VERSE OF THE DAY
JEREMIAH 13-14
You will seek me and find me , when you seek me with all of your heart, "I will be found be you" declares the LORD.
WHO IS GOD?
God the Father, the creator of the universe, the giver of life, love defined. God is many and all things, he gives and he also takes away, he instils all of us from birth with a blessing, a calling.
He is the one who came down in the form of a man, His son, to take every sin, every piece of shame we carry, every painful experience we have been through or taken others through and shed blood so we may be born again.
HOW DO I GET TO KNOW HIM?
Simple: accepting and acknowledging that Jesus, God in the form of man, really died on the cross for our sins. That he performed all those miracles, that he showered us in love, that he guided us.
Not so simple: staying consistent and understanding where to begin. Everyone has a different point they start at, it may be Genesis, it may be Psalms or Proverbs, I would suggest starting with the Gospel's, Matthew, to learn who Jesus was and really see His character, the lifestyle He lived, so that you can begin to apply this to your own life.
HOW DO I GET CLOSER TO HIM?
Romans 10:9
"If you confess with your mouth the LORD Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." - To acknowledge this is to accept how much God loved us to do this. Jesus, like you and I was a human, and with free will, and extreme authority. He could have done whatever he wished more efficiently than any other human on earth, yet He chose death for our salvation. He chose to serve the poor, to find the lost sheep that had left the 100, to heal the weak and to preach the Gospel. He gave His all to us for free. No hidden payments.
HOW DO I FEEL GOD?
One thing that I have learnt the hard way: feelings are not reliable. The heart can be deceptive and we see this in our daily lives. We think thoughts that simply cannot happen, we think the worst in people, intentions are abnormal, we set unreal standards. That is not to say that feelings are not important, but they can be very easily influenced and changed. The word of God cannot be changed and is ALWAYS living.
John 14:16-18
"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate, who will never leave you, He is the Holy Spirit, who leads all into truth. The world (people of the world who live for the world e.g. money, fame, lust, image, idols) cannot receive Him, because it is not looking for Him and does not recognise Him, But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
This verse is Jesus' promise, that when we accept Him, though He has risen to Heaven to be with the Father, he has left another to watch over us and reside within us when we are reborn and baptised by water and follow Christ as the saviour.
HOW DO I ACCEPT CHIRST AS MY SAVIOR?
Find fellowship, be guided by people of your own age and at times, maybe even your own background to guide you. Learn about Jesus really dig and find out about Him, confess your sins and hidden iniquity, get down on your knees, or find a quiet room at home, close your curtains, and really ask for forgiveness, ask Jesus to come into your life and transform it.
Many declare His name and do not live the lifestyle that is of His image. I know first-hand that living a life declaring the LORD is the Lord of my life, but doing the complete opposite and falling to sin in the process.
You will be put on trial. You will fall, and that's okay. Repent, leave that sin behind and walk with your new found cross.
HOW DO I DENY MYSELF DAILY?
One of my favourite Bible verses.
Luke 9:23
"If ANYONE desires to come after me, let him deny himself daily, pick up the cross and follow me."
You must die daily. This does not mean physical death but a spiritual cleansing. The old you who did not know Christ is gone. Old habits will break off, generational curses will fall apart, the way you speak, the language you use, the places you do and don't go, the clothes you wear, the lifestyle you live will all begin to change because of your rebirth in Christ.
After a life changing surgery, is your life the same?
God completely transforms us when He takes over as the Father of our lives. So many blessings will come our way, and we will have our moments when we feel like we have lost it all. Rest in Jesus' promise and FAITH. By God's grace and His grace alone we are we saved, that grace was Him giving us His son, so that He may cleanse our sins.