Merry Christmas to everyone. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus today and the fact that because of His birth and death mankind has hope for eternal life in heaven with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Our precious Lynda is in heaven on this Christmas day and we celebrate that the grave was not the end but the beginning of a perfect existence for her in heaven for eternity.
God sent Jesus to save the world and that includes you. If you have not accepted the gift of salvation or do not know how to open the greatest gift ever given... please prayerfully read the plan of salvation below. If you have accepted Christ you have everything. If you haven't yet accepted the gift that God sent from heaven to save you, I pray that your heart will welcome Him.
How to Become A Christian
You're not here by accident. God loves you. He wants you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus, His Son. There is just one thing that separates you from God. That one thing is sin.
The Bible describes sin in many ways. Most simply, sin is our failure to measure up to God’s holiness and His righteous standards. We sin by things we do, choices we make, attitudes we show, and thoughts we entertain. We also sin when we fail to do right things. The Bible affirms our own experience – “there is none righteous, not even one.” No matter how good we try to be, none of us does right things all the time.
People tend to divide themselves into groups - good people and bad people. But God says that every person who has ever lived is a sinner, and that any sin separates us from God. No matter how we might classify ourselves, this includes you and me. We are all sinners.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
Many people are confused about the way to God. Some think
they will be punished or rewarded according
to how good they are. Some think they should make things
right in their lives before they try to come to God. Others find it hard
to understand how
Jesus could love them when other people don't seem to. But I
have great
news for you! God DOES love you! More than you can ever
imagine!
And there's nothing you can do to make Him stop! Yes, our
sins demand punishment - the punishment of death and separation from
God. But, because of His great love, God sent His only Son Jesus to die
for our sins.
"God demonstrates
His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us." Romans 5:8
For you to
come to God you have to get rid of your sin problem. But,
in our own strength, not one of us can do this! You can't make yourself
right with God by being a better person.
Only God can rescue us from our sins. He is willing to do
this not because of anything you can offer Him, but JUST BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU!
"He
saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because
of His mercy." Titus 3:5
It's
God's grace that allows you to come to Him - not your efforts to
"clean up your life" or work your way to Heaven. You can't
earn it. It's a free gift.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and
this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works,
so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
For you to
come to God, the penalty for your sin must be paid. God's gift to you is His
son, Jesus, who paid the debt for you when He died on the Cross.
"For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus
Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
Jesus paid the
price for your sin and mine by giving His life on a
cross at a place called Calvary, just outside of the city
walls of Jerusalem in ancient Israel. God brought Jesus back from the
dead. He provided the way for
you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus.
When we realize how deeply our sin grieves the heart of God and how
desperately we need a Savior, we are ready to receive God's offer of
salvation. To admit we are sinners means turning away from our sin and
selfishness and turning to follow Jesus. The Bible word for this is
"repentance" - to change our thinking about how grievous sin is, so our
thinking is in line with God's.
All that's
left for you to do is to accept the gift that Jesus is holding out
for you right now.
"If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10
God says that if you believe in His son, Jesus, you can live forever
with Him in glory.
"For God so loved the
world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in
him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
Are you ready to accept the gift of eternal life that Jesus is offering you right now? Let's review what this commitment involves:
If it is your sincere desire to receive Jesus into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior, then talk to God from your heart:I acknowledge I am a sinner in need of a Savior - this is to repent or turn away from sinI believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead - this is to trust that Jesus paid the full penalty for my sinsI confess Jesus as my Lord and my God - this is to surrender control of my life to JesusI receive Jesus as my Savior forever - this is to accept that God has done for me and in me what He promised
Here's a Suggested Prayer:
"Lord
Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I do not deserve eternal
life. But, I believe You died and rose from the grave to
make me a new creation and to prepare me to dwell in your presence forever. Jesus, come into my life,
take control of my life, forgive my sins and save me. I am
now placing my trust in You alone for my salvation and I
accept your free gift of eternal life."
Now find a church to share your decision where you can continue to learn and grow and be part of God's family.
We can be happy today knowing Lynda is safely in the arms of Jesus. Have a wonderful day knowing how much you are loved.
We can be happy today knowing Lynda is safely in the arms of Jesus. Have a wonderful day knowing how much you are loved.
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