1. THE FIRST THING TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOURSELF IS THAT YOU HAVE SINNED.

YOU AND I HAVE BROKEN THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE UNLESS YOU REALIZE YOU NEED A SAVIOUR YOU WON'T BE LOOKING FOR HIM.

IF YOU HAVE EVER LIED. STOLEN, EVEN A PAPER CLIP THAT WASN'T YOURS, YOU HAVE SINNED.

IF YOU HAVE EVER HATED AND TRIED TO GET REVENGE, YOU HAVE SINNED.

MAYBE YOU HAVE LOOKED WITH LUST AT ANOTHER PERSON, YOU HAVE SINNED.

WE HAVE SINNED IN SO MANY WAYS. WE HAVE EVEN SINNED IN NOT DOING THE WILL OF GOD.

YOU MIGHT ASKED WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOT DOING THE WILL OF GOD?

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS?  " EXACTLY"!

WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HIS WILL, NOT BECAUSE IT'S UNKNOWABLE, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT CARED OR EVEN TAKEN THE TIME TO SEEK HIS WILL AND UNDERSTAND IT.

 

ROMANS 3:23 FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
2. IF WE CAN BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES AND ADMIT THAT WE ARE NOT THE PERFECT LITTLE ANGELS THAT EVERYONE THINKS WE ARE, THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STEP.

REALIZING HOW WE GET FORGIVENESS FOR ALL THAT WE HAVE EVER DONE, AND GET HELP TO LIVE THE LIFE OF GOD.

LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION? HOW DO YOU GET GOD TO FORGIVE YOU?

IT'S A VALID QUESTION. ONE THAT MANKIND TO THIS DAY CONTINUES TO TRY TO ANSWER.

IF YOU PUNISH YOURSELF WILL GOD FORGIVE YOU? MAYBE YOU SKIP A FEW MEALS?

MAYBE YOU GO AND FEED THE POOR? OR EVEN LIKE SOME HAVE DONE YOU CUT YOURSELF OR EVEN HURT YOURSELF IN SOME WAY TO GET GOD'S ATTENTION?

WE ALL HAVE THESE IDEAS THAT IF WE SUFFER ENOUGH GOD WILL FINALLY FEEL SORRY FOR US OR HAVE RESPECT FOR THE THINGS WE ARE WILLING TO ENDURE TO GET HIS ATTENTION.

LET'S SEE WHAT THE BIBLE HAS TO SAY.

ROMANS 3:10-18

THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS; THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD. THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE; THEY HAVE TOGETHER BECOME UNPROFITABLE; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NO, NOT ONE...

AND IT GOES ON AND ON.

WHAT THIS IS SAYING IS THAT UNLESS GOD REACHES OUT TO US AND SHOWS US THE WAY AND HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND HIM WE COULD CARE LESS ABOUT HIM, AND WE WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND HIM ANYWAY.

I KNOW THAT IN MY LIFE I WENT TO CHURCH A LOT. MY FAMILY WAS VERY INVOLVED YET I WAS A SINNER. I SURELY DID FIT THIS SCRIPTURE. I WAS NOT RIGHTEOUS, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, I WAS OF NO PROFIT TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, I WAS NOT GOOD.

I REMEMBER THINKING THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO HEAVEN. I BELIEVED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

ONE DAY I READ JOHN 3:16- FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

COULD IT BE TRUE? IT SAY IN THIS SCRIPTURE THAT GOD THE FATHER GAVE HIS SON JESUS SO THAT WE WOULD NOT PERISH, (IN HELL) BUT IF WE BELIEVED IN HIM WE WOULD HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

I BELIEVED IN JESUS WHEN I WAS CONFRONTED WITH THAT SCRIPTURE AND MY ENTIRE LIFE CHANGED.

 

 
3. ONE DAY I WAS LOST AND ON MY WAY TO HELL, AND THE NEXT I WAS SAVED AND FULL OF THE LIFE OF GOD.

WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE? MY FAITH.                                                                    

YOU SEE IF I WERE TO ASK YOU IF YOU WERE TO DIE RIGHT NOW WHERE WOULD YOU GO?

YOU WOULD ANSWER THREE WAYS.

1. I DON'T KNOW. NO ONE KNOWS

2. YES I DO KNOW. HEAVEN

3. YES I DO KNOW. HELL

NOW IF YOU SAID HEAVEN THEN I WOULD ASK WHY?

YOU WOULD SAY  EITHER BECAUSE JESUS IS MY LORD AND SAVIOUR, OR YOU WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS:

BECAUSE I AM A GOOD PERSON. ie. I GO TO CHURCH, I HELP PEOPLE, I HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED.

I WANT YOU TO NOTICE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR ANSWERS. THERE ALL ABOUT YOU.

IN OTHER WORDS YOU ARE YOUR OWN SAVIOUR.

THIS DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN JESUS. IT MEANS YOU HAVE NEVER PLACED YOUR FAITH IN HIM FOR YOUR SALVATION. YOUR FAITH HAS BEEN IN YOUR CHURCH OR IN WHAT YOU ARE ACCOMPLISHING.

IF WE COULD BE FORGIVEN AND GO TO HEAVEN ON SOME DEED THAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH THEN JESUS WOULD HAVE DIED FOR NOTHING.

HE COULD HAVE JUST SENT A BOOK DOWN FROM HEAVEN THAT SAID, BE GOOD, TRY YOUR BEST AND YOU WILL MAKE IT.

EPHESIANS 2:8-FOR BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN  SAVED THROUGH FAITH, AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANYONE SHOULD BOAST.
4.  TODAY YOU CAN BE SAVED! ROMANS 10:9-10, AS SIMPLE AS CALLING ON HIS NAME.

YOU SIMPLY NEED TO PLACE YOUR FAITH IN JESUS, NOT IN YOUR CHURCH, NOT IN YOUR GOOD WORKS, NOT IN YOUR BAPTIZEM, THESE ARE GOOD WORKS, THEY ARE NECESSARY, BUT THEY DID NOT SHED THEIR BLOOD FOR YOU. JESUS DID.

PRAY THIS PRAYER:

JESUS I BELEVE THAT YOU DIED ON THE CROSS FOR MY SINS. YOU TOOK MY PLACE IN PUNISHMENT, SO I COULD RECIEVE  FORGIVENESS THROUGH YOUR SACRIFICE. I BELIEVE THAT GOD RAISED YOU FROM THE DEAD AND YOU ARE LORD AND KING.

COME INTO MY HEART AND BE MY LORD AND SAVIOUR.

RIGHT NOW I OPEN THE THE DOOR OF MY HEART AND THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.

RIGHT NOW IN THIS MOMENT I BELIEVE YOU ARE MY LORD AND SAVIOUR.

MY HEART IS CLEANSED FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS BY YOUR BLOOD.

I CAN NOW CALL YOU FATHER GOD. I AM NOW YOUR CHILD. THANK YOU!

IF YOU PRAYED THIS PRAYER AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE. E-MAIL ME AT.

PRAYFORME@JCINME.COM