To get to Heaven, you have to go to the river Jordan and dip seven times. After that, go dash your foot against a stone while jumping off the pinnacle of the temple. When that is through, go eat stones in the wilderness for forty days. If you hear voices after all that, then you should be OK. If not, you need to go into your mother's womb a second time. You get there by paying money to the church and lighting some candles before putting on the white robes for 40 days after Christmas...
You know what? On the other hand, I am thankful for the word of God, the Bible. I am thankful that God did not ask us to rely on man's oral traditions. Without His written word, I suspect that things like what I wrote above could be taken as truth. But God has not left us without His witness.
God gave us His creation to show that He is eternally powerful. Only an Eternal God could have made this world. And only a Powerful God could have made it as He did. But, creation isn't enough. He also gave us His law, that law which is perfect, able to convert the soul.
Before the Bible was completed, He called His apostles and prophets to speak the word audibly to men. To confirm that what they were saying was truly His word, He confirmed their speach with signs and miracles. I imagine it would have been easy to believe what Paul was saying right after he raised somebody from the dead. I'm sure when Peter walked by and some sick folk were healed, it would not have been too difficult to hear and listen to what he was going to say. God confirmed His word by miracles before it was fully written down and completed.
One of the passages in the Bible that has intrigued me for a long time is II Peter 1:16-21. Peter talks about how he heard the word of God audibly from Heaven. God spoke His word to him out loud. And Peter tells us that in the written word of God, we have something that is more sure! It is more sure than the audible voice of God.
Seeing a miracle would be pretty neat, but I have the completed written word of God. It will never change, I can always go back to it and depend on it. It is able to make me wise unto salvation. It will keep me from sin (or sin will keep me from it!). It can cleanse my way. It will establish me as a tree planted by the rivers of water. It will teach me. It will reprove me. It will correct me. It will instruct me. If I meditate on it, observe it, so that I can do it, then I will find that I can make my way prosperous and have good success. It comforts me in my affliction. It is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path. It will keep me from being offended. It will equip me and bring me to perfection.
Oh, how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
I am thankful for God's word.
You know what? On the other hand, I am thankful for the word of God, the Bible. I am thankful that God did not ask us to rely on man's oral traditions. Without His written word, I suspect that things like what I wrote above could be taken as truth. But God has not left us without His witness.
God gave us His creation to show that He is eternally powerful. Only an Eternal God could have made this world. And only a Powerful God could have made it as He did. But, creation isn't enough. He also gave us His law, that law which is perfect, able to convert the soul.
Before the Bible was completed, He called His apostles and prophets to speak the word audibly to men. To confirm that what they were saying was truly His word, He confirmed their speach with signs and miracles. I imagine it would have been easy to believe what Paul was saying right after he raised somebody from the dead. I'm sure when Peter walked by and some sick folk were healed, it would not have been too difficult to hear and listen to what he was going to say. God confirmed His word by miracles before it was fully written down and completed.
One of the passages in the Bible that has intrigued me for a long time is II Peter 1:16-21. Peter talks about how he heard the word of God audibly from Heaven. God spoke His word to him out loud. And Peter tells us that in the written word of God, we have something that is more sure! It is more sure than the audible voice of God.
Seeing a miracle would be pretty neat, but I have the completed written word of God. It will never change, I can always go back to it and depend on it. It is able to make me wise unto salvation. It will keep me from sin (or sin will keep me from it!). It can cleanse my way. It will establish me as a tree planted by the rivers of water. It will teach me. It will reprove me. It will correct me. It will instruct me. If I meditate on it, observe it, so that I can do it, then I will find that I can make my way prosperous and have good success. It comforts me in my affliction. It is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path. It will keep me from being offended. It will equip me and bring me to perfection.
Oh, how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
I am thankful for God's word.
1 comment:
I get a little chill when I read Revelation 19:11-16... "His eyes were as a flame of fire...on his head were many crowns...he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood...and his name is called The WORD OF GOD."
Wow - !
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