I am Prosperous. Psalm 1:3

  "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper." NKJV
  "They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do." JCB

  A friend has asked me to consider taking my heartfelt request for any of my readers to believe in Jesus Christ a step further. I have created a great injustice in perpetrating the idea that to believe is sufficient for salvation. Today's affirmation is a perfect opportunity to explore what salvation means.
  This is also part of my own journey, too, to solidify what I believe and what I understand the Christian life to be. It's part of my church's journey of discovery as our members have been asked to explore the Be in Christ Anabaptist faith, their beliefs and practices. As a non-denominational church, we are voting on becoming members of that church this month.

  To be saved is to know what sin is. Sin is anything that keeps us apart from God.
  "Believe and be baptised" or as Paul puts it in Romans 6:1, "Well, then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we (our old man) died and were buried by Christ in baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives." JCB
 
  I've had people say they don't want to get involved with "church" because they'd have to give up too much. Life in Christ is giving things up but not how a worldly view imagines. Once we are willing or wanting to give up the wages of sin like hatred, malice, bitterness, jealousy, vengeance, shame, and guilt as well as condemnation and judgement it's like opening the window on a the first glorious spring day of the year. The sweet fragrances of new life and healing pours in. Our lives can be guided by the sweetest fragrance of all: love. (I admit to falling far short of understanding the height, the depth, and the breadth of Christ's love for us yet the upcoming Easter celebration is a perfect opportunity to think about His work on the Cross. Without it, there would be no salvation!)
 We have to invite Him into our lives. God does not force Himself on anyone.
 Love is the motivation behind wanting changes in our lives and hearts. Humans have a habit of not obeying rules! It's why Jesus came: to do away with the rules and replace it with intimacy, communion and community. Jesus came so we can get up close and personal with our heavenly Father and Jesus without the need for a mediator or go-between. Which was something the Jewish people asked for in Moses' day because they were afraid of God. So He gave them Moses to lead them and the Ten Commandments to guide them, setting the stage for the coming of the Messiah: Jesus. Oops, no, the act of reconciling us to Him through the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross began with Adam and Eve.
  Nope. Wrong again. God's plan began before Adam and Eve! Wow.

  "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his (God's) perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first." 1 John 4:18-19
  God understands how hard changing can be. It's why He has poured out His Spirit on all who would believe. It's by His Spirit we are led into prosperity (and this same Spirit leading wise counsel who challenged me to think!)
  Our prosperity is not determined by how much money we have in the bank although wealth on its own isn't sinful. (Something to ponder on at a later date.) Prosperity can be found in acts of kindness and generosity. It's the wealth of wisdom and a hunger to learn more. It's the infinite reward of allowing ourselves to be grown and changed through the guidance of the Holy Spirit which is one of the greatest rewards of faith.
  He, the Spirit, has led me to repentance, an essential part of the Christian walk. Which means saying I am truly sorry for the things I have done. In doing this, I find the willingness to try and forgive. Sometimes it's really hard. It helps to keep in mind how can I, who once was cruel, bear malice to those who were cruel to me? It's a process that I am willing to submit to because through all the tough years on the Black River following my acceptance of Christ, my faith has grown stronger. It's through the act of intimate dialogue (aka prayer and supplication), the lies that shaped my understanding of faith and identity have been slowly pared away.
  It's like being planted by a river! Only this time the waters are clear and cool and fresh.
  I'm not going to talk about taking part in Communion today except to say that this act of partaking of the bread and wine, representing the blood and body of Christ, is one of the most intimate ways I connect with my Lord and Saviour. It is a key part of being a Christian regardless of religion.
  Becoming a believer in Christ doesn't mean life will become a bed of roses. It does mean we will have Strength to support us when we are weak, Open Arms to hold us when we weep, and best of all, Someone to laugh with when we go ahead and be human!
  So I give thanks (another important part of being a follower of Jesus) because there are infinite reasons to be thankful. I worship Him publicly because He called me to that purpose (long before I was ready mind you!) He encourages me to be obedient to His desires and commands for my life. (Not always so good at doing that but I try.) 
  I also humbly admit that a day's post falls far short of revealing all the wonder and amazement a life as a believer in Jesus contains. For that, God gave us the Bible. AMEN!