GOD FIRST

Everybody has a center of reference for believing outside of themselves. Some people’s reference is the television, others use the works of a philosopher or a psychologist, some people listen to their friends, family and pastors for a reference for believing. Other sources could be the newspaper, the internet, movies or the radio. Very seldom does a person use the Bible as a reference for believing. You should ask yourself why people aren’t using the Bible for a reference for believing. I would suggest that the Bible is THE center of reference for believing and that by not using the Bible as THE center of reference for believing that a person puts him/her self in a position of living below par, of having a life of extreme ups and downs and one frought with peril and ill results. To be a more than conqueror that it talks about in Romans chapter eight the Bible has to be the only center of reference outside the person seeking.
What I mean by a center of reference is a source of answers to questions that is true and that you can use as a template to compare other information or answers to. Doctrine would be a good word to help describe what a center of reference is.

GOD FIRST
Everybody has a center of reference for believing outside of themselves. Some people’s reference is the television, others use the works of a philosopher or a psychologist, some people listen to their friends, family and pastors for a reference for believing. Other sources could be the newspaper, the internet, movies or the radio. Very seldom does a person use the Bible as a reference for believing. You should ask yourself why people aren’t using the Bible for a reference for believing. I would suggest that the Bible is THE center of reference for believing and that by not using the Bible as THE center of reference for believing that a person puts him/her self in a position of living below par, of having a life of extreme ups and downs and one frought with peril and ill results. To be a more than conqueror that it talks about in Romans chapter eight the Bible has to be the only center of reference outside the person seeking.
What I mean by a center of reference is a source of answers to questions that is true and that you can use as a template to compare other information or answers to. Doctrine would be a good word to help describe what a center of reference is. Wikipedia defines doctrine as:
“Doctrine (Latin: doctrina) is a codification of beliefs or “a body of teachings” or “instructions”, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system
The Bible IS the revealed Word and Will of God but how many people in the World today believe that? Even the people in the pulpits around the World believe that the Bible has myths and contradictions in it. The only reason that they believe that is that they have been taught those things and they haven’t gone to the Bible and studied it for themselves. But where else are you going to get information regarding Heaven, eternal life, Christ’s purpose on Earth, how to pray and get answers, leadership in the Church, what Christianity is and what it is not, how to be a more than conqueror as stated in Romans chapter eight, how to walk with God, how to know that God cares for you. This is only a small sampling of the answers that the Bible holds. It, also, holds the answers to how to live, how to raise children, how to walk in this world day by day. Yet, if you don’t believe that the Bible is the revealed Word and Will of God you probably won’t act on the answers that it gives nor will you study the Bible to glean those truths.
A few points that you have to understand to be able to get to the place of understanding that the Bible is the Word and Will of God are:
1) Chistianity is not a religion. It is the way of a father with his children.
2) The place of leadership in the Church is not to be the head over the people but to teach them HOW to study the Bible for themselves and to nurture and support the Christians.
3) There is no one between God and each individual Christian except Christ Jesus.
4) We are to study to show ourselves approved unto God a workman that needs not to be ashamed of his workmanship.
5) The Bible fits together and has no contradiction in it! If you think it does it is just because of your lack of understanding or a problem in translation.
In the book of Joshua, Joshua calls Israel together to choose who they would serve. It is the same for you right here and right now. Choose you this day who you will serve. Will it be the doctrines of men and man’s religions or will it be the One True God?
Joshua 24:1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.
6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.
7 And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.
8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:
10 But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.
11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.
12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.
14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
17 For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:
18 And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.
Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
If the Bible is full of myths and contradictions how are you ever going to get to the place where you can claim this passage as your own?
Did you know that without believing it is impossible to please God?
Hebrews 11: 6 But without faith (believing) it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Psalm 37: 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
God’s promises are without reservation. Do you need deliverance from something? God’s Word promises deliverance. But the one condition is believing!
Hebrews 7: 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 4: 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession).
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Do you know what God’s opinion of the Bible is?
Psalm 138: 2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
How big is God’s name? How big is God? And yet, God says that He magnified His Word above all of His name. God holds a preety high opinion of the Bible!
Isn’t it time to stop being fooled by the doctrines of men and get release from the prisons that you are in? The only way is knowing God’s word and practice it. Find those promises that God has for you and confess them AND come boldly unto God’s throne of grace and tell Him you want those promises filled. It will be a new day in your life when you start doing that: when you start the walk of a Christian.