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God’s Word

Why we need to hear God’s Word – Romans 10:17

In Acts 6:1–6 the Greek-speaking Jewish widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. This pressing need clamored for the apostles’ attention. But the twelve said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” So they appointed seven men to take care of this need, and the apostles said, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

So from the very earliest time in the church it was understood that the ministry of the Word required so much time and effort that those called to this ministry should be freed from other demands.

Paul says in 1 Timothy 5:17–18, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching; for the scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The laborer deserves his wages.’” In other words the church should value the ministry of the Word so highly that it is willing to pay elders who devote their life to it.

This is an ongoing office in the church, not a temporary function of the apostles. When Christ ascended into heaven, it says in Ephesians 4:11, “his gifts were that some should be pastor-teachers.” This is an office distinct from the rest of the people in the church, because it says that the pastor-teachers are to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.

The life of the church hangs on the word of God (Matthew 4:4). The inspired word came to us in the form of a book written in Greek and Hebrew. None of us comes into the world able to read, or write but yet the same Holy Spirit who inspired men of old to write the Bible is the same Holy Spirit who interprets what is written in the Bible so we can understand it as we study.

The Bible declares that the hand of the Lord was upon Ezra, because he “had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:9–10). Apostle Paul admonishes Timothy (His son in faith) to be zealous to present himself to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed because he rightly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).With all the good and bad books on theology the ministry of study should always remain primarily a study of the Bible, and that in the original languages.

Richard Baxter wrote something that could save many young pastors years of regret in misdirected study. He said, “Till at last, being by my sickness cast far from home, where I had no book but my Bible, I set to study the truth from thence, and so, by the blessing of God, discovered more in one week than I had done before in seventeen years’ reading, hearing, and wrangling.”

We must beware of the temptation to replace the study of Scripture with the reading of good books about the Scripture. If you want to know if a man has studied well, don’t ask him to show you his library. Ask him to show you his personal notebooks where he has recorded his own authentic insights into the Word of God. That is why here at Missions for Christ Ministries, we take seriously the study of God’s Word and place it above everything else in this live. We believe that every born again believer should have a good Bible to study on daily bases.

Prayer 

As christians believers, it is important to carve out time to pray throughout the day – but essentially so to designate a time to speak to God and worship Him corporately. Men and women who engage in prayer live victorious lives even in the midst of challenges. Prayer has been a spiritual practice since the beginning of time. Here at Missions for Christ Ministries (MCM), we encourage believers to be a people of prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 serves as a serious reminder to all believers how significant prayer is to our faith. Bible instructs us that we need to commit ourselves to prayer and make it a top priority in our lives. By doing so, we will remain holy and pure, having hearts ready for when Jesus returns.

Main reasons why we have to pray:

1. Prayer is the way we talk to God, hear from God, and keep our minds on Him.
2. Prayer is the channel in which we can let go of fears and concerns, and how we lift up our praises and thanks to God.
3. Prayer is vital to our spiritual formation and growth. Just as Jesus was often seen taking time away to go pray, we should do the same.
4. Paul knew that prayer was key to guarding our hearts against evil and to keeping ourselves in line with God’s will.
5. Prayer is what helps us find our way through difficult times, tough decisions, or expressing our hopes and joy.
6. Prayer draws us closer to God and helps us practice our faith.

During our Hour of Prayer broadcast, we start by exalting people with God’s Word and then we take time to pray.