Number 26									Dec 19xx					  

"Prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers."   James 1:22

                              SPREAD  THE  WORD

  Pray with us that people will realize how important it is to know the Word of
God. Believing the Bible is God's Holy Word is vital to Christians and to those
searching for God. Modern critics have diverted so many from the Bible.  Satan
and God's enemies DO NOT want you to know the Truth!  Many have been deceived
into thinking they can't read It without an expert interpreter. Really, only the
Holy Spirit can open up this Book's meaning, and He will even to the uneducated.

Duplication of this letter is encouraged. If anyone wants to be added or dropped
from the mailing, please let us know. Please spread the Good News of Jesus!

                      " Word of Life - Good News for Everyone "

GOD'S WORD:  We hope you will desire to study God's Word. We know that it's not
always easy to do. There are hard things to understand, dry times, or lack of a
clear course of study that makes Bible reading difficult. However, if you really
want to know God, He will make His Book very real and important to you, because:

 Heb 4:12  " the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than ..."

 Eph 6:17  "Take ... the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:"

 Rom 10:17  "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

 2 Tim 3:15-17  "the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
 salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by
 inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ..."

 John 10:35  "... the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken;"

CAN THE BIBLE BE TRUSTED?:  There's overwhelming evidence in favor of the Bible
as Divinely inspired. You could spend years tracing it's history, archaeological
proofs, and manuscripts (like the Dead Sea Scrolls). The Bible is full of proofs
within itself. Fulfilled Biblical prophecies surpass any possibility of chance.

 2 Pet 1:19  "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; ... take heed ..."

 Rom 15:4  " things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that
 we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope."

 Acts 17:11  The Bereans " received the Word with all readiness of mind, and
 searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

The Bible is a Spiritual Book and those with hardened hearts cannot receive It.
 "the man without the Spirit can't accept ..." 1 Cor 2:14  also 2 Cor 3:14 & 4:4

                                     - 2 -

NOT ONE WORD HAS EVER FAILED!: Our Heavenly Father may not do things the way we
like or quickly as we like, but He always does what He says He will do!

 1 King 8:56  "Not one Word has failed of all the good promises He gave ..."

 Mark 13:31  "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My Words shall not pass
 away."      Similar words are stated also in  Matt 5:18, 24:35 , Isa 40:8

 1 Peter 1:25  "But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever."  also Psa 119:89

KNOWING JESUS and HIS WORDS!:  Who is Jesus? Do you see Him just as a nice little baby born in a manger on Christmas day? Or a Savior far from our world?  The Bible says Jesus is the Word of God, who became man to live among us, and He has reconciled us to the Father. To really know Jesus we must know the Word of God! Notice how often He says "Me and My Words". To reject His Words is to reject Him.

 John 14:23-24  Jesus said  "If a man loves Me, he will keep My words: and my
 Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.
 He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My sayings:"     also see (Rev 3:8,20)

 John 15:7  "If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye
 will, and it shall be done unto you."

 John 12:48  "He that rejects Me, and receives not My Words, has one that judges
 him: the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in last day."

 Mark 8:38 & Luke 9:26  "For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of  him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He shall come in his own glory ..."

 Luke 8:21  Jesus' family are "these which hear the Word of God, and do it. "

DANGER OF IGNORING OF GOD'S LAW:  Most religions have formed their own laws and
often negate God's ways. Jesus never established a religion, rather relationship.

 Mark 7:13 " Making the Word of God of none effect through your tradition. "

 Mark 12:24  "And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err,
 because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God?"

 Hosea 4:6  " My people die from lack of knowledge! " says The Lord Almighty.

 Matt 4:4  "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
 alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."   (Deut 8:3)

 Luke 16:19-31 - Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus
  Jesus tells of the rich man in hell who asks that someone from the dead be sent to warn his brothers of this place of torment. Abraham replies " If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone  rises from the dead." How sad that people fail to see the numerous prophecies in the Bible. There is power in the Word of God. By His Words He created all things. Through the promised Living Word, Jesus Christ we have eternal life.

                                      - 3 -
 
THE WORD CLEANSES US:  The precious Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all
sin (1 John 1:7) when we are in right relationship with Him. The Word of God
also washes us as It becomes a part of us. It empowers us to be like Him.
But how can the Word clean us if we aren't receiving It?

 John 15:3  "Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you."

 John 17:17  Jesus prayed "Sanctify them through thy Truth: thy Word is truth. "

 Eph 5:26-27  "That He might sanctify and cleanse us with the washing of water by  the Word, ... to present us ... holy and blameless."

 I Pet 1:22  "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the Truth ... "

 Psa 119:9  " How ... keep his way pure? By living according to thy Word. "

BE CAREFUL OF OUR OWN WORDS:  We can kill people's spirits with unkind words;
even subtle things. Words are a powerful force.  Do you tell people you are lucky or blessed? Luck is impersonal fate or chance. Believers should acknowledge their Heavenly Father as the giver of all good gifts. Let's use the words we speak for building people up and giving glory to Jesus Christ

 Matt 12:36-37  "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak,
 they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou
 shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. "
 
 Mark 8:38 & Luke 9:26  "For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of  him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He shall come in his own glory ..."

 Other verses on words we speak: Gal 5:15  James 1:26, 3:5  1 Tim 6:4 & Proverbs

WILL YOU COMMIT TO STUDY GOD'S WORD?:  The best Christmas gift you could give
yourself and Jesus this year would be a commitment to read your Bible.

 Josh 1:8  "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth, meditate on
 it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in It."

 Rom 15:4  Those " things were written aforetime were written for our learning,
 that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope."

 John 5:46-47  "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he
 wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My Words?"

 John 5:39-40  "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:  ... they which testify of Me ... come to Me, that ye might have life."

 Luke 11:28  Jesus said, "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God,  and keep it."           also  see Rev 1:3

        We wish for you the fullness of Jesus Christ this Holiday Season.

                      Merry  Christmas  -  We  Love  You !