Daily Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart:
Matthew 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
What does it mean to feed upon the Word?
To the Lord it meant having a living and fresh relationship with the written Scriptures.
For example, in Matthew 4:4 when the Lord said, “It is written,” He used the perfect tense in Greek, which can be literally translated “It stands written.”
He did not say, “It was written,” as though the Word was something merely recorded in the past without any present reality.
The force of the perfect tense, “It stands written,” indicates that the Lord’s attitude toward the Word was that it was God’s present speaking–living and fresh, not dead and old.
In fact, the written Scriptures were identified by Him as being the very word that “proceeds out through the mouth of God.”
In saying “proceeds,” the Lord again used a tense that reveals His attitude toward the written Scriptures.
“Proceeds” is a present participle which denotes that “every word” was presently proceeding out through the mouth of God.
He did not use the past tense “proceeded,” as though He was articulating a theory on the inspiration of Scripture.
He used the present tense “proceeds” to reveal that the written Scriptures are living and fresh, even proceeding “out through the mouth of God.”
This proceeding word, according to the Lord’s view, is good for man not only to study and read, but to feed upon as bread and to live by.
This was the Lord’s realization concerning the Scriptures.
Consequently, our relationship to the Scriptures should be characterized by feeding upon words that are presently proceeding out of God’s mouth.
Until Tomorrow,
With a Shepherd’s Love
Pastor
…….
TODAY’S PRAYER LIST
Don Slate – Angela Bryan’s Dad – Hospice
Debra Roberts – Home in need of prayer
Hanna Hall – Pray For Grace
James Parsons – Still Not Able To Remove Breathing Tube
Amy Garner’s Mother
Ashley Burn’s Sisters
Barbara Shed’s Family
Bill Lawhead – Prayer Needed
Bill Moody
Carla Martin – Pneumonia
Charlie Sessom –Waiting
Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Denise Stubbs – Kim Allison’s Mom
Doug Fritzel
Greg & Keith Payne – Lisa’s Brother
James Garner – Home
James Garner’s G’Son
John Burnette
Joyceann – James Garner’s Daughter
Kimberly – Dustin’s Sister
Larry Barker – Hip Replacement
Lavona Davis
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Lynn – Nancy Brown’s Daughter
Mary Sims
Michael Stanley
Nancy Brown’s G’Daughter
Nora Allison – Dustin’s Mom
Pastor Stucke– Nikki’s Dad
Paula Ferus’ Missionary Friend
Ricky Stubbs
Roseleigh Osborn
Scott Lanier – Lisa’s Cousin
Sharon Blalock
Sherry Yoachum – Recovering
Shaelyn – Jill’s Friend
Sheila Simmons Cousin
Todd Bailey
Todd Roberts
Tom Witcher
Wanda Galanti