Video: Your Word is my Refuge

The Big Idea: Psalm 119, a great passage about God's Word, encourages us to shelter in Him. 

Stay at Home, stay in the Word!

You are my refuge and my shield;
    your word is my source of hope.
Psalm 119:114 (NLT)

Psalm 119 is one of the greatest passages in the Bible about the Word of God. It is exactly at the center of the Bible. It has 167 verses, which are in 22 stanzas. Each stanza starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And every single verse makes references to the Word of God. Sometimes it is called "Your Word." But other times it says your commands, your statutes, your laws, your instruction, etc. 

Several verses talk about God as our refuge, our protector. And with that, God's Word gives us hope. I have been meditating these days on refuge. I am reminded of a time about 15 years ago when I had a chance to attend a couple retreats at a silent order Monastery. Monastery of the Holy Spirit, in Conyers, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. Listen to my Video Blog to hear about the light it shed into my life. 

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Video: God's Word is for YOU! (Nehemiah 8:8)

God's Word: Applicable for ALL!

Nehemiah 8:8 (NIV)

"They read from the book of the Law, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being said."

This little gem of a verse is very meaningful when you see the context!  It shows us that God's Word is even more valuable when it is explained by teachers. We can also deduce from this that the Bible is to be understood in your own language, and your own context. A biblical passage from the Old Testament (444 BC) before Christ was even born is able to be applied to my daily life and yours. 

What really excites me about this verse is that God's Word was "made clear."  When you go to the original Hebrew text (you can find it in a Strong's Concordance), you see that the word used there can be translated "translated." In fact it is good to compare Bible translations, and you will see that the New New American Standard Bible uses this word. Some other Bible translations use the term "distictly." This is because the word in Hebrew means to slice and dice,  and make the meaning clear and distinct. It also applies to translation. 

Having worked at Bible Institute for pastoral training in West Africa for ten years, I found a clear understanding of God's Word, the culture of the Bible, and the culture it is applied to, to be important pieces to share about God. We as American international workers, in Jesus' name, must be very clear to not bring an American form of the Gospel or have it perceived as a white man's God. The Bible was not written in America! It came from  Middle Eastern context over a period of 1400 years. It is in sync as for Biblical thought and teaching about God, from one era of Bible times to another. It is applicable to every man and woman, every child, and every tribe and nation in it's own time, because our God transcends time and places and wants to reach out for a relationship with all people!  It is thrilling to explain the Bible to people and see the light come on because God reaches into their individual circunstance and touches their life.

May you look at the Bible in a fresh way today. Ask God to give you wisdom for today, for whatever is your life situation. 

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Video: God's Word: So inspiring! (2 Peter 1: 20-21)

The Very Words of God: In Sync! 

2 Peter 1: 20-21 (NLT)

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

Can we trust God's Word? Is it only a bunch of mish mashed pieces of words from contemplative old men of antiquity that got strung together for good advice? 

The Word of God is not just a bunch of wise sayings. It is the very word of God. The Holy Spirit moved men of God, men who heard the whisper of God in their ears, their heart, and their very soul to write down their story, and what God had for His people to know. He used these people to write down words that are surprizingly in sync with each other through centuries and across cultures.

The Bible was written over a period of 1400 years with over 40 different authors who came from a variety of backgrounds. Some were prophets and priests. But others came from a background like a tax collector, a doctor, shepherds and more! 

See how this process is decribed in 2 Peter 1:20-21.

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Video: Be a Scripture Spy! Get into God's Word

Get into God's Word: Be a Scripture Spy!

Hebrews 4: 12 (NLT)
   For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Get into God's Word and it will really get into you! This verse reveals how powerful God's Word, the Bible, is for our everyday life. It is alive, piercing, and effects us deep into our private thoughts.

This video is a wonderful passage about the Word of God and a great introduction to being a Scripture Spy.  

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