Are you in touch with God?

 

What type of relationship do you have with Him?

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On a scale of 1-10 how close or trusting is your relationship with Him?

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Do you wish you could be closer to God, and even know where you will spend eternity?

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I was asked these kinds of questions many years ago, just before entering college.  I was searching for something to fill the emptiness inside of me.... so these questions grabbed hold of me, so to speak.  They took me on a profound, life changing quest for answers. After digging into the Bible, talking about what I was reading and learning with others (including a youth Pastor and members of a local youth group) and praying a lot, I began to get some clarity. I began to see meaning in Scriptures like the ones on the back of the Encouragement Card shown here:

 

 

 

 

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I realized that Jesus really walked on this earth thousands of years ago, He claimed to be, and was the true Son of God, and He stated that the only way to connect with God was to believe in Him.

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In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the (only) Way (to God) and the (real) Truth and the (real) Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

 

So, after a lot of thought and internal struggle I realized that Jesus really was and is God. This conclusion is based on His fulfillment of Biblical prophecy about a coming Savior, His perfect life, His ability to heal people, and His resurrection from the dead, as witnessed by hundreds of people, along with other evidence! So, I decided to accept Jesus as my personal Savior. I prayed, telling Him that I believe He is God, that He died on the cross for my sins, rose again from the dead 3 days later, and then ascended into heaven where He is today. I sincerely asked Him to forgive me for my sins, and invited Him to be my Savior, and become the Lord of my life.

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Romans 10:9 says, "because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God), and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

 

And then a profound thing happened. The Holy Spirit began change my thinking, perspectives, and ways of living and acting.  I gradually became aware of my shortcomings and how much I needed His power working in my life to help me change for the better. I needed to allow Him to really become my Lord, as well as my Savior! This began a life-long journey of walking with God, which continues to get better with each passing year.

 

Now, after all these years, I can say that Jesus has never failed me. Life has not always been easy, and I've had my struggles with health, relationships, finances, work, etc.  But He has always been there with me to see me through. And now I make it a practice to read the Bible every day, so that I can learn from Him and stay on track. Here are some of my favorite verses. I hope they are helpful to you, and that you find the answers you are looking for, and move closer to God every day. I encourage you to read these verses in the Bible for yourself.

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Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart."

 

​I learned that Jesus came to earth over 2,000 years ago, and He lived a perfect life, healed many people, fed the hungry, and taught us how to live better, with an eye toward eternity. However, he was rejected by those in power, and was crucified on a cross (which is exactly what the Bible prophesied would happen to Him). But, three days after His death He miraculously rose from the dead (the resurrection) by the power of the Holy Spirit! In doing this He conquered sin and death once and for all, for everyone who believes in Him!

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John 1:12 "But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right (the authority, the privilege) to become children of God..."

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Our time on earth is short, maybe 80-90 years, give or take a few.  Yet I realized that the decisions I make, and the actions I take now can actually determine the course of my life and eternal destiny!

 

So, I believe that having a positive, personal, born-again relationship with God is eternally important. I think it is the key to discovering our purpose here, and living a more meaningful life. It also means I can be assured of a wonderful eternal existence with Him in heaven! 

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John 3:7 "Do not be surprised that I have told you, "You must be born again (reborn from above - spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified)."

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So I've discovered that the Bible tells us that God wants to be in a personal relationship with each of us. He loves us and cares about us more than we can imagine!  I have learned that Jesus wants us to come to Him just as we are - with a messy life and all of our issues.  I find that we don't need to "clean up our act" before asking Him to be our Savior. And, as I've experienced, once we begin walking with Him, He will help us break through addictions, bad habits, get our thought-life in better order, begin treating otters as they should be treated, etc. He wants the Holy Spirit to empower me to become the person He intends for me to become.  I trust that He can lead me forward into a right-relationship with Him. 

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In John 3:16 we read "For God so (greatly) loved and dearly prized the world (insert your name here) that He (even) gave His (One and only) begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him (as Savior) shall not perish, but have eternal life."

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If we understand and believe these truths about Jesus, then it seems clear to me that scripture is stating that we can be saved (or born-again)! 

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Acts 2:21 "And it shall be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord (invoking, adoring, and worshipping the Lord Jesus) shall be saved (rescued spiritually)."

 

I hear so many concepts of "God" being talked about these days. And there are lots of people who want to connect with Him, so they can follow Him.  They want to be blessed by Him, or know His will for their lives. Are you one of them? I sure was!  Are you ready to invite Jesus to be the Lord of our life like i did?

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I discovered that there is only one way to get to God, and that's through Jesus. And that there is only one true Jesus; the One who was born of a virgin Mary. The One who is written about in the Bible and Who's life is recorded in numerous history books and writings. And the One who has accounts of His life, death, and resurrection recorded in historical documents. The One who's birth is what our calendar (the Gregorian calendar, which is used by the majority of countries in the world), is based on!

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I believe that if you want Jesus to be your personal savior then you can simply pray, confessing your sinfulness (separation from God) and asking Him to forgive you. I told Him that I believed in Him, and His power, and that He is God. I expressed my faith in His death on the cross, and His shed blood to pay the price for my sins, and that I believed He rose from the dead victorious over sin and death!  I then determined to begin focusing on the right things in your life, and turning away from the wrong things. So, I believe He can answer your prayers, too, and will send His Holy Spirit to fill you and be with you going forward.

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Romans 10:9 says, "because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God), and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

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1 Corinthians 6:19  "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have received as a gift) from God..."

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