THE SECRETS OF SERVING GOD
"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

The truth is that, you either serve God or you serve the devil; you can not serve both together. To many, serving God seems difficult, while to others, it is like impossible or unattainable task. But when we do it right and realize the secrets, it becomes easy and successful.

Right Way
The only acceptable way to serve God is through Jesus Christ, you need to experience genuine salvation through Jesus Christ. Many are having it hard in their Christian lives because they have it wrong or they are taking it wrong way. Christian life without genuine salvation makes it terribly difficult and impossible. If you want to serve God acceptably and successfully, you need to start well. Genuine salvation starts with repentance; many are starting their Christian lives with confession, and they find it hard to overcome sin and Satan, they keep confessing and committing sins. Repentance is the solid base, it is realizing your sins and ready to forsake them. After your genuine readiness to forsake sins, then you go ahead and confess, ask God to forgive and cleanse you through the Blood of Jesus Christ; ask Him to save you, then you are saved.

RUNNING THE RACE: 2 ISSUES
(1) The point is that your salvation helps you to forsake sins, but you can't forget everything about sin; after you surrender your life to Jesus, the formal thoughts of sin will still come, the tendencies and temptation will come. Some time you will feel weak and vulnerable, and suggestion may come to your mind to give in to sin by the pressures within and without. Sometimes, this pressure will be so pressing as if you can't but give in to it; people outside may be pressing you to yield to sin again. The memory of the past sin may flood your mind as if you have not been saved, and Satan will try to confuse you that you are not a child of God. Another common issue is after you have resisted a particular sinful habit and you think that is the end, you may be surprised that the tendency will re-surge after some months or years. You may be disturbed and wonder why that again? The reason is because Satan is not dead yet and he is desperate about your dear life. You resist him, he goes and then look for another opportunity to come, as he did to Jesus. "Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time." Luke 4:13.

(2) After you rededicated or re-devoted your life to Jesus, you want to serve God, you want to please God, you want to pray more, you want to read God’s Word more; you want to preach God’s Word. But then you feel empty. When you want to pray, before you pray for 5 minutes you are empty, before you read few verses of Bible you feel sleepy, your heart is wandering about. It is like your prayer can’t be answered, as if you are not meant to be strong spiritually, as if you can’t be strong in prayer, as if God hates you or you are not a child of God. Has it happened to you before? What next came to your mind? "STOP!" That you should, “stop the prayer, the reading Bible, the new life in Jesus. You will always fumble, you are not meant for such life. You are naturally week and God is not really looking for such people like you.” The secret is that such thought is not just ordinary; it is from the devil to discourage you from moving forward.

SO WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
(1) DON'T GIVE IN. Do not give in or yield to sinful thoughts, tendencies or temptations. We cannot pray that temptation should not come but we can pray unto God to deliver us from temptation, by His grace and strength. Keep resisting the devil as many times he comes with temptations, keep standing, don't relent, keep praying and watching every moment. Many Christians successfully resisted the devil at the first hand, but later they felt relaxed and fell afterward. A Christian who comes out of past nature of lust, immorality, masturbation or anger, he may stand to resist after his salvation but he needs to keep standing and resisting, because the tendencies may still come over again. The secret is that you keep resisting through prayer and Satan will keep fleeing from you.

(2) DON'T STOP. You are praying and you feel empty and wandering about? Don’t stop, continue the prayer, God understand your weakness. The secret is keep on the prayer, you will be filled by the Spirit of God before you finish the prayer. The secret is that the first few minutes of prayer, praising God in Spirit or reading Bible are likely to be distracted and discouraged; but if you don’t stop you will be filled, full and stronger.

The same thing is applicable in your new life in Jesus, in your re-devotion, re-dedication and consecration to God. It will first be un-natural, boring, discouraging, and cumbersome as if you can’t stay long, as if you can’t survive or sustain to the end, as if you can’t understand everything or be holy.

Do you remember when you got your first phone and going through the manual? It was as if you would not get the functioning right, but now you are almost an expert, why because you didn’t stop using and practicing the phone. So also if you don’t stop in your new devotion to Jesus, you will get better and stronger. It is applicable to everyone, both the people in the past and present; all who have ever come to Jesus went through such striving, only they didn’t give up and many are passing though similar things. But Satan will want to personalize it to you as if you are the worst. The devil is a LIAR!

CO N C L U S I O N !
When the people, pressure, persuasion or feeling to commit sin comes again, DON’T YIELD! It is then you will discover the strength and grace of God as your weakness is turned to strength. When the feeling of being empty, of wandering of thoughts, of weakness, of discouragement and despair comes to stop you from your decision and move to serve God, DON’T STOP! If you don’t stop you will be strong. Take your weakness to God in prayer and get strength and grace everyday.

1 Peter 5:8. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”

This message is from Revelation of Truth Evangelical Ministries, RTEM
If you will like to surrender your life to Jesus or to rededicate your life to Jesus, please click on this link and read http://www.facebook.com/notes/revelation-of-truth-evangelical-ministries-rtem/how-can-i-be-saved/270674586372252