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JOURNEY101

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I want to personally thank you for taking time to go through Journey 101. Whether

you are a new Christian or have been walking with the Lord for a while, the materials

in this notebook lay out the fundamental foundations of every follower of Christ. We

have compiled a few resources together that we feel will help you in your daily walk

with God. At times, you will be discouraged and want to quit this Bible study, but I

urge you to continue. I believe if you go through this notebook and allow the Holy

Spirit to teach you, you will have a better understanding of God and the Scriptures.

This notebook is filled with many life applications that you can plug into your everyday life. It will help you if you

set aside a specific time every day to work on it. Take the time to go through the given Scriptures. Then,

highlight and annotate each passage in your Bible. Please, take notes and pray daily that God would teach you

and help you understand. Yours in Christ,

Bro. James Greer

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CONTENTS MY SPIRITUAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE 4 CONGRATULATIONS AND HOW TO USE THIS NOTEBOOK 5 BEGINNING STEPS 6

STEP 1: BE SURE OF YOUR SALVATION 7 STEP 2: PUBLICLY DECLARE YOUR FAITH 9 STEP 3: SHARE JESUS WITH OTHERS 11 STEP 4: STUDY YOUR BIBLE 13 STEP 5: LEARN TO PRAY 16 STEP 6: BE FAITHFUL TO A CHURCH 19 STEP 7: TRUST JESUS TO DIRECT YOUR LIFE 21

STRENGTHENING YOUR FOUNDATION 23

FAITH 24 MY TWO NATURES 26 GOD’S POWER IN ME 29 THE LORD’S SUPPER 31 PRIESTS WHO WORSHIP AND SERVE 32 HOW TO SERVE THE MASTER 35 THE LORD WILL COME AGAIN 37 CROWNS AND REWARDS 39

PERSONAL HELPS 41

HOW CAN I COPE WITH STRESS? 42 HOW CAN I REBOUND FROM FAILURE 47 HOW CAN I DEFEAT DEPRESSION 51 THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE 57 THE FOUR PERSONALITY TYPES 63

MY “NEVER AGAIN” LIST 69 RECOMMENDED MATERIALS AFTER YOU COMPLETE THIS NOTEBOOK:

Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions, Rick Warren The Power to Change Your Life, Rick Warren

This notebook is a compilation of several resources:

Beginning Steps: A Growth Guide for New Believers 12 Bottles of Milk for New Believers Answer to Life’s Difficult Questions The Power to Change Your Life

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MY SPIRITUAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE

Name _____________________________________________________ Date of New Birth _____________________________________________________ Place of New Birth _____________________________________________________ Date Baptized _____________________________________________________

Name of person who shared Christ with me: _________________________

His/Her Street Address: _______________________________________

City/State/ZIP: ______________________________________________

Telephone: _________________________________________________ Name of My Church: _____________________________________________

Church Street Address: ________________________________________

City/State/ZIP: ______________________________________________

Telephone: _________________________________________________

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Congratulations

You have just made the most important commitment a person can make in life. As a result of receiving Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you have experienced what the Bible calls a new birth. In your physical life, you entered the world as a baby and then grew to maturity. The same is true in your spiritual experience. Now that you have experienced a spiritual birth, you need to grow into a mature follower of Jesus (Read 1 Peter 2:2).* Just as an infant needs help to grow physically, a new believer needs help to grow spiritually. It is our desire to assist you in growing spiritually. This notebook will help you get started in your spiritual growth. Seven brief Bible studies are included. It is important to complete all seven. Beware: Satan will seek to halt your daily study. Ask God to give you strength to continue and complete the study. You might want to pray a prayer like the one below.

“Dear God, I know I am going to need Your help in working through this notebook and understanding what you are trying to teach me. I want to grow spiritually. Help me be faithful in completing this notebook. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.”

How to Use this Notebook

1. Secure an easy-to-read Bible to use with this notebook. Also, keep a pencil or pen handy for notes and answering the questions.

2. Choose a time and a place to have your daily study (e.g. before breakfast in the kitchen). 3. The purpose of this notebook is to help you discover the truth in Scripture. Read the questions carefully,

turn to the Scripture references, and read them. 4. Think about the answers and write them down. Remember, there are no trick questions. This is strictly a

personal learning tool.

* Scripture references are located by chapter and verse. For example: 1 Peter 2:2 means the first book of Peter, chapter two, verse two.

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Beginning Steps for New Believers

STEP 1

Be Sure of Your Salvation

1. Your assurance is based on the Word of God. The Bible states in John 3:16 and 1 John 5:11-13 that God

wants you to know that you have eternal life. Read the verses and underline them in your Bible.

2. Your assurance is based on the promises of God. What are the promises found in the following two

verses?

“That if you ______________ with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and _____________ in your heart that

God raised him from the dead, _________ ___________ _______ _________________.” (Romans

10:9)

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my __________ and ____________ him who sent me has

_____________ _____________ and will not be ________________________.’” (John 5:24)

3. Your assurance Is based on the character of God. A Promise is only as reliable as the person who makes

it. That is why the assurance of your salvation rests on God’s character. What do these verses teach

about His character?

“God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is _________________.” (1

Corinthians 1:9)

“The one who calls you is _______________ and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is ____________.” (Hebrews

10:23)

The Bible teaches that God is faithful (reliable, steadfast, trustworthy, and stable). You can believe the

promises because you know the Promiser. God, your loving Father, is absolutely faithful. Nothing will

change His mind about your salvation. Nothing will separate you from His love. Your relationship to God

through Jesus is secure.

What does God’s Word say about the security of your salvation? Read Romans 8:38-39. Can any

circumstance separate you from God?

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4. Your assurance Is based on the Spirit of God. To further assure you of your salvation, God has sent

living, daily proof of your relationship. As an official seal is placed on a contract between two individuals

to guarantee the contract’s validity, so God has given a seal (guarantee) of His promise to you.

– Read Ephesians 1:13-14. What is the seal given by God as a guarantee of His promise?

____________________________________________________

The Holy Spirit who is at work within you is indisputable proof of your salvation. The Holy Spirit’s

work in your life will bring changes. Some changes will be gradual; some will be instant. The inward

and outward changes that result are the final proof of your salvation.

Review

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17 and fill in the missing words.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a ____________ ____________; the old has ____________, the new has

_____________!”

What changes have you seen in your life since you committed it to Jesus Christ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Therefore, your assurance is based on:

1. The _________________ of God

2. The _________________of God

3. The _________________of God

4. The _________________of God

CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU HAVE TAKEN THE FIRST STEP!

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STEP 2

Publicly Declare Your Faith

1. Jesus wants new believers to publicly declare their faith in Him. [Jesus said] “Whoever ________________ me before men, I will also _________________ him before my Father in heaven. But whoever ____________ me before men, I will ____________ him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33) Have you ever heard of a carpenter’s practice of clinching a nail? Clinching a nail is driving it into a board and bending the extended portion of it down on the other side. The nail cannot be pulled from the board. Professing Jesus publicly is like clinching a nail. Your faith and assurance of salvation are strengthened. Most churches provide opportunities, at the conclusion of the worship services, for people to make their commitments to Jesus public. If you have not publicly declared your faith, you should do so at the next public worship service of the church you attend. Upon making your commitment public, you should be baptized.

2. Baptism is an act of obedience that declares one’s faith. A test of whether a person is a true follower of Jesus is his or her obedience to Jesus’ commands. Write 1 John 2:3 in the space below. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Jesus commanded baptism (read Matthew 28:19-20). This was not a suggestion or an option for His followers. If we are not baptized we are disobedient. Jesus set the example by being baptized. Read the account of Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13-17.

4. In the New Testament, new believers were baptized (read Acts 2:37-38, 41, 47). The verses clearly indicate that new believers demonstrated their willingness to follow Jesus and be identified with Him by being baptized. Now read Acts 8:35-38. After the Ethiopian believed, he was baptized.

5. Baptism expresses your love for Jesus (read John 14:21). Write the verse in your own words below. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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6. Baptism pictures two things: 1. What Jesus did for you – He died for your sins, was buried, and came back to life (read 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). 2. What has happened to you – You died to an old way of life and have been raised to live a new life in Jesus (read Romans 6:3-4).

The Bible teaches that the method of baptism was immersion (completely placing a person under water and immediately bringing him or her back up), symbolizing the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and the believer’s identification with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Immersion is the only form of baptism that adequately pictures this meaning.

Review

Scripture reveals that baptism involves four things:

1. The right person – a believer

2. The right reasons – obedience and declaration of your new faith

3. The right method – immersion

4. The right authority – a local New Testament church (read Acts 2:41-47)

The essentials of baptism are:

1. Believe in Jesus for salvation.

2. Make your commitment public.

3. Request to be baptized by immersion.

YOU’RE DOING GREAT!

DON’T STOP NOW!

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STEP 3

Share Jesus With Others

People love to share good news. We announce marriages and births and any number of good things. When

something good happens, we rush to tell someone. The more exciting the news, the harder it is to be silent.

A Christian has the most exciting news: the life-changing news of eternal life. It is natural for a Christian to want

to share this good news. Think for a moment about the various people God used to bring you to the place where

you were willing to receive Jesus.

Now God wants you to be part of helping others come to know Jesus.

When Andrew met Jesus, his first inclination was to bring ____________ to meet Him (read John 1:40-42).

For a Christian, witnessing is not an option. Jesus commanded His followers to witness (read Mark 5:18-20).

There are two things you should use when sharing Jesus:

– Your personal testimony

– Scripture

1. Your personal testimony is your own account of: (1) your life before receiving Jesus, (2) how you

received Jesus, and (3) how Jesus makes your life more meaningful.

Read Paul’s testimony in Acts 22:3-21. Write out the three parts of your testimony in the spaces

provided.

My life before receiving Jesus:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

How I received Jesus:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

How Jesus makes my life more meaningful:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

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2. Scripture is the second part of sharing Jesus with others.

The following verses will help you explain to unbelievers the good news of eternal life. Take time now to

read them and underline them in your Bible. They are sometimes referred to as the “Romans Road” to

salvation. Take the time to review them daily until you begin to know them by heart.

Romans 15:13

Romans 1:16

Romans 2:4

Romans 3:23

Romans 5:8

Romans 6:23

Romans 10:9, 13

The “Here’s Hope Roman Road” tract contains these verses and will help you share Jesus with others. To

get a copy of this tract or one similar to it, contact a local church or the friend who shared Jesus with

you.

Review

– Why should you share Jesus with others?

__________________________________________________________________________________

– Whom do you know who needs to receive Jesus?

__________________________________________________________________________________

– Share your testimony with someone this week.

__________________________________________________________________________________

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STEP 4

Study Your Bible

God wants an intimate, personal relationship with you. You are not just an acquaintance of His or a distant

relative. You are His child. This relationship can be strengthened by studying the Bible – His revelation to you.

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is living and active. This means the Bible is more than a book or words on

a page. It is more than words spoken in ancient times. The Bible is relevant; it addresses the needs of today.

1. God’s Word has specific purposes (read 2 Timothy 3:16).

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for ______________, ______________, _______________,

and _____________ _____ ____________________.”

– God’s Word is useful for teaching. Read these verses and write what they teach us about God.

Jeremiah 31:3 _________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Romans 5:8 ___________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

– God’s Word is useful for rebuking (to point out a fault) and convicting of sin.

Read Ephesians 4:26-31 and list some areas where God’s Word points out faults in our lives.

– God’s Word is useful for correction of error. Not only does the Bible convict, it also corrects. Psalm

119 points out the psalmist’s experiences with God’s Word. This psalm teaches that God’s Word gives

directions for living. Verse 9 asks, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” Read Psalm 119:9 and

write the answer to this question.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

As God’s Word takes root in your heart, your faults and defects will be corrected by the Bible’s

influence.

– God’s Word is useful for training in righteousness (godly behavior). Bible study is your spiritual food.

Just as your physical body benefits from nutrients in the food you eat, your spiritual life benefits from

consistent Bible study. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “When your words came, I ate them.”

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2. There are several methods of learning God’s Word. One of these can be compared to the fingers of

your hand. Each finger represents one facet of Bible study (hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and

meditating). It is easy to lose your grip if you hold something with only one or two fingers. If you hear,

read, study, memorize, and meditate on God’s Word, your grasp of its truth will become a firm part of

your life.

Hear – Write Romans 10:17 below.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Listen to your pastor’s sermons and to Bible studies. Take notes on what you hear

Read – Write 1 Timothy 4:13 below.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Set a goal to read a certain amount from the Bible each day. For example, read one chapter daily from

the Gospel of John.

Study – Write 2 Timothy 2:15 below.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

When you study, ask the following questions:

– What promise is there to claim?

– What example is there to follow?

– What command is there to obey?

– What sin is there to confess and forsake?

If you haven’t done so already, enroll and faithfully attend a Bible study group at your church.

Memorize – Write Psalm 119:11 below.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Memorizing Scripture gives you the opportunity to share God’s Word and assists you in overcoming sin.

Seek to memorize at least one Scripture verse every week.

Meditate – Write Joshua 1:8 below.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

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If the Bible is spiritual food, then meditation is spiritual digestion. It is analyzing and dwelling on a verse

over and over. Meditate on a Scripture verse during the day as you drive, rest, walk, jog, or play.

Review

– List the four purposes of God’s Word.

1. God’s Word is useful for ______________________.

2. God’s Word is useful for ______________________.

3. God’s Word is useful for ______________________.

4. God’s Word is useful for ______________________.

– Using the hand illustration, fill in the five methods of Bible study.

– When would be a good time each day for you to spend studying the Bible?

__________________________________________________________________________________

– Approach Bible study expectantly. Use the prayer of Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes that I may see

wonderful things in your law.”

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STEP 5

Learn to Pray

The best way to get to know someone is talk with that person often. God longs for you to know Him. The Bible is

full of invitations to enter into a deep, personal relationship with God the Father.

“If you seek him, he will be found by you.” (1 Chronicles 28:9)

Jeremiah 24:7 speaks of those who would become followers of Jesus Christ. God says, “I will give them a heart to

know me, that I am the LORD.” Conversing with God is called prayer. Prayer is a conversation – a dialogue, not a

monologue. It includes speaking to God and hearing from God.

– Jesus set the example for us. (read Mark 1:35)

What does this passage say about Jesus’ prayer life?

____________________________________________________________________________________

– Jesus taught the necessity of prayer. (read Luke 18:1)

____________________________________________________________________________________

– What did the disciples ask Jesus to teach them? (read Luke 11:1)

____________________________________________________________________________________

– Why should we pray continually? (read 1 Thessalonians 5:17)

____________________________________________________________________________________

The acronym “ACTS” will help you to begin developing your prayer life. A dorations C onfession T hanksgiving S upplication

1. Adoration is praise focusing on the attributes of God. Look up the following Scriptures. Write in the blanks what the verses say about God. Psalms 145:3 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Psalms 147:1,5 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Spend time now in praise. Read Psalm 100 or 150 and use it as a prayer back to God.

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2. Confession is acknowledging your sins before God in order to receive forgiveness. When you received eternal life, a relationship with God was established which will never be broken. However, our daily fellowship with God can be hindered by unconfessed sin. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” Therefore, when you sin: (1) Confess the sin when you realize you’ve committed it. (read John 1:9a) (2) Receive His promise of cleansing (read 1 John 1:9b). (3) Claim victory over temptation (read 1 Corinthians 10:13).

Take time now to ask God to reveal any unconfessed sins in your life. Write them down, ask for God’s forgiveness and claim His promise of forgiveness. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Thanksgiving is expressing gratitude to God for specific things He has done. When does God say we should give thanks (read 1 Thessalonians 5:18)? _____________________________________________________________________________________ List things in the following areas that you can give thanks for; then spend time thanking Him. Spiritual Blessings ______________________________________________________________________ People _______________________________________________________________________________ Physical Blessings ______________________________________________________________________ Material Blessings ______________________________________________________________________

4. Supplication is making a request and expressing desires to God. They may take the form of personal petitions (or requests), or they may take the form of intercession (praying for someone else). Petitioning is asking God for your needs. (read John 15:7 and Philippians 4:6) List three personal requests, and present them to God in prayer. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Intercession is praying for the needs of others (read Exodus 32:30-34 and Romans 10:1). Write the requests that are found in these verses. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ List people you know with specific needs in their lives; pray for them. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Review

– Prayer is communication with God. It has to be learned, and it must be practiced.

– Without looking back, list and explain the elements of prayer?

A ___________________________________________________________________________________

C ___________________________________________________________________________________

T ___________________________________________________________________________________

S ____________________________________________________________________________________

– It is important for you to spend time each day in prayer. When would be the best time for you to pray?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

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STEP 6

Be Faithful to a Church Jesus personally established the church while He was on earth to unite Christians as a spiritual family (read Matthew 16:17-18). Who was speaking when the words “I will build my church” were spoken? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ The word church means “called out ones.” The church is made up of people who have been called out to follow Jesus. The term church is used to refer to all believers but is more often used to denote a local group of believers. Why Be Faithful to a Church? A church is a group of baptized believers voluntarily joining for instruction, fellowship, worship, and service (read Acts 2:42-47).

1. Through your local church you receive instruction. Jesus has given spiritual leaders to the church (read Ephesians 4:11-14). According to this passage, why has God given leaders to the church? _____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Through your local church, you have the privilege of fellowship. God places individuals in families for their care, protection, fellowship, and development. You need the church for all the reasons you need a family and many more. According to Hebrews 10:24-25, why do you need the fellowship of the church? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Through your local church you meet to worship. What are some of the things that happen when you

worship (read Colossians 3:16)? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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4. Through your local church you have opportunities for service. The church is the proper avenue to serve God. God has given you special gifts and abilities in order to serve (read Romans 12:6-8). Jesus taught in Matthew 28:19 that the church’s mission is to: “Therefore go and ______________ _____________ of all nations.” This involves:

(1) Sharing eternal life with the world (2) Baptizing new believers (3) Teaching the Bible (4) The joy of ministering in Christ’s name (5) Giving your money, time, and talents

Your Church Name ___________________________________________________________________________ Pastor ______________________________________________________________________________________ Sunday School Teacher ________________________________________________________________________

Review

- The word “church” means ______________________________ - Name four reasons to be faithful to your church.

(1)___________________________________________________________________________________ (2)___________________________________________________________________________________ (3)___________________________________________________________________________________ (4)___________________________________________________________________________________ – The mission of the church is to

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

YOU’RE DOING GREAT.

THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

“I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” (Psalm 122:1)

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STEP 7

Trust Jesus to Direct Your Life

Now that you have received eternal life, Jesus wants to guide you every day in your new spiritual adventure. It is important to realize that He should be more than just Someone who lives in your heart. He should be the Lord of all of your life. Confessing Jesus as Lord of your life means that you trust Him to direct your life. Trusting Jesus to direct your life is similar to driving down the highway with another person. While you are driving, you are in control of the vehicle. But, when you realize that you do not know the right way to go and the other person does, you allow the other person to take control of the vehicle. As a result, you take the route he or she chooses. Trusting Jesus is like saying to Him: “You direct my life and I will go with You!” A life directed by Jesus in this way will be spiritually fruitful and filled with joy (read John 15:4).

1. Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus claimed to be our Lord in John 13:13 when He said, “You call me “Teacher’ and ‘______________,’ and rightly so, ________ ____________ ________ _____________ ____ _______.” How did Thomas describe Jesus in John 20:28? _______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Fill in the blanks to discover how the apostle Paul in his writings described Jesus. (1) The Lord of _________________. (read 1 Corinthians 2:8) (2) The Lord of _________________. (read 2 Thessalonians 3:16) (3) Only ____________, the King of __________ and the Lord of ____________. (read 1 Timothy 6:15)

2. Jesus Christ has earned the right to direct your life. Philippians 2:8-11 states: Jesus “humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore, God _________________ him to the ________________ _________________ and ______________ him the name that is above every name, that at the name of ____________________ every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that ___________ ____________ is ____________, to the glory of God the Father.” Paul, in the book of Philippians, understood that Jesus was worthy to direct his life. What did Paul challenge other believers to do with their lives in Romans 12:1-2?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Jesus Christ desires to direct your life. His direction can be experienced on a daily basis as you: (1) Recognize daily his right to direct your life (read Luke 9:23) (2) Confess your sins consistently and accept His promise of forgiveness (read 1 John 1:9).

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(3) Trust Him completely as you allow Him to direct your: – Time (read Ephesians 5:15-16) – Money (read 1 Corinthians 16:2) – Abilities (read Colossians 3:17) – Relationships (read Matthew 22:34-40) – Mind (read Romans 12:1-2) – Ambitions (read Matthew 6:33) – Morality (read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) What is in your life that needs to be placed under the direction of Jesus? List them and allow Jesus to begin to direct each area now. Time ________________________________________________________________________________ Money _______________________________________________________________________________ Abilities ______________________________________________________________________________ Relationships __________________________________________________________________________ Mind ________________________________________________________________________________ Ambitions ____________________________________________________________________________ Morality ______________________________________________________________________________

Review

– Jesus Christ is _________________. – Jesus Christ has _____________________________________________________ to direct your life.

CONGRATULATIONS!

NOW THAT YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE SEVEN BEGINNING STEPS, YOU ARE READY

TO CONTINUE YOUR WALK WITH CHRIST FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND

FOREVER.

– Be sure to renew your commitment to allow Jesus to direct your life every day in order to

experience the abundant life He promises.

o Spend time in prayer and Bible study daily.

o Be faithful in Bible study and worship at church.

o Serve the Lord with gladness.

o Be a good manager of your possessions.

o Share Christ with others.

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Strengthening Your Foundation

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FAITH, AND HOW TO GET IT

What the Bible says about faith: 1. Our sins are forgiven through faith in Christ. Romans 3:25 2. God counts on us to be right with Him if we have faith. Romans 4:5 3. We have been put right with God through faith and now are at peace with Him. Romans 5:1 4. We are saved by God’s grace through faith. Hebrews 11:6 5. No man can please God without faith. Ephesians 2:8

These are a few of the many verses in the New Testament which show that faith is very important. The last verse particularly shows very plainly that we must have faith in order to please God. So we see that we cannot know God without faith. Because faith is so important it is necessary that we understand clearly what it is and how we may have it. What faith is NOT A person might agree that a certain fact is true, but not act accordingly. This person does not have faith. Agrippa was like that. He believed what Paul preached, but he did not accept the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, Acts 26:27. Some people believe everything they hear but this is not real faith either. Others believe anything that seems to be wonderful even if they do not understand it. What is faith? “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of things we cannot see” Hebrews 11:1 Faith includes three things and all three are necessary for a person to have faith:

1. He/She must know the facts that God has revealed to men. 2. He/She must believe these facts and agree that they are true. 3. He/She must accept these facts for themselves and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ of whom they speak.

A person may know and believe the facts that God has revealed, but he/she does not receive salvation if they do not put their trust in Christ, and only in Christ. As an example, let us think of Peter walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-29). The Lord told him to walk on the water. Peter knew that the Lord Jesus was the Son of God. He also believed that Christ was able to keep him from sinking in the sea. He then acted according to what he believed: he got out of the boat and started to walk on the water. Here is another example, Genesis 15:1-6:

1. Abraham heard the word of God, verse 4 2. He was sure God could do what He promised, verse 5 3. He believed in the Lord, verse 6

Also think of Paul, Acts 27:21-25

1. He heard God’s message through the angel, verse 24 2. He believed God, verse 25

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3. He acted according to his faith when he told others the good news, verse 22 How can a person get faith? You and I believe many things and trust many people. For example, we take a certain medicine because we believe it will heal us. We get on the bus to go to town because we trust the bus driver and believe he will get us to the place where we want to go. But this is not the kind of faith we need to be saved. How then can we get saving faith? Romans 10:17 tells us that we get faith through hearing the Word of God. It is not necessary to hear the Word of God with our ears. We can read God’s Word in the Bible or a book or tract. Otherwise a deaf man could not be saved! What should we believe in or where should we place our faith? In the New Testament, we read about Simon Peter when he had only a little faith, Matthew 14:31; about a Roman officer who had great faith, Matthew 8:10; and about the faith of Abraham which made him strong, Romans 4:20. It is very desirable for a person to have strong faith like Abraham, but it is even more important that we place our faith in the right Person. It is much better to have a little faith in a good medicine than to have a strong faith in medicine which is no good. The true object of our faith is the Lord Jesus Christ and we will be saved if we believe in Him, Acts 20:21; Colossians 1:4. If we trust completely in Christ we are just as safe as God can make us. Noah and his family were safe because they were in the ark, not just because Noah had faith. Noah went into the ark because he believed and obeyed God. What are the results of faith? The Bible tells us about many things that are the results of faith, but we shall mention only a few:

1. God is pleased when His children have faith (Hebrews 11:5,6). He is very happy to see us simply trusting and accepting His Word.

2. Men are saved and justified when they have faith in Christ (Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:8,9, Acts 26:18) and the believer should live by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 10:38).

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MY TWO NATURES

Every believer has two natures and we must understand this if we want to grow and make progress as Christians. When we are born into this world we receive the old nature which is also called the flesh. We receive the new nature when we believe in Christ and are born again. This new nature is also called “spirit”. The Lord made this very clear when He said that the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (John 3:6)

In the Bible the word “flesh” has two meanings. Sometimes it means the physical body as in John 3:6. At other times it means the old self, the sinful nature which we are received as descendants of Adam. In this lesson we will talk about the second meaning.

The word spirit is also used of man’s own spirit: every man has body, soul and spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:23. The new nature is also called spirit, because it is the opposite of the flesh.

You will understand the difference between the two natures when you read the following verses:

FLESH SPIRIT (Not the Holy Spirit) John 3:6 John 3:6

Ephesians 4:22 Ephesians 4:24 Romans 7:23 Romans 7:22 Romans 8:7,8 2 Peter 1:4

These two natures are always fighting against each other. Our old nature is opposed to what the new nature wants and the new nature is opposed to the desires of the old nature. The two natures are enemies and so we cannot do what we want to do. (Galatians 5:17) Many new believers do not have victory in their lives because they do not know:

1. What the flesh is 2. What the new life is 3. How to get the victory

Let us see what the Scriptures teach about these things.

1. The flesh Nothing can make the flesh or old nature any better. In Jeremiah 17:9 we read that our hearts are very evil and we cannot trust them. Evil ideas come from a man’s heart and these ideas lead him to do all kinds of wicked things. (Mark 7:21-23). The flesh is the enemy of God and does not and cannot obey God’s laws. Some people do the things which their old nature wants; they cannot please God (Romans 8:7-8). In John 6:63 we read that the flesh is of no use at all. The unsaved person cannot obey, please, or understand God. (Ephesians 2:3, 1 Corinthians 2:14) We do not lose the flesh when we are born again. This is what the Bible teaches and our own lives show us that it is true. Paul knew that there was nothing good in his old nature (Romans 7:18), and he told us not to do anything to please or satisfy the flesh (Romans 13:14). He would not have said this if we did not have our old nature any more.

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The flesh does not get any better after we are saved. The flesh can produce only flesh (John 3:6). It can never be changed into the new nature or be improved in any way. It is always the enemy of God (Romans 8:7), and seems to be even more evil after a person is born again that it was before. This is because the Holy Spirit has come to live in that person and reveals how evil the flesh is. It is the same even after a person has been a Christian for many years: his old nature is as evil as that of a wicked unbeliever. The flesh may show itself in a different way in a Christian, but it is the same old flesh. The two sons of Abraham are a picture of the two natures. Ishmael speaks of a natural man or the old nature. Isaac is a picture of a spiritual man or the new nature. At first, Ishmael did not cause any trouble in the home. But, when Isaac was born, the conflict started (Genesis 21:9). In the same way, the old nature does not make me unhappy until I get the new nature. Then the fight begins.

2. The new nature A true child of God does not go on sinning because he has God’s nature in himself. He is not able to continue in sin because God is his Father (1 John 3:9). Notice three things about the new nature: The new nature comes from God. We received the old nature from Adam when we were born into this world and we receive the new nature from God when we are born again. The old nature is completely bad but the new nature is wholly good. It is also called the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) The new nature cannot sin (1 John 3:9 + 5:18). This is true of all believers, not only of a few who are especially spiritual. Of course it does not mean that a believer never sins (see 1 John 2:1), but that he does not continue to sin. God’s own nature is in the Christian, and this nature is not able to sin. A tree can bear fruit only according to its own nature, for example, a fig tree can produce nothing but figs (James 3:12). In the same way, God’s nature in me can produce only what is good.

Read Romans 8:8 and 1 John 3:9 and compare these two verses. What is impossible according to 1 John 3:9? __________________________________________ What is impossible according to Romans 8:8? _________________________________________

The new nature enjoys the things of God. Paul said that his inner being delighted in the law of God (Romans 7:22). The new nature causes the believer to turn to God in prayer, as Paul did (Acts 19:11); and to the Word of God for food, like new born babies (1 Peter 2:2). Those who have the new nature love other believers (1 John 3:14), and this helps us to know we are saved. These are some of the ways in which the new nature shows itself.

3. How to have victory as Christians There are two kinds of Christians: those who do what the old nature wants them to do, and those who obey their new nature. Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 + 2:15. How can we obey our new nature and become spiritual Christians? When the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, God judged my sins. These sins are the result of my sinful nature. He forgives my sins, but He condemns my sinful nature. I must do the same if I want to please Him. Think about the following three verses:

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Philippians 3:3 tells us that we should not trust in the flesh or anything we can do. The flesh is evil and will never produce anything that will please God. Romans 13:14 commands us not to do things that will please our sinful nature. In Romans 8:13 we are told to put to death the sinful actions of the old nature. To put to death means to judge ourselves and we will have victory in our lives only if we judge ourselves and our sins (1 Corinthians 11:31). The people of Israel had to use sharp knives on themselves before they could hope to win the victory in the land of Canaan. They used these sharp knives at Gilgal, which became the camp for the victorious armies of Israel (Joshua 5:2,3,9; 10:23). This is a picture of the Christian who judges himself and his sins, then gets victory in his life. We can do these things only by the power of the Holy Spirit as He works in us.

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GOD’S POWER IN ME

We have already read three verses which show us how we can have victory over our old nature, the flesh. These verses were Philippians 3:3; Romans 13:14 and Romans 8:13. Read them again and notice what two of them say about the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the power to live as a Christian should. I will not be able to overcome temptation nor win victory over sin just because I know God has forgiven my sins. If I want to have the victory, I must get help from Christ who is now glorified in heaven. On the cross the Savior took the punishment for my sins. Now He has risen from the dead and as I fix my eyes on Him, the Holy Spirit sets me free from the power of sin. Christ did His work for me. Now the Spirit does His work in me. What does the Bible teach about God’s spirit? The Holy Spirit is a Person. He lives in the believer and His power can help the Christian live for God. Let us think a little more about these things: The Holy Spirit is a Person The Holy Spirit is God. He is a Person and we should never refer to Him as “it”. He is eternal and equal with God the Father and God the Son (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 9:14) He has all the attributes of God. What do the following verses teach us about the Holy Spirit? Write your answer on the lines at the right. Matthew 12:28 ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 Corinthians 2:10 ____________________________________________________________________________ Psalm 139:7-10 ______________________________________________________________________________ Hebrews 10:29 ______________________________________________________________________________ The Holy Spirit teaches (John 14:26); speaks (Galatians 4:6); leads (Galatians 5:18, Romans 8:14); pleads with God (Romans 8:26); and can become sad (Ephesians 4:30). These are some of the verses which prove that the Spirit of God is a divine Person. The Holy Spirit lives in the believer The Holy Spirit came in a special way on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Before Pentecost the Holy Spirit came on certain people, but He did not live in them (John 7:39). Today He lives in every true Christian, not because of anything the Christian has done for God, but because he has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. God sent the Spirit into our hearts to show that we are His sons (Galatians 4:6). Read also the following verses: 1 Corinthians 6:19, 12:13; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22. The New Testament teaches very plainly that the Holy Spirit lives in every true believer (Romans 8:9). God the Father gives Him to us to prove that we belong to Him (Ephesians 1:13, 1 John 2:18,20) The Spirit lives in all true believers, but not all believers are filled with the Spirit. We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). How can we obey this command? To be filled with the Spirit, we must judge ourselves before God, we must yield our lives to God to do His will, and we must give the Lord Jesus Christ the most important place in our lives.

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The power of the Holy Spirit We need the power of the Holy Spirit in order to be set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and to be able to witness for Christ. We can have this power if we feed our souls with the Word God and pray as the Spirit leads (Jude 20, Ephesians 6:18) Do you want the Holy Spirit to set you free from the law of sin (Romans 8:2)? Would you like the Spirit to help you witness about the Lord without fear? (2 Timothy 1:7) He will do so if you offer yourself to God and do His will as He has revealed it in His Word. The Holy Spirit will help us to glorify God We should not do what our old nature wants us to do; we should allow the Spirit to direct and control our lives (Galatians 5:16, 25). If we do this we, will know God better and will glorify Him every day. Others will be able to see the Lord Jesus Christ in us no matter where we are, in school, at work, or in the home. The Holy Spirit will help us to witness for Christ We need the power of the Holy Spirit so we can tell others about Christ. The Lord Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would be given to them, and then they would be witnesses for Him in all of the world (Acts 1:8)

Fill in the names of these people who were filled with the Spirit:

Luke 1:67 ______________ Acts 1:8 _______________

Acts 2:4 _______________ Acts 4:8 ________________

Acts 4:31 _______________

Let us also be filled with the Spirit so that others will see Christ in us and give glory to God

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THE LORD’S SUPPER

Read the following Scripture carefully (Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-26, Luke 22:19-20, Acts 20:7, 1

Corinthians 10:16-17 and 11:23-30). These are all the verses in the New Testament which teach us about the

Lord’s Supper. Let us ask three questions about this feast:

WHY should we break bread?

The answer to this question is very simple: we should break bread because the Lord asked us to do so. It was the

last thing He requested on that night when Judas turned Him over to His enemies. We do not think of it as a

command, but rather as a request. The Lord Jesus said that those who love Him would obey His words, and do

anything He suggested they might do, and not only keep His commands (John 14:23). When He was back in

heaven He again asked the believers through Paul to remember Him in this way (1 Corinthians 11:23-24). So we

break bread because our Lord asked us to do so and because we want to please Him.

WHO should break bread?

Only those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord should break bread or receive communion.

We break bread in order to remember our Lord, but we cannot remember someone we have never known. The

Lord Jesus gave this feast only to believers and in New Testament times only believers kept it. It is a very serious

thing for a person to eat the bread and drink from the cup without really knowing what he is doing (1

Corinthians 11:29).

Some Christians live in sin, others teach wrong doctrine. We must add that these Christians should not keep this

feast. (See 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 and 2 John 10-11)

HOW should we break bread?

We should do it together with other Christians, not alone. The church comes together from time to time (1

Corinthians 11:26) in the Lord’s Name alone (Matthew 18:20) to keep the feast of remembrance. Any person can

remember the Lord at the Lord’s Supper if he has been born again and is therefore a member of the Body of

Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12). The one loaf of bread on the table is a picture of this Body (1 Corinthians 10:17) and

all believers are members of the Body of Christ. We see in the bread a picture of the Lord’s human body on the

cross, and in the cup we see a picture of His precious blood which He poured out.

So we eat a little of the bread and drink from the cup and associate ourselves with the sacrifice which the Lord

made on the cross. Our hearts will be full of worship as we think of our Lord and of all He suffered there for us.

In this gathering we do not meet to pray or to study the Word of God, but to worship our Lord. No one person is

in charge of this meeting but any man should be able to lead the others in worship when the Holy Spirit guides

him to do so.

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PRIESTS WHO WORSHIP AND SERVE

CHRISTIAN PRIESTS The Israelites in the Old Testament were a nation of soldiers (Numbers 1:3). One of their tribes was a tribe of workers. These people were known as the Levites (Numbers 1:50). One of the families of that tribe was a family of worshipers. They were Aaron and his sons, the priests (Exodus 28:1, Numbers 3:3). These priests were different from the other people because they put up their tents in a special place in the camp and because their clothes were different from those of other people. They ate certain food which the others did not eat. God gave them special privileges and they had work which no one else was allowed to do. (See Exodus 28; Leviticus 7:6-10; Numbers 8:2 and 10:8-11) Only the priests were allowed to go into the holy Presence of God. They went in to Him for the people, and they came out to the people for Him. They came between God and the people. Aaron was the only high priest; his sons were the ordinary priests. They alone offered the sacrifices on the altar and they were the only ones who could enter the holy place in the temple. Only they could decide if a person had leprosy or had been healed of that terrible disease. The Old Testament priests are a picture of true priests today. Who are these priests? All true believers are priests. Be sure to read the only New Testament verses which teach about this subject (1 Peter 2:5,9, Revelation 1:5-6 and 5:10). Jewish priests did not get this position because they themselves chose to be priests or because they had special training but only because they were born into Aaron’s family. No one else could be a priest (Ezra 2:62). In Christianity, no one becomes a priest because he chooses to be one or because of the training he has had. He becomes a priest when he believes in Christ and is born again through the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4 there are lists of gifts which the Holy Spirit gives, but being a priest is not among them. This is not a spiritual gift; all true believers are priests. Other persons call themselves priests but they are not priests at all. Only people belonging to Aaron’s family were priests among the Jews, and they served here on earth in an earthly temple. They were a picture of present-day priests. However, today all who belong to God’s family are priests.

How should we worship the Father? John 4:24 _________________________________ As a holy priest the Christian offers up spiritual sacrifices to God (1 Peter 2:5). As a priest of the King he proclaims God’s wonderful acts to men (1 Peter 2:9). For example Paul and Silas acted as holy priests in Acts 16:25 and as the King’s priests in verse 31 of the same chapter. Another example is found in Hebrews 13. Verse 15 tells us about the activity of holy priests and verse 16 about that of priests of the King. Today, there are some priests who wear special clothes and have special privileges and duties in their churches. These priests follow the example of the Jewish priests. There are no such priests among true Christians today, because all Christians are priests and all have the same privileges and should all worship God. Aaron and his sons are a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great High Priest, and all His people whom He has bought with His precious blood.

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WORSHIPPERS Let us think about the Meaning, the Place, and the Power for worship. The Meaning of Worship A person worships when his heart is full of praise as he thinks about who God is in Christ. He worships God the Father and God the Son because he has been set free from sin by the costly sacrifice of Christ. Only true New Testament priests can worship. Let us understand that worshiping and teaching the Word of God are two different things. Worship goes up to God, but those who teach the Word of God do so to help men, and so this comes down from God to men. A believer teaches others the truths he himself has received from God the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit. However, when we worship, that worship goes up by the Spirit, through the Son, to the Father. The Place of Worship The people of Israel worshipped God in a building on earth and they offered various things as sacrifices. The Christian can come right into the presence of God to worship Him and does not have to be in any special building in order to do so. Read Hebrews 10:19-22 very carefully. The old priests could offer sacrifices to God and so can we. We should offer ourselves to God (Romans 12:1). We can also praise God with our voices and give our money to help others (Hebrews 13:15-16). The power of Worship We can worship only by the power of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 3:3). He loves to make us think of the glories of God and of Christ instead of thinking about ourselves. God’s Servants in the Church Believers must be fed with the Word of God in order to walk close to the Lord. Christ is the Head of the Church, and He alone feeds it and takes care of it (Ephesians 5:29). He does this through the Holy Spirit and by giving certain believers the gift of preaching and teaching the Word of God or caring for the believers in other ways. All believers are priests because they have been born again, but all believers do not have the gift of teaching or preaching. In Ephesians 4:11-13, we have a list of the gifts given to Christians today. They are evangelists, pastors, and teachers. (We do not have apostles and prophets today, but we still have the books they wrote.) The Evangelist takes the Good News of salvation to sinners in the whole world. Philip is a good example of this (Acts 21:8). The Pastor cares for those who have been saved. He brings them into the local church and leads them on in the ways of God. We never read in the New Testament that only one pastor was appointed to look after a local church, but we see that in New Testament times one church might have several pastors. These pastors are appointed by the Lord Himself, not by other Christians, and they lovingly care for the people of God. See 1 Thessalonians 2:7,11. The Teacher explains the Word of God in an orderly way and so strengthens the believers in the faith.

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The Elder is a godly man who knows and walks with the Lord. His work is to care for the church (1 Timothy 3:5), to feed the believers (1 Peter 5:2), and to watch over them (Acts 20:28-30). The elder works in the local church and some have gift of teaching or preaching publicly (1 Timothy 5:17). In every New Testament church there were several elders (Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5).

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HOW TO SERVE THE MASTER

This is a very important subject for every believer who loves the Lord and wants to please Him. It is necessary that we should understand truth, but it is even more necessary that we should obey. God gives to every Christian some work to do for Him (Mark 13:34). Today many people think that only ministers or pastors can serve God, but this is not what the Bible teaches. The word of God says the Church is like a human body with many different parts which all work together. The head directs all the parts, the hands, feet, ears, tongue and all the rest. Each has an important work to do which is different from that of all the other parts in the body; and each part helps the whole body. The different parts do not fight with each other but help all the other parts. The body needs each part and the different parts depend on one another. The right foot needs the left foot, the fingers need each other and all the other parts also. Read the following verses very carefully: 1 Corinthians 12:12-32; Romans 12:4-8; Ephesians 1:19-23. These verses teach us at least three great facts:

1. Christ in heaven is the Head of Church. 2. Christ’s body on earth includes every true believer. 3. The Head gives to each believer some special work which he/she should do in the power of the Holy

Spirit. God did not plan for idle members in the body.

Let us now consider the following

1. The Master whom we serve 2. The reason for our service 3. Christ will examine our service

The Master whom we serve

The New Testament teaches very plainly that Christ is our Savior and Lord. Christ is our Savior and delivers us from the punishment of our sins. Christ is our Lord and has the authority to tell us what to do; He also expects us to do it. Many people accept Christ as their Savior so that they will not have to go to hell, but some do not understand that He is also their Lord. Many are hypocrites because they call Him “Lord” but fail to do the things He commands them to do. Only when we understand that Christ is the Lord of our lives will we be able to serve Him well. The apostle Paul was himself a slave of Jesus Christ, Romans 1:1, wanted to do only His will in all things. Read the following verses which teach very clearly that Jesus Christ is Lord: Luke 2:11; Acts 2:35; Romans 10:9; Colossians 2:6; 1 Peter 3:15. Which of the passages listed in the paragraph above say … Christ is Lord? ________________________ Jesus is Lord? ________________________ Christ Jesus is Lord? ___________________

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The reason for our service We always have a reason for doing anything and the reason is more important than the act itself. God sees what is in our hearts and knows if we serve Him in order to please and glorify Him or so that men might praise us. The Lord Jesus Christ condemned the Pharisees because they acted as if they wanted to serve God but their true reason was so that men might speak well of them. Their acts were often correct, but their purpose in doing them was totally wrong. God offers a reward to anyone who gives a drink of water to Christ (Mark 9:41). A drink of water is only a small thing, but this person does it because he wants to show his love to the Lord. His purpose is right and this is what is important. We see this also in the life of David (2 Chronicles 6:8,9). David wanted to build a house for God because he loved God and wanted to honor Him. God did not allow David to do this, but He praised him because he offered to do it. It is very important for each one of us to serve God, but let us ask ourselves WHY we are serving Him. We should do everything only for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). Only the Lord knows our thoughts and the reason why we serve Him and we should not try to judge the reasons of others (1 Corinthians 4:5). However, these reasons will be very important in that coming day when the Lord will examine our service. Christ will examine our service We should not pass judgment on the service of others. The Lord Jesus will do this when He brings to light our secrets and exposes the hidden purposes of men’s hearts. All Christians must appear before Christ to be judged by Him (2 Corinthians 5:10). At that time every man will receive from God the praise he deserves (1 Corinthians 4:5). The Lord Jesus paid the price of my sins when He died on the cross and God will never judge me for them. However, in the future the Lord will judge my service for Him as a believer. The Lord will not decide then whether I will be saved but whether I will receive a reward. Our reward will depend on what the Lord thinks of our service for Him. The important thing is not how much work we do for the Lord but what kind of work. In that day the quality of each man’s work will be tested by fire. If it passes the test the man will receive a reward (1 Corinthians 3:13-14). Read also Hebrews 10:35 + 11:26; 2 John 8; Revelation 22:12. This judgment will take place after the Lord has taken the Church to heaven.

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THE LORD WILL COME AGAIN

The return of the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the New Testament and once

in about every 25 verses. The first person who preached about it was Enoch, the seventh direct descendant from

Adam (Genesis 5:21, Jude 14) and the last words of the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament are about His

return (Revelation 22:20). Almost every one of the 27 books of the New Testament mentions it. It is therefore a

very important subject.

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself will come again before He begins to rule over the earth for 1000 years.

The New Testament is divided into four parts: the Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation. Let us look at

verses in each of these parts.

Christ promised to return

He told His disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them and that He would come back to take

them to be with Himself (John 14:2-3). He made this promise to comfort them on the evening before His death.

Some people believe that this promise refers to the day of Pentecost; others say it means that the Lord comes to

each believer when he dies. Let us therefore ask, “How may we know that Christ did not refer to Pentecost?”

We know that He was not thinking of Pentecost because most of the verses telling of His future coming were

written after Pentecost. Read Acts 3:20 and 1 Corinthians 1:7 and answer these questions:

1. Who will send Jesus back to earth? _________________________________________

2. Who will be revealed? ___________________________________________________

The Lord did not mean death when He spoke about His return. Death is just the opposite of the Lord’s return.

Christ’s coming will change all that death has done to the bodies of God’s people for the past 6,000 years!

Our Lord must return Himself. He promised He would and He cannot break His Word.

The Person who is coming again

We now turn to the book of Acts – the only book of history in the New Testament. In verses 9 to 11 of chapter 1

we see the One who is coming again. The Lord Jesus will come back the same way He went to heaven. Isaac

went out to meet Rebecca, his bride (Genesis 24:63) and the Lord Jesus Himself will come again for His Church.

This is what the Church is hoping for and looking forward to (Titus 2:13).

Why Christ will come again.

There are three reasons:

1. To show that His claims were true.

2. To take the believers to heaven.

3. To rule over the earth.

1. To show that His claims were true. At His trial the high priest put the Lord Jesus on oath and He said

that He was the Son of God, that He would sit on the right hand of God and that He would come again

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on the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:64). He said these things several times while He was on earth and

He will come back to show that He spoke the truth.

2. To take the believers to heaven, both Old Testament saints and those of the present Church age. You

will find more details about this in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; Philippians 3:20-21, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-

18. Be sure to read these verses which explain the Savior’s promise in John 14. This event is called the

Rapture and it will take place in secret and very suddenly. The Lord will select his own people and leave

all others here on earth.

3. To rule over the world. The second coming of Christ will have two parts. He will first come in private and

later in public.

His first coming was in two parts also, first in private and then in public. He came privately to Bethlehem

and was welcomed only by some shepherds and the wise men and a few other people. Then, He came

publicly when He entered Jerusalem as King and thousands of people saw Him (Matthew 21:1-9).

At the private part of His second coming, all dead saints will be raised; all living saints will be changed.

The Lord will meet them in the air and take them to heaven with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Later,

when He comes in public, He will not come only to the air, but to the earth and He will stand on the

Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).

One day as the Lord and His disciples were on the Mount of Olives, and He told them that He would

come again on the clouds of heaven together with all the angels and all His people (Matthew 24:30,

25:31; compare 1 Thessalonians 3:13). This will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation. The

wicked rulers of the world will have to stop persecuting the small group of Jewish believers because

Christ will save His people.

Christ will then judge all the nations of the earth (Matthew 25:31-46). All those who have rebelled

against God will be sent off to eternal punishment, together with Satan, their leader. Then Christ will set

up His Millennial Kingdom with Jerusalem as the capital city, and He will rule over the earth for at least a

thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6). Read also Isaiah 2:1-5; 4:2-6; 11:1-9; 25:1-10; Amos 9:13-15; Micah

4:3. These verses will tell you more about the Millennium.

How can we be ready for Christ’s coming?

We should always remember that the Lord might come at any minute; this will lead us to live pure and holy lives

(1 John 3:3). We hope that He will come soon and this hope will make us patient (James 5:7-8) and will help us

to pray (1 Peter 4:7). It will help us to earn a crown (2 Timothy 4:5-8), it will fill our hearts with peace (Philippians

4:5-7), and keep us preaching the message of Christ (2 Timothy 4:1-2). We should always keep busy in our work

for the Lord, for He is coming soon to examine us and reward us for our service (1 Corinthians 15:58).

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CROWNS AND REWARDS

The New Testament tells us about at least four great judgments and it is important for us to understand the

difference:

1. The judgment of the sinner’s sin on the cross (Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13-14).

2. The judgment of the believer’s works at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians

3:10-15).

3. The judgment of the living nations on earth when Christ comes back in glory (Matthew 25:31-46).

4. The judgment of the wicked dead at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15).

The first of these judgments is past, but the other three are still in the future. The second judgment will take

place immediately after the Lord has taken the Church to heaven; the third just before the Millennium, and the

fourth at the end of the Millennium. No true believer will be judged at the Great White Throne because the Lord

Jesus Christ already received the judgment for his sins when He died on the cross (John 5:24, Romans 8:1).

In Lesson 10 we saw that our works and our Christian service will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ. At

that time the Lord Jesus Himself will examine the life of every Christian and his reasons for what he did with his

time, his gifts, strength and money while here on earth. Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 very carefully.

Every Christian is using his life for God’s glory or for his own. The Lord will test everything which we have done.

Fire will destroy wood and grass, but gold, silver and precious stones cannot burn. So the Lord will destroy all

that has not been for His glory. Some believers have served the Lord for many years; their work will last forever.

Others have wasted their lives; they will see everything burned up and lost. But they themselves will be saved.

It is clear that Christ will reward everything the Christian has done to please his Lord. On the other hand, there

will be believers who lived for themselves and not for Christ. They will feel very sorry when they find out how

foolish they were. They will not lose their salvation, but they will lose their reward. Our salvation does not

depend on our own works but on the work of Christ on the cross for us, but our reward depends on how we

served the Lord and what our true motives were.

Someone has told a story to make this truth very clear:

A man sent his son to another town to do some work for him. He gave him enough money for the

journey there and back and told him exactly what he should do. He also told him to work hard and not

waste any time because he would be able stay only a short time in that town.

The young man reached the town and started right away to do the work his father told him to do.

However, after a while he met some old friends, joined them in their talk and forgot all about his

father’s work. Suddenly he remembered what he should have been doing, but the time had come for

him to leave the town.

Was he ready for the journey home? Yes and no! He had the money to get back home because his father had

given it to him, but he had not finished his work. When he got home the father could not praise him for what he

had done. However he was still his father’s son and could live with his brothers in the father’s house.

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The Lord Jesus Christ on the cross paid the price for every true believer to get to heaven. He has justified them

all and will share His glory with them (Romans 8:30), but they will not get the same reward. God will reward

each one according to the work he has done (1 Corinthians 3:8). They are still all His sons and will live in heaven

forever.

Let us consider four things as we think of the Judgment Seat of Christ:

1. The Lord Jesus Christ will examine the lives and work of His servants (Matthew 18:23, Luke 19:15).

2. He will expose the quality of each man’s work (1 Corinthians 3:13, 2 Corinthians 5:10).

3. He will praise those who have been good and faithful servants (Matthew 25:21, 1 Corinthians 4:5).

4. He will give them rewards. The Bible tells us about five different crowns:

a. a crown of righteousness, for those who love the Lord and wait for Him to appear (2 Timothy

4:8)

b. a crown that will last forever, for those who serve the Lord with their whole heart (1 Corinthians

9:25)

c. a crown of life, the reward which God will give to those who remain faithful under trial (James

1:12)

d. a crown of glory, for leaders who are good examples to other Christians (1 Peter 5:4)

e. Paul referred to the believers whom he had helped and calls them his “joy and crown” and his

“crown of rejoicing” (Philippians 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:19)

The Lord also promised a reward if:

1. We sow goodness by doing kind little things for others (Proverbs 11:18).

2. We help those who cannot pay us back (Luke 14:14).

3. We pray earnestly and in secret (Matthew 6:6).

4. We give a drink of water to a Christian (Mark 9:41).

5. We suffer because we belong to Christ (Luke 6:22-23).

6. We please God in our home (Ruth 2:11,12).

7. We watch and take care of ourselves and others (2 John 8)

Where will we get our reward? Matthew 5:12 ____________________

Where will show-offs of hypocrites get their reward? Matthew 6:2,5,16 __________________________

So we have a wonderful Savior! When we were still sinners, He saved us by faith alone. He helps us to understand

the Scriptures so we can be sure we are saved. He gives us a new nature so we can please God. He supplies

power so we can gain victory in our lives. He gave us the Lord’s Supper so we will remember Him. He helps us to

live separately from the world and answers our prayers. He shows us how we should meet together to worship

Him. He gives us the privilege of serving Him and promises us great rewards when He comes back.

WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOUR

IS JESUS OUR LORD!

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Personal Helps

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HOW CAN I COPE WITH STRESS

Jesus Christ was constantly under pressure. There were grueling demands on His time; He rarely had any personal privacy; He was constantly interrupted; people repeatedly misunderstood Him, criticized Him, and ridiculed Him. He had enormous stress which would have caused any of us to cave in.

But as we look at the life of Christ we quickly discover that He remained at peace under pressure. He was never in a hurry. He was always at ease. He had calmness about His life that enabled Him to handle enormous amounts of stress. How did He do this so successfully? He based His life on sound principles of stress management. If we understand and apply these principles in our lives, we'll experience less pressure and more peace of mind.

IDENTIFICATION: KNOW WHO YOU ARE

Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). "I am the Door" (John 10:9); "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6); "I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11); "I am God's Son" (John 10:36). Christ knew who He was!

The first principle for handling stress in your life is this: Know who you are. It is the principle of identification. Jesus said, "I know who I am. I testify to Myself." This is critically important in stress management because if you don't know who you are, somebody else may try to tell you who he thinks you are. If you don't know who you are, you will let other people manipulate you and pressure you into being somebody you aren't.

A lot of stress in life results from our wearing masks, being unreal with others, living double lives, or trying to be somebody we're not. Insecurity always produces pressure in our lives, and when we're insecure we feel pressured to perform and conform. We set unrealistic standards for our lives, and even though we work, work, work, we can't meet those unrealistic standards. Tension and pressure naturally occur as a result.

The first way to balance stress in my life is to get an internal balance of who I am. And I know who I am by knowing whose I am. I am a child of God. I was put on earth not by accident but for a purpose. I am deeply loved by God. I am accepted by Him. He has a plan for my life, and because He put me here I am significant.

And because He put you here, you are significant. To handle stress you must know who you are. Until you handle this issue, you'll be pressured by insecurity.

DEDICATION: KNOW WHOM YOU'RE TRYING TO PLEASE

The second principle of stress management in the life of Christ is found in John 5:30: "By Myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and My judgment is just, for I seek not to please Myself, but Him who sent Me."

The principle is this: Know whom you're trying to please. You know you can't please everybody, because just about the time you get one group pleased, another group gets mad at you. Even God doesn't please everybody, so it's foolish to try to do something that even God doesn't do!

Jesus knew whom He was trying to please; it was a settled issue with Him: "I'm going to please God the Father." And the Father replied, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17).

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When you don't know whom you're trying to please, you cave in to three things: criticism (because you are concerned about what others will think about you), competition (because you worry about whether somebody else is getting ahead of you), and conflict (because you're threatened when anyone disagrees with you).

If I seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all the other necessary things of life will be added unto me (Matthew 6:33). This means that if I focus on pleasing God, it will simplify my life. I will always be doing the right thing, the thing that pleases God, regardless of what anybody else thinks.

We love to blame our stress on other people: "You made me ... I have to ... I've got to." Actually there are few things in life (outside of our employment) that we must do. When we say, "I have to, I must, I've got to," we are actually saying, "I choose to, because I don't want to pay the consequences." Hardly anybody makes us do anything, so usually we can't blame other people for our stress. When we get under pressure we are choosing to allow other people to put us under pressure. We are not victims unless we allow ourselves to be pressured by other people's demands.

ORGANIZATION: KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH

Here is Christ's third principle for dealing with stress: "Even if I testify on My own behalf, My testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going" (John 8:14). The principle is this: Know what you want to accomplish. Christ said, "I know where I came from and I know where I'm going." Unless you plan your life, and set priorities, you'll be pressured by what other people think is important.

Every day you either live by priorities or you live by pressures. There is no other option. You either decide what is important in your life or else you let other people tell you what is most important in your life. You set priorities or you live by pressures.

It's so easy to operate under the tyranny of the urgent, to come to the end of your day and think, "Have I really accomplished anything? I used a lot of energy and did a lot of things, but did I accomplish anything important?" Busyness is not necessarily productivity. You may be spinning in circles without accomplishing anything.

Preparation causes you to be at ease. To put it another way, "Preparation prevents pressure but procrastination produces it." Good organization and good preparation reduces stress because you know who you are, whom you're trying to please, and what you want to accomplish. Having clear goals greatly simplifies life. Spend a few minutes each day in prayer talking with God. Look at your schedule for the day and decide, "Is this really the way I want to spend a day of my life? Am I willing to exchange twenty-four hours of my life for these activities?"

CONCENTRATION: FOCUS ON ONE THING AT A TIME

At least some people tried to get Jesus detoured from His planned schedule. They tried to distract Him from His goal in life. At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place to be alone. But the people went looking for Him even there, and when they found Him "they tried to keep Him from leaving them" (Luke 4:42). He was going to leave but they tried to make Him stay.

Here is how Jesus responded: "I must preach the Good News of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent" (Luke 4:43). He refused to be distracted by less important matters.

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Principle number four for stress management is this: Focus on one thing at a time. It is the principle of concentration. Jesus was a master at this. It seemed that everybody tried to interrupt Him; everyone had a Plan B for Him. But Jesus responded, "Sorry, I must keep on moving toward My goal." He kept right on doing what He knew God had told Him to do: preach about the kingdom of God. He was determined. He was persistent. He concentrated His efforts.

When I've got thirty things to do on my desk, I clear my desk and work on one thing. When I finish that I pick up something else. You can't catch two jackrabbits at once. You've got to focus on one.

When we diffuse our efforts, we are ineffective. When we concentrate our efforts, we are more effective. Light diffused produces a hazy glow, but light concentrated produces fire. Use a magnifying glass to concentrate light on a dry leaf, and that leaf will catch fire. Light without a magnifying glass will have no effect, but the glass concentrates it to produce power. Jesus Christ did not let interruptions prevent Him from concentrating on His goal; He did not let others make Him tense or stressed or irritated.

DELEGATION: DON'T DO IT ALL YOURSELF

One day "Jesus went up into the hills and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him" (Mark 3:13). He appointed twelve men whom He designated as apostles, so they might be with Him and He could send them out to preach. In other words, He delegated His authority. This is the fifth principle: Don't try to do it all yourself Use the principle of delegation.

Do you know why we get uptight and tense? Because we think everything depends on us. Here I am, Atlas, holding up the cares of the world-they're all on my shoulders. If I happen to let go, the world will fall apart. But when I really do let go, the world doesn't fall apart! Jesus enlisted and trained twelve disciples so that they could share the load. He delegated His work. He got other people involved.

Why don't we delegate? Why don't we get other people involved? Why do we try to do it all ourselves?

We don’t delegate for at least two reasons. The first reason is perfectionism. We think, "If I want a job well done, I'll do it myself." That's a nice idea, but often it doesn't work well because there are just too many things to be done. We simply don't have time to do everything. It's really an egotistical attitude that says, "Nobody, but nobody, can do it like I can." Do you think Jesus would have done a better job than His disciples? Of course He would have. But He let them do the work even though He would have done it better. We need to let other people make some of the mistakes. Don't rob others of an education!

The other reason we don't delegate is because of personal insecurity. "What if I turn over this responsibility to someone and he does a better job at it?" That thought is kind of threatening to us. But you won't be threatened by that possibility if you know who you are, whom you're trying to please, what you want to accomplish, and what one thing you want to focus on. In order to be effective you must get other people involved, because you can't focus on more than one thing at a time and do it effectively.

MEDITATION. MAKE A HABIT OF PERSONAL PRAYER

Jesus often got up "very early in the morning, while it was still dark ... and went off to a solitary place" to pray (Mark 1:35). The sixth principle of stress management is to make a habit of personal prayer. This is the principle of meditation. Prayer is a gigantic stress-reliever. It is a God-given tool for letting off your anxieties. No matter

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how busy Jesus got, He made it a practice to spend time alone with God. If Jesus made time for prayer when He was busy, how much more do you and I need prayer! A quiet time, getting alone with God, can be a decompression chamber for life's stresses. We talk with God in prayer, tell Him what's on our minds, and let Him talk to us as we read the Bible. Then we look at our schedules, evaluate our priorities, and wait for instructions.

Many of our problems come from our inability to sit still. We just don't know how to be quiet. Most of us cannot sit in a car for five minutes without turning the radio on.

If you walk into your house and find that you're all alone, what's the first thing you do? (Probably turn on the TV.) Silence makes us uncomfortable. But God says, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10). One reason many people don't know God personally is that they can't be still. They're too busy to be quiet and think.

Someone said, "It seems to be an ironic habit of man that when he loses his way he doubles his speed" -like an Air Force pilot in World War II who flew out over the Pacific. When he radioed in, the controller asked, "Where are you?"

The pilot replied, "I don't know, but I'm making record time!" A lot of people are like that: they are speeding through life but they don't know where they are headed. We need to start our morning with prayer, as Jesus did, and then periodically through the day stop and pray again, to recharge our spiritual batteries.

RECREATION. TAKE TIME OFF TO ENJOY LIFE

Once Jesus' twelve men gathered around Him and reported all that they had done and taught. Because so many people were coming and going they hadn't even been able to eat. So Jesus said to them, "Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31). Principle number seven for stress management is to take time off to enjoy life. It's the principle of relaxation and recreation. Jesus looked at these men who had been working hard without relief and said, "You deserve a break today. Let's get some rest. Let's take some time off." So they got in a boat, rowed to the other side of the lake, and went out to the desert to rest.

One reason why Jesus could handle stress is that He knew when to relax. He frequently went either to the mountains or the desert just to unwind.

Rest and recreation in life are not optional. In fact, rest is so important that God included it in the Ten Commandments. The Sabbath was made for man because God knows that our physical, emotional, and spiritual constitutions demand periodic breaks. Jesus survived stress because He enjoyed life. One of my favorite verses, Matthew 11:19 in the Phillips paraphrase, says that Jesus came "enjoying life." Paul wrote that God has provided everything richly for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17). Balance in life is a key to stress management.

TRANSFORMATION: GIVE YOUR STRESS TO CHRIST

The eighth principle of stress management is one that Jesus didn't need because He is the Son of God, but we need it because we're merely human. Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). So this final principle of stress management is: Give your stress to Christ. You will never enjoy complete peace of mind until you have a relationship with the Prince of Peace.

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Christ did not say, "Come to Me and I will give you more guilt, more burdens, more stress, and more worries" -even though that's what a lot of people seem to teach! Some churches tend to create pressure rather than relieve it. But Jesus said, "I want to give you rest. I am the Stress-Reliever. When you get in harmony with Me, I will give you inner strength." Christ can transform your lifestyle from stressful to satisfied. The greatest source of stress comes from trying to live our lives apart from the One who made us, trying to go our own ways, and be our own gods.

What do you need? If you've never committed your life to Christ, you need a transformation. Give your life with all its stresses to Him and say, "Lord, please give me a new life. Replace the pressure I feel with the peace You offer. Help me follow Your principles of stress management."

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HOW CAN I REBOUND FROM FAILURE

A failure can become a stepping-stone to success. An incident from Peter's life (Luke 5:1-11) illustrates this wonderful truth. Peter and his friends had been out fishing all night, but they had caught nothing. This was probably unusual, since Peter was a professional fisherman. He definitely was not a novice. Probably he had the best nets, a good boat, and he knew exactly where to catch the most fish. He had worked all night, as his income depended on a good catch. But still Peter came up short. Even the superstars strike out sometimes.

Next day the disciples were washing their nets on the seashore, feeling very tired and discouraged. At that moment Jesus came along and said, "Peter, I'd like to use your boat as a platform to speak from." So Peter let Jesus get into his boat and launched out a little way from the shore. There Jesus could speak from the boat to the crowd standing on the shore.

After finishing His message Jesus said to the disciples, "Now let's go fishing. Launch out into the deep water," He said, "and let down the nets for a catch."

But Peter replied, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything-yet if You say so, I'll let down the nets." When the disciples obeyed, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

WHEN OUR BEST IS NOT ENOUGH

What does this story teach us about failure? Jesus never did a miracle without a purpose. He always used His miracles to illustrate principles. This incident teaches us what to do when our best is not good enough.

Sometimes you give it your best shot but you still come up ten feet short. You study diligently for a test but only get a "C." You work hard to make your marriage better but still don't see any progress. Life can be tough at times and it's tempting to give up. You feel like saying, "What's the use? I just set myself up for more failure. Can anything make a difference?"

The interesting part of this story is the comparison between the two catches. The disciples had worked all night and had caught nothing, but later they went out for ten minutes and caught more than ever before. It was the same lake, the same boat, the same nets, and the same people fishing. So what made the difference?

There are actually three differences between the two fishing expeditions, and these differences give us principles to follow when our best attempts end in failure. I believe any person who applies these principles will be a genuine success in life. God intended them to be easy to understand, so that everybody could get in on the benefit.

But first you must realize God is interested in your success; He's not interested in seeing you fail. Suppose my daughter Amy said to me one day, "Daddy, I'm a total failure in life. Everything I touch falls apart. My problems are insurmountable. I can never do anything right. I'm a total failure and I'll never change."

Would I reply, "Oh, I'm so happy you told me that! That makes me feel so good inside!" no, of course not. As a father I want my children to be successful, to be the best they can be. Likewise, your Heavenly Father wants you to be successful in life too; in your personal life, your family, your spiritual growth, and in all your relationships.

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APPROPRIATE GOD'S PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE

The first principle of success is found in Luke 5:3: Jesus was in the boat with the disciples. Christ's presence made a big difference! This time the disciples weren't fishing by themselves; God was with them. The first principle for successful living is this: You must appropriate God's presence in your life. In other words, you've got to get Jesus in your boat. That's the starting point. Nothing has greater influence on your personal success than whether or not you are living with Christ in your life. Now in Peter's life his boat represented his livelihood. When you're a fisherman, that boat is your business! It's significant that Peter made his boat available for Jesus to use. Christ used Peter's business as a platform for ministry.

Does God have access to your job? Is your business available for Him to use at any time? Is He able to minister to people through your job? Too often we try to separate the secular and the spiritual. We have our Christian life nicely partitioned off from our career. But this prevents God from blessing your business or job. God will bless anything you give Him. If you give Him all your life, He'll bless all of it. But if you give Him just a part of it, He'll bless just that one part.

A friend told me that as president of his corporation he invites God to every board meeting. He reports that as a result they make fewer mistakes, and have more peace of mind about difficult decisions.

There's something about having Jesus in your boat that eliminates the fear of failure and reduces your worries about the results. When Peter made Christ his fishing partner, the results were incredible: he caught more fish than he had ever caught on his own. Don't miss the sequence, though. First Peter used his boat for Christ's purposes. Jesus took the boat and preached from it to reach people. Then, after Christ had used the boat for His own purposes, God took care of Peter's needs.

God promises us that if we "Seek ... first the kingdom of God and His righteousness ... all these [other] things shall be added" unto us (Matthew 6:33). Does that mean if I give my whole life to Christ, putting Him first in every area, then will He bless it all? Yes, that is God's promise to you.

COOPERATE WITH GOD'S PLAN

The second principle is found in Luke 5:4: The second time the disciples went fishing, they fished under the direction of Christ, obediently following His instructions. We must not only appropriate God's presence in our lives, but we must cooperate with God's presence in our lives. Jesus told the disciples where to fish, when to fish, and how to fish. When God is guiding your life, you cannot fail. As Ethel Waters says, "God doesn't sponsor flops."

Peter's reaction to Christ's guidance was beautiful. First, he didn't argue. He didn't say, "Wait a minute, Jesus. Who are You to tell me how to fish? Don't You know I'm Simon Peter? I'm the premier professional fisherman on this lake. I own the record. Who are You to tell me how to fish?" He didn't ask, "Lord, are You sure?" Also he didn't hesitate and he didn't ask any questions. He might have been thinking that if he didn't catch anything at night he certainly was not going to catch anything in the middle of the day when the sun was glaring down on the water. From a human standpoint it was bad timing-it seemed ridiculous. But Peter didn't ask any questions; he just obeyed.

Also, he didn't listen to his feelings. I'm sure he was dog-tired from working all night but he didn't ask, "What's the use? Why should I keep on going?" Peter's attitude was perfect. He was eager to cooperate with God's plan.

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Why do you think Jesus said to Peter, "Launch out into the deep?" I think it was because it's in the deep water that the big fish are located. You only catch minnows in shallow water. Most people live in the shallow waters of life. They simply exist on a superficial level. There's little depth to their lives because they're content to just play around the edge, never getting out into deeper water. Why, because it's safer in shallow water. They think, "If I get out into the deep water there might be some waves. They might rock my boat, and it might overturn. So I'll just stay back here where it's safe and comfortable and piddle around."

When God works in your life it always involves risks, because God wants you to live by faith. Many Christians barely get their feet wet because they're afraid of getting in over their heads. They think, "If I really get serious about my commitment to the Lord, He may make me a fanatic. I may become a religious nut. What will my friends think?" So they're content to live in the shallows of life-and they miss out on so much.

God's plan for your life is a good plan, one that will work for your benefit. God says, "Let Me get into your boat. Let My presence be with you wherever you go-in your business, in your family, in your marriage, in every area. Let Me direct you, and cooperate with My plan."

EXPECT GOD TO ACT

The third principle is found in Luke 5:5: "Because You say so." To rebound from failure you must anticipate God's promises in your life. In the second fishing attempt the disciples were acting on the basis of God's promise to them. They went fishing again because they believed God would provide the fish. Now Jesus didn't specifically say, "Peter, if you go fishing with Me, I promise you'll make a big catch." He didn't need to say that because Peter realized that when Christ told him to go fishing, and also got into the boat, and also told him exactly where to put down the net, it wasn't going to come up empty! Peter expected God to act. He expected God would keep His promise. Peter wasn't merely depending on his own fishing ability, so he wasn't afraid of failure. He anticipated the promises of God.

When you get God's presence in your boat, and when you get God's plan in your head, and when you get God's promises in your heart, you cannot fail. Start expecting some wonderful results.

IT CAN WORK IN YOUR LIFE

Maybe you're saying, "That sounds great, but you don't know my circumstances. Right now I'm defeated by the problems I'm experiencing. I'm having some hard times." If you are defeated by your circumstances, let me suggest an antidote for you. Begin reading your Bible to find a specific promise from God, and then start claiming it. Start expecting God to act, and you will find that God's promise will inject new hope into a hopeless situation. Real success often begins at the point of failure.

I know a married couple who've had a severely damaged relationship, one that looked irreparable. But they sensed God saying to them, "I want you to stay together. Don't give up."

Without any outward evidence they took the attitude of Peter: "Lord, we've worked on this marriage a long time, without improvement, but because You say so, we'll keep at it." Today they have a fulfilling marriage and a dynamic ministry together.

Look at the results (Luke 5:6): the disciples caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. God blessed them with more than they could handle. That is always the case when you appropriate God's

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presence, cooperate with God's plan, and anticipate God's promises-you'll be blessed with more than you can handle. In fact, Luke 5:7 points out that the disciples had to share the results with those in another boat in order to keep from sinking! That's a great way to live!

The point is this: God not only wants to bless your life. He wants to bless you so much that you have to share your blessing with others in order to keep yourself from sinking. He not only wants to bless you, but He wants to bless other people through you-people whose nets are empty. God blessed them with more than they could use for themselves.

The miracle so astounded Peter that he cried out, "Lord, I don't deserve this! I'm a sinner. This is too good for me." The incident became a turning point in Peter's life and in the lives of the other disciples.

Jesus then said to Peter, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men" (Luke 5:10). So the disciples beached their boats and left everything to follow Jesus.

Think about that when the fishing party got to land, they left the greatest catch they had ever experienced sitting right there on the shore and went after Jesus! They realized that if Jesus could perform a miracle like that, He could do anything He wanted. They knew as long as they followed Him, their needs would be more than satisfied. Christ would take care of them no matter what happened. They wanted a relationship with Him that was more than a one-time miracle. Then Christ invited them to become part of the greatest task in the world: "I'm going to make you fishers of men. You're going to share My Good News with other people."

TRY IT AGAIN WITH CHRIST

How does this story relate to your life? Maybe you feel like the disciples before Christ came along: "I've worked all night and come up with an empty net." Does that describe your attitude toward your marriage, your job, or toward another personal problem? You feel that you haven't made any progress so you've said to yourself, "What's the use? Why keep on trying? Why put forth the effort?" Maybe you've become a little cynical about life.

Peter didn't get cynical. He didn't say, "Lord, I've worked ten hours and didn't catch anything. That must mean there are no more fish in this lake." He knew that the fish were there, but that he just hadn't caught them yet.

Just because you haven't solved your problem doesn't mean there isn't a solution. Through failure we often learn the lessons that help us succeed. God's message to you is this: Don't give up. Try again, but this time, do it with Jesus in your boat. He will make all the difference.

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HOW CAN I DEFEAT DEPRESSION

Depression is one of the great problems in the world today. It has been called the common cold of emotional illnesses. Everybody gets depressed at times, but some people are depressed nearly all the time. Even great saints get depressed, and Elijah was just such an example.

Elijah was a tremendous spokesman for God. For three years he had been God's mouthpiece to the nation of Israel. All kinds of miracles had taken place, and there was a spiritual awakening in his nation which had been going after pagan idols.

But one person who did not like Elijah was Jezebel, the Queen of Israel. A very wicked woman, Jezebel hated Elijah, partly because he had so much influence. After one particularly great miracle performed by Elijah, Jezebel's husband, King Ahab, told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done. This made her so angry that she sent a messenger to Elijah saying, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them" (1 Kings 19:2). She was saying, "If I don't kill you within twenty-four hours, I'll be ready to kill myself."

Here's the Elijah who had been fearless for three years, and now, when one woman threatens his life, he becomes frightened, runs out to the desert, and gets depressed (1 Kings 19:3-5). He comes to a broom tree, sits down under it, and prays that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord. Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors."

DEPRESSED LIKE ELIJAH?

Elijah was a prime candidate for depression. He was physically tired, he was emotionally exhausted, and somebody had threatened his life. He was an emotional fruit basket at this point, with all kinds of problems: fear, resentment, guilt, anger, loneliness, and worry. But God says that "Elijah was a man just like us" (James 5:17). He had the same problems we do, and in this case he had a problem with depression.

Elijah was so depressed that he was ready to die. Why do we get ourselves in such emotional messes? Because of faulty thinking. The fact is that our emotions are caused by our thoughts.

If you think in a negative way, you're going to feel depressed. Your emotions are caused by how you interpret life. If you look at life from a negative viewpoint you're going to get down.

If you want to get rid of negative emotions you have to change the way you think. The Bible says that you can be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). The only way you can change your mind and emotions is by changing the way you think. To overcome depression you've got to get your incorrect attitudes about life corrected. That's why Jesus said that when you "know the truth ... the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). If you look at things from the right point of view, you will not be depressed.

FOCUS ON THE FACTS, NOT ON YOUR FEELINGS

Why did Elijah get depressed? He played four mental games that all of us play when we get depressed. The first one is found in 1 Kings 19:3: "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life." He came to a broom tree, sat under it, and prayed that he might die: "Lord, I've had enough. I'm fed up. I don't want to put up with it anymore. I'm just

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wasting my life. I'm trying to be Your servant, but nobody's doing what's right. I'm fed up; it's no use trying; I'm giving up."

What was his first mistake? The same mistake we make when we get depressed: We focus on our feelings rather than on the facts. That always happens when we're depressed. We focus on how we feel rather than on reality. Elijah felt like a failure because of one incident that frightened him. He thought to himself, "I'm such a coward. What am I doing running?" So because he felt like a failure, he assumed he was a failure.

This is called emotional reasoning, and it's destructive. It's the idea, "I feel it, so it must be true." Musicians, athletes, and TV stars, to name some, know that often after a performance they feel as though they've flopped. Yet they also know that they must learn to ignore those feelings because feelings aren't always true. Feelings are not facts; they are highly unreliable.

A few weeks after one man had been married to his wife, one morning he woke up and said, "You know, Honey, I just don't feel married."

She replied, "It doesn't matter, Buddy. You are!"

I don't always feel close to God, either, but this doesn't necessarily mean that I'm far away from Him. I don't always feel like a Christian, but I am one. Feelings often lie, so when we focus on our feelings rather than on the facts, we're going to get into trouble. For instance, after we've made a mistake in one area we tend to feel we're total failures in life. That's a misconception. Everybody is entitled to make mistakes, and we can fail in one area without being a failure as a person.

Most psychologists believe that one key to health is to get your feelings out in the open. Become aware. Vent your feelings. Get them out. But that's not the complete answer, because feelings are unreliable. The Bible doesn't tell us to get in touch with our feelings but to get in touch with the truth, because it's knowledge of the truth that sets us free.

DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHERS

The second mistake Elijah made is shown in the second thing he said: "I've had enough, Lord. Take my life, because I'm no better than my ancestors." A second mistake that causes depression is that we start comparing ourselves with other people. Most of us have fallen into the trap of thinking, "If I could just be like so-and-so, I'd be happy."

When you start comparing yourself with other people, you're asking for trouble. The Bible says it's unwise and harmful (2 Corinthians 10:12). Don't compare yourself with somebody else, because everyone is unique. There's only one person that you can be, and that is you. If you're always trying to imitate other people and act like them, you're going to get depressed. The only person you can be is you. That's all God wants. That's all He expects.

When we start comparing ourselves with other people we fall into another trap: we tend to compare our weaknesses with other people's strengths, forgetting that those people also have weak areas that we might be strong in. We also try to motivate ourselves through criticism and condemnation. We do it by "shoulding" ourselves: "I should be able to be like that person. I should be able to act better. I should be able to accomplish

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it. I should be able to stop it"-as if whipping ourselves verbally is going to motivate us! Nagging doesn't work when you do it to another person, and self-criticism doesn't work either.

Recently my wife spoke at a Christian conference, and as I drove her there she made a profound statement: "We don't read the Bible to change God's opinion of us; we read the Bible to change our opinion of God." If I feel that I've got to read the Bible so God will like me, then reading the Bible becomes something I'm pressured to do, and we usually resist things we feel pressured to do. When somebody pushes at me my tendency is to push back. But when I realize that I read the Bible not to change God's opinion of me but to have my opinions about Him changed—understanding what He is like, how loving and gracious He is—then I want to read it.

Another trap we fall into when we get depressed is that we label ourselves. Instead of saying, "I made a mistake," we say, "I'm a total failure." Instead of saying, "Oh, I accidentally tripped," we say, "I'm a klutz." Instead of saying, "I ate too much," we say, "I'm a pig." When we label ourselves with titles, it only reinforces our problems and makes things worse.

DON'T TAKE FALSE BLAME

The third mistake Elijah made was that he blamed himself for negative events that weren't his fault. Elijah said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, broken down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword" (1Kings 19:10). He said, in effect, "I've worked hard for three years, but they're still not any closer to You. I've really tried, but they're still living the same way as before." In his depression Elijah blamed himself for failing to change the nation. He took it personally. A third mistake that causes depression is that we take false blame. When you do that you will always get depressed. If we assume a responsibility that God never intended us to have, it is too heavy a burden.

If you're in the habit of helping people, you sooner or later realize that people do not always respond the way you would like them to, whether it's your children or your friends or your spouse or people you work with. People react in many different ways. You can't assume responsibility for their responses.

God has given each of us a free will. When you assume responsibility for other people's decisions, you accept a burden that will only depress you. You can sometimes influence people, but you cannot control them.

The final decision is theirs. Don't be depressed by something you cannot control.

DON'T EXAGGERATE THE NEGATIVE

The fourth mistake Elijah made is that he exaggerated the negative. He said, "I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too" (1 Kings 19:10). Elijah held a little pity party for himself: "Everybody's against me." But the fact was that everybody was not against him. Only one person was violently against him, and her threat wasn't a real threat. If Elijah had just thought about it instead of listening to his feelings, he would have realized that Jezebel didn't dare kill him. True, the Queen sent a messenger with the threat, "Tomorrow I'm going to kill you." But if Jezebel had really intended to kill Elijah she wouldn't have sent a messenger to warn him; she would have just sent a hit man!

Jezebel was too clever to have Elijah killed. She recognized his powerful influence. If Elijah had been killed he would have become a martyr. That would have increased his influence and probably caused a revolution in the country. Besides that, she was probably afraid of what God would do to her if she touched His man. So her

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words were just a threat. She let him get away to the desert because she didn't really want to kill him. She just wanted to make him look like a coward in front of the nation.

But Elijah didn't stop to evaluate the threat. He just ran away. When we're depressed we always exaggerate the negative. Everything looks bad. If we're depressed, the whole world is going to pot. In actuality Elijah was not the only person still faithful to God. There were still 7,000 prophets who hadn't succumbed to the pagan religion (1 Kings 19:18). Elijah exaggerated the problem, and it made his depression worse.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR PHYSICAL NEEDS

What was God's remedy for Elijah's depression? It was a remedy you can use for your depression. First, take care of your physical needs. We read that Elijah lay down under a tree and fell asleep. Then an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and went back to sleep.

Then the angel came a second time and said, "Get up and eat again, for the journey is too much for you." So he ate and drank, and was strengthened by that food (1 Kings 19:5-8).

God's initial remedy for Elijah's depression was rest, food, and relaxation. Sometimes a good night's sleep does wonders for your attitude. When you are physically tired and mentally drained, you're prone to depression. Notice how tenderly God dealt with Elijah. God did not scold him by saying, "You coward! What are you doing here in the desert?" God didn't put him down or condemn him; all God did was give him food and rest. God got him restored physically. That was the starting point. If you're depressed, the first step toward recovery is to get in shape physically. Take care of your health needs. Maybe you need to watch your diet or perhaps you need to get more sleep or begin an exercise program. Physical health has a profound influence on your moods.

GIVE YOUR FRUSTRATIONS TO GOD

The second remedy for your depression is to give your frustrations to God. Elijah then went into a cave and spent the night there. In the morning the Lord asked him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

He replied, "I've been zealous for the Lord God Almighty. Israel has rejected Your covenant, broken down Your altars, and put all Your prophets to death with the sword; I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me too" (1 Kings 19:9-10). He just poured out all his inner feelings. God allowed him to let off steam. God was not shocked by Elijah's complaints.

God says, in effect, "When you're uptight, let Me hear your inner emotions. I already know what they are, and I'm not going to be shocked by them." He let Elijah vent his pent-up emotions without criticizing him or condemning him. Often it helps to share your feelings with a Christian friend. It's a catharsis-a cleansing out, a venting, of all the things that have been pushed down inside you and are causing your depression.

Notice the six emotions that Elijah felt. First, Elijah was afraid (1 Kings 19:3). Then he felt resentment (1 Kings 19:4). He said, "I'm fed up with it all, and I'm no better than my ancestors." He also had low self-esteem and felt guilty. Next Elijah complained that he worked hard for nothing (1 Kings 19:10). He was angry. Then he said, "I'm all alone" (1 Kings 19:10). He was lonely. Finally he added, "And they're trying to kill me too." He was worried. When you combine resentment, fear, guilt, anger, loneliness, and worry, you're asking for depression!

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So God just let him spill this all out. He said, "Elijah, what's frustrating you? What's eating you up?" When you are depressed that's exactly what you need to do, tell it all to the Lord.

A FRESH AWARENESS OF GOD

The third remedy for your depression is to get a fresh awareness of God's presence in your life. The Lord told Elijah, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for I am about to pass by" (1 Kings 19:11). Then a powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks, but the Lord wasn't in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but the Lord wasn't in the earthquake either. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord wasn't in the fire either. After the fire came a gentle whisper, and when Elijah heard this he put his cloak over his face. He knew it was the Lord, so he went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

God had put on a real show with the wind, earthquake, and fire, but He wasn't speaking to Elijah in any of those. What really got Elijah's attention was the still, small voice-the gentle whisper. Even today God usually speaks to us in stillness and quietness-not out of some big dramatic demonstration of fire or power. God reminded Elijah that He was still right there beside him.

If you are depressed, take your Bible and go to the ocean or to a lake or out in the country. Sit down and read your Bible, and get alone with God. Just let God love you and speak to you. Let Him meet your needs, and let yourself feel His presence. There is no greater antidepressant than communication and fellowship with God.

NEW DIRECTION FOR YOUR LIFE

The fourth remedy for overcoming depression is to let God give you a new direction for your life. The Lord told Elijah, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, here's what I want you to do" (1 Kings 19:15). Then God gave Elijah a new assignment. He put him back to work. The quickest way to defeat depression is to quit sitting around in self-pity. Get your eyes off yourself and start looking at the needs of other people. Get involved in their lives in a ministry where you are giving out and God is giving through you. If you're constantly looking at yourself you'll get discouraged. Jesus said, "Lose your life to find it" (Matthew 16:25). Get involved in helping other people.

When we're depressed we tend to think, "How could God ever use me? I'm such a failure. I keep making mistakes. I disappoint myself, so surely I must be disappointing God." But you can never disappoint God, because disappointment can only happen when somebody expects you to do something different from what you really do. The fact is that God knows everything about you. He knows how you'll act in the future. So He's not disappointed when it happens. God knows that you're human, because He made you and He knows what makes you tick.

Let God give you a new purpose and a new direction. He's not through with you. You blew it? Big deal! If you let Him, God will pick you up and start you over. One mistake (or a hundred) does not make you useless for life.

Jesus Christ wants to lift you out of your depression. He can help you; He can change you; He can heal you of depression. You don't have to go through life being manipulated by your emotions. Your emotions are controlled by your thoughts, and even though you cannot directly control your emotions, you can control what you think about. You can choose to change your thoughts. Let God change those harmful misconceptions, such as: "If somebody criticizes me, it means I'm worthless." "I must be loved and accepted by everybody to be fulfilled in life." "I cannot admit any area of weakness; I have to be perfect or else I'm a failure." These are the

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kinds of misconceptions that cause depression. Jesus knew the importance of correct thinking when He said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). The more you know Jesus, the freer you'll be.

YOU CAN CHANGE

You can change. How do you start? By establishing a personal relationship with Christ. You become what the

Bible calls "born again." This doesn't automatically cure all your depression, but without Christ in your life you

have no power to change. He wants to be a vital part of your life, and if you give Him control He will help you.

Once He's in your life, ask Him to give you a new purpose and a new meaning in living. You need something

greater to live for than just your own self. People who live for themselves are guaranteed to get depressed. You

need something greater that draws you out of yourself, and that is a vital relationship with Christ, God's strong

Son.

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THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE

What would you like to change about yourself? Would you like to be more confident or more relaxed? Perhaps you'd like to be more outgoing, less anxious, or less fearful. Most of us are more than a little interested in changing because we realize there is always room for improvement.

WHY CAN'T I CHANGE?

In the years Rick Warren (pastor of a California church) has been a pastor, the number one question he’s asked is, "Rick, why can't I change? I want to change, I really do. But I don't know how -- or I don't have the power."

We go to seminars and conferences, looking for the painless cure that is going to zap our lives and change us by instantly giving us self-discipline. Or we go on diets. I once went on a diet for an entire afternoon.

We join health clubs and our enthusiasm runs strong for about two weeks. Then we fall back into the same old rut. We don't change. We read self-help books, but the problem with self-help books is that they tell us what to do but they can't give us the power to do it. They say things like: "Get rid of all your bad habits, be positive, don't be negative." But how? Where do I get the power to change? How do I get my life out of neutral? How do I break out of the mold that I'm in? Good news. Christianity offers the power we need.

YOU CAN HAVE RESURRECTION POWER

The word power occurs 57 times in the New Testament. It is a word used to describe the most powerful event that ever happened, an event that separated A.D. from B.C. That event was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And that resurrection power is available to change your life!

The most important thing in life is knowing Christ and experiencing the power of His resurrection. Paul writes, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection" (Philippians 3:10). In another letter Paul writes, "I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great His power is to help those who believe Him. It is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in heaven" (Ephesians 1:19-20 TLB).

Paul uses the Greek word for power, dunamis, which is the root of our word dynamite. So Paul is saying, "God wants to give you dynamite power in your life, the power that can change your life." Yes, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead 2,000 years ago is available to you right now to transform the weaknesses in your life into strengths. The Bible describes resurrection power as the power to cancel your past, the power to conquer your problems, and the power to change your personality.

GOD'S POWER WILL CANCEL YOUR PAST

First, resurrection power is the power to cancel your past. I'm talking about your failures, your mistakes, your sins, your regrets. And when I say cancel, I'm not talking about denying the past as if it never happened. The word cancel means to eliminate, to neutralize, to offset something.

Have you ever gotten halfway through a project and wished you could start over? You're painting the living room, and you step back and look at the color that looked perfect on the sample chart. On the wall, however, it doesn't look so perfect. You wish you could just start over.

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A lot of people feel that way about life: "I've made so many mistakes. I wish I could just wipe them out and start over." The failures, the problems, the bad decisions – we've all suffered from them.

Some people just can't seem to let go of their past and, as a result, they let their past limit their present opportunities. They live in a constant state of regret. They continually say, "If only I hadn't done that" or "If only I had made these changes." They always second-guess themselves. They are tormented by painful memories, "I blew it, and I'm going to be paying for it the rest of my life."

God says it's unnecessary for us to go around with a heavy load of guilt, old hurts, and memories of mistakes. In Colossians 2:14 He says He has forgiven all our sins and canceled every record of the debt we had to pay. He did it by allowing Christ to be nailed to the cross.

Jesus Christ knows the things you've done wrong, but He did not come to rub them in. He came to rub them out. He did not come to condemn you, He came to change you. A clean slate is possible! It's a lot like my son's Etch A Sketch. If he makes a mess of a design or picture, all he has to do is flip it over to wipe the slate clean. Then he can start all over again. The Bible says that is what God does with the mistakes I've made. When I come to Him, He wipes the slate clean.

In Jeremiah 31:34 God says to the Israelites that He "will remember their sins no more." That's got to be one of the most amazing statements in the Bible – that the God who made the world "forgets." Today when we come to Him, admit our sins to Him, and then ask Him to forgive us, He cancels our past. God chooses to forget our wrongs, our mistakes, our failures. That's good news! Even if you were to die tonight and stand before God in heaven, you could ask Him about some sin you committed yesterday, and He would say, "What sin?"

He has canceled your past and set you free to get on with the present.

WHY GOD CAN CANCEL YOUR PAST

Now what is the basis of this forgiveness?

When Jesus died, one of His last statements from the cross was, "It is finished" (John 19:30). In the Greek that's one word, tetelestai, literally meaning "paid in full," "canceled." It was the word merchants wrote on bills when they were paid, "paid in full." It was stamped on a document concerning a prison sentence that had been commuted. Jesus says that's what He did on the cross. He paid in full for every sin you've ever made. Romans 8:1 tells us, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Jesus was crucified on the cross so you can stop crucifying yourself. He was hung for your hang-ups. That's good news!

Now the question is: If God forgets a sin the moment you confess it, don't you think you ought to forget it too? How long do you remember a bill you have paid? I forget my bills as soon as they've been paid. I don't worry about last month's electric bill. Someone has said that when we give God all our mistakes and failures, He throws them into the deepest part of the sea. Then He puts up a sign that says No Fishing. He doesn't want us to keep dredging up our sins.

Paul says, "Forgetting what is behind... I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). However, we can short-circuit God's power in our lives by not believing God has truly forgiven us or by choosing not to forgive ourselves. God's power is the power to cancel your past.

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GOD'S POWER WILL CONQUER YOUR PROBLEMS

God's power is also the power to conquer your problems. Everyone has problems. They come with living in a fallen world. If you don't think you have any problems, check your pulse. The only people who don't have problems are in cemeteries.

Our real problem is what we do with our problems. Inevitably, we try to solve them with our own power. How do you know when you're trying to solve all your problems with your own strength? You're tired all the time! A man who was frustrated with his lack of power to conquer his problems summed it up when he said, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." We get this way when we try to solve our problems on our own. God wants us to stop trying and start trusting Him with our problems.

I have met thousands of people who feel like their lives are out of control. They tell me, "My life is out of control; I'm a victim of my circumstances. What can I do? I'm powerless. Just about the time I make ends meet, somebody moves the ends." If you ask them, "How are you doing?" they respond, "I'm doing okay, under the circumstances." Well, what are they doing under them? Someone has said circumstances are like a mattress: if you're on top, you rest easy, but if you get underneath, you suffocate! A lot of people are under their circumstances. Although we cannot always control our circumstances, we can control how we respond to them.

You might be saying, "But, Rick, you don't know all the problems I'm going through. I'm having a tough time." If so, let me encourage you to take the focus off your problems and focus on God's promises.

Look at what Paul asks in Romans 8:35, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" He answers his question in verse 37, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Do you know what the word conquer means? A conqueror is "one who overcomes by gaining control." Paul says that we are more than conquerors. The Greek word explains that we are super conquerors and that we can have overwhelming victory. If we put our lives in God's hands and rely on the power of the Resurrection, nothing can devastate us. Nothing can swallow us up or destroy us. That's the message of the Resurrection and the heart of the Good News.

No matter how dark the situation may be, God can turn it around. No matter how hopeless life seems, God brings hope. The same power that enabled Jesus Christ to rise from the dead will allow you to rise above your problems.

Acts 4 records the first serious opposition to the apostles' preaching of the Gospel in Jerusalem. When the authorities threatened them, they banded together and prayed. Notice what they prayed for. They didn't ask God to stop the opposition but rather to give them supernatural boldness in the face of the opposition (4:29). He did (4:31).

Resurrection power enables you to cancel your past and conquer your problems. That's not all it does.

GOD'S POWER WILL CHANGE YOUR PERSONALITY

Resurrection power also helps you change your personality. What would you like to change about yourself, and how do you go about doing it? Let's put it another way: how would your spouse like you to change? Maybe that would be more revealing. One wife said her husband is "too temperamental" – 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental! In another situation, a husband went in for marriage counseling one day and told his pastor he

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wanted a divorce. The pastor reminded him that he had promised before God that he would take his wife for better or for worse. The man said, "Yes, but she's a lot worse than I took her for."

How would you complete this sentence, "It's just like me to..."? It's just like me to be late all the time? It's just like me to be unable to stay on a diet? It's just like me to put my foot in my mouth? It's just like me to blow up, to be depressed, to get angry? I'm sure you're well aware of the parts of your personality you'd change if you could.

GOD USES A PROCESS

God uses a two-step process to change us. The first step is explained in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" When we commit our lives to Christ, that's the initial turning point. We are not the same anymore. A new life has begun. That's why the Bible calls it being "born again." Being born again doesn't mean we are reincarnated, it simply means we get a chance to start over. It's not turning over a new leaf but getting a new life, a fresh start. It's a new beginning with a big difference. We now have a new nature and the indwelling Holy Spirit. A set of "spiritual batteries" are included to provide the power! That makes all the difference in the world.

Being born again, like being born the first time, is only the beginning. It is followed by a lifetime process described in Romans 12:2. J.B. Phillips paraphrased the verse this way, "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed. Thus you will prove in practice that the will of God is good, acceptable to Him, and perfect."

In the next chapter we'll examine more specifically how God helps us change and the tools He uses. Then we'll take a close look at how He changes us by producing in us the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23. Each chapter will be devoted to one of these character qualities. When the Holy Spirit controls your life, He will produce in you nine positive characteristics: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Let me ask you, how many of the people you work with or live with exhibit these qualities? How many of the people you work with or live with would say these qualities describe you? The sad fact is that rather than loving others, we are often unloving. Rather than living joyously, we feel defeated, depressed, and discouraged. Rather than experiencing peace, we feel uptight and pressured. Rather than being patient, we're frustrated and irritated. Instead of showing kindness, it's every man for himself. Instead of modeling goodness, we often feel there's nothing good about ourselves. Instead of being faithful, we neglect our commitments. We are more likely to respond to others in anger or resentment than in gentleness. And instead of practicing self-control, we watch our lives falling apart.

These are the contrasts between the person who lets the power of God work in his life and the person who relies on his own power. We must remember, however, that the fruit of the Spirit isn't something we work up. It's something that God produces in us when we fully trust Him with our lives.

DON'T PUT IT OFF

Only one thing will keep you from changing and becoming the person you and God want you to be. It's not the devil. It's not other people. It's not circumstances. It's procrastination.

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I meet so many people who are getting ready to live, but never live. "I'm aiming to change," they tell me. And I want to reply, "That's good, but when are you going to pull the trigger?"

Procrastination is fatal. One of these days I'm going to go to the dentist. One of these days I'm going to have that surgery I need. One of these days I'm going to spend more time with the family ... get serious about being a Christian ... become active in church ... go after that dream, One of these days I'm going to get in shape. One of these days! More often than not, that day never comes.

WHY SPEND ONE MORE NIGHT WITH THE FROGS?

One of my favorite movies is The Ten Commandments, with Charlton Heston standing out there separating the Red Sea so the Israelites can walk through, My family gets a kick out of my behavior every time I see The Ten Commandments because for the next couple of weeks I go around walking and talking like Yul Brynner, who portrayed Pharaoh in the movie. When my kids ask me something, I reply, "So let it be written; so let it be done!"

One of the humorous facts about the events surrounding the Israelites' exodus from Egypt concerns the ten plagues God sent on the Egyptians. Each plague made fun of a different Egyptian god. For instance, the Egyptians worshiped lice, so God sent them a lot of lice to worship. Then there was the plague of frogs. The Bible says there were frogs everywhere. It must have been messy! I'm sure Mrs. Pharaoh put pressure on Pharaoh to give in and get rid of the frogs.

Finally, Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "All right, Moses, I give up." So Moses asked, "When do you want me to get rid of the frogs?" Now Pharaoh's answer was classic. He said, "Tomorrow," He must have been crazy! Why would anyone wait any longer to have the frogs removed?

There is a famous sermon based on this text called "One More Night with the Frogs." How would you like to spend one more night with the frogs? Why in the world would anyone put off a change that was going to be positive? We would have expected Pharaoh to say, "Get rid of the frogs right now!" But no, he said, "Tomorrow."

You and I do this all the time. We procrastinate by putting off changes that we know will be good for us. Why? Maybe we're complacent. Maybe we're too lazy to change, Maybe we're afraid because we don't know what the changes will involve. Maybe we're too proud, or we're just stubborn, Whatever the reason, we procrastinate.

The NASA space engineers tell us that most of the fuel used in a rocket launch is burned up in the first few seconds of lift-off. It takes tremendous energy and thrust to get the rocket off the launch pad. Once it's moving and headed for orbit, it requires much less fuel and is easier to control and direct. It has overcome inertia.

It's one thing for me to tell you that Jesus Christ can cancel your past, help you conquer the problems you are facing right now, and change your personality. But it's quite another matter for you to overcome inertia and actually let Him begin to do it now! Although you may agree with everything I say, you may still wait and let Jesus help you "one of these days."

Jesus Christ has the power to make changes in your life now. He will give you the power to get started and the power to keep going. He will give you the power to break the chains of procrastination.

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If you have been unable to let go of your past, Jesus Christ offers complete forgiveness. He can put your life back together again. You may feel like Humpty Dumpty, so fragmented that nothing can put you back together. But it's never too late to start over! You're never a failure until you give up.

Maybe you're overwhelmed by your problems. The Resurrection reminds us that no situation is hopeless. Relax. Trust God. You don't have to be controlled by your circumstances. No problem is too big for God. He's still in the resurrection business. What are you waiting for? Right now you can say, "Jesus Christ, take my life. Take the good, the bad, and the ugly. Take every part of me." Open your heart to His love right now and let His transforming resurrection power become a reality in your life.

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THE FOUR PERSONALITY TYPES Choleric Achievers Sanguine Talkers Phlegmatic Facilitators Melancholy Thinkers Description People Mover Recognition Seeker Cooperative Group Reserved, Precisionist Primary Work Traits Goal-Oriented,

Acts Quickly, Organizes Well

People-Oriented, Energetic, Inspiring

Team-Oriented, Administrative ability, Steady Worker

Numbers-Oriented Accurate, Logical, Plans, Follow-up

Key Words Directing, Dominating Interacting, Influencing Stabilizing, Supporting Cautious, Conscientious Primary Intent Obtaining Results Interacting with Others Stable, Controlled

Environment Adherence to defined standards

Basic Style Active, Assertive, Direct, Straight-forward

Enthusiastic, Gregarious, Impulsive, Reactive

Controlled, Disciplined, Friendly, Low-key

Logical, Precise, Reserved, Sensitive

Under Pressure Bossy, Impatient

Emotional, Optimistic Slows down, Sulky Overly critical, Strict

Conflict Response Attacks Try to sell, then backs off Bends to authority Withdraw to prepare Type of Aggression Overt Verbal Passive Defensive Strongly Resists Personal Criticism Personal Rejection Sudden, vague changes Criticism of work ideas Ideas Generate ideas Talk about ideas Do the work Makes sure work is done

right Change Generate changes Likes to change Slow to change Must justify change Prefers Others Who Are Fast acting, Achievers Listeners,

Agrees easily Sincere, Accommodating

Logical, Precise

Basic Fear Being taken advantage of Social disapproval

Loss of security Imperfection

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Personality Profile Scoring Sheet Directions: Transfer all checks to the corresponding words on this personality scoring sheet. Add up the total of each column. Example: If you checked animated on the profile, check it here on the scoring sheet. Note that the words are in different order on the scoring sheet. Total your strengths at bottom of the scoring sheet and then your weaknesses. Add you strengths and weaknesses to get a combined total.

Strengths

POPULAR SANGUINE POWERFUL CHOLERIC PERFECT MELANCHOLY PEACEFUL PHLEGMATIC

1. Animated Adventurous Analytical Adaptable

2. Playful Persuasive Persistent Peaceful

3. Sociable Strong-willed Self-Sacrificing Submissive

4. Convincing Competitive Considerate Controlled

5. Refreshing Resourceful Respectful Reserved

6. Spirited Self-reliant Sensitive Satisfied

7. Promoter Positive Planner Patient

8. Spontaneous Sure Scheduled Shy

9. Optimistic Outspoken Orderly Obliging

10. Funny Forceful Faithful Friendly

11. Delightful Daring Detailed Diplomatic

12. Cheerful Confident Cultured Consistent

13. Inspiring Independent Idealistic Inoffensive

14. Demonstrative Decisive Deep Dry Humor

15. Mixes Easily Mover Musical Mediator

16. Talker Tenacious Thoughtful Tolerant

17. Lively Leader Loyal Listener

18. Cute Chief Chart Maker Contented

19. Popular Productive Perfectionist Pleasant

20. Bouncy Bold Behaved Balanced

TOTALS-STRENGTHS

POPULAR SANGUINE

POWERFUL CHOLERIC

PERFECT MELANCHOLY

PEACEFUL PHLEGMATIC

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Weaknesses

POPULAR SANGUINE POWERFUL CHOLERIC PERFECT MELANCHOLY PEACEFUL PHLEGMATIC

21. Brassy Bossy Bashful Blank

22. Undisciplined Unsympathetic Unforgiving Unenthusiastic

23. Repetitious Resistant Resentful Reticent

24. Forgetful Frank Fussy Fearful

25. Interrupts Impatient Insecure Indecisive

26. Unpredictable Unaffectionate Unpopular Uninvolved

27. Haphazard Headstrong Hard to please Hesitant

28. Permissive Proud Pessimistic Plain

29. Angered Easily Argumentative Alienated Aimless

30. Naïve Nervy Negative attitude Nonchalant

31. Wants credit Workaholic Withdrawn Womer

32. Talkative Tactless Too sensitive Timid

33. Disorganized Domineering Depressed Doubtful

34. Inconsistent Intolerant Introvert Indifferent

35. Messy Manipulative Moody Mumble

36. Show-off Stubborn Skeptical Slow

37. Loud Loud over others Loner Lazy

38. Scatterbrained Short tempered Suspicious Sluggish

39. Restless Rash Revengeful Reluctant

40. Changeable Crafty Critical Compromising

TOTALS-WEAKNESSES

COMBINED-TOTALS

POPULAR SANGUINE

POWERFUL CHOLERIC

PERFECT MELANCHOLY

PEACEFUL PHLEGMATIC

POPULAR SANGUINE

POWERFUL CHOLERIC

PERFECT MELANCHOLY

PEACEFUL PHLEGMATIC

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PERFECT MELANCHOLY PERSONALITY

The Introvert • The Thinker • The Pessimist

STRENGTHS PERFECT MELANCHOLY EMOTIONS PERFECT MELANCHOLY AT WORK Deep & Thoughtful Schedule oriented Analytical Perfectionist, high standards Serious & Purposeful Detail conscious Genius Prone Persistent & Thorough Talented & Creative Orderly & Organized Artistic or Musical Neat & Tidy Philosophical & Poetic Economical Appreciative of beauty Sees the problem Sensitive to others Finds creative solutions Self-Sacrificing Needs to finish what is started Conscientious Likes charts, graphs, figures, lists Idealistic PERFECT MELANCHOLY AS A FRIEND PERFECT MELANCHOLY AS A PARENT Makes friends cautiously Sets high standards Content to stay in background Wants everything done right Avoids causing attention Keeps home in good order Faithful & Devoted Picks up after children Will listen to complaints Sacrifices own will for others Can solve other’s problems Encourages scholarships and talent Deep concern for other people Moved to tears with compassion

Seeks ideal mate

PEACEFUL PHLEGMATIC PERSONALITY

The Introvert • The Watcher • The Pessimist

STRENGTHS

PEACEFUL PHLEGMATICS EMOTIONS PEACEFUL PHLEGMATIC AT WORK Low-key personality Competent & Steady Easygoing & Relaxed Peaceful & Agreeable Calm, cool, & collected Has administrative ability Patient & Well balanced Meditates on problems Consistent life Avoids conflicts Quiet but witty Good under pressure Sympathetic & Kind Finds the easy way Keeps emotions hidden Happily reconciled to life PEACEFUL PHLEGMATIC AS A FRIEND All-purpose person Easy to get along with

Pleasant & Enjoyable

PEACEFUL PHLEGMATIC AS A PARENT Inoffensive

Makes a good parent Good listener Takes time for the children Dry sense of humor Is not in a hurry Enjoys watching people Can take the good with the bad Has compassion and concern Doesn’t get upset easily

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POPULAR SANGUINE PERSONALITY

The Extrovert • The Talker • The Optimist

STRENGTHS

POPULAR SANGUINE’S EMOTIONS POPULAR SANGUINE AT WORK Appealing personality Volunteers for jobs Talkative, storyteller Thinks up new activities Life of the party Looks great on the surface Good sense of humor Creative & Colorful Memory for color Has energy & enthusiasm Physically holds on to Starts in a flashy way Listener Inspires others Emotional & Demonstrative Charms others to work Enthusiastic & Expressive Cheerful & Bubbling over POPULAR SANGUINE AS A FRIEND Curious Makes friends easily Good on stage Loves people Wide-eyed & Innocent Thrives on compliments Lives in the present Seems exciting Changeable disposition Envied by others Sincere at heart Doesn’t hold grudges Always a child Likes spontaneous activities POPULAR SANGUINE AS A PARENT Makes home fun Is liked by children’s friends Turns disaster into humor Is the circus master

POWERFUL CHOLERIC PERSONALITY

The Extrovert • The Doer • The Optimist

STRENGTHS

POWERFUL CHOLERIC’S EMOTIONS POWERFUL CHOLERIC AT WORK Born leader Goal oriented Dynamic & Active Sees the whole picture Compulsive need for change Organizes well Must correct wrongs Seeks practical solutions Strong willed & Decisive Moves quickly in action Unemotional Delegates work Not easily discouraged Insists on production Independent & Self-sufficient Makes the goal Exudes confidence Stimulates activity Can run anything Thrives on opposition POWERFUL CHOLERIC AS A PARENT POWERFUL CHOLERIC AS A FRIEND Exerts sound leadership Has little need for friends Establishes goals Will work for group activity Motivates family to action Will lead and organize Knows the right answer Is usually right Organizes household Excels in emergencies

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PERFECT MELANCHOLY

WEAKNESSES

___Bashful ___Unforgiving ___Resentful ___Fussy ___Insecure ___Unpopular ___Hard to please ___Pessimistic ___Alienated ___Negative attitude ___Withdrawn ___Too sensitive ___Depressed ___Introvert ___Moody ___Skeptical ___Loner ___Suspicious ___Revengeful ___Critical

PEACEFUL PHLEGMATIC

WEAKNESSES

___Blank ___Unenthusiastic ___Reticent ___Fearful ___Indecisive ___Uninvolved ___Hesitant ___Plain ___Aimless ___Nonchalant ___Worrier ___Timid ___Doubtful ___Indifferent ___Mumbles ___Slow ___Lazy ___Sluggish ___Reluctant ___Compromising

POPULAR SANGUINE

WEAKNESSES

___Brassy ___Undisciplined ___Repetitious ___Forgetful ___Interrupts ___Unpredictable ___Haphazard ___Permissive ___Angered Easily ___Naive ___Wants Credit ___Talkative ___Disorganized ___Inconsistent ___Messy ___Show-off ___Loud ___Scatterbrained ___Restless ___Changeable

POWERFUL CHOLERIC

WEAKNESSES

___Bossy ___Unsympathetic ___Resistant ___Frank ___Impatient ___Unaffectionate ___Headstrong ___Proud ___Argumentative ___Nervy ___Workaholic ___Tactless ___Domineering ___Intolerant ___Manipulative ___Stubborn ___Lord over others ___Short-tempered ___Rash ___Craft

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MY NEVER AGAIN LIST

1. Never again will I confess that “I can’t” for “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

2. Never again will I confess fear for “God hath not given me the spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

3. Never again will I confess doubt or lack of faith for “God hath given to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3), and “this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

4. Never again will I confess weakness for “The Lord is the strength of my life” (Psalms 27:1) and “the people that know their God shall be strong” (Daniel 11:32).

5. Never again will I confess supremacy of Satan over my life for “Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4), “and He hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6), “Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21), “That is the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward us through Christ” (Ephesians 2:7), “That we might know what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe according to the working of His mighty power , which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:19-20).

6. Never again will I confess defeat “For God always causeth me to triumph in Christ Jesus” (2 Corinthians 2:14), and “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:37).

7. Never again will I confess sickness for “With His stripes I am healed” (Isaiah 53:5), and “Jesus Himself too my infirmities and bare my sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17).

8. Never again will I confess worries and frustrations, “For I am casting all my cares on Him who careth for me” (1 Peter 5:7). “I will be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let my requests be made known unto God and the peace of God that passeth all understanding is keeping my heart and mind through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). In Christ I am free.

9. Never again will I confess lack for “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

10. Never again will I be utterly defeated by Satan in any area for “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delighteth in His way. Though He falls he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand” (Psalm 37:23-24), and “Jesus gave the power over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt me” (Luke 10:17), “Sin shall have no dominion over me.” (Romans 6:14) for I am “Yielding myself unto God as one that is alive from the dead and my members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 5:12).

11. Never again will I confess that anything is too hard or impossible for the Lord for “There is nothing too hard for the Lord” (Jeremiah 32:17), and “With God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).