What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............
All the great religious leaders of history have one thing in common: they are dead. Only one man has risen from a grave never again to taste death. Jesus Christ died, was buried, remained in the grave for 3 days, then was raised to life again.
Jesus is unique. He is the only one proven to be the Son of God because God validated His Kingship and accepted His payment for our sins all with one incredible stroke: He raised Jesus from the dead!
Paul opens his letter to the Romans with this evidence about who Jesus is:
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which He had promised before by His prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Romans 1:1-4
Because Jesus Christ is very much alive, five things are true right now that wouldn’t be true if He were just another dead religious leader like Confucius, Mohammed or Buddha.
Because Jesus was raised from the dead and is alive…Prayers are answered, We can talk to Jesus 24/7
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What Humility is Not
1. Humility is not denying the gifts and graces God has given you.
It is important to know what you are gifted in. Realize you are called to help and serve others.
Humility is not putting yourself down. It is being sober in your assessment and walking in the acknowledgment of God’s grace. It is using what God has given you for his glory.
2. Humility is not a lack of direction, desire and godly ambition.
It is not wrong to want to be used of God or advance in the kingdom of God. God wants to use you to do great things for him. God is not glorified by a losing or defeatist mentality.
3. Humility is not denying the work of God within you or in the church.
4. Humility is not the pursuit of mediocrity.
You should pursue excellence but not with the motivation of calling attention to yourself or trying to impress people.
Humility allows you to enjoy the gifts of God without trying to impress others.
5. Humility is not denying or backing away from the truth.
You are called to be righteous and humble. You are responsible to speak the truth in love without being self-righteously critical.
Pride is Deceptive
The devil does not come up to us with a red flag and tell us we are proud.
Jeremiah 49:16 “The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.”
We need help to see the fruits of pride in our lives. What is the real issue behind your behavior? Are you examining your heart and motives for pride? What really needs to change beyond outward behavior?
Proverbs 16:2 “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.”
Proverbs 21:2 “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.”
Humility is the door to true freedom. How do you deal with things in your life? At the symptom level, problem level, or root level?
John 8:31-36 “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
1. I tend to be self-sufficient in the way I live my life. I don’t live with a constant awareness that my every breath is dependent upon the will of God. I tend to think I have enough strength, ability, and wisdom to live and manage my life. My practice of the spiritual disciplines in inconsistent and superficial. I don’t like to ask others for help.
2. I am often anxious about my life and the future. I tend not to trust God and rarely experience his abiding and transcendent peace in my soul. I have a hard time sleeping at night because of the fearful thoughts and burdens I carry.
3. I am overly self-conscious. I tend to replay in my mind how I did, what I said, how I am coming across to others, etc. I am very concerned about what people think of me. I think about these things constantly.
4. I fear man more than God. I am afraid of others and make decisions about what I will say or do based on this fear. I am afraid to take a stand for things that are right. I am concerned with how people will react to me or perceive my actions or words. I don’t often think about God’s opinion in a matter and rarely think there could be consequences for disobeying him. I primarily seek the approval of man and not of God.
5. I often feel insecure.
6. I regularly compare myself to others. I am performance oriented. I feel that I have greater worth if I do well.
7. I am self-critical. I tend to be a perfectionist. I can’t stand for little things to be wrong because they reflect poorly on me. I have a hard time putting my mistakes behind me.
8. I desire to receive credit and recognition for what I do. I like people to see what I do and let me know that they noticed. I feel hurt or offended when they don’t. I am overly concerned about my reputation and hate being misunderstood.
9. I want people to be impressed with me. I like to make my accomplishments known.
10. I tend to be deceptive about myself. I find myself lying to preserve my reputation. I find myself hiding the truth about myself, especially about sins, weaknesses, etc. I don’t want people to know who I really am.
11. I am selfishly ambitious. I really want to get ahead. I like having a position or title. I far prefer leading to following.
12. I am overly competitive. I always want to win or come out on top and it bothers me when I don’t.
13. I like to be the center of attention and will say or do things to draw attention to myself.
14. I like to talk, especially about myself or persons or things I am involved with. I want people to know what I am doing or thinking. I would rather speak than listen. I have a hard time being succinct.
15. I am self-serving. When asked to do something, I find myself asking, “How will doing this help me, or will I be inconvenienced?”
16. I am not very excited about seeing or making others successful. I tend to feel envious, jealous or critical towards those who are doing well or being honoured.
17. I feel special or superior because of what I have or do. For example:
my house
my neighbourhood
my physical giftings
my spiritual giftings
my intellect or education
being a Christian
my position or job
my car
my salary
my looks
18. I think highly of myself. In relation to others I typically see myself as more mature and more gifted. In most situations, I have more to offer than others even though I may not say so. I don’t consider myself average or ordinary.
19. I tend to give myself credit for who I am and what I accomplish. I only occasionally think about or recognize that all that I am or have comes from God.
20. I tend to be self-righteous. I can think that I really have something to offer God. I would never say so, but I think God did well to save me. I seldom think about or recognize my complete depravity and helplessness apart from God. I regularly focus on the sins of others. I don’t credit God for any degree of holiness in my life.
21. I feel deserving. I think I deserve what I have. In fact, I think I ought to have more considering how well I have lived or in light of all I have done.
22. I often feel ungrateful. I tend to grumble about what I have or my lot in life.
23. I find myself wallowing in self-pity. I am consumed with how I am treated by God and others. I tend to feel mistreated or misunderstood. I seldom recognize or sympathize with what’s going on with others around me because I feel that I have it worse than they do.
24. I can be jealous or envious of others abilities, possessions, positions, or accomplishments. I want to be what others are or want to have what others have. I am envious of what others have thinking that I should have it or deserve it. I find it hard to rejoice with others when they are blessed by God.
25. I am pretty insensitive to others. I feel that some people just aren’t worth caring about. I have a hard time showing compassion.
26. I have a know-it-all attitude. I am impressed by my own knowledge.
27. I have a hard time listening to ordinary people. I listen better to those I respect or people I want to leave with a good impression. I don’t honestly listen when someone else is speaking because I am usually planning what I am going to say next.
28. I like to reveal my own mind. I have an answer for practically every situation. I feel compelled to balance everyone else out.
29. I interrupt people regularly. I don’t let people finish what they are saying.
30. I feel compelled to stop people when they start to share something with me I already know.
31. I find it hard to admit it when I don’t know something. When someone asks me something I don’t know, I will make up an answer rather than admit I don’t know.
32. I don’t get much out of teaching. I tend to evaluate a speaker rather than my own life. I grumble in my heart about hearing something a second time.
33. I listen to teaching with other people in mind. I constantly think of those folks who need to hear the teaching and wish they were here.
34. I’m not very open to input. I don’t pursue correction for my life. I tend to be unteachable and slow to repent when corrected. I don’t really see correction as a positive thing. I am offended when people probe the motivations of my heart or seek to adjust me.
35. I have a hard time admitting that I am wrong. I find myself covering up or excusing my sins. It is hard for me to confess my sins to others or to ask for forgiveness.
36. I view correction as an intrusion into my privacy rather than an instrument of God for my welfare. I can’t identify anyone who would feel welcome to correct me.
37. I resent people who attempt to correct me. I don’t respond with gratefulness and sincere appreciation for their input. Instead, I am tempted to accuse them and dwell on their faults. I get bitter and withdraw.
38. When corrected, I become contentious and argumentative. I don’t take people’s observations seriously. I minimize and make excuses or give explanations.
39. I am easily angered and offended. I don’t like being crossed or disagreed with. I find myself thinking, “I can’t believe they did that to me.” I often feel wronged.
40. I have “personality conflicts” with others. I have a hard time getting along with certain kinds of people. People regularly tell me that they struggle with me.
41. I am self-willed and stubborn. I have a hard time cooperating with others. I really prefer my own way and often insist on getting it.
42. I am independent and uncommitted. I don’t really see why I need other people. I can easily separate myself from others. I don’t get much out of Group meetings.
43. I am unaccountable. I don’t ask others to hold me responsible to follow through on my commitments. I don’t really need accountability for my words and actions. I think I can take care of myself.
44. I am unsubmissive. I don’t like being under the authority of another person. I don’t see submission as a good and necessary provision from God for my life. I have a hard time supporting and serving those over me. I don’t “look up” to people and I like to be in charge. Other people may need leaders but I don’t. It is important that my voice is heard.
45. I lack respect for other people. I don’t think very highly of most people. I have a hard time encouraging and honoring others unless they really do something great.
46. I am a slanderer. I find myself either giving or receiving evil reports about others. Often times the things I say or hear are true about other people. I am not concerned about the effect of slander on me because of my maturity level. I think I can handle it. I will only share with others the things I really think they need to know. I don’t tell all.
48. I like to demean or put others down. I often think people need to be adjusted and put in their place. This includes leaders. Other people need to be more humble and have a “sober” assessment of themselves.
49. I tend to be critical of others. I find myself feeling or talking negatively about people. I subtlety feel better about myself when I see how bad someone else is. I find it far easier to evaluate than to encourage someone else.
50. I really appreciate somebody taking the time to put this paper together. It will really be a big help to my friends and family. However, I don’t really need this because I think I’m pretty humble already.
By Grace Rid Yourself of Pride
1. Ask God to illuminate your heart so you can begin to see the fruits of pride in your life. Ask friends to point out the fruits of pride in your life realizing your heart is exceedingly deceitful.
2. You must meet the qualifications if you are to go on in God. Humility is the attitude upon which everything else is built.
3. Ask God to convict you point by point (Psalm 139:23-24) and trust that he will. You don’t want or need general condemnation, only specific, godly conviction.
4. Confess your pride to God point by point and ask for his forgiveness. Just as importantly, ask him to cleanse you of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
5. Don’t ask God to humble you — the Scriptures say to humble yourself (1 Peter 5:6). Humility isn’t an emotion; it’s a decision of the will to think and act differently. Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines humble as “low lying.” Ask yourself how you could be low lying or put others before yourself in various situations, and then do it. Respond to opportunities God gives you to humble yourself or honour others.
6. Confess your sins of pride to those you have effected and to your friends. They can help to hold you accountable and bring the on-going correction you will need. Be open, honest and transparent about your life and sins.
7. Ask God to give you a holy hatred for pride and its fruits in your life. Be continually on the alert. Don’t allow pride to grow in your heart. Sow to the Spirit, not to the flesh.
8. Remember your war against pride is life-long. It is not a battle won in a day. Yet, as you faithfully put to death, pride, and put on, humility, you will experience greater freedom and more importantly greater conformity to the image and likeness of Christ. In so doing, God will be glorified in your life!
August 5, 2014 - This entry was posted in News and tagged Pride, Humility, Fruits of the Spirit by Natasha Penny.
What are some signs that I’m not really a Christian?
Living in East Texas has both advantages and disadvantages. I enjoy the scenery of tall evergreens and starry night skies. I like driving through small and old town-squares; many out here are still quaint and active. I also enjoy the somewhat familiar culture of family values and traditional societal structures.
However, the vague sense of conservative values often passes as Christianity, and this is a tremendous disadvantage. Many people assume they are Christians because they “believe in Jesus” or “love God” or “put God first” in their lives. It seems most folks where I live don’t know that a person can “know” God and yet remain under God’s judgment and condemnation.
Romans 1:21 says that everyone, at least in some sense, “knows” God. The context of this verse indicates that the knowledge we all have of God is basic, but not salvific. In other words, it’s enough to know we should honor God and serve Him, but it’s not enough to know God as heavenly Father and gracious Savior.
According to Scripture, East Texans are not unique in their general knowledge of God. As a matter of fact, everyone knows something about God… that God is (or He exists), that He’s powerful, and that He’s just or moral or righteous. Knowing these things does not make someone a Christian… This knowledge is natural for all people everywhere.
What makes a person a Christian is their trust or belief in God as both King and Savior, particularly their love for and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But, as Romans 1:21 says, non-Christians with a knowledge of God show that they are not actually Christians by not “honoring” or “glorifying” God… and by not expressing “thankfulness” or “gratitude” toward God.
This dishonor and ingratitude can show up in our lives in all sorts of ways, but here are 5 ways I think these are regularly displayed in my neck of the woods.
1. Non-Christians don’t want God to demand anything from them.
I see this all the time in people who claim to love God but have a tough time remembering the last time they gave up some genuine desire out of obedience to God’s command. It seems that many who claim to be Christians don’t realize that being a Christian means trading an old life for a new one… dying to self and living for Christ (Rom. 6:1-14).
Friend, if you resist the idea that God is in charge of your life and has the right to tell you what to do, then it is likely that you’re not a Christian.
2. Non-Christians don’t want to devote regular time to God.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked to someone who claimed to “believe in God” and “love Jesus” and yet he or she gave no devoted time to God during the previous month (or year!).
Did you read God’s word, the Bible? No… Did you go to church recently? No… Did you read a book about the Bible, Christianity, God, or Jesus recently? No… Do you live in any way differently than your non-Christian friends? Not really…
Friend, if you don’t devote regular time to God, then it is likely that you’re not a Christian.
Author
Dennis McCallum, Conrad Hilario, Bret McCallum
God calls on Christians to disclose their problems to one another (Galatians 6:2; James 5:16). But is it ever right to discuss another’s problem with a third party? What about leadership teams that need to decide what to do with a member? What about a lay counselor who needs help discerning a tough situation? What about a friend who knows something serious about another friend, but the other friend won’t agree to disclose the problem? What about a friend who says, “I’ve got something to share, but you have to promise not to tell anyone,” or “By the way, what I told you was in confidence”?
THE BIBLICAL POSITION;
Like so many issues, when viewing things under grace we are not given black and white prescriptions on exactly how to handle each situation. The Bible lays out key principles, the biggest being love. The best way to love someone is not one-size fits all. Believers are supposed to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading while growing in their own discernment. As they grow in discernment, they will develop an ability to sense what the most loving stance is to take in each situation.
On the one hand, Scripture speaks strongly against gossip.
Proverbs 20:19 - “…do not associate with a gossip.” (See also Proverbs 11:13a; 16:27,28; 17:9b)
Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 12:20 – Both differentiate gossip from slander and condemn it as the result of a depraved mind, unfitting for Christians.
1 Timothy 5:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:11 – Both condemn “busybodies” who “speak about things not proper to mention.”
Likewise, some passages defend the idea of confidentiality.
Proverbs 11:13 – “He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.”
Proverbs. 17:9a - “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.”
Proverbs 20:19 – “He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with a gossip.”
Proverbs 25:9-10 - “…don’t reveal the secret of another, lest he who hears it reproach you, and the evil report about you not pass away.”
Matthew 18:15 - “If your brother sins, go and reprove him in private…” This implies the desirability of resolving the matter one on one.
We have all seen the wreckage that gossip can cause: feelings hurt, trust destroyed, relationships ruined – and above all, an atmosphere of mistrust and fear. People feel reluctant to open up out of fear people will broadcast it. Also, people may not open up about serious problems or may sanitize their versions of those problems unless we can offer them the safety of confidentiality.
Merely avoiding gossip isn’t enough. While the Scripture above shows a value for confidentiality between friends, the following passages signal a scriptural value for transparency.
Take, for example, disciplinary cases involving objective and damaging sin.
Matthew 18:16, 17 – The same passage that recommends resolving it in private commands making it public if necessary.
Galatians 6:1 – It must be a public matter if someone was “caught in sin.”
1 Timothy 5:20 – Paul tells Timothy that an elder who “continues in sin” should be rebuked “in the presence of all.”
We may conclude from passages like these that we do not have the right to insist that other Christians cover up our sins. Other passages indicate that discussing others’ sins may be necessary for the healthy working of the local church.
Do’s and Don’ts of the Christian Life;
Do this, don’t do this! Unfortunately, there are many even in Christianity who tell us we must do and don’t do this in order to be a Christian. Because of this, it has turned many away from the gospel.
The Do This and Don’t Do This basis of Christianity is simply not true. Christianity is not based on doing or not doing. God did not send the law as our checklist to get to heaven. He sent it as our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, to show us that we are all sinners in need of The Savior.
So are there do’s and don’ts of the Christian life? Absolutely!
Do this, don't do this! Unfortunately, there are many even in Christianity who tell us we must do and don't do this in order to be a Christian. Because of this, it has turned many away from the gospel. The Do This and Don't Do This basis of Christianity is simply not true. Christianity is not based on doing or not doing. God did not send the law as our checklist to get to heaven. He sent it as our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, to show us that we are all sinners in need of The Savior.
The main do is DO TRUST CHRIST ALONE AS YOUR SAVIOR! Friend if you want to know what to do in order to get to heaven, then you must trust Christ to save you. He will save you by His grace through your faith in Him. There is nothing you can do for yourself to come to Christ. It is only by His grace. But this is a definite DO! So have you done this? Have you repented of your sin and turned to Jesus? Now is the time of salvation.
Is that it? Yes, that’s it when it comes to salvation. Just simple faith in Christ and He alone saves you by His grace, But that is NOT IT when it comes to living the Christian life. Many may say, I don’t want to be a Christian because it is a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s true that I get upset when a babe in Christ is suddenly told by “godly counselors” that you must do this or don’t do this in order to be right with God. In truth, they may be right, but to jump on a new Christian with all the “rules” might only tend to ruin him/her. I am so thankful that the Lord, Himself, is kind gentle, and patient. Let us speak The Truth in Love and leave the results to God.
Give them time;
As a babe in Christ, they may need time. Just as a baby needs time to grow, to walk, and then toddle along, etc., so does a Christian. Instead of giving him/her “the list” of what will make them a successful Christian, encourage them feed on the milk of God’s Word every day and then pray that the Holy Spirit will guide them into all truth. HE WILL! They will begin to see the list of do’s and don’ts for themselves as they are kindly trained in the Word of God.
So yes, there are many do’s and don’ts of the Christian life.
God has given us many commandments in His Word. His will is laid out for us there.
The first do:
Be saved
Then:
Be Holy as He who called you is Holy:
“Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).
How?
Go and sin no more – Confess you sin always to God. He is faithful and just to forgive. This is not getting saved over and over, but just a daily sanctification. God’s Word is truth. It cleanses us.
Find faithful believers who love the Lord and fellowship with them. Get baptized as a testimony to others that you want to follow the Lord wholeheartedly.
Read your Bible Daily and meditate upon it. Hide it in your heart – it will keep you from sin. As you read and meditate, ask the Lord every day to show you His ways and teach you His paths. These are the do’s and don’ts of Christianity. They are all within the Word of God. We are to live holy lives before Him because He is holy. He will reveal to you what holiness is if you stay in His Word.
Pray continually;
Be thankful to God and praise His name. Let your praise be a song in your heart of gratitude to Him. He has put a new song in your heart. Let that new song exemplify Christ and character.
Share your testimony;
Don’t ever give up on the Lord. When you face hard times (and you will), remember God is always there even if it seems as though He is far away. He will never leave you. He works all things for good to those who love Him in order that we are more conformed to the likeness on His Son. One day it will be worth it all, for when we see Jesus. One glimpse of His dear face will erase all sorrow forever.
So yes, the Christian life is full of do’s and don’ts. Let those do’s and don’ts be of the Lord and not man-made.
Faith
From the Archives
Meet Those Who “Love Jesus but Not the Church”
We live in an increasingly secular American culture. In this new age, religion is in retreat from the public square, and traditional institutions like the church are no longer functioning with the cultural authority they once held in generations past. Today, nearly half of America is unchurched. But even though more and more Americans are abandoning the institutional church and its defined boundary markers of religious identity, many still believe in God and practice faith outside its walls.
This is the first of a two-part exploration of faith and spirituality outside the church. Let’s start with a look at the fascinating segment of the American population who, as the saying goes, “love Jesus but not the church.” (Return next week when Barna will break down the identity of the “spiritual, but not religious.”)
Traditionally Christian—with Exceptions
To get at a sense of enduring faithfulness among Christians despite a rejection of the institutional church, Barna created a metric to capture those who most neatly fit this description. It includes those who self-identify as Christian and who strongly agree that their religious faith is very important in their life, but are “de-churched”—that is, they have attended church in the past, but haven’t done so in the last six months (or more). These individuals have a sincere faith (89% have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important to their life today), but are notably absent from church.
According to aggregate Barna tracking data, this group makes up one-tenth of the population, and it’s growing (up from 7% in 2004). The majority are women (61%), and four-fifths (80%) are between the ages of 33 and 70. That is, they are mostly Gen-Xers (36%) and Boomers (44%), not Millennials (14%) or Elders (6%). Though Millennials are the least churched generation, they are also the least likely to either identify as Christian or say faith is very important to their life, explaining their underrepresentation among this group. Elders are underrepresented for the opposite reason—they are the generation most likely to attend church regularly.
Orthodox Belief Despite Church Absence
Despite leaving the church, this group has maintained a robustly orthodox view of God. In every case, their beliefs about God are more orthodox than the general population, even rivaling their church-going counterparts. For instance, they strongly believe there is only one God (93% compared to U.S. adults: 59% and practicing Christians: 90%); affirm that “God is the all-powerful, all- knowing, perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today” (94% compared to U.S. adults: 57% and practicing Christians: 85%); and strongly agree that God is everywhere (95% compared to U.S. adults: 65% and practicing Christians: 92%).
Despite their apparent discomfort with the church, this group still maintains a very positive view of religion. When asked whether they believe religion is mostly harmful, their response once again stood out from the general population, and aligned with their church-going counterparts (71% strongly disagree, compared to 71% among practicing Christians and 48% among U.S adults).
But the story changes slightly when it comes to the distinctiveness of Christianity: Just over half (55%) disagree (strongly and somewhat) that all religions basically teach the same thing, much closer to the general population (51%) than practicing Christians (68%), and even further from evangelicals (86%). In the absence of a rigid religious identity provided by the authority of the church, this group appears to be more affirming of the claims of other religions and open to finding and identifying common ground.
Informal Paths to God;
This group still actively practices their faith, albeit in less traditional ways. They maintain an active prayer life (83%, compared to 83% of practicing Christians), but only read scripture half as much as the average practicing Christian (26% compared to 56%). In addition, they are much less likely to read a book on spiritual topics (9% compared to 36% of practicing Christians), and never attend groups or retreats (compared to 24% of practicing Christians). This all points to a broader abandonment of authoritative sources of religious identity, leading to much more informal and personally-driven faith practices. They are certainly still finding and experiencing God, but they are more likely to do so in nature (32% compared to 24% of practicing Christians), and through practices like meditation (20% compared to 18%), yoga (10% compared to 7%) and silence and solitude (both 15%).
We will explore this topic of faith outside the church much more in the coming weeks, but one thing that’s most worth noting among this group of people who “love Jesus but not the church” is their continued commitment to faith. “This group represents an important and growing avenue of ministry for churches,” says Roxanne Stone, editor in chief of Barna Group. “Particularly if you live in a more churched area of the country, it’s more than likely you have a significant number of these disaffected Christians in your neighborhoods. They still love Jesus, still believe in Scripture and most of the tenets of their Christian faith. But they have lost faith in the church. While many people in this group may be suffering from church wounds, we also know from past research that Christians who do not attend church say it’s primarily not out of wounding, but because they can find God elsewhere or that church is not personally relevant to them. The critical message that churches need to offer this group is a reason for churches to exist at all. What is it that the church can offer their faith that they can’t get on their own? Churches need to be able to say to these people—and to answer for themselves—that there is a unique way you can find God only in church. And that faith does not survive or thrive in solitude.”
Download Free MP3's of your favorite Hymns
I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.
You will notice we say "brother and sister" 'round here,
It's because we're a family and these are so near;
When one has a heartache, we all share the tears,
And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.
I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.
From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King,
No longer an outcast, a new song I sing;
From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong,
I'm not worthy to be here, but praise God I belong!
I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God
‘There are some people who make fun of me because I’m a Christian. I don’t take it seriously. I read the Bible app on my phone every day. It helps me not to do things, temptations like looking at things online, saying things I shouldn’t say, being unpleasant, joining in the banter and being horrible and unkind to someone, or drinking alcohol. A lot of people say, “I smoked, I drank, I looked at these videos online”. And they brag. They don’t see it as a bad thing. That’s difficult for me.
What should I say? The Bible app helps me to get to know God better and brings the Bible alive. I like the verse about us being God’s temple, so we have to keep it clean for God (1 Corinthians 3.16). When I first started reading the Bible app, to be honest, I found it difficult and I was tempted to go on Snapchat instead. Now I have put the WiFi off and I’m reading the Bible first thing in the morning, so I don’t get distracted. The phone is really handy because I find it more difficult to read a book. I can’t follow it as well. With the phone it’s really helpful because I can see what my friends have read as well. They make notes and put pictures up and I can read that too. I want to talk to people about God. I want to share about him with lots of people.’
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Every day thousands of people will take their final breath and slip into eternity, either into heaven or into hell. Although we may never know their names, the reality of death happens every day.
What happens the moment after you die?
The moment after you die, your soul temporarily departs from your body to await the Resurrection.
Those who place their faith in Christ will be carried by the angels into the presence of the Lord. They are now comforted. Absent from the body and present with the Lord.
Meanwhile, unbelievers await in Hades for the final Judgment.
“And in hell he lifts up his eyes, being in torments… And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” ~ Luke 16:23a-24
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” ~ Ecclesiastes 12:7
Although, we grieve over the loss of our loved ones, we sorrow, but not as those who have no hope.
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 17-18
While the unbeliever’s body remains resting, who can fathom the torments he is experiencing?! His spirit screams! “Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming…” ~ Isaiah 14:9a
Unprepared is he to meet God!
Although he cries in his torment, his prayer offers no comfort whatsoever, for a great gulf is fixed where no one can pass to the other side. Alone he is left in his misery. Alone in his memories. The flame of hope forever extinguished of seeing his loved ones again.
On the contrary, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Escorted by the angels into the presence of the Lord, they are now comforted. Their trials and suffering are past. Although their presence will be deeply missed, they have hope of seeing their loved ones again.
Do you have the assurance that if you were to die today, you’ll be in the presence of the Lord in heaven? Death for a believer is but a doorway that opens into eternal life. Those who fall asleep in Jesus will be reunited with their loved ones in heaven.
Those you’ve laid in the grave in tears, you shall meet them again with joy! Oh, to see their smile and feel their touch… never to part again!
Yet, if you don’t believe in the Lord, you’re going to hell. There is no pleasant way to say it.
The Scripture says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” ~ Romans 3:23
Soul, that includes you and me.
Only when we realize the awfulness of our sin against God and feel its deep sorrow in our hearts can we turn from the sin we once loved and accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” ~ Romans 10:9
Don’t fall asleep without Jesus until you are assured of a place in heaven.
Tonight, if you would like to receive the gift of eternal life, first you must believe in the Lord. You have to ask for your sins to be forgiven and put your trust in the Lord. To be a believer in the Lord, ask for eternal life. There’s only one way to heaven, and that’s through the Lord Jesus. That’s God’s wonderful plan of salvation.
You can begin a personal relationship with Him by praying from your heart a prayer such as the following:
“Oh God, I’m a sinner. I’ve been a sinner all of my life. Forgive me, Lord. I receive Jesus as my Savior. I trust Him as my Lord. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
A remarkable testimony occurred when new house church believers traveled to a village in Lingao County, in the northern part of Hainan Island, in November 1995. The church planting team arrived in one village to preach. The local people said there was no way they would believe in the Christian God because they already worshipped the most powerful spirits.
The locals gave a stern warning to the evangelists. They said that the village shaman (witchdoctor) had, six years previously, received a vision that Christianity was the one true religion. This man was so convinced that he immediately burned all his spirit charms and other paraphernalia, even though he had not yet heard the Gospel and was not a believer. As soon as he did this, the people said, the shaman started to have visions where he saw many demons flying at him to eat his internal organs and completely destroy him.
He was so scared that he tore his clothes off, ran around naked, and went insane. He also lost the ability to speak. The shaman would pick up stones and throw them into the air, throwing the stones at the demons that were tormenting him. He lived in a hut with a thatch roof and walls so soon his rock throwing and other antics had completely knocked away the roof of his home. His life had become pitiful. He was exposed to the elements, naked, unable to speak, and completely tormented by demons.
The shaman was only kept alive by the kindness of the local people. Every night they would place some rice and other food outside his door for him to eat. The villagers said that the shaman’s experiences were proof that their local spirits were more powerful than the Christian God, so they told the evangelists not to waste their time, for they would never believe in the Christian God. They said if the Christian God was truly able to heal and deliver this man, then they would all know that Jesus is the true and only God.
The evangelists were new believers. When they heard this story they didn’t know what to do, so they returned home. Over the coming weeks, the church started to pray and fast for this village and for the shaman, asking God to glorify His Name among the villagers because His Name was being defamed.
The evangelists were taught how to cast out demons. They then returned to the village and cast the demons out of the man. Immediately he regained his speech. They clothed him and helped him rebuild the roof of his home.
After hearing the Gospel, the ex-shaman became a Christian. When they saw the tremendous change in the man’s life, almost the entire village became Christians. The new believers then took the Gospel to the neighboring village and the vast majority of that village also believed.
As a testimony to God’s power over the forces of darkness, the Christians began to meet for worship and Bible study in the home of the ex-shaman! He was not the church leader himself, but his powerful life-changing experience was the catalyst for many to come into the Kingdom of God, and for the Name of Jesus Christ to be rightfully honored among the people in that area.
“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.”?????????? - Luke 14:26?
Sister Yuen came from one of the wealthiest families in Shanghai. In 1967 she was arrested and sent to prison. At the time she was a widow with two young children, a son aged eleven and a daughter aged nine.
After Sister Yuen had been a year in prison her mother – who had been taking care of the children – died. The authorities decided to have “compassion” on her so she could go home and take care of her children. They told her that all she had to do was produce a written confession of her “crimes” and they would free her. They said, “This past year your conduct has been excellent, so now we plan to reward you.”
The officials arranged for her small children to be brought to the prison gates for a visit. Yuen was ordered to pack her bags as if she was going home. As soon as she caught a glimpse of her precious children, her heart was torn and tears of love welled up in her eyes.
Then the guards asked her, “What do you want, your Jesus or your children? If you want Jesus you will remain in this prison. If you want your children, you can go home. Surely your God would want you to be kind to your own flesh and blood?”
Sister Yuen’s son and daughter called out, “Mommy, we miss you! Please come home!”
A prison guard gave Sister Yuen a pencil and a piece of paper and asked her to write down her confession. She wrote in large characters, “Jesus can never be replaced. Even my own children cannot replace Jesus.”
She chose to stay in prison.
The warden shouted, “Listen, you kids! Your mother has rejected you! She doesn’t love you!”
She remained in prison for twenty-three more years.
When she was finally released, her son was 34 years old and worked in a government job in Tibet. Sister Yuen had not seen him even once in all those years. He had been taken by the state and raised in atheistic schools, so he had no belief in God and had been told his own mother had forsaken him. Many Christians had visited him and shared the gospel with him, but he always responded by saying, “Your Jesus took my mother away from me, why should I believe in him?”
Upon her release Sister Yuen went to Tibet to find her son. He rejected her, screaming that he had no mother, and pushed her from his home. She has never seen him again.
Sometimes it is not easy being a disciple.................
Can I be a Jewish Christian?
“You can’t be Jews if you believe in Jesus. Just call yourself Christians!” That is what people say because that is what they have heard. But why do they say someone can’t be Jewish and Christian?
We’re not talking about Jews who would prevent other Jews from believing in Jesus because (they think) disbelief in him is what separates Jews from Gentiles. Nor are we talking about a segment of non-Jews who wouldn’t want Jews in their particular church. Some Jews and Gentiles, because of prejudice, say being Jewish and believing in Jesus are mutually exclusive categories merely to exclude one another. But we’re not talking about prejudice. Many believe the two to be mutually exclusive because of miscommunication and misunderstanding.
Many Jews (and Gentiles) have only a partial understanding of Christianity. Most know that Christians believe Jesus died to atone for the sins of all who believe in him and that Christians say he rose from the dead. Many do not understand how one becomes a Christian or much else about what that becoming does or does not entail.
Misunderstanding is so prevalent that for every four people, there are five opinions of what it means to be a Jew. How can a person be certain that Jews who believe in Jesus are no longer Jews when there is confusion over what it means to be a Jew, to be a gentile, and to be a Christian? Would you be willing to examine our viewpoint on these issues?
What Makes Someone Jewish?
Some say that being Jewish is merely a matter of religion. Since the religion of Judaism teaches that Jesus is not the Messiah, that would certainly mean that a person who accepts Jesus is not a Jew. However, it would also mean that the majority of people now known as Jews are not. The definition excludes atheistic Jews, agnostic Jews and all other nonobservant Jews.
Some have said that a real Jew is one who settles in the Land and raises a family there. While it is admirable to make aliyah, most Jews would object to a definition that depends on Zionism alone. Once again, it excludes a majority of our people.
Others argue that Jewish identity is determined by cultural and sociological rather than religious factors. The interesting thing about those who use this argument is that they often add a caveat: that Jews who believe in other religions” should be excluded. The caveat undercuts the whole concept, since one cannot use a nonreligious definition to include oneself, then turn and use religion to exclude others. Definitions must be consistent.
There is a way to circumvent the confusion and controversy over what it means to be a Jew. The Hebrew Scriptures pinpoint who is a Jew and why the Jewish people exist. Jews who believe in Jesus accept the Scriptures as the authoritative source of Jewishness.
The Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish Identity;
Genesis 12:1-3 narrates the birth of the Jewish people:
The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.”I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
God’s promise to Abraham is described further in Genesis 13:15-16 and Genesis 15:4-5. The Lord reiterates that promise through Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5, 24) and again through Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15).
Biblically, a Jew is a Jew because of God’s promise. The promise concerns the descendants of those to whom it was made. That means the promise of God to the Jewish people belongs to descendants of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah and Rachel. No human being can revoke God’s promise. But though that is how one becomes a Jew, being Jewish should be more than race, religion, or nationhood. We were meant not only to be a people of promise but also a people of purpose.
That purpose was first outlined in Exodus 19:5-6:
“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession . Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests [mamlekhet kohanim] and a holy nation [goy kadosh].”1
God describes what will be, but allows people to decide if they want to participate in the purpose. A Jew is part of the people of Israel in any case, but some do not know or care what it means. Nevertheless, neither apathy nor even apostasy makes one cease to be a Jew. The Jewish Bible cites case after case of both. God dealt with his people but never withdrew the promise or the peoplehood from the descendants of Jacob.
We see the same thing in Jewish Law:
Even though a Jew undergoes the rites of admission to another religious faith and formally renounces the Jewish religion, he remains—as far as the Halakhah is concerned—a Jew, albeit a sinner (Sanh. 44a). According to Nahmanides this attitude derives from the fact that the covenant between God and Israel was made “with him that standeth here with us today before the Lord our God and also with him that is not with us here today.” (Deut. 29:14; Nahmanides ad loc.)2
Those who choose to hide their Jewishness are still Jews to God;.
What Makes Someone a Gentile?
The word goy means “nation,” and it is usually used for non-Jewish nations. A goy, or gentile, is simply anyone who is not a Jew. To say that a Jew who believes in Jesus is no longer a Jew is the same as saying he or she became a gentile, which is impossible. There are no formerly Jewish gentiles. A person must be born a gentile.
What Makes Someone a Christian?
Would it surprise you to know that someone who goes to a church all his or her life must be converted in order to be a Christian? Jews and Gentiles are what they are because of how they were born, but people become Christians because of what they believe. One cannot be born a Christian since people aren’t born believing in anything, except maybe the importance of a full stomach and a clean diaper. Who, then, are Christians?
The first Christians were Jewish followers of Jesus, and they were not known as Christians. They described their belief in Jesus and his teachings as “the Way.”3 Believing in Jesus is more than a religious idea; it is a personal relationship that affects the manner in which one lives.
What Is the Difference Between Jews for Jesus and Christians?
The first ones to be called “Christians” were probably mostly Gentiles who lived in Antioch. It was not an appellation they chose for themselves. They were called Christians (probably by Gentiles) because they were always talking about and trying to be like Christ, which is simply the Greek translation for Messiah.
Christians were and are Jews and Gentiles who, of their own free will, chose to trust in Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, as the one who offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. John 3:16 has often been described as the gospel in a nutshell. It reads: “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.” Note the words world and whoever. These universal terms include Jews and Gentiles.
Is a Jewish Christian Just a Convert?
Everyone who chooses Jesus is a convert, whether gentile or Jew. To convert means to turn, not from being a Jew or gentile, not from history or heritage, but from sin. Gentile converts of the first century didn’t become Jews, even though the majority of believers in Jesus then were Jewish. Jewish converts today don’t become gentiles, even though the majority of believers now are gentiles.
At the point of turning to God or conversion, everyone must experience the same thing according to Jesus:
Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.””How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:3-6)
The reconciliation with God that Jesus offered cannot be conferred by birth, but only by rebirth. Therefore, being born Jewish or Gentile has no bearing on whether one is a Christian.
How Jews Can Remain Jewish and Follow Jesus
Confusion over why we believe in Jesus causes confusion over why we insist on maintaining our Jewish identity.
Many people assume our belief in Jesus constitutes a decision to disassociate from our history, our Jewish people, and our God because we like someone else’s history, people, and God better. The accusation of self-hatred stems from the idea that we want to identify with those who have persecuted us. It would be a mistake to evaluate Jesus on the basis of those who profess him as Savior but practice hatred in opposition to his teachings. Besides, why would a self-hating Jew accept Jesus and then insist on calling himself or herself a Jew?
Others seem to think we chose Jesus to avoid persecution. A person once said, “If there would be another Hitler, don’t think that you would escape the ovens just because you believe in Jesus.” That’s true! People who don’t like Jews generally don’t care if they believe in Jesus, and those of us who do believe in Him know that firsthand. If we wanted to be treated like Gentiles, wouldn’t it suit our purpose more to change our names and hide our identity?
Jews for Jesus Value Jewish Identity;
The assumption that we chose to believe in Jesus because we didn’t want to be Jews is entirely wrong. It was never our intention to be cut off from Jewish family, friends, or heritage. Most of us didn’t choose to believe in Jesus because we find non-Jewish culture more pleasant or admirable. Most of us didn’t choose to believe at all. We chose to be open to discovery. And it happened. When it happened, we admitted and committed based on the discovery that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah foretold in the Jewish Bible.
Further, we value our Jewishness. It is exciting to be a part of the people whom God promised would bring blessing to the whole world! It is awesome to read the Jewish Bible and know that these are our ancestors. Nor is our only tie to our people a matter of ancient history. We believe that God continues to have a purpose and a plan for the Jewish people. Jews who believe in the Messiah Jesus feel we have found our destiny.
Does It Matter If Jews for Jesus Consider Themselves Jewish?
There have been some who are not interested in hearing from us why we believe in Jesus, and why we haven’t stopped identifying ourselves as Jews. They have publicly accused us of employing a false (Jewish) identity to lure people into believing in Jesus. That is an untrue, unfair, and illogical accusation that should not go unchallenged.
The accusation implies that some Jews might believe in Jesus if they thought they could do so without giving up their Jewish identity. Would you stop and think about that for a moment?
Now here’s a question: In a time when assimilation is rampant and all too many people don’t bother to identify themselves as Jews, why the pressure to regard Jewish believers in Jesus as non-Jews? Why is the party line in one Jewish newspaper after another that people pretending to be Jews want to lure you into Christianity?
Are Jews for Jesus Deceptive?
The answer is in the accusation itself. Which is more probable: To lure Jews into becoming Christians by assuring them that they will still be Jews? Or to deter Jews from considering Jesus by assuring them that they will not be Jews if they accept him?
The latter is far more likely. First, people cannot be motivated to believe in Jesus on the basis of something they already possess: namely, Jewish identity. Second, in order to honestly consider Jesus, a person must be willing to stop thinking about who he or she is and concentrate on who Jesus is. And third, any potential Jewish believers in Jesus ought to be warned that they will be regarded as traitors by many who don’t understand. Jesus gave fair warning to his followers, and those who want to be like him must do the same.
Why Shouldn’t Jews Believe in Jesus?
Then the question arises, Why deter Jews from considering Jesus? Perhaps because those who believe in him accept his authority above any other. Jesus was and is always a threat to the status quo.
Most Jews know that belief in Jesus would make them objects of disappointment, displeasure, and perhaps disenfranchisement. Seekers don’t know with the same certainty the reality of God’s promises to those who trust him. That is why they are seeking. Many think Jesus might be true but are unwilling to risk finding out because whereas they don’t quite know what to expect from God, they do know what to expect from people. When God seems remote, people tend to look to one another for acceptance and guidance. And God does seem remote—until that moment when we decide to know him, whatever the cost. The moment we risk everything to know God is the moment of faith.
What is Faith?
People use the word faith to mean different things.
Some speak of “the Jewish faith” or “the Christian faith” when they mean “religion.” Others say, “I have my own faith,” meaning they have a religious opinion that is private and ought not to be challenged. Still others say, “I’m a member of the____ faith because I could never believe in a God who _____.” Such people are expressing personal preference, using the concept of faith to reinforce their own sense of morality. These common uses of the word faith reduce the meaning to a form of group or self-expression.
Faith is not a matter of taste, opinion or affiliation. Faith is not casting a vote for what we think God is or ought to be like. Nor is it a profession made for the purpose of being with others who profess likewise.
The Book of Hebrews in the New Testament describes faith as the “substance” of things hoped for, the “evidence” of things not seen and then goes on to illustrate by pointing out great heroes of faith from the Hebrew Scriptures.4
The Substance and Evidence of Faith;
Faith is the real or essential part of what we hope for; it is grounds for believing what we cannot see. In other words, faith is not a guess at what might be. It is not wishful thinking. It is trusting what is, even when what is can only be perceived through a nonphysical “sense.” Faith is based on perception and rooted in reality. There are many religions and many ideas, but in order to qualify as faith in the biblical sense, a person’s belief about God must be true.
Faith is belief, trust and commitment, not to a religion, but to a reality: The Reality, which is the object of faith. There’s not one Reality for Jews and another Reality for gentiles; therefore, there is not one faith for Jews and another, different faith for gentiles. People can’t choose “a faith” any more than they can choose “a reality.” If there is one God, there is one faith.
What about Faith is Our Choice?
People can choose to keep their eyes closed if there is something they do not wish to see. But once people choose to open their eyes, what they see is not a matter of choice. It is the same with faith. Once we choose to open our minds and hearts, we may find ourselves “seeing” with eyes of faith something other than our own preference or choice.
For the person who chooses to know and act on the truth, there are not many roads to God. Truth is singular by nature. It is either perceived or misperceived because there are no personal versions of truth. At the same time, the choice to know and act on truth opens the door to a way people cannot otherwise see. And when that way presents itself, and one sees where it leads, there is such joy and wonder that to turn away from that way is unthinkable.
For us, the choice was not whether to be Jewish. Only a gentile can make that choice. For the rest of us, the Almighty decided. The choice is not to believe or not believe in Jesus. People believe what they see, whether through eyes of flesh or eyes of faith. The choice is whether or not to open the eyes of faith, regardless of what one might see.
What If Jesus is the Messiah?
Would you be willing to explore the claims of Jesus out of a real desire to know whether he is the Messiah? The same God who will guide your search for truth will also guard the Jewish identity that he has given you.
We cannot motivate you to consider Yeshua on the basis that you will remain Jewish…because you will also be Jewish if you don’t believe in him. But we hope that you might be motivated by a desire to know if Jesus is God’s answer to your needs, as a Jew, and even more, as a human being in need of knowing the Being who created you.
The Jewish people are unique for only they can be a race and a religion..........jenny
Born to Jewish parents in the American Midwest during the Depression years, Martin "Moishe" Rosen converted to Christianity when he was 21, became a Baptist minister, and founded Jews for Jesus, an organization that spread worldwide with the aim of converting Jews to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Like him, the group's followers consider themselves Jews by identity, but not religion, and have become the largest messianic Jewish organization in the world. They describe Rosen as "the godfather of Jewish evangelism".
By seeking to convert Jews to Christianity, however, he and the group have been vociferously criticized by mainstream Jewish organizations, which denounce the organization as "cultist", consider it a threat to the Jewish faith, and have described its aims as "spiritual genocide". Many Christian organizations, too, are highly critical, saying the evangelical zeal of Jews for Jesus has crossed the line by seeking to destroy the Jewish faith rather than working with it.
Describing Rosen's flamboyant and controversial style, one Denver Baptist leader, Dr. Vernon Grounds, said: "When Moishe Rosen came into a city, there was either a revival or a riot." Muslim imams and community leaders in the US and the UK joined in the criticism, saying that Christian missionary groups seeking to convert Muslims have followed the Jews for Jesus model in recent years by targeting young Muslims with leaflets, phone calls, or door-stepping.
Rosen got the idea for his Jews for Jesus movement in the late 1960s in San Francisco, partly influenced, he said, by flower power and the tendency among young hippies to seek alternative religion or solutions. He was also inspired by the persuasive power and communication skills of fiery anti-Vietnam War protesters and formally founded his group in 1973. Often arriving alone with a batch of leaflets in San Francisco's People's Park, he began preaching to young Jews that they could believe in Jesus without giving up their Jewish identity or culture. He caught people's attention through what he called "broadsides" – leaflets he wrote himself, using pop and rock imagery with such titles as "If Being Born Hasn't Given You Satisfaction, Try Being Born Again".
Responding to criticism from mainstream Jews, he told a California newspaper in 1994 with his customary dry wit: "If the Jews didn't need Jesus, why didn't he come by way of Norway or Ireland?"
Martin Meyer Rosen was born in 1932 in Kansas City to Ben Rosen and Rose Baker, both Orthodox Jews from Central Europe, although, as he later wrote, they were not "frum" (strictly observant) and indeed, once established in the US, were critical of their fellow Orthodox Jews' reluctance to integrate with their Christian neighbors. Once the family had moved to Denver, Colorado, however, the Orthodox synagogue in the city became a key part of his education.
At the University of Colorado, he met a young Jewish woman, Ceil Starr, and they married in his Denver synagogue in 1950. Three years later, however, she was converted by an evangelical Christian preacher and her husband followed suit.
Jews for Jesus does not have members, only followers and office staff in a dozen countries, including in Europe, Israel and Russia. The worldwide group claims around 200,000 followers and prints and distributes millions of leaflets a year – with titles such as "Jesus Made Me Kosher" and "On the First Day of Christmas My Rabbi Gave to Me" – and has an annual budget of $13m. Rosen stood down as executive director on his retirement in 1996, but continued to be involved, most recently through his ministry on its website.
"I never made the decision that I wanted to leave the Jewish community," he once said. "We've been ostracised. We want a climate where all ideas can be accepted or rejected without previous indoctrination. You can take from me everything but my Jewishness and my belief in God. You can say I'm a nuisance, a Christian, out of step with the Jewish community, but you can't say I'm not a Jew."
Rosen maintained his Jewish identity, observing Passover and fasting on Yom Kippur. He asked to be buried in his tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl. In a farewell message on his organization's website, he wrote: "I hope I can count on you to show love and respect for the Jewish people, but Jewishness never saved anybody ... Within Judaism today, there is no salvation because Christ has no place within Judaism."
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JEWISH HUMOR
From Groucho Marx to the Borscht Belt to Sarah Silverman, many of America’s best-known comedians have been Jewish. And so important is humor to Jewish culture that a landmark study on American Jewish identity in 2013 found that 42 percent of American Jews consider “having a good sense of humor” to be “an essential part of what being Jewish means.” (In contrast, only 19 percent said observing Jewish law was essential.)
But Jewish humor can be difficult to define. As William Novak and Moshe Waldoks write in The Big Book of Jewish Humor, it is easier to describe Jewish humor in terms of what it is not than what it is.
It is not, for example, escapist. It is not slapstick. It is not physical. It is generally not cruel and does not attack the weak or the infirm. At the same time, it is also not polite or gentle.
Below are examples of some Jewish jokes.
The Top Hat
Schwartz is sitting in his room, wearing only a top hat, when Steinberg strolls in.
“Why are you sitting here naked?”
“It’s all right,” says Schwartz. “Nobody comes to visit.”
“But why the hat?”
“Maybe somebody will come.”
You Don’t Look Jewish
A woman on a train walked up to a man across the table. “Excuse me,” she said, “but are you Jewish?”
“No,” replied the man.
A few minutes later the woman returned. “Excuse me,” she said again, “are you sure you’re not Jewish?”
“I’m sure,” said the man.
But the woman was not convinced, and a few minutes later she approached him a third time. “Are you absolutely sure you’re not Jewish?” she asked.
“All right, all right,” the man said. “You win. I’m Jewish.”
“That’s funny,” said the woman.” You don’t look Jewish.”
Rain in Chelm
Two men of Chelm went out for a walk, when suddenly it began to rain.
“Quick,” said one. “Open your umbrella.”
“It won’t help,” said his friend. “My umbrella is full of holes.”
“Then why did you bring it?”
“I didn’t think it would rain!”
Two Jews sat in a coffeehouse, discussing the fate of their people.
“How miserable is our history,” said one. “Pogroms, plagues, discrimination, Hitler, Neo-Nazis…Sometimes I think we’d be better off if we’d never been born.”
“Sure,” said his friend. “But who has that much luck — maybe one in 50,000?”
Hoodlums;
Two Jews are walking through a neighborhood one evening when they notice they are being followed by a pair of hoodlums.
“David,” say his friend, “we better get out of here. There are two of them, and we’re alone!”
The Terrifying Rumor;
In a small village in Poland, a terrifying rumor was spreading: A Christian girl had been found murdered.
Fearing retaliation, the Jewish community gathered in the shul to plan whatever defensive actions were possible under the circumstances.
Just as the emergency meeting was being called to order, in ran the president of the synagogue, out of breath and all excited. “Brothers,” he cried out, “I have wonderful news! The murdered girl is Jewish!”
The Census;
The census taker comes to the Goldman house.
“Does Louis Goldman live here?” he asks.
“No,” replies Goldman.
“Well, then, what is your name?”
“Louis Goldman.”
“Wait a minute–didn’t you just tell me that Goldman doesn’t live here?”
“Aha,” says Goldman. “You call this living?”
The Converts'
Three Jews who had recently converted to Christianity were having a drink together in a posh restaurant. They started talking about the reasons for their conversions.
“I converted out of love,” said the first. “Not for Christianity, but for a Christian girl. As you both know, my wife insisted that I convert.”
“And I,” said the second, “I converted in order to rise in the legal system. You probably know that my recent appointment as a federal judge may have had something to do with my new religion.”
The third man spoke up: “I converted because I think that the teachings of Christianity are superior to those of Judaism.”
“Are you kidding?” said the first man, spitting out his drink.
“What do you take us for, a couple of goyim?”
Manure;
Schwartz, an elderly man, is resting peacefully on the porch of his small hotel outside Boca when he sees a cloud of dust up the road. He walks out to see who could be approaching: It is a Southern farmer with a wagon.
“Good afternoon,” says Schwartz.
“Afternoon,” says the farmer.
“Where you headed?” asks Schwartz.
“Town.”
“What do you have in the wagon?”
“Manure.”
“Manure, eh? What do you do with it?”
“I spread it over the fruit.”
“Well,” says Bernstein, “you should come over here for lunch someday. We use sour cream.”
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Christian Faith in China
Christian faith is banned in Xi Jinping’s China and believers are persecuted and jailed.
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Bitter Winter Interviews - Professor D.H. Williams
Daniel H. Williams is professor of patristics and historical theology at the Department of Religion of Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The author or editor of six books, he has also been active in teaching in China since 2006.
BITTER WINTER
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On August 2, Three-Self leaders met to solemnly accept the Measures. From Weibo.
China, Christians Told to Strictly Enforce New Restrictive Measures on Religion
The new rules convert churches into Communist propaganda outlets. The Three-Self Church leaders solemnly received the Measures and promised to promote them.
08/25/2023 ZHANG CHUNHUA
The Bengbu Detention Center at Renheji Expressway Intersection, where the male prisoners are being detained.
Bengbu Dissident Pastor and Co-Workers Prosecuted for Fraud
Wang Changchun and others from the Living Stone Reformed Church were detained in April for “illegal business operations.” Now they are accused of a more serious crime.
08/23/2023 WANG ZHIPENG
Pastor An Yankui in happier days with his family and being detained again on August 10. From Twitter.
Nanning Christian Pastor Detained—For No Reason Whatsoever
The vague provision punishing “disturbing the social order in the name of religion” was enforced against Pastor Park Kwang-Zhe of New Life Christian Church.
08/15/2023 LIANG CHANGPU
A view of the opening ceremony of the conference. From Weibo.
China Plans to Export “Sinicized Christianity” Internationally
“We will change the face of world Christianity!” A conference on June 27–30 launched a new grandiose plan—and a problem for the World Council of Churches.
07/05/2023 ZHANG CHUNHUA
A view of Hefei. Credits.
Hefei Christian Youth Fellowship: Leaders Sentenced to Jail Terms
The group catered to the spiritual needs of Hefei college students and had refused to join the CCP-controlled Three-Self Church.
07/03/2023 WANG ZHIPENG
A group photo of those who completed the course at the Central Institute of Socialism. From Weibo.
Bible College Teachers Indoctrinated at Beijing’s Central Institute of Socialism
Christian professors from all over the country were summoned to the capital to attend a mandatory course on Marxism and Xi Jinping thought.
06/13/2023 ZHANG CHUNHUA
Zibo City’s courthouse. From Weibo.
Beijing Lampstand Church: Pastor Qin Sifeng Sentenced to Five Years in Jail
Two co-workers were also sentenced but released. The successful house church is being punished for its national outreach.
06/12/2023 TAO NIU
The study session at Shaanxi Bible School. From Weibo.
Christian Students Asked to Study 20th Congress and Celebrate “Heroes” Who Betrayed the Church
Shaanxi Bible School held a study session on the CCP Congress. It also honored an early pro-CCP bishop and two “revolutionary heroes” who were raised as Christians.
06/07/2023 ZHANG CHUNHUA
A moment of the inspection at Zhejiang Theological Seminary. From Weibo.
China: Theological Seminaries Inspected to Check How “Sinicized” They Are
The 2021 regulations call for devoting at least 30% of classroom time to study Marxism and Xi Jinping’s thought. Inspections are now making sure they are obeyed.
05/25/2023 ZHANG CHUNHUA
A MAGAZINE ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Home / Archives for Christian Faith in China
Christian Faith in China
Christian faith is banned in Xi Jinping’s China and believers are persecuted and jailed.
Recommended Article
Bitter Winter Interviews - Professor D.H. Williams
Daniel H. Williams is professor of patristics and historical theology at the Department of Religion of Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The author or editor of six books, he has also been active in teaching in China since 2006.
BITTER WINTER
Newest
A view of Hohhot’s Huimin District. Credits.
Hohhot Bible Trial: Defendants Charged with “Collusion with Foreign Forces”
Heavy jail penalties are sought against Christians who purchased “legal” Bibles from the Three-Self Church but distributed them “illegally” as part of house church activities.
05/16/2023 FANG YONGRUI
An image of the Taiyuan symposium. From Weibo.
Taiyuan Pastors Told to Teach Christians to “Always Follow the Party”
A plan for church activities hardly includes anything Christian, and calls for studying and teaching the works of Marx and Xi Jinping, and the CCP official documents.
05/05/2023 QI JUNZAO
A view of Zhenxiong County. Credits.
The Small Church That Disturbed the CCP: Preacher Chang Hao Detained in Yunnan
He had what looked like a good idea and distributed anti-COVID masks with Bible verses. The police did not appreciate it.
04/28/2023 LI XIAOSI
Uyghur children living in the Yerken orphanage.
April 27, 1933: How Young Habil Became the First Uyghur Christian Martyr
Uyghur Christians fan the flame of the death of the first of their number ninety years on.
04/27/2023 RUTH INGRAM
The Bengbu Prison, Anhui. From Weibo.
Bengbu Dissident Christian Pastor Arrested
Pastor Wan Changchun was one of the signatories of the 2018 statement of protest against the new Religious Affairs Regulation.
04/24/2023 WANG ZHIPENG
The People’s Court of Huimin District, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.
Hohhot Trial of Christians Who Illegally Sold Legal Bibles Scheduled for Late April
Wang Honglan and other Inner Mongolia believer risk 15 years in jail for selling Bibles that were regularly printed by a government-authorized publisher.
03/30/2023 FANG YONGRUI
A view of Chengdu: modernization cannot hide the repression. Credits.
Another Difficult Sunday for Chengdu’s Early Rain Church
The rental of premises where the service should be held on Sunday March 5 was cancelled on Saturday night, and the police prevented several believers from leaving home.
03/08/2023 QI JUNZAO
The broken door lock and Sister Chen Yan at the police station. Images supplied by the Early Rain Covenant Church.
Early Rain Church: Family Blocked at Home and Forbidden to Attend “Illegal” Sunday Service
The door lock of Deputy Deacon Xiao Lubiao’s home was repeatedly damaged, and the police told them they should stay home on Sunday.
03/03/2023 QI JUNZAO
Wang Hai. From Weibo.
Wang Hai: Miao Christian Pastor Still Harassed and Investigated
The popular preacher from the Miao ethnic group was released in 2020 but his troubles are not over.
01/30/2023 MO YUAN
Christian faith is banned in Xi Jinping’s China and believers are persecuted and jailed.
Recommended Article
Bitter Winter Interviews - Professor D.H. Williams
Daniel H. Williams is professor of patristics and historical theology at the Department of Religion of Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The author or editor of six books, he has also been active in teaching in China since 2006.
BITTER WINTER
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The spouses’ appeal of January 3.
Detained leaders of Church of Abundance Accused of “Violating National Security”
A new charge hits the Christians from Xi’an, who have been detained for more than 140 days.
01/09/2023 TAO NIU
Jiang Zemin (1926–2022). Credits.
Chinese Christians Compelled to Honor Deceased CCP Leader Jiang Zemin
Three-Self Church honors him as “a great Marxist we love and miss” and says he did “a good job in religious work.” In fact, he increased surveillance and persecuted believers.
12/16/2022 ZHANG CHUNHUA
Pastor David Lin with daughter Alice in 1984. Source: Free Pastor Lin committee.
David Lin: China Promises to Free in 2030 American Pastor Detained Since 2006
His life imprisonment sentence has been reduced after American pressures, but eight further years in jail may be too much for his frail health.
12/08/2022 MAO XIAOSI
A view of Linfen’s Yaodu District.
Covenant Home Church Banned in Shanxi
After the detention of four leaders, the authorities decided to liquidate the popular house church.
11/21/2022 TAO NIU
Villagers in rural Gulin county, Sichuan. Source: Chinese Embassy to Switzerland.
Christian from Wenzhou Prosecuted in Sichuan
Lin Xuesui wanted to be a missionary. He has ended up being a prisoner of conscience.
11/16/2022 HE YUYAN
The Fenyang City Court Decision. From Twitter via Rights Protection Network.
Two Sentenced for Attending a Christian Conference in Malaysia
One year of jail is the penalty for a pastor and a co-worker from Shanxi who went to an event organized by famous evangelist Tang Chongrong
11/15/2022 YUAN CHANGPU
One of the detention centers in Zibo City. From Weibo.
Beijing Lampstand Church: Families Demand Release of Arrested Pastor, Co-Worker
Qin Sifeng and Su Minjun are in jail in Shandong after they tried to evangelize in Yunnan, a reminder of the “zero tolerance” policy for house churches who operate outside of their area.
11/11/2022 TAO NIU
Kim with the host “miraculously converted” into human flesh and blood in her mouth. From Facebook.
Our Lady of Naju: Catholic New Religious Movement Followers Harassed in Hong Kong
In South Korea, the leader of the movement has been excommunicated by the Catholic Church. In Hong Kong, it becomes a problem of police.
11/10/2022 GLADYS KWOK
Night view of Luoyang, Henan, with some of the local government buildings.
Henan Preacher Arrested for Purchasing Christian Books Online
Chen Lijun was detained in August. His wife reports he is still in jail, and his family is in desperate conditions.
11/04/2022 LEI SHIHONG
Christian Jokes
A Jewish father
was troubled by the way his son turned out, and went to see his Rabbi about it. "I brought him up in the faith, gave him a very expensive barmitzvah, cost me a fortune to educate him. Then he tells me last week he has decided to be a Christian! Rabbi, where did I go wrong?"
"Funny you should come to me," said the Rabbi. "Like you I, too, brought my boy up in the faith, put him through University, cost me a fortune, then one day he, too, tells me he has decided to become a Christian."
"What did you do?" asked the father.
"I turned to God for the answer" replied the Rabbi.
"And what did he say?" pressed the father.
"God said, 'Funny you should come to me...' "
If God had voicemail ...
Thank you for calling heaven.
I am sorry, all of our angels and saints are busy helping other sinners right now. However, your prayer is important to us and we will answer it in the order it was received. Please stay on the line.
If you would like to speak to:
God, press 1.
Jesus, press 2.
The Holy Spirit, press 3.
If you would like to hear King David sing a Psalm while you are holding, press 4.
To find a loved one who has been assigned to Heaven, press 5, then enter his or her social security number followed by the pound sign. (If you get a negative response, please hang up and try area code 666.)
For reservations in heaven, please enter J-O-H-N 3:16
For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth, life on other planets, and where Noah's Ark is, please wait until you arrive.
If you are calling after hours and need emergency assistance, please contact your local pastor.
A Jewish man is shipwrecked on a desert island. He’s stuck for years! Using materials from around the island, he builds a house, a store, and a synagogue. Eventually, he’s made a whole neighborhood.
One day, he’s rescued by a passing ship. The sailors help him collect his few possessions and get ready to leave the island forever. Just before they leave, one of the sailors says, “Hey! Why’d you build two synagogues?”
The man rolls his eyes. “This,” he says, pointing at one building, “Is my synagogue.”
“And that,” he says, pointing at the other, “Is the one I would never set foot in!”
3. The (loving) Jewish mothers joke
Three Jewish mothers are sitting on a bench, arguing over which one’s son loves her the most. The first one says, “You know, my son sends me flowers every Shabbos.”
“You call that love?” says the second mother. “My son calls me every day!”
“That’s nothing,” says the third woman. “My son is in therapy five days a week. And the whole time, he talks about me!”
November 11, 2008 | Ray Pritchard
Listen to this Sermon;
Let’s begin with a simple question. What percentage of Americans believe in God? You probably won’t be surprised to know that the number is very high. One recent survey puts it at 94%. That means that almost 19 out of 20 people in the U.S. believe in God. It also means you won’t run into very many atheists at the supermarket. Let’s try a second question. What percentage of Americans call themselves Christian? That number is also high, but not as high as the number who believe in God. Approximately 83% of those surveyed claim to be Christian.
A study of the poll results suggests something like this. Almost everyone believes in God and most people consider themselves Christian. It appears that for many people being a Christian is primarily a matter of birth (“I’m a fourth-generation Presbyterian.”) or church affiliation (“I joined a Baptist church 20 years ago.”) or perhaps even of citizenship (“I’m an American and this is a Christian nation so I must be a Christian, right?”). When the question is asked, “Do you consider yourself to be ‘born again’ or evangelical?” the percentage answering yes drops to 37%. Evidently there is a big difference in the minds of many people between being a Christian and being “born again.”
And that brings us to the question posed in the title: What’s the difference between a real Christian and a religious person? The question itself comes from an unsigned slip of paper turned in during a congregational survey. Whoever wrote this question deserves an A+ for creativity and for getting right to the point. The wording suggests that there is a fundamental difference between being religious and being a “real Christian.” Many people have trouble with that concept because they think that if you are religious, then you must be a “real Christian.” If you asked such people, “Are you a Christian?” they would reply, “I’m a church member” or “I’ve been baptized” or “I go to Sunday School” or “I go to Mass every week.” But those answers raise another important question. Is being a Christian simply a matter of outward activity?
At this point most of us would instinctively answer no because we’ve all known people who go through the religious motions and have signed on the dotted line, so to speak, but who don’t act like true Christians ought to act. We all know religious people whose religion seems to be only skin deep. It doesn’t touch the weightier matters of justice, kindness, compassion, grace and practical holiness.
That leads me to a very personal question that I would like you ponder as you read this message. Here it is: Am I a real Christian or am I just a religious person?
It’s one thing to be religious; it’s another thing to be a real Christian.
</h6 class=”pullquote”>
It’s one thing to be religious; it’s another thing to be a real Christian. As we think about this truth, I’d like to draw your attention to the story of a man who came to Jesus one night. I begin here because this is perhaps the clearest example of a religious person who discovered when he met Jesus that his religion wasn’t enough to meet the need of his own heart.
A Religious Man Who Needed God
Here is how John introduces us to this very religious man:
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” (John 3:1-2).
In order to understand this story, we need to know two things about Nicodemus. First, he was a Pharisee. If you are a student of the Bible, you probably have a negative view of the Pharisees. You may think that all the Pharisees were legalistic hypocrites who hated Jesus.
Second, Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council. This was a select group of 70 men who served as a kind of combination of Congress and the Supreme Court. They adjudicated various disputes and settled legal matters so that the Romans wouldn’t have to get involved. As you might expect, only the leading men were elected to such a prestigious position. The fact that Nicodemus was part of the ruling council meant that he must have been highly respected by his peers. In 21th century terms, he was like a United States Senator or a Supreme Court justice.
That’s the man who came to see Jesus one night in Jerusalem. But why come at night? Perhaps because he knew that Jesus was controversial and he couldn’t risk being seen publicly. Or perhaps he wished to have time for a lengthy personal interview. I’m sure there were elements of curiosity mixed with a sense of duty. After all, this upstart rabbi had been gaining followers by the day. As a leader, he had an obligation to find out more about this man.
Surely there is more to the story than that. The fact that he risked his own position to come to Jesus speaks of his own personal need. Note what he said. “No one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him,” Nicodemus admits that Jesus has been sent from God. He is no mere man; he’s more than a teacher from Galilee. In Jesus Nicodemus recognized the mark of divine parentage.
Being Religious is Never Enough
That brings us to the answer Jesus gives to this cultured, educated, well-respected religious leader:
In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” (John 3:3-5).
Let’s focus on the key phrase “born again.” In the original language it has a double meaning. The word can mean “again” or “above.” In this case both meanings apply. Jesus is telling Nicodemus that the only way to find what he is looking for is to be born again from above. Despite all his learning, Nicodemus is utterly baffled by this thought. Is it possible to re-enter his mother’s womb a second time? No, that’s not what Jesus meant. He’s not talking about a second physical birth, but about a second spiritual birth. You are born once physically. That physical birth introduces you to the physical world. But if you want to enter the kingdom of God (the world of spiritual reality), you need a spiritual birth.
Lest Nicodemus misunderstand this truth, Jesus added an important fact: “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:7). Notice the tense of that statement. You must be born again. The new birth is not optional for any of us. Jesus didn’t say, “I recommend that you be born again” or “You should be born again if after investigation it seems to meet your personal need” or “I think it would be a good idea to be born again.” No! Jesus used the urgent language of forceful command. You must be born again.
We need a vital experience of spiritual rebirth.
</h6 class=”pullquote”>
Before we go on, let me remind you that Jesus spoke these words not to some immoral outcast, but to one of the most religious men of his day. By any standard Nicodemus was a very good man and certainly a man we would admire for his intense devotion to God. Yet Jesus told him, “You must be born again.”
Have You Been Born Again?
If he needed to be born again, what about you and me? Let me put the question to you directly: Have you ever been born again? Just in case I haven’t made myself clear, I’m not asking about your church membership, your baptism, your confirmation, your giving record, your Sunday School attendance, or your personal morality. Nicodemus had the religion part down pat, but Jesus said, “You must be born again.”
All of us need to be born again.
</h6 class=”pullquote”>
All of us need to be born again.
*Good people need the new birth.
*Religious people need the new birth.
*Church members need the new birth.
We all need to be born again, and if we’re going to go to heaven, we must be born again. Without it, none of us will ever see the kingdom of God.
As you read this message, I’d like you to slow down for a moment and ponder the next sentence because it could change your life. Nicodemus represents all of us. He stands for every good, decent, law-abiding, upstanding citizen who ever lived. He was a good man who knew about God, but he didn’t know God personally. That’s the enigma of his personality. His story reminds us that religion is good, but the new birth is better.
We need what Nicodemus needed because we stand in exactly the same place. We need a vital experience of spiritual rebirth. In short, we need what Jesus talked about 2000 years ago.
That brings me to the central issue. If you want what Nicodemus found, you must do what Nicodemus did.
1. He admitted his need. He did that by taking a personal inventory of his life and realizing that despite all his best efforts, something vital was missing on the inside. In summing up his virtues-which were many and genuine-this good men came to the conclusion that he needed “something else” in his life. He didn’t know what it was, he couldn’t put his finger on it, but deep within he sensed that his religion-sincere though it was could not fill the gaping hole in his heart.
Nothing else matters until you come to the same conclusion about your life. As long as you go blithely on your way thinking that everything is OK with your life, you can never be born again. It simply cannot happen because you do not feel your need for God’s intervention in your life. You must start in the same place that Nicodemus started-with a sense of your own desperate need of God.
2. He came to Jesus personally. By that I mean he came on his own, by himself, individually, man to man. He sought and found the Son of God. Nicodemus could not send someone in his place. Nor could a committee have met his needs. Salvation involves a personal, individual commitment of your heart to Jesus Christ. No one can do it for you, and you can’t make that commitment for anyone else.
God makes the same offer to you that he makes to the entire world.
</h6 class=”pullquote”>
3. He trusted Christ completely. I realize the text doesn’t reveal to us the fact of his conversion, but I think it may be fairly inferred from the fact when next we read of Nicodemus, he is helping Joseph of Arimathea take the dead body of Jesus Christ down from the cross (John 19:39). This means he had “crossed the line” and was now willing to identify with Jesus publicly. The most famous verse in the Bible–John 3:16–occurs in this passage and promises eternal life to those who “believe” in him-that is, in Jesus Christ. To believe means to rely on Christ so completely trust him so utterly and selflessly that you are casting all that you are and all that have and all that you hope to become on Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.
Nicodemus did this. So must you if you would be born again.
Four Steps to the New Birth;
Nothing else matters until you come to the same conclusion about your life. As long as you go blithely on your way thinking that everything is OK with your life, you can never be born again. It simply cannot happen because you do not feel your need for God’s intervention in your life. You must start in the same place that Nicodemus started a sense of your own desperate need of God.
2. He came to Jesus personally. By that I mean he came on his own, by himself, individually, man to man. He sought and found the Son of God. Nicodemus could not send someone in his place. Nor could a committee have met his need. Salvation involves a personal, individual commitment of your heart to Jesus Christ. No one can do it for you, and you can’t make that commitment for anyone else.
God makes the same offer to you that he makes to the entire world.
3. He trusted Christ completely. I realize the text doesn’t reveal to us the fact of his conversion, but I think it may be fairly inferred from the fact when next we read of Nicodemus, he is helping Joseph of Arimathea take the dead body of Jesus Christ down from the cross (John 19:39). This means he had “crossed the line” and was now willing to identify with Jesus publicly. The most famous verse in the Bible–John 3:16–occurs in this passage and promises eternal life to those who “believe” in him-that is, in Jesus Christ. To believe means to rely on Christ so completely trust him so utterly and selflessly that you are casting all that you are and all that have and all that you hope to become on Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.
Nicodemus did this. So must you if you would be born again.
Four Steps to the New Birth
You may be saying at this point, “I’d like this kind of personal relationship with Christ, but I don’t know where to begin or what I should do.” This week Dr. Billy Graham celebrated his 90th birthday. Many years he wrote a little tract called Four Steps to Peace with God. These four steps summarize how a person can be born again.
Step 1: God loves you and wants you to know him. The most famous verse in the Bible comes from Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus. John 3:16 tells us that God offers “eternal life” to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. God makes the same offer to you that he makes to the entire world. He truly wants you to be forgiven and to spend eternity with him in heaven.
Step 2: Your problem is sin, which separates you from God. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.” That simply means that no one is perfect because all of us have sinned in thought, word and deed. Do you know how many sins it takes to send you to hell? Just one–and most of us can take care of that first sin before we get out of bed in the morning.
Step 3: God’s remedy for your sin is the cross of Christ. Romans 5:8 says that God demonstrates his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. By his death on the cross, Jesus Christ took your place, died the death you should have died, and paid the penalty for all your sins.
Step 4: Your response is to trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. While serving as a guest host on a national radio program, I took a call from a young girl named Angela who asked how you can know you are saved. I quoted 1 John 5:13, which says that you can know you have eternal life through believing in Christ. I told Angela that salvation depends on trusting Jesus Christ.