Do you think you have heard enough of the Word of God and there’s nothing new again to hear or learn? Be careful, for that is One of the greatest temptations that confronts every Christian making efforts to grow spiritually! Have you forgotten so quickly that your deliverance, anointing, Spiritual gifts, favours, salvation, faith etc, came by means of the WORD?
After Jesus ascended into heaven the only thing he left with us is His Word by which we shall achieve everything. If you are in doubt read slowly…
Mark 16:15-20
Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them: ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover’…after he had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.
POINTS FOR REFLECTION
1. Child of God, the Word of God cannot be separated from its manifestation (signs and wonders), they necessarily go together. Thus the bible says ‘the Lord confirmed the apostolic missions by signs that accompanied it’ and Jesus outlines some signs that will manifest in the lives of those who believe. These are not just written for the sake of the knowing only, but for our use and evaluation: if you call yourself a christian and don’t bear fruits of the Spirit you have to rethink again: are you truly a believer? There’s difference between living as a christian and saying you are a christian.
2. The fruits of the Spirit are not limited to those outlined in the gospel but include others St Paul outlines in Gal 5:22-23:
…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
3. And so Jesus’ mandate to evangelise the world reminds us that by means of the Word we are elevated from the realm CREATION which is subject to condemnation, into the realm of BELIEVERS that are saved.
4. All these are possible because the WORD of God is SPIRIT AND LIFE (Jn 6:36) and have the power to cause new things to happen just as it did at creation (Gen. 2:7). It pleads forgiveness of sins (John 15:3), it transforms situations (Ex. 14:13), brings healing for every bodily illnesses (Ps. 107:20), it causes deliverance and frees captives (Isa. 49:25), consoles the afflicted (Ps.107:6), teaches and points the way to right living (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The WORD of God is full of power (Ps 29:4) therefore no one can resist Him or stand on His way (Judith 16:14). So why do you think you have heard enough? Why do you not pray with it?
5. If you don’t hunger to hear the WORD of God what do you long for? If you fail to hear the Word of God, you will hear something else! No wonder when Christians stop hearing the word of God they are deceived and start hearing words of witches, magicians, politics, entertainment and popular culture. Any word contrary to the WORD of God is EVIL, that’s why you ought to be careful.
