Encouragement for a New Believer

David, sorry I'm typing this but my handwriting is pretty
unreadable, well I am an English Teacher!

I want to encourage you while I'm away; I want to remind you of where
you stand in God now you have invited Jesus into your life. You can
just read this without looking up the bible quotes, but when you have
time, do look them up, they are smashing food, very healthy!!

Fact: You are now God's child, God the Father is now your true Father.
You had an earthly father, now you have the God of the universe. See:
Romans Chapter 8 Verse16-18 ( I will now refer to chapter and verse as
follows: Romans 8:16-18)

Fact: Once you believed that Jesus died for your sins, your sins past,
present and future, you received complete forgiveness, forever. You are
free, forever. There is now no condemnation or guilt to carry around.
See: Romans 8:1-4

Fact: If we do sin we ask forgiveness from God and anyone we hurt,
because although we are forgiven spiritually forever, we live in an
earthly body and need to know that forgiveness in our heart and mind.
When we confess our sins and mean it as much as we are able, we can
know God forgives us. See: 1John1:9 (That is a letter from John, not
the Gospel, 1John is the First letter of John, near Revelation in the
bible)

Fact: Because God knew you before you were born, he has a plan for your
life that is perfect. When you know you are doing what God has created
you to do, there is joy and hope in this life. See: Psalm 139 and
Ephesians2:10

Fact: You are now a new creation in Christ, a new man, a spiritual man,
you have been born again, by the Spirit. ( I always thought being `Born
again` was some awful over the top American phrase. It actually means
that when we ask Jesus into our life, we are born again by the Spirit.
We are now God's forever and we will spend eternity seeing how
incredible the God of the Universe is, as well as how deep and wide and
perfect his love is. God is love and that love is pure, perfect power!
I could get quite excited about that!)
See: 2Corinthians5:17. The gospel of John, John 3:3 and John
3:16.

Fact: You are very precious to God, he loves us and delight in us and
enjoys us. That seems incredible that the God of the whole Universe
would care for us that much, but that's why He sent His only son to die
for us! He knows you personally; He knows your fears, your weaknesses,
your strengths, but best of all He sees your heart and how much you
long to be the best person you can. He's about making us more like
Jesus, which is someone who lived a life full of love for others. See
Jeremiah 31:3, Psalm 86:5 Ephesians 3:17-19, 2Corinthians
3:17-18.

I think that's enough for now. Know and believe that faith means
leaning and depending on Jesus, that is a true translation of faith.
This life is hard and we fail a lot but God knows our past, present and
future. He knew when we would fall and has already provided a way out;
that is freedom.
You're a smashing bloke David, and I am committed to being your friend,
but trust Him more, I'm human, Jesus is perfect; perfect human, perfect
God.
Finally, how do we know him more and more? Like any relationship we
want to grow in we begin to invest our lives in it. We make time to
talk with Him, in faith knowing that He hears us. We begin to expect
that He will speak to us through the Word (the bible) through
impressions in our hearts and minds and even through supernatural ways,
He is a supernatural God!
He will love you, heal you and grow you up the way you were made to
grow.
Phew!
Look forward to seeing you when I get back.
Love and God's blessings,
Mark