Rightly Dividing The Word - Part 2 - How to Rightly Divide the Word?

Hello, this is Mike Kennedy with The Living and Victory Broadcast. We're going to continue our series. This is part two on Rightly Dividing the Word. We're still establishing a foundation for this series. So join your faith with me, Heavenly Father. We come to you, asking you for revelation, asking you for light. Help me express the truth in your Word to rightly divide your Word that we would grow in stature, revelation. Father, we thank you for it in the name of Jesus. Amen. It is vital to know the truth of the Word because there's a direct correlation between understanding Scripture and experiencing victory over darkness in our lives. And I want you to experience victory. That's what Jesus came. That's why He came, why He died on the crosses for us to experience victory, to experience abundant life to the overflow, amen? See, if we believe the wrong things, we will live the wrong way. But if we believe the right things, we live in victory. We overcome Hallelujah with eternal life. Darkness exists in lies, half-truths, confusion, strife. Partial truth. That's why we must rightly divide the Word and understand the truth behind it, what the Word says. Subtle deviations or errors can be deadly spiritually and naturally. Many of the doctrines and churches have come over time where we slowly get off, where partial truths are very subtle deviations have been allowed to come in. You probably have some in your life. I know I, through this study, I have found areas where I have deviated just a little bit, misunderstood something. So in this series, we're trying to rightly divide the Word and find out some of those things that have been misinterpreted. Not that I know everything. Paul, the apostle who wrote two-thirds

of the New Testament, he said, "I know in part." That means I know in a piece of a piece of a piece of part. But in this series, I am trusting God that we will all grow and light. Amen? The scripture that we're going to base the series on is Mark 713 and 2 Timothy 2.5. Mark 713 says, "Making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down in many such things you do." Traditions are handed down. I know there were things handed down from my pastors as growing up that they got from their leaders, their parents, their grandparents, from people in my family that were not correct. Their hearts were right. They got part of it correct. I'm not judging. I'm saying some of it wasn't correct. Just like some of my ideas were not correct. Amen? Many of these subtle traditions, or man's ideas, have crept into the church resulting in a church not obtaining the desired destination, not living in victory and having the power, the miracle manifestations that the Lord wants us to have, not living in victory, not having protection, peace and joy. Amen? Many of these have come due to ignorance, not knowing. Some of them have come due to ignoring what the Word says because we didn't understand it or were too stiff neck, too stubborn to listen, to read the Word, to believe the Word, or due to us just saying, "Well, that's not what I've experienced."

We want to build up our faith to what the Word says, not base it on our experience, but base it on the Word of God and let God bring us up. Amen? The Word, no effect. That means no power, no results. I want the power in the results of the Word of God in my life. And in 2 Timothy 2, 15, be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. We need to rightly divide this Word wonder-working power of God in our life. Amen? So as I mentioned in the first message we're going to go over things like Paul's thorn in his side. The Lord giveth and the Lord takeeth away. God is in control. God needs another angel in heaven. Certain things that we have learned to either say or they become doctrines are that are just happy sayings for people because they don't really understand what's going on and what the Word says. There's three things that we need to ask regarding study in the Bible. Who said it? Who did they say it to? What is the context? What are they speaking about? Don't just take a piece of a scripture. Take the whole context and understand what God is saying. Amen? Everything in the Bible was said but not all of it is truth. Not all of it is God speaking. Amen? Matthew 22-29 says Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken not knowing descriptions nor the power of God." As I mentioned in the first message the King James says, "You do air." It means to go astray, to make mistakes. Ignorance will carry you off course. Amen? Not paying attention will carry you off course. I talked about the Korean airlines that was off a few degrees and the first message and how they got into Russian airspace, Soviet Union airspace and the Soviet Union blew them out of the sky deadly over a few degrees. I talked about how whenever I'm taking off flying if I'm a few degrees off for hours heading over the North Atlantic going from New York to Jerusalem how you could end up in Iraqi airspace. Not good. Over a duration you get farther

and farther off and that opens up the door to the enemy. We don't need to be ignorant to the things of God or to His Word. He gave us His Word and we're supposed to study it. Amen? The Sadducees didn't even believe in the afterlife. Why are you going to church if you don't even believe in life after death? Go party. Have a good time if this is all there is but there is so much more. This life is the shortest thing you and I will ever do but the rewards that we get in heaven are based on some of the things we do in this life. We're not saved by works but our rewards are based on our works. Amen? They did not know the truth so they did not experience the power of God, the blessings of God. So that's why we're getting into the Word here so that we can recognize what the Word says. Apply it to our lives. Be doers of it. Amen? There are things that have been taken out of the Word. Hold denominations have taken out part of Romans. They say well some of that's not in love so they take out parts of the Bible. That's ungodly. No God said it. It's true. Now if God didn't say it just because it's in here we're going to talk about Job and some of the things in Job that were said but God didn't say him. Amen? You know we need to at times be shaken up, stirred up to get back on course because if we speak truth and love it sets free. It helps us grow up as a pilot. There's times where I need to make a drastic change not concerned about whether or not the people in the back are going to get their coffee spilled. If I'm about to hit a mountain you want me to put that in a 45 degree turn, a 15 degree ramp up, climb up as fast as we can and miss that mountain. Amen? We can clean up that coffee later but we're alive. So let's get into the Word. Get on course. Make sure we don't hit a mountain. Amen? We don't want to add to the Word. We don't want to ignore it. We don't want to take away from it. Revelations 22-18 in 19 it says, "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to these things God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book and if anyone takes away from the words of this book of this prophecy God shall take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city and from things which are written in the book. It's not okay to come up with your own ideas, modify or add to the Bible.

It's God's Word. It's holy. Amen? back in England, but it's man's translation. And there are different translations of the Bible that may show it in a different aspect. Some of them are not completely correct because men are involved. John 20 verse 9 says, "For as yet they did not know the Scripture, he must rise again from the dead." Well, I believe he's rising from the dead. I know it. I believe in him in my heart. His Word says it. Amen. If you don't believe in the power of God, you don't believe in miracles. You don't believe in some of the things that the Word says. Some people say, "Ah, times have changed." That's old school, or that was just for the New Testament Church. We're in the New Testament Church. The book of Acts is still being written. You and I are in the Word of God, still being written if you are a child of God. Acts of the Church. Amen. We need to believe in what the Word says regarding speaking in tongues, miracles, power. Amen. Don't just believe in salvation. Salvation is the greatest miracle there is. If it wasn't for salvation, you and I would not have eternal life. But included in what Jesus did on the cross, we have healing. We have salvation. We have miracles. Amen. One friend told me that his wife died of cancer. So healing, provision, was not for today. God was too busy to be concerned about people's lives. No, the Word says he knows every hair on our head. If he knows every head, if he's keeping track of that, I lost one today. If he's keeping track of how many I've got, it's not that he has too much on his plate. We need to build up our faith and trust him and experience today, man. Hallelujah. I know God does miracles today. He's done it in my life. Whenever I was drag racing on the pro circuit, Harley Davidson, when I hit the wall and was life-flighted, he did a miracle in my life. It's documented by the Baylor Medical Center. They even said, we don't understand it. It's a higher power. Yes, it's God. Hallelujah. He brought me out. John 831, then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free, shall make you free." Not that you will just act free. It will make you free. Triple A, double A. Alcoholics Anonymous works this way. You must admit the truth. Amen? God's word is truth. John 17, 17 says, "Sanctify them by your truth." Your word is truth. This is truth. Amen? And everything we believe should be lined up with what's in the word of truth. Amen? It sets you free. Well, you must know the truth to be set free by the truth. Amen? Truth all around us. Everywhere we turn, there is truth, but people reject it. People deny to believe it. Amen? They don't know it,

and it does nothing for them. Amen? Third John forces, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." That's what we're talking about today is what the truth really is so that we can walk in it, rightly dividing the word of truth, not watering it down, not making the tradition where there's no power in it in our lives. Oh, there's still power in the word of God, but it's not working in our lives unless we believe the truth that is written in the word. Amen? Turn with me over to 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 7. We're going to talk about Paul's thorn in his side. 2 Corinthians 12, 7 says, "Unless I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure." A lot of people over time have taken this out as a thorn in the flesh. See, Paul was given by God a disease. No, it says right here in this scripture, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan. A messenger of Satan who gave it to him, Satan gave it to him. And what was it? A messenger. Somebody who's been led by Satan to annoy. Anybody had somebody like that in their life? said, "Oh, this is this thorn in the flesh. That's a disease." No. What was going on here is Paul in previous verses. It clearly stated Paul had an abundance of revelation. He just learned about the third heaven. This angered Satan. Satan tried to persecute him and harass him to keep him down so that he didn't express what the truth was, what the word said. That's why Satan brought him a messenger. Amen? Messenger of Satan is an evil spirit, a demon, not sickness. God did not send it. For God to send a demon, he'd have to work with Satan. That's the enemy of God. If it was sickness, which it wasn't, but even to put sickness on someone, God doesn't have sickness. It's not in him. It's not in heaven. There is no sickness in heaven. He had to go to the creator of it. Satan, due to sin, that gave Satan access into our lives and get sickness from him. He doesn't even have that ability. Amen? That comes from the enemy of our soul. The messenger was the thorn. Amen? That would be a house divided against itself. If Satan and God had to work together against Paul, that would be a house divided against itself, and a house divided against itself will not stand. Amen? But the word of God has stood is standing today. Amen? Hallelujah. Many think it was a physical attack because in Galatians 6, 11, it talks about an eye disease, and Paul said that he had to write in big letters. No, he wrote in big letters, not because of an eye disease. He wrote in big letters to make it important. Anybody ever send a text or write a letter? I love you in big capital letters or thank you. They're expressing something serious,

something important. You get to leave in directions for something, and it's turn right. Don't go straight. You go off the cliff. Turn right. You want that in big, bold letters. Big letters mean it's important, not that it's an eye disease. And some people have taken this scripture where it says that it was big letters and interpreted that because he couldn't see. It says nothing about him having a disease, nothing about him not being able to see. He said that he wrote a letter to them in big letters. The physical attack in Galatians 6, 11, was from being stoned at the attempted murder that happened in the book of Acts. It's like saying pain in the neck. What was going on here is he wasn't saying he was attacked with a physical disease. He was given a messenger from Satan that was a pain in the backside, a pain in the neck, not due to some attack, not from God, from Satan as far as a physical disease. It was something that was a pain that was annoying to him that was disruptive to his meetings. Amen. Do you remember in Luke chapter 9 verse 53 where Jesus and the disciples walked into a city, they were on their way to Jerusalem and they were rejected. Jesus himself was rejected. That's still going on today, but James and John saw this and they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them just like you did? Take them out." Oh, that'd have been cool to see. No, that wouldn't have been love at all. Jesus came in love and mercy. He wants to set people free to draw them in, not to take them out. Amen. Verse 55 of Luke 9, 53 of Luke chapter 9 says, "But he turned and rebuked them." Who did he rebuke? James and John for wanting to call down fire. They couldn't have done it without God directing them to anyway, they didn't have that power. So they had gotten a little bit off as well as a little bit arrogant. "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them, and they went to another village." The same thing goes on here. Paul knew where it was coming from, so he asked God three times to take away this messenger. Well, first of all, God wasn't upset that he asked. We're not supposed to just go to asking God whenever it's an attack from Satan, knowing first of all that God's grace will bring us through. He is merciful. His strength will bring us through. He will get glory in it. But we also have authority down. These two disciples James and John did not expect to see rebuke from Jesus they expected to see power come forth. Back to 2 Corinthians chapter 12.

It goes on in verse 8 saying, "Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is made perfect in weakness.' You know whenever I was attacked with a situation in my colon with internal bleeding, there's times where I'm like, 'Lord, I just want to quit.' And this came back to me, this scripture, his grace is sufficient. I would still go on business trips. Harley could even walk upstairs at times. But I kept saying, 'I'm healed. I'm strong. I'm quick. I'm not a quitter.' His grace is sufficient for me and he brought me through that. As I went, I was healed. Hallelujah. Restored. Mmm. Thank you, Father." It goes on to say, "Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Oh, you may say, "There it is, the word infirmities. Let's go to Greek and find out what that word says." The Greek word here for infirmities. It means sickness. No, it does not. That's just what man's traditions have said. The word here in Greek means weakness. "Though I boast in my weakness that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Well, if his power rests upon us, we're quick and we're strengthened.

Amen? If we've got a disease and that power rests upon us, that disease we are delivered from it. He bought and paid for our healing hallelujah. We need to receive it, take it by faith, not that he's got the grace just to keep it on us and we can make it through. No, we can be set free from it, healed from it. Amen? So why is he given thanks to God? Thanks leads to victory. It causes us to triumph, amen, where pride comes before or fall. It's a stumbling block where thanks releases the power of God. Second Corinthians 12-10 says, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, or in my weakness, and reproaches, and needs, and persecutions, and distresses for Christ's sake." In other words, I'm willing to go through attacks. I'm willing to go through lack. I'm willing to go through things to fulfill the call. Now, God, His grace is sufficient. He has plans to bring us up and prosperous, but we must fight the good fight of faith. Continue on, amen? It goes on to say, "For when I am weak," notice I just said infirmities means weakness. "Therefore I take pleasure in my infirmities, or in my weakness, and reproaches, and needs, and persecutions, and distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong, because His power is in me. His grace is sufficient, amen?" Paul's thorn in the side was not a physical attack. It was not a disease. It was attacked from the enemy. Young's literal in Second Corinthians 12-10 says, "Wherefore I am well pleased in infirmities, and damages, and necessities, and persecutions, and distresses for Christ.

For whenever I am infirm, then I am powerful. Infirm, whenever I am weak, I am powerful in Him." The Amplified says, "For the sake of Christ, I am well pleased, and take pleasure and infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities, and distresses. For when I am weak in human strength, then I am truly strong, able, powerful, in divine nature and divine strength." God's grace was enough for Paul to handle this situation. See Jesus was given this thorn in His side, this ministering spirit from Satan, this person who was being agitating to Paul. Time to repent. Time to get right. Amen. It also caused Paul to trust in God. The NLT says, "Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God, so to keep me from becoming proud, which we all know, pride comes before a fall, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan, to torment me, and keep me." He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness because we turn towards Him." So now, I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weakness in insults, hardships, persecutions and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. We need to turn towards Jesus. Hallelujah. Let Him know that we trust Him. Trust in His Word that He will bring us free, that His grace is sufficient to bring us through. Amen? Remember, first John 5, 4, for whatever is born of God, overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Hallelujah. Well, I want to point something out to you. The Lord led me to write a book. It's called "The Glorious Life of Faith." It's available online in PDF. It's available to all of you who are locked up through the Pando app in PDF. You can read it on the app. You can download it. You can go to our website and order it from Amazon. If you do order the actual softback book, I get zero proceeds from it. This isn't about me. A hundred percent of any prophets goes right back into getting the word out into South Asia, getting the word out into over 430 prisons. Hallelujah, weak. So this

book has got testimonies about things that have happened in my life regarding walking by faith. How the Lord has brought me up. I mentioned earlier about how the Lord restored my life, did a miracle in my life. Whenever I hit the wall at over a hundred miles an hour when I was drag racing Harleys on the Pro Circuit, Hallelujah was lifelighted. How the Lord did a miracle I share about that. I had to discuss sometimes where I was over in Russia doing business and how the Lord prospered me, gave me contracts. We talked about true faith, real faith here versus fake faith. Amen. I think you will enjoy the series that's in here, the book. I encourage you to get a copy of it. Bless somebody with it. Get it in you. Find out what real faith is, the foundation of faith. Amen. Hallelujah. Well, this is my candidate with living in victory. I speak blessings over you, increased over you. Hallelujah. I would like you to join prayer with me as I come upon your heart. Pray for me that as I go through this series that I rightly divide the word, that I express it properly, that we would grow. Amen. I desire your prayers. If you would, join your faith with me right now as I study for more messages. Heavenly Father, I ask you to help me. Give me light. Give me revelation. Help me to express this properly, that we rightly divide the word. In the name of Jesus, amen. Have a blessed day. [music]