Jesus appointed 12 apostles about 2,000 years ago to go into the world and make disciples [i.e, followers] of all people.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples [i.e., followers] of all the nations [i.e., peoples], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:18-20

The apostle Peter said it is not the washing of the water that saves us, but the answer of a good conscience in following God. - 1 Peter 3:21

In other words, it is trusting in Christ and following Him that saves us.

Baptism is an important step in following Christ, but it is the first step of a lifetime commitment.

Baptism is accepting your need of forgiveness and your willingness to turn from living life your way, to living life God's way, each and every day.

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. - Luke 9:23

Taking up your cross each day means being willing to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to do God's will.

Being baptized was a step of obedience that people took when they decided to become followers of Jesus.

Courtesy of Lumo Project Films – www.lumoproject.com.

Courtesy of Lumo Project Films – www.lumoproject.com.

1) We need to know who Jesus is and What He has done for us

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 1 John 1:1-2

John calls Jesus the Word of life here in 1 John and he even says Jesus is eternal. In another famous passage in the gospel of John, John calls Jesus the Son of God.

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. – John 3:16

In John 1:1-3 John calls Jesus the Word, and says that He created all things.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. – John 1:1-3

Jesus is not only the eternal Son of God and our Savior, He is our Creator.

16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or [e]principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. – Colossians 1:16-27

Jesus, our eternal Creator died for us so that we could have eternal life with Him.

2) Having fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus gives us great joy

3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that [a]your joy may be full.- 1 John 1:3-4

True happiness and joy in life is found in fellowship with God. “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

Many people look for their peace and joy in eating all kinds of food, or drinking all kinds of drink, but food and drink will never give us peace and joy.

3) Having fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus includes having fellowship with God’s family

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. – 1 John 1:5-7

Jesus said in John 15:11-12

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.- Hebrews 3:6

We are to hold fast to our faith, to live out our faith, and to rejoice in our hope firm to the end.

REMEMBER:

Living out our faith includes proclaiming the good news AND ministering to the needy.

Jesus said at the final judgment He will be asking whether we gave water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, shelter to the stranger, clothes to the naked, and whether we cared for the sick, and visited those in prison. (see Matthew 25:31-46). He wants us to carry out the mission He started when He preached that message in Luke 4:18-19 that we quoted at the top of this page.

REMEMBER:

Living out our faith includes visiting orphans and widows in need, and keeping ourselves from being self-focused and self-indulgent like the world.

27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

That 100% Includes You!

A new life can be yours staring today!

Participating in what many followers of Christ call, "the Lord's Table" is a way of remembering the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and that He is coming again some day.

32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.

40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” - John 6:32-35, 40

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Jesus will return some day. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but He will return to set things right and create a new heaven and earth.

Are you ready to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and to make a commitment to Him that you will follow Him each day of your life for the rest of your life?

Talk to the Lord in your own way, and let Him know that you have decided to submit to Him as your Lord and Savior, and to make the commitment to follow Him each day of your life for the rest of your life.

Then Go Tell Someone! (We would love to hear about your decision and to pray for you. You can contact us at our email at the bottom of this page.)

Courtesy of Lumo Project Films – www.lumoproject.com.

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. - 2 Peter 3:8-9, 11

Jesus is Coming Again!

Let’s Stay Wrapped Up in the Things of God, Living and Loving the way He commanded.

Be careful what you allow yourself to get wrapped up in

1) God wants us to live out our faith by obeying Jesus’ commandments

2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.

– 1 John 2:1a

If we truly believe in Jesus and know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will do our best not to sin.

Believing is not enough, as even the demons believes (see James 2:19).

3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God [a]is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:3-6

21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave [f]us commandment.- 1 John 3:21-23

2) When we sin Jesus offers us forgiveness, BUT if we say we know Jesus and refuse to love others the way He commanded us, we are liars, and walk in darkness

2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God [a]is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. . . . 9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

- 1 John 2:1-6, 9-11

Demons believe that Jesus is who He says He is, but they walk in darkness. John tells us that we who say we believe in Jesus are walking darkness just like the demons if we hate our brothers and sisters in Christ.

3) We cannot allow ourselves to get too wrapped up in the things of this world because it isn’t possible to be In love with the things of the world and in love with the things of God at the same time.

Loving the way God called us to love requires us to live the way God called us to live, and we must keep a safe distance from the things of the world in order to keep our focus on God and the mission he has for all of us.

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 1 John 2:15-17

Our flesh desires many things, but allowing ourselves to crave and indulge in the things of the world can cause us to fail in our mission and even lose our love for the Father.

Our eyes see many things in the world that we could pursue, but allowing ourselves to become obsessed with chasing after something can cause us to fail in our mission and even lose our love for the Father.

The pride of life is giving ourselves credit for what we have accomplished rather then giving God the glory. It is good to take pride in our work, but when we give ourselves the credit for our blessings in life we take the glory away from God. This also can cause us to fail in our mission, and even lose our love for the Father.

Notice that John didn’t say, “the love of our Father is not in him”, but, “the love of the Father is not in him.”

John is warning us that we can lose our close relationship with the Father if we wrap ourselves up in the things of the world, rather than wrapping ourselves up in the things of God.

3 You therefore must endure[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.– 2 Timothy 2:3-5

4) Believing in and Abiding in Christ is the way to eternal life, and the way to bring some heaven to this earth where so many people are hurting.

It is not enough just to believe, as the demons believe and faith without works is dead. (see James 2:17-19).

We must live out our faith by doing the will of God.

17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. – 1 John 2:15-17

24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that [h]when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. - 1 John 2:17, 24-28

Practicing righteousness is not following a long list of rules, but loving God and others as He commanded.

26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. – James 1:26-27

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. - Romans 13:8

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Everyone that has thought about God, encountered God, or served God has a story. We would love to hear yours.