This post contains so many things I had questions about myself. You don't know until you know.
This post will explain WHY we all need a Savior. That is fundamental to being "saved" or "accepting Jesus" as your Savior.
I am alllll about not getting "religious". But I do not want to confuse anyone into accepting another Jesus. A more "relatable" or palatable Jesus. Jesus sat with sinners, but He did not sin and never condoned sin. When Jesus walked this earth, the crowd choose Barabbas.
Remember that when many are embracing a version of Jesus they have fashioned in their own minds. This is very important if you are even remotely concerned about yours or anyone else's eternity.
Much love. May God's grace be your peace today. May we continue to learn and grow in His wisdom.
It may not be today, tomorrow, or in a 100 years... But Jesus is returning for all who believe.
Be ready now. Don't wait. We do not know when we will take our last breath or if death will take us suddenly. That is not fear mongering, my friend. It's the truth.
"But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Matt 24:13
𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧.
"And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” 𝐄𝐳𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝟗:𝟒
"And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads." 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟗:𝟒
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."
That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
**How to Become a Follower of Christ/Not religious!**
We are not here by accident. God loves us. He wants to have a personal relationship with us through Jesus, His Son. We were created for His honor and His glory.
There is just one thing that separates us from God. That one thing is sin.
Jesus came in Truth and Grace; He meets us where we are, in our sin, then says “sin no more and follow Me”. It’s impossible to be right with God without repentance. Let's talk about that a little bit.
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.
He doesn't need us....we need Him.
We were created for HIS honor and glory.
He loves us so much, He came in the flesh to die for us to pay our sin debt. The cost of God giving us free will. God is good and merciful! He wishes no one to perish.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Is being a good person and doing good deeds enough to go to heaven to stand before a 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲, 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 God?
Who is good?
Who does good deeds at all times?
Who has a clean mind at all times? 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞!
None is righteous, no, not one.
Can you imagine standing before the Creator of all things, a Holy God, with just our works and good deeds? God forbid.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.
Trying to 'get in' any other way makes one a thief or a robber. For it is by grace you have been saved through faith in Christ our Messiah (𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲), and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Romans 3, Ephesians 2, 1 Corinthians 2
The Good News is a message to be shared, not forced.
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. Matthew 10, Matthew 7
Many people are confused about the way to God. 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 begotten 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 us to come to a Holy God and be in His presence, we have to get rid of our 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."
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 gift to us paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary.
"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.
Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, our sin debt was paid in full.
Eyewitnesses to Jesus...His miracles...and His resurrection, ascension....
You know Christ was on the earth for about 40 days between his resurrection and ascension?!
He is recorded in more places than the Bible, as well.
Christ came knowing how it would all play out. How He PLANNED for it to play out from day one. He knew people were carnal minded and not spiritually minded. They were looking for a king, but not the kind of king Christ was/is. His Kingdom is not of this world.
He told the people at that time: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The temple was His body.
He is alive. The tomb is empty. He appeared to many in the 40 days following His resurrection before He ascended to the right hand of the Father.
When Christ yielded His spirit at the Cross (Matthew 27), many people saw the the veil of the temple torn in two and felt the earth quake, many saw the graves come open and the bodies of the sleeping saints arise - they went into the city and appeared to many!
𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞....𝐬𝐚𝐰. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, "𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝!"
This is why even though there have been haters of Christ since the beginning, Christ's name lives on. He will return. Be ready.
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. A new heart and a new mind. Repentance is a requirement, per Christ Jesus Himself.
To understand how this works, Philippians 1:6 explains:
"confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ"
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
Keep seeking His face, Word, and instruction.
We are not called to 'follow' other Christians, teachers, preachers, groups, denominations, etc. God forbid.
We are called to follow Him.
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
"A god that you can mold is a golden calf, a created idol. The true living God cannot be molded, but desires to mold you." - We read God's Word and test all things against His Word. Never rely on one verse. Context is important. Details matter to God.
Are you ready to accept the gift of eternal life that Jesus is offering you right now? Let's review what this commitment involves:
I acknowledge I am a sinner in need of a Savior - this is to repent or turn away from sin.
I believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead - this is to trust that Jesus paid the full penalty for my sins.
I confess Jesus as my Lord and my God - this is to surrender control of my life to Jesus.
I receive Jesus as my Savior forever - this is to accept that God has done for me and in me what He promised.
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:
Here's a Suggested Prayer:
Say these words with true repentance and a heart, mind, and soul that is seeking Him. This prayer is not a "free ticket" into heaven.
These are just words. God truly knows our hearts - which is terrifying, humbling, and assuring at the same time, in my opinion.
If you prayed this prayer and are ready to begin your relationship with Christ, here are some links to help you begin your journey. God bless you!
*Tools to have a relationship with Christ*
(not get religious!)
*A very important note: No one teacher has everything 100% correct.
Let the Holy Spirit be your guide; ask for wisdom and discernment from Him! If I had any advice for a new believer, it would be do not hang on every word of any man.
Please see the disclaimers on my homepage. Research for yourself. Think for yourself. Don't ever let my words or anyone else's be the final say, even if it sounds good. Test all things and hold fast to what is good!
Read His Word yourself.
Ephesians 1:17
"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,"
James 1:5
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."
1 Corinthians 2:14
" The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them - because they are spiritually discerned."
Reading the Whole Bible
If you have ever wanted to read the whole bible cover to cover, but it seems overwhelming - I feel you. I always recommend reading one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) first, but that's just me.
I have used this outline from Seeking Scripture and been very blessed by it. It's helped me to understand some things in the "Old Testament" by reading it from the beginning and not skipping around.
You do not have to agree with the presenter on certain matters. I think she does a good job reiterating that through out the reading. At a certain point, it's up to each individual to test things for themselves and not be deceived. I am sharing something that blessed me hoping it will bless others and get them in the scriptures. Especially if you have ever wanted to understand more about the "Old" Testament.
Seeking Scripture Link
Click on the photo below for link
Remember: Don't get lost in letters on a page and puffed up with knowledge of the Scriptures.
“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me (Christ)! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life."
John 5:39-40
God's Word is perfect, but men's translations and tamperings are not. But with our God given brains and the Holy Spirit, we can have understanding.
WHAT VERSION OF THE BIBLE IS BEST???
The question frequently comes up, “Which version of the Bible is the most reliable?” How about we study from several versions, use concordances, and use the discernment the Holy Spirit gives us? After all, all versions have been altered from the original in one way or another. Jesus Christ is the Word and we preach Christ crucified.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 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.
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1 Corinthians 1:18-25 18For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Jesus left us with the Holy Spirit because man has been polluting the Gospel since forever. I believe if Jesus were here today, He'd be flipping some tables over all the 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 (𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞) that have caused us mass confusion. Strong delusion if you will. It won't get any better as time goes on, either, sad to say.
"I’ve yet to come across a perfect translation and we could do a whole post showing significant errors in every one (I won’t) – oh yes, King James too (many hold that one up as literally perfect).
Just know that God’s Word is perfect but human translators are not. Sometimes misunderstandings happen in translation, some verses may be filtered through doctrinal desires, and more often than not it is a clear misunderstanding of Hebrew culture vs modern culture.
However, He has given us a brain to think with, the Holy Spirit to guide us, and a world of translations at our fingertips to search and see what lines up. On top of that, we have the marching orders that we need to be testing Scripture, knowledgeable in His foundational books, and walking in His footsteps."
-Christy Jordan
Disclaimer for the videos below:
I am not saying to go follow THESE MEN for all things.
I am saying these messages hit on some things very important I didn't understand for a long as a new believer, myself.
There is no need to become a "follower" of them unless you test them yourself against the Word of God.
This is my disclaimer for ALL things you read/listen to.
This is important for those new to the faith or faith curious.
There is NO one teacher (past and present) that has everything right. Test all things and spirits against the Word of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit.
There is only one Man that walked this earth and never sinned or got His theology wrong and that man was Jesus who was God in the flesh.
Test all things and hold tight to what is good.
The relationship of the gospel, works, and grace
In this sermon, pastor Chad discusses the relationship of the gospel, works, and grace. A topic you will see Christians argue over and over and over about until they are blue in the face.
Christians love to argue about works and grace. Or works "vs" grace. When if they go hand in hand and this short message explains it beautifully? Be blessed. I pray it helps someone out there.
(I'm trying to get this video fixed...sorry for the delay. It was a good one! Stay tuned if it's not working.)
Mark of the Beast - 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧! Remember the disclaimer up there I said about videos, teachers, preachers, or anyone speaking for God.
Heaven or Hell? The Damning Deception of Empty Words and Empty Hearts If you have accepted Christ and you are still finding yourself asking this question (will I go to heaven or hell), I am linking an excellent sermon (𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆!) below to help.
Proof The New Age Movement Is Satanic In Origin
In this video, we look at how the New Age movement and the pagan, occult, esoteric beliefs it holds to come directly from Satanism and the Luciferian doctrine of Helena Blavatsky and Aleister Crowley.
This video debunks the idea that New Age spirituality is harmless by showing how the same kinds of occult beliefs taught in the New Age are also taught by Anton Levay, the author of the Satanic Bible. This short video barely skims the surface, but it's a good intro to further testing of what's presented.
𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥; 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭, 𝐰𝐞'𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦.
We are at a place where 'theology' and 'doctrine' are bad words.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your MIND." 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟐𝟐:𝟑𝟕
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 𝟏 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑:𝟏𝟓
Why I choose to believe the Bible (video below):
"I choose to believe the Bible because it's a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place and fulfilled specific prophecies and claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin." - V. Baucham
Voddie Baucham unpacks and breaks down this statement in this short 30 minute clip.
(Sound is messed up for a minute or two, but it gets fixed.)
What version of the Bible do you use? How about we study from several versions, use concordances, and use the discernment the Holy Spirit gives us? I have a disclaimer on my homepage regarding this.
Beware of False Prophets - What does this mean?
(Audio only - But worth the listen!)
Sharing if anyone is interested. New Believers: Start at John 1:1 read all of John first, then you can understand who Jesus is how it was Him that created the heavens and earth, why He came, why He had to die, and how he taught us to follow him.
40 Day Devotional: 1. Jesus is God - 1:1 2. Embracing the Light 1:4-5 3. Children of God 1:10-13 4. Born again 3:3-8 5. God's great love 3:16 6. Right place at right time 4:4-9 7. Spirit & Truth 4:23-24 8. Jesus is Life 5:25-27 9. Believe 6:28-29 10. Bread of life 6:32-35 11. Living bread 6:48-51 12. Truth from above 7:16-18 13. Spiritual thirst 7:37-39 14. Light of life 8:12 15. Truth & set free 8:31-32 16. Redeeming our time 9:4-5 17. Life to the full 10:10 18. Jesus the good shepherd 10:11 19. Truly God or merely man 10:33 20. Jesus the resurrection & the life 11:25-26 21. Surrender 12:23-25 22. Following Jesus 12:26 23. Power of the cross 12:31-33 24. Praise from God 12:42-45 25. The Father speaks 12:48-50 26. Love one another 13:34-35 27. Solution to anxiety 14:1-3 28. Jesus the way, truth & life 14:6 29. Seeing the Father 14:8-11 30. Prayer - do it seriously 14:13-14 31. Holy Spirit, source of strength for obedience 14:16-17 32. God's supernatural guidance 14:25-26 33. Gift of peace 14:27 34. Overcoming fear 16:31-33 35. Incredible sacrifice 17:1-3 36. Heaven 17:24 37. Unfailing love 19:25-27 38. Empty tomb 20:3-9 39. Love for Jesus 20:17-18 40. That you may have eternal life 20:30-31
Other blog posts you may find interesting! Glory to God if you've made is this far reading/watching and want to learn more! The links below, in my opinion, are fundamental and helpful to me. They were personal questions I have had over the years.