TO SITE CONTENTS

As you begin your Christian pilgrimage anticipate much joy along with an abundance of questions and problems.  God is the source of the joy, he has the answers you need, and he is the resource for handling the problems.  Keep in mind several basic things:

• God is now in you!  You no longer live in your body alone.  God, the Holy Spirit, lives there with you.  The Bible confirms this in 1 Cor 3:16,
  "Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and {that} the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (NAS)
• Now that God lives in you things will appear different.  You will have a different perspective.  Somehow his Spirit communicates to your spirit about life's issues.  2 Cor 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man is in Christ, {he is} a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (NAS)  The newness is God's work in you, his presence in you, his input into your life.  He has provided the Bible and prayer as fundamental parts of his relationship with you.
• You have access to him through prayer.  We are instructed in Heb 4:16 "Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need." (NAS)   Jesus taught in Luke 18:1 "that at all times people ought to pray and not to lose heart."  The apostle Paul said in 1Thes 5:17 "pray without ceasing" (NAS), that is, be quick to pray about all things. Knowing about God does not satisfy.  Relating to him satisfies.  But you cannot relate to him properly unless you know about him accurately.  That is the purpose of the Bible.
• The Bible teaches you about God and about the Christian life.  Ask God to teach you what you need to know and study the Bible regularly.  
  2 Tim 3:16-17
  16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
  17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (NAS)
• Associate regularly with Bible believing Christians.  Find a church where the pastor preaches the Bible faithfully.  Ask him if he believes all of the Bible.  If he doesn't, move on until you find a pastor who does.  This is vital to your well-being as a Christian.
  Heb 10:25
  not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging {one another} 
  (NAS)
• Check what the pastor says.  They are not God and they are subject to making human errors.  
  1Thes 5:21-22
  21 But examine everything {carefully} hold fast to that which is good;
  22 abstain from every form of evil.
  (NAS)

Congratulations! May God bless you as you begin your walk through life with Him!  

     RETURN TO CONTENTS