Living a Healthy Christian Life: It Is Really up to You

By Madison Clark Jr.

This book is all about touching the lives of people and encouraging them to live a rewarding and fulfilling life for Christ. It encourages them to keep a positive view on life as they understand why God created them to be living souls. It can help pinpoint what kind of shape your life is in and what makes you who you are. This book can enhance your prayer life and help you grow stronger in your faith, as you see that obedience to God helps you to be an overcomer. Its designed to help people understand the real meaning of forgiveness and why it is important to life. You will discover what real godly love has to do with life on a higher plan. You will learn the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Best of all, when you read this book, you may discover what is your lifes purpose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449782085

Madison Clark Jr.

Pastor Madison Clark, Jr. was baptized at age five and raised in a Christian environment. He was called to preach in 1980. He has pastored Good Hope Baptist Church, Westlake, Louisiana, for thirty years. He graduated from International Bible Institute and Seminary, Plymouth, Florida, in 1987 with a Bachelor of Bible Theology degree. He was healed of multiple myeloma in 2006, so his life is a testimony for God. He and his wife Joy has been married for forty years and reside in Westlake, LA. He has one son, three daughters, and ten grandchildren. He loves to fish, both spiritually and physically. He loves to sing and has written ten songs. Most of all, he trusts in God and knows He is able to keep and sustain that which He has created.

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Copyright © 2013 Madison Clark, Jr.

Living A Healthy Christian Life Copyright 2013 All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, unless otherwise indicated.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-7533-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8208-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012921437

WestBow Press rev. date: 2/12/2013

Contents

Memories and Dedications

About the Book

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Prologue A Day Of Life

Chapter One The View On Life

Chapter Two Why Are You Alive?

Chapter Three In What Kind Of Shape Is Your Life?

Chapter Four What Makes You Who You Are?

Chapter Five A Life Of Prayer

Chapter Six A Life Of Faith

Chapter Seven A Life Of Forgiveness.

Chapter Eight A Life Of Love

Chapter Nine A Life Of Obedience

Chapter Ten A Life Of Overcoming

Chapter Eleven A Life filled With The Holy Spirit

Chapter Twelve What Is Your Life Purpose?

Conclusion

Bibliography

Also by Madison Clark, Jr.

Establishing A Healthy Church

Things we need to know and do in the body of Christ

Memories and Dedications

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In memory of the saints of Good Hope Baptist Church, Westlake, LA, Mount Calvary and Mount Olive Baptist Church, Lake Charles, LA, who have gone on before us. Thank God for the role that so many of them played in shaping my life.

I affectionately dedicated this book to all who have had a part in my life and ministry. Through it all, I have learned to trust more in Jesus. Thank God for you.

To Dr. Earnest Ford retired pastor of the Hillcrest Baptist Church, Lake Charles, LA, who always gave me spiritually sound advice.

To my Good friend Dr. Harrison Fields Pastor of New Willow Baptist Church, Leesville, LA, who encouraged me the day I met him 29 years ago.

Your words still ring in my heart, Satan is going to try and eat your lunch, but you hang in there. Thank you Dr. Fields

If I can help somebody

As I travel along

If I can help somebody

With a word or song

If I can help somebody

From doing wrong

My living shall not be in vain.

If I can do my duty

As a good man ought

If I can bring back beauty

To a world up wrought

If I can spread love’s message

As the Master taught

Then my living shall not be in vain.

About the Book

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Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly" John 10:10. However, many people have allowed the thief to come in and steal, kill and destroy. They have turned from Christ, causing them to reject His gift of eternal life. Another sad thing is that many, who have received Jesus as Savior, are not living the abundant life and have never experienced it, because they refuse to grow in Christ and allow Him to be their Lord. Still others are trying to live it without enjoying it.

I am writing this book to really touch the lives of people and inspire them to do everything within their power to live the abundant life, that Jesus came to give. It will encourage believers to let Christ be their strength, as they strive to do all things for the kingdom of heaven. It will help convince non-believers that God loves them too and wants to save them. It challenges people to open their hearts and minds to the realization of what God is able to do in their lives, through Christ Jesus. It also helps people get their lives back on track with God, while they learn to deal with their fellowmen, as well as, themselves. The design is to help people live for the Lord Jesus, in spite of, all the issues of life, by focusing on eternity. It gives people a personal check on their reason for living, why they are alive and what is their purpose for being in this world. It helps people to understand their character and personality traits and pinpoints some things in their lives, they never understood or thought existed.

This book verifies the fact that prayer changes people, in order, for them to change places and things for God. It shows that faith permits us to take hold of the profound depths of God’s never-ending reason for living, as we journey in His kingdom.

This book reveals the true meaning of forgiveness and identifies the fact that forgiveness is personal, as well as, conditional. It shows how to cope with the fears in life through love, and how an intimate relationship with God can help people obey God. It discloses what help believers to be true overcomers. It gives some facts on how to live a Spirit-filled life and discover man’s purpose for living.

Most of all, it is my sincere prayer that everyone who reads this book will understand life better and be committed to have a closer walk with Jesus. After reading this book, my prayer is that you have a spiritual conviction, a stronger Divine determination, and the blessed will to go all the way, in this life for Jesus, and enjoy it. The truth of the matter, it is now or never, for you only pass this way once.

Acknowledgements

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To my family, lovely wife Joy, who has stuck with me for over 40 years. I thank God for your strength and your love.

I thank God for my beautiful children, son Patrick, daughters Dana, Tamara, and Cristal, Nephew Freddie; grandchildren, D’vonte, J’koury, Lakyn, Adonta, Alexis, Kevin, Orea, Jache, Sajhrne and Jordan. Thank God for allowing me to be a part of your lives. I am proud of you.

I am grateful to my siblings, in-laws, kindred, loved ones and friends. Without you I would have never known what a family should and could be.

To the Good Hope Church Family, because you have allowed me to exercise my gift of leadership, God has given me the wisdom to write this book.

To Susan A. Jones MD, the world’s greatest Doctor. Thank you for your compassion and meticulousness.

Ethel Hodge, English major, and editor. Thank you for the time and help with your editorial expertise.

Dianetta Maxie, friend and proof-reader. Thank you for volunteering to check corrections before the final printing of this book.

Introduction

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Living in this world is not always easy. It is not that we do not know how to live. People have some ideas of how they want to live, how they should live, how they could live and would live - IF. I put IF there because I believe every man, woman, boy, or girl, somehow know that life goes beyond wanting to live, knowing how one should live, could live, and would live. Notice that IF is in the middle of the spelling of the word life. I believe God put within us a spirit to keep us aware, that life is not complete within itself. Life is an extension of God, whether we admit it or not. Therefore, as we live life, there will be some stipulations and conditions.

When I look at life, I have to say, I do not believe the struggle with living it gets any easier, if you are a Christian. In fact, to some extent it gets harder. We just understand more about the struggle and against whom we are struggling. The longer we live, the longer we struggle with life. This is especially true when I look at the beautiful senior citizens, who have been on this journey for many years. I see life becoming a struggle for many of them, and the reflection of Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 coming into play. Solomon, the writer, urges the young to remember God in their youth, because old age and poor health, disabilities, and handicaps will overtake them and the pleasures of life will vanish. You see the evidence of this when you visit nursing homes, hospitals and the homes of the elderly. Their arms and legs get weak, their teeth become few, their eyes become dim, their hearing become faint, they are unable to sleep, and some have a decrease appreciation for music. They are afraid of height, afraid of falling when walking, some become cripple and some lose limbs. They become sexually impotent. What is so amazing, however, even in the struggle of old age, many senior citizens are putting more into life than many young people do. Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 goes on to say, man feels the frailty of life, then life is lost, the body goes to the ground and the soul goes to God. Ecclesiastes 12:8, Solomon goes on to say, Vanity of vanities all is vanity. If all is vanity, can you imagine going through the process of life, as well as, old age without God? Life is futile without God. However, I also believe as we live life, we learn more things about ourselves. Someway, somehow, life brings with it knowledge and that knowledge gives us more information about living with ourselves, with others, and with God. This is why we should recognize life as a precious resource, that should not be playfully wasted, but wisely used.

I used to think if I had everything I wanted, I would be happy. But I soon discovered that a lot of the things I wanted, were not the things I needed, and when I got some of them, they failed to make me happy, and didn’t fill the void in my life. Moreover, some things did not contribute to living a healthy Christian life. I found out that things in life do not always make us happy, but a healthy Christian life brings joy, when we know we have done what God requires with the things in life. When people live healthy Christian lives, they discover the difference between happiness and joy. I know some will say, there is no difference, and I won’t argue the point. I believe happiness takes place on the outside, and joy takes place on the inside. When we read Psalms 16:9-11, we see that joy is far deeper than happiness. Happiness comes from our relationship with things, which makes it temporary, but joy is lasting, because it comes from our relationship with God, and His presence, within us. When we know that God is present with us, there is a fact of contentment. When you have joy, you understand the true meaning of happiness, because you see the glorious future God has in store for you. The sad news is, so many people chase after happiness and never find it. They fail to realize if they seek after God, they will find not only happiness but also endless joy. Therefore, a person can have true happiness. The fact is, true and lasting happiness comes from pleasing God and pleasing God comes from the principles of right living. Right living will guide a person into long-standing right behavior. Then you will realize how blessed you really are. This is what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5:3-12.

In writing this book, life for me often got harder. Temptations came, setbacks came, sin came, persecutions came, suffering came, misconceptions came, and loneliness came. However, when I look back I realize that many blessings came, because nothing beats the things we experience in life. Whatever you experience in life becomes knowledge and gives wisdom. The result, life becomes a testimony. God has given me some insight to share how a child of God can have a healthy Christian life.

As you read the book, you will probably discover that it contains things you already know or have heard or read about. My intentions are not to try to get you to live a perfect life, because I do not know how to live a life like that myself, as you will discover. Nevertheless, the design is to help live an abundant life that can keep us aware of God’s love, passion, power, presence, protection, provision, purpose and providence.

Finally, it is my sincere hope and prayer that Living A Healthy Christian Life will inspire everyone to believe that he/she can really be strengthened and encouraged to do all things through Christ. My hope and prayer also, is to help non-believer discover the unsearchable richness of God’s love and receive salvation. In so doing it will help me to realize that my efforts, for the Lord, are well worth it and my labor, for the Lord, is not in vain.

Prologue

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A Day Of Life

You wake up in the morning, God hands you a brand new sheet of paper, from life’s note pad. It is a blank sheet given for you to begin your life recordings for the day. You have the authority write but no tools to erase anything that you record. Nevertheless, you must record, in order to start your day, so you begin.

You pray, read the scriptures and meditate. You cleanup, greet the family, eat breakfast and deliberate on what you have planned for the day. You go on, with the intentions of having the best day of your life. Question, did you ask yourself if you prepared to live a healthy Christian life before you started?

During the course of the day, you face some routine things, but you also face some things you did not plan. Some things are good and some are not so good. You prepared for the good, but the bad and the ugly somewhat catches you by surprise. You even think, say, and do some things you know you should not. The Holy Spirit intervenes and reminds you, this is a day that the Lord has made. So how are facing your day of life, are you going to be glad and rejoice in