MARK 12:24 AND PSALM 119

THE POWER OF THE WORD

I'VE STOPPED BY THIS MORNING TO LET YOU KNOW THAT

WHATEVER IT IS THAT GOD PLANS TO DO IN YOUR LIFE, WHATEVER

MOUNTAINS HE WILL HAVE YOU TO CLIMB, WHATEVER RIVERS HE WILL

ENABLE YOU TO CROSS, HE WILL DO IT ESSENTIALLY THROUGH THE

WORD. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WHEN GOD GOT READY TO CREATE THE

WORLD, HE DID IT WITH THE WORD. YOU REMEMBER BACK IN GENESIS,

THE BIBLE PROCLAIMS THAT GOD SAID, LET THERE BE LIGHT, AND THERE

WAS LIGHT. THAT IS THE POWER OF HIS WORD. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT

HE HOLDS THIS WHOLE THING TOGETHER BY THE POWER OF HIS WORD.

IN JOB 38 AND 12, YOU HEAR GOD ASKING JOB, HAVE YOU EVER ONCE

COMMANDED THE MORNING TO APPEAR. TALKING ABOUT THE POWER

OF HIS WORD. THE BIBLE FURTHER TELLS US THAT WHEN HE GOT READY

TO SAVE MANKIND, HE DID IT THROUGH THE WORD. JOHN CHAPTER 1

AND VERSE 1, THE WRITER JOHN SAYS, IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE

WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD. HE

GOES ON TO SAY, THAT THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, AND DWELT

AMONG US, (AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, THE GLORY AS OF THE ONLY

BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER,) FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH. AND SO JESUS

RAISES A PROFOUND QUESTION IN OUR TEXT, HE ASKS, DO YE NOT

THEREFORE ERR, BECAUSE YE KNOW NOT THE SCRIPTURES, NEITHER THE

POWER OF GOD? THAT SAYS TO ME, THAT EVERY ERROR I MAKE IN LIFE,

EVERY MISTAKE OR FAILURE THAT COMES MY WAY, IS BECAUSE I DON'T

HAVE AN ADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORD OF GOD. BECAUSE

THE WORD IS INEXTRICABLY TIED UP WITH POWER. I CAN HAVE THE

POWER TO DEAL WITH THIS LIFE'S SITUATIONS, PROVIDED I KNOW THE

WORD. NOW I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO SOLELY DEPEND UPON

WHAT I SAY ABOUT THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD, I WANT TO PRESENT TO

YOU A WITNESS. IN THE 119TH NUMBER OF THE BOOK OF PSALMS, WE

FIND WHAT I CONSIDER, ONE OF THE GREATEST SONGS OF DAVID. EVERY

CHILD OF GOD OUGHT TO TAKE THE TIME, AND READ THIS PARTICULAR

PSALM. THERE IS NOTHING MAJESTIC ABOUT IT, NOTHING THAT AT FACE

VALUE THAT WILL CAUSE YOU TO BECOME EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO

IT. BUT IF YOU ARE ONE WHO IS LOOKING FOR MORE THAN MERE

EMOTIONALISM, IF YOU ARE ONE THAT HAS DETERMINED IN HIS OR HER

HEART THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE MORE THAN JUST A ZEAL OF GOD, YOU

WANT TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE, THEN THIS PARTICULAR TEXT WILL EXCITE

YOU. BECAUSE IT IS A SONG THAT GLORIFIES THE WORD OF GOD.

BEFORE YOU READ, YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT IT IS DIVIDED INTO

TWENTY-TWO PARTS, ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THE LETTERS OF

THE HEBREW ALPHABET. AND EACH PART, CONSIST OF EIGHT VERSES.

YOU ALSO NEED TO NOTE, THAT THERE ARE ONLY FIVE VERSES, OF ALL

OF THESE 176 VERSES THAT MAKE NO MENTION OF THE WORD OF GOD.

THROUGH READING THIS PSALM, YOU WILL FIND THAT THERE IS

CONSTANT REFERENCE MADE TO GOD'S WORD. DAVID REFERS TO THE

WORD OF GOD HERE AS HIS ORDINANCES, HIS STATUTES, HIS PRECEPTS,

HIS JUDGMENTS, HIS TESTIMONIES, HIS LAW, HIS TRUTH AND HIS WAY.

ALL OF THESE EXPRESSIONS ARE SYNONYMOUS TO GOD'S WORD. NOW

WE TOLD YOU, THAT DAVID DIVIDED UP THIS 119TH NUMBER OF PSALM

ACCORDING TO THE TWENTY-TWO LETTERS OF THE HEBREW ALPHABET.

HE DID THIS SO THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO REMEMBER AND RECITE

THIS PSALM. AND WITH EACH ALPHABET, DAVID TELLS US SOMETHING

DIFFERENT, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING FRESH, THAT WE CAN FIND IN

GOD'S WORD. YOU OUGHT NOT EVER GET TIRED OF READING IT, OR

HEARING IT, BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH IN HIS WORD. LET'S JUST LOOK

AT A FEW OF THE THINGS GOD MAKES AVAILABLE TO US THROUGH HIS

WORD. DAVID BEGINS UNDER THE FIRST ALPHABET BY SAYING BLESSED

ARE THE UNDEFILED IN THE WAY, WHO WALK IN THE LAW OF THE LORD.

THIS WORD BLESSED TRANSLATES FROM THE HEBREW AS HAPPY. DAVID

IS TELLING US, THAT IF WE WANT TO BE HAPPY, IF WE WANT TO WEAR A

SMILE INSTEAD OF A FROWN, IF WE ARE TIRED OF LOOKING GRUMPY AND

DISTASTEFUL, DAVID LET'S US KNOW THAT WE SHOULD BECOME

FAMILIAR WITH GOD'S WORD. THAT OUGHT TO BE A KEY TO YOU, IF

YOU'VE BEEN WONDERING WHY YOU CAN'T SEEM TO PRAISE GOD LIKE

OTHER FOLK PRAISE HIM. YOU GAVE UP ON PRAISING GOD, BY SAYING

THAT THAT'S JUST NOT FOR ME. BUT I REMEMBER A SONG THAT OUR

CHERUB CHOIR USED TO SING, IT SAID "EVERYBODY OUGHT TO PRAISE

THE LORD". DAVID DECLARED, LET EVERYTHING THAT HATH BREATH

PRAISE YE THE LORD. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR HAPPINESS, YOU'LL

FIND IT IN THE WORD OF GOD. THAT'S WHY DAVID WAS ABLE TO SAY IN

VERSE 7, " I WILL PRAISE THEE WITH UPRIGHTNESS OF HEART, WHEN I

SHALL HAVE LEARNED THY RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS." HE SAYS WITH

RESPECT TO THE NEXT ALPHABET, WHEREWITHAL SHALL A YOUNG MAN

CLEANSE HIS WAY? BY TAKING HEED THERETO ACCORDING TO THY

WORD. THAT TELLS ME MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THAT IF YOU'VE

BEEN LOOKING TO CLEAN UP YOUR DIRTY PAST, IF YOU'VE BEEN

SEEKING AND SEARCHING FOR A WAY, TO RENEW YOUR WAYWARD

COURSE, THEN YOUR ANSWER IS IN THE WORD OF GOD. THAT'S WHY HE

SAYS IN VERSE 11, THY WORD HAVE I HID IN MINE HEART, THAT I MIGHT

NOT SIN AGAINST THEE. SO THERE IS CLEANSING IN THE WORD. HE GOES

ON IN VERSE 17 UNDERNEATH THE CLOAK OF THE THIRD ALPHABET OF

THE HEBREW TONGUE, HE GOES ON TO SAY DEAL BOUNTIFULLY WITH

THY SERVANT, THAT I MAY LIVE, AND KEEP THY WORD. IN OTHER

WORDS, DAVID WAS SAYING GRANT ME A LONG LIFE, THAT I MAY BE

ABLE TO GLORY IN YOUR WORD. AND AT THE SAME TIME, HE'S TELLING

US THAT IF WE WANT TO HAVE LONG LIFE, WE'LL FIND IT IN GOD'S WORD.

HE SAYS IN VERSE 23, PRINCES ALSO DID SIT AND SPEAK AGAINST ME:

BUT THY SERVANT DID MEDITATE IN THY STATUTES. HE'S SAYING IN SO

MANY WORDS, THERE WERE THOSE, THAT USED TO GATHER AROUND

AND SPEAK AGAINST ME. THERE WERE THOSE, THAT USED TO

SCANDALIZE MY NAME. BUT THEY AREN'T AROUND NOW, AND I'M STILL

HERE, BECAUSE INSTEAD OF THROWING STONE FOR STONE, I STAYED IN

YOUR WORD. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET BACK AT THEM, AND GET

EVEN WITH THEM, DAVID SAYS LORD I STAYED IN YOUR WORD. SO

WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOU, STAY IN HIS WORD, WHEN PEOPLE

WOULD SET OUT TO DESTROY YOU, STAY IN HIS WORD. IF YOU WANT

LONG LIFE, YOU'LL FIND IT IN HIS WORD. BUT DAVID REALIZED, THAT IN

THIS LIFE, SOMETIMES WE WILL GET DISCOURAGED, BUT HE

DISCOVERED, THAT THERE IS REJUVENATION, THERE IS REVIVAL IN

GOD'S WORD. VERSE 25 HE SAYS MY SOUL CLEAVETH UNTO THE DUST:

QUICKEN THOU ME ACCORDING TO THY WORD. DAVID WAS SAYING

LORD I'M DOWN AND DEPRESSED, I'M IN A STATE OF DISCOURAGEMENT.

BUT AS DR. KING ONCE SAID, SOMETIMES I FEEL DISCOURAGED AND FEEL

THAT MY WORK'S IN VAIN, BUT THEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES AND

REVIVES MY SOUL AGAIN. REVIVAL IN HIS WORD. UNDER THE NEXT

ALPHABET, YOU'LL FIND THAT THERE IS INSTRUCTION OR KNOWLEDGE

IN GOD'S WORD. DAVID SAYS TEACH ME, O LORD, THE WAY OF THY

STATUTES; AND I SHALL KEEP IT UNTO THE END. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR

A PLAN, IF YOU WANT A BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVING. YOU'LL

FIND IT IN THE WORD. PUT THE HOROSCOPE DOWN, AND LOOK TO THE

WORD. SAVE WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING ON TELEPHONE CALLS, TO SOUL

PSYCHICS AND PSYCHICS TO THE STARS AND DIAL UP THE NUMBER FOR

GOD'S WORD. SOMEBODY SAID 1 FOR THE FATHER, 1 FOR THE SON, AND 1

FOR THE HOLYGHOST. THAT'S ALRIGHT BUT SOMETIMES IT'S 1 FOR IN

THE MORNING, AND SOMETIMES IT'S 1 FOR AT NOONDAY, AND

SOMETIMES IT'S 1 FOR LATE IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR. SOMETIMES IT'S 1

FOR WHEN YOU'RE UP, AND 1 FOR WHEN YOU'RE DOWN, AND 1 FOR

ALMOST LEVEL TO THE GROUND. WHATEVER IT STANDS FOR, IF YOU

NEED INSTRUCTION, IF YOU NEED KNOWLEDGE, DIAL UP THE WORD OF

GOD. SO YOU CAN FIND HAPPINESS IN HIS WORD, YOU CAN FIND

CLEANSING IN HIS WORD, YOU CAN FIND LIFE IN HIS WORD, YOU CAN

FIND REJUVENATION IN HIS WORD, YOU CAN FIND INSTRUCTION IN HIS

WORD. AND I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH ALL 22 OF THESE

ALPHABET, BUT HE GOES ON AND LETS US KNOW THAT WE CAN FIND

MERCY IN HIS WORD, HOPE IN HIS WORD, BLESSINGS IN HIS WORD,

JUDGMENT IN HIS WORD (NOT GOING TO JUDGE BASED UPON THE CIVIL

CODE OR THE CRIMINAL CODE, THE ONLY CODE HE'LL USE IS HIS WORD.

YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT GOD IS GOING TO JUDGE US BY HIS WORD.

HIS WORD WILL BE THE PROSECUTION, AND HIS WORD WILL BE THE

DEFENSE, HIS WORD WILL BE THE JUDGE AND THE JURY. THE VERDICT IS

IN HIS WORD, THE SENTENCE IS IN HIS WORD. BUT NOT ONLY IS THERE

JUDGMENT, DAVID LETS US KNOW THAT THERE IS UNDERSTANDING IN

GOD'S WORD, SALVATION IN HIS WORD, FAITHFULNESS IN HIS WORD,

WISDOM IN HIS WORD, STRENGTH IN HIS WORD, A HIDING PLACE IN HIS

WORD, JUSTICE IN HIS WORD, DELIVERANCE IN HIS WORD,

RIGHTEOUSNESS IN HIS WORD, A LISTENING EAR IN HIS WORD,

REDEMPTION IN HIS WORD, PEACE IN HIS WORD, A HELPING HAND IN HIS

WORD. WHATEVER YOU NEED FROM THE LORD, YOU'LL FIND IT IN HIS

WORD. BECAUSE HE AND HIS WORD ARE ONE. HIS WORD IS A LAMP

UNTO MY FEET, AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH. WELL, I'M GLAD THAT

DAVID KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT GOD'S WORD. BUT MY BROTHERS AND

SISTERS, WE HAVE MORE OF GOD'S WORD THAN DAVID DID. SO THAT

TELLS ME THAT WE OUGHT TO HAVE EVEN A GREATER TESTIMONY

ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD THAN DAVID HAD. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IN

DAVID'S DESCRIPTION OF WHAT GOD'S WORD MEANT TO HIM, HE HAD

ONLY 22 ALPHABET'S TO DEAL WITH, BUT WE HAVE 26. SO AGAIN, WE

OUGHT TO HAVE A GREATER TESTIMONY ABOUT GOD'S WORD. AND I

COULD JUST HEAR DAVID, AS HE SPOKE TO ME FROM THE PAGES OF THE

TEXT, I COULD HEAR HIM SAYING SO YOU THINK, YOU HAVE A GREATER

TESTIMONY OF GOD'S WORD THAN I DO. WELL, LET ME REV. LET ME PUT

YOU TO THE TEST. LET ME CALL OUT YOUR ALPHABET, AND LET'S SEE

HOW GOD'S WORD WEIGHS OUT WITH YOU.

A -- AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO

THEM THAT LOVE GOD TO THOSE THAT ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS

PURPOSE.

B -- BLESS THE LORD OH MY SOUL, AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME BLESS

HIS HOLY NAME.

C -- CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART OH GOD, AND RENEW A RIGHT SPIRIT

WITHIN ME.

D -- DELIGHT THYSELF IN THE LORD, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU THE

DESIRES OF THINE HEART.

E -- EVERY GOOD AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT COMES FROM GOD.

F -- FRET NOT THYSELF BECAUSE OF EVIL DOERS, NEITHER BE THOU

ENVIOUS AGAINST THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY FOR THEY SHALL SOON BE

CUT DOWN.

G -- GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN THE

TIME OF TROUBLE.

H -- HEAR OH ISRAEL THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE, AND THOU SHALT LOVE

THE LORD WITH ALL THY HEART, MIND, SOUL AND STRENGTH.

I -- IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD,

AND THE WORD WAS GOD.

J -- JUDGE NOT THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED.

K -- KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE.

L -- LIFT UP YOUR HEADS OH YE GATES, EVEN LIFT THEM UP YE

EVERLASTING DOORS AND THE KING OF GLORY SHALL COME IN.

M -- MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO THE LORD ALL YE LANDS, SERVE THE

LORD WITH GLADNESS.

N -- NO MAN HAVING PUT HIS HAND TO THE PLOUGH AND LOOKING BACK

IS FIT FOR GOD'S KINGDOM.

O -- O GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD.

P -- PRAISE YE THE LORD.

Q -- QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT.

R -- RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST.

S -- STAND STILL AND SEE THE SALVATION OF OUR LORD.

T -- THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH

THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES, THEY SHALL RUN AND

NOT GET WEARY, THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT.

U -- UNTO THEE OH LORD DO I LIFT MY VOICE.

V -- VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.

W -- WAIT ON THE LORD AND BE OF GOOD COURAGE, HE WILL

STRENGTHEN THINE HEART.

X -- EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD THE HOUSE, THEY LABOUR IN VAIN THAT

BUILD IT.

Y -- YEA THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF

DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL.

Z -- ZACCHEUS COME ON DOWN.

I'VE SEEN THE LIGHTNING FLASHING, & I'VE HEARD THE THUNDER ROLL,

I'VE FELT SINS BREAKERS DASHING, TRYING TO CONQUER MY SOUL.