Doctrine & Disciplines

The Oneness of God: It Isn’t Just Semantics.

~ Pat Vick ~ 2 Comments

Years ago, when our oldest child was going into his second grade school year, we made the decision to homeschool. We had previously been very pleased with his school, but during his first grade year, we began to see quite a bit of New Age material coming home in his daily parent packets.

In the state we lived at the time, every homeschool had to have an umbrella school that they were accountable to. The only umbrella school that we knew of at the time was a trinitarian based church school.

When we approached the principle of the school about homeschooling under their umbrella, I made sure to explain to him what we believed doctrinally. He listened patiently, and then said with a shrug, “No problem. It’s just semantics.”

Honestly, I didn’t even know what the word “semantics” meant at the time. I could tell from the flippant manner in which he tossed out the word that he wasn’t appreciating the difference between our two drastically different doctrinal viewpoints.

I could have taken the approach that said, Well, if it’s not a big deal to him, then it’s not a big deal to me. After all, my son would never actually be in a classroom setting with him.

Yet, it was very important to me. I would never have wanted him or anyone to think that I agree with the trinitarian doctrine, when the Oneness of God is the foundation of knowing God. Because of this, I wrote out on a piece of paper, briefly describing my belief in the Oneness doctrine, and signing and dating it for him to put in my son’s school file.

Trinity doctrine contends that the one God exists in three separate co-equal and co-eternal persons. There is no logic in this teaching. No matter how it is softened or rationalized or explained, three co-equal and co-eternal persons means three, not one.

Oneness doctrine contends that God is a Spirit. The Holy Spirit. The Eternal Spirit of God manifest Himself to the world in the body of the man, Jesus Christ. This is the INCARNATION. That man was the son. The son is not eternal. He had a beginning. He was the only begotten of the Father. After Jesus died, was resurrected, and ascended into Heaven, the same Holy Spirit of God that dwelled in Jesus, infills Believers today as the Holy Ghost. Three manifestations/roles/offices of God. Not three separate beings or persons.

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

Why is it so important to understand the Oneness of God? As long as we believe in Him, love Him, and do our best to serve Him, isn’t that enough?

The first reason, I have mentioned. God’s Oneness is the foundation that He expects all other knowledge of Him to be built on. It is the first of all commandments, according to Moses’ and Jesus’ teaching. It is not our place to try to make God who we imagine Him to be. It is His prerogative to define Himself to us, not vice verse.

Secondly, just as in building a natural structure, if the foundation isn’t sure, every level that is built on it will be more and more structurally unsound. So it is with doctrine.

Where the trinity is taught, rarely are Jesus’ name baptism and the in filling of the Holy Ghost taught as a necessity to salvation. Even further removed from the unstable foundation of trinity doctrine is the subject of holiness.

On the contrary, where the Oneness of God is taught, you will almost certainly find the clear and biblical teaching of the New Birth as in Acts 2:38 -Repentance, Baptism in Jesus’ name, the infilling of the Holy Ghost, and a lifestyle of Holiness.

I now know that Semantics is the interpretation of language meanings. The principal was saying it didn’t matter what I believed, verses what he believed about God. That it was fine to interpret the godhead in whatever manner each of us chose to do so.

No, my friend.

[bctt tweet=”All paths do not lead to the same destination. It matters what you believe about God.”]

The Oneness of God isn’t just semantics. It is Truth.

Warm Regards, -Pat

As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE HERE to my newsletter, and email me at pat@patvick.com

 

What Is The First Commandment Of All?

~ Pat Vick ~ 2 Comments

When Jesus was approached with this question, “What is the first commandment of all?” He didn’t hesitate to answer with complete clarity.

“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:29-30)

Notice the red letters. This was Jesus, Himself, reiterating Moses’ teaching in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:”

Moses spoke this to the children of Israel just before they were to go in and take possession of the Promised Land. This was to be the bedrock, foundational commandment that all the others were grounded on.

The people were instructed to teach the commandments to their children at all times, especially this first and greatest commandment of the Oneness of God. They were to write it as a reminder everywhere, as frontlets between their eyes, and upon the posts of their houses, and gates. Everywhere. All the time.

One way the Jewish people followed through with this commandment was the use of the Mezuzah. It is a small rectangular box, ranging from simple to very ornate, which they attached, literally, to the door frames of their homes. Inside the Mezuzah are the scriptures, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, as a perpetual witness of the Oneness of the God of Israel.

A CONTINGENT BLESSING

“Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.” (Deuteronomy 6:3)

Now, here we are in America, the most blessed land in the world other than the nation of Israel. The only other nation in the history of the world to be founded solely on the principles and commandments of the one, true living God. How can it be that the majority of people who proclaim Christianity today in America believe and teach the false doctrine of the trinity?

The Hebrews were given the Promised Land because its original inhabitants worshipped multiple so-called gods, making idols and bowing down in reference to a variety of imagined deities. The pure and unadulterated Truth of the Oneness of God was to be the foundation of His people.

Although you would be hard-pressed to find a church-going person in America today that would say they believe in three Gods, to believe the doctrine of the trinity is to believe the same doctrine that got the Canaanites evicted from their land.

WHAT IS THE ONENESS OF GOD?

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16)

God is a Spirit. He doesn’t HAVE a Spirit; He IS a Spirit. The Holy Spirit. A Spirit is invisible. God manifest (revealed) himself into the world in the body of the man Jesus Christ. Suddenly, He was visible, tangible, perceivable. Jesus was not the second person in a trinity of beings. He was and is the IMAGE of the invisible God.

Moses testified of it. The Mezuzah testifies of it. Jesus testifies of it, and Oneness Apostolic Pentecostals all over the world testify of it…

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Warm Regards, -Pat

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Carpe Diem! (Why does God speak to me in Latin?)

~ Pat Vick ~ 19 Comments

I woke early this morning with the phrase “Carpe Diem” in my head. It was my very first thought, before I was even awake enough to think. I rolled over and looked at the clock. It was a few minutes after 5:00 a.m. Six a.m. is my normal time to get up, so I stayed in bed another thirty minutes and got up at 5:30.

I went about my morning routine of making coffee, and settling into my library chair to read the Bible, pray and write. It was still before my 6:00 a.m. rising time.

My curiosity was in full sprint, so I opened my iPad and googled the phrase “Carpe Diem.” I had assumed the word Diem referred to God in some way, as in Deity. Not so. Turns out, Carpe Diem is Latin for “Seize the Day.”

So, very early in the morning, God woke me up by speaking the phrase, “Seize the day!” In Latin, no less. I was pretty amazed by this, and told Him so.

I continued with my morning routine of Bible reading, feeling quite fulfilled that I had already heard from the Lord. I was reading in Jeremiah chapter seven, when this happened.

“And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;” (Jer. 7:13)

And this…

“Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:” (Jer. 7:25)

From these scriptures, we can conclude that it is God’s Standard Operating Procedure to rise up early every day to speak to His people. Not that God sleeps, but we do. So, as the earth rotates, causing the sun to rise in each time zone, God begins to communicate with His people. He calls us personally, but we don’t hear or answer Him.

GOD, WHY WONT YOU SPEAK TO ME?
How many times have we asked God to speak to us? How many times have we longed to hear a word of direction or encouragement? Jeremiah 7:13 assures us that He is doing His part to communicate with us early every day. He is always talking, but we must be listening.

GOD, WHY WON’T YOU DO SOMETHING?
How many times have we asked the Lord to move on our behalf? To work in our present troublesome situation? Jeremiah 7:25 assures us that just as He set about every day to send His prophets to speak into the Children of Israel’s lives, He is setting events in motion daily for us. His Spirit is always moving and working on our behalf, but we don’t recognize the people or events that He sends our way.

CARPE DIEM!
Why Latin? God knows I don’t speak or understand Latin. Fact is, God is all about getting our attention. He knew my curiosity wouldn’t rest until I had figured out what my morning wake up call meant. He is much more interested in the mechanics of our lives than we give Him credit for, and is even willing to use unorthodox means to engage us in conversation. Just ask Jonah, or Balaam, or Peter.

GOD, WHY SO EARLY???
• Blessings can be missed if we don’t seek the Lord early in the day.
• God’s will can be delayed if we do not seek Him early.
• Our spiritual senses are most sensitive first thing in the morning.
• The unexpected always happens as the day progresses.
• God has always chosen to speak to His people early.
• If God wants to speak to us, do we need any other reason?

May your prayer life and walk with God rise to a new level of spiritual maturity as you SEIZE THE DAY.

Warm Regards, -Pat

As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE HERE to my newsletter, and email me at pat@patvick.com.

 

Three Things a Christian Must Learn To Harness

~ Pat Vick ~ 12 Comments

We all want to live productive lives. Lives full of meaning. Beneficial to our families, our communities, and to the Kingdom of God. Most of humanity goes through life hoping for this to be true, but we don’t have to leave it to chance.

If we are going to be all that God has called us to be, we must break free from the lackadaisical mindset of simply drifting through life. Do we really want to live from day to day just hoping for the best outcome? Surely not.

God has called each one of us to be victorious and productive for the Kingdom. There are three areas, if we learn to harness and redirect the energy from, we can expect to live more fully in our high calling for God.

TIME

We’ve all said it before, “There just isn’t enough time!”

[bctt tweet=”We don’t know the length of our lives, but we all have the same amount of time as it passes.”] Sixty seconds in every minute. Sixty minutes in every hour. Twenty-four hours in every day. Three hundred sixty-five days in every year. Ten years in every decade. Ten decades in every century.

The question is, how do we spend it? What activities do we allow to consume our allotted time?

[bctt tweet=”The more time we spend on one thing, the less time we have for others.”]Everyone needs down time to relax and refresh, even the occasional vacation to regroup with family. However, countless hours are wasted on a myriad of activities that do not play a meaningful part in our life’s purpose.

Think about how many hours, on average, you spend each day on things like television & movies, social media, hobbies, sports, and talking or texting on the phone. Be honest with yourself. Now, multiply those hours by 7, and multiply that total by 365. How many of your hours last year were spent on insignificance?

That number should be sobering. It represents time that can never be retrieved. It can never be used for anything else. It has already been spent.

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

The psalmist understood that we are only allotted so many twenty-four hour periods, and we should use them wisely. We must harness the energy from time spent on frivolous pastimes, and focus it toward activities that will grow us spiritually, and benefit the Kingdom of God.

[bctt tweet=”God expects us to anticipate and make a plan for our days.”]

One way to do this is to refrain from time-stealing activities. Another, is to make a written plan for the next day, week, month, year, and decade. This plan can and will be altered as you go along, but will give you a starting point to a life full of purpose.

APPETITE

More. That is the nature of flesh. Always more. Rarely, will flesh say, “That’s enough.” Whether it is food, entertainment, sensual pleasures, or possessions, the flesh wants more.

Our flesh must be disciplined. It must be brought into submission to us, as we are in submission to the Spirit. God has given us fasting to teach our flesh to be satisfied, as well as to destroy every stronghold that controls us.

“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)

[bctt tweet=”Left to its own, flesh will bankrupt your soul.”]

Every Christian should have a regular fasting day each week. If fasts are not scheduled, there will never be a convenient time. A good fasting goal to work toward is one day a week, three days a quarter, and seven days a year. Start small and consult with your physician on how to implement fasting while taking medications.

Along with fasting, another way to gain control of your appetite for more in every area of your life is to commit to live more simply. BECOMINGMINIMALIST.COM is a very helpful website to get you started.

THOUGHTS

Did you know that not every thought that comes through your mind is your own? The devil has perfected implanting his own thoughts into people’s minds. When a thought pops into your mind that is not in your nature to think, and doesn’t line up with the Word of God, it must be captured and restrained.

[bctt tweet=”Countless people’s lives have come to shipwreck over one thought that wasn’t even their own.”]We can’t just let our thoughts run wild and reek havoc. It is possible to take control of our thoughts before we think them.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”(Philippians 4:8)

When we realize a thought has breached our filtering system, we must capture it immediately, and bring it into submission.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Use this process as many times as necessary to take control of your thoughts:

• Identify the rogue thought.
• Acknowledge that it does not line up with the Word and Spirit of God.
• Repent of thinking it.
• Refocus your thoughts by reading and speaking scriptures.
• Redirect your thoughts to productive and spiritually mature topics.

CONCLUSION

It will take effort, focus and consistency to harness the wasted energy consumed by our time, appetites and thoughts. The reward, however, will be so beneficial to our lives, and spiritual growth, that we will only regret not taking control of these areas sooner. You will find that it only takes a few, simple, consistent decisions to set your life on a course filled with productivity and purpose.

Warm Regards, -Pat

As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE HERE for our mailing list, and email me PAT@PATVICK.COM.

Too Big

~ Pat Vick ~ 2 Comments

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16)

One evening, when my middle child was fifteen, he came up the basement stairs at a fast clip, very excited about something he had just seen. It seems he was shooting ball when he spotted a slim stream of ants coming from a small crevice beside the concrete court. The exodus was getting wider and longer. Going where? On a whim, he followed the little soldiers, and followed…and followed…

He told me how they marched on and on, making grand detours for no apparent reason, until they disappeared en masse into a miniature canyon in the field behind our house. He was so animated that I decided to see for myself.

He showed me where the small battalion trickled from the crack, and together we weaved in and out, round and round, to where thousands, perhaps millions, were vanishing beneath the earth. As we backtracked toward the house, I picked up a small stick and put it in their path. It was if they hardly even noticed the obstacle. We bent down so close that they should have felt our breath as we tried to corral them with the stick, and yet, they just kept on their detour-ridden journey.

In amazement, I said to my son, “We’re too big. They can’t even see us.”

There was a time when God was too big for us to see. Immense. Infinite. Immeasurable. He watched us on our hopeless journey, knowing that we were making it much more arduous than necessary. He intervened in the lives of mankind time after time, often coming so close that we should have felt His Breath through prophets, angels and theophanies.

Still, He remained too big for us to perceive, until the day that He became small. God became man. Suddenly, Visible. Tangible. Knowable.

If I could have stepped into that miniature world and taken on the form of an ant, they could have seen me. They could have perceived me. They could have come to know, trust and even love me. They could have understood I was working for their good.

But why would I do such a thing? Unimaginable. Unthinkable. Inconceivable. Yet, exactly what our omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent Creator did when…

[bctt tweet=”God became small for me. (1 Timothy 3:16)” username=”patvickdotcom”]

Warm Regards, -Pat

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The Blessing of Committed Sheep

~ Pat Vick ~ 2 Comments

As a pastor’s wife, I wrestle with so many insecurities. In my twentieth year of fulfilling this role, I often feel less qualified for the responsibility than when I first embarked on this journey nearly two decades ago.

My mind goes back to the faces, precious faces, that have come and gone during that time. Some stayed for years, others for months, and some only for days…and I loved them all. Granted, some were easier to love than others, but in the end, my heart wrenched in agony when they left. Every. Single. Time.

Each one had issues. Relationships, health, finances, emotions, addictions, heartaches, strongholds, flesh. For the most part, I (along with my husband) was right in the middle of their situations -befriending, loving, advising, encouraging, teaching, defending, protecting, interceding. Sadly, it wasn’t enough to keep most of them.

Many have come through the church doors, and sat on its pews. They studied the Word, and prayed with us. They went on youth outings, and brought food to pitch ins. They all loved God and wanted to serve Him. They wanted to be part of the Church. They wanted to do right. They wanted to be faithful. They wanted to live holy. Yet, one by one, most went back to former lifestyles, habits and circles of influence.

Willpower isn’t enough to sustain your walk with God. Will power has its roots in the flesh, and eventually, all flesh will fail God. When I look into the faces of the precious sheep who have remained, I see the difference. Those who stayed were committed. Commitment has its roots in faith, and faith is very pleasing to God.

[bctt tweet=”Willpower has its roots in the flesh, and eventually, all flesh will fail God.”]

[bctt tweet=”Commitment has its roots in faith, and faith is very pleasing to God.”]

Committed sheep are faithful. Faithful sheep are consistent. Consistent sheep are hungry. Hungry sheep are filled. Filled sheep are growing. Growing sheep are maturing. Mature sheep reproduce more sheep. This is the strength of the flock, as well as the strength of each individual.

A person who is committed will stand the test of time, with all of its trials, heartaches, frustrations, and disappointments. No matter what comes their way, they will be found sitting on the pew decades later, with a praise on their lips. Why? Because they made a decision years earlier based on commitment, not emotions or circumstances. In comparison, a person who only wants to live for God based on emotion, and not commitment, is likely to turn back as soon as he is faced with any temptation or offense.

There is often an unsaid expectation when people come to the Lord. Many assume that making the decision to live for God will solve all of their problems, and fix all of their issues. Trials, temptations and heartaches come to everyone, whether they are living for God or not. People are people, both inside and outside of the Church, with all of their various personalities and quirks. Life happens to every individual, born again, or not.

Running from God and His people is not the answer in difficult times. Sheep need the Good Shepherd. Sheep need other sheep. The enemy will lure weak individuals away from the flock by telling them that they have their own personal relationship with the Shepherd, so they can serve Him anywhere by themselves. Multitudes have fallen for this lie, and been picked off one by one, at the enemy’s discretion. God’s design for His sheep is for them to abide in the flock, and to rest securely in the sheepfold.

If you are a committed sheep, I applaud you. You are a strength and encouragement to your Pastor, Pastor’s Wife and the flock. If you are a sheep serving God out of emotion, I urge you to dig deep into your innermost being, and make the decision now, before hard times come, to live for God within the parameters of the flock and sheepfold He has chosen for you. If you are a sheep wandering aimlessly on your own, I beg you, come back and abide in the flock. The enemy of your soul is lurking just out of sight. The security of the sheepfold awaits. The Shepherd is calling, and the sheep will be happy to have you home.

Warm Regards,
-Pat

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A Sound Accompanies the Spirit

Video ~ ~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment

“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

Do All Speak With Tongues?

Video ~ ~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment

Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself. Hopefully, you can ignore the angry looking face in the still shot. LOL! This is my first attempt at posting a video here, as well as on YouTube. I’ll get better at it.

Do All Speak With Tongues?
1 Corinthians 12:12-31

In this lesson, I explain the difference between speaking in tongues when you initially receive the Holy Ghost, compared to when you have the gift of tongues and interpretation.

Four Reasons People Are Afraid To Be Alone Inside Their Own Heads

~ Pat Vick ~ 4 Comments

 

Photo Credit: Rusty Russ Flickr via Compfight cc

It concerns me when I see someone who refuses to cease from their hectic lifestyle for even a short time to be still and quiet. Whether it’s an overwhelmed mom, an overachieving businessman, an overzealous teenager, or an overburdened Christian, the reason is usually the same, fear.

1. FEAR OF FACING THEMSELVES
Aloneness and loneliness are different states of being. I’ve spent a lot of time alone through the years, but rarely have I been lonely. I like the person that lives inside my head. I’ve made peace with her. I like the the way she thinks. I like her value system.

Most people don’t want to take the time to get to know themselves. Perhaps they are afraid of who they will find. If you don’t enjoy spending time with yourself, why would anyone else?

It’s a very intimate experience to meet yourself face to face. A very productive and telling exercise is simply to pretend you are meeting yourself for the first time. Look at yourself. Are you approachable? Are you trustworthy? Are you sincere? Do you have depth of character? Do you express yourself well in conversation? Do you manifest the Fruit of the Spirit? Do you add value to relationships? Being honest with yourself about yourself is the starting point to overcome the fear of facing yourself.

2. FEAR OF FACING THEIR PAST
Perhaps you have done things in your past that you are ashamed of. Even though the enemy of your soul wants you to believe that you have sinned in a way that is different or worse than the rest of humanity, Romans 3:23 declares, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Satan knows if he can make you feel condemnation, he can keep you from approaching God in repentance. 1 John 1:9 assures us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The devil is a liar. Yes, your past may be filled with unimaginable sin so dark that you keep living faster and faster to outrun it. If you want peace, you must stop, turn around, and face it head on. You must confess it to the Lord, repent of it, and change your way of living.

Another part of facing your past is to make things right, not only between you and God, but also between you and whomever you may have wronged. This may not always be possible, but to the best of your ability you should ask forgiveness, restore and rebuild trust as you are able.

3. FEAR OF FACING GOD
Another reason people are afraid to get quiet and go inside their own head is because God is there. In every single person who has ever lived, God has put an awareness of Himself. A person may not be a Christian or even have any knowledge of God personally, but there is a drawing to know Him. A perpetual rapping at the door of the soul. The sound can be drowned out by large living, but in the quiet, it refuses to be unheard.

Understandably, coming face to face with the Creator of Heaven and Earth is an overwhelming thought. However, King David got it right when he wrote, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” (Psalm 139:7-8)

The Living God is:
Omnipotent-All Powerful.
It does no good to fight against Him.

Omniscient-All Knowing.
It does no good to avoid speaking to Him.

Omnipresent-All places present; no place absent.
It does no good to run from Him. He’s already there.

4. FEAR OF FACING THE FUTURE
Many are fearful of their future because they know it will be dictated by choices in their past, hence, the need for repentance. We may have to live with certain consequences of past sin, but that doesn’t mean we can’t face the future with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 assures us of God’s intentions toward us, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

*Notice that these four fears are progressive. To whatever extent you make or do not make peace with yourself, you will be able to make or not make that much peace with your past, with God, and with your future.

Warm Regards, -Pat

As always, please feel free to leave a comment, email me at pat@patvick.com and SUBSCRIBE to my mailing list.

Program Your Brain With Divine Data

Image ~ ~ Pat Vick ~ 1 Comment

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

(Psalm 119:11)

Did you know that the computer inside your smart phone would barely fit in a room a few decades ago? This generation literally holds in their hands more computer power than it took to send a man to the moon. Is the “smart” phone truly smart? No. Someone had to program it, and that initial data came from the depths of the human brain.

The human brain is an amazing organ. A super computer, really. Think, right now, of all the things you know. Let me get you started. Begin by thinking of every person’s birthday that you can recall. Husband, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, friends, church family, co-workers, childhood playmates, teammates, celebrities, historical figures, a few beloved pets. How many would you say that you can remember? Between thirty and fifty is reasonable to assume.

Now think about all the addresses and telephone numbers you know. I’ll admit the number of telephone numbers is most likely significantly lower than a decade ago because we all have them programmed into our “smart” phones. This doesn’t reflect our lack of recall ability, but the agenda of “dumbing down” our generation. What about all the sports statistics filed away in your head? Or recipes? Or song lyrics? We are capable of learning, cataloging and recalling vast amounts of information, but that data must first be put into our brains.

I remind myself of this when I am tempted to pass on reading the Word of God. Our brains don’t come preprogrammed with scripture. If it’s not put in, it can’t be recalled. We have the Bible available to us in so many forms that it’s easy to take it for granted. We think that it will always be available when we decide to read it.

Throughout our lives, we will find ourselves in situations that we desperately need a scripture for comfort, for courage, for protection, for wisdom, for healing, for faith. In that moment of need, what will we be able to remember from the Word of God? Bits and pieces of scriptures that a dear old saint use to quote? A line from an old hymn or a catchy phrase from a praise chorus? The echo of a grandparent’s prayer?

While all of these are encouraging for a while, personal need requires personal knowledge. There’s nothing like facing a situation, praying for the Lord’s help and having scriptures begin to flood your mind. Scriptures that you have personally read at some point in your life that you thought you could never remember and would never need. What assurance! What power!

This is why I read three to four chapters of the Word of God every day. Day after day, month after month, year after year. I’m simply programming my super computer brain with Divine Data. If you do this, you will be amazed over and over at how much of the Word you have filed away to be recalled when you need it. Don’t wait. Start programming your super computer today!

POINTS TO PONDER

Do you read the Word of God every day?

How do you feel if you miss a day?

Share a situation when a scripture came to your mind and brought you comfort or direction.

~~~~~

As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, and email me at pat@patvick.com.

Warm Regards,

~Pat~