When Christ Comes In You

In my last blog, I told you that there were two events over the weekend that were overwhelmingly exciting. The first was the womens conference. I talked about that last time. The second event was equally as inspiring. Sunday afternoon I hosted a youth choir anniversary and in all honesty, I had no idea that God would do what he did. Before the program was through, some 38 young people had connected with God in a very real and tangible way.

It was over whelming.

But as I think about these children I am pressed with concern. I keep asking myself what can I do to help expedite the process of developing a relationship with Jesus. I don't want them to just have a brief exprience along the road of life, but my enerst desire is that Christ become formed in them.

Colossians 1:26-29 from the living bible reads,

26 He has kept this secret for centuries and generations past, but now at last it has pleased him to tell it to those who love him and live for him, and the riches and glory of his plan are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ in your hearts is your only hope of glory.
28 So everywhere we go we talk about Christ to all who will listen, warning them and teaching them as well as we know how. We want to be able to present each one to God, perfect because of what Christ has done for each of them.
29 This is my work, and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me. TLB

When I read this scripture, It makes me passionate to help these kids do more than just accept christ, I want then to truly know him. I want them to be filled with a desire to know him more and more. In order for that to happen, they have got to become exposed to his word. So here goes! When you are a new convert to Christ, there are some basic scriptures that you need to read. I will outline them here and then I am going to text message this website to everyone of them. In order that they can get to know Jesus for them selves.

Here is a great article to get you started!

Steps For New Christians By Dr. Dale A. Robbins

To accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you will ever make in your life. In reality, it is the beginning of a brand new life in Christ, and as a new-born child of God, there are many important things you need to understand. As you read this, please note the scripture references and look them up in your Bible. (Bible quotations are taken from the New International Version, © The New York Bible Society, 1978.)

1. You are saved by Faith -- Your salvation is based purely upon your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. In other words, salvation is not something that can be "earned" by how good you try to be or some religious act that you perform. Salvation is a free gift from God, and came as you simply put your faith in Jesus, His death and resurrection, and trusted him to forgive your sins and become your savior and Lord. The scripture says "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

2. You're not saved by feelings -- Good feelings are nice to have, but feelings do not prove whether you're saved or not. There may be times when you "feel" that God is close to you, and other times when you "feel" that He's not. But remember that He has promised to always be with you and never leave you, regardless of feelings (Hebrews 13:5). Always remember that the Christian lives by faith, not by sight or the feelings of our natural senses. The Bible says "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

3. You may experience doubts -- One of most common things that happens to a new believer is that the Devil tries to whisper doubts in your thoughts: "You're not really saved," or "nothing really happened to you." But don't buy into Satan's lies and deceptions! If you placed your faith in Jesus Christ, then you are saved, regardless of whether you feel it or not. God's Word promises, "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

4. You are Forgiven of all your sins -- The Bible teaches that all mankind has a sinful nature which keeps him separated from God's presence and will result in eternal death. But Jesus came to suffer the consequences of that sin as our substitute, so that we could be forgiven of sin and have access to God's presence. When you repented (turned away) from your sins, and asked Jesus to forgive you and become your savior, that's exactly what he did. He forgave every sin you've ever committed, regardless of how awful or evil they may have been. God can forgive more sin than man can commit. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

5. You're not perfect, just forgiven -- Being a Christian doesn't mean that you won't make mistakes, but it means that you are forgiven of sin and that your goal is to live like Christ and not live in the old sinful way anymore. Don't ever let the Devil condemn you if you stumble or make a mistake! God loves you and wants you to ask Him to forgive you (1 John 1:9), then He wants you to get back on your feet and keep walking for Him! Don't ever let other people or the Devil bring condemnation upon you! God loves you and will correct you, but He will not condemn you. "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." (Romans 8:1).

6. You are a New Creation -- At the moment you accepted Jesus, He came into your heart by His Spirit, and now His presence and nature lives and dwells in your heart (1 Corinthians 6:19). You did not merely become a better person, you were "born again" spiritually as a brand new person! Now He wants you to learn to live your life according to the new nature of His Spirit inside you. The Bible says "Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

7. You have the promise of Eternal Life -- God's Word says that when you place your faith in Christ, you are given eternal life. That is, someday when your physical body wears out and dies, your soul will go to be in the Lord's presence to spend eternity with Him! "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

8. You must keep living for Christ -- You must understand that your salvation is based upon your "continued" relationship with the Lord. He has promised to keep you saved, as long as you keep believing and living for Him. As a new Christian, you need to grow in your relationship with God and deepen your faith, so that discouragements, temptations, or trials will never cause you to drift away from God. Remember, if you depart from the Lord, you also depart from what gives you the promise of salvation. The Bible says that Christ will one day present you before God, holy and unblemished "...If you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the Gospel" (Colossians 1:23).

9. You need to go to Church -- You should attend church regularly so that your faith can be strengthened by the preaching of God's Word, and so you can grow spiritually and be encouraged by the fellowship of other Christians. Church is where you can go to express your love, faithfulness, and worship to God. Church is where we can learn how to be a Christian, and where the Pastor and spiritual leaders can help you and encourage your faith. The Bible warns us not to absent ourselves from church attendance, because we need the strength and encouragement it brings. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another..." (Hebrews 10:25).

10. You need to Pray every day -- Prayer is vital to your spiritual growth. God is your Heavenly Father, and He wants to hear from you and have daily fellowship with you. Not only does He promise to answer your prayers, but as you pray He will also provide guidance and spiritual strength. The Bible tells us to "Pray continually," that is to pray faithfully every day (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

11. You need to read the Bible daily -- The Bible is God's Word, and as you read from it every day, it will cause you to grow spiritually (2 Timothy 2:15). As you study His written word (start with the Gospel of John), He will strengthen your faith, speak to your heart, and give you guidance and direction for every need and decision in your life. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalms 119:105).

12. You need to be baptized in Water -- At your first opportunity, you should obey the Lord's command to be baptized in water as a confession of your repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19). Water baptism in itself, (not to be confused with baptism in Holy Spirit) does not save you or wash away your sins, but is an act of your obedience in God's Word. It symbolically shows that you have died to the old sinful life, and have risen in the newness of the Life of Christ. The scriptures say "...Repent and be baptized, every one of you..." (Acts 2:38).

13. You need to live a Holy life -- As we have mentioned, Christians are not perfect. However, God wants you to "aim" toward perfection. That is, your goal must be to grow in submitting yourself to the new nature of His Spirit in your heart, follow the example of Jesus, and live a godly and wholesome life (Hebrews 12:14). You repented and asked Him to forgive your sins, and now you need to grow closer to Him each day, which will take you farther away from sinful thoughts and behavior which are displeasing to God. Your faith in God will cause a desire to obey Him and do those things pleasing in His sight (Colossians 1:10).

Should you continue to live in an unrestrained, sinful lifestyle, this would lead you away from God and back into the old ways which lead to death. But as we grow in our relationship with God, His strength in our life will increase to overcome sinful behavior and habits. "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

14. You need to be Filled with the Holy Spirit -- We already said that the Holy Spirit was born in your heart when you received Christ and now resides in you. But the Bible also says that the Holy Spirit can "immerse" you with a special power for service, to enable you to live a powerful Christian life, and to be bold in your Christian witness and testimony. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you: and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). To receive this special power, all we have to do is ask Christ to baptize us with His Holy Spirit, and He promises that He will.

15. You need to tell others about Christ -- It is important for you to openly declare Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord to others, as it establishes the testimony of your faith. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ, tell someone. Don't keep it a secret. The Bible says that "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).

So there! These are the things you need to do and know as a new convert to Jesus. This new life in Christ is exciting and real. He is not an idea. He is not a religion. He is a very real person who loves and cares for you. Get to know him. He already knows and loves you.

Stella

Songs for the Season

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my new Better Life Blog! I am so excited to be finally joining the rest of the Blogging world by sharing my thoughts and ideas.

What have I been doing? Well this weekend was incredible I had two events that blew me away with excitement! First there was the womens conference At Anderson Chapel CME Church in Holly Springs, MS with I guess about 300 women altogether. God was not only with us but he was in charge.

I found myself worshiping, crying and praising God till I nearly had no voice. The theme of the conference was "Loving God Enough." It spoke of letting go of things, attitudes and mindsets that we hold as dear and more important than our relationship with Him. During the Friday night session, while listening to an inspiring message by Evangelist Janice A. Hill, I heard the following words coming from the Holy Spirit,

Do you Love me Enough

Do you love me enough th let me reign.
Do you love me enough to truly change.
Do you love me.
Do you love me.
Will you make me your choice.
Do you love me enough to surrender your life.
Do you love me enough to e filled with Jesus Christ.
Do you love me.
Do you love me.
Do you love me with your life.

It was a song for the season. A new song. A song written at the spur of the moment for the very hour. Over and over God tells us to sing unto him a new song.
Psalms 33:3 says, Sing unto him a new song: play skillfully with a loud noise.
40:3 says, And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God...
96:1 O, sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the lord, all the earth.
Isaiah 42:10 Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth... Revelations 5:9 and they sung a new song, saying, thou art worthy tho take the book...

The references go on and on. As I meditated on this thought, I wondered what was so important about new songs and it occured to me that only when we are singing a new song unto God are we hearing what he is say-ing. We can hear what he is speaking in the present moment.

Songs from past moments are rooted in past revelation. The past moment is tied to a memory that as we re-member it, it means to reassemble the experience in our mind so God can challenge us to believe what he has already done. Then as we re-member, we put the images and the experiences together in our mind again. This inspires our faith in Him and incites God to do again what he did in the past. This is good.

But there are times when God switches reels. He changes course, and frequently we may not have a clue as to where he is going or what he is doing until that moment of revelation when all of a sudden we catch the vision, we understand what he has been orchestrating, or the pieces of the puzzle that once were scattered all over the floor come together and things make sense. It is in these moments that often the old songs are inappropriate for creating the re-memberance that God desires.

So, he deposits a new song. Our instruction is not to create it. Just to sing it. The song exists with the father and he releases it,--- brand new--- into our minds and faith enables us to sing something new that has never been heard before. The catch is, only those who are hearing him in the now present moment will hear a new song. New songs are for NOW. They are for this moment. You hear them in the now. You sing them in the now and often you may only get the next line after you sing the line in your mouth in this moment.

This is the process for hearing prophetic songs. This is one way they will come to you.

The new song becomes a memorial to the experience of the hour. It is a new altar, with a new message to re--member (assemble the images and events of a past moment again in your mind) what God is doing--right now.

Here is my question for you, when was the last time you heard what God was saying? When was the last time you had a new song? Listen to him. Meditate on his word and fellowship. Before you know it you will be singing a new song in no time.

Stella