Follow Jesus' (the Son of God) greatest commandments: "Love
the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind, body and soul" and
"Love your neighbor as yourself." Even if someone treats you wrongly
or whether you know them or not, we are called to love them. Jesus said
"love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Jesus says
in John 13:15, "I have given you an example, that as I have done, so
should you do." He had compassion on people and healed them In
I Corinthians 11:1, Paul says, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ."
Ephesians 5:1 says, "Be imitators of God as dear children." Also many
Believers are "empty, swept and garnished" (Matthew 12:44) by
lukewarm Christian Doctrines. If you just go to church, you will be a weak
Christian and trials will make havoc of your life. But if you go to church AND
read the Word every night, you will become a strong Christian. Most Christians
do not read the Bible every day, so if all you do is go to Church, you will be
a weak Christian. A few Christian growing passages are Proverbs 8:17-21. Psalms
1:1-3. John 14:21-27. James 1:2-8. I Thessalonians 5:16-18. II Timothy 1:6-7,
Hebrews 8:6,10. Ephesians 6:10-18. Proverbs 4:20-23.
2.Acknowledge that you have faults (sins) and then repent --
change your attitude and pray.
Realize that conversion is not simply one act but the beginning of
a lifelong commitment. Persistence and perseverance are continuing attitudes
for engaging life with. Don't be hard on yourself if and when you fail, but
admit it; pick yourself up; trust in God and move forward.
3.READ and DO what the Bible says.
James 1:22 - Do not merely
listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Matthew
4:4 - Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" The bible also says
that "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable [for something] for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" - 2
Timothy 3:16.
4.Allow God to change you:
As a follower of Jesus, you cannot change yourself, only God can
through his Son. Ezekiel 36:26-27 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you ;
I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I
will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to
keep my laws." Ephesians 4:24 says "and to put on the new self,
created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness". A true
Christian, when converted, will immediately notice an unavoidable change in
sensitivity to his daily routine. They will begin to question their taste in
movies, music, clothing, even choice in friends! The Bible says "Therefore,
rid yourselves of everything impure and every expression of wickedness, and
with a gentle spirit welcome the word planted in you that can
save your souls."(James 1:21)
5.Understand that you will be persecuted for your beliefs.
Do not allow others' attacks to
weaken your faith. Have courage in your convictions and do well but don't judge
others. 2 Timothy 3:12 - "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life
in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"
6.Set aside time for effective and meaningful prayer.
Make intercession for people
who do not pray enough for their own development, i.e.: children, cousins,
friends, enemies and family, etc. In Ephesians 1:16 Paul prays for a
"Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation" I recommend that you say the prayer
in Ephesians 1:16-23 for yourself everyday for one year and God will open up
your spirit and develop your understanding.
7.Try to see the perspectives (point of view) of others, even if you
personally disagree with them.
Of course, an answered prayer for peace for your enemies and that
they would become blessed as children of God would help both you and them.
8.Be patient with people
who do not make you
happy or even upset you. Work on trying to forgive those who may have hurt you. You must
learn to love your enemies. God loves everyone, and we need to, also. Say
farewell to selective loving. If you have a hard time loving your enemies, pray
to God to provide understanding through his Holy Spirit.
9.Work and pray for others to the best of your abilities.
Care for people who are in need
If they are sick or in pain pray for them and
when they ask for help. James 2:16 "If one of you says to them, "Go
in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical
needs, what good is it?" This is one of the things Jesus talked about in
His teachings. Giving does not always having to be financial, it can be in the
form of perishables or clothing.
10.Treat others kindly as you would like to be treated.
Even simple acts of kindness
like holding a door open for someone are good deeds that can help you feel
less paranoid--because then you feel that others should think
well of you and of your testimony in Christ.
11.Strive to live a quiet life.
1 Thessalonians 4:11 - "and to make it your ambition to lead a
quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as
we told you," Pride can imply that you are judging others falsely and is
said to be the mother of all sins, because pride resides in each one of us. The
source of all sin is ones' own selfishness (greed, lust, hate for others,
murder, theft, etc.).
12.Openly share the good news!
Remember, living the Christian life through
your actions will show others that God must be working in your life. Always
stick up for your beliefs such as being conservative in good morals and
liberal in giving your own goods--not being a Robin Hood or
"welfare-monger" (profiting off poverty) or
welfare-cheat, but planting seeds in others towards Christ by grace through
faith, which always results in good deeds (which are a RESULT of salvation and
NEVER a means to salvation).
13.Make special efforts to fellowship with other believers.
It is a wonderful thing that
God wants Christians to unite in church and Bible study evenings--so do not
think of others as hypocrites or hold yourself out as an example. Give the
credit for any good that you may do to God and to God's blessing. You will find
it a blessing to talk with Bible study members about the Christian life:
but not sensationalism like argumentative opinions... This may
be called being accountable--being open to share your views or any misgivings
and weaknesses.
14.Practice what you preach...
Jesus gives us a very good example in Matthew 7:3-5 “Why do you look
at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank
in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of
your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite,
first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to
remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
15.Help people.
Volunteering is a great place to start for a Christian who is sure
or unsure of what God wants them to do. For example, you could take a shift at
a soup kitchen near you, or visit people staying in a nursing home.
· Remember to pray for the needs of others then yourself.
·
Be humble, see the good in people, and share God's love and your
knowledge of him. Don't pretend to be better than others.
·
Remember the heart of your faith should be love, not an obligation to
check off these boxes.
·
Remember that being a Christian is a lifelong journey toward benefiting
others in Christ. Don't expect to be free from sin and error overnight and do
not judge yourself or others harshly. Maintain good morals and good habits
that glorify God in your body in
everyday life: not to brag or boast, but to glorify God.
·
Love other people and remember that being a Christian is more than
following rules; It's about loving people through your love for God.
·
There is one advocate like a lawyer as your representative before the
judge: 'There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and human
beings--a human, the Messiah--Jesus Christ.
·
Read the Bible as many times as it takes for you to understand it.
·
Trust in him with all your heart and you will see miracles happen.
·
Forgive yourself and others.
·
Attend church and a weekly Christian
church/school to help learn more about the Christian life and what it means to
practice your faith.
·
Distance yourself from the pleasures of the flesh.
·
Prayer is powerful; do not underestimate it.
·
Peter reminds us to share the reason for our hope, but with
"gentleness and respect". Do not be rude or violent in spreading the
faith.
·
You can change a lot through prayer, but do not abuse it. God answers
all prayers, and
He will say "No," to any prayers that are unjust or hurtful. Pray
that His will be done in you, because He wants the best for all of us, and He
changes all bad things in our life to be good, if we'll trust in Him to do so.
·
You can know a Christian by his fruits, but that is a positive
statement. Remember that only God can save and has already saved. There is one
judge of all; love others as you love yourself.
·
In Bible reading there are some parts in the Old Testament that are
Israel's genealogy, history or legal system which seem archaic
(and uninteresting). The Old Testament books like Isiah, Ezekiel, Daniel,
Samuel and several others are especially interesting because of prophecies
(predicting the future) and stories of miracles. The books of the entire New
Testament are very readable.
·
Never forget what the definition of "Christian" means... it
means "Christ-Like". 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we Christians have no
veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the
Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more
like him.
·
Every aspect of a Christian's life should be backed with scripture.
·
Remember that God loves everybody, and we should too.
·
Never lose faith in God. (There will be times this happens in life, we
are not perfect and not called to be).
·
Do not bury your talents or exclude your goods from others. Share as
much as possible: give to those with less than yourself and serve as a guide
giving aid to the less fortunate. Do not instead of judge the poor as lazy or
as sinners because of their ill-fortune and poverty. Usually poverty is not a
punishment from God, for example, an extreme drought brings starvation,
disease, and famine to everyone, even upon the good and the wise.
·
God forgives all manner of sin when we repent sincerely.
·
When you are confused as to how to live a Christian life, just ask
yourself one question "What would Jesus want me to do?". If you are
still unsure than pray to God for help, then reference scripture. "If any
of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and He will
give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn't find fault with
them."
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