This can become a lifetime quest.

Psalms 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits,..”

Are you getting your share?  That’s why I teach to make it your own when you hear a message, or even when reading the Bible.  Ask yourself, “What does this mean to me?”  Find out what IS available.

In Romans, there’s a great key to what’s available:

Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever things written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

Do you know some sections of the Bible are written “to” you and some are “for” you?  Jesus is the subject of the Word from Genesis to Revelation.  He’s the Red Thread, representing his blood, woven throughout the scriptures.  But, if you try to live by the Old Testament you can be frustrated, confused, and maybe even defeated.  It’s written for our learning and to bring us historically from creation to Christ.  It shows the fall of man, the transference of dominion from man to the devil, and our need for a Savior.  It shows the need of a blood sacrifice to atone for sin.  Their protection was in the sacrifice of bulls, sheep and goats.  The presence of that blood was their protection.

 We can learn many lessons from the mistakes the people made in the Old Testament, as well as the victories when they did it God’s way.  Many of the principles therein may work for us, because God  knows what makes man tick – sowing and reaping, obedience to God, giving and receiving, love, worship, praise, etc.  But it was by fear or obligation, mostly, not love.  It was because of the law.  Obey or die.  Receive consequences quickly.  The Old Testament is “to” Israel.

What about the Gospels?  Is it “to” or “for” us?  Well, it’s all about Jesus, his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension.  His ministry, training his disciples, dealing with people, and his teachings, are all wonderful examples of how we should be.  He exposed the devil, showed us the devil’s purpose – steal, kill, destroy.  But to whom was Jesus’ ministry?  Israel.  He came to fulfill the law.  He made salvation available through his death and resurrection.  The Gospels are “for” our learning, or admonition.

The rest of the New Testament is “to” the Church, of which Christ is the head.  The spirit of God was exhibited through speaking in tongues by the apostles on Pentecost.  They went from being full of fear and powerless, to full of faith and powerful; filled with the spirit, doing the works of Jesus, and now greater works because of Christ in them.  Their feats and exploits through the Holy Spirit are recorded in the book of Acts.

Specifically, the Church epistles give us how to live and think, and promises from God “to” us, from which we reap benefits.  Anywhere you see “us”, in Ephesians, for example, you can put your name because those epistles, or letters, are addressed “to” you.

Ephesians 3:20  “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think,…”

In anything we do, or want to accomplish in life, the first key is “What is available?”  The next and succeeding keys are imperative also in receiving from God.

God is our Father, our God Almighty, El Shaddai.  “El Shadaddy” wants us to have His best in everything.  These five keys open the door for us to receive God’s BEST.  Stay tuned.