*****

Dear, sweet soul,

May I get personal with you? What do you believe about Heaven and Hell? About the Gospel? About God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit (God who is one, existing eternally in three Persons)?

Maybe you’re not really sure and, honestly, I can’t do much more than teach you what I know, encourage you to take the next step in your faith and pray for you.

But let me tell you this:

You are a sinner. So am I. So is every other human being. I’m not trying to be mean, I’m just telling you what the Bible says in Romans 3:23:

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

God’s Word says, "For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23) There is a price to pay for our rebellion; a penalty for our sin. That, the Bible says, is an eternal life without God, spent instead, in eternal torment.

It’s what we truly deserve—eternal separation from the One Who created us.

But there is hope! Romans 6:23 continues, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Because of His great love for all mankind, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, who is fully God and fully human, to take our place. Jesus was crucified on the CROSS for OUR sins, DIED and was RESURRECTED three days later! This is the Gospel, which means “good news”; Jesus IS the Gospel! It is indeed great news for us sinners!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18).

Only through Jesus is there SALVATION (saved from paying the penalty of our sins—He did that for us by dying on the cross). Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) There are NO other ways to Heaven.

What all of this sums up is God’s GRACE. Grace is the unmerited (unearned) favor of God.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

If we circle back to Romans 3, while verse 23 tells us where we stand as humans, verse 24 tells us what that grace does for us: “all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” FREELY, dear soul.

The Christian faith is about acknowledging and repenting of our sins (admitting them and turning from them) by recognizing that we NEED Jesus to save us. Most importantly, God is calling us into RELATIONSHIP with Him through Jesus. By entering into a relationship with Jesus and submitting to His authority, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, Who helps us to live out the beautiful, unique and fulfilling plan God has lovingly laid out for each one of us.

Make no mistake, we will all spend eternity somewhere and we get to choose where that is. It will either be in Heaven with the LORD or in Hell with Satan. There are only two options. I pray you will recognize that you can’t earn your way to Heaven and that ONLY those who place their faith in Jesus Christ will be spared from Hell.

When you choose to do so is up to you but if you haven’t done so already, my hope and prayer is that you will right now. I promise, it’s worth every second.

If you aren’t sure what to say or how to approach God, know this: He is waiting anxiously to hear from you! Simply pray from your heart, knowing that He hears you when you humbly seek Him. Below is a prayer; it is not a “magic prayer” or the only way to talk with God but a GUIDE for anyone wanting some help.

In His love, by His love and only because of His love I lovingly serve you,

Jennifer

*****

Lord, I confess I have sinned and need Your forgiveness.  Help me to turn from my sins and begin living for You.  Jesus, I believe You came to earth, fully God and fully human to be my Savior and Lord and I accept Your free gift of salvation, as displayed upon the Cross and in the Resurrection.  Please help me to follow You from this day forward and be all that You created me to be. 

Amen.

If you have just prayed this prayer from your heart, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Because of your willingness to repent of your sins and rest on the sacrifice of Jesus, you are born again and assured of eternal life in Heaven.  How exciting!! While this is a wonderful and important first step, I encourage you to continue to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ by studying the Bible, applying it to your life and allowing it to transform you.  (For more information on the Bible distribution part of my ministry, go to the Resources page.) Also, connect with fellow believers who will help you on your journey--through Bible studies and mission work.  May God strengthen you and your faith!

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.  (Psalm 40:1-3)

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)