For Beginners

To read, reference and study the Bible online at anytime, CLICK HERE. I suggest you bookmark this site.

As for a physical bible, you may be wondering where to get a bible, or what bible to choose. Our technologically savvy world makes the Bible readily available in various formats. You can download it, copy it, or get it in paperback. All you need is a search engine. A reliable bible is a bible you can use to both read and study. As you begin, finding a friendly but accurate translation is important. Not all translations are the same. A word-for-word translation from the original Greek and Hebrew texts is what I recommend, and I personally use the King James Version. However, not everyone is accustomed to its linguistic style which can be a struggle for some. Thankfully, there are other translations that are equally as accurate that have recently been released. A Lexham English Bible is the one I recommend for both accuracy and ease of reading. For more information please visit the TOOLBOX page where you can find other tools and resources for your journey.

If you are a believer who does not have access to a bible, please take heart. You are not alone in that quandary. The Bible we know and enjoy today was not available to early believers. If the same is true for you, I’d like to encourage you. You can know Christ intimately by His Holy Spirit who dwells within you. He is able to speak to you and guide you by His Holy Spirit, even as the believers of the early Church. Although you may long for a bible, you can rest assured that Christ, who is the Word made flesh, is able to feed you spiritually without fail until you are able to obtain a bible of your own. He promises that all who come to Him will never go hungry, and that all who believe on Him will never be thirsty. He will do more than sustain you. He is able to fill you to overflowing! May your cup run over!

The Lord is with you all day long in everything you say and do. He never leaves. But everyday you will want to have a special private time with Him. Some call this a ‘quiet time’ or a ‘devotional time’. Jesus did this in the morning, but if you’re a night person like I am, evenings or bedtime may work better for you. There is no wrong or right time. It can be anytime, so make that time with Him special. If you miss your time with God, don’t worry. Just pick up where you left off. As you grow in Christ, you will learn that time with Him really happens all day long. It’s the lifestyle of walking in Him and with Him. Life in Christ is an all-day-long relationship that is very intimate. He’s right there holding your hand every step of the way as you journey through life.

Communication is the key to any successful and healthy relationship. And it’s very much true for your relationship with God. You need to talk. And I want you to know that you have perfect liberty in your relationship with God to talk or speak to Him freely, just as you would a friend. Talking with God is commonly termed “prayer”. But it’s so much more.

Prayer can take many different forms. However, as a new believer I encourage you to develop Conversational prayer. It is the most common type of prayer, and it’s the very foundation of your relationship with God. This is where you pour your heart out to God with candid honesty, and He pours out His heart to you as well. There is a beautiful and intimate exchange. Tell Him absolutely everything. Pour out your heart to Him. This is where intimacy with Him begins. It’s just like any other relationship — the more you share, the closer you become. He knows everything on your heart and in your mind, so He is able to touch you and speak to you in ways no one else ever could. He is the best at keeping your secrets and He can go to places in you that you didn’t even know were there, bringing you comfort, wholeness, and peace.  Prayer is not a formality. Conversation with God can happen anywhere at any time in the privacy of your own soul.

Your heart is God’s sanctuary. You can meet with Him there any time.

More than any other element of their walk with God, people often struggle to find a good church.

Fellowship is at the heart of Christ’s body. We were not created to dwell alone, and isolation is dangerous. The Body of Christ is all about being a Body: being connected in unity. You need to be plugged in. When you remain disconnected or estranged, you wither and grow stagnant, which can lead to backsliding. Church is more than Sunday, and it’s more than passively sitting in a pew. A good church will always provide the following key elements:

• Genuine fellowship whereby you make friends.
• Opportunities for growth whereby you mature.
• Outreach whereby you serve others.

You need the friendship and fellowship of other believers and a place where you can learn, grow, and share.  A good solid church, and a growing healthy church, will always foster genuine friendship and close fellowship with other like-hearted people in your age group or season of life — for you, your family, and your children. This provides more than just fellowship. It also offers support, accountability, and spiritual sustenance.

Necessary fellowship and friendship is only one element of a healthy church. A healthy church will also teach the Word of God without compromise. The teaching should be focused on the scriptures — not the opinions or doctrines of man. Look for a church that does not compromise God’s Word and that embraces the fullness of God’s Spirit.

When considering a home church, I suggest taking the necessary time to look at the history of the church, it’s leaders, elders, affiliations, and its statement of faith. When you attend look for the virtues of stability, accountability, and proper biblical stewardship of monies and resources. Look for consistency and good spiritual fruit that fosters love, peace, and unity among the brethren. If the church is healthy it will glorify God and not man, and it will consistently stand by the biblical principles outlined. What it declares and what it does will be congruent.

In short, your church family should be like coming home, offering you security, love, warmth, sustenance, and opportunities for growth.

Worship is more than song and dance. True worship is in spirit and truth. It permeates everything we do and say — emanating from our very lives. That flow of worship comes in many different forms, through many different gifts. If it’s music, then play or sing. If it’s writing, then write. If it’s serving, then serve. Whatever your gift may be, whatever your calling, whatever your heart is speaking, let it be in spirit and truth unto God.

What is important to know and understand is that worship is a lifestyle of obedience to God. We ultimately worship God with our hearts through our words and actions toward Him, and toward others.

Fasting and prayer is something Christ taught and modeled for every believer. There are many different ways to fast, and there are different types of fasting. However and whenever fasting happens, it should be at the LORD’s leading. If you are going to fast food, be wise in doing so, especially if you have health issues. Stay hydrated and consider seeing your physician. If you are unable to fast food, do not be discouraged. There are many other things you can fast that are equally as powerful. The principle of fasting is to deny your flesh. Therefore, how that happens can involve much more than food and drink. The truth is, you can choose a fast that God honors that denies other areas. Some ideas are entertainment, social activities, and things that bring personal enjoyment. Many of the fasts in the bible incorporated what is called “a coming away” or “separation” from others for a season. Fasting food may or may not be realistic for you. Alternatives are available.

Fasting uses the same spiritual muscle to resist food that we use to resist sin. When we fast we give preference to the Holy Spirit and deny the flesh its most fundamental and basic desires. When we give the Holy Spirit preference, He honors that and is able to effectively crucify areas in our lives where strongholds exist. The effects of fasting and prayer are powerful. Christ teaches us that certain demonic bondages will not break apart from fasting and prayer. There is a very real place and vital need for fasting and prayer in the believer’s life. It holds a unique power all its own.

Two primary examples of a successful fast are seen in the life of Christ when He was alone in the wilderness, and with Daniel when he sought God on behalf of Israel when she was in captivity. As we can see from these examples, both fasts were very different, and they were necessary to overcome Satanic strongholds and crucify the flesh. If you feel led to fast, again, please do so wisely in obedience to the Holy Spirit, and whenever possible with a physician’s oversight.

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