Book excerpt: From God's mouth to the hearts of His people - this is the function of the Bible and is the reason it is called The Word of God. "The Bible applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit is the chief means by which men are built up and established in the faith, after their conversion. It is able to cleanse them, sanctify them, to instruct them in righteousness, and to furnish them thoroughly for all good works (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) J.C. Ryle. After many years of anger against God, the Lord wonderfully restored the author to Himself and laid the burden of this ministry on his heart. Every weeksince April 2000TFTWs (Thoughts From The Word) have been sent via the internet to God's people throughout the world. Many similar thoughts may be found at www.onhisshoulders.com. The Bible "can show you the way which leads to heaven. It can teach you everything you need to know, point out everything you need to believe, and explain everything you need to do. It can show you what you are - a sinner. It can show you what God is - perfectly holy. It can show you the great river of pardon, peace, and grace - Jesus Christ" J.C. Ryle, 1816-1900, Bishop of Liverpool, whose picture is on the front cover. The thoughts contained in this volume are published with the sincere prayer that God will use them to refresh and encourage the souls of His people. To receive future weekly TFTWs send your request to [email protected].