Welcome to God S Eternal Family s1

Welcome To God’s Eternal Family

What Now? What’s Next?

Including:

HOW TO BE SAVED and

HOLY SPIRIT FIRE POWER 4 U

Dr. Dan Cheatham

Now that I have decided to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, where do I go from here? What's next? What really happened to me the moment I prayed to receive Him? How do I grow in my relationship with Jesus? How can I be absolutely sure that I have eternal life and that I will go to heaven when I die? What lifestyle changes are appropriate for me? Is there anything else I need to know? What spiritual ammunition do I need to live a robust Christian life?

Friend, these are common questions that everyone asks shortly after receiving Jesus Christ. You are among friends and your questions are important to God.

This short book will “jump-start” your new relationship with Jesus Christ! By reading and re-reading this short book and putting into practice the growth strategies I suggest here, you can enjoy a victorious life and discover God's plan for your future! He saved you for a REASON. This book will help you DISCOVER that REASON... your DIVINE DESTINY in life!

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Are you ready? Here come the DYNAMIC DOZEN questions and their answers that will revolutionize your life.

1. How can I be absolutely sure that if I were to die, I'd go to heaven? Do I really have eternal life or is this just wishful thinking? Did God really hear my prayer?

Answer: If you prayed and asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life with a sincere heart, God heard you! You have received the FREE GIFT of ETERNAL LIFE! It is a gift; you did nothing to earn it! Jesus earned it for you when he died on the cross for your sins. The only thing you did was to accept this free gift by believing what God said about Jesus. However, if you were just trying to impress some other person besides God and you just went through the motions of prayer as a pretense, and not sincerely, you need to be honest with God, repent, and pray again to receive Jesus. You may wish to reference HOW TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE at the back of this book.

Romans 10:9 NIV - "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED!"

This Bible verse doesn't say, YOU MIGHT BE SAVED. It doesn't say, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE SAVED. It doesn't say, MAYBE YOU'LL BE SAVED. No! God boldly promises in this scripture that if you believe God raised Jesus from the dead and invite Him aloud with your own mouth to be your Lord, YOU WILL BE SAVED! No question about it. The Bible says it, you believed it, and that settles it.

1 John 5:13 KJV - "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Notice this verse says that if you have believed on Jesus as the Son of God, that you can KNOW that you HAVE (not that you will someday GET, but that you already now HAVE) eternal life! Wow! Eternal Life is your present possession if you have accepted Jesus Christ.

The moment you received Christ, you essentially REPENTED from your sins. You were, in effect, telling God that you realized that you were a sinner in need of His saving grace. You decided to turn away from your lifestyle of rebellious independence or quiet indifference about God. You decided to surrender your heart and your whole life to Jesus. You made a commitment to accept His commitment to you! Repent means to CHANGE ONE’S MIND or to TURN AROUND. So you decided to believe and receive Christ. You turned away from your unbelief about Jesus and turned towards Jesus for your salvation! God heard you and SAVED you. You are now BORN AGAIN, a CHILD OF GOD. You are SAVED!

Now I’m a preacher, but sometimes I don't FEEL so saved. Even though I KNOW I am saved, sometimes I don't feel that way. And you will probably feel that way from time to time. When I first accepted Christ, I felt a peace and a burden of guilt roll off my shoulders. But since I am human and since I live in a sin-fallen world that started when Adam and Eve rebelled, my feelings are still subject to inconsistency. And I also live in a body that has emotional ups and downs. So I have learned not to get too concerned just because my feelings about my relationship with God come and go. Feelings really don't count for much. It's FACTS that count. I have learned to live by Bible FACTS, not by my FEELINGS. Two plus two may not FEEL like Four, but 2+2=4 because it's FACT. Because God's Word in Romans 10:9 declares I'm saved, I decide to go by what I KNOW, not by what I FEEL! Feelings may come and go, but God's Word remains the same. It’s similar to being married. One doesn't get up every morning and say, "I FEEL SO MARRIED!" Usually when one gets up in the morning they don't feel any particular emotional thrill over anything, including their spouse, because they're just trying to wake up. But just because they don't feel an emotional rush over their mate at the moment, doesn't mean they are no longer married. They both KNOW they are married! It's more than an emotional feeling; it’s a permanent relationship... and a commitment!

PRAY THIS PRAYER TO GOD: Thank you, God for saving me. You are now my very own Heavenly Father and I can talk to you about anything and everything. I see now from Romans 10:9 that I am INDEED SAVED! I see from 1 John 5:13 that I really do possess the free gift of eternal life. Thank you for this gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ my Lord. My eternal salvation is based entirely on the authority of Your Word and has nothing to do with my feelings. I love you Jesus! I love you Father! Thank you for saving me! In Jesus name, Amen!

2. Is there anything else I should do now that I am saved?
Answer: Yes. You should be water baptized as quickly as possible. Jesus commanded water baptism in Matthew 28:19. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." In the book of Acts in the Bible we see water baptism practiced by the believers. When you are water baptized you are making a PUBLIC profession in front of others that you have chosen Jesus Christ. You are also demonstrating your faith in Christ by your humble obedience to God. Water baptism is an outward sign of what has already happened to you inwardly. Your obedience to be water baptized helps you forever settle the decision you made to follow Jesus Christ! Understand that water baptism alone cannot save you. Your trusting in Jesus for your salvation was the only thing that saved you; but water baptism is a step that proves your faith and obedience to God.
PRAY THIS PRAYER ALOUD TO GOD: Dear God, I love you and I see that I should get water baptized in obedience to You. Lord, I will contact my pastor or a member of my church immediately to schedule an appointment for me to be baptized. I want to show everyone that I mean business with you, Lord. And I want to please You by taking this step of obedience. In Jesus name, Amen.

3. What can I do to KEEP the excitement which I now feel about my new relationship with Christ?

Answer: Tell others about Him. Jesus told a man in Luke 8:39, "Return home and tell how much God has done for you. So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him." Sharing your faith in Jesus will keep you excited, not to mention that some you share with may also accept Christ for themselves. You can begin visiting nursing homes, or jails, or rescue missions or just about anywhere. You can purchase some gospel pamphlets at a Christian bookstore and pass them out on the street or leave them with restaurant tips, or leave them in public restroom stalls. You could e-mail your friends and family and tell them what recently happened to you. Share what Jesus has done for you with others! Be creative! The Holy Spirit may lead you to share your faith by some other method I’ve not mentioned here.

PRAY THIS PRAYER ALOUD TO GOD: Heavenly Father, everybody needs Jesus. Everybody has a sin problem. Everybody needs forgiveness. Help me share Jesus with my family members and friends. I realize that some will believe on You and some will not, but I'll leave the results up to You, O God. Now that I am a WITNESS to the saving power of Jesus Christ, help me boldly speak out and tell others. In Jesus Name! Amen.

4. What will most help me grow in my new relationship with Christ?

Answer: Regular faithful church attendance and service. The moment you accepted Jesus, the Bible teaches that you became a MEMBER of the family of God. The Bible teaches that you are now a member of the "BODY OF CHRIST." Ephesians 5:30 says, "for we are members of his body." You and I would think it very strange to see someone's hand lying on a table all by itself. It would be weird if someone's toe was sitting on a table wiggling all by itself. In fact, we'd agree that any part of the human body that is cut off from the rest of the body is either already dead or will be soon. Likewise, every member of the body of Christ needs to be connected to the other parts of the body, the church. If a part of the human body doesn't stay connected to the other parts, it grows cold and eventually mortifies. Likewise, if you don't stay connected to the local church - your new family - you will grow cold in your heart. But if you develop the habit of regular church attendance, bringing your Bible to follow along with the pastor as he preaches and teaches, and participate in singing to God and getting involved in the local church programs... you will GROW STRONG IN THE LORD... and you will GROW FAST and become very successful in life. Hebrews 10:25 NIV says, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Acts 2:46 says, "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

If you received Jesus Christ as your Lord at a certain church, consider READING GOD's LIPS. It was no accident that God ordered your steps to go to that place. This phenomenon of being led by God unconsciously has been coined "Divine Providence." If you were saved at a church that led you to the Lord, it is highly likely that God wants the pastor of that church to be your own pastor, and that He wants that place to become your church home. At Life Church, it would be our distinct privilege to serve you, care for you, and pray for you. Understand, of course, that joining a church is NOT what saves you. Church membership does not ensure that a person has eternal life; only receiving Jesus can do that. However, church membership is the natural succession to a decision to receive Christ and is necessary for spiritual growth. It ensures that a new believer begins to enjoy the victorious life. It is important that you not try to live the Christian life all by yourself. A hot glowing coal in the fireplace with the other coals remains hot and glowing. But a hot coal taken from the fireplace cools off quickly, when removed from the warmth and protection of the other coals. There is warmth and eternal protection in the spiritual fireplace of God's local churches.

PRAY THIS PRAYER TO GOD ALOUD: Dear God, I have received Jesus as my Lord and I realize that I am young in the things of God. Since I am new in my relationship with You, Lord, I realize that I am in a vulnerable stage of my new faith. I realize that I need to have a spiritual foundation built into my life. Lord, I choose this very moment to live a lifestyle of faithful church attendance and service so that I can know You even better. I am going to become the protégé of a strong pastor. He will be my mentor and model, and he will help me grow in God. Father, I need the right spiritual climate in order to grow. Help me find a vibrant church where they believe in teaching the Word of God, enthusiastic singing, altar calls for salvation, healing, working miracles, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord, I pledge to be a regular church-goer the rest of my life, not out of mere religious duty, but because I desperately need the right atmosphere in which to grow. I need the right kind of friends. And Lord, the family of God also needs what I have to offer - my talents, my skills, my serving, and my spiritual gifts (as I discover them). Lord, when there is a conflict of schedules, out of my respect for You, I will choose church attendance over other activities. Help me stay close to my pastor and my local church all the days of my life, Lord. In Jesus' name! Amen.