Learning to Love Like Jesus Christ

 Welcome

Hello and welcome. I am excited that you came to learn more about the way God's Love works and how you can share it with others. If you are not a believer but are interested or curious to learn about the love Jesus is offering then I encourage you to stick around. First I want to share with you a little bit about myself.

My Walk With God

I grew up in a Christian household but my parents were split on denomination. My father is Baptist and my mother is Catholic. Please don't misunderstand me, my parents love eachother very much and are very faithful followers of Christ, they just worship in a different way. Even though I was brought up in a Christian family I never really understood God or how He loved me or any of that stuff. Being pitched back and forth between the two churches, like two people playing a game of catch, I think just got to be too much for me to handle as a child. In any case as I grew older into my teen years I just stopped trying to understand it. Actually I got down right angry at God and started to blame him for everything bad that seemed to happen in the world. I didn't like God and I didn't like the church.
When I was about 18 years old I was pretty heavy into the party scene and well it wasn't your grandmothers tea party type of party scene. I had been through a few rough relationships around that time and I started getting really down on myself. I starting thinking the worst in myself and beating myself up over relatively minor things. I got to a point where I hit rock bottom. It was during that time that I went to the only person that had always been there for me when I needed her the most. My mother usually had a way of cheering me up but this time was different. She asked me to just listen and keep my heart open while she prayed for me. Even though my parents had spent my whole life teaching me about God, it was on that night that I truly felt His love for the first time. On that night I gave my life over to God and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Later on that same week is when I started dating my beautiful wife Heather and she had been right in front of me for 4 years as one of my best friends. I have since started attending Brookview Community Church in Lynnwood, WA and have been growing in a deeper relationship with God ever since.

Accepting God's Love For Yourself

The love of God is a free gift that we need to accept. You are being offered the gift but it is up to you to accept it and open it. Luke 23: 40--43 says "But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." This man was being crusified next to Jesus and realized that Jesus was the Messiah. Now God had already gifted the man with love but it was only at that moment that he accepted it and opened the gift. That man hanging next to Jesus was a criminal that had committed all the crimes that he was being punished for but Jesus gave him love anyway and assured him that they would be together in paradise.

It doesn't take any effort to accept a gift does it? We just have to be willing to do it. A gift is something freely given. Be like the man who was hanging on the cross next to Jesus and accept the gift of God's love. Let Jesus in to your heart and follow him. Accepting his gift is the first step in learning to love like Jesus Christ. The second step can be a bit tricky!

Sharing God's Love With Others

Galatians 5: 14 says "The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." So if that is the law then who is your neighbor? Everyone! This is very difficult because not everyone lives by this law. When we love our neighbor we are honoring God. When someone is mean to you then walk away or give them a word of encouragement. Do not strike back and be rude back to them. This one is the one I struggle with the most because I just want to tell people where to stick it when they are rude to me and I can feel my blood pressure rising. When you think about it though it really wouldn't do any good. What is getting into an argument with them going to accomplish? If someone is heated up then the best way to love them is to stay positive and give them the space they need to cool off. Once they've cooled off then you can talk to them. Another thing you can do is pray for them.

Sharing God's love is not only giving people space when they are angry but to show the community you live in that you care. If you have the financial ability to then you could donate to a local charity or to your local church. Tell a friend or co worker that they look nice. If you see someone who is looking down on themselves while you are out at a restaurant or something you could tell the waiter that you will pay for that person's meal and have the waiter slip them a note that says "God Loves You." There are so many ways to show people the love of God and shine His light. I suggest making a list of different things you could do and maybe just each week check a couple of them off your list.

Conclusion

There you have it. Accept God's love and share God's love. You can not have one without the other. If you have not accepted God's love then how can you share it. You can't share something you don't have and you can't have it unless you accept the free gift. God is waving it in front of you so just reach out and take it. Just like a child at Christmas, rip that gift open and accept it with all the joy within you. You will be so full of love that you will need to spread it into all areas of your life.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope that this article was helpful and life changing for you! I encourage you to read the Bible and learn what Jesus went through so that we could be with Him. Learn God's power and try to apply what you learn from it into your own life. Have a wonderful day. God Bless You!

The Revelation Of Jesus Christ As The Son Of God And The Son Of Man

Just recently had a little debate with someone on the internet who still claim that Jesus Christ was not born on the 25th of December and that he constantly contradicted himself as the son of man and the son of God. And this person was really serious about it and really wanted it to look like Christian is all lies. He even went as far as quoting people scriptures. To be honest I was a little shocked; for this as been cleared thousand of times. While lets get into the bottom of this once and for all. Man is made up of a soul that lives in a body. The body is considered as the house of the soul. The body Jesus Christ used on earth was the son of man but his soul was the son of God. This means, that body born by Mary was carrying the son of God (Which was the soul).

The Bible also name Jesus Christ as the only man who lived on earth without committing any sin. This is referring to the body the son of God was in. That means the fleshy and material nature of this world would have caused the body that he was in to sin against the Father. But Jesus Christ (the soul) was so strong and focused on the ministry his father had given him that he did not let His body be distracted and sin against his father. Jesus Christ (the soul) often told his disciples that they could do more works as he has done. Because he discovered that they where wanting to be like his body and this will limit them.

In order to give Christians more hope, power, authority and believe, he died with that body, resurrected with it and even left to heaven with it. When leaving to heaven, he told his disciples to go in his name and preach the gospel, heal the sick and set the captives free. He did this because he was going back to his father to take his position as his father's son and because of what he came here on earth to do; his father gave him power over the entire earth that is why we pray in his name.

In the case of his birthday, we are celebrating the birthday of the body. Remember he has been there since from the foundation of the earth. And the bible says any thing that is bound on earth shall be bound in heaven if only all have agreed. And all on earth have agreed to celebrate his birthday on the 25th of December and so that is also bound in heaven. So, there you have it why Jesus Christ identified himself as the son of man and the son of God.

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Jesus Christ Saves - How Do I Inherit Eternal Life?

How do I ultimately obtain happiness, peace, love, and joy? How do I become saved? The answer is Jesus Christ. There is no existence of hope without Him.

True happiness and peace only comes from the Father above. The Lord Jesus invites you in to dine with Him and experience the greatest love of all. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins? Do you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life? If your answer is yes to these three questions, then you are saved. "That if you confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, thou shall be saved." - Romans 10:9.

Now, proclaim to the world your belief in Jesus and allow Him to use you for His glory. Commit every bit of your life to Him. You will then experience the greatest happiness and joy that can ever be imagined. The spirit of God will dwell in you and guard your heart.

Did you know that Jesus Christ suffered greatly so that we may inherit eternal life through our faith in Him. That is the greatest love. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16.

Don't be afraid to accept Jesus as your Savior in your life. You may feel that you are not perfect, you have a past full of downfalls and sin. But God says not to worry about your past because he is going to give you a clean slate. No one is perfect. The only one who is perfect is Jesus. Therefore, everybody falls short every now and then. When Jesus looks at us, He sees love.

Next, give thanks to Jesus for accepting you into His kingdom. Be thankful for everything and realize God is merciful. Live for God and let Him be your guide. Let others know of your new profound happiness and peace; let them know that they can be saved as well.

Grow in the gospel of Christ by studying your Bible and attending church to increase your understanding. Develop your relationship with Jesus by praying and talking to Him. You are feeding your spirit when you do these things. These things will help you grow in Christ.

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The Leadership Style of Jesus Christ

In the previous part of this series on the leadership style of Jesus Christ we looked at the instructions that Jesus gave Peter to 'feed the lambs', 'shepherd the sheep' and 'feed the sheep'. We also saw that Jesus described Peter (rock) as the foundation of the church.

Let us now look at the reason for the three specific commands, as referred to in the previous paragraph. In his book Being A True Shepherd Leader, the author describes the functions of a shepherd in full. The book can be downloaded from his website.

In short, the feeding patterns of lambs differ from that of grown-up sheep. Remember that the flock of Jesus is spiritual by nature and responds to spiritual laws. Thus 'lambs' does not necessarily refer to babes, toddlers and children, but to the newly born children of God. Any pastor worth his salt will tell you that the spiritual needs of newly reborn children of God differ vastly from mature Christian.
The Bible highlights a distinct difference between the two. The following are just two of the Scriptures that point out these differences:

Heb 6:1-6 WEB Therefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to perfection -- not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, (2) of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. (3) This will we do, if God permits. (4) For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame.
From this we understand that there is spiritual food for newly (re)born Christians, but there is an advanced spiritual diet for adult Christians. The Bible has more examples...

Heb 5:12-14 WEB For when by reason of the time you ought to be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food. (13) For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. (14) But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

Here we see a distinct reference to those that are 'young or new' in the spirit, and those that have reached 'spiritual maturity'. We also see that there is a difference between the food of a spiritual baby and a spiritual grownup. This was what our Lord was referring to when He distinguished between the feeding of His lambs and the feeding of His sheep.

When He spoke of the shepherding of His sheep, he was however referring to all the sheep collectively. This is easy to understand. Nobody becomes a 'lamb farmer' as such, as lambs cannot come into existence without adult sheep. Adult sheep on the other hand are deemed unproductive and slaughtered if they cannot reproduce. When Jesus said that He was the Good Shepherd it had relevance on both adult sheep and lambs, and similarly the tending of His sheep (or shepherding as the Amplified Bible puts it, is for both adult sheep and lambs.

Christianity is experiencing a major crisis, brought about by the fact that the 'ordinary Christian' was deprived of his duties. The 'organized Church' created a situation where there are 'workers' and 'pew-warmers'. The pastors are mostly loaded over capacity, to ensure that they deserve their wages. In most denominations the elders and deacons have perhaps one or two functions to fulfill, which in many cases is done without any or with hardly any passion. The rest of the congregation is left to stagnate.

A healthy sheep farmer however, will not allow the ewes and rams to lie in the shed all day, as they have a job to do. Apart from reproduction, they have to raise and protect the lambs. Why is it that the things that are so easy to understand in the natural realm appear so difficult in the spiritual realm?

Are spiritual things really that difficult to understand, or are we guilty of making them appear difficult?

When Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem, He accused the Pharisees of doing just that.
Luke 11:52-54 GNB "How terrible for you teachers of the Law! You have kept the key that opens the door to the house of knowledge; you yourselves will not go in, and you stop those who are trying to go in!" (53) When Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to criticize him bitterly and ask him questions about many things, (54) trying to lay traps for him and catch him saying something wrong.

Jesus did not accuse them of not teaching the people. What He was accusing them of, was teaching them the wrong stuff. Earlier in verse 46 He accuses them of laying heavy burdens on the people, and not even moving a finger to make the load better.

The problem with the 'pew-warmers' is not only that they are an unnecessary burden to the pastor, but also that they do not fulfill their leadership role as they are supposed to do, namely the feeding and tending of the lambs.

This is perhaps the part of the Christian walk where we miss the leadership style of Jesus Christ the most. Some authors are so keen on exploiting the 'servant leader' style, but they shy away from explaining what type of servant Jesus really was.

But what did Jesus say? He said, 'I am the Good Shepherd'. He also said that if a shepherd (not a hireling) notices that one sheep had gone astray, he leaves the 99 in a safe place and goes after the one that got lost. Does this sound like the church of today? Do we bother with the lost sheep, or are we more concerned with the ones that can bring in a big tithe?

The author is not at all negative or aggressive towards the church. After all he also serves in a church, and has pastured several congregations. Thus when he writes these things, it is not meant to be degrading towards the church, and neither is it aimed at a specific denomination.
However, when God tells the prophet to sound a warning and he does not do so, the blood of those who perish spiritually will be upon his head, which is not what we want.

Ezekiel 3:17-19 WEB Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. (18) When I tell the wicked, You shall surely die; and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand. (19) Yet if you warn the wicked, and he doesn't turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

Also God requires that we impart His message just as we receive it with the same zeal and meaning.
1Co 14:8 WEB For if the trumpet gave an uncertain sound, who would prepare himself for war?
The problem that faces Christianity is not only that we do not apply the leadership style of Jesus Christ, but also that we do not teach it!

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Who Is Jesus Christ to You?

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. If you want to know the way to a successful life, Jesus will show you. He is the name above every name and at the mention of His name, demons tremble. The moment you allow him to be lord and savior of your life, you are set free from bondage. He is the life because safety is only in him. Knowing him makes living here on earth so meaningful.

Have you tried to succeed in this world but all you have ended up having is money in the bank without anything else to live for? There are so many people in this world today with so much cash but can't have a peaceful sleep. There are things that money can't buy and Jesus Christ is the one who can help you live life to its fullest. Are you tired of facing problems all alone? You can make some changes today and this is why Jesus came to die on the cross.

Maybe you were a Christian before but you went back to your old ways. Make things right with God today and your life won't be the same again. All you have to do is believe with your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord. He died on the cross in order to add value to your life. Don't feel condemn for the things you have done. Without sinners, Jesus wouldn't have come.

As I said earlier, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. There is no link between the heavenly father and man without Jesus. Inviting him in to your life activates that link so that you have a clear communication which leads to answered prayers. God wants to decorate your life but he can't do it if you keep on running away from him. Make that choice today and you will never be the same again. Many years ago, I made the same decision of following him. I have experienced wonderful things that are sometimes hard to explain. God has changed my story to a point where I have become the provider of the family just because of that one encounter with Jesus the master. Remember that God is the master of the universe and nothing is too hard for him.

It is very shocking to know just how one right decision can change your life forever. You can create a good life for yourself simply by depending on the word of God. Life is in the power of the tongue. A closed mouth is a closed destiny. Be sure to make Jesus your friend today and enjoy the abundant life that he has for you.

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Foundational Principles of the Doctrine of Christ - Eternal Judgment

The foundational principles of the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ are the pillars upon which the Christian Faith is built. There are six of these principles. They are described in Hebrews chapter six, verses one and two, in The Holy Bible. Let us now examine the sixth part of the Doctrine of Christ. The sixth part of the foundational Doctrine of Christ is, the Doctrine of Eternal Judgment. The Bible teaches that there is life after death. And the Scriptures teach that God shall judge the world in the end of this age. No one will be exempt from this time of judgment. Man is not Sovereign. He is not God. He is a creation of the Almighty God and he (she as well) will one day have to answer to the God Who gave them life as to the decisions they made in this life.

It is a proven fact that man can never be his or her own God, for the simple fact that there is no one who can turn away the ravages of physical death from himself or herself. No matter how long people hold on, if you live long enough, you will die and leave this side. It does not matter how much money an individual possesses. Live long enough and you will die. You cannot keep yourself alive. This shows that you are not almighty. You are not God. But you have a God, a Just and Holy God, to Whom you and I will have to one day give account.

As it pertains to eternal judgment, there will be two times this will occur. Firstly, there will be the judgment of the saints, those of us who have given our lives to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We will not be judged to determine where we will spend eternity. Because we live for Christ, we will spend eternity with Him, where He is. We belong to Jesus Christ, so we will experience the joy and bliss of living with Him forever.

So, what will our judgment entail as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Bible, we shall stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to give an account to our Lord of things done in the body. We shall have to answer for our obedience or disobedience to His Will for our lives. This is spoken of in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verses ten and eleven. As Christians we should not be living unto ourselves. We should not be doing our own thing. We have given Jesus Christ our lives and we should be aiming to walk in obedience to His Word, the Bible, and His Will, one day at a time and one step at a time. As our Lord, He will judge us concerning things He has demanded that we do. We will have to be accountable. If we walk in obedience to Him, He shall surely reward us. If we have not been obedient servants, then we shall not be rewarded, but rebuked for our unfaithfulness and slothfulness.
But what about the judgment of those who have refused to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and live under His Lordship? They likewise shall experience judgment.

They shall stand before the Great White Throne of Almighty God and be judged for their refusal to receive Christ, God's Son. And the severity of the judgment will be just, for God is just. There is a Heaven to gain and a hell to shun.

Amidst the fact that these truths from the Bible are not heralded in some pulpits, yet they are so and, according to the Bible, shall surely come to pass.

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Can Faith Be a Foundation for Truth?

Faith, by its very definition, is what you have when you do not have proof. Yet, for many faith is all the proof that they need. What is faith and is it really a foundation for the search for truth? In many ways we all have some degree of faith in our lives even if it is faith that we will wake up tomorrow or, as with many, faith in a higher power. It comforts us and in many ways individually and socially holds us all together. Is it though, for the seeker of truth, really the foundation that can be depended upon to form beliefs?

There are a few types of faith such as faith in a tomorrow and a future in general. Someone starting a new business has to have faith in what they are doing, the buying habits of the customers and that there will be a brighter day in the future. This type of faith is based upon first hand experience and is rational since that first hand experience is something within reach and can be easily confirmed.

However, there is the other kind of faith that does not typically involve first hand experience but rather faith in a concept or story that you've been compelled to believe. The power of the human mind to rationalize is amazing and if we chose to believe in something it is all too easy and natural to accept what supports your faith and to dismiss what does not fit in with your faith. Many people believe they are very open-minded but this only applies to concepts that exist within the realm they already believe and anything outside of that box are considered absurd, taboo or heretical. All religions do this and not to pick on Christianity too much, but I know it well, but have seen how many times people validate their beliefs with using parts of the bible itself but never question the history of the bible or its over all foundation. They take it upon faith that this is true and everything else is just details. Once more is faith enough to form a spiritual path or should faith be reserved to remain a place holder for truth until better, or more, information comes along.

Religion loves to take faith to a new level by asking you to have 'faith' that they are telling you the ultimate truth. No need for questions and even if what you are told doesn't sit right with you then the rational often is used that the creator works in mysterious ways. Faith is a powerful tool that inspires people to be complacent with 'good enough' and to stop asking questions. Thus is why when a religion is born the truth dies because when you cannot add or subtract from a belief, cannot question it and it requires that you must believe beyond your reason it grows static and once more it dies. The only constant it seems in nature is change and anything that suggests otherwise is in direct opposition to nature and thus an aberration.

Not to seem like I am diminishing anyone's faith but an example most of us can relate to is the story and belief we had as Santa as a child. When you are little your parents tell you there is a Santa and based upon your 'faith' in them you believe it without question. Eventually, when you challenge them on how Santa could travel the world in one night the typical response is that he has magic and it offers a rational that gives us just a good enough answer so that we can hold on to the belief we want to hold on to. Over time though as we mature and more questions come to the surface the adults finally break and admit they've played a game with you the entire time and then you let go of the 'faith' that Santa is real. (Sorry if I have busted the bubble on that for anyone.)

How does this relate to spiritual faith? Well, a great deal. It is not by chance that most people who are raised in a Christian family become Christians or that Hindu families raise Hindu children. Most of us take it on faith that what we've been raised with, and our families passionately suggest is true, must be true because why would they lie or misrepresent anything to us? Also, as children we are powerfully influenced by our families, culture and authority figures that tend to be the roots of our spiritual path for the rest of our lives regardless of if you are consciously aware of this or not.

As passionate as you may be about your faith have you ever pondered what would have happened had you been raised in a totally different culture and religion? Odds are extremely good that you would be that other religion and just as passionate about it because you have faith that what you believe is true. The story of Santa relates because while the adults eventually break and admit that Santa really was an illusion they do not do that with whatever superior being you prefer. Yet... the degree of 'proof' and requirement of magical thinking is exactly the same. Additionally, the influence of the authority of your parents as a child may evolve and be passed upon some other spiritual authority such as a pastor, guru or the like. If I've articulated this well enough I hope it may, if nothing else, inspire new perspective.
Faith is really all you need if you don't ask too many questions. If you would have never asked questions about Santa and/or when you did you were discouraged from asking them or even worse that you would burn in hell if you did ask anything about Santa would it be possible that even today Santa would be real to you based upon your 'faith'? Further, you would have proof that Santa exists because clearly presents appear on Christmas Eve and the cookies do vanish.

Whenever I discuss much of anything in a forum, group and in person with people who believe things that are based upon faith I've learned that there is little point in having any rational discussion with them. If faith is the foundation of your beliefs there is no level of information that can be presented to you that can alter your view. This is not a strength but the sign of a closed mind and honestly I find it unfortunate and interesting. There is something very human about faith and perhaps it is the simplicity. With faith alone you don't have to deal with valid challenges to your beliefs because faith is by its very nature irrational and impossible to debate against. Usually, I literally or figuratively smile and nod and just move on because these types of people feel they have all the answers they need and any questions are typically considered terribly threatening.

Faith isn't all bad and can be a powerful tool for spiritual growth as sometimes obsessing about the details of everything would hinder you upon your path. As an example, I tend to have faith that reincarnation is likely true due to the fact that everything in nature is cyclical and I see death and rebirth around me all the time. Furthermore, if there really is a soul, or something that does incarnate once it only stands to reason that to incarnate again, aka reincarnate, is well within the realm of reason. (Fact ~ For the first 300 years or so of Christianity reincarnation was taught and within one of the books of the bible that is now restricted from your view)

Do I have 'proof' of reincarnation... No. However, I have faith that it is again likely true for the reasons I've noted, and more, but do not use faith alone to support my thoughts. If new information comes along that may change that thought I am alright with it and can grow with it. I use faith as a place holder that allows me to ask more questions such as what might it mean if reincarnation is true. What might it tell me? It is tool to advance my spiritual path vs a tool that will hinder me and give me a false illusion of knowing something as fact that is impossible to know and rejecting any new information that would refute my present view.

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Living Your Life God's Way - Love God and Jesus

Ever since the Garden of Eden God has been giving us instructions on how we should, and shouldn't, live our lives. Prior to the coming of Jesus, God used individuals such as Moses and the prophets to give His will to the people. Then Jesus came and spoke directly to the people to tell them how they should live. His whole ministry was about how people should live their lives. And after Jesus we were given the Bible for instruction. In fact, the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is a manual on how to conduct our lives.

Living our lives in the ways shown here and in future articles is a natural outflow of wanting to please God, do his will and live for Him. We should do all of these things with a willing heart because of our love for God and for Jesus. God is our creator and heavenly Father; Jesus is our Lord and Savior. They deserve nothing less than all we are and all we have, all the time.

LOVE GOD AND JESUS

Jesus told us that to love God was the most important commandment. We must also love Jesus in the same manner because He is our savior and died for us; all of us.

Every Christian loves God and Jesus to some degree; some with our heads and some with our hearts. But some people love them with every fiber of their being, down in their souls, which is what God wants from every one of His children. The good news is if you're not there yet, you can be. It's just a matter of going through the process of maturing in your relationship with Him.

If you've ever been deeply in love with another person, it's the same kind of process. You spend time with them, get to know all about them and let them get to know you. Over time the two of you become so close and develop such a deep relationship that you realize you've fallen madly in love with each other.

It's the same way in our relationship with God, except He already loves us. We need to spend time with Him (pray) and get to know Him (study your Bible). We'll come to a point where we love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We'll want to spend time with Him, listen to Him and do what He knows is best for us.

Salvation and living that "good Christian life" takes more than just repeating a few words at an altar and living the same way as before; it takes a change of heart, it takes becoming a new creation and it takes living life in a different way--God's way.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30, NIV

Living A Christian Life - How To Maintain A Closer Relationship With God

It's important for a Christian to love our Creator, God the Father. It might seem trivial, I know, but it really is one of the things that separates a true Christian from a Christian. You may be born a Christian, the child of both Christian parents. But it's what you do that defines you later on in life: Do you seek God in times of need? Do you thank Him when life has been good to you? Do you pray on a regular, daily basis, etc?

There are many ways to get God the Father involved in your life. It really depends on you, the person, the Christian, to decide on the degree of that involvement. Here are a few ways you can allow God into your life:

1. Attending Church regularly

Church attendance is one of the most taken-for-granted practices of being a Christian. Sure, you went to Church at least once a week when you were young and still living with your parents. But then what? When you moved out on your own, it was like you moved out of God's abode as well. Nowadays you rarely go to Church.

You should, as a Christian, attend Church masses at least once a week. It's a way to get in touch with God's teachings as conveyed by the preacher. It's also a way to feel closer to the Christian community. You will feel a sense of belonging all Christians are entitled to if only they let God into their lives.

2. Reading the Bible

Another way to grow and maintain a closer relationship with God is by reading the Bible - on a regular basis. Don't just read when you feel like it. Make it a daily, constant habit. Read even when you don't feel like it. Absorb God's teachings and learn more about the events of history from His perspective.
I once knew a girl who'd never read the Bible. When life came crashing down on her and she had no one to turn to, she felt lost. Then I told her, why don't you read the Bible? One night she picked up the copy I lent her and started reading. She became a more positive person afterwards. She was able to overcome all her problems and then some. She grew to be a true Christian.

If you want God in your life, spend time to allow God in your life. Read the Bible, attend Church masses at least once a week. You'll feel a renewed kind of feeling you've never quite felt before.

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