About two thousand years ago, a man said these Words…
I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the father except through Me.
The man Who said these Words was a man by the Name of Jesus—Jesus of Nazareth.
This man claimed to be the only begotten Son of God and that He had come to take away the sins of the world. He said that He came to give His Life so that the relationship between man and God, which had been broken through man’s sin and willful rebellion, could be restored—completely.
This man, Jesus, lived a perfect life of love and submission to God that ended in a bloody death on a cross. But, after three days, He rose from the dead—just the way He said He would—and appeared to over 500 people over a period of nearly six weeks. Then, according to eye-witness accounts, He ascended into heaven.
Today, this Jesus reigns in glory, as God the Son, over the entire universe and at the right hand of God the Father. And, today, this Jesus offers you life and freedom from the bondage and enslavement to sin that you find yourself in right now.
I urge you to be open-minded and to consider this Jesus Who loves you, this Jesus Who wants to have a personal relationship with you, this Jesus Who wants to communicate with you.
My friends, this Jesus is the only One Who can meet the deepest needs in your life. Give your life to Him, today, ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and receive Him as your Lord and Savior.
If this is something that you desire, and I pray that it is (otherwise, I don't think you would have read this far!), I would like to urge you to do something—actually, two things: (1) Tell God that you want Him to be a part of your life again and that you want the Life He offers through His Son, Jesus; and (2) Find a friend that you know is friends with Jesus, and tell that person what you’ve just done in asking Jesus into your life.
To help you with (1), please allow me to guide you in taking this really huge step. In my life, I often call talking with God “praying.” Let’s pray and talk with God, together for a couple minutes, okay?
Dear God...
I think You’ve been trying to reach out to me for a long time, and I think I’ve been resistant because I thought You were mad at me. My friend, Dave, and some other friends have been telling me that you’re not really mad at me and that, instead, You love me exactly as I am. Though it’s hard for me to understand, I’m choosing in this very moment to believe that You really do love me.
I’ve done a lot of things that I’m not proud of, God. I’ve hurt a lot of people, including myself, through the many mean, deceptive, and not-so-nice things I’ve done. Right now, God, I ask that you forgive me of all these things—and they are numerous. I am coming to understand that all these things have separated me from You and from the Life You desire me to have and to live. In this moment, I chose to believe that Jesus came to earth and died in my place to pay the penalty of death that my sins require. I believe, too, that He rose from the dead so that I might live. And that is what I want, God: TO LIVE!
I give my life to You, God, and I ask that You come to me in this moment, that You take up residence within my heart, and that You bring my soul back to life. I believe that Jesus is my Savior from death and destruction, and I want to follow Him, God. Help me to be me as You created me to be. I believe that You know me inside and out, God, and I’d like to know You in that way, too. I want your friendship in my life. Help me to be a good friend to You, and please help me to love others the way you love them.
Thank You for loving me, God, and for not hating me like I thought. And thank You, too, for forgiving me of my sins, cleansing me of its fifth, and saving me from the death and destructiveness my ways of living have brought about.
Amen.
If you prayed the above prayer and would like to speak with someone, and there is no one close right now, please call me on my cell (919/724-7935), for I would love to hear about what’s happened and encourage you in this new life God has given you.
Here are some additional passages from the Bible that I recommend considering:
Isaiah 53:6
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity [sin] of us all.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gaveth His Only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:6-8
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, [Jesus] Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:9
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
2 Corinthians 6:2
For He says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation [of being saved from death and sin] I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Revelation 3:20
In Him, for Him, and by Him,
Dave
"A Father’s Love Letter"
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