Record Keeping

1Samuel 8:7 says: And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.  When we refuse to do what the Bible tells us that God did and that God told His people to do, we are not rejecting the messenger who tells us what God's word says but are rejecting God.

As the following Bible references will show, when preachers refuse to record what God does in the ministry that God put them in charge of, they are refusing to follow God.  When they refuse to report to God's people what God does they are refusing to obey the command of God to testify of God's work.  When God's pastors refuse to record and regularly report what God does in the ministry that God put them in charge of they are not just risking losing a little financial support from supporting ministries, they are daring God to remove God's blessings and to bring judgment upon the preacher and the church.

Hebrews 13:17 says: Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.  Pastors must give account  to God for how well they teach God's people to thank God and praise God.  Children who say thank you  learned that by example and children who refuse to say thank you  also learned that by example.  If you do not have a regularly scheduled service to thank and praise God for how He works in your ministry and church your people will not learn to thank and praise God and the pastor will personally give account  to God for that failure.

Now before people get upset, we need to see that the Bible actually says this and that I am not giving my opinion but am reporting what God's word says.  Therefore, rejection of what the Bible says is a rejection of God's command and not a rejection of the messenger.

Forms of the word record  occur in the Bible 43times including:

• Deuteronomy 30:19 says: I call Heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.  Please notice that this says Heaven and earth to record.  God is keeping a record and God demands that His people keep a record on earth.
• 9times we find the word recorder,  which means that God appointed a specific person to keep the record of what God did in their time.
• 1Chronicles 16:4 says: And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel.  Notice that it was the ministers who were appointed to keep the record.  That means that the pastor, or someone supervised by the pastor, is to keep the record.  Please also notice that the purpose was to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel.  Without the record  God's people will not thank and praise the LORD God  the way they should.
• In Isaiah 8:1-2 we read that the prophet was told to have a faithful witnesses to record.  If the pastor is not faithfully  recording what God does then the church can not be a faithful witness.
• All through the New Testament we see the word record  used to identify what will be used by God when we are judged by God.  God is recording every word  (Matthew 12:36) because we will be judged for them.  If we do not also keep a record then we can not be ready for our personal judgment.
• In Numbers 7 God had Moses record  what the people offered that was used to provide the physical needs of the priests.  Simply put: God's people are encouraged to provide more for the work of God when it is recorded and publicly recognized.  When there is not public recognition then the people provide less and do less.  Please note: in most cases the spiritually mature people, who are recognized for what they did, are somewhat embarrassed and would be just as happy without the recognition here because they know that God recorded their deeds.  However, the recognition is not for the people who did the work but to encourage others to do the same.  Notice that Numbers 7:12-17 tells us what the first offered.  Numbers 7:18-23records the second.  Numbers 7:24-29records the third.  Numbers 7:30-35 records the fourth.  This continues through 7:83with the exact same thing recorded for each of the twelve.
• God did not simply record that all twelve gave the same but recorded each one individually.
• God wants us to know that we are each important to God and that God records what each of us do even if it is exactly the same as everyone else.
• God also uses repetition to drive home the lesson that God keeps detailed records and expects His people to keep detailed records.

Think about this.  Many people have been blessed by my testimony of how God has blessed my finances.  Many have been encouraged that they also can get God's blessings on their finances.  However, I would not be able to give that testimony if I did not keep accurate records of my finances.  It is the record which allows people to testify of God's working in their life.  Further, that testimony encourages others to live by faith.  The devil discourages God's people from keeping accurate records in order to destroy their testimony even while God works in their life so that the devil keeps God's people from helping others to live by faith.

Forms of the word book  occur in the Bible 196 times.  A book  holds multiple records in an organized fashion.  Most of these references speak about the book of the law,  or something similar, to reference the Bible; or the chronicles,  or something similar, to reference the testimony of how God deals with His people, or the book of (some prophet),  which shows us that God expects His preachers to keep notes on what God shows them within the Bible.  These Bible references including:

• Genesis 5:1 says: This is the book of the generations of Adam.  The church is the family of God.  There should be a book  with the records of who joined the church, professions, baptisms and other significant events within the church.  We also see this in Exodus 17:14 where God told Moses to record in the book a significant event and to be sure to pass it onto the next leader so that what God did would be remembered to future generations.
• In Exodus 24:7 we read: the book of the covenant,  which is the early form of the Bible.  God put His word into writing so that there would be no confusion about what God commanded.  Otherwise, devil motivated men would pervert God's commandment like they still try to do.  We are to keep written records so that we can end arguments from those who lie.  We also see book of the law  in 27 verses.
• Exodus 32:33 says: And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.  God keeps books and expects us to do the same.  We also see this many other places within the Bible.  In particular, the history books of the Bible record what God's people did and what was the consequences of their acts.  We are to keep records to warn our followers against sin and to encourage them to have faith in God as they read the testimony of what God does.  This is one of the reasons why missionaries owe reports to their supporters.  It is not something that the supporter pays for with their support.  This is what God requires from us as a testimony to other saved people.
• 1Chronicles 29:29 says: Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,  Here we see that several prophets keep books.  We would not have any prophetic books unless God's preachers recorded the results of their time with God.  Indeed, some of Paul's epistles say that he wanted to go see a church but God let Satan hinder him.  So he wrote an epistle.  We also have the 'prison epistles' only because God had Paul locked up to keep him from personally ministering to churches and forced Paul to write those epistles.  Paul clearly preferred to minister personally but God clearly knew that having Paul write down things would have a greater impact.  The fact is that when preachers refuse to keep records and use them to report to God's people they are restricting their own ministry.
• Job 19:23 says: Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!  We would not have the help from this book if what Job experienced was not written down.  Even being is the misery of Job is no excuse for failing to keep a record.
• Psalms 40:7 says: Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me.  One of the ways that we know that the Bible comes from God because of prophecy which was spoken well in advance of the event.  We know that people act by faith when, before they receive a promise from God, they give a record, either written or verbal to witnesses, of what they trust God to do and what they are doing to receive the promise.  When God fulfills the promise then we know that God honors faith.  However, without the record or witnesses testimony before the promise, we would not have proof. (Tell of plan to support missions even with not expected income for a year.)
• Isaiah 30:8 says: Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever.  Once more we see that God wants things recorded so that they will not be forgotten and so that they can encourage the obedient and warn the disobedient.
• Jeremiah 32:12 says: And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.  We see that God wants us to keep records of financial dealings so that we can dispute corrupt government people.  I have been audited 19times.  Once I was wrong, currently Michigan is fighting admitting that they are wrong.  Every other time I have won the fight because I keep better records than the government expects people to keep.  We are to keep accurate financial records to prevent corrupt people from stealing what God has entrusted to us.
• In the New Testament we see the word book  used the same ways as in the Old Testament.  In particular, Revelation 1:11 says: What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia.  God tells the preacher to record what God shows him so that it can be shared with others even when the preacher does not see the other person face-to-face.  Every lesson which PAME makes available is because someone wrote down what God showed them.  The same is true for every book which preachers use for help in the ministry.  Very few successful writers start out planning on being an author but start recording what God gives them for their own study.  All preachers are to record what God gives them, even if it is never published, because that is part of our command to study.

Forms of the word study  only occur 5 times in the Bible.  Many people make the mistake of believing that read  and study  are the same.  However, if they had the same meaning then we would not have two different words within the Bible.  In particular, if someone does not write down notes then they may read  with great intensity but they do not study.

One of the main reasons to write down what God shows us is because it uses a different part of our brain than when we just read.  By using more parts of our brain, we get a better understanding.  Even if we never plan on showing our notes to anyone else, we need to write them down because that action gives us better understanding.  In addition, true study  builds one lesson upon another.  When we keep notes, and use our own notes, God can show us similar things in different parts of the Bible.  That is a main way of finding patterns within the Bible.  When we have notes and get to another part of the Bible which has a similar pattern, God's Holy Spirit can remind us of where we saw something similar.  If we have notes then we can search them to find the similar pattern.  However, without notes we can not build, as effectively, on prior learning.  I always use my prior notes when I study the Bible and that is how I have so much on my web site and how I can show people patters which are repeated throughout the Bible.  None of the ministry which God gave to me would exist unless I started keeping notes in 2000.

• Proverbs 15:28 says: The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.  Notice that poureth out  happens immediately but that it takes time to studieth to answer.  A preacher that 'reads and reads until he has a message' does not study  and can not teach his people how to be righteous.
• Proverbs 24:1-2 says: Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.  For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.  Please notice that this verse does not use the word study  but uses the word studieth,  which means to 'keep on keeping on doing the action verb of study'.  This is a lifestyle and not just a single action.  Here we see that even evil men  know to 'keep on keeping on doing the action verb of study' in order to be successful in what they do.  Simply put, we will not rise above mediocre unless we study  what we try to accomplish.
• Ecclesiastes 12:12 says: And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.  People do not study  because it is a weariness of the flesh.  However, godly men study  the word of God because it causes spiritual changes in them and in their followers.  Simply put, you must study  the word of God if you want godly changes in your followers, which makes them righteous,  and failure to study  the word of God makes God's children carnal religious people instead of making them spiritually mature.
• 1Thessalonians 4:11-12 says: And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.  This is added to the brotherly love  which the prior verse said that they knew to do.  Even people who know how to share God's love  need to study  in order to avoid becoming busybodies  and in order to walk honestly toward them that are without  and in order to have lack of nothing.  Most saved people lack  because they fail to study  the word of God so that God can change them and provide for them.
• 2Timothy 2:15 says: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  Here we see a command from God to study  and we see that God says that His workers, who fail to study,  needeth to be ashamed.  If God does not make them ashamed  here in this life then God will do it at the judgment seat of Christ  where all of Heaven will know of their shame for all of eternity.  We also see that study  is required to be rightly dividing the word of truth.  Simply put, failure to study  lets preachers to teach doctrinal error like Peter did when he simply believed and preached what other men preached without studying  the word of God to make sure that what they preached was Biblical truth.

In addition, to keeping records when we study,  God tells us to keep records for a memorial.  Forms of the word memorial  occur in the Bible 38 times in the Bible.

• Physical things like specific days were set aside to be a memorial.  However, we also see God tell Moses to Write this for a memorial in a book.  Thus we see the commandment from God to keep a written record for a memorial.
• In Matthew and Mark we read that Jesus said: Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.  God literally had this memorial  recorded in the Bible so that it would be remembered.  It should be obvious that unless God had it written in the Bible, it would not be remembered.  Therefore, we are to record things for those who follow us.
• 1Corinthians 15:2 says: By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  The way that we keep in memory what I preached unto you  is by reading our Bible.
• As important as soul winning and training the next generation and doing the ministry of the church is, keeping a written record is more important.  Think about this.  We would not have any of the 'prison epistles' unless God had Paul arrested to stop his soul winning and training the next generation and doing the ministry of the church.  As important as that was it would not have lasted past a few generations while God has preserved these epistles for many generations.

Forms of the word remember  occur in the Bible 214 times including:

• Several times we read that God did remember my covenant.  A covenant  is a spiritual contract which is enforced by the court of God.  God records all covenants  in Heaven and we should also record them including the day that we covenanted  to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and the words of our marriage vow, which is also a covenant.  The main reason is so that we can remember  exactly what was in our covenant  because God will hold us to exactly what we vowed.  We are to record  important agreements so that we can remember  exactly what we agreed to.
• We see that the butler failed to remember  his promise to Joseph until God reminded him.  If we do not keep a record then we also will fail to remember  our promises and will lose the blessings for being faithful.
• Exodus 20:8 says: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  God created holy days to help us to remember to give thanks and honor to God as is our duty.  In addition, to Saturday, God also instituted 50 other sabbath days.  We are to have regular repeated times of thanksgiving and praise, so that we don't forget to say thanks to God and to praise Him.  However, we are to also have other times of thanksgiving and praise so that it doesn't just become a duty to ceremony like the Catholic Sunday mass.
• Leviticus 26:45 says: But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.  These times of remembrance are not just for us but also brings God's blessings upon our descendants and followers.
• In Numbers 15:37-41 God commanded Moses to have the people make a physical thing to help them to always remember what God did for them and to remind them to obey God so that they would continue to receive the blessings from God.  The people in America who claim to be saved but are losing the blessings from God either refuse to obey the command of God or fail to thank and praise God for His blessings.
• In Deuteronomy 7:18 we are told to remember  God's past blessings in order to encourage ourselves to do more by faith.  This is how we build our faith and people who do not record and remember have a hard time building their faith.
• In Deuteronomy 8:2 we see that the people were to remember  the 40 years of judgment so that they did not return to the same sin.  We see references to this record many times in the Bible and the warnings would not be as effective without the record of the consequences of sin.  We see a similar command from God in Deuteronomy 24:9.
• In Judges 8:34 we see that the constant failures of God's people, and their repeated judgments, was because they remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side.  If we do not record God's blessings and have a regular time to remember them we will also have lives which are like God's people had in the time of the Judges.
• The mother of Samuel was blessed, and Samuel was blessed, because she remembered and kept her vow.
• All throughout the Bible we see that blessings and protection came when God's people remembered  their relationship with God and kept their part.  We also see that God's people were punished when they failed to remember  their relationship with God and kept their part.  The purpose of keeping records is to help God's people to remember  and, thereby, get the blessings of God.

Conclusion:

• When you refuse to keep records and report to God's people what God is doing in and through the ministry that God gave to you, then you are rejecting God to rule over you and are disobeying His command to testify about all of His goodness.  You are not rejecting the messenger but are rejecting your God.
• When you fail to thank and praise God you teach your followers to fail to thank and praise God.  Children who say thanks grew up with that example and people who refuse to say thanks grew up with that example.  When God's people fail to thank and praise God they lose the blessings from God and can end up being punished by God for that failure.
• God's word specifically commands us to keep three types of records and these records are to enable us to obey the command of God.  These three types of records are:
• What God does in and through our life and our church so that we can remember what God did and thank and praise God for His work.  These records also allow us to testify and encourage others to have faith in God.
• What God shows us when we study.  This increases our own understanding of God's word and allows us to help others even when we don't see them face-to-face.  This is why God had Paul arrested and stopped his personal ministering and forced him to minister through epistles.
• What happens in our personal life and what happens in the church, especially for any financial considerations.  This allows us to fight liars who would take what God provides and also provides a memorial  for future generations.
• If you refuse to keep records and use those records to report to God's people what God does in the ministry that God gave to you, then you are refusing to obey the command of God to testify of God's work.  When God's pastors refuse to record and regularly report what God does in the ministry that God put them in charge of they are not just risking losing a little financial support from supporting ministries, they are daring God to remove God's blessings and to bring judgment upon the preacher and the church.  Will you commit to God that you will keep records as God commands and use those records as God commands you to use them?

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