In our neighborhood, and I suspect in yours, in October the kids put on costumes and go trick-or-treating. Most kids wear the mask of their favorite comic book hero to hide their identity and hopefully get a treat.

The sad thing is that many of us adults do the same type of thing. We put on the mask of a pious Christian. We go to church on Sunday. We say all the right things. We pretend to be faithful. We pretend to be a “good Christian.”

The apostle Paul attacked this imitation of Christian living. In 2 Corinthians, he says that “unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity like men (and women) sent from God.” Paul is telling us to take off our masks. To stop trying to deceive others. To stop trying to cover up our sins.

God can see through the masquerade that keeps us from walking openly with Him. It’s only when we open our hearts and allow Christ to make us the kind of people He wants us to be that we can stop pretending to be someone we’re not and truly let the world see Christ through us.

This week we’ve talked about the importance of knowing God’s Word as you step out in faith to reach your world. We learned that you don’t have to be a scholar to witness, but God’s word will give you a passion for the lost, power in your speech, joy in your life, and a standard to live by. The last thing I want to tell you about the Bible is that in reading it, and getting to know it well, you will find great blessing.

Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Reading the Bible is not a chore. It’s not something you are forced to do either. It’s something we are privileged to do- and it is a joy. If we meditate on God’s word often, we will be blessed. It’s not we might be blessed, the scriptures say we will be blessed.

And if the Bible says something will happen, you can count on it. I’ve found this to be true in my own life, and I know you will too. Read your Bible today, and as you’re blessed, go out and bless others.

Throughout my years in ministry, I’ve heard from many people that if I had their mother-in-law I wouldn’t feel so victorious, or if I was married to their wife, I wouldn’t feel so optimistic.

We all have difficult circumstances, but it is important to saturate our hearts and minds with the Bible- this helps us maintain the proper perspective. One glorious truth of the Bible is that nothing and no one can take away the power of Christ in you. Regardless of what’s going in our lives, we are headed for Heaven and there is no greater joy than that.

St. Paul writes in Romans, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”

There is authority and power in the everlasting truth of the Bible. When you share the scriptures with others, it isn’t some opinion- it is God’s Word. If you are a follower of Jesus- don’t keep it to yourself. Tell anyone and everyone who will listen.

Get to know the scriptures well. Read them often. As you read you will find your passion for the lost renewed. The more you learn about the Lord Jesus the more you’ll want to tell people. Try it today, won’t you? Reach out and discover the joy that comes with knowing God’s Word.

You know, these days, it seems nothing is absolute anymore. Malcolm Muggeridge said that the greatest problem of our day is not political or economic but it is “the loss of a sense of moral order.” It is so exciting to me, that as followers of Jesus we have an absolute standard to live by.

This absolute standard is God’s Word to mankind- the Bible. The Bible is without error. You can trust it 100%. It is the inspired Word of God. If we don’t think God is big enough to create a book without error, then we serve too small a god. God absolutely can create a perfect book and He did.

The Bible says of itself in Second Timothy that “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Isn’t this exciting? The more we read the Bible, the better equipped we are to reach our world. When we live our lives in light of the scriptures, we live based on unchanging, absolute truth.