The Christian Life
Christianity is a
brand new way of life, not by your own means, but by the grace of God. To truly
trust in Jesus as not only your Savior, but allowing Him to also be the Lord of
your life and all that you possess.
To truly receive
all that God has for you, the Word must be inscribed in your heart. The way
others see you is important to your testimony of Jesus in your life. As you
read the Word of God, there should be a continual growth in your spiritual
life. The Holy Spirit should be ever so present, that it will show when you
speak of new life He has given you.
The fruits of the
Spirit are what Christians should always be striving to achieve. Where there is
love, peace, joy, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, &
temperance, there will always be God. Without God there is only self, which can
never please God. You can only serve one master, whom shall it be??? The choice
is yours, and only yours.
To many the
Christian life seems hard to follow, just the opposite is true when you surrender
your life in complete trust and faith in Jesus Christ. Peace that surpasses all
human understanding is found through God. Diligently seek and you shall find,
much more than you can ever imagine. The love God has for his children are
magnified many times over the love we as humans can comprehend.
Just as one man,
Adam, caused all mankind to fall, one man, Jesus, restores all mankind to the
Father. The world was created for our enjoyment, providing we obey our Father
in heaven. There is no work or labor we alone can provide to restore fellowship
with God, only the shed blood of Jesus. However it is up to us to keep that
relationship alive by reading the Word of God every day. As we grow spiritually
a peace will come upon us as never before. That peace will sustain us in our
daily walk with our Lord. Learning to trust God with all we have, is a constant
battle that is truly rewarding. The enemy, Satan, will do his best to deceive
anyone who is seeking God, but press on, because Jesus already defeated him!
When we begin to
live by the Spirit of God, many troubles will surround us, but none too big to
handle with Jesus. Many times the Lord will allow these problems just to show
us that we cannot handle them alone. As we lean on Jesus more and more we
eventually will be strong enough in the Lord to share with others what we have
received from Jesus. That is what it is all about, "The Great
Commission".
Eternity is a long
time, much longer than we can even begin to imagine. Life now as we know it, is
but a brief moment, when you see it with your spiritual eyes. To worry about
such things that concern this world are not for the true child of God. At times
we will get wrapped up in the concerns of this world, because we live in it,
but remember we are now also, spiritual beings created in the image of God.
As you experience
the wonders of God changing your life as you allow Him, it is the greatest
feeling of accomplishment you can have. The key here is as "YOU ALLOW
HIM", God will not do anything in your life if you are not willing. Once
you yield to His great power, watch out!! No one can take it away from you,
except you yourself. You can be your own worst enemy. Once you ask Jesus in
your life, not even Satan can take that away.
Always praise God
for all things or circumstances in your life, whether they are bad or good.
Giving God the glory in all things, will make a difference in your attitude.
Praise is very important in the Christian life. It serves as a daily reminder
of who our creator is, and all the wonders of the world, we so often take for
granted. When we praise the Father we are acknowledging his greatness in our
lives. This form of worship, I'm sure must make Him happy. Lifting your hands
towards heaven and shouting a song unto the Lord, is the greatest thanksgiving
of all. Not only do we make the Father happy, but the blessings bestowed upon
us are wonderful!
There are many
false Christians among us, so we must be on guard. Not all you hear, no matter
how "good" it may sound, is truth. Sometimes, well meaning people can
lead you astray. If what you’re being
told does not line up with the Word of God, please avoid it. There is one
way to the Father, and that is Jesus. If you search for Him, and listen when He
speaks to your heart, you can be sure you’re on your way to a new transformed
Christian life.
Too many get
caught up in false religions that sound ever so promising, but are of the
devil. This may sound harsh, but as revivals are occurring more and more
throughout the world, Satan has to use some plan of attack on those who have
not yet received this great gift of salvation. As people search for the truth
in various ways, they can be so vulnerable to Satan. He is the father of lies.
So it is very vital that you know the truth, for the truth will set you free.
All you need to learn is just one book, and ask Jesus to open your spiritual
eyes for a greater understanding, and dig in to the Word.
Hunger for God,
never stop seeking Him. As the truth unfolds in you life, you will notice
changes for the better continually happening. These are the awesome life changing
powers of God at work in your life. No
matter who you are, what you have done, Jesus can and will make a new person
out of you. This new life will transform you from the inside, to the outside. Soon
others will notice a change in you, then it is your moment to share the great
news of Jesus ever healing powers.
This new life is
exactly that, new. Actually, when you surrender your life to Jesus, you are
being reborn. Being born again is similar in many ways to just the birthing
experience. You start out as a baby in Christ, and mature in the ways of God
your Father, just as you would grow and mature with your earthly parents.
However, some mature faster than others, but that is no reason to think you’re
not as close to God as someone else.
Only you know how
your relationship is with Jesus. No one else can know your heart, but God the
father. As long as you stay in fellowship with Jesus, through His Word as often
as possible, you will receive the spiritual blessings you need. Little by
little the Lord will open your eyes to new and glorious wonders of His great
power, that is now working in your life. Whenever you feel His presence, you
know you are maturing. The awesome feeling of being right there next to Him, no
matter what you are going through is the most loving feeling. At times, when
you are not feeling your best, or happiest and God feels so far away, that is
when you can truly experience maturing in the Spirit. If you can keep your joy
in the Lord even when you’re not feeling his presence, is living by faith.
Faith is the
substance of things hoped for but not seen. To live by faith is what a Christian’s
life is all about. Every situation in your life is not going to be an easy one,
sometimes you will feel so overwhelmed, but you are never alone. Think about
that, Jesus says He will never leave you nor forsake you. You can do all things
through Christ who strengthens you. When you’re feeling down, why not lift your
hands and eyes to Jesus and just rely on His care for you.
God our Father
cares tremendously about all His children, He will never give you anything to hard
to handle. Just when you think all is gone wrong and everything is in turmoil,
the Lord will miraculously turn it around. All things work together for the
good to those who trust in the Lord. He will never fail us. Let the Lord take
control of your life, and watch the wonderful joy surround you.
Worldly
possessions, shall no longer be a desire, for the Christian. Money, power, fame
or such things of the world will no longer matter. True Christianity will seek
for knowledge and wisdom of the Word of God. It is truly amazing, how your
values will change as you grow spiritually. The things that may have made you
happy, or at least you thought made you happy, no longer will. Happiness comes
from within, nothing you can gain here on earth has much worth, when you
consider that nothing goes with you when you pass on to eternity.
Eternity is for
all, whether it is in heaven or in hell, all humans going somewhere beyond this
earth. To know that through Jesus, we can spend eternity with our creator, it
is the best treasure we can obtain. There are only two things that are eternal,
us and the Word of God, which is God. Everything else will someday be
destroyed. Grasp what is eternal, all that comes from the Father. We can only
begin to understand the depth of the goodness God has in store for us. Read,
read, and read more of the promises for God's children in His Word.
Pray continually,
pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ, pray for the unsaved. Pray for
the knowledge to know how to pray, always
commune with God through Jesus. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall
find, knock and the door will be opened for you. These are all promises from
God's Word, and God does not lie! Search the Word for all the blessings given
to you.
First you must
repent, be truly sorry for your sins. When you take that first step, the Holy
Spirit will lead you the rest of the way, if you continually seek. All of us
have sinned and fell short of the glory of God. If we could restore our
relationship with God by being good, there would be no reason for Jesus to have
died on the cross for us. When you really desire to know the Lord, you will
find Him. Trust in Him for all things, and let Him lead you in all you do.
Christian living is the way of life God
intended for us to live. By putting your life in God's hands, you are living by
faith. No matter what the circumstances, know that God is there. He really
cares about you, no matter what you have done in the past. Old has passed away and all has become
new, you are a new creature in Christ. Living a Christian life now, with the
help of Jesus, and your sins forgiven, should not be difficult. Whenever you
feel the pressure of the past returning in your life to condemn you, remember,
the blood of Jesus washed you white as snow!!
Sometimes it can
be difficult to live up to the standards you think God expects. That is just
the enemy deceiving you again. Remember, through Jesus you defeated him. He who
is in you, is greater than he who is in the world. You must learn to avoid the
things of the world, as they can cause you to stumble. However, if they do,
lift your hands to Jesus and allow Him to lift you back up. God is love and He
desires you to stay in fellowship with Him.
The worst thing you can do when you are
feeling guilty about something in your life, is to stray away from God. That is the time you need His help the
most. No matter how you feel at times, force yourself to pray if that's what it
takes. Soon you'll be feeling the joy of the Lord again. The joy of the Lord is
your strength.
Knowing God can
and will take care of you, is one foundation of a Christian life. When you realize,
that no problem is to big for God, is when you can start to really appreciate
some of the many blessings. Trying to handle things your own way only interfere
with the work God is trying to do in your life. Once you have accepted Jesus as
your Lord and Savior, there is a plan already worked out for you. Faith plays a
big part in this area of your walk with God. Just let go and let God, because
He cares for you.
Life can be pretty
scary without a plan, but don't deceive yourself with your own plan for your
life, it will never work. Always remember, God knew you from the beginning of
time, He will not fail you. You are now a child of God, a brother of Jesus; you
can claim all the promises. Find them in God's word. The power a child of God
has is more than the human mind can comprehend. Once you allow God to be in
complete control of your situations, He can use you in many ways to glorify His
holy name.
Praise be always
to God the Father. When things look or seem too hard to handle alone, they most
likely are. That's when the gifts of the Holy Spirit can be manifested in the
true believer. Search for them in the Bible, and find your calling. All have a purpose
and meaning in the Christian life. The Lord will reveal to certain individuals
different characteristics of the Father in each of us. God has more for us than
just the forgiveness of sins, which would be enough in itself, but God has much
more. To diligently seek and hunger for what the Lord has to offer, is how will
obtain all he has for you.
As you read the Word, your spiritual self
should arise and feel the presence of Angels around you. God sends Angels to
watch over all of His children, and you should be aware of them. When you are living according to God's
Word you are under the spiritual protection of the almighty God. When you are
disobedient, all angels are released from watching over you. The Angels are
holy and good and righteous as we should be, being children of God. Angels
cannot dwell around unrighteousness, they flee all that is not proper in God's
sight. To keep your hedge of protection, you study the Word of God to always
know the way to live.
The Lord is good;
however He is also Holy, and demands His children also be holy. Righteousness
and unrighteousness cannot dwell together in the same body. The Lord will
punish His disobedient children, just as you would your own child whom you love
very much. God wants only the best for and from us. Once we have acknowledged
Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we must obey. The true child of God will have the
ability to know right from wrong in the Christian life. When something does not
line up with the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will give you an uneasy feeling
about it. The Lord will never lead you in a area that does not edify His name.
Our earthly bodies, the shell that our
spiritual self lives, will always be tempted. As scripture tells us, we are no longer slaves to sin, but to
God our father. We can never overcome evil alone, we need Jesus in our lives.
With the power of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome all temptations. Our own
reasoning, however knowledgeable we are in a worldly sense cannot even compare
to the Spiritual knowledge that comes from above. If we constantly keep our
eyes on Jesus, we cannot fall. You cannot have your eyes on Jesus and worldly
things at the same time. You see, you cannot go wrong if you are truly
following the ways of the Lord.
God's promises are
true and will not be broken, God does not lie. Only our promises we make to God
can be broken. We in our fleshly lives can and will lie to others, and even to
ourselves. With the Holy Spirit dwelling in us we are one with God, therefore,
we cannot lie. Living the Christian life has but one ultimate rule, strive to
be like Jesus. You can learn how Jesus lived through the Word of God.
Jesus is God, put
into a human, corrupt, dying body, to show us how we can overcome the evil
forces of this corrupt world we must live in. Jesus also lived here, but He did
not conform to the ways of the world, just as we should not, He provided a way
out for us. We are first born of this world, however as soon as we are of the
age of reasoning, and know the Word of God, we have a opportunity to be born
again. Not of the world, but a new creature in Christ. Now we must put away all
that is old and grow in the ways of the Lord. This is the reason the gospel of
Jesus Christ must be taught to everyone in this world. All need to know they do
not have to lose hope. There is a hope, for a glorious eternity, with our
Father in heaven.
The Word of God
needs to be preached to all the nations. Until all hear and have the
opportunity to choose, judgment cannot begin. Many will hear, yet refuse, they
will not see the kingdom of God. Some will hear and choose life, yet eventually
turn away from the truth; they too, will not see the kingdom of God. Jesus
warned the apostles that only those who keep the faith until the end, will be
saved. Search the scriptures, and ask God for understanding, you too will find
out what He is teaching us, His children.
The Word tells us
time and time again, that not all will understand the ways of God's children.
Those of the world have spiritual blindness, but the child of God has his eyes
wide open to the words of God. Refusing to repent of our sins can cause
spiritual blindness, as can remaining in sin knowingly. God's desire is for all
to have their eyes open to His way of life. However, not all will come to the Lord;
the Word tells us that we as children of God have been predestined. As you know
the Lord created the earth and all in it, so my belief is that since the
beginning of time, God already knew who would choose His Son and whom would
not. So this explains being predestined, or being one of the chosen few. All
are called, but not all will come.
God knew Adam would fall, so He already had
a plan of redemption through His Son Jesus. Following the scriptures will show you God's plan unfolding throughout
the ages. Every promise God has made has been kept, every word He has given
through His prophets has proven to be true. Nothing God has said or done has
failed us. We must learn the way to live to please our Father, in order to
share in all the great blessings He has for us. The rewards are tremendous, and
the joy unfailing. To live the Christian life is to live life to the fullest,
regardless of circumstances.
To live a Christian life requires a
consistent way of living. You cannot talk one way and yet live differently. There are too many people watching us
closely to see if we really are different from the world as we say. You must
always be on guard, keeping self-control in all you do and say. Your speech
should be gentle and never harsh, or with abusive language. The tongue of a
Christian should be controlled, as should the mind. Never let anger take
control of you, especially around the unsaved whom you are to be an example.
Those who are hungry for the Lord, may be observing you, and how you live your
life, before they pursue any further. To some people, we as Christians, are the
closest thing to God they know. We shall then, be a perfect example of a what a
Holy life is all about. Always be kind to those around you, and offer help to
any who need it. Shine the light of Jesus, wherever you go.
The mind of a Christian must be renewed.
Things that were important to us before our salvation, should not be of concern
to our spiritual nature.
We must concentrate on furthering the kingdom of God. All worldly desires are temporary;
they have no substance, as does eternal desires. The ability to discern between
the two, is by the Holy Spirit. Whatever is lovely and good belongs to
eternity. Helping others, testifying the Gospel, and ministering to the needs
of less fortunate then ourselves is doing the work of God.
The blessing's of
wages from a day's work, is not for our needs, God has promised to supply all
our needs, we are to give to the growing of the kingdom. Those who follow the
ways of the Lord, will never be in need of anything, only the "want"
of things. The only thing we should want for is, to be like Jesus, and to know
the mind of God. Always strive to be the best in all you do, so you can show
Jesus living in you. When people see you are above those in the world, they
will certainly look to you for advice, and there is a perfect opening for the
Word of God. When you can remain calm in all situations, and rely totally on
the Lord, others will take notice. You are a child of God. Praise Him always
and for everything. Give God the glory, and you will see showers of blessings
heading your way.
Converse with God daily, about all you need
to talk about and know that He not only listens, but truly cares. Our Father will see to it that all you
need in life will be granted, even when it seems impossible. He is always
working miracles. Only allow Him to flow through you by being obedient to His
Word.
Be different, be all God wants you to be.
Don't allow anything or anyone to stand between you and God. The glory to come will not even compare to
these little trials here on earth. Sometimes that can be hard to remember,
especially when your in the midst of a trial, but have courage, the Lord
reigns. As a child of God you hold fast to the promises, God does not lie.
Allow the Holy Spirit to move in your life,
respond to the tugging at your heart.
Once your eyes are opened to the marvels of God, you will hunger for more. As
you hunger for the Lord, He will reveal things to you that will strengthen you
in your Christian life. The contentment in your life shall be far greater than
any earthly reward you can imagine. No longer will circumstances rule your
moods, the Holy Spirit will be in charge.
As the Holy Spirit
takes control of your life, your whole being will be stirred by the reading of
the Word. The power in God's Word can change moment by moment. At times, you
will feel overwhelmed by the pressure of giving, other times you will just be enlightened
by the very presence of God in your life. The more you give the more you will
receive, as long as you are giving out of love. God loves a cheerful giver.
Many times Jesus has told His disciples the importance of selling their
possessions and giving to the poor.
Earthly treasures
have no value in eternity, but blessing others with the abundance you have been
given, has a multitude of value. Give and it shall be given unto you. none
should go without if any have more then enough, it is not the way of the true
Christian lifestyle. If you acquire excess of anything, that is of no spiritual
value, of what good does it do in the kingdom? Our goals as children of God
should first and foremost be in furthering the kingdom of God.
For what does it
profit our soul if we gain the whole world? The love of Jesus in our everyday
life is of utmost importance. To love the Lord your God with all your heart and
all your soul and to love your neighbor as yourself is the law of Jesus. You
cannot say you love a brother or a sister and still let them go in need of
anything. Jesus poured out His miracles that God His father had given to Him.
As children of God, we also have the power to perform miracles, just as Jesus
did, however we also must possess the love Jesus had for others. This can be
obtained only through faith, in God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. Living the Christian life as we should, we can truly make a difference
in this world.
Read the
Scriptures, find out where God wants to take you, sell your abundance of
possessions and follow. The adventure will be exciting, and the rewards great!
CHAPTER TWO
The grace of God
is sufficient enough for all mankind. We as sinners can be redeemed by the
grace of God, through His son Jesus Christ. The birth, death and resurrection
of Christ was foretold many times in the old testament. This was God's plan for
saving his creation.
When we are born
again, we are no longer struggling with hereditary traits of our former life.
You see, because God is holy, we are holy also. If we have been in bondage to
any particular sin, that our parents, siblings,etc. have been lugging around
for many generations, with Christ we can break that bondage. The only genetic
traits we acquire when we are born again, are those of out Father God, and
brother, Jesus.
God's plan cannot fail, He gave us a free
will to choose to serve Him or ourselves. As if we don't already know by now, serving
ourselves has only brought uncontentment, strife, unhappiness, and sometimes
even physical illness.
Serving God requires a willing heart, and servant hood to all brothers and
sisters in Christ. Also, a strong desire to rid yourself of anything that would
stifle your spiritual growth. God knows your heart, so you cannot fool Him, you
only fool yourself out of a multitude of blessings.
Stay strong in the Word, never giving Satan
a foothold. For once he gets a foothold he can pull you all the way in. Be careful in all you do and say, always
speaking kind, good and truthful words. This sort of conversation can keep you
out of danger. The words you speak, can be very powerful. Watch your tongue so
not to cause any unnecessary trouble. If when you speak, you give thought of
first, what you say, you can avoid turmoil. The words of a Christian should always
be loving, kind, and supportive.
The Lord our God
is so awesome, when you learn to trust fully in Him for all your life. No
matter what the situation He can turn it around for the good when you let Him.
The Christian life is a life worth living. All past failures, now are long
forgotten. The present time in which we are in is enough to sustain us in
living a full life.
The Word of God is
allowing the Lord to speak to you. This is really the only way to learn to
truly live a Christian life. Always praying for Godly wisdom in everything you
do. The knowledge of God is supreme knowledge, it does not even compare with
the intellect of this world.
To have the mind
of God is within reach, you must first realize that being born again means
having the holy Spirit of God living in you. If you comprehend this you can
know the mind of God. What an awesome thought, to think like God thinks.
As you study the Word of God, and grow
spiritually, you will go to higher levels of Christianity, and just desire to
be closer to Jesus every day.
Just to feel His presence in all you do, is wonderful. He is the God that is
more than enough. The Lord cares for our every need and want, and fulfills them
when you allow Him to do it His way, and not yours.
Praise the Lord.
The Lord inhabits praises. Remember, those chains that used to bind you, serve
only to remind you, to praise the Lord!!! To live a Christian life can be
difficult at times. Stubbornness may not be a sin, but can surely open the door
to it. There are times when we can get our feelings hurt, and even get angry at
someone we love. This is the time to meditate on God's word, even though our
emotions are controlling us. Pray and praise, meditate , sing, anything that
will keep your mind off of the circumstance. Reading a book written by another
Spirit-filled Christian, can sometimes uplift your mood more so then reading
the Word at times. Now don't get me wrong, there is no better way to be close
to the Lord then in His Word, but, sometimes in a grieving frame of mind a good
book is like a testimony to our soul, and therefore will enable us to be more
attuned to the very presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Then, in fact we
are able now to go to His Word and have a deeper understanding.
When in His Word,
we learn to totally rely on the Holy Spirit to take control of the situations
in our life that are beyond our control. Not just very important matters in a
worldly sense, but the daily struggles of real life problems. To not feel the
joy of the Lord is a real depressing feeling, what you need to do is, tell God
that you alone cannot deal with this problem and if you were to try it alone,
you know it would only make matters worse. Surrender all to the loving Father,
don't hold on to any of it. You will be amazed at the wonders the Lord can
perform in your life. Give it all to Jesus, and he will restore whatever is
lost or broken in your life. Then, give God all the glory.
You can then be on
your way to a life changing love!
See you at the
top!
Pastor Mike
NB: i will appreciate your comments, it helps us to know how blessed you are.
