In need of help...

[jtornello]

I really don't know how to start this so here we go.
I'm having a really hard time trying to connect with god and get into being a Christian. When I was a child I was really into it but we stopped going to church and now I feel awkward and scared. I tried to rededicate my life to god but after I did I didn't know what to do. Its something I've always wanted to do and no matter how often or tried to convince myself there wasn't a god I always secretly believed. My fiance is a huge believer and so is her whole family and the express it often but when they do I feel awkward because I don't or haven't experienced any of it for myself. I don't want to be scared to love god and express it to other people, I don't want to feel scared or intimidated to ask my fiance or her family for help betting on my path.
I just feel like I'm at a loss and have no idea where to start my journey towards god.

So I guess imwondering if anyone has any bible studies or any insight of what I can do to not be scared? Sorry about the random rambling this was nerve wreaking for me to do and I had no idea of what to write.

 

[CalledOutOne]

First I would like to say that I am telling you these things to help you. I believe your problem is that you may be trying to reform yourself.

43 “ Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” (Matt. 12 NASB)​

Allow me to give you some commentary.

The problem it is talking about is that the evil spirit found the house "unoccupied". This is the description of someone who attempts moral reform without ever being indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Reform apart from regeneration is never affective and eventually reverts back to pre-reform behavior. (Apologies to John MacArthur)

You cannot reform yourself. I would recommend going through the Gospel of John and the book of Romans. They are short enough for you to read in one sitting. They will give you insight on your state outside of Christ, and your state should God regenerate you (that means make you a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)).

I hope this helps you.

 

[1watchman]

Good counsel from CalledOutOne. Here is something further:

God says: ‘Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation’ - 2 Cor.6:2. The steps to salvation are the same for EVERYONE:

1. Speak to our Creator-God and admit you are born in sin and practice sin, as He says in His Word, and cannot that way come to a holy God (please read Rom. 3);
2. Know God gave His well-beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and pay the penalty we could never pay in our efforts to be righteous (see John 3). Isn’t that good news?;
3. Know God loves all souls He has created, and wants them to come to Him before it is too late (read Luke 13:23-27). Don’t delay;
4. Speak to the Lord Jesus Christ in the secret of your heart, and thank Him for dying on the cross for your sins, and declare to Him you are now receiving Him as your Savior and Lord of your life (read John 3 and John 14).

5. God will then write your name in the "book of life", and you can and should go on walking in fellowship with the Lord Jesus. One MUST walk and talk with Jesus to have fellowship with Him and His Father (please read John 14:23 and 1 John 5:10-13 and see for yourself). Don't let Satan deceive you anymore. Take a stand for the Lord.

"I see conversion to Christianity as the grace of God (unmerited favor) as we are "quickened" (awakened to God and made alive and aware of Him, and stirred to seek to know Him). I see this God-consciousness as something in the soul of every being by the Creator-God, and the reason that Atheists become so upset with Christianity ---being troubled in conscience. Some do not regard this quickening Spirit and shrug it off, but when we respond and see the truth of salvation in God’s beloved Son ---the Lord Jesus Christ, and call upon Him in real faith, the Father responds with the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit --new birth. How precious that is! Certainly our enemy, Satan, will always seek to turn us away from the Lord and learning His Word, so it is good to be diligent to learn more in the Bible. ---RLD”

 

[tturt]

What I've learned - get my mind off myself and others and spend time deliberately focusing on Yahweh by thanksgiving, praising Him, playing some music ((like religious Christmas lyrics that are about Him), meditating (means to focus) on Scripture such as Psa 145, thinking about some of His titles, names, and attributes and singing a song about Him to an audience of One. Recommendations based on such Scriptures as I Thess 5:17; Matt 6:6; John 4:24; Psa 16:11; 46:10, 69:30; 71:23; and 100:4.

 

[tangled]

It's just a matter of practicing and arming yourself with scripture that blow the fear away. So:

• Practice.
• Read the Bible.
• Remember scripture that you can bring to your thoughts in time of fear to encourage yourself.
• Be honest with your family.

God bless....

 

[1watchman]

A few of the most important verses in Holy Scripture is 1 Jn. 5:10-13. Be sure you lay hold of them in truth and faith.

 

[jtornello]

Thanks for all the feedback I will try all of these suggestions, does anyone have any bible study plans for starters?

 

[tangled]

Thanks for all the feedback I will try all of these suggestions, does anyone have any bible study plans for starters?

Proverbs!

&&

http://www.openbible.info/topics/fear

 

[jtornello]

Sorry the way I am I need a guide to follow ;( or I am lost

 

[Bible2]

jtornello said in post #7:

. . . does anyone have any bible study plans for starters?

The best way to study the Bible, as a whole, is simply to read every word of it (Mt. 4:4) over & over again. It ends up explaining itself once every word of it has become completely engrained in your memory, & you see all the connections between verses re: something in 1 place in the Bible & other verses re: that same thing in other places in the Bible. It's by comparing & combining related verses from different places in the Bible that we arrive at correct doctrine (Isa. 28:9-10, 1 Cor. 2:13).

It's also a good practice to always end each reading session with a prayer for understanding & remembrance of the entire Bible.

One way to read the Bible is to think of it as 7 volumes:

1. Genesis to Deuteronomy
2. Joshua to Esther
3. Job to Song of Solomon
4. Isaiah to Malachi
5. Matthew to Acts
6. Romans to Philemon
7. Hebrews to Revelation

You can read a chapter in each volume every day. This will keep you current in every part of the Bible. There won't be any part you haven't read recently enough to remember what it says. When you reach the end of a volume, simply start again at the 1st chapter of that volume. In this way, you'll be cycling through smaller volumes like #6 & #7 much more often than larger volumes like #2, but the smaller volumes are so much more dense with doctrine it can be profitable to read them over & over more often.

Also, you can listen to recordings of people reading the Bible, whenever you need to keep your eyes on something else while you listen (such as keeping your eyes on the road while you drive, or on a cutting board while you're preparing food, or on your clippers while you're trimming a hedge). In this way, you can listen to the Bible throughout the day, whenever you don't need to be thinking about something else (such as at your workplace). And you can listen to the Bible even while you're going to sleep, so that it will become part of even your subconscious mind.

 

[tangled]

^ seconded

&

Reading Plans | YouVersion if that doesn't do it for you...

 

[Harry3142]

jtornello-

Here are some passages which can help you better understand our faith:

1. Luke 17:7-10. Jesus himself 'shot down' the arrogance of those who thought that their own works were earning them a special place in the afterlife. God sees what we do as nothing more than what we should be doing, and only then if we literally do everything that is required.

2. Luke 18:9-14. The Pharisee may have done all that he claimed to do, but it did not help him. On the other hand, the tax collector, who knew what he was in relation to God, asked for God's mercy rather than his justice, and received it.

3. Romans 3:19-5:10. It is not faith in our own efforts that obtains for us righteousness. None of us can attain the level of righteousness required of us if we put our trust in our own ability to keep laws and commandments. Instead, we are to put our trust (faith) in what God has already accomplished for us through what he himself has done, namely, sacrifice his own Son in order to atone for our sinful nature.

4. Romans 7:14-25. What St. Paul described here is what we now call 'paradoxical intention'. The harder he tried to keep the laws and commandments, the more he recognized his falling short of keeping those laws and commandments. Either it comes naturally, or it will not come at all. There's even an old saying which describes this quirk in our psyche: "The harder you try, the faster you fail."

5. Galatians 5:16-26. God knows of this paradoxical intention, and has himself dealt with it through subduing our sinful nature and implanting within us a new nature that is capable of saying and doing what he wants of us. 'The acts of the sinful nature' are the motivations which are the underlying cause of every sinful act committed. They are also at the very core of our sinful nature, where we ourselves cannot alter them. But what we cannot do, God can. His Spirit 'reins in' our sinful nature, making it subject to his will.

But not only does he rein in our sinful nature, but he also implants within us a new nature (the fruit of the Spirit). It is these 'fruit' which are the origin of every righteous word and action performed. That's why St. Paul could say, "Against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:23b). They are the parameters within which all our words and actions must originate if those words and actions are to conform to God's will.

God has shown his wisdom in making not only our salvation, but also our conduct as Christians dependent on his gifts to us. By doing this he has 'slammed the door' on the most dangerous sin of all, namely, the sin of Pride. We cannot boast of our salvation, because in order to receive it we had to ask for it as a gift, rather than expecting it as a salary. And in order to properly conduct ourselves as Christians we had to accept the Spirit's own work in subduing our original' sinful nature and himself replacing it with a new nature necessary in order for us to truly behave ourselves as Christians.

May God be with you-

 

[Bible2]

It's impossible to believe or continue to believe all the right things apart from God's miraculous gift of faith (Eph. 2:8, Jn. 6:65, Heb. 12:2) & some measure of his Spirit (1 Cor. 1:18-2:16), just as it's impossible to perform or continue to perform all the right actions as believers apart from God making it possible for believers to do that (Philip. 2:12-13, Jn. 15:4-5), & just as it's impossible to repent if a sin is committed apart from God making it possible to do that (2 Tim. 2:25, Acts 11:18, Rom. 8:13). So even if believers do continue to believe, act, & repent as they ought to, they must stay so humble they never give themselves any credit or glory (Lk. 17:10, Gal. 6:14, 1 Cor. 1:31). But at the judgment of the church, at Jesus' 2nd coming, he'll give them some credit (Mt. 25:21). Also, God does glorify saved people (e.g. Rom. 8:30).

--

Rom. 3:19-30 means by the works of the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law no one will be justified (Acts 13:39), & Rom. 4:1-5 means initial justification is by faith without works (Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5). But Rom. 3:19-4:5 isn't contradicting the fact initially saved people must have both faith & continued works of faith (1 Thes. 1:3, Gal. 5:6b, Titus 3:8) (not works of the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law) if they're to obtain ultimate salvation (Rom. 2:6-8, Jas. 2:24, Mt. 7:21, 25:26,30, Philip. 2:12b, 3:11-14, 2 Cor. 5:9, Rev. 22:14, Heb. 5:9, 6:10-12, 2 Pet. 1:10-11, Jn. 15:2a). For believers must actually continue to do righteous deeds if they're to continue to be righteous (1 Jn. 3:7, Jas. 2:24,26).

--

Gal. 5:18 includes a conditional "if", for the Holy Spirit doesn't take away the free will of saved people (1 Thes. 5:19). They can wrongly employ their free will to commit sin without repentance, to the ultimate loss of their salvation (Gal. 5:19-21, Rom. 8:13, Heb. 10:26-29). Similarly, Gal. 5:22 isn't contradicting the fact truly saved people can wrongly employ their free will to quench the Spirit (1 Thes. 5:19) & indulge in fleshly pursuits (Gal. 5:17-21,26) without repentance, to the ultimate loss of their salvation (Gal. 5:19-21, Heb. 10:26-29).

Gal. 5:22-23's fruits are the fruits of Christians themselves (Lk. 6:44, 8:15, Jn. 15:8, Mt. 7:19, Philip. 4:17), but only so long as they choose to walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25-26) & abide in Jesus (Jn. 15:4-6), instead of wrongly employing their free will to quench the Spirit (1 Thes. 5:19) & not abide in Jesus (Jn. 15:6) & not bear good fruit (Jn. 15:2a), such as by wrongly employing their free will to become utterly lazy without repentance, to the ultimate loss of their salvation (Mt. 25:26,30, Jn. 15:2a,6).

 

[Emmy]

Dear jtornello. The best way always to start, is by letting God know and see, that you really want to become, as God wants us to be: " Loving God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. Also: Loving our neighbour as we love ourselves." The Bible tells us to " Repent," to stop being selfish and wilful, and become loving and caring.
Treat all you know and all you meet, as you would love to be treated: with kindness, with friendly words, with helping hands, (if needed) and generally being a kind neighbour. God sees your sincere efforts, and God will approve and bless you. Always remember that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and you take everything you want to know, or like to do, take it to God in Prayer. Then watch and be alert, and God will guide you.
Keep praying, jtornello, and wait, while loving God and your neighbour. Jesus will give you His Love and Joy, and the Holy Spirit will empower you with Love and strenght, also. Jesus told us to: " Ask and ye will receive," then thank God and share all Love and Joy with all arond you. God will let you know what is best for you to do, just be ready to follow in love.
I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.