Recently, I was visiting manufacturing company that makes electronic boards for large corporations. I learned that before leaving the plant, the boards go through a special procedure. They are placed under a computer scanner, which finds any potential areas that may be out of line, and then the computer instantly fixes the problem. Amazing.
This procedure made me think of a similar scrutiny to which we, as Christians, should submit ourselves. Daily we need to examine our lives to see if we are “out of line.” We have to lay ourselves under the computerized screen of the Word of God and allow the Lord to give us whatever adjustments we need.
According to the scriptures, we are righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. But it is only through the values of His Word that we are conformed into His image, as we get to know Him through this wonderful love letter that we call the Bible. The biblical values that we live by guide us in our walk with God and man. Why do we worship God? Why do we read our Bibles or place importance on character and integrity? It is because we place value on those actions and qualities. Whatever we value becomes most important to our lives, and we build our lives upon those values.
As an international church family, we have combined our “life-principles” into twelve values that we find are paramount in our walk with the Lord. In the next pages we will examine each value. Let’s begin with the very foundation of our Christian lives: Knowing Christ and living by the Word of God.

Larry Kreider, International Director of DCFI.

1. Knowing Christ and living by the Word of God is the foundation of life.

Albert Einstein was once asked if he accepted the historical existence of Jesus.
“Unquestionably!” he responded. “No one can read the gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.”
Howard Hendricks once said a leader is “a person with a magnet in his heart and a compass in his head.” The magnet in the heart is Christ; the compass in the head and hand is the Bible.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we live our lives in obedience to the compass, the Word of God, regardless of our feelings or emotions of the moment. Emotions come and go, but the Word of God stands forever. According to the scriptures, we are righteous by faith in Christ. How do we know? God says so in His Word (II Corinthians 5:21).
Vince Lombardi, the legendary Green Bay Packers head coach, was a fanatic for fundamentals. After a game in which the Packers lost to an ill-deserving team, Lombardi called his team together and roared: “OK, we go back to the basics.” Then, holding a football high enough for all to see, he continued to yell: “Gentlemen, this is a football!” God is calling his church back to the basics, believing the Bible with a simplistic faith.
Amanda was a six-year-old Sunday school student. On “Presentation Sunday” at her local church in Boulder, Colorado, she was given her very own Bible. During coffee time in the fellowship hall, a member of the church congratulated her and asked if he could see her Bible.
“OK. But don’t open it.”
“Don’t open it? But why shouldn’t I open it?”
“You’ll let God out.”
Young Amanda’s understanding of God was flawed. God has called us to open the scriptures and let God out! He wants to invade our lives and give us the adjustments we need so we can live in His image. That’s why we can declare our victory in Emmanual. God is with us!
The Word of God was not written to be a set of rules to us but a Book of Life. It is a joy to obey His Word. After all, we have a personal relationship with the author through His son, Jesus Christ.

Larry Kreider, DCFI International Director.

2. It is essential for every believer to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and be completely dependent on Him.

The Philistines were celebrating a victory! They had defeated the Israelites in battle and taken the ark of God, the container of His presence, and brought it into the house of their false idol, Dagon (I Samuel 5).
Can you imagine their surprise the next morning when their idol was on his face on the ground? After setting him in place again, the following morning Dagon was not only on his face on the ground, but His head and hands were broken off. The demonic power could not stand before the presence of God!
Jesus told His disciples that the Father would give them “another Helper” (Holy Spirit), that He may be with them forever (John 14:16). The word another in Greek is allos which means one besides; another of the same kind. The word shows similarities but diversities of operation and ministries. Jesus’ use of allos for sending another Comforter equals “one besides Me and in addition to Me but one just like Me.”1 The Holy Spirit will do in us what Jesus would do if He were physically present with us! Do we recognize the power within us as we yield to the Holy Spirit?
The Father is always at work in our lives (John 5:17) and the Holy Spirit desires to instruct and guide us to hear what the Father is saying. The Holy Spirit desires to commune or fellowship with us (II Corinthians 13:14). He always glorifies Jesus and only speaks what the Father is saying (John 16:13).
I was struggling through a season of discouragement and crying out to God, “Why?” There seemed to be no reason for it. But over a period of time, I heard the Holy Spirit say so clearly, “There is a bigger picture. The Father is at work in your life, LaVerne. The Father is teaching you to give thanks in all things, especially in the home.”
The Holy Spirit is truly our Helper. He desires to comfort, strengthen, advise, convict, exhort, intercede and encourage. Will we yield to Him moment by moment? Let’s wake up each morning with, “Good morning, Holy Spirit, what is the Father doing today in my life?”

1 Spirit Filled Life Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, “Word Wealth,” p. 1603.
LaVerne Kreider, DOVE Ephrata-Lititz, serves with her husband, Larry, overseeing DCFI.