After I first turned to God in June of 1965, the first thing that the Lord Jesus said to me was, "read My word and start in Matthew." I didn't understand the whys and wherefores of serving the Lord but I got my Bible (I had one I just had never read it), found the Book of Matthew and started to read. I (probably) read the entire New Testament that week. I turned to the Lord on Monday and was baptized in Jesus name on Friday. It was in reading through the New Testament and my late mother asking me on Wednesday if I wanted to be baptized in Jesus name, that I saw my need to be baptized. (See Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38) I remember my words in answer to her question, I said, "if it's in the Bible I want it." I still want it! Friday evening I went to the Washington/British Columbia camp meeting at the Black Lake campgrounds in Olympia ,WA. That was the first time I had ever voluntarily attended church in my 23 year old life. That was over 50 years ago and I have never been sorry! As I recall the speaker was Bro A. T. Morgan, although I don't remember what he said, I just wanted to go to the altar and pray.
As I said previously, I did not understand what living for God entailed. I just knew that the Lord Jesus had allowed me to turn to Him. I have since begun to understand His purpose in telling me to read His word. It was in the Bible alone that I began to understand what God thinks about things. I remember in reading in the Old Testament the scripture found in Proverbs 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." I still love the Book of Proverbs. They hold such wisdom. And I love the Book of Psalms too, for in Psalm 68:20 the Bible tells me that, "He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death." God wanted me to know what He thinks of things.
I have since read and love the entire word of God from Genesis 1:1 in the Old Testament to Revelation 22:21 in the New Testament. When I first turned to God, I was fearful to not serve Him. While I still fear God, (See Psalm 111:10) He has replaced the fear I had then into perfect love. (See 1st John 4:18) I Love the Lord Jesus with all my heart, soul mind and strength. This is, after all, the first and great commandment of the Law. (See Matthew 22:36-38) And I have learned to love my neighbor as I love myself. I don't want myself to be lost so I don't want my neighbor to be lost either. The Lord Jesus said that, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (See Matthew 22:39-40) I read the answer to the question of who my neighbor is in reading the Bible. (See Luke 10:29-37) I can't tell you the many times I have told the Lord how much I love Him, His word, His Spirit, His people, and lost souls, etc.
It was in reading the Bible that I found out that God is a Spirit. The Lord told the woman of Samaria that, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." I found out that I too must worship God in spirit and in truth. (See John 4:24) I found in reading the Bible many things such as that it is a shame for women to cut their hair or for a man to wear his hair long. (See 1st Corinthians 11:2-16) Some may think that is too old fashioned but it is what God thinks. I found out by reading God's word that there is to be a distinction between how a man dresses as opposed to how a woman dresses. (See Deuteronomy 22:5) It is what God thinks about things. There are many other things I have read in the Bible that tells me what God thinks that are too numerous to mention here.
You will never find out what God thinks outside of His word. The Bible says that His ways and His thoughts are as far above ours as the heavens are higher that the earth. (See Isaiah 55:8-9) By reading the word of God, starting in Matthew, I found out that the incomprehensible God can only be comprehended in Jesus Christ. I have found by reading His word that when I begin to love the Lord Jesus, only then will I have a real relationship with God. For I have found that God has chosen to manifest Himself only in the Lord Jesus. (See 2nd Corinthians 5:19 and Colossians 2:9) I found by reading the Bible that when I have the Lord Jesus, I truly have God in my life. (See 1st John 2:23) Have you found out what God thinks?
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