Would you like to know God personally?

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you?

You may be surprised that none of those things will work. But God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him. The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ...

Knowing God – Principle 1 : God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

God's Love : “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.” 1

God's Plan :  [Christ speaking] “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” [that it might be full and meaningful]. 2

 

 Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life? Because...

Knowing God – Principle 2 : All of us sin and our sin has separated us from God.

We Are Sinful :  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 3

We were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

We Are Separated :  “The wages of sin is death” [spiritual separation from God]. 4

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and people are sinful. A great gulf separates us. Diagram illustrates that we are continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through our own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion – but we inevitably fail.

  

The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...

Knowing God – Principle 3 : Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through Him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our life.

He Died in Our Place:  “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” 5

He Rose From the Dead : “Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred...” 6

He Is the Only Way to God :  “Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.'” 7

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. 

It is not enough just to know these three principles...

Knowing God – Principle 4 :  We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.

We Must Receive Christ : “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” 8

We Receive Christ Through Faith : “By 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.” 9

When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth

We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation :  [Christ speaking] “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him.” 10

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.

These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

Self-Directed :

Christ-Directed

Questions

Which circle best describes your life?

Which circle would you like to have represent your life?

The following explains how you can receive Christ. You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer

Prayer is talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then you can pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?

YES, I JUST ASKED JESUS INTO MY LIFE

https://www.cru.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally/decision.html

I'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHO JESUS IS FIRST

 https://www.cru.org/how-to-know-god/who-is-jesus-god-or-just-a-good-man.html

References: 

(1) John 3:16 (NIV); (2) John 10:10; (3) Romans 3:23; (4) Romans 6:23; (5) Romans 5:8; (6) 1 Corinthians 15:3-6; (7) John 14:6; (8) John 1:12; (9) Ephesians 2:8,9; (10) Revelation 3:20

Source:  https://www.cru.org/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally.html

(Adapted from Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws and Would You Like to Know God Personally, by Dr. Bill Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. © Campus Crusade for Christ. All rights reserved.)

Additional Resources for further reading : 

https://peacewithgod.net/

https://myhopewithbillygraham.org/

https://goingfarther.net/

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Problem with "Hidden Memory" and the "Solution"

Hidden memory

How often have you attempted to recall a once-familiar name, and yet have been frustrated by its remaining just beyond your direct recall? And then, a short time later, you find it suddenly emerge in your conscious memory? 

This common phenomenon simply demonstrates that there is a portion—apparently the major portion—of our memory which operates below the conscious level. Clearly, there are powerful information processing resources at work below our direct, conscious level. We usually call this region of “memory,” the subconscious, the unconscious, or hidden memory.

The brain is what the mind thinks with. When you get saved, you don’t get a new brain. You get a new mind. The devil doesn’t hurt your intelligence, he blinds and distorts your mind. As Solomon said, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”¹.

How to control our thought life? How to overcome the battle in thought life?

The Solution

The KEY is "Be Ye Transformed "²:  Only way we can be transformed is by the constant renewing of our minds. Jesus promises, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make [set] you free.”³ 

Practical Step #1 The salvation factor

First and most important, you must be saved—“born again.” Your mind must be renewed.⁴ But suppose you are already saved? The battle is hardly over, as you know. What other steps must you take to get mastery over your mind?

Practical Step #2: the SINGLE-MINDED factor

“Simplicity” or “sincerity” which is a heartfelt devotion is needed.⁵

Practical Step #3 the stronghold factor

Warfare that goes on in our minds needs to be given attention.⁶

What are some of these strongholds in your mind?

• Compulsiveness
• Obsessions 
• Fixations
• Bitterness/resentment
• Uncontrollable lust
• Phobias
• Distrust

Practical Step #4: THE SPIRITUAL WEAPON FACTOR

Human, fleshly weapons all have their place. But the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh; they are:

•             The Word of God

•             Prayer

•             Repentance

•             The blood of Christ

•             The authority we have in Christ

•             The Holy Spirit, who indwells us. 

Practical Step #5: the surrender factor

Submit yourself to God.⁷ Is Paul talking to believers or to the unsaved? Even after salvation, what must you be continually doing with your mind? You bring your mind back to Jesus Christ and enthrone Him. You cannot be neutral in your thought life.

SUMMARY : 

The carnal mind must be converted.

The converted mind must beware lest it be corrupted.

The converted but corrupted mind can be conquered.

The conquered mind can be controlled by bringing every thought captive to Jesus Christ.

And remember, you have about five seconds to take that thought captive, or that thought will take you captive.

If you…

•     Make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior—thus receiving a new mind
•     Focus upon Him with a single-minded focus
•     Learn to recognize Satan at work building a stronghold in your life
•     Take up the weapons God has given you:

•          The Word of God
•          Prayer
•          The blood of Christ
•          The authority of Christ
•          The presence of the Holy Spirit

•   Submit yourself to God

…then you can say with the apostle Paul, “We have the mind of Christ.” “As a man thinks, so is he.” If you think like Christ, who are you going to be like?

Do you have some “stronghold-demolishing” work to do? 

Take up that battering ram of the Word of God. You cannot do it in your own strength. Submit yourself, call upon Him, and get to it.

References:

¹ Proverbs 23:7

² Romans 12:1-2

³ John 8:32

⁴ John 3:3, Romans 12:2

⁵ 2 Corinthians 11:1-3

⁶ 2 Corinthians 10: 3 – 5

⁷ James 4:7, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 12:1-2

Source :

http://www.kingshighway.org/inspiration/articles/your_temple/sub/.

https://www.lwf.org/bible-study/posts/how-to-have-mastery-over-your-mind-13375

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Who cannot be conquered by all the powers of hell? (OR) What the Gates of hell shall not prevail against?

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.  And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

 ~ Bible Text Reference: Matthew 16:13-28 [Holy Bible -NLT] taken from https://www.biblegateway.com

 

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Who demanded Jesus, a miraculous sign from heaven to prove His authority?

One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times! Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.

Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

~ Bible Text Reference: Matthew 16:1-12 [Holy Bible -NLT] taken from https://www.biblegateway.com

Why did Jesus feel sorry for those people?

Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”

The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”

 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”

 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.

 They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.  There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.

  

~ Bible Text Reference: Matthew 15:32-39 [Holy Bible -NLT] taken from https://www.biblegateway.com

Can Jesus heal any kind of Sickness?

Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

~ Bible Text Reference: Matthew 15:21-31 [Holy Bible -NLT] taken from https://www.biblegateway.com

What does defile us, according to Jesus Christ?

Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him,  “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”

Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”

“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

~ Bible Text Reference: Matthew 15:1-20 [Holy Bible -NLT] taken from https://www.biblegateway.com