[SCRIPTURE NOTES 1:]

SALVATION - HOW TO BE SAVED - "BORN AGAIN" - Part Two

If you are sincere and believe the above three statements with your heart, you will be: saved, born again, baptized with the Holy Spirit, forgiven, indwelt by God, adopted into the family of God, made an heir of God, set apart for God, and much more that you will learn as you grow in Christ.

I hope this doesn't sound difficult. The words and thoughts must be your words and thoughts from your heart. You must believe in your heart and ask Jesus for Salvation from your heart. Your prayer can be very simple, but your prayer must be from your heart.
A simple prayer, maybe something like this: "Lord Jesus, I am a sinner not worthy of your Love. Lord Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross for me and I ask you to come into my heart as my Lord and Saviour. Lord Jesus, I ask forgiveness for my sins and ask to follow you as the Lord of my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen."
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SCRIPTURE NOTES 1:

Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;


SCRIPTURE NOTES 2:

John 19:16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
John 19:18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
John 19:19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

_____________________ See Part Three

[WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FIRST:]

SALVATION - HOW TO BE SAVED - "BORN AGAIN" - Part One


WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FIRST:

Your life in this mortal body will be short, but your soul will live for eternity either in heaven or hell. Those who have received Salvation and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour will live forever with Jesus in Heaven. Those who reject Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Hell. Almighty God, the Creator of all, is real and He Lives. Almighty God is three Holy Deities in ONE GOD: God, the Father; God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God, containing the only true account of all creation, both past and future. God does love you, regardless of how many bad things you have done in your life. Because of his Love for you, God sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to be crucified and die on a cross for your sins. Jesus Christ lived on this earth in the form of a man, but He was very God. Jesus Christ was righteous and without sin, yet he was convicted and sentenced to death. Jesus died and was buried, but he arose on the third day. Some might question whether this event happened, but the world's time is set by this event recorded in history: (B.C.) Before Christ; (A.D.) After Death. Jesus Christ ascended back to Heaven and HE LIVES, very God. God wants you to accept Him, return His love, and become one of His children. God wants to adopt you and give you an inheritance, but you must believe to accept this Gift. This Gift is given by God's Grace and love for you. The Gift is free, and you did nothing to deserve it or earn it.
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HOW CAN I BE SAVED AND RECEIVE SALVATION?

If you are unsaved, please read this carefully. Do you many times feel alone in this world and helpless because of the evil you see and experience? Do you feel bad when you do wrong and wonder if there must be something other than this world to enjoy? Do you feel empty and unhappy about yourself and what the future may bring? Answering these and other questions may give you the reasons why you should accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Would you like to experience and enjoy peace, joy, and love this world can't offer? It isn't hard to become a believer and Saved: you can receive Salvation right now, this minute.

I AM A SINNER: You must understand that you are a sinner. Sin is wrong, as commanded by Almighty God in his Word, the Holy Bible. All men sin and do wrong in the sight of Almighty God. Regardless of how large or small your sins are, you can be forgiven and accepted as a Child of God. (See Scripture Notes 1 below)

I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS FOR MY SINS AND AROSE FROM THE DEAD AS MY LORD AND SAVIOUR: Almighty God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you, in payment for your sins. The Blood of Jesus Christ will wash away your sins as if they had never happened. Jesus Christ bore suffering and pain on the cross for you, that you can be saved and be forgiven. Jesus Christ arose from the dead and LIVES as the Lord and Saviour to all who will believe and accept him. This is a Gift by God's Grace, a free gift that you didn't earn or deserve. (See Scripture Notes 2 below)

I ASK JESUS CHRIST TO COME INTO MY HEART AS MY PERSONAL SAVIOUR AND FORGIVE MY SINS: You must trust Jesus Christ and ask him to come into your heart as your personal Lord and Saviour. Ask Jesus Christ to be first in your life and forgive your sins. (See Scripture Notes 3 below)

____________________ See Part Two

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

I would sincerely appreciate your help in making this thread a place where frequently asked questions by non-Christians are answered.

I started it out with a post about how to be saved. Please feel free to jump right in with the same topic and others. I know that we each have a unique way of communicating, and the same would be true of those who will read here about what they understand and what touches their hearts. I simply think that the key is speaking from the heart.

I can think of dozens of questions that have been asked in the past, and many of you answered those questions in a very loving way. Please feel free to cut and paste what you have already done.

I'll try to make a later post with a listing of questions. In the meantime, I would sincerely appreciate your help.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[FAQ For Non-Christians]

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

I've been thinking about many users who come here who are not Christians and many of the questions that they ask.

I know that many of them are here for trouble and have no interest at all in the things of the LORD. However, I'm also convinced that nothing from the LORD is ever wasted, and some of those lost people honestly want answers and information.

I was just reflecting on many beautiful posts straight from the heart of our sweet Christians here. Many of you have shown extraordinary love and patience, even with those who were probably here for trouble.

I started a thread under apologetics called:

FAQ For Non-Christians

I'm really asking for help and your ideas for making a thread that will help users who are lost with their questions. I can think of dozens of questions asked in the past, and some of them were asked to poke fun of Christians. However, the same questions might be of genuine interest and honestly asked by some.

Many of you have already answered the questions I'm thinking about. In fact, you answered them in a beautiful and loving way. I'm asking you to answer them again or cut and paste what you've already done.

We have many threads devoted to helping each other, lifting each other up in Christ, praying for each other, and strengthening our brothers and sisters. I was just thinking about how nice it would be if we had some threads specifically for those who do not know Jesus. I would sincerely appreciate your help.

I'm sure that most of you will easily remember numerous questions already asked and answered on the forum. I will make a later post that contains some of the questions.

Brothers and Sisters, in the meantime, thanks in advance for your help. This isn't just an announcement. It's open for suggestions and discussions.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Hello Abundant,

WELCOME! to Christians Unite.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Hello Tuomoko from Oklahoma, USA,

WELCOME!! I did visit your site, but I didn't figure out how to translate it into English. I did look at some of your photography, and it is very NICE!

I sincerely hope that you enjoy the forum.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Hello Lisa,

WELCOME!! There is peace and comfort in Jesus. I hope and pray that we can help you in your search.

If you would like to read more about being saved, I'd like to invite you to my web site:

How to be Saved:
http://www.sirinet.net/~blkidps.besaved.html

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to HomeSkillet,

WELCOME!!! It sounds like you are a very busy person. I hope you can come here to relax and fellowship with the many sweet Christians we have here.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Hello Talmadge,

WELCOME!! Brother, we are free in Jesus. I sincerely hope that you enjoy the forum.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to All,

My children are grown, and my grandchildren are too young to worry about yet.

I would simply say that the devil is very clever, much too clever to trust with our children. For that reason alone, I believe in adult supervision when children use the Internet.

There are all kinds of things that parents can do these days with computers to make them safe for children to use. However, nothing replaces adult supervision. One can use the net nanny type programs that are fairly good. I use a child safe URL blocker on my own computer, and I don't have any children using this computer. It's only fairly good also. I don't want to see any of the x-rated advertisements in pop-ups or email.

Some parents make a web portal specifically for their children, and nothing else will work. I made a web portal for my own use, and I think it would work quite well. However, I didn't set it up to block all URL's not listed on the portal. It's like a menu done in HTML. I think that it would be pretty easy to allow only the URLs on the portal. It's also fairly easy to add URLs to the portal if the parent wishes to add more choices.

Just bluntly, I really don't like the idea of leaving children alone with the devil. If he's smart enough to make me stumble from time to time, he's certainly smart enough to hurt children. YES! - I would have the views of an old square. I gladly accept the title of an old, boring square.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Chesed,

   Children are a lot of work, but they are treasures given to us by God. Along with the work comes JOY and quite a few laughs. It makes me very happy when I hear about Godly parents raising their children in the LORD. I don't know how old your son is, but it sounds like he knows quite a bit about the Holy Bible. I love to hear children talking about the Holy Bible, telling Bible stories, and singing. Their little minds soak up the riches of HIS WORD much better than we can imagine.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[VERY GOD]

Ephesians 3 - Part Ten

This is controversial to some, but please see a contrast in Matthew:

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

WHY? They don't pertain to the King, Jesus.
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There is another portion of the Mystery that is quite precious to most of mankind, those who are not part of Israel. Gentiles were unclean, pagan, heathen that the Jews were to avoid. The things and ways of God were NOT to be shared with the heathen. The unclean would not and could not share in the promises of God. There were considered to be the personification of evil in the flesh. It was unthinkable for the Jews to think of Gentiles as sharing the same BODY, being fellow-heirs, or being partakers of the things of God. Paul uses some words that are unique and peculiar in part of his writing that relates to the calling of the Gentiles. Many Jews hated Paul for two primary reasons: (1) He was preaching about Jesus Christ being Very God, the CHRIST, the Lord and Saviour; (2) He was preaching to the Gentiles and sharing the things of God with unclean things. Please see in context:

Ephesians 3:3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Ephesians 3:4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Ephesians 3:5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Ephesians 3:6  That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Romans 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Ephesians 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

Ephesians 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Colossians 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Colossians 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Colossians 4:3  Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
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"who created all things by Jesus Christ:" should be self-explanatory. Jesus Christ was NOT just a man, a preacher, a messenger, or a prophet. Jesus Christ was VERY GOD made manifest in the flesh.  Jesus Christ was and is THE CREATOR. It is interesting to wonder how many REALLY knew that Jesus Christ was VERY GOD. There are hosts that still don't believe that Jesus Christ was VERY GOD.  It is also interesting to wonder about how many REALLY knew and understood that ALMIGHTY GOD was and is a HOLY TRINITY - GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT - YET THE THREE ARE ONE!.

Paul was given the most precious truths of the Holy Bible to preach and teach, not just to the Gentiles, but also to teach the other Apostles. The time Paul taught about was NOT the Millennial Kingdom of God on earth, rather about a time that was NOT seen or taught about by the prophets of old. Paul referred to this time as the Dispensation of Grace, and that time is NOW. The highlights of this time are God's Love, God's Grace, God's Gift, the CROSS, the Church Which is the BODY OF CHRIST, Salvation FULL AND FREE ONLY AND COMPLETELY BY FAITH ALONE IN JESUS CHRIST - not of works or deeds of the Law, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the RAPTURE of the Church which is the BODY OF CHRIST at the end of the age. What Paul preached then was very controversial, and it is still controversial for many today. The Rule and Reign of Jesus Christ in the Millennial Kingdom is quite real and true, but that time hasn't come yet. The here and now is the Dispensation of Grace.
____________________ See Part Eleven

[We are IN HIM and HE is in us.]

Ephesians 3 - Part Nine

Now, to the "Mystery". Do we really know what the mystery is? First, let's look at the definition and rendering from ancient languages. From Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries: "From a derivative (to shut the mouth); a secret or “mystery” (through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites): - mystery." In context, I like to think of "Mystery" as a GREAT TRUTH hidden and kept secret from mankind. However, the definition alone is completely insufficient to describe what became the driving force of Paul's life and what he had to endure to reveal that GREAT TRUTH that had been hidden and kept secret. "The fellowship of the mystery" can also refer to a person initiated into a sacred mystery. This mystery or secret is something man could never know until God revealed it. If you are thinking that the initiation I spoke of might involve "Faith In Jesus Christ", you would be right. If you are thinking that the sacred mystery might have something to do with the Church which is the BODY OF CHRIST, you would also be right. There will be much more on this later. Here is a big question that is part of the mystery: What is the relationship between Christ and HIS Church WHICH IS HIS BODY?  Yes sir, this is a big secret, and Paul spends much of his life in trying to explain it.  This alone would be a very large and beautiful Bible study, but I will try to list a few highlights: (1) The Saints are those who believe and have faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour; (2) The Saints belong to a church not made with human hands, the CHURCH WHICH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST; (3) Christ is the head of HIS CHURCH, and the Saints ARE HIS BODY; (4) The Saints are united IN HIM, Jew and Gentile; (5) The Saints are seen IN AND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST; (6) The righteousness of the Saints are seen ONLY IN AND THROUGH JESUS, as the Saints have no righteousness of their own; (7) The Saints are FREE from the bondage of the Law of sin and death; ( Jesus Christ IS our REDEMPTION, SANCTIFICATION, AND JUSTIFICATION; (9) Jesus Christ IS our REST AND PEACE; (10) Jesus Christ IS our intercessor and mediator; (11) Here is a big one put very simply - We don't have to rely on a priest to serve as intercessor with the Father for us. We don't have to wait for a special day or a Holy place to fellowship with our Lord and Saviour. We have direct, personal, and immediate access to prayer and fellowship with our Lord and Saviour 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of where we are or what we are doing. We are IN HIM and HE is in us. Please see in context:

Romans 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

1 Corinthians 4:1  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1 Corinthians 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

Colossians 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

1 Timothy 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

1 Corinthians 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Ephesians 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

1 Timothy 3:9  Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
____________________ See Part Ten

[ARE]

Ephesians 3 - Part Eight

Ephesians 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Verse 9 Notes - Rendering from ancient languages in this Scripture is very interesting, especially if you put this in context with the rest of Ephesians and the rest of Paul's writing. "To make all men see" is the goal of Paul. Paul could have said that he wished to turn the light on for the eyes of the heart . There must be enlightened men who can turn the light on for others. How many men does Paul hope become enlightened and see Jesus? The answer is "ALL". Paul clearly teaches that all ARE one in Jesus Christ, regardless of being Jew, Gentile, bond, or free. Paul's commission is to preach the Gospel of the Grace of God to the Gentiles, but Paul is a Jew and he went to considerable trouble to enlighten those who were preaching to the Jews. "See" is rendered from a word that actually means "To give light to, a shining, or illumination". Please see:

Ephesians 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Colossians 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Hebrews 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

Hebrews 10:32  But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;

1 Corinthians 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

2 Timothy 1:10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
_____________________

"What is the fellowship of the mystery" addresses the core of Paul's ministry. I decided to take the time to enjoy this key Scripture, so I want to spend some time on "word for word" in the portions I think are extremely important. I'm glad that I did because there is much more here than first meets the eye. "Fellowship" is much more for Paul than what we would first consider. From Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, "Fellowship" is: "partnership, that is, (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction: - (to) communicate (-ation), communion, (contri-), distribution, fellowship. I like to think of "Fellowship" as what we share and how we share it. Let's first look at some other beautiful portions of Scripture that also address "fellowship" to add some beauty. Please look at these in context:

1 Corinthians 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Corinthians 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

2 Corinthians 8:4  Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

Galatians 2:9  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Philippians 1:5  For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

Philippians 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

Philippians 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Philemon 1:6  That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 9:13  Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

Hebrews 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
____________________  See Part Nine

Luke O Said:

And where are the weapons of mass destruction???....yeah funny how politicians are trying to sweep that statement under the carpet

Luke, they were obviously moved or destroyed. The whole world knew they were there. Further, Saddam used them, and there are mass graves to prove it. So, why didn't he cooperate with the inspectors or obey the UN resolutions? Several investigations SUGGEST that they were moved into Libya or Syria.

Love In Christ,
Tom