68 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
68 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
|
**** Missing Heaven by 18 Inches ****
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Does this title startle you?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
How<EFBFBD>can anyone get so close and yet in the end hear the Lord <20>say, "I never
|
|||
|
|
knew you: Depart from me"? (MATTHEW 7:23). However, this will be the
|
|||
|
|
terrible result of many in our churches today who are professing Christians,
|
|||
|
|
often with responsible positions, but who have had only a HEAD acceptance of
|
|||
|
|
the Lord Jesus Christ. Tragically enough, even teachers, preachers and
|
|||
|
|
religious workers are not <20>exempt from the possibility of this chilling
|
|||
|
|
indictment. The distance between the head and <20>the heart is 18 inches.
|
|||
|
|
Unfortunately, a head - intellectual - knowledge <20>of <20>the Lord Jesus Christ,
|
|||
|
|
fully knowing and giving <20>mental assent to the plan of salvation, without also
|
|||
|
|
a HEART acceptance that brings the personal relationship that the Bible
|
|||
|
|
demands, avails nothing to any man. Listen to Paul's heart cry concerning
|
|||
|
|
Israel as he spoke under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, "For I bear them
|
|||
|
|
record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." (Romans
|
|||
|
|
10:2) He was speaking about misdirected efforts, energies expended <20>in the
|
|||
|
|
strength of the flesh but not under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The lack
|
|||
|
|
of power today in many of our churches as well as the lack of power today in
|
|||
|
|
the lives of many professing Christians can be laid directly to this. It is
|
|||
|
|
only as we see ourselves in the mirror of God's Word as without excuse and
|
|||
|
|
without hope, <20>utterly lost and undone, <20>that the <20>truth of the Scriptures
|
|||
|
|
convicts us, <20>for the Bible clearly reveals that this is how God sees man.
|
|||
|
|
(Romans 3:10-18,21-23). Then, <20>when the glorious <20>truth <20>of <20>the <20>Gospel
|
|||
|
|
brings us to <20>recognition <20>of <20>our <20>own sinfulness, <20>and in true repentance we
|
|||
|
|
cry out to God asking forgiveness and <20>help, <20><>asking <20>Him to come into our
|
|||
|
|
HEARTS, <20>not <20>our <20>heads, <20><>we experience the new birth. <20>Jesus Christ said,
|
|||
|
|
"I am the way the <20>truth and the life; <20>no man cometh unto the Father, <20>but by
|
|||
|
|
me." (John 14:6).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Bible also tells us that "He that hath the Son hath [eternal] life; and he
|
|||
|
|
that hath not the Son of God hath not life." <20><>(I <20>John <20>5:12).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Furthermore, <20><>the <20>Bible promises "That if thou shalt confess with <20>thy mouth
|
|||
|
|
<EFBFBD>the <20>Lord <20>Jesus, <20>and shalt believe in thy heart that <20>God <20>hath raised him
|
|||
|
|
from the dead, <20>thou shalt be saved. <20>For with the HEART <20>man believeth unto
|
|||
|
|
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." <20>(Romans
|
|||
|
|
10:9-10). <20>Christ wants your HEART, <20>not just your head, <20>because "The Lord
|
|||
|
|
seeth not as man seeth; <20>for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the
|
|||
|
|
Lord looketh on the heart." (I Samuel 16:7).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is vitally important that you make sure it is not just head knowledge and
|
|||
|
|
mental assent you have given to Jesus Christ. <20>He needs the complete surrender
|
|||
|
|
<EFBFBD>of your heart and life so that you may truly be <20>born <20>again.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Eighteen<EFBFBD>inches can mean an eternity with Christ or an eternity without
|
|||
|
|
Christ.<2E>Are you sure of your personal relationship to Him? Why not settle the
|
|||
|
|
question in your heart once and for all right now? - Paul W. Empet
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you believe with your heart that you are a lost sinner, <20>and believe that
|
|||
|
|
Jesus paid the price for your sins in His death on the cross. <20><>If you believe
|
|||
|
|
He was literally resurrected, <20>and believe if you asked <20>Him to save right now
|
|||
|
|
that He would, I would suggest that you ask. We use a simple prayer something
|
|||
|
|
like this:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Heavenly Father, <20>I know I am a SINNER and on my way to hell. I <20>believe
|
|||
|
|
Jesus died on the cross for my sins and was raised again from the <20>dead. I
|
|||
|
|
<EFBFBD>ask Jesus to come into my HEART, <20>forgive me of my sins, <20>and give me the gift
|
|||
|
|
of eternal life. In Jesus name I ask, Amen.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Romans 10:13 tells us "For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord SHALL
|
|||
|
|
be saved."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you have received Christ as Saviour, <20>please leave me a message, <20>and
|
|||
|
|
we can help you to grow as a Christian.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|