Do you know what your purpose in life is? Do you think it is to have fun or to accumulate all the "things" you can? Whatever you think it is, if you have tried it then you know it still leaves you empty and wondering if that's all there is to life. Some of you have "tried" church and it, too, left you feeling like something was missing. That is because we all try to live life focused on ourselves and what we want. Jesus said the greatest commandment is: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." In Mark 8:35-37 Jesus said "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" This is a quotation from an unknown source but very true: "Only one life, it will soon be past, only what is done for Christ will last."
The most important decision you will ever make is the one regarding Jesus Christ who is the Son of God. If you reject Him, you will spend eternity in hell. If you accept Him, you will spend eternity in heaven. It really is that simple. I urge you to get two books written by Josh McDowell: "Answers to Tough Questions" and "More Than a Carpenter" (you can find these books in any Christian book store). They will help you immensely in getting answers to who Jesus really is and why you should believe in Him. Here are some important scriptures for you to read.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." John 14:6
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9
If you want to accept Jesus as your Saviour, say a prayer saying you are sorry for your sin (repentance) and ask Him to come into your heart and be your Savior and the Lord of your life. Then, find a good, Bible believing church and tell the Pastor that you have made the decision to accept Jesus. Attend church and Sunday School regularly. This is important for instruction on how a person should live the Christian life. You also need to be with other Christians so they can help you to grow as a Christian. Also, get a Bible (the New King James Version is a good one) and read it daily. It will instruct you and greatly enrich your life. The Psalms will help you in your relationship with God. Proverbs helps in your relationship with people. The New Testament tells you about what Jesus did for you and how He wants you to live. Hope in the Lord for with Him there is mercy, and abundant redemption. Contact me if you have questions or comments.
God made man (and woman) and then gave them a choice to love and obey Him or not. Because of the choice made by the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, sin came into the world. God hates sin and cannot look on it. So, because He loves us, He provided the perfect sacrifice to pay for our sin .......His Son, Jesus Christ. That means, if we accept Jesus as our Savior, God sees us as being free from sin because we are covered by the blood of Jesus.
There are really only two religions in the world. Christianity is one and everything else is the other. Other religions believe there other ways to God or to heaven. Some believe works or being a good person will get you to heaven. Some believe there really is no heaven - just a state of nothingness. Some believe there are other gods or that we are all becoming gods. Some have made the earth their god (or goddess). Christianity is the only religion that believes there is but one God and only one way to God and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. Although I have gone to church all my life, I do not believe this blindly. I have studied other religions and found that Chrisitanity is the only "religion" that makes sense. The first thing you need to realize is that God created the heavens and the earth. Creation itself is the most compelling argument for a creator God. There is no way that the complexity of life--the way the body is put together and works--the vast variety of life forms and yet the obvious distinction of each specie--could have happened "by chance". This is what I believe. If I am wrong, I have really lost nothing. If I am right, I have gained eternal life in heaven. The choice is yours to make but remember............that choice has eternal consequences!
At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
I wish I didn't have to tell you this, but you must remember this one thing: you must keep your eyes on Jesus as your role model. Although Christian people are supposed to "be like Christ", we are not perfect (the only perfect person ever to have lived was Jesus) and we will not be perfect until we die and go to heaven. We still have our "carnal" side we have to fight against. Don't turn away from being a Christian because someone you think is a Christian doesn't act the way you think they should. Also, not everyone who calls themselves "Christian" are Christian. So remember that and be a little forgiving. We don't give up our personalities when we become Christians and some of us have rather difficult personalities to get along with. Keep your eyes on the only one worthy of worship - - Jesus!!
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