Rule #1: Unless we’ve been born again we cannot know Christ and understand
the Word of God
Rule #2: All the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, Prayer, and Worship go through
Meditation that honors God.
Rule #3: We must read our Bible prayerfully
Through His Word, God talks to us, through prayer we talk to God,
Rule #4 We are to take God Word, His every Word, as Food for Living.
Rule #5: All of the Bible is about Jesus.
Luke 24:13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village
called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.
Luke 24:14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
Luke 24:15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew
near and went with them.
Luke 24:16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them
in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24:32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He
talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
In Genesis, Jesus was the Word of God, creating the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth
John 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that
was made
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Colossians 1:16 “…. All things were created through Him and for Him.
As the Last Adam Jesus came to undo everything the First Adam had done.
Genesis 2:19 “… And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.
Romans 5:14 (NLT) …Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was
yet to come.
1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.”
The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
The First Adam brought death to the living;
The Last Adam Jesus brought life to the dying.
The Last Adam Jesus obeyed and regained what the first Adam had lost
Where Adam has failed, Jesus has triumphed.
In Adam there is death, and in Jesus there is eternal life.
In the seed of the woman, Jesus came to redeem the human race.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your
seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall
call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
In Adam and Eve’s covering, Jesus was the garment of salvation.
Genesis 3:21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and
clothed them.
Hebrews 9:22 “…. and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Isaiah 61:10 “For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered
me with the robe of righteousness …
As Noah’s Ark, Jesus became the gospel ship of salvation from the flood of sin.
Genesis 6:13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for
the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with
the earth.
Genesis 6:14 Make yourself an ark …”
1 Peter 3:20 (NLT) “… God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat.
Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.
1 Peter 3:21 And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by
removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience.
It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In Abraham’s offering Jesus revealed He is the perfect sacrifice and substitute.
Genesis 22:2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the
mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Genesis 22:13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was
a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered
it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
Galatains 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by
faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations
shall be blessed.”
In Jacob’s Ladder Jesus revealed I am the way to Heaven.
Genesis 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and
the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and
descending on it.
John 1:51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see
heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me.
In the passover lamb, Jesus was foreshadowed.
Exodus 12:13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are.
And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you
to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
1 Corinthians 5:7 …For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1 Thessalonians 1:10 …Even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
In the Manna in the wilderness Jesus was the true living bread from heaven.
Exodus 16:14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness,
was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground.
Exodus 16:15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another,
“What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them,
This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.
John 6:48 I am the bread of life.
John 6:49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
John 6:50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it
and not die.
The manna came down from heaven, Jesus came down from heaven.
It was miraculous manna, Jesus was miraculous,
The manna was round, it spoke of Jesus’ eternality, no beginning, no ending
The manna was white that spoke of His purity,
The manna lay upon the ground which spoke of Jesus’ humiliation,
The manna had to be picked up which spoke of Jesus’ resurrection
The manna had to be eaten that speaks of our trusting the Lord and feeding on Him
In the water from the Smitten Rock Jesus revealed Himself as dying on the cross.
Exodus 17:6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you
shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”
1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that
spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came
there out blood and water.
The tabernacle was a picture of Jesus Christ and His salvation.
Exodus 25:8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 25:9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle,
and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
Hebrews 9:1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service
and the earthly sanctuary.
Hebrews 9:2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand,
the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary;
Hebrews 9:3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called
the Holiest of All,
Hebrews 9:4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on
all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod
that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;
Hebrews 9:5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy
seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
The tabernacle had a door. Christ said, “I am the door.”
It had a brazen altar, Jesus said He was the altar, the ransom for many.
It had a laver, Jesus said He would wash and cleanse us.
It had lamps, Jesus said He was the light.
It had bread, Jesus said He was the bread.
It had insense, Jesus said, “My prayers ascend for you.”
It had a veil, Jesus said, “The veil is my body.”
The tabernacle had a mercy seat, Jesus said, “I am the mercy seat.”
The ark was the visible symbol of God’s presence(inside was Aaron’s budded staff,
the broken stone tablets of the ten commandments, gold jar of manna)
Aaron’s Rod that Budded in Numbers 17 was a type of Resurrection life
In the Brazen Serpent in Numbers Jesus revealed His judgement for mankind on the cross.
Numbers 21:8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole;
and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Jesus became the curse hung on a tree by His crucifixion.
Deuteronomy 21:22 “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put
to death, and you hang him on a tree,
Deuteronoly 21:23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely
bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving
you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.
Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become
a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
In the fulfillment of the law, Jesus took care of the curse of the Law.
Deuteronomy 27:26 ‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this
law by observing them.’
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am
not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
John 5:46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.
In the Wisdom Books I revealed I am the wisdom of God.
Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!…
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom.
1 Corinthians 1:24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power
of God and the wisdom of God.
In the Songs of the Psalms Jesus was the Lord they are singing to.
Psalm 96:1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth
Psalm 96:2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His
salvation from day to day.
Ephesians 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
In Psalm 22, we have a graphic picture of death by crucifixion.
Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,
“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Jesus is called the son of both David and Abraham.
Genesis 11:27 This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Haran begot Lot.
Ruth 4:22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.
Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the
Son of Abraham:
Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the
throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and
justice from that time forward, even forever.
Matthew 22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
Matthew 22:42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
They said to Him, “The Son of David.”
Matthew 22:43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’
saying:
Matthew 22:44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your
enemies Your footstool”’?
Matthew 22:45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”
Matthew 22: 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did
anyone dare question Him anymore.
Luke 24:45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the
Scriptures.
Revelation 1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
‘Revelation 3:7 “… These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has
‘the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
Isaiah 22:22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he
shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
by the devil.
Matthew 4:2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was
hungry.
Matthew 4:3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of
God, command that these stones become bread.”
Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’
Rule #1: Unless we’ve been born again we cannot know Christ and understand
the Word of God
Rule #2: All the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, Prayer, and Worship go through
Meditation that honors God.
Rule #3: We must read our Bible prayerfully
Through His Word, God talks to us, through prayer we talk to God,
Rule #4 We are to take God Word, His every Word, as Food for Living.
I. TO WE EAT THIS BOOK, WE MUST FILL THE SPIRITUAL.
Matthew 3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the
water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Matthew 3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
by the devil.
Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and
was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and
understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me…”
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power,
who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God
was with Him.
Jesus never cheated when He was tested and used His divinity to pass the test for
His own benefit.
He lived His life and endured it all as a man full of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is
coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit …”
II. TO EAT THIS BOOK, WE MUST FAST FROM THE PHYSICAL
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
by the devil.
Matthew 4:2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was
hungry.
Fasting means going without food, and certain pleasures for the purpose of seeking
God for a time of spiritual renewal
When we fast the time we normally spent eating physical food, we spend eating
this book (spiritual food).
1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, …
There are some temptations we need to fast from for a season and there are
other temptations we need to fast from for a lifetime.
Proverbs 23:1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what
is before you;
Proverbs 23:2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite.
Proverbs 23:3 Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.
Sometimes the only way to reset a computer is simply to reboot it, turn off and
then turn it back on..
We tend to get out of control and we need to reset for self control
We worship our way into trouble by worshiping someone or something other than
God.
We worship our way out of trouble by worshiping God.
III. TO EAT THIS BOOK, WE MUST FOCUS ON THE SCRIPTURAL.
Matthew 4:2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was
hungry.
Matthew 4:3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of
God, command that these stones become bread.”
Our identity is not determined by what we do, but by what Jesus has done for us.
The first temptation was the temptation of instant food.
The devil always likes short cuts.
Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’
We naturally have physical appetites, we supernaturally need a spiritual appetite
which comes from being “born again.”
Pastor Andy Stanely claimed that “Peter, James, Paul elected to unhitch the Christian
faith from their Jewish scriptures, and my friends, we must as well.”
The living Word honors the written Word.
The written Word honors the living Word.
John 10:35 “… the Scripture cannot be broken;
Matthew 4:4 Man shall live … by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Jesus is saying, “Here is a principle to live by … God’s Word is given to be lived.”
Just like we have to make a set time to eat physical food, we also have to make a
set time to eat this book, eat spiritual food.
We must eat God’s Word as if our life depended on it.
D.L. Moody once said, “The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to
change our lives.”
Psalm 119:12 Blessed are You, O Lord!Teach me Your statutes.
Psalm 119:15 I will meditate in Your precepts, and have respect unto Your ways.
Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
Psalm 119:91 They continue this day according to Your ordinances, for all are
Your servants.
Psalm 119:98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
Psalm 119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies
are my meditation.
Psalm 119:102 I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have
taught me.
Rule #1: Unless we’ve been born again we cannot know Christ and understand
the Word of God
Rule #2: All the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, Prayer, and Worship go through
Meditation that honors God.
Rule #3: We must read our Bible prayerfully
Through His Word, God talks to us, through prayer we talk to God,
The psalmist in Psalm 119 uses at least nine different terms to describe God’s Word
Statues(22), precepts(21), ways(5), law(25), ordinances(1),commandments(21),
testimonies(22),word(38), judgments(22)
I. THE LISTENER: THROUGH HIS WORD, GOD TALKS TO US.
Luke 11:28 “…Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Hebrews 3:15 “… Today, if you will hear His voice,
John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to
the fathers by the prophets,
Hebrews 1:2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,
1 Kings 19:11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.”
And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains
and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind;
and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
1 Kings 19:12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and
after the fire a still small voice.
Deuteronomy 32:1 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the
words of my mouth.
Deuteronomy 32:2 Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew,
As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass.
Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not
return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give
seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return
to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for
which I sent it.
Lyrics “Word of God Speak”
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You’re in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak
Psalm 119:12 Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes.
Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.
Psalm 119:130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the
simple.
Psalm 119:27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts;
Psalm 119:73 “… Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
Psalm 119:125 “… Give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies
Psalm 119:144 “… Give me understanding, and I shall live.
Open the eyes of my heart Lord, open the eyes of my heart
I want to seeyou
Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path
Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say?
When we close our Bibles God closes His mouth and when we open our Bibles
God opens His mouth.
II. THE SPEAKER: THROUGH PRAYER, WE TALK TO GOD
Psalm 5:1 Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my meditation.
Psalm 5:2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray.
Philippians 4:8 “… think on these things.
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, …”
Psalm 5:3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will
direct it to You, and I will look up.
When we lose the morning we lose the day.
When we lose the day, we forget to pray.
When we forget to pray, we lose the way.
Psalm 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He
shall hear my voice.
III. THE CONVERSATION: BETWEEN TWO RELATIVES WHO LOVE EACH
OTHER.
Psalm 91:15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
Isaiah 58:9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will
say, ‘Here I am.’
Prayer is a two-way conversation between God and one of His children.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice
and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Psalm 119:26 I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes.
Isaiah 65:24 “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they
are still speaking, I will hear.
Psalm 116:1 (LB) I love the Lord because he hears my prayers and answers them.
Psalm 116:2 Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I breathe!
Matthew 6:9 Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to
you.
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the
cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the
Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because
I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Genesis 3:11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten
from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
Genesis 3:12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she
gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
Genesis 3:13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Psalm 119:81 My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your word.
Psalm 119:94 I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts
Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul …
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me
the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1 Timothy 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your
progress may be evident to all.
Genesis 24:63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening;
Psalm 119:97 Oh how I love your law! it is my meditation all the day.
Rule #1: Unless we’ve been born again we cannot know Christ and understand
the Word of God
Rule #2: All the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, Prayer, and Worship go through
Meditation that honors God.
Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be
acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Meditation: Let us get in the Word, so the Word can get in us.
I. GENUINE BIBLE STUDY COMES FROM MEDITATION.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1 Timothy 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your
progress may be evident to all.
Meditation is the practice of turning each truth we learn from God into matter for
contemplation and reflection before God, leading to prayer and praise to God.
Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line,
line upon line, here a little, there a little.
Hebrews 5:13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of
righteousness, for he is a babe.
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who
by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm 23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the
still waters.
Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His
name’s sake.
Someone once said that 1 in 100 Christians read Scripture regularly; 1 in 1000
memorize Scripture; but only 1 in 10,000 meditate on Scripture!
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me
the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.
Charles Spurgeon said, “It is one thing to hear the Word. It is another thing to taste it.
Hearing the Word is often blessed, but tasting it is a more inward and spiritual thing—
it is the enjoyment of the Truth in the innermost parts of our being!”
Read the Bible carefully, and then meditate and meditate and meditate …For lack
of meditation, the Truth of God runs by us and we miss and lose it.”
The word “meditation” Is mentioned about 25 times in the Bible
Genesis 24:63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening;
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is
written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have
good success.
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day
and night.
Meditation is like taking a wet towel and trying to squeeze it as dry as you can.
II. GENIUNE PRAYER COMES FROM MEDITATION.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
The Amplified Bible translation of the first and last part of this verse says:
“Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect,
whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word …think continually on these things
[center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].
Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand
I shall not be moved.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You.
Because He trusts in You.
Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut
your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees
in secret will reward you openly.
Praise song lyrics “In the secret,”
In the secret,
In the quiet place
In the stillness you are there.
In the secret, in the quiet hour
I wait, only for you
Because I want to know you more.
I want to know you
I want to hear your voice
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God,
Psalm 92:5 – “Your thoughts are very deep.”
Psalm 42:7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and
billows have gone over me.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that
we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
III. GENUINE WORSHIP COMES FROM MEDITATION.
John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Jeremiah 33:11 “… Praise the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy
endures forever”— and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the
house of the Lord.
Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Jeremiah 33:11 “… Praise the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy
endures forever”— and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the
house of the Lord.
Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you;
Psalm 119:97 Oh how I love your law! it is my meditation all the day.
Stanza #3
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,
Charles Spurgeon said, ” Everything is wonderful until you get used to it ”
Psalm 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with
thanksgiving.
Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
How great thou art, how great thou art!
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God
Psalm 77:13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God?
Revelation 10:8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” Revelation 10:9 So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” Revelation 10:10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby: 1 Corinthians 3:2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ “
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Don’t just read the cookbook; eat the meal.
I THE DIRECTIONS OF THIS BOOK. Revelation 10:9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it … “
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.
Ezekiel 2: 8 But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Ezekiel 2:9 Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. Ezekiel 2:10 Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.
John 21:16 … He(Jesus) said to him (Peter), Feed my sheep …
II. THE DIGESTION OF THIS BOOK. Revelation 10:9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up;
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
In order to “Eat this Book” we must not only get in the Word but let the Word get in us and by eating this book, we are feeding upon Jesus.
John 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
John 6:35 And Jesus said to them,”I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
III. THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS BOOK. Revelation 10:9 “…Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” Revelation 10:10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
Acts 20:26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. Acts 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
IV. THE DECLARATION OF THIS BOOK. Revelation 10:11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
R. G. Lee once said ” As to being cruel, is it cruel to tell a man the truth? Is a man to be called cruel who declares the whole gospel of God and points out to men their danger? Is it cruel to arouse sleeping people to the fact that the house is on fire? It is cruel to jerk a blind man away from the rattlesnake in the coil? Is it cruel to declare to people the deadliness of disease and tell them which medicine to take? I had rather be called cruel for being kind than to be called kind for being cruel.”
Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
1 Peter 2:3 (NIV) Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Rule #1: Unless we’re born again we cannot understand the Word of God.
V. THE DISCERNMENT OF THIS BOOK. 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled
I can only prepare the meal but I can’t create the appetite I can only try to rightly divide the word of truth by following the correct recipe but I can’t make people come to the table. I can fill the pulpit but I can’t fill the pews I can preach truth but only the Holy Spirit can impart truth.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Psalm 18:28 For You will light my lamp; The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm 18:28 (GNT) O Lord, you give me light; You dispel my darkness. Psalm 18:28 (TLB) You have turned on my light! The Lord my God has made my darkness turn to light.
Ecclesiastes 6:1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: Ecclesiastes 6:2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction. Ecclesiastes 6:3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he– Ecclesiastes 6:4 for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness. Ecclesiastes 6:5 Though it has not seen the sun or known anything this has more rest than that man, Ecclesiastes 6:6 even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place? Ecclesiastes 6:7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied.
Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house . . . nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
I) THE SHORTAGE OF SATISFACTION IS EVERYWHERE. Ecclesiastes 6:1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: Ecclesiastes 6:2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. this also is vanity. Ecclesiastes 1:8 … The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing.
1 Kings 10:23 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
Song lyrics I can’t get no satisfaction though I’ve tried and I’ve tried
Frederic Seaman book “The Last Days Of John Lennon” (quote) John and Yoko appeared to be compulsive shoppers, like kleptomanics who paid. Most of what they bought was neither needed nor ever used. Clothes, antiques, art, stereo equipment, eletronic gadgets, pieces of furniture — all were delivered, stored away, and promptly forgotten. It never ceased to amaze me that the man who had penned the classic verse, “Imagine no possessions” had become a slave to them. The only real value of many of these items was the mere fact they were owned by John Lennon.”
II) THE SEARCH FOR SATISFACTION IS A VAIN PURSUIT. Ecclesiates 6:3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he— Ecclesiates 6:6 Even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness.
The Law of the Itch: No one ever made an itch go away by getting really good at scratching. The law of satisfaction: No one has ever made the satisfaction itch go away by getting really good at scratching.
Fate of Man lyrics He’s worked all his life to get things the way he wants them. He comes here against his will and he goes away disappointed.
III) THE SOURCE OF SATISFACTION IS GOD HIMSELF. Ecclesiastes 6:2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it,..”
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Ecclesiastes 6:2 … yet God does not give him power to eat of it, …
Ecclesiastes 6:7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied.
Ecclesiastes 6:9 (NLT) Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have.
IV) THE SECRET OF SATISFACTION IS CONTENTMENT. Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: Philippians 4:12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
1) THE CONTENTMENT OF THE GODLY. 1 Timothy 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
Psalm 23:1 (NLT) The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. Psalm 23:1 (MSG) God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. Psalm 23:1 (GW) The Lord is my shepherd.I am never in need.
1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest You.”
The testing ground is simply this: Is God enough? Because when this life is over, He is all we will have. If God is not enough then nothing will ever be enough.
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!
