READ THIS FOR ONE MINUTE!

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I BET YOU WILL WANT TO CONTINUE!

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Accept the challenge!​​​

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You may already know that the middle cross held Jesus who died as a sacrifice so that we could go to heaven.  If you don’t know this, then there will be more said on this in a bit.  But the other two crosses are barely thought about.  Listen to this! ….

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On the other two crosses were two actual criminals that were crucified next to Jesus, and they were going to die just like Jesus.

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One of the criminals mocked Jesus, saying “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”  Jesus said nothing to this man.  This man doubted that Jesus was the Lord.

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The other criminal simply said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom (heaven).”

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… and WHAT did Jesus say?... He said to the second criminal, “Today you will be with me in heaven.”  - In other words, “you are going to die, but you will be in heaven with me.”

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The criminal that Jesus spoke to did two things:  He BELIEVED that Jesus was Lord and ASKED Jesus to allow him into heaven.  Even as you are reading this, that criminal is in heaven right now with Jesus Christ!

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But wait!  Here is what is important! … I want you to know what that criminal who went to heaven DID NOT do…. 

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… He didn’t go to church.  He was never baptized.  He didn’t read a bible.   He didn’t do a bunch of good things in life.  In that moment, he simply BELIEVED that Jesus was Lord and ASKED to be in heaven when he dies.

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In other words, it wasn’t this person’s “godly life” full of “good deeds” and being a “good person” that got him into heaven.  He believed.  He asked.  THAT’S IT!   More will be said about this in later sections.

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CAN THIS EVENT BE PROVEN?  CAN THE BIBLE BE PROVEN?

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People will say…  “the bible was just written by people”, “it is fairy tale”, “it can’t be proven”, etc. etc.

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Some dude didn’t sit down and decide to write a novel one day and call it the bible.   The bible is comprised of 66 books written by 40 different authors over a period of approximately 1500 years.  In all of these 66 books, Jesus Christ is present in every one of them – from the beginning of creation in the book of Genesis to the eternal future in the book of Revelation.  It is filled with hundreds of prophecies that came true, and ones that are on the horizon of coming true now.  The words of the bible are inspired by the Holy Spirit of God.  Guess what?!  In all of those 66 books written over thousands of years by 40 different authors, there is not a SINGLE contradiction in the bible.  How is THAT possible?!  You might hear examples of contradictions, but those contradictions can be quickly put to rest when you do a short amount of research.

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The bible is also a historical book, and many of the places mentioned throughout the bible you can go to today. You can go to Jerusalem and see where Jesus was crucified and buried.  You can walk into where Jesus was at the last supper, visit the temple mount, walk in the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane.  You can go to Bethlehem where Jesus was born and Nazareth where He grew up.  You can visit Mount Sinai where moses received the Ten Commandments. You can visit the building that covers the tomb of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their wives.  This is just a small list!  Also, there are a multitude of artifacts, manuscripts, and historical events that back up the writings of the bible.

 

About “proving” the bible: 

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If I asked you to prove to me that George Washington was real and that he was the first president of the United States, how would you go about doing that?  The answer is simple… you would research literature and maybe provide artifacts and writings from that time period to back your claim.  You would call that “proof”, and most people wouldn’t question your claim about George Washington.  Well, the same holds true for the bible and Jesus Christ – historians and theologians would provide the same types of evidence.  And there is lots and lots and lots of evidence!  – and why wouldn’t we call that proof? (more on that later).

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People who are against God have been trying to disprove God as a creator of the universe and the creator of all life.  We have been bombarded with evolution theories stating that we have all evolved from a single cell into the complex humans we are today.  If this is true, then I ask, where did that cell come from?  Newsflash! – the greatest scientists in the world are STILL unable to create life from non-life – and they never will!  Only God can do and has done that! So where did that "one cell" come from again? 

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The bible is clear – God created mankind, animals and plants as they are today.   As for science? … with all of our technological advances, we have found much more evidence of a sudden creation of a universe and complex life – including humans.  The theory that something came out of nothing in itself a strange claim.  The theory that life evolved from non-life millions or billions of years ago is also an outlandish claim.  Our textbooks have told us that scientist conclude that carbon dating shows that dinosaurs have been here for “millions” of years and went extinct from an asteroid strike.  Although carbon dating is largely an accepted standard, the evidence points to carbon dating being flawed.  One might ask, “Why don’t dinosaurs exist today?”  I would argue that they do!  The elephant exists, the alligator exists, the rhinoceros exists, etc. etc.  They just haven’t gone extinct yet like the other ones.  Creatures become extinct all the time even right now – nothing new!

 

What about humans evolving  from apes?  I challenge you to find ONE SINGLE skeleton which shows the progression of ape to human.  You won’t be able to!  The one “skeleton” we have was artistically crafted from a single small set of bone fragments of a skull and hips.  The ape-to-human artwork was crafted by a single artist based on a few bone fragments.  Look it up!  Still not convinced that we didn’t evolve from apes?  I ask… shouldn’t we have LOTS of FULL skeletons showing progression of apes to humans just like we have lots of dinosaur skeletons? We have NONE!  It is a THEORY.  What about that crazy story of Noah’s ark and the flood?  You would STUNNED AND AMAZED at the sheer amount of evidence that there is for that event!  This same evidence for the great flood also – very undeniably – proves that the theory of evolution turned out to be false as you look into it.  The bible cannot be disproven, and the evidence for the existence of God and creation from God is overwhelming. SCIENCE IS CATCHING UP WITH THE BIBLE!

 

YET, THE WORLD REJECTS GOD.  WHY?

 

Why does the world and almost all scientists and mainstream academia wish to reject the God of the bible?  For them (or you) to acknowledge that the God of the bible is real would mean that we as a human race have to answer to an authority above our own – and no one wants to do that!  We want to make our own rules and live by our own standards – so the world rejects God and replaces Him with evolution theories, etc. WE want to determine what is moral.  WE want to determine what or who has value.  WE want to determine appropriate justice.  WE want instant gratification regardless of what God would have to say about it.

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Some of the most prominent Christian writers (Lee Strobel, CS Lewis) first set out on a path in an attempt to DISPROVE the bible, and after looking at all of the evidence, they realized that the bible was undeniably true and they gave their lives to Jesus Christ!  Many other people that we would consider “distinguished by intellect” have attempted to disprove the bible and came to the same conclusion… Jesus Christ is real, and He is the Son of God who died for our sins. Even the worlds smartest man (Younghoon Kim, IQ 276) acknowledges that Jesus Christ is God!

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The same people who think the bible is a fairy-tale written by man’s intentions are the same people who believe in ghosts, demons, angels, aliens, tarot cards, astrology, palm reading, some form of afterlife such as reincarnation, etc.  But for them to consider that the God of the bible, Jesus and the angels might be true is nonsense to them?  < Explain that!

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These same people who cannot bear the thought of a God with standards for living will point out what they believe are corruptions in the bible.  They will cite "contradictions" in the scripture and therefore the bible must be false.  They will cite horrific acts in the bible such as slavery, killing, etc. 

 

Yes - these people will point out that God endorsed slavery.  I could end this with one command and that is to find a single verse in the bible where God spoke and said slavery was good.    But let me jump into the topic just a small bit:  The PEOPLE of the world chose to have slaves (many indentured servants).  It was the PEOPLE who chose this.  God stepped in and simply gave them instructions for how to treat their slaves since they (PEOPLE) weren't going to stop slavery.  Slavery - from the beginning all the way up to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, was as common today as 7-Eleven stores on every corner.  It was the culture NEARLY EVERYWHERE.  The PEOPLE weren't going to stop, so God gave instructions for how to treat them.  God giving instruction for how to treat the slaves is construed as "God promotes slavery" and therefore He is an evil God.  

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God is two things: 1) Just 2) Loving.  From front to back, God is these two things. 

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People will go through great lengths to discredit the bible, but upon truthful inquiry you will see that God's word is good, truthful and without contradiction.  One of the ABSOLUTE BIGGEST ways your typical person will refute the bible is to take a single verse and base the character of God or the reliability of the bible on that single verse.  These people do not study the bible and could not understand that a single scripture or a supposed contradiction in the bible can taken out of context because they don't take into account other verses and words of God in the bible.     

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No judgement here!  I myself would see some scriptures and be like... "What the heck?!"  But each time I took a moment to do an inquiry for insight on the issue (typically Google), I could see a myriad of responses - and always my "what the heck!" moment was eased.  Fyi:  You ARE supposed to question what is in the bible, and yes, you ARE supposed to question God.  The bible literally says, "Seek me and you will find me".  In layman's terms... if your not convinced of the God of the bible or the validity of the text, then keep looking into it.  You WILL find out that the bible is true and the God of the bible is real. 

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Remember this always:  The words written in the bible are inspired by the Holy Spirit of God Himself, and they are a love letter to you.  God shows us the fall of man and how we turned our back from his plan for our lives.  And he shows us, over and over again, how he has made ways for us to be right with Him so that, when we die, we will be with Him in heaven forever.  If you ever want to know who God is, you can find Him written in the pages of the bible… from the front to the back.  He has mysterious ways, but he is not mysterious.  He PLAINLY shows you who He is!

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WHAT ABOUT DIFFERENT BIBLE “VERSIONS”?

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Some claim that there can be no validity to the bible since it has so many “versions”.  Actually, they are all the same.  Let me explain with an example! …

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In year 1600’s, there was the “King James Version” of the bible.  Many people still use it today.   Here is an example of a bible verse from it:

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"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

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No one talks like that today!  They did in the 1600’s, but not today.  So here is the same verse written in the “New Living Translation” from 1996:

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“You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.”

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It’s the same bible verse with the same meaning but written in a manner in which we communicate today.

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That is why we have had different bible versions over the years – but the meaning and message is not altered.  As a matter of fact, parts of the bible discovered that were written up to 250 years before Jesus was born show that the literature has stood the test of time maintaining its originality even to this very day!

 

 

HOW ARE WE SEPARATED FROM GOD?

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There can be NO sin in heaven.  ZERO!  God is holy, and He has standards which no person can live up to.  We were born with sin because the first two humans that God created chose to disobey Him one time, and then sin entered the world.  What is sin?  Sin is anything that we do that is against the heart and will of God.  It doesn’t have to be something serious like murder.  It could simply be pride, a lie, a small theft, unforgiveness of others, not honoring your parents, sex outside of marriage or using God’s name in vain (done all the time!)  We ALL have at least some sin in our past and still to this day.  Read the following scripture:

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God’s word states this very clearly:

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“ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.  < Keyword: “ALL” !

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This means that no one can be in heaven with God when they die.  There are people who are “good” according to the world’s standards and according to their own standards, but these good people STILL can’t get into heaven because they have sin!  They may not be as bad as a murderer for example.  But any one sin excludes you from being in heaven with God when you die.  So... who gets into heaven?  No one… they (we) have all sinned.  That’s terrible, right?! 

 

Quick sidenote about heaven! …  Don’t think about heaven much?  Newsflash!  That stats just came in! – Evidence suggests that there is a 100% chance that you will die!  Where will you go?

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GETTING RIGHT WITH GOD!

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SO, HERE’S THE QUESTION … If there can be no sin in heaven (which excludes you from being able to be there), then how are we as sinful people able to ever be in heaven where God is?

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It is actually easy, but first let me tell you a bit about Jesus Christ: 

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Jesus is the only begotten Son of God the Father, and He has ALWAYS existed with the Father.  He DID NOT start existing when He entered Mary's womb or when He was born at a manger in Bethlehem.  He has ALWAYS been.  If you think of Jesus as "just a baby born in a manger" or "a nice meek man who was a good teacher", then you have MISSED THE BOAT!  Yes, He was those things, BUT, He has existed through all of eternity AND, the bible states that ALL things were made THROUGH HIM.  That means that this universe, this earth, life, you  and me were ALL made through Jesus Christ!  Here is a PHYSICAL and SYMBOLIC description of Him in heaven as written in the book of Revelation:  

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"... clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.  The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow.  His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength."

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You see?  Not just some baby born in a manger.  Not just some cool dude who walked the earth.  He is God!  READ THAT RED TEXT AGAIN! .... THAT God came and was tortured and crucified because He loves you!  Crazy, right?!!!

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Prior to the time that Jesus came from heaven to earth, God's people had a myriad of things that were required of them to do in order to show that they were His people.  For example, in addition to the ten commandments, they were given 613 rules which they would follow.  Also (and this is the big one), the people had to each present a pure unblemished lamb for sacrifice at the temple.  These were things that God commanded.  The person doing these things, even at that time time, KNEW that they could not follow all ten commandments and the other rules set forth by God, so they had to present their lamb as a sacrifice, and do so with a grateful heart to God.  A bit more on sacrifice later - don't get creeped out.  Bear with me.

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Since the very first book of the bible (Genesis), God spoke of His Son Jesus, who would leave heaven and walk on this earth and live among us, and ultimately die as the FINAL and ULTIMATE sacrifice for our sins - which He did!   Because Jesus was the last and ultimate sacrifice, there was no more need for sacrificing animals or approaching God through a temple priest.  When Jesus died on the cross as the final sacrifice for our sins, we (you, me and everyone else!) immediately had and have DIRECT access to the Father in heaven!

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BUT WAIT.... We haven't answered the question of how to know that you will get to heaven when you die.   

 

IT TAKES 5 SECONDS!   HERE IS THE ANSWER! ...

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Believe that Jesus, the Father's only Son, came and died as a final sacrifice for your sins on the cross.  Believe that on the third day after His crucifixion, He rose from the dead, conquering sin and death.  And just as importantly, acknowledge that you have done things wrong in your life (sinned) and that you need the forgiveness of Jesus Christ to be right with God.  Confess with your mouth the Jesus in Lord, and ask Him to forgive you of your sins.  

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That's it!  That can be done in 5 seconds or less.  Even right now, if God's Holy Spirit is prompting you to to do this, THEN DO IT!  If you don't do it now, then you might never have this conviction in your heart again.  ALSO! ... Once you do this, God says in His word that you are SEALED by the Holy Spirit, and that NO ONE and NOTHING can undo your salvation.  You have entered into a new relationship with God, and you WILL go to heaven when you die.

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​I cannot state the above paragraph clearly enough.  It is NOT church that will get you into heaven.  It is NOT suddenly living a good "Christian" life that will get you into heaven.  It is NOT temples, rituals or priests that will get you into heaven.  It is NOT reading your bible that will get you into heaven.  It is NOT stopping drinking or partying that will get you into heaven.  IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD DO ON YOUR OWN TO GET INTO HEAVEN, GOD WOULD HAE NEVER SENT HIS SON TO DIE THE MOST BRUTAL DEATH FOR YOU!   Believe and accept this free gift of salvation from God.

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Most people absolutely CANNOT wrap their minds around this!  In their mind, they will ALWAYS link "how good we are" to being right with God.  But understand this.... ONE SINGLE SIN separates you eternally from God, meaning that when you die you cannot be in heaven with Him.  This is very important .... You were BORN into sin.  You didn't ask to be born into sin and be a sinner.  God knows this!  He understands it.  Now you understand WHY Jesus had to die as a final sacrifice for your sins, and WHY your request and acceptance of his forgiveness is the ONLY thing that matters. 

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As for "doing good", "going to church", "reading the bible", etc., ... I will touch more on that in a bit.

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A note about God's requirement of a sacrifice for the atonement of sin: 

Why a blood sacrifice?  Blood is considered the essence of life.  In requiring a blood sacrifices, they served as a physical reminder of seriousness of the covenant between man and God.

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 "RELIGIOUS PEOPLE" ​

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God loves everyone.  That will never change.  But there are things about man - sin - that He despises.  The act of people being "religious" makes Him angry.  Why?  Because "religious" people are relying on their "religious" behavior to make them right with God - and typically are pious as well.  Even when Jesus was walking the earth with us, He frequently confronted the Pharisees about their hypocrisy.  The Pharisees were the religious leaders during those times.  What was it that Jesus (God) didn't like about their religious personalities?  Jesus didn't like the fact they they felt that they were "good" in God's eyes because of their supposed "godly living".  They followed all of the religious rules that were set forth at the time, but their hearts were arrogant with pride in how "good" they were.  Know this:  The ONLY way to be right with God is to approach Him with a HUMBLE heart, acknowledging that you have sinned against Him and need His forgiveness for your salvation.  The Pharisees felt that their adherence to religious practices made them right with God, and therefore in essence, they didn't need Him to forgive them because they felt that they were already "good and religious" enough to get into heaven.  

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So remember:  If you ever feel like you are "good" and "right" in God's eyes because you go to church, give to the poor, read your bible, etc. etc.... do NOT be fooled.  YES God wants you to do all of these things, BUT they are NOT what makes you "right" with Him.  ONLY a humble heart, acknowledging your need for the forgiveness of Jesus, is what saves you.  Your relationship with God takes place in your HEART, and any good changes that take place in your character are the result of your relationship with Him, and those changes are for His glory... not yours.  Trust me when I say this:  As you grow closer and closer to God over the days, weeks, years.... you will truly feel more and more HONORED to do things that lift Him up as the God of your life!

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PRAY?  HOW?

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Prayer is a VERY VERY COMPLEX AND DEEP THING.  MANY great theologians and philosophers who study the scriptures very intently have finally come to an answer after decades of earnest research....

 

...and here is what you must do:

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Talk to Him.  😊

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( I was just joking about prayer being complex! )

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I’m not kidding… really!  That’s it!  Things to talk to Him about:  Confess the things you have done and express remorse.  Heck - you can even be MORE honest than that!   You could tell Him that you know something you are doing is wrong but you don't have the will or want to stop!  Honesty! God LOVES honesty! Thank Him for what He did on the cross.  Praise Him for being a loving God.  Share your thoughts on something that happened.  Thank Him for making Himself REAL to you (I say this to Him ALL THE TIME!)  Thank Him for your health, your food, your possessions, your family and anything else you have.  Ask him for wisdom to understand things and make the right decisions.  Ask Him to help you understand things in the bible better.  Ask him for help with your health, finances, family problems, work problems.  Ask Him to help you with a particular sin or to help you forgive someone. Yell at Him because you are angry with Him for whatever reason! (Don't worry - He won't stop loving you!)  Again, God LOVES honesty!  These are examples, but you will have many more reasons to pray.

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Because Jesus died on the cross, you have DIRECT and IMMEDIATE access to the Father.  Think "walkie talkie".  Just talk to Him. 

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And listen.

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Throughout your relationship with God, He WILL speak to you.  Mainly, He will speak to your heart and place thoughts in your mind as you are talking to Him.  He will remind you of a scripture or story in the bible.  For me, God has actually spoken words directly into my heart - as in, I clearly heard Him, but not with my ears.  Other believers have heard God speak to them audibly.  Some have been given visions - not even in a dream, but while they are wide awake!

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Just know this:  God is REAL. He WILL speak to you.  You will see!  and hear 😊

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Also, you talking (praying) to God doesn’t have to be this “big event”.  Sure, sometimes you may want to go to your room and pray at length - on your knees with your face buried in the carpet.  That happens to me from time to time - there are moments that I just need to be in that humble posture.  But most other times you can pray from your heart (without your voice) at any moment.  This could be while you are driving, exercising, on a lunch break, or even while someone is actively talking to you!  It can be a prayer regarding the simplest thing such as “God please help me through this day!” or “God thank you for… ”  I talk to God all the time when I drive to work.  No interruptions… just other drivers looking at me weird 😊

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 ABOUT TURING FROM SIN AND CHANGING YOUR WAYS ​

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The term for turning away from sin and changing your ways is called "repentance".

The process of becoming more and more like Christ over time is called "sanctification".

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Let's get to basics here:  

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Will you ever stop sinning - even after accepting God's free gift of forgiveness:  NO.  You will still sin.  Don't believe me?  TRY! (and fail!)   

 

Let me explain with my own testimony...

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When I first became a Christian years ago, I would draw close to God through more prayer, bible study, turning from my sins, etc. etc.   But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't completely stop sinning.  I would lose my zeal for God.  During those times, I felt like a failure in front of God, so I withdrew from Him - which made things even worse!  I felt like God looked at me with disappointment because I didn't love Him enough to be better than I was.  This process happened multiple times!

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It would take many years for me to HEAR the true gospel - and that took place while sitting in  my car, broken and unhappy inside.  I had just tried for the last month to be "right" with Him by, once again, reading my bible, praying and stopping any sin.  Once again, I failed.  I had many reasons to be happy, including my awesome wife.  But still, something or someone was missing inside of me and I thought it was God - and now I was coming to the realization that I couldn't have Him because I wasn't good enough.  I would just keep failing, over and over again.  I felt hopeless and I felt numb.  And then, CLEAR AS DAY, God spoke these words into my heart - verbatim:  "Now you know why I came and did what I did."  I immediately understood.  Awed by the supernaturalness of it, but even more awed by the meaning:  He was saying that I would never be good enough, and that I why he came and died for me.  At that moment He showed me that His love for me was not based on my goodness - He just loved me.  He showed me that my relationship with Him and my salvation (going to heaven) were assured simply because I believed that Jesus was His Son, that He died for me and because I believe that He had the will, power and commitment to forgiving me of all of my sins if I confessed my need for His forgiveness.  

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This "Christianity 101" is clearly written throughout of the bible.  For some reason, I just couldn't see it.  Like many (MOST!) other religious people, I was still gauging God's acceptance and love of me based on how good I was.  What a lie!

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Here is where I am at now in my walk with Christ !  ...  1) I still sin.  2) I understand that, even now, He still loves and forgives me 3) Now that I TRULY understand the GIFT that God has given me and just how much He TRULY loves me... and now, I sin LESS AND LESS!  Go figure!  Here is why:  I am NOT sinning less and less to be "right" with Him anymore... I am sinning less and less because I want to please and adore Him and because I fully realize this MASSIVE gift of forgiveness and love. --- There IS a difference!    (this is "sanctification"... becoming more and more like Jesus!)

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Is it important to God that I stop sinning?  YES.  Is it a requirement of my salvation?  NO.  How can that be? Even the great apostle Paul struggled with sin.  This is the apostle who travelled the earth preaching the good news of Jesus Christ - even to the Romans!  At points he would be jailed and untimely executed for being a believer in Jesus.  Yes... even THAT guy clearly states that he struggled with sin just like the rest of us will for the rest of our lives.  If stopping sinning were a requirement, then Paul wouldn't be with God right now.  See?

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BUT GOD STILL WANTS US TO DO OUR BEST TO TURN FROM SIN.   One reason is to show Him honor. We honor God because he created us, know knows us better than ourselves, and yet He still loves us so much!  So YES - try and stop sinning because you want to show Him honor and glorify Him! 

 

Another HUGE reason that God wants the Christian to stop sinning is this:  The Christian has a new role in their life here on earth, and that role is to be a light to the world honoring the glory of Jesus Christ!  Why? Well, I can't be in the middle of robbing a bank and telling the bank teller about my love for Jesus, right? What do you think the bank teller would think about Jesus at that moment?   The same applies to everyday life.  If I am always angry, irritable, short with people, cussing, lying, gossiping, stealing, being lazy and being selfish, hooking up, etc., then how am I going to help others know about the beautiful free gift of salvation and the love that Jesus has for them?

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Once again - if you fall into any of these sins, which we all will, it DOES NOT mean that you have lost your salvation after you have recognized Jesus as Lord and asked Him to forgive you of your sins!   It simply means that you will be less of an effective witness to the power AND LOVE of God - and you risk losing opportunities to bring others to accepting Jesus as their Lord.

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On a sidenote:  If you have that moment where you become saved (honestly admitted to Jesus that you are a sinner and need Jesus to forgive you.... became a Christian), and THEN you turn your back on God and dive into a sinful life again, I can PROMISE YOU this:  You will be empty inside.  You will be miserable.  Despite any immediate pleasures you will get from any of your sin, it will be short lived and inside you will be unhappy.  If you turn back to God and honor Him by turning from sin and being closer to Him, you will get your peace and your joy back.  <  That is HUGE!   By the way.... If you turn your back on God, He's coming after you! lol... I don't mean in a psycho kind of way... I mean in a LOVE kind of way.  He will not take His eyes off of you (His child!) and forget about you.  He will even let you hit rock bottom.  Even if it is at the moment you hit rock bottom, God is there - waiting to hold you whenever you call on His name.

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Last but not least:  The ONLY way you will EVER truly blow it with God is by not believing in His Son Jesus and humbly requesting forgiveness for your sins.  There is NOTHING that you can do that will separate you from the love of God.... no sin, no amount of sin... NOTHING.   Many of the hardest criminals in prison - those who have murdered and raped - will be in heaven because Jesus is now their Lord.  Here is a perspective:  When Jesus Christ, God who came from heaven, was being brutally tortured and then nailed to a cross, He had the ability to make any one of those people drop dead at that very moment.  He didn't.  Here is what He did:  While He was hanging there on the cross, dying, He said to His Father, "Please forgive them".   Whether you have given your life to Christ in the past or you still reject Him at this moment, the amount of love He has for you is immeasurable.  BUT!  Remember - unless you acknowledge Him as Lord and humbly acknowledge your need for His forgiveness, you still can't get into heaven.  I don't make the rules.

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PEACE 

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During our whole lives we strive for happiness, and we think we know what will make us happy.  Money, a respectable career, excelling in a sport, becoming married and having kids, a new house, new things, a large group of friends, being esteemed by those around us, etc. etc.  All of those things can bring temporary happiness, but it is always temporary.  Don’t believe me? Buy a new house and a couple of years (or less) down the road, you won’t even notice it other than the amount of work it takes to keep it together.  The zeal wears off, as with everything in life.  Got a new car?  You won’t even notice it in a month.  Finally married to your dream come true?  Boom! – real life problems hit and you realize that marriage can actually be a lot of work.

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The happiness that God offers is in the form of PEACE.  Even in our worst times, God provides peace which no one can understand.  God gives peace in two areas:  our LIFE and our DEATH.

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The peace regarding death is easy to understand.  If we are a follower of Jesus, then we know that when we die we will IMMEDIATLEY be in heaven with God – a place with no more tears or pain and in the presence of an unimaginable love.  For this life to end means that we will immediately be in bliss in heaven!   If no one has told you what heaven will be like, then you are in for a surprise!  It is going to be awesome!  The picture of little pudgy baby angels playing harps in the clouds for eternity… that’s definitely NOT heaven!

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But what about peace in our life?  God is a VERY personal God who absolutely LOVES you – even as you are reading this now.  When you ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins and to come into your life, GOD takes over in the following manner – and this is directly from the God’s word:

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“ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

 

If you have accepted Jesus as Lord and rely on his forgiveness for your sins, then you ARE most definitely “called according to His purpose”.  And what does that verse say?  … “ALL things work together for good..”  That means that, as you follow God, He will make sure that everything that happens is good for you.  You can have peace and breathe easy because the God who created the universe cares about you!  AMAZING!

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This does NOT mean that you will never become ill or injured.  It does NOT mean that you will become wealthy.  It does not mean that your husband or wife won’t cheat on you.  This does NOT mean that bad things will not happen in your life.  This does not mean that you will not be killed for your faith in Jesus.  What it does mean is that, even in those bad moments, GOD is with you and in control – even up to the point of your death!  Christians still die too!  Physically they do, but spiritually they don’t and God is with them always – even during their last breath.

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There is MUCH to write about pain, suffering, unfairness and hardship, but you should know that God allows pain and suffering for many reasons.  We may not immediately know what those reasons are, but the bible is clear on this:  One of the reasons God allows hardships in a Christian’s life is to help perfect their faith in Him by making them RELY on Him more and more.  As you gain more and more faith, God will use you more and more to do other things such as tell this gospel to other people or maybe even turn from a sin that you haven’t been able to kick.  He may even bless you with more than you had before (read the book of Job!)

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Regarding pain, suffering, poverty and death:  As stated above, God allows some of these things to specifically happen to each of us in our own way to bring out a result.  The result He wants are always "God centered".  He wants us to rely on Him more, be more like Him, and experience hardship so that we can help others going through the same.  These are SOME of the reasons God allows seemingly unfavorable things in our lives.  

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Here is a real example that might fit this scenario, albeit extreme:  I was a paramedic working at a hospital based ambulance.  Mr. Lawsen was a man that I transported many times in my ambulance to get cancer treatment.  By his character, the least thing you might think was that he might be a Christian.  The ambulance rides stopped.  I didn't think too much of it, but I overheard one of the EMS crews saying he was on the 6th floor of the hospital and that he looked like he was ready to die.   I went home that evening.  I couldn't sleep.  Probably the the first supernatural thing that happened in my life aside from my turning to Christ, God WOULD NOT let me stay in that bed.  I HAD to go.  I didn't have a choice, and God made that clear.  Mind you, I had never really went up to someone specifically to share the gospel.  I was weak like that.  So, I drove and went to the sixth floor.  I wore my uniform so no one would question who i was.  I walked into his room, and started talking but barely got any words out.  As soon as I mentioned the name of Jesus, this emaciated., quiet sunken old man's arms shot up to the ceiling and he start crying so loud!  He had heard the gospel message before, but didn't budge.  At least not until that night.  In His last moment, God made sure that he knew that He loved him, and that he was going to be with Him in heaven.  ​

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Back to pain, suffering and death.... What if he never got cancer?  What if he just continued having a great time playing poker and drinking with his buddies and died suddenly?  Would he be in heaven right now?  I DO NOT claim to know how God works in each situation, but I can't shake the thought that his cancer created a moment where God would show up while he was at rock bottom.

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Remember - Everything is and should be for God's glory!  More on heaven later, but trust me when I say... the love and joys of heaven will overshadow any amount of pleasure we will experience here on earth - AND it is for eternity.  Here is an example of someone who knows this intimately:  Nick Vujicic.  No arms.  No legs.  Yet he spends the days of his life travelling and telling the good news of Jesus.  He KNOWS that this arm/leg thing is for a short time compared to what is awaiting him in heaven!  In all of this, God has blessed him with a beautiful wife and four children!  GOD - YOU ARE AMAZING! AT MY LOWEST POINT, I KNOW YOU ARE THERE.

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It is true – God does work in mysterious ways at times.  Just rest knowing that He LOVES HIS CHILDREN and He is IN CONTROL! <even when it seems like He is not there.

 

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WHAT DO I DO IF I BECOME A CHRISTIAN?

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CONTINUE BELIEVING - Number one is this:  Don’t ever be fooled into thinking that your experience was nothing when you asked Jesus to forgive you for your sins the first time.  It is a STEP OF FAITH that will be honored for eternity the moment you chose to believe and put your trust in Him!   Yes... YOU CHOSE to believe.  God isn't turning His back on the momentous moment!  You became a child of the almighty God at that very moment!  God heard you, and God is with you.  He will never leave you or forsake you. 

 

You may have doubts at times, but stand on God’s word!  If doubts ever come into your mind..... be cool... take a deep breath.... relax....  say "Homina Homina Homina...."  lol.... just kidding.  It's ok to have doubts... JUST SHARE IT with Him.  He's got your back.  He is the ultimate helper.  I remember when I would think about some of the craziest things that happened in the old testament and be like.... "really God?  Did that really happen? C'mon already!"  But God answered.  He showed me where Jesus referenced these events - and if there is any one thing that I know BASED ON EVIDENCE- it is that Jesus is REAL, Jesus is GOD, and God DOESN'T LIE!  (I mean, would a God who created the universe even have to lie? ... about ANYTHING?! )

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PRAY – Pray all the time for the littlest things – even if it is just to share a thought with God!  Talk to Him regularly – it’s easy!  Start each day by telling God that you are going to dedicate this day of your life to Him by honoring Him.  What a way to start a day!​  As you do all of these things, you will grow closer and closer to God, gain more peace and you will live your life more and more for Him and with less sin.​  Listen for God’s voice to speak to your heart!  It is the Holy Spirit of God that speaks to you.

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As for church...  Going to church is not a requirement for salvation.  But you should go anyway!  Why?  You will meet other Christians who can help guide and teach you about things written in God's word!  You will almost assuredly make new friends that you will one day call "family".  Also, in church, usually at the beginning of the service, there is singing which gives you a chance to praise Jesus with other Christians.  Can't sing?  Neither can they! 😊 Love the Lord and sing to Him with your  voice because of the great gift He has given you - your salvation and assurance of heaven!   Luckily my church puts the words to the songs up on the screen so I don't look confused.  Also in church, the church pastor with give an approximate 30 to 45 minute sermon.  In these sermons, he/she will teach you things about who God is based on the bible.  Trust me... the more you learn about who God is the more and more you will be in awe of His greatness and his love!

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​About church friends.... they are NOT boring.  Just because they don't go to bars any more doesn't mean they are not fun.  These are the kind of friends that you will not need to worry about impressing.  You won't need to put up a "front" of who you are.  Come as you are, because they will!  You might (cough cough) even notice that they aren't perfect - just like you!  Let your guard down, relax with them in the grace and love that only Jesus can truly give.

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About church doctrine:  What each church professes to believe is called “doctrine”.  Some churches doctrine does not match up with scripture in the bible.  Make sure it is a Christian church, and beware… some churches claim to be Christian churches but they include other “books” as their doctrine in addition to the bible.  Listen for inconsistencies and ask questions.  Be prepared to do research and leave that church if their doctrine does not match what is in the bible. This pamphlet that you are reading now should be a decent basis for your understanding of Christianity – fully backed up from the scriptures of the bible.  If you are curious to see a Christian church pastor speak, here is a link to an online church at “Harvest.org” (or you can download the “Harvest+” app for your phone.  Unless Pastor Greg Laurie has gone rogue, his churches doctrine seems pretty sound.  Start there and learn to get a good idea of what is preached in a Christian church and what the teachings might be like.  Then you SHOULD find a local church where you can be with other Christians. I have tried to follow Christ without meeting in church.  It was rough.

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Read your bible.  If you don't, it does not mean that you aren't saved by Jesus' grace - but without staying in His word - just like continuing to pray - you risk growing more and more distant from Him.  The bible is the actual word of God Himself.  In those words, He will reveal Himself to you more and more and more!  You WILL get to know Him very well!  Also, when you are praying, many times God will bring scriptures that you have read into your mind to teach you as you walk through this life.  I personally recommend to start reading at the book of John!  Then read the next two books in the bible… “Acts” and “Romans”   You do NOT have to understand everything that you read!  Just read, and things you don’t understand now will become understandable later.  Getting sleepy while you read?  It simply means it’s time to set it down and come back again later.  You are human.  It does NOT mean that God is unimpressed with you! 

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WANT TO READ THE BIBLE?  

I suggest choosing the “New International Version”, or “NIV”)

 

Phone App:  “YouVersion Bible App plus Audio”

Website:  Bible.com

 

 

 

WHAT ABOUT OTHER RELIGIONS ?

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Every single other religion – EVERY SINGLE ONE – is based on “what you have done” and/or “how good you have been”.  These religions base your acceptance from a god or gods based on your good and bad deeds and/or the repetitive rituals and/or prayers that are done.  Many of these religions will have you complete "tasks" as part of affirming your commitment to a god.  Christianity is the ONLY “religion” that is NOT based on how “good” you are or what rituals or tasks you have completed. This will help you to remember - ALL religions can be summed up as "DO", but Christianity is summed up as "DONE!" - Jesus did it all when He died on the cross for us.   

 

Remember that the criminal on the other cross who lived a criminal life is in heaven today because of what Jesus has DONE on the cross, and not because the criminal was "good".  When Jesus Christ died on the cross for you, He finalized your salvation into heaven based on one thing only:  Believe in Him as Lord and trust in Him to forgive you for your sins.

 

The only reason that you should become “good” and “better” as a person in Christianity is because you become more and more in love with Jesus Christ and what He did for you.  You change because you want to do good to PLEASE HIM out of love, and NOT to “earn” your way into heaven.   Do you see the difference?  NEVER forget… you will NEVER be good enough to be right with God.  That is why Jesus came and died for you.

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Also, many of these religions have pre-defined prayers and rituals.  That is “religion”.  Remember – God wants a real relationship with you, and being “religious” will never replace that. 

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LETS DO A QUICK DECISION FLOWCHART:

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I FOLLOW CHRIST, and out of my love for Him, I do good things to please God.  I also live a life without shame because He makes me feel no shame. Additionally, I have a peace in my heart because heaven is waiting for me.

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THEN I DIE, and I find out there is no God.  Have I lost anything by following Christ?  On the contrary - read what i said above.

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OR, I DIE and I find out that Jesus isn't God and the actual god (whomever that might be) honors me based on my good life of working hard and being good to others.  EVEN IN THIS SITUATION, I win by following Christ.

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I CHOOSE THE OPTION TO FOLLOW CHRIST:  Not just because it makes logical sense, but because of the SHEER OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE that the events of the bible are true and Jesus Christ is God!

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Based on the above, how could you call a Christian "foolish"?  

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But WISE people will look to other things of this world and its religions, and the God of the bible has something to say about this:

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CHRISTIANITY IS A CRUTCH?

 

You have probably heard this said before.  It is a phrase meant to insinuate that only weak minded people become Christians.

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I have a different view on this:  Christianity is the most persecuted religion on this earth.  At this time, I might even venture to say that it is the only religion that is persecuted to the point of death.  It takes a considerable amount of fortitude to be a Christian in a world where you are mocked and ridiculed.  Do you know that Jesus’s name is mocked regularly everywhere?  In fact, it is so routine to mock the name of Jesus and who He is that it is regularly done on your television screens.  Do you hear any other names being mocked?  Buddha, Krishna, Allah, Brahma? You NEVER hear these god’s names being mocked.  In this world, the only God that it is acceptable to mock is Jesus Christ.  Thousands of Christians die every year because they will not turn their back on their faith in Jesus and are killed because of it.  Because the world hates the God of the bible, the media will not cover the horrific things that happens to Christians every single day.  Jesus said that the world will hate you because you are with Him.  It takes more courage and perseverance to be a Christian than it does to be a non-believer.  As such, being a Christian is not for the weak!

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Getting back to the word “crutch”… well, “crutch” is only PART of it!... Jesus is MUCH MORE than a crutch! He is the 911 call!  The ambulance that races to you!  He is the emergency room that stabilizes you and the surgeons who fix you!  He is the ICU where He can keep a close eye on you and he is the rehabilitation center where you get back on your feet!  Jesus is ALL of this! 

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He came to heal the broken hearts!  He came to be with the lonely (that is you!)  He came to provide peace in an unstable and unpredictable world where people and material things let us down way too often!  He came to give us a way into heaven!  He died for us! THAT is MY crutch! 

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Here is what God says about those who may mock you because of your faith…

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“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”

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WHO IS FOOLISH AND WEAK?  WHAT GOD SAYS

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Don't be one of those people who write Christians off as "foolish".
 

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong...”

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We esteem ourselves for things such as our strength, intellect and accomplishments.  We become proud of how great and self-sufficient we are.  In all of this, MOST people have decided that they do not need God.  They don’t need God because they have life figured out!  They are PROUD of themselves and their accomplishments.  God called these people fools because they refuse to acknowledge their need for Him.  Yet the world calls Christians fools, not knowing that in the end that it will be Christians who spend eternity in heaven with God.

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Want to hear something true and ABSOLUTELY CRAZY?! …  A dirty homeless “bum” that just asked Jesus to be their Lord and to forgive them of their sins is EXPONENTIALLY cleaner and richer than the smartest, most prominent non-Christian on earth!  Imagine that!  The years that you are alive on this earth are a micro-second in time compared to eternity!  That bum will be in heaven so quick! 😉

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God values humble people who put Him first, and in doing so they become servants to other people around them.  Christians understand the gift of God.  They understand that this time on earth is so very short and that eternity is forever!  Christians are smart because they know to put their faith in God, and those who reject God – even with all of their fame, wealth, possessions, pride, intellect, titles and earthly happiness – will not enter into heaven.

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So when you are mocked and ridiculed because you are a Christian, be glad because YOU, in your childlike faith, are the smart one!

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NEWSFLASH! You will struggle your whole life trying to find happiness in material things, money, relationships, family, accomplishments and the acceptance of others, and you will ALWAYS be empty without Him.  As you grow closer to Jesus, you will look back and realize how empty you have been.  Also, if you don’t give your life to Him, you will become emptier and emptier as the promises of this world continue to let you down.

 

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