Fallen and Flawed

New Christians,
Remember, some of us are weird, some are just plain crazy. At the end of the day (or the end of the world) remember, it is always about Jesus. The very reason we exist is about Him. As John says in the Revelation of Jesus (last book of the Bible), never lose your first love.

Do not get caught up in eschatology arguments or other minor doctrines. Take time to read the Bible and meditate on the things of Christ.

Oh, and stay away from Mike Bickel, Todd Bently, and multi-level marketing schemes.

I was saved last fall (praise God!) and one thing that has helped enormously is to listen to podcasted sermons from a variety of pastors. Of course these are never substitutes for prayer, worship and meditation on the Word; but there are many times throughout the day where we can strap on an iPod while we do busywork and actually grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ – even when doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, riding on a train, sitting in traffic, or whatever.

Here in America (where I’m writing from) we are so blessed to have such great access to amazing resources, and there’s really no reason not to take advantage of it. I’d encourage new Christians to load up their MP3 players and start listening to solid, biblical preaching and teaching whenever they get the chance. To paraphrase Luther… We need the gospel beaten into our heads over and over again

Good advice, Ryan. Got any recommendations? I’d recommend John Piper, John MacArthur, Matt Chandler.

Haha, well you stole a couple great recommendations but I’d certainly recommend Piper, MacArthur and Chandler as well – along with guys like Mark Driscoll, James MacDonald and Timothy Keller (though you have to pay a couple bucks for his). If you really want to get crazy, the Reformed Theological Seminary puts up TONS of lectures completely free on iTunes. It’s pretty incredible.
And to follow what Don wrote, it’s important that we keep the focus wholly on Christ, even though we live in an age where we can tend to idolize preaching “superstarts” (especially in America). These recommendations are for faithful men of God, but it’s crucial that we make much of our Lord above all else. He must increase but we must decrease.
Thanks for your writing and ministry, Demian.

Oops. Sorry about that Ryan. But you did take the cake with the Theological Program recommendation. Anyone interested, you can download a 60 + session course on theology, available free on iTunes.

To new Christians, and to old ones too, I would add that if you’re faithful to items 1-5, then you will remain open to revelation.
As Christians we live by revelation, which means we must be careful to not get set into rigid molds. The minute we begin to think we have all the answers is when we forget the questions, and we become smug Pharisees.
I would also add this word of encouragement: it’s okay to doubt and it’s okay to be uncertain. Without periods of doubt and uncertainty (and sometimes even despair) then we are merely believers in the idea of God, and not in God himself. Nothing will separate you from His love.

Great points, Richard.

Wonderful post, Demian.

I became a Christian a couple of years ago, via the “God resorting to a 2×4″ method. Totally knocked me off my pins, after 50 years of running.

The best two peices of advice I got were, “If there’s Christian radio near you, turn it on and listen to it no matter what your reaction is to what you hear,” and “Don’t worry about ‘formal’ prayer. Just talk to God like he was your best bud, while you putter around the house or on the drive back and forth to work.”

One thing a lot of long-time Christians forget is that just the vocabulary can be both alien and antagonistic to the worldly newbie. It was a good month or so before I became even slightly comfortable, never mind accepting.

I knew I loved the Lord, mind you. But a lot of what I heard on the radio made me want to throw it out the window. And I could not say a “typical” Christian prayer for like a YEAR. Still feels weird, at least in public.

Oh, and I totally agree with the list of 5 too. Especially finding a faith community and getting into the Word.

Good post, Demian. Thanks.

If we’re building a list of speakers, I’d heartily second those mentioned already and add Alistair Begg (Truth for Life).

And the Moody conference archives.

Ok, that’s it for me. I’ll give you your blog back now … (blush)

Great advice Candace. And thanks for sharing your story!

[...] J. I. Packer’s Advice to New Christians [...]

Hi,
This is not meant to be confrontational:
I used to think that there was something worth seeking in human interpretations of Christ.
After years of sincere and honest prayer I came to the realization that human interpretation of words from Jesus are flawed and are causing suffering if taken seriously.
The big questions can never be answered:
What am i?
What is God?
What is a spirit?
What is Heaven, Hell, Satan, Angels, Demons, etc etc etc…
Or something completely overlooked by all religions, scientists and medical doctors, WHAT IS LIFE? Honestly no one knows any of these answers unless they repeat what they were programmed to believe. This mind can and will NEVER grasp infinity yet we pretend to know it. How can infinity can finite edges?
No matter what image I have in my head about Jesus, it is NEVER Him! No matter what image I have in my head about ‘me’, it is not me! In fact, is there even a static ‘me’? If I walked around the world I bet I can get 8 billion different images created of me, yet none of them are me- is there a separate me?
It seemed that all these years I have been just taking everyone’s word for it and not looking at un-conceptual reality. It always becomes labeled because the mind needs to pretend to know everything or it becomes terrified.
All of this life experience was being viewed though this ‘overlay’ or template of beliefs.
So essentially, I and everyone else on the planet appeared to be more like programmed computers or operating systems that respond based on input, genetics and social conditioning. Hummmm, what about free will? Well, WHO AM I? Who is the ‘me’ that is choosing?
I look at a corpse in a casket and notice that LIFE is not present and ‘gramma’ is gone. What is LIFE? Is LIFE GOD? What is God?
Life is a complete mystery unless you go into memory which IS imagination.
In fact when I look at this experience honestly I can’t even say for sure what anything is other than appearance and sensation.
Am I only a bunch of thoughts? If I hit my head or have a stroke this ‘me’ can be gone yet I can be aware, even without any recollection of a life prior to the accident….
Hummmmmmm, well if I don’t go into imagination I cannot say anything about this ‘me’. This ego, mind or thought pattern appears to be nothing more than a false reference point, a false self center. The brain is presenting a show to what? Who is the watcher of the show? Thoughts can never reach anything other than a finite reality which is a false reality, correct?
So if I ask ‘what or who am I’ I cannot find anything other than a simple ‘knowing’ or awareness or cognizing. Without parroting ‘what I have been told’ from science, tv, religion, spirituality etc, I cannot honestly answer these questions.
So there is a peace and contentment in seeing that I know nothing!
The thoughts begin to slow down.
The dialogue in the mind is seen as a ‘false god’ and falls away and there appears to be Light. Peace. Looking at a sunset is experienced as it is, in all of it’s beauty as opposed to listening to thoughts about the past or the future…. Perhaps that was the liar from the beginning.
Anyway, would be interested in hearing some hard core Christian views on honest reality as seen in direct experience as opposed to written Words. After all, the word is NEVER the thing- it can only point. The word ‘water’ can never quench your thirst.
Thanks for listening to some rambling,
jw