Christian Living

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The Word

Scenario 1 (The Word of God Neglected)

It’s the middle of July in Phoenix, Arizona and the temperature at 2:00 p.m. is 105 almost everyday. The ACME construction company crew is busy pouring concrete foundations for several new homes in the new subdivision La Casa Belfort. Amos is a hardworking laborer for the company. His typical work day begins at 5:00 a.m. and ends at 6:00 p.m. each evening. Amos arrives home one evening and his wife gives him some distressing news, Amos she says “The Apartment Complex Manager informed me today that water service to the entire apartment will be shut-off for a couple of days and we will have to buy water from the store until the service is restored.” Amos says “If I can’t take a shower or bathe for two hold days; that is going to be extremely uncomfortable.” She says “I know honey but we are new to town and have no family or friends here, so let’s get by the best we can.”

Have you been so busy and wrapped up into the everyday rat race of this earthly life and in turn neglecting to give God your first fruits? By first fruits I mean the strongest part of us. We need to communicate with Christ before we do any of our everyday earthly duties or our duties for the Lord. The Lord knows and understands the difficulties, problems, and irritations that occur in our every day pilgrimage here on earth. He has walked in every shoe before us a billion times over and knows and understands our dilemmas. That is why we must never neglect to speak with Him first thing every morning. The Bible says the entrance of your Word gives light it gives understanding to the simple. We are the simple and we will always be the simple while we are sojourners on earth. The Word of God is our lamp and light to our path it gives direction to us each day enabling us to avoid pitfalls and danger zones. We must never neglect the Word especially early each morning. If we neglect we will regret.

Scenario 2 (The Word of God Ignored)

Moses works for the Tyler Fencing Company in Los Alamos, Mew Mexico. Moses is married and has no children. During the summer months the temperatures outside can get up to well over 100 everyday. Business is booming in the summer of 2007. Moses is able to get long hours each day. He decides that because he works outside all the time and he does not have to report to any office but go directly to the jobsite, to only shower or bathe once a week. Well each day that goes by he becomes more and more unpleasant to be around because of his strong odor. His wife says “Don’t you realize that it is because you get dirty everyday that you need to clean yourself everyday.” Moses says “Why waste the water and time when I’m going to get dirty less than 12 hours later?”

We sometimes can get like Moses in this scenario. We have been following the Lord for many years staying close to Him by reading and meditating on His Word and being faithful in our witness. Then one day we think we have arrived and we decide that we are strong enough spiritually and we don’t need to be in the Word everyday. My friend if this describes you then you are treading on dangerous ground. It’s like being in a military war zone and receiving orders to map out a mine field and not taking every precaution available. We must never forget what we were before we met Christ. The Apostle Paul perhaps the greatest Christian of all mortal men after having served the Lord Jesus Christ for many years penned these remarkable words in Philippians that we all should marinate our minds with constantly.

Phil 3:10-15 For my determined purpose is that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power out flowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, in the hope that if possible I may attain to the spiritual and moral resurrection that lifts me out from among the dead [even while in the body]. Not that I have now attained this ideal, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own yet; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the supreme and heavenly prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.So let those of us who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also. (Quick Amplified Bible)

So I’m saying never ignore the Word of God and don’t ever think you have arrived. This man Paul was a far greater Christian than I and many of us today in our so called modern culture. He sacrificed his very life for Christ and if he had not arrived then certainly we have not arrived. Ignoring the Word of God is spiritual suicide.

Scenario 3 (The Word of God Desired)

Marcus and Jasmine are strolling down a quiet cobblestone street in South Wales on vacation. Walking along they are enjoying each others company and taking in the breathtaking scenery. After having walked for about 7 miles, they spotted a small cottage with a sign that stated “Lunch Specials 12:00-2:00.” They turned in to rest a while and have a light lunch along with some tea. The inside of the little cottage in its décor exuded an earlier time. The owners were kind and friendly and made them feel welcomed. After having sat and eaten a couple of sandwiches with tea, a pale looking young lad who appeared to be rather sluggish walked in and took a seat not far from Marcus and Jasmine. At first Marcus and Jasmine ignored the man, but after some time past they asked him sir “Why are you looking so pale?” The man responded “I have not eaten a descent meal in a week.” The couple said “You are more than welcome to join us and we will gladly buy your lunch.” The man said “O thank you kind people I’ve been hungering for a real meal.”

When we look out into this sin sick world we live in, we see people who are hungry not for physical food but for the uncompromised Word of God. The headlines in every newspaper and on every news program clearly and plainly give us the picture. In scenario no. 3 this pictures most of our modern day churches, the Word of God as divinely breathed in through the Prophets and the Apostles has been compromised or not even proclaimed. Therefore, we find many professing Christians themselves a part of the news making headlines around the country and the world. Well I can assure you that if you are only fed physical food once a weak then your body is going to be weak indeed. Many of the most popular Preachers that grace the airwaves today have discarded the Word and are teaching all types of philosophical non-sense that appeal to the flesh but does not nurture and strengthen the spirit. The Apostle Paul declares in Acts 20:27 For I never shrank or kept back or fell short from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan and counsel of God. (Quick Amplified Bible)

It is the Word of God that changes lives and hearts not motivational speaking or positive thinking. John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (KJV) Every Word from God is alive and carries with it the power of God Himself. The Word became flesh and lived among us in the person of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said “I have not come to you with any wisdom of words, if so then the cross of Christ would be of no effect.” If you want a starving man to gain strength you must give him food. If you want a spiritually starving world and church to be pure, whole, clean, and morally strong then they must be fed the uncompromising Word of God always. Desire the Word of God and nothing else then you will know moral strength and the world will see moral strength.

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author, Silent Assassins of the Soul (not yet published; coming soon)

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