Commandment #2 The Word of God

“For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
The second commandment of ministry is Bible Study. Stockstill talked about the dysfunctional untaught church. It is the Word of God that will restore the untaught church to its right place. He writes “The devil’s ‘rat poison’ is a lack of knowledge of the true Word of God and lack of application and transformation from that Word.” In Hebrews 5:12-14 the writer explains how some people only partake of milk and not solid food. The mature in the faith need Solid Food. When solid food is ingested, one can then distinguish right from wrong. The problem with so many today is there is the availability of the Word of God but it is not taken advantage of nor is it applied. The Bible must be preached. Scriptures are the foundation of what we are to believe, not opinion. Ones personal Bible should be their best friend. There must be an interaction with the Word of God. “Interaction with the Word means to handle it, hold it, make use of it and become familiar with it.” The Word of God is our guide to life. As I heard many years ago, it is the ‘Manufacturer’s Handbook.’
We as leaders must relate the Word of God to others demonstrating its relevance in our everyday lives. At times this takes creativity, but in the world of computers and the World Wide Web, this creativity does become much easier. There are volumes of resources out there to help make the Scriptures come alive. Daily devotions in the Word of God are also necessary. “The devotional habit of the daily reading of Scripture is the single most important thing we must instill in believers.” Amen to that. I believe it was Billy Graham who said that he reads through the Bible every year, and each time he does, God reveals new revelations into his life. The reason for this rests in the fact that the Word is God is living. It breathes new life into our lives each time we read it. We can read the same verse everyday and then suddenly one day, God will reveal something special to us.
Last week we talked about Prayer and Fasting, this week, the importance of the Word of God. Practicing these will change our lives, change our church, and change our nation.

Commandment #1

Commandment 1 – Prayer
We now move into the second section of The Remnant. This section includes the 10 Commandments of Ministry. Larry Stockstill opens chapter 6 with the Scripture from 1 Timothy 2:8, “I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without wrath and dissension.” He is actually writing this chapter from David Yonggi Cho’s church in Seoul, South Korea. The church of 750,000 has built their church on faithful, consistent prayer. They have daily prayer meetings that are attended by thousands and an all night Friday prayer meeting.
Dr. Cho has a pattern of prayer called the Tabernacle Prayer. In this pattern he uses the various pieces of furniture in the Old Testament temple. He uses this pattern in his daily prayer.
1. The Brazen Altar: The Cross – The brazen alter was a large “barbecue grill” where animals were laid and consumed by fire. The brazen altar represents the cross. In prayer the first thing we should do is give thanks to God for what Christ did on the cross.
2. The Laver: Sanctification – This was located next to the brazen alter. IT was a birdbath-shaped object with a surface of mirrors. The priest would wash himself here and look at his reflection in the mirrors to make sure he was clean. Each day we need to take a realistic look at ourselves. We need to submit our bodies, mind and spirit unto God.
3. The Candlestick: The Holy Spirit – The candlestick would provide light to the Tabernacle. IT was to never go out. In the candlestick, 6 golden branches proceeded out of a central shaft. Isaiah 11:2 describes the six aspects of the Holy Spirit. Each day we should ask the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us so we can see the way to go.
4. The Table of Shewbread: Relationships – On the table was 12 loaves of fresh bread, one for each tribe in Israel. During this time we need to pray for relationships and fellowship within the body of Christ.
5. The Altar of Incense: Worship – This was a small gold covered pedestal on which the priest offered a portion of incense twice a day. This is a time to sing and worship the Lord.
6. The Ark of the Covenant: Intercession – This is the final stage of the Tabernacle which includes the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant. The High Priest would enter here once a year to offer intercession for Israel and offer propitiation for sins. This is the time we can pray for our family, our city, nation, and the world.
Stockstill then writes about prayer and fasting. “Prayer is energized by fasting.” I like that. Fasting is not to be legalistic but focused on the Lord. The purpose of the fast is “to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke.” (Isa. 58:6) We need to fast individually for God to work in our lives and family. We should fast as a church for God to move in our churches and nation. Fasting needs to become part of our lifestyle.
We must have a burden to pray for the lost in the world, in our communities and in our family. “A burden for prayer and fasting is the foundation of all successful ministry.” That is so true. It must be the foundation for all we do. We should do nothing without fervent prayer. Stockstill says “We are facing a crisis in our world and nation that requires us to single-mindedly focus on standing in the gap, raising our hands in intercession to a God who hears.” Amen