Bruchko

 

If you are looking for an incredible story of God's power to read for yourself or to your children or for one of your teens to read, I highly recommend Bruchko by Bruce Olson. It is the story of Bruce Olson's experiences among the Motilones, a "head-hunting" tribe of people in Columbia with whom Bruce, named Bruchko by the tribal members, shared the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I highly recommend it! 

Here is a summary, from Forerunner about him which is very encouraging. It's awesome to see God's hand at work!!!

Missions Report: Bruce Olson's and Colombia's Motilone Indians

By Jay Rogers

Published October 1992

Since 1961, missionary Bruce Olson has labored for the gospel of Jesus Christ among the Motilone Indians deep in the jungles of Colombia’s high Catatumbo region. But today Olson’s most exciting missionary work still lies ahead.

In the past thirty years, Olson has founded bilingual schools, medical clinics and agricultural centers among the Motilones. His Christ-like humility and work of service to the Motilones has earned him the status of a tribal member. Indian chiefs throughout the region representing 50 tribes and half a million tribe members look to Olson with great awe and respect. He has become a friend of five Colombian presidents; has spoken before the United Nations; and has received educational awards from the Colombian government. Although he completed college only through correspondence schools, his work on translating the Scriptures into the native Indian dialects has earned him honor among linguistics scholars.

Nineteen-year-old Olson first travelled to South America with only a one-way plane ticket and $70 in his pocket. A young person with a deep burden for Colombia’s hidden people, Olson set out in in search of the Motilones: a fierce, primitive tribe that no white man had ever encountered and lived. Olson’s adventures in Colombia brought him face to face with the Motilones when he was shot through the leg with a three foot arrow. He was brought as a prisoner to their camp to recover. “Bruchko” – the name the Indians gave him (the Motilones were not able to pronounce Bruce Olson) – eventually won over the hearts of these tribal people. Today the Motilones are almost universally converted to Christ.

Three years ago (1989), Bruce Olson was kidnapped in the mountain jungles of Colombia and detained for nine months as a political prisoner by communist guerillas. Hoping to win him as a valuable communist leader, the communists attempted to indoctrinate him through daily political dialogues. “Papa Bruchko” – as they called him – became a source of fascination among the young recruits in training. Many of them began to join Olson in prayer and Bible study. As many as 60 communist guerillas eventually gave their lives to Christ. His refusal to join ranks with the communists earned him death threats and he narrowly escaped execution by a firing squad.

Fearing the reprisal of a united war effort of 50 jungle tribes, the guerilla leaders released Olson in the summer of 1989. The Indian tribes of Colombia had united against the guerillas in a war-pledge to defend Olson’s cause if he was executed. The unity of the Indian tribes behind one white man was unprecedented in Colombia’s history.

After his release, Olson found that he had become a national hero in Colombia. In the major cities, articles demanding Olson’s release had appeared almost daily in the newspapers. Olson’s courageous stance against the guerillas was one of the key factors which inspired the common citizens of Colombia to take a bolder, tougher stance against the drug cartels.

Since this time, the openness of the Indian tribes of Colombia to the gospel has become phenomenal. Many tribal leaders have requested that Olson begin to set up clinics, schools and agricultural centers. Some tribes have asked specifically to be taught about Jesus Christ. Olson reported recently: “In August, I was among the Cogi Indians in the mountains adjacent to Santa Marta. I baptized more than 40 adult believers. Several Motilone pastors accompanied me.”

In America, the story of Bruce Olson’s captivity brought unprecedented financial support for the work of Christ among the Motilones. For 28 years, Olson had operated with no official sponsorship, relying on only the contributions of friends, but when Charisma magazine ran a two part series: “Bruce Olson’s Nine Month Colombian Captivity” (November & December 1989), donors gave $100,000 to help “Bruchko” continue his humanitarian efforts and evangelism among the tribes of Colombia.

In addition to providing clinical supplies, scholarships and agricultural development, Olson has built several centers for the Motilones. In a recent letter, Olson explained the uses for one of the structures he is building: “Our Tibú Community House of Twelve Cultures, which we have named in Motilone: ‘Axdobaringcayra,’ is well on the way to completion. … The house will provide lodging for visiting Motilones. Tibú is the principal port of commerce for the growing tribal economy and it is the seat of government. Here we will organize Colombia’s first native language regional newspaper and house staff personnel for the northeast Colombian indigenous cultural publications.”

The cultural center he is now building will be a base from which to reach many of the tribal groups of Colombia. Olson reports that he still needs about $60,000 to complete this center.

Bruce Olson and the Motilone believers are the key to fulfilling the Great Commission in this area of the world. Jesus Christ has commanded us to go and “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20). Many of the nations – referred to by missiologists as the ETHNE, or “peoples groups” – in this area of Colombia are completely unreached with the gospel. We have an exciting opportunity to reach half a million people who have become miraculously open to the gospel in the past three years.

Eternity in their Hearts

  

Who were the Magi who brought gifts to the baby Jesus, and how did they know that a Messiah was coming?

Who was Melchizedek, the contemporary of Abraham, who was a priest of the one high God?

How did a fifteenth century Peruvian king named Pachacuti, recognize that there was only one true God, before the coming of the Europeans? In his own words, Pachacuti described the one true God, they called Viracocha: "He is ancient, remote, supreme, and uncreated...He manifests himself as a trinity when he wishes...otherwise only heavenly warriors and archangels surround his loneliness. He created all peoples by his 'word.'"

God has "made every nation of men...so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:26-27) Think about that for a moment...every nation of men...not just the Jews or the Americans or the Europeans or the Chinese, but every nation. Paul tells us that God has made them in such a way that men from every nation would seek Him.
But do they? Is there any proof that when missionaries enter a new culture/nation with the Gospel of Jesus, that they may find a people who are already prepared to hear and receive the Gospel? The answer is an astounding YES!!!

I read a book called Eternity in their Hearts by Don Richardson. Don Richardson and his late wife, Carol, spent 15 years among the Sawi, a Stone Age tribe of Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea. Don designed an alphabet suited to the Sawi language, authored 19 primers, taught the tribesmen to read in their native tongue and translated the entire New Testament. More than half of the Sawi accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!

The premise of his book is that in every culture God has preserved for Himself a testimony. In His mercy, He has permitted every culture in the world to retain a portion of the truth. If a missionary goes into a region, searching the culture for its grains of truth, and then affirms that these ideas ARE true, and then presents the Gospel as the REST of the truth, he and the Gospel will quite often be received. The book is heavily documented with specific examples of missionaries finding and utilizing these culture keys, and seeing large numbers of people become Christian.

I'd like to share some of the many examples of this. I pray they will encourage any of you, including me, who agonize over the question of God's justice in regard to people who have never heard the Gospel.

In 1867, a Norwegian missionary named Lars Skrefsrud found 2.5 million people called the Santal living in a region north of Calcutta, India. Once Lars learned the language and began proclaiming the Gospel to the Santal, he wondered how many years it would be before he saw converts. "To Skrefsurd's utter amazement, the Santal were electrified almost at once by the Gospel message. At length he heard Santal sages, including one named Kolean, exclaim, 'What this stranger is saying must mean that Thakur Jiu has not forgotten us after all this time!'" Kolean then went on to explain that their forefathers had taught them that "Thakur is distinct. He is not to be seen with fleshy eyes, but he sees all. He has created all things. He has set everything in its place, and he nourishes all, great and small." These were people who had never met a Christian or Jew nor had seen any part of the Bible, yet their understanding of God was Biblical! Once Lars explained the Gospel to them, they began to experience "eighty baptisms per day (which) signified that young Santal churches in 'Hindu India' were growing more than 500 times as fast as churches in 'Christian Europe.'"

Before I share a couple more examples, I must admit that reading this book shattered a belief that I held. I believed that the folk religions (the native religions of a people group, distinct from the major world religions - Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hindu, etc.) of the world were almost entirely pagan and held very little hint or understanding of God. But according to Richardson, "We have been wrong. In actual fact, more than 90 percent of this world's folk religions acknowledge at least the existence of God. Some even anticipate His redeeming concern for mankind."

"The Chinese call him Shang Ti - the Lord of Heaven...In Korea he is known as Hananim, The Great One. Belief in Shang Ti/Hananim predates Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism by an unknown number of centuries." When missionaries entered China and Korea, they discovered this ancient belief in Shang Ti/Hananim and used it to explain a further revelation of God. Just as Paul pointed to the altar to the "unknown god" in Athens (Acts 17:22), the missionaries pointed to Shang Ti/Hananim. Today, "more than 3 million Koreans belong to Protestant churches...and Seoul contains the world's two largest Protestant churches." I can attest to this fact after living in Seoul for two years...there are crosses on the tops of churches everywhere! And in China, more than 23,000 people come to Christ a day!

The Karen of Burma were another group of people magnificently poised to receive the Gospel with open arms when it was presented to them. They had been searching for centuries for a "white brother who was supposed to bring them a book...(whose) author is Y'wa-the Supreme God...that the white brother, having given them the lost book, will thereby set them free from all who oppress them." Their folk religion's hymns bear striking resemblances to God's character and "the Karen story of man's falling away from God contains stunning parallels to Genesis chapter 1: Y'wa formed the world originally. He appointed food and drink. He appointed the 'fruit of trial.' He gave detailed orders. Mu-kaw-lee deceived two persons. He caused them to eat the fruit of the tree of the trial. They obeyed not...they believed not Y'wa...when they ate the fruit of trial they became subject to sickness, aging and death." Wow! This was a remote group of people who had never come in contact with Jews or Christians before, yet their own religion, thousands of years old, had an incredible witness of the Lord! The Karen nation was thus poised like an 800,000 member welcoming party, ready for the first unsuspecting missionary who approached them with a Bible and a message of deliverance from God." When missionaries finally brought the Gospel to the Karen in the early 1800s, thousands accepted Christ almost immediately and "almost as quickly as Karen were converted and baptized, they became missionaries to spread the good news still further among their own people" and neighboring tribes!

There are so many more examples of people groups with prior knowledge of God, being prepared and ready to accept Jesus as Savior, once He was presented to them. It is truly amazing and so very comforting. It is our job to do all we can to bring them the Good News.

Malachi 1:11  says, says "'My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,'the LORD Almighty." May this be our prayer:

Lord, You are the true and living God, You rule over all things visible and invisible. The nations belong to You, and you have woven into the fabric of every culture a testimony to Your name.

I bring the unreached people groups of the world before you now, and I ask Lord that You would reveal those things in their culture, that reflect who you are and Your son Jesus. Cause the hidden treasures of Your truth to be brought up and displayed for all to see. Lord use these keys of insight to ignite a curiosity and hunger among them to know more about who You are. Give Your servants wisdom and strategy to use these keys to promote the Gospel among this people group. In Your name we pray, Amen.

A Canaanite Woman and the Caucasus People

 

Chechen children in Caucasus mountain region

This email is from a good friend of mine who is a missionary to the Caucasus people (formerly Russia) who are mainly Muslim. A good lesson for today can be derived from this Bible story!

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Jesus did not answer a word. 
So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” 
And her daughter was healed at that moment.   Matthew 15:21-28

"We pray more women will be like the Matthew 15:21-28 Canaanite woman.  Though from a nationality outside the house of Israel, though an enemy of Israel, she wanted healing for her demon-possessed daughter. She knew just enough of Jesus to go find him.

She pestered the disciples to get through to see him. She rebutted with clever wit Jesus's test where he used a usual, expected ethnic slight against the Canaanites [We just learned they make these ethnic jokes/slights all the time in Dagestan]. Like one from any powerless ethnic group or nationality, she endured the deep humiliation hearing such publicly accepted denigration of her people; but her canny wit blasted through Jesus' word play and she demonstrated her faith.

Imagine the features on her face, looking towards Jesus, perhaps directly in his eyes (which would break culture code too). "You can say what you want to me to test my resolve, but I know I need YOU and I'm not moving until YOU do what I KNOW you can do."

Doubtful that the disciples caught the whole message here, but wasn't Jesus showing just how much shame and humiliation some must endure to come to Him (and soon Jesus would be the one enduring deep shame and humiliation for ALL). Her faith was great indeed! The disciples were privileged that Jesus chose them. Here, the Canaanite woman, against strong social barriers, is Choosing Jesus.
       
So we ask God to move these Caucasus women, men and families in great faith to GO FIND Jesus; to step past the mental, social, historical walls developed from 1000 years of reasons not to seek Jesus and to pester Christ's church for mere "crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

We pray Christ's Russian speaking churches and Global Church will awaken and begin sincerely INVITING Caucasus Peoples to authentically meet Jesus. He's the only one who will complete their customs and cultures towards a Biblical tapestry of faith and worship. We pray the "bread of Jesus" will be offered, not as crumbs and leftovers, but from the meal table itself [through fellowship groups they can call home]!"

Prayer: Rebellion Against the Status Quo

  

 

  I believe that the most important thing you can do, right now, in obeying the Great Commission, is to pray. You don't have to leave your home, spend any money, make any sacrifices (except some time)...just pray! The Bible is very clear that prayer changes things. Jesus, God in the flesh, prayed. If Jesus, who had only three years on earth to do all that He had come to do, took time out of His incredibly busy schedule to pray (Lk. 6:12;  Matt. 14:23; Lk. 3:21, 9:28-29; Mt. 26:36-45) then He obviously wants us to pray frequently.  
   
So, why is prayer often seen as the last resort, rather than the first response? Why would we rather take some sort of action to fix a problem rather than go to God first. I believe one of the reasons is that we often don’t believe that prayer will make any difference.
   
That fatalistic view of prayer comes from our ultimate view of God. Do we truly believe the words of the Bible? Do we believe that He is concerned and involved in every aspect of our own lives and the lives of the lost? Do we believe He has a plan for this world? Do we believe He is still in control, despite the things we see around us that would tell us otherwise?
   
It really comes down to one essential decision that Adam and Eve were asked to make in the Garden and that we are asked to make every day in our own lives...do we believe the truth of God, as shown to us in the Bible, or the lies of Satan? For every truth of God, Satan counterfeits that with his own lie.
   
Many people, including many Christians, look at the world around them, even at their own lives, and take on a fatalistic view...that nothing can change; the lies of Satan seem too powerful, too persuasive; that they must quietly accept the way things are, the status quo. Yet, the status quo in our world today is not how God first created our earth or how He desires it to be functioning today. God’s perfect way, that He created, does not include war, killing, divorce, abuse or slavery. Although He allows it, in His sovereignty, to accomplish His good purposes, while He was on earth and today through the Holy Spirit, He battles evil and asks us to join Him.
   
Jesus shares the story of a widow, in Luke 18:1-8, who was seeking justice. She continued to persistently ask the judge for justice, until finally He gave her what she asked. Jesus shared this story to show that we, as His disciples, "should always pray and not give up," (Lk. 18:1).  This type of praying is called petitionary prayer.
   
Petitionary prayer is “rebellion - rebellion against the status quo, the state of the world in its sin and fallenness. It is the absolute and undying refusal to accept as normal what is completely abnormal. It is the rejection of every agenda, every scheme, every opinion that clashes with...God...a declaration that Evil is not a variation on Good but its very opposite,” (David Wells).
   
It is prayer that 1) believes that God does not want the current evil status quo to continue on earth, 2) believes that God can change things for the better through His power and 3) believes God will change things in response to the prayers of His people.
   
"Prayer is not magic; it is not something we do, but a response to what God is already doing within us and the world. Our prayers are the necessary opening that allows God to act without violating our freedom. Prayer is the ultimate act of partnership with God" (Walter Wink). It is recognizing that God is in control, He is acting, He will be faithful to our prayers and He is asking us to join Him through prayer.
   
While we were living in Seoul, South Korea, attending Jubilee Church, our pastor did something that I had never seen in a church before. After He was finished with his sermon each Sunday, he would ask that we pray, as a congregation, about what we had just heard. He would pick out four or five main points from the sermon. For each point, he would first pray about it and then he would have us, out-loud, pray and talk to God about how we would have Him work in our lives and in the lives of others. This would go on for about 15 - 20 minutes. I can not tell you how thrilling it was to stand amongst my brothers and sisters in Christ as we were all verbally and at the same time, pouring out our hearts to the Lord. I believe it pleased the Lord greatly. And His blessings and use of Jubilee Church are very evident. Pastor David ensured that prayer was not just something that was done quickly at the beginning and the end of the service, as a sort of duty, but that it was an essential part of our time together. And I could almost see the smile on the face of God when He heard our times of prayer.

Prayer is effective and so very necessary...it moves the hand of God!


Colossians 4:3-4 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
 

New Heaven and New Earth!

 

When the Great White Throne Judgment, as we read about in our last lesson, is complete, God will create a new heaven and a new earth.

Revelation 21:1-4:

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

It is interesting to see several things written here which have been ideas held by people throughout history. For example, the idea of the earth being the center of the universe will be true in the New Heaven and New Earth because God will set up His throne here on earth. And even though no person on earth throughout history (except Adam and Eve) has ever experienced a perfect world, that idea exists in our hearts and makes us yearn for it. It will exist in this New Heaven and New Earth.

There will be no more tears, no death, no sadness, no crying, no pain. We sometimes think no tears and no sadness and no crying are the same as no pain. But have you ever cried because something was so beautiful it brought tears to your eyes, or have you ever cried because you were so happy? Even perfect beauty and perfect joy will not bring tears because we will have bodies capable of expressing our pure joy.

Revelation 21:5-8:

5 And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Why would God bring into this perfect picture a reminder of those who will not be there? It is a warning to us who believe to purify ourselves (1 John 3:1-3) so we can be used of Him to witness to those who do not believe before it is too late. We cannot know what the next day or hour holds, and we want to stand before Him without the shame of unconfessed sin in our lives. People have only this life to accept Him as Lord and Savior (Hebrews 9:27), and we who already believe have only this life in which to store treasure in Heaven.

Prayer: Our loving Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the hope You give. Help us to be faithful witnesses for you to all those we know, until You call us to Your side forever. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

From Global Media Outreach 

Hagar and God's Plan for the Arabic People

I have always loved the story of Hagar found in Genesis 16. She is the Egyptian slave that Sarah gave to her husband Abraham in order to try to fulfill God's promise of a child to them in their old age. Well, Hagar did have a son by Abraham but it was not according to God's plan and it caused tremendous stress and upheaval in the home; so much so that Sarah kicked Hagar out. Hagar ended up wandering in the desert alone, pregnant and unsure of what to do next. 

But then...the Angel of the Lord (most likely a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ), spoke to her and made this promise, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority. I will multiply your descendants exceedingly; there will be so many that it will be impossible to count them.” And the Angel of the LORD said to her:

“Behold, you are with child,

And you shall bear a son.

You shall call his name Ishmael, (it means God pays attention)

Because the LORD has heard your affliction.

He shall be a wild man;

His hand shall be against every man,

And every man’s hand against him.

Living his life at odds with all his kinsmen.” (Gen. 16:11-12)

So what do these promises mean? And are they important in our world today? 

a. I will multiply your descendants exceedingly: God not only implied a promise of protection, He also gave a clear promise of staggering blessing. The unborn son of Hagar would be the father of uncountable descendants. As the promise was fulfilled, Ishmael became the ancestor of the Arab people, just as his later half-brother Isaac would become the ancestor of the Jewish people. This makes the centuries old conflict between Arab and Jew even more tragic: they are brothers and share a common father in Abraham.

b. You shall call his name Ishmael: Ishmael was given a great promise, not only in the number of his descendants, but also in that he was the first one in the Bible given his name before he was born. God had a plan for this boy and his descendants. God doesn’t give a name if He doesn’t have a plan. Now, some people today may think they know God’s plan for the descendants of Ishmael, the Arabic people: God wants to wipe them out because of their hatred of Jews and their persecution of Christians. This reaction is not rooted in the Bible, especially in this passage of Genesis 16. Consider:

· God could have allowed Hagar and her unborn child to die in the wilderness – He didn’t allow it. God specifically intervened so that wouldn’t happen.

· God could have allowed Hagar to live, but to disappear from the life and household of Abraham and Sarah, but He didn’t allow that.

· One may argue that Ishmael’s conception was because of sin and unbelief; but God could have erased him from the story, and God chose not to. This part of the story is God’s doing, not man’s doing.

· God specifically commanded Hagar to go back, to stay in the story. We can know that God’s story for the Arabic people is not finished.

- We should also remember that angelic visitations, Jesus visitations, continue to this day among the descendants of Ishmael. The Angel of the LORD was not done visiting Ishmael.

c. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction: The name Ishmael means God will hear. We may take this as a prompting to pray for revival and spiritual awakening among the Arab peoples, because when they cry out to Jesus, God will hear.

Taken from Enduring Word Bible commentary 

God's Word

i. God’s word brings true health, fruitfulness, prosperity and success to what we do. (Psalm 1:3)

ii. The word of God has healing power and the power to deliver from oppression. (Psalm 107:20, Matthew 8:8, Matthew 8:16)

iii. God’s word cleans us. If we take heed according to God’s word, our way will be cleansed. (Psalm 119:9, John 15:3, Ephesians 5:26)

iv. The word of God, hidden in our hearts, keeps us from sin. (Psalm 119:11)

v. God’s word is a counselor. When we delight in God’s word, it becomes a rich source of counsel and guidance for us. (Psalm 119:24)

vi. God’s word is a source of strength. (Psalm 119:28)

vii. God’s word imparts life. It is a continual source of life. (Psalm 119:93, Matthew 4:4)

viii. God’s word is a source of illumination and guidance. When God’s word comes in, light comes in. It makes the simple wise and understanding. (Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:130)

ix. God’s word gives peace to those who love it. They are secure, standing in a safe place. (Psalm 119:165)

x. When the word of God is heard and understood, it bears fruit. (Matthew 13:23)

xi. The word of God has inherent power and authority against demonic powers. (Luke 4:36)

xii. Jesus Himself – His eternal person – is described as the Word. When we are into the word of God, we are into Jesus. (John 1:1)

xiii. Hearing God’s Word is essential to eternal life. One cannot pass from death into life unless they hear the word of God. (John 5:24, James 1:21, 1 Peter 1:23)

xiv. Abiding – living in – God’s word is evidence of true discipleship. (John 8:31)

xv. God’s word is the means to sanctification. (John 17:17)

xvi. The Holy Spirit can work with great power as the word of God is preached. (Acts 10:44)

xvii. Hearing God’s word builds faith. (Romans 10:17)

xviii. Holding fast to the word of God gives assurance of salvation. (1 Corinthians 15:2)

xix. The faithful handling of the word of God gives the ministers of the word a clear conscience. They know that they did all they could before God. (2 Corinthians 4:2, Philippians 2:16)

xx. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It is equipment for spiritual battle, especially in the idea of an offensive weapon. (Ephesians 6:17)

xxi. The word of God comes with the power of the Holy Spirit, with “much assurance.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5)

xxii. The word of God works effectively in those who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

xxiii. The word of God sanctifies the very food we eat! (1 Timothy 4:5)

xxiv. The word of God is not dead; it is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword. The word of God can probe us like a surgeon’s expert scalpel, cutting away what needs to be cut and keeping what needs to be kept. (Hebrews 4:12)

xxv. The word of God is the Christian’s source of spiritual growth. (1 Peter 2:2, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5)