The Indians initially welcomed
them, but as more immigrant families encroached on native territory, hostility
grew and the Whitman family along with 14 others were murdered.
Amazingly, the missionary work and
the Bible's message survived the crisis in Indian-white relations. In the words
of one of the Mohaves' elderly chiefs from that time: “When you read out
of that Book I know it is God's Book, for it pulls my heart.”
Often the biggest leaps of faith come from internalizing the fact
that in the English language, the King James Bible—and only the King James
Bible—is God's masterpiece as both the Book's author and editor.
Absolutely every single line of
His unparalleled epic volume of work—down to the last "jot and
tittle," as Matthew 5:18 says—reveals His full intention as the supreme
Artist behind it.
There's not one word that's not
the precise word He meant to use and He's placed every word exactly where He
meant it to be. Each of the 66 books is ordered with the same meticulousness.
Here is a testimony from
Preacher Richard Jordan about his personal approach to studying the Bible:
"If you take your Bible
this literally, and you don't say it's anthropomorphic expressions, and that
it's wonderful words but it isn’t really real because it's so far beyond you . .
. You’re never going to understand God, be able to explain God and all, but
God’s a Spirit.
"God has created a universe
in which to manifest His glory, and if His glory can't be manifested so that
you can comprehend it as best that you can comprehend it, then it isn't real.
“So the fact that He has deigned to condescend Himself to
manifest Himself to us, and to speak to us in terms that we can understand,
means the things He's communicated to us are real and you don’t need
this Neoplatonism where, 'It's these words but it's not real;
it's just this shadow-on-the-wall kind of stuff.'
“That's just a bunch of
superstitious stuff. I don't care if the best
brains of the last 1,000-1,500 years says it's true, it's still just nonsense. But I know that when you take your Bible literally, it's like you climb out on a
limb and pretty soon you're so far out on that limb that people look at you and
say, 'You're nuts, man, that thing's going to fall out from under you.'
“You know that thing is
strong and steady and it holds you up. Years ago, I used to paint and I used to
watch guys climb up a 40-ft. ladder. I climbed up a 40-ft ladder to the end of
it one time, and painted a little while and came down, and told the guy I was
working with, 'You know, now I know why painters are either drunks or crazy.
You either got to be drunk or nuts to go up that ladder twice and you wouldn't
get me up in one again.'
“But you understand, I know
what it's like to kind of be out on a limb. I used to watch Mr. Mackey climb up
that ladder, fully extended 40-ft ladder, and then he'd bounce that ladder
across the building. Literally walk that ladder. I could do that with a
20-footer, but man, I wasn't going to do it with a 40-footer!
“Nothing to hang on up there
and, man, it's a long way to the ground. But after you do it awhile you gain a
confidence and that's sort of what it is when you read these verses.
After you study it 25-30
years you won't find it's quite so nutty."
This is obviously where it's at
when you consider God Himself consistently stresses in His Book that we are to
fully, wholly take Him at His Word, knowing it's His truth and He's a God who
cannot lie.
When Jesus Christ said in
Matthew 4:4, "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," He was revealing how
He Himself conducted His life day by day. It was by TOTAL, 100% reliance on
God's Word.
(new article tomorrow)
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