In our modern, technically savvy world, we find that technical advances can often impede us. Don’t misunderstand; I love technology (so far as I “get it”) and the wonderful benefits it brings. A good example is that because of certain apps on my phone, I can read the Word much more because I have multiple translations in my possession all the time.
I love this.
But none of this replaces the effective, thoroughly biblical and time-honored practice of simple and thorough Bible study. We must still study, memorize, meditate upon and live out the truths of God’s Word.
One of the key realities we learn about God is that he is a “self-revealing God” and as such he awaits our response to his self-revelation.This is often referred to as the “revelation/response” motif regarding God. He reveals himself and we respond. It is central to our worship and it is essential that we grasp this fundamental fact about God. For this reason you will find me talking about it at length.
Basically, God reveals himself in three main, fundamental ways.
First, God reveals himself to us in his creation. God created all things. From the subatomic to the billions of galaxies we now know exist (because of the great advances in wonderful technology!). Large or small, close or distant, physical or spiritual, God made it all. In his mysterious and incredibly complex universe we find the signature of God’s handiwork constantly reminding us of his power, nature and wonder.
Second, God reveals himself to us in his Word. The Scriptures are God’s written message to us. It is in the Bible we find the most unique and life-changing truths known to man for in it we find, literally, the inspired words of God. When we are reading the Bible, we are actually reading words that originated in the mind of our Creator-God! Why would we not read, study, memorize and live out those precious promises? All of the wonderful truths in his Word are part of his great self-revelation to us.
Third, God reveals himself through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, his Son. This is the summary point of creation for as Paul writes to the Colossian church regarding Christ “for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him” (Col 1:16 NET Bible). It is in his submission in the incarnation that God the Son died in our place, for our sins against our holy God. This vicarious, voluntary death in our place on the cross made redemption and ultimate salvation possible for us. Christ rescued those who would accept this gift of salvation from eternal separation in Hell.
God is a pursuing God. He pursues us through his Creation, his Word, and his Son. He extends his hand to us.
What are you waiting for? Take it![i]
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[i] Much of the ideas and wording in this devotional article are from my book The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God, Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, 2017.
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We can come to know Christ through confession of our sins and repentance (turning away from sin). Let me encourage you to do this by talking to God through prayer. Here is an idea of how you might do that:
"Dear God, I believe your son Jesus Christ died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day following his death. I confess my sins, all of them, to you now with a humble heart. I repent of those sins and ask you to empower me with your Holy Spirit in overcoming further sin. Amen”
If you prayed this or a similar prayer committing your life to Christ and becoming one of his followers, let me encourage you to find a good, Bible-believing church. If you live in the Weslaco/Rio Grand Valley area of Texas, let me invite you to the church I attend, Mid-Valley Assembly (www.midvalleyassembly.com).
Begin talking to God in prayer and reading the Bible daily. A good way to begin to read the Bible is to start with the Book of John in the New Testament.
Feel very free in connecting with me if you need any further help in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can do this via the above email or facebook page or this web page.
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Mercy Road Ministries was founded and now led by Ben Bounds. Ben has pastored churches across Texas for over thirty years and is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He holds a BA in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Studies from Southwestern Assemblies of God College and did graduate theological studies at the BMA Theological Seminary.
Ben's first book, The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God, was released on 12.08.2017 through Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. It is available in paperback and hardback through your preferred bookseller (Mardels, Barnes and Noble, etc.) and paperback, hardback as well as ebook through online book retailers (www.christianbook.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.amazon.com, www.booksamillion.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, etc.).
Ben is the host of Staying in Bounds, an on-air Bible devotional broadcast multiple times daily on KWJV 103.7 FM Weslaco, TX which can also be heard worldwide online at www.kwjvthestar.com.
Ben and his wife, Linda, together have four adult children and nine grandchildren. They live in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Ben can be contacted for preaching engagements at benbounds695@gmail.com or 903.441.3279. Ben can also be contacted via his website @ www.benbounds.com, which is also his blog and contains more information about his ministry.
Follow Ben @ https://www.facebook.com/mercyroadministries/ and this website www.benbounds.com.
©2022 by Ben Bounds. All rights reserved.
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