Daily Bread - 05/10/07

Acts 8:4 - Then those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

If we want to see the same results that the first century church experienced then we need to be committed to the same testimony. Jesus promised to confirm the word with miracles (Mark 16:20). If one is going to preach properly then it is the "Ho Logos" or "The Word" which must be preached. This phrase is found 134 times in the New Testament and is defined by what Jesus preached.

When Jesus ministered He spoke "the word" (Mark 2:2; John 14:24). It was not His word but the word that the Father gave Him to speak (John 17:14; Luke 5:1; 11:28). His words were the living word that cannot pass away and stands as the judge of all mankind forever (John 5:24; 6:56; 12:48; Hebrews 4:12). His word is the source of eternal life and is the authority that produces all of the acts of deliverance (John 5:24; 8:51; 15:3; Matthew 8:8,16; Luke 4:36; 1 Peter 1:23). It was not subjective and applicable only to the crowd then present but a word that lives and abides forever (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31;Luke 1:2; 21:33; John 17:17). Jesus first defined the importance of His words when He said that everyone who hears is word and acts on it is like a wise man who builds his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24).

The same eternal realm of the Spirit that Jesus spoke these words from is the same realm that functioned in the apostles to recall what was spoken (John 14:26; John 16:13; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). Those who would relegate this to a human realm of memory and intellect have yet to view the realms of glory from which these words were spoken. The word is the testimony of Jesus Christ which God's people have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to deliver. Make no mistake "The Word" is defined as the message of Jesus Christ. It is this testimony that we are privileged to be instructed in by the books laid down in the New Testament of the Bible. Certainly, if God can work the miracle to incarnate the Word into human flesh then He can work the miracle to supply us with the accurate testimony of the Word of life. The apostles had probably made provision for at least some part of the New Testament "word" to be available in written form by this time. To believe that the apostles were any less vigilant than to make the Word available in written form before the company of saints were scattered would be very naive.

Be blessed,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org