Eden

Here Are Three Steps To Building God’s Word Into Your Life

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My favorite chocolate bar is M& M. Why? Because for me it represent two important words: Memorize and Meditate Scripture. The foundational Bible verse for my Blog site is Revelation 3:20 “Jesus is at the door waiting to be invited in for an intimate time with a believer. It’s a ‘daily appointment’, ‘some personal time’, or many like to call it a ‘Quiet Time’. Nothing new, from the beginning of time, daily God seek company with Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden. This morning I came across a meditation written by John G Butler that fits so well with the basic philosophy of my blog.

John G Butler, ‘Facts of the Matter: Daily Devotionals’

  1. MEMORIZE IT

As a newly born again teenager, I got started on consistent Scripture memory. Nothing has so powerfully affected me spiritually as this difficult but life-changing discipline. Here are three reasons for doing it:

  1. To transform your mind in order to live out God’s will: “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God‘s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
  2. To help you win the spiritual battle over sin and Satan: After 40 days of fasting and prayer, Jesus was tempted by Satan. In all three instances, He won over the Enemy by quoting Scripture that was appropriate to the situation, “Jesus answered, ‘It is written… it is written… it is written… ‘” (Matthew 4:4, 6, 7) If Jesus deemed it necessary to utilize the Scriptures in this manner for spiritual victory, how about you and me?!
  3. To equip you to help others spiritually: Ever have the experiences of fumbling with your Bible in trying to find a verse? Memorizing key Scriptures supplies you with the tools to intelligently and powerfully minister God’s Word to others. “The Scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God, and fit him fully for all branches of his work.” (2 Timothy 3:17 — Phillips Translation)

 

II. ANALYZE IT (or Meditate)

Years ago, I remember reviewing a pre-med student’s memory verses. He had them down cold! Boy was I impressed! Then I began asking him what the verses meant, and he didn’t have a clue! So, as you are in the process of memorizing a verse or passage, ponder and mull over its meaning in your mind. Dig out its definition by studying it in its context.

III.PERSONALIZE IT

While you are memorizing Scripture, ask God where and how He wants you to change in applying its truths to your life. Someone once said, “God did not give us the Scriptures to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.”

Every person I know who is dead-serious about his walk with God has made an earnest effort to memorize God’s Word.

QUESTION: Did you, this morning, open the door to Jesus? Did you take time to read the Bible (God’s own word)?

 

What happened to meeting with God?

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Am I a religious person or am I seeking a relationship with God?

The author A.W. Tozer wrote, “From man’s standpoint the most tragic loss suffered in the Fall was the vacating of this inner sanctum (man’s spirit) by the Spirit of God.” When Adam and Eve disobey God in the Garden of Eden, something regrettable took place. Eloquently Tozer wrote, “At the far-in hidden center of man’s being is a bush fitted to be the dwelling place of the Triune God. There God planned to rest and glow with moral and spiritual privilege and must now dwell there alone. For so intimately private is the place that no creature can intrude; no one can enter but Christ, and He will enter only by the invitation of faith.”

The Good News is that it is still possible to restore our lost relationship with God. Jesus Himself said “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). When a person “open the door” to Christ, He is invited into someone inner sanctum, the far-in hidden center of man’s being; then a miracle takes place, it is called the <new birth>. How does the new birth take place? It is operative by the Holy Spirit; the “divine nature” enters the deep-in core of the believer’s heart and establishes residence there. The apostle Paul add, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his,” for “the Spirit itself witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:9, 16). Such a one is a true Christian, and only such.

What happened to meeting with God? Did you take the time this morning to meet with God? “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Breakfast will feed your body, but what about your far-in hidden center? Don’t be content by reading a little devotional, instead take time to meet with God!

The Complete Man!

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Lately, a dear friend wrote a quote saying, “If it is true that the male is made up of boys and men, however it is a boy by birth but man by decision!”

There are two types of men: there is the natural man and the spiritual man. I will incorporate another word to help explain my point. When I use the word “complete” man I mean the person who adds the spiritual dimension to his natural life. First a man is a boy by birth; he then becomes a man with time. However, the mature man must also become a complete man. The complete man is the one who adds the spiritual dimension to his life.

Nicodemus was a mature and religious man; but he was not a spiritual man. One day by night he came to Jesus. Remember that Jesus was one the only man to be a complete man from the beginning. Why did he come from heaven to us? He came to tell us how to become complete men.  We read in John 3:6 Jesus explaining to Nicodemus that “Flesh and blood gives birth to flesh and blood, but the Spirit gives birth to things that are spiritual.” The complete man is a person in whom the Spirit of God gives birth to his spiritual dimension. The spiritual dimension was lost when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.  Jesus, the man from heaven, came to show to the natural man how to become a spiritual man.

The complete man, not surprisingly, wants to become a disciple of Jesus. A disciple’s desire is to dedicate his life to the Savior. Romans 12:1 explain how to avoid conformity and to choose transformation instead. There must be that once-and-for-all dedication of the person and his body to the Lord. That means letting him deny himself and taking up his cross daily.

Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum wrote, “The dedication of a man’s body has two elements; a negative one and a positive one. Negatively, the commitment is: denying himself. That means, “Saying ‘no’ to himself,” and that is what happens when a man dedicates himself and his body to the Lord. Then the positive of the commitment is: taking up his cross daily. To “take up the cross” means to identify with the Messiah, more specifically with His rejection.”[1]

The complete man concept does apply to woman as well.

[1] Arnod G. Fruchtenbaum, The Messianic Bible Study Collection, vol. 140 (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1983), 9