Now that we have done a survey of the Bible, we now need to get into the Bible itself taking it from its natural print and print it in our hearts and live it out.
Issues that arose prominently in the last two articles are the unavailability of the Bible to readers, and non–reading of it by those that have it.
There are many reasons why people do not have Bibles and why those that have it do not read it. In this presentation, I seek to encourage you to have a Bible and to read it.
Talking about the full armour of God, Paul says that the Bible is a weapon, “and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God”. (Ephesians 6:17 King James Version – KJV). If the Bible is a sword it is clear that every believer should have this weapon of attack to advance in life.
Your Christian growth and advancement is based on the amount of Word in your spirit. Paul encourages us to “fight a good fight of faith”, (1 Timothy 6:12), faith itself, “cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 – KJV). To stand in this faith you need the Bible and you have to read it.
Without the Word you are malnourished. The more you take in the Word, the more your faith grows. Get your sword and get acquainted with it.
When anything comes against you, pull out your sword from your heart. The Psalmist says he hid the Word in the heart to use in time of need (Psalm 119:11).
The challenge is that we know the Word from the head (sense knowledge) not heart (spirit).
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Go beyond cramming it in your head; place it in your heart. We are encouraged to meditate on it day and night. Day and night means day and night. Practise it whether you are home or at work.
Joshua 1:8 (KJV) says: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Some of you are busier than God to the extent that you do not even have time with God Himself.
If you read four chapters of the Bible per day you would go through the whole Bible in one year, if you double that you would finish it in six months.
Life is based on choices and decisions. You can cut on unnecessary Internet time, television or gossip time. No day has to pass without reading the Bible.
Last week I quoted from the book of Jude and a certain woman told me that she didn’t even know that there was such a book in the Bible though she has three Bibles in her house — one in English and two in Shona.
A fighter makes sure he polishes his sword, so do not keep a sword which you don’t use. When Jesus was tempted by the Devil, Satan quoted from the Bible and twisted it but failed to pin Jesus because Jesus was familiar with His sword.
I know people who may not necessarily quote Scriptures by heart but if they use their personal Bible they will get it. When you come back from church please go through the Scriptures and absorb the Word.
Recently we went to a deserving community to hand out groceries and an elderly member of the community asked if we also hand out Bibles but unfortunately, I did not have any with me.
I was so touched and I will return with the Bibles.
Added to this, I have decided to hand out at least one million copies to deserving people through this column.
With the support of you, the reader, and all those who have a passion for the advancement of the Kingdom of God and the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, we shall accomplish it with divine ease.
A gentleman came to our office to offer ten copies and an elderly widow has promised to buy a sizeable number. I will personally chip in with hundreds.
In Deuteronomy 24:19-22 New Living Translation (NLT), the Bible says: “When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.
Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do.
When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.
When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.
Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.”
Proverbs 9:17 (NLT) says: “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord — and he will repay you!” So even if your income does not meet your needs, God still expects you to help someone. In your harvest there is seed.
When you get something, give something so that you will have a continuous flow of the blessing of God in your life.
There are various reasons why people do not have Bibles. Some do not value the Bible others cannot afford and some have not been preached to.
I challenge you to have a relook at your value system.
Can’t you forego some lunch, manicure, pedicure or some clothing item and buy yourself a Bible?
For those that want to partner with me, we have put up a project team made up of members from various churches and denominations to handle the distribution.
Let me be quick to say that this project has nothing to do with the church I attend or me as a person; it is a Kingdom agenda, an initiative by God.
To safeguard us from falsehoods come from the Anti-Christ, everyone needs a Bible to check the truth.
At the rate at which Satanism is spreading, we do not want to be caught off-guard.
We will reach out to the remotest parts of the country and if you know of any community that needs this donation, please contact us. We are seeking new or used Bibles in any language used in Zimbabwe. Please help.
I cannot keep on repeating that you will receive a generational blessing.
Contact project manager Percy on +263 774 081 600, 89 Rotten Row (opposite Harare Magistrates’ Court).
Pastor Erasmus Makarimayi is presiding pastor at New Gate Chapel.
Feedback: [email protected]
