As We Consider The Voice of Truth!

Scripture: James 4:14 For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (NKJV)

Introduction: We have a prayer meeting right up here every Monday night. Several of my closest Brothers in Christ meet in this place we call the upper room. We call it the upper room because it is a loft up over my garage or junk shed, or whatever you want to call it.

Tonight we prayed until the table we were standing at, fell flat to the floor on one side. When the table fell it put me in mind of what happened when the twin towers fell burning to the ground. At least three thousand people lost their lives that day and since that day thousands more have died defending what they believe to be right.

What are you defending? Are you listening to the Voice of Truth? What have you done with Jesus? Are you standing for what is really right? How is what your doing with your life affecting your children? How is what you are allowing to go on in you home affecting your kids? Do you allow, sinful things to go on in your home? Are you living you life just for you or are you living for others? Does Jesus Christ live in your heart? Where is your eternal resting place? Are you heaven bound or is Satan in charge of your life?

These are questions we all need to know the answer to.

Here is another one for you to answer! Where were you when you heard the news of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001? We're not likely to forget the state of affairs surrounding that day in our lives. I will always remember where I was. It was in the galley of my shrimp trawler.

As we pause both as a people and more exclusively as a community of believers, I want to share with you three things that we need to keep in mind when we reflect on this tragic event or any other tragedy that comes our way as we travel on the journey of life.

1. Life Is Brief and Uncertain (James 4:13­17, 13)Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appreareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15) For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16) But now ye rejoice in your boasting; all such rejoicing is evil. 17) Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, an doeth it not to him it is sin.

Most of those who worked in the Trade Towers or the Pentagon woke up that morning, went through their morning routines, and ended up at work as usual.

Those who were on the fatal flights that day probably didn't think anything about getting on those planes. However, for many in the Trade Towers, for those on the planes, for those in the Pentagon, this was their last day. (We each have a last day coming!)

Life is brief and so uncertain. James says it's like a vapor that disappears in an instant. We should ask ourselves three questions:

A. Am I Ready to Die? Another way to ask this question is: What have you done with Jesus? The Bible says that God loves you, and that Jesus Christ suffered, died, and shed His blood and rose again so that we could be forgiven and restored to God. Have you ever confessed your sin to God? Have you ever believed and received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? If you have not, I beseech you make that decision right now because life is brief and uncertain. If you have made this decision, what kind of legacy will you leave when you die? Are there people you haven't forgiven? Friends you haven't shared the gospel with?

B. Am I Living in Surrender? James tells us not to tell others our plans, but to qualify every future action in our lives to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that" (James 4:14, 15). One of the biggest struggles in life for Christians is to submit our future to the Lord, but it's the most important struggle to overcome!

C. Am I Living to the Fullest? James tells us that knowing the good we should do and refraining from it is sin (v. 17)! While we are still living, we should take every opportunity to serve the Lord. Are you doing this?

2. God Is Our Only Source of Hope (Ps. 46). These verses tell us not to fear, but to hope in God during trouble.

Reflecting on the events of September 11, we are forced to answer some basic questions like, "Is there a God?" and, "What kind of God would let this happen?" Is this world just chaos, and is tragedy the proof? Is God cruel and heartless about us?

God has revealed Himself through this world and through Scripture, and as Christians, we believe He exists, so why did He allow this to happen? He is not uninvolved or uninformed, as some critics and even scholars might suggest; the Bible teaches that He is ultimately in control. The Lord works through tragedy. Was it not the most horrific tragedy when Jesus Christ, God in human form, was tortured and crucified?

Yet, the Lord provided salvation through this tragedy. It's God's job to guide His creation, and ours to hope only in Him.

3. We Should Be about our Fathers business in doing all we can at Eliminating Hatred and Terrorism (Rom. 1).

Romans 1:16 tells us that we are "not to be ashamed of the gospel because, 'it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.' " (NKJV)

That includes Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. This doesn't mean we support acts of terror or that we are promoting other religions, but it does mean that even terrorists are fallen, sinful people just like we are without the salvation of Jesus Christ. The gospel is a gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15). We, as believers, have a responsibility to fight darkness, terrorism, and hatred with prayer, and evangelism.

Are you doing your part?

Conclusion: Are you ready to die, to surrender, to live? Is your hope in God or yourself? What are you doing to advance the message of Jesus in your own community and around the world?

Listen: Our life is vanishing quickly, so make a decision today to surrender your life completely, hoping in Him through tragedy and triumph.

In this upper room we have made a decision to will our wills over to Christ so He can use us in whatever manner He sees fit. How about you? God’s Word is the Voice of Truth, His truth is calling out into the darkness of this world and asking you, "are you ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?" If you are ashamed, God is preparing a place for you along with Satan, if not, your place is going to be a place of beauty and glory where nothing rules but the Voice of Truth!

What is your truth?

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"

Robert N. Graves. Sr.
Fisherman for Christ!

GOD IS!

He is the First and Last. The Beginning and the End!
He is the Keeper of Creation and the Creator of all! He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times. He always was, He always is, and He always will be ...Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing! He was pierced and eased pain! He was persecuted and brought freedom! He was dead and brought life! He is risen and brings power! He reigns and brings Peace! The world can't understand him, The armies can't defeat Him,The schools can't explain Him, and The leaders can't ignore Him. Herod couldn't kill Him.

The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him, and The grave couldn't hold Him! Nero couldn't crush Him, Hitler couldn't silence Him, The New Age can't replace Him, and "atheists" can't explain Him away!

He is light, love, longevity, and Lord. He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God. He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and

His ways are right,His Word is eternal,His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.He is my Savior, He is my guide, and He is my peace! He is my Joy,He is my comfort, He is my Lord, and He rules my life!

I serve Him because His bond is love, His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise, the power of the powerful, the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the Lord of Lords, the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come.

And if that seems extraordinary to you, try this for size.

His goal is a relationship with ME! He will never leave me, never forsake me, never mislead me, never forget me, never overlook me and never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up! When I fail, He forgives! When I am weak, He is strong! When I am lost, He is the way! When I am afraid, He is my courage! When I stumble, He steadies me! When I am hurt, He heals me!When I am broken, He mends me! When I am blind, He leads me!When I am hungry, He feeds me! When I face trials, He is with me! When I face persecution, He shields me! When I face problems, He comforts me! When I face loss, He provides for me!

When I face Death, He carries me Home!
When I face Satan, He gives me strength!

He is everything for everybody, everywhere, every time, and every way.
He is God, He is faithful.

I am His, and He is mine!

My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world. So, if you're wondering why I feel so secure, understand this...

He said it and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side,

I have made up my mind, the cross is my shield.
From His blood flows my anointment and that means all is well with my soul.

Everyday is a blessing because,
GOD IS!

I follow the voice of truth!!

Mr. Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common Sense.Mr. Sense had been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge). His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place reports of:

* A six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate;

* Teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch;

* Mr. Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge financial settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by his step-brother, My Rights, and step-sister Ima Whiner.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

How about us?

As we move in to thankgiving week let us remember to use common sense in the the things we say and do. Let us be thankful for each other. Let us love one other as God loves us.

If you have an over abundance of anything in your live, give it away to someone who needs it worse than you do.

May God bless you and have a great Thanksgiving!

Robert N. Graves, Sr.

Fisherman for Christ

The Seven Keys to Choosing your friends!

Keys to Choosing Your Friends Are:

1. Do they have a good track record?

You can tell a lot about people by what they have done. A lot of people talk the talk but the question is, are they actually living what they are talking about? Jesus said we can know a person by his fruit or actions (Matt. 12:33). They can say they are moral and have high standards, but what do their actions say?

2.Do they respect your principles?

You have strong morals and say, “I believe sex should be saved for marriage.” Then if someone who claims to be your friend keeps pushing you to compromise your morals. GET AWAY! They are probably not your friend. A true friend will try to increase your deposit with God, not take away from it! (Prov. 13:20).

3.Do they give or receive ministry from you?

Jesus said if you are not hot or cold, He will spew you out of His mouth. Don’t be neutral! I also don’t want to spend most of my time with people that are neutral. I really enjoy hanging around people that I can give to, and will receive from me; or people that deposit good character into my life. I’ve found that my close friends do both. There are some days God really gives me something for them and other times they have something for me.

4.Do they sharpen your ax?

Are you improved by being with this person? I thank God for people that sharpen me and make me a better person, and that’s exactly what good friends will do (Prov. 27:17). It’s essential to have friends that sharpen and challenge us, egging us on to excellence.

5.Do they build you up?

God wants us built up, not beat up. I’ve found some people, because of their personal self-esteem, love to rip the people they are around to shreds with their words. I wonder, why would anybody hang around somebody like that? Just to be accepted by them? You don’t need to waste your time with people like that. We are to encourage one another and build each other up. Make sure the people you spend your time with do the same (1 Thess. 5:11).

6.Do they treat others well?

I’ve got a friend that told me the quickest way to found out about someone is to find out what he is saying about others. If people are selfish and judgmental toward others, I can promise eventually they will be that way toward you (Rom. 13:9).

7.Do they encourage your destiny?

I am so grateful for the people God brings across my path! Those friends will believe in you more that you believe in yourself. They see something in you that nobody else sees! They don’t want to exploit your gifts or manipulate you for their personal advantage, but they want to see you walk in God’s destiny, reaching your full, rich potential.

The people we should be hanging with should be encouragers and not discouragers. God puts it this way in Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

If a person is not a wholesome talker, and isn’t building you up for your benefit, find someone who is.

If you want to grow and maximize your gifts and calling, choosing your friends is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Remember, if we want friends in our lives that have these seven qualities, we need to show ourselves friendly with the same qualities (Prov. 18:24.)

I praise the Lord right now for my good friends. They are a blessing to me in many ways. Every one wants to feel wanted, needed, love, respected and the list is endless. True friends will make you feel this way! Mine do.

Another blessing is that I can say that my kids and wife are my closest friends this side of heaven.

About Friendship

“The Bible on friendship”

1) Friendship is a gift from God. “It is not good for man to be alone” Gen 2:18,NIV

2) Real friendship involves loyalty. “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” (Prov. 17:17)

3) Choose friends who love the Lord and have pure hearts. “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the name of the Lord with pure hearts.” (2nd Timothy 2:22)

4) What characteristics make you a good friend? “Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.” (Phil. 2:3-4)

5) Gossip can destroy friendship. “A gossip separates close friends.” (Proverbs 27:9)

6) Friends are worth keeping. “Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father’s. Then you won’t need to go to a distant relative for help in your time of need.” (Prov 27:9- 10.)

7) A friend cares enough to be honest with you even if it hurts. “Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from a enemy." Proverbs 27:6.

Good advice is hard to come by!

He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to.

The Decision!

The decision has been made, my die has been cast, and I have stepped over the line.

My die has been cast in the shape of the cross! His Cross!

As a disciple of Christ, I will no longer look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still!

From this day forward, I am finished with low living, sight walking, worldly talking, cheap giving, and my visions cannot be tamed!

I no longer need prosperity, position, promotions, power, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, recognized, raised up, praised, regarded, or rewarded.

I now live by faith, walk in victory, and labor in His love. The road before me is narrow and rough, but, His commission is undeniable, therefore my mission is clear and charted.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed!

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or ramble in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have prayed up, praised up, paid up, and spoke up for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

I will stand my ground no matter the cost, knowing my Savior died on the Cross.

I will not live anymore in Satan’s prison, knowing my Lord has truly risen.

He is King of my life forever to see, because with His blood, He has set me free!

He is Lord of my life forever, I will always give Him praise.
My course has been set; I will follow Him, all of my days!

I thank you Lord and Savior for everything you do,
I bow in worship before You, because I know Your Word is true!

Scripture in Your Heart

Attention: It may take you a couple of days to read this post but if you do you will be blessed greatly. It tells about Scripture which is one way God talks to us. Please read this post!

The Bible is not just a book you read for information. / You read it for transformation. / The words of Scripture are the very Word of God, and they change your heart as you meditate on them. /

This is what the Bible claims for itself: “It is the perfect treasure that changes us, enlightens us, judges us, equips us, and makes us grow.”

As you listen OR read what is said here, don’t just pass it over quickly. /Listen to the Scriptures used. /Savor them. /Repeat them to yourself. /Ponder their meaning for your life and allow them to penetrate your heart. / That is what Scripture itself tells us to do.

1) Meditating on scripture, the Word of God:

Joshua 1:8, “This book of the Law shall not depart (GO AWAY) from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do accordingly to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Where does the Word of God belong? /In your mouth and in your heart. / In Joshua 1:8 “this book of the Law” refers to the five books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy. / But the same command can be expanded to refer to all the books of Scripture, the whole Word of God. / The command is that it should be a part of your vocabulary all the time. /You should be speaking about Scripture and the things Scripture is concerned with at all times.

How can that happen? It will happen when you meditate on it day and night. / It’s a simple principle. / If you saturate your mind and your thoughts with the Word of God, it will come out in your speech. / If you saturate your mind and thoughts with other things, they will come out in your speech as well. /

The book of Proverbs tells us that as a man thinks in his heart, so he is, (Proverbs 23:7. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks,” (Matthew 12:34). If your heart is full of the Word of God, that’s what’s going to come out of your mouth. / Before that can happen, you have to fill your heart with the Word. /That’s why meditation is so important.

When you meditate—when you read a verse over and over and study its meaning—it begins to fill your heart. / I believe that is why God gave us a book and not a music video. A music video just goes flying by, jumping from one angle to the next, bombarding you with images, and then it’s gone. / Even the best movie just washes over you like a wave and then recedes. / Our experience of it is passing. / But words on a page are frozen there permanently. / You can go back to the same page, the same verse, over and over, and keep meditating on it. / You can compare and contrast it to other verses. / You can combine what several verses say and interpret them carefully. /That is meditation—not just a temporary encounter with the truth, but immersion in it. / Putting His Word in a book was the best way God could put a tool in our hands that would teach us to meditate.

If you meditate on the Bible day and night, it will start to come out of your mouth. / Your speech will be, “Gracious and seasoned with salt,” as Paul says in Colossians 4:6). / It will be the kind of talk that edifies, building others up rather than tearing them down, (1st Corinthians 14:26).

The purpose of meditation on God’s commands is “that you may observe to do according to all that is written.”/ The purpose is not just knowledge but obedience. / The promise here is that meditation will ultimately produce changed behavior because our hearts will be saturated with the Word of God. / David asks in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” / He is asking, “O LORD, please govern and guard the meditation of my heart.” / Why? / Because that is what is going to show up in my behavior.

As the Bible shapes you as a Christian, it brings blessing. / It promises that if you meditate on the Word, speak the Word, and live the Word, your way will be prosperous and you will have good success. / This is the real, “Prosperity gospel” –not the false message that God wants everyone to get rich quick. / God does not promise to make you prosperous just because you want things. / God promises to bless your spiritual life and your spiritual life with success through the deep understanding and application of Scripture.

2) Delighting in the Law of scripture:

Psalm 1:1-2, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

How can you be blessed? / How can you find the strength to keep from doing the things you know you should not do? /How can you find deep—seated contentment and spiritual well-being in all of life’s circumstances? / These verses are a promise of blessing, the psalmist says; don’t walk in the council of the ungodly. / Don’t be influenced by their spin on things, their assessment of the situation, or their solution to a problem.

A three stage process is pictured here, moving from walking to standing to sitting. / It starts with the image of walking alongside ungodly people engaged in casual conversation. Don’t even get started with that, the psalmist says. / Don’t expose yourself to the lies of people who evaluate the world apart from God’s Word.

The next image is standing with sinners. / If you find yourself walking with them, don’t allow yourself to stand and talk with them. / Don’t let the conversation become deeper and more penetrating.

The final image is actually sitting with the scornful—sharing their seat so that you become one of them. / Don’t get that close to those who mock God. / Certainly don’t take your seat in their classroom while they scoff at divine truth. / Too many young people sit in classrooms where a scornful teacher seeks to destroy their faith. /

If you want to be blessed, stay away from all that. Instead, find your delight in the law of the Lord. / To most of us today, the idea of delighting in the law is a strange concept. / We might fear the law or respect it, but to find pleasure in it is not something that crosses our minds. / But the Psalmist is thinking of the whole Torah as God’s gracious gift of guidance for how to live in a covenant relationship with Him. / God’s revelation of the right way to live and worship and know Him is something to delight in. / Psalm 119 uses the word; “delight” eight times to describe our attitude toward God’s Word. / It is a source of joy and satisfaction.

Rather than delighting in the latest sophisticated way of mocking what is good, find your pleasure in knowing and doing the will of God. / Meditate day and night on the Scriptures which reveal His will for your life. /
Then when you walk, you will walk with the godly; when you stand; you will stand with the righteous; when you sit, you will sit in the place of the holy. / This is the path to blessing!

3) The Diversity and Perfection of Scripture:

Psalm 19:7-9, The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The Statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The Commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The Fear of the LORD id clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

The Bible has more than one function in our lives. / The psalmist gives the Scriptures six different titles, reflecting six different features.

(1) As “The Law of the Lord,” it is God’s standard for human conducts.

(2) As “The Testimony of the Lord,” it is God’s self-disclosure, God giving testimony about who He is.

(3) As “The Statutes of the Lord,” it is the set of guidelines and principles the Lord wants us to know.

(4) As “The commandment of the Lord,” it is the binding and authoritative command God gives to us.

(5) As “The Fear of the Lord,” it is a manual on worship, teaching how to fear and worship God appropriately.

(6) As “The Judgment of the Lord,” the Scriptures provide for us the verdicts of the diving judge, God Himself. / The bible is all of that.

This psalm also tells us about the character of Scripture. / It is perfect. / The Hebrew word means complete, comprehensive, covering everything. / It is also sure—something reliable, something you can trust to support you. /

It is also right, directing you down the right path rather than steering you wrong. / It is pure. / The word actually means clear, without stain, without blemish, or flaw. / Finally, it is true, absolutely true. / What a testimony to Scripture: it is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true.

Then the psalmist tells us what the Bible does. / It converts the soul, transforming the whole inner person. / These are life-changing words. / It makes the simple wise. / The Hebrew word for “simple-minded” people were viewed as people who had the doors of their minds wide open. / They let everything in-with no discernment—but nothing stayed in. /

Sometimes I want to say to a person who brags about having an open mind. /“Shut it, please. / You’re letting everything get in and come out. / You need be more discerning than that.” / The Bible takes the simple-minded, who do not know the difference between what they should value and what is junk, and makes them wise. /

The Bible not only brings wisdom; it also brings joy. / The Lord’s principles for living are the real source of joy for the human heart. / It brings light to our eyes, enabling us to see what we could not see, making dark things understandable. / It endures forever. / We can trust that it doesn’t need to be updated for every culture. / It is permanently relevant.

“The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8). /

His Word is altogether righteous, producing in us a all-inclusive righteousness we could never achieve on our own. / What an amazing book? / What a reason to praise our God!

4) Desiring Pure Milk from scripture:

1st Peter 2:1-2, NIV, Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. 2) Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

How do we grow spiritually? / The apostle Paul says that we are to grow into maturity, into the full stature of Christ Himself. (Ephesians 4:13, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.) /

How does this happen? / It happens, Peter says, when we desire the pure milk of the Word of God the way a newborn baby desires mother’s milk.

We have always had babies around the Graves house; we had five children and 10 grandkids. / One thing is very clear about babies—babies want milk. / I once held one of my grandsons as a newborn and he had a serious desire for milk. / Unfortunately he wanted to nurse and his mother was not there. / I was utterly useless to him at that moment. / No matter how long he yelled at me, there was nothing I could do for him.

You see, babies basically want milk and nothing else. / Just give me the milk! / They are absolutely single-minded in their focus.

It is the singularity and simplicity of that desire that is so striking. / As the baby grows into a toddler, life gets more complicated. / The little child begins to want more than milk, more that food. / As you grow older, life gets even more complex and your desires become more diverse.

Peter is saying that if you want to grow spiritually, you need to get back to that simple appetite of a newborn baby and desire just one thing: the pure milk of the Word of God. / Set aside everything else. / Set aside malice (evil). / Set aside anything deceitful. /

Set aside hypocrisy, any envy of other people, and speaking evil about other people. / Strip yourself of all those things and focus on one thing, feeding yourself on the Bible, wanting that just as badly as a baby wants milk.

It is not only evil that we need to set aside. / We need to set aside all the good things that we could be doing that are not the best. / We need to set aside all the other things we could be hungry for that will not really help us grow. / We need to cultivate an appetite for Scripture. / I hope that these verses in this message will help you begin to taste how wonderful God’s Word is and create even more hunger for it. / Every time you have an opportunity to drink of that pure milk, you should be like a crying baby longing to be satisfied, and drink your fill. / That’s how we will grow!

5) the purpose of scripture:

2nd Timothy 3:16-17, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

These verses, taken together as one sentence, tell us not only how Scripture was given—by divine inspiration—but also why Scripture was given. /

For what purpose did God give us the Bible? / We can understand the answer by starting at the end of the sentence and working our way backwards.

The goal is that we will do good works. / These are not good works we do in order to be saved. / These are not works that merely seem good in our own eyes. /

They are works that are truly good according to God’s standards and bring honor to Him. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify our Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). / Equipping us to do the things that bring glory to God is the purpose of Scripture.

To be equipped to do that, we have to be, “Complete.” / How do we get to that kind of maturity? / It requires a process by which we are equipped and made mature, and it includes four things: doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.

It starts with doctrine. / What does doctrine mean? Teaching! / We have to be taught the content of the Bible, but it has to be the kind of teaching that works on us. / How does it work on us? / First, it reproves us. / We need teaching that confronts our sin and confronts our wrong thinking. / It points out where the errors lie. / Then we need teaching that corrects the errors. / Reproof points to a crooked place in our thinking, while correction straightens it out. / We need teaching that does both—first breaking down, exposing what is wrong, and then restoring, bringing us back to right. / Finally, we need teaching that instructs us how to walk in that righteous path

Where are we going to find truth that eliminates error, brings correct belief, and sets us on the right path? / This passage says, “All Scripture.” / All Scripture is profitable for those things. / The Bible is profitable—useful to us—because it brings sound teaching that tears down what is wrong and builds up what is right. / It puts us on the path of living so that we can become mature and equipped to do the works that honor God. / All Scripture does this.

It does this because it is given by inspiration of God. / The Greek word is “God Breathed.”/ Scripture comes out of the mouth of God, and when you read the Bible you are reading the very Word of God. / Men wrote it down, but God breathed it out. /It is that powerful, living Word of God that brings us the truth and equips us for every good work.

6) Scripture, The Word that cuts!

Hebrews 4:12, For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Do you think the Bible is a nice book? / Many people think of it as a book of religious stories. / Christians often think of the Bible as a comforting book, an encouraging book, a book that builds you up. / But the Bible itself claims to be a sword—alive, powerful, and sharp. / It cuts like the knife of a surgeon, all the way down into your joints and into the marrow of your bones. / That is a vivid imagery, / It sounds like something that hurts. / The Bible is not just a lotion we rub on to soothe us; it is a blade that penetrates deep into us. / It knows our thoughts and intentions better than we do.

Nothing cuts and penetrates like the truth of God. / All psychology and philosophy in the world cannot invade you to the depths of your soul like the Word of God can. / No psychologist or philosopher could ever know you the way God knows you. /
Jesus said in John 2:25 that He did not need anyone to tell Him what was in the heart of man because He already knew what was there. / Your heart is completely exposed to God.

He sees right into you. / His insight penetrates into your soul.

Nobody knows you like God. / No book gets to the core of your heart the way the Bible does, in both a negative and positive way.

When we are down, the Bible knows how to pick us up and comfort us or build us up.? / But when we are up—elevated by pride or human wisdom—The Bible know how to bring us down by uncovering our sin, unmasking our hypocrisy, and demolishing our willfulness. /

Reading the Bible is not a safe thing to do. / It can be a frightening experience. / But wherever God cuts with His Word, He heals, He will not create what He cannot heal. / What ever He reveals, He exposes for the sake of cleansing. /Jesus said in John 15:2 that we are the branches on a vine that the gardener prunes. / We have to be pruned or cut so that we can bear fruit. / It is the Word that does that cutting.

I am grateful for the Word of God as a source of comfort, hope, joy, worship, and praise. I am also grateful for the Word of God as a penetrating, convicting, discerning sword that doesn’t let me get away with anything, / As I expose my life to the Word of God, my sin is revealed. / When sin is revealed it can be dealt with. / It is that kind of cleansing that makes me able to bear more fruit, to my own joy and to the glory of God.


Conclusion:
This is a great lesson on Scripture and what it is and how it works in our hearts and in our life. / The Word of God is what I base my life on. / I look in to it for guidance to make the right decisions in life. / If I try my best to do the right thing based on the Word of God, there is no way I can do wrong. / God is in charge of my will. / Scripture in its own special way has persuaded me to will my will the God. / As you read this or listen to it, let the Word of God transform you into the image of Jesus
Christ.

Thanks and May God Bless you!
Robert N. Graves, Sr.
Fisherman for Christ.