I am a disciple of Jesus. Meaning I am a student or I am learning about Jesus and His teachings. The word disciple in the Greek language is mathētēs - a learner, pupil, disciple. It comes from the root word manthanō - to learn, be apprised. I am learning about Jesus.
I use to not be a disciple, meaning I did not read the Bible yet I called myself a Christian. So a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. This word Christian is used ONLY three times in the Bible. Today this word is made common. Many different religions call themselves Christians or followers of Jesus. From Catholics to Mormons. One side does not read the Bible at all and the other side thought that God didn't do a good enough job with the Bible that they had to add other books to make it better. So let me ask you a question, how important is it to read the Bible? I am going to share some groundwork Scriptures. Scriptures that I found while reading that were important to write on my heart.
1.) Hebrews 11:6 (context 3-12)
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
• It takes FAITH to please God. Believing in something that you can not see.
• To come to God you have to BELIEVE that He is and will reward those who seek Him.
2.) 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (1-17)
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
• The whole Bible is inspired by God. This word inspired in the Greek is theopneustos. It comes from two root words: theos = God and pneo = Breathed. The Bible is actually hot off of Gods lips. And its purpose is for our training in becoming righteous and mature in God.
Here is another Scripture that goes along with this:
3.) 2 Peter 1:20-21 (12-21)
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
• NO Scripture is by one's own interpretation and no prophecy in the Bible was made by man's own will but men that were actually moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. Meaning God spoke, and the Holy Spirit would come upon a man and he would prophecy. And one proven FACT is that the Scriptures will not CONTRADICT each other. There are 66 books in the Bible and around 40 authors over a period of 1400 or so years. Most had never met each other. How can this be? Seek out of the book of the Lord and read and prove it out for yourself!
4.) Psalm 119:160
The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
• Going back to elementary school - what does sum mean? The total amount resulting from the addition of two or more numbers, amounts or items. If you take 1+2+3+4 you get what?...10! Easy right? Well think of the Bible like this. The entire Bible as a whole is TRUTH and its all everlasting! So what would happen if we took a verse out of the Bible because that didn't fit our belief? What would you have? TRUTH? NO! God makes it very clear that His word is forever and that it shall not be taken apart. I encourage you to look this up! Here are some Scriptures on this:
Deuteronomy 4:2
Deuteronomy 12:32
Proverbs 30:6
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Galatians 3:15
Revelation 22:18-19 - I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
• Jesus states it very plainly that if we do not practice the TRUTH (the sum of Gods word) we will never come to the Light, which is Jesus. This is stated in John 3:21. This is in the same context of the most read and memorized verse in the Bible, John 3:16. Yet very few look beyond what they are fed at church. Church will not bring you to Jesus! Practicing the sum of God's word will bring you to Jesus. Less then 2% of church goers read the Bible and prove out what their "pastor" is feeding them. Did you know that the true Shepherd is Jesus! He is the one that is going to lead us to springs of living water!
Ezekiel 34:11-16
For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. "As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. "I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. "I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. "I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord GOD. "I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.
WHO DO YOU THINK THIS IS TALKING ABOUT?...
John 10 (entire chapter) will show you! This is a perfect example that the Scriptures are living! This will bring me to the next Scripture.
5.) Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
• Gods Word is living. It is the only book written by God and in it is life to those who read it and PRACTICE it.
6.) Isaiah 55:6-10
Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
• God tells us to seek Him while He may be found - there will be a day when He may not be found. The world does not have forever to seek after God. The Lord says as well that if we forsake our ways and return to God, He will have compassion and abundantly pardon or forgive us of sin! But the KEY is to turn from our ways and return to the Lord and His ways.
• Gods thoughts and our thoughts are not the same. He makes this perfectly clear in this verse. His thoughts are heavenly and ours are earthly. A word that we are going to look at is the word REPENTANCE. In the Old Testament they talked about returning to the Lord. When John the Baptizer came preaching, he used the word REPENT or REPENTANCE. It again is a two part Greek word - metanous. Meta = change and Nous = mind. We have to change our mind from our ways and thoughts and start looking at how God thinks.
If you have any other Scriptures that are your favorites and why they are your favorites, share them! We would love to hear them.
I encourage you to be as the Bereans in the book of Acts (17:10-15) that when Paul would share the word of God, they received it with eagerness and went back and examined them diligently each day to see whether these things were so. This is what a true disciple does!