"Now Hear This!" How Does God Speak? - Part B

There is something about having a sense of authority over you in life something you can always appeal to see what the Bible says about this situation I'm in. What are the principles in Scripture regarding marriage and family and children job something about having that feel to that authority brings a sense of past liberty rejoicing. No wonder David love the word blessed so much Someone blessed over how happy is the man meditates on the law of God day and night having God's word at the center of your life has many benefits. Jesus told his disciples the words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip talks about how God speak to you first Skip wants to invite you to connect with him on social media take Pastor Skip here if you want to stay up-to-date on the latest from this ministry follow at Skip Heitzig on Facebook, twitter and Instagram that Skip HEITZIG thank you, Skip now. We're in Psalm 19. As we dive into her study with Skip Heitzig, so the Bible is been copied. Recopy recopy and distributed.

It is not marred its message. How do we know that because we have in existence today 5750 some odd manuscripts of the New Testament alone, more than all of the writings of Plato and Socrates, and Homer put together. You know how many copies we have all their works in totality. 18 and some of those documents. The earliest copy we have is 2000+ years after it was originally written. We have copies of the New Testament in existence, they go back to 30 years after they were originally written by John manuscript evidence. You might hear that and okay so we got a lot of copies of it. How do we know it's a real representation of the original 12 part of the Dead Sea Scrolls were the greatest discoveries of the modern era discovered in the 1940s. Suddenly the world had a copy of parts of the Bible that were a thousand years older than our oldest copy. Up to that point. So now here we are comparing the book of Isaiah that we've had is our oldest manuscript were comparing manuscript of the same book written a thousand years before that.

So it's been copied and recopy copied and copied recopy copy to recopy for thousand years. So now we compare the two and what we found was amazing with the Dead Sea Scrolls. We didn't find was even more amazing mistakes.

There weren't any virtually the same document, with a few minor variations in letters or punctuation but it was the same. Why is that because to copy a scroll was a meticulous and esteemed profession training for it, began at age 14 and you are released to do the job until you are age 40 that took it very seriously. Scroll was prepared. The inks were set out surface was treated there had to be 37 letters per line certain number of lines per page.

They were put down. Check for visual accuracy spacing between the letters counting up all the letters had to be exact same amount. The middle letter of the scroll was also a compared with the master scroll and if there was any change at all in any of those things copy was torn up and start all over again accurate transmission. Also, the Bible exhibits reliable history unlike that piece of propaganda that I just read you know this isn't just a religious book is a historical book there's events spoken about people written about and we have a history of of civilizations years ago, a historian, esteemed historian, Sir William Ramsey was convinced that the Bible was a fraud and he took 30 years of his life to prove that Luke was a poor historian, in his writings of the gospel in the book of acts were fraud.

He spent 30 years researching this at the end of it. He shook the academic world and he said Luke was one of the best historians ever, and he even said that his own research brought about his own conversion example for years though the Bible said there was a pool in Jerusalem called Bethesda there's no archaeological evidence that such a huge pool existed, and so the academics were saying the Bible is a fraud. There is no pool of Bethesda archaeology doesn't show it until the day they uncovered the pool of Bethesda and you can see it there today uncovered all of its glory. For years historians were saying the Bible speaks about the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, but there are no historical records and secular history to show that there ever existed.

Such a man until they discovered in Caesarea a stone that says Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea.

Their mouths were shot.

You can see that stone today in Caesarea on display. Also this book. This biography of God has a unified message.

Now, hear me out on this. This is in one book. This is actually 66 books written over 1600 years by 40+ authors in a few different languages written on different continents about controversial subjects. Some of the writers were fig farmers. Others were shepherds there were politicians. I know that already places its credibility at risk rabbis, etc. they spoke about subjects like God the origin of the world. The presence of evil. The destiny of mankind, and with all of the differences in background, language there is a unified point of view. I just think about that tried this is a comparison 10 of your best friends or just get 10 people from your neighborhood so you people speak in the same language of the same culture in the same continent get them in your house and have them write a personal essay on the meaning of life and see if they all agree you have 10 different essays with very different points of view. Or how about this. What if we were to take, not 66 books but just 25 medical books that a been written over thousand year period and treat somebody based on the information therein all the way from the headhunters in Africa to John Hopkins University and everything in between. We treat a disease based upon all of that information will kill the person or treated oriole create Frankenstein.

Perhaps something else about this book that will satisfy the mind, it did mine's prophecy that sets this book apart from every other holy document ever written.

The Bible is filled with intricate predictions written about something years before it ever occurred. God said that the children of Israel would be in Egypt for 400 years they were Bible says they would be later on in a Babylonian captivity for 70 years they were there's 330 predictions of the Messiah that were fulfilled in Jesus. Intricate predictions where he would be born. What tribe he would come from is an example, Isaiah 44 and 45 predict 100 years before it ever happened. The Jerusalem would be attacked and the temple would be destroyed. I was nobody believed that they were stable at the time it was written.

The temple was a national historical landmark. And the same book the same chapter 45 names a king who will be born hundred and 60 years later, Cyrus was mentioned in the Bible hundred 60 years before he was born. As someone who would help the Jews rebuild their temple is just a snippet of so many things that amazes some people frankly the Barna research group noted 4/10 adults is 38% believe the entire Bible was written several decades after the death and resurrection of Christ when in fact it was written way before most of it. The Old Testament certainly was in a lot I have never yet met someone who is honestly considered the evidence for the Scripture who is rejected that an open mind. They come away with a satisfied mind in the Bible do that he can save the soul. It can satisfy the mind is the third thing you can do.

Let's look at verse eight and satiate the heart. The statutes of the Lord are right, but it is worth rejoicing the heart. There is something about having a sense of authority over you in life something you can always appeal to see what the Bible says about the situation I'm in. What are the principles in Scripture regarding marriage and family and children.

My job etc. something about having that appeal to that authority that brings a sense of rest, liberty, rejoicing.

No wonder David love the word blessed so much means happy someone blessed all how happy is the man who meditates on the law of God day and night, reaches something and I wonder if this describes you. This is a little study put out by Tyndale House Christian publishing company. 90% of Bible readers feel at peace.

All or most of the time as compared to 58% who read it less than once a month and that great leaders of your frequent Bible reader. 90% feel at peace.

All or most of the time goes on to say 92% of frequent Bible readers report knowing a clear purpose and meaning in life as compared to 69% of infrequent Bible" read it a lot a lot a lot because of what it will do what it promises to do what it can deliver and satiate the heart for it can stabilize your future knife use that as sort of a summary of a few different verses, verse eight the statutes. Verse eight, the second part, the commandment of the Lord is pure boxes and enlightening the eyes. The idea of the word is is a light shines in darkness. It enables you to see the path so you can navigate, I get it. I know what to do now I know her lock in verse nine, the fear of the Lord is clean and how long the last enduring for ever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether and then verse 11 moreover by them your servant is warned.

So put it all together. It enlightens me verse eight. It warns me verse 11 in verse nine it's can endure forever. What that means altogether. Is this the truth that got you through yesterday and is getting you to today is the same truth that will be available tomorrow if God forbid you get that dreaded phone call in the middle of the night and you hear the worst possible news which are most afraid of hearing God's promise will be there to sustain you as countless of people have testified of that in the past I've always love the story of the factory that had the big machine broke the try to fix the machine. They couldn't they called an expert expert looked at this big machine that he had put in the got a little bulky and hammer being collected. Once things are working and then he handed the bill to the factory. You will be $1000. Now they were disturbed thousand dollars. Yes, he did his head with a hammer could you itemize the bill is the church a dollar for hitting her with a hammer, $999 for knowing precisely where to hit it with a hammer, you discover that the Bible knows exactly what hit you, God can just take a phrase of a text and that's enough, it does that. And thus you and I can navigate our future. That seems so dark.

The light comes on and it stabilizes her future.

So generally, God speaks in the world, specifically God speaks through his word slick at 1/3 way. At least this was David's prayer and that is personally to the worshiper.

Verse 10 more to be desired are they they refers to the commandments, the statutes more to be desired are they than gold day than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Moreover by them your servant is warned in keeping them there is great reward who can understand his errors, his meaning David's own personal sins and errors, cleanse me from secret fault. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me that I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

So follow David's journey from verse one God you speak in the world. God you speak to your word. Now God, please, even in the meditations of my thoughts in my own words. May I reflect the same glory of your biography that is seen in these two other places. Don't you want that would be great for you to know with confidence that God doesn't just speak through his creation and speak to the Bible, but that your very life. Your very words are a reflection of his own will to people and for yourself and for that to happen. First of all whatever revelation you would get from God has to correspond with the first two starting to contradict God's truth in the world or in the word. It always has to be matched up with that.

But for that to happen. Two things have to have to happen two things are required. You have to value this book, you have to value this book. I want to look at verse 10 just briefly one more time, more to be desired are they than gold.

I wonder how valuable your Bible is to you to look at God's word is more valuable than everything else. With everything else seems to be going down but it's my prayer that you and I would learn to love this precious gift of God's word somebody handed me this sometime back, called some top signs that you may not be reading your Bible enough. Here's one you think that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob may have had a few hit songs during the 60s. Yeah, that would not be a good indication you open to the gospel of Luke and a World War II savings bond falls out your frustrated that Charlton Heston is not listed in the concordance or in the table of contents you get your kids reading the song of Solomon and you demand who gave you this stuff anyway you think the minor prophets were guys who worked out in the quarries.

All of those would be a good indication you need to be reading that book a little more now.

Would you agree that there is quite a difference between having something and treasuring big difference. This example I get mail like you do every week in that mail. There are some things I treasure and some things I don't get cards of encouragement. I treasure those sometimes I'll keep them for a long time and refer to them in a dark moment will pull them out. I have the love letters that my wife and I wrote before, we were man and wife and their dating. I kept them all we have and we treasure that we also get in the mail bills I don't treasure them. I respond to them but I don't treasure the mate them but I don't keep them for months.

Keep copies of them and told among the honey. Listen to this. We owe this much and not just listen to it again treasure that there's a difference between having the Bible and treasuring that Bible 92% of American households own at least one Bible that includes agnostics and atheists are guaranteeing that everybody in that household treasures that book the reason every week.

You hear the same thing as what you hear, every week, turn in your Bibles to we give you the passage and then you can hear that pages flying because we believe that the Bible is his front and center is not after the worship. It's the culmination of the worship. It's part and parcel of the worst of the reason is a pulpit at the center of the platform is to make the statement the word of God is central and you coming in sitting here and being attentive is the statement that you believe that to be so you got evaluate and secondly close with this.

You got obey it. You can't just have it and memorizing got obey it. Verse 11 moreover by them your servant is warned. Let's end on this and in keeping them there is great reward that were keeping notice what it doesn't say it doesn't say and in reading them. There is great reward doesn't even say and in underlining them there is great reward. He doesn't even site and memorizing them there is great reward. It doesn't say and then having them in four different translations. There is great reward. It's making the transference from treasure at therefore I'm going to keep and that there is great reward. That's where this biography is very different. You can read any biography of anybody else, and all you do is read can do it with this one this one.

You gotta respond to. Gotta respond to J. Vernon McGee used to say in his own cool way. Every Bible needs to be bound in shoe 11 friends and that's how he said it might always love it. Probably because that's the way he said it, but it's such a good truth must be bound in shoe leather.

You live in a close of the story. There was an agnostic professor who travel to the Fiji Islands and he encountered a tribe who had been impacted by missionaries would come before brought them the gospel, there was a church there.

They had a value system that was very New Testament and this agnostic professor said to the old tribal leader.

You're a good leader, Sir. It's just a shame that you've been duped by the missionaries who came years ago and brought to the New Testament gospel message.

We know now that the Bible really isn't accurate.

Nobody really believes the Bible literally anymore were more enlightened than that in that old chief kept his eye on that agnostic professor said Sir you see that stone over there. That's where we used to – the heads in of the people before we ate them. Your professor didn't say a word, and the chief smiled and he said, and next to it. You see that that of another furnace that's released to roast the bodies before supper. He sits early me tell you something. Were it not for the missionaries who brought the gospel message the love of Jesus Christ that would convert a cannibal into a Christian you be our supper.

By now that moment in time that agnostic professor was glad that tribe believed in the literal interpretation of the Bible, probably for the first and only time in his life. Every time I see a change life. I see the power of God's biography works satisfies the mind changes a lot if you let that rapture Skip a text message from the series the biography of God.

Right now we want to share about an exciting resource that will help you overcome your internal struggles experience enriching transformation. I've enjoyed watching the growth in the ministry of my friend Levi Lustgarten this month's connect with Skip resource. Take back your life new book by Levi Lesko usually bided tell you about it's all around this idea taking back your life at the 40 day interactive journey thinking right so you can live right. As can be really powerful and specializing some people to have this only as an hardcover, which just makes me happy because I never had a booklist hardcover but has a ribbon CUV of the keep track of your progress through these 40 days. It would be an incredible gift to someone who is looking to grow in their faith or for any of us you want to maybe conduit and oil change for your heart. Check online on your wellness and where you're at little deal with internal difficulties and help you deal better with external circumstances that are challenging as we explore how we can get to the very best version of ourselves that we are meant to be. Get the book. Take back your life with a donation of $35 to connect with skip: 1-800-922-1888 online and connectwithskip.com this hardcover book by Levi Lesko will help you take back your life. It's a 40 day interactive journey to thinking right so you can live right wanting hundred 92 1888 as our sovereign creator, but he's also a loving father. We want people all over the world to know they're not alone enter now got caring life and you can help make that happen to your gift today which also keeps these methods do you enjoy coming to you right now when you call 800 9218 again I think hundred 96 to connect with Tom/Downing connected skip.com/donate.

Thank you.

Tune in tomorrow Skip remind you why you have a very good because someone else is ultimately in control.

People have always had a problem with an invisible God moves people toward idolatry.

They want to see some types of related physically so Skip presentation of connection communication through