"For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart."Hebrews 4:12 (HCSB)
Who gave you your first Bible? How old were you when you got your first Bible? Where is your first Bible right now? These near and dear questions make me burst in tears because of a very special blessing God gave me this past weekend while sharing part of my testimony at a women's ministry forum in Conroe, Texas as a part of Jaye Martin's Gifted2Go Team. Before I share with you what happened that caused me to literally go from a standing position to a chair and almost to the floor, I must share with you how I received my Very First Bible: As a first-generation believer miraculously SAVED - snatched out of darkness into God's marvelous light at the age of 22...I DID NOT HAVE A CLUE about ANYTHING about GOD & HIS WORD & HIS WAYS, we are talking CLUELESS WITHOUT CHRIST! It was a children's minister that was doing follow-up outreach after Vacation Bible School in the summer of 1985 that came down my street in Houston, Texas and shared The ABC's to JESUS with the children that CAPTURED this young mother's life for JESUS and I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME since I RAN to JESUS that next Sunday, 7/21/85!!
Well, can I share with you that God's Mission began in my life and it began in DRAMATIC RADICAL ways as He began to transform my life in EVERYWAY...oh how I would love to sit down with you personally and pour out in details but that would take way more time and "word count" than I have on today's BLOG:-)...this brings me to My First Bible...Bro. Jim, the children's minister that came down my street, really helped my husband, Marshall, and I in the First Steps a Christian takes as a New Believer! I did not have a Bible, never had owned one, did not know what all the different "versions" of The Bible meant and which one should I purchase and where should I go to even purchase one...just picture the scene with me...walking up to Bro.Jim and asking him all of these questions about The Bible~Which One~Where Do I Get One~Who Is "King James"~Which One Is Better???? Do you know what Bro.Jim did.....He Gave Me His Bible right there on the spot...I am holding that very Bible in my hands right now, and YES I am in TEARS of GRATEFULNESS & AWE OF GOD...GOD'S WORD HAS CHANGED MY LIFE, I can not even begin to share that with you..we need a RETREAT:-)!!!
Fast forward to this past weekend...as I was sharing this very part of my testimony as the Lord led me to (I don't always share the same parts every time~that is up to The Holy Spirit), after Jaye Martin shared her powerful message from GOD'S WORD, 3 precious ladies walked up to me and asked me if I was talking about their children's minister, Bro. Jim???? I have been praying for over 20 years that my path would cross once again with Bro. Jim so that I could THANK HIM for giving me his BIBLE...God Answers Prayer because I now have Bro. Jim's telephone # in my cellphone...I could not wait to get home and share with my husband what had happened because Bro. Jim was instrumental in my husband's salvation 3 months after I became a believer, my husband, Marshall, gave his life to Christ and became a believer...we can't wait to call Bro. Jim and share what God has been doing in and through our lives in Christ for the past 25 years....GOD'S WORD NEVER RETURNS VOID!!!
There is so much more I want to share with you, but I must wrap this up for now with a challenge for us all: Do we LOVE God's Word~Is it our DAILY Bread, Are we RUNNING to God's Word for EVERY answer we need, Are we HIDING God's Word in our hearts, Are we SHARING God's Word with others that may not have a Bible or may not have a Bible that they can understand...I can not think of a better GIFT during this season of LOVE we call FEBRUARY than to GIVE someone a copy or some verses from GOD'S LOVE LETTER~THE WORD OF GOD....may we FALL IN LOVE with GOD & HIS WORD in a FRESH NEW DEEPER way TODAY!!!!!
IN JESUS' NAME~AMEN!!!!!!!
"I have sought You with all my heart; don’t let me wander from Your commands. I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You. " Psalm 119:10-11
"Help me understand Your instruction, and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart." Psalm 119:34
"I have Your decrees as a heritage forever; indeed, they are the joy of my heart." Psalm 119:111
"I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord. I will obey Your statutes." Psalm 119:145
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTY-UKgLlXs (Word Of God Speak~Mercy Me!!)
