Many people will (mistakenly) think that anyone who memorizes a huge amount of Scripture must be some sort of “super saint”. I have this to say about that, and that’s this: Super saint? NO I AIN’T! Not even close. (To echo the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:18, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh”.) In fact, just the opposite of their notion is true, because the more of the Bible I memorize, the more I realize how utterly and entirely sinful I am in and of myself, in my flesh. You see, as Psalm 19:7-8 clearly states, the Bible – and especially memorizing the Bible – “enlightens the eyes”. It breaks through the blindness which besets us from birth and opens one’s eyes. To the truth and existence and nature and will of God. To the nature and detrimental, destructive, and indeed deadly consequences of sin (Romans 6:23). And to the nature of man. Our flesh. Our fallacy. Our tendencies. Why we do what we do. Why we do what we should not and not do what we should! (Romans 7:19) So you can see why I say that the more Scripture one memorizes, the more one will see the righteousness of God and the sinfulness of oneself, of the flesh, to the extent that I can honestly say that I’m the BIGGEST SINNER I know, I’m the biggest sinner I’ve EVER known, and I’m probably the biggest sinner YOU’VE ever known, at least that’s how I see it, that’s my (believe it or not blissful) Bible-borne perspective.
But thankfully Psalm 19:7-8 doesn’t stop there! Because it’s just as clear that the Bible also “restores the soul” and “makes wise the simple” and “rejoices the heart”! It’s not just a win, not just a home run, memorizing and reciting Scripture is a GRAND SLAM! And not just spiritually, but humanly… not just in the spiritual realm, but in the human realm, not just in the life to come but also this present life (1 Timothy 4:8). And I can testify from firsthand experience that all of this is absolutely true: so long as I’m doing so on a regular basis, my spirit remains utterly joyful, rarely ever leaving the proverbial “cloud nine”. I find that I see things that many others don’t (heightened insight produced by the Word within). And I find that my heart remains filled with and focused on the things above, not on the things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2), not on the things which are seen, but unseen, not the things which are temporal but eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18) – what a wonderful way to go through life! And what’s amazing is that I’m just at the START this journey of memorizing the entire Bible, after which the Lord is leading me to turn this into a full-fledged, full-speed-ahead, full-time ministry – here’s the plan…
PHASE 1: Memorize the ENTIRE Bible as a “love/thank You” gift back to Him and also to prove, to demonstrate to the world the utter and tangible power and benefits of the ingested (memorized) Word of God! And for the first few months to highlight the need and leave room for the Lord to lead like-minded Bible-loving believers to support this in whatever ways they’re able and willing and excited to do so when learning about this historic endeavor and opportunity.
PHASE 2: After memorizing all or at least the vast majority of the New Testament, the next step will commence and entail totally changing the emphasis of this website from seeking one-time and especially Monthly Partners so as to get and keep this going to just giving back by meeting the needs of others, to “fulfill the law of Christ” by “bearing the burdens of others” (Galatians 6:2) and “serving one another” (Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 4:10).
Specifically, I will make myself available all throughout the day virtually every day so anyone will be able to:
- Ask and receive Bible-based answers to their questions about the Bible itself, God, sin, human nature, and whatever else might be on their hearts at any given time. Literally for the rest of my or their lives, they will have a ready and waiting friend and/or listening ear and/or shoulder to cry on according to their need at the time. Without reservation, and without judgment.
- Submit prayer requests to be prayed for by someone who is brimming with the living Word within him, which I firmly believe is the biggest key to effective prayer: the Word sanctifies (John 17:17) and cleanses (Ephesians 5:26) and keeps pure (Psalm 119:9) and away from sin (Psalm 119:11); now combine all of this with the fact that “the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12) and “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16b) and perhaps speaking most poignantly to the amazing link between memorizing Scripture and an effective prayer life, “If you abide in Me, and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, ask WHATEVER you WISH, and it SHALL BE DONE for you.” (John 15:7). How will people’s lives literally change and be transformed by the supplication and intercession by one in whom such a massive amount of Scripture will be dwelling? GAME-CHANGER. Life-changer. WORLD-changer! (Literally. Just ask the people who were living in the time of Elijah.)
- Find a BIBLICAL – Bible-loving, Bible-believing, Bible-practicing – church near them, right in their local area! I am already in the process of putting together this network of churches; denomination will be irrelevant, the only criterion will be the extent to which they demonstrably adhere to the principles set forth in the Bible about “how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15) With a primary focus on how supportive they are of Bible memory. I expect even just the human-interest/intellectual aspect of this project to attract countless people who aren’t even religious or are very early on in their spiritual growth who’ll need and want to find a church that will foster and maximize said growth.
- Find the businesses in YOUR area that are owned and/or managed by fellow Christians who love the Lord and His Word and realize the importance of and support Bible memory. Galatians 6:10 and 1 Timothy 6:2 make clear that it is our responsibility as Christians that our everyday choices inure to the benefit of fellow believers whenever possible, so I’m going to make that super easy and convenient by posting a nationwide (but searchable by state/county/city) LIST of Christian businesses so we can all choose THEM whenever we need a product or service; once assembled, it will appear on the “Find A Christian Biz” / Yellow Pages section here at BibleMemory.ORG so please check back for that in the coming weeks.
PHASE 3: Turn this burgeoning history-in-the-making effort into a full-speed-ahead, full-fledged, full-time ministry to Educate, Encourage, and Empower others to memorize and recite Scripture on a regular, systematic, verse-by-verse, book-by-book basis! Tall goal, but totally doable, because something very interesting happened as I memorized my very first book of the Bible, the New Testament book of James. That goal seemed not just tall but downright monumental. Undoable. Right? Wrong! Because, amazingly, the more of it I memorize, the EASIER it gets! The more of it I memorize, the more I am able to memorize. By the time I came to Chapter 5, I knew this large task was indeed going to be accomplished. BIG difference than when I was facing Chapter 1 Verse 1.
This is a fantastic real-life demonstration of Matthew 19:26 which says, “With men, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Including memorizing the ENTIRE Bible! You see, in the physical realm, the more water you pour into a glass, the less capacity it will have for more water to be added. But in the spiritual realm, when it comes to God and His Word, the Bible, the exact OPPOSITE is true! The MORE you pour into your mind, the MORE capacity you’ll have for additional verses and chapters and books to be added! Not less. And this amazing power is exponential in nature: I saw a large increase in capacity from James 1 to James 5, but double or triple the capacity by the time I finished memorizing Hebrews 1-5, and then quadruple or quintuple the capacity by the time I finished memorizing Hebrews 6-10, and so on. This finding is literally historic, and indeed the closest thing to a bona fide miracle in recent history of which I’m aware: it’s verifiable, it’s tangible, and – due to the “living and active” nature of the Bible (Hebrews 4:12) – it’s even repeatable. While the specific extent of this phenomenon might vary from person to person, the essence of the Word does not. Ever. This is how I’ll be able not just to Educate and Encourage the masses to memorize and recite Scripture on a regular, systematic basis but also to EMPOWER them to do so (the Word through me). (Believe me, once a person gets a taste of this, his or her life will never be the same. Human metaphors don’t really do it justice but in terms of the Christian life, it’s like trying filet mignon for the first time after a lifetime of eating hamburger.)
This will primarily be accomplished by producing a course, a syllabus, an entire series of videos, CD’s, and even audio cassettes, which will take all of this and make it SUPER EASY and CONVENIENT for people the world over to learn and apply this at their own pace and as their individual schedules permit. I am utterly convinced that another worldwide spiritual revival will occur, but I’m even more certain that it will only occur as people start ingesting the living Word of God by memorizing and reciting it regularly – “all the day” (Psalm 119:97) and even “day AND night” (Psalm 1:2-3).
By the way, this would be a great time to let you know that as I’ve been memorizing Scripture, a very specific METHOD of doing so is coming into focus, which, as noted above, I can testify firsthand is making it MUCH EASIER for me to memorize and retain – not just the Bible but EVERYTHING: to-do lists, schedule and meetings, various events that occur, etc., a true “sponge” effect! – and I’m 99.9% sure that it will do so for virtually anyone and everyone who applies it. It’s still coming together but seems to be getting close to the point that it can be rolled out. This one aspect alone of this one phase alone could easily and literally change the world and people’s everyday lives.
PHASE 4: Set up new and/or work with established addiction centers to specifically address the huge need for healing, curing, and then preventing from recurring (relapse) the massive crisis of addiction to pain killers, opioids, and other drugs, as well as the dreadful disease of depression. I am absolutely certain that the best and probably only way to truly beat, to truly eradicate, overcome, and conquer an addiction is to turn to something even more addictive – and I am equally certain that the most addictive thing in the universe is the BIBLE, the living and active Word of God, the Word ingested. No doubt about it. The main challenge is that so relatively few ever really give regular and systematic Bible memory a try, but I – with your and the Lord’s help – intend to change that!
It won’t happen overnight but I have no doubt that change is indeed coming. And just in case you don’t think the Bible extends or has relevance to the physical realm of human existence, I humbly give you Proverbs 4:22 which, referring to the Bible, the “my words” of verse 20, clearly states that His words “are LIFE to those who find them, and HEALTH to ALL their WHOLE BODY.” Is that an amazing verse or what?! We have a super-duper health “pill” readily available to us (the Bible is the most-published and available book of all time) yet SO FEW EVER ACTUALLY SWALLOW IT! To their utter “missing out” yet few if any are even aware of this because nobody has trumpeted it from the proverbial mountaintops but with your help I intend to change this, too, and do just that!
I didn’t start memorizing entire books of the Bible as a child but did memorize a lot of single Bible verses and – totally not surprisingly in light of that verse/truth/fact – I haven’t had to see a doctor or go to the hospital my entire adult life. Not even a single time. No emergencies. No health surprises. Not one. I don’t think the two are unrelated or that this remarkable health history is mere coincidence or the result of “good genes”; no, I’m certain it’s that verse at work.
No, it won’t happen overnight but down the road I look forward to organizing some clinical/medical trials to demonstrate that this is universal and not just specific to me. I dare say that other than imparting the Gospel or giving one’s own life to save another’s, there is no greater act of love and kindness and therefore Christlikeness (since He epitomized and epitomizes both) than to free a person from the cruel slavery and bondage of addiction or depression, to provide them with the answer, the antidote, something that actually and permanently WORKS! So even just this phase of the action plan will likely be enough to revolutionize the nation and world.
CONCLUSION: If you like what you’ve heard here and found yourself nodding in agreement several times, please read on…
“Mercy!”
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryWhen I was a child, my parents maintained a good disposition but from time to time, like most parents, like most people, they’d get shocked or disappointed or miffed by various things life would throw their way and my dad’s reaction in particular was always the same. One word. “Mercy.” Or if the situation was of a more extreme nature, “Mercy!” (I think he got that from a Roy Orbison song.) It was far more statement than plea.
That memory returned as I contemplated this post. Like the previous one, there’s going to be some GREAT NEWS, which will be followed by a loving word of warning from the ever-loving God via His Word, the Bible. Like my parents also used to say per the previous post, “where there’s privilege, there’s also responsibility.” (That’s also the perspective of our heavenly Father as you’re about to read.)
First, the privilege/receiving.
God is merciful. He abounds in mercy. It’s part of His very nature.
2 Corinthians 1:3 calls Him “the Father of mercies.”
In Exodus 34:6, when Moses went back up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments for a second time due to his anger over the people’s sinful conduct including worshiping the golden calf which Aaron had made (32:35), the English Standard Version (ESV) translates God’s testimony about Himself like this: “The Lord, the Lord God, MERCIFUL and gracious…” And Micah 7:18 goes a bit further and says that God “DELIGHTS in mercy” (New King James Version, NKJV). And Ephesians 2:4 goes even further in a sense in declaring that God is “RICH in mercy.” And David – the man after God’s own heart, asserts in Psalm 25:10, “ALL the paths of the Lord are MERCY and truth” (King James Version, KJV). And in Psalm 145:8-9 he says “The Lord is gracious and merciful … and His mercies are over ALL his works” then echoes that in Psalm 86:15 – “But Thou, O Lord, art a God MERCIFUL and gracious.” I love the explanation of the difference between mercy and grace I learned as a child: grace is getting what we do not deserve; mercy is NOT getting what we DO deserve. Mercy goes hand-in-hand with compassion [and indeed is actually translated as such here by the New American Standard Version (NASB)] and forbearance and patience and lovingkindness. Indeed, this is not just attributed to God in the Old Testament but equally so in the New: James 5:11 assures us that “the Lord is FULL of compassion, as is MERCIFUL.”
It’s part of His very nature. So totally unsurprisingly, they NEVER run out. Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) – “His mercies NEVER come to an end; they are new EVERY morning.” Just like that song many of us have sung in church.
Second, the responsibility/giving.
The bar is set very high, my friend, by the Lord Jesus Himself; in Luke 6:36 He commands us to “Be merciful, JUST AS your [heavenly] Father is merciful.” Wow. High standard indeed. The highest.
In fact, for anyone who desires to be wise, to receive wisdom from God, he or she must be “FULL of mercy” (James 3:17; and also pure and peaceful among other things).
And speaking of the link between mercy and wisdom, Proverbs 14 gives us a double-dose on the topic: verse 21 says that “he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he” and verse 31 says “he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.” (NKJV) And Micah 6:8 is among the most familiar Old Testament verses and says, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” And Zechariah 7:9 commands us to “show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother.”
From a biblical perspective, there are many things about current society which concern me. Near the very top of that list is an ever-increasing and tangible, palpable lack of mercy, particularly in recent years. Especially online but even in person (just watch the news on any given day and you’ll likely see multiple examples), people more and more are choosing cruelty and meanness and unkindness over mercy.
My friend, while this certainly isn’t great for the object of said lack of mercy, it’s even far worse for the subject, for the one(s) being unmerciful.
Here’s a GREAT verse on this matter. Proverbs 11:17 – “The merciful man does HIMSELF good…” But it doesn’t stop there: “… but the cruel man does HIMSELF harm.” Wow, what a timely verse for the time in which we currently live!
But once again (I LOVE this!) that which couldn’t be stated any more clearly in the Old Testament is reiterated in the New: James 2:12-13 is equally clear and provides the perfect conclusion for this post: “So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For JUDGMENT WILL BE MERCILESS TO ONE WHO HAS SHOWN NO MERCY.” Yikes! What a stern warning each of us would be wise to not lose sight of ever, to keep firmly in mind all day every day. But like Proverbs 11:17, James 2:13 doesn’t stop there; isn’t it just like the Lord to end on an encouraging, uplifting, motivational note of positive reinforcement: “MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT.” And 2 Samuel 22:26 says the same thing: “With the merciful, You will show Yourself merciful.” (KJV/ESV) And in Matthew 5:7, right at the start of the “Sermon on the Mount” – unparalleled in oration and preaching and evangelism history – Jesus simply said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
So starting today and for the rest of our lives, let’s actively look for and search out opportunities to show MERCY to others. The highest motivation for anything is always God’s pleasure but even if we can’t always maintain that perspective, even if one isn’t motivated by that, then do it for YOURSELF, for your own well-being. Not only in the life to come, but also in this one. Indeed indeed, “The merciful man does HIMSELF good.”
As Dad would often say, “Mercy!”
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If you sense that the Lord might be leading YOU to support the historic event unfolding in real-time here at BibleMemory.ORG and thus become my fellow worker and thus share in all of the fruit and blessings (3 John 8) and literally MAKE HISTORY together, here are the best ways to do so:
1. Become a one-time or monthly partner by making a donation via PayPal’s fully-secure Bible Memory page!
2. Encourage as many people as you can to support this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/support (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches to the green box and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
3. Add your name to my Prayer List!
4. Encourage as many of our fellow Christians as you can to pray for this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/pray (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
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“Today is the Day”: We Will Never Forget
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemorySeptember 11.
This is a date and that was a day which we will never forget. September 11, 2001. 9/11. It doesn’t matter how it’s written, it still causes a tingle to run up my neck every time. The tragedy. The sorrow. The loss. The massive and senseless, needless loss of people who were simply going to work like they had thousands of days before or merely catching a flight that morning.
But also the heroism and bravery of our fellow Americans. The first responders. The amazing passengers on United Flight 93 who almost saved themselves but definitely saved the country from an even more horrific outcome that day since those hijackers were planning to fly that plane into the U.S. Capitol or the White House.
And that reminds me of a great Bible verse, Romans 8:28 – “And we KNOW that God causes ALL things to work together for GOOD to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” There are many ways which that proved true in a big-picture, overarching kind of way… but also and even down to the nitty-gritty. Did you ever think that a 30-minute DELAY on a runway would be a good thing? Indeed, just the opposite: that’s likely near the top of the list of things that cause people to curse aloud. But just think about how gracious God was in letting that particular plane – United 93 – on that particular runway at that particular airport on that particular day get delayed for take-off for a solid half-hour, which in turn allowed those brave passengers to receive the phone conversations and realize what fate awaited their plane unless they rose up and fought back, to save their own lives but otherwise at least the lives of their fellow man on the ground in Washington, DC. As you’ll hear me say regularly in future posts and one in particular, there is NO SUCH THING as a “coincidence” in life. None whatsoever. And this is a good and indeed historic example of that. (Most of us probably thought we’d NEVER give thanks for a 30-minute delay in traffic, eh?)
And indeed, as recently noted in the past, despite all the tragic loss and destruction and devastation which occurred that day, I thank God for 9/11. For that bravery and selflessness and self-sacrifice demonstrated so beautifully and courageously by those first responders in New York and Washington and our military heroes at NORAD and civil servants at several FAA centers in the east and those countless “average” citizens like me who dropped to the knee and cried out to God for mercy and grace and healing for a country which has always tasted so generously of His grace but has put that at risk in recent decades by turning its back on Him in many ways, reminding Him (for MY sake, NOT His) of the truth in James 5:11 – that He is by nature “full of compassion, and is merciful” and surely enough He doled both out in spades and has kept our nation free of big attacks these past 18 years since. (Indeed, and interestingly beyond words, I prayed that prayer right at 10:30 a.m. ET, as the TV screen was showing the collapse of the second World Trade Center tower – and as it turns out that was the exact END of the active devastation.)
So on this day which will indeed never be forgotten, which like December 7 sixty years before will “live in infamy”, I thank God for all of those things, for bringing us through that horror and demonstrating His mercy and compassion yet again, just like that verse says. May He continue to be on our side but as Abraham Lincoln so wisely put it, “my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Amen. Lord, please pour out that compassion particularly on those directly affected, who still feel the sting of the loss of friends and/or family. For those now-adults who were children who lost one or both parents, forever altering the course and nature of their lives. For those former first responders who still suffer the dreadful effects of cancer and other diseases to this day as a result of that day. For Lisa Beamer and surviving relatives of those courageous passengers on Flight 93 whom You used to lessen and dull the full brunt of that day. May each of us serve as Your fingers and feet to them through our prayers on their behalf, donating to their respective charities, or simply showing kindness to strangers, who more likely than not were affected by that day even if by two or four or six degrees of separation. And most of all, Lord, please keep using that day and the memory of it to remind the masses that only ONE THING in life really matters, and that’s the decision we make regarding the life to come, regarding our eternal destination. May not a single person reading this take another step or spend another night without first making sure that this is a settled matter, by putting their faith in Your immaculate conception, perfect life, then Your death, burial, and resurrection to cover and pay the price for OUR sins and thus allow us to enjoy a relationship of peace with God, not hostility.
Please make that a pressing priority. Please don’t delay even one more day. Because, as so dramatically demonstrated on 9/11/01, “tomorrow” is guaranteed to nobody. TODAY “is the day of salvation’ … NOW is ‘the acceptable time'” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
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Talk About a RIGGED System!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryNo, that title doesn’t refer to the two-party political system or the stock market or the economy. I’m talking about something that’s SO rigged it’s jaw-dropping and indeed life-altering. Literally. It is undoubtedly GREATLY AFFECTING your life – and not for the better – at this very moment, as we speak.
Whenever I hear someone claiming that something is “rigged”, one word comes to mind: par-a-noi-a (bup bup bup-bup-bup), par-a-noi-a (bup bup bup-bup-bup, almost like a cheer). And that turns out to be the case virtually 100% of the time.
But there is an exception. A big one. Here’s what I mean.
The system to which the title refers, the system of which I speak, is the world system. And believe me, it is RIGGED. Big-time. Against YOU. Against me. Against the whole of humanity. But this culprit is not acting alone, it has some extremely strong and effective accomplices so let’s discuss those so you can keep them in mind throughout each day so as to enact a successful defense.
Culprit #1 is the devil – also called Satan and originally Lucifer – and all his minions, called demons. They just carry out the devil’s plans so we’ll just discuss him.
Make no mistake about it, he is the most formidable foe in the history of the universe. He was originally the second-most-powerful being in the universe, second only to God Himself. But that wasn’t enough for him. (Looks like human nature was around even before humans!) No, he felt the need to be number one, “numero uno”, the “big cheese” as described in Isaiah 14:13-14, which refers both to the king of Babylon (verse 4) and to Satan who empowered him: “But you [i.e., Satan] said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God … I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” And Ezekiel 28:13-17 does likewise – referring in part to the king of Tyre (verse 2) but verse 15 makes clear that it’s primarily about Satan – and adds even more color: “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering… and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you… you were the anointed cherub… You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you… and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God… your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground.” It seems clear this is also what Jesus was referring to in Luke 10:18 when He said, “I was watching [speaking directly to the deity of Jesus, much like when He said “before Abraham was, I AM” in John 8:58] Satan fall from heaven like lightning.” The main phrase here for our purposes is “the anointed cherub” which signifies just how high and lofty and powerful a position he was given before foolishly frittering it all away because of his pride. And though his “reversal of fortune” was the second-greatest in history (I’ll discuss the first and third in a future post… see item “3.” at the very bottom or top-right of this page to automatically be notified of such), he retained (and retains, to this day) a level of power which is incomprehensible to mere mortal man.
In fact, to put just how much power he has into perspective, here’s one of the most surprising verses in the entire Bible: Jude 1:9 which says, “But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, DID NOT DARE pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you.’ ” Is that incredible or what?! THE MOST POWERFUL of the angels “DID NOT DARE” when it came to the devil.
But he not only has the ability to wreak havoc upon humanity but also the motivation. In John 8:44 , Jesus Himself confirms that the devil is a “murderer” by nature, “from the beginning”, and also calls him a perennial “liar, and father of lies” and that “there is NO TRUTH in him.” (How would you like to have THAT as an epitaph.)
And lest you think it’s nothing personal, that this uber-powerful enemy isn’t actively and continually aiming his formidable guns RIGHT AT YOU, the Bible saw that widespread sentiment coming from a mile away and in 1 Peter 5:8 says this: “Be on the alert [holy hypervigilance, as it were]. YOUR [whose?!] adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Ephesians 6:11 says that he is constantly “scheming” against us. That’s all he does, that’s the purpose of his very existence, to get as many people as possible to join him in hell for all eternity. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that he “has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Doesn’t get any clearer than that! Talk about being unmasked and exposed. ALL the devil wants to do in life is to trip up believers as badly as possible and KEEP unbelievers unbelieving until it’s too late and thus have them spend all eternity with him and his minions in hell versus with God and all believers in heaven. (Um, I think I’ll opt for the latter, thank you very much.)
So culprit #1, the devil, has the means, motive, and opportunity.
Culprit #2 is the world, the world system itself. Unfortunately for those of us living in it, the first two culprits are very closely-linked. Hypocrisy and corruption have been around since the fall of man but have erupted to a whole new level in society in recent years. Isaiah 14:12 puts it like this: “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations.” The devil has corrupted entire governments and spiritually polluted entire nations. Just take a look at the world news on any given day and you’ll see what I mean, what this verse is talking about. People putting on one face “for the cameras” only to be exposed at some point as being the exact opposite of the perception they painted for others. But if anyone is surprised by such moments of unmasking, they must not have read 1 John 5:19. It’s a stunning verse, like getting a bucket of ice thrown on you as was the craze and all the rage (but for a very good purpose) in 2014-15. It confirms that “the WHOLE WORLD [i.e., system] lies in the power of the EVIL ONE.” Whoa! And 1 John 2:16 says, “For ALL that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is NOT from the Father but is from the world.” Double-whoa! And we just got done discussing what the devil’s intention and plan for mankind is so it’s wise indeed to “be on the alert” for the shenanigans he’s continually trying to pull and also the world system itself. More below on HOW to do this.
Culprit #3 is a lot more personal, hits much closer to home. Your flesh. My flesh. The flesh.
It’s challenging enough for most people, even most believers, to “withstand the wiles of the devil.” Then add to that all the lures of the world, of this world system, all the opportunities to stray it’s constantly throwing in our faces and in our way. But there’s also an “enemy within” – within our very selves. It’s called the flesh. Fallen flesh. Human nature. Corrupt, despicable, depraved. And just because a person is transformed by the saving work of Christ and the Holy Spirit and washed with the water of the Word, THAT FLESH DOESN’T GO AWAY. Nope. It’s with us ’til our dying day. We have to deal with it our ENTIRE LIVES! Even after our essence has been utterly transformed so as to be a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17), it remains ENVELOPED by the flesh until we go to heaven.
And while the devil and the world system certainly doesn’t make things easy, know who’s responsible for EVERY SINGLE TIME you or I have sinned? James 1:14 is another stunning and eye-opening verse, confirming that “EACH [and every] ONE is tempted when he is carried away by HIS OWN lust.” And verse 15 adds, “Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
I don’t think most have ever really come to terms with just what a beast is living inside them. But you know who did? The person who said this: “For I know that NOTHING GOOD dwells IN ME, that is, in MY FLESH; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.” Know who said that? Probably the greatest person ever to have walked the face of the earth other than the Lord Jesus Himself, and that’s the Apostle Paul.
IF THAT WAS TRUE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL (and we have the Holy Spirit’s confirmation that it indeed was), WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT YOU AND ME, about where WE stand? All I can say is… yikes! Double-yikes! TRIPLE-yikes!
But fear not, beloved, for I have GREAT NEWS! As uber-powerful as the devil and the world system and fallen flesh may be, they can be overcome, and quite EASILY as it turns out. Here’s HOW!
The first thing to realize is that in the overarching big picture, the devil – and by extension the world system and fallen flesh – has already been defeated, already been dealt a crushing blow. Literally. Romans 16:20 says that God “will soon crush Satan under your feet” and that said groundwork has already been fully laid by the completed (“It is FINISHED!” – John 19:30) work of Jesus Christ (a) when He died on the cross as a sacrificial lamb on OUR behalf, to pay the penalty for OUR sins, (b) when during His time in the tomb He wasn’t simply resting but rather “went and made proclamation” to the demons bound in the abyss awaiting the eternal fiery lake of hell, a proclamation of UTTER AND COMPLETE VICTORY and vanquishing and “a mighty triumph o’er his foes” as that great hymn says, and (c) when He rose again from the dead and fulfilled the prophecy of Hosea 13:14 as the front-runner of all future believers as described in 1 Corinthians 15:55 – “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (Interestingly, these three points align perfectly with 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, which is the “gospel” referenced in verse 1.)
In other words, the battle has already been won. By Christ Jesus, on our behalf. He is already victorious, therefore SO SHOULD WE BE in our daily lives. But how? Through faith: “For whatever is born of God OVERCOMES the world; and this is the VICTORY that has overcome the world – our FAITH.” (1 John 5:4)
Sounds great, but HOW do you and I actually APPROPRIATE faith, where does it come from?
Romans 10:17 couldn’t be ANY clearer: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the WORD OF GOD.” The message about Christ in specific as just discussed above and the Bible in general. THAT is what produces FAITH. Hearing, i.e., OBEYING the Bible, the Word of God. And while it’s certainly possible to do so simply by reading the Bible, it’s even easier to do so by studying the Bible – but the BEST and maximizing way is by MEMORIZING the Bible. And that’s one race you needn’t COMPLETE in order to WIN. I.e., you don’t have to memorize the WHOLE Bible to be a MASSIVE WINNER, you just need to go down that path, to memorize whatever amount on a REGULAR and preferably systematic (verse-by-verse, book-by-book) basis and trust me, the meditating and obeying WILL follow, because and as the Word itself “performs ITS work IN” you (1 Thessalonians 2:13). See what I mean? See the utter LACK, the utter ABSENCE of self-effort? Put the Bible in your HEAD/MIND (hence the logo at the top-left of this page and throughout this website) and the REST OF YOU (body, emotions, soul) will follow!
Not because of you or me, but in SPITE of us. Not because of you or me, but because of the BIBLE.
As I always say, salvation and sanctification, the Christian life, always comes down and back to the Bible. (1 Peter 1:23; Romans 10:17; John 17:17)
And the more you MEMORIZE it, the more capacity you’ll have to meditate on and obey it. 100,000% true, GUARANTEED.
So the key to appropriating in your everyday life the victory which has already been won by Christ’s completed work on Calvary’s cross is faith, which comes from the Bible. And most of all from memorizing and reciting the Bible. Let me show you an amazing passage of Scripture.
As I’ve said before, there are countless benefits of Bible memory, and I’ll delve more and more deeply into those in future posts (if you’d like to automatically be notified whenever a new post is published, simply click on the grey “Follow Bible Memory” button in item “3.” below or at the top-right of this page) but want to discuss one of those now.
One of my very favorite things about Bible memory is that it gives the Bible and the Holy Spirit FULL capacity to “go to work” in us. Fully. Maximally. As it “courses through” our entire being, our very essence – mind and therefore soul, emotions, and body. And one result of this “Bible absorption” is that when I’m reciting or meditating on one passage, the Word itself and the Holy Spirit – the REAL “dynamic duo” – will bring another verse of passage to mind so as to create the full meaning of what they’re conveying. It’s amazing how one verse – often in the same passage – can totally “light up” and “bring to life” another.
And one of my favorite examples of this – and extremely pertinent to this discussion – is found in 1 John 2.
I quoted verse 16 above (along with 5:19) to show the true nature of the world system. I dare say verse 15 is among the more familiar ones in all of Scripture, the admonition to “not love the world, nor the things in the world.” But I want to focus on what immediately precedes that. 1 John 2:13-14.
This is one of those cases that the two verses are in the same passage. Verse 13 says “I am writing to you, young men, because you have OVERCOME THE EVIL ONE.” (Told ya it was extremely pertinent! =)
Now look at what verse 14 says. “I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and THE WORD OF GOD [Bible!] ABIDES IN YOU, and you have OVERCOME THE EVIL ONE.”
Isn’t that amazing?! One verse says something, then another verse – either elsewhere in the Bible or in the same passage as here – builds upon it and totally brings it to life!
I’m sure you noticed the DIFFERENCE between those two otherwise-nearly-identical verses/phrasing. The first one mentions overcoming the evil one. Then the second one adds the adjective “strong” and the very enlightening phrase “the word of God ABIDES IN YOU“! Like I say, it ALWAYS comes back to the Bible in general and Bible MEMORY in specific! What a difference even a single phrase can make.
So HOW can you OVERCOME the rigged system which is pointing its guns directly at you each and every day? By believing that Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day just like He (and many Old Testament prophets superintended by the Holy Spirit) said He would. Then by appropriating that done-deal victory by reading or better yet studying or best of all MEMORIZING the Bible. And before you faint from pre-exhaustion at just the thought of that, rest assured that as I continue along that path of memorizing verse after verse and book after beautiful book, it is bringing into greater and greater focus a specific METHOD which is making it not just EASY (i.e., no fainting necessary) but FUN! Stay tuned to this blog and when that has fully come together or at least 95% finalized in my mind’s eye, I will share it here in a future post (or more likely, series of posts) but in the MEANTIME you can just read a verse (at least one or two a day is great for now) of the Bible over and over and over and over and ALOUD (you don’t have to shout or anything, just so your own ears can hear your mouth) and, like the hundreds and probably THOUSANDS of song lyrics you’ve memorized and could probably recite right now, you’ll be walking along the glorious and unparalleled path of Bible memory on a regular, systematic basis before you know it! And will start to SEE the countless benefits mentioned in this and the previous post. This will absolutely revolutionize your life, I GUARANTEE IT!
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