| Would you like to meet my best friend? I'd be happy to introduce you...We met in January of 2004 and man, has my life changed! He is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me. He loves me more than life itself and guess what? This might come as a surprise, but the One I'm about to introduce you to CANNOT WAIT to meet YOU! He's your biggest fan. You haven't even meet yet and not only does He like you already, but He LOVES you. Alot. More than you could ever imagine in a billion years. He loves you today, He loved you yesterday and He will love you forever. And Ever. He wants to get to know you and you know Him, not only for today, but for eternity. Now, let me tell ya, he doesn't play around. When He says, "Eternity," He means it. Friend, I proudly introduce you to my best friend, Jesus Christ. Now, nothing would bring me more joy than if you formed the same relationship that I did with him in 2004. I would love for you to embrace Jesus Christ as I did and start receiving all that he has in store for you...I would LOVE that, however, it's not my decision. It's yours. You see, the problem is that God, by His very nature, is holy.This means that He is perfect and just and right. Although we have tremendous potential for good, by our very nature as humans we are pretty much everything that God is not. And try as we might, we are not capable of making up for this sin by self-improvement or good works. So how can these opposites ever even coexist, much less be in a love relationship? Glad you asked. God, being so desperately in love with us, made a way. He made a way for all of us; He made the ultimate sacrifice to show us how much he loved us. Let me tell you, it wasn't pretty. It demanded a someone, a perfect life, to become the bridge between God and humankind. That perfect life, that sacrifice of love was in the person of God's own son, Jesus Christ. Not only did Jesus live a life without any sin at all, but he took on all the sin that had occurred in the world up until that time PLUS all the sin that would ever happen in the future and put it on HIMSELF as He died on a Roman cross. Why would He do that? Duh. Like I said, HE IS IN LOVE WITH YOU. John 3:16 says this: "This is how much God loved the world; He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why; so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted..." (The Message) Believing that Jesus is who He claimed to be (God's son) and that He alone can do what He claims to do (offer forgiveness for sin and eternal life) is the first step to establishing a relationship with Him. It is impossible to build any relationship in the absence of trust, so Jesus first asks us to trust him. Trust that He is who He says He is. Trust that He can do what He says He will do. You can begin by praying right now - a prayer that comes from your heart... You can just simply say to God that you admit that you cannot save yourself, and that you know that He is the only one who can do that. Ask Him to forgive all the things that you have done to mess up your life. Tell Him that you want Him to come into your life and lead you from here to eternity. If you truly mean what you just prayed, it's a done deal. You are really forgiven. Totally. Complete-o. 100%, no do-overs,no return policy, DONE DONE DONE. Forever. Jesus has come into your life to take up permanent residence and begin the process of change. If you've decided to take the step and form the relationship that I did, then let me tell ya, I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER. For reals. You have just received the greatest gift there is; the gift of eternal life in Heaven and the gift of knowing JESUS CHRIST. I gotta admit, this is a big day for you. You should share it, tell your friends, your family. Sheesh, I'M excited and I'm not even there with you. If you're half as excited as I am FOR you, then shout it from the rooftops. Surround yourself with other Christians, after all, you're a new babe in Christ, you're going to want support, right? Wanna chat? Feel free to email me. If I'm your first Christian friend then it would be my honor to talk with ya! It's not just people that you should talk to though... Don't Forget! You need to talk to God! He wants to hear from you. | Don't worry if you feel that you are not good at praying. It is just a matter of showing up and talking to God. You wouldn't make friends with someone and then never have a conversation with them, would you? He loves you. He is waiting 24/7 to hear from you. He doesn't care how you sound, whether you sound like you're giving a speech in front of a group, etc...All he cares about is that you're communicating in some way with Him. Also, get yourself a bible! Worried you won't know how to read it? Won't understand the lingo? Won't understand what you're reading? DON'T SWEAT IT. I (Still) have trouble, so I got the best (in my opinion) bible for beginners...It's the NIV Life Application Study Bible. Basically, what that means is everything is written the same way you and I talk; no "thee, thou, etc." Not that there is anything wrong with the King James Version, but if you're just starting out, this is the easiest to understand. Not to mention, at the bottom of every page, there is a breakdown of the passage you just read and how to apply it to your everyday life. Also, if you're like me and can't flip right to a certain book when the preacher calls for it, they make these tabs you can stick on each section, that lets you know which is which, and that makes them easy to find. Last, since you've got this awesome new friend, you should seek out a church family where you feel loved and accepted. Don't feel pressured; there are TONS of churches out there nowadays. Lots of new Christians (and non Christians) have preconceived notions about church. Some think of it as the stuffy, boring place maybe your grandma drug you when you were little...I promise, things will be different now. Don't let not knowing anyone at a church hold you back; after all, you WILL know at least one guy there; GOD. Take a few Sundays, maybe bring some friends and visit your local churches. You'll find a fit, I promise. Well, I'm gonna go for now and let you two chat...with you being new friends and all, you'll probably have alot to share...and He can't wait to hear it. |
