Mentioned eight times in the Bible, The Book of Life is where you want your name to appear when all humanity stands before the ultimate Judge–Jesus Christ.​

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Many of us have been raised in some form of religious institution. However, according to the Holy Bible, that does not guarantee our entrance into heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

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The Way:​

The word “way” implies method or path. Since Jesus is the way to God, then anything we do in and of ourselves to reach God or to please God is useless. Our church attendance, our routines, religious rituals, repetitive prayers, good deeds, personal sacrifices are all a waste of time.  The only way to God is through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  What is faith?  “It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)  As some have put it, “believing is seeing.”

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The Truth:

This should be self-explanatory, however, in our “enlightened” age, truth has become subjective. But we are not enlightened at all! Instead, we are still being duped by the old “snake in the garden” trick. Centuries ago God’s own people embraced this arrogance, “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” (Judges 17:6)​

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Truth, is, always has been, and always will be what GOD says. He alone is the standard and in His written word, He revealed the truth of our condition: because we chose our way and not His way, we are separated from Him. Have you ever been separated from your Dad? It’s traumatic, to say the least. Bottom line is: we are lost in our sin and need a Savior.

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The Life:

Ever think about what life on earth would be like if Eve never gave in to her craving for that apple? Ah, paradise.​

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Though we will never stroll through the Garden of Eden, God’s got something far better for all those He redeemed through the blood sacrifice of His perfect Son, Jesus. Yes, we are born physically into Adam’s lost race. But by faith, we are born spiritually into Jesus’ perfect race! Through Him we have been made priests and kings and will reign with Him forever in a perfect world!  (Revelation 1:6)

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But this “life” is not just for another world—another time, no, it’s for right now—right here! Jesus, the “firstborn from the dead,” resurrected our dead minds and hearts so that we can speak directly to our Creator with nothing in-between. Through The Life, we are now clean in the eyes of God, Who sees us through His perfect Son, our Ambassador, our Attorney—our Door to Heaven! (John 10:9)

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On top of all that … He gave us gifts!​

   

​​​Restoration of our soul​​​​​​​​​​​ (Psalm 23)
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Peace of mind​​​​​​​​​​ (Isaiah 26:3)
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Living Water​​​​​​​​​​ (John 7:38)

Bread of Life​​​​​​​​​​ (John 6:35)
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Power over evil​​​​​​​​​​​ (Ephesians 6:12)
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Keys to His Kingdom​​​​​​​​​​​ (Matthew 16:19) 

 

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These are but a few of the supernatural life-giving free gifts we have been given to enjoy right here on earth while we wait for his imminent return.

 

​​Do you know Jesus?

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

 

Do you want to be saved? 

Today is the day of salvation. The Scriptures say, “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (Psalm 95:7,8) So let’s just stop here and pray this prayer with together:

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Dear God,

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I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Your only Son, that he was born from a virgin, died in my place on the cross, was resurrected and is now alive and hearing my prayer. I am truly sorry that I have broken Your laws; I know that my sins have separated me from You. Today I want to I turn from my past sins and live for You. Please forgive me; seal my heart by Your Holy Spirit for the day when I will stand before You in heaven. Rule in my heart from this day forward; I want Your Holy Spirit to lead me into all truth—Your Word is truth.

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In Jesus Name, Amen.

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If you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, you are now a child of God—in fact, there’s a big celebration in heaven over you right now! Jesus said, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)

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Now that you’re a Christian…

Becoming a Christian means many things, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t fully understand what just took place in your life. The most important thing is to get connected to God in prayer, to God through His Word (The Bible) and to God through others who also believe in Jesus, worship Him in their life choices and represent Him with integrity.

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Tell Someone!

Call someone or go and tell them in person that you decided to follow Christ. Below is more information on how to grow in your new life.​ Get a Bible and Read the Book of John.

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The Bible has 66 books written over several centuries. Inspired by God, these writers recorded His story for all to know of His great love for His creation. The Gospel of John in the New Testament is written by an eye-witness to Jesus’ life on earth. It is a great place to start your new life in Him.

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Get Connected with a Group of Believers

There are many churches to choose from, but it is imperative to read their doctrinal statements before joining. It is easy to get wrapped up in a great worship service and get hugs and smiles from new friendly faces, but before you know it, you are emotionally attached, sharing your past stuff and getting entangled in who knows what. Once that happens, it becomes difficult to remove yourself if you find that you’re in a cult or church group that is not truly worshiping Jesus as the only Son of God, the only way to God or teaching the whole counsel of God, which is the Holy Bible. I am a member of Harvest Bible Chapel and there are many locations all over the world. Read HBC's doctrinal statement.

 

Resources:

As I said above, I am a member of Harvest Bible Chapel; it's the most balanced church I have found (and I've been to a lot of other denominational churches!). They teach the whole counsel of God, worship Him in spirit and in truth, walk with Him in obedience and work for Him. They are not perfect, no church is, but the Senior Pastor, James MacDonald, consistently and humbly grows in the LORD personally and leads us weekly to do the same. There are healthy churches and unhealthy churches. Pray and ask Holy Spirit, Who now dwells in you, to lead you to a healthy church. He works in you even now to guide and direct your life in the paths of the LORD.​

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There are many other resources available in Christian bookstores.  Great authors include James MacDonald, David Platt, Charles Stanley, David Jeremiah, Charles Swindoll, Max Lucado, Tony Evans and more. Check out Greg Laurie’s page on How to Know God.

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Here are some links to find a Bible-believing radio station in your area:

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Walk in the Word (a ministry of Harvest Bible Chapel)

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Moody Bible Institute Radio Stations

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Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah

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Want to connect with me? Email me at: cheryl@ccsemick.com.

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