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The PathThe path of the Christian is well defined in the Bible, and although we could say that the starting point of the Christian walk is your belief, it would not be in total Biblical alignment; every person receives at some point in their lives an invitation from God, the very fact that we are drawn to believe what the Bible says, signifies that it was God whom through His grace has taken the first step to rescue one's soul.John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. What this means is that although we have been given free will to make many choices, there are choices that we cannot make, in fact, the way the Bible puts it (in a simplified manner), is that there's only one choice that holds value, every other choice is meaningless or non-transcending, what is that choice? To listen and believe in God's only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to believe in Him. But there's an internal process that has to take place within each person after the invitation has been received, and has to do with biggest question we can ask ourselves: Do you believe God's Word or man world? It is the answer to the question above that sets the direction that your soul will travel on. The world will pull you, at first gently, but every now and then with a level of violence, in other words, the world will deceptively force you into it. So there's an internal struggle, this struggle puts a person on guard to either question absolute things like gender identity, the existence of the soul, the value of life, all that and more while down playing the things of God or altogether ignoring them. You may say, so if God takes the first step in our salvation, do we really have free will? The answer is really simple, although not easily visible, our whole lives are from beginning to end an invitation to life, an invitation to salvation, the thing is that God's invitation is not random, it's very specific as mentioned in John 3:16-18, so yes, you do have free will to receive God's invitation or reject it, but you do not have free will from stopping God's invitation in the bonds of love from coming into your life, and that simply because you're a alive, and life is of God. To believe in God is to accept Him! So how do we do that? I'd say the first step is to understand your need, no blinder man than he who doesn't want to see, right? Once you've settled it in your heart and believe that every person has a Soul, then the question will naturally follow, what will the destiny of that Soul be? Look at this world, there's decay, evil, destruction... can all this get any worse? Yes it can, it's call Hell. Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. The Christian walk is a logical path, it has to have a foundation, otherwise our logic will not stand, the starting point is: where did everything come from? To simplify, unbelievers believe just about anything and everything except the first verse of the Bible "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."; but you see, they can't prove their logic, the Christian view has evidence, I'll mention a few here: first the resurrection of Jesus, this was the power of God confirming the ministry of Jesus, second, the miracles of Jesus, do you know how many people He healed? and here's the last one, which is sort of a combo: Have you ever wondered, what would the world look without Love and Truth? And where does that Love and that Truth come from? 1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. In conclusion to the paragraph above, these things point to POWER, you see, none of what you see and even those things you don't see (but do exist) are because of POWER, and that is the power of God, unbelievers claim that everything came from somewhere, but they don't know from where, yet at the same time reject God's Word without logical resoning as a mere possiblity. It's like saying a dollar bill had to have come from one of the trillion trees on earth, and fully reject that it was designed, printed, and with a purpose, matter has no meaning or purpose in contrast to how the human body was made, just look at the level of complexity and prescision. To me there's no bigger anchor that Love, imagine a huge anchor at the bottom of the ocean, but just because it is big, doesn't mean it is heavy, Truth is the weight, place that anchor on a scale and you'll get John 3:16 You're heard before knowlege is power, but I tell you, truth is power, man is building an anchor of knowledge that has no weight, but the word of God in John 3:16 through 3:18 has power, even applicable to your soul, so ask yourself, how much weight does God's anchor have if we set ourselves against it? Well, you've probably heard before, the most difficult part about doing something is to get started or take the first step, perhaps it is because the first step, the starting point, is what sets our direction. So if you set your course in God's direction, what wrong do you see with it? Now on the other hand, if you set your direction in the way of the world, wouldn't you be slowly hurting your soul? I hope you're fully pursuaded that life is so good that the only outcome in our minds and hearts would be: how can we not accept God's invitation to live, to have an eternal life of joy, peace, righteousness and so much more, but most importantly to be in His presence. 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. TractionSo lets put this into better focus, this is where the rubber meets the road; God draws each man to His Son, sort of like giving each man an invitation and each and every man has been also given the right to either accept it or reject it, but God's will is that we all choose life, that we all accept His invitatiion through His beloved Son, King Jesus. So something happens within your belief that will prompt you to say, I believe in God, and thereby believen in His only begotten Son, King Jesus, Amen. Read the Bible You want to know how something really works, go to the manual, we were created by God, God gave us the Truth to hold onto, it is that simple. Therefore we must come to the knowledge of the Truth, it won't happen on its own, reading the Bible has to be an intentional effort, God's Word is the bread of life. Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Pray Put your belief in action, you believe in God, believe also in me, says the Lord Jesus, and He taught His disciples how to pray, read Matthew 6:9. Prayer is an essential part of the Christian walk, the more I pray, the more I believe I am the one who is on the receiving end; these essentials are non-negotiable, not saying that your salvation depends on them, but at the same time, it kind of does, think of it as an apple that is missing one of the most common attributes of all apples, color, shape and flavor, what if that apple was missing one of those attributes, or all three, would you eat it? We are God's fruit and He has given us the power through His Word to put on garments of praise, so that we're well dressed before Him in the spirit, does that make sense? It is written, whomever much is given, much is expected, this means that God has given us not just a message through His Word, but that He has also given us the ability, the capacity needed to capture that message, but that capacity and ability He placed it within the area of free will, so even though we may have the capacity, it is up to us to use it, many people come and go with regrets of not having done more good on this earth, let us be proactive, let us be intentional about doing good, beginning with the nourishment of our souls, and honoring the Lord in Truth and Spirit. Your Choice No one can make the choice of seeking the Lord God for you, only you can take that step, no man can touch your belief, but they can pressure you to choose the wrong path, to the point that you may give up your belieft in the Lord, don't let them do that, the world won't rescue you when your time on Earth is over, only the Lord Jesus will, that's why our loyalty to the Lord Jesus must be established, if you believe in the Lord Jesus or want to believe in Him and want to know how to begin walking on the path that God has set through Him, read on: There are some things that are very clear and others that need more scripture reading to discern them; but when a person chooses the Lord Jesus, which means to enter the path of life, that person enters into a commitment, sort of like when a person gets married, the path is called the narrow path, meaning there will be a lot of difficult things, but it also means that the Lord will be walking with you, leading you, comforting you and He will protect you, just like He describes in the Bible, He is the Sheppherd, we are the cheep of His pasture. Remember the life He has for us is totally different than the life the world offers, it is not a life of happy entertainment, but of joyful moments that do not destroy, it's a life where helping others may seem difficult, but treasures are being bult in Heaven for you, it is a life where materials things no longer take priority, but a life of contentment, knowing that it is God who provides, He is faithful, loving and kind; He knows our condition, but as long as we're willing to continue in the narrow path, He'll be walking with us, difficult things make come, but Jesus is the only one that can make all things new. Your belief and commitment is follow by baptism, sumerged in water, it's a commitment to start a new life with the Lord, to choose those things that are of His pleasing and reject the things of the world, reading the Bible is critical, because we're still in this world, but we're not of the world, so this requires discernment and wisdom, but the Lord promises that He will give us a comforter, even the Holy Ghost to lead us into all truth. There's a practical aspect to our walk with the Lord, which is mentioned in the Bible, but here we'll point to some of those areas to help you get a grip on what it means to walk in the narrow path, these things should come naturally in your thinking, although it may not come natural to do them, it is important to always think of the tools the Lord has given through His Word to overcome, and prayer is the main way, ask the Lord. Practical Living
Understanding God’s Word puts us on a path where we need to start using the tools that He has given us, in this case, discipline and diligence, discipline of time, but what good is it to be disciplined with time if we keep doing the wrong things, right? As the Lord molds us into the Image of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our goals and the realization of the things that need to be done become more clear, this helps us spend our time doing that which will produce fruit, and fruit for His glory, for His Kingdom, the same Kingdom He is inviting us to be part of, it truly is a win-win for us. New Christian Loves I’m
writing this to help you gain traction in your walk with the Lord, but it’s not
the rule, in fact our individual walk with the Lord is unique, but increasingly
growing in perfection unto holiness, we won’t be able to enter Heaven unless we
become like a little one, there’s a verse that says: Matthew 21:16 And said
unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings thou hast perfected praise? Unique as
the praise of a babe! Another analogy that I
had for a while is if you like peaches, and walk to a peach tree and try one,
tastes bland, try another one, tastes better, why? Each peach is different, but what if you had
the power to give each peach the power (free will and prayer) to become as sweet and delicious as they wanted,
or even sour and rotten, the power of free will given to them, it’s an analogy
of fruit, but a reality with us, we are God’s fruit and have the will-power,
given by Him, to become sweet to Him in our praise and love, there are no
limits in how we may express our joyfulness and thanksgiving to Him, God
created us!! And Life as I see it is wonderful, even as it is, decaying and
all, imagine how much beautiful it will be when the Lord makes all things
new? We’ll behold perfection even as He makes us perfect to enjoy Him and His creation. Resources As
a brother or sister in Christ, it is my desire that you bear much fruit, just
as the Lord mentions in John 15:5, our
mission is through God’s Word to rescue souls, and God has empowered us to do
so through the teaching of His Word. Only
One Life, Twill Soon Be Past by
C.T. Studd Two
little lines I heard one day, Traveling
along life’s busy way; Bringing
conviction to my heart, And
from my mind would not depart; Only
one life, ’twill soon be past, Only
what’s done for Christ will last. Only
what's done for Christ will last! This
phrase has taken me many years to understand and believe, it is true, although
through faith and belief our salvation is paid for by the blood of Christ,
behaviour is important and will be taken into consideration by King Jesus upon
His return, our works will be tested by fire and there will be a reward. Therefore
here are few tenets of the faith, the walk with the Lord, not by duty, but
through love:
It is recommended to read a portion of your Bible frequently, daily if
possible. Prayer It is recommended to pray often, giving thanks, asking for safety, and
blessings. Church Irons sharpens iron, we must learn to love one another in the bonds of
Christ. Charity God blesses a giver, and it is better to give than to receive, but rejoice in
both. Encourage With God's word in mind, encourage and strenghten others, in truth and love.
Learning righteousness comes from God's Word in the Bible, be prepared. Be
Ready The
United States is known for abundance, unfortunately many have gone astray
through the wants and cares of life, let it not be so with you, cling to
contentment, patience and that which is excellent; let not the abundance of
Christian resources become overwhelming, it is not the quantity, but the quality
of your love towards the Lord, here are a few resources that have contributed
to my walk. Amazing
Grace - movie - song written by John Newton Pilgrim's
Progress - book, but also movie by John Bunyan The
end of the spear - movie, true story of missionaries My
utmost for His Highest - book, in depth praise and understanding of theology Creation
museum - science that's more in alignment with God's Word - place in KY Although
resources are helpful, remember that it is not by works that we are saved; yet
by willing works of love and truth we'll obtain a reward. Don't let a Christian resource become a
stumbling block between you and God's written Word in the Bible. In
Christ. Word Exhortation Your
Words: James 3:2 For in many
things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a
perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Our words
are powerful, so powerful that we don’t begin to realize the extent of their
reach, in destroying and in building up.
Our words are a window of what’s inside our hearts, and when we talk to
others we are able to see within our hearts through our hearing, so that we may
modify our heart, by asking God to help us change and even asking Him to remove
certain tendencies from us, so that we may experience the abundance of His
freedom. Cursing
is beyond the scope of the Christian, if you curse or have filthy language, you
haven’t truly understood what it means to begin honoring the Lord with our
words, there’s a serious problem there, indicative in many cases of lack of salvation, not always though. Another
aspect of our words is when we fall trapped of a cultural language, following
trends simply because it sounds interesting to us, but in the process we end up
speaking lies, the Bible says: Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto
them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light
for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! These
days they say “went viral”, when speaking of something good, are you able to
see what the verse above is referring to?
Something good isn’t a virus, but the trap is exactly in the mentality
that there’s nothing wrong with the saying, if you don’t see the trap, pray
that the Lord will open your eyes to fend against those things. Yet
another cultural trap is euphemisms, which is basically a different word for
the same meaning, very unfortunate and spiritually tragic that many of us at
some point in our lives have fallen into the trap of recklessly uttering “oh my
gosh” and other similar phrases, not thinking or realizing that this is an euphemism for the same
trespass that God speaks of in the Bible: Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt
not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him
guiltless that taketh his name in vain. There are
many other euphemism traps of the sort, even traps that cross language
boundaries, people sometimes speak things in a different language not knowing
that what they’re saying goes against their beliefs and God’s command itself. And
although taking the Lord’s name in vain can be seen in language, it is not the
only place, the statement is certainly applicable to the word Christian, as we
go through life, we ought to represent the Lord, it is written within the pages
of the Bible that we are ambassadors for Christ, meaning that not only we have
the priviledge of be carriers of the good news of the Gospel, but also we have
the responsibility to live a life that’s aligned with God’s Word, otherwise,
this also can be construed as taking the Lord’s name in vain, after all we are
called Christians for a reason, therefore we ought not to let our lives be in vain. God bless you, be strong in the Lord, endure til the end, love one another, it's God's command; we have God's Word in the Bible because of His love, if it was up to man, we would have no Bible, but it is God that preserves His Word. Just take a look a libraries and movie places, that's the world, see the confusion, the contradictions and even horrific things that come out of the mind of man? Remember God is Love, perfect love casts out all fear, have faith in God's Word of truth, for He has spoken it, and it shall come to pass, be blessed.  |