Read the Bible Again…for The First Time

For many years, I thought Christianity was more of their struggles.  In my mind, it was the daily fight we’d have with the devil. Does this sound familiar?  Most of the time, He’d win because we’re on his turf. I thought the devil had the home field advantage.  At least that’s what churches and pastors with incomplete messages would have me believe. Maybe they didn’t know any better either.  Well, I do and I’m going to share what I know with you so that you can too.  

Before I get into the meat of it, let me stir you up a little bit.  What kind of believer believes that the God of the universe can’t handle the devil, whom He created?  What does it say about us if we believe God has our back yet the devil keeps winning all the fights. I can tell you this, that’s an experience that ordinary, normal people have, but I’m not talking to such ordinary people.  I’m speaking to “next-level” people. Those who don’t even have to involve God in their fight against an unworthy opponent. I’m talking to people who take the fight into what others would call devil territory and conquer the land.  If you remember, Moses (through God’s guidance) led the people of Israel to a land inhabited by giants, devil territory, yet the giants weren’t a match for such a group of people. That’s you. These are the kinds of people I’m talking to.

What if you were to start completely over in your faith? 

What if you took a new approach to how you view life and the word?  Let’s talk about how you view your faith, what you believe. I like to think of it this way, either you believe it or you don’t.  Decide and let’s move on. For people of faith, either you believe God’s word or your don’t. The rest of you can move on to the next paragraph.  

As I began reading God’s word from a new perspective.  This new perspective is one where I start with a “blank page mentality.”  This mentality says that I read the Bible as if I’ve never read it or heard any messages from it before.  I do my best to remove any biases and past teachings.  What I’ve gathered is that while the Bible does give a ton of rules, and commandments, it’s not meant to make our lives hard; it’s meant to make our lives extremely different, extraordinary, next-level.  Put aside what others want to have you think about it. You didn’t get to where you are by listening to simple ordinary people. Now that you have that out of the way, pick up your Bible and read it with a new perspective, looking for the principles and practices that will propel you forward in life because that’s what it does.

Could you use a Bible-story-ending to the circumstances in your life? 

Don’t be afraid to mention the Bible.  It’s this book that unlike any other has influenced extraordinary people throughout all time.  In every story documented in the Bible, it starts with people, who without God, struggle in life and with His help He turns it all around for them.  That’s you. He gives them a promised land. What has he promised you? God heals their diseases. There’s healing waiting for you. He provides for their needs.  Do you have needs that are unmet? It’s time to get His help with those. He rescues them from their pain. Are you looking to be rescued, help is on the way. He makes ways when there seems to be no way.  When you read the Bible with a new perspective you’ll want what it has to offer. Take a peek and see what it has in store for you. Make it your primary goto.  

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” – bible.com/116/rom.8.31.nlt

What if the Bible told your story, what triumphs would we find when we read your pages?

In fact, there aren’t any stories that don’t paint God as not being for you.  After you start to see this pattern, you’ll begin to believe that God is for you.  He is not against you. Since this is the case, erase what cultural norms have painted and believe that He wants to show out for you.  God realizes you already have too much against you. So He wants you to be in a win-win situation no matter what your life circumstances may be.  Ask yourself the question, if God is for me, who can ever be against me?

I wanted to take a moment to complete an incomplete message about what your life should look like having God on your side.  It’s not a life of struggle, it’s a life of victory after victory, success after success and triumph after triumph. All you need to do is decide which direction you wish to go and I believe it’s in the direction of becoming a “next-level” person.

Question: How would your life be unlike any others if you knew God was for you no matter who was against you?

Until next week, share this message with one of your “next-level” friends.  Together, we’re showing the world what it means to no-longer-common.

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