The Good Samaritan taking that man to the inn, entrusting him to the innkeeper, and giving to the innkeeper two pence. In thinking of those two pence, we are thinking about prayer and the word of God. But that man was entrusted to the innkeeper, and the Good Samaritan said, Take care of him. And we have thought how that... The Holy Spirit of God dwells within us as believers. And though it is scripturally correct, I believe to say that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Trinity, to the Holy Spirit of God has been given that special ministry of leading and guiding and caring for us believers. So we are entrusted to Him. And God says to God the Holy Spirit, take care of this believer. and prayer and the Word of God are used in this process. There is no, there could be no, Christian experience apart from prayer and the Word of God. So let us think about being saturated with the Word of God. You heard me say that I used to engrave printing plates. I was a hand engraver for a number of years. I engraved printing plates. Government used to keep tabs on us. They didn't want us making our own money, you understand. Like the man said in prison when he was asked why he was there, he said, I'm here for making big money. Man said big money, yes, but a quarter of an inch too big. Well, the government used to keep tabs on us so that we wouldn't make big money. And it is my understanding that these T-men, these Treasury men in Washington, spend about ninety-nine, forty-four, one hundred percent of their time not studying bogus bills. There are too many of them. But they get to know the genuine so well that they have a standard by which to gauge any counterfeit money. And it made me think that the best way for us believers to be insulated against era against that which is false is to be saturated with the truth. We are to feed upon the word of God. Jeremiah said, Thy words were found and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart, for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah sixteen, sixteen. Thy words were found and I did eat them. My brother, my sister in Christ, you will agree with me that we are not students of the word as we should be. We talk about reading the Bible. We hear about reading the Bible. And we think about reading the Bible and getting into a systematic Bible study by and by. But we are not reading our Bibles. We live in a heat and eat, a brown and serve, a chill and poor, a sip and dip, a wash and wear, an instant type of world. And you ask our brother over here who's packing up the books just now and thank God for his ministry. But you ask him and others who are in this type of work of distributing books, Christian books, ask them what are the bestsellers. For the most part it will be the little... eight-page, maybe sixteen-page pamphlets that someone can read while they're driving to work. We live in an instant world. Listen, we have to make time to read and study the Word of God. And I am convinced, I've been saved now for thirty-nine years. That's not long. But I am convinced more than ever that though we acquire knowledge, Through the study of the Word of God, we acquire convictions through meditation. And we are not meditating on the Word of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is the supreme example. Look at John chapter nineteen, verse twenty-eight. Our brother from Venezuela read that to us this morning. Look at verse twenty-eight. Note the words. After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled saith, I thirst. Now there was said a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled the sponge with vinegar and put it upon hyssop and put it to his mouth. When Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. He dismissed his spirit. Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Just jot down Psalm sixty-nine, verse twenty-one. psalm sixty nine verse twenty one just jot that down and compare that with what we have here in fact this reference will take you back to psalm sixty nine you'll see it in your marginal reference if you have a reference there in your margin psalm sixty nine verse twenty one but you will see when reading verse twenty one of psalm sixty nine and comparing that with the Gospels that the first part of verse twenty one was fulfilled at the beginning of the crucifixion at the beginning of the crucifixion now it's about that time when the Lord Jesus is going to dismiss his spirit and the latter part of verse twenty one of Psalm sixty nine must need to be fulfilled Now maybe you want some references here. Matthew twenty seven thirty four. I'm saying this because I know this is being recorded. Matthew twenty seven thirty four. Mark fifteen twenty four. Luke twenty three thirty six. When you examine those scriptures, particularly the one in Matthew's Gospel, you will see when they came to the crucifixion site, they gave the Lord Jesus, or at least offered to him, vinegar to drink, mingle with gall. Now the first part of verse twenty one, Psalm sixty nine says, They gave me also gall for my meat. So that was fulfilled at the beginning of the crucifixion. Now the rest of verse twenty one says, And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. So here the Lord Jesus, agonizing there upon the cross, having had all disgrace heaped upon him, having been scourged having had those spikes put through his hands, through his feet. That crown of thorns upon his brow, agonizing there upon the cross. What is he thinking about? He is thinking about the Word of God. And knowing all things, he knows there is part of that verse that needs to be fulfilled. So... that the scripture might be fulfilled, which means they gave him vinegar to drink. How will they know to do that? He's going to have to let them know. I thirst. And they gave him vinegar to drink. And he dismissed his spirit. What was he thinking about? He was thinking about the word of God. Well, you say he is the word of God. Some of us were talking at lunchtime about the study of religions. I have found in my own experience and in talking with many others that in many instances when it comes to the study of the religions of the world, those who teach these lessons have the attitude, well, let's study the different religions of the world because there's some good in all of them and let's find what good there is. except when it comes to Christianity. And it seems the thinking invariably is, let's take Christianity apart and find out what's wrong with it. Have you found that to be so? Whatever truth was conveyed by the founders of the different religions of the world is truth whether they said it or not. That is, you can separate the founders of the different religions of the world. You can separate them with whatever truth they conveyed, and it's still truth, whether they said it or not. You cannot do that with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the truth. He is the Word. In fact, there are two places in Scripture where we read about the Word of Life. And we have read it in the study of Philippians, chapter two, verse fifteen. Paul said, holding forth the word of life. It seems there that he's speaking of the word of God. Of course, we know in doing so, we are holding forth Christ. But holding forth the word of life. And the apostle John said in first John chapter one in verse one, writing to those who had not seen the Lord Jesus, as he and others had, He said we actually touched Him. Our hands handle the Word of Life. And so one time that phrase is used to speak of the Lord Jesus Himself and the other time of the Word of God. Someone has said, reverently so, and I appreciate it, that the Bible is the Lord Jesus Christ on paper. I like that. But we are to read... and feed upon the Word of God. We are to meditate upon the Word of God. We are to get beyond the milk stage of our Christian experience. Nothing wrong with milk. Well, it has a lot of fat content in it. But milk is good. But it's pre-digested food. And it seems that so many Christians are satisfied with getting what others have digested. in their study. No, we are to read and feed upon the Word of God ourselves. We're to meditate on it and we are to allow it or the Holy Spirit of God to make it real in our life. Was it AP Pearson who pointed out something that we basically know that in eating our food there is a threefold exercise. First of all, there is appropriation. We must get the food. And we must dig into the good word of God, this precious food, spiritual food for us. We must appropriate it. There is appropriation. Then there is mastication. We are to chew our food. And they, whoever they are, tell us we are to chew every bite twenty-six times. And they tell us We're not to drink any liquids while we're eating our meal because the liquids that we drink will just wash down the body juices that God has supplied to help digest the food, which mixes with the food while we're chewing. Don't drink anything they tell us while you're chewing. Wait till you finish your meal, then drink your beverage and chew every bite twenty-six times. I wonder how many people do that. Well, there is mastication. We chew our food. We are to meditate. We are to meditate on the Word of God. In fact, the Word of God speaks of the Word not departing out of thy mouth. That involves meditation because when you look up the four or five words in the Bible that are brought over into our English meditate and meditation, they have the thought of murmuring and moaning and It means going over in the mind and even reciting out loud with a lips what you're chewing on. We are to feed on the word of God, mastication. And then there is assimilation. That is where the food goes into the system and it becomes part of us. And we are to feed upon the word of God so that it becomes part of us. This is our strength. The Lord Jesus said, Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. How do we learn of Christ? in the word of God. So the Lord Jesus is the supreme example. What is he thinking about at a time like that? Such agony, such discomfort. What is he thinking about? He's thinking about the word of God being fulfilled in his life. And he is our example. Lord, thy will be done. And we are to be without, we are to be sincere and without offense. We are to prove things that are excellent. We are to discern, to discriminate, not between, well, it calls for no discrimination, no discernment to judge between good and bad. Even the unsaved can tell you to some extent, maybe to a great extent, what's good and what's bad. But we're talking about judging between the good and the best. How are we going to prove what is excellent? I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable, your intelligent service, and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And the Word of God is vitally necessary in that process because it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit of God to take the things of Christ and reveal them unto us so that He can work with us and in us to conform us to the image of Christ. He's thinking about the Word of God. Now I want you to turn with me to Psalm one hundred and nineteen. And I turn to this portion because this chapter deals with The Great Word of God. Turn there, please, and I'm going to be just scanning over this entire chapter. Now, in saying that, now, maybe Kim's getting a little excited. He's thinking, wait a minute, Brother Eddie, now I come next. Well, I'll just scan over this. But this chapter of the Bible deals with the Great Word of God. Who wrote this chapter? Possibly David, we don't know for sure, but possibly David, it is the longest and said to be the most perfect of the Psalms. Now maybe you have wondered about all of these Hebrew words over every eight verses throughout this chapter. The Hebrew alphabet contains twenty two letters of course you know the english has twenty six from a to z unless you come from out of the united states and then it's a to z is that what you say in venezuela a to z okay well that's close but in the hebrew alphabet it's twenty two letters And in this Psalm we have twenty-two stanzas of eight verses each. Each stanza begins with a successive letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Here is an alphabetical acrostic from the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet to the last letter. Twenty-two letters in all. And in each stanza there are eight verses, so there is an eightfold alif. There is an eightfold bet. I believe the Jews pronounce it bait, but an eightfold bet. There is an eightfold gimbal, and so on, through every letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In thinking of the English alphabet, we would say, here in the first eight verses, we have an eightfold A dealing with the Word of God. and then an eighth-fold B, dealing with the Word of God. And so on, right on through the alphabet. In this case, it is the Hebrew alphabet. Now, in examining this book or this chapter, there are only three verses that do not mention the Word of God. Possibly four. I've put a question mark over verse one hundred twenty-one. But only three verses do not mention the Word of God. Verse ninety, verse one twenty-two, and verse one thirty-two. The theme of the book or the chapter is the great word of God. There are ten synonyms for the law or the word. And those synonyms are word, saying, way, testimonies, judgments, precepts, commandment, law, statutes, and faithfulness. Now here is a man, whether he is young or old, whether it's David or not, here is a man who has found the Word of God to be in his own experience, in his life, what the writer of Hebrews chapter four says it to be. For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even through the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and the marrow, soul, spirit and body, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And the man who wrote Psalm one hundred and nineteen found the Word of God to be what the writer of Hebrews states it to be. The Word of God is quick. That is, it's living. We were reminded in Ephesians chapter two this morning, you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins. You who have been made alive in Christ Jesus. The word quick means living. This blessed book, this precious word of God, this word of life is vibrant in its life. It is indeed a living book. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. It's the very breath of God. It's the out-breathing of God. It's life. And he found it to be vibrant in its life, because the Word of God is quick. This writer found the Word of God to be powerful, as the writer of Hebrews says. Powerful. That is vigorous in its actions. He found it to be vindictive in its judgment. It is a sword, a two-edged sword, cutting away all that Mars fellowship. I remember some time ago going through Marsh Harbor in Abaco for some meetings. I had been told that the customs officer was a Christian, so my luggage was over on one table and I had my attaché case with me. So he said to me, And he could see from the card that I was there to go to Man of War for some services. I'd be staying at the Gospel Chapel and so on. So he said, do you have any alcoholic beverages with you? I said, no. He said, do you have any tobacco products with you? I said, no. He said, do you have any weapons of any kind? Well, now you have to be very careful. you know, and carrying on some foolishness and being cute and funny in certain places. Here was my attache case right up on the counter and I said, well, I do have a weapon. He said, what kind of weapon? I said, the most powerful weapon in the world. He looked at me and he said, what is it? I said, it's a two-edged sword. He looked at me and he said, go ahead. That's exactly what he said. It is a two-edged sword, and the writer found it to be vindictive in its judgment. Piercing. The writer found the word of God to be violent in its operation. Piercing, even to the dividing asunder. He found it to be valuable in its revelation. It is a discerner of the thoughts an intense of the heart. One follows the other. Whatever you think about, whatever you think about, given the right opportunity, it's going to be worked out into action. Let's be careful what we think about. If there be any virtue, if there be any praise and so on, think on these things. But I'm getting into Ken's message now in Philippians four and eight. Think on these things. This blessed book is valuable in its revelation. It reveals the sinful heart. It reveals the steward's hope. Now there are three great passages in the New Testament. There are others but three great passages dealing with the Word of God. Second Timothy chapter three, verse sixteen, 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 might be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. And Second Timothy chapter three, verse sixteen, can be summed up by the word prophet. All Scripture is the out-breathing of God. Then there is second Peter chapter one, verse twenty one. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved, as they were born along by the Holy Spirit of God. And second Peter one twenty one is summed up by the word preeminence. And then we have Hebrews four and twelve, which is summed up by the word power. Did you hear about the man who had his New Testament rebound? And the binary couldn't put the wording on there, the New Testament. So they just put TNT on it. Well, maybe that was good, but this is not the kind of power that explodes and it's over with. Like the gospel message, it's the dynamo that continues to operate. I want you to look at Psalm. One hundred and nineteen. One hundred and nineteen. Now we're going to scan this very quickly. Now keep in mind here the Hebrew alphabet is used when God deals with the great word of God. So we have an eightfold alet. So in this first stanza, with the first letter of the alphabet, and I'm going to pick out one or two verses in each one of the stanzas, verses that I have chosen, that I think is in keeping with the suggested theme of that particular stanza. But you read the chapter for yourself, examine these verses carefully, and do your own study. But over chapter, over verse one, I have the blessedness of those who obey the word of God. And I mark verse two. But all of them, all the eight verses deal with this. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart. Come down to verse nine. The second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Cleansing through or by the word. Verse nine. Wherewith all shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto, according to thy word. Look at verse seventeen, the third letter. Quickening by the word. I mark verse seventeen. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live and keep thy word. Come down to verse twenty-five, the fourth letter. The uplift of the word. I mark verse twenty-eight. My soul melteth for heaviness. Strengthen thou me according unto thy word. Then verse thirty-three for the fifth letter. The power of the word. Verse thirty-nine is the one I marked. Turn away my reproach, which I fear. For thy judgments are good. Verse forty-one. Victory through the word. I marked verses forty-one and forty-two. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproaches me, for I trust in thy word. Verse forty-nine. Comfort through the word. Verse fifty. This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me. Come down to verse fifty-seven. Preservation through the Word. Now this was a little tough, but I did mark fifty-nine. Now maybe you'd want to mark another verse here. I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. Come down to verse sixty-five. The pricelessness of the Word. Verse seventy-two. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. Look at verse seventy-three. Testimony through the word. Verse seventy-nine. Let those that fear thee turn unto me and those that have known thy testimonies. Verse eighty-one. Affliction and the word. Verse eighty-three. For I am become like a bottle in the smoke, yet do I not forget thy statutes. Verse eighty-nine, the twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The eternal word. Verse eighty-nine, forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Come down to verse ninety-seven. Wisdom through the word. I mark verse ninety-eight. Thou, through thy commandments, hath made me wiser than mine enemies, for they are ever with me. Verse one oh five, the fourteenth letter. The word and the land. and light. Verse one hundred and five. Many of you can quote that. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Verse one thirteen, the fifteenth letter, the wicked and the word. Come down to verse one nineteen. Thou putest away all the wicked of the earth like draughts. Therefore I love thy testimonies. Verse one twenty one, sixteenth letter. Separation and deliverance through the word. Verse one-twenty-one. I have done judgment and justice. Leave me not to mine oppressors. And also down to verse one-twenty-six. It is time for thee, Lord, to work. For they have made void thy law. Look at verse one-twenty-nine. Communion through the word. Verse one-thirty-five. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant and teach me thy statutes. verse one thirty seven the eighteenth letter zeal for the word verse one thirty nine verses one thirty nine and one forty my zeal hath consumed me because my enemies have forgotten thy words thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it verse one forty five experience through the word and verse one fifty two concerning thy testimonies I have known of old that thou hast foundeth them forever. Verse one fifty-three, the twentieth letter, salvation through the word. Verse one fifty-five, salvation is far from the wicked, for they seek not thy statutes. Verse one sixty-one, the twenty-first letter, the perfection of the word, down to verse one sixty-five, great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. And the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, prayer and praise through the word, verses one seventy and one seventy one. Let my supplication come before thee. Deliver me according to thy word. My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes. The great word of God. And as Brother Warren Wiersby points out from this chapter in dealing with Psalm However you treat your Bible is a good indication as to how you treat the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to study the words. That's in verse ninety seven. Oh, how I love thy law, or I should say we should love the word of God, as he points out. We should love it. And as we see in verse one twenty eight, we should prize it highly. As we see in verse twelve, we should study it. As we see in verse fifteen, we should meditate on God's word. As we see from verse eleven, we should memorize it. Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. We should memorize it. As we see in verse forty-two, we should trust it. As we see from verse fifty-five, we should obey it. We should keep it. And as we see from verse thirteen, we should share it with others. The great word of God. But now isn't it interesting, as I thought about this some time ago and meditated upon it, I thought now why would God use the Hebrew alphabet in a chapter like this? In talking about the great word of God, why would he use the alphabet? Well that's interesting. And it brought to my mind the subject of language. I thought back to Genesis chapter eleven, at least up until that time when everyone spoke, one language. And because of the determination on the part of leaders of that day, in defiance against God, lest God were to bring about another judgment of the flood, they determined to build a tower whose top would reach to heaven. You know the story. God came down and confounded their language. So the people were separated according to the different languages. They gravitated to those who spoke the same. And so the people were... separated and eventually scattered over the face of the globe. And we have the different languages of the world. But I thought, now, isn't it interesting how God uses the alphabet when speaking of the Great Word of God? I thought about the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, I am Alpha and Omega. He is the Word of God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. The same was in the beginning with God. The Word was made flesh and dwelt or tabernacle among us. It sounds paradoxical to say, according to Hebrews chapter one, that God revealed certain areas of himself or certain aspects of himself. God revealed certain truths concerning himself by giving many words in the Old Testament days to the prophets who in turn spoke them to the people. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets has in these last days or at the end of the Old Testament days spoken unto us in sun. And it's paradoxical, isn't it, to think he reveals certain truths about himself by giving many words in the Old Testament days, but at the end of the Old Testament days, He has revealed Himself completely by giving one word. But that is exactly what He's done. Because the Lord Jesus Christ is the Word of God. He's the image, He's the icon, He's the visible expression of the invisible God. And this living Word is all about Him. And my brother and my sister in Christ, we are to be reading the Bible, we are to be meditating upon it, we are to be feeding on this Word of God for spiritual strength. And I do believe, though we acquire knowledge through the study of the Word of God, we acquire convictions through meditation. Maybe that's the reason we seem to be seeing quite a few Christians with few convictions nowadays. But in thinking of why God would use the alphabet in dealing with the great word of God, the alphabet is very interesting, isn't it? When I think of the Lord Jesus saying, I am alpha and omega, that's the first letter and the last letter of the Greek alphabet, it's another way of saying I am the first and the last, but in using the alphabet it's interesting. because it conveys to us he being the alpha and omega, the first and the last letter, he's all the other letters in between. What do you want to know about God? Draw from the alphabet, spell out the words. And the Lord Jesus Christ is the Word of God. He's the revealer of God. Draw from the alphabet. I don't know how many books there are in the library there in Washington. Millions. Maybe billions. But you know the alphabet is as fresh to the next writer who comes along as it ever has been. And the Lord Jesus Christ is the same way. He's inexhaustible, isn't he? Just as the alphabet is. But I believe this conveys to us that language was devised primarily by God in order that man might converse with God. Now let me pause right there because I'm anticipating your thinking. I realize as you do that God is not language conscious. Whether a person might speak in Spanish or whether a person might speak in Japanese or whatever the language is, in speaking to God, God understands. He's not language conscious. I realize that. But I believe it has to do with our growth and our development. I believe God has devised the alphabet so that we can use the alphabet in expressing our inmost thoughts to Him, not for His sake, but for our sake. and that we might converse with other people in using the alphabet to draw from the alphabet words to form sentences so that we can express ourselves to each other about God. And we have an enemy who is the God of this world influencing us more and more to rid God of our thoughts, of anything that we might say or write. And wherever we go and whatever we do, we are to equate all that we are and do to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to realize we are not our own. We are bought with a price. And as we live each day drawing from the alphabet devised by God, we are to do so with Christ in mind. What was the Lord Jesus Christ thinking about in his agony? In his discomfort he's thinking about the Word of God. Now you read over this Psalm and you will see whoever this writer was. Here is a man who is derided, oppressed, he is persecuted. He speaks about his bonds in verse sixty one. He is expecting death in verse one oh nine. And yet in all of this, what is he thinking about? He is Christ-like. He's thinking about the great Word of God. Oh, would to God, you, my brother, you, my sister, and I would do the same thing. In our day-by-day experience, in going about the various activities of the day and fulfilling our responsibilities, whatever they might be and wherever they would take us. Oh, that we might think about the great Word of God, because in doing so we are thinking about the Lord Himself. And we'll be thinking about what the Word of God means to us. Listen, when you go to Hebrews chapter four and verse twelve, for the Word of God, There it is the Word of God in its entirety. Okay? As Zig Ziglar says, I believe the Bible to be the Word of God from Genesis to the Maps. That's what he says. From Genesis to the Maps. In Hebrews four and twelve, it's the Word of God in its entirety. When we come to Ephesians chapter six, where we read about putting on the armor of God. That is comparable with what Paul says in Romans thirteen and fourteen, put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. But in Ephesians chapter six and verse seventeen, he says, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is, say it, the Word of God. But there it's not the Word of God in its entirety. It's not the Word of God in its entirety. There it's the sayings of God. And take the sword of the Spirit, which is the sayings of God. That is, we must be able to reach into the entire Word of God and to pull out an appropriate saying when it's time to do so. The Lord Jesus Christ did that, did he not? It is written! It is written!