Bible Memory

[0:00] Bible memory. How do we learn about God? How do we learn about Him? I want to present to you what I have found to be one of the most important things a Christian can do.

[0:18] And someone has put it as a picture here of five things. Hear, read, study, memorize, meditate and apply. Which is the sixth one really.

[0:35] But those five. Hear, read, study, memorize and meditate on the Word of God. Now first up let me warn you today. I'll be firing many scriptures at you.

[0:49] There's going to be a real barrage of Bible verses today to present some truths that are so important I put to you for us today.

[1:00] All of these verses would be good to write them down and commit them to your memory. Write them down, commit them to your memory. I had thoughts of preparing some handout but I didn't get a chance to complete that today.

[1:14] But feel free to read along with me some of these Bible verses. Feel free to say them aloud with me if you like. To confess the Word, to confess the scriptures. How do we learn about God?

[1:30] Those five again. Hear. Romans 10, 17. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Feel free to confess that. Say it again.

[1:41] So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The more we hear the Word, the more our faith will grow. The more we hear it and put it into our lives.

[1:54] So be where the Word is. When the Word is being declared, come and hear it. Play it on your audio device, in your car, at home. Listen to it over whatever media you can.

[2:07] I know someone was telling me how they've got it as a kind of computer screensaver. And it pops up on their phone or their gadgets. So it's impressing them with the Bible truth.

[2:18] Hear it. Read it. Revelation 1 verse 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand.

[2:33] Read it. Get your Bible and read it. Mark your Bible. Sometimes you've got to scribble all over it. Highlights it. Underline it. Leaf through it and visit it regularly.

[2:48] Read your Bible. There's a blessing from personal reading. Commit to reading the Word. So hear it. Read it. Thirdly, study it. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures whether those things were so.

[3:05] People searching the Scriptures. God commends that. And 2 Timothy 2.15. Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

[3:18] Study to show thyself approved unto God. Study has great benefit for your soul. So join in the Bible studies where possible. Get some good Bible study material.

[3:29] Get some good Bible study books on your shelf at home. Or on your computer gadgets and whatever they call the e-writers and stuff. Get some good personal Bible study aids so you can learn God's Word.

[3:44] A good Bible dictionary. Good Bible commentary. Good Bible study guides so that you can dig deep and search and question and interrogate and mine the wealth that is there in your Bible.

[3:56] Study it. And then we've got memorize it. Where with all shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word? How's a young man going to keep clean?

[4:08] Taking heed to the Word of God. Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. Now some would know there's some folk who are big advocates of memory, of memorizing the Bible.

[4:23] I think that's a commendable thing. That's something that really is so precious and vital. And notice this. Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.

[4:36] Think of the benefit to hide God's Word in our heart so that it comes to mind and it comes to application. Hide God's Word in your heart. We're going to dwell on this aspect in the message today.

[4:49] Meditate. And then the fifth one was meditate. And this is a lovely one to try to commit to memory. Psalm 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

[5:07] But his delight is in the law of the Lord. And in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season.

[5:19] His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psalm 1. It's a blessed man. The blessed woman is one who knows the Word and meditates therein.

[5:32] So how can we meditate in the Word? Memorise it. Then you can meditate in it. Now meditation follows on from memorising. So as you hide it in your heart, you can bring it back to mind.

[5:44] You can recall it. You can recite it. You can meditate on it. It's a fundamental truth for us as God's people to try to commit God's Word to our memory.

[5:56] It's a very great blessing for you. You'll find if you do that, you'll be so glad. Yeah, so glad you did that. The Lord says in Hebrews 8 verse 10, He will put His laws into our mind and write them on our hearts.

[6:13] A good way to remember the Word is to write it down and display it in your home. As we see, that was recommended in Deuteronomy 11, where the people of Israel were told, Therefore shall lay up these words in your heart and in your soul, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.

[6:40] Lay them up in your heart and in your soul. Now, the Israelites would write the Scriptures down and they would pin them to their doorposts and lintels and likewise they would carry them in these, called frontlets, these containers, these boxes that held the Scriptures so that they could, I guess they would open the box and read them.

[7:07] And they would carry them and they would bind them to their heads and their arms as a declaration of their faith.

[7:22] Verse 19, it goes on to say, Teach them to your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up.

[7:39] Teach them to your children. Now, what a blessing it is, godly parents or parents-to-be, that your children will hear the Word of God in their home.

[7:49] And I know, I love to see sometimes how people put scripted texts on their walls of their homes.

[8:00] So they print out the Bible verse or they write it out. Sometimes you get nice calligraphy ones and put it in a frame and hang it on your wall at home.

[8:12] The Bible, having it displayed is really important. It says something to visitors to your home. It says something to your children as they see the Scripture, as they read the Scripture, they'll get familiar with it.

[8:26] And it says, Write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. So there's that sense of writing it down and displaying it for the world to see. And then we see memorize.

[8:39] Memorize. We've seen the hear, the read, the study, the memorize, the meditate. The apply.

[8:51] Let's just look further now at memorizing the Word of God. There's much said about memorizing the Word of God. It'll bless your soul.

[9:01] It'll help you to live the Christian life stronger and more fruitfully and more bountifully if you can put the Word in your heart.

[9:13] Put the Word in your heart. Write it on your mind. Write it on your heart. Joshua, the Lord says to Joshua in verse 1, chapter 1, verse 8, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein.

[9:34] For then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success. This book of the law, it shall not depart out of thy mouth. So in other words, Joshua's told, you're going to speak it.

[9:50] How can we speak it if we don't know it, if we haven't memorized it, if we haven't hidden it in our heart? Memorize the Word. It's so important. Meditate therein, day and night.

[10:01] You know, not just when you come to church or have a quiet spiritual time, but all the time. All the time. You know, when I was still quite a young Christian, I was still a teenager.

[10:15] I was not long saved as a young man. And my youth group leader set us a challenge. And it was, I was really a bit daunted by it at first.

[10:27] It was a challenge to commit about 100 Bible verses as a start. Wow. To commit some Bible verses to my memory. And numbers of us kids in the youth group, we undertook to do that.

[10:40] We undertook to memorize these various Bible verses. Now, you won't get 100 Bible verses this morning. I've only got 90 slides, there's lots and lots of Bible verses and you really, I've been selective somewhat, but there's so many Bible verses that would be very much a blessing for you to commit to memory.

[11:01] These are just a selection of some that will help you as a Christian to grow. And it's worthwhile to do this. You know, back then, I thought it was impossible for me when he first suggested this, that I could remember the Bible, that I could remember it and not have to look it up.

[11:18] But back then, I thought I could never do this. And you might feel the same right now. You might think, oh, that's easy for you to say, you know, I'm not good with remembering things.

[11:29] But then, you know, you might say, it's hard for me to remember things, but what is your date of birth? You know that? Your address? Oh, you know, if someone, if you had to direct someone to go and drive to your home, you'd remember the way there and how to direct them to get there?

[11:45] Phone number. Your phone number, you name it. There's lots of things. Hopefully remember your anniversary date. You remember all those important things, don't you? You remember some things that are important to you.

[11:56] And some people have an amazing recall. My wife just, she's a real brain box, my wife, with remembering things. I know Michael's really good at remembering things. You've got this great recall of facts and details and information about movies or sports teams or other trivia and such things as that.

[12:14] But sometimes it just takes a determination to commit something to your memory, doesn't it? A determination. This is important. I'm going to commit to doing this. And it can be done by making a commitment, an application of yourself, one verse at a time.

[12:30] Don't feel overwhelmed today. There's a lot here to take in. But one verse at a time. You know, who can remember Jesus wept?

[12:42] That's a Bible verse. You've already remembered one. Jesus wept. You can remember that. Two words. You know, keep on refreshing, reciting, repeating, and soon you'll have it hidden in your heart.

[12:54] Read it over and over again. I know a good tip is, as I've been suggested, is to have little cards. Little cards that will fit in your shirt pocket.

[13:05] And write the Bible verse down. Write the verse down on one side and then the reference on the other side. And when you've got those quiet moments, just take the card out and have a read of it and then just practice.

[13:18] Oh, I can remember that. After a while, after reading it a few times and reciting it a few times, you'll remember it. And then you go back and revisit it to keep it locked in, as it were.

[13:30] One verse at a time. The book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth. How does it get in your mouth? Memorization. Get it in your mind. Put it in your mind and your heart.

[13:41] And when you've committed it to your memory, this can help you meditate on it. Because you won't have to go looking in your Bible for it. It's in here. It's in here. The Word of God.

[13:52] And it'll help us as we go about our everyday lives. Why is it good to memorize the Word? Our Lord Himself sets us the example. The Lord Jesus, the Word incarnate, in flesh, the Word.

[14:06] Jesus, He knew the written Word. And He quoted it all the time. Some have reckoned He quoted 24 books of the Old Testament almost 180 times in the New Testament.

[14:18] So, you know, He wasn't carrying around a scroll in His pocket. He had it in His mind. He had it in His heart. He knew it. So He could speak it out. And so can you. Amen? You can speak it out too.

[14:31] The Lord Jesus says, If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you. My words abide in you. He wants His Word to dwell in us.

[14:44] And it can. Such that we can recall it without necessarily having to look it up. The Word of God has God's stamp of authority.

[14:54] For the Word of God is quick, which means alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of flesh, piercing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

[15:15] Now, we can all have those memory blocks where we lose things, but keep trying. Don't be put off. It's a two-edged sword. It's sharp. It's powerful. It's alive.

[15:26] And God's Word can abide in us. It has His stamp of authority. Fill your mind with what matters. I know someone was telling me before how they find it hard studying at school and applying themselves.

[15:39] We all have those times. You know, I've done further study and different things and there's times when I had a uni exam and I just had to just totally just brainwash myself with all the answers so I could just rattle it off and then I could just forget it.

[15:54] You know, that's how you get through university. You just get through the exam, you know. That's what it's like sometimes, isn't it? It's about forcing yourself to remember that which really is important and how much more important than anything else is the Word of God.

[16:10] So fill your mind with what it needs, with what's important. The Word of God is powerful and Jeremiah 23, 29 it says, Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces.

[16:24] The Word of God has power. It's powerful. It's like a fire. It's like a hammer. It just impacts our lives. It impacts those that we share it with. This is powerful and so again, I'm going to be using a lot of Bible verses just now.

[16:40] verses that would be good for you to memorise, to lock it into your memory so that you can apply the truth of these verses in your lives and recall them, bring them back to mind when you need them and share them furthermore with others that you can bless and bless your own soul with them when you need a lift.

[17:00] You know, when we need a lift, what better resource have we got than the very Word of God? You know, I get down sometimes. We all do.

[17:11] This will lift us up. Amen. It will lift you up. Put it in your heart. Put it in your heart. So Bible memory, look at some reasons why it's important for all of us to put the Word, to remember the Bible.

[17:25] Bible memory helps create faith. Genesis 1 verse 1, in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. We can have faith that God says it, we believe it.

[17:38] It's truth. This is not fake news. This is good news. It's good news for your soul. It's truth. Eternal. And the Bible shows us God as creator, as Lord, as the maker, as the master, if we'll have him.

[17:54] And he counters unbelief through the very scriptures he's given to us will help us counter unbelief and the devil's lies. Bible memory helps us to counter the folly of unbelief.

[18:09] The fool hath said in his heart there is no God. Psalm 14 verse 1, don't be a fool. Have faith. The folly of unbelief.

[18:21] The fool hath said in his heart there is no God. How can you be so foolish? The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth forth his handiwork.

[18:32] The heavens declare the glory of God. The glorious sunrise and sunset the starry heavens the constellations the wonder of it all. How can anyone look at that and say there is no God?

[18:47] The folly of unbelief. The word of God addresses that. Bible memory will help you when you see someone you can witness to them. You can tell them the glory of God.

[18:58] It's all around about us. Open your eyes. James 1 22 Bible memory helps put the word into action. There's an application. This is life application.

[19:13] The word shows us how to live. But be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves. Do the word.

[19:24] Apply the word. Be doers of the word. Not hearers only. So let the word speak to you and let it put your feet into motion. Let it send you and shape you.

[19:36] When we have the word in our heart it will affect our will and our walk. It will help us to walk in the light. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin.

[19:51] Bible memory helps transform our living such that we're walking in the light and Bible memory helps transform our mind. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

[20:24] Bible memory it helps with prayer. You know you probably know more scripture than you realise. You know feel free to say this one with me after this manner therefore pray ye our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever amen.

[21:00] You know you probably know more scripture than you realise. Bible memory helps us to know the Lord for unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace it helps us to know the Lord helps us to better know our Lord as we feast on his word we get to know the living word the word of God the Lord Jesus is the word Bible memory helps us counter false teaching for example John 1 in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made and neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved you know when you're talking to people with false religions and philosophies there's no other name there's only one name

[22:07] Acts 4.12 there's only one name whereby we must be saved so Bible memory helps us with witnessing 1 Peter 3.15 but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear we can challenge people about what matters most their soul for example what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul you know some people are so caught up in this material world that they think that's all there is this is just a passing moment in the relation of eternity in the contrast of eternity let's concentrate on what matters most and we can point people to the only saviour the Lord Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me there's no other way there's no other saviour and as Paul explained the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15 we can explain the gospel as Paul outlined it for I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures it's simple sometimes we complicate it sometimes we add to what the scriptures say and we get ourselves all tied up in knots but if we get the simple truth and bury it deep in our heart hide it in your heart then we'll have an answer to those who have falsehood and we can explain that peace with God comes when we are justified by faith declared just by the one who has the authority to the only one therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord

[24:02] Jesus Christ peace with God you know there's various Bible verses that we can show as I've done of late and as I love to do as someone comes to me and says they want to know more they show an interest to know the Lord and one method that's commonly used is the Romans road the Romans road of course there's other ways there's other methods but some have called it the Romans road it talks people through the realisation they're a sinner condemned hell bound lost dead eternally dead and they'll be twice dead they'll have the second death but yet there is a gift a precious gift wow a gift if you will but receive eternal life God's judgement and God's extended mercy his offer of salvation by his grace

[25:05] Romans 3 23 this is just to recap the Romans road and there's other variations but it starts off but all have sinned and come short of the glory of God for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord all have sinned we're all in the same boat all deserve death yet he extends life as his gift if we all receive it the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord the deadly price of our sin is death and we're justly condemned to that yet God in mercy extends eternal life as the Lord Jesus died in our place but God commended this love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us even though we were enemies he died for us what do we do confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved says whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved says for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness with the mouth confession is made up to salvation now these these fellas that got up here and confessed their salvation they made confession but more than just words they believed in their heart you've got to have the two some would say oh blah blah blah yeah I'm a Christian yeah she'll be right mate

[26:35] I'm a Christian no worries they say it but they don't believe in their heart it's not real it's got to be heart deep it's got to be the heart deep you've got to know him in your heart you've got to know wow I'm lost I need grace I need God I need his saving mercy his gift and I receive it I receive it it's the heart and the mouth in coordination and we see as I read before we've made the righteousness of God in him for by grace are you saved through faith and then not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast I missed that one the gift of God not of works he says come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden and I shall give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I'm meek and lowly in heart you shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light friends his yoke is easy his burden is light he says come unto me come unto me that's the invite that we can extend to those who know him not put these scriptures in your heart so you can make that appeal on his behalf as ambassadors you've got to have his message in your heart so you can be the messenger to relay it

[27:57] Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever he never changes we know who he is and who we are in him we know what he has done for us the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost it's the purpose for which he came but he was wounded for our transgressions friends his stripes all we like sheep have gone astray we've got to come to the Lord think of these truths thus far how can we commit the Bible to memory use the little card system write it down write it on the walls of your home write it down and put it here and there and everywhere listen to it on your car audio set up on your computer listen to the scriptures let them be repeated and repeated until you don't even need to hear that anymore because it's in your heart and you can say it yourself without even prompting you know as a young man again one way you can help remember it is by singing it and now

[29:08] I'll give you this will clear the church out now but one time there was a Christian man on you and he put some scriptures to song and this is one example of that it's 2 Timothy 3 verse 16 or from verse 15 or verse 14 actually but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect through leaf furnished unto all good works lots of different ways there's lots of different ways you can learn scriptures and that's just one example that's just some guy just strummed a tune and made that into a song and of course there's many scriptures that are in song that you can help remember too by the way are people feeling a bit hot in here no okay but there's many scriptures like rejoice in the

[30:46] Lord always and again I say rejoice there's lots of different ways you can help remember the word of God put it into song put it in your heart write it down put it into your mind so Bible memory helps you trust God's grace over your life and he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakness when you're feeling weak confess this one he says my grace is sufficient for thee for thee individually for you my grace is sufficient he'll help you through those rough times Bible memory will strengthen your faith it says trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths there's promises here it tells us many exceeding great and precious promises wow there's promises here in this book that you may not have got hold of yet it's good to read the word and put it in your heart in all the ways acknowledge him and that new creation that we are now we've had some new creations this last week or two

[31:56] God's done a work in hearts and this promises for all of us who believe therefore if any man is in Christ he's a new creature old things have passed away behold all things have become new that's conversion a new man a new woman a new creature a new creation and then Bible memory helps you to grow furthermore in faith but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to him be glory both now and forever amen and then it talks about how he promises to always be with us it says I will never leave thee nor forsake thee now sometimes we get to those moments when we think oh God's left me no he hasn't he says I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Bible memory helps us to get things right helps us to have right doctrine helps us to keep right with God if we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Bible memory helps us to keep right with God get things right with him

[32:58] Bible memory helps us to have right relationship with the world love not the world neither the things that are in the world the love of the if any man loved the world the love of the father is not in him for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world I said that already and the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever this world is passing we're passing through and this world is passing so let's do what matters let's be about what matters the will of God abideth forever find his will and do it put it into your life rather than the love of the world and the things of the world prayerfully seek to love the Lord more to love his word more to love his people more to be a lover of the word of God and most precious and important of all is to love the

[34:01] Lord your God the Lord said hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God love the Lord thy God with all thy soul with all thy mind with all thy strength this is the first commandment and the second thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself there is none other greater commandment greater than these so it gets things in perspective doesn't it love the Lord love your neighbour be about the word apply it Bible memory helps us make wise life choices thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path so a lamp unto my feet like the immediate and a light unto my path so he helps you in the present and he helps you with the way forward the word it's a light Bible memory it helps us increase your Bible knowledge you know those who are knowledgeable about the Bible have committed the scripture to their heart so they can say it at the moment they need to and they can confess it when it's appropriate and applicable and where it's relevant you might meet someone that you're!

[35:12] talking with and they need a bit of encouragement a stir God will give you that scripture he'll quicken it he'll make it alive to your heart to give that word he can use you as his messenger to declare it to speak for God his words what greater help can you give some people come to me for counselling if you like and you know sometimes I get some wow what do I do the wisdom of Solomon you can hear both stories and you think well I can see her point of view I can see his point of view or whatever it be and you think I've got no wisdom to answer them I'll go to God's wisdom amen that's the best answer we can give it's the word of God isn't it it's the only answer that we can give and so if we confess it the

[36:34] Lord is the strength of my life confess the word the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer my God and my strength in whom I will trust my buckler which means my shield and the horn of my salvation and my high tower he's like a shield he's like the trumpet as it were he's the high tower that we can run to and be secure and safe and the psalmist says oh I say of the Lord he is my refuge and my fortress my God in him will I trust when you're feeling like doubting when you're feeling like your faith is failing in him will I trust we don't trust in ourselves our capacity is weak and failing at the best of times or for myself it is but in him will I trust trust in him trust in the Lord delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass commit your way to the

[37:37] Lord you know sometimes we make decisions here there willy nilly says commit thy way unto the Lord you've got a decision to make what would please God what right decision what's the scriptural decision I'm going to commit my way to the Lord I'm going to trust in him he's going to bring it to pass confess it Bible memory helps set right priorities for example this familiar one but seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things should be added unto you seek God seek to be right with!

[38:15] Bible memory so many reasons I'm rushing this so it's so jam packed the word of God is just so full and overflowing with promises for us and Bible memory helps lock that in it helps it lock it into our subconscious mind submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you there's two things to do there see that if you're in spiritual warfare you're feeling like you're under attack the devil's trying to have a kick while you're down submit to God bow to him surrender to him submit to God and resist the devil don't let him walk all over you resist him in Jesus name and it says he will flee from you the scriptures Ephesians 6 of course there's much there about the whole armour of God be strong in the Lord and in the!

[39:09] his might! we've got an armour and one of those components of the armour is the sword of the spirit we've got a sword a sharp two edged sword this word is sharp you know sometimes when someone preaches you think oh he got me there that preacher jabbed me there it talks about the Bible cutting the hearts it talks about it piercing those that hear it and it pierces me it cuts to the bone it's a dividing asunder it's a digging deep it's a you know the truth hurts sometimes we've got to hear it so it can change and the word of God is such that we have a strong sword to fight off the enemy to get that sword out when we start feeling like we're under attack and so we shall stand against the wiles or the tricky nature of the devil and so when our

[40:14] Lord faced the enemy what did he say it is written the Lord Jesus himself he quoted the scriptures it is written again reminding us how can we quote it if we haven't memorised it it's very important I put to you thy word have I hid in my heart there have no temptation taking you such as common to man but God is faithful when you're tempted when you're tested when you're under trial when you're tempted because of sin when you're tried and tested when you go through the trials of life God is faithful it says and he'll provide the way of escape that you may be able to bear it he'll help you find the way through the way through whatever you're going through and so Bible memory gives you the victory in all these things we're more than conquerors you are more than a conqueror how can you be more than a conqueror it's more than just someone who!

[41:17] wins! so it talks about the context here is a time of trial we're more than conquerors and it says that I'm persuaded neither life nor death nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord the love of God holds us like glue super glue we're inseparable from his love he says I've loved you with an everlasting love everlasting love and nothing nothing on earth or heaven in this human life can separate us from the love of God nothing can because his love holds us steady and short and what a comfort what a promise we know we're crucified with

[42:19] Christ we're living for him we can do all things through Christ which strengthen us for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith friends Bible memory will strengthen your walk with God Bible memory will help you to walk in victory because you've got these promises embedded!

[42:39] in your heart it talks about the engrafted! it's it's in us it's part of the core and fibre of our being the word of God is it's it's deeply embedded and resident within us the word dwells in us and so we can be encouraged by it and we can encourage others 1 Thessalonians 4 talks of the Lord's coming and of the comfort we have even in a time of loss of death the comfort of the scriptures is there for us comfort one another with these words and we know that all things work together for good for them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose there's promises here if you love God if you're called according to his purpose all things work together for good now sometimes it thinks how can you say that when I'm going through what I'm going through he says it's going to work together for good we don't understand it's like

[43:44] I've heard it said you see my wife's tapestry work sometimes she puts little pieces of fabric together and it's all tangled and messy on the other side mind you she's so much of a perfectionist she ties up the underside as well but you see when some people make something that all looks nice and tidy on top but underneath are all the cottons and the draggly bits and the messy bits sometimes we just see the underside what are you doing God and then he sees he's doing something he can see what he's doing sometimes we can't always see that but all things work together for good so for the meantime by prayer and supplication let your request be made known to God the peace of God it's going to pass it's going to surpass our understanding it's going to keep our hearts and minds the peace of God we can know the peace of God it's here the scriptures show us his peace it declares peace to our soul the Bible memory helps us to maintain sound doctrine when you're barraged by this and that and the other it is written the plain sense of the word of God you know

[44:57] I was talking to someone lately and said because he was talking about some particular doctrine some particular viewpoint some particular argument and he put it out there and I said what Bible teacher did you get that from because you didn't get it from the Bible that's what you've got to look at there's all sorts of doctrines out there all sorts of teachings all sorts of preaching all sorts of ideas that and fanny fashionable things flaky things lots of Bible teachers but is it Bible that's what matters not what a Bible teacher says is it Bible and so as you memorize it you can say actually it's not in here that's what matters that's what counts and it'll help you to maintain sound doctrine it'll help you with counselling others the words of the Bible are precious they have power and Bible memory helps you praise God it helps you have the peace of God it says bless the

[46:02] Lord oh my soul it's a scripture you can say well my soul's feeling pretty low right now preacher this tells you what to do confess this bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name and I have these times pity parties I have these times when frustration you've got to confess it bless the Lord oh my soul but I don't feel like it bless the Lord oh my soul tell your soul what to do amen bless the Lord oh my soul I will bless the Lord all that is within me bless his holy name do what the word says Bible memory helps you praise God many scriptures like this Psalms for example Bible memory helps us to honour the Lord it's why we created and thou art worthy oh Lord to receive glory and honour and powerful thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created we're created for his pleasure now when we worship we're not here to make a jazzy tune that makes us jig and jive it might do sometimes but it's not for us it's for him it's for him it's for him it's for his honour it's for his glory we're singing unto him it's not about having a toe tapping jazzy time sometimes we have that but it's about him it's unto him that's what we're here for that's why we worship that's why we fellowship that's why we praise him because we want to give him the glory and the honour and the power because it's for this purpose we were created and so how do we increase our bible memory just to close

[48:02] I'm almost at slide number 90 now you'll be glad to know how do I do it read and repeat read and repeat read and repeat review and recite review and recite it takes practice practice practice you know I think oh preacher it's just too much I can't do this I've not got a good memory look my memory is pretty bad I've got to be honest with you that's why I've got to write everything down but we all have moments when our brain is a bit foggy and fuzzy concentrate on this get one card write one scripture down text on one side reference on the other pull it out put it back pull it out put it back when you're at the stop lights when you're at the smoko break when you're out twiddling your thumbs now and again some of you got more time than others some of you think you've got less time than others but we're all at the same time haven't we let's use the time wisely and put the scripture in your heart read and repeat review and recite and as you speak it as you memorize it eventually you won't need to get it out because it'll be in there then you write down a second one and then you write down a third one and you keep reviewing the ones you've already learned so they keep refreshing you can do it you can do it don't tell yourself you can't you can do it you might think

[49:38] I'm older doesn't matter how old you are doesn't matter how young you are you can do it Bible memory it will strengthen your faith it's the most blessed thing it's one of the most important things I did as a young man was to with God's help try to remember a few Bible verses and eventually you'll know lots and lots of them and you'll be so glad so glad you did because when you need that word it'll be there it'll spring out of your heart it'll refresh in your mind and it'll strengthen your faith as you repeat to yourself the promises of God for your soul and here's a good one to finish with now unto him unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy unto him he is able many many people come to me and they say oh I can't live the Christian life I'm I'm a backslider I keep fouling up I've lost my salvation he doesn't ever lose his salvation he never loses it he is able to keep you from falling his salvation is assured he is able you've got to trust his ability to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our savior be glory and majesty dominion and power both now and forever amen friends I've been talking about Bible memory

[51:14] I urge you I challenge you be a doer of the word a doer of it you might think oh okay I've heard another sermon I'll go home and forget no don't apply it please apply it think of a scripture some of the ones I've shared one that is dear to you write it down such that you can actually remember it repeat it and remember it but most of all apply it you know the scriptures that talk about salvation are you saved you know we've heard from some gentlemen here tonight today rather that have come to church off and on numbers of times then they said no today today is the day of my salvation I'm going to commit to Christ and I'm going to confess him and I'm going to trust him you might be just like they were oh I'm a

[52:17] Christian I go to church I sing the songs and put my Sunday best on and no it's like you know one preacher said you know just because you're sitting in a garage doesn't make you a car you know you can come to church and be lost lost eternally lost I pray you put your trust in Christ put your trust in him let us pray Lord we thank you that we can put our trust in you and know your saving love Lord we thank you for your word it's precious to our soul help us to lock it into our minds even just one verse and then another Lord help us Lord we pray that we can know the word and confess it in life situations and tell others as messengers of it all for your glory and honour we pray amen bless the Lord we'll go to our final song 115 115 higher ground pray you've been encouraged today it's so important I just put it to you again it's so so important to put the word in your heart it'll protect you from false doctrine it'll help you to be strong and I urge you I urge you to do that if you'd like some suggested Bible verses let me know I'll email you some I'll email you a list of say 100 or 50 important Bible verses you can start with so be encouraged to do that let's stand shall we a list of some of those some of those some of those some of those some of those some of those