Scripture Tools in Modern Times

Scripture Tools in Modern Times

TABLET

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them." - Exodus 24:12  

And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. - Exodus 31:18

And the LORD said to Moses, "Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. ... So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. - Exodus 34:1, 28-29

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, - Proverbs 3:3  

I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. - Habakkuk 2:1-2

Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever: - Isaiah 30:8  

"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; With the point of a diamond it is engraved On the tablet of their heart, And on the horns of your altars, - Jeremiah 17:1

We should be diligent to prepare the tablets of our mind and heart and seek the LORD and study His word, hear His voice and write His words on these tablets.

Preparation involves circumcision of our mind and heart of all carnality.

Then we should allow the Holy Spirit to write these words on the tablet of our hearts. As the LORD writes His words on our hearts, our hearts are moulded with His fingers according to His image.

If the word of GOD is not written on our heart, our sin will be written because sin originates in the heart.

I believe it takes just a moment for the LORD to write my name in the Book of Life - the very moment I decide to accept the LORD’S forgiveness. It takes a lifetime for Him to write His name on my heart, moulding it to His image.

I believe, at death, if the sin written on my heart is not completely wiped out and superimposed by GOD’S word, my name would be wiped out of the Book of Life.

If the sin on my heart has been blotted out by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of GOd, my name will not be blotted out of the Book of Life.

SCROLL

Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. - Psalm 40:7  

Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever: - Isaiah 30:8  

Moreover He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." - Ezekiel 3:1

Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying scroll. - Zechariah 5:1

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals." - Revelation 5:1-5

"Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day. - Jeremiah 36:2  

Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. - Revelation 6:14

The words on a scroll are taken in context and with the right perspective when we scroll up and scroll down.

Only the LORD JESUS is worthy to open the seals of the scroll because He is the only One Who, being beyond time and space, came down to live within time and space.

He is the Truth!

He is the Alpha and Omega!

He is the First and the Last!

He is the Beginning and the End!

STICK

"As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: 'For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.' "Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand. "And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, 'Will you not show us what you mean by these?'-- "say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand." ' "And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. - Ezekiel 37:16-20

The stick is used to transfer information from one to another. We can be like the stick as witnesses of our LORD through our lives, through the words we speak and write, thus bringing our knowledge of GOD to others.

We have the ministry of reconciliation, reconciling individuals to GOD and restoring one another’s relationship in CHRIST.

Life Bible School

Life Bible School

Enrolment -  at salvation

Length of course - lifetime

Times of lessons - 24 hours

Text Book - The Bible

Teachers - People who come in contact with you

Personal Tutor - The Holy Spirit

Practicals - Life experiences

Graduation - at death

Pass - Heaven

Fail - Hell

Graduation ceremony - on earth - Funeral Service

 in Heaven - Glorious welcome and commendation by GOD

    “Well Done,  Good and Faithful Servant”

Promotion - Eternal Life

Demotion - Eternal Damnation and separation from                              

                                                  

Graduate’s headdress - Crown of Life

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. - Acts 4:13

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. - John 16:13

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 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. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ. - 1 Corinthians 2:12-16

Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. - 1 John 2:24-27

And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. - Isaiah 30:20-21

Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. - 2 Timothy 2:14-15  

Spiritual Literacy

Spiritual Literacy

Being spiritually literate is the ability to hear the voice of GOD and speak that word accurately.

"The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. - Isaiah 50:4

GOD is the One, Who through the Holy Spirit, teaches and trains a person spiritually.

A disciple is the student who follows a discipline and is a teachable learner.

The School Of Learning is the experiences of day to day life. You don't go to this school; you live in this school!

A person may be well educated in the worldly sense or even in the theological sense and still be illiterate spiritually. On the other hand, an illiterate person could be spiritually literate.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 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. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ. - 1 Corinthians 2:1-16

It is better to be more literate in the spiritual sense than in the worldly sense.

You should always be willing to submit your worldly knowledge to spiritual knowledge and spiritual wisdom.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. - James 3:13-17

You may be a spiritual person or a carnal person or one somewhere in between, switching from one to the other at different times. Fish, sheep or an amphibian?

On Sundays while at the worship service you are a spiritual man/ woman. At the shopping centre on Monday you operate with a carnal mind and worldly spirit.

Always be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and be led by Godly wisdom.

Be established according to the values of GOD’S word.

Let your heart be established.

It is important for you to check yourself and seek to be established spiritually.

Money Matters

Money Matters

For thus says the LORD: "You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money." - Isaiah 52:3 

knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. - 1 Peter 1:18-19 

I was bought / redeemed with the precious Blood of the LORD JESUS, not with money.
"Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? "Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." - Matthew 22:17-21 

"Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you." - Matthew 17:27 

I should not sell myself again for money but give myself to God as His temple.

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' " Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. - Matthew 21:12-14 

I enjoy the Wine of Blessing when I seek the face and the favour of GOD.

My thirst is quenched as I drink of the Holy Spirit.

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. - Isaiah 55:1 

"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." - John 6:27

I am fed by the Bread of Life by abiding in CHRIST.

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..." - John 6:35

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? for we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. - 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

I am nourished by the Milk of GOD’S word.

..as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby,.. - 1 Peter 2:2

The best things in life are not bought with money but by giving of my time and worldly pleasures.

Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." - Luke 12:13-15 

I need to make a decision before long whether to serve God or to serve money, because the end is near!

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. - Revelation 13:11-18 

JIG-SAW PUZZLE

The picture has been shattered and needs to be restored.
Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down." - Mark 13:1-2 
Sin shattered the beautiful relationships GOD had put in place.

The picture cannot be complete if one little piece is lost.
"for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." - Luke 19:10 
GOD sent JESUS to seek and to save the lost.

The first step in fixing a puzzle is getting the corner pieces together and completing the boundary. 
O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. - Psalm 16:5-6
GOD works through life's situations to bring you within the borders of His plan for you.
He teaches you from His word  the boundary lines that He has set in your relationship with Him and others.

Starting on a puzzle, you want to make sure each piece belongs to the same puzzle.
Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.  - 1 Corinthians 12:27
When you accept the LORD JESUS into your life you become a part of His body, that is the Church.

Sorting the pieces of the puzzle according to the various colours and fixing them together is the second step towards completing the picture.
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. - 1 Corinthians 12:28
You would then bond with those who have a similar desire and calling in the work of the Kingdom. 

Each piece of the puzzle has to give up its independence and become interdependent with the other pieces around it. The purpose of the piece is found in taking its right place in the puzzle.
"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. - Mark 8:35 
You find true purpose in life when you give up your selfish goals and for CHRIST'S sake take your place and do your part in GOD'S Kingdom.

 Two pieces of the puzzle connect perfectly when the colours and the picture have continuity and the projection of one piece fits snugly into the indent of the other and vice versa.
submitting to one another in the fear of God. - Ephesians 5:21 
One's lack is perfectly supplied by the other and vice versa, making strong connections that hold us together. We become interdependent in the Body of CHRIST.

Your self-centred mind becomes CHRIST-centred. Anxiety and worry would leave. peace, joy, love and hope will fill your heart as you start thinking of and living for a higher purpose. Your life will be hidden in CHRIST as you blend with GOD'S people. CHRIST-in-you is the hope of your glory!
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. - Colossians 3:1-4
This is the victorious life of a true disciple of the LORD JESUS who has decided to take up his cross, deny self  and follow Him.

While working on a puzzle it is necessary to have the complete picture before you and often look at it.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2 
The LORD JESUS is the complete picture. Each believer, every Church, denomination and para-Church organisation is a part of the body of CHRIST. We should constantly lift up our eyes to look at Him to make sure we are 'IN HIM' - in right relationship with others in the Body.

When the puzzle is completed it is sealed with a glue.
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. - Colossians 3:14 
The love of JESUS is the glue that bonds His people together revealing His glory!

"By this all will know that you are My disciples,

 if you have love for one another." 

John 13:35 

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. - 2 Peter 3:9 

Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." So He spoke this parable to them, saying: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? "And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." - Luke 15:1-10 

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. - Ephesians 2:19-22  

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. ... till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. - Ephesians 4:1-6, 13-16