God Changes People Through His Word One by One - Dennis McCleod, CFI-New Zealand

July 11, 2025

Dennis McLeod, New Zealand

Blessings from a wet and cold day, but the Word can warm a heart at any time, correct? The area where I was in America is where the horrific floods occurred. In Gaza, young soldiers continue to fall, and street riots are continuing in several countries. We live in perilous times, so maybe we should be spending more time on our knees and less time on our feet, just a thought. The Word of God is beyond question, so when the world is falling apart, His word can hold us together, praise His name, yes?

Many Blessings,

Dennis McCleod

God Changes People Through His Word One by One

There has been much said about the Bible, especially the fact that it has been the best-selling book ever since the invention of the printing press, year after year. Millions of copies, in nearly every language of the world, have been spread from nation to nation, from person to person. In Africa, in many cases, there may be but one Bible in a church, where it is being read until it falls apart. In the West, there may be a Bible for every person in the household, gathering dust on some lonely bookcase hidden away in the dark corner of the room. 

I left a Bible on the table in a church, so people could come and read when they had time. There were no doors or windows, just holes where they should be, so the Bible had to be stored at night to prevent it from being destroyed by roaming wild animals. I heard later that one of the local chiefs came every day to read the scriptures; after doing this for a while, he accepted Jesus as his Lord. Being an influential chief, what effect did his acceptance have on the rest of the people in his village?

 

With the coming of God’s Word, the greatest word ever extolled to the people of the world. Whole societies have been changed from just one word of scripture. My life was saved by using the name of Jesus at a man wanting to cave my skull in with a rock. They say the teachings from the word of God, by John Wesley, stopped a French-like revolution in England. 

A Chinese Pastor spent eighteen years in prison for preaching the Gospel. While he was incarcerated, his people tore pages from a Bible and passed them around, yes, just one page of a Bible, and revival happened. Where the authorities tried to squash the Word of God, the Church grew to many thousands, just by reading a few scriptures and through prayer. [James 5:16-17]

 

An army recruit in Russia was mocked and bullied for reading his Bible, but nothing could stop the Holy Spirit working in that young man’s life. One evening, the Lord even took him to Heaven. When he woke in the morning, he was standing by his bed, but still thought it had just been a dream, until a colleague asked him where he had been last night. When he asked why, he was told because he wasn’t in his bed during the night. He looked down at his bed, and it had not been slept in.

 

As the days passed, the beatings and abuse continued, but his reading of God’s word endured through the harsh punishment. Nothing they did could stop him from reading his most precious possession, his Bible. Then, finally, the government had a gang set upon him, and sadly, he died. His actions and the actions of the authorities were observed by all the members of the camp, which housed around 2000 soldiers. This alarmed the senior people, who saw and knew the testimony of the young soldier. He was able to bear all the attacks because of his faith in the Word of God. 

The scriptures gave him the strength to stand firm within the promises he knew from his daily readings. Without hesitation, regardless of the consequences, he accepted death, rather than deny his Lord. The government decided to break up the camp so the word would not spread, and no two soldiers would be sent to the same camp. Because of the young man’s devotion to the Word, two thousand soldiers were scattered throughout Russia, who had witnessed the actions of someone who gave his life, rather than deny his Lord, and there many did relate the story.

 

This is the power that we all have at our disposal. How well do we know that power, its inspired thoughts, its meaning behind every word, every dot, and stroke that Jesus said would never change? [Matthew 5:18] It is the light to our feet, it’s the lamp that guides us through the dangers of life, [Psalm 119:105] it can lift our spirits in the storms, [Mark 4:35-41] or calm the waters that are about to drown us in the worries of the world. [Isaiah 59:19] When Moses held up the Rod, the battle went well; when it was lowered, things turned for the worse. [Exodus 17:11] 

The word Rod in Hebrew is also known as an item of authority, a shepherd's staff, a help in guiding the flock. When the waters blocked their way, Moses stretched out the Rod to guide the way, which obviously exercised great power, and God parted the sea for them to cross on dry land. [Exodus 14:21-29] Holding the Bible high has the same power as it must, being the word of God. His word page after page, orders, [Exodus 20:1-21] instructions, [Psalm 32:8-9] correction, [Hebrews 12:7-10], and promises, [Matthew 28:20], the information needed to lead us home to be with the Father. 

No other item, person, or writing can give us the same hope. [John 14:6] The joy on the faces and in the hearts of people who have longed to have just one Bible, in their hands for the first time, is something to behold. I once went through a terrible incident, collapsed in a chair, and I asked Penny to bring me a Bible. Opening it,  I started to read, can’t remember where, I just read until my heart stopped thumping in my chest, and the tears ceased flowing, just reading the words settled my spirit. Jesus said, "Come to me, all who are heavy laden" [Matthew 11:28]. What promises we miss by not opening the pages of His Word. 

 

Lord help us to open our Bibles daily, meditate on them, and accept all there is within the pages for our benefit, that will guide us in all situations, to help us and be our guiding light in the name of Yeshua. Amen. John 17:20-26

           

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