Friday 1 February 2013

How You See Yourself Is How Others See You

How you see yourself is very important. People tend to perceive and see you just the way you also see and perceive yourself. The way you see yourself goes a long way to ensure your psychological well-being. Your self esteem influences several other areas of your life which when put together determines your overall success in life.

The Israelites Saw Themselves as Grasshoppers

“And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” – Numbers 13:33.

The prophet Moses sent twelve men of Israel to go and spy the land of Canaan which God had promised to give to them as inheritance. The twelve men after spying the land of Canaan for 40 days returned to Moses to give him a report of what the land is like.

However, only Caleb, one of the twelve, came with a good report of the land. “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30). All the others brought a negative picture. “And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:32)

The men saw themselves as grasshoppers before the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, and the amazing thing here is that, the people in return also saw the Israelites as grasshoppers. It is interesting to note here that the inhabitants of Canaan did not first see the Israelites as grasshoppers, worthless and or unfit. It was the Israelites who first saw themselves as grasshoppers, worthless and unfit to match into war with the people of Canaan. We as humans serve as mirrors to others. How we see ourselves is a reflection unto others. How you see yourself is exactly how others see you. It is just as simple as that. If you see yourself through an eye of love, self-worth and of great importance, that is exactly how others are going to see you.

I Was Timid

I am personally a witness to the above fact. I went through the entire years of High School as a timid boy. Initially, I thought it was calmness but later I realize it is sheer timidity. Despite being the very good student that I was, I was very timid. I never ask questions in class. I felt so inferior to my classmates. I never saw anything good in me. The sad part of it all is that I never noticed I was a very handsome boy. I felt really bad anytime I thought of what others think or say about me. This behavior really affected my studies and my relationship with people. I became an extremely reserved person.

My Turning Point

About a year after graduating from High School, I was dressing to go out and when I got done dressing I decided to check myself out in the mirror. That was my turning point. Right in front of me in the mirror I saw a very handsome boy. Suddenly I was like “hey! You’re handsome”. I had never felt that way about myself so I couldn’t fully swallow in those words that I uttered. So I took my eyes off the mirror, thought for a while and returned to the mirror to confirm what I had seen early on. Again, there in the mirror stood the handsome me I had see earlier.

That day when I went out, I had more people telling me “hey, you look good”, “you’re handsome”, “and you’re cute” and many more good compliments. Sounds like magic, huh? I was really amazed and this changed my entire outlook on life. It is a REAL FACT; how you see yourself is how others see you. If you see yourself as some mediocre, aimless and worthless that is exactly how others are going to see you. But if you see yourself as a very special, gifted and wonderful person, you will be surprise to know that that is exactly how others see you.

You're Special

So from today, begin to see yourself as a very important person, a very unique person, a person who is loved and cherished so dearly by friends and family. Take out those negative thoughts, perceptions and ideologies about yourself and replace them with positives ones. You’re very special, a wonderful person created in the image and likeness of God. Be proud of yourself, feel good about yourself and love yourself. Cheers!

Jesus Christ is our Peace with God

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What does God's Word say about:

Alcohol - Cigarettes & Tobacco - Drug-Taking in General?

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and ON EARTH PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN." LUKE 2:13-14
Nearly everyone knows what the angels said when Jesus was born, but very few have come to know the PEACE that God has promised us in His Son. Instead everyone we meet is worried and anxious and uneasy about something - some more than others. This is how God's Word says the world will be.
"For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity." ECCLESIASTES 2:22-23
"Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." JOB 14:1
"Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth." ISAIAH 24:17
God has given us the way out in His Son Jesus:
"For unto us a child is born ... and his name shall be called ... The Prince of Peace." ISAIAH 9:6
"The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, PREACHING PEACE BY JESUS CHRIST: (HE IS LORD OF ALL)." ACTS 10:36
But instead, all through the ages, men have preferred to turn to other things to take their minds off their problems and relieve their tensions; nowadays the most common method is through all sorts of chemicals - DRUGS - taken artificially. This includes the drugs ALCOHOL (strong drink), NICOTINE (smoking tobacco), and all sorts of TRANQUILLIZERS (some people regularly use headache powders and tablets, to 'pick themselves up'), as well as the illegal and more unusual drugs (marijuana, heroin, and so on). Of these only alcohol was sufficiently common in Bible times to be mentioned in the Bible itself; here is what is WRITTEN IN GOD'S WORD:
PROVERBS 20:1 "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."
PROVERBS 21:17 "He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich."
PROVERBS 23:20-21 "Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags."
PROVERBS 23:29-30 "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine."
God intends that we understand what alcoholic drinks do: they DECEIVE and MOCK those who drink them, causing woe and sorrow and sickness.
PROVERBS 23:31-35 "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again."
What a picture of the effects of strong drink! Aside from sickness and 'hangovers', alcohol brings about irresponsible behaviour, violence, moodiness, and so on, often resulting in road deaths, crimes of passion, broken homes, poverty, and the rest. It causes so many problems, yet to escape these problems people turn back to it! How foolish!
PROVERBS 31:6-7 "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more."
Anyone who thinks about it will realise that strong drink is no solution to anything, and that alcoholics are in a desperate plight. But what about moderate drinkers and 'social' drinkers? Does God mind if we have a little drink every now and again?
1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? BE NOT DECEIVED: neither fornicators ... NOR DRUNKARDS ... shall inherit the kingdom of God."
The Greek word for 'drunkard' means A DRINKER OF STRONG DRINK. NO-ONE WHO DRINKS STRONG DRINK SHALL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. This is God's Word. (The so-called 'wine' that Jesus drank was 'new wine', which means fresh grape-juice that has not fermented.) ALCOHOL is a POISON - and the same applies to all the other things mentioned earlier - NICOTINE and the other drugs. Even if there are no immediate medical effects, all of these things produce a frame of mind where the person becomes more and more dependent on chemicals for 'kicks' and so-called 'happiness' - and in the long run, if not before, the body will suffer. Everyone knows nowadays what a filthy habit smoking is, and what terrible effects it has in the bodies of people that are bound to it. Our bodies are not our own: God will judge all men for the way they have treated them:
2 CORINTHIANS 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
ROMANS 14:12 "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."
Once again, DON'T BE DECEIVED. Don't let anyone tell you that God's Word is wrong. The time is fast approaching when Jesus will return to judge the earth. REPENT NOW!
LUKE 21:25-27 "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth DISTRESS OF NATIONS, with PERPLEXITY; the sea and the waves roaring; MEN'S HEARTS FAILING THEM FOR FEAR, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
The whole world will be troubled - God says so. Even now, people everywhere are searching for peace, and cannot find it - WHY?
ISAIAH 48:22 "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked."
God shows us the way to find peace: "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (ROMANS 5:1). He came to preach peace to us, "and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (HEBREWS 2:15).
DON'T LET SATAN BIND YOU TO ANY HABIT-FORMING DRUG FOR THE SAKE OF A PHONEY, CHEMICAL 'PEACE'. There is only ONE WAY:
JOHN 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: NOT AS THE WORLD GIVETH, GIVE I UNTO YOU. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
The world tries to give us peace through alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and so on; and none of these things last, and all are in some way harmful. Jesus gives us His incomparable peace by the power of His Holy Spirit dwelling within. There can be no substitute.
EPHESIANS 5:18 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT."

"... REPENT, and BE BAPTIZED every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST." ACTS 2:38
If a sinner is to be saved, God's plan and pattern of salvation which He has laid down in His Word must be fulfilled in all points.
JESUS CAME TO GIVE US LIFE, HIS OWN LIFE. He says to YOU:
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." JOHN 10:10
God's Word says in ISAIAH 64:6 - "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags ..." This is what God says of you, speaking through his prophet!
And in ROMANS 3:23 "For ALL HAVE SINNED, and come short of the glory of God."
"REPENT YE THEREFORE, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ ..." ACTS 3:19-20
ROMANS 8:9 "... If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
JOHN 3:5 "Jesus answered ... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (The evidence of receiving God's Holy Spirit and being born again by God's Spirit is in ACTS 2:4; ACTS 10:44-46; ACTS 19:6).
THERE IS NO COMPROMISE WITH THE WORD OF GOD!
Compiled by Pentecost Revival Centre, Ballarat, Australia, approx. 1968-1972.

God Revealed His Full Salvation Message to Me!

Bosse - Gothenburg, Sweden

When I was about 18, we had many intellectual discussions in my class at school. Many kids this age think they know how to solve all the problems in the world! One of my classmates was a Christian, and he challenged me to come along to a Christian school group. I went along a few times, but didn’t really see the point in just sitting around and praying to some God. However, after finishing school, I kept in touch with my old mate and he gave me some books to read. While I was doing my military service, I read a book called “Longing for Holiness”, which really made me think that there was something special about the Bible and the Christian faith.
About 2 years later, I decided to test whether praying to God really worked. To my surprise, I soon started meeting people who would answer my questions using the Bible before I even asked them. I was very surprised!!! I thought prayer was only for old people who went to church before they died to make peace with God. Some time later, I started calling myself a believer and joined a local missionary church.
One and a half years later, I moved to Gothenburg to study, and started looking around for a church to go to. However, I had no idea where to go. There were so many churches, preaching almost the same thing, but they were still different. Some said that I had to get baptised to join their church, others said, “Just come along”. After a year in Gothenburg, I became very curious about “speaking in tongues”, since I had once met a very honest and helpful elderly man who spoke in tongues. Somehow I connected the tongues to his character and it sparked my curiosity. One day, after a few months of searching and after having received prayer, I found myself thanking God and realised that some “strange” words were coming out of my mouth. I was not sure, but thought that it could be “tongues”.
After this experience, two things became very important to me. The first one was telling everyone about the Bible and that they have to get saved. I was very enthusiastic, but didn’t know where to direct the people that I spoke to. The second one was that I knew I had to find out the truth about baptism. I went to different churches, and they gave me books and leaflets about baptism. However, each church had its own view on baptism. It just didn’t make sense because I had read a scripture that said that there is “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (EPHESIANS 4:5). I was so frustrated and eventually just shouted out to God “Thank You that my parents baptised me when I was a child. In Jesus Name. Amen! However, if You want otherwise, You’ll have to throw me into a baptism tank”.
I did not think much more about it, but two weeks later something very interesting happened that was about to change my life. I was in a second hand shop in Gothenburg, looking at old Christian books, when I heard someone speaking German. I commented in German “Ah, this is only Swedish literature.” whereby the man replied “And that’s exactly what I am looking for.” I got talking to the man and his friends. They seemed very friendly and clearly believed in the Bible. They invited me home for coffee and yummy blueberry cake, and we started speaking about the Bible. They asked me if I was baptised, and I said, “Yes, I was baptised as a child.” They replied, “Aha” and took their Bibles out and showed me some scriptures about baptism. This was very different to what all the other churches had done, since they had told me their theology rather than just plainly pointing to the Bible. I believed what they were saying and that the Bible was real and I knew that I had to get baptised. The next day was Sunday and I decided to go to a church where they had told me that I had to be baptised to join their church. After the service I wanted to speak to the Pastor but he was too busy. I went home and tried to call their Youth Pastor, but only got through to the answering machine. I was getting very anxious and frustrated, and I prayed to God for help. Fifteen minutes later I got a phone call from one of the guys whom I had met the night before. He invited me to join them again and I accepted. They told me all about the history of the church, their vision and the need to do what the Bible says and it was a very interesting night.
The following day I invited the two guys home to my little student flat, and they showed me a video from their main meeting in Cornwall, England in 1992. I was very stirred up by what I saw: The Bible in action; much joy, but also much depth; healing testimonies and much more. We then spent some time talking, and they told me that if I wanted to follow God, I had to obey the Bible. I hated the word “obey” (I was an independent, selfish student!) At the same time, I knew they were right, and half an hour later I told them: “OK, I would like to be baptised and I want to join your assembly!” I was baptised later that night in Pierre’s bathtub, and an exciting life started. Instead of being a lonely, independent believer, God could start to use me the way He wanted to!
One more thing happened the night after my baptism. I was having a break in my studies and went up to a big hill where there is a fantastic view over Gothenburg. I prayed for the city, and I also thanked God for answering my prayer and leading me to the truth about baptism. All of a sudden, I felt an incredible joy and peace and I started to pray in tongues much more powerfully and fluently than before. It felt like it came from within me, not just from my mouth. I knew there was a scripture about something like this, and found it: “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (JOHN 7:38). I also realised that before, I had been a believer, but that I only now was fully saved according to ACTS 2:38: “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”. Praise God - He did indeed draw me into His fold in an amazing way!!

The Bible says there is only one way to Heaven

Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)
Good works cannot save you.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Trust Jesus Christ today! Here's what you must do:

Admit you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12)
"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:10)
Be willing to turn from sin (repent). Jesus said: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5)
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" (Acts 17:30)
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)
Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal Saviour. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

What to pray:

Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Saviour.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12)
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

If you have received Jesus Christ as your Saviour, as a Christian you should:

Read your Bible every day to get to know Christ better. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105)
Talk to God in prayer every day. "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22)
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)
Be baptized, worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached and the Bible is the final authority. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:19)
"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." (Hebrews 10:25)
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2 Timothy 3:16)
Tell others about Christ. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)
"For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16)
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)

Message of Salvation

I wrote this teaching for both those who would like to understand the message of salvation and are considering accepting Jesus as their Lord and savior, as well as those who would like to more effectively share their faith with others.

Why must I be born again (saved)?

John 3:3, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is spiritual death, which is separation from God:
Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Being spiritually dead means that you are separated from God. If you die in this state, you will find yourself in eternal hell:
Revelations 20:15, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Now for the good news...

What does it mean to be saved?

When you are saved, you are as they say, born again! You are considered a new creation:
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
You are adopted or born into the family of God... a royal family!
1 John 3:1, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."
Your sins are removed from you and canceled from your account... in other words, you are FORGIVEN!
Micah 7:19, "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."
Once your sins are forgiven, you are en-clothed with the righteousness of God by faith in Christ Jesus:
Romans 3:22, "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe..."
You are seated with Christ in authority over all powers of the devil:
Ephesians 2:6, "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
This means that you, as a believer in Christ, will be capable of casting out demons and healing sickness and disease (because you now have authority over sickness and disease, as well as all powers of the enemy). This authority is exercised through faith, so it is also important to cultivate and build your faith in order to fully take advantage of this benefit.
Mark 16:15-18, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Yes, that means that you, as a believer in Christ, can go fourth and cast out demons and heal the sick... why? Because you have been given authority over sickness, disease and over all powers of the devil! Now don't get me wrong, the more you understand about the ministry of deliverance and healing, the more effective you will be at ministering to others in those areas, but as for the authority needed to cast out demons and heal the sick... that belongs to you naturally as a child of God.

What must I do to be saved?

Although we cannot pay for our sins, Jesus' shed blood is more than enough! Jesus truly did stand in the gap for us when He went to the cross. In the Old Testament (before Jesus came), they would sacrifice animals to cover their sins, but now that Jesus paid the price we no longer need to preform sacrifices. In the Old Testament, we could only cover our sins with the blood of animals, but the blood of Jesus actually removes our sin... it erases it from our account all together!
Hebrews 10:4, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
John 1:29, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
The blood of Christ actually takes sin away, so much so, that God Himself chose not to remember our failures!
Hebrews 10:17, "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."
The blood of Christ was shed for our sins, and through faith in the work which was done for us, we can be freely justified... that is, made right with God:
Romans 3:24-26, "Being justified (Greek word dikaioo) freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
Notice that the word justified in the above verse takes us back to the Greek word dikaioo, which means, "to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent." That means that you are made innocent... as if you've never sinned! That's how clean that you can be through faith in the work that Jesus did for us on the cross.
Your first step is to believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the son of God, who came to earth (living in a human body), was crucified and died for your sins, and then rose again on the 3rd day.
John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
Acts 16:30-31, "And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
Second, confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ (affirm your belief verbally). This is usually what we refer to as the sinner's prayer.
Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
An example of the sinner's prayer would be, "Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the son of God and that you came to earth and died for my sins and rose again on the 3rd day. I confess that I am a sinner and in need of your salvation. I come to you now and ask that you will come into my life, be my Lord and savior, and forgive me of my sins. In Jesus' name, amen!"
The Bible also speaks of water baptism, and I believe that all believers should be baptized. This is symbolic of being washed from the darkness of your past, putting away the old you and being raised to new life in Christ Jesus:
Romans 6:4, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

Not by works, but by faith in Jesus

It is important to know that we are not saved by our works, but by faith in Christ Jesus and the work that He did for us:
Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
Our sins are paid for by the Blood of Jesus and nothing less will do:
Matthew 26:28, "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Do not try to 'earn' your salvation or forgiveness of sins... you must realize that it is by faith in Christ that saves you, not your works! Good works should follow naturally as you grow in your relationship with God (after all, we will become more like Him as we grow spiritually), but that by no means will justify you of past sins.

Does God really forgive sins freely?

Yes! There are a couple accounts in the Bible I would like to point out:
Luke 7:47-50, "Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
Another great story is when Jesus was on the cross and the man next to him (a murderer) basically asked Jesus to remember him when He enters his kingdom:
Luke 23:42-43, "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."
Did either of those people work to earn their forgiveness? No!

Jesus loves you even before you accept Him

Even before we accept Jesus, He loves us... but that doesn't mean that we are saved, until we accept His son, and believe in the work that He did for us on the cross!
Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Will God forgive or accept me?

Yes, providing that you will come unto Him! Jesus told us clearly that He will by no means turn down anybody who turns to Him in repentance:
John 6:37, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
God tells us clearly that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of ALL unrighteousness -- meaning, anything you've done wrong that you can take before the Lord, you can receive forgiveness for!
1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

You are a three-fold being

You are a three-fold person. You are a spirit who lives in a physical body and possesses a soul (mind, will and emotions). The moment you accept Jesus, your spirit is reborn and made new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), but what is not made new is your soul (mind, will and emotions) and your body (physical). These two things can carry corruption over from your past life, and should be renewed and transformed as you grow and cultivate your new relationship with God.
The Bible tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, which is by the washing of the Word of God. Spending time in God's Word on a daily bases is like washing yourself spiritually. It will change the way you think, build your faith, and help you grow.
Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Ephesians 5:25-27, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
There are also times when you may require deliverance ministry to get rid of any unclean spirits that have attached themselves to your soul or body. If you are being tormented, depressed, fearful, or have bondages of any kind, then I encourage you to seek deliverance from those things.
One of the common reasons why so many Christians today are defeated and powerless in the kingdom is because they neglect the transforming of their soul and body through the renewing of their mind, the tearing down of strongholds and seeking proper deliverance ministry.
Not only were our bondages (infirmities) paid for by the work of Christ, but also our physical healing. Therefore, I encourage you to seek physical healing from your sicknesses or diseases! Here are a couple teachings on this site that you may want to read concerning divine healing:
- Divine healing according to God's Word
- Is it God's will to heal me?

What do I do now that I'm saved?

After being born again, it is important to cultivate your new relationship with Christ Jesus. You do this by spending time in God's Word on a daily bases. I recommend starting out in the book of John in the New Testament. As you meditate (that is to dwell upon) God's Word, it will begin to change the way you think. Your mind will be renewed and transformed and strongholds (old thinking patterns) begin to come down... this is vital to your spiritual freedom and wholeness!
Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Ephesians 5:25-27, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
A great book that I recommend every believer get their hands on, is Blessed Beyond Measure by Gloria Copeland. It paints a very true and accurate picture of God, and as the Bible says, we must be well aware of the love of God in order to experience His fullness:
Ephesians 3:17-19, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."
Finally, seek to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is beyond the gift of salvation, and an extremely powerful gift that God wants to give each believer. I have an entire teaching on this subject entitled The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.