GP 2294

1. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT LIFE IS REALLY ALL ABOUT?—What you are here for, and if there is anything special that you are supposed to do? Well‚ the answer to these important questions can be found in the Bible, God's loving Words to all of us!

2. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT "GOD IS LOVE!" (1John 4:8)—And that He loves you! He is your kind and loving Heavenly Father Who made this beautiful World as a home for you to live in‚ and He has given you a wonderful body‚ mind and heart with which to enjoy it!

3. GOD IS NOT ONLY LOVE, BUT JESUS SAID THAT "GOD IS A SPIRIT!" (John 4:24) He is the great Spirit of Love Who created the entire Universe! He is so big and so great, that He is far beyond our simple human understanding! But because He loves us and wants us to know and love Him, He sent His Own Son to Earth in the form of a Man, Jesus Christ.

4. JESUS IS LIKE A PICTURE OF GOD HIMSELF to show us what God is like. Jesus talked about Love and showed Love to others and lived Love all the time.—And finally, He loved us so much that He gave His Own life to save you and me.

5. TO RECEIVE GOD'S LOVE AND SALVATION IN JESUS‚ all you have to do is confess that you're not perfect, that you have made mistakes and that you need God's forgiveness. We have all done wrong, so we all need to be forgiven‚ because without forgiveness for our sins we will be separated from God's perfect Love!

6. JESUS IS OUR BIG BROTHER, WHO KNOWS THAT WE HAVE DONE WRONG and that we deserve a punishment. But He loved us so much that He offered to take our punishment for us, and God loved us so much that He sent Jesus, and promised to forgive us if we would believe in Jesus and accept His suffering for us.

7. JESUS WANTS TO COME AND LIVE WITH YOU AS YOUR VERY DEAR AND CLOSE FRIEND. He says‚ "I stand at the door (of your heart) and knock: If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to you." (Revelation 3:20) All you need to do is ask Him to come into your heart.

8. TO RECEIVE JESUS AND HIS EVERLASTING FORGIVENESS AND SALVATION IS JUST THAT SIMPLE! There is nothing you can do to earn it or work for it, for it is the free Gift of God. The Bible says, "By grace (God's love and mercy) we are saved through faith, and not of ourselves or by our own good deeds. It's the gift of God!" (Ephesians 2:8,9)

9. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED JESUS‚ YOU CAN ASK HIM TO COME INTO YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW by simply praying this little prayer: "Dear Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God, and that You took my punishment and died for me. Please forgive me for all of my sins. I now invite You into my heart. Jesus, I know that I can never be good enough to save myself, so I ask You to please come in and give me Your free Gift of Eternal Life.—In Jesus' name I ask, amen."

10. JESUS NOT ONLY SAVES YOU, BUT HE KEEPS YOU SAVED. "The gift of God is Eternal Life" (Romans 6:23), and once you have received Eternal Life, you cannot lose it!—If you could, it wouldn't be eternal! Even if you fall and make mistakes, Jesus promised, "Whoever has come to Me, I will never cast him away!" (John 6:37) He may spank you if you are naughty and disobedient, but you will always be His saved child, for He says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you!" (Hebrews 12:6; 13:5)

11. WHEN JESUS COMES INTO YOUR HEART, YOUR WHOLE LIFE IS CHANGED, like a newborn baby born into a whole new World! Jesus even said that Salvation is like being born again, that you are now a new and different person! (John 3:3; 2Corinthians 5:17)

12. OF COURSE, LIKE ALL NEW BABIES AND SMALL CHILDREN, YOU HAVE A LOT TO LEARN and a lot of growing to do.—And the way to grow in faith and understanding is to, "like a newborn baby‚ hunger and thirst for the pure milk of the Word of God, and you will grow!" (1Peter 2:2) As you prayerfully read God's wonderful Word in the Bible‚ you will find that it is "a lamp for your feet and a light for your path." (Psalm 119:105)

13. THE FOUR GOSPELS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John‚ give us the beautiful story of Jesus' life on Earth. If you read the fourth Gospel first, the Gospel of Saint John‚ you will find that it is one of the easiest to understand and contains more of the actual Words of Jesus than the others.

14. ANOTHER GREAT HELP TO YOU IN YOUR NEW LIFE WILL BE THE WONDERFUL POWER OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT! If you sincerely ask the Lord to fill you with this power, He will fill you till you are overflowing with His Love!

15. WHEN THE LORD FILLS US WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT‚ WE RECEIVE EXTRA POWER AND STRENGTH to boldly tell others about Jesus‚ to witness to them of God's wonderful Love! Jesus promised‚ "You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto Me!" (Acts 1:8)

16. THE BIBLE ALSO SAYS THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS "THE COMFORTER", Who, like a loving mother, tender and gentle with a little baby, hovers over the newborn child of God, comforting, nursing and caring for us. (John 14:16-18)

17. TO RECEIVE THIS WONDERFUL POWER, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PRAY and ask Jesus for it! "Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you!—For your Heavenly Father shall give the Holy Spirit to all those who ask Him!" (Lk.11:9-13)

18. JUST AS EVERY HEALTHY NEWBORN BABY CRIES FOR HIS MOTHER when he needs her comfort, help or nourishment, so crying out to the Lord in prayer is something that should come naturally to every born–again child of God. Prayer is not just a religious ritual or tradition, but it is the living communication between a child of God and his Heavenly Father! It is the royal telephone that keeps you in touch with Heaven!

19. JESUS IS YOUR CLOSEST AND BEST FRIEND, and will always hear when you cry to Him for help. He says, "Call unto Me, and I will answer you and show you great and wonderful things that you do not know!" (Jeremiah 33:3)

20. ANOTHER IMPORTANT PART OF A NEWBORN CHILD OF GOD'S SPIRITUAL LIFE IS FELLOWSHIP with other Christians who also know and love the Lord. Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them!" (Matthew 18:19,20)

21. REAL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP IS NOT JUST SITTING IN CHURCH listening to someone speaking from the pulpit. It is joining together with others to pray and read and study God's Word. "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another!" (1John 1:7)

22. OF COURSE IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANYONE ELSE who has asked Jesus into their heart, and you don't have any other spiritual brothers and sisters nearby that you can fellowship with, don't despair!—You can personally lead other folks into God's Heavenly Kingdom by simply telling them how they can ask Jesus into their hearts, and then inviting them to pray with you to do so!

23. TELLING OTHERS ABOUT JESUS, explaining God's simple plan of Salvation to them, is called "witnessing". You can start out by telling your friends and family how happy you are since you asked Jesus into your heart. You can even share this poster with them to help them understand how they too can receive Jesus.

24. IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR NEW LIFE OF LOVE, please write us today at the address below! God bless you! We love you!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family