Posted by Anonymous on 2015/05/04 under Uncategorized Greetings to you all in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through whom we have seen that all things are made possible. My name is Anon Anon and I represent ANON PENTI CHURCH WITH STUPID COMPETITION WEEK OF AP EXAMS. What’s so wonderful this morning is that each and every one of us here, regardless of where we’re from, or regardless of our daily lives, have come here to glorify our living God. I am speaking of a God who created the heavens and the earth. The God of all wonders who made light out of the void. The very same God who built for us a path that would eventually lead us back into his loving arms. In truth, this path is filled with many trials, tribulations, and temptations. But as we were created in his very nature, he knew that we would persist and that we could not stray from the path, and that we would strive with faith, hope, and love.
Fully knowing that we were not equipped to take on this path by ourselves, God gave us his word to not only inform us, but to transform us. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3:16.) The scripture is also the foundation for many of our core values and beliefs. The Bible provides God’s perspective on how we should live our daily lives, which in turn becomes our instruction manual of sorts. On the metaphorical path I had mentioned earlier, many of us tend to stumble or lose our way. Fortunately, the scripture offers us His pardon for our sins and shows us how to live in a way that is honorable, especially in a world of chaos. It also reveals His purpose for our lives and teaches us to be effective witnesses for Jesus.
Throughout the entirety of the Bible, God’s love and compassion for humanity is showered down on us. It is not uncommon to hear that the Bible is referred to as God’s love letter to man. We have read about a God who relentlessly pursues his children, a God who seeks to have fellowship, and finally a God who was willing to sacrifice his son for us. One of the key verses of the bible, John 3:16, is a powerful message that summarizes the depth of God’s love for us.
Although the majority of us have had an encounter with God at least once in our life, it is rare for someone to see God in person. Fortunately, the scriptures reveal God’s attributes and paints a portrait of a merciful, all powerful, unchanging God. Faith calls for us to put our trust in a God, not through proof, but through spiritual apprehension. Despite not seeing him in person, we know that our God is holy, sovereign, righteous, and just; that He is loving, merciful, and kind; and that He is gracious, patient, and faithful.
As Pentecostals, we place emphasis on the Holy Spirit and it’s gifts. God’s precious word teaches us to bear fruits for the Lord. Once one gets into the habit of reading and meditation, we allow a door to open, and let His Holy Spirit control our lives. The precious word of God make us more receptive to the voice of The Holy Spirit. It is through the spirit that we obtain gifts like wisdom and direction which, in return, help us have fellowship with the Lord through mediation. These gifts are essential, as it is God’s way of equipping us with something that will lead others into his kingdom.
As I had mentioned earlier, the path that we take throughout life is filled with trials, tribulations, and temptations. Concurrent to these ideas, the word of God acts as a source of comfort, a weapon, and as a consecrating agent. The Word of God is a vital resource in our walk with the Lord. As it is written in John 16:33, Jesus had told his disciples, “In this world you will have tribulation.” Although the world is filled with tribulations, we all know that Jesus came down and overcame the world. Therefore, we as Christians, who are meant to model ourselves after Him, can also overcome tribulation with the guidance of the Word of God.
The Word of God also consecrates us. From a very young age, we are taught that we are first sanctified by the Word of God when we become born again. By believing in the word that is preached to us, we separate ourselves from the world because we become new creations in Christ Jesus. As per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “the old has gone, the new is here!”
The Word of God is most commonly used as a weapon that can be used to advance the Kingdom of God. Hebrews 4: 12 says “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. It discerns the thoughts and intents of men’s hearts.” Nothing is hidden in God’s omnipotence and the same goes for the Holy Spirit. It is through the Holy Spirit’s guidance that many more people can enter God’s kingdom. He also knows what is needed for spiritual growth and edification of Christians which prepares us in case we have to defend our beliefs to unbelievers. The scripture is also a weapon to be used to fight off temptation. As we were all taught in Sunday School, the sword of the spirit is reflective of the Bible. When tempted in the wilderness, Jesus responded by quoting the scriptures. “It is written…” (Luke 4:1-12.) Through close meditation and daily reading, we can use the Word of God to fight off temptation just as Jesus did.
The truth is that with such readily available access to the living word, many of us tend to leave our Bibles in the basement in favor of social media and television. As someone who can relate to this and knowing the many purposes and such significance, I encourage all of you to pick up the Word of God and meditate. I would like to close with 1 Peter 2: 2, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” Let us all choose to divert ourselves from the immoral world and engross ourselves in the living word of God.