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American Center for Law & Justice– www.aclj.org

American Vision– www.americanvision.org

Reasons to Believe– www.reasons.org

Juice Plus– www.juiceplus.com/+kg97071

Our Daily Bread– www.rbc.org

Insight for Living w/ Chuck Swindoll– www.insight.org

Harvest Christian Fellowship w/ Greg Laurie– www.harvest.org

Compassion Internationl-Child Sponsorship– www.compassion.com

Mission of Mercy-Child Sponsorship– www.missionofmercy.org

Nazareth-Christian Comedian– www.nazarethusa.com

Bible Gateway– www.biblegateway.com

Thru the Bible w/ Dr. J. Vernon McGee–  www.ttb.org

Human Events– www.humanevents.com

AngelWinks-Heavenly Post Cards– www.angelwinks.net

Voice of the Martyrs-Christian Pursecution– www.persecution.com

Focus on the Family–  www.focusonthefamily.com

Fox News–  www.foxnews.com

Summit Ministries–  www.summit.org

The Presidential Prayer Team–  www.presidentialprayerteam.org

FLAME–  www.factsandlogic.org/index.html

Laura Ingraham–  www.lauraingraham.com/

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The Breastplate of Righteousness

“His righteousness, it sustained him.”  Isaiah  59:16

Belt of Truth

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:32

Sword of the Spirit

“The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.”  Hebrews 4:12

Helmet of Salvation

“The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.” Psalm 37:39

Shield of Faith

“Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.”  1 Timothy 6:12

Readiness of the Gospel of Peace

“The peace of God, which transcends all the understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7

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GEORGE WASHINGTION

O eternal and everlasting God, …increase my faith in the sweet promises of the gospel; give me repentance from dead works; pardon my my wanderings, and direct my thoughts unto thyself, the God of my salvation; teach me how to live in thy fear, labor in thy service, and ever to run in the ways of thy commandments; make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terrors of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into the spiritual slumber, but daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life bless my family, friends, and kindred.

–undated prayer from Washington’s prayer journal, Mount Vernon

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TIME IN THE WORD

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”  (II Timothy 3:16 and 17)

“How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.  they also do no unrighteousness; they walk in His ways.”

“How can a young man keep his way pure?  By keeping it according to Your word.  With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me wander from Your commandments.  Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”

“I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways.  I shall delight in Your statues; I shall not forget Your word.”  Psalm 119: 2-3, 9-11, 15-16

WHAT SHOULD I DO ?

HEAR THE WORD:  Read it out loud, Listen to it out loud, Be under good teaching.  ( Colossians 3:16,         I Tim. 4:13)

READ THE WORD:  Daily and Systematically go through the Bible. (Psalm 1, Luke 24:13)

There are 845,000 words in the Bible.  An average person reads about 200 words per minute.  So, you can read through the bible in a year reading about 15 minutes a day.

STUDY THE WORD:  (important thought–study helps us avoid:)  Spiritual anorexia-no nurishment, and Spiritual bulimia-food that enters and leaves to quickly.  (Psalm 19:7-10)

**SCRIPTURE HAS ONE MEANING, ONE SENSE.**  We need to ask what God means by what He wrote.  Not what someone else’s opinion is about God’s word.  (2 Peter 1:20-21)

• Read entire context and Note important terms.  (Psalm 19:7-10
• Identify background and culture and List and look up cross-references. (I Corinthians 10:1-13, Exodus 32;1-6, Numbers 25, Psalm 30:5-6)

MEDITATE ON THE WORD: 

• Ask 6 basic questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How?
• Construct a principle-What am I to do? How? When? What will be the result?  (will I be a tree firmly planted and bearing fruit)
• Memorize Scripture.  (Psalm 37:30-31)
• Consider and apply  the principles you have learned.
• Speak it.  (The more you speak it the better you’ll remember it.)

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”  Psalm 19:14

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Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  A-men

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Authority of Scripture

The Bible which is a called, “The Book” is more than just a collection of writings.  Believers weather new or established Christians knows it is a more unusual book.

God used 39 (possibly 40) different authors over a span of 1500 years to write this living book.  Even though God used human authors to write Scripture, it is still the living, abiding Word of God.

Because it is inspired or “God-Breathed,” it is God’s own love letter to us.  To live the Christian life effectively, one must accept the Authority of Scripture.  This is different than just accepting it as “an authority” in your life.  It must be the sole or only authority in your life.  Many people who claim to be Christians never grow in their walk because they fail to believe and exercise this principle.

The Evidence of Scripture

External Evidence:

* Archaeological discoveries * Scientific research * Changed lives * Actually, the external evidence only points toward the internal evidence of the authority of Scripture.

Internal Evidence:

* II Timothy 3:16-Scripture is God Breathed

* II Peter 1:19-21- Scripture is without error because of the Holy Spirit‘s part in producing the Word of God.

* I Peter 1:22-25- Scripture has an eternal quality.

* Hebrews 4:12- Scripture is alive and active because of it’s “link” to the Holy Spirit.

The Denial of the Sole Authority of Scripture

* Some declare other authorities such as religious groups, church leadership, creeds, traditions, constitutions and practices.

* Others even claim religious experience as equal to, or even above, the authority of the Scriptures.

* many profession believers are led astray by the slightly twisted statement about the Word of God.  it is” “The Bible contains the Word of God.”

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Morning

Compassionate Lord,

Thy mercies have brought me to the dawn of another day,

Vain will be its gift unless I grow in grace, increase in knowledge, ripen for spiritual harvest.

Let me this day know thee as thou art, love thee supremely, serve thee wholly, admire thee fully.

Through grace let my will respond to thee,

Knowing that power to obey is not in me, but that thy free love alone enables me to serve thee.

Here then is my empty heart, overflow it with thy choicest gifts;

Here is my blind understanding, chase away its mists of ignorance.

O ever watchful Shepherd, lead, guide, tend me this day;

Without thy restraining rod I err and stray;

Hedge up my path lest I wander into unwholesome pleasure, and drink tis poisonous streams;

Direct my feet that I be not entangled in Satan‘s secret snares, nor fall into his hidden traps.

Defend me from assailing foes, from evil circumstances, from myself.

My adversaries are part and parcel of my nature;

They cling to me as my very skin;

I cannot escape their contact.

In my raising up and sitting down they barnacle me;

They entice with constant baits;

My enemy is within the citadel;

Come with almighty power and cast him out, pierce him to death, and abolish in me every particle of carnal life this day.