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[0:00] My message today is the Hidden Bible. Psalm 119 verse 11, it says, Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.

[0:15] ! I want to encourage you to hide God's Word, to treasure God's Word, to store God's Word down in your heart. It's important that Christians store up God's Word in their hearts and minds. It's a good use of your spare time.

[0:32] It will help you to live the Christian life. What sort of things can we remember? Think of that. Some people remember all sorts of trivia, jokes and worldly songs, useless facts and information.

[0:45] It's amazing what some people remember, isn't it? But what about God's Word? Is it important enough to you to learn it, to study it, to memorize it? I want to encourage you to learn God's Word.

[1:01] For many people the Bible is not a priority. Many people are ignorant of the Bible. Many don't value the Bible as they should. Why should we learn God's Word? Because of its great value. Psalm 19 verse 10, it says, More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

[1:26] We should remember God's Word because of its great power. Hebrews 4 verse 12, it says, For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

[1:49] How can we learn God's Word? Study God's Word. 2 Timothy 2 verse 15, it says, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[2:06] Make a deliberate effort to spend time with your Bible. It's God's good news for planet Earth. It's God's personal love letter to mankind. It gives our Makers instructions for life and eternity.

[2:20] How important it is to apply ourselves to study it. It's important that you memorise God's Word. Hide it in your heart. It will take commitment. It can be hard work. It takes application. It takes study. It takes determination.

[2:38] It is the very words of God. A man who learnt Bible verses as a pre-teen says it helped him keep his sanity during solitary confinement as a prisoner of war.

[2:50] Why should you hide God's Word in your heart? It will help you with your decisions. God's Word can guide you and help you decide what is right from wrong throughout your life.

[3:03] Knowing God's Word will help you to solve problems and also help others. Psalm 119 verse 105 it says, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

[3:16] Doctrine is another reason. Knowing God's Word will help you to be able to give an answer to people. You will be able to defend the faith against cults and critics. Colossians 3 verse 16 says, Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

[3:42] Another aspect is day by day living. When you face temptations and trials, our Lord Jesus quoted scripture to the devil. Matthew 4 verse 4, But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

[4:04] Witnessing. When you get a chance to tell others about the Lord, knowing and being able to share the Bible will help you to be a good witness. Romans 10 verse 17, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

[4:20] Strengthening faith. Imagine if you were imprisoned for your faith and you didn't have a Bible. How much of it could you remember? It happens to believers in the world today.

[4:31] In these countries, God's persecuted people have a greater love and memorization of scripture than we do. So, memorise the Bible. Spend time in the Word of God.

[4:42] It is powerful. It will give you power to live for Christ. It will change you. It will help you draw nearer to God. A visiting preacher asked some believers in Czechoslovakia to recite their favourite verses.

[4:57] They replied, Do you mean our favourite verses or chapters? They knew whole chunks of God's Word. Psalm 37, 31 it says, The law of his God is in his heart.

[5:10] None of his steps shall slide. Here's some tips to help you memorise. Mark it. Mark out those verses in your Bible that you can commit to memory.

[5:21] Write it. Write the verses out. Write them on cards that you can carry with you. Use them when you get spare moments. Write the verses over and over again.

[5:32] And read them over and over. Repetition is that key to memorisation. Who remembers having to write out something a hundred times at school?

[5:43] Read it. Read it. Reading the Bible out loud is a great way to help to memorise it. Listen to it. You can listen to the Bible through audio means.

[5:57] You may even record your own selections. Test yourself to see how much you have learnt. Love the Word of God. Love it. God's Word. It's precious.

[6:08] Pray for God to burn it into your heart and your memory. The best way to learn scripture is to love it and spend time in it. We always remember that which is most important to us.

[6:21] God's Word is vital for you to live a life that will please God and make you an effective, useful Christian. Carry a pocket Bible or New Testament with you.

[6:32] Make it a part of your life to read and learn God's Word. Ask God to give you a love for His Word. Ask God to help you to understand His Word so that you can do what He says to you.

[6:44] Ask God to help you to memorise His Word. When we hide God's Word in our heart, it will help us to gain victory and to help others to be saved and to live for God.

[6:56] Praise the Lord. It's great to put God's Word in your heart and make a decision to commit to doing that. Thank you.

[7:10]