God’s Punctuation

Being Careful to Quote it accurately

Quota

tion

Marks

“I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

President RICHARD M. NIXON

When God says it…

It is important to get it right !

Exactly and

Precisely

Review - Don’t put a:

PERIOD where God puts a COMMA

COMMA where God puts a PERIOD

THE ELLIPSIS …

GOD IN HIS MERCY LEAVES OUT MANY DETAILS ABOUT HIS

CALLING

THE APOSTROPHE OF POSSESSION

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will

save it.

Mark 8:35

WHAT BELONGS TO GOD ?

Your Life

Your Career

Your Possessions

Your Reputation

Your Future

God will not be a debtor to any man

There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,

Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

Luke 18:29-30

When God says it…

It is important to get it right

Best Known Misquote

(SATAN ASKS), hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

GENESIS 3:2-3

Eve ADDED TO God’s Command

What God actually said –

“Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt

surely die.

Her Misquote –

God hath said, ‘Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’”

Adding to God’s Word -

Is as bad as taking away from it.

“See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.”

Deuteronomy 12:32

Greatest Battle for Truth

Hath God Said …?

Still a battle today !

Jesus upbraided Religious People

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Mark 7:7-9

Traditions often:

Diminish God’s truth

Add to it

Or

Contradict it

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

Isaiah 29:13

Ancient Jewish rendering…

“They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”

Isaiah 29:13 Hebrew; Septuagint

God has Preserved ACCURACY

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.

MATTHEW 5:18

GOD CONTINUES TO GUARD HIS WORD

Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it.

JEREMIAH 1:12

NOTHING MORE PRECIOUS

Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

PSALM 138:2

Prediction of Peter’s Martydom

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

John 21:18-19

Jesus knew He would be Misunderstood

(Peter asked) “What shall this man (John) do?”

Jesus saith unto him, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.”

Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet

Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to

thee? John 21:21-23

WHAT IT ACTUALLY SAYS

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:$

WHAT IT ACTUALLY SAYS

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

ROMANS 12:19

Most Profitable Exercise

Memorizing God’s Word