BORN AGAIN!!!
If you recently received Christ as your Savior and Lord, we are so excited you have made this decision of faith and commitment to follow Jesus. Perhaps you prayed the sinner’s prayer on the Blessed App in one of my recent lives. Maybe you heard a message on putting your faith in Christ on YouTube or at a local church near your home. Maybe you found the Lord through Christian television programming. God uses many different ways to help people believe the Gospel and commit their lives to follow Him in faith. Sometimes a family member or friend will share their faith, and that’s how you came to know Jesus! John 3:16 says “For God so loved that world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. The next verse says “For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” If this is something you’re still unsure of, please take a look at my message on YouTube entitled “SAVED and BAPTIZED.” This is the clear Gospel message and will help you further understand how to make that decision. After you are saved, what next? After you have prayed the sinner’s prayer and trusted Christ as Savior, what are the next steps you should take? This is a great question and one I’d like to break down for you. You need to begin learning how to pray and study the Bible. You need to baptized by immersion and discover your spiritual gifts! I’ll explain!
BIBLE STUDY AND PRAYER
First, it’s important to spend time every day in personal and private prayer and Bible study. I would encourage you to begin with the Gospel of Mark. Then jump over into the book of Acts. Then maybe read the book of Philippians and then James. This will give you a good handle on the different types of New Testament literature. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), early church history in the book of Acts which picks up after each Gospel ends, and then the Pastoral letters. Most of these letters were written by the Apostle Paul to churches he planted years after he was saved in Acts 8. His name changed from Saul to Paul and he wrote about 75% of the New Testament scriptures. It’s important to understand the New Testament before beginning to study the Old Testament. Read a chapter each day if you can, maybe even an chapter in the morning and a chapter in the evening. And learn how to pray. After you read scripture, talk to God privately telling him how feel and what you need help with. Ask Him to help you understand the Bible, guide your life and your daily decisions, and help you fight against evil temptations. This is all part of slow but steady and daily, consistent growth in your newly established faith relationship with Jesus Christ. Don’t give up! You’ll feel discouraged at times, but keep leaning into Him and onto His word, His power, and these daily disciplines of prayer and Bible study!
WHICH TRANSLATION?
Many ask me what is my translation preference. I like the Charles Ryrie New American Standard Bible 1976 Moody Bible Institute. The original copyright is The Lockman Foundation 1960. But there are other more modern translations as well like the NIV, the ESV, or the NLT. Remember that there is a difference between a translation and paraphrase like Eugene Peterson’s The Message. Reading a paraphrase is kind of like watching “The Chosen” where they have added words to provide flavor and background for connection and relatability, but not necessarily changing the message of the text or the doctrine the Bible teaches. This is “artistic expression” if you will. I do recommend translations over paraphrases and, of course, steer clear of the New World Translation written by Jehovah’s Witnesses, and mormon versions of the Bible. In these cases, the message of the text IS ACTUALLY CHANGED to fit their own doctrines which deny the humanity and divinity of Christ, the Trinity, and other sound, fundamental Christian doctrines.
BAPTISM
I also want to encourage you to be baptized by immersion as soon as you can! This literally means to be dunked all the way down completely into the water. Jesus was baptized this way by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, and the pattern throughout the New Testament is baptism by immersion. Sprinkling, pouring, or christening is not the true scriptural mode of baptism, nor does it reflect the true symbol of baptism. Read Romans 6:1-11. Here, we see that the symbol of immersion baptism is DEATH and LIFE! When you go down under the water, that’s a symbol of DEATH. And when you come up out of the water, that’s a symbol of LIFE. You are identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, AND, publicly demonstrating your faith in Him. When you are baptized by immersion, it’s almost like wearing a wedding ring for marriage. You’re telling the world that you’re taken! You’re saying through baptism “I am NOT ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!” (Romans 1:16) The other symbol of our faith is communion. Also called The Last Supper or The Lord’s Supper or The Eucharist, this is where you eat a small cracker and small amount of grape juice. The bread is a symbol of the body of Christ, and the cup is a symbol of the blood of Christ. When we receive communion, we’re remembering and reflecting upon the death and suffering that Christ endured for us on the cross. In both cases, baptism and communion, it’s imperative to remember these are SYMBOLS, not sacraments. This is because you receive God’s grace the moment you put your faith in Christ to be your Savior and Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “For by God’s grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” Baptism and communion are good works that follow our salvation and are symbols of our faith, but in no way contribute to our being saved. We are saved by faith and faith alone in what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross when He died and rose again. I provide a monthly communion worship experience on the Blessed App.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
As you begin to grow in your faith through prayer, bible study as well as baptism and communion, at some point I hope you’ll discover your SPIRITUAL GIFTS. Check out Romans 12:6-8. Here, you will find a list of 7 primary motivational spiritual gifts. I would encourage you to watch the entire message below to understand more about spiritual gifts. Visit the website I recommend GiftTest.org to study, learn, and take an assessment. Once you discover your own spiritual gifts, you now have a great advantage in knowing and figuring out what are the ways you can get involved in your church serving others in the body Christ and those in need in your community. Don’t just volunteer to fill a whole or meet a need. Make sure you volunteer to do what you are equipped by the Holy Spirit to do. I have discovered my spiritual gifts are encouragement, teaching and prophecy. And when I am operating in those gifts, I find great joy and fulfillment in life and in my Christian faith. I can’t recommend strongly enough to discover your spiritual gifts, then ask God to guide into areas of service and ministry opportunities utilizing the gifts He has given you! If you have any questions, please email Pastor@LinkChapel.com and I’ll do everything I can help you as you grow in the Lord!
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