Apply It!

Consider this modern-day parable about reading and applying the truth of the Bible to your life.

Are you familiar with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s classic 1987 book, “Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding”? (It’s available as a paperback in used condition on Amazon for $21.53 or hardback for $94.93.) Arnie’s impressive body-building photo is on the cover of the book.

Let’s pretend you gave me the book and said, “Pastor, I know you are exercising. You are trying to get in shape and I want you to take this book. The entire church family has decided to give you 6 months off just to become like this. We think it would be great to have a pastor that looked like Arnie.” I reply, “That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to read it!”

So I take 6 months off, and I come back and you are very excited to see me. The great day is finally here! You are anticipating that I will look like the photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger on the cover of the book, and I walk up and I look exactly the way I looked 6 months before. How disappointing!

You say, “Well, Pastor, didn’t you do this? Didn’t you read the book?”

“Yeah, I read the book. It’s my favorite book now. I love this book! I have read it 6 times, once each month. It’s amazing! In fact, I highlighted all the parts that moved me deeply. There were even parts about Arnie’s life that really made me cry. It was absolutely amazing! I also memorized 2 chapters on his workout plan; I can say it word for word. In fact, I can even tell you in the original language the word for “bicep”. I just studied this thing over and over. It’s my favorite book now.”

You might reply: “You mean, you didn’t go to the gym?”

“No, I didn’t go to the gym; I was too busy reading the book.”

“You didn’t change your diet?”

“No, I didn’t change my diet.”

“You’re telling me you didn’t do anything that’s in the book?”

“Well, I read and studied the book. I just love it. It’s so amazing!”

You would think that is silly, wouldn’t you? But that is what a lot of Christians do with the Bible. They go to Bible studies over and over. They attend church week after week and hear sermons. But they don’t put it into practice; they don’t apply the truths of Scripture to their life. They don’t live it out; it is not a Conviction in their life. You can know the Bible from cover to cover, but if you don’t live it out, you don’t really believe it.

Let’s not just be hearers of the Word, but doers also (James 1:22). Let’s read the Bible and apply its truths to our lives.

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This Sunday, June 1, we will continue our teaching series, “One Month to Live!” What if you knew you only had 30 days to live? What choices would you make? This Sunday? Leave Boldly! Build a Spiritual Legacy with these three materials: Convictions, Character, & Community. We will also share in Holy Communion. Please invite someone to join you in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream every Sunday to both locations and would love to have you join us.

Coming Up: “Girl Time Lunch & Fun” for all the ladies is Saturday, June 6, at 11:30am. Bring a friend or two and something delicious to add to the table. Pentecost Sunday is June 8 and we will celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the birth of the church (Acts 2). For those who are interested in Water Baptism, churches all across the island will gather that afternoon at 4pm at Magic Island for a great Baptize Hawaii event. Would you like to be part of it? The following Sunday, June 15, is Father’s Day and presbyter Terry Wong will be our special speaker that day.

Aloha ke Akua!