ptl@fluke.UUCP (Mike Andrews) (11/20/85)
Hi,
For those want Faith , or are just thinking about it, and especially
if you already have Faith ---
Ephesians 2:8-9
"I repeat, it is owing to his favor that salvation is yours
through faith. This is not your own doing, it is God's gift;
neither is it a reward for anything you have accomplished,
so let no one pride himself on it." - Paul
For the times I've acted pridefully because I have Faith, and someone
else didn't, or I judged theirs not as deep as mine, please forgive me.
I have much to learn. But I've got a good Teacher.
For those who want Faith but don't know how to get it - ask God to give
you Faith. It is that simple, just ask. Then the work will begin.
You'll find yourself moving in new directions. But first, let go of
whatever you're holding onto and say something like "Jesus, I'm sorry for
my sins and I accept you as my Lord and Savior; please, You hold me."
Will your life be changed - definitely.
Just the fact that you decided to choose Jesus is a clear sign of
His working in you, and the fact that you still have a free will.
Even wanting to ask Jesus to be the only God of your life
is a clear sign of His work in you. Who do you think gave you
the thought? Will you see the changes immediately - some changes yes, most
probably not, others in time. Change is continual, and unavoidable, some take
more time to make. But with the options placed before us - our parents,
family, work, friends, relatives - we have a lot of choices to make
regarding the direction we go. Who do you want to follow?
For example, you didn't choose your parents, but God placed them there for a
reason. Maybe only they could help you over some hurtle. Or maybe only they
could be the hurtle you need to bring you to a place of decision making.
The decision you make is yours alone. Even God won't make your decision
for you. He might point, though :-). So now find other Christians, you're
one now. Find a good church, that lives and grows as a Family, with Jesus as
the Head of the House. Get Baptised there. Learn from them, and help them to
learn from you what God teaches you day by day. Pray - look each
day for something God has done for you and thank Him. Talk with Him,
and expect Him to talk to you - through situations, other people,
the deep inner desires of your heart, however He wants to do it. Read -
the Bible is His letter to you. Also, there are many gifted writers
that have much to say that will help you accept God and His Love, and
even better understand the Bible. And don't complicate the Faith you're
given, keep it simple - trust Him. Remember - Faith isn't a feeling, it's
a Gift. Faith isn't a feeling, it's a reality. Just one Gift that you've
opened by making a free choice. Please re-read the Bible passage above.
For those who want a deeper Faith in God, please read the preceding paragraphes
for some suggestions. And let's pray for eachother. I'm no super Christian.
My Faith, or rather how I use the Gift, goes through ups and downs. We all
need eachother to survive and grow. Neat how we're made that way.
God Bless,
Mike Andrews
--
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God said He would never leave me nor forsake me, and that I am His temple.
A man is what he thinks.
A body led by the soul is only 2/3 of a person : the soul tries to get rid of
the spirit.
A body led by the spirit is a whole person : the spirit works to make the soul
help the body. And a spirit led by God the Holy Spirit is invincible.
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ARPA : fluke!ptl@uw-beaver.ARPA
UUCP : {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!ptl