DIG for Sunday the 6th of November…..oh man, you’ve just got to love this language…..James 1 v 21

Most of you will know that I really love the King James Version of the Bible; it is the one I normally use.

I love it because it is just like poetry in some parts.

Other people use many other versions and that’s OK, but it has to be this version for me.

Yes, it can be difficult to understand, but there are parts of it that has language that I just adore.

Take James 1 v 21 for example.

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness” is just wonderful language, making me smile every time I read it.

OK, I have to look up the Greek to see what it means but I love that!

Whatever version you have in your hand I encourage you to read it more, study it more and meditate upon it more.

This is not through a works mentality in order to be blessed by God, but through a love for God and a love for His Word.

Whatever version you use I encourage you to rightly divide the Word (2 Timothy 2 v 15).

It is through understanding this Word, understanding about Jesus and His finished work that will see us being transformed through mind renewal (Romans 12 v 2).

Whether you like an old or new version, whether you read the Word or listen to it on cd or mp3, whether you like old English or modern language I encourage you to delve into His Word.

It will change your life!

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

James 1 v 21…..Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls

DIG for Monday the 1st of August…..so, are you lazy or diligent…..2 Timothy 2 v 15

I am having a wonderful time in the Word at the moment studying for my Sunday messages on David.

The other exciting thing I am currently doing is preparing material and communications around our Bible School that we hope to open next year.

I love studying the Word but I also love helping others study for themselves.

The Lord has anointed teachers, preachers and pastors to study and share their revelations with the body of Christ (Ephesians 4 v 11).

However the Lord has also given all of us a brain, along with His Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit, so that we can study for ourselves (2 Timothy 2 v 15).

It is not only up to other men to fill your mind with the Word of God, that is your responsibility.

To ‘study’ means to be diligent and earnest and to make effort.

It means to labour and study in the Word with attitude, with the attitude that we want to get all we can out of it.

I have to be honest here and say the other side of the coin is laziness!

What is your attitude to the Word of God?

Are you lazy or diligent?

I will leave you and the Holy Spirit to ponder that question.

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

2 Timothy 2 v 15…..Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth

DIG for Sunday the 3rd of July…..make what you learn from the Word your own revelation…..2 Timothy 2 v 15

There are a great many good teachers and preachers available for us to learn from today.

There are a great many daily devotionals (other than this one) that we can read and digest.

There are a great many books we can read directing us to many truths in God’s Word.

However it is very important for a believer to study the Word for himself, as well as learning from others.

I would also suggest that every time you read a devotional or book, or listen to a preacher, you do it with your Bible open.

As you are being taught and learning you should be looking everything up for yourself in the Word.

You really need to read the Scripture references for yourselves and not just take the word of the author or teacher.

If you just read the chapter and verse and don’t look it up for yourself it will remain the revelation of the teacher.

If you look into it, read the actual verses, ponder over them and meditate upon them the revelation will become our own.

You will be able to say, “I know that John 10 v 10 says I can have an abundant life”, rather than, “Vic says I can live in abundance”.

You will be able to say, “I know from my studies that God’s Word in 2 Corinthians 5 v 21 says that I have been made righteous”, rather than, “Vic said I have been made righteous”.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for teachers and preachers, but thank you Lord for your Word and the help of the Holy Spirit so that I can study and rightly divide the Word for myself”.

2 Timothy 2 v 25…..Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth

DIG for Sunday the 25th of October…….God is speaking to you; you just need to be in a place to listen…..2 Timothy 2 v 15

I preached this morning about the continuing need for study and teaching within a local church setting, believing this was what God had asked me to do and believing that He had confirmed that to me last week.

I’ve just listened to a message from Bob Yandian and got exactly the same message again, yet another confirmation from God that what I am doing is in His will for my life.

God speaks to us all the time, however we have to ensure that we are listening.

God will speak to you again and again, confirming what He has said, if you give Him a chance and listen.

We can listen in many ways; prayer, reading the Word, talking with other believers, listening to teaching are all ways that we can hear from God.

And it is wonderful when you hear the same message from God via different routes.

God has a plan and purpose for every single one of us and wants to tell us about this, indeed He is trying to tell us all the time.

We have a responsibility to put ourselves in a place in order to listen; we have a responsibility to do things that will help us listen.

I watched some football on the internet last night and didn’t hear much from God, yet when I opened my Bible and settled down to read the Word I heard Him quite clearly.

Different people hear from God in different ways, and we can hear from God in multiple ways.

Every one of us needs to find the ways in which we hear from God, and then once we’ve found them do them!

God is speaking to you today, pouring our His heart for you and your life, and He desperately wants you to hear.

But you have to choose to hear!

Speak this out today….”Thank you Lord that you are speaking to me right now, and thank you that I can and will listen to you”.

2 Timothy 2 v 15…..Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth

DIG for Sunday the 1st of September…..money is the root of all evil; no it is not…..1 Timothy 6 v 10

I have often heard it said in church that “money is the root of all evil”; this is just not biblical.

I once said in a sermon (as a little experiment) that “the Word says that money is the root of all evil” and most of the congregation nodded and agreed with me.

This is a classic case where someone thinks they know what the Word says but actually do not.

The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6 v 10).

This highlights a big problem in the church today; that believers know a little bit of the Word but not enough, or think that they know what it says.

Once in a bible study a dear sister in the Lord was amazed when I read Romans 6 v 23…….

…..For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord….

….”Wow, I’ve never heard that last bit before” was her amazing comment. She had only ever heard the first part being preached and had never studied it for herself.

This verse was always a verse that the lady did not like and indeed dreaded hearing, but once she had a true revelation of this verse she was changed.

Understanding and knowledge of His Word will change us; so we must ensure that we have a correct knowledge and true understanding of His Word.

We are all told that we should study the Word for ourselves, to rightly divide the Word (2 Timothy 2 v 15). This is our responsibility!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your Word and thank you that knowledge and understanding of it is the way to permanent change”.

1 Timothy 6 v 10…..For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some some coveter after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows

DIG for Friday the 3rd of May……it’s great listening to good teachers, but you need to also study yourself…..2 Timothy 2 v 15

We are blessed today with the amount of teaching we can receive via books, the internet and church; this however does not take away our responsibility of studying the Word for ourselves.

I study the Word a lot as a pastor and teacher, and I also listen to and read a lot of material from other teachers.

My testimony is that the revelations that “stick” with me are the ones I have worked out with the Holy Spirit while studying the Word myself.

This may well be your testimony also as you study the Word; I hope and pray that it is.

I would encourage you to spend some of your valuable time rightly dividing the word of truth for yourself.

“Rightly dividing” talks about studying the Word to find the truth directly and correctly.

It is all well reading the Word, however it must be interpreted and understood correctly.

It must be read and understood in the context of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

It must be read and understood in the context of living under the New Covenant.

Time and effort and diligence, with the Holy Spirit as your guide, is the only way to study and rightly divide the Word.

Let me assure you that this will be time well spent; let me also assure you that it will change your life.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your mighty Word of truth”.

2 Timothy 2 v 15…..Study to shew thyself approved by God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth