What I didn't know was that, soon, Brian would become famous as the lead translator of The Passion Translation Bible. So when you read what Brian writes below, you're reading from the DEPTHS of his understanding and his love of Holy Scripture!
His wife, Candice, who Brian has told me several times has seven dreams a night, is a prolific prophetic writer as well.
So when you read this below, you know that this word and instruction comes from a deep, DEEP place of intimacy with the Lord and a total love for the Word of God.
Please forward this word to your friends! Encourage them to subscribe to the Elijah List right here: elijahlist.com/subscribe.
It would be impossible to calculate how many lives have been changed forever by the power of the Bible, the living Word of God! My life was transformed forever because I believed the message contained in Scripture about Jesus, the Savior.
There is comfort, hope, and encouragement to be received when we read the Bible. Whether it's read through a website, phone app, or paper copy in your hand, the message of God's love shines brightly on every page.
Here are four things I want you to know about the importance of God's Word.
The Bible Is Our Standard
The Bible is important. It matters that we believe it. The Bible is the throbbing heart of our faith. Tear out that heart, and our belief system is dead. Every follower of Jesus shares a belief system deeply rooted in the Bible. Believers from every age and every culture have a standard, the gold standard of our faith: our amazing Bible!
The importance of Scripture cannot be overstated. We find truth within its pages, truth that does not change over time or diminish. The glory of God radiates from the living words of Scripture. They give us the ancient standard. If we model our faith on "I think so" and new claims, our faith will not be the faith that Christ gave the world. On the other hand, if our faith is what the writings of the prophets and apostles teach, we will have a God-breathed and truly powerful faith for our salvation.
"For through the eternal and living Word of God you have been born again. And this 'seed' that He planted within you can never be destroyed but will live and grow inside of you forever. For... the grass dries and withers and the flowers fall off, but the Word of the Lord endures forever! ..." (1 Peter 1:23-25 TPT)
The Bible Is the Story of Our Hero
Scripture is important because it tells us all we need to know about Jesus. He is our hero and human model. He means more to us than any person. He gave His life for us (1 Timothy 2:3-6). Although we have never seen Him, we love Him passionately, and long for the day when we will see Him face to face (1 Peter 1:7-9, Revelation 22:4, 1 John 3:2).
Without Scripture, we would know almost nothing about Jesus. It is the Bible that gives us detailed information about who Jesus is, why He was born, why He died, how He rose again, and where He went. He is the Bible's greatest hero, the mighty man who conquers evil and comes to our rescue.
"And so the Living Expression became a man and lived among us! And we gazed upon the splendor of His glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father overflowing with tender mercy and truth!" (John 1:14 TPT) (Photo via Unsplash)
Every day as I read the Bible, I'm looking for Jesus! He is there on every page. His living presence is with me as I read and discover more of who He is. This quest to find Jesus in the Word has been rewarded over and over with seeing more of Him. He lives in the letters of Paul, the Gospels, the history of Israel, creation's glory, and the consummation of the ages. Jesus is the Teacher of my heart and the Shepherd of my soul. Your great delight will be to find Him in your daily Bible reading.
The Bible Tells Us How to Live
Everything we need for life and godliness is found in the written Scripture. It is the source of wisdom and revelation, counsel and good decisions. To be saturated in the truths of the Bible will keep you from error and darkness. To love the Word is to turn from the world and its false values and relentless temptations. I'm thrilled to see how the Word changes lives. We saw it in our jungle village when the Paya-Kuna had the completed New Testament, and we have seen it today as millions of lives are being transformed by its living truth.
The Bible reveals the mind of Christ, that is, we can live pure lives as we follow the wisdom found in Scripture. We can know God's heart when we know His words. We can understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:17) and fulfill the destiny God has for our lives. To be that wise, we must use Scripture to enlighten us.
"Every Scripture has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God's servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 TPT)
The Bible Is Unlocked for Us by the Holy Spirit
People can read the same Bible and come up with all kinds of interpretations. Which one is correct? Why are there so many differing opinions about truths in the Bible? That's a great question; let's see if we can find an answer.
Understanding the Bible requires that you have an intimate relationship with God's Spirit. The author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit, for He "breathed" upon its writers with divine inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The best Bible teacher is the One who wrote it! The Holy Spirit holds the key to unlocking the deepest mysteries of our faith and the deepest truths that will change our hearts.
The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are married! The Spirit is the divine Spouse of the Word. They will never separate or file for divorce. You cannot have one without the other. When you have one, you get the other! So the Spirit of Truth is the One who will unveil the meaning of Scripture. Trust Him, turn to Him when you read the Word, and watch living-revelation jump from its pages!
"For we have the living Word of God, which is full of energy, and it pierces more sharply than a two-edged sword. It will even penetrate to the very core of our being where soul and spirit, bone and marrow meet! It interprets and reveals the true thoughts and secret motives of our hearts." (Hebrews 4:12 TPT)
Now let's conclude by giving you some metaphors for the Word of God. There are many symbols God chooses to show us different aspects of the power of His Word. Here are some of them.
God's Word Is Like:
• A Hammer that breaks the rock in pieces (Jeremiah 23:29). It shatters illusions, deceptions, false dogmas, and stubborn hearts. But before you wield that mighty hammer on someone else, make sure you have allowed the Word to break open your own heart. Those with tender hearts will never abuse this mighty tool in their words and deeds with others. (Photo via Unsplash)
• Water that washes, cleanses, and perfects the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:26). Jesus can change the "water" into wine. Dull, dead doctrines can be converted into cherished truths that change hearts.
• Milk that nourishes and strengthens us. Every newborn Believer needs the "milk" of God's Word (1 Peter 2:2).
• Meat to chew on over and over—the deeper revelations of God (Hebrews 5:12-6:3). The deepest revelations of God are found in the Cross.
• Manna—full of mystery, falling from Heaven. Don't be surprised if you don't understand it all!
• The Breath of God that inspires and empowers us for ministry.
• Fire—to consume us and burn in our bones! The fire of God's Word will burn through apathy, passivity, and lukewarmness.
• Honey—sweet and life-giving. It brightens our lives with dazzling truths!
• A Seed that grows and brings forth Christ within us (1 Peter 1:23). Life is in the seed of the Word of God; it is the life of Christ, the Living Expression. Yes, Jesus is the Living Expression made flesh (John 1:14).
I hope you'll commit today to a daily routine (it is delight, not duty!) of finding time to read, study, ponder, and embrace the written Word of God. You'll never regret it! There is power, life, and glory in the Word of God.
"God conceals the revelation of His Word in the hiding place of His glory. But the honor of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says." (Proverbs 25:2 TPT)
God hides His Word in His glory. So get into the glory of His presence and see the Word opened up before your eyes!
Love you, friend!
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(Used by Permission via The Passion Translation)
Brian Simmons
Stairway Ministries
The Passion Translation
Email: brian@passiontranslation.com
Website: www.thepassiontranslation.com
Brian Simmons is known as a passionate lover of God. With his wife Candice and their three children, he spent nearly eight years in the tropical rain forest of the Darien Province of Panama as a church planter, translator, and consultant. After their ministry in the jungle, Brian was instrumental in planting a thriving church in New England (U.S.), and now travels full-time as a speaker and Bible teacher. He is also the lead translator for The Passion Translation Project which will result in a new, dynamic version of the Bible for this generation. He has been happily married to Candice for over forty-three years and is known to boast regularly of his children and grandchildren.
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It's been more than 15 years since I was part of a prophetic gathering at Brian and Candice Simmons' church in New England. At the time, I knew them as a sweet, new set of friends who were pastoring a truly mature church family.
