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Todd's Blog

Bring Out the Book

July 16th, 2007 by Todd Johnson

bible-2.jpgThe attitude of a man to the Scriptures is indicative of the state of his soul before God. The language of the Christian is, “O how I love thy Law.” Believers, like Joshua, are commanded to search and meditate in this Book day and night (Joshua 1:8), but those who fail to tremble at the authority of this Word (Isaiah 66:2), and carelessly despise its divine origin, “shall be destroyed.” (Prov. 13:13). Judge the state of your soul by whether you have learned this fear of God, and His Word. But not only may the temporal and eternal condition of individuals be judged from their regard of Scripture, there is also no surer test of the state of the visible church than the prevailing attitude toward the Bible. The prosperity of the church is invariably in proportion to her valuation of God’s Word. The Reformation in the sixteenth century is a clear proof that the church flourishes when the Word is exalted. Consider the Reformer’s view of Scripture. Luther affirmed “That he would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible”. And Luther proved his regard for God’s Word by his knowledge of it. During his early ministry, he tells us, there was not a verse in Scripture which if quoted to him he could not instantly place! Ridley knew by heart the whole of Paul’s Epistles. Beza, when over 80 years of age, could relate exactly all the Psalms and the Epistles in their original. Such a hunger to know Scripture was not confined to the ministers. During the reign of Henry VIII (while the possession of any portion of the Bible was punished by burning at the stake) an English farmer gave a whole cartload of hay for only one page of James’ Epistle! Many of the English martyrs, though only laymen, were able at their trials to use the Scripture they had memorized in answering their adversaries. How greatly did the cause of God prosper when this attitude to the Word of God prevailed!

From THE BANNER OF TRUTH MAGAZINE 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION   (my current “devotional” volume for reading) 

 

3 Responses to “Bring Out the Book”

  1. Perry Says:
    July 24th, 2007 at 8:27 pm

    Todd - I see so many brothers and sisters struggling in their walks who turn to everything and everyone for help except Christ and His Word. The Word of God is a refuge where I can always find new hope and fresh strength, and I would starve spiritually if I didn’t feed upon it daily. I agree wholeheartedly with your opening sentence. There have been seasons in my life when I neglected daily devotion to His Word and the result was always a lack of passion for Christ. But the good news is that God’s Spirit would not allow me to remain in my lethargy and by His prompting I would to begin pray for revival in my heart. He always answered that prayer.
    I hope that this will never again be an issue in my life but just to be on the safe side I still pray daily for a continual hunger and thirst for Christ and His Word. That is also my prayer for those I see struggling in their walk.

    There is one sure and infallible guide to truth,
    and therefore, one, and only one corrective for error,
    and that is the Word of God.

    G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945)
    English Bible expositor and pastor

    Though we claim to believe the whole of Scripture,
    in practice we frequently deny much of it by ignoring it.

    D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)
    Welsh preacher and expositor

  2. Nicole Says:
    July 26th, 2007 at 8:09 am

    Hi Todd-

    I just wanted to say thanks for your answer to the seemingly biblical contradictions. It was very helpful.

    Every day I praise God for our church and being able to be a part of the Body of Christ. I appreciate so much that God’s Word is exalted in our church. It is His Word that truly changes us and ignites our passion, as Perry noted.

    Thanks again for your unwavering committment to the Lord and His Word. You are truly appreciated!

    Nicole

  3. Matt Says:
    August 1st, 2007 at 5:50 pm

    Todd-
    Thank you for choosing to post this. I’ll take any encouragement to treasure His Word. While reading this I was reminded of what Luther said when on trial at Worms, “My conscience is captive to the Word of God”. To be reminded of our hreitage and those great men who took up the Word of God is always a spur to me come all the more to His Words of life, and to, like Whitefield, pray through the Holy Scriptures until Christ’s words were a part of his soul. I see God’s providence in bringing myself and all of us up in a church that exalts the Word of God, and thank you for always doing so. I pray and hope that all come to say with Jeremiah “Your words were found O Lord, and I ate them; and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my soul.” Jer. 15:16

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About Todd

Name: Todd Johnson
Location: Grass Valley, CA
Contact: todd@crossroadslive.com
About: Todd is the husband of Sharon, the father of Morgan, Caleb, Makenzie & Claire, and a pastor at Crossroads Church. He considers each of these roles the greatest of privileges.

Verse of the Week

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

- 1 John 3:16-18 ESV

Now

Reading:

“The Reason for God” by Tim Keller

“Memoir and Remains of R.M.M’Cheyne” by Andrew A. Bonar

“The Supremacy of God in Preaching” by John Piper

“Above All Earthly Pow’rs” by David F. Wells

Listening:

Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static
Scott Cunningham - ‘Til the Whole World Hears

Archives: