That Other Scripture

I love to read, study and write about the word of God. I find it so fascinating to know that the words we read  in the Holy Bible were breathed from God and are profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  I also find it interesting to research the amount of times a particular word or subject is addressed in the Bible, assuming (you know what they say about assuming) that those numbers must certainly be significant. In many cases, it is true, however, there is one scripture, a scripture my pastor was kind enough to point out to me, that is truly significant in many of our lives and really blew my theory!

First of all, I am going to show a couple of examples that demonstrate my way of thinking when it comes to repetition.
The word judge is used  286 times in the King James Bible. 
One of the most controversial scriptures...

Matthew 7:1-2  Judge not, that ye be not judged, 2. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again; 
and one of the most highly overlooked. 
Leviticus 19:15 "Don't pervert justice. Don't show favoritism to either the poor or the great. Judge on the basis of what is right."  

Judge was obviously a very busy word.as was the word prophet, as it was used 454 times in the King James Bible. A couple of the uses that stand out in my mind are these...
Deuteronomy 18:22  when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. do not have to be afraid of him. 

and  this, which we can currently see a great many examples of

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are raving wolves.

You can see where I am going with this, for a word to be used in Scripture over 400 times certainly should indicate that it was important stuff to God. However, there is another scripture that means the world to many of us, one that has tremendous significance to me.    I recall standing in a very dim, candle-lit church one Saturday night. I was really pressing in and when the pastor spoke of how there is nothing we have done in our lives or can ever do that Jesus won't forgive. 

No addiction, no sin; even the sins we find it difficult, if not impossible to admit and forgive ourselves for. There is nothing that He can't heal and change about any one of us if we repent and ask Him to forgive us and heal us.His love for us is that great!  

The pastor's words that evening opened up a floodgate for me and I will never be the same. I was different, new and although there have been and certainly will be many, many more moments when various scriptures have and will affect me in extremely strong and emotional ways, I was changed that evening and I will never be the same again. 

The Message Bible describes the process I experienced that evening. A process so many of us have experienced and are asked to lead others to... 

5-6 Jesus said, “You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.

7-8 “So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.”

KJV 5.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6.That which s born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. 7. Marvel Not that I say unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Born Again, so significant and used only one time in the entire Bible; John 3:5-7

You can see where I'm going with this will direct you to a link to a 1-Minute Bible Love Note word study that is fun and fascinating.