National surveys tell us that those who claim to be Christians are a shrinking group. Further, we find that most people outside of this group know little about God and nothing about Christ. This article is directed to these folks. We hope that even those who know our Lord will find something of interest.
Our country today is largely a society of non-believers. Oh, they believe in something, but it is not God. We have adopted ideas touted in popular books of the last decade. Primarily, the principle is, “take care of yourself first”. Of course we should look after ourselves, but not at all costs. People want instant gratification in everything. They are not willing to wait for fulfillment. While their grandparents were willing to wait for and live for “heaven at all costs”, they do not even think about life after death. They want their heaven on earth. Further, today young people have adopted popular sports and media figures as their idols. They hang on every word coming from or about these people as if they were gods. This has shut our God in Heaven out of their lives.
Many young people, perhaps the majority, are growing up in homes where God is never mentioned. How can they learn of Him without help? If they don’t know God, what is to become of them? God is love, and God teaches moral values. If love for others and appreciation of moral values are missing in a person, they have little chance of happiness. The results are high crime rates, addiction, disillusionment, divorce, and suicide. This is not to belittle those parents who do practice and teach moral values even though they do not teach about Christ. But even then, this leaves an emptiness only filled when God becomes a part of a person’s life.
So who is God? God is our creator; He created the Heavens and the earth, the galaxies of the universe and everything in them. He created you! He created you just the way He wanted you to be. But He also gave you and everyone a free choice. We can follow His path or we can choose our own. And every choice has a consequence. As our Creator, God deserves our allegiance. He created you for His pleasure. He wants and expects you to worship Him. He didn’t put us here to just have a good time. He wants us to be happy, but we are here for a purpose. If we don’t know God, then how can we determine the purpose for which He created us?
How do we get to know God if we don’t already? Prayer, pure and simple. We might pray each and every day something like this:
“Oh God if there is a God, help me to know that you are real.”
With this simple little prayer, we invite God to contact us. Will He? He will if we are sincere in wanting Him in our lives. We were born with an internal need to know God. Until we come to know Him, there will always be emptiness in our life.
What next? The person should seek others who can help him/her to understand what believing in God and ultimately Jesus Christ can do for them. They need a setting where they can learn the basics of the faith. Helpful people can be found in small church groups such as Bible study, or in prayer groups, or perhaps the person next door.
Until recent years, I never once asked another person about their faith. I thought it was none of my business. I learned, though, that it is my business. Once I started asking others what they knew about Christ, I learned that a great many were just waiting for someone to talk to about faith. Ask your friends to recommend a church. Or you can call a church and ask about Bible study or prayer groups. Be sure to ask if the church teaches that Christ is our Lord and Savior. Many churches listed in the Yellow Pages have websites that are easily located on the Internet.
Reading the Bible can also be immensely helpful. The Bible is not boring, although some parts are more interesting than others. There are thousands of great stories in the Bible, fascinating tales of real happenings. Start reading Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament. Then read Exodus and Deuteronomy. Next, read about Daniel (in the lion’s den) in the Book of Daniel, and about David and Goliath in the Book of 1 Samuel. The books of Ruth and Esther are beautiful stories of devotion to others. Then skip to the New Testament and learn about Christ and His miracles. The books of Luke, John and Acts are especially interesting and informative. When you can, read the entire Bible. Even fifteen minutes a day will take you through the Bible in a year. I am willing to bet, though that you will find parts that you “can’t put it down” until you find out what finally happened. I was captivated when I started reading this wonderful book, and occasionally I would read it for hours.
Get a bible with modern language. A New International Version (NIV), or the New King James Version are good choices. I like the bible called “The Message” by Eugene H. Peterson. This is the easiest to understand.
I didn’t start reading the Bible until I had read the wonderful book, “Heaven Is So Real” by Choo Thomas. Choo was chosen by Jesus to write this book under His direction. I was actually shocked into belief in Christ after reading just a part of this book. In continuing to read it, I learned many things about heaven and hell that were full of wonder. Most importantly, I learned who Jesus really is. Then I started to read the Bible in earnest and began to attend church. Also prayer became a necessary part of my daily chores. But prayer is not a chore. Prayer is a tremendous help in every aspect of living. If you ask for help, the Holy Spirit is right there for you.
Aren’t all churches and faiths equal? There must be something useful in the major religions of the world. Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam are religions that have huge followings. Of course they have value. Many religions teach that there is a god, the need to embrace moral values, and a path to a great afterlife. These are also Christian teachings. So what is the difference, why should we be a Christian rather than a Buddhist? The difference, and it is a chasm, is Christ. No other religion embraces Christ as their savior. Muslims do know about Jesus, but they regard Him only as a great teacher, not as God. They do not have a holy intercessor who is God.
What about Jesus Christ? He is also God and He gave up His Heavenly kingdom role to come to earth, be born and live like an ordinary man. But Jesus was far from ordinary. He was the only person who ever lived a life without sin. After He grew up, He performed miracles, taught about God, and ultimately was crucified for this and died for our sins. Then He was resurrected by His Father God, and returned to Heaven where He is today. On earth He left a legacy of disciples who continued Christ’s work, wrote the New Testament, and established many churches.
Heaven is a place of purity. No one can enter Heaven who is not pure in heart and without sin. If it weren’t for Jesus dying for the sins of the world, few could ever enter Heaven. No one is pure enough on their own. But Jesus made a path to Heaven if only we believe in Him. There is no other route to Heaven.
How do we get Christ to be our Lord and Savior? This is the easiest step, but one we must choose to take. Simply say this prayer aloud, from your heart:
Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and You died for me. Please come into my heart, be my Lord and Savior and forgive me of all my sins and take control of every area of my life from this moment on. Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and use me for Your glory. I want to serve You and love You all the days of my life. Thank You, Father, that I am now Your child, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
Then pledge your life to Him! I wrote a note to Jesus with my pledge to Him and signed it.
How do we know that God hears our prayers? His Word tells us: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.