Feast day

On March 17, 2025   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 6: 63

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

This text is best read in context so, I have put the passages in a link below for you. It is very rich with many ideas and messages flowing from it. I am only going to deal with one small portion though, intending to convey the importance of the words that Jesus spoke. I would, however, comment that Jesus’ words are not only those found in red type but rather that Jesus’ continued to speak through Paul, Peter, James and John. Indeed, he is the Word, the whole Word meaning the entire Bible, as the first chapter of John tells us (John 1: 1,14).

Jesus said that the reason for his coming is so that we might have life and that more abundantly (John 10: 10). In today’s passage he said that life comes from the Spirit. It is from the Spirit of God that we have life. Then Jesus went on to say that the words he spoke are life and are spirit.

It is not difficult to conclude, therefore, that in order to have the abundant life that Jesus came to give us we must pay heed to the words he spoke. Moreover, it seems a fair suggestion that if his words are actual life, then it is wise to read them more than once.

Who has not watched a movie or read a book for the second time and seen something that they did not see before? Surely everyone has experienced that. The same is true of reading the Bible. Sometimes I jest with Father that He has managed to sneak things into my Bible while I slept. I can read something many, many times and then go back and read it again and swear it has changed. I see something totally new. Of course it is I that has changed. I suppose the Bible is much like the proverbial onion. We understand it in layers. Perhaps as the layers are stripped off of us, we are able to understand the deeper meaning in the Bible. In any event, there is such richness in the Word of God. It is life to those who partake of it. We are to consume it as the bread sent from heaven the same as the manna from heaven fed the Israelites while they were in the desert. It is life and sustenance and none of us will have life, much less rich, abundant life without routinely feeding on this bread. In this case we want to be fat; fat on the Word of God. The more of the Word we put in us, the more of the life of God will be poured out on us and in us.

As a culture, we do not read as much as we once did. Reading the Bible has fallen to the wayside too. However, it truly is important to feed on the Word. Everyday can be a feast day if you choose. Celebrate today with a double helping of the Word of God. You are going to be blessed by what you find in there.

Additionally Read John 6: 59 – 65

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Words of Life

On May 30, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 6: 63

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

There are multiple purposes for the Word of the Day. One is simply to bring some of God’s Word into your busy day. I can do the searching for you, mine the nuggets and send them to your inbox.

The Word brings encouragement so one of the other purposes, and a major piece of the Word of the Day, is to give you Words from God for your edification, Words which build you up and encourage you with His Good News. There are also Words of the Day meant to challenge your theology and thinking, driving you deeper into the bosom of God and His thoughts. Some Words are for direction and correction. These hopefully cause us to think about the status, direction and purpose of the church. We are the church and the way we think plots the course of the church so these Words of the Day offer questions about our beliefs and policies. Are we fulfilling the roles we purpose? Are we fulfilling our mandate?

Words of the Day are also meant to inspire a deeper relationship with our Father and to cause us all to seek Him with renewed vigor. They are also used to continually reveal the heart of the Father showing His endless love and kindness towards us all. This is a tall order for one devotional, but it is possible because it is God’s Word. I prefer devotionals based on God’s Word. That is why I send you a bit of God’s Word every day. There is a reason for that. His Word has power in it. It has the power to lift you when you are down, and to celebrate your victories. It empowers your visions and gives you hope. The Word is the Good News we all need daily. It is like taking a daily multi-vitamin. You need a lift and God has just the thing for you. I hope on your busiest days, you will at least read the part God wrote. Ignore the part I write if you are busy but get your dose of His word daily.

We all need a daily touch from God. This is one way for you to reach out and ingest a bit of His thought each day. Some Words of the Day will speak directly to your heart. Many times, God has used the Word of the Day to speak to a specific need of one of our members. He will do that at liberty. Other Words of the Day may be for a different day. In other words, they don’t hit you today. Just let those percolate. Their day will come and then you will have just the Word you need. They may not even be for you but rather for someone you will encounter. You may be surprised, as I often am, at how the Holy Spirit ministers life when you ponder these scriptures. Even when a Word of the Day doesn’t seem to speak to your current need, you may find, when you consider it, that there is a seed in there just for you. I find this to be true for myself. Also, there are times when I intend to write one thing and the Word of the Day goes off in an entirely different direction. I don’t stop to question it, the Holy Spirit has his reasons but then when I go back and read it I find education and edification for myself. Therefore, allow yourself the opportunity to contemplate the implications.

Lastly, another opportunity for the Word of the Day is to create a community forum where we can share our ideas and experiences. You may post your thoughts but you can also reply to others comments. Perhaps you have an experience which validates theirs. Of course, this community dialogue must always be motivated by the same inspiration as the Word, i.e. encouragement, edification, and praise.

All this ministry does, and specifically the Word of the Day, is intended to improve your quality of life and the quality of life of those you come in contact with through daily encounters with the Holy One. God has good plans for you AND His good plans for others will be affected by you. You are meant to live in peace and grace. Prosperity and health are your inheritance. You are also a powerful messenger of the love and power of God which is wrought in demonstrations rather than words, a gift rather than a sermon, a smile in place of condemnation. You are a powerful person whether you realize it or not and when you are coupled with the Word of God, you are divinely powerful. So, fill yourself with God’s Words. I will send you one daily. Then go out and change the world, or at least one person’s day. This is our joint ministry to the world.

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The Symbol of the Word

On September 28, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 6: 6 – 8

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

God places a high value on His words. God’s words are the difference between life and death both spiritually and physically. Jesus said, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6: 63). We see from these verses that the words of God are to occupy a preeminent space in our life. 

The first thing that God tells us this valuable asset is to be installed in our hearts. I have been following the teaching of Dr. James B. Richards. He has a breakthrough teaching, program actually, which is called Heart Physics. I strongly recommend Dr. Richards’ teachings generally but the Heart Physics specifically. The bottom line is that we can, and should, connect with God in our hearts. Moreover, this “religion” which we call Christianity is in reality not a religion at all but rather a relationship with the creator of the universe and our beloved Father. In fact, the purpose of Jesus’ ministry in the earth was to restore us in fellowship with the Father. It takes place, though, in the heart and Jesus is the Word, so it is logical that The Word must be incorporated and integrated in the fabric of our hearts. 

Not only is the Word supposed to be close to our hearts but we are supposed to share God’s Word with our children. We are not called to teach religion. God says to teach and share His Word. We should fellowship over His Word. One of the reasons we do so is because there is always blessing in the Word. Even when you go out to dinner with friends, if your heart, conversation and fellowship are over the Word you will find that blessing always follows.

Lastly, if we representatively have the Word of God on our hands and our foreheads then we constantly represent the Word. If on our hands, then the Word is in everything we do; if on our foreheads, then the Word is what people see where ever we go. So, meditate on this passage today and determine how the Word can infiltrate every area of your life.

Look for Dr. Jim Richards’ programs at www.impactministries.com.

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Disciples of Truth

On September 25, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 8: 31 – 32

Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The most telling part of these verses may be the first phrase. Jesus was saying to those who believed in him that there was more to follow. Just hearing him speak was not the answer. He told them that they must abide in his word. Some translations say to continue in his word. I believe what Jesus is saying is that it is not enough just to hear Jesus word once. Instead we must learn to live in his word. Those who stay in his word will have truth and that truth will set them free of every sort of hindrance.

Let’s close the circle on this and see how it works. From the first chapter of John we know that Jesus is the word, the incarnate word. The word was with God since the beginning but then came alive in the form of a person and dwelt among mankind. We also know that Jesus is the truth (John 14: 6). Jesus is the word and he is the truth. We also know from John 14: 6 that Jesus is the life. Therefore, if we want life we must dwell in the word and we must dwell in truth. Let’s go one step further though. In John 6: 63  Jesus tells us that the words that he spoke are spirit and life. So, life is in the word, spirit is in the word, truth is in the word and freedom is in the word. If we want to live a life worth living, really if we want any life at all then we must abide in the word of Jesus and lest we deceive ourselves, the entire Bible is the word of Jesus. Remember he was with God in the beginning so all the word of God is Jesus.

Further, if we want to be disciples of Jesus then we must abide in his word. To abide does not mean a casual glance at the scriptures now and then. It probably implies a daily residence. If you abide in your house, then doesn’t that mean that is where you live? It is the place we call home and to which we always return. While travelling we even think of that place which we call home. This is the place of habitation and rest. Jesus is trying to get us to think of his word the same way we think of our homes. His word should be the place to which we always return. It is the place of comfort and rest. It is our secure haven and only when we have learned or decided to take up residence in his word can we be his disciples.  

There are so many pieces of church life these days and it is easy to get bogged down in all of the things we feel we must do but there are only a few things that Jesus calls needful. So, when you cannot do it all do those things which are most important. Chief among them is attendance to the word. There is no truth, there is no life, there is no discipleship or freedom apart from a habitual abiding presence in the word. There is a reason why ministers beyond me send out daily devotionals. We all know that liberty and life are contained in the daily consumption of the word. The word, Jesus, is our shelter and our daily bread. It is the presence of God in our lives to bring his truth alive within us. There is no life apart from the word. It is just that simple. And do not let anyone mislead you. There is no doctrine, no 7 step program, no teaching series that can replace the Word of God. They are all complimentary, meaning that they are intended to illuminate the Word for you but it is the Word which has the power to change lives. Abide in that almighty presence of the Word of God. Receive life, truth and freedom.

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There is Life in God’s Word

On April 21, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 4: 20 – 22

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their whole body.


This is very similar to the advice God gave Joshua when he appointed him to take Moses’ place (see Joshua 1: 8). Interestingly enough, it seems that when God’s people have their backs to the wall God gives them the Word to help them break through their obstacle. In today’s verse we see that God’s Words are literally the stuff of healing and health. It is as if God wrote a prescription for what ails us. His Word fills us with life which and that filling overcomes sickness. Jesus said, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6: 63).

Jesus’ words are actually life and he is the life. So, as we continue to ingest the Word we literally saturate our tissues with the life giving, healing power of the Lord Jesus. I can imagine that it is difficult for some people to die because they have so filled their bodies with life.

God tells us to give our ear and our sight to the Word. Then He tells us to keep His words in the midst of our heart. This tells us that the attention that we are to give to the Word is not an intellectual endeavor but rather one of the heart. We are to open our inner being to the ministration of the Word. He is not calling us to become great theologians but rather to allow the Word to penetrate us and change us. It is not, then, what we do with the Word but rather what we allow the Word to do in us. The Word of God has the power to change our lives but it needs the fertile soil of our hearts in order to work rather than the sterile, antiseptic planting of our minds. Fill up on God’s Word. Keep it ever before your eyes and in your ears so that it can bring the abundant life that is Jesus’ will for you.

 

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Abundant Life

On April 9, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 10: 10

I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.

John 6: 63

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

Jesus told the world, in his own words, that the reason for his coming into the earth was to bring us abundant life. He also told us that life comes through the Holy Spirit. So which is it, does life come from and by the Holy Spirit or through and by Jesus? In the last phrase of John 6: 63 Jesus said the words he spoke were both spirit and truth. So, abundant life and the Spirit are ours through Jesus and the words that he spoke.

Just before his crucifixion and death, Jesus told his disciples that it was to their advantage, and hence ours, that he go away so that he could send the helper, the Holy Spirit (John 16: 7). When we read these verses together we realize that this increased life, this life of abundance is a product of the Holy Spirit which is realized in us by Jesus and his words. No one comes to the Holy Spirit but by the son and no one comes to the son apart from his words. The words of Jesus lead us into his saving grace.

The Word of God is the seed that yields life. When we plant this seed in the fertile soil of our hearts it produces all good things in abundance including peace and joy. There is nothing of our carnal life that profits us. Only our investment in Jesus and his word lead us to the freedom in the Spirit which is the deep need of every human soul.

The desire of Jesus’ heart is for us to live in the abundance that his life, death and resurrection bought for us. He is passionate about us attaining to this high life. And it is for that reason that he has given us his words directing us to this fullness of life. Enfold Jesus and the revelation of his words into the tender folds of your heart. There let it nurture the life of plenty and fulfillment.

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