What Next?

**fennywest** Sun 25 Mar 2012, 4:53 pm

What Next?
After giving your life to Jesus, you need to know what really happened in the spirit realm.

What really happened?
1. You are saved- Born again.

9... that 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.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans10:9-10)

13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Romans 10:13); born again of the Spirit of God ( John3:3, Cool

.

2. God is now – not only God to you; but Your heavenly Father. (John1:12)

3. You are a New Creature in Christ Jesus. (2Corinthians5:17)

4. Angels are rejoicing that you made the bold decision to open your heart to Christ (Luke 15:9-10,23-24)
Because you heard the knock and opened your heart to Christ, He has come into your life to have communion with you.
. (20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.Revelation 3:20)

5. He has written your name in His Book of Life. (Daniel 12:1, Philippians 4:3, Revelation13:8, -20:12)

6. You have therefore passed from death to life. (John5:24, 1John3:14)

7. You are now like a new born babe that needs spiritual nourishment (1Peter2:2)
These are just a few spiritual realities.

So what next?
There are Four Fundamental Things you need to do after surrendering your life to Christ.

1. Word Read the Bible
Why?
You need the Word of God- the milk- essential for spiritual babies.
(2as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 1Peter2:2)
Just as a child cannot grow healthy without milk, so is a new born babe in Christ, like you.

The Word of God is also God’s love letter to you –His beloved. You need to know the promises He has made to you so that you can claim them.

Again the Word of God is like a prism that shows you different colours of light. God will through His word shed different colours of light in your life. What you see today from a passage can be different what you see tomorrow and yet still true and relevant. It is powerful, energetic, living, dynamic and active, life-changing…( Hebrews4:12)

You need the Word to grow strong in Christ, stable, durable and not easily tossed about by winds of doctrine.
The word of God is a spiritual weapon- the sword of the Spirit. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;Eph6:17
You are now in a spiritual battle. You have an enemy who wants to destroy the life of God in you. With the sword of the Spirit you can defeat him. (Eph6:10-18)

This is why you need to get a Bible and start reading a portion daily.
Consistency is important. Avoid using excuses to starve your spirit which is now live to God. The word of God is the mind of God and your mind needs to be in tune with the mind of God; in needs to be renewed,(Romans12:1-2) transformed, purified and purged of worldly impurities and ungodly perspectives.
(You can also use Daily devotionals like Our Daily Bread or Word for Today, to help you in your daily devotional).

This takes time, effort and. determination.
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.2Tim2:15
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.Ps119:11
12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food. Job23:12
2. Wait
(prayer)
Pray Daily
Talk to God
Prayer is talking to God. Involve God in all your endeavours. Ask Him to give you wisdom and direction in all you do. Ask Him to unfold His plan for your life to you. Give Him praise and thanks for what He has done in your life so far. Express your confidence in the great things He has in store for you. (Jeremiah29:10-13 1Thessalonians 5:17, Matthews7:7, Philippians4:6-7)

Let God Talk to You.
Prayer is a two-way communication, so expect God to speak to you too. God speaks in many ways. One of the ways He speaks is through His Word- the Bible. As you read and ponder (meditate on the word), God will speak to you ( expect Him to), address your areas of concern, encourage you, inspire you, comfort you, even correct you and reassure you, forgive you, when you sin and repent (ask for forgiveness1John1:7-9). (2Timothy 3:16) Worship Him and deepen your relationship with Him.
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.1Thess5;16-18
31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.Isa40:31

3. Warmth
(Fellowship with other believers)
Church Attendance
The Church is made up of people who have made a similar commitment like you; people who have embarked on a spiritual journey like you. We need each other to grow strong to be what God has called us to be. God has a great plan for you. He has a function for you in the Body of Christ -the Church. Just as the different parts of the human body have their place and function, so do you. You need to find that place and function effectively to give the Body its fulfilment. Without regular Church attendance, you will be like a coal removed from a coal-fire which gradually burns out and goes cold. God wants the fire that has been lit in you to continue to burn brighter and brighter. Church attendance will help you keep warm and your fire glowing, as you grow from glory to glory, faith to faith and strength to strength.

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." ( Hebrews10:25)
So look for a good Church that believes in the full Gospel and is alive and begin to attend faithfully. Pray for guidance. Psalm32:8, Proverbs3:5-6

4. Witness Tell Others
There is a story about some lepers who found bread in time of famine. They did not just keep it to themselves but went to tell others who were starving. God reaches us and uses us to reach others. Just tell them your testimony: How you found Christ.
The more you tell others, the stronger you will be. Your faith will be consolidated.
We are co-workers with God-His hands and feet and voice on earth. And as you are instrumental to others coming to know Christ in a personal way, God will be smiling at you. There will also be joy in heaven when someone comes to know Christ personally as a result of your witnessing.

1 Peter 3:15
New Living Translation (NLT)
15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.1Peter3:15

Witness with your life
Being a witness also means living for Him, denying yourself of your selfish desires; being a light of the world, a salt of the earth. Let Christ take first place in your life. Unless Jesus is Lord of all He is not Lord at all. As you yield to God, The Holy Spirit will help you as you call on Him and trust Him. Proverbs3:5-6, Matt5:13-16
Luke 9
62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

5. Wetness
One of the most symbolic acts after conversion is baptism in water. Infant baptism is not scriptural since a it is meaningless to a child. Baptism is fro those who have reached the age of accountability and have repented of their sins. It is therefore a logical next step, where the believer makes a powerful outward demonstration of what had happened inwardly.

Why Get Baptized?
It is one of the ordinances that Jesus commanded.
8 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Jesus himself was baptized as an example to us.(Jonh3:13-17)
The disciples were baptised. We are not called to be Christians but to be the disciples of Jesus.
38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.It is one your first acts of obedience to Jesus since He became your Lord and Saviour. It shows that you mean business- your confession was genuine.
What form should it take?
Baptism means is from the Greek word ’Baptizo’ which means immersion; hence true biblical baptism is by immersion. I had mine in a Church baptistery - a pool in the Church in Peckham, London. It was warm though. It will leave you with a powerful, positive lasting and undeniable impression for life. Acts8:35-39
The new believer should make enquiries and get baptized at the earliest opportunity.
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Mark16:15-16
Acts 19:3-4
Your spiritual growth is directly related to how you feed your spirit, obey God and communicate with Him on a regular basis. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. Just email your question to; fennywest@:yahoo.com

Visit this site from time to time and feed your spirit regularly.
https://christian-talk.forumotion.com/t5603-what-next#10913