Your Communication With God

John 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

Our church has taken the Bibles out of the Pews in the Sanctuary. Those long wooden benches seating, called Pews, have racks on the back that would hold Attendance/Comment cards, little pens or pencils, and the Bibles. Pastor JJ says that it is one thing to recite Scripture, but there is something extraordinary when you see the words actually written on the page that makes it more real, to some extent. He feels that we need to read through the verses and see for ourselves.

Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

That’s why he is such a big fan of having personal Bibles and bringing them to church with us each week ... to the point of giving them out to anyone who doesn't or needs to have one. He encourages us to bring our own Bible to the Sunday service, but if someone doesn't have a Bible, then the church provides them with one. If someone forgot to bring their personal Bible and just needs to borrow one for the worship service, then they can leave the borrowed Bible in the rack on the back of the Pew at the end. So the church’s Pew Bibles were removed, to reinforce this message.

Luke 8:21 But He (Jesus) answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

Pastor makes an announcement at the beginning of each Service about this giving of Bibles to anyone who needs one, because he wants it announced, wants it known, and wants it proclaimed here and now that we need the Word of God in our life. Because everything that we need to know, and that God wants us to know, is written in this book. Because God wants to have a relationship with us, and if we are not in the Word of God, if we do not have a copy for ourself and make it our conversation with God, then we are missing out. That’s why he makes such a big deal about it each week. It’s that important.

2 Timothy 3:14-17  “You must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

In Christ, Brian