The Word of God

Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly....

Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord

 Col 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things exist 

Some Christians would interpret the the call to meditate and follow the Law of the Lord as the Love commandments, hence delighting in the law, means loving God, and loving others. But the original intention of the verses were different, and the Shema of Israel ("love commandments") came much later. There is a much deeper meaning. Reading the word of God, and meditating on the bible even though we may not understand fully brings a spiritual connection to Jesus Christ. As we spend time meditating and pondering on the bible, we are blessed by a deep spiritual connection with Christ giving us wisdom and understanding of God's ways in Christ Jesus.

We are hindered by ungodly people whose focus is not on Christ, or by following the well trodden path of sinners who worship their idols, or joining others to mock the bible and its power and message of God's love and salvation.

The bible calls us blessed when we do not follow those whose actions are not God centered. What does it mean to be God centered? Col 1:17, may be casually interpreted as having God in our lives and purposes. However, it is referring to Jesus having the preeminence attributed to God. ie in our Christian walk, we are called to walk in the counsel of those who are Christ centered. This Christ centeredness is based on Col 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through His blood ...", in those whose heart, mind and soul is in the redemption message of Christ. It is both a spiritual redemption, and also giving life/hope/a helping hand to those who are hungry, ill, or despised.

We follow the counsel of Christ centered guidence, because we are called to be filled with God's will, with Christ's mind/purposes in all areas of wisdom and spiritual understanding. Col 1:9. Therefore, in our journey of life, we are asked to seek a Godly counsel as if counseled by Jesus Himself receiving His wisdom and spiritual insight.

When we are God centered, we are Christ centered and our focus would be to proclaim the Gospel message, heal the sick, and feed the poor, and be in the company of outcasts. When we observe those who are against the gay community, do their actions reflect Christ?. Jesus greatest angst was against the Pharisees but ours is against those whom we labelled as sinners yet even Christ did not do so. We are called not to follow the counsel of the ungodly, whose message is not Gospel centered.

The bible calls us blessed if we do not follow the path of sinners. What are the greatest sins in the OT? It is not breaking the many hundreds of petty laws, but their sin is not worshipping the God of Israel, and committing a spiritual adultery by worshipping other gods. The worship of Baal and Asteroth were common and widespread in ancient Israel. Do we follow in worshipping these deities? when large masses of people do so, or do we go against the norm in the opposite path. The path to hell is broad, but to redemption is narrow (Mat 7:13). We can follow the mob majority to persecute gays in Uganda and Nigeria, but we will not be blessed and harm will come to our nations.

It is easy to follow the path of sinners. When gays are abused and bullied at school, do we join in. When they call the gay community as sinners and for gays to be put in prison or denied their basic rights such as marriage, do we join in and march against a small minority who could never defend themselves. Is our hand against the weak, and the outcasts? or do we go against the self righteous religious majority and say that this is not of Christ! this is not of God. 

At our churches, do we eagerly repeat the rethoric and half truths about gays peddled by the Christian Right? until gays are made to look like animals with horns going after Christians, when people of faith are the ones going after gays with pitch forks even though they are minding their own business. The path of sinners is indeed easy to follow and to self justify.

The bible calls us blessed when we do not sit in the seat of the scornful, ie a party to those who mock at the work and power of God. The Jews mocked at the first Christian Jews when the Holy Spirit fell on them, and they begun to speak in tongues. They mocked at the powerful display of God  in the spiritual realm, mocking at the supernatural miracles and casting down evil principalities.

We often sit in the seat of the mocker, yet knew it not - claiming that the experiences and power of God such as the tongues, miracles, the prophetic, and the Word of knowledge is not genuine. When God is moving mightily, let us not mock the move and presence of God. When we mock the move of the Holy Spirit, we grieve it, and soon He is there no longer.

We are blessed when we delight in the Law of the Lord. Jesus is the Word of God. He gives meaning and understanding and is the fulfillment of the OT laws and prophecy. When we read the OT, and see its fulfillment in the Gospels, and then the experiences of the Apostles in the NT though the mighty work of the Holy Spirit, we are drawing revelation and understanding from Jesus Himself. There is a tread of God's love, grace and mercy that runs through the bible and experienced through the Holy Spirit of God.

 As we meditate of the Word of God, we begin to abide with the Soul and Spirit of Jesus Christ, for the bible is not only inspired by the Holy Spirit but God honours His word and will perform it. (Jer 1:12). When we read the bible, and meditate on it, the Word of God comes out alive from the bible, and supernatual wisdom and spiritual understanding is sown into our lives. Often, our revelation expands/amplifies what was written in the bible for God will multiply His Word.

When we mock God's move in the GLBT community eg rediculing gay affirmative churches, we are mocking the work of God amongst a people so rejected and denied the Christian faith! We are unable to give grace, unable to leave GLBT churches alone even a small church amongst a thousand, but chose to criticise and condemn God's special work of grace amongst the gay community.

We are called blessed when we read the word of God, meditate on the Christ behind the Word of God, and consider the Godly counsel of those who put the Gospel message the center of their lives and ministry. We are blessed, because we will find our embrace with Christ and be filled with spiritual knowledge and understanding to see beyond just the letter of the Law.

 The coming year, will be a time of reading, meditating and praying over the Word of God. It has been more than 20 years I last read the entire bible. I had hardly understood it then, but I had sought the Lord and He found me and gave me wisdom and understanding. Jesus will put His purpose, annointing, and revelation in my heart for my life in the coming year as I rest beside the living waters.  

Blessed be the Lord my God, blessed be the Lord God of israel.