Prayer Book.
Christian Word Ministries
56.1 Are You Sure? You Can Know For Sure!
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb…” “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you.” (Jeremiah 1:5, 31:3) Introduction You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free. We need to stand free and to know what true freedom is. Life is full of many choices and there is a sure path (Jeremiah 6:16) we can take. We all have to make decisions in various areas of life on a daily basis. Unfortunately there are those things in this life that “appear as one thing” when they are actually something totally different. The truth about something can determine whether we make the right choices in this life. Truth is not something that is relative to just one situation and then changes to fit another situation. Truth is constant, never changing. Having a working knowledge of what Truth really is and how to walk in the Truth will help you to make the right decisions in your life. “Multitudes , multitudes in the valley of decision!”, Joel 3:14 NKJV As you go through this life you will need to recognize the Truth in order to see clearly so you understand what is truly happening and why. In turn this will help us to understand and reason clearly. We need to be sure of the path (course) we are on and realize that there is only one way meant for us. Are the Decisions we Make that Important? Absolutely, the course you’re on, the decisions you select will lead you somewhere eventually. There used to be a saying that all roads (paths) lead to Rome. This is not true! All roads do not lead to Rome. Some roads are dead ends. Other roads or paths in this life seem to be right but end up a waste of time. Some roads in this life lead people down paths (Jeremiah 18:15) they may wish they had never taken (regret, sorrow, even death). The stark reality is that we go through “this” life only once. That is a vital statement. We all want the best for our lives and others. Most people go through life trying to stay up with their perception of “life” and trying to get it right along with the flow (ways) of humanity and its challenges. Sometimes our decisions can tend to weigh us down even when they are not all that serious. That is not to say that some aren’t! The Right Plan (Course) for Your Life and How to Find It, Get to It, and Live “In” It Like a car going down the road, we don’t want to end up in a ditch or as with boats, shipwrecked! That is what this message is about, finding and staying “in” that sure path for your life. Wouldn’t it be sad to be thinking that things are really going well and believing things are okay when actually you could be headed straight for trouble or in it and not realize it? From Here to There It is important to start out on the right path. Then it is important to stay on the right path. Finally it is important to end up at the correct and final destination point. (2 Tim 4:7) Let’s say you start in a straight line, your destination is miles up ahead and you get off just one degree then you will end up quite a ways from your intended destination and most likely not finish the course. How I came into the Right Path and How I “Know” It! You might say at this point, “How do you know this?” A change so pervasive and strong came into my life when I was about five and a half years old. I experienced something so life enriching and powerful that I have to share and help others know that Truth. Since then, I have walked in the Truth, experienced Truth and found out that Truth is a Person. He is very real! He desires us to have a loving, and caring relationship with Him. Truth has a Name, His Name is Jesus. It is in a relationship with God’s Son, Jesus Christ, that we experience and learn about Him. He is committed in His love and faithfulness toward us. Literally and figuratively speaking, it is God Who places and keeps our feet on His path in life. He is the One Who designed and created your life, He knows all of the situations and circumstances you will ever encounter. He has a plan on how to deal with each situation or circumstance that arises. He is in control of His creation. When you meet up with Him, then you are on the correct path! (Psalms 119:35, 119:105, and Proverbs 2:9) He desires to bless you, enrich you, causing you to prosper in all areas of the life He has designed for you. He desires to help you, and encourage you. Those who find Him and enter in with Him will never be sorry. Awakening to Truth (God is the Truth) There is only one True Truth. Even God’s Word to us declares that God is Light and in Him is no darkness (deception or lies). When a person has the Truth opened up to them; then they can say the Truth has been revealed. True revelation can only come through those who have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The Truth will not only reveal new aspects about God but He will also open up new insights, wisdom, and revelations about life, self, and others around you and the way you perceive. Things will change because the touch of the Creator changes all who choose Him. This will happen because you are being transformed into His likeness. Why does this Occur? We were originally made in His likeness, and in the likeness of His Precious Son, Jesus the Christ. We are of His design and He knows what is best for each of us. Notice I said He knows what is best for each of us. Usually we think we know what is best for us (this is called pride). When we think that way then we get in trouble! That is why the human race is so far away in their relationship with God, instead of knowing God, they are seeking “paths to enlightenment” but leaving God their Creator out of their thinking (their life), being blind themselves but think they truly see. They are those who continue stumbling down a mental path of self deception. We think we have to do things “our way” because we think we know best. In all actuality we simply need to come to God for all our needs. We need God all the time! It is God’s persistent love for us and mercy that helps us endure the hardships of this life. The help or revelation God gives us is to see and understand what is also missing in our lives or where we fall short. We are then able to realize “the condition that our condition is in!” This revelation from our Heavenly Father is not given to us to condemn us or beat us but as a loving Father He helps us see our need, where we fall short and need His help, which without, we would never be able to make it! Our true need is to come to Him and embrace Him and all He has for us, Him and Life Eternal through His Son, Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Father dearly loves us! Yes, He loves and cares for you! Even when we were in darkness (ignorance) and opposed to Him, He loved us and gave His life for us! That my friend is True Love! We Are Not So Perfect After All Revelation will always affect our realization. Most people perceive everything going on in their life as good, good enough, close enough, near perfect, or perfect. Either way it is common for most people to settle for what seems to work well or is comfortable. Being comfortable or being at ease can be a major deception. Falling short of a mature or complete outcome by thinking you are “close enough to what it should be” is essentially saying “Well that’s good enough for me” or “that’s the way it should be.” Our perception about the way life is going can be a lie that we readily accept. For example, “Everything seems to be flowing smoothly so why upset things by changing it now!” Most people think that if life is going good it has to be a “God thing!” Wrong! How An Enemy of Our Soul Is Allowed to Creep In Many people believe there is a God and for them that is “good enough.” No, it is not enough! To just believe there is a God does not insure anything except that God “is” or “was” in their thinking somewhere, somehow, at sometime and I will deal with Him later when I have the time, things are okay, “I’m okay”, or “I am too busy for this stuff now.” Friend, I have lived long enough to see people make that mistake. Things can so easily drive you away from God and His Truth: distractions, accidents, weddings, and even a death of a loved one. You don’t know the day, the hour, minute or second your life can be taken from you! The Truth is God’s Word tells us there is more to just believing that God “is”. God tells us in His Word, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19) When all is said and done, these devils, or fallen angels, deceiving and lying spirits sent out to deceive mankind by God’s enemy satan, are not going to be in Heaven with God, they will be in a place set aside for them by God and this is not a good place to be! The Spiritual Realm is Real The spiritual realm is a real unseen existence, alive and active. There is a war going on of satan, and his demonic spirits (evil), against God, and His angels, and praying saints (good). This war is for the possession of your soul (mind, will, and emotions) and to dominate the unredeemed spirit of that person. There are many lies out there. Let me give you insight how these work to draw you away from God and the relationship He desires to have with you, and His plan for your life in Him. Lie #1 All people will be forgiven and be in Heaven. God will surely forgive me without Jesus in my life. Lie #2 There is no God or Devil. Lie #3 There is no Heaven or Hell. Lie #4 The Bible was just a book written by men. Lie #5 Religion was thought up by a man or men to control the masses. Lie #6 Man evolved. Lie #7 I believe some of the Bible is true and I don’t take it so literal; I am okay. Lie #8 I can get to Heaven on my own good behavior or merit. Lie #9 I am good and I will be good and help others. (This is called “works.”) Lie #10 I believe in God but I don’t think I need to ask Jesus into my heart, because there are many ways to Him. Lie #11 I believe there is a God. I believe in God. This “cross” or “Jesus” thing is not for me. Lie #12 I believe in God, and His Son and what Jesus did. I am good, and that is good enough! Lie #13 I believe Jesus was just a Prophet sent by God. Lie #14 How can Jesus’ Blood save anyone? …that’s a bloody religion. Do you expect me to teach my children that? Lie #15 God is dead or I am not important enough to Him ... it’s God’s fault, what kind of God would…, and the lies goes on! The devil gives people excuses and reasons to believe God does not exist or that He is afar off. The devil is also trying to persuade people into thinking they don’t need God or that He is a weak God. The devil does not want you to know that God is loving, kind, merciful, forgiving, and the One True and LIVING God. The devil, Lucifer, is a created being, a fallen Cherub (angel), who became twisted on the inside. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which weakened the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12) The only power the devil has is the power you give him over yourself by believing his lies. These lies are like a trap, or a snare that take people captive. The devil, the enemy of God, and his evil followers on this planet are always trying to draw you and me away from our Heavenly Father, a relationship with Him, and His plan for our lives. Most people don’t even realize when they are deceived or ensnared, that is how slick (devious) the devil is. The most dangerous thing I see in people that allows this deception to occur is pride. Pride is blindness to God and the reality that we need Him! Pride tells us that we can do things without God’s help or intervention. That is dangerous. Through pride we become blinded, set in our minds and hearts to go another way (stiff necked), with a bad attitude (hard-hearted) and rebellious (against or opposing God). When blinded like that we can believe a lie or think we are okay even when we are not. God is the turning point, the turning around place, is in Him! We need God’s help! We need God! The KEY As for me and you, the key is to know and have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. This is not an option, nor an opinion, but Truth (which is greater than a fact)! Experience Truth!!! We must realize that God is real and He has thoughts, feelings, power, and is pure love. God is pure in thought, intent, and motive! He is for us! He is telling you “I truly love you, come to me.” God loves us and knows best for us. Anything else is a lie, rejecting Him. The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth! You can not just have a part of God’s Word or Truth. We must have the entire Truth. Just to believe that God is, is not enough! God’s Word to us states, “As you believe in your heart AND confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, then you are saved.” To be “saved” means that a conversion or a God-produced change takes place in a person due to Jesus Christ being received into your heart. I truly believe that there is a higher percentage of church members who believe that they are truly saved yet lack a true conversion. This is extremely important! When you receive Jesus Christ into your heart, His character, and the power of God will bring change into your life! Sometimes it is experienced and seen quickly and at other times it is not as evident. Conversion can be defined as a change that takes place in our heart or spirit-man, through the Spirit of God. We are born into this world, separated from God, due to sin. We become awakened or “made alive” to God through the intervention of His Holy Spirit in our lives, moving us to repentance. Repentance is the turning away from our sinful nature, by acknowledging our sin in the Presence of a Holy God through prayer, where we realize in God’s Presence we fall short of being Holy like Him, and then we turning to God receive His help, mercy and grace, to empower us to turn and change from our ways and being to God’s ways and likeness (being). You know you have truly repented because once you have turned away from the sin you will not want to go back to it because you love God and don’t want to hurt Him. Remember sin hurts you in more ways than you may realize at that moment and it hurts others. When we repent it is a step to growth and maturity in Christ and in this life for ourselves. Repentance should shut doors that allow evil spirits and wrong people into our lives and opens doors for God to move and right relationships to flow into those areas of our lives. This can only be done through the Holy Spirit as we submit or yield, to allow this change to take place in us. The Holy Spirit helps us to see this need to receive Jesus Christ as Savior, who takes away our sins and to receive Him as Lord, to help us live a life right unto God. At this point, by an act of faith on our part (believing that God is and trusting Him), we ask Jesus Christ into our heart (inner man) as Savior and Lord. This is the process of giving our lives to and receiving Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We are now born into the Kingdom of God as his dear sons or daughters! After receiving Jesus Christ into your heart a “desire” to remain in that relationship with Him will come alive or exist in you. Therefore you will “know” He lives in you! So please take your time reading this book. You say that you believe? Then you are in a wonderful position or place! Rejoice in that, but do not stop reading. Let God’s TRUTH confirm that to you as you read. Who You Are and How a Person can be Separated From God and Not Realize it! You are a spirit being in a body, with a mind, will, and emotions. These three parts, the mind, the will, and emotions make up your human soul. When Jesus is Savior in your life, the “true” you, the spirit-man, expresses itself through the soul into the world around you. Therefore when all things are in their correct God-given order then God (in our spirit-being) moves through our soul via His Holy Spirit; expressing Himself to the world through us; making known His Presence, His Love, and His Way. However, if Jesus is not Savior and Lord in your life then what ever thought pops up tends to rule and express itself, directing your life. For example, let’s take a light bulb with no electricity; it may be good and functional. It may exist but it does not shine forth shedding light. Now if that light bulb was a human being, not having experienced God, it would not know what it is missing, thinking life is okay, thinking “this is life just the way it ought to be!” You know in life, light bulbs when placed in a light socket brings forth light, else it is thrown away! I thank God He didn’t cast me out or throw me away! God saw me in my state of need and made a way for me through His Son Jesus Christ. God wants to come into your life, like electricity to a light bulb that is not perfect, to love you and get you connected to Him. He wants to shine in us and through us in a darkened (blinded and ignorant of God) and dying world that truly needs Him. The only thing we have to do is make the right choice (Deuteronomy 30:19, Joel 3:14) to come to Him, repent showing true regret of sin and being away from Him, acknowledge we need Him, and ask His Son Jesus Christ into our heart, which will allow that connection in our lives, then we will start to shine with God’s Life and Light! “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” (Proverbs 20:27). What do candles do? Like light bulbs, they are meant to bring light to the room they are in. Light, in this case, brings revelation of what is in the room and understanding can then take place. Just like a light being turned on in a darkened place, you will then see and understand exactly what is before you concerning God and this world. Ignorance (darkness) flees when God’s Light comes in. Let’s Take it From the Top! Here is the problem. When we are born, we are born in our human nature separated from God and the Truth of God, due to the spiritual fall or separation of Adam, the first man, from God; therefore our minds from one generation to the next, are corrupt, shaped by sinful (separating from God) tendencies. There is a veil of this sinful blindness or darkness that keeps us from seeing and understanding the Truth. Darkness can mask Truth if we don’t know Truth. We therefore can not perceive the Truth on our own. When we belong to God through Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God helps to order and direct our thoughts. However, on our own, with misguided minds (with wrong or bad perceptions), we think we are okay. We think we can do anything right, apart from God, but in all actuality, we are deceived. We must have God, (like a light in a dark room) in us to even begin to understand how far off base we are or how bad we have missed what is really going on. God is not coming to us to condemn us but to reveal Himself and invite us to share with Him the most wonderful Life and Light. Without the Truth and Light of God we will not understand why the world’s – people, fallen or separated from God, act and do the things they do. If you listen to what people say you can clearly hear their words justifying their actions, giving a clear broadcast of the darkened heart and mind they live in. God didn’t make us robots. Instead, God gave us a choice, and it is up to each one of us to walk with Him or apart from Him. Thank God He didn’t leave us, nor forsake us in that condition, but has provided a way back to our Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6) God Made A Way! Jesus is the Way back to our Heavenly Father. The Word of God clearly states that our life is hid in Him. So if you want to find your purpose and fulfillment in this life, you can only find it in a relationship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. In God’s eyes, everybody has value and worth. We must realize that we are God’s creation and He loves us. He has also given us great potential, a purpose, and has a plan for our lives. Even if you were conceived outside of marriage; you are not an accident! The Lord tells us through His Word, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb…”, Jeremiah 1:5. “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you…”, (Jeremiah 31:3). The first step in finding His purpose and plan for your life is to go to Him! The way to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) It is that simple! For many people that is too simple. Most people “feel” they are not worthy and therefore do not want to go to God or cry out to Him. Others are blinded by pride and don’t even realize it (self-sufficient not wanting to acknowledge a need for help). That is the fallen nature of mankind lying to you. The truth is that you are God’s precious creation and He longs for you to come to Him! Other people feel or reason that they have to work to earn entrance into Heaven or some way “qualify” to get on “God’s good side” so He will allow them into Heaven. That is not God’s way and it will fail! God tells us very clearly that He loves us. He then tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of His glory. Yes, even at one point in time, I, the person writing this book, was lost in sin, separated from God. Yet while Jesus was on the cross He counted it (you and me) as joy set before Him to die on that cross, for my sin and yours, which separated us from Him (Jesus) and God the Father. Jesus has made the Way (Path) back to God the Father. For this very reason God so loved you that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ as the perfect (substitute) sin offering to die on the cross for you and me. …“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6) Only Jesus’ life sacrificed and His Blood could make atonement (pay in full) for our sins before our Heavenly Father! This was the only acceptable sacrifice to God the Father for our sins. This selfless act of love on God’s part, through His Son, made a Way for us back to Him so we could once again enter into a relationship with Him. He so longingly desires for us to be with Him! Jesus Christ made it possible for you and me to become accepted back into a place of fellowship with God, our Heavenly Father. Our part is to accept the gift of His love. Jesus paid the only acceptable price for our sins, so that we would no longer be separated by those sins from our Heavenly Father. It is now up to us individually to receive that gift. (Romans 5:18) God did not plan to have you come on this earth just to watch you grow old and die. God cares about you! You are His creation! He desires a relationship with you here and now. Yes. I said a relationship! Yes, it is possible; I speak from that relationship even now, because that is where I live, move and have my being, which is in my relationship with Him! “Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him [that is you and me] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) The Feeling of Unworthiness in His Presence Sometimes we realize God’s awesomeness and we “feel” unworthy to be in His Presence or to go to Him, due to His true love and character. The truth is that when we become His dear children through Jesus Christ, we are made worthy and restored to Him. God desires us to do more than just ask Jesus Christ into our heart and become converted. We are to continue in an ongoing relationship with Him. Even in maintaining our relationship with Him, He knows that we need His help and He is faithful to us by supplying it! This is not a come to Him “one time” deal! He desires for us to grow closer to Him, getting to know Him through an ongoing and continuous basis. As we mature and grow in Him many things in our lives will be seen for what they truly are. Remember, God already knew that those things were in your life before you chose to give your life to Him. Our Heavenly Father wants to reveal things to us so that we can see the lies that we have been told and believe. He wants us to be set free in areas of our lives where we are deceived (believe a lie and thinking we are okay). In other words, we come to Him and exchange whatever the darkness is, for the Truth and receive a fresh new way of thinking and living causing you and me to be changed, therefore coming closer to Him. He has taken the first step! It is now up to us to respond by taking the next step by accepting the gift of Eternal Life through Jesus Christ. Is Hell real? Yes! Most people do not take God seriously enough at His Word and that is sad. I was walking along one day and God quickly brought back into my mind an incident of a man who had driven his car to a wooded area. The man got out of his car, went into the woods, and using a gun, killed himself. The man had a history of drugs and work-related problems. I was walking along the street where I lived one day, and I asked the Lord, “Is the man in Hell, Lord?” The Lord clearly and recognizably said, “Yes”. At that moment, I was looking down toward the sidewalk and God gave me a vision of a dark hole. I saw this man stretching upward, trying to reach up and get out of this pit. Pain soared up out of this opening from him. This man was in pain! Fear and torment were easily seen on his face. I was allowed to experience a slight measure of it myself, it was horrible! I saw fire race through him. The man screamed. The agony of the moment raced ever so briefly through me! Just as fast as I saw it and experienced it, it went away, and more was to come. A feeling of dread as to what might come next followed. I was left without words. I asked the Lord if this man had ever asked Jesus Christ into His heart. And the Lord said, “No”. The man had been led down this darkened road through drugs and self-means (ideas and choices). The man was in excruciating torment. I remember thinking, “Oh God, if he had only asked Jesus Christ into his heart as his Savior and Lord, and had that relationship in his life, then he would not be there today.” Physically we live this life only once and death marks the end of it. We each need to have our own relationship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ! Those that do not follow God through receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, AND do not do (obey) His will are the same people who are actually saying to God that they desire to do their own thing. They are therefore in rebellion against Him, and are following the way of the devil. All of this is plainly depicted throughout God’s Word in Psalms 9:17. God’s Holy and Righteous children will not be subject to the same place in eternity as the children of wrath. The children of wrath are those who will experience God’s wrath in a place set aside for them, the devil and his kind, a place called Hell and the Lake of Fire! They have chosen it for themselves; no one forced them into opposition against God. We have all been given a free will by God and the right to make our own decision (choice) to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior (Who takes away our sins), and Lord (Who leads us in Life Eternal). Knowing You Are Speaking To the God Who Created You ! God has given all who chooses to come to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, Eternal Life. This brings all of humanity to the place where each of us must individually make a choice to receive Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, into our heart. There is only One Way back to God (YHVH), some people use the name Jehovah here but that is not an exact Hebraic rendering of the Name of God the Father. So we know Who we are speaking of I want to give you some background now. The True Heavenly Father, decided what Way was the only acceptable Way, Himself. He didn’t come and ask man’s advice, being God(!) He decided and made the only (one) acceptable Way back to Him. That Way is through His Son Jesus the Christ. We need to understand that “Jesus” was the Name of the human form (the man or house the spirit of the man Jesus would dwell in when He came to Earth) God the Father chose for Him. “Christ” is the Holy Spirit. Jesus was indwelt with the Holy Spirit and in-filled with the Holy Spirit (Ruach Ha Kodesh) of God (YHVH), Know the Truth and the Truth (Who is a Person, the Holy Spirit) will set you free! Jesus Christ is therefore called the Messiah (Yeshua). Who is alive forever more! So as you can see clearly the Way back to God is not “Buddha”, not “Mohammad”, and not Allah, a false god. Messiah(Yeshua-Jesus Christ) is the Only True, acceptable sacrifice and therefore, the Only True Way back to God our Heavenly Father. Notice that when your mom called for you she did not use another name. For sake of the conversation let me be called “Sam”. When you come into my place of work you don’t say you are looking for “Joe” if you are trying to see me and talk with me, you ask for Sam. It is sad to say, but many are deceived thinking that “YHVH” and “Allah” are one in the same. Not so! Many are being deceived with a demonic doctrine and are being given a bill of false peace, false unity, and a false sense of safety. Many are being sold out to the guise of “political correctness”. Many are being taught that Allah is another name for the True God of Heaven. This Is Not So! To tell some one Allah is God is a LIE and is straight from the “father of lies”, the devil or satan himself! We are being confronted with a lie right to our face by the devil in the name of peace, a false peace and must be armed with the Truth so we are able to make the right choice. Choose Life, Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, or choose death in a false god. The line is clearly drawn and seen. We do not bow to the false god Allah, but we choose Life, in Jesus Christ! These words are not to attack the muslim, for they too are sons of Abraham through Ishmael, son of the Egyptian bond servant Hagar, who was cast out from Abraham’s camp. When their provisions had run out Hagar cried to the Lord, “. . . and lift up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad, and the angel of God called Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.” Genesis 16:16-18. God took care of Ishmael by providing water springing up in the desert. This verse prophetically implies that the sons of Ishmael may come to the Living Waters, of Jesus Christ (Yeshua), through repentance, and by accepting and receiving, Jesus Christ (Yeshua), as their Messiah, Lord and Savior. God the Father, Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are the True and Living God, the Truth, the Life, and the Way, longsuffering, and compassionate, Creator of all things that exist. All things consists and are held together by Them. Jesus Christ has the fullness of the God-head. He is the Truth. He is Life Eternal. He is the Light of men. He is the One you better be trusting and receiving, following and pouring your life back to. Jesus Christ is the Only True Way back to our Heavenly Father. Our Heavenly Father, through His Word to us in 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 18 says, “But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [ that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].” AMP Verse 19, “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but canceling them] , and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration of favor).” AMP We each have a free will to choose or not to choose Eternal Life (with God). We choose Eternal Life by asking His Son, Jesus Christ, into our heart, and allowing Him to change us from there outward! John 3:16 clearly states, “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life.” Perish means to die, death, spiritual death, being separated from God eternally. Thank God that it is not His desire for us to be separated from Him. Instead God so loved us that He made a Way back to Himself through Jesus Christ. Psalms 49:8 says, “For a soul is far too precious to be ransomed by mere earthly wealth. There is not enough of it in all the earth to buy eternal life for just one soul, to keep it out of hell.” Some Major Stumbling Blocks, Pit Falls, and Wrong Beliefs about “Getting Into Heaven” First Many do not believe God at His Word, and that Jesus Christ is alive even in the flesh, today. God, through His Word to us, clearly states that Jesus Christ appeared after His death and resurrection to: Mary, two men on the Damascus road, to the disciples in a room, and to countless others. Was this just as a spirit? No! Did He actually come in the flesh? Yes! Let’s look at the evidence recorded in God’s Word. Thomas, a disciple of Jesus Christ, was not with the other disciples the first time they saw Jesus after the crucifixion and resurrection. When the other disciples reported the appearance of Jesus to Thomas, he doubted this occurrence! When Jesus appeared a second time to the disciples, “doubting Thomas” was there and not only saw Him but also TOUCHED the nail-scared places in Jesus’ hands. Thomas commented saying, “My Lord, my God!” (John 20:28). Wow! You cannot ask for any greater witness or testimony than that! Jesus resurrected and alive in the flesh! Many other people also saw Him ascend into the clouds out of sight. Jesus Is Alive and Lives In Born Again Believers God's Word to us clearly states: (1) "In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him. John 14:20 & 23 (2) "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5 (3) "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou (Heavenly Father) in Me(Jesus Christ), that they may be perfected in unity. John 17:21-23 Second Many have not confessed Jesus as their personal Savior, the One True awaited Messiah. He came in the flesh, died on the cross, and God raised Him from the dead: spirit, soul, and body. As you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth then you will be saved, that is, born into the Kingdom of God as His dear son or daughter. It only takes simple childlike faith (belief and trust) to enter into God’s Kingdom. Third Many think they are good and that they have done good works, therefore God will let them into Heaven on that basis. “I am good.” There are tons of people who for various reasons think that because of their right standing (reputation) in the community, by being a member of a church, rightfully justifying their actions before themselves with good deeds or works they have done “for God”, that they are in good-standing with God. These people think they will be in Heaven one day. They may even think that God wouldn’t dare do anything but accept them. WRONG! This is a wake up call folks! Just because you do good works or think you are the way you should be it is not enough. You might be saying “I did this..., I did that..., I prayed..., I talk with God..., and I have this understanding with God..., I will make God..., I have a certain degree from this Seminary, I was ordained by Pastor Billy, I was an Elder at …, or I was a Deacon at …, or I was a Bishop at …, I cut the grass at church, or I helped widow Jenkins.” Sorry, that will not get you into Heaven. (Titus 3:3-7) Fourth Many think that by reading the scriptures they can obtain an entrance into Heaven. The Holy scriptures of God are from the Spirit of God. God by His Holy Spirit breathed the scriptures into men who have penned the various books of the Bible for over thousands of years. Just picking up God’s Word and reading the scriptures does not change your heart. That would be like trying to obtain entrance into Heaven through “intellectual ascent”, which is also a type of “works” or trying to gain entrance into Heaven by “doing” something good (i.e., to achieve your way into Heaven). The Word of God clearly states that man’s own righteousness is as dirty rags. (Isaiah 64:6) God’s Word says in John 5:37-40, “And the Father Himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard His Voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And ye have not His Word abiding in you: for whom He hath sent Him ye believe not ye search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.” (That “life” means Eternal Life in the Heavenly Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ.) One of the purposes of the scriptures is to testify of Him. The Word of God was designed to be received into your spirit, and that can only take place by the aid of God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit quickens (makes understood) what God is speaking to us in our mind. The process works like this: the Holy Spirit communicates to our spirit-man who in turn communicates to our mind (soul) the things of God. (God’s revelation and understanding then comes forth.) “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” (Proverbs 20:27) Fifth By my own merit or ability. Our righteousness (right-ness before God) without Jesus Christ is as dirty rags. (Isaiah 64) We need to see that our righteousness (rightness) is as dirty rags before God. The only Righteousness acceptable to God comes through Jesus Christ by means of His shed Blood. As the verses above in John 5:37-40, infers, we desperately need to go to Him; the One Who has Life and is Life. Do not let your personal problems with God and His Word hinder you in going to Him. We need to accept Him at His Word and know that He has our best interest at heart! In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1). God and His Word are inseparable! The Word is as much a part of Him as Jesus His Son and His Holy Spirit is. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. (John 1:14) Only through Jesus Christ and His Blood can we be deemed as right before God. How to Move Past Any Stumbling Blocks, KNOWING you can have Eternal Life! God’s Word to you and me in Rom 10:9-13 clearly states “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." Rom 10:9-13 (NASU) It is written in God’s Word to you and me in I John 5:13, that you can know you have (now) Eternal Life. That means exactly what it says, “you can know” or you can be sure that once you ask Jesus Christ into your heart, He is there and with you! This restored relationship only comes through Jesus Christ, our resurrected and living Savior. There is no other way back to the Father, but through His Son. Only through Jesus Christ can a man’s life be redeemed. God tells us this in His Word and God is not a liar, unlike man. He does what He says. He is Who He says He is. (Hebrews 6:18) God is love. (1 John 4:16) He is ALIVE! JESUS is ALIVE !!! Jesus speaking said, "After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. " In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” John 14:19-21 After the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth: But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, " Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, " Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." John 20:24-29 “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” 1 John 5:11-12 You can absolutely trust God! I have experienced that during 100% of my relationship with Him in these last 42 plus years and so have countless others who have experienced His Mercy, His Faithfulness, and Loving Kindness! If you truly desire Him and seek Him, He will not turn you out! Wow! What a statement!!! (1) There is no rejection or messing up! God is not looking for a chance or excuse to “whack” you. Get rid of that earthly thinking! When that type of thinking arises just know that it does not come from God. (2) Don’t worry about making a mistake. God looks at and knows your heart. He loves you dearly. So, don’t argue with Him! Dear child, God loves you and through Jesus Christ He has made a clear-cut way back to Him. There is no other path, way, or whatever you might call it, back to the Heavenly Father. (Hebrews 12:13) There are no excuses for not coming to Him! “For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured (helped) thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) How to ask Jesus Christ into your heart: First, by an action of faith. We go to God, believing and trusting that He is all that He has said He is, and will do for us all He has said He will do through His Son, Jesus Christ. Second, by acting upon that belief. (“a step of faith”) In accordance with your faith, we believe and trust God, and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart, receive Him. (He will then come into your heart just as He has promised!) “But as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name”. John 1:12 You can receive Jesus into your heart now by praying and trusting God at His Word. God knows the desire of your heart and is ready to come and live in you and through your spirit. He will not turn you away. This is the way to taste and see, and know (and continue to know) that the Lord is good! I ask you to get in a place now, where you will not be disturbed, so you can get quiet in the privacy of your own mind with Him. How do you know He is there with you? He is omni-present, which is an attribute of God. He can be with someone in China and be with you here at the same moment in time. Trust me, I know what I am telling you. It’s a God thing! Be determined to block out all interferences, get still, quiet, and serious with God. Tell God you are serious about what you are about to pray. Will He hear you? Absolutely! He loves you, you are His creation. He has been waiting on you to come to Him and He is listening to you right now! If you have already asked Jesus Christ into your heart: Even if you have previously prayed a prayer asking Jesus Christ into your heart, asking Jesus into your heart again is not wrong before God. I encourage you to say the following prayer and say it with meaning in your heart (sincerely or in your best effort). This will only strengthen you in Him because it demonstrates your commitment to the Lord. (That is your faith and heart’s determination!) There are some basic reasons people think they are saved but are not : They do not believe Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and is alive today: spirit, soul, and body. They have not confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior before man.* We can lead you through the prayer part but you will need to believe and confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord yourself! Then confess Him as your Savior and Lord before another person. Please Pray asking Jesus Christ to Be Your Lord and Savior (Sinners Prayer) (Please Pray Out Loud) Heavenly Father I come to You now in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ. I confess that I am a sinner and that I have sinned against You. I ask You to forgive me for all of my sins and I repent for my sins and I choose to follow and obey and accept Your Son Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I believe in my heart that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins on the cross at Calvary. I believe that Your son Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary, was crucified and died on the cross at Calvary for me and the sins of all others. I believe that after 3 days He was raised from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and is alive today. I ask You Jesus Christ to be the Lord of my life and to be my Savior. I receive You now as my Lord and Savior with all of my heart. I believe that Jesus Christ is my King and my God and the Lord of my life. I believe that Jesus Christ is alive in me, and I declare that Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life. After You have confessed this prayer out loud, please e-mail us at: salvation@christianword.org or else confess it out loud to someone else that you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. For those who just can’t seem to say that prayer, try saying this prayer first: Know this first and foremost God loves you and you are His precious creation! (No "buts" !) I don't care what is in the past that you have done. Today is the day and now is the time God wants to help you start New ! Only God can do that but it takes us to acknowledge our sins and then give them to God, then "the Past" can remain and stay "in" the past. Then we move on with Him in the "Newness of His Life" and plan for us! His Word says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jermiah 29:11 KJV , " . . . for the Lord is good; for His mercy and kindness and steadfast love endure forever!" Jeremiah 33:11 AMP ". . . the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance . . ." (Romans 2:4 KJV) God is love! God is good! He wants the best for our lives and while we are alive He strongly desires us to come to Him AS WE ARE. He won't beat us! He doesn't say one thing and do another, God is trustworthy, you can hold Him to His Word, it is Truth! He loves You. Even the worst can come to Him and repent, and sincerely ask Jesus Christ into their heart, and become one of the sons of God! "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." The Right Heart Attitude Heavenly Father I need You! I need Your Precious Gift bought for me through Your Son, Jesus Christ! "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." 2 Corinthians 7 verse 10 Prayer “Heavenly Father, I come to You and ask You in Jesus’ Name to set me free from any wrong thoughts, fear, doubt, unbelief, believing any lies, any lies of the enemy, the devil, or demonic spirits, any thoughts that I have that are hindering me now in coming to You. I ask You, Father God, to deliver me now of all hindrances to becoming Your born-again Kingdom child, in Jesus Christ’s Holy Name. I resist the devil and all his demonic spirits must flee and leave my presence. Lord God, remove the lies and the hindrances and help me so I can say the above prayer of salvation in earnest from my heart! I ask You to force out, drive out, and bind all evil things far away from me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.” Now, go back and choose to say the Sinners Prayer with all of your heart, soul and being! If you prayed the prayer asking Jesus Christ into your heart as your Savior and Lord, and you meant it, then you need to realize that the Living God, Creator of Heaven and Earth now lives within you! That is awesome! God is awesome!!! If you have prayed the above prayer out loud asking Jesus Christ into your heart, according to Romans 10:9, e-mail us at: salvation@christianword.org . After saying the Sinners Prayer For Salvation Give Him Thanks! Thank You Heavenly Father, God. I love You, and I thank You Jesus, and thank You Holy Spirit. Thank You Jesus Christ that You are alive in me! Lord thank You for all that You have done for me by making me Your son/daughter through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Lord Jesus for taking all of the sins, the guilt, the shame, and the weight of all burdens of those sins from my shoulders. Cause me Lord to live and move in Your ways, to hear and know You all the days of my life, and walk with You in Your Righteousness forevermore! Lord Jesus Christ, teach me what it means to abide (live) in You, and You in me, no matter what this world (fallen/corrupt life) or the devil throws at me. Your “Will” be done in and through my life as a light, so other people may come to You and know You! Continue to praise Him! Get some praise and worship CD’s or music and celebrate Jesus! Nail it Down The next best thing you can do is to immediately talk to someone, or call someone, another believer in Christ, and tell them what you have just done! The Word of God tells us to tell others. This allows you to confess the Name of Jesus before man, and it also strengthens you in Him. Write what you just did on a piece of paper, date it, sign it, put it in a special place, and go out and celebrate it! Note: The devil will come either sooner or later and try to get you to believe you didn’t become God’s child or that this was not real to begin with. The devil will use anybody or anything to do this! Not everybody is going to agree with or like what you just did, and there are reasons for that. Don’t let that stop you! They need to hear it. It might be the very testimony they have waited for, or that God uses you to bring them into His Kingdom. However, if at first they don’t agree, don’t be discouraged. They have been living in darkness a long time. It is not up to you to change that. That is the work of the Holy Spirit! You are a new creature in Christ, celebrate, rejoice and be glad. Then go forth and never deny Jesus as being Your Savior and Lord. Assurance of Salvation I am going to pray for you the reader, “Heavenly Father, I ask You in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ, to continue to affirm this new believer in Christ with a strong sense of Your Presence in and upon their life. I ask You Lord to reveal to each of those who ask Jesus into their hearts, that their sins are as far from them as the East is from the West, gone, never to return to them again. I ask Lord that Your Holy Spirit speak to, minister, and guide each one of these people in a definite way, according to Your plan for their lives. Heavenly Father, I pray that You grant them a deep inner peace and resolve in their entire being, that they can know that they have entered an Everlasting Blood Covenant with You, a covenant where You said You would never, never, never, leave them nor forsake them. (Hebrews 13:5-6) Also Father, teach them to know they can depend on You. Lord, I ask that Your Kingdom come and Your Will be done in each of their lives. Heavenly Father, strengthen them, cause them to Hear and Know Your Voice, keep them from all harm and tricks of mankind, keep them from the devil and his fallen angels, teach Your Kingdom children, and grow them in Your love, wisdom, power, and by the leading of Your Holy Spirit. Lord God, place within them strongly, the desire to become a praise and a glory unto You all the days of their lives. Lord, empower them to praise and glorify You, in Jesus Christ’s Holy Name, I ask all of these things according to Your Will and Your Word in the Book of John 14:13-14, Amen (so be it !).” Now start getting acquainted with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, His Word, and His Ways. (1) Read His Word (Start in the Book of John, one chapter a day). Pray: Lord Jesus, reveal to me what I am reading in Your Word. (2) Pray (communicate with Him). Set aside a time for just you and Him! Talk to Him as you go through your day. He is interested even in the small things in your life! (3) Have fellowship and communion with Him. Love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, strength, and obedience. (4) Fellowship with other true believers. Father God has other children we can fellowship with. (Other brothers and sisters in Christ!) (5) Study the Word to prove yourself and be approved unto the Lord, so you may walk in His precepts, principles, and ways as He reveals them to you. (1 Corinthians 2:13 and 1 John 2:27) (6) Share Jesus and your new life (experiences) in Christ with others. The Walk of Faith (Trust in, Lean, Rely on, & Adhere to Jesus Forever!) New Beginnings You are now “born again” into the Kingdom of God, restored to Him. When this occurs, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, enters into you when you relinquish your spirit to God through the act of believing in God, turning from your sinful nature, to trusting God, and then by an act of faith, asking Jesus Christ into your heart as Savior and Lord of your life. This allows God’s Holy Spirit to come into you and place the seal of God’s redemption upon your heart (inner man). And last but not least the Word of God is clear in Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Baptism is the outward sign of the inward work of the heart, your heart. You will also need to find a Christian brother or sister in Christ who has been baptized, to baptize you. “And baptism, which is a figure [of their deliverance], does now also save you [from inward questionings and fears], not by the removing of outward body filth [bathing], but by [providing you with] the answer of a good and clear conscience (inward cleanness and peace) before God [because you are demonstrating what you believe to be yours] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 3:21 (*Amp. Bible) Feelings Some people do feel something at this point and some people don’t. Don’t worry about that! If you meant it then don’t question it! What you have to really come to terms with is that now you have Him “in” you! It is settled, a “done deal”. You have been in this world a long time operating and being tuned to worldly ways of thinking, feeling, and doing. I call that “the flesh.” Realize this, our walk with God is not about our thoughts (logic or rationalization) what we do for a living, and it is not about our feelings. Our walk now is to be focused in a faith-based realm wherein we have a “trust and obey” relationship with our Heavenly Father. It may take some time to get your thinking, feelings, and emotions turned around, or ordered by God’s Ways, Word and Spirit, but they will come with God’s help, as we diligently seek Him. Give yourself time! I have been there and I am still walking by faith. This is not a fast or speedy “microwave” process. Give yourself and God time. I know what I am talking about! DO NOT WORRY! (Matthew 6:25-34) (Worrying is a sin anyway.) I know what I have experienced in my walk with the Lord! You will want to get more of the Word in you, and spend more time in prayer with Him. You will want to spend more time with His children (other believers in Christ, your new family, your brothers and sisters in Christ). Your target or goal is to get to know Him and spend more time in His Presence. Allow Him to bring change in Your Life. Just as the natural person needs natural food to grow; now you will want to feed your spirit-man spiritual food and drink to continue to grow. Feed before Him in prayer on the Book of John. Ask Him to reveal His Word and Himself to You! Ask Him questions and keep a journal, expectantly waiting for His answers. Even today I thirst and hunger for more of God. The Word of God says you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your being. God desires you to draw near to Him, and in doing so, He promises to draw near to you! In doing so you will continue to grow into the likeness of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. God will reveal Himself to you. What If I Sin Again After Asking Jesus Into My Heart? After becoming one of His dear children you will still make mistakes and get into sin. Hopefully you will not sin as often as time goes and you mature in Christ. Just in case you do, then know that the Word of God in 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Once we confess our sins, they are gone, never to be remembered by God (Jeremiah 31:34). He will never bring up confessed sins, nor hold them against us. His mercy and grace is sufficient. We are not to deliberately sin. He will deal with you and deliver you from that. Ask the Lord to take all the guilt and shame, wrong memories, and urges away from you. He loves you!!! He will never, never, never, leave you nor forsake you! So, don’t bring up past confessed sin that has been forgiven. All you are doing is beating yourself up. God has cast it aside, forgotten it. He might be saying to you, “What are you talking about?” If you have confessed your sin with true regret (a true repentant heart). He has already forgiven you, and He wants you to forgive yourself ! God doesn’t want us focused on sins. He wants us to be Him (God) conscious. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure , whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” Phil 4:8-9 NKJV Now where is our focus supposed to be now Mr., Miss, or Mrs. New Creature in Christ ? ! Not sin! Not demons! Not self! But JESUS ! On Him and His goodness. Yes! It is Written God’s final authority on the matter is given to us through His Word in 1 John 5:13 as follows: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have Eternal Life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God.” See, there it is! You can know! Very plain and very straight forward. Now receive that Truth, and believe on the Name of the Son of God, and receive Him into Your heart. After asking Jesus Christ into your heart, He now lives within you. You can now walk in total confidence knowing for sure that He is in you! Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all our soul, and with all your mind,’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) We need to always continue to ABIDE in Jesus Christ by seeking Him through (1) prayer, (2) fellowship with other believers where God is the center of attention (we are the “church”) this should include praise and worship, (3) time with Him in His Word (the Bible), (4) telling others about Him – what experiences we have had with Him (witnessing), (5) Praise and Worship of the Lord – a time when we exalt God from our heart! God desires an on going and growing relationship with us! This is the place, in Him, you are to “be” from now on, and not stray from! Jesus Christ is our resting place in God! Finally, continue to believe in, trust in, lean on, rely on, and cleave to the Lord Jesus Christ with all of your heart growing in Him. (Proverbs 3:5-7) "When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine," says the Lord GOD . Ezek 16:8 Having Jesus Christ in your heart is the difference between having a Relationship with God which is Life and a religion which is not a relationship with God. It is the Holy Spirit within us that allows this close knit interaction with God, hearing Him, knowing Him (not just a knowing of Him) and maturing in Him. Religion is only a band aid, not Eternal Life. We desperately need a Relationship with God. This only comes through asking Jesus Christ into our hearts, then getting to KNOW Him! He is ready and willing to bring you in to an intimate relationship, and then a daily walk with Him. God wants to spend time and Eternity with you. You can know for sure He is always with you when you are awake or asleep, moment by moment! Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6) Now, that you are His child by asking Jesus Christ into your Heart Now, that you have been born into God’s Kingdom through asking Jesus Christ into your heart, you are His child. As a child of God you need to feed your spirit on God’s spiritual Word! We want to encourage you to read, meditate, and pray on the Gospel of John. The Lord says in His Word to us that if we will ASK, when seeking Him, that He will give it to us. Here is the way I remember it : Each letter of ASK. A Ask and it will be given to you. S Seek and you shall find. K Knock and it will be opened unto you. This comes from the gospel of Matthew 7:7 . He also says that we have not because we ask not, so ask the Lord to teach you and give you understanding of what you are reading in His Word and to place His Word in your heart so that you will grow in Him! We also encourage you to read from the books of Proverbs and Psalms. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself and what He wants you to learn or possess in His Word to you daily. Don’t ever quit reading the Word of God. Why? After He lays one foundation and area of Life into you then He desires to reveal more of Himself in the same or different areas of growth or maturity. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Let us always be humble, that is, seeing that we always need God, no matter how we think or feel. This attitude will never fail you. Continue always to A.S.K. God really loves it when we come to Him ! ! ! He doesn’t condemn us, go to Him humbly, do not be afraid, He knows our hearts and what is best for us! The Righteous REVERENCE(fear)of the LORD! The right attitude and approach in walking with God is very important. We must not take lightly what the Lord has done for us, for He sent His Son. His Son was and is precious to Him. Therefore we must not take the cost, the shed Blood of Jesus, lightly, so that we do not trample it under foot, for it was shed for you and me, to obtain Salvation! "How shall we escape [appropriate retribution] if we neglect and refuse to pay attention to such a great salvation [as is now offered to us, letting it drift past us forever]? For it was declared at first by the Lord [Himself], and it was confirmed to us and proved to be real and genuine by those who personally heard [Him speak]. Hebrews 2:3 [AMP] Some extremely interesting reading: Hebrews 6: 4-6, Hebrews 10:26, and Romans 1:21 to Romans 2:5, 1st John 1:9, Jeremiah 29:11-13 - To our new brothers and sisters in Christ - “The Lord Bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you in your rising up, your laying down, your going out, your coming in, all that you put you hands to, to prosper for the Lord and His Kingdom, angels be about you to guard and protect you, and your’s in your leisure, in your work, and as you go in life. Amen! (So be it!) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV Speak to the Lord as you go through your day. From the time your eyes open, right on through till they shut at night. *Abide in Him and obey in these little things of the Lord all the days of your life! (*Abide means we continue to believe, trust, lean, and rely on and in Him, go(come) to Him and follow Him day by day, moment by moment, now(!), and on into eternity, no matter when, where, or what!!! In Him we live, move, and have our being!) Jesus said to us, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes [in Me] has Eternal Life. I[Jesus] am the bread of life.” John 6: 47-48 Jesus Christ is ALIVE! He is the LIVING GOD! Just because you don’t feel Him doesn’t mean He is not with you. We walk by faith not by sight (feelings, emotions, or the flesh)! I continue to experience Him, His Presence, and am still getting to know Him and You can too! He can help in every situation. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto Him…” You too can Experience and have a Relationship with God!! I realize now He was with me all along! Be encouraged and grow in the faith and love of the Lord! He is Alive, in and with His Children! Remember for yourself, as a child of God: (1) I am bought with the Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. (2) I am written in the Lamb's Book of Life. (3) I am engraved in the Palm of His Hand. (Awesome!!) Enjoy your journey with the Lord! "For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 [AMP] If you need a Bible please call, write, or go online through the Prayers Book Order page found online at www.christianword.org, choose "Prayer Book" and click the “Order” button. NO POST OFFICE BOXES – EXCEPT PRISONS |
No comments:
Post a Comment