The Living Word

[Aida]

"Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee."

This Old Testament scripture has been used to promote the practice of scripture memorization. That might have been helpful under the Old Covenant since believers didn't have daily access to the scriptures. The only time they got to hear them read is when they went to the synagogue on the sabbath.

Today, however, we live under a new covenant. We no longer need to go to a building in order to hear the word of God read because he now lives in us. Jesus is the Word of God and, when he comes to live in us, he sets us free from sin. As we become more aware of his life in us, our tendency to sin diminishes.

[deb farrell]

Hi Aida,

When I became a 'christian'(said yes to the sinner's prayer) I actually thought that everything would be all better in my life because " I was a new creation in Christ". So, I began to DO all of the 'necessary' stuff to "show myself approved before God". That scripture was so twisted around and became a ton of weight around my very slender & misguided neck.

Study and memorization became my world to the detriment of any meaningful relationship within my family and friends, not to mention a very dusty house, also:) Before I even had a chance to come to the real knowledge of the Truth about me and God, I had swallowed hook, line and sinker the performance manifesto of the world. Only this time it included GOD!

Thankfully that is in the past and like Nancy, I have become a safer person to myself and others (and my house is relatively clean w/ a bit of dog hair floating by every now and again:)
I've taken a good hard look @ the reasons for alot of the things I do and believe, and found that scripture reading had fallen into the one of those icky- to -do places. So I stuck my neck out and have given it a break ( scripture reading-not my neck:). It has been a relief to get untangled from the rope the bible had become to me and my relationships w/ God and man have vastly improved.

I really appreciate this and your website "Forgetting The Former Things". Reading your book reviews always gets me salivating for what you've been reading. You have the gift of a way w/words, always full of description and meaning. Thanks Aida.

Love, Deb

[Aida]

Nancy, how sad. We think that because we can parrot a bunch of Bible verses that we know God. There’s no life in it, yet, this is the method that is used in most churches. We now see a relationship with God as being able to quote the most verse. But, as you pointed out, that only produces dangerous Christians. It’s only as we put aside all of our guilt producing religious tactics and really come to know him that that we’ll become the people he created us to be.

[Nancy]

Hey Aida,

Recently I spent 4 days with my grand-girls who attend a private, Christian school. Scripture memorization is a regular part of the curriculum and each evening while going over their work they would recite a particular scripture for the week.

Each night I would listen and then ask, now, what do you think that means? Thirteen-year old twins, one 10-year old and one 8 year-old all said the same thing. It doesn't matter, we don't have to know what it means, we just have to memorize it. They weren't rude and when pressed for their thoughts…three of them had some. But Emma, the 8-year old, stuck with her story…gramma, I get a star. I don't know what it means but I memorized it…and I still get a star.

Yes, Jesus is the living Word written into the very fabric of our spirit DNA. As I reflect on how I learned about God and now my grand girls, I can't help thinking Father's plan, purpose, and intention to make Himself real in our human spirit…is somehow being hijacked out of our thinking. Maybe not intentionally but as Father said about me. You [nancy] you're the most dangerous to yourself and others when you "think" you know Me, but you don't.

Six years out of organized Christian religion and I'm feeling less dangerous to myself and others—yippee!

I'm celebrating His Life in you and with all of you Today!