Saturday 16 November 2013

Preparing For An Encounter With God

By Leslie Griffith


Many people who were raised in a Christian household, attended Sunday School, and have never killed anybody, think they will go to Heaven when they die. To even begin to have an encounter with God, it is necessary to become baptized, and by baptized it means immersed in water. This is what it means to become "born again."

The truth is, being born into a Christian family doesn't make anyone a Christian any more than swimming in the ocean makes them a fish. Baptism by complete immersion in water is compulsory. Even Jesus was baptized. Just believing in God isn't enough. The devil and his minions believe in God. To be a true Christian, it is necessary to be water baptized in front of witnesses, at least one, and make a pledge to live a sinless life.

This important step has more benefits than just getting a ticket to Heaven. It also carries with it responsibilities. By declaring Jesus as your Saviour, you are pledging to turn your back on sin. God expects an extremely high standard of behavior, so this includes giving up lying, swearing, smoking, alcohol, drugs and even gossiping.

Being sinless isn't easy. Satan is constantly littering our paths with temptation. The good news is, God sent the Holy Spirit to whip us into shape to become Heaven-ready. He fills us up, makes crucial changes right down to our DNA and makes us squeaky clean from the inside out. This, according to John 14:15-18.

After a while, we don't enjoy the same old sins that we used do. We stop laughing at dirty jokes, quit smoking and start to work harder, both at home, at church and in our jobs. We spend more time in Christian fellowship, studying the Bible, praying and leading people to Christ.

Another Christian practice is that of fasting. There are two ways to observe a fast. One is the water fast, in which no food is taken from morning until evening, only water and very dilute fruit juice. It is important to spend time in prayer and reading scripture, otherwise you are just on a diet. The other method of fasting is the 21-day Daniel fast. This involves a very strict vegan regime. No sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, animal products or leavened bread are allowed.

On a Daniel fast, rice cakes, wholemeal rice and wholemeal tortilla wraps are permitted, as is wholemeal pasta. Again, this fasting regime must be accompanied by prayer and Bible-reading in order to feel the full spiritual effects.

Another essential Christian practice toward an encounter with God is the act of tithing, or giving ten percent of one's income to God, from whom all blessings flow. It is practical to donate to one's local church.




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