The most important thing a human being can resolve to do, whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or not, is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
It's not about religion or denomination. It's about a relationship with God through his Son, Jesus Christ.
If you have not committed your life Christ, let me encourage you to do precisely that. It’s also possible that you have done that in the past, but for some reason or set of reasons, you are not actually serving him anymore.
What a wonderful day to change that!
If you commit your life to him today, then you will never forget your spiritual birthday. New Year’s Day would become for you a New Forever Day.
Or a New You Day.
In order to do that you will need to talk to God today.
Just find a private place and separate yourself from all others and all activities. Perhaps take a short drive and find a favorite place. Or a walk. Or sit in the car or simply your bedroom. Location is not important. But a place with no distractions. Turn your phone off. What is important is your seriousness about this.
Open your mind and heart to God and simply start talking to him.
He will listen.
You must believe that Christ, God’s Son died on the cross for you and that he rose from the dead. This is important.
You also must confess your sins to him and ask him to forgive you for all of your sins.. You may not remember all of them, but that’s ok. Just a deep, spiritual confession. And then you must resolve to repent. I know that’s an old-fashioned kind of word, but it’s the key to your conversion and the genuineness of your confession. Repentance simply means to stop sinning, to change directions in the way you live your life. It may take time for you to fully understand what sin is, but for now trust him and stop doing things that you know are wrong. You will learn more about the nature of sin as you read God’s Word―the Bible. And start reading the Bible now, today. A good starting place is the New Testament book of John. And pray every day asking him for guidance.
You will likely experience emotion as most people do for this is a spiritual rebirth of a person, a human being―you!
Here are a few verses that you should read and think deeply about before you pray and while you are talking to God and responding to him (there are many more!):
John 3:16:
“For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 1:12:
“But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children”
John 5:24:
“I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.”
Romans 10:9–10:
"Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Luke 24:46–47:
“Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Romans 6:23:
“For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 John 1:9:
"But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness."
2 Corinthians 5:17:
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!
Most preachers give a model prayer and ask people to repeat after them, and there is a place and time for that kind of thing. The best way is just talk to God in your own words, from your heart, confessing Christ and his resurrection, confessing sins, repenting of sins. There is plenty of information in these verses for you to genuinely pray and come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
The next step is simply to find a Bible-believing church where you can grow in Christ, learn his Word, fellowship with other believers, minister to others and be ministered to, continue you own discipleship process and worship God together.
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We can come to know Christ through confession of our sins and repentance (turning away from sin). Let me encourage you to do this by talking to God through prayer. Here is an idea of how you might do that:
"Dear God, I believe your son Jesus Christ died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day following his death. I confess my sins, all of them, to you now with a humble heart. I repent of those sins and ask you to empower me with your Holy Spirit in overcoming further sin. Amen”
If you prayed this or a similar prayer committing your life to Christ and becoming one of his followers, let me encourage you to find a good, Bible-believing church. If you live in the Weslaco/Rio Grand Valley area of Texas, let me invite you to the church I attend, Mid-Valley Assembly (www.midvalleyassembly.com).
Begin talking to God in prayer and reading the Bible daily. A good way to begin to read the Bible is to start with the Book of John in the New Testament.
Feel very free in connecting with me if you need any further help in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can do this via the above email or facebook page or this web page.
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Mercy Road Ministries was founded and now led by Ben Bounds. Ben has pastored churches across Texas for over thirty years and is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He holds a BA in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Studies from Southwestern Assemblies of God College and did graduate theological studies at the BMA Theological Seminary.
Ben's first book, The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God, was released on 12.08.2017 through Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. It is available in paperback and hardback through your preferred bookseller (Mardels, Barnes and Noble, etc.) and paperback, hardback as well as ebook through online book retailers (www.christianbook.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.amazon.com, www.booksamillion.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, etc.).
Ben is the host of Staying in Bounds, an on-air Bible devotional broadcast multiple times daily on KWJV 103.7 FM Weslaco, TX which can also be heard worldwide online at www.kwjvthestar.com. Ben and his wife, Linda, together have four adult children and nine grandchildren. They live in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Ben can be contacted for preaching engagements at benbounds695@gmail.com or 903.441.3279. Ben can also be contacted via his website @ www.benbounds.com, which is also his blog and contains more information about his ministry.
Follow Ben @ https://www.facebook.com/mercyroadministries/ and this website www.benbounds.com.
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