“I’m Going To Come To Church!”

In town I met a non-Christian guy I know on the margins of society who has a badly damaged leg. He goes into hospital for a 3 hour operation tomorrow, with a long recovery period following. He was really worried about it and I offered to pray with him which he gladly accepted. He thanked me and said:”when I recover I’m coming to your church!”. 

I then met up with a Christian lady in our  Street Mission as her team were going round town and we chatted to a couple she knew. The wife was a Christian, but not the husband. He talked abut the various illness he was suffering from, and said he was suffering pain in his neck from an accident. I offered to pray and his wife encouraged him to accept. He eventually agreed and I spoke to the pain and told it to go. He got some improvement, but not a great deal. I told him to thank Jesus throughout the day for what he was doing in his body if he wanted to see further improvement.

I had an e-mail today through my website from a guy who said he wants to become a Christian. He asked me to send a Bible and some Christian books, but didn’t give an address. I asked for his details, so am waiting for his reply.

Encounter With a Satanic Priest

A guy I recognised came in for food. As he chatted about his life he told me he had been in 22 children’s homes from the age of 2 until he was 18. From a young age he had become increasingly violent and recalled smashing every single window in one house at the age of 5. He gradually became more and more violent and disturbed as the years went on, relying on and trusting no-one. Fortumately, he said, he’d never gone to prison

He told me he had been a priest in a local Satanic temple but was in the process of turning his back on Satanism and exploring Christianity. He was in the middle ground, so his old life was not causing him too much harm at present. I told him that things would get much worse when he had fully turned to Jesus and was serving him. He realised that, but reckoned it held no terrors for him. He had been there and done it all, so knew the way things worked. He had become disillusioned with Satanism and said it was like being on a treadmill – from first thing in the morning you’re on the go all the time. Some people might find it exciting, but it had worn him down.  The way he described it, I could see there was no peace in it for him. I shared some of my testimony with him, and he could relate to some of the things I said. I also told him of my encounter with the reality of God’s love, and how Jesus had appeared to me on one occasion in my bedroom.

He had started attending a local church and they were giving him some practical jobs to do. He said one of these was restoring the original wooden cross that dated from when the church was built as a mission church  over 100 years ago.  

I told him about Doreen Irvine who had been “Queen of the Witches” in England at one time, but became a Christian. She had written a book “From Witchcraft To Christ” I offered to get him a copy and he said he would like to read it. He gave me his details and I said I would send a copy on to him. He had some questions about the Bible and we chatted about these for while. He is due to start an Alpha course in a couple of weeks time. 

First Steps As a New Christian

  This post follows on from my two previous January 2013 posts (1) “How Do I Become a Christian and (2) “Practical Steps To Follow To Become a Christian”.

Sadly, many churches offer little dedicated teaching for new Christians in any depth. Fortunately, one British website has recognised this and provides many resources for them. The site is “New Christian UK”   and you can  see a list of basic pages here . This site will help you understand how to live as a Christian, gives you advice about the Bible, the Holy Spirit, etc and how to share your faith story with others. 

As you grow as a Christian and mature, this same website will accompany you along the way. Their “What’s New? Page”   has links to over 200 other pages on the same site, including stories of others who have become Christians. One recent testimony added was LD’s story of her tormented life before she became a  Christian. The video “A Man Fell Into a Hole” shows the uniqueness of Jesus Christ amongst other religions that exist.

Practical Steps To Follow To Become a Christian

PRACTICAL STEPS IN BECOMING A CHRISTIAN

This is a follow up to my post of 20th January 2013 entitled “How Do I Become a Christian?”

If you haven’t seen that post, please read it first, since it puts this post in context.

So you want to become a Christian and now know the basic facts about Jesus? Read on below.  

You probably want to change things about your life and your behaviour and so far have got nowhere. That’s actually a good place to be, since only Jesus can change you deep down where it matters, and from the inside out.

He knows your heart attitude, so you can’t fool him! But the good thing is, he’s ready and waiting to do for you what you can’t do for yourself.

   The easiest way is to take time out one day and pour you heart out to him in prayer, just simply talking to him in your mind, or out loud if you prefer. Tell Jesus how you feel, what you need, and how you now realise that He’s the only one who can change things.

Coming to Jesus in prayer and asking for forgiveness of your sins and surrender of your life to Jesus is how you become a Christian.

Jesus wants all of you, not just a part. He wants to be the most important person in your life. This is an act of your will – to choose this course of action. God never forces us to do anything, that’s why he gave us free will.

Once you’ve settled that in your mind, the next step is this. Ask Jesus to forgive all the sins you ever committed. All sin is primarily against God. He’s the one you hurt the most when you sinned. Even though you did things to other people, God’s the one who’s been most hurt by your actions.

Through his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection, Jesus paid the price for all your sins. All sin has to be paid for, for justice to be done. Instead of paying for your own sins, Jesus did it for you, in advance. How amazing is that? But you have to ask for and receive that forgiveness for yourself. You don’t become a Christian based on any good deeds that you did in the past. They count for nothing. It’s Jesus’ perfect goodness – and what he did for you – that counts towards your journey into heaven, not anything you ever did. In fact, the Bible likens your best deeds to filthy rags, in God’s eyes.  

The ideal way to approach Jesus to forgive you is this way. Take time out and make a list of things you’ve done that you know to be wrong. Don’t rush it – take your time. For example, list lies you’ve told, people you’ve wronged or hated, folk you’ve deceived, things you’ve stolen. Pour your heart out to Jesus and ask him in prayer to help you write the list.

When you’re done making the list, talk to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you everything on your list, plus all the sins you’ve forgotten about. There’s nothing you’ve done that Jesus can’t forgive. Then after your prayer of confession to him, thank him that he now HAS forgiven you all these things. Jesus has promised to come and live with us when we choose to surrender our life to him and so he will come and live in your spirit by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to live a life that honours Jesus and he gives us the strength to live for him, in the face of opposition or other problems we have.

Once you’ve written your list, this is the kind of prayer you could use, as an example:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that you came from Heaven to Earth to reconcile me to God the Father, and that you did this because you love me. I thank you that when you died on the cross and rose again from the dead, you paid the penalty price for my sin. These are the list of sins I am able to remember…………(your list). Please forgive me of all these. Please also forgive me the many sins I committed but have since forgotten about. I realise you are the only one who is able to forgive me these sins, for only you were good enough to pay the price for them. I offer myself to you as a living sacrifice, so please use my life for your glory and honour. I place my trust in you for the future. Please help me to live for you, and give me the strength I need to live my life for you for the rest of my days. Thank you for hearing and answering this prayer. I am weak and need your strength, so please fill me with your Holy Spirit power now. Amen”

  Once you have done this, you have become a follower of Jesus and are a Christian. You can then destroy the list of your sins that you wrote, because they have now all been forgiven by Jesus and forgotten about by him.

In my next post, I’ll set out the way forward in your life as a new Christian.

How Do I Become a Christian?

Further to my last post, I thought it might be helpful to do an answer to the question :”How Do I Become a Christian?”   This is the full, detailed version, which explains man’s basic problem and the Rescue Plan God has provided in Jesus.

In my next post I will include a sample prayer to Jesus that the person who wants to become a Christian could pray:

GOD’S RESCUE PLAN PROVIDED FOR YOU

Dear Friend,

God created the world, with all its beauty, for people like you to enjoy. He also created men and women so they could share in a loving relationship with Him.

Ever since God formed you in your mother’s womb, He has known you and everything about you. God has even counted the number of hairs on your head. He also knows when you rise and when you sit down.

Sadly, men and women turn away from Him and most deliberately choose not to know God – their loving Creator. The Bible says that the evidence of God’s eternal power and divine nature may be plainly seen in the wonders of creation. God has also given each person a conscience that speaks to them of right and wrong. Throughout your life you have suffered the results of wrong actions, both from the hands of others and by your own choices.

Although many bad things have happened to you, you are nevertheless responsible for your own actions and the choices you make as you go through life. When you have lied, stolen, cheated, or deceived others, the person you offended the most by these actions was GOD Himself. The Bible calls such actions “SIN” and all your unforgiven sin will one day be judged by God. The Bible says:”For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. No-one is blameless.

God hates sin because he is Holy (perfect). Sadly, your sin separates you from God and the loving relationship He seeks with you. All sin will, one day, be punished so this puts you in great danger. But the GOOD NEWS is that God is – even now – ready, willing and able to forgive your sins and remove that separation. This forgiveness by God restores the opportunity for you to have a loving relationship with God your creator. Are you prepared to turn from your present way of life, change direction and turn to God your creator for a fresh start? In doing this, God calls you to stop trusting in and relying upon everything you have, and surrender your life to Him. So your old life has to go when you take this step. However, God promises to give you His power to enable you to live a new life.

Have you heard of Jesus Christ of Nazareth? Hundreds of years before He was born into this world, many prophets wrote about His coming. These prophecies telling of Jesus’ coming are all in the Bible, a book about Him. Jesus’ coming to Earth from Heaven was according to God’s saving plan for all mankind.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth was sent by God the Father, out of love, into the world on a mission to rescue men and women. In obedience to God’s plan Jesus lived a sinless life, yet He willingly gave up His life and died on a cross to rescue you and me. By his death and resurrection three days later, Jesus broke the power of sin and death. After He rose from the dead, Jesus was seen alive again by hundreds of people.

By His death on a cross, Jesus paid the price for your sin and mine. The Bible says: “But God shows his love for us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus gave himself up as a sacrifice on our behalf by taking upon himself God’s punishment that our sins deserve. Jesus is now alive for evermore and sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven, in a place of glory and honour.

Do you want Jesus to rescue you from your sins and your present way of life? The Bible says: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

If you choose to call upon Jesus to save you, He will set you free, give you eternal life and a place in God’s family. Because Jesus was sinless, yet paid the price due for your sin – in your place – you can trust in Him as your substitute and go free. So you do not have to suffer the consequences of our own sins. God is then able to help you live a new life, by His power. The Bible says: “For it is by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, so that none can boast”. God offers you His forgiveness as a free gift.

Jesus gives new life by His Spirit, which sets people free and brings them into God’s kingdom.

At the end of your life, Jesus will hold you alone responsible for all your unforgiven sins and you will be judged accordingly.If you choose to hold on to your sin, refusing Jesus’ free offer of forgiveness, you will bear the consequences on your own head – the wrath (anger) of God for eternity.

If you choose instead to ask Jesus to forgive your sins NOW, He will do so and set you free from sin’s controlling power, He will wipe the slate clean and give you a fresh start. You can know total forgiveness of all the sins you have ever committed.

There is NO sin you have committed that Jesus cannot forgive, as He is “all-powerful” and “all-forgiving”. Jesus said: “I and the Father are one.” The sins He forgives in this life are forgiven, and forgotten, for eternity.

The choice today is yours. Do you wish, whether you realise it or not, to remain a slave of sin? Or do you choose Jesus? Realise who this Jesus is. He is God, the one who died for you and offers you total forgiveness, peace and joy – now! The Bible says: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”

One day all men and women will stand before Jesus, the Judge of all mankind. The Bible says: “…man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement…”. Jesus alone has been given all power and authority in judgement by God the Father. Jesus therefore will decide where you will spend eternity. Although our human bodies eventually give out and die, our spirits live on beyond death.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE?

We all live on after death and the Bible makes clear that we end up in one of two places:

• A place of weeping, suffering and eternal separation from God for those who reject Him, or
• A place of eternal peace, love and joy in the presence of God, your creator.

After this life is over the chance to choose Jesus will be gone, so you need to choose Him NOW, before it is too late! The Bible says: “Today is the day of salvation.”

No-one else can rescue you from the situation you find yourself in, forgive ALL your sins and make you right with God. Jesus truly is God’s unique gift to mankind!

(this message was written by me, is copyright free and may be freely used and published elsewhere – for non-profit)

---

Guy Wants to Become a Christian

Had an e-mail from a guy who wants to become a Christian. 

This guy is from another religion, but has explored Jesus throughly (was in fact drawn to him from childhood) and now wants to know how to proceed.

I sent him a detailed “how-to” and offered follow-up advice as necessary.  Just got his “very grateful” reply a moment ago.

I Bottled Out and Missed a Healing Opportunity

We had a busy day on Friday and gave out food parcels sufficient to feed 28 people for three days. 

Our first customer also received two single bed duvets we had been given, and had no use for. She was overjoyed to get this unexpected bonus on top of her food for the family. I told her we were Christians, and that God was the real provider, so when she said her prayers that night, to make sure she thanked God for the duvets. She said “I will!”

One guy came in with a limp. I asked about it and he told me the doctors had tried various treatments on his knee, but had given up on him and he now had to rely solely on painkillers. I made a mental note to offer him prayer for healing. Unfortunately, we got really busy and I didn’t take the chance to offer healing. Looking back on it, I think I was a bit of a coward and was waiting until it got quiet. I could have offered prayer in front of all the other clients, but I suppose I didn’t have the bottle, so really my fault. Sorry, Lord!