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Luke 8:16-18 (ESV) “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”
Many quote the first part of this parable, but verse 18 has the word “Therefore,” which ties together hiding our light with how we hear.
With constant exposure to wrong doctrines, strongholds of wrong thinking and wrong believing will increase (we get more added), and our light gets progressively hidden. (what we seem to have, is taken away) No one intentionally does this; it comes from the enemy’s deception and catering to selfish desires and itchy ears.
We must all ask ourselves this question; What are the primary ways that we learn about God and His word? Through the teachings of others (leavened bread) or through reading and listening to the Bible for ourselves? (unleavened bread)
Only by the sharpness of the living word can we rightly discern and divide the truth. If we avoid the portions of God’s word that cut, pierce, and prunes us, we quickly slip into error and deception. Our light gets hidden, and our witness to the world is compromised.
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Many would say, “It is hard to read the Bible, hard to understand.” I would say to those people, walking and talking were challenging too, until you learned how to do it. Now it comes naturally.
Our leaders cannot walk or talk for us. Neither can they feed us anything more than leavened bread. We need the unleavened bread and the sincere milk of God’s word, and we must learn to feed ourselves.
The interesting thing about spiritual hunger is that it comes from feeding, not starving. The more we give ourselves to reading the word, the more we will enjoy it and desire it.
1 Peter 2:2 (ESV) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Notice that Peter said, “As newborn babes?” He isn’t pointing out baby Christians; he is saying that our hunger and desire for the word of God should be like an infant that cries for life-giving milk every few hours. Mature and immature Christians alike.
Ask yourself, “what am I hungry for? Am I hungry for God and His word, or the latest preaching and teaching from my favorite ministers?” They are not even close to being the same.
If a minister reads the scriptures alone, you feed on the unleavened bread of truth. As soon as the minister explains and expounds on that truth, you are eating leavened bread, filtered through a vessel with two opposing natures.
I am not saying we don’t need ministers to help us rightly divide the truth. I am saying that we should be mindful not to make it our primary source.
Quoted from the book, The Spiritual Warfare Manifesto
Thank you for visiting truthpressure.com. I hope this has been a blessing to you.
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Tagged as newborn babes, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, faith, inspiration, spiritual hunger, spiritual warfare, the word is alive, the word is sharp, Truth Pressure, truthpressure, unleavened bread
God’s word still becomes flesh as we abide in it, revealing God’s divine mystery in and through us as we embrace it.
Notice in John 1:14 that after the Word became flesh, we then beheld His glory. Glory, in this sense, means any made-seen expression or revealed attributes of God. It means that the Word becoming flesh results in God’s glory being revealed.
Colossians 1:26-27 (NKJV) the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Christ in us is the Father’s hope of making Himself seen and known to the world through His chosen people. We are the hope of His glory revealed. This is one of the gospel’s great mysteries.
“Christ in us, the hope of making God seen and known to the world.”
Israel remained bound by a slave mentality. They could not embrace their identity as chosen sons, partly because they despised the manna. Instead of being thankful for daily provision, they complained about it, not realizing that God was meeting them every day, trying to penetrate their hardened hearts by revealing His goodness and faithfulness. They refused to believe.
If we despise God’s written word today, we will not have the knowledge, understanding, or strength to believe and obey Him. Only by abiding in the truth of His Word will we be freed from the bondage of sin consciousness, and reveal God’s glory to the world through our lives.
John 8:31-32 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.“
To abide means to live. We must live in His word to be considered true disciples. Knowing the truth that sets us free requires living in that truth—not visiting it occasionally or residing in it part-time.
God has designed us in a way that requires dependence upon Him to reach our full potential and highest expression in this life. He has called us to partner with Him in this glorious faith journey. The life of God we experience on this journey is directly related to how much we abide in His written Word.
John 15:7 (NKJV) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
Jesus said when tempted by the devil, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). How will we know what is written unless we read it for ourselves?
The life of God comes from the word of God. Not listening to preachers and teachers; those are for our equipping. Reading books from our favorite Christian authors, watching Christian TV, or listening to Christian radio are all leavened bread and should be considered supplements to the pure spiritual food of God’s written word. We can survive off those other things, but we cannot thrive. The life of God comes from the unleavened bread of the Bible.
Just like a newborn baby will cry for life-giving milk every few hours, we should hunger and thirst for God’s holy word the same way.
1 Peter 2:2-3 (NKJV) as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
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Tagged abide in God's word, Christianity, desire the sincere milk, faith, How to fight the good fight, hunger for the word, inspiration, spiritual warfare, the word becomes flesh, the word is alive, the word made flesh, Truth Pressure, truthpressure
The written word of God is here to test us, just like the manna from Heaven tested Israel to see if they would walk in obedience. God sees how much we love and respect His written word and how important His thoughts and desires are to us. Our relationship and perspective on the written word reveal how much we love and believe in Him. They are the same. Our love for God will never rise above our love for the Bible and all its precious content. It is the only book that is alive!
Thank you for visiting truthpressure.com. I hope this has been a blessing to you.
JC
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Tagged Christianity, eat my flesh and drink my blood, faith, honor the word, inspiration, know the truth, living word, religion, the bread of life, the truth will set you free, the word is alive, Truth Pressure, truthpressure
Have you noticed that reading the Bible is actually harder than reading a secular book or magazine? I have picked up a good fiction novel and finished it within a day or two many times. In fact, I have read Christian books about the Bible and have been able to cruise through most of them in a short time as well. However, when I pick up the Bible and determine to read say…5 chapters, by the time I am done (if I finish) I am exhausted! Why is that!?
When asking the Lord about this, He gave me some real insight as to why this happens, and I want to share.
First off, the Bible is a LIVING book! God’s Word is ALIVE and ACTIVE. It is full of GRACE and TRUTH!
HEBREWS 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Anytime we are exposed to the living Word of God it requires spiritual and physical effort. The impact of truth on the carnal man cause the fallen nature to DIE! Your carnal man does not want to die so the flesh resists even opening the Bible, let alone reading multiple chapters.
Consider this passage of scripture in light of these thoughts:
Exodus 33:20-23 But He (GOD) said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” 21 And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 “So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 “Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.
GALATIANS 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
If we maintain a disciplined approach to reading and studying our Bible, we will be successful in “Dying to Self.” This is a core message of the Gospel. Without the old man dying, we will never experience the fullness of the new man in Christ.
COLOSSIANS 3:10 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
EPHESIANS 4:21-24 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Thank you for visiting truthpressure.com. I hope this has been a blessing to you.
JC
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