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Passenger's Side: Putting Jesus Christ in Charge of Your Life
by John Michael Forosisky
Introduction
Do you hear what I hear? Deep within yourself, do you hear God calling you, and asking you to move closer to Him? Perhaps you have heard this call, but have ignored it. Maybe you feel that you no longer can. Maybe you are ready for something new and exciting in your life. Do you know in your heart that it's time for things to change?
I am really excited about having the opportunity to share some insights with you. The subject matter of what will be discussed in the following pages, has certainly changed my life for the better, and I know it can improve your life too. This book was not written for the purpose of giving you a warm and fuzzy feeling, with instructions for you to follow up by placing the book, and the concept, on the shelf. Hopefully you will feel something special as you absorb what's contained in these pages, but know that there is much more.
What's contained in these pages can enrich your life in such a dramatic way, that you will be simply amazed. I share this with you because I personally have embraced this concept, and I will never let it go. It's like a wonderful, yet simple secret that is just too special to keep to myself.
Life is about choices. As you explore each of the chapters of this book, you and you alone will make the choice as to whether or not this concept is one that you will embrace. It is my sincere hope and prayer, that reading this book will prompt you to do something wonderful for yourself. to "slide over," and continue on your life's journey from the passenger's side .
Chapter One: "The First Step"
I think you will be happy to know that this writing is meant to help you with the here and now. This is not a book about life after death, or salvation. However, because of the eternal consequences of what I will refer to as the ultimate choice, I will very briefly discuss the matter.
You have most likely heard of the sinner's prayer , in which one asks to be saved. I truly could not share this book's theme with you in good conscience without at least a mention of salvation. So I will be very direct and make this one statement:
I believe that there is no choice that one will ever make that is more significant than to choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and to save your soul.
What good would it do for any of us to feel like we are living a blessed life here on earth, but then end up spending eternity separated from the One who created us? It is my hope and prayer that if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, that you will seek Him, and ensure your eternal destination today.
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. to acquire the things in your life that will bring you more happiness, change is required. Understand that if you desire to become a happier person in all respects, you need realize right now, that some things in your life are going to change. Open your mind to the idea of evolving into the person that you really want to be, and the person that God wants you to be.
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This first step, which kicks of this new journey, can be summarized in the little poem-like writing below. It was given to me by the Lord, even before I knew I would be writing this book. It would be hard to express how special it was for me to have been the recipient of this writing. It really touched my heart and hit home for me. I hope it touches your heart as well. What follows, is what this book is really all about.
Passenger's Side
Lord, I have been in the driver's seat of my life for a long time. I have taken many wrong turns, and have driven down the wrong roads, time after time. How foolish I have been to think that I could find my own way. Today however, I can rejoice. Today I want to tell the world that through you Lord, I have discovered what I need to do. It is so simple, that I just shake my head and wonder how I could have overlooked the truth for so many years.
It is you Lord, who is the Author of my life. How could I not have known, that I didn't need to take guess after guess as to which way I should turn, and where I should go? All along, you have been right there with me, ready to switch seats. I now realize, that all I had to do was to say, "Here Lord, I want YOU to sit in the driver's seat of my own life, and take the wheel. I will stay right up here with you, so that I can see where we are going, from right where I belong. the passenger's side."
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You and I cannot use logic to try to figure out the things of God. After all, there is nothing logical about water being turned into wine. Where's the logic in a man named Lazarus dying, and then four days later, being raised from the dead?
Gods ways are simply miraculous. When God wants to, He will defy logic. He can do that, because after all -- He is God. And as I remind myself, you need to accept the fact that as long as you roam the earth, there will be things that you just won't understand. It can be a hard pill to swallow, but that is the way it is.
The key is this: don't let confusion cause you to not believe. Don't let the fact that you can't logically validate the ways of the Lord cause you to dismiss His ways as untrue. If you think miracles are not real because they make no sense, then you will serve as your own block from seeing miracles. I guess I could say that God showed me that you can be a thinker, and at the same time, have a mind that is as open as the Montana sky.
Additional Excerpts
. one of the keys to experiencing God's glory in your life, is trust. As we have already discussed briefly, God wants you to have faith in Him and to trust Him 100%. This means that you need to get into the habit of going to Him in prayer, and giving Him your problems.. Completely Trusting the Lord to help you with your problems can take some work. Like any other task, through much practice and repetition, you will continue to develop a greater sense of trust. (Chapter Two)
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Can any of us truly comprehend the fact that prayer is a line of communication between us and God? While there are others, prayer is surely an extremely important and significant one. Many things can be accomplished through faith backed prayer. This includes both things for our own selves, and for others.. God is constantly thinking about you. How often are you thinking about Him? Is prayer a regular part of your life? It certainly needs to be. If I were to summarize the importance of prayer in say, five words, they would be; Prayer is big! Real big! Prayer is your own personal communication with God. It would be impossible to pray too much. (Chapter Four)
Imagine what God might do for you, if you talked to Him in prayer with your whole heart and soul, and not just words. Have your prayers been like a one sentence note? Plead your whole case. Spend some time. Also, appreciate that unlike people, God will listen without interruption. And you won't have to hand write a note, either.
If any of us can fully comprehend that praying really is communicating with the Almighty God, the very One who can do for us whatever He chooses, we would take it more seriously. We would realize how valuable our prayer time is. We would certainly put forth greater effort. So the next time you pray for anything that is really important to you, get on your knees by your bed and pray your heart out. Don't be afraid to shed some tears. An insincere prayer is of no value at all, but a serious and sincere prayer, might just move a mountain that you need moved. (Chapter Four)
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Within your very being, you have the power to heal. This power comes from Jesus Christ. The healing power is, Christ's love. If you have love in your heart for God and for others, then you may heal others. This love of Christ can move through you, to another.
The starting point of the role that you play here, exists within your own heart. A true desire for a healing is required. God knows of all your intentions and desires. What you do, say, or think on the surface, is of no value when it comes to healing. It's what you truly desire in your heart, that makes the difference. That's why love is required to heal. It's all about love. (Chapter Five)
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Remember that Jesus is the only true rock. And if He is the rock in your life, He won't have far to go to get to you, when you call on Him. Because as the rock in your life, He is already there supporting you at every moment.
Most importantly, whether you do or you do not feel like you have been in the Lord's care in the past, realize that what's important is today and tomorrow. Make sure that you tell the Lord Jesus Christ today, that you absolutely desire to be in His loving care. One thing is for sure.there is no better place to be! (Chapter Six)
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Wonderful things can happen when you praise God. Amazing things may begin to take place, that you don't even know about. Perhaps one day you will be praising God, and as you are speaking, God will be smiling at you and saying "yes" to that request that you had for Him yesterday. Who knows, maybe at this very moment, you are just one sincere thank-you away from a special gift from your Heavenly Father..
If you have not been witnessing God's handiwork, perhaps a spirit of praise and appreciation is missing from your life. Remember too, that there's more than just receiving material blessings. There's simply His Holy presence, to be experienced by you to a greater extent. (Chapter Nine)
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A major part of letting go, involves emptying out that emotional warehouse of yours that is jam packed with, in a word. garbage. You have been holding on to it, and it has done you no good. In fact, it has only been a major hindrance to have held on to this garbage.
The past however, is the past, and you can't change the way in which this warehouse has caused problems for you. What you can do, however, is to make a choice today to take care of this matter. This is accomplished in doing what you have been needing to do with the contents of your emotional warehouse; to let go of them..
So let's sum up what your objective is here: You want Jesus Christ to drive your life. You need Him to prepare for this wonderfully dramatic transition. To do so, the warehouse must be emptied. You are calling on Him to help you. You can be certain that He will, because it is God's will. Never forget that He loves you and wants you to be free. This is why you let go.to be free. So let Him unlock and dispose of these chains that have held you in bondage. You won't believe how awesome it will feel when you are free. (Chapter 11)
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When you have a solid relationship with Jesus Christ, you can move forward with confidence. God's Spirit will support you because He knows that you are wanting to follow Him, and to do His will.... The Lord wants you to move forward in life. He wants you to achieve and to grow. He wants you to develop. He also wants you to be happy. As long as your plans and goals are consistent with God's will, you can know that because He (the Holy Spirit) is in you, He will offer you all the support that you need. (Chapter 12)
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When you ask Jesus Christ to walk with you, He will do just that. If having His presence in your life is a true desire of your heart, He will in fact be with you. You can now consider Him to be your partner. He will be with you through thick and thin. You can count on Him. You are in for a blessed life. I didn't say a perfect life, but a blessed one. (Chapter Fourteen)
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