Chapter 26.

Next steps

When you have taken all these steps, you are a child of the only true and living God. You have been born into a huge family of believers around the world. You have a new birth into your new life. You now have the first stages of the fullness of life that Jesus offers. This new life from God will benefit your body, soul and spirit.

Many new things can now happen in your life. From now on you and God have a partnership into which you both contribute. The two main things to remember and to do, are to trust God in all the circumstances of your life and be obedient to his word as it is revealed in the bible. It is suggested that you begin to build into your life all of the following things.

1. Learn to depend on Jesus and his Spirit. See John 14:26. Continue to be in prayer to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Remember what is said in Luke 11:11-13. See also Ephesians 5:18.
2. Take time each day, preferably in the morning, to read your Bible and pray. Treat God as a Father who wants to hear all your desires and concerns.
3. Find a good church as near as you can to your home. Be prepared to travel a bit if you need to, in order to find a good one. Be attracted by the loving actions of people, not just by what they say. Join a small group in your church to help to learn to grow as a Christian. Every new believer needs lots of fellowship and teaching.
4. Go to a Christian bookshops and get some study guides and prayer helps. There are many of these available to help new believers.
5. Realise that you have made the biggest decision of your life and that there is now before you a lifetime of exciting possibilities in God. There are so many things to learn about God's ways of living.
6. You might like to drop a line to the author to tell him if you have made this step. Write to the publishers, Doreo Zoe at P.O. Box 642 Glen Waverley Victoria. Australia 3150.
7. Remember that all you have read here is only the beginning stages of the Christian faith. Don't just settle where you are at and not go on with God. God has a plan for every person on earth who is prepared to trust in him and his ways. God bless you. Stay close to him.

Some afterthoughts

Daniel, the daniel who survived the lion's den, once said to his king that

"There is a God in heaven."

This statement by him is the hope of all mankind. If there was not a God in heaven, then mankind would be doomed.

God sent Jesus to confirm that there is a God in heaven and to tell the world what to do in order to get to heaven when death finally comes.

He also sent Jesus to tell us how to live here on earth. The values that Jesus expressed are almost totally opposed to those that man lives by here on earth. Mankind will often give lip service to these values, but is generally unable to perform them. However, by the death and resurrection of Jesus, all men and women, if they decide to commit their lives to Christ, can begin to know fullness of life on earth, and gain eternal life.

There is no circumstance of life which cannot be influenced for you by Jesus, if you can place your faith in him. We all want a better life on earth right here and now. Jesus is the way to it.

Do not be influenced by the world and those in it who accuse believers of being square, boring bible bashers. Jesus has said that those who stand firm in their belief are those that will inherit eternal life in the kingdom of God.

Also, do not be influenced by what looks (in part) to be a poor showing of God's church in the world today. The church has many weaknesses, but God does not. It is God's church and he will prevail, despite the struggles of his people. More important than all the weaknesses, all the hypocrisy and sin within his people, are the eternal truths that stand. Judge God and what he can do by what he says in the bible, not by the struggles of his people on earth. No matter what man does to help or hinder, God will prevail for ever.

Jesus came so that you and I might be saved from eternal death and go to live with him forever. The message of Jesus is the most revolutionary the world has ever seen. It May upset some who think they know better, but others will welcome it. Either way, I hope that you will take advantage of all that he offers and . . .

Escape into life

To finish with - an amazing fact

Isn't it amazing that the world has almost forgotten the most important man that ever lived!

The bible tells of some of the things Jesus did to influence man to live in proper ways. It also tells of the amazing things that he will yet do. Jesus is forever enshrined in our daily life.

The calendar of all history is based on His birth and our two major holiday periods are based on His birth and His death and resurrection. There would be no Christmas or Easter but for Christ.

How can we forget him so easily? He is our past, present and future.