Bruce Baker

(How long would it take to walk six miles)

(Are Our Eyes Ready)

(Boy, 8, gets psych evaluation after sketch of Christ on cross called violent)

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you?

You may be surprised that none of those things will work. But God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him.

The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ…

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Principle 1:

God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

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God’s Love
“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.” ¹

God’s Plan
[Christ speaking] “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” [that it might be full and meaningful]. ²

Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life? Because…

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Principle 2:

All of us sin and our sin has separated us from God.

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We Are Sinful
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” ³

We were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

We Are Separated
“The wages of sin is death” [spiritual separation from God]. ⁴

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and people are sinful. A great gulf separates us. The arrows illustrate that we are continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through our own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion — but we inevitably fail.

The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf…

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Principle 3:

Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin. Through Him we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our life.

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He Died in Our Place
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” ⁵

He Rose From the Dead
“Christ died for our sins…He was buried…He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures…He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred…” ⁶

He Is the Only Way to God
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.’” ⁷

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

It is not enough just to know these three principles…

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Principle 4:

We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.

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We Must Receive Christ
“As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” ⁸

We Receive Christ Through Faith
“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.” ⁹

When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth

We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him.” ¹⁰

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.

These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

Which circle best describes your life?

Which circle would you like to have represent your life?

The following explains how you can receive Christ:

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer

Prayer is talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then you can pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?

Yes, I just asked Jesus into my life »

I may want to ask Jesus into my life,
but I have a question I would like answered first »

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(1) John 3:16 (NIV); (2) John 10:10; (3) Romans 3:23; (4) Romans 6:23; (5) Romans 5:8; (6) 1 Corinthians 15:3-6; (7) John 14:6; (8) John 1:12; (9) Ephesians 2:8,9; (10) Revelation 3:20

Adapted from Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws and Would You Like to Know God Personally, by Dr. Bill Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. © Campus Crusade for Christ. All rights reserved.

How to Know God Personally Through Jesus Christ Right Now :: Campus Crusade for Christ International.

Did Jesus use a modem, at the sermon on the mount?

Did He ever use a broadcast fax, to get His message out?

Did the disciples carry beepers, as they went out and about?

Did Jesus use a modem, at the sermon on the Mount?

Did the Apostle use a laptop, with lots of RAM and ROM?

Did he use an email alias such as Paul[at]Rome.com?

Did the man from Macedonia post an email saying “Come?”

Did the Apostle use a laptop With lots of RAM and ROM?

And a Satellite Guidance Tracking System to show him where to be?

Did he write the law on tablets, or are they really on CD?

Did Moses use a joystick at the parting of the sea?

Did Jesus really die for us that Friday on the tree?

Or was it just a hologram, a bit of wizardry?

Can you download the video clip to play on your PC?

Did Jesus really die for us one day upon a tree?

If in your life, the voice of God is sometimes hard to hear.

With other voices calling, His doesn’t touch your ear.

Then set aside the laptop and modem, unplug the fancy gear,

Open up that dusty Bible, And talk to Him in prayer.

Copyright ©2003 CHRISTIAN CENTURY.

Aug 4thPosted by Lannie in All Posts No comments“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life- a ransom for many.”

-Matthew 20:28

Serving others: sounds good in theory, but when it really comes down to it, this is something that many people struggle with. Now when I talk about serving others, I don’t mean

“Hello, I’m (insert name here), can I take your order?”

I mean serving others in the name of Jesus and humbling yourself just like He did.

Jesus: the guy (well not just any old Joe Shmoe), but the guy that gave His life on the cross so that we wouldn’t all be doomed to live in Hell forever, got down on his hands and knees and washed His disciple’s feet. HANDS AND KNEES TO WASH PEOPLE’S FEET!!!! Can you say EWWWWWWWW?

But that is the kind of humility that Jesus had and says we need to have also.

Okay, believe me, that WASN’T your cue to go and find some random person on the street and say,

“Excuse me, can I wash your feet because Jesus told me to?”

What I’m saying is that you can go and help others out (big or little) because a sincere effort is all the same in God’s eyes. I help out in the nursery at my church because I like it, but all service doesn’t have to involve direct contact with other people: giving food to a food bank is something that makes Jesus smile, but doesn’t involve much contact with others. However, jobs like serving coffee in the morning or greeting someone with a smile on your face warms Jesus’ heart also. Sometimes the smallest things, like a smile and a friendly greeting, mean the most. God doesn’t care what you do as long as your effort to serve others is sincere.

Believe me- the moment you choose to sincerely serve others you will feel a peace and a happiness that only comes from God. It is all worth the effort to serve others because in doing that you also serve God.

“For you are called to freedom, brothers; but don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.”

-Galations 5:13

via Spirit Led Living.