What happens when I receive Jesus as my Lord?

I was talking with my brother about what it means to follow God. Following Jesus is like living parallel to the reasoning and attitude of current society. It's similar to walking in an alternate dimension while walking through life.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." (2 Cor. 5:17) But, therein lies the rub. "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matt 9:16-17)

When we willingly acknowledge and accept Christ, we are born again. Yet, we still have the thoughts and attitudes from out upbringing. The next thing is to submit to Christ. We let God work in us to teach us how to live and operate in our new reality.

The best way I can describe the journey:

When settlers came to a new country, their vision was a large farmland with fruitful crops. The land they chose was filled with trees, rocks, grass, and weeds. The land had to be formed into the field. This was not a quick process; it required a lot of work. The trees and stumps had to removed, the rocks cleared, and the grasses and weeds uprooted.

First, the farmer felled the trees and dug up the stumps. As this happened, more rocks appeared. The rocks were gathered off the fields. Then the farmer used the plough, beginning to till the land. This unearthed more rocks, and clumps of grasses. As he cleared the tilled rocks and pulled the weeds, more rocks and ground debris. The farmer continued the process until the land was smooth enough to begin planting the new crop.

But that was not the end. Each day, the farmer walked his field, pulling out new weeds and grasses. Sometimes this meant pulling out some of the plant seedlings and replanting.

Learning to follow God is a process. The good thing is we are the field, and He is the farmer. In the analogy of the settlers, the only thing that didn't "work" was the land. The land didn't fight the farmer; rather it yielded to the farmer's will.

This is the Christian's part in the process.

• Acknowledge your sins and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. 
• Choose one book from the Bible to read.
• Before you begin reading, ask God to teach you, and help you listen. 
• Ask God to bring some older Christians into your life to help you learn. 
• Listen to instruction. However, after hearing, find the same thing in the Word of God. If what you heard isn't there, tell God, and just tuck away the information. 
• Remember, you are the land, not the farmer. Yield to God. Seek Him to discover the areas of your life that He wants to change. 
• Guard your salvation, and rely on God. Men always fail, but God never does.

Following God is Not for Sissies

Many people think of Christians as sweet loving folk who turn the other cheek. In truth following God is not for sissies. While it's wonderful to talk about God and His goodness, it is harder to walk the talk. Christians walk the Word daily and it takes fortitude, humility and character.

Champions in the Old Testament followed God by faith. Faith is not an abstract concept. It requires trust and dedication. When God asked Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt there was a discourse between Moses and God where Moses pointed out all the reasons he couldn't do it. God listened, acknowledged Moses' concerns, and told Moses to lead the people out of Egypt. I imagine Moses thought "okay fine" and thought "how the heck am I going to do this." However, Moses also thought, "well, God told me to do this, so I will just do it and trust God that it all works out." And it did all work out.

Everyday, Christians are faced with the same challenges as everyone else: unemployment, over inflated mortgages, health issues and raising kids. Yet Christians carry an additional challenge: how to be peaceful and patient. This means understanding that all things work for the good of those who trust God and using everyday circumstances to learn to control tempers, avoid depression, and treat people with kindness.

Everyday living isn't necessarily easier for Christians. However, trusting God provides guidance, peace and a sense of hope that sustains Christians.

Faith Keeps Us Strong

Sometimes faith is all we have to keep us strong. As I reflected on my job prospects and my future, all I saw was a black wall. I could not see beyond even to tomorrow. My thoughts went dark and I began to ponder the usefulness of living. I felt as if I was a camper at the foot of a high dark mountain. The side rose slick and insurmountable. The past had trapped me here in this present.

I thought of proverbs "Without hope the people perish." As I searched for hope to help me climb this mountain, I found within my heart another Word: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen."

I quickly wrapped this around me like a warm cloak, and realized that even in the darkness, the hopelessness, the fear, God's Word is fruitful and sustaining. I don't know how long I will dwell in this camp. Yet I rest, assured that God is good, and His faithfulness will provide the means to scale this mountain.