To: The one Jesus Loves and Died For

To: The one Jesus loves and died for.

You may be wondering why I am sharing the gospel with you and think I’m some religious fanatic. The reason that I am sharing the Gospel with you is because I truly care about you and where you’ll spend eternity.

Jesus has given me a new heart and a new life in Christ! I’m not perfect and need His grace every day like anybody else. I stumble, but the Lord gently picks me back up and says, “follow Me- keep your eyes on Me”. God’s Word says our life is like a vapor, a breath, a fleeting shadow. We’re here one minute and gone the next.

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.“
James 4:13-14

None of us is promised tomorrow. Since eternity is forever, shouldn’t you be concerned where you will be spending it? Each day 150,000 people die. That is 2 people per second!

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
Hebrews 9:27

Our disbelief in God, Heaven, Hell, or a day of judgment does not make it any less true. Just because I refuse to believe in air will not make it cease to exist. There are so many different religions and you may wonder which one, if any is even true. You may also think that there are many ways to God, but the Bible says that 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 It’s only through Jesus that we can be saved.

That’s not being narrow minded- that’s Truth. As Christians we are not committed to a list of rules, but are committed to a Person- Jesus Christ. Christianity is the only “religion” with a risen Savior! Our Savior conquered death! No other religion can claim that.

100 years from now, everyone that is currently alive will either be in heaven or hell. It’s easy to live like we will never die because God created us with eternity in our hearts. Our bodies will eventually die, but our soul is eternal. The choice is yours- will you spend it in Heaven or Hell?

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.“ Ecclesiastes 3:11

God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. Our sin has separated us from God. We have all broken God’s commandments and cannot keep them perfectly in our own strength no matter how hard we try. We are all sinners. If you’ve ever wished you had something that wasn’t yours then you’ve broken the 10^th commandment, which is coveting. If you’ve ever lusted after another- that’s adultery, when you use God’s name like a cuss word- that’s blasphemy. How many lies have you told? Even one is enough to deserve punishment. If you lie to a judge in court you will face penalty. How much more deserving are we to receive punishment for sinning against the God of the Universe?! You may say that God is good and that He would never send someone to hell. You’re right, God is a good God and a Just God. That’s why He has to punish sin. Imagine someone breaking into your house and brutally beating your child. The offender goes to court and tells the judge that he is sorry and promises not to do it again. Would you say the judge was a good judge if he lets him go, free from punishment? Of course not! He would be a bad judge. God has to punish sin because He is good and just. That’s why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus, who knew no sin bore your sin and my sin. He took the wrath that we all deserve because He loves us, not because of anything good we have done. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 This gift is for anyone who is willing to admit their a sinner, repent (turn) from their sins, and put their faith and hope in Jesus Christ! The gospel is for sinners- isn’t that GOOD NEWS? You don’t have to clean yourself up for Jesus to accept you. Jesus will give you a new heart- one that is clean and desires to please Him.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 What an amazing Savior we have! We have nothing to offer Jesus except ourselves, but that’s all He wants. Jesus was mocked, beaten, spit on, and died a horrible death on a cross for you. The very least we can do is live for Him? How undeserving we are to receive His mercy, forgiveness, a new heart, a heavenly inheritance, and be called a beloved child of God!!!!! It doesn’t matter what you have done- there is no where His forgiveness cannot reach! Does it sound to good to be true? That’s the GOOD NEWS- the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ! If you want to know without a doubt where you will be spending eternity and are ready to confess and forsake your sins and live for Jesus you can pray to Him a prayer similar to this:

Dear Jesus,

I admit that I’m a sinner and that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross and died for my sins. I am now willing to turn from my sin. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my life. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior. Thank you Jesus for your grace, mercy, and forgiveness which has saved me from my sins. I give you control over my life Lord Jesus to transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.
Amen.

If you have any questions:

Visit www.juststopandthink.com or email me at easonfamilyof6@gmail.com

Count the Cost

Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ is costly. In fact, it costs us our life. One cannot claim to be a born again christian without surrendering all and making Jesus LORD of their life. We must make a willfull decision to become slaves of Christ. If the Lord isn't Lord of ALL He isn't Lord at all. You can't make Jesus your Savior without making Him your Lord. Have you surrendered all?

Your reputation, your time, your dreams, your money, your spouse, your children, your "rights", your comfort, your heart?

In no way does the act of surrender save us. It is Christ's work on the cross, His sacrifice for sin, that is our only means of forgiveness and salvation. But His death is the provision that frees us from sin and enables us- yes, compels us- to surrender ourselves wholly to God. The person who has never acknowledged Christ's right to rule over his life has no basis for assurance of salvation. He may claim to be a Christian; he may have walked an aisle or prayed the sinner's prayer, he may know how to speak "Christianese"; he may be heavily involved in Christian activities; but if he thinks he can have a relationship with God by retaining control over his life and somehow trying to fit Jesus in with everything else, he is deceived and is still at war with God. Sadly, for the past 150 years or more, evangelicalism has developed a theology that offers assurance of salvation to almost anyone who prays a prayer or "makes a decision for Christ," even though he may still be cliniging to his rights, holding on to his sin, and bent on running his own life. The Scripture does not recognize such a profession as genuine. Jesus warned, "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7:21 Surrender to the will of God is a mark of the truly converted. Nancy Leigh DeMoss from her book Brokenness, Surrender, Holiness.

Philippians 2:13

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

So what are the costs of being a follower of Jesus Christ?

EVERYTHING you have!

What can you expect from living a life completely surrendered to His Will?

Persecution
When you are following Jesus you will experience persecution from men. You will be hated by many because of the name of Jesus. People that were once your friends will become your enemy. Even those of your own household can turn against you. Are you ready to give up friendship with the world to be a follower of Jesus Christ?

Death

God's Word says we must be born again to inherit eternal life. To be born again we must first die to self. What this means is that your life will be hidden in Christ. To be a true follower of Christ you have to die to the flesh and live by the Spirit. This cannot be done apart from God's Grace.

Joy, Peace, and Eternal Life!

Only through Jesus can we experience true joy, peace, and hope in times of despair.

Just remember... it will be worth it all when we see Jesus! For what good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:26

Deuteronomy 30:19

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

Deuteronomy 5:32

Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Luke 14:33

In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

Romans 8:13
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

John 15:18-21
18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me .

Matthew 10:34-38
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'[a]
37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.


Galatians 2:20
20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Luke 14:25-33
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

John 12:25
25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

True Saving Faith

It is greatly to be feared that there are multitudes in Christendom who verily imagine and sincerely believe that they are among the saved, yet who are total strangers to a work of divine grace in their hearts. It is one thing to have clear intellectual conceptions of God's truth, it is quite another matter to have a personal, real heart acquaintance with it. It is one thing to believe that sin is the awful thing that the Bible says it is, but it is quite another matter to have a holy horror and hatred of it in the soul. It is one thing to know that God requires repentance, it is quite another matter to experimentally mourn and groan over our vileness. It is one thing to believe that Christ is the only Savior for sinners, it is quite another matter to really trust Him from the heart. It is one thing to believe that Christ is the sum of all excellency', it is quite another matter to LOVE HIM above all others. It is one thing to believe that God is the great and holy One, it is quite another matter to truly reverence and fear Him. It is one thing to believe that salvation is of the Lord, it is quite another matter to become an actual partaker of it through His gracious workings. A.W. Pink

7 Signs of True Saving Faith:

Faith in Christ's sufficient work on the cross

Signs and evidence of true biblical repentance

Deliberate turn from a life enslaved to sin to embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior

Desire/joy to follow God's Word-(obeying God's law from the heart)

Bearing fruit (attitude [fruit of the Spirit] and action [good works])-Continual working out our salvation

Desire to live for God's glory

Christlike desires and emotions

Mark Talbot The Signs of True Conversion, Crossway Books, 2000.

Another proof of the conquest of a soul for Christ will be found in a real change of life. If the man does not live differently from what he did before, both at home and abroad, his repentance needs to be repented of and his conversion is a fiction. C.H. Spurgeon

Sin forsaken is one of the best evidences of sin forgiven. J.C. Ryle