E-Book, Englisch, 97 Seiten
ISBN: 978-0-9740824-6-2
Verlag: Dr. Stephen Jones
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)
Autoren/Hrsg.
Weitere Infos & Material
• CHAPTER ONE • THE BIBLE CENTERED LIFE Getting Started The Bible can be described as the living word of God. The Bible is essential to the life of the believer who wants to grow. Now is the time to get started studying the Bible. Too many people leave church on Sunday and do not pick up the Bible all week. So it is important to put together a schedule that will confirm a daily study of the Bible. Your enthusiasm to study will be determined by your view of the power of the Bible. Truly believing that the Bible will transform your life will encourage you to read it often for guidance, instruction, and comfort. Dedication, commitment, and constant repetition are necessary to form strong and healthy Bible study habits. This fact is applicable to the habit of studying and living the word of God. Having a strong desire to adhere to Biblical principles will increase your chances of getting closer to God. Reading the Bible will tune you in with Christ and allow you to be aware of God's love for you and His plans for your life. It is essential to take the word of God as the total truth. God is pleased when believers value the Bible and seek it for wisdom. The Bible offers the right advice about how to live a spiritfilled life. The word of God can help guard you against making wrong decisions on your job, in your home, and even in the community. The Bible is a guide for spiritual living and freedom from fear. You may also want to start studying your Bible so that you can be a blessing to others. The Bible has a way of convicting you of things that are wrong in your life. It reminds you to have faith in God and follow His instructions, no matter what happens in your life. When you stop participating in activities that do not please God and instead do what God commands, you demonstrate that you have faith in Him. It shows that you are making conscious decisions to follow God instead of your own will. Metaphorically, the word of God can be seen as a thermostat that helps you find out whether you are hot or cold for God and if your lifestyle measures up to God's standards. You can do your own assessment right now. Open the Bible and read it to figure out your temperature when it comes to applying God’s word to your life. Let the Bible provide you with the right instructions for living a spiritually beneficial life. Fast Tips • Read the Bible first thing in the morning every day. • Think of how the stories in the Bible apply to your life situations. • Form a Bible study group and meet with others to share what you are learning. • Putting the Word of God at the Center of Your Life Each day you must ask, who is on the throne of your life? Are you allowing Christ to be the center of your life or are you letting your emotions and desires control you. If you continually attempting to solve problems in your life without accepting God, you may be out of God’s will. Reading the Bible and applying it to your life makes it easier to put God at the center of your life. Following the Bible enables you to live your life in a powerful way. The Bible reveals what is in your heart by setting a standard for spiritual living. Your desire for God will drive you to His word to find answers that will fulfill your deepest desires and needs. God wants to please His children and bring joy and peace into their hearts. He desires what is best for you, and He recognizes that when you walk away from His word, you are heading toward a chaotic life. God desires that we love Him first before any and everything, and with our whole heart and soul. God uses His word to continually remind us to turn to Him. In the Bible, there are truths that will lead to righteous living. You can live a clean life by simply relying on the power of God’s word. For example, The Bible is full of accounts of what happened when Israel turned to God and what happened when they turned away from God. It was clear that Israel was always in God’s sight. They still turned to idols and started believing in other nations' gods. In the Book of Joshua 24:15, the Bible says, "Choose ye this day whom you will serve". You need to believe that turning to God’s word will give you the best instructions for every area of your life. If you read and follow the words of the Bible, the light it provides will ultimately cast out the darkness that tries to control and destroy the precious life God has given you. The word of God will help you to understand all things that are essential for Godliness. Fast Tips • Measure your lifestyle against the Bible’s instructions. • Ask yourself who is on the thrown of your life when you make decisions. • Let the Bible be your guide during all your difficult situations. Live Free The Bible is a book about freedom from personal and spiritual oppression. You can see that when you look at the story of Moses commanding Pharaoh to let the people go. The Jews knew who their God was, and they relied on Him in spite of their adverse circumstances. Freedom is being in the midst of a trial and trusting that God will never leave you alone. The Israelites decided to trust God to send them a deliverer, no matter how long it took. They walked by faith and not by the torment of their own flesh. Freedom is having faith that God is always with you. The believer can always have confidence in God, because He has a proven track record. God is always with you whether you are at home or work. In the midst of a stressful day, God is with you. You will also be free as you are reminded of the scriptures and all of God’s promises. He is a God that cannot fail. You can live a free and patient life by trusting God alone. If you wait on God, your strength will be renewed, because you are growing in your relationship and trust in God’s wisdom. While other men and women are putting their confidence in material things, you have learned to seek God’s direction. The non-believer is missing the point that they are not on their own schedule. There are times when waiting on God will be the best approach to your problem. You are demonstrating that no matter how long it takes, you know that God will provide. After you have done everything that you can do, just stand on God’s word. If you want the abundant and power-filled word, stay close to God in your daily prayer life. You can be sure that He is faithful to perform all of the promises that were written in the Bible. Let God know that you are standing firm and that you will not be moved. In the Bible, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego endured the fiery furnace and so can you. God is always with you. You can go through the storms of life and still come out as pure as gold. Fast Tips • Study the Bible for principles you can follow. • Meditate on scriptures that give you strength. How to be Proactive with the Scripture The best way to practice the scripture is by reading the Bible and taking action. The scriptures have a way of bringing out revelations that you need in order to live the Christian life. In all that you do, let the scriptures be your guide for daily living. There is tremendous security when you trust in God instead of man. You can go forward and accomplish great things when you are proactive. You will move yourself out of the way so that God can lead you. You can practice the scriptures just by standing up for what you know is right. Everyone who is around you may not be guided by God. When you are seeking God for direction, your approach to life will be different. You will recognize that God has a unique purpose for you. You never have to be disappointed over the things that you do not have control over. You will practice the scriptures as you have a deeper desire for knowing God’s purpose for your life. God has put something in each person that drives them to desire to live an abundant life. Some people were meant to experience an abundant life by teaching others about God. They have joy from remembering the many ways that they have been blessed and what God has done to change their life. There are people who have great joy, because they were delivered from problems with drugs and alcoholism. Practicing the scriptures will bring you to a place where you are closer to God and want to know more about him everyday. Your family, peers, and co-workers will be drawn to you because of the love that you demonstrate. Fast Tips • Memorize Bible verses every month. • Expect good results when you are reading the Bible. How to be Changed by the Bible The Bible, which is the written word of God, will change your life. Each year, many individuals promise to make desired to lose weight while others desire to change their attitude to be more grateful. Many times, these promises are easily forgotten after the first month of the year. It is far better to be changed by focusing on what you need to change and base it on the Bible’s guidelines. The first step is identifying what you want to change. Then submit your request to God in prayer. Instead of saying that you want to be a better Christian, tell yourself that you want to have greater confidence in God. For example, if you have any fears, give them to God instead of surrendering to them. Each day, determine what you will do to get over your fears, pray to God, and trust that He will aid you as you attempt this. You are in charge of admitting that you need to change something and having enough courage to try to change, while doing all of this,...
