David Bordon - Lifes Simple Guide to God: Inspirational Insights for Growing Closer to God

Lifes Simple Guide to God: Inspirational Insights for Growing Closer to God

Copyright 2007 Bordon-Winters LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

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First eBook Edition: August 2007

ISBN: 978-0-446-56107-5

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version. NIV (North American Edition). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version. Copyright 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from The Amplified Bible, Old Testament. Copyright 1965, 1987 by Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan. New Testament copyright 1958, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked CEV are taken from The Contemporary English Version. Copyright 1991, 1992, 1995 by the American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Incorporated, Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Holy Bible, The Living Bible Translation. Copyright 1986, 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Incorporated, Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIRV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Readers Version. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked GNB are taken from The Good News Bible, Second Edition, Todays English Version. Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

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If youre reading this book, you must be sensing a desire within yourself to know God better, to grow closer to Him, to learn more about His ways. Thats a good thing, because you will never be in better company than when you are spending time in the presence of the One who created you, redeemed you, and loves you unfailingly.

The keys to growing closer to God are found in the Bible Gods true handbook for lifeand this book, Lifes Simple Guide to God: Inspirational Insights for Growing Closer to God, was designed to help you tap into the truths that can be found there. Of course, there is no end to what can be found in the Bible concerning your relationship with God, but we have pulled out some of the most practical truths, and we hope they will be a good beginning, an appropriate place to start as you pursue the true and living God.

Lifes

SIMPLE GUIDE TO

G O D

Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on Earth!

JIM ELLIOT

As they reached the place where the road started down from the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

LUKE 19:37 NLT

T housands of people followed Jesus through the Galilean countryside. They were captivated by His persona, intrigued by His teaching, but mostly, they were there to see the miracles. They were generously rewarded for their effort: before their eyes, they saw the deaf hear, the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, the possessed delivered, the sick healed, and the dead raised. They also saw lives miraculously changed: rugged fishermen transformed into ministers of Gods mercy and grace, a dishonest tax collector who refunded all he had stolen, and a prostitute whose newfound devotion to God was publicly praised by Jesus Himself.

For those who are willing to follow Christ, there are daily miracles still to be seenmiracles of provision, intervention, protection, healing, transformation, and deliverance. They are not confined to a certain place or time. Today, miracles can be found wherever people are looking for themin their communities, their homes, and their hearts.

Keep your eyes open for miracles and you will find yourself closer to God, because miracles follow the Master wherever He goes. They are the signs of His divine authority and compassion and the unmistakable manifestation of His presence in our lives. And if you should wake one morning to find that you need a miracle, youll be in a perfect position to receive one.

SIMPLY SPEAKING

A miracle in the sense of the New Testament is not so much a breach of the laws of nature, but rather a remarkable or exceptional occurrence which brought an undeniable sense of the presence and power of God.

CHARLES DODD

LIVING THE GOD LIFE

W hat miracle, small or large, have you seen God perform recently? Be sure to thank Him for the daily miracles He brings into your life.

[Jesus said,] Put Gods kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all of those things will also be given to you.

MATTHEW 6:33 NIRV

Jesus was a busy man. He healed sick people and fed the hungry. He taught those willing to listen; He tried to teach the religious leaders. He restored sanity to the insane. He went to church, read, and studied the Scriptures. He prayed for others and He spent time alone.

At times, Jesus needed a break from the demands on His life. On one occasion, after an exhausting day, He sent His disciples across a lake to another town. Instead of going with them, He told them Hed catch up later and went to the mountains to pray.

Jesus needed to know what to do. He gathered His thoughts and cleared His mind so He could hear Gods answers. Jesus knew that His power came from spending time with Godso He made that His top priority.