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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

FIVE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD STRONGER


1. Learn From GOD : Read The Bible.

How do we know who God is? How do we begin to understand His character and attributes? It is only by reading the Bible that we can know the truth about God. In this age of information, it is easy to get caught up in all the changing research and data which bombards us everyday. How important it is to remember that God's Word never changes! The Bible has the answers for all our questions and it offers hope for our times of hopelessness. It tells us of our origin and tells us of our eternal destiny. Most importantly it shows us Jesus Christ:

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT "...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).

In other words, if you want your faith to grow and mature, read God's word on a consistent basis.

READ: Psalm 1 , Isaiah 40:7-8 , 2 Timothy 2:15

2. Talk To God : Pray.

Prayer is simply talking to God from your heart. Your prayers don't have to sound "religious" and you don't have to use only 'Christian sounding words. God wants to hear from the "real" you and He wants to hear your deepest concerns and needs. Prayer is mainly a time for us to thank the Lord and to praise Him for the great things He has done in our lives. Read Matthew 6:5-13 to see an example of a prayer which Jesus prayed.

Prayer is also a time for us to receive God's forgiveness for our sins. When you sin, don't beat yourself up and condemn yourself but go directly to God and confess your sins in prayer. God will be "faithful and just" to forgive you. Look at I John 1:8-10 and underline these scriptures in your Bible. Also, remember that you now belong to Jesus Christ and...

"...There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).
3. Hang Out With Other Christians : Fellowship.

Now that you have entered into God's family, you need to spend time with your new brothers and sisters. It's a good idea to develop friendships with people who have been walking with the Lord for a long time and spend time with them so you can learn from everything the Lord has shown them over the years. Likewise, as you grow and mature in the Lord, there will be others who begin to learn from your example. That's what fellowship is all about--the strengthening of all of God's people; or as the Bible puts it, "...the building up of the body of Christ".

READ: Ephesians 4:15-16 , Hebrews 10:19-25 , Acts 2:42-47
4. Tell People About Your Faith : Tell Others.

Chances are, before you gave your life to Jesus, someone close to you or even someone you had never met before shared with you the good news about a relationship with God. Always remember that God hasn't redeemed you, forgiven your sins, and given you a new life so that you can horde all of His blessings for yourself! He wants you to share your new life with others.

Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).

5. Make A Public Commitment For Jesus : Be Baptized.

Baptism is an outward expression of what the Lord has done on the inside. It is not the act of baptism which cleanses you of your sins. Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16)

Notice that it is not the lack of baptism which brings condemnation but unbelief. However, Jesus is commanding us to be baptized and we should be careful to obey everything that God asks of us.

To learn more about baptism,
READ: Romans 6:3-4 , Colossians 2:10-13

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