God's Word, Part 1 of 3 (God's Word cannot be bound).

I know there’s more to be said about God’s Word in Scripture, but in the next few blogs I’d like for us to focus on three truths concerning God’s Word…

• His Word cannot be bound. Part 1 of 3.
  • If you’re short on time today, then I’d highly encourage you to at least read the highlighted/underlined portion below and just take some time to praise the Lord for that fact.
  • Just when you feel like God’s Word has been pushed away from everywhere, and when you feel like proclaiming His message is unpopular and others are restricting you from being able to spread His word, one author reminds us that “In A.D. 301-304, the Roman Emperor Diocletian burned thousands of copies of the Bible, commanded that all Bibles be destroyed and decreed that any home with a Bible in it should be burned. In fact, he even built a monument over what he thought was the last surviving Bible…On February 24, 303, Diocletian’s first ‘Edict against the Christians’ was published. Among other persecutions against Christians, Diocletian ordered the destruction of their scriptures and liturgical books across the entire Roman empire…In 1415 Jan Hus, a Czech follower of Wycliffe, was burned at the stake, with copies of Wycliffe’s Bible used as kindling for the fire. In the early 16th century a resident of Norwich was executed for the crime of having a piece of paper bearing a vernacular transcription of the Lord’s Prayer.” Link
  • “The Bible is the best-selling book of all time, having sold around 5 billion copies to date.” Link
  • “The most read book in the world is the Bible. Writer James Chapman created a list of the most read books in the world based on the number of copies each book sold over the last 50 years. He found that the Bible far outsold any other book, with a whopping 3.9 billion copies sold over the last 50 years.” Link
  • 2 Timothy 2:9 (ESV) for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!
    • Acts 21:33 (ESV) Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done.
    • Acts 28:31 (NIV) He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
    • Philippians 1 (Thanksgiving and Prayer; Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel; & Life Worthy of the Gospel).
    • Acts 16:25-34 (NIV) 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
  • Rest in this truth each day…GOD’S WORD CANNOT BE BOUND! Man has tried in the past and has failed each time. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Practicing His Presence,
Nate