68 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
68 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
**** Missing Heaven by 18 Inches ****
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Does this title startle you?
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Howÿcan anyone get so close and yet in the end hear the Lord ÿsay, "I never
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knew you: Depart from me"? (MATTHEW 7:23). However, this will be the
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terrible result of many in our churches today who are professing Christians,
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often with responsible positions, but who have had only a HEAD acceptance of
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the Lord Jesus Christ. Tragically enough, even teachers, preachers and
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religious workers are not ÿexempt from the possibility of this chilling
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indictment. The distance between the head and ÿthe heart is 18 inches.
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Unfortunately, a head - intellectual - knowledge ÿof ÿthe Lord Jesus Christ,
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fully knowing and giving ÿmental assent to the plan of salvation, without also
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a HEART acceptance that brings the personal relationship that the Bible
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demands, avails nothing to any man. Listen to Paul's heart cry concerning
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Israel as he spoke under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, "For I bear them
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record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." (Romans
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10:2) He was speaking about misdirected efforts, energies expended ÿin the
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strength of the flesh but not under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The lack
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of power today in many of our churches as well as the lack of power today in
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the lives of many professing Christians can be laid directly to this. It is
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only as we see ourselves in the mirror of God's Word as without excuse and
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without hope, ÿutterly lost and undone, ÿthat the ÿtruth of the Scriptures
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convicts us, ÿfor the Bible clearly reveals that this is how God sees man.
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(Romans 3:10-18,21-23). Then, ÿwhen the glorious ÿtruth ÿof ÿthe ÿGospel
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brings us to ÿrecognition ÿof ÿour ÿown sinfulness, ÿand in true repentance we
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cry out to God asking forgiveness and ÿhelp, ÿÿasking ÿHim to come into our
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HEARTS, ÿnot ÿour ÿheads, ÿÿwe experience the new birth. ÿJesus Christ said,
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"I am the way the ÿtruth and the life; ÿno man cometh unto the Father, ÿbut by
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me." (John 14:6).
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The Bible also tells us that "He that hath the Son hath [eternal] life; and he
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that hath not the Son of God hath not life." ÿÿ(I ÿJohn ÿ5:12).
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Furthermore, ÿÿthe ÿBible promises "That if thou shalt confess with ÿthy mouth
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ÿthe ÿLord ÿJesus, ÿand shalt believe in thy heart that ÿGod ÿhath raised him
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from the dead, ÿthou shalt be saved. ÿFor with the HEART ÿman believeth unto
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righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." ÿ(Romans
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10:9-10). ÿChrist wants your HEART, ÿnot just your head, ÿbecause "The Lord
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seeth not as man seeth; ÿfor man looketh on the outward appearance, but the
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Lord looketh on the heart." (I Samuel 16:7).
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It is vitally important that you make sure it is not just head knowledge and
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mental assent you have given to Jesus Christ. ÿHe needs the complete surrender
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ÿof your heart and life so that you may truly be ÿborn ÿagain.
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Eighteenÿinches can mean an eternity with Christ or an eternity without
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Christ.ÿAre you sure of your personal relationship to Him? Why not settle the
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question in your heart once and for all right now? - Paul W. Empet
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If you believe with your heart that you are a lost sinner, ÿand believe that
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Jesus paid the price for your sins in His death on the cross. ÿÿIf you believe
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He was literally resurrected, ÿand believe if you asked ÿHim to save right now
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that He would, I would suggest that you ask. We use a simple prayer something
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like this:
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Heavenly Father, ÿI know I am a SINNER and on my way to hell. I ÿbelieve
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Jesus died on the cross for my sins and was raised again from the ÿdead. I
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ÿask Jesus to come into my HEART, ÿforgive me of my sins, ÿand give me the gift
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of eternal life. In Jesus name I ask, Amen.
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Romans 10:13 tells us "For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord SHALL
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be saved."
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If you have received Christ as Saviour, ÿplease leave me a message, ÿand
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we can help you to grow as a Christian.
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