Heart Check

As flattered as I am that anyone would visit my website, more than anything I want people to have a relevant relationship with the one who birthed the music into my heart.- that’s God himself. Everyone falls into one of 3 categories when it comes to their relationship with God. On this page, I’m giving some “straight talk” about each category and because I love you, I’m asking you to do a “heart check.” Read over the following scenarios and evaluate your relationship with God as it is today. (not yesterday, last week, last month or last year!)

ENEMY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Contrary to what people say, there is only ONE way to God- one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. Contrary to what some teach, there is more to salvation than just believing in the “existence” of God- It is placing your faith in Him. Contrary to what people want to hear, (I will shout it)- UNLESS YOU HAVE REPENTED OF (AND TURNED FROM) YOUR SINS AND RECEIVED JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR, YOU WILL NOT BE ADMITTED INTO HEAVEN. With that said, Yes, God is love and He does not will anyone to perish in hell. In fact, He longs to grant you salvation, but until His salvation is received, you are actually an enemy of God. Ironically, even in our sinful state, He loved us enough to make a way for us to become friends with Him! He desires a loving relationship with you and me. If you want to receive His salvation and begin a relationship with God, here are 3 simple steps.

1. Admit- your need of a Savior and your condition of being a sinner
2. Believe- Jesus Christ, God’s son died on the cross and was resurrected
3. Confess- your sin and commit your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord.

“Placing your trust in Christ means: You place your life, your well-being, wholly in His hands, relying upon Him and Him alone to save you. It is making a whole-hearted commitment to follow Christ as His disciple, to allow him to reshape you to become the kind of person that He wants you to be. It means saying to God, “Not my will, but Thine be done. I am no longer my own man; I am Yours, to be and do what You will.” – David William Lane

Author, Rick Warren gives a simple, detailed explanation, PLEASE watch this video in the center of Rick’s website: http://www.theinvitation.tv/ or if you would like to speak with someone right NOW by phone, you may call 1-888-NEEDHIM

DISTANT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

If God seems far away in your life, there are basically 3 reasons: Failure to nurture the relationship, failure to confess sin, failure in completion of all necessary steps of salvation resulting a superficial decision and false security.

*Failure to Nurture- Just like any other relationship, if we do not invest time into it, the relationship will deteriorate. If I don’t talk to my spouse, the marriage suffers. We have to talk to God through prayer- this involves talking and listening! If I don’t take time to get to know my husband’s personality, again- the marriage suffers. We must spend time in God’s word to learn about Him. Anyone can be as spiritual as they want to be- the amount of time invested is the key

*Failure to Confess Sin- Sin is a stumbling block to a close relationship with God. Just like little children that hide from their parents when they do something wrong, we behave in the exact same way when we sin. Once we sin, there is a barrier there and the longer we let it go, the thicker the wall gets. Some call this process “backsliding.” The good news is, God is waiting for us to agree with Him about our sin, turn from it and move on. The great news is, if we cooperate, there is HEALING for backsliding! Yes, healing for unfaithfulness. Read Hosea 14 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea%2014&version=NLT

To simplify, take these steps from the above passage:
1. Return to God- vs 1
2. Confess your sin- agree with God, call it what it is vs 2a
3. Ask for forgiveness- Vs 2b
4. Declare dependence on God- vs3a
5. FORSAKE anything that has taken God’s rightful first place- vs 3b
6. Receive healing for unfaithfulness- vs 4

*Failure to Complete Necessary Steps- I John 3:9 says this: “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning because they are the children of God. Many people do not have a close relationship with God because there was never a real one to begin with. Here are a few important questions to ask yourself regarding the sincerity of your faith. If you answer yes to the first question alone, I suggest you go to the “enemy of God relationship” section of this page.

1. Do I habitually sin with no intent of changing or feelings of guilt/remorse?
2. Do I honestly desire to keep God’s commandments?
3. Do I love God and His children?
4. Do I produce good actions? James 5:14

MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

A meaningful relationship does NOT mean that everything in life is perfect. It doesn’t mean everything in the Bible is understood. It doesn’t mean perfection in behavior! Having a meaningful relationship with God means you have peace in your heart knowing that some day you will live eternally with the one who loves you more than you can understand. It means taking advantage of the power available within yourself ,the Holy Spirit, to rise above temptation and sin. It means experiencing the love of God so much until it overflows and spills on to those around. It also means in spite of difficulties, you have a joy deep within that can’t be explained. Having a meaningful relationship with God brings you into fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ.- And that my friend, is just naming a few things!

In conclusion, I want to make two things VERY clear. God loves you! If you should ever doubt God’s love for you, PLEASE visit http://www.fathersloveletter.com/video.html And finally, If I can help you in any way reach the point of having a meaningful relationship with God, I am here regardless of which category you may fall. My email address is rsfrye0330@yahoo.com If you are getting on track, here are some VERY important maintenance tips:

1. Read the Bible- If you don’t have one, email me
2. Pray- It’s simply means- get still, talk to God and listen
3. Go to Church- There are many good choices- Pick one, be faithful
4. Surround yourself with Christian friends
5. Tell someone of your commitment to Christ