DIG for Tuesday the 16th of January…..it is the Word that causes the change…..2 Peter 1 v 3

I happened to watch a documentary today about Martin Luther.

It was a fascinating program, but one quote in particular has stuck with me.

He said, “But I, I did nothing, the Word did everything”.

This is an amazing comment, given how the man changed the face of the church and indeed changed the world with his ideas and actions.

He was however stating a truth that is still important today.

The Word is the final authority in truth and the Word is the agent of change in our lives.

It is through understanding of the Word that we can use to implement permanent change in our lives.

Through and understanding of the Word we can gain all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1 v 3).

It is the Word that we use to renew our minds and see real transformation (Romans 12 v 2).

Luther recognised the importance of the Word and was influential in getting it translated into German.

He knew the importance of letting everyone read the Word for himself or herself, and this is of course very true today.

We are required to take responsibility for our own bible study in order to get eh best from it.

We should be thankful for the pioneers who enabled the Bible to be translated into our mother tongue.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your Word, and thank you that it is the agent for change in my life”.

2 Peter 1 v 3…..According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue

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DIG for Friday the 12th of January…..take a step of faith into your healing…..John 5 v 9

In my DIG yesterday I wrote about the account of Jesus healing the man at the pool of Bethesda.

I wrote of the need to take responsibility and ‘do something’ to help manifest our healing.

I think I need to clarify this a little; we need to take a step of faith, believing that we are healed.

In this account we see Jesus telling the man the following; to rise, to take up his bed and to walk (John 5 v 8).

In verse 9 we read something similar, however it is important to read this carefully, as sometimes what is missing from the Word is as important as what is there!

We read that he did take up his bed and he did walk, but we read nothing about his rising.

What we read is that he was made whole.

I believe that this tells us that he was healed as he was rising up!

He was healed as he took a step of faith and moved into his healing; he was healed as he was rising up.

Now this is only one model of healing that Jesus used, but it is a model where we see a step of faith involved in healing.

In a sense it is similar to the woman with the issue of blood where Jesus tells the woman that it was her faith that made her whole (Matthew 9 v 20 to 22).

In faith, she acted and took a step towards her healing.

At times I believe that we need to walk out in faith and ‘do something’ to aid the manifestation of our healing.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I see many models of healing in the Word and thank you that your will for my life is supernatural health”.

John 5 v 9…..And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath

 

 

DIG for Friday the 21st of July…..we are blessed without seeing…..John 20 v 29

The nobleman from Capernaum was a man of great faith (John 4 v 46 and 47).

He had obviously heard about Jesus and what He was doing, so he asked Jesus to come and heal his son.

Well, actually he didn’t need that; he just required the word of Jesus and he believed.

Jesus spoke out healing and the man believed; he did not need Jesus to physically come and lay hands on his son.

Jesus spoke and he believed.

This is a picture for us today that the Word should be enough for us.

We should not need “feathers and gold dust” or experiential knowledge in order to believe, the Word of God should be good enough!

Thomas needed to see the wounds on Jesus in order to believe.

Jesus said those that believed without physical evidence were blessed (John 20 v 29).

We are blessed through having the Word of God.

The Word of God tells us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing on Him would give us life (John 20 v 31).

We are indeed truly blessed, having the Word of God (the more sure word of prophecy), and living under grace, under the New Covenant.

Can you see how the Word of God is so much better than “feathers and gold dust”?

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that we have your Word, the more sure word of prophecy”.

John 20 v 29…..Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed

DIG for Saturday the 1st of July…..the Word is needed for you to operate in faith…..Romans 10 v 17

Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter; I was going to count the number of times the phrase “by faith” was used but it looked too many!

Faith is all about what we believe thorough what we know and understand.

Faith is not about actions, although actions will come as a result of faith.

But what we see in Hebrews 11 is a list on people doing wonderful things through faith.

Their actions came as a result of their faith.

Faith through what we know and understand is still vitally important for us today.

Through the Word of God we can understand more about Jesus and His finished work.

And this can result in us operating in ‘more’ faith.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10 v 17).

This verse is very important, as it is the hearing of the Word of God that brings faith; this really is not a difficult verse to understand!

The Word of God is vital in the process of faith.

So, if we want to operate in faith we need to hear (and know) the Word of God.

Once again my DIG has come around to me advising you to get into the Word!

Yes my friend, the key, once again, is the Word of God.

Isn’t time you really started getting into the Word?

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your Word and thank you for the life changing truths held within”.

Romans 10 v 17…..So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God

DIG for Monday the 26th of June…..never allow yourself to be moved from your prosperity…..Psalm 30 v 6

Prosperity can be seen as quite a ‘dirty word’ in many church circles.

However prosperity is so much more than just about money and material resources, although this is a major facet of prosperity (and the one that has a problem in the church).

During the church service yesterday someone read from Psalm 31, but when they were finished my eyes were drawn to a highlight I had made on another verse, Psalm 30 v 6.

This was a great reminder for me about the prosperity that the Lord has provided for me.

Above all things, the Lord wants me to live in health and prosperity (3 John 2) and has provided this prosperity through the finished work of Jesus, as part of my ‘sozo package’.

Prosperity is about being happy and in joy, it is about living an abundant life, and yes, it is about having more than adequate material resources.

And this is how you should be living as a disciple of Christ; this is one of the many things that He died to provide for you (John 10 v 10).

People may try to move you from this truth with wrong doctrine, however you need to be assured that Scripture tells you that prosperity is part of the sozo package.

Things may also happen in your life that may say prosperity is not for you, but this is the enemy trying to steak, kill and destroy what Jesus has already provided for you (John 10 v 10).

Prosperity is part of the great exchange that took place on the cross, with Jesus taking our poverty and providing richness (2 Corinthians 8 v 9).

Never be moved from this truth!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you want me to live in health and prosperity and you have provided this for me through the finished work of Jesus”.

Psalm 30 v 6…..And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved

DIG for Wednesday the 2nd of November…..faith not works, always…..Colossians 2 v 6

We all know that to come to Christ in the first place, to come to salvation, we do it through faith.

There are no works a man can do to come to salvation.

There are no amounts of good works that can bring a man into the Kingdom of God.

It is only faith, faith in Jesus and His finished work that can save a man.

This is the way to receive Jesus Christ for the first time.

The same is true in our ongoing walk with the Lord.

Jesus died to also provide healing, acceptance, prosperity and peace.

These are made manifest, or received, in exactly the same way as our initial salvation, by faith and nothing more.

No works or good deeds can bring healing.

No works or good deeds can provide abundance and prosperity.

As we first received Jesus we are to walk the rest of the Christian life (Colossians 2 v 8).

It is faith and not works that is important in the ongoing walk of the believer.

Faith is the key to “success” in your walk and not works.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that it is through faith in Jesus that I will walk out the rest of my Christian life”.

Colossians 2 v 6…..As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him

DIG for Wednesday the 12th of October…..faith not works, again…..Romans 9 v 30

There are two types of righteousness described in the Bible, righteousness by works and righteousness by faith.

That last statement was actually not technically correct, in that what the Bible tells us is the two ways that people use in order to become righteous.

What the Bible also tells us is that only one way is successful.

Many, including the nation of Israel (called zealots) and many today, think they have to act in a certain way and do certain works in order to become righteous.

That is known as law.

Others know that there is nothing they can do to become righteous so they trust in a Saviour instead and are made righteous through faith.

That is known as grace.

In the age that we are in today we live under grace and not law; no man is justified (or made righteous) by the works of the law but by faith (Romans 3 v 28).

The end of Romans 9 and the start of Romans 10 are clear in telling us that as Gentiles (all of us who are not Jews) we can only be made righteous through faith.

If we tried by law we would fail, as did the most zealous people who ever walked the face of the earth i.e. the Jewish nation.

We can only be made righteous as a gift of grace through faith.

Believe in this and trust in this and start living as if you are righteous!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I have been made righteous as a gift of grace through faith in Jesus”.

Romans 9 v 30…..What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith

DIG for Saturday the 24th of September…..and this is another passage that is crystal clear in its meaning…..John 3 v 16

I wrote yesterday about a verse in Scripture that was very clear in its meaning.

Today I want to do the same and look at the passage around John 3 v 16.

Once again we read that Jesus is the only way through which a man might be saved.

As with the verse yesterday (John 14 v 6) the requirement for salvation is faith, belief and trust in Jesus and His finished work.

There is only one important thing with regards to a man’s eternal destiny, and that is what they decided “to do” with Jesus.

If you have faith in Jesus you are saved.

If you do not believe in Jesus you are not saved; it is that simple.

Jesus came (He was given by God) in order to bring reconciliation and forgiveness to men from God.

He achieved this through shedding His blood on the cross (Ephesians 1 v 7 and Colossians 1 v14).

Belief in this, belief in Jesus and His finished work is what brings a man into eternal life with God the Father.

Friends, it is not enough to talk to people about God and ask if they believe in God; the devil and his minions believe in God.

We need to tell people about Jesus and His finished work; this is what will bring a man to salvation.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for the finished work of Jesus and thank you for the reconciliation and forgiveness that this work brought”.

John 3 v 16…..For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life

DIG for Saturday the 18th of June…..faith requires obedience not understanding…..Romans 1 v 17

It is wonderful receiving a new revelation about the Word from a preacher, it is also super receiving a confirmation from the Lord through a sermon or message.

Brother Paul was preaching about the just living by faith this evening and what he said confirmed my testimony.

When we live in faith we have to sometimes leave what seems like the logical thing to do behind.

Faith does not require understanding, faith requires obedience.

Two years ago the Lord told me to leave the full-time job I was in, without giving me the plan of what to do afterwards.

I had been working towards this for many years, but in my strength and with my planning and logic it seemed as if it would never happen.

Once the Lord told my wife and me that I was to leave employment it required a step of faith to comply.

Logic said no, the world said no, my own mind was sometimes saying no, yet he Lord had spoken.

Once I had resigned the Lord then ‘downloaded’ what I was to do going forward and it has been wonderful.

I have been provided for with abundance and been able to provide for my family in abundance.

What the Lord had planned for me was unseen to me at the time, however He knew.

He had spoken so I had to obey, or rather I had the choice to obey or not.

Has the Lord spoken to you about something?

If you are sure He has then take that step of faith in obedience and you will be able to walk into His abundant blessings.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you have a plan and purpose for every single one of us, and thank you that it is a wonderful plan”.

Romans 1 v 17…..For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith

DIG for Friday the 17th of June…..we all need ‘fathers’ in the faith…..1 Corinthians 4 v 15 and 16

I have been so blessed over the last few days, travelling the country on business yet at the same time getting the opportunity to spend time with mighty men and women of God.

They have encouraged me and challenged me, and I allow them to do this as I recognise them as my ‘fathers’ in the faith.

Paul writes about the importance of having ‘fathers’ in the faith i.e. more mature believers who can guide and give advice.

None of us can make it on this road of life on our own.

Now you may say we have the Word and we have the Holy Spirit, what else do we need?

Paul wanted the believers in Corinth to use him as a ‘father’ (1 Corinthians 4 v 15 and 16).

In my version of Strong’s (an online one) one of the definitions of being a father is this; one who imparts life and is committed to it.

Now, I don’t know about you but I want people guiding me and around me who want to impart life to me and are committed to that process.

I also want to be the person imparting life and being committed for others!

We are all on this journey with Christ, more mature than some, less mature than others.

This would suggest we can use some as ‘fathers’ and be ‘fathers’ to others.

Surround yourself with believers who want to impart and receive life, and who are all committed to that process.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you have put ‘fathers’ in the faith into my life”.

1 Corinthians 4 v 15 and 16…..For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me