As we celebrate another Maramon Convention we shall hear the Word of God preached and expounded. It is essential that during the convention week we take time out and draw aside to Jesus Christ in intimacy in his presence so that we can find our anchor and our sustenance in him to unlock our circumstances. The verse at the end of John 1:1 reminds us that the Word was God. In other words, God and his Word are inseparable. Jesus was God's Word made flesh (John 1:14) that is, he manifested the Word of God. The Written Word became the living Word with the help of the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus became our example, we too with the help and power of the Holy Spirit, are to become the living Word of God in our world. Our walk and talk should reflect the Word of God in our everyday life. Jesus said that if we love him we would love his Word and keep his commandments (1 John 5:3). His Commandments are his Word for us, which is to be applied while on earth here and now, and not in heaven.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, we read that the Word of God is God-breathed. In other Words, each time we read God's Word and meditate upon it we are breathing in the very life of God. In the scriptures there are only two things that are God-breathed. One is man's spirit and the other is the Word of God. For spiritual maturity we need to feed on the Word of God. Just as food is essential for physical growth, the Word of God is essential for spiritual growth. The evidence of growth is change. The growth of a baby into an adult is seen in the changes that take place in the various stages of its growth. In the same way, the spiritual growth will bring about change in a person that affects those around them through the fruit they produce. Now, how can we expect change when there is a high Bible illiteracy rate among the church-goers? This is so evident because of the strife we mournfully see in the Body of Christ. Sadly, there is a good section of God's precious people who love to hear the Word for information or to perform some religious duty, but they do not want the Word to transform them or for the Word to create a new birth in them. Transformation has to take place on the information that is imparted.

Isn't this the goal of the teaching and preaching at Maramon Convention? Isn't this what God expects of us, to live a transformed Christ like life? How can we have the fruit without the seed which is the Word of God (Luke 8:11). We are expected to live the kingdom of God life. The kingdom life is based on the methods and principles of God's Word. The system of doing things in God's economy is different to the world's system. It is not enough to be able to get into the Kingdom but we must be able to know our way around it. The key to transformation is obedience to the Word. Let this Maramon be a time of transformation for all of us to the next level of our spiritual journey.

The Bible contains 2 important revelations that we need to get hold of. It reveals both the Person of Jesus and the many-sided wisdom in the Principles of Jesus. The Person of Jesus is about a King. The Principles of Jesus are about his Kingdom. The Person of Jesus is an experience, whereas the principles of Jesus are his expertise. The Person of Jesus prepares you for the life in heaven. The principles of Jesus prepare you for life on earth. One is the experience of Jesus, the other is the expertise of Jesus. The Bible is the training manual for the people of God and his instructions for our lives are in the Word. How are we ever going to find out about our purpose and destiny, if we don't get into the Word? We must remind ourselves that we were created for a purpose. We were designed, fashioned and manufactured for the specific purpose God has in mind for us. The purpose was not created for us. He is the Creator God who has carefully and skillfully prepared us by planting in us our dreams, desires, visions, talents and so many other blessings as seeds beyond the human view so that we can become the persons he wants us to be to accomplish his mission. According to the Word of God, the purpose for us was already chosen before the foundation of the earth was laid (Ephesians1:3-11; 2:10) and the purpose was planted inside of us when God planted us on earth. It is only when we get before the presence of God with the Word will he unfold the plan for us to fulfill his dream. There is a path that will take us into the will of God to lead us into the good life he has already prepared for us ahead of time. We have to discover that path which he has settled and set for us. Time spent at Maramon will help us find the path and to stay on the path. Like David, we have to have God's own heart and go after his purpose all the way to its completion (Acts. 13:22). To feel his heartbeat we must spend time with his Word. His heart throbs at the gaze of our glance! (SOS 4:9). Come away you his bride (SOS 4:8), from the noise of this world and let him make you spotless with his Word. Christ is calling his Bride to gather at this year's Maramon so that he can wash and adorn her with his matchless Word. The Bible tells us where we should be going - it points us to our goal and destination and tells us how to get there. But we cannot do it on our own. Satan fights us where we are to hinder us from making progress to get to where we should be. Because he knows that when we get there we will bring to pass that which went out of the mouth of the Lord. We need the help and counsel of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Word to us and bring understanding to our mind so that we can walk in the light that we are given. The love of His Word brings understanding. As soon as the Word enters you, the Holy Spirit turns on the illumination lights and we see the Word in a new light like never before. He promises that even the simple will comprehend His revealed knowledge (Psalm 119:130).The more we walk in His light, our path will become brighter and brighter as we progress. That is why the Psalmist tells that the Word is light for our path and a lamp to our feet (Psalm 119:105). As we seek God with all our heart and cooperate with Him, He will reveal and unveil His plans progressively. Order your step according to your purpose. He will reveal your next step as soon as you have obeyed your last orders. The steps you have to take will be in agreement with His Word his Word is flawless and His way is perfect. It is only when we spend time with Him and His Word can we cultivate and develop the confidence we need to walk out our purpose. All our circumstances, situations and pressures in life are forming us and pushing us to our destiny. The pressures of life will birth the seeds in the dirt. We need to bear fruit for all season. God is not interested in our dirt. He is after the seeds. He sees our potential. There are still seeds in us that have not come up. Instead of struggling with God, snuggle up to him when he chastises us because he knows how to produce fruit from the seeds buried deep in us. Each seed knows what fruit it is to bear. We need to know where to fish for the right word for our situations from the deep waters of God's Word. We must know how to turn on the fountain of God's Word to quench our deep thirst when the waters of this world run dry. Go after the man with a pitcher (Mark 14:13), that is, the preachers and become the person with the pitcher in the hand to enable you to pour out of your vessel a drink to the children of the next generation who will follow you so that they can see the many-sided wisdom of God through you.bring your pitchers to the Convention and expect God to fill it.Leave your tumblers behind.

We must understand that there is a spiritual tone and pitch to the Word of God, which we must recognize. Unless we spend more time with the Word and go deep into it, we will not learn to recognize His tone and tune. When the preacher or teacher is out of tone or out of tune, when not dividing the Word with fear and trembling, you will be able to pick up the wrong signals from the transmission and turn to God for His light to fall on your doubts. It is vital that we learn to tune in to the Word ourselves and wait upon God to teach us. We have an awesome promise in John 16:13, when the Spirit of Truth comes he will guide us into all truth, not some truth or half truth, but all truth. God's people who are hungry for their needs to be met, especially when hurting, are so susceptible to accepting anything that they hear. The majority of them don't look up the Word taught or preached. They don't even bring a Bible to the place where the Word of God is preached or taught. In our ignorance we shout about the things Jesus whispered and whisper the things he shouted about.

We are people of destiny, the handiwork of God. Our master-craftsman prepared, planted and placed us where we are to impact and to influence our generation. Therefore we cannot afford to neglect his Word. We need to know the master plan for our lives. It is better to be hungry for God's Word than to be satiated with what the world offers. Don't settle for the rations Satan offers but eat daily from the King's table. As you go through the Word allow the Word to go through you. The Bible is a revelation for every Spirit-filled believer and a great mystery for those living outside of his boundaries. His Word, meditated upon, will birth prayer after His own will.

When we begin feeding upon the Word, the anointing upon our lives intensifies. There is a great scripture in Numbers 11:8, which tells that the Israelites gathered the manna, after that they grounded it or crushed it, and then they baked or cooked it. It tasted like olive oil. Manna represents the Word of God in fact Jesus who is the Word himself refers to himself as the manna from heaven in John 6:48-51. The oil represents the Holy Spirit. The manna was gathered, grounded, cooked and eaten. As they fed on it, it was like oil. As you gather his Word, read it, chew it, eat and digest it, ponder on it and mutter it and ask questions on it. Feeding on God's Word brings the anointing that will release us for service. You cannot have the anointing without the Word. The anointing is given to those who obey him (Acts 5:32). You cannot obey him if you don't know his Word. When the Word impacts our heart and affects our lives, the anointing will come. As you walk in the wealth of God's Word (it is cream or butter to your feet-Job 29:6) the anointing will flow like river of oil (Job 29:6). The anointing will go so deep in you that it will touch your bones. Oil can touch your bones spiritually as in Psalm 109:18.There are multitudinous benefits that we can glean from the Word of God.

Here are seven great life-changing results:
1. It changes your life: 1Peter 1:23 - by recreating your spirit to the image of Jesus through the new birth.
2. It produces faith in your life: Romans10:17 -faith comes by hearing and praying the word heard.
3. It cleanses your life Ephesians: 5:25-26 - to make a radically radiant bride.
4. It has power to build you: Acts 20:32 -to build others.
5. It makes you wise Psalm: 119:98 - wisdom is the divine solution to all your problems.
6. It will bring peace to your life: Psalm 85:8; 119:165 - so that you can sow and reap peace.
7. It will give you power over sin: Psalm 119:11; 133 to live a victorious life.

Awake, awake people of God: Fill your earthen vessels with the water of God's Word. Let the new wine flow as you walk in obedience to minister to others with your life. If manna can taste like oil and water can taste like wine your life can taste sweeter than honey by the power his Word (Psalm 119:103) remember God is not looking for golden vessels or silver vessels but he is looking for yielded vessels. It is easy to fall into the trap of becoming a man or woman of God without having the desire to become the man or woman of the Word.

May this Maramon be a time for us to wean from the milk of the Word to the meat of the Word (Hebrews 5:13-14) so that we can be ready to enter the deep waters to cast our net for a great haul in 2003(Luke5:4-6) We have a risen Savior who can create a message and a ministry from our mess through one Word. Step out and step up on his immutable Word. Deck yourselves with the ornament of God's Word this Maramon.

REMEMBER THAT WE NEED TO BUILD DOWN TO GET TO THE ROCK OF GOD'S WORD FOR OUR FOUNDATION BEFORE WE CAN BE BUILT UP UPON CHRIST THE ROCK AS OUR FOUNDATION.