The Disciple's Handbook Introduction
Where can one begin with God except at the beginning? That beginning is Himself, for He has declared that he is the Alpha, and the Omega, the beginning and the ending. His person is the point of departure for all knowledge of God, for the truth of His person is revealed by His Spirit. If one is to be a disciple of Christ, then he must come to Christ as the beginning, the One who gives a new beginning by His power because He loves us.
The Absolute Truth The Basis For Faith
What is the absolute truth but God, and that what He says. Part of knowing God is discovering that HIs words are the expression of His character. That character, by His own declaration, is the truth, there being no variableness or shadow cast by turning. It is absolute, pure, and good. That which He says is the revealed mind and heart of God. God has revealed Himself to me in Christ who is truth. He has spoken through Christ, to give to man the basis for faith, a faith in the faithfulness of God.
The Trumpet's Sound
The trumpet is used in battle because of the clarity and power of its sound. So is the word and way of God. It is like a two-edged sword. It is a sword of truth. By men are blessed and by it they so not choose the blessing of God. The wise man is he who responds whole-heartedly to the sound of the trumpet.
The Silent War
There is a war that is going on today in the unseen. It is between the armies of God, and those of Satan. It is a war for the souls of men, for by the redemption that is in Christ, men are made new, and grow into the image of Christ. They worship no other God, for they realize that any other so-called God is not the God of the Bible. Christ stands alone and unique as, not only the Son of God, but the Redeemer of the ages, one that will be opposed by the enemy.
The Incomparable God
How is God incomparable? The answer is simple. There is nothing to compare Him with. His creation is a reflection of His attributes. His redemption is the unveiling of His justice and His mercy. Every created thing is a lesser thing from God, and is so very much beneath Him, that there is no comparison. He stands alone as the only true object of faith, perfect in all His person and ways, worthy of our trust.
Passover To Pentecost, The Promise And The Power
Different days, or dates, remind us of certain things. Those things which are most important, and enduring, are eternal and spiritual in nature. Passover speaks of deliverance from slavery. Pentecost speaks of power, the power of the Spirit when He moved upon the hearts of men, that all the world should know Christ. God's work is a complete one and is to be sought and embraced.
Every Good Thing
God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. How much does He desire to bless us, and what is the highest blessing? Paul tells us that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. Christ is the treasure which we seek, not only as He is eternal, and God, but that being so He has revealed Himself to man that we might know the wonderful, true, and gracious God.
Apprehending The Highest
How high and how far does God want us to go? There is only one limit, and it is His sovereign will, that which He calls us to be and to do. To the one who has seen, and has grasped the fact, that Christ is his life, all is in Christ to know and to do the will of God, wherever that may take the believer, to accomplish all that God has purposed. Certainly it is always beyond what we can ask or think.
Unrelinquishing Love
What is un relinquishing love? It is first a love that is from above, given to men by the Spirit of God, in response to faith in Christ. It's essence is of God, and its application is empowered by the Spirit of God. Christ's does not love to let go, but to keep and bless, defying the will and purposes of sinful men. He loves because He is love. The believer loves because he is held by un relinquishing, eternal love.
The Preeminence Of Worship
What is primary in the spiritual life, service or worship? To fail to understand that which is primary is to run the risk and peril of living empty, devoid of life and power. Christ did not die that we should serve Him primarily, but that we should be devoted to Him in love, living primarily for fellowship with Him. Essential to this fellowship is worship, that attributing to God of His worth, praising Him for His goodness and grace revealed to men.