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The Gift |
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Everything that God shows us through Jesus is summed up in two simple truths. The first truth is that he loves you intensely and incessantly with no conditions attached. Jesus once said that you have to become like a little child in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. That’s the first hurdle to get over. Our very nature can result in a tug of war with our feelings. God’s message is not to be reasoned or proved. He asks that we take a step of faith. Faith is trusting someone by taking them at their word. The second truth is that to enjoy a gift you have to do something. Just like our friends daughter who won the Camper Van in an ASDA competition. She had to go and collect it, take action, take steps to make it hers. She had to do something about it! Some are waiting for a special sign, a supernatural occurrence to show them the time is right to ask God into their lives. It's fair to say that there are times when this has happened, such as Paul’s experience on the Damascus Road. But for most of us God works in a very natural way and the time is right when you feel in your heart this is the step you want to take. You may not fully understand everything, there may be questions you still need answers to but the time is now.
He loves you but he will never force you to love him. He is stood now knocking on your door waiting for you to open it. If in your heart you really feel you want God to come into your life say this prayer now, slowly and thoughtfully: Lord I come to you, If you have said this prayer sincerely in your heart something very special has now happened. You may not feel different but you are and over the next few days you should do two things: Tell and Taste. Tell someone who will understand about the step you have taken. Our faith is personal but we are not expected to live in isolation. Someone said there is no such thing as a secret disciple: either the secrecy kills the discipleship or the discipleship kills the secrecy. More than anything, you'll need support and encouragement. Taste the importance of a healthy diet. You have now been born again. How exciting! You are at the beginning of your Christian life and just as when we are born physically, we need food and exercise to grow, it’s the same when you are born again. So to start your healthy diet feed on these three things: God’s word: there are loads of different types of readings and reflections that are available. Choose one that suits you. There’s some good free stuff on the Internet and it’s worth speaking with someone who’s been a Christian for a while to provide some pointers. God’s people: active involvement with other Christians is essential for mutual support, encouragement and love. God’s Talkline: God promises he will never leave you. So make sure you talk to him as much as you can. Prayer isn’t about lengthy formal stuff, in fact most of the time it is conversational. Paul said: Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. Your new life has begun and you can go on learning and deepening your relationship so that God becomes closer and closer.
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