This section on the bible is the most important section because it is the key to EVERYTHING concerning following Jesus. I recommend you read Jesus the Person (above) and Jesus the Church Builder (above) first, as I refer to several things here from there.
I mentioned in Jesus the Church Builder (above), the question I’m often asked: “why there are so many denominations of Christianity?” The reason is simple. If you read the bible with the intention of using it as a HANDBOOK or MANUAL, especially the New Testament, it won’t be long before you ask “WHY doesn’t EVERY church DO this?” I know that because that’s exactly what happened to me.
I mentioned in Jesus the Person (above) and Jesus the Church Builder (above) and in Pastor’s Testimony that I attended churches and Jesus was NEVER there. This is why: Jesus doesn’t attend churches that don’t live by what the BIBLE says.
In the Book of Psalms in the bible, it says “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” (Ps 119:105). Doesn’t that sound like the bible is very important? That’s because it is.
Without the bible, there is NO WAY you can know if you are following Jesus. It’s like trying to sky dive without an instructor. No one would do that!
Two important things I found immediately about the bible as I read it: #1 It confirmed the truth of what my friend had been telling me (see Pastor’s Testimony). #2 It verified my own experience.
Let me give you an example of how that happened.
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As I mentioned in Pastor’s Testimony, after I asked Jesus to come into my life, I started to RADICALLY change in my THINKING which made me start acting differently.
My friend took me to buy my first bible and told me to read through the New Testament. As I did, I came across this verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2Cor 5:17 ) I thought “Wow! That is what is happening to me!” VERIFIED.
I remember thinking “Why weren’t any of the people that I met in those other churches I attended years ago changed?” One church I attended invited me to a week long youth camp. I can honestly say there was only one person that struck me as “different” from me and he never told me why! EVERYONE else was just like me! Swearing, telling dirty jokes, etc.
The reason no one was changed is because they didn’t know what Jesus could do, because they NEVER read THE BIBLE!! If they had then they would know HOW JESUS COULD CHANGE THEM.
The bible is the CENTERPIECE of our church. Our lives revolve around the bible like PLANETS around the sun. It’s the ONLY way to follow Jesus. The bible is the WRITTEN word of what Jesus came to do.
Someone once said the word BIBLE stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. That’s good, but I would add that it is way more than BASIC instructions. It’s the WHOLE MANUAL for life!
Let me explain that in little more in detail.
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Although the bible doesn’t explain HOW TO style, it does cover EVERYTHING at a PRINCIPLE level.
For example. The bible doesn’t say “thou shalt not be rich”. But it does say “the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil”. Money is NOT evil, but the LOVE of money IS. So the PRINCIPLE is be careful not to get too CAUGHT UP in money because it will bring trouble.
We see that happen don’t we? People who are constantly worried they aren’t going to make it because they feel like they don’t have enough money. Others are willing to steal or even sell themselves because they NEED money. That over-concern for money becomes evil.
Here’s another principle related to this. The bible says “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Mat 6:31-33). God PROMISES He will take care of those who put their TRUST in Him. I have experienced this for many years.
So if you put these together you see that the LOVE of money causes evil by not trusting God and trusting God will keep us from evil! There’s the principle.
There is one last thing I want to say about the bible before I finish.
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When you do what the bible says IT ALWAYS WORKS. It never fails! In the beginning it is not easy but over time as you see it work over and over, you learn to trust it.
The bible has NEVER been wrong about anything. Over thousands of years of application, it has proven itself to be the VERY WORDS of GOD. It can be trusted.
When it comes to the bible, it is either GOD’S WORD or it’s the greatest con the world has ever known. But let’s be realistic. If it was a con, would people STILL be willing to die for it as many do today in nations that are hostile to Christianity thousands of year later?
SPOILER ALERT!! The bible IS the WORD of GOD.
Whether in downtown New York, or in a little town in the middle of CHINA, people are being RADICALLY TRANSFORMED by reading the bible and discovering the JESUS of THE BIBLE. My hope is that you will discover the same thing.
As always, if you have any questions or just want to talk more about this, please go to the Contact Us page and call me or send me a message.