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Step 2
Shine “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light � Ephesians 5 v 8
Tamryn Klintworth
Arise | Shine Booklet Step 2 (Shine) Tamryn Klintworth Copyright Š In His Name Ministries 2012 ISBN 978-0-620-53636-3 First Edition All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and publisher. All Scriptures are taken with permission from the NKJV, unless otherwise stated. Cover artwork by Danelle Vingtas Layout by Creative Cactus, Somerset West Printed by Bakwena Print, Somerset West Published by: In His Name Ministries PO BOX 50015 West Beach, 7449 www.inhisname.org.za
This booklet has been distributed free of charge during a IN HIS NAME GOSPEL CRUSADE and is NOT FOR SALE.
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CONGRATULATIONS! Well done on accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour! You are now a child of God and part of His family. The Bible describes you as being a new creation. You have been saved from the kingdom of darkness and the Holy Spirit has made His home in you. But, what do all these things mean? The next few chapters have been written just for you! All these wonderful miracles will be explained. You will also find information on how to grow in your relationship with God. Your relationship with Him begins today and like any other relationship, requires a constant flow of communication for healthy growth.
YOU HAVE BECOME A NEW CREATION While your physical appearance remains the same, deep within, all your sin has been completely washed away. You have been scrubbed clean by the precious blood of Jesus. This glorious miracle leaves you pure and holy on the inside. The change is so dramatic, that the Bible even describes the experience as becoming a new creation. 4
Another description used is being born again. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Corinthians 2 v 17 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” – John 3 v 3
The Bible tells us that God chooses to forget our sins entirely. He will never hold our sins against us. He will not even remember them! “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.” – Isaiah 43 v 25
YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED FROM DARKNESS “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” – Colossians 1 v 13 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they 5
may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – John 10 v 10
Before you choose Jesus, you are trapped in the kingdom of darkness. The kingdom of darkness is ruled by the devil. All those trapped in this kingdom are slaves of sin. They are controlled by selfish desires and addictions. Fear and anxiety rule their thinking. Depression, guilt and bitterness enter their heart with ease. What a terrible kingdom to be a part of! Thankfully, there is way of escape – Jesus Christ! When you choose Jesus, He rescues you from the kingdom of darkness. And so, dear believer, you are no longer a captive of Satan but a child of God! This also means that anything dark and evil, like sickness and disease, has no power over you. This is why as Christians, we pray for healing in the name of Jesus. God wants to heal you and is fully able to heal you. We must just pray and believe! In John 10 v 10, Jesus declares that His sacrifice would result in you having a full, abundant life. Jesus was not only referring to heaven, but to a long, blessed 6
life of love, peace and joy on earth.
YOU HAVE BECOME A CHILD OF GOD “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’” – Romans 8 v 15 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” – John 1 v 12
When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you become a son or daughter of God Almighty. The word “Abba” is an Aramaic word that can best be translated as “Daddy” or “Papa”. It is a term that implies a close and special relationship between child and father. And so, when you choose Jesus, God becomes your Daddy! I do not know what kind of relationship you have or had with your earthly father. Perhaps a wonderful relationship. Maybe a more difficult one. What I can tell you is that God is the perfect Daddy. He is understanding, patient and kind. He loves you regardless of what you
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say or do. Nothing can make Him love you any less. He wants to provide for you and protect you. He wants to give you wisdom and direction. He will never be angry with you, even when you disappoint Him. When you make a mistake, He will comfort and help you.
YOU HAVE BECOME PART OF THE FAMILY OF GOD “‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.” – 2 Corinthians 6 v 18
Together, Christians make up the family of God. And so, whether you have a large biological family or not, you now have many thousands of brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers in Christ! God is our Father and we are His sons and daughters. This is why going to church is so important. As a family, we help, support and encourage one another. We give each other godly advice and grow together in our relationship with our God.
THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS MADE A HOME IN YOU 8
When you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit makes a home in you. Who is the Holy Spirit? The Bible teaches that we must only serve the one, true God. However, God is so much more complex, great and glorious than we can imagine! We learn from the Bible that God exists in three Persons – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. All three have different responsibilities and functions. When the blood of Jesus – the Son of God – washes you clean, the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God – comes to live within you. Being God, the Holy Spirit can only abide within a human heart that is entirely without sin. Remember how we spoke about the holiness of God and sin being opposites that could not abide together? When the blood of Jesus washed you clean, it became possible for God to take up residence within you. How marvelous! How does the Holy Spirit help us in our daily walk? »» He will fill your heart with the assurance
that you are indeed born again and a child of God.– Romans 8 v 16
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»» He will help you behave like a child of
God whilst enjoying an abundant life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” – Galatians 5 v 22 - 23 »» He will help you stay away from sin and
stand firm in the midst of temptation. He will give you power to resist the devil and overcome evil. “I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” – Galatians 5 v 16 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” – James 4 v 7 »» When
you are uncertain whether something is sin or not, He will fill you with conviction if such is sinful, or peace if such is blameless. If you still fall into temptation and sin, do not become discouraged. As you grow in your relationship with God, you will become stronger and stronger. He will never give up on you. Never give up on Him! When you sin, come to God and repent for what 10
you have done. Remember, the power of the blood of Jesus remains active within you. You are a child of God. The Holy Spirit will never allow sin to stay in your heart. He will wash that sin away with the blood of Jesus and encourage you. Keep going, dear believer – all the way to heaven! However, this does not give us an excuse to sin. Repent means to turn your back on the sin and rather choose to live a holy life. In 1 Peter 1 v 16, God says, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Choose to imitate your Father God. He is holy. Jesus paid a high price – His own life – so that sin would not have power over you. You have been set free from sin. Live a life that shouts this from the rooftops! »» He is your teacher, comforter and helper.
When God wants to tell you something, the Holy Spirit will communicate that message to your heart. When you feel the presence of God, you are really feeling the touch of the Holy Spirit. He is the hand and voice of God in your life.
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WHAT DO I DO NOW? Knowing that heaven will be your home one day is incredibly exciting. However, your relationship with God does not begin when you reach heaven. Your relationship with Him begins right now, today! As in any relationship, communication is essential. Communication brings growth and intimacy. But, how do we communicate with God?
PRAY “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” – James 4 v 6
Prayer is simply speaking to God. Whether you move your lips or speak to Him from deep within your heart, He listens most attentively to every word and thought. Pour out your heart to Him. Ask Him to show you His love. Ask Him to heal past hurts and reveal His plans for your future. Speak to Him as you would a loving father, spouse or best friend. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, no matter how short or long the prayer, He longs to hear your voice. And then – listen! His voice is not audible, but can be sensed 12
deep within, where no one else can speak. He will tell you how much He loves you. He will give you direction. He will whisper words of comfort and encouragement.
READ THE BIBLE “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” – Matthew 24 v 35
When we first get to know a new friend, we learn more about that person. This is exactly what the Bible does for us as we grow in our relationship with God. It tells us all about who He is and what He says about us. God has given us His word so that we can understand Him better and become strong in our faith and in our relationship with Him. The Bible is a book you can completely rely on to tell you the truth. Do not rely on your thoughts, feelings or what others say about you. Rely on what the Bible says! This is very important. Below is a list of some of the wonderful things the Bible says about you. Look up these Bible verses and read them over and over again, until they sink deep into 13
your heart. Try and remember a few so that when you are away from your Bible and in a difficult situation, you can draw strength from the promises God has made to His children. You will see that the Bible is divided into two parts – the Old Testament and New Testament. There are 66 books in the Bible, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Scriptures are always quoted with their book, chapter and verse. For example, the first scripture listed below is Romans 8 v 38 – 39. This means that we must look at the book of Romans, chapter 8, verses 38 to 39. For the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, you will need to look at the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They are the first four books of the New Testament and are known as the Gospels. A good idea would be to be focus on the verses below and read a portion of the Gospels every day. This would really get you going in the right direction! I am LOVED – Romans 8 v 38 - 39
I am HAPPY – John 15 v 11, Philippians 4 v 4
I am FREE 14
– John 8 v 32
I have perfect PEACE – Philippians 4 v 6 - 7, Isaiah 26 v 3
I shall LACK NOTHING – Philippians 4 v 19, Psalm 34 v 9 - 10
I am more than a CONQUEROR – Romans 8 v 37
I have divine PROTECTION – Isaiah 54 v 17
I OVERCOME every obstacle – John 16 v 33
I am TRIUMPHANT – 2 Corinthians 2 v 14
I am SUFFICIENT for every task – Philippians 4 v 13, 2 Corinthians 3 v 5
I am SPECIAL – Psalm 139 v 13 - 18, 1 Peter 2 v 9
My life has PURPOSE – Ephesians 2 v 1
I am BLESSED – Psalm 1 v 1 - 3
I am SECURE AND CONFIDENT – Proverbs 3 v 24 - 26
Under trial I WILL STAND – 1 Corinthians 10 v 13
When I pray GOD HEARS ME – Jeremiah 29 v 12 – 13 15
God will NEVER LEAVE ME – Hebrews 13 v 5
God will NOT GIVE UP ON ME – Philippians 1 v 6
GO TO CHURCH Through listening to good, biblical teachings and being strengthened and encouraged by spending time with other Christians, we grow even further in our relationship with God. Praising and worshipping Him uplifts our spirits and bring Him the glory He deserves. When you go to a church, tell the pastor or one of the helpers that you have recently accepted Jesus as your Saviour. Many churches have an exciting course for new believers that can really get you going in your newfound relationship with God. Do not be afraid to take some time looking for a church that you feel comfortable in. Some are quite traditional while others are more modern. Some are large and noisy while others are small and quiet. Attend a few services before you finally put your roots down. Remember that you now belong to the family of God. Spending time with other believers is an important part of being a 16
Christian.
GO FOR IT! You have just started the most exciting journey you will ever take. I urge you to never let go of God. He will never let go of you! Read your Bible and pray every day. Find a great church and enjoy learning more about God and spending time with other Christians. I would also encourage you to share your salvation story with others. Jesus instructs us to do this numerous times in the Bible. Your testimony has the power to inspire others to choose Jesus too! “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” – Mark 5 v 19 (NIV)
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