THE CHRISTIAN WILL SEEK A GROWING SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE THROUGH AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST

John 17:17;   1 Peter 2:2;  1 Thessalonians 5:17;  Luke 18:1;  Psalms 55:17;  Through the study of the Word we receive divine instruction and encouragement.  Through prayer we receive the spiritual power by which the Word is infused.  The study of the Word creates the sense of need.  The sense of need leads us to prayer.  Bible study and prayer go together and both are imperative to spiritual growth...as vital as are bread and air to physical survival.

THE CHRISTIAN WILL ENDEAVOR BY HIS CONSISTENT LIFE AND PERSONAL EFFORT TO SHARE HIS FAITH

John 15:16;  Matt 10: 32, 33;  Matt 25:14-29;  2 Cor 5:17-20   The natural response to the infilling of the love of Christ is to share that love experience in faithful witness.  The branch, attached the vine, will bear fruit.  God wills that we bear much fruit and that our talents be used for Christ, and our faith not shared the talents will be removed and the experience lost.

Matt 28:18-20;  Matt 24:14;  Seventh-Day Adventists have a strong sense of mission, recognizing that every member is to be an evangel, with a passion for souls and a burden to help pass on the gospel message that is to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord.  The laymen or the church, as in the apostolic days, are to be united with the ministry and church leaders in person-to-person contact evangelism, as well as in sharing in the program of world evangelism. When the gospel has gone to all the world...Christ will come again.

1 Timothy 2:1,2;  Titus 3:1-2;  The Christian will implement his witness by honoring those in authority, remembering them in his prayers, and doing what he can to preserve the peace.  In these days of tension and unrest, special care will be given lest we be understood as putting ourselves in opposition to the civil authorities.  We will recognize our civil obligations by vote, by the payment of taxes, and by service to our country as a part of our Christian obligation.

Genesis 1:27;  Acts 17:26;  Acts 10:25-28;  The true Christian recognizes no distinctions as to race or color.  All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption.  The great commission encompasses all races all nations, all people.  Hatreds and prejudices find no place in this plan.  As the soul is surrendered to the love of Jesus, all walls of separation and prejudice are broken down.  All are brethren.

THE CHRISTIAN'S STEWARDSHIP WILL INCLUDE A FAITHFUL TITHE AND FREEWILL OFFEREING FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH AND ITS MISSION TO THE WORLD

Psalms 24:1;  Psalms 50:10-12;  Deuteronomy 8:18;  Malachi 3:10,11;  God owns the world and all that is in it.  He gives us power to get wealth.  For all our blessings, and as an acknowledgement of our dependence upon Him,  He asks us to bring to Him our tithe and offerings, and receive from Him His blessings.

Matt 23:23;  Malachi 3:8-9;  1 Corinthians 9:13,14;  2 Cor 9:6-8;  Matt 6:33;  By withholding our tithes and offerings we are robbing God, and He will bring forth a curse.  The New Testament recognizes this means of supporting His work. Christ challenges us to put His kingdom first in our lives.

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By desiring to maintain a growing Christian experience,  it is my purpose to be faithful in the study of the Word, in communion with God through prayer, and in bearing witness to the power of the gospel through consistent living and personal effort.

By recognizing God as the source of all blessings,  I shall gladly return to Him first the tithe, the tenth of my increase,  and then offerings as I am able,  as He prospers me.

And what about you my friend?  Please feel free to share your response here. I hope you have a pleasant labor day, and please pray for the victims of Gustav.

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This is interesting to say the least...I spent pretty close to an hour putting this thread together, and when I hit the send button, I got a 500 server error, and I thought everything was lost. But I see the hand of God works in mysterious and wonderful ways. This post reappeared out of nowhere.

Nick, thanks for those comforting words.

Hi Jim,

When it's all laid out like this and put in plain and simple English, I feel so inferior, even unworthy of all I have to be grateful for. 

Now, why did I say that?  Well, because I study the Bible, I read and reread it, and I pray.  I do pray, and when I say I will keep someone, or some situation in my prayers, I do.  I have witnessed and bear witness to the power of prayer. it's just that feeling of "intimacy with Jesus Christ" continues to elude me.

Perhaps I am making more of that and taking your words in the title too literally.  I love to turn on the gratitude.  Being grateful to Him always, always, gives me the closest thing to "intimacy" with him.  I know that He is responsible for everything that is good and wonderful in my life.  So when those feelings of inferior and unworthy come up, I just turn on the gratitude.  It works for me!

Blessings, my friend.  I always get a lot out of your forums and I am grateful to you for your willingness to post them!

Judy

Hi Judy, I do believe that the more time we spend in contemplation of God's Word, the more we realize that our mortal bodies are inferior, and that we need to spend more time studying the Word and to recognize that if it was not for His (Jesus) sacrifice, we would not have the opportunity for life in the next world to come. Thank you for stopping by. I always look forward to your posts.

Since I had difficulties with this post, I don't think many folks know about this thread. If you know someone who would like to see it, or to make a post, please alert them of it.