II TIMOTHY 3:16

    "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good  work."  (II Timothy 3:16-17)

ALL scripture is useful.  ALL. Not just the familiar parts.. not just the easy-to-read portions. Not just the parts that are easy to agree with or comply to.  ALL.  All of the Bible is God's inspired Word. His message, imparted through the Holy Spirit, written by many hands,  yet authored by the One Almighty God.
God wants us to be equipped for every situation that comes our way. He expects us to have a hunger for knowledge; not just so that we can recite the answers to the assigned questions in  Sabbath Class or Sunday School; but, so that we will have knowledge to share with unbelievers and skeptics and fellow-believers.  Knowledge isn't useful unless it's shared and applied.


When should we be prepared to share our knowledge"  The answer is just a few verses away from today's "3:16"
               "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct and rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."  II Timothy 4:2,3  NIV


Paul wrote the book of II Timothy almost 2,000 years ago, warning of a time when people would be unwilling to listen to the truth. If that isn't the case today, I don't know what is!  PEOPLE  JUST  DON'T  WANT  TO HEAR  IT!   Many preachers nowadays have "compromised" to the point that there is very little Scriptural basis to what they are saying.  Naturally, the itchy-eared people are "happy" because they are being told that whatever they do, it's okay... This, of course, is not true - as evidenced by these same people's attempts at escape  through drugs, alcohol abuse, pornography, etc.

It's not easy being corrected or rebuked. None of us wants to hear that we need to change.  And yet, we all need to improve. There is so VERY much to learn.  The Bible is the Word of God; it contains advice about everything under the heavens.  It gives us advice on every important question we people ca come up with. It gives animated examples of how to live life, with unique and unforgettable characters throughout its' chapters and books.  It's all right there;;; waiting for you...  Read it.

COLOSSIANS 3:16

               "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."  (NIV)

the site where Colosse once stood

In this letter to the Colossians, the apostle Paul is trying to educate the people of this town.  Although he had never met these people, Paul cared about them;  word had reached Paul through other missionaries that false teaching had entered into this city.  In this letter, which later became known as the book of Colossians, Paul teaches and reinforces that Christ is sufficient for all our needs and that we are to be a living lesson for each other.  My very basic paraphrase of Paul's message is as follows:
      



  Keep God's word in you at all times.  Study it. Memorize it. Cherish it. Share it.  Share it in word and in deed.  Share it in song. Share it in actions. Share it in all your transactions. Share it in your personal life. Share it in your business transactions. Bring Christ and His word into your everyday world. As a Believer, you are a representative of Christ. You may be the only glimpse of Jesus that some people ever see... A light shining in a darkened part of the world...  This reminds me of the passage in Deuteronomy when God instructs His people  about what to do with His Word:  "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds: tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames  of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many..."  (Deuteronomy 11:18-21 NIV)

You might ask, "Why should I study the Bible?" Well, the Bible is God's word. It is alive with excellent advice on how to live, how to get along with others, how to understand yourself.  It also contains beautiful descriptions of the ancient world.  Much more importantly, it contains God's plan of salvation for YOU.

You might ask, "Why should I memorize scripture verses?"  Here is a scripture verse to help answer that question:  "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."  (Psalm 119:11 NIV)

You might ask, "Why should I sing songs of praise?"  Again, let the scriptures reveal the answer:  "And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord. David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments - lyres, harps, and cymbals."  (I Chronicles 15:15,16 NIV) And, "Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation." Psalm 149:2-4  NIV)

Everything God tells us to do is for our own good.  Our heavenly Father didn't set up a bunch of rules as stumbling blocks for His people.  On the contrary, He gave us instructions to make our lives better.  It is up to each of us individually to follow His instructions for a better life.