Too many times different people have ideas about God that are not all together accurate. Many of us think that God is some vicious monster with claws on both hands and feet ready to rip us to shreds if we do something wrong. It is true that we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of things done in our lives whether it be good or bad. But we must remember that God is Love. He Loves us. He wants the best for us. He wants to give us life. He wants to help us. He is just waiting for an opportunity to show us His Love. He made us because He wants a relationship with us. He sent His Son to an agonizing death on the cross just because He wants us to be forgiven and be with Him forever.

    The relationship begins with asking Jesus to be our Savior and Lord. Listen, it's a wonderful opportunity to know the Lord. It's not a bothersome set of rules and regulations; it's a wonderful relationship with no negative side effects or consequences. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain by having Jesus as Savior and Lord. All we have to do is call on the name of the Lord and Scripture says we will be saved (Romans 10:13). This is the first step of a life of joy, peace, happiness, contentment, purpose, and direction. This is the beginning of a relationship where we want to please our Lord by following Him in everything we do. Yes, there will be some difficult times, but God offers sustaining grace just as He offers saving Grace.

    Knowing Jesus is a wonderful life full of everything people try to find in this world that the world cannot give. Won't you accept Jesus's invitation to eternal life that begins the moment you call Him to be saved?

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If you feel the Lord's calling you to be saved, it's just as simple as praying as follows:

        "Jesus, I know I have sinned and need You as my Savior and Lord. I ask forgiveness for all my sins and pray for You to cleanse me. Please come into my heart and save me. I want to be with You in Heaven. While I am here on earth, please help me to be totally committed to You and follow you with my whole heart. Thank You for hearing my prayer and saving me, Amen."

It's just that simple. If you sincerely prayed that prayer, the following are some basic guidelines to help you in your walk with Jesus:

Congratulations!!!! You have made a very important decision - the decision to accept and follow Jesus. Here are a few important things to do to get started. Just like breathing, drinking water, and eating food (the three essentials of physical life), there are three we must do as Christians and followers of Jesus.

First - We need to Pray. Too many people think they can't pray because of hearing others pray so "eloquently." Prayer is just talking to God and pouring our hearts out to Him. God is more concerned with the cry of our hearts than the polished and refined religious talk. Let's just talk to Him.

Second - We need to read and study the Bible. The Bible is God's word and instruction for us to live as He desires. Here are some effective passages for you to begin to study and apply to your lives. Keep in mind that all scripture is inspired by God - these are a few passages to get started.

Mathew chapters 5-7 (This is the longest consecutive recorded narrative of Jesus)
The Book of John
The Book of James
1 Corinthians 13 (The Love Chapter)
A Chapter of Psalms each day
A Proverb a day (Just as there are 31 days in some months, Proverbs has 31 chapters - one for each day)

Third - We need to be involved with a local Church. It;s true that no Church is perfect on a human basis (if it was - we would not be a part of it because we are not perfect). However, it is important to surround ourselves with Christian fellowship and worship God on a regular basis. We need to be fed and challenged by God to continually please Him.

May God bless and may we stay alive Spiritually

Eternity is at stake.