CHAPTER OUTLINE:

A.  Accept Jesus as Lord, God, Savior.

(Prayer)

B.  Start Living Your Relationship With God.

1. Recognize and Accept Truths.

2. Learn to Communicate With God.

a. Learn How to Talk to God.

b. Learn How to Listen to God.

3. Go to God for Comfort and Healing.

4. Trust and Obey God in Everything.

5. Final Suggestions.

a. Remember this Eternal Truth.

b. Join a Church.

c. Make Some Christian Friends.

d. Do Not Be Unequally Yoked.

e. Start Each Day Praying and Reading Bible.

f. Make Your Media Christian.

g. Consider the Source of Every Message.

h. Choose Your Heroes Wisely.

i. Keep Many Godly Reminders Around You.

j. Keep a Journal of God’s Loving Intervention.

k. Forgive, Forget, and Press On.

l. Go For It!

m. Destroy Satan’s Strongholds in Your Life.

(Pickup Truck analogy.)

6. Seek God’s Blessings for Other People.

a. Lead Other People to God.

(Family role responsibilities.)

b. Vote God’s Blessings on this Country.

 SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

A. ACCEPT JESUS AS LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR.

Needless to say, the first step–if you haven’t already taken it–is to accept Jesus as God, Lord, and Savior.  Enter into this most beautiful of relationships and enjoy life forever.  If before reading this book you had believed that you were saved but now, through an increased understanding of what salvation actually requires, you are no longer sure, be sure!  Ask Him now!  He is calling you at this very moment.  He has watched you read this book and is now awaiting your answer.  Just tell Him:  

“Lord Jesus, I admit to you that I am a sinner–that I have broken your laws.  I accept that because of my sin and the righteousness which you require, I deserve to be eternally punished in the lake of fire.  I now turn from my sin; I resign from being my own god and accept you as my Lord.  From this point forward, you will be the supreme authority in my life.  I also choose to trust completely, to rely totally upon and only upon your death on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins.  I accept your sacrifice as full payment for my sins (past, present, and future) and trust that by doing so, according to your Word (the Bible), I am forgiven.  I also choose to trust that by your resurrection (by your being brought back to life after dying on the cross) you have overcome death, and in so doing, you have assured my resurrection also to eternal life with you.” 

B. START LIVING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

Next, you need to start doing your part to develop this oh-so-wonderful relationship.  Start living the way God wants you to live!  You have just entered into the most loving, accepting, forgiving, exciting, and rewarding relationship which you will ever experience.  Don’t stop short (as so many Christians do)!  Don’t deprive yourself of the joy, blessings, and fulfillment, as well as the eternal treasures that an intimate and obedient walk with God will bring.  The rest of this chapter is devoted to explaining how to do this.

As you continue, please keep in mind that God will never force you to do anything.  He does not force us to accept salvation, nor does He force us to obey.  Every choice we make is ultimately our own.

1. RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT TRUTHS.

In order to live the way God wants us to, we must first recognize and accept several truths.   

1-a. We are in a loving personal relationship with God.  It is a wonderful, intimate Father and child relationship–a friendship! There is nothing complicated about it, nor is it difficult to come to Him.  There are no ceremonies to perform, no sacrifices to offer (other than in our attitudes), no mental or cosmic states to achieve, and there is no one whom we must go through.  We talk directly to God the Father–in Jesus’ name–any time we want.  Our relationship is simple, personal, loving, and is to remain this way.

1-b. Our relationship with God, His love, and our promise of eternity in heaven cannot be lost, stolen, nor taken away.  Salvation, remember, is not the result of anything we have accomplished.  It is not something we have earned.  Neither is it something which we can “un earn.”  We cannot lose our salvation!  We cannot commit a sin so terrible after accepting Jesus as to be rejected by Him for it.  He will mercifully, tenderly, and totally forgive us for any sins we have committed the moment we truly repent and ask Him to do so.  God has even forgiven His children for sins as horrible as adultery and murder and for fearfully denying that they even knew Him. 

If our repentance for a sin is not sincere, then even that in itself is not enough to keep us out of heaven.  It might get us there early.  If a Christian remaining on earth is going to result in more eternal damage than eternal good, that person might find himself home sooner than necessary.  There is, however, a very grave danger in non repentance–in not being sorry for our sins and not being willing to change.  If a Christian decides to walk deeper and deeper into sin and is not called home (for perhaps God must leave him here for the eternal benefit of someone else), he may ultimately decide that he no longer wants Jesus to be his Lord.  Sin has the very horrible effect of turning our hearts away from God–away from desiring, trusting, and obeying Him. But this is the only way it could ever happen–the only way a person could ever become “un saved.”  He would have to knowingly and willingly do it.  For a person to dispossess himself of his salvation, he would have to make a conscious, willful decision to reject Jesus as Lord and Savior, after having made a conscious, willful decision to accept Him as Lord and Savior.  Notice that the breaking off of the relationship is something that the Christian would have to do, it is not something that God would do. 

If you’re like me, you cannot understand how a person could ever do this (give back his salvation).  I believe it would take as much of a decision to re-reject Jesus as it would to climb back into a burning room after having just escaped.  Perhaps people just stand at the window so long looking at what they left behind, they forget how much better it is where they are going.  If you have already accepted salvation (you have escaped through the window), keep going and don’t look back.  If you ever make the decision to reject Jesus again, He will not call you a second time.  If you are deeply concerned that you may have done this (the one and only time which it is possible), you haven’t.  If you had, you wouldn’t have gotten this far into this book and you wouldn’t be deeply concerned.  You probably wouldn’t even care (yet).   

1-c. God will never leave us, nor forsake us.  The third truth that we must accept is that God will never leave us–neither permanently nor temporarily.  When we accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us (residing with our eternal spirit inside our physical bodies) where He will remain until the moment He takes us home.  We will never find ourselves anywhere, at any time, under any circumstances, facing life alone.  If we are sinning, we may feel as if we are alone, as God may refuse to answer our prayers; but our relationship is based upon truth, not emotion. 

1-d. With God’s help, we can live righteously and achieve every goal He has for our lives.  By our own abilities we cannot do this, but in God’s strength we can.  By calling upon Him continually for faith, courage, strength, knowledge, understanding, wisdom, discernment, and the desire to know and do His will, we can handle every situation that comes our way and accomplish everything that He has planned for us to do.  There is no problem, heartache, temptation, addiction, or enemy that can stop us when we face it in God’s power.  What we must always remember is that it is God’s power.  We must get it from Him (by asking), and He will provide it as we need it.  Remember, He is not going to provide us with everything we need the moment we accept Him.  He wants a relationship with us, and He wants us calling upon Him continually.

1-e. We can immediately and completely be forgiven for any sins which we commit.  If and when we do sin, we truly repent and ask God to forgive us, He will immediately and completely do so.  It will be, in His eyes, as if we had not sinned at all. 

1-f. God has promised to cause everything in our lives to work together for our good.  We have the unshakable, unbreakable promise of the Architect & Creator of the universe (with His infinite knowledge, wisdom, and power to back it up) that He will cause everything in our lives to work together for our eternal benefit.  This means everything, whether joyful, sad, big, little, hard, or easy.  He has not promised us that everything will be good (in this life), as we live in a sinful, messed-up world, and there may be things which He allows which we may not understand until we get to heaven, but we have this promise.  This can give meaning and significance to every event in our lives, no matter how small or how painful.  

1-g. We are very important to God and to His eternal plan, and He has a very specific role for us to fulfill.  There is no one in all of Christendom who is more important than we are if we are fulfilling our role.  This is true regardless of our appearance, education, financial standing, talents, abilities, or our disabilities.  God may sometimes allow a disability (or refrain from healing one) in order to bring more people into His kingdom. There are going to be many surprises in heaven, one of them being that some of the people who assumed the lowest positions in this life will assume the highest positions throughout eternity, and vice versa.  In order to find and fulfill God’s wonderful plan, we must continually seek His guidance, study His Word, and be willing to always obey (quickly and completely).  As we do, what we discover is that we are being sovereignly guided through the master plan, even before we know where we are headed.  It’s like being on a trip with God navigating: He doesn’t tell us to drive to a particular town, He tells us to turn right at the next corner.  If we refrain from obeying until we know where we are headed, we will never get to the desired location.   

We also need to ignore what the world says is important.  As one preacher put it, “If God has called you to preach, do not stoop to being king.”  Now, please understand that being king (general, professor, boss, or anything else) is not stooping if God has called you to do it.  If He hasn’t, if you are assuming some role which God has not called you to perform, then you are not accomplishing the eternal goals which He has ordained for your life, and you are stooping.  You are choosing temporary importance over eternal.  The same thing is true regarding mothers: If God has called you to stay at home and raise children for Him, do not stoop to having a career.  Do not underestimate God’s ability to affect eternity through a mother7 raising her children for Him.  How different would eternity be if Billy Graham’s mother had not fulfilled her role?   

1-h. We are no longer citizens of this world.  We have been called out and we are now citizens of another (higher) kingdom.  This world is no longer our home.  We are not to love it, desire it, nor intensely strive for the things which it offers. It’s OK to enjoy what the Lord gives us here.  He even promises us these blessings if we will make Him and His will top priority in our lives and, of course, we are supposed to work hard to provide for our needs and for the needs of our families.  The temporary and vulnerable treasures of this world are just not to be our heart’s desire.  It’s helpful to remember that we don’t own anything anyway. Everything we have belongs to God who created it all.  We are simply stewards of resources which He has put under our control, and we’re not taking any of it with us.  

1-i.  We are no longer Satan’s victims; we are his enemies.  The final truth we need to understand in order to live the way God wants us to live is that we are no longer Satan’s victims; we are his enemies.  I can’t tell you all that this means for any particular person.  For some, it may mean an increased attack by the enemy, for others it may mean a decrease (although I doubt it).  You see, when we accept Jesus, we become the aggressors in this war.  At least we are supposed to be.  After we accept salvation, we still find ourselves here in Satan’s domain, and it becomes our job to take as many people away from him–by leading them to Jesus–as we possibly can. It is actually God who accomplishes this task, but we are His tools and His weapons.  It is now our job, our opportunity, our privilege to attack Satan’s kingdom.  We have God’s authority over Satan and his demons, and if we live in obedience to the Lord and resist demonic temptations, we will win the battles.  At the end of this chapter, you are going to learn some of the specifics about fighting the enemy. 

2. LEARN TO COMMUNICATE WITH GOD.

After accepting the Lord and the truths which this relationship is built upon, the next step we need to take is to learn how to communicate with Him–both how to speak, and how to listen.  Communication is not something that just happens.  It is a process which must be developed.  As any husband or wife with a successful marriage can tell you, if you are going to have a happy and meaningful relationship, you must learn to communicate.  We must be open and honest with each other, willing to teach and to learn about each other, and willing to spend the time and effort required to develop the communication process.

God has already taken the first and greatest steps toward this development.  He has given us the Bible–His divinely inspired and divinely controlled Word–not only to teach us all about Himself and about this wonderful relationship we are in but also to bridge the communication gap.  Through His Word, He not only teaches us how to talk to Him (how we are to pray), He will often speak to us–sovereignly moving us through the scriptures and making us aware of whatever He wants to say.  The Bible is not just a book!  It is not to be read once, then placed upon a shelf.  It is to be read continually throughout our lives.  Christians who don’t read the Bible have greatly shut the door to most of what God wants to tell them. 

A helpful hint.  ***   Get a Bible which you can understand (and one with large enough print to comfortably read).  If the only Bible you have is written in old English, you may want to consider a newer translation.  There are several available, and many of them have very good study helps included – like introductions to each book, topical study guides, concordances, etc.  My personal favorite is the ‘New International Version 1984,’ which I have used throughout this book.  Go to a Christian book store (on-line or in person) and look at the different translations and features, but be sure to ask God to guide your search.  You can also get the Bible on your phone, tablet or computer, which makes finding particular verses, phrases, words, or combinations of words fast and easy.

Warning.  ***   All true Bibles agree with each other on all important points–even if they are worded differently–but not all Bibles are true Bibles.  Don’t ever buy one from a person or organization which offers only one translation.  Chances are, theirs disagrees with the rest.  Be cautious also of Bibles with commentaries.  There are some with very good commentaries, and there are some with very bad commentaries.  Whether good or bad though, always remember: the Bible is from God; the commentaries are from man. 

2-a. Learn How To Talk To God

Without delving too deeply into the communication process, I would like to briefly cover the major aspects of it.  In regard to talking to God, the Bible tells us how we are to come to Him as well as the reasons we should.  We are to pray honestly, being open and truthful with God, and in faith, believing that He can and will help us.  We are to pray in Jesus’ name, recognizing that it is through Jesus that we are able to come to the Father,  and according to His will, understanding that He is not going to answer any prayers which are not eternally beneficial.  We are to pray sincerely, truly meaning what we say, and persistently, not giving up if He doesn’t answer according to our schedule.  We are to pray humbly and reverently, recognizing that we are talking to the Creator and Ruler of the universe, and simply, remembering that this is a Father and child relationship.  We are also to come to Him obediently, being ready to obey His commands, and repentantly, being truly sorry for the times we haven’t.  

As for the reasons for coming to Him: We are to praise Him for His perfect holiness; His infinite love, knowledge, wisdom, and power; and for His sovereign control over the universe.  (This is great for boosting faith.)  We are to thank Him for giving us life, dying for our sins, making us His children, providing for our needs, giving us power over sin and authority over Satan, and for the promise of eternal life in heaven, etc.  We are also to confess our sins, ask for forgiveness, pray for the needs of others, and final7ly, ask for the things that we need and want.

If this seems pretty one-sided, that prayer seems to be mostly for God’s benefit, remember, He is God: Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of all creation!  He is to be honored!  Be aware also that there is no way for a Christian to honor God without benefiting personally.  Praising and honoring God helps us to keep our eyes upon Him (the solution) rather than on ourselves, Satan, or on the world around us (the problems).  It also reminds us of just how big He is.  There is no problem, enemy, heartache, or concern that is too big for our Father to handle.  Correct praying helps us to attain many of the blessings which He offers.

2-b. Learn How To Listen To God

In regard to the other side of the communication process–listening to God–His Word also gives us guidelines to follow and tells us what He hopes to accomplish by speaking.  In addition to simply wanting to spend time with us and wanting to comfort and assure us with His presence, He also wants to guide us through this life.  Again, He has a very specific plan for our lives and it is to be accomplished through our daily decisions.  It’s sad to think of the number of Christians who live their entire lives without ever finding out what God created them to do.  Not only do they go into eternity never truly having found fulfillment in this life, they severely limit the eternal effect which they were supposed to have had.  

Now, the reason that God gives us directions on how to listen to Him is so that we can hear Him.  God is always speaking.  The problem is, we’re not always listening. In learning how to listen to God, we must first learn to recognize His voice.  When attempting to communicate, there are a number of methods which He may use. 

The first way God speaks is through the Bible: His written Word–divinely inspired, divinely accurate, divinely used.  It is the method He uses most often and the means by which we must verify all messages to see if they are truly from Him.  God will never tell us anything that disagrees with what He has already said. 7 If it disagrees with the Bible, it’s not from God!!!

A second way God speaks is directly:  The Holy Spirit simply tells us something Himself.  He may communicate with us through a dream, or a vision, or by simply impressing upon us whatever knowledge He wants to convey.  This knowledge may be imparted without words (i.e., we suddenly realize that we know God’s will), or may be conveyed in the form of a sentence, which most likely will not be physically audible.  This is the same as when we communicate with Him in silent prayer. 

In seeking to understand how God communicates with us through non-audible speech, we first need to understand the definition of sound.  Sound is the interpretation (by the brain) of physical vibrations within the ear.  These vibrations are caused by rapid variations in air pressure resulting from something occurring outside the ear.  The Holy Spirit–who is not physical and who resides with our spirit inside our physical bodies–does not have to resort to vibrating the air outside of our ears in order to communicate.  He can simply speak to us, Spirit to spirit, all on the inside.  The Holy Spirit communicating with one of His children audibly is about as logical as two people sitting on a couch together communicating through cellular telephones.  It’s also important to understand that God, who created time and is not limited by it, does not need time to speak.  In my own experience when God has communicated in this way, there was no time involved.  One moment He had not spoken, the next He had.  (He also moved my car at one time–to keep me from hitting a guard rail–with no time involved.)

In regard to God speaking directly, or in any other way, there is something which is extremely important to understand.  The importance of knowing the Bible cannot be over emphasized!  Satan seems to use this direct form of communication (i.e. subliminal thoughts, dreams, and visions) as much, if not more, than God. Any time you think you have received a message from God, whether it comes through a dream, a vision, a friend, or even the preacher of your church, compare it with the Bible.  If it disagrees, it’s not from God!   

A third way God speaks is through godly counsel–through other Christians who know and obey His word.  This could be anybody from the preacher of your church to the person who lives next door.  On extremely important issues, it is advisable (if possible) to seek guidance from a number of obedient Christians: from a group of people who can humbly pray together and be used by God to give us guidance.

Caution ***  If someone, without being asked, brings you “a message from God,” don’t believe it unless God verifies it in some way, or unless it is a verification of something He has already been telling you.  Remember, God can speak to you directly; He doesn’t have to go through some other individual. 

A fourth way God speaks / guides is through circumstances.  He will control a situation to cause us to think or to move according to His will.  He may cause us to feel restless if we are out of His will, at peace when we are within it, or just simply comforted when we need a hug.  He may (symbolically) open or close doors (for example, a job opportunity or job loss), affect us physically (make us stronger if He wants us to complete a job or weaker if He doesn’t); answer or not answer our prayers, place people or objects of significance along our path, and so on.  Needless to say, the possibilities here are endless.  What’s important to remember is that no matter what He has to say, it will never contradict what He has already said in the Bible, and no matter what His effect upon our lives, it will be used for our eternal benefit.    

Once we begin to recognize God’s voice, our responsibilities for listening are far from over.  Aside from the fact that we can hear someone speak without truly listening, God expects certain things from us when He does speak.  If this, again, sounds pretty one-sided–like the communication process is all for God’s benefit–there are a couple of things we need to remember.  First, when we pray, we have God’s complete attention.  When we pray, Almighty God–who keeps the world turning and the stars in place–listens to every word we say.  Second, God wants us to listen to Him for our benefit.  Everything He tells us will benefit us eternally if we listen and obey, and most things will bless us now.    

When God speaks, we are to listen actively–deliberately seeking to hear Him; expectantly–believing that He is here to guide us; and openly–being willing to accept whatever He says, whether comforting, convicting, or commanding.  We are to listen reverently–showing Him the utmost respect; and gratefully–being thankful for His guidance and for all that He has given, promised, and done for us.  We are to listen submissively–willing to obey all that He has already told us as well as what He is about to; and dependently–recognizing that it is He who supplies all our needs.  We are to listen carefully–paying close attention to what He says, and patiently–willing to wait upon His timing, not rushing off ahead of His plan.  Finally, we are to be still and listen quietly–stepping out of the rush and noise of our daily lives to give Him the time and attention required to truly hear. (Satan loves our lives to be louder and faster.  He knows that God usually doesn’t scream over the noise and that stopping someone who is moving too fast usually hurts.)   

[For a much more thorough discussion on how to listen to God, I highly recommend a wonderful little book entitled How to Listen to God by Dr. Charles Stanley —  Published by Oliver-Nelson * A division of Thomas Nelson Publishers * Nashville * Atlanta * Camden * New York]

3. GO TO GOD FOR COMFORT AND HEALING.

After accepting the Lord and the truths of this relationship, and after opening the lines of communication, the next opportunity and responsibility we have is to go to Him for comfort and healing.  Most people need this, as we live in a sick, painful, and messed-up world, and yes, I did say “responsibility!”  We have a responsibility to go to God for help!  He wants to comfort us, to heal us, to fix our lives, and then to use us to do the same for others.  I am speaking here of emotional healing as opposed to physical, but be assured, we cannot put limits on what God may do.  If it will be to His glory and our eternal benefit, God is certainly willing and able to heal any physical problems we have. 

So go to Him.  Take Him your heartaches and pain, your problems, fears, and concerns.  Ask Him for help, then be willing to accept it–whether it comes directly from Him, through His Word, or through people He sends your way.  You can trust Him with your life, He won’t mess it up.  Just accept what He says as truth and obey what He tells you to do, and you will give Him the freedom to start healing you, your family, and your life.  He can take any situation, no matter how bad it is, and if the people involved are willing to repent, trust, and obey, He can turn it around.  He can give us the power to forgive (even ourselves), “fall” back in love, change our behavior, break an addiction, change our perspective, or handle whatever our troubles happen to be.  There are no problems too big, too small, or too numerous for God.  (If there are other people involved in your situation who are not willing to cooperate and turn to God, then that is even more of a reason for you to draw close to Him.)  

4. TRUST AND OBEY GOD IN EVERYTHING.

This “trusting and obeying God” is what we need to do in regard to every other aspect of our lives also.  We need to make a one time, unconditional, non retractable decision to walk in obedience to God (which we learn to do by reading the Bible), and trust Him with our lives.  We also need to reaffirm it daily.  No, we won’t be perfect; we will have our failures.  If we don’t make this decision, though, we will never even come close.  We need to yield to God–to filter through His approval–every aspect of our lives: our jobs, recreation, entertainment, relationships, thoughts, goals, desires, decisions, attitudes, and speech (what we say and how we say it).  God says we are to live holy and righteous lives–loving and honoring Him and loving our fellow man.  We are to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving (as He is forgiving of us).  We are to be honest, hard-working, law abiding citizens (up to the point where obeying man’s laws requires us to break God’s), and are to stand up for what is right.  We are to stand by our promises, especially in our families, and are to continually give thanks to God “in” (not necessarily “for”) every situation.  We are to rid our lives of everything which is displeasing to God and, thus, bad for us: namely, all idolatry (loving ourselves or anything else more than we love God), lying, deceiving, stealing, cheating, bitterness, rage, unrighteous anger, drunkenness, brawling, gossip, slander, malice, jealousy, profanity, obscenity, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and greed. 

If this requires some major changes in your life, for example, changing or eliminating most of your media input (TV, radio, the Internet, video games, books, magazines, movies, etc.), so be it!  We must understand that practically every sin we have ever committed started as a thought.  Therefore, the way we resist sin is to stop it where it starts–at the thought level.  We need to be as particular about what we put into our minds as we are about what we put into our mouths.  (A very wise parent once said: “We don’t let our kids watch network television for the same reason we don’t let them drink out of the toilet.”)  We also need to remember that the thought level is where Satan does most of his attacking.  He seeks to fill our minds with sinful thoughts, hoping that they will ultimately turn into desires which we will act upon.  A question we all need to ask is: “Does the enemy have to work extremely hard at my house, or are most of Satan’s goals for my family being attained through the media?”  

Before continuing, please remember why we should want to obey God.  We do not serve some giant, oppressive, rule-setting dictator, who sits around all day trying to keep us from having fun.  He is a very wonderful Heavenly Father, who loves us immensely, died to make us His children, and wants to care for us throughout eternity.  His rules are always for our benefit!  He is the One who created the gift of male and female intimacy, yet people despise Him for telling them how to conduct themselves.  (If people reacted this way with new cars, the auto manufacturers could be in danger every time they provided someone with an owner’s manual.)  So once again, if you truly want all the joy, blessings, fulfillment, and eternal rewards that this life has to offer, then get just as close to God as you possibly can and obey what He says. 

Let me also add that it is exciting.  It is utterly magnificent to watch the Wisdom and Power that created the universe at work in your own life and in the lives of the people around you.  It’s also fun watching Him beat Satan at every turn.  Satan will tell you exactly the opposite–that being a Christian is boring–while at the same time, leading you down a road of misery and destruction.  (I actually know of a person who has attempted suicide on more than one occasion but will not become a Christian because “she will have to give up her fun.”) 

Before leaving the subject of obedience, there are two additional commands God has given us which I would like to address.  The first is Water Baptism.  If you have now accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, if you are now “born-again,” then you need to be baptized.  You need to find a God-fearing (revering), Bible-believing church and tell them you want to be baptized.  Being  baptized is being symbolically buried and resurrected in water.  It is representative of Jesus’ burial (death) and resurrection, of our dying to our old life and being resurrected to a new one, and of having our sins washed away. 

The second command which I would like to address is Tithing.  God commanded in the Old Testament that His people give back to Him–to help His other children and to support the work of His kingdom–the first ten percent of everything which He gave to them.  (A tithe is one-tenth.)  This included their income, interest, inheritance–anything which they received of financial value.  Living today–after God paid for our sins, having His entire written Word in convenient book form, and having free and instantaneous access to Him at any time–we should be joyously giving as much or more than they were commanded to give.  We should be joyfully supporting the work of the church and the salaries of the workers.

Now, in regard to “giving to God,” there is a certain truth we should understand: Almighty God—creator and owner of Heaven and Earth—does not need our money (although He does use it.)  He can do everything He is going to do, with or without our financial support.  You see, money is not the issue; God wants our hearts.  He knows that where we put our money is where we put our hearts, and He wants that to be with Him.  Our tithing, in yet another way, allows Him to prove His sovereignty, power, and love, and therefore to further capture our hearts.  He has promised that if we will give Him the first part of everything we receive, thus, trusting Him to make everything work out in the end, our lives will absolutely overflow with His blessings. These blessings may not come in the form of finances, other than the fact that He does promise to take care of all our physical needs.  Quite often they come as the more important things in life, the things money can’t buy: love, joy, peace, and the comfort of knowing we have entrusted our future well being to One who is more assured than the existence of this planet. 

Before starting to tithe, though, you should be aware of two things.  First, giving to charities and organizations which are not involved in leading people to salvation or in specifically helping those who have already accepted it is wonderful, but this does not fit the criteria of “giving to God’s work” (i.e., it may be eternally useless).  As a friend of mine once put it: “If you send a bunch of well-fed, highly-educated people to hell, what good have you done?”  Second, we are not to just blindly give to anyone who comes along claiming to be a servant of God.  We have a responsibility to see that God’s money is going to organizations which are not only Biblically correct in their efforts and teaching, they must also be using the money wisely. 

5.  FINAL SUGGESTIONS

Well, if you have done everything that has been suggested–you have accepted Jesus and the truths of this relationship; you have accepted your responsibilities for the development of the communication process; you have decided to rely upon Him for comfort and healing; and you have decided to make trust and obedience the pattern of your life — Congratulations!  You are one of the wisest people who has ever lived!  You have just taken the greatest steps you will ever take toward a better future.  Isn’t it amazing that people will spend sixteen or more years in school to provide for a better earthly future, but will do little or nothing to provide for a better eternal future?  Remember also that if you like having authority, then you should be even more inspired to serve God now.  The more faithful we are with the authority He has given us in this life, the more we will have in the next. 

[A note on fairness of reward:  If God does not call a person to salvation until they are ninety–if they are not presented with this offer until their life here is almost over–they can still be as highly blessed throughout eternity as the person who is called at age nine.  God will reward two people equally, regardless of the time spent serving Him, if from the moment He first calls them, they both accept and spend the rest of their earthly lives serving Him to the best of their ability.] 

So again, if you have made these decisions, congratulations!  May your walk with God be wonderful, and may your life–now and throughout eternity–be filled with His joy.  May your love for Him grow forevermore, and may you truly enjoy Him for all that He is.  Here are some final suggestions to help you along the way.

5-a. Remember Always This Eternal Truth:

Almighty God loves us so much that He willingly accepted humiliation, torture, and physical death to make us His children, in order to love and care for us for all of eternity.  (Are we safe to say that none of us has ever shown such love for our children?)  This same God is not now seeking our misfortune or unhappiness.  We need to filter everything in our lives–everything He does, requires, or allows–through this basic immutable truth.  We need to write this on our memories, on our lives, and on the walls of our houses.  Don’t ever say to yourself, “I’m sorry God forbids this;” say instead, “I’m sorry this is bad for me.” 

5-b. Join a Church: 

Go find a God reverencing, Bible believing, Bible teaching, obedient group of Christians-   -who love, serve, and obey the Lord, and who aren’t afraid to call sin “sin”–and join the group!  (Don’t expect to find perfect Christians: You’re not there yet and neither are the rest of us.)  Be sure, though, to ask God to control your search, to ensure that you end up in the church that He wants you to join, and to avoid the risk of ending up in a liberal church where Satan controls the pulpit.  If you already attend a church but it does not fit this criteria, it’s time for a change.   Leave and don’t even look back!  

5-c. Make Some Christian Friends: 

Find some people who know, love, and obey the Lord (hopefully members of the church He leads you to) and become friends.  Also, find an accountability partner (of your same sex) so you can inspire each other to stay on the “higher path.”  If it won’t hurt your walk with God, then don’t abandon your non Christian friends.  You will not want to join them while they are doing anything which is displeasing to God (and, thus, detrimental to you), but in any relationships which you are able to maintain without sinning, God may be able to use you to keep those friends out of hell.  If, however, your old friends are going to drag you back into sin, then leave and don’t even look back!  

5-d. Do Not Be Unequally Yoked: 

Do not marry a non-Christian!  Do not go into business with a non-Christian!  Do not buy property with a non-Christian!  Do not rent an apartment with a non-Christian!  Do not get locked into any type of legal or moral contract with anyone who is subject to Satan’s control!  If you are married to a non-Christian, the Bible says that you are to remain in that marriage and that God may be able to use you to save your spouse.  If, however, your spouse abandons you (as opposed to being “run off”), or becomes maritally unfaithful, then you are not required to remain in that marriage.  If you are considering marrying a non-Christian–thinking that you will lead them to God after the wedding–forget it!  It could happen, but it is totally against God’s will, and your spouse may end up leading your kids to hell.  

5-e. Start Off Each Day by Praying and Reading the Bible: 

Get up in the morning and spend time with God before you spend time in the world.  Before you face the day’s problems and pain, focus on God’s promises and power.  Before you run into temptation, remember heaven’s treasure.  Before you listen to the world, listen to God, and ask Him to help you.  Ask Him for the faith, courage, strength, knowledge, understanding, discernment, and wisdom to live a righteous and eternally rewarding life and to become all that He wants you to be.  

5-f. Make Your Media Christian: 

Start reading Christian literature and listening to Christian radio. There is some Christian programming which is an unfortunate waste of air-time and some which is terribly boring, but there is a great amount of it which is absolutely wonderful.  Start flipping your radio dial throughout the day to find the stations and programs you will enjoy and that most address your life.  (Don’t forget to compare everything you hear and read with the Bible, and ask God to keep you aware of any lies or errors.)  In the Dallas area, there are some excellent 24-hour-a-day Christian radio stations offering a variety of teaching, news, music, and informational programs with a completely Christian bias.  This is a wonderful change from the godless, immoral, anti-family bias which is being pushed, but denied, through most media outlets.  I have listed these radio stations and the individual ministries which have been the greatest blessings to me at the front of this book.  I have also listed their Internet addresses in case you don’t have any good ones in your area.  When you change your media, be prepared to learn many things about what is going on in our world that you would otherwise never know. 

5-g. Consider the Source of Every Message: 

Everybody has an opinion, almost everybody has guidance to offer, and almost none of it is worth listening to, not even that offered by most of the so-called “experts.”  (This is why everything in this book is supported by Bible Scripture, obvious logic, and/or scientific and historical fact.)  The world is absolutely saturated with godlessness, foolishness, lies, and suggestions on how to run your life.  You will be far better off ignoring most of it!  

5-h. Choose Your Heroes Wisely: 

How can Christians greatly admire people who are not living their lives for God, especially those who are leading overtly sinful lifestyles–those who God calls “fools”?  Is it possible for wisdom to admire foolishness? 

5-i. Keep Many Godly Reminders Around You: 

Keep many things around your home, office, etc., to constantly draw your attention to God.  These can be favorite Bible verses, a calendar with Scripture, a picture of the cross, etc.  Be careful, these items are reminders only and are never to be incorporated into worship.  Remember that the Lord is always with us, and we do not need anything to bring us closer.  I must also caution you against any so called pictures or statues of Jesus.  (I had one above my fireplace which He led me to remove.)  No one living today knows what Jesus looked like while human–other than being Jewish and having short hair—but whatever it was, it’s not what He looks like now.  (It is not illegal, in the United States, to have Christian paraphernalia in the workplace.  Nor is it illegal for a student to carry a Bible to school or to wear a Christian T-shirt.  If you have any questions regarding this subject, contact one of the Christian legal organizations listed on this website – under the heading: “Ministries & Resources.”)

5-j. Keep a Journal of God’s Loving Intervention:

Get a notebook and start keeping a record of God’s loving, sovereign, and omnipotent hand upon your life.  Every time He blesses you in a way that you can see His control, record the event (thoroughly enough to understand years later).  Keep your book handy, up to date, and clearly written.  If you can’t keep it with you, then be sure to stick a note in your pocket every time He intervenes, for future recording.  (Don’t wait too long, He will get way ahead of you.)  Then, every once in a while, get it out and read it.  It can be such a comfort in times of difficulty and such a faith builder at any time.  (My journal has over 300 entries from events over the last thirty years, most of these occurring in only the last ten.)

5-k. Forgive, Forget, and Press On:    

We are different people after accepting God.  We are not simply people who are different.  This change is so dramatic that our spirits have actually been “born again.”  We, therefore, need to live like it.  We need to forget what has happened in the past (to that person whom we used to be), forgive all old offenses (committed by ourselves or others), and press on toward the goal.  We need to fix our eyes upon Jesus–upon what He wants us to do and what He wants us to become–and go for it with all that we are.  A race was never won by people stopping to consider the falls which they have suffered, but many have been won by people who have fallen, gotten back up, and kept running.  God wants us to start running and then to keep running. 

5-l. Go For It: 

Go for this relationship with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and do it for the rest of your life!  Don’t ever stop running!  Don’t ever slack off from growing closer to God or retire from serving Him.  Wrap your entire life around Him and make Him your everything: your purpose, promise, peace, power, pleasure, and prosperity.  Don’t let anybody or anything slow you down.  It’s your life, your eternity, and your relationship with God.   Go for it!!! 

5-m. Destroy Satan’s Strongholds In Your Life: 

Before concluding these suggestions for enhancing your walk with God, there is one more thing which needs to be considered.  You may need to free yourself from any strongholds (any control) that Satan has on your life.  Many people decide that they truly want to live their lives for God but find there are just some areas which are seemingly uncontrollable.  They have ruled out both physical and psychological problems, and they truly want to obey the Lord, but they are simply unable to achieve any success in certain areas.  In these cases, the problem may be demonic oppression.  If you feel this may be true in your case, you will be happy to know the problem is not only conquerable, it may be much easier than you realize.  Now in order to explain all of this–what a stronghold is, how they are built, and how to tear them down–an analogy is necessary.   

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Imagine that just outside a particular town, in an unincorporated area, there are a number of people who own pickup trucks.  Imagine that these people have some sort of physical disability which makes it impossible for them to function outside of their trucks.  In order to cope with this disability, their lives have been arranged and their trucks equipped, so they have everything they need to function in society.  They deliver various products for their occupations, bank with drive-up tellers, eat at drive-through restaurants, etc. 

Imagine also that in this same area, there are a bunch of criminals who are in the business of hijacking trucks.  These hijackers, though, do not operate as criminals normally do; they have no weapons–no guns, knives, clubs, or anything else.  (Their hideout was raided by the Authorities, and they lost all of their firepower.) What they do have is cunning and deception; they use many ingenious schemes to accomplish their goals.  They entice people into altered states of consciousness (through alcohol and drug induced stupors, hypnosis, transcendental meditation, etc.), so their victims lose their ability to think rationally; thus losing the ability and will to protect their trucks.  Occasionally, they try to get them into deep, meditative, dream-like states, then to sleep-walk out of their trucks (astral projection—i.e. an “out-of-truck experience”), thereby leaving their trucks unattended and unprotected.  Sometimes they are able to take advantage of a driver’s vulnerability during a severe trauma (such as when a child is being violated by a trusted parent or guardian).   

At other times, the highjackers trick the drivers into interacting with them on a personal level, enticing the drivers into involvement in the criminal’s realm (the occult: visualization and guided imagery, horoscopes, fortune telling, seances, witchcraft, the cultivation of psychic abilities, Ouija boards, and various occult role playing games). This requires the drivers to either roll down a window or open a door.  Sometimes the criminals openly promise the drivers some benefit if the drivers will knowingly invite them in to participate in breaking the law (Satanism).  Still at other times, they are able to interact with the drivers while the drivers are involved in severe and/or addictive sins (such as drug and alcohol abuse, idolatry, sexual immorality, pornography, gambling, vengeance, or  harboring anger), as the drivers are too far from the nearby town’s Legal/Moral Authority to be protected.  Once a highjacker establishes this initial contact, he begins working to gain control of the truck.  

A hijack, however, is not always accomplished in a single attempt.  Quite often, it occurs over a period of time and in a series of steps.  On the first attempt, a highjacker may only be able to climb into the bed of the truck.  Once there, he can have more of an effect upon the driver, as he can communicate with him at will, or flash pictures clearly in the driver’s view–trying to get him to make another mistake.  (Before achieving this position, highjackers are limited to standing next to the road, shouting and flashing pictures as the drivers go by.)  The next step is to try to persuade the driver to roll down the window.  If successful, the highjacker can stick his hand in the window and take hold of the steering wheel.  The driver, secured in the seat and having two hands on the wheel, has the most control, but the hijacker can now try to exercise some physical control over the direction of the truck.  The third step will be to try to get the door open.  If the hijacker is successful here, he will climb inside the cab and sit down next to the driver.  In this position, the hijacker has much more control, but is still at a disadvantage because of the driver’s position relative to the controls.  The next step, therefore, is to try to get into the driver’s seat.  There may be many more battles from this point forward, as the driver and the highjacker may struggle back and forth over this position. Unfortunately, once a highjacker has gotten into the cab, he may be able to open the door (or lead the driver to do so) in order to allow other highjackers in with him. 

Imagine also that the drivers of these pickup trucks have the opportunity to become citizens of this nearby town by agreeing to accept the Mayor’s authority and having their names put on the official register. If they do, an all-knowing, invincible, and heavily armed Police Officer is appointed to ride inside the cab with them — permanently.  If a truck driver who has been or is in the process of being highjacked chooses to do this, the highjacker may immediately abandon his efforts the moment the Police Officer arrives.  At other times, the highjacker may try to hang around, but ultimately leave as the driver seeks more and more to obey the Police Officer and to resist him. Still at other times, the driver may need to enlist the help of the Police Officer to get rid of the highjacker.  In order to do this, the driver needs to confess and repent of any sin (or sins) which he personally committed which allowed the demon (oops, I mean the highjacker) the rights to the position he holds.  (The Police Officer can help supply this information if needed.)  He then needs to command “by the authority of the Mayor, and by the power of the Police Officer,” that he release his stronghold on the truck and get out of his life.  This is when the Police Officer begins reaching for His gun.  Once he does, and the highjacker leaves, the driver then needs to ask the Police Officer to help him close and lock all the windows and doors and to occupy all of the area which was vacated by the highjacker or highjackers.  (This is like asking Him to flex all His muscles to fill up the space).  

If the highjacker is there because of someone else’s sin, even someone living generations before (i.e. the highjacker was already in the truck when the driver received it from his parents), then the stronghold that the highjacker has still needs to be broken.  This, again, is accomplished by using the “authority of the Mayor, and the power of the Police Officer.”

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In this analogy, as you can probably tell, the pickup truck is a person’s body, the driver is his eternal spirit (which presently resides inside his physical body), the highjackers are demons, the Mayor is Jesus, and the Police Officer is the Holy Spirit. If Satan and his demonic cohorts have a stronghold in your life (if they’re messing around with your truck) and you have already accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then do the following.  Audibly (you are talking both to God and to the enemy, and demons cannot hear your thoughts), confess any sin (or sins) which you committed which gave the enemy the stronghold.  Repent of it: Tell both God and Satan that you are no longer going to do it–“In the name of Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit!”  Then tell them: “This sin has been confessed, repented of, and forgiven by the blood which Jesus shed at the cross, and now any rights, any control, any power which Satan has had over my life because of this sin is broken!”  Then tell the enemy: “Get out of my life — in Jesus name!”  Then, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, close and seal the entrances which let them in.  Say, “In the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I close and seal all entrances into my life which the enemy used for entry!”  Finally, ask the Holy Spirit to fill all the voids in your life which the enemy has vacated.  (While this will break an enemy stronghold regarding a particular area of sin in your life, it will not stop all temptation.  They will still “stand next to the road shouting and flashing pictures as you go by.”  If you ever need to just “shut them up” for a while–as you are “going by”–command them to leave you alone “in Jesus’ name” and start praising the Lord audibly.) 

If you have any generational sins, curses, or strongholds in your life which have been passed down to you from your relatives, or from anyone else, then command (audibly) that they be broken — by the authority of the blood of Jesus Christ, your Heavenly Father.  Our relationship with God has authority over all earthly bonds and bondage. 

If you have severe demonic problems and are going to need help from other Christians to get rid of them, then ask God to direct you to a good ‘deliverance ministry’ in your area, or get in touch with Bob Larson Ministries @ www. bob-larson.org.

*** This analogy has been developed from other analogies which God has given us in the Bible. If you would like to see them, download this book as a PDF file (as it contains them in the text), or read the poem, “Who’s Driving this Truck, Breaking Spiritual Strongholds,” in the “Poetry With an Attitude” section on this website.

6. SEEK GOD’S BLESSINGS FOR OTHER PEOPLE:

Needless to say, a good portion of this book is about the blessedness of a relationship between God and you (between God and each one of us individually).  This is not, however, the end of the story, nor the end of our mission.  God is infinite in many ways, and there is certainly more than enough of Him for all of us.  After His love has been extended to us, it is then to extend through us to other people.  (If the world is dying of thirst and we find an eternal spring of water, we are not to keep it to ourselves.) 

6-a.  Lead Other People To God:

The most important thing which we are supposed to do for the people around us is, of course, to lead them down this same path  (which is not illegal in most business or educational situations).  We need to do everything we possibly can to get those around us–especially the members of our own families–to accept Jesus.  Also, if we are in authority, especially if we are the husband and/or father, we must continually remind ourselves that the family is a model and bridge to this relationship with God.  We need to try, with His guidance and power, to represent Him properly to our children and other loved ones, explaining to them whenever we mess up that God never does.  (I have had to do this on many occasions.)  So do it!  Dedicate your loved ones to God and lead them to Him.  Live by His love, love by His power, take them to church, learn and teach them the Bible (starting with a toddler’s Bible if appropriate), and pray for them as long as they are here on earth. Remember, too, that when we are living in obedience to God, our prayers are very powerful. 

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16 

So, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, grandparents, and children–get involved in the lives of your loved ones and fulfill the role God has given you–the way He says to fulfill it!  Listed below are various Bible verses which pertain to each of our roles in the family.  We all need to learn them, and we all need to live by them.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Husbands:  

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. Proverbs 18:22

‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. Matthew 19:5-6 

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy . . . Ephesians 5:25 30

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Colossians 3:19

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres!  Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4 8

 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder you prayers. 1 Peter 3:7  

The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband.  In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.  Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.  Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Corinthians 7:4,5

Wives:

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Ephesians 5:22-24 

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Colossians 3:18 

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that , if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 1 Peter 3:1

. . . and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33

The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband.  In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.  Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.  Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Corinthians 7:4,5

Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. Proverbs 25:24

Parents / Grandparents:

Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from Him.  Like arrows in the hands or a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. Psalm 127:3-5

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. Colossians 3:21 

He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. Proverbs 13:24

Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not  die.  Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death Proverbs 23:13,14 

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. 1 Peter 5:5

Children:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—”that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Ephesians 6:1-3

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37 39

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. 1 Peter 5:5

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.  They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Proverbs 1:8,9

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We also need to be as much of a shield between our loved ones and the evil that this world is relentlessly spewing out as we can possibly be.  This may require some major changes, such as home schooling your children or (cautiously and prayerfully) selecting a Christian school for them to attend. Either one of these can be accomplished by the power and provision of God, and neither will cost you an eternal thing.  (Home schooling can be done inexpensively.) You also need to be extremely sure they are not only walking closely with God, but are prepared for battle (ready to lead people to salvation rather than succumb to the opposing views of peers and professors) before sending them off to a secular college.  Probe Ministries offers the “Mind Games Conference” designed for this purpose. If your children are not thoroughly’ prepared for this battle, and/or God does not personally guide them to attend a secular college, then they need to go to a ‘truly’ Christian college! 

Injured children:

If you’re the child in all of this, and your model and bridge have been destroyed, all you’ve missed are the model and the bridge.  The goal is still attainable.  Our perfect and loving Heavenly Father is still here, reaching tenderly past all the damage to where you are.  Take His hand, let Him lift you out of the wreckage of your life and show you how absolutely wonderful “family” was meant to be. 

6-b. Vote God’s Blessings on This Country:  

There is one more thing we need to do for the people around us, as well as for ourselves.  We need to vote for God’s blessings (and against God’s curses) on this country.  Admittedly, God has never called Christians to “save their society.”  As one preacher put it: “God didn’t call us to clean up the pond, He called us to fish out of it!”  He has, however, put us in a situation–at least here in the United States–where we have the ability to help decide who will run our government and what the laws of our land will be.  It is, therefore, our God-given responsibility to vote morally, according to what He says is right or wrong in the Bible.  When we see that a particular candidate or law will result in more evil than another, but we fail to vote the moral choice (fiscal policy never takes precedence over morality in God’s eyes), or we fail to vote at all, we have committed a sin against God and the people around us. (If God’s children fail to vote, then who does that leave to vote?) If we truly want our country saved, healed, and prosperous, what we need to do is get the people of this country to repent and turn back to God–starting with the church–and let Him take care of the rest.