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…
An Ode to the Bible, a Call to Bible Memory, and the Best Healthcare Plan EVER!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryJesus. Christ. Jesus Christ. The Lord. Jesus Christ the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ. The hymnist was right: there’s just something about that name!
But lest you think this is merely a continuation of the previous post, let me assure you that, well, it kinda is.
Because it’s impossible to separate the Word from the Lord or the Lord from the Word. It’s impossible to separate the Word of the Lord and the Lord of the Word. Can’t be done. So while this post is an ode to the Bible, by definition it will largely and at least indirectly be another ode to the Lord Himself. Here’s what I mean.
Have you ever realized just how closely, no, how inextricably linked the Bible is to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself?
It would probably be heretical to go so far as to say that the Bible is an actual physical, tangible “manifestation” of Christ Himself – but it IS very, very, very CLOSE to being just that! Don’t believe me? Check this out…
The Bible COULDN’T BE MORE CLEAR that:
But wait, there’s more!
It’s true that the first Chapter of the Gospel of John is abundantly clear on this subject. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. … And the Word BECAME FLESH, and dwelt AMONG US [humans, mankind], and we beheld His glory, glory as of the ONLY BEGOTTEN from the Father, full of grace and truth. JOHN [the Baptist] BORE WITNESS of Him…” (John 1:1,3,14-15a)
When that passage starts out, I suppose one could ascribe that to the Holy Spirit, too – though when combined with Colossians 1:16 I don’t think there’s any question of Whom it’s speaking, virtually verbatim. But after the first few verses, certainly by verse 14 the Bible leaves NO doubt or wiggle room: it’s absolutely referring to Jesus Christ (“became flesh”, something neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit have ever done). And it calls Him “the Word”.
I’d say that’s a pretty strong connection and link with the Bible, right? But years ago I came across a little-known verse that does so to an even greater, more explicit extent. Wanna know just HOW inextricably linked the Lord Jesus Christ is to the Bible? I give you Revelation 19:13.
The end of verse 10 makes it crystal clear (or should I say, crystal-sea clear =) that it’s speaking about Jesus: “… the testimony of JESUS; worship God. For the testimony of JESUS is the spirit of prophecy.” And verses 11-12 describe His horse and appearance and activities and nature and then verse 13 says it all: “… and His name is called THE WORD OF GOD.” Hmm, so is the BIBLE!
Ergo, any ode to the Bible will, by extension if not definition, in effect be an ode to the Lord Jesus Christ, too, so… BONUS!
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A Call to Bible Memory
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And indeed, it is that very link to, that inextricable association with the Lord Jesus that gives the Bible its power. If it had emanated, if it had flown forth from ANYONE else but God, from ANY other person, it wouldn’t have such infinite power. But even then it would still contain a TON of great advice and wisdom – e.g., wouldn’t we gobble up (Jeremiah 15:16; Job 23:12) and heed every word of ANY AND ALL of Paul’s writings, even the non-canonical ones which weren’t Spirit-breathed? Of course. Why? Because the more exposure one can have to someone who is so wise and spiritually mature and such a great imitator of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1) and so utterly exhibits the fruit of the Spirit, the BETTER! In fact, while I am not and shall NEVER (in this life, on this side of heaven) be even a MILLIONTH of the person the Apostle Paul was, what I have found is that simply storing large amounts, ENTIRE BOOKS of the Bible INSIDE OF ME (Bible memory) and then meditating on those (a-u-t-o-m-a-t-i-c – more on that in a future post) and obeying those, the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and being controlled by (filled with) the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21) and the Word (Colossians 3:16-17 … hmm, those two lists of characteristics are virtually the SAME! More on this too in a future post… if you want 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) have skyrocketed in my life. Yes, still a VERY long way to go, methinks I’ve just begun to scratch the surface, but the Bible ingested (memorized), the “rich indwelling” of the Bible in a person’s – any person’s – mind ergo soul/spirit and body is so powerful that it WILL affect and benefit other people even just by PROXIMITY. As I always say, there are no shortcuts per se – the ONLY way to MAXIMIZE the benefits of the Bible is to INGEST (memorize and recite and thus be most fully able to meditate on and obey) it – BUT my firm and strong assertion is that even just putting yourself in PROXIMITY to someone who HAS done that and IS doing that – like by regularly reading and even re-reading and heeding these posts, supporting this historic effort and resultant ministries in whatever ways you’re able, etc. – will still produce a lot of fruit and rewards in YOUR life. It has nothing to do with the vessel; it has EVERYTHING to do with the Bible.
And make no mistake about it: the Bible is unlike any other book in the universe. It and it alone is “living and abiding” (1 Peter 1:23); it is “living and active” and “sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit [what other book could ever do that?!], of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart [ditto].” (Hebrews 4:12) (just as a very timely aside, note that verse 13 immediate flows into speaking of the Lord Jesus… like I said, inextricably linked!); it is “inspired by God and PROFITABLE for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness [WOW!]; that the man of God may be adequate, EQUIPPED for EVERY GOOD work. [double-WOW!]” (2 Timothy 3:16-17); it is “perfect, RESTORING THE SOUL” [triple-WOW! What other book could even DREAM of being able to do THAT?!], it is “sure, MAKING WISE the simple” [ditto!], it is “right, REJOICING THE HEART” [Amen! I can definitely testify to that firsthand… and so will you! Just watch!], it is “pure, enlightening the eyes”, it is “clean, enduring forever”, it is “true” and “righteous altogether”, and it is “more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb”, and in heeding/obeying it “there is GREAT REWARD”! (Psalm 19:7-11); and I could go on forever (literally! quite literally!) but will finish (for now) by adding that when “hidden/treasured in [one’s] heart” he or she “may NOT SIN” (Psalm 119:11; cf, verse 9). I can honestly say that, because of just how sweet indeed the Bible is, like the Psalmist I “DELIGHT in” it and “shall not forget it” (Psalm 119:16,47), that my “delight is in” it and “in [it I] meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2), and like the Apostle Paul “I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man” (Romans 7:22). Amen.
One of the things I love most about the Bible is that all I have to do is INGEST (memorize) it! Because IT will do the rest: it will produce/grow faith in my life (Romans 10:17) and it WILL “perform its work in” me (1 Thessalonians 2:13). ZERO self-effort needed. ZERO “leaning on one’s own understanding” needed. THE BIBLE DOES IT ALL! Except for that initial ingesting. It won’t do that. This first step is wholly, fully, and solely up to YOU!
With such TANGIBLE and POWERFUL benefits and “GREAT REWARD” as those listed above, why would anyone NOT ingest as much of the Bible as possible? Two main reasons.
First, “I don’t have the time.” This one is very easy to dispel, because, come on, seriously, EVERYONE can set aside even just 15 minutes to memorize a verse or two a day, even if just the first or last 15 minutes of the day, right? Just wake up or go to bed a mere 15 minutes earlier and there’s your ample time. Easy-peasy. Anyone can do it.
Second, “I’m just no good at memorizing, I’m just not skilled at memorization, I just can’t memorize a whole lot.”
Hmm, that’s funny, because I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that you could recite the lyrics of HUNDREDS of songs right now. Am I right or am I really right? Did I just hit a home run or a grand slam? Of course you can memorize. Even CHILDREN can memorize and recite the lyrics of countless songs (hopefully not just those they see on TV), the pledge of allegiance, school plays, etc., right? Right.
So why on earth would EVERYONE not voraciously devour (Jeremiah 15:16; Job 23:12) something that is SO sweet and delicious and beneficial – not just in this life but also in the life to come, even extending to all eternity?
I’ll tell you exactly why. Because, as quoted from Psalm 19:8 above, it will “enlighten the eyes.” It will quite literally OPEN YOUR EYES. To a lot of things but probably first on that list chronologically-speaking, if you ingest (memorize and recite and meditate on and obey) the Bible, it will open your eyes to how righteous God is … and how righteous we aren’t. It will bring one’s sinfulness right to the fore. Front and center. Inescapable. Even for those most highly-skilled at denial and self-deception. Because, as also quoted above, from Hebrews 4:12, it truly is “sharper than any two-edged sword” and truly does “pierce as far as the division of soul and spirit” (think about that for a second, amazing) and truly does “judge/discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” You know, that “heart” which is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked/sick” (Jeremiah 17:9), or as Solomon would say (and did! – in Ecclesiastes 9:3), “The hearts of the sons of men are FULL of evil, and INSANITY is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.” (The first thought that hits me is that I don’t think I’d ever want to invite “Ecclesiastes” Solomon to a dinner party. Yikes! “Proverbs” Solomon? Absolutely. Every day of the week and twice on Sunday. But he clearly lost his way, lost his fastball as they say. He went from being at the peak to simply becoming very bleak.)
But hand-in-hand with that is the fact that 99.9% of people hate even the thought of giving up control of their mind. In any and every OTHER way this is a good and healthy hesitance. After all, Jesus Himself demonstrated this in John 2:24-25 – “But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men (human nature), and because He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man for He Himself knew what was in man.” But when it comes to God and the Bible, one should desperately WANT to cede control – why? Because (a) God and the living Word are infinitely WISER than we are and KNOW us yet LOVE us infinitely more than we love ourselves and ALWAYS have OUR best interest in mind, and – even just from a purely human standpoint – (b) that’s the way to GAIN self-control, to GIVE it to God! Ephesians 5:18 says to “be controlled by (usually translated ‘filled with’) the [Holy] Spirit” and Galatians 5:23 makes clear that the result (fruit) is (drum roll, please) SELF-CONTROL. Is that amazing or what?! The vast majority of people yearn for a greater and greater sense of self-control in their lives, and rightly so, but they go about it the entirely wrong way: they seek to hoard it versus giving it to God, which is the ONLY path to a maximum and ever-increasing sense of self-control. When the object of ceding control is God via the Bible, control GIVEN turns into control GAINED! The world – and sadly even many professing Christians – have this TOTALLY BACKWARDS.
And THAT is why 99.9% of people won’t ingest the “miracle pill” that IS the Bible. Because it’s very uncomfortable to human nature in general to give up control, and deep down they know that the Bible is infinitely effective at revealing the truth not just about God but about ourselves. About yourself. About myself. So most people keep depriving themselves of infinite benefit because they don’t get past that very difficult first phase, they don’t get past the initial discomfort.
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Best. Healthcare. Plan. EVER!
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But everything above only dealt with the spiritual and emotional and relational and mental aspects of life, the intangibles. What if I told you that Bible memory also produces amazing tangible effects? What if I told you that it even produces phenomenal PHYSICAL HEALTH? Don’t believe me? My oh my, we do have much to discuss.
Let’s start with the far less important, far less weighty but not insignificant firsthand testimony/experience: I started memorizing Bible verses when I was young (BMA, AWANA, etc.) and into my teenage years and I almost NEVER got sick that entire time growing up. (Though I did ”fake sick” a lot so I could stay home from school and play video games, I have to admit that. =) And I kept right on going as I became a man and guess what, I haven’t had to go to the doctor’s or the hospital EVEN A SINGLE TIME in my ENTIRE ADULT LIFE. Not even once. Talk about a GREAT healthcare plan! The best! Fact: I have NEVER even THOUGHT about getting health insurance my ENTIRE ADULT LIFE. (The only time I did so was when the government passed a law that required it, and it was cheaper to go ahead and get the insurance than pay the fine for not doing so, widely known as the “individual mandate”). Every single day I feel like I’m going to live past 100 if I die at all! No joke. Not sure that’s what’ll actually happen (the 100+ part) but that’s absolutely how I feel all the time so I’ll take it! Humbly but gladly.
So there’s that, very strong firsthand experience. But like I said, that and a dollar will get ya a cup of coffee (at most fast-food restaurants anyway). I mean, my lifelong physical health could just be the result of good genes and not have anything to do with the Bible, right? WRONG! Here’s why.
The Bible is crystal-sea clear that “godliness actually is a means of GREAT GAIN” (1 Timothy 6:6). Yeah but, you might be thinking, yeah but couldn’t that just mean that it yields great gain in eternity, in heaven, in the life to come, regarding just spiritual things? And my reply is likewise yeah but what about 1 Timothy 4:8 which clearly doth state that “godliness is PROFITABLE for ALL things, since it holds promise for the PRESENT LIFE [what?! for the PRESENT LIFE] [okay, that’s what I thought] and also for the life to come.” So, yes, of course it produces tremendous benefit for the next life, for all eternity… but it DOESN’T STOP THERE, it ALSO produces tremendous benefit in THIS life, this present life, this earthly, human life in which we all find ourselves as we speak.
“Yeah but,” I can almost hear you thinking, “but that doesn’t specifically mean that PHYSICAL HEALTH will necessarily be included in those “present life” benefits and promise, right DJ Bible?” To which I have another “yeah but” of my own: yeah, but is not sickness and disease and indeed death itself – the extension and ultimate conclusion of those things – not produced by sin, are not those things the RESULT of sin? Of course, as stated perhaps most clearly in Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is DEATH” – and James 1:15 says, “when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” … doesn’t get any clearer than that! Although Romans 5:12 comes in with a solid tie, confirming that “just as through one man sin entered into the world, and DEATH THROUGH SIN, and so DEATH spread to all men, BECAUSE all SINNED.”
So if there were something that prevents sin, wouldn’t it also, by definition, prevent the results of sin, too? Like disease and sickness and illness?
Doesn’t even nature itself make this abundantly clear? If we destroy the root does the dandelion remain? If we destroy the root, can a plant or flower or tree remain alive? Clearly not. So if there were something, anything in the universe that actually prevents sin, would you not agree that it would also prevent disease and sickness?
I’m here to tell you that I have found such a thing. Take a wild guess what that is. Yep, the Bible. Psalm 119:11 – “Thy word I have treasured/hidden in my heart [mind, not the physical heart, with atria and ventricles] that I may NOT SIN” – is that amazing or what?! The Bible is the only tangible thing that can actually PREVENT SIN! And therefore the results of sin like illness and disease.
Prevention is very key here in my view. Because, while I personally believe it to be so, I can’t be dogmatic that memorizing the Bible will CURE a disease or illness already in a person (but see below why I think this is so, for the main verse which suggests if not asserts this, which connotes if not denotes such). I firmly believe it would and intend to initiate multiple clinical trials to PROVE that, but that’ll take some time, so in the meanwhile please do yourself and your children or nieces or nephews the biggest favor and start ingesting the Bible through Bible memory on a regular, systematic basis. It will change your life, GUARANTEED.
I think the point has already been made, even without using the sharpest tool in that particular shed. But I would and could not end this conversation without sharing this final verse with you about the Bible and physical health. Let’s call it the clincher. The skepticism-crusher. The cleanup hitter. You get the point.
If you’ve already watched the “Overview” video on the home page (and I strongly encourage you to do so) then you already know the answer but here it is again and for anyone who hasn’t: Proverbs 4:22 – “For they” [pointing back to the “my words” of verse 20, referring to His words and collectively His Word, the Bible] “For they are LIFE to those who find them…” That’s quite a statement, no? Indeed. But believe it or not, this verse doesn’t stop there but becomes even more explicit in the matter: “For they are LIFE to those who find them, and HEALTH to ALL their WHOLE BODY.” What a verse! What an amazing verse! What an amazing truth!
Let’s hone in even further on a few of these words and that’ll do it for this post.
“life” (Hebrew, hay-yim) – life but also carries the sense of active, reviving, flowing, fresh, green (like vegetation), sustenance, maintenance, appetite, and renewal … sounds good to me!
“find” (Hebrew, la-mo-sa-e-hem) – find, secure, ACQUIRE, attain to, get, meet, encounter, discover, detect, recognize, TO BE IN THE POSSESSION OF
“health” (Hebrew, mar-pe) – health, healing, PROFIT, soundness of MIND, CURE
“all the whole” (Hebrew, u-le-kal) – all, the whole, the whole of, each and every, totality, everything
“body” (Hebrew, be-sa-row) – the body, of the body, mankind, all living things, kindred, blood-relations
As I began this post, so I’ll end it: the Bible is like no other book. It was involved in the very creation of the universe, it never fails, never changes, never hedges, never wavers but DOES gladden, make WISE, and open the eyes! (Psalm 19:7-8) Or the acronym I like to use: Wise Intelligent/insightful Spiritual Happy … every parent’s – and every person’s – W.I.S.H.!
Unfortunately there’s nothing I can do to shield you from the fact that if you decide to heed my call, this blaring trumpet, for BIBLE MEMORY on a regular, systematic basis, it will reveal not only God but also your true nature to yourself. Inescapable. And wonderful. AFTER you get over the initial hump. Believe me, at the VERY beginning, the VERY FIRST step you take down this road, on this journey, it’ll be the MOST SPIRITUALLY-DIFFICULT thing you’ve ever done. And the most rewarding. Difficult in that the ingested Bible will absolutely and immediately go to work in your mind and reveal a lot of things about yourself to yourself – to your mind, your mind’s eye – that 99.9% of people would rather not see about themselves. But if YOU don’t stop there, NEITHER WILL IT! Because along with revealing those things to you, it will simultaneously start KNOCKING THEM OUT more thoroughly and consistently than a heavyweight boxing world champ could even dream. It will “perform its work IN you” just like 1 Thessalonians 2:13 says. (That’s not a promise so much as a STATEMENT OF FACT. Accomplishing its work is just WHAT IT DOES!) And will result in all the other benefits discussed above.
You might’ve noticed that I just said it would be the most spiritually-difficult thing you’ve ever done. That’s because it destroys the flesh and sin in your life (Psalm 119:9,11) and the LAST thing the flesh and sin want is to be eradicated and destroyed! They (the flesh and sin and the devil) want to stick around and control you (2 Timothy 2:26 speaks of unbelievers coming “to their senses and escape from the SNARE of the DEVIL, having been HELD CAPTIVE by him TO DO HIS WILL” … nuff said). Body, mind, and soul. That’s just what THEY do. (To the extent that one lets them, that one doesn’t put up the proper defense – Ephesians 6:10-18) and especially verse 17‘s “the SWORD of the Spirit, which is the word of God” and OUT OF WHICH all the other weapons of spiritual warfare flow, more on this in a future post.) So they will battle most vigorously to KEEP you from ingesting the Bible, that divine “medicine”. They’ll pull out all the stops. But they don’t stand a chance against the Bible. If you “abide” and KEEP going along the wonderful, unparalleled path of Bible memory. It’s nothing less than an all-out battle for your mind, for your soul, for your body, for your very life. The only question is which one you’re going to let WIN. It’s either “A” or “B” in this case, no in between. If one doesn’t choose the Bible as the winner then the flesh/sin/devil WILL be. It’s like my parents used to tell me as a child: either the Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible. Don’t believe me? Just look BACK on your life to this point, to this very minute. Which side have you allowed to win that war?
I encourage every parent to get their children (or nieces or nephews or neighborhood kids, etc.) to start memorizing the Bible as soon as possible. ASAP. In medical jargon, STAT! Because it’s every bit as critical as a patient who’s bleeding to death from a gunshot wound on a hospital operating table. And because it’s never too early to start memorizing the Bible on a regular, systematic basis but you know what? It’s never too late to start, either. And the prayer of my life is that you will heed this call and do yourself the biggest favor ever. Both in terms of this life and the one to come, eternity. And that you’ll then spread the word and encourage others (and if you have children, MAKE and even PAY them) to do likewise.
For years I’ve been pleading with the Lord to bring about revival in this nation and planet once again, as He has done from time to time in the past. And I believe He will do so for yet another time BUT that such will ONLY happen if and to the extent that you and I ingest and infuse ourselves, our minds, our bodies, our souls, our very beings with the Bible – the living and active and abiding and eternal Word of the living God – and then spread that to others. Hand the flesh and sin and the devil himself a crushing blow, a devastating uppercut, by getting into your mind the very thing – the ONLY thing – that can defeat them and end their hold on your life. That can and will overcome and vanquish any addiction known to man, no doubt about it. “Because greater is He who is IN you than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) and so is His Word, the Bible.
And while Bible memory on a regular, systematic basis AT FIRST will (not might) be the most spiritually-difficult thing you’ve ever done or will ever do, I am thrilled to tell you that as I have memorized entire books of the Bible, as I have gone through that process and progressed along that wonderful path, the Bible has been fulfilling its “enlightening the eyes” work (Psalm 19:8) in a very TANGIBLE way such that it is literally revealing to me and unfolding in my mind piece by piece a specific METHOD which believe it or not makes this not just EASY but a ton of FUN! And believe me, when I first started, when I took the first step on this path, it was ANYTHING BUT “fun”! It was downright daunting. But I believe the Lord and the Bible itself have shown me that, have revealed that method to me, not only so I can successfully complete His calling in my life to be the first person in known human history to memorize and recite the entire Bible but also and equally so I can share it with others so the only obstacle will be mustering the courage to have the truth about yourself, your inner person, revealed to you, everything after that first phase will be easy and fun and indescribably rewarding. As stated on the home page, I expect that method to be finalized, to come together in full or at least fully enough (95+%) in my own mind that I can then share it with others so stay tuned, it’ll change your life and those around you, just watch and see! I guarantee. Not only has it produced massive and constant joy in my day-to-day life but it has also turned my brain into the proverbial “sponge” – it literally soaks in everything and forgets nothing. Not even more minor things like meetings or schedules or to-do lists. This will be one of your favorite things about Bible memory, how it turns the human brain into a super-brain as it were, downright amazing, and impossible to fully describe with mere words but I think you get the gist. And this is just one of countless benefits!
The Lord Jesus Christ and our heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ are my first love. And that order is because but for the Lord, I could never have peace with God or be indwelt much less filled with the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:1; 8:9), it all starts and ends with Jesus. (Just like that list.) But without a doubt, my second love is the Bible. Third place is so far behind so as practically not to even exist. This post began with several ways in which the Bible is inextricably linked to and inseparable from the Lord, so it seems a very fitting end that just as He is the bridge between us and the Father and Holy Spirit, so also the Bible is the bridge between us and the Lord. It leads us and guides us to a saving knowledge of Him (2 Timothy 3:15). It is indeed “a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). It is indeed “better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (Psalm 119:72) and “more desirable than gold, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10) so how on earth could I come to any other conclusion than to affirm with a whole heart that “I SHALL NOT FORGET THY WORD” (Psalm 119:46).
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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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An Ode to the Lord Jesus Christ
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryNow that the backstory, explanation, and vision for this blog have been noted (very fitting at the very beginning), I want this first non-foundational post to be an expression of my appreciation and love for the most amazing person in human history, who just so happens to be the second Person of the Holy Trinity. God Himself. One with the Father. Infinite co-worker with the Holy Spirit in helping us get through this life which is so perennially full of perilous and pernicious potential pitfalls.
I am of course speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Humility/submission/selflessness would have to be one of the qualities which goes against human nature most fiercely. (Along with patience.) Starting at the original fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. And ever since. So it’s not surprising that Philippians 2:5-11 is such a well-known and beloved passage of Scripture. But it actually starts with 2:1-2 in speaking of love and affection and compassion among believers and being of the same mind and united, not divided. ONE body, one mind. And then takes it a layer deeper in specifically talking about HOW such interpersonal, interrelational unity is accomplished – namely, by having EVERYONE eschew selfishness and “empty” conceit (what a perfectly descriptive word! so true! conceit is so UNfulfilling) and instead focus on the needs of others, not just our own, and introduces the world “humility” there in verse 3 so the more familiar verses 5-11 are really just elaborating and “fleshing out” (no pun intended… as in humility gets the FLESH OUT of the picture, out of one’s mind) that principle.
And surely the beloved and amazing Apostle Paul, the writer of Philippians, and absolutely, positively the Holy Spirit – the writer of Philippians (talk about a brain-twister… who wrote the book of Philippians, Paul or the Holy Spirit? Answer: YES!) – KNEW that there was no greater illustration of humility anywhere in the entire UNIVERSE than the Lord Jesus.
I don’t know about you but from time to time in my life it has been very easy and natural for a familiar passage in particular to go through my mind without my really THINKING about exactly what it’s saying, what it’s inferring, the details and color of the communicated facts. MEMORIZING Scripture certainly helps reduce that tremendously – but not totally, not completely (not in this life!) so it still happens from time to time, and this passage used to be no exception.
The point that Jesus is the very picture of humility is obvious. But have you ever stopped to really consider just what He did? And not for Himself, mind you, but for others, for us, for you and for me. Let’s take a minute to consider exactly WHAT He did and not just gloss over it like I did for years.
He was 100% God. Full deity. Omnipotent, infinite power. Omniscient, infinite knowledge. Omnipresent, not bound by time or external factors of any kind or in any way, shape, or form.
And what did He do? What did He do? He voluntarily gave up the willful use of His deity and took on all the limitations of humanity outside of sin, He wasn’t touched by that but DID go through everything else we do in this life as clearly stated in Hebrews 2:17-18 – “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in ALL things, that He might become a merciful [since He knows exactly what you and I are going through at any given time in our lives] and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For SINCE He HIMSELF was tempted [i.e., in His humanity; cf, Matthew 4; Hebrews 4:15 and James 1:13] in that which He has suffered, HE IS ABLE to come to the aid of those who are tempted. [i.e., of you and me!]” – and as set forth in 1 John 2:15-17 [which if you think about it, are the three areas to which ALL sins can be boiled down and correspond perfectly – and not coincidentally – to Matthew 4].
I’d say that’s giving up an awful lot! The pure pleasure and power of deity in exchange for all the rigors and challenges and functional limitations of humanity – oh yeah, and having to look forward to PHYSICAL DEATH? Who in the universe would ever agree to such a deal?! Would you??? I don’t think I ever would, sorry, I love you all and am happy to spend my entire life savings on this website/ministry but NO WAY would I make that trade! Deity for humanity? NO WAY! But Jesus did.
But it wasn’t just a matter of all the issues of human life and even physical death per se that he voluntarily took on, but the worst kind of physical death. Crucifixion. “Death on a cross” as verse 8 puts it (Philippians 2:8).
I have to admit that one of the specific events I’ve most thanked God for in my lifetime was Mel Gibson’s decision to fund the production of the movie The Passion of the Christ himself when the studios were unwilling, because I can’t think of another event along with the horrific and tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks which has put such a widespread focus on God, church, etc., and in the case of the former, far more specifically on the Person and work of Jesus. As an aside, I believe that both of these events were allowed and used by God for a very specific purpose: to “blare out” to the entire world the importance of settling one’s eternal destiny before it’s too late. The Bible is clear that most people are not going to Heaven. Matthew 7:13-14 says that “the gate is WIDE, and the way is BROAD that leads to destruction, and MANY are those who enter [i.e., the afterlife, eternity] by it” but that “the gate is SMALL, and the way is NARROW that leads to life [i.e., Heaven], and [comparatively, c.f., Revelation 7:9] FEW are those who find it.” So it’s very safe to assume that most of those who died in those towers or the Pentagon or on those airplanes on September 11, 2001, did not resolve of this most important matter in all of life, where one will spend all eternity. Do you think they had thought about that many times? Undoubtedly. The first line of Ecclesiastes 3:11 is very well-known: “He [God] has made everything appropriate in its time.” But its second line is less so, yet very pertinent: “He has also SET ETERNITY in their heart” – so, yeah, those people thought about it just like you and I have throughout our lives. And just as God used Noah to “blare out” the end of the ancient world (2 Peter 2:5) before at some point [when His patience stopped “waiting” – 1 Peter 3:20] shutting the ark’s door and those unbelievers OUT forever, so also I firmly believe that God is using certain events of a massive, world’s-attention-grabbing scale like 9/11 and that self-made movie about a crucifixion of all things which had “no chance” of succeeding doing just that, and succeeding so wildly that the world writ large couldn’t avoid focusing on and talking about it for many months, I believe He is using these events to “blare out” the end of the modern world. And one of the pressing motivations of my life is this question: how many people, just like in Noah’s days, will fail to resolve their eternal destination before it’s too late and thus get “shut out” of Heaven forever? In my view, nothing better captures the word “haunting” than that. I often think that if God just gave the world the slightest taste of Heaven while they’re still alive and on Earth virtually EVERYONE would give their life to Him and be saved. But I also think that just giving the world the slightest taste of Hell would probably be just as effective, given how human nature often responds even better to so-called “negative reinforcement” than the positive variety. It would quite literally scare Hell OUT OF people, scare people out of an eternity in Hell. Anyway, all of that was an aside, the long and scenic route of saying that while and for that reason the widespread release and success and discussion of that movie has been among the greatest items of thanks and praise to the Lord in my life, after hearing about how graphically His crucifixion was depicted therein I just couldn’t bring myself to see it, to sit through that, to actually go watch it, but I’m sure many of you were able to so you probably have an even better idea of exactly what Jesus voluntarily took on when He became a man.
But you know what really hits me about this passage, Philippians 2:5-11? It’s not so much what He went through as a man but rather as a fetus and baby! As a man, He knew exactly who He was, that He was “God in flesh appearing” as the world sings every Christmas season. As a man, Matthew 26:53 makes clear that He was utterly aware that He could ask and God the Father would “at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels [i.e., 72,000]“. So although it’s very true that He suffered a humanly-horrific death on the cross for us, on our behalf, He did so voluntarily and with a sense of control, knowing that He could’ve nipped that entire situation in the bud (to put it mildly… just read the last-in-the-New-Testament book of Revelation to see what just ONE angel is capable of, now think of 72 THOUSAND) if He had wanted to. But when He voluntarily became a BABY and before that a FETUS growing inside the virgin Mary’s womb after being conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18), in my view that’s a whole other level of humility. I think just about everyone will agree that giving up control is perhaps THE most difficult single action in all of human life. I dare say – and indeed it’s proven all the time – that most would rather die with control than to live without it. That’s essentially at the heart of mass shootings, isn’t it? These shooters feel a massive lack of control in life and rather than live without a sense of control they prefer to die (usually immediately) with one, borne of the warped attempt to put themselves in the role of God by deciding who lives and who dies, by deciding whom they shoot and whom they do not. So it’s safe to say that giving up control is perhaps THE MOST DIFFICULT thing in the human experience. Yet that’s exactly what Jesus did. I mean, talk about going from one (infinite) extreme to another! He went from being totally and utterly in control of everything, of the entire universe, to being totally and utterly DEPENDENT on Mary, on Joseph to feed and protect Him in His early years, and of course on His heavenly Father the entire way. Babies are the very picture of dependence. They have ZERO inherent control. None. Nada. Zilch! I can’t even imagine on this side of adulthood how hard it would be to be a fetus and baby once again (no thanks!), much less how much infinitely greater a sacrifice it was for Jesus to go not from being a human adult to a fetus/baby but from the voluntary use of His deity including omnipotence, INFINITE control, to a fetus/baby. I dare say He’s the ONLY one who would EVER make that trade, agree to that deal, and He did that not for Himself but for you and me, because He knew that if He didn’t we’d all be doomed to an eternity in Hell.
So I’m honored and thrilled to take the opportunity of this first non-foundational post to publicly thank and praise Him for His incomprehensible humility and self-sacrifice and love, all beautifully demonstrated just in that single act of becoming not just a man but a fetus and baby. Amazing love, how can it be? Indeed.
Since, unlike God, we ARE bound by time and schedules, I should probably end this post here and discuss His many other qualities in-depth in future posts, so I’ll end this one simply by saying that He is my best friend, the best I’ve ever had by far. He’s my Savior who freed me from an otherwise-certain eternity in the unquenchable fire and unending, unimaginable torture of Hell. He’s my strength and my power. He’s my continual example and motivation in life. He IS my life, my everything, my all, and I guess in an inverse way I understand the (warped, in their case) rationale and choice of those mass shooters because I would absolutely, positively, in-a-proverbial-heartbeat rather die with Christ than to live without Him. A-n-y d-a-y of the week and twice (literally!) on Sunday. I love Him with all of my heart, for all He does, yes, but even more for who He is and all that He means to me. Thank You, Lord, for always being there for me, for being such a great shield and comfort, for being such a great friend and constant companion, such a merciful high priest, for being my Lord but one whose burden is indeed so very light, for being my Lord but never “lording it over me”, for being utterly unashamed of me – even to call me BROTHER (Hebrews 2:11) and being willing to share Your indescribably massive inheritance with me (Romans 8:17; Colossians 1:12), for helping me resolve – or be content with – my weaknesses and simultaneously being the strength of my life.
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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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The Vision
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryAs a recap and summary of what BibleMemory.ORG is all about…
For years and years I have felt a strong desire to give a gift back to the Lord for Who He is and what He means to me and all He’s done, something above and beyond the norm, as important as those daily gifts of obedience and worship and fellowship and meditation are. Something in addition to those. A grand, overarching love gift and thank-You gift back to Him. And as noted on the About page and repeated in this blog’s very first post, one day IT HIT ME. Like a bolt of lightning from a stormy sky, it hit me EXACTLY what I could do. Indeed, what I MUST do. And that is, for the first time in known human history, to MEMORIZE the ENTIRE BIBLE and then recite His OWN WORD AND WORDS BACK TO HIM! [I am of course referring to non-deitic human history, since the Lord Jesus Himself not only KNEW the entire Bible by heart, not only KNEW the Word, but WAS the Word, was the very personification of the Bible. Whenever I use the term “human history” it excludes the Lord Jesus since He is in a class of His own, a class of one, since no other human before or after can even come close to comparing to Him even just on a human level, even just in his humanity.]
That’s quite the gift, to be sure. It will – and indeed already has begun to – require a full-time, day-in-and-day-out, multi-year commitment but (a) is still not even one-infinitieth of what He truly DESERVES but (b) is the closest to that I could think of, the best I can do, so I decided right then and there to dedicate the rest of my life to this and the ministries which I’m sure will flow forth from this historic endeavor, this history-making undertaking.
Even apart from the spiritual/religious aspect involving the Bible, just from a human, intellectual standpoint I already know that there’ll be a huge amount of media interest in this and that their presence will be extensive on the day or more likely week that I actually and literally RECITE the ENTIRE BIBLE back to Him [Lord-willing… and I’m sure He is! How could He NOT be? Like I mention on the home page, just think about how pleased, how flattered YOU would be if you gave a heartfelt love letter to the person you were dating and then on your next date that person RECITED IT BACK TO YOU BY HEART, FROM MEMORY! (Okay, some people might be frightened by that but you get the point. I.e., because most of us wouldn’t write a love letter in the first place if we had just started dating, if we didn’t already have a good idea of their character and suitability, I would definitely be flattered and view that as a huge positive/plus!)]. I mean, for any mere mortal (let alone such a flawed one as I) to be able to memorize much less recite at one time anything so voluminous as the ENTIRE BIBLE would have to attract a ton of attention – religious, media, academic/intellectual, and otherwise.
So what I currently envision is making a whole week (month?) of it (since the Bible could never be recited in just one day) and use that event to focus the world’s attention on the Bible – its literal, functional, actual power, regardless of the vessel – and our precious Savior. I am highly confident that such will be sustained far beyond that event/week/month via the resultant ministries (discussed here) but even if it weren’t, just being used to direct the world’s focus on the Lord of the Word and the Word of the Lord even for a minute would single-handedly make my entire life very worthwhile.
Of course, none of this will happen if the Lord doesn’t lead enough like-minded Bible-loving believers to serve as His hand and fingers by getting behind this and supporting it in whatever ways they’re able as listed in the Side Panel at the top-right of this page. Because if I can’t devote FULL-TIME to finishing that ginormous task (there’s a reason it’ll be the first time in human history) it wouldn’t happen. (I could probably finish the whole New Testament on a part-time basis but He deserves so I am dead-set on ALL of His Word, BOTH halves, so I need to start doing so full-time.) And that’s also why it’s so important that Lord-led believers also spread the word and “share” this and the other posts with everyone they know, by word-of-mouth and/or on their social media platforms, to “follow” this blog and subscribe to the Bible Memory YouTube Channel, and to sponsor this whole thing via the Donate button above or below and to check that little box on the PayPal page and become a Monthly Partner in this endeavor, even if just for ten bucks a month (just 33 cents a day).
I already KNOW that the Bible is so powerful that being ingested (memorized) even by just one person – no matter how flawed – will absolutely shake the world to its core and produce some downright amazing, jaw-dropping things and I can hardly wait to see exactly what He has in store but it’s exciting beyond description even in foresight… methinks the world is about to get a real eye-opener, and I can’t thank you enough for being a big part of that!
So that’s the vision in a few paragraphs. There’s so much more to say and share but I’ll do so via future posts. For now, I just want to end this one by testifying to the fact that the Bible has not only saved me – in every way a person could possibly be saved: spiritual, physical, emotional, relational – but has put me squarely on the proverbial “cloud nine” each and every day. Just under the umbrella of the Holy Trinity, the Bible has become my all-in-all in this life, because it’s the bridge that joins me to the Holy Trinity. Day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute. One of the taglines or mottos of this Blog is “HAPPINESS GUARANTEED.” Because, to borrow a phrase from Ephesians 3:20, I’m exceeding abundantly beyond certain that anyone who regularly ”follows” this blog and these posts – who “reads ’em and heeds ’em” – will absolutely see a tangible and wonderful and constant increase in their sense of happiness and joy and peace and love in their day-to-day life. And believe me when I say that such won’t be because of me but in spite of me. Not because of me but wholly, fully, and solely because of the BIBLE. Its power. Its work. Its utter endurance (1 Peter 1:23,25; Psalm 19:9; Matthew 5:18; John 10:35). Its “tried and true” nature (Proverbs 30:5). Its tangible effect on anyone it indwells – and the stronger the indwelling (Colossians 3:16), the stronger the effect and effects.
Which brings me to my final point. There’s no question that to MAXIMIZE those effects and benefits and rewards, a person will need to INGEST the Bible, to MEMORIZE it themselves, to literally place it INSIDE themselves – their mind and therefore body and life. But the Bible is SO powerful that just as in nature a virus spreads from person to person, so also the effect and effects of the Bible can be realized just by PROXIMITY. Not to the same EXTENT as if ingested by that person, but for those who don’t think they have the time or inclination (yet!) to memorize the Bible on a regular, systematic basis themselves, I’m thrilled to tell you that just being close (via regular exposure to these posts) to someone who DOES will still have a major effect and benefit in your life. It’s my honor to have you here and to SHOW you what I mean as the coming months and years unfold.
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