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