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Contents. Cult and temples Originally named Duellona in the, Bellona was an ancient goddess of war. Her first in Rome was dedicated in 296 BCE, where her festival was celebrated on 3rd June. Her priests were known as Bellonarii and used to wound their own arms or legs as a blood sacrifice to her. These rites took place on 24th March, called the day of blood ( dies sanguinis), after the ceremony. In consequence of this practice, which approximated to the rites dedicated to in, both Enyo and Bellona became identified with her aspect,.
The Roman area, in which Bellona's temple was sited, had. Ambassadors from foreign states, who were not allowed to enter the city proper, stayed in this complex. The area around the temple of Bellona was considered to symbolise foreign soil, and there the Senate met with ambassadors and received victorious generals prior to their Triumphs. It was here too that meetings relating to foreign war were conducted. Beside the temple was the war column ( columna bellica), which represented the boundary of Rome. To declare war on a distant state, a javelin was thrown over the column by one of the priests concerned with diplomacy ( fetiales), from Roman territory toward the direction of the enemy land and this symbolical attack was considered the opening of war. In her military cult, she was associated with, the personification of valour.
She then travelled outside Rome with the imperial legions and her temples have been recorded in France, Germany, Britain, and North Africa. In literature Often in Roman poetry the name Bellona was used simply as a synonym for war, but in the of the goddess frequently appears as a character, symbolising the destructive and belligerent aspect of war. There she is represented as carrying a spear and a flaming torch or, waving a blood-stained sword and riding in a chariot. Reception Poetry While she does not figure as a character in 's plays, she receives several mentions. In, Hotspur describes her as 'the fire-eyed maid of smoky war' (IV.i.119).
In, set in pre-Roman Athens, the sister of Hippolyta will solicit her divine aid for Theseus against Thebes (I.iii.13). At the start of the play named after him, is introduced as a violent and brave warrior when the Thane of Ross calls him 'Bellona's bridegroom' (I.ii.54), that is to say, the equivalent of Mars. In more modern times, dedicated an energetic Swinburnean evocation of the 'false goddess' who leads men astray in his poem 'Bellona', published in Australia in 1867. She also figures in 's poem 'The Traveller'. There the poet describes himself as marching toward the front line in the company of Art, the god, and the works of. Meeting Bellona as they approach the fighting, one by one the pleasurable companions are forced to flee before the violence of war, until the goddess rejoices in having him to herself.
Cantata and opera Bellona appears in the prologue of 's opera, (1735), in which the call of love ultimately triumphs over that of war. In a Bach dramma per musica performed two years before, the goddess even quitted her usual ferocity in order to congratulate, Princess Elector of Saxony and Queen of Poland, on her birthday. She retains her harsh aspect in 'Prometheus Absolved' by (1718–1795), however. In this cantata celebrating the birth of the Archduchess Isabella in 1762, the deities sit in judgement on, some arguing for clemency, while Bellona and others demand rigour. She also plays her proper part in the 'heroic cantata' created by the composer and the librettist, entitled 'The Wedding of the Thames and Bellona' ( Le nozze del Tamigi e Bellona). This was performed in London to mark the British naval victory over the Spanish at the. Painting and sculpture.
'Bellona Leading the Imperial Armies against the Turks', a 1600 print of 's design Bellona is commonly portrayed wearing a plumed helmet and dressed in armour, or at least a with a skirt beneath. In her hand she carries a spear, shield, or other weapons, and occasionally, she sounds a for the attack.
Anciently she was associated with the winged holding a laurel crown in her hand, a statue of whom she sometimes carries; when she appears on war memorials she may hold that attribute. Examples of such an armoured figure appear in the 1633 painting attributed to in the, and statues by (1770) and (1773–80). In the latter she appears with the god, since both were associated with the Roman ceremonies of declaring war. In the case of Janus, the doors to his temple were left open during the whole period of hostilities., On the Latin Language, VIII.49.
Encyclopedia of Ancient Mediterranean Religions (2016). William Smith, Smaller Classical Dictionary, London 1862, p.77. 'Cults of Enyo and Ma' at May 17, 2016, at the. 'Fetiales', August 1, 2016, at the., 'Nemesis and Bellona' in The Concept of the Goddess, London 1996. Included in the 'Enyo' article at May 17, 2016, at the. Sea Spray and Smoke Drift, September 12, 2015, at the. Published in Behind the Eyes (1921).
Cuthbert Girdlestone, Philip Gossett, Jean-Philippe Rameau: His Life and Work, Dover Publications 1969. BWV 214, Leipzig 1733; translations of the aria and recitative are on September 8, 2015, at the. Migliavacca, Giovanni Ambrogio (1 January 1762).
Retrieved 24 October 2016 – via Google Books. Sheila Hodges, Lorenzo Da Ponte: The Life and Times of Mozart's Librettist, University of Wisconsin 2002,.
Ernst van de Wetering, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings VI: Rembrandt's Paintings Revisited, Dordrecht NL 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2016. Krieg, Creator:Hans (1 January 1620).
Retrieved 24 October 2016 – via Wikimedia Commons. Altenbuchner, Klaus Anton (30 November 1899). Retrieved 24 October 2016 – via Wikimedia Commons. April 2, 2015, at the. 'Bellona' section at May 17, 2016, at the. Quoted in Casimir Simienowicz, The great art of artillery, London 1729. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
Photographs on the. Jane Kromm, The Art of Frenzy: Public Madness in the Visual Culture of Europe, London and New York 2003. Retrieved 24 October 2016. Margherita Andreotti, 'Bellona' in Rodin's Art, OUP USA 2003. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
Vanessa Berridge, The Princess's Garden: Royal Intrigue and the Untold Story of Kew, Stroud (Glos.) 2015. Asclepias, Photo: (20 August 2010). Retrieved 24 October 2016 – via Wikimedia Commons. March 9, 2016, at the. Retrieved 24 October 2016. February 20, 2016, at the.
Retrieved 24 October 2016. External links Look up in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Has the text of the article. Images of Bellona in the.
'THE POWER of GOD'S WORD' By Dr. Ekstrand Introduction A Printable pdf Version of this StudyThe Hebrew term for “word” — dabar — is used 394 times in the Old Testament to characterize a communication as “the word of God” & “the word of the Lord;” as such, it is the expression of His being. The intelligible word of the Lord is the supreme means by which God makes Himself known to us as His creatures. The Lord revealed Himself to Samuel and others “through His word” (1 Sam 3:21).
By such a word the world was brought into existence and history set in motion (cf. Gen 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, etc, Jn 1:3; Col 1:16-17; Heb 1:3). The word of the Lord is the source of life (Ps 119:25), a light to our path (Ps 119:105), the understanding of reality (Ps 119:169), and is exceedingly trustworthy-thy (cf. Is 45:23; 46:10; 55:11; Mt 5:18; 24:35).
With the hellenization (Hellen meaning Greek) of the Mediterranean world in the 3rd century BC (i.e., making the culture Greek) the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek by some seventy-two Jewish scholars around 250 BC, because “Greek” had become the mother tongue throughout the Greek empire. This text became known as the “ Septuagint” (from the Latin word “seventy”) — it is commonly referred to as being authored by seventy scholars (an approximate number). The book of Exodus refers to the seventy elders of Israel (Ex 24:1; 24:9); in addition, the membership of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish Supreme Court) was composed of that number, even though the actual number was seventy-two (six from each of the Twelve Tribes). Rounding off numbers was not an uncommon nuance in Hebrew and other ancient cultures. So the Septuagint was a pre-Christian Greek version of the Jewish Scriptures redacted by Jewish scholars and adopted by Greek speaking Christians — it is interesting to note that some of the Old Testament “quotes” by Jesus Himself (as recorded by the gospel writers) were actually direct quotes from the Septuagint.
The Greek terms rhema and logos were used to translate the Hebrew term dabar — as such, they are direct equivalents. In the familiar phrase “the word of the Lord came,” it is rendered logos (cf. 2 Sam 24: 11; 1 Kg 6:11), and rhema (cf. 1 Sam 15:10; 2 Sam 7:4; 1 Kg 17:8). In the prophetic books of the Bible the translators generally used the word logos to denote God’s message to the prophets for proclamation to the people. The New Testament (which was also written in Greek) uses both rhema and logos with apparent indifference to any significant nuance of meaning. In addition to “the word of God” and “the word of the Lord,” there is “the word of Jesus” (cf.
Mt 26:75; Jn 2:22; 4:50), and “the word of Christ” (cf. Col 3:16; Jn 5:24; 17:17) — thus they are one and the same. The word of the Lord is the word (logos) of Jesus Christ and His words (rhemata) are spirit and life (cf. The first disciples spoke “the word of God” with boldness (cf.
Acts 4:31; 6:7; 19:20). Paul and Barnabas “proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues” (Acts 13:5). This “good word of God” (Heb 6:5) is “the word of truth” (Col 1:5) “God’s gospel” (cf. Rom 1:1; 15:16; 1 Th 2:2, 8, 9) and “Christ’s gospel” (Mk 1:1; Rom 15:19; 2 Cor 2:12) — it is “the word (rhema) of faith” (Rom 10:8). By this living and enduring word (logos) of God man is born anew (1 Pet 1:23) and by this word (rhema) of God man lives (Phil 2:16; Mt 4:4; Jn 6:63) — such is the word of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:19) and the message of salvation (Acts 13:26), which find their summary and dynamic in “the message of the cross” (1 Cor 1:18).
In John’s gospel (1:1-2) the term Logos (Word) is used in an absolute sense to identify Christ as the incarnate Son of God — while He walked among men He was the incarnate speech and mind of God; as such He communicated eternal life to those who received Him. John declared that “this Word” had an existence beyond the limits of time — “the Word was with God” in the intimacy of the eternal relationship, and “the Word was God” in the actuality of His essential nature. Though the Word (Jesus) was personally distinct from God (yet Himself truly God), He made God known.
Throughout John’s prologue (Jn 1:1-18), the “Logos” is set forth as the personal self-disclosure of God in His total being; the virtual concrete expression of His personality. Hence, the Word is more than simply divine reason or conceptual truth; it is the very person of God Himself. In Jesus Christ, the Word was made flesh (Jn 1:14) — there is a real incarnation of God, real eternal deity. Therefore Jesus Christ is the perfect personal expression of God’s self-revelation (reflect on that!), not just a teacher sent from God.
The apostle John identified Jesus as “the Word of God” — “the Logos of God” (Jn 1:14; Rev 19:13). Historically, the Greek term “logos” (“word”) was a common expression in the ancient Greek world that philosophers used to describe the eternal principle by which the universe exists, as well as the creative energy that generated it — it had nothing to do with a divine personal God; logos to the ancient Greeks was simply a rational way of looking at the material universe; in a word, it was “impersonal reason” — the absolute intelligence or explanation behind all that exists. The ancient Greeks believed a universal intelligence lay at the foundation of all that exists; to them everything was “reasonable.” In similar fashion, “coherent reason” lies at the foundation of modern science; scientists believe there are “laws” by which the universe exists and operates and their task is to discover those laws; with that in mind, many scientists here in the West also believe in an impersonal universe; and refer to it as “evolution.” The root idea behind the Greek term “logos” is that of intelligible communication.
Hence, when John applied the term Logos to Jesus Christ, he was saying that “the Word of God” was the concrete expression of God’s personality (God is what His Word says) it was the personal self-disclosure of God the self-manifestation of God the expressed mind and will of God. So this ancient abstract philosophical idea was in actuality a LIVING REALITY — GOD! As the expression of His being, the intelligible Word of God (i.e., the Eternal Logos, Jesus) is the supreme means by which God makes Himself known to us as His creatures; furthermore, He gives us the wherewithal to under-stand and believe His revelation (cf. It was by the Word (i.e., the Eternal Logos, Christ) that the universe came into existence (Jn 1:1-3).
Writes Paul, “In Christ all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible all things have been created through Him and for Him and in Him all things hold together” (Col 1:16-17). Likewise, says the author of Hebrews, “Christ is the radiance of God’s glory, and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power” (Heb 1:3). So the Word of the Lord is the source of all life (Ps 119:25). In Revelation 19:13 the exalted Christ is specifically designated “ the Word of God.” One of the reasons this abstract concept is so difficult for Christians here in the West to understand, is that we see “words” as simply expressions of thought and mere concepts — our wwords have no inherent power in them. For instance, if we were to command some inanimate object to “Disappear!” absolutely nothing would happen.
In contradistinction to our words, however, God’s words are alive and active and powerful — His words are not mere concepts or thoughts; they are the expressed reality of His will, and are manifested as such; everything that exists God “spoke” into existence (cf. Gen 1:3, 6, 14, 20, etc.) — He is the power and genius behind all that exists. Thus the Eternal Word (the Divine Logos, the Divine Reality, Jesus Christ) is eternal intelligence, and the eternal administration and perpetual execution of the divine will. Reflect upon the following passages in Scripture: Moses writes, “Even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God” (Ps 90:2). The Lord told Isaiah: “He never tires and His understanding is inscrutable” (Is 40:28). Paul says, “God’s judgments are unsearchable & His ways unfathomable” (Rom 11:33). And, “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Rom 11:36).
Likewise writes Paul, “God works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11). Peter describes the Eternal Word as “a sure word of prophecy/reality” (2 Pet 1:19). It is “the creative power of all that exists” (Gen 1:3, 6; Ps 33:6, 9; 148:5; Heb 11:3).
God told Isaiah, “My Word accomplishes My good pleasure” (Is 46:10; 55:11). And it is the means by which “God holds all things together” (Col 1:17). So, Christ is the eternal, transcendent, operative Reality who sustains the entire universe (both the seen and unseen worlds), maintaining the power and balance necessary to the existence of all things in conformity to His absolute, perfect and holy will (Heb 1:3) everything He does is true and right and good and pure and faultless (cf.
Gen 1:31; Ps 100:5; 119:68; Lk 18:19; Jn 1:14; 10:11; Rom 8:28; Eph 1:4; 5:27; Col 1:22; 1 Jn 1:5). It is important to remember that God is not restricted like we are as human beings, who simply think one thought at a time God is always conscious of every-thing in all creation (He’s omniscient), and the omnipotent active power behind all that exists. It was into the Greco-Roman world two thousand years ago that God sent forth His Son in “the fullness of time” (Gal 4:4) — God had provi-dentially prepared the way for the coming of Jesus (the Messiah of God): Greece united the civilizations of Asia, Europe, and Africa, and established one universal language and culture Rome made one empire of the whole world, and Roman roads made all parts of it accessible the Diaspora (the dispersion of the Jews among the nations) paved the way for the propagation of the good news of the coming of the Messiah in their Synagogues and their Scriptures.
Thus, God sent forth His Son in the fullness of time; it was at this divinely planned moment in history that the Eternal Logos entered into space, mass and time (the created order) as John writes, the Eternal Word was made flesh (Jn 1:14); Jesus was a real incarnation of God, real eternal Deity. Jesus of Nazareth was the perfect personal expression of God’s self-revelation; incidentally, that is all the human mind is capable of understanding — all our earthly minds can comprehend (because we are temporal creatures) is the Son of God who emptied Himself of significant eternal aspects of His deity (cf. Phil 2:6-7); without His emptying Himself we would be incapable of comprehending the eternal reality of who He is — besides “No man can see God in His fullness and live” (cf. Ex 33: 20; 1 Tim 6:16). So Jesus was not merely a teacher sent from heaven He was GOD — VERY GOD! In several passages in the New Testament “the word of God” is used to designate the written Scripture themselves.
The Lord Jesus authenti-cated this use by declaring that Scripture, as “the word of God,” cannot be broken (Jn 10:35). Peter describes it as “the sure word of prophecy” (2 Pet 1:19) because it results from God’s out-breathing (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21). Therefore what is Scripture is the “word of God.” The leaders of the early church believed faith in the writings of Scripture as being “the word of God.” Augustine said, “What is the Bible but a letter of God Almighty addressed to His creatures, in which we hear the voice of God, and behold the heart of our Heavenly Father.” The great reformers, Martin Luther & John Calvin, specifically said that the Bible is God’s Word. The Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England state that the Bible is “God’s Word written,” while the Westminster Confession affirms that since God is the author of Scripture it ought to be received because it is the “Word of God.” Thus to speak of Scripture is to accurately specify it as “God’s Word written.” The prophets of the Old Testament were sure that they were recording God’s word for Israel, and leading New Testament Christians, like the apostle Paul, believed themselves to be stating God’s word for the churches. The designation “Word of God” and “Word of the Lord” in the New Testament refer in particular to Jesus Christ, as well as the biblical writings. Christ Himself is the ultimate Word, the Word in an absolute and personal sense — “the Word made flesh” (Jn 1:14).
The apostolic preachers went forth with the gospel of God’s salvation sure in the conviction that they were proclaiming the Word of God. In summary then, “the Word of God” and “Word of the Lord” belongs in turn to God’s own revelation of Himself made known personally in Christ, and embodied in written form in the Scriptures. The Word of God is a Living Reality The Word of God is a “living reality,” not simply a set of teachings that define reality or a book of forensic truths. The Word of God is dynamic, not static it is active, not quiet it is ever at work, not impotent and dormant it is efficacious and operative, not ineffectual and latent it is immanent and ever-present, not silent and distant. As the author of Hebrews says, “The Word of God is living (emphatic!), active and full of power” (Heb 4:12) — this is to be understood of Christ, the essential Word of God. The Hebrew people knew the Word of God as the Messiah, therefore the apostle John makes use of this expression when writing to them (cf.
Jn 1:1) that men not reject the Gospel (Christ), because He is the author, sum, and substance of it — He is the living God, omnipotent and omniscient not a thing, but a person who as Judge discerns all things, even the secrets of men’s hearts (Heb 4:12). As the apostle John later writes, “Jesus is the Word of God” (Rev 19:13) the Word who spoke all things into existence out of nothing (cf.
Gen 1:3, 6; Ps 33:6, 9; 148:5; Is 55:11; Heb 11:3) the Word who has life in Himself (cf. Jn 1:4; 11:25; 14:6) He is the living God, our Redeemer and Mediator, the author and giver of life (natural, spiritual and eternal) — the ever-powerful One who “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11). “In Him all things hold together” (Col 1:17); that is, Christ is the eternal, transcendent, operative Reality who sustains the entire universe (both the seen and unseen worlds), maintaining the power and balance necessary to the existence of all things in conformity to His absolute, perfect and holy will (cf. Heb 1:3) as mentioned above, He is always conscious of everything in all creation, and the omnipotent power behind all that is — as the apostle Paul writes, “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Rom 11:36; 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:16). Remember, God is “eternal” in every regard, and being as we are “temporal creatures,” we neither have the capacity to fathom or comprehend His significance or His greatness. The Holy Scriptures are the Word of God — when the person of Christ takes up residence in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 8:9-10; Col 1:27), His Word convinces powerfully, converts powerfully, transforms powerfully, preserves powerfully, and comforts powerfully.
It makes a soul “humble” that has long been proud, and a perverse spirit “meek and obedient.” Deeply rooted sinful habits that were once natural to the soul, are removed and cut off by the Sword of the Spirit (Heb 4:12-13; Eph 6:17) — the Word of God — therefore it reveals to men their sinful thoughts, their purposes and vileness, and the dark principles by which they are moved. The Word of God reveals to the sinner all that is in his heart. Through the cross of Christ we become the very righteousness of God (cf. 2 Cor 5: 21); thus we are to encourage ourselves by the excellence of our High Priest to come boldly to the throne of grace (Heb 4:16). Mercy and grace are the desperate needs of all men — mercy to pardon all our sins, and grace to purify our souls. Besides our daily dependence upon God for present supplies, there are seasons of adversity and temptation when we must come boldly before His throne with reverence and godly fear to receive His mercy and grace; God kindly invites us to the mercy-seat where love and grace reign. After we labor diligently in His Word, God blesses us with a sweet and satisfying rest.
Diligent striving in the Word (Heb 4:11) is incumbent upon us, because we have to do with a God whose “word” is heart-searching and whereby we are judged — it is the judicial power whereby it doomed the disobedient Israelites from entering into the Promised Land, and it is the judicial power that excludes wayward Christians from entering the heavenly rest. Similarly, Revelation 19:15 presents the Word’s judicial power as a sharp sword going out of Christ’s mouth to smite the nations — the same word which is saving to the faithful (Heb 4:2) is destroying to the disobedient (2 Cor 2:15-16). God knows what is in man (Jn 2:25), so His word reaches as far as to the most intimate and accurate knowledge of man’s most hidden parts, feelings, and thoughts, distinguishing what is spiritual (the higher part of man that is receptive to the ministry of Spirit of God) from what is carnal (the lower part of man’s fallen sinful nature) — thus the Word of God divides the closely joined parts of man’s immaterial being, soul and spirit, and penetrates to the innermost parts of his being everything is laid bare and naked before God (cf. Heb 4:13; Prv 20:27), even the hidden thoughts and intentions of the heart which the individual himself is completely unaware (cf.
1 Cor 4:3-4). Dearly beloved, we have the privilege of entering into the holy presence of God by the blood of the Lord Jesus, our Advocate, who has purchased for us everything our souls need and desire (Heb 4:16).
We are given grace in this life, and glory in the life to come. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit Judges 7 records the story of Gideon and his 300 men — Gideon and 32,000 Israelite troops gathered near the camp of the Midianites, whose army numbered 135,000. Though Gideon was ready to do battle, God had other plans — He was about to show His people just how powerful a God He was. God told Gideon to let all those who were afraid of the upcoming battle to return home — 22,000 men chose to leave their ranks, leaving a fighting force of only 10,000.
But God was looking for an even smaller group of men, so He told Gideon to have the remainder drink from the spring, and those who lapped the water like a dog would remain, and the others were sent home. Finally, with only 300 men, Gideon and his little army surrounded the Midianite camp.
On signal they blew trumpets, broke the pitchers covering their torches and shouted, “The sword of the Lord of Gideon!” (Jud 7:20). The unimaginable happened: the entire Medianite army was routed.
Scripture tells us that “God set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp” (Jud 7:22) so before the Israelites even reached for their swords, God plunged the enemy camp into chaos and resounding defeat. The Israelites were delivered from their foes by a divine miracle.
This story illustrates the point that it is GOD who ultimately gives the victory in life THE SWORD OF THE LORD is what delivers us. Stellar ost to pst crack. In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul identifies the “sword” (the Word of God) as the only offensive weapon in our arsenal (cf. Eph 6:17) — without it we are little more than heavenly armoured moving targets. While the rest of the armor is undoubtedly vital, it is only the sword (the Word) that allows us to launch an attack on the enemy. Though a Roman infantryman would often go into battle with more than his sword (he usually had lead-weighted darts, a dagger, and a spear), the sword was his chief weapon of attack (he never went into battle without it). The Sword of the Spirit is “the powerful, living Word of God” (Eph 6:17), and it is the Spirit of God who effectuates its usefulness in our lives — when we place our trust it (that’s faith), the Holy Spirit makes it efficacious. Remember, the Word of God (Scripture) is “God-breathed” by the Holy Spirit (cf.
2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:20-21); that is, it is the “divinely-inspired” written word of God. Jesus quoted the appropriate words of God when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness — three times the Holy Spirit gave Him divine wisdom for that specific occasion, and He responded saying, “It is written” — “God’s Word says” (cf. Just as Jesus lived by the eternal Word of God, so too we must learn to “live by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). In His priestly prayer to the Father the night before He went to the cross, the Lord Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy Word is truth” (Jn 17:17). God’s Word is “unerring truth,” and when it is followed it guides us in the paths wherein we need to walk (cf. Prv 6:20-22).
Scripture tells us that we can be destroyed by lack of the knowledge of God (Hos 4:6), but it also tells us we will be blessed if we hear and keep His Word (Lk 11:28). As the psalmist writes, “Thy Word is a light to my path” (Ps 119:105); that is, it illuminates that I might see. It is the ultimate tool for learning how to live the best possible life, for living a life free from the restraints of stumbling in darkness.
The book of Acts teaches us that Paul was stoned and left for dead in the city of Lystra on his first missionary journey by a number of Jews because of his preaching (Acts 14:19). Later, Paul encouraged the followers of Christ to “continue in the faith,” in view of the widespread persecution that was then prevalent, knowing that it is “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
The pathway to future glory with Christ is filled with tribulations. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “We are children of God if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. The sufferings of this present time however are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:16-18; also cf. 2 Cor 1:5; Phil 3:10; 1 Pet 4:12-13, 18; 5:6-10). James, the blood brother of Jesus, wrote: “Brethren, consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam 1:2-4).
It’s important for the believer to realize that there is no growth without trials no matter how uncomfortable they may be, they are essential in our journey as Christians. The promises of eternal glory are given “to him who overcomes” (cf. Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21), not to him who remains as he is. All true believers “fight the good fight of faith” and overcome in various degrees (cf.
1 Cor 3:12-15; Rev 22:12); their God-given faith enables them to overcome the world with all its temptations and allurements. Listen carefully, this does not imply that we are saved by overcoming — not at all — but that our overcoming proves the reality of our conversion experience. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is that eternal living reality that causes us to walk in newness of life (cf.
Rom 6:4; 8:5, 9, 12-13; Gal 5:16-17). In short, we overcome all the trials and temptations of life by exercising faith in the Word of God (cf.
1 Tim 1:5; 4:7-8; 6:12; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; Jam 1:12, 22; 2:14, 19-20; 1 Pet 2:2; Rom 10:17). There is no enemy the Word of God, coupled with His Spirit, cannot defeat so, arm yourself with the Sword of the Spirit by diligently studying the Word of God, and step out and confront the enemy head-on. Never forget, God’s Word properly used employs the very power of God Himself and if God is indeed for us, who can be against us? The Power of the Word of God The ultimate goal for the believer is to comprehend the power and all-sufficiency of God’s Word. With everything mentioned above, it should not come as a surprise to anyone that there is “power” in God’s Word. It is the “power” behind all that exists!
The “power” that sustains the entire universe! The “power” that makes us new creations in Christ! The “power” that is transforming us into the image of Christ! The “power” that will one day usher us into God’s presence in heaven absolutely pure and blameless, without any spot or wrinkle!
Beloved, it is the “power” of the Word wherein we must develop confidence (cf. Heb 3:6, 14; 4:14-16; 10:19, 23, 35-39; 11:1). Every true child of God “fights the fight of faith” (and it is a fight) and “perseveres to the end” (even though at times he may feel like giving up) — this non-stop fighting is not the result of our own righteousness, but the result of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (cf. Ezek 36:26-27); ultimately, God is at work in our hearts as believers causing us to walk in His ways (cf. Phil 2:13; Gal 5:16-17; 2 Tim 2:13; Heb 13:5; Ps 32:8-9). So never forget, the living eternal Christ, the author of all things, is at work in your life!
(Whether you have confidence in that truth or not!). As the apostle Paul said, “He who began a good work in you will perfect (complete) it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Cf. Phil 1:6; Rom 8:28-31; 1 Th 5:23-24; 1 Pet 5:6-10).
The truth is, if our salvation depended upon us in any way, none of us would make it! To think otherwise is simply proud thinking, because all we bring to the table is sin and failure (cf. Thus Paul himself responded, “Thanks be to God, JESUS gives us the victory!” (Rom 7:24-25).
In short, the key to living the Christian life is to “get your eyes off of yourself and put them on Christ!” (Which is no easy task because of the indwelling presence of our sinful flesh). Though we as believers all “stumble in many ways” (cf. Jam 3:2; 1 Jn 1:10; 2:1-2), “we all persevere to the end!” (To the praise of His glory!). God’s written word is the manual for living that defines reality for us, and teaches us how to walk uprightly and bear fruit to the glory of God (cf. Mt 13:3-23; Jn 15:5-11; Rom 1:16-17; Gal 5:22-25); when we abide by the Word (that’s faith), God efficaciously causes our efforts to bear fruit. In the final analysis, it is not that we are men and women of great faith, but that we exercise faith (feeble though it may be) in a great God!
Be sure to read all of the references that are listed above, because they will help build your confidence in God (rather than yourself), which is the essence of faith. If the foregoing is a difficult issue for you, read a study I did titled, “ The Game Changer!” You can check it out on my website — www.thetransformedsoul.com The Word is living and powerful — receive it simply with the thought that it will work in you.
Keep yourself occupied with the Word, and give it time. The Word has a divine life in itself, so carry it in your inmost parts, and it will work life in you. It will work in you a faith that is able to give you the grace to stand in the midst of turmoil, tribulation, temptation and suffering. When you study the Word, receive it as God intends, and it will work mightily in you. Learn to rely upon it, so that when you have to do with God’s Word, you have to do with a word that can be surely trusted, and when you do it will itself work faith in you (cf.
If I receive the word as God’s Word that is, if I trust in the word and in the living God (which makes it operable), then that commandment will work in me the desire and the power to obey. When I humbly weigh and hold fast the command, it works the desire and the will to obey it urges me strongly towards the conviction that I can certainly do what my Father says. The Word works both faith and obedience the obedience of the Christian is the obedience of faith. I must believe that through the Spirit I have the power to do what God wills. Therefore, learn to receive God’s Word trustfully — although you may not fully understand it, especially if you are young in the faith, continue to meditate upon it; it has a living power in it, and will glorify itself.
Take a promise a promise of God, say to yourself that it is certainly true; then go to God and say to Him that you rely on Him for its fulfilment ponder the promise, and cleave to it in your conversation with God. Take God’s Word and hold it fast, and it will accomplish its work with divine power. Approach God’s Word with the understanding that God Himself is in His Word with His life and His power (His Word is not merely forensic truth) thus God’s Word works faith and obedience in the heart. What is critical here is that you never separate the Word and the Living God from each other — their essence is one and the same — they are inseparable.
Separating God from His Word would be akin to separating the sun from sunlight separating mass from space separating heat from energy; in short, to separate God from His Word is like separating God from Himself in doing so, you are reducing God’s Word to nothing more than a collection of divine truths, abstract concepts, and impersonal ideas no wonder it loses its power! Note the words of Paul in Colossians 3:16 — “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Now, is it Christ or is it His Word that is dwelling in you? (Read Col 1:27; Jer 31:33; Ezek 36:26-27). The Living Word (Christ) has taken up residence in your life in the person of the Holy Spirit! Jn 14: 16-17; Col 3:16; Rev 19:13).
It should also be remembered, that the Spirit and the Word also always go together (cf. Eph 6:17; 2 Pet 1:21) — don’t separate them! Ask God for the grace to carry every Word of His in your heart, with the assurance that it (He) will work in you all His good pleasure (cf. Regarding the “power” of God’s Word, it is always helpful to remember that All power belongs to God; that’s why He is called God Almighty! Gen 17:1; Ps 62:11; Rev 4:8).
God’s Word has the power to Convict us of Sin (cf. God’s Word has the power to Regenerate us (cf. Eyes horror game download pc.
Jam 1:18; 1 Pet 1:23; 2 Pet 1:4). God’s Word has the power to give us Saving Faith (cf. Rom 10:17; Acts 16:31-32). God’s Word has the power to give us Prevailing Faith (cf. Mk 11:24; Jn 15:7; 1 Jn 5:4, 14-15). God’s Word has the power to Cleanse us (cf. Eph 5:25-26).
God’s Word has the power to Build us up (cf. Acts 20:32; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 1:5-7). God’s Word has the power to Equip us for Service (cf. 2 Tim 3:16-17). God’s Word has the power to make us Fruitful Believers (cf.
God’s Word has the power to Strengthen us (cf. Is 40:29-31; 2 Cor 4:16; Col 1:9-11; 1 Pet 5:10).
God’s Word has the power to give us Wisdom (cf. Ps 119:130; 2 Tim 3:16-17). God’s Word has the power to give us Assurance of Eternal Life (cf. 1 Jn 5:13; Jn 3:36). God’s Word has the power to bring Peace to our Heart (cf. Ps 85:8; Is 26:3; Phil 4:6-9).
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God’s Word has the power to bring Joy to our Heart (cf. Jer 15:16; Jn 15:11). God’s Word has the power to give us Patience, Comfort and Hope (cf. God’s Word has the power to protect us from Error and Sin (cf. Mt 4:4,7,10; Ps 119:11; 2 Tim 3:13-16).
I was reminded in my own devotional studies today of our weakness and God’s goodness. The psalmist David in Psalm 37 tells us to “Trust in the Lord delight in the Lord commit your way to the Lord and rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. He then goes on to say, Fret not yourself, it only tends to evil. The steps of a man are established by the Lord when he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand the righteous (God’s children) are never forsaken. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble.
The Lord helps and delivers them because they take refuge in Him” (Ps 37:2-8, 23-25, 39-40). Barbara Duguid and Wayne Duguid Houk have written a prayer of confession on this passage in their book “Prone to Wander” — An abridged version of it goes like this: “Almighty Lord, we tend to enjoy You when You give us what we want, but we become anxious, fretful, and angry when life is hard and You seem unwilling to rescue us from painful circumstances.
We spend many days haunted by guilty fears over the sins that we have committed, forgetting the wounds that forever will scar the hands of Your Son, and that plead forgiveness for us every moment of every day. We forget that You alone are our stronghold in times of trouble, and that You are working all things together for our good.
Thank you Father for Your beautiful Son we praise You that His flawless obedience is ours through faith and we wonder, how can it be?. Father, cause us to find overwhelming delight in the salvation You have given us through Christ. Stir our weak souls to arise and shake off the fearful guilt we cling to with stubborn pride. Open our eyes more and more to see our great High Priest, crushed for us, and now pleading for us before Your throne.
May we treasure His love and believe with all our hearts that nothing can separate us from it (cf. Rom 8:37-39), not even the sins with which we continue to struggle.
Give us such great confidence in the gospel that we may run joyfully to You in the midst of our weakness and darkness, to hear Your pardoning voice, and to feel the ardent and passionate embrace of our true Father” ( Prone to Wander, P&R Publishing, New Jersey, 2014, pp. Key Passages Regarding the Word God’s Word is full of passages that address the many problems we face in life — ultimately as believers we need to come to an understanding of the power and all-sufficiency of God’s Word. Following are a number of passages that reveal the power of God’s Word to help us overcome all the issues that beset us. 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 — “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (for this purpose) that the man of God may be adequate (“artios” means fitted, or complete), equipped for every good work.” Of paramount importance is the idea of believing that every word of Scripture is inspired or “God-breathed” — whereas all human thoughts and wisdom are fallible, the Word of God is infallible, and contains no error whatsoever. So in some mysterious miraculous way, God communicated His word to men and led them to record it perfectly for permanent preservation; therefore it is immutable and never changes (cf. Ps 33:11; 119:89, 160; Is 40:8; 55:11; Mt 24:35; Heb 13:8).
Paul says in First Corinthians, “These things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Holy Spirit” (2:13). As Peter points out, the writers of the Bible did not give their own private interpretation of things, but wrote the message which was given to them by God (cf. 2 Pet 1:20-21).
So contrary to what many men say, the holy Scriptures are GOD’S WORD, not that of mere men. The psalmist declares, “Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven” (cf. Jesus Himself declared that “Scripture cannot be broken” (cf. The Pentateuch (Genesis thru Deuteronomy) contains at least 680 claims to divine inspiration the Historical books contain 418 claims the Poetic books contain 195 claims the Prophetic books contain 1,307 claims.
Likewise, the New Testament contains more than 300 direct quotations and at least 1,000 indirect references from the Old Testament — almost all of them declaring or implying that they were God’s own Word. That means there are more than 2,600 claims in the Old Testament, and more than 1,300 Old Testament quotes and indirect references in the New Testament; so all told, that means there are nearly 4,000 substantive references to divine authorship throughout the Bible. The book of Hebrews opens with the declaration, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb 1:1-2).
As a “lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path , the Word of God is more than simply a set of guidelines or recommendations. It gives us the foundation for how we live, move, and shape every aspect of our lives (see ).
The Word Hand Illustration is a simple way to break down five methods of taking in God’s Word. Hearing Hearing the Word taught by godly pastors and teachers provides fresh insight into the Scriptures to challenge and expand your own understanding, as well as stimulating your own appetite for its truth. Reading Reading the Bible is often the way that God most directly speaks to us.
Many people find it helpful to use a daily reading program or other method that takes a systematic approach to drawing lessons from the Bible. Studying Earnestly studying the Scriptures allows God’s Word to speak directly to our hearts—to correct, encourage, and edify us. Writing down your discoveries will help you organize and remember them. Memorizing Memorizing God’s Word trains us to use of the Sword of the Spirit when we are faced with temptations and opposition by Satan. By holding passages from the Bible in our minds we are also able to have them readily available for witnessing or in encouraging others with a “word in season” (2 Timothy 4:2). Meditating Meditation is the thumb of the Word Hand, because when used in conjunction with each of the other methods, the Spirit begins to deeply move in our hearts and speak to our souls. Only as we meditate on God’s Word—thinking of its meaning and application in our lives—will we discover its transforming power at work within us.
The Word Hand by The Navigators, ©1964. All rights reserved. Share this Navigator Discipleship Tool Download a print friendly PDF of The Word Hand to pass along. Navigator Discipleship Tools are designed for sharing with your Bible study, church group, and those you are discipling.
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