jerryaustin1
Jun 2, 2010
I've been a child of God for about 4 years now. I am 20. I am also a preacher. What is the best advice some of seasoned saints that read this can give me on life of the christian.
I've been a child of God for about 4 years now. I am 20. I am also a preacher. What is the best advice some of seasoned saints that read this can give me on life of the christian.
Take to heart that the sermon on the mount is a lifestyle and not just good suggestions. Take the lowest seat at all times, prefer others as better than yourself.
Make prayer priority in all things. Do not speak canned messages, but spend time in His presence that you might bring fresh manna from the throne room of God. Someone elses regurgitated message will not bring life.
Don't seek a mate, but seek God and allow Him to bring you the person He chooses for you.
Read these books:
Art Katz - Apostolic Foundations
Art Katz - The Spirit of Truth
Deitrich Bonhoeffer- The Cost of Discipleship
Francis Chan - Crazy Love
E. Stanley Jones - Christ of the Mount
Brother Yun - The Heavenly Man
I'd say spend time each morning in prayer & communing with God b4 going out. Be filled with the Spirit, be filled with Jesus friend. As far as books go, there are many.... but, I would read Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor. U can read, or download it, or print it off for free @ www.ccel.org. It's been on my mind the past hr to add Andrew Murray's Words To Young Disciples Of Christ, also @ ccel.org.
Take the below advise seriously :) And read the Word of God like its a food source you can't live without because in all reality its Spiritual Food. I am also a young gun so to speak (22) and I am a youth pastor my one focus is that of Timothy of watching my doctrines and my lifestyle closely to be sure they line up and agree with each other. Don't worry about Number rather work on quality, if the quality is good then God will cause any and all increase necessary for ministry.
God Bless,
Matthew
Get ready for brokenness, a requirement for a life with Jesus..........brother Frank
Get ready for brokenness, a requirement for a life with Jesus..........brother Frank
I'm hardly a seasoned saint or one to be giving out advice, but I believe Frank's statement really encompasses the heart of the issue. Thanks for that Frank.
Never never never never never compromise what you know to be true... both in word and practice.
And never be alone with a woman who is not your wife. If a pastor is going to mess up it is almost always in this area of his life.
Krispy
On the heels of Krispy's admonition, try not to take too much on yourself. Many a man has been burned out on doing too much for God. A weary body will invite trouble.
The answer to doing what snufalapagus has suggested is to do only what is initiated by God. Make sure He is the author and then the grace and resources will be supplied to accomplish it. If you come up with your own plan and expect God to bless it you will burn out.
Concentrate on studying they WORD. Let it be your authority. While studying other men's works may have value, never, ever displace the authority of the WORD with another's writings. Study the WORD as though your life depends on it because it really does!
God bless you, brother.
ginnyrose
Develop a secret prayer life far away from man, and any acknowledgment from him.
This is because God seeks worshippers, and those who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Learn a secret Worship life, and a place where you learn to sing to Him, and depend upon Him.
Then concentrate on your ministry of becoming a good brother or sister. It is the highest title a Christian may hold in heaven, for as much as you have done it to the least of the brothers, you have done it unto Jesus!
When you read the Word, read it with an attitude of personal OBEDIENCE, rather than revelation, or a mind set for ministry...for knowledge puffs up, but LOVE edifies.
Avoid men, who will subtly, or not, attempt to pull you into their orbit, as an anointed man or woman of God that you should submit to.
Read Acts 20:30, and realize that men will ALWAYS fail you, but Jesus NEVER fails.
Learn to live on MERCY....and to connect to the secret place where Jesus forever sits at the Right Hand of the Father...and beg the Father constantly to behold you justified covered by the blood of the Lamb. This is eating His flesh, and drinking His blood.
Ask God to reveal to you what walking in the Cross of Christ really means...and then endeavor to learn what dying to your wicked nature really means, and allowing Jesus to reign in your mortal body means. There cannot be both on the throne of your being.
God is teaching you how to love, IF you can receive it. Determine that you will become real with Him, no matter what it may cost you.
"EVEN THOUGH HE SLAY ME; YET WILL I WORSHIP HIM!"
JOB.
Always be thankful and praising God in all things, praying always at all times. Communion with God in regards to everything you see, hear, think, say, and do is the most important thing. If this is missing, you will miss the mark. This cannot be emphasized enough.
Re-read the former paragraph until you remember it without having to conjure it up from memory.
2nd:
Know Romans and John inside and out. Particularily Rom. 5:21-8:17, then Jn. 3 & 11-21.
After this get a good grip on Genesis, especially in regards to covenant.
This will establish a sound foundation in the scriptures in relation to everything else there written.
Ben Beriythel;
Agapeo,
g
Acts 20:32
"The kingdom then is not for weaklings, waverers, and compromisers... It is not for Balaam, the rich young ruler, Pilate, and Demas... It is not won by means of deferred prayers, unfulfilled promises, broken resolutions and hesitant testimonies. It is for strong and sturdy men like Joseph, Nathan, Elijah, Daniel, Mordecai, and Peter... Stephen... and Paul. And let us not forget such valiant women as Ruth, Deborah, Esther, and Lydia"
~William Hendrickson~
Ginnyrose is right.
The best Teacher is the Word of God.
And I agree with Krispy, never compromise.
May God teach you His Word.
God Bless
Nellie
Since other have already given you advice to stay in the word, I'll give you something that I don't think has been suggested yet.
Get enough sleep. Seriously. This makes more difference than most believe. Get 8 or 8.5 hours of sleep every night and you will do a lot better spiritually.
With care in Christ...
Get enough sleep. Seriously. This makes more difference than most believe. Get 8 or 8.5 hours of sleep every night and you will do a lot better spiritually.
Amen, I have noticed that I am weaker on a spiritual sense and definitely more lathargic and irritable when I don't get proper sleep. I can get down right grumpy.
As a young person, this song affected my way of thinking:
ONLY ONE LIFE
VERSE 1
It matters so little
How much you may own
The places you've been
Or people you’ve known
For it all comes to nothing
When placed at His feet
It's nothing to Jesus
Just memories to keep
CHORUS
Only one life
So soon it will pass
Only what's done for Christ will last
Only one chance to do His will
Just remember,
You have but one life
VERSE 2
You may take all the treasures
From far away lands
And take all the riches
you can hold in your hands
And have all the pleasures
Your money can buy
But what will you have
When it’s your time to die?
VERSE 3
The days pass so swiftly
The months come and go
The years melt away
Like new fallen snow
Spring turns to summer
Summer to fall
Autumn brings winter
Then death come to call
FINAL CHORUS
Only one life
So soon it will pass
Only what's done for Christ will last
Only one chance to do His will
So give to Jesus all you days
It's the only life that pays
When you recall
You have but one life
If everything in our lives is measured by its eternal value, then our values guide our lives to that which pleases God and not ourselves. Ask yourself the question: “What will this be worth 1,000 years from today?”
MEMORIZE, MEMORIZE, MEMORIZE God’s Word! Never let a day go by without intimate communion with God.
Develop every talent that you can for God’s glory. Let God lead you in the development of those talents. At the time you may not understand why you feel led to, but later you will understand. As a young Christian I felt led to learn Spanish. I wondered if I’d eventually be a missionary. At the time there were very few Hispanics in our area. I never went to a foreign mission field, but the mission field came to me. Now I understand very well why I had such a fervent desire to learn Spanish.
Always be available for God to use you in whatever “unnoticed” capacity He desires to. As another song says:
“It isn’t necessarily ability He’ll choose.
It’s your availability that makes you what He’ll use …
And that’s called faithfulness, obedience, listening to God.
It’s never very easy, and sometimes it’s so hard,
But it’s better far than sacrifice, better far than wealth,
Cause faithfulness to God comes when you sacrifice yourself.”
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. – Pro. 3:5-6
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