The topic of my Wednesday affirmation blog series is, “studying God’s word.” The two things every Christian must do daily if they want to please God is to pray and read their Bible. Every manufacturer on the planet who makes a product for sale that is complex or difficult to understand will always provide an owner’s manual so the buyer can derive the most benefit from its purchase. That’s a reasonable thing to do. It’s the common sense thing to do. The Bible says man is manufactured by God. We are God’s masterpiece of creation. Man is comprised of thirty trillion specialized cells organized into organs, tissues, and complex body systems. Man is a bio-mechanical marvel equipped with the greatest computer in the universe; our mind. Don’t believe all that crap about man evolving from apes or one-cell organisms from an ancient sea. Our humanist world had to come up with something to hide the truth of God from man and that’s the best they could come up with. Unfortunately, most of the world believes this lie because our education system has been indoctrinating us all our lives. There’s not a shred of evidence to support the theory of evolution. It’s all make-believe and wishful thinking.
God made us with his own hands and he put us on this earth he created for us. God has put us here to make the free will decision to serve either God or Satan. Choose rightly. God has given us seventy-plus years to do the “good works” he has planned for us to do. The only good work we do for God that has eternal consequences is “witnessing for Christ” to save nonbelievers to the kingdom of heaven. I think we can agree that man is both complex and difficult to understand. I think we can agree God is reasonable and he has common sense. Isn’t it obvious to you by now that our God needs to provide an owner’s manual for man, his masterpiece of creation? Otherwise, God is just wasting his time and ours! If we cannot understand where we came from and what we must do then we’re walking around blind and we’ll never see heaven. Not to worry. God has thought of everything. God has indeed provided an owner’s manual for man, so we can find all the answers to life we seek. God’s word, our Holy Bible, is our owner’s manual and we need to read it daily and study it for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to reach our full potential.
PRAYER AFFIRMATION:
Colossians 3:10 – (Believers) have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.
Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of god.
MY AFFIRMATION:
When I was a nonbeliever I was conformed to this world. That’s no longer the case. I’m now conformed to heaven. I’m a “new” man because God has given me a “new” spirit. I have been saved unto eternal life in heaven by accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I’m still in the world but not part of it; my citizenship is in heaven. I’m constantly renewing my mind by studying God’s word for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. As I absorb God’s wisdom every day I’m transformed into an obedient servant of Almighty God, and I emulate Jesus Christ in everything I do. I will “witness for Christ” and save many nonbelievers to the kingdom of heaven for it is the acceptable, perfect will of God.
NOTE: Most people reading the Bible don’t have a clue what God is talking about in the two verses listed above. Many see the renewing of our minds as something God does to us or for us. The word renew means, “to replace something broken or worn out.” We do the replacing not God. Our thought patterns are what’s broken and we have to change the paradigm. We need to stop thinking only about the world from our perspective and start thinking about the world in the spiritual sense; from God’s perspective. In Colossians 3:2 God says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” That is what happens when we renew our minds. Don’t confuse “sanctification” with “renewing.” We do the renewing and God does the sanctification. Sanctification is an ongoing process whereby God makes the believer more holy during our life on earth so we become more like Jesus Christ. Justification is the act of salvation; a one-time event. Sanctification I’ve already covered. Our “glorification” is from God and it occurs once we go to heaven and stand before the bema judgment seat of Jesus Christ. The Lord will shower us with honor, glory, and riches, based on how many souls we save to heaven. If you save at least one person to heaven you become a warrior for Christ. The Bible, the sword of truth, is the only weapon you’ll ever need to prevail against the evil in this world.
The word conform means, “to be similar in form or type.” That means everyone is born with a basic understanding of our physical world through our five senses. We all “conform” to the world we live in. We see the world pretty much the same way. Renewing our minds is an individual thing; a personal thing; and it’s something each of us has to do ourselves at a pace that suits us as individuals. Some Christians will renew their minds faster, some will be slower, and some won’t renew their minds at all. How on earth do we renew our minds? We reprogram (renew) our minds one day at a time as we read the Bible daily and study God’s word for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. We start thinking about heaven more and more while thinking about our physical world less and less. We pray to God for his revelation of things to come. It’s a labor of love for me and a task that will take me a lifetime. As believers renew their minds through Bible study they will come to understand that we’re to obey God’s commandments, especially the number one commandment of God which is to, “witness for Christ” to save nonbelievers to the kingdom of heaven.
It’s our primary mission on earth and the “good work” that is dearest to God’s heart. If we witness for Christ effectively God will shower us with honor, glory, and riches on the last day. Everyone who is born in this world has an eternal spirit from God that is tainted by the original sin from Adam’s fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. Since all of us descend from Adam his sin has been imputed to each of us. We are all headed to hell for all eternity unless God forgives us of our sins. We cannot enter heaven with the “spirit man” we were born with because of that sin. God doesn’t allow sin in heaven. Because of the blood Jesus Christ shed on the cross in our place, God can forgive our sins and give us a new spirit that is without sin; if we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This is what God means when he says believers have, “put on the new man.” Jesus died for all our sins, but it’s up to each person to individually accept God’s grace by “putting on the new man” by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. A brand new spirit from God that is sin-free is our, “new man.” Remember, our spirit is the real us and not this temporary tent we live in.
PRAYER AFFIRMATION:
Proverbs 4:20-22 – My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
MY AFFIRMATION:
Holy God, Lord of heaven and earth, I will read my Bible every day so that my fellowship with God remains strong. I will continually study God’s word for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. The Bible is God’s truth and it will endure forever. The Bible is God’s wisdom and I will seek God’s wisdom every day through the pages of my Bible and also through prayer. O Lord, I will memorize and internalize your holy scriptures until they are locked within my heart and become an indivisible part of who I am. Lord, the promises contained in your word are health and healing to all my flesh. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
NOTE: Proverbs 4:20-22 is God’s clearest message to man that we are to abide in God’s word. One of the definitions of the word abide is, “lasting a long time.” After our salvation, we’re to immerse ourselves in the Bible for the rest of our lives so we keep our fellowship with God strong. By using the words, “my son”, God is acknowledging we are his children. God is telling us he loves us and he has some advice for us that will lead to a successful life. God is also telling us to read the Bible every day. God is telling us to hear the word of God spoken as much as possible. God is telling us to commit Bible verses to memory so we keep them in our hearts and they become an integral part of who we are as Christians. In times of trouble, I can recall a few Bible verses that helped me get through some difficulties I was facing. God is always with us and faithful to help us in our time of need if we ask him in prayer. God promises an abundant life and good health to all believers who pray daily for his blessings, read their Bible often, and obey the commandments of God.
PRAYER AFFIRMATION:
John 16:13 – (Jesus) – However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; For He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
MY AFFIRMATION:
I have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit since I was twelve years old. I was saved unto eternal life in heaven by accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior by my confession of faith and baptism before the congregation of the First Baptist Church in my hometown. I pray that the spirit of truth will guide me into all truth as I read God’s word daily and study my Bible for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Daily I will pray to God for his wisdom so that the Holy Spirit will tell me things to come. O Lord, make me healthy, wealthy, and wise!
NOTE: The Holy Bible is the truth of God. The Bible is the wisdom of God. The Bible is the key to understanding everything on earth and in heaven. It contains all the answers to every question we seek the answers to. The Bible is worth more than all the accumulated wealth of the whole world combined, and God is giving it to us for free. However, there is a catch. The Lord doesn’t let just anyone access the mysteries of God. Only those Christian believers who have been saved unto eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are allowed to know the mysteries of God. Those who claim to be Christians but don’t know Jesus personally don’t have access to the wisdom of God. Nonbelievers also have no shot. Giving the Bible to a nonbeliever is a little like giving a monkey a computer and telling him to go surf the internet. James 1:5 contains an important promise from God. Believers should be praying to God every day for his wisdom as they read their Bible. God will reveal the mysteries of heaven to believers if they ask him in prayer. God cannot lie.
PRAYER AFFIRMATION:
Psalm 1:1-3 – Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
MY AFFIRMATION:
Holy God, Lord of heaven and earth; you have blessed me with eternal life in heaven and given me an unquenchable thirst for your word. The Holy Spirit has given me the ministry of reconciliation, which is to study God’s word and give my testimony. Lord, I will meditate in your law day and night and I ask for your blessing as I abide in your word and you abide in me. I will fellowship with other believers and pray daily before the throne of grace for you to bless me. I will be wise and seek the advice of other believers on important matters so God will bless me with wisdom. Lord, I’m grateful for the many blessings in my life that I have received from your hand. Lord, I thank you for making me prosperous.
NOTE: God doesn’t hear the prayers of nonbelievers. God will only bless believers. As we read our Bibles we should be on the lookout for Bible verses where God promises to bless us if we do something revealed in the verse. Whatever that “something” is, do it and keep doing it until God delivers on his promise to “bless” us. The word “blessing” means, “God’s favor and protection.” That sounds pretty good to me and God cannot lie. In Psalm 1:1-3, God offers us five blessings and three promises. When God uses the word “shall” it’s a promise from God. God says to not take advice from nonbelievers because they are fools and we are, therefore, blessed when we listen to the advice of other believers. God also says don’t keep company with sinners because you’ll be tempted to sin with them. The book of Proverbs has a lot to say on this subject. On the flip side, our blessings from God will come when we hang out with fellow believers, because we support and encourage one another in our faith. God says don’t be scornful (which is to say, a nonbeliever) or we’ll wind up in hell for all eternity in pain and agony 24/7. Our blessings from God come when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
We are blessed by God when we love his word, and doubly blessed as we read our Bible every day for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. The five things I’ve covered that God will bless us for are all pretty easy to do. Become a believer who prays to God every day. Love God’s word. Study the bible. Save nonbelievers. Avoid sinners. Seek advice only from fellow believers. How easy is that? The great thing about Psalm 1:1-3 is that God tells us what blessings we can expect if we obey him. God uses a metaphor comparing us to a tree to explain the blessings we’ll receive from him for our obedience. We’re planted next to water so we’re nourished. We’re fruitful because we’re fulfilling God’s intended purpose. We have no disease or infirmity. It sounds like a blessed life for a tree, and it should be the same for us so we’ll have a long and successful life. Just in case we missed what God is saying, God makes his meaning very clear with the last statement in the verse when he says, “And whatever he does shall prosper.” The key to all the blessings God has to offer to believers is to study our Bible, pray without ceasing, and witness for Christ. The destiny of every saved Christian is to be in the presence of Jesus forever. The Lord will shower us with honor, glory, and riches on the last day if we’ve been obedient to his commandments, especially when we witness for Christ to save nonbelievers to heaven.