New Christians

Congratulations!
You have taken the first step to eternal life.

I am so proud of you and remember that all the angels in heaven are celebrating and rejoicing for you right now. "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” - Luke 15:10

Let me tell you that this is not an easy road but in essence, it is easy because as you live it and apply it, it gets easier and easier. It is the most rewarding lifestyle there is. Be encouraged!

These are some steps that will hopefully help you stay on the right path and walk the path God has laid out for you.

 

1. Pray every day

2. Study your bible

3. Develop a relationship with God - Get to know who He is

4. Get to know who you are in Christ

5. Join a church that teaches the

word of the Almighty, one true God

6. Have a support team of Christians

7. Be willing and ready to leave the past behind and move forward to your new life in Christ. That may mean friends and other persons who may be stifling your Christian growth.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” - John 3:3

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old." - Isaiah 43:18


Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. - John 11:25

As far as the East is from the West, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. -Psalm 103:12

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, we are here for each other.

May God bless you and keep you!

Go the second mile...

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’[f] 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away."

What would compel someone to do the exact opposite of what is expected of them? Can you imagine even doing something like what Jesus is asking us to do? It seems outrageous, doesn’t it? Well, it's not outrageous, it’s Christ-like.

Jesus looks at what the past culture was, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Then He says to go beyond our vengeful nature and tap into our loving nature. If we are truly in the realm of love, everything we do would be out of love. Love would be dripping from our very pores. We would not even consider repaying someone who wronged us.

If you ever had a dog and missed and stepped on its tail, their natural instinct is to retaliate, turn around and bite you. I have never seen a dog that has not tried to bite or bark at the person who stepped on their tail, whether it was an accident or intentional, that dog will retaliate. 

So, are we not above dogs? I know that sounds harsh but isn't our intelligence higher than that of animals? If we are the more intelligent beings, why do we tap into an animalistic nature and refuse to follow our spiritual nature?

Our vengeful nature is to retaliate when someone hurts us. “Tit for tat." We keep score of what people do to us and we wait to get them back, some people do not wait, it is automatic, almost instinctual. But when the love of Jesus fills our hearts, when we remember what people have done to us, the thought of getting revenge is fleeting or nonexistent. It does not mean that we are not hurt by their actions or words, it merely signifies that we operate from a higher place of understanding. 

The love of Jesus compels us to go the extra mile. Do not act based on what we have been taught or conditioned to think, constantly feeding the flesh. However, act out of our Christ-like nature which says to turn the other cheek when someone slaps us. The scripture further states, let the person who is suing you for the tunic have the cloak as well, go another mile with the one who is asking you to go one mile with them.

These are not acts of the flesh. These are acts of humans who are Christ-filled, and who understand that living Christ-like is the best way to feed our spirit. Doing what Jesus tells us to do is the best way to feed our spirit (our Christ-like nature) and not walk after the flesh (our carnal way of thinking).

I would like to compare us to the diamond that starts off as coal and is under pressure because a precious diamond. Brothers and sisters, it’s not easy especially if we have been conditioned to think and act a certain way. However, I do not believe that Jesus is asking of us anything that we cannot do. Jesus believes that we can do it. He even goes further in believing that we too can strive for perfection just like our Heavenly Father - Matthew 5:48. Now if Jesus says it, it can be attained. No matter how many times you fall, get back up and keep on trucking. Keep doing what Jesus is calling us to do.

God loves you. Be blessed!

Let your Yes be Yes and Your No be No

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. - Matthew 5:31-37

Heaven is God's throne and the Earth His footstool, Jesus reiterated this as it was written in Isaiah 66:1. Can we truly understand the magnitude of that concept? Can we even imagine what that means? If we can, the mere thought of swearing by heaven or earth wouldn't even

Reconcile Before It's Too Late

Matthew 5: 21-26 continues Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a pure heart.

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause[b] shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

The church I attended as a child put so much emphasis on being pure at heart before giving your tithes that before offering was collected at every service, the pastor would say

Believers are Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 

15 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. 

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

In today's world, there is a constant search for purpose and meaning in this life. As believers, we should know our purpose, we should know who the Lord has called us to be and what we should do. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus has called those who believe in him and those who choose to follow him to be Salt and Light.

I have often wondered why Jesus compared believers and followers to salt and light. There are many insightful commentaries available, and some explanations resonate deeply. Reflecting on this has encouraged me to explore another perspective of the same scripture for our Bible study.

Jesus said "You are the Salt Of The Earth." Why did he say salt of the earth and not salt of the world? I discovered, as a young child on a trip to a local farm, that salt is used as a fertilizer. A fertilizer nourishes and aids in the growth of a plant. Jesus was saying that we are called to be that essential mineral to help with the growth of others.

When God created man, he used the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). This creation connects us to all mankind as God created us all. However, we are set apart as believers because we are called the Salt of The Earth. Therefore, Jesus is calling us to be that fertilizer that is necessary for mankind to truly live and grow as we are all connected to the earth. If we choose to call ourselves Christians or believers of Christ, and follow God's word then this too is a part of our mission while on this earth. As salt, we are called to help others grow in Christ, believers and unbelievers. If we cannot be the salt and light, we lose our worth and become good for nothing (Matthew 5:13)

Jesus also called us the Light Of The World.  Now when we go back to Genesis again, after creating the heavens and the earth, the first thing that God SPOKE into being was LIGHT (Genesis 1:3). Furthermore, it states that God divided light from darkness (Genesis 1:4). There has to be a separation between light and darkness, the two cannot co-exist. If we are called to be light then we cannot mix or meddle in darkness or have darkness in us. We are in the world but not of the world. (John 17:14-15)

The light that radiates from a lamp is used to light up a house. This house that Jesus refers to is The World.  He calls us to be the Light of The World. The world is filled with darkness to those who do not see the light, the unbelievers. We have to let our light so shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Our lives have to be examples to others. Our light has to radiate so intensely that it causes others to turn from darkness and glorify our Father in Heaven!

Brothers and sisters, God loves you and wants us to live the life and purpose He has called for us to live. We need to spend time in prayer, meditating on the word of God, and developing our relationship with God. Therein lies the true meaning of life and the keys to fulfilling our purpose.

Take care of each other, truly love each other, pray for each other and be the Salt and Light Christ has called you to be and that He in his infinite knowledge knows that we can be.

God bless you!