It has always been
my argument that we
should go to the
source to find the
answers we need in
life. If I want to
know about creation,
I go to God, not
scientists or
theologians. If I
want to know what is
beyond the grave, I
go to God, not some
ego induced
Hollywood
personality. If I
want to know about
anything, God will
tell me
what I need to know
in His Word, the
Bible. It is the
only source that can
be depended upon
100%.
About 4 ½ years ago
I wrote a song
simply called “The
Book” referring to
the only book, the
Bible. It is as
follows:
How does God speak
to us in the days
we're living in
Is it through a
mighty storm or the
gusting of the wind
Does He use the
mouth of others or a
feeling we once knew
Or does He simply
use His Word He gave
us by the Jew
Why do we listen for
God in all those
other places
When we can always
find Him in the
Bible's pages
Why is His Word
sometimes the last
place we go
When in the pages of
His Word is all we
need to know
It's really not a
mystery that He's
trying to hide
He made it very
clear that in His
Word we abide
Other things are
gimmicks and not the
way to go
Only in the Word of
God can we ever grow
CHORUS:
The Book has long
been finished and
now it should be
read
To really hear from
God and know just
what He said
It's the one true
way to listen to our
Lord
It's the Living Word
and the mighty Sword
It astounds me that
even Christians will
go to other sources
to get the “facts.” They read a book some man or woman wrote. They watch a
documentary on
television. They
form their own
opinion from how “they”
think things should
be.
I appreciate those
who are reading this
article, but don’t
use me as a
barometer. I would
never write anything
that I don’t very
strongly believe,
but I am not the
final authority. Use
me only as a spring
board to the final
authority, the Word
of God, the Bible.
Anyone who writes
for the glory of
Jesus will say the
same. If any
proclaim not the
same Gospel that
Jesus gave the
Apostle Paul and the
other Apostles, then
as Paul would say,
“Let him be
accursed.”
“But
though we, or an
angel from heaven,
preach any other
gospel unto you than
that which we have
preached unto you,
let him be accursed.
As we said before,
so say I now again,
If any man preach
any other gospel
unto you than that
ye have received,
let him be accursed.
For do I now
persuade men, or
God? or do I seek to
please men? for if I
yet pleased men, I
should not be the
servant of Christ.
But I certify you,
brethren, that the
gospel which was
preached of me is
not after man. For I
neither received it
of man, neither was
I taught it, but by
the revelation of
Jesus Christ.”
(Galatians 1:8-10)
For many centuries
the common man did
not have the written
Word of God since
there were no
printing presses and
later because the “church”
of that time would
not allow anyone but
the priesthood to
have a copy. Today,
the Bible can be in
the hands of anyone,
except those who
live in dictatorial
nations where it is
banned, but even
yet, brave
Christians try to
get the Bible to
those too.
Here is the dilemma.
In this country, not
to mention others,
ignorance of God’s
Word knows no
bounds. A Bible can
be had by ANYONE. It
can be read without
fear of the Bible
police knocking on
your door and
hauling you off to
prison … so far.
We call this period
of time the
“enlightened age,”
but are we really?
Knowledge knows no
bounds in every
area, except where
it involves the
knowledge of the
Bible. Christians
today should be the
most enlightened
group of people of
any age prior to us
concerning the Word
of God, but the
opposite is true.
I wonder if I have
offended any
Christians yet. I
hope I have, to the
point of your
getting in the Word,
and actually reading
and studying it on a
daily basis. I can
just hear some
Christians now, “How
dare you!” Those
with that attitude
will be the very
ones who would have
to blow the dust off
their Bible, if they
can find it, in
order to pick it up
and read it. Those
who actually do read
and study it daily
know exactly where
I’m coming from.
Why are there so
many different “opinions”
about spiritual
matters? I’ll tell
you why. They are
just that. They are
“opinions” formed from the mind of man instead of the Truth obtained
from God’s Word.
To know the Word of
God requires effort.
A casual reading is
good, but not what
God has in mind for
the Church. He said
through the Apostle
Paul,
“Study
to shew thyself
approved unto God, a
workman that needeth
not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the
word of truth.”
(2 Timothy 2:15)
To study the Bible
takes effort, a lot
of it, and that is
what the Lord
expects from us.
However, if one is
lazy, he/she is too
sorry to actually
study the Word.
Wrong conclusions
can be developed
even from casual
reading. This is why
some Christians are
“so heavenly minded
they are of no
earthly good.” They
are those who open
their mouth but have
nothing to say. Oh,
they think they do,
but nothing comes
forth but worldly
claptrap.
I see three types of
Christians in this
age of apostasy, the
Laodicean age, (1)
those who don’t read
the Word, (2) those
who read just enough
to not know what
they’re talking
about, and (3) those
who actually obey 2
Timothy 2:15. I
can’t believe I’m
saying this, but it
is exasperating
trying to get
Christians, of all
people, to get
serious about really
knowing God’s Word.
I’ve even heard
preachers proclaim,
in their ignorance,
that “Bible study is
not necessary. We
need to concentrate
on getting people
saved.” That has got
to be one of the
most asinine remarks
I have ever heard
coming from the
pulpit.
To effectively
witness, we must
know the Word. To
grow in Christ, we
must know the Word.
To know His will for
our lives, we must
know the Word. To
face life and all
its “curve balls,”
we must know the
Word. To combat the
atrocities of
Satan’s lies, we
must know the Word.
To have a close,
personal
relationship with
our Savior, we must
know the Word.
Jewish children were
taught the
Scriptures at an
early age. God seems
to think that is
important, for He
says,
“Train
up a child in the
way he should go:
and when he is old,
he will not depart
from it.”
(Proverbs 22:6)
In another
translation it says,
“Direct
your children onto
the right path, and
when they are older,
they will not leave
it.” (Proverbs
22:6 NLT)
How can we train up
a child in the way
he should go, or
direct our children
onto the right path,
if we don’t even
know what God is
telling us to relay
to them? We must
know His Word. Could
this be why little
hoodlums are being
raised even in
Christian homes?
Folks, for your own
benefit and the
benefit of your
children, get in the
Book. You will find
such pleasure, you
will wonder why you
waited so long.
Grant Phillips
grantphillips@windstream.net
My articles are
posted at
“Pre-Rapture
Commentary”
http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
and many are also
posted at “Rapture
Ready”
http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html.
