Encounter,
If we are going to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, we have to study God’s word. There are no short cuts. Nobody else can study God’s word for us. Our old patterns and ways of living in this world have to be replaced by new ways of living in the Kingdom of God. The lies of this world have to be replaced by the truth of God’s word. God’s word, if left sitting on a shelf, will not transform us. The truth has to be in our hearts. It is not enough to think about Scripture. We have to think Scripturally. Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective. When we start seeing life from God’s perspective we start putting into practice what we are learning.
We learn far more by doing than we do by hearing. People retain about 10 percent of what they hear, 20 percent of what they see, and 90 percent of what they do.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what is says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it say is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does” James 1:22-25
If our lives are going to be transformed, our time spent in God’s Word must spill over into our daily activities. Nowhere is this more emphasized than in the Jewish confession of faith known as the Shema. Shema is the Hebrew for “hear” and it means “to hear and obey.” The Shema, recorded in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 says: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Taken from Freedom In Christ Bible.
Encounter will launch a 21 day prayer campaign starting tomorrow taking us to the launch on March 18th. We are going to study, meditate, apply and pray God’s word over our lives for the next 21 days.
If Encounter has been a blessing to you please join us in prayer for the next 21 days. I hope to enlist hundreds of people around the country to pray for our launch.
Starting tomorrow, I will send out a prayer focus via email and through the Encounter Facebook page. Thank you for joining us in prayer for the next amazing chapter of Encounter!
Be Blessed and Encouraged
Bill Rieser
bill@thehopeencounter.org
Encounter Pastor