Bread From Heaven

Yes, I believe. What's next?

I am including several links to helpful items to help you get closer to God. There will be a lot of information here. Take your time. I hope it is an enjoyment and a help to you.

Ok, I believe in Jesus Christ! Now, what do I do? What comes next? Is it enough to just believe?

James 2:19-21
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

I believe these verses are saying that if you truly believe, your actions will show it. The devils even show their belief by trembling. If you believe something you will act upon that belief.

For example, you walk into a room to sit down in a chair. If the chair looks to be in good repair and sturdy, you will trust that chair to hold your weight as you sit in it. If the chair appears to be wobbly or broken, you might sit on the floor instead of the chair because you don't trust it to hold you.

I also want to provide you with a few resources to get you started.

I. What actions can I take to show that I truly believe in Jesus Christ and to develop a personal relationship with him?

We can obey God's commands, study God's Word, fellowship, communicate with other Christians, pray, Tell others about your experience and how they can be a believer in Jesus too, Praise and glorify God, love others, and die to self or live for Christ.

A. Obey God's Commands and live for Christ.

Deuteronomy 11:1
Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

Ephesians 4:21-32
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Part of this Scripture passage in Ephesians was in my Scripture writing today. "Scripture writing - Ephesians 4:22-28"  This passage is good for telling us what comes next. It gives us several instructions. It tells us how we can live like Christ. God makes us a new person in righteousness and Holiness. He renews our way of thinking. He forgives us of our sins and teaches us how to not sin again.

B. Fellowship/communicate with other believers.

It is important for us to fellowship and communicate with others who also believe in Christ. I know sometimes circumstances prevent us. If you can find a way to work around those circumstances, it will be beneficial to you. We can support, encourage, and pray for one another. It is harder when you have to face life without other people who believe in the same things you do. Watching church services online is not the same as attending in person. However, sometimes life requires it and it is better than nothing. There are many churches that offer their church services online. If anyone is interested, here is the link to watch my church online. http://sherwoodbaptist.com/

Hebrews 10:25
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

C. Study God's Word.

We must read and study God's Word daily. One of my favourite online resources for this is Bible gateway, https://www.biblegateway.com/. You can also use the SOAP Bible study method. I have demonstrated this in my Scripture writing. "Scripture writing - Ephesians 4:22-28"  You can find Scripture writing plans and reading plans online as well as other Bible study helps and resources. Here are a few other links to resources I like to use. Of course, there are others too.

Crosswalk devotionals
https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/
In Touch Ministries
https://www.intouch.org/
Our Daily Bread
https://odb.org/
Love Worth Finding Ministry
https://www.lwf.org/?mwm_id=477421214333&source=PPPYDG1PS&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInfje...
Oasis Radio Network
https://www.oasisnetwork.org/
KLOVE
https://www.klove.com/
Jesus One
http://jesusone.com/

Here is a YouTube video to give some more ideas on how to study the Bible.
https://youtu.be/qm07HafZsr8

2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

D. Pray.

We must pray and communicate with God. Prayer is also part of the full armor of God mentioned in Ephesians six.

Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Here are some ideas if you are interested in starting a prayer journal. I have one myself.

https://ericarandall.com/how-to-start-prayer-journal/

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/ways-to-keep-a-prayer-journal-this-year...

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/how-to-start-a-prayer-journal.html

There are several YouTube videos on how to prayer journal. I am posting the link to a couple of them.

https://youtu.be/hKPXYYHUbyM

https://youtu.be/BN07euLYma0

There are many resources on prayer. This is a link on information on books about prayer from my favorite prayer related author.

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=iphone_bm&lei=P4tGYMioF4TksA...

E. Tell others.

We need to share our belief in Christ with others.

James 5:20
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Here are some ideas.

ABC’s of Salvation (for children and youth)
https://royalrangers.com/~/link.aspx?_id=33F96B6FFA9B4DA881EE2238FA01E1AE&_z=z

Romans Road to Salvation
https://www.flashcardmachine.com/romans-road-kjv.html

http://www.lakehillsbaptist.org/2018/05/03/romans-road-to-salvation/

Wordless book method (also popular for children )
https://www.letthelittlechildrencome.com/child-evangelism-resources/wordless-boo...

Drawing the plan of salvation
https://threethirtyministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/How-to-Share-the-Pl...

Other ways to present the plan of Salvation
https://www.gotquestions.org/plan-of-salvation.html

https://bible.org/article/gods-plan-salvation

https://www.thehopeline.com/verses/gods-plan-of-salvation/

There are many different ways you can share Jesus Christ and the plan of Salvation with others. Find one or a few that you are comfortable with and use that as a guide until you can do it from memory. Be genuine and honest. Respect others and except some different opinions. Not everyone you share Jesus with will accept him as their Savior, unfortunately, but you can feel good and comfortable with yourself knowing you did what you could do to save a soul from Hell.

F. Praise and glorify God

We need to give God all the glory and praise. It is due him. There are several ways to praise and glorify God.

Psalm 100
1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

We can thank him for all he has done for us.

Psalm 9:1
I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

We can adore him for who and what he is.

Here is a list of Scripture verses to help us do just that. https://unlockingthebible.org/2018/02/70-prompts-for-adoring-god/

We can sing to and for him.

Psalm 96:1-2
1 O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

We can lift our hands towards him.

Lamentations 3:41
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

We can dance before him as David danced before the Lord.

Due to the fact that this is sometimes a controversial issue in some churches, I would like to share a link to more than one Scripture that mentions it.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Dancing/

However, notice in Ecclesiastes 3:4 (A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;), there is a proper time and place for it. Use wisdom in discerning this. We do not want to offend a brother or sister in Christ. Refer to Romans 14. This chapter talks about eating of certain meats that was against the Jewish law, but I believe it can be applied to other things as well.

We can give him credit for every good thing in our life.

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

G. Love others

God is Love. To be like Christ, we must love others.

1 John 4:7-8
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

II. Let Your Light Shine

Live for Jesus. Be a light to the world.

Matthew 5:14-16
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

FORUM

Feasting On The Word of God   (E) This is for a Bible study group. #2245217 by Marvelous Friend

Jesus is my permanent anchor!