a special letter for you via Cares4u.com's pass it on service afriend writes: You probably don't know who this is, but we've spoken a few times and you genuinely seem like a nice person. I thought I'd take a moment to pass along something to you that has made a world of difference in my life. Please read the entire email, believe me, Its worth it...I'll be praying for you. See ya soon! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- It may sound foolish to some that Jesus Christ who died on a cross and rose again 2000 years ago can radically transform your life, yet millions of Christians on every continent say that Jesus has transformed their lives. Who exactly is Jesus Christ? Jesus is the son of God who was sent to earth to save mankind from sin (separation from God) and to offer the the gift of eternal life (Heaven) to those who will follow him. Read on, and please keep an open mind. John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Why does man need to be saved from sin? The Bible teaches us that ALL people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sin is anything that separates God's children from him. Just like a human father, God does not want anything to separate us from his love and guidance. God is the pure essence of love, holiness, goodness, mercy, and power. Because humans are sinful by nature we are simply not worthy to enter the kingdom of heaven on our own. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" 1 Timothy 1:15 "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." This is where Jesus comes into the picture. Jesus Christ was willing to take the punishment for the sins of all mankind by dying on the cross, thus making it possible for Christians to enter into heaven. The Bible teaches us that there is one way and one way only to gain eternal life in heaven and thats by placing your faith in Jesus Christ. A Christian is a person who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was sent to save those who believe and place their faith in him. A Christian is a person who repents from their sin and follows Jesus. When a person dedicates his or her life to Jesus Christ, Christ in turn grants that person eternal life and then Gods Holy Spirit comes to live inside them in order to help them live their life according to the teachings of Christ. Romans 5:8-10 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." John 10:7-10 "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 20:31 "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Acts 2:38 "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." The power of God and his living words found in the Bible, combined with the joy of the Holy Spirit has transformed many people with seemingly meaningless lives, into renewed and joyful people. Salvation through Christ is the meaning of life for Christians. Ephesians 6:17 "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" John 14:23 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode (home) with him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." So what must you then to receive Eternal Life in Heaven? The Bible says that you must be born again. This means that you must cast off your old self and become born into the family of God as a believer in Christ Jesus. John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 1 Peter 1:23 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." To be a born again Christian you must repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ. Repentance comes from the greek word metanoeo which means: A change in mind that results in a change in conduct. Repentance is not merely sorrow. It involves a complete change of attitude regarding God and sin and is often accompanied by a sense of sorrow and a corresponding change of conduct. Such repentance does not arise within man himself, but is the result of Gods mercy in leading a man to it (Acts 5:31) Thus repentance involves the very process whereby men are born again. A person can become a Born again Christian because of the grace (unmerited kindness) and mercy of God. There is nothing a man or woman can do to save him or her self. Salvation only comes by placing your faith in Jesus Christ. Because salvation is a gift, it cannot be earned or paid back. Just being a good person will not get you into heaven, you must have faith in Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" Luke 13:3 "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Acts 3:19 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Romans 2:4 "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" What is Faith? Faith is believing in the things we place our hope in even though we cannot see or prove them by human standards. The Bible teaches us to have faith in Jesus and with good reason. God is so powerful and loving that he cannot be fully understood by us as humans. God cannot be confined within the logic of the human mind. One has faith when he believes in the Word of God. The Bible teaches us that if one has even a small amount of faith (comparable to a tiny mustard seed) we have enough to move mountains...faith is very powerful. Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." Hebrew 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Matthew 17:20 "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." Even without seeing God, his work is evident in the lives of millions of Christians around the world. God can work in your life too. It doesn't matter who you are or what kind of past you've had. Jesus came to heal the sick and give life to the poor. He'll come into your life right now if you let him. If you believe in Jesus Christ (also known as the Word of God) and everything he has just taught you, you can become a born again Christian right now. Say the following prayer and you will saved. "Dear Jesus, I believe that you are the son of God and that you died on the cross in order to save me. Please forgive me of my sins. I ask you to come into my heart and give me your gift of eternal life. Help me to love, follow, and have faith in you and grow strong in your Word. Show me how to put you first in my life and do your will, In Jesus name I pray, Amen." If you just prayed that prayer and meant it, let me be the first to congratulate you! You've just been reborn as a child of God. If you do not own a bible, make it a priority to go out and buy one. I suggest an NIV Study bible. The bible is our guide to living a Christian life. Hebrews 4:12 says "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Just like prayer is our way of communicating with God, the Bible is his way of communicating his will in our lives. Consider it an instruction manual. Believe the Bible above anything else. Use it to filter everything that you are told about God, Jesus, or Christianity in general. Reasons for turning to God that you might not have considered 1. God created us. Scientific studies have concluded that the chances of life starting spontaneously on earth (by means of a primordial soup) are 1 over 10 to the 40,000th power. That last number is a 1 followed by 40,000 zeros. That's comparable to finding a single grain of sand hidden on one of the thousands of planets contained within our seemingly infinite universe. Furthermore, it doesn't make sense that life could exist on its own apart from divine support. Human beings are mainly constructed from Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, as well as the various other elements contained in this world. None of these atoms contain life or are alive. All they have is a simple electric charge wich is nothing more than electricity. How is it then that when you combine a bunch of nonliving atoms together that life appears? Can I add a bunch of zeros together and ever get a one? At what point do complex combinations of these atoms give us thoughts and feelings such as love, happiness and sadness? Our physical bodies are housing for our souls. For a believer, our bodies are temples, because God lives and dwells within us. Think about it....True life can only come from one who has life within himself. Genesis 2:7 "the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." John 5:26 "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself." 2. The Bible is Trustworthy. Never once has any biblical fact in the Bible been proven wrong. Time and time again historical evidence has appeared that make the Bible an infallible source of History. Historical scholars all over the world look to the bible as an accurate source of historical knowledge. The Bible told us thousands of years ago that the earth was round. (Isaiah 40:22) It also gave the remedy for stopping the black plague in europe during the middle ages; the answer was quarantine found in the book of leviticus. Furthermore, there has never been a biblical prophesy that has failed to occur. (see the first five chapters of Matthew) Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, prophets told of his coming, the places he would go and the things he would even say. The instruction the Bible gives regarding righteous living still remain to this day as a source of peace and understanding to those who read, practice and follow its teachings. No other book in the history of the world has impacted the world more than the Bible. That's because the Bible is nothing short of Gods spoken word. If you don't believe that, try reading it. No other book exists that contains more wisdom. God Spent 1600 years inspiring men to write out his word. The forty men who were employed in its writing were doctors, farmers, kings, shepherds, old, young, rich, poor, learned, and unlearned. Despite the many years, and differences of people and culture, the teachings of the bible all precisely fit together in perfect unison spelling out Gods intentions in our lives as his creation. The Bible is an instruction manual for human beings. Matthew 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." - Jesus 3. God is all Loving, all Caring, and all Powerful. It is important to note that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. God came to us first. He lived as one of us for 30 years at which time he then began to preach his divine teachings in order to save us and instruct us. Never in the course of history has a human being impacted the world with such powerful testimony as Jesus Christ. Many people say that God is not worthy of being followed because it appears as if he doesn't care. When Jesus was on earth he spent a very large portion of his time healing the sick and injured and performing miracles in order so that people might have food and wine to drink. If that's not love, I'm not sure what is. While Christ lived in a human body, he was still God and thus sinless. He is the pure essence of love and purity. Christ's ultimate purpose is to give us salvation by accepting the punishment for our sins. He did this by dying on the cross. Christ came into this world knowing full well that his own creation would kill him. He did it for the sake of those who believe in him and love him, so that they might have eternal salvation with him in heaven. Again if that's not love, then I don't know what is! After Christ's death on the cross, he rose up from the grave 3 days later and defeated death. God cannot be destroyed. He forever was and forever is. He has life within himself and he has the power to give it to us eternally. Its a free gift, gained by simply believing and following him. John 6:28-29 "Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." Reasons not to reject God or his word 1. Because others do not follow or the majority of the people you know are not Christians. Why follow the crowd? Be yourself and think independently. Blaze your own path. There is never a reason to limit yourself by what others might think. Christians are often looked down upon because they take a stand for what is right and moral and we are firm in what we believe. This often times gives us the appearance of a fish swimming against the current. So be it. We are out to please God on his standards. 2. Christians seem hypocritical. I'll be the first to admit that many Christians are hypocritical, however, that by no means whatsoever should limit others from doing what is right. Christians NEVER claim to be perfect, just forgiven. 3. Because you don't fully understand the concept of God, he doesn't seem logical or cannot be proven. God cannot be contained by the limits of human reason. thats why he is God to us. There is not a human alive who fully understands the concept of God. Don't be one who automatically condemns that which they don't fully comprehend. There is not a Christian alive to today who didn't take a step of faith in order to accept Jesus as their Savior. From faith in God, comes more understanding. Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." 1 Corinthians 2:9 "However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" 4. Because human beings suffer. Many people make the false assumption that because there is suffering in this world, God does not care. Jesus (God himself) suffered on the cross. Below are four reasons why we suffer as humans. A. Our world is controlled by natural laws (put in place by God) that govern the way things operate. Example: The law of gravity is necessary to keep our feet on the ground and to keep us from floating away. If you lose your balance while walking up some stairs, gravity takes hold, you fall down and break your arm. Can we blame God for gravity? The same natural laws apply to things such as disease and genetic disorders among other things. B. Human ignorance: In most cases it is necessary for humans to undergo a struggle in order to overcome ignorance and learn something. Ex: little kid touches something hot and gets burned. The child has now suffered but is much less likely to get burned again by touching something hot. Suffering is necessary to mature. There would be no challenge to life if we didn't struggle. C. Freedom of choice: God did not create robots, he created humans with the ability to act and reason on their own so that we might choose to follow him. In all things we make choices. In many circumstances our own decisions lead to suffering. Ex: man buys motorcycle, man crashes motorcycle, man suffers. Choosing to sin is a big cause of suffering. Things like, egotism, selfishness, pride, self-pity are also examples of human behavior and if people would exercise their minds before acting in such ways, they would probably avoid a lot of suffering. D. Togetherness and interdependence of human beings: The Bible says that the evil that men do lives on after them. Ex. Hitler decided to take over the world. As a result many homes in the US suffered. A lot of suffering come from the results of our relationships with others. ----
