Bible Study Will Not Give You Eternal Life

                                                     When The Door Slams 

I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish-the very works that I am doing -testify that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me' to have life.                                           John 5:36-40 

        Bible study will not give you eternal life. You could memorize the entire Bible and be able to discuss issues of biblical scholarship and yet fail to experience the truths found in its pages. It is a religious temptation to prefer the book to the Author. A book will not confront you about your sin; the Author will. Books can be ignored; it is much harder to avoid the Author when He is seeking a relationship with you. 

        The Pharisees in Jesus' day thought God would be pleased with their knowledge of His Word. They could quote long, complicated passages of Scripture. They loved to recite and study God's Law for hours on end. Yet Jesus condemned them because, although they knew the Scriptures, they did not know God. They were proud of their Bible knowledge, but they rejected the invitation to know God's Son. 

        Think about this: Can you imagine yourself knowing all that God has promised to do in your life but then turning to something else instead? You may be tempted to turn to substitutes. These substitutes are not necessarily bad things. They might include serving in the church, doing good deeds, or reading Christian books. No amount of Christian activity will ever replace your relationship with Jesus. The apostle Paul considered every "good" thing he had ever done to be "rubbish" when compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8). Never become satisfied with religious activity rather than a personal, vibrant, and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the strong man boast of his of his strength, and let not the rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for in these I delight," declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9: 23-24)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

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Standing Before An Empty Tomb

                                                        When The Door Slams

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying., As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in  white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"                                           John 20: 11-13 

        Mary Magdalene could vividly remember the day Jesus delivered her from her demonic bondage. She became His devoted follower that day (Luke 8:2). She watched Him heal the sick and teach people about God's love. Her life was transformed as she experienced the joy of being with Jesus. 

        Then her world seemed to fall apart! Her Lord was arrested and brutally murdered. The crowds that had shouted, "Hosanna!" at the beginning of the week cried, "Crucify Him!" by week's end. A final blow came when she went to anoint Jesus' body at the tomb. She saw that His tomb was empty. Someone had apparently stolen His body. As she sobbed in despair, angels asked the penetrating question, "Why are you crying?" She was standing before an empty tomb! Jesus had risen, just as He had promised! Knowing that Jesus was alive put everything back into perspective, and Mary joyfully raced to share the good news with others. 

        Think about this: The Christian life is not always easy. There are joyful moments of walking with Jesus, but there are also times when nothing makes sense and when your world seems to be crumbling. The world will mock our Lord, and we may grow discouraged. At those times, you need to peer into the empty tomb. It is the abandoned tomb that give you hope, for it symbolizes the life that is yours from your risen Lord. The empty tomb promises that nothing, not even death itself, can defeat the purposes of your Lord. Are you crying beside an empty tomb?

Christ has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for man to die once and after that to face judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly wait for Him. (Hebrews 9: 26-28)

Christ was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for our sake. Through Him I believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, so that my faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:20-21)  

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.  

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When You Meditate On Scriptures

                                                     When The Door Slams 

How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.                                                          Psalm 1:1-2

        Meditation means "to think deeply and continuously about something." For a Christian, this means remaining in the presence of God and pondering each truth He reveals about Himself until it becomes real and personal in your life. This takes time. In His sermon on the Mount, Jesus accused certain would be followers of calling Him "Lord" and yet never doing what He told them (Luke 6:46)). 

        They had the correct truth in their heads, but it had never translated into obedience. When you meditate on Scriptures, the truth moves from your head to your heart and results in obedience. As the psalmist said, "I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You" (Ps. 119:11). 

        When you know God's Word in your mind but not in your heart, it means that you have learned the principles and concepts and doctrines of God, but you have not come to know Jesus personally. You can reject a doctrine, or ignore a concept, or even challenge a principle, but it is much more difficult to ignore a Person. You can have Scriptures in your mind and still sin against God. 

        Think about this: There are those who can recite long passages of Scripture and yet live ungodly lives. However, you cannot have Scripture fill your heart and continue to sin against God. When God's truth is allowed to touch the deepest corner of your soul, the Holy Spirit will transform you into the image of Jesus Christ. Don't just read your Bible; meditate on God's Word and ask Him to change your heart.

May I let the fear of the Lord be upon me, and be careful in what I do, for with the Lord my God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery (2 Chronicles 19:7). May I meditate on Your precepts And consider Your ways. May I delight in Your statutes, And not forget Your word. Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. Open my eyes that I may see Wonderful things from Your law (Psalm 119:15-18). The Spirit helps me in my weakness, for I do not know what I ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for me with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches the hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27.        

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

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Human Reasoning Will Not Make You Wise

                                                     When The Door Slams

See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."                          Deuteronomy 4:5-6 

        Wisdom is not what you know about the world but how well you know God. Human reasoning will not make you wise. It may even lead you to reject the ways of God (1 Cor. 1:18-25). God's purpose in creating a nation for Himself was to demonstrate His wisdom to the world through the obedience of His people (Zech. 8:23). As the Israelites followed God, He would bless them, and the wisdom of obeying God would be evident to all. 

        God gives you the same opportunity to base your life on his wisdom. When unbelievers make important decisions, they must rely on their own knowledge and understanding. You, as a Christian, have access to God's wisdom. God's Spirit is within you to guide you (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit will open your eyes to the truth of the Scriptures so that you can see things from God's perspective. Only God sees the future, so only He can accurately lead you to make correct decisions today. 

        Think about this: As you allow God to direct your life, those around you will see true wisdom, wisdom not of the world but of God. Others will be confused about what to do in our complicated world, but God will guide you safely to the correct choices for you. Your family will be blessed because you make wise decisions. Your obedient life will demonstrate the wisdom of allowing the Holy Spirit to be your Guide.

May I not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all my heart. May I not turn aside to go after worthless things which do not profit or deliver, because they are useless. (1 Samuel 12:20-21) God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change his mind. Has He spoken and not done it? Has He promised and not fulfilled it?  (Numbers 23:19)   

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.  

                                                                        Never Rest Ministries