The Gospel: The most important message you will ever hear:

• Romans 3:10 says: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

All human beings on the planet have this in common; that we have inherited from our ancestors Adam and Eve their sinful nature.

• Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

All of us have broken at least one of God's 10 commandments:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me
2. You shall not make any graven image or idol to worship it
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy
5. Honour your father and mother
6. You shall not commit murder (Jesus simplified this to even hating someone in your heart)
7. You shall not commit adultery (Again, Jesus equates this with looking on someone lustfully that you're not married to)
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not tell lies
10. You shall not covet (desire) anything that belongs to someone else.

• Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hell is a very real place, where Jesus warned us all of us whose names aren't written in the Lamb's Book of Life will go. A place of never-ending torment, created for the devil and his angels.

Heaven is just as real, a place that is so wonderful that our finite minds cannot fully comprehend it yet. Reserved for all those who accept God's gift of salvation and repent of (forsake, turn away from) their sins.

• Romans 5:8 But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God the Father didn't wait for you and me to become good, before showing His love for us - He would still be waiting. Jesus paid on the cross the full penalty for all of our sins, while you and I were still sinners!

• John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

When God speaks to you, as He may be doing right now, (and you'll know when He's talking to you) there is a window of opportunity - you have a choice;

• To humble yourself, like a little child: Repent of your sins, Receive His forgiveness, and Yield your life totally to Him. Like letting Him take the driver's seat of your life.

• Or... You can choose to ignore His voice. He will not wrestle with our stubborn wills forever, and once you die, or Jesus returns (very soon now) it will be too late. Amazingly, God gave us all a free will.

A PRAYER you can pray: Dear Heavenly Father, I believe Your Son Jesus Christ died for me on the cross and rose again. I believe He paid the price for all of my sins. I confess that I have sinned. (Tell Him about the main sins that come to mind - we commit them one by one, so we can confess them one by one) I ask You to forgive me for these sins. I now turn away from, and utterly forsake my sins, and I ask You to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I ask You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit and empower me to live a holy life, victorious over these sinful desires. I now receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Thank You Father for saving me and adopting me into Your family.

Now the next thing to do is to tell someone else what you have just done. Tell someone out loud that "Jesus Christ is my Lord."

• Romans 10:9,10 That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.

If you have genuinely prayed this prayer with a sincere heart, you can know for sure that God has forgiven your sins, washed you clean, and written your name in the Lamb's Book of Life. You should have experienced something - being Born Again is the most important experience of your lifetime.

• John 6:37 Jesus said: All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.
• I John 5:13 These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Four things you'll need to do to survive and grow as a Christian:

1. Read the Bible: Get a good translation of the Bible: I recommend the King James Version, or the New King James if your English isn't that strong. (Modern bibles are getting progressively watered down.) You can download for free the American King James - exactly the same as the original, except for the old-fashioned words being modernized. Read it daily, maybe get the Bible on tape to play while you drive or work or wake up.
2. Pray to Jesus Daily: God created you for a relationship. He longs to talk to you, and to listen to your heart. He will guide you into the path you were born and designed for, as you spend time with Him and let Him teach and change you.
3. Have regular fellowship with other believers in Jesus: You'll need to find a Bible-believing church or home group, where the whole Bible is taught - ask God to guide you to a good one. Make sure that the fellowship is one that teaches and believes in both water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You'll need to get properly baptized in water, and being baptized in (filled with) the Holy Spirit is important for all believers, as the Holy Spirit empowers us to live the Christian life without backsliding.
4. Share your faith: Ask God for opportunities to tell others about what God has done for you. He will arrange it.
   

Please feel free to contact me if you have prayed this prayer of salvation, and I'd be glad to encourage you.

Rick Stokes,

7 Supplejack Valley Road, RD1 Upper Moutere, New Zealand 7173

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