Pick Up the Book

Last night the first debate was held with candidates from the Republican Party for the 2016 presidential primaries. I did my best to not watch it, but ended up seeing the last hour before my bride and I settled down to watch “Alone” on the History Channel. She had an idea I appreciated: drop the candidates alone into the woods, and make them film themselves trying to survive. I might actually pay to watch that.

Anyway, I’ve been working on my contribution to our upcoming 3^rd annual Southwest Bible Conference. Our theme this year is “the Sufficiency of Scripture.” The last question of last night’s debate was germane for our conference. One candidate gave a great answer. I won’t tell you who he was because I’m not interested in endorsing any candidate, but I’ll tell you he’s a fellow Southern Baptist and he’s not Mike Huckabee (even if you figure out who he is I’m still not endorsing him). When asked, “I want to know if any of them have received a word from God,” this candidate answered: “Well, I am blessed to receive a word from God every day in receiving the Scriptures and reading the Scriptures. And God speaks through the Bible.”

This was the most interesting part of a debate I really didn’t want to watch (I agree with a friend that these things start seeming like Saturday Night Live skits pretty quickly).

My immediate thought was, “I wish most other Southern Baptists could give an answer that spiritually mature and theologically accurate.”

Ah, beloved. Pick up the Book. Read by faith that the Author (God the Holy Spirit, 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21) is present in you as a believer in the risen and glorified Jesus Christ (John 7:39; Acts 2:38). On every page He will teach you of that same Christ Who is your only Savior and Lord (Luke 24:44-49; John 5:39) to the glory of the Father. Even better – get together with some other believers and pick up the Book together. You don’t need impressions, special words, leadings, mystical guidance, curious feelings, horoscopes, inspiring psycho-babble from self-help life-coaches masquerading as preachers on the television or internet or bumper stickers, dreams, movements in your gut or heart or wherever, songs on the radio, faces on tortillas or toast, signs in the heavens or on the earth, advice from friends or celebrities, or anything else to hear from God.

Pick up the Book. This is how He speaks to His people.