The Word of God

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. -John 1:1-2; 14

The Word of God is a person, and His name is Jesus.

There are multiple ways that God speaks to us today. He speaks to us by the leadings and unctions of the Holy Spirit. He speaks to us in our inner spirit. He speaks to us through prophecies, dreams, or other people. Though there is one way He speaks to us by which we must measure every other thing we hear…and that is through the Bible.

The Bible is so much more than just words written on the pages of a book. The word “Bible” actually means, “Book of books”. It was scribed by 40 different authors over the course of FIFTEEN HUNDRED years, from all different walks of life including shepherds, fishermen, doctors, prophets, and kings. Although each one of these books were scribed by men, they were all “given by inspiration of God”.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Pictured below is a diagram which shows all of the 63,779 cross-references in the Bible. A cross-reference is a scripture that references another scripture, providing a link between verses connecting locations, people, phrases. etc. The white bars along the bottom represent each Bible chapter from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22. The arched line’s colors represent the reference’s distance from one another. If the Bible had been written by only one person, this would still be incredible. But, being written by 40 different authors over the span of 1,500 years, on 3 different continents, many of which had no access to the other people’s work, it is truly remarkable.

There is no other book like it. It’s not even possible to compare it to other religion’s texts. If there are other religious texts that convey any similarities as the Bible, they are merely counterfeits mimicking the only real source of written truth available to man.

We live in a time when there is so much noise surrounding us that it can be challenging to filter out what is true from what is not.
What is truth?
What is true regarding a certain situation or the latest anxiety-inducing news cycle?
What is true when you’re thinking negative thoughts about your life and yourself?
The answer is clear and the solution easy.
The Bible is truth. What is true about you and what God thinks of you is found in the Bible.

What is written in the Book tells the story of the entire history and future of all of humanity.

But more importantly…it reveals to us who Jesus is, what He thinks, what He loves, what He hates, and even His history and His future plans. It draws us deeper into relationship with God. He speaks to us, even on a personal and intimate level, through it. If we want to be close to Him, we must know what He says, because what He says reveals His heart.

The Word of God is alive. It’s active. It won’t return to Him void. It will accomplish what He intended it to accomplish. This means that His Words spoken out of your mouth from a place of complete faith is tremendously powerful. It’s powerful to effect change. It’s powerful to bring about answers. It’s powerful to move heaven and earth to act on your behalf.

Tips for Studying the Bible

• Foremost…fall in love with it. Whether you are new to studying the Bible or are desiring a rekindled diligence, the most important thing that will help you is to love it. When you sit down to read your Bible or when you listen to it being taught, it is as if you are sitting down with Jesus Himself. Prioritizing it is easier when it comes from a place of deep relationship.

• Ask Him to teach you, and He will. When you open your Bible to read or listen to an Audio Bible, pray out loud first. Ask the Holy Spirit to be your teacher. He said that He will give you a spirit of revelation and of understanding, so ask Him for that…and believe that He will give it to you. It isn’t just for the pastors or theologians to understand the Scriptures. It’s for every believer! Remember that most of the men whom Jesus first chose to follow Him were not educated men. He has always preferred those humble in spirit.

• If you don’t know where to start, just open to the book of Matthew. Read enough until you feel like something speaks to you. It could take 5 minutes or 30 minutes. When you’re ready to break, remember where you left off, and when you come back the next day, pick up there, and continue on. If you are new to Bible Study (or revisiting), I recommend that you read through the New Testament during part of your Bible reading time, and that you read through Psalms and Proverbs during the other part.

• Write things down. Science shows that we remember things more when we write them down. So get a “Bible Study” notebook. Every time you read a verse that is really good, like one that is a promise from God and is something you will want to remember, write it down in your notebook. Memorize it. Every time the Holy Spirit reveals some truth or revelation to you, write it down.

• Ask Questions! When you have a question about something, write it down in your notebook. There’s never been a question I’ve had that He hasn’t answered. Sometimes, I will have a question on a Monday, and hear the very answer in a Sunday sermon or come across it in what I’m currently reading! Almost every Bible Study I’ve created or led or every deep revelation I’ve received started out as a question (former scientist here! so am a big believer that the Word of God stands up to and holds upon every inquisition! And that questions are a part of us seeking.) If you don’t know what to do with your questions, email me at dawn@ashfordcc.com. One of the things I love most is teaching, digging for, and sharing treasures from the Word of God with people who are hungry.

• Find a good Bible teacher. While it is very important for every Christian to study the Scriptures for themselves (and every Christian has the ability to and to understand things deeply with the help of the Holy Spirit), the teacher is as valuable and needed a gift to the Body as the pastor or prophet! So, find a good, trustworthy Bible teacher. You may know some already. Teachers and preachers have a little bit different of a gifting. Preachers can be great at exhorting you and firing you up about God. Teachers moreso help give you understanding, help explain the Scriptures and clearly show what is true in a way that is enlightening. If you want some help or to be pointed in the right direction, email: dawn@ashfordcc.com.

• Be cautious about what voices you follow. This doesn’t mean be critical…it just means be wise. With Youtube, Instagram, and Tik Tok, anybody can be out there saying and teaching anything they want about the Bible! Some of it can be very good, but some of it can be very off. So, vet the person you’re listening to. Your relationship with God and your spiritual life is too important to let somebody lay a crooked foundation in you. (This is also why I always say — the more you know the Scriptures yourself, the more you’ll be able to know if what someone is saying is accurate or not.) If you aren’t sure about someone or something, ask one of our leaders!

  Green flags: If they exalt Jesus, are humble, always give Scripture in context, and the fruit of the Spirit is present in their life, and they bear good fruit. Red flags: If they exalt themselves, don’t ever point to Scripture or only ever use it out of context, and lack any fruit of the Spirit in their life.

• I can’t say this loud enough: JOIN. A. HOUSE CHURCH! Seriously. Studying the Bible is much more revelatory and fun when you do it together with others. I’ve been studying the Scriptures most of my life, and to this day there isn’t a time I gather with one of our House Churches when I don’t come away having seen something in the Word I’ve never seen before.

  (If you’re particularly hungry for deep Bible Study and teaching, check out Andrew & Kara’s House Church in the Katy area! Andrew and Kara are a very dynamic and gifted duo with a deep knowledge of the Word!)

  House Church — Ashford Community Church (ashfordhouston.com) We meet all over Houston many days throughout the week.

  
  May this be a season of fresh revelation, insight, understanding, and strong foundation laying for you and for all of Ashford!
  Dawn Kopa