, then, by the book?
He says that we, somehow, even now, while we are still here, are already present in heaven, now, but only in Jesus:)
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
(Unless we can't fully believe that, we should take it by faith that it is true, that somehow, by the book, he's doing that with us.
Some think that these thoughts are too wild, too way out there.
Well, do you believe that your God took on flesh, never sinned, died in your place on a cross, rose completely alive from the dead,
ascended to heaven in that resurrected body, is now sitting with the Father in his throne, will someday come to meet you in the air,
to shout & call you up in a resurrected body to the air, to go back to heaven with him, to be part of the marriage supper of the Lamb,
to ride back on a horse from heaven, following Jesus, as he comes to rescue Israel, and destroy the armies of the world,
to live in the kingdom, to watch him create a new heaven and a new earth, and to live in the new Jerusalem with him forever?
Do you realize how wild, and way out there, those things sound to someone who is not saved yet?
Well, if we can believe all that, then why can't we believe that Jesus can take us, in the Spirit, by the book, as we read his word?)
II Chronicles 3:17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.
(It was necessary to pass between these two pillars to go into the presence of the LORD.
Well, look at each page of your Bible, the writing is on the two sides of the page, a column of print on the right and on the left.
Every time you start reading one of those pages, you are also passing between the two pillars into the very presence of the LORD.
As you read the page, know that right on the other side of that page, is eternity, heaven, and the very presence of the LORD.
You are looking straight into eternity as you read, and as you are reading, Jesus, himself, is speaking up to you from that page.
There was a preacher, in reference to the many people who just wish they could hear the voice of God, like those on TV claim,
who asked, "If you want to hear the voice of God, then why not start reading your Bible out loud?")
John 1:14a And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
Hebrews 10:7a Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,)
(The entire word of God, small "w", is all about the Word of God, large "W".
The Word of God, large "W", was made flesh, he put himself in a body, and came among us, to die for us and rise from the dead.
So, why is it so hard to believe that the Word of God, large "W", put himself in a book, in writing, and came among us.
And that he reveals himself, and his sacrifice for us, that he had written there in many types, pictures, patterns, from that book?
He has revealed to us, from the book, everything about him that we need to be saved.
He has also revealed to us, from the book, everything that we need to know, in order to have fellowship with him.
Every true thing that we know about Jesus, he only revealed to us by the book.
Jesus came to each one of us by the book, the eternal God reached out from eternity, through the words on the pages of his book,
which he sent from eternity to our world, to be written down in the first place.
Direct communication from our supernatural, omnipotent, God, through a portal of words on a page,
where supernatural faith is imparted to us from those words, so that we can believe what he is telling us.
The Word of God, large "W", is there, on the throne in heaven, in that body that he came to us in,
and he is speaking directly to each one of us by the words written in that book, the word of God, small "w".
Are we beginning to catch a glimpse of the power of that supernatural book that we have in our lap?
Every time we open the book, we are instantly in his presence, in direct communication with our God and Saviour.
There is supernatural power in each and every word written in that book.)
John 6:63b the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
(They are not simply words on a page, but supernatural spirit and life.
And he does wonderous things in our hearts and minds, with those words, as we read them in the book.)
(We believe that Jesus is in our hearts, so why is it so hard to believe that he is in the book?)
Matthew 1:1a The book of the generation of Jesus Christ,
Revelation 19:13b and his name is called The Word of God.
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