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Eating the scroll (Reading The Bible)
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Posted by: JeriRose12
Eat The Scroll
by Barbara Cassada
©2003 The Lion's Heart Ministries, Inc.
[Editor's Note: This article was originally published to our email subscriber list in May 2003]
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EAT THE SCROLL
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A word brought forth by Joann McFatter by inspiration of the Holy Spirit on Thursday, May 15, 2003, at the Glory School conducted by Pat Cocking at Suncoast Worship Center, Englewood, Florida, as follows:
“The mystery of the Rhema hidden within the Logos
Spirit to spirit
Deep to deep
Eat the Scroll”
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[Barbara writes:]
As I was caught up in the worship and began to ponder this Word, the Lord reminded me of a teaching that I have given on the Table of the Lord, wherein I talk about the significance of the bread. He took me deeper into the revelation of the bread and compared it to “The mystery of the Rhema hidden within the Logos”. I thought of all the Christians. I wish to share that with you because I believe a lot of Christians – I know this from talking with and praying with many – struggle with reading and studying the Word of God. They have a difficult time accepting by faith that something happens to them when they read the Word. Attempting to measure whether or not something has been accomplished by use of our intellectual reasoning – “did that hour I spent this morning reading the Word really accomplish anything?” – or a misunderstanding of how faith works perhaps; in either case we tend to wonder if we’re really achieving anything at all. So for those who struggle with that, ponder this:
Why do we eat food? Because we are hungry and because the food we eat contains nutrients. From the time we are tiny babies we all learn, understand, and accept the importance of the sustenance provided to our physical bodies by the intake of food. How do we know that food contains nutrients? We are told that it does and we accept it on “faith”. Can we see the nutrients? Can we look into a piece of bread and say, “there is a vitamin A right there”, or “that looks like iron?” No, we cannot. We can read the labels where the ingredients are listed, or we can remember our basic science classes as young school students, but most of us accept on faith that by taking in the food we are bringing nourishment to our bodies. As we take in the bread (or food) it is changed by its very contact with us. We cannot regurgitate it in the same from in which we took it in, because its form has been changed. Likewise, we are also changed by our contact with the bread. It begins to breakdown immediately and the life-giving nutrients contained therein begin to enter our blood stream carrying the life that is in the bread to every part of our bodies.
When a person is on the verge of starvation and they begin to receive sustenance, they are not immediately completely strengthened and energized. But the food given them begins to do its work and, given constant nourishment, their bodies will begin to respond, and eventually the starving person will once again become strong and healthy.
Likewise, we cannot see the life in the Word of God with our intellect. We know it is there because Jesus said His words are “spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63). We accept by “faith” that the life is in the Word. The written word, the Bible, is the Logos. It is merely a collection of words on a page until the Holy Spirit of God breathes His life into them. The words then become “Rhema” to us – words full of the life of the Spirit, the “revealed” Word of God for us. As we “Eat the Scroll” – feed on the Word – we are taking in the life that is in that Word. We may not feel like it (can’t feel the nutrients in the food entering our bloodstream), but the life enters nevertheless. As children of God, we have the Spirit of God within us. The Holy Spirit “quickens” or “makes alive” the word that we “eat”. He carries the nutrients of that Word to our spirits and it begins to be distributed into our souls and bodies. As we take in more and more of the Word of God, we are changed, transformed into the image of that “Word”. Jesus is the Word! And the more we eat of Him (John 6:56) the more we are transformed into His image, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little, from one degree of glory to another (Isaiah 28:10, 2 Cor. 3:18).
The mystery of the Rhema is indeed hidden in the Logos. But God has promised that He would reveal the mysteries of the Covenant to those that fear Him.
Ecclesiastes 7:24 (NKJV)
As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep,
Who can find it out?
Psalm 25:14 (NKJV)
The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
Without faith it is impossible to please God. But if we, by faith, continue to feed on the Word, believing that the Holy Spirit is quickening it to us, we will soon discover that we are indeed being changed, transformed, and moving upward, higher into the things of God.
Romans 1:17
For in it (the gospel of Christ) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
And the more we eat, the hungrier we become. Consequently, we will find ourselves craving for more of the living Word, the food of life.
We cannot remain the same when the life of God infuses our souls. The nutrients in the Word will change us. We must believe that:
“The mystery of the Rhema (is) hidden within the Logos”
and that the call of God is from:
“Spirit to spirit
Deep to deep”
and thus we act on our belief by:
Eat(ing) the Scroll”
Romans 15:13 (NKJV)
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Service of the King(dom),
Barbara Cassada
My latest area of weakness is not reading the Bible much, so I posted this as an encouragement to myself and others.
Submitted by
~JeriRose~
Finding HIM in The Word!!!
Posted by: JeriRose12
Father God, thank You for Your Word, the absolute truth. Thank You that we need not question what is truth. If we hear any voice that claims to be speaking a word from You, but is contrary to Your written Word, we know it is not true. That is all the discernment we need. Simply check it against the Bible. Thank You for the security we have and the trust we can place in the infallibility of Your Word. 
~JeriRose~
Finding YOU in 2006 (The Year Of The Double Portion!) 
Posted by: JeriRose12
Lord, I pray that You would make me hungry for Your written Word -- the Bible. You ARE The Word. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.... I pray that I may hide Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Make me a student of Your Word, which is becoming a student of YOU. Lord God, I pray that I may find those particular scriptures that will transform my life in those areas where I struggle with sin. I thank You for that word from Gary Smalley about the scriptures he memorized and that his grand son memorized that brought them to deliverance. I pray I may do the same, finding scritpures that I will memorize until they transfer from my head to my heart. I ask and pray, in Jesus Name, amen.
~JeriRose~
Finding YOU in 2006 (The Year Of The Double Portion!)
Posted by: JeriRose12
regarding the sin of self-righteousness and related sins:
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 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. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3: 12 - 15)
3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
(Rather than focusing on people's faults)
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger (at others sins), wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)
~JeriRose~
Finidng HIM in His Word (The Word became flesh and dwelt among us....)