10 steps for new and growing christians

Save Yourself Some Pain by Ray Comfort

Used with permission of LivingWaters.com

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10 Steps for New and Growing Christians

These ten articles cover the basics of Christianity. If you're a new Christian, they will help you save yourself a lot of pain, and if you're a "backslidden"

Christian, they will get you on the right track...

Becoming a Christian is the most incredible event that will ever take place in

your life. You have found peace with your Creator. You have found everlasting life! Be assured, God will never leave you nor forsake you. He

has brought you this far and He will complete the wonderful work He has begun in you. God knows your every thought, your every care and your

deepest concerns.

Let's now look at some of those possible concerns. First, and of primary

concern, do you have "assurance" of your salvation? The Bible says to "make your calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10, italics added), so, let's go

through a short "checklist" to make sure that you are truly saved:

1. Are you aware that God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14, KJV), and that he died for the sins of the world?

2. Did you come to the Savior because you had sinned?

3. Did you "repent" and put your faith in Jesus?

4. Are you convinced that He suffered and died on the Cross and that He

rose again on the third day?

God acquits us from the Courtroom of Eternal Justice on the grounds that Jesus Christ paid our fine. We are "justified" (made right with God) by His

suffering and death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was God's seal of approval of the fact that His precious blood was sufficient to pay the fine.

Think of it this way... You have violated the law and face a $50,000 fine. You tell the judge that you are truly sorry for your crime, but he answers, "So

you should be, you have broken the law! Now, can you pay this fine?" He can only acquit you if the fine is paid. If someone else pays your fine, then

he can let you go, but he must have "grounds" on which to release you.

The reason we need a substitute (a Savior) to pay our moral "fine," is because we have broken God's Law. To see how much we have transgressed

this Law (the Ten Commandments), we will go through some of them. Have

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you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen something? Have you ever lusted

after another person? If you answered "Yes" to these questions, you admit that you are a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart, and you have to face God

on Judgment Day! If you have used His name in vain, then you are guilty of "blasphemy", you've substituted God's holy Name for a curse word. Perhaps

you've hated someone, and then the Bible says that you are a murderer.

You have violated God's holy Law, and you're in BIG trouble. On Judgment Day, you will be found guilty and end up in Hell. That's why you need the

Savior. Merely being sorry for your sins or confessing them to God won't help you. You must turn from sin (repent), and your faith must be in Jesus

Christ alone. He is the only "grounds" for God to grant mercy towards you. If you're not sure of your salvation, make Psalm 51 your own prayer.

Let's now look at some more important principles that can save you a great

deal of pain...

1. FEEDING ON THE WORD - DAILY NUTRITION

a. A healthy baby has a healthy appetite. If you have truly been "born" of

the Spirit of God, you will have a healthy appetite. The Bible says, "As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby"

(1 Peter 2:2). Feed yourself every day without fail. Job said, "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food" (Job

23:12). The more you eat, the quicker you will grow, and the less bruising

you will have. Speed up the process, and save yourself some pain; vow to read God's Word every day, without fail. Say to yourself, "no Bible, no

breakfast. No read, no feed." Be like Job; put your Bible before your belly. If you do that, God promises that you will be like a fruitful, strong and healthy

tree (see Psalm 1). Each day, find somewhere quiet, and thoroughly soak your soul in the word of God.

b. There may be times when you read through its pages with great

enthusiasm, and there may be other times when it seems dry and even boring. But food profits your body whether you enjoy it or not. As a child,

you no doubt ate desserts with great enthusiasm. Perhaps vegetables

weren't so exciting. If you were a normal child, you probably had to be encouraged to eat them at first. Then, as you matured in life you were

taught to discipline yourself to eat vegetables, because they would benefit you even though they may not at the time have seemed wet to your palate.

2. FAITH ELEVATORS CAN LET YOU DOWN





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a. When a young man once looked at me and said, "I find it hard to believe

some of the things in the Bible," I smiled and asked, "What's your name?" When he said, "Paul," I casually answered, "I don't believe you." He looked

at me questioningly. I repeated, "What's your name?" Again he said, "Paul," and again I answered, "I don't believe you." Then I asked, "Where do you

live?" When he told me, I said, "I don't believe that either." You should have

seen his reaction. He was angry. I said, "You look a little upset. Do you know why? You're upset because I didn't believe what you told me. If you tell me

that your name is Paul, and I say, 'I don't believe you,' it means that I think you are a liar. You are trying to deceive me by telling me your name is Paul,

when it's not."

b. Then I told him that if he, a mere man, felt insulted by my lack of faith in his word, how much more does he insult Almighty God by refusing to believe

His Word. In doing so, he was saying that God isn't worth trusting; that He is a liar and a deceiver. The Bible says, "He that believes not God has made

Him a liar" (1 John 5:10). It also says, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in

any of you an evil heart of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:12, italics added). Martin Luther said, "What greater insult can there be to God, than not to believe His

promises."

c. I have heard people say, "But I just find it hard to have faith in God," not realizing the implications of their words. These are the same people who

often believe the weather forecast, believe the newspapers, and trust their lives to a pilot they have never seen whenever they fly in a plane. We

exercise faith every day. We trust our car's brakes. We trust our history books, our medical books, and we trust elevators. Yet elevators can let us

down. History books can be wrong. Planes can crash. How much more then

should we trust the sure and true promises of Almighty God. He will never let us down if we trust Him.

d. I have often heard cynics say, "The Bible is full of mistakes." It is. The

first mistake was when man rejected God, and the Scriptures show men and women making the same tragic mistake again and again. It's also full of

what seem to be contradictions. For example, the Scriptures tell us "with God, nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). We are told that there is

nothing Almighty God can't do.

e. Yet we are also told that it is "impossible for God to lie" (Hebrews 6:18).

So there is something God cannot do! There's an obvious "mistake" in the Bible. The answer to this dilemma is to be found in the lowly worm.



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f. Do you know that it would be impossible for me to eat worms, although I

have seen it done? I once saw a man on TV butter his toast, then pour on a can of live, fat, wriggling, blood-filled worms. He carefully took a knife and

fork, cut into his moving meal, and ate it. It made me feel sick. It was disgusting. The thought of chewing cold, live worms is so repulsive, so

distasteful; I can candidly say it would be impossible for me to eat them,

even though I have seen it done. It is so abhorrent; I draw on the strength of the word "impossible" to substantiate my claim.

g. Lying, deception, bearing false witness, etc., is so repulsive to God, so

disgusting to Him, so against His holy character, the Scriptures draw on the strength of the word "impossible" to substantiate the claim. He cannot, could

not, would not lie.

h. That means that in a world where we are continually let down, we can

totally rely on, trust in, and count on His promises. They are sure, certain, indisputable, true, trustworthy, reliable, faithful, unfailing, dependable,

steadfast, and an anchor for the soul. In other words, you can truly believe them, and because of that, you can throw yourself, blindfolded, and without

reserve into His mighty hands. He will never, ever, let you down.

3. EVANGELISM IS OUR MOST SOBERING TASK

a. It was late in December, 1996. A large family gathered in Los Angeles for

the joyous occasion of wrapping Christmas presents. It was a big family because it was the product of two marriages. There were so many gathered

that night, five of the children slept in the garage. It was a converted structure, kept warm during the cold night by an electric heater which sat by

the door.

b. During the early hours of the morning, the heater suddenly burst into

flames, blocking the doorway. In seconds the room became a blazing inferno. The frantic 911 call revealed the unspeakable terror of the moment.

One of the children could be heard screaming, "I'm on fire!" The distraught father vainly rushed into the flames to try and save his beloved children. He

received burns to 50% of his body. Tragically, all five of the children burned to death. They died because steel bars on the windows of the garage

thwarted their escape. There was only one door, and that was stopped by the flames.

c. You are back in time. It is minutes before the heater burst into flames.

You peer through the darkness at the peaceful sight of five sleeping

youngsters. You know that at any moment the room is going to erupt into an



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inferno, and burn the flesh of horrified children. Can you in good conscience

walk away? No! You must awaken them, and warn them to run from that death trap!

d. The world sleeps peacefully in the darkness of their ignorance. There is only one Door by which they may escape death. The steel bars of sin

prevent their salvation, and at the same time call for the flames of Eternal Justice. What a fearful thing Judgment Day will be! The fires of the wrath of

Almighty God will burn for eternity. The Church has been entrusted with the task of awakening them before it's too late. We cannot turn our back and

walk away in complacency. Think of how the father ran into the flames. His love knew no bounds, and our devotion to the sober task that God has given

us will be in direct proportion to our love for the lost. There are only a few who run headlong into the flames to warn them to flee (Luke 10:2). Please

be one of them. We really have no choice. The Apostle Paul said, "Woe unto me, if I preach not the Gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:16).

e. It was the "Prince of Preachers," Charles Spurgeon, who said the words "Have you no wish for others to be saved. Then you are not saved yourself.

Be sure of that." A Christian cannot be apathetic about the salvation of the world. The love of God in him will motivate him to seek and save that which

is lost.

f. You probably have a limited amount of time after your conversion to

impact your unsaved friends and family with the Gospel. After the initial shock of your conversion, they will put you in a neat little ribbon-tied box,

and keep you at arm's length. So it's important that you take advantage of the short time you have while you still have ears.

g. Here's some advice that will save you a great deal of grief. As a new

Christian, I did almost irreparable damage by acting like a wild bull in a crystal showroom. I bullied my mom, my dad, and many of my friends into

making a "decision for Christ". I was sincere, zealous, loving, kind, and stupid. I didn't understand that salvation doesn't come through making a

"decision," but through repentance, and repentance is God-given (2 Timothy

2:25). The Bible teaches that no one can come to the Son unless God "draws" him. If you are able to get a decision but they have no conviction of

sin, you will almost certainly end up with a still-born on your hands.

h. In my "zeal without knowledge" I actually inoculated the very ones I was so desperately trying to reach. There is nothing more important to you than

the salvation of your loved ones, and you don't want to blow it. If you do, you may find that you don't have a second chance. Fervently pray for them,



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thanking God for their salvation. Let them see your faith. Let them feel your

kindness, your genuine love, and your gentleness. If you have never helped with the dishes, do them without being asked. Buy flowers for your mom or

your sister. Give them boxes of candy when it's not their birthday. Put yourself in their position. You know that you have found everlasting life.

Death has lost its sting! Your joy is unspeakable; but as far as they are

concerned, you have been brain-washed. You have become part of a weird sect. So your loving actions will speak more loudly than ten thousand

eloquent sermons.

i. It is because of these thoughts that you should hold back from verbal confrontation until you have knowledge that will guide your zeal. Pray for

wisdom and for sensitivity to God's timing. You may have only one shot, so make it count. Keep your cool. If you don't, you may end up with a lifetime

of regret. Believe me. It is better to hear a loved one or a close friend say, "Tell me about your faith in Jesus Christ," rather than you saying, "Sit down.

I want to talk to you."

j. It is important for you to realize that we should share our faith with others

whenever we can. The Bible says that there are only two times we should do this - "in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2). The Apostle Paul

pleaded for prayer for his own personal witness. He said, ". . . that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known

the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak" (Ephesians 6:19-20).

k. Remember that you have the sobering responsibility of speaking to other peoples' loved ones. Many times when you open your mouth for the Gospel,

you may be the answer to the earnest prayer of another Christian. Perhaps he has cried out to God that He would use a faithful witness to speak to his

beloved mom or dad, and you are that answer to prayer. You are that true and faithful witness that God wants to use.

l. Never lose sight of the world and all its pains. Keep the fate of the ungodly

before your eyes. Too many of us settle down on a padded pew and become

introverted. Our world becomes a monastery without walls. Our friends are confined solely to those within the Church, when Jesus was the "friend of

sinners." So take the time to deliberately befriend them for the sake of their salvation. Remember that each and every person who dies in their sins has

an appointment with the Judge of the Universe. Hell opens wide its terrible jaws. There is no more sobering task than to be entrusted with the Gospel of

Salvation; working with God for the eternal well-being of dying humanity.



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4. PRAYER - WAIT FOR A MINUTE

a. It has been well said that God always answers prayer. Sometimes He says, "Yes." sometimes He says, "NO." Sometimes He says, "Wait for a

minute," and a day to the Lord is a thousand years to us (2 Peter 3:8). That means that a ten year wait for us, is 14 minutes and 24 seconds to God, so

ask in faith, but rest in peace-filled patience.

b. Surveys show that more than 90% of America prays daily. No doubt they pray for health, wealth, happiness, etc. They also pray when grandma gets

sick, and when grandma doesn't get better (or dies), many end up disillusioned, and some end up bitter. This is because they don't understand

what the Bible says about prayer. It teaches that sin will stop God even

hearing our prayers (Psalm 66:18). It teaches, among other things, that if we pray with doubt, we will not get an answer (James 1:6-7).

c. Here's how to be heard:

i. Pray with faith (Hebrews 11:6).

ii. Pray with clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:3-4).

iii. Pray genuine heart-felt prayers, rather than vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7).

iv. Make sure that you are praying to the God revealed in the Holy Scriptures (Exodus 20:3-6).

d. How do you "pray with faith?" Someone once said to me, "Ray, you're a

man of great faith in God," thinking that they were paying me a compliment. They weren't. If I said to you, "I'm a man of great faith in my doctor? It's to

the doctor. If I have great faith in him, it means that I see him as being a man of integrity, a man of great ability that he is trustworthy. I give "glory"

to the man through my faith in him. The Bible says that Abraham "staggered

not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was

able to also perform" (Romans 4:20-21). Abraham was a man of great faith in God. Remember, that is not a compliment to Abraham. He merely caught

a glimpse of God's incredible ability, His impeccable integrity, and His wonderful faithfulness to keep every promise He makes. His faith gave

"glory" to a faithful God.



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e. As far as God is concerned, if you belong to Jesus, you are a VIP. You can

boldly come before the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16). You have access to the king, because you are the son or daughter of the king. When you were a

child, did you have to grovel to get your needs met by your mom or dad? I hope not.

f. So, when you pray, don't say, "Oh God, I hope you will supply my needs." Instead say something like, "Father, thank you that you keep every promise

You make. Your Word says that you will supply all my needs according to Your riches in glory, by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Therefore, I thank

You that you will do this thing for my family. I ask this in the wonderful name of Jesus. Amen"

g. It was the great missionary, Hudson Taylor, who said, "The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see Divine power

wrought in the place of weakness, failure, and disappointment, let us answer God's standing challenge, 'Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew

thee great and mighty things of which thou knowest not of.'"

h. How do you get "clean hands a pure heart?" Simply by confessing your sins to God, through Jesus Christ. His blood cleanses from all sin (1 John

1:7-9). When you confess them to God through Jesus, God will not only forgive your every sin, He promises to forget that sin (Hebrew 8:12). He will

even justify you, on the grounds of the sacrifice of the Savior. That means

He will count it as though you have never sinned in the first place. He will make you pure in His sight, sinless. He will even "purge" your conscience, so

that you will no longer have that sense of guilt that you sinned in the first place. That's what it means "to be justified by faith." That's why you need to

soak yourself in Holy Scriptures; to read the letters to the churches and see the wonderful things that God has done for us through the Cross of Calvary.

If you don't bother to read the will, you won't have any idea of what has been left for you.

i. How do you pray "genuine heart-felt prayers?" Simply by keeping yourself

in the love of God. If the love of God is in you, you will never pray

hypocritical or selfish prayers. In fact, you won't have to pray selfish prayers, if you have a heart of love. When your prayer-life is pleasing to

God, the Bible says that He will reward you openly (Matthew 6:6).

j. How do you know that you are praying to "the God revealed in Holy Scripture?" Study the Word. Don't accept the image of God portrayed by the

world, even though it appeals to the natural mind. A loving, kind fatherly-figure, with no sense of justice or truth appeals to guilty sinners. Look to the



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thunderings and lightnings of Mount Sinai. Gaze at Jesus on the cross of

Calvary; hanging in unspeakable agony because of the Justice of a Holy God. Such thoughts tend to banish idolatry.

5. WARFARE - PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE AMMUNITION

a. When you became a Christian, you stepped right into the heat of an age-old battle. You have a three-fold enemy the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Before you became a Christian, you floated down stream with the other dead fish. But now, God has put His life within you, and you will find yourself

swimming against a three-fold current. Let's look at these three resistant enemies.

b. First, the world. When the Bible speaks of the "world" in this context, it is referring to the sinful, rebellious, world system. This is the world that loves

the darkness and hates the light (John 3:20), governed by the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4) ”the "prince power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2).

The Bible says the Christian has escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. "Lust" is unlawful desire, and is the life's blood of the world;

whether it be the lust for sexual sin, for power, for money, for material things. Lust is a monster that will never be gratified, so don't feed it. It will

grow bigger and bigger, until it weighs heavy upon your back, and will be the death of you” see James 1:15.

c. There is nothing wrong with sex, power, money, or material things, but when these become predominant in God's sight, the Bible calls this

"inordinate affection" (Colossians 3:5). We are told, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love

of the Father is not in Him; whoever is a friend of the world is an enemy of God" (1 John 2:15, James 4:4).

d. The second enemy is the devil. As we have seen, he is known as the "god of this world." He was your spiritual father before you joined the family

of God (John 8:44, Ephesians 2:2. Jesus called the devil a thief, who came to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10).

e. The way to overcome him and his demons is to make sure you are

outfitted with the spiritual armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:10-20. Become intimately familiar with it. Sleep in it. Never take it off. Bind the two-edged

sword to your hand so that you never lose its grip. The reason for this brings us to the third enemy.



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f. The third enemy is what the Bible calls the "flesh." This is your sinful

nature. The domain for the battle is your mind. If you have a mind to, you will be attracted to the world and all its sin. The mind is the data-processing

control panel for the eyes and the ears. It is the center of your appetites. All sin begins in the "heart" (Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:19). We think before

we sin. This happens because we don't think before we sin. The Bible warns

that lust brings forth sin, and sin when it's conceived brings forth death. Every day we have life, we have a choice. To sin or not to sin that is the

question. The answer to the question of sin is the fear of God. If you don't fear God, you will sin to your sinful heart's delight.

g. Did you know that God kills people? He killed a man because he didn't like

what he did sexually (Genesis 38:10). He killed a husband and wife because they told just one lie (Acts 5:1-11). Knowledge of God's goodness, His

righteous judgments against evil, should put the fear of God in us, and help us not to indulge in sin.

h. If we know that the eye of the Lord is in every place beholding the evil and the good, and that He will bring every work to judgment, we will live

accordingly. Such weighty thoughts are valuable, for "by the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6). Jesus said, "And I say to you,

my friends do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear

Him, who after He has killed, has power to cast into Hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:4-5).

6. FELLOWSHIP - FLUTTEBY BUTTERFLY

a. Pray about where you should fellowship. Make sure the place you are going to call your church home calls sin what it is -- sin Do they believe the

promises of God? Are they loving? Does the pastor treat his wife with respect? Is he a man of the Word? Does he have a humble heart, and a

gentle spirit? Listen closely to his teaching. It should glorify God, magnify Jesus, and edify the believer. One evidence that you have been truly saved

is that you will have a love for other Christians (1 John 3:14). You will want

to fellowship with them.

b. The old saying that "birds of a feather flock together" is true of Christians. You gather together for the breaking of bread (communion), for teaching

from the Word, and for fellowship. You share the same inspirations, illuminations, inclinations, temptations, aspirations, motivations, and

perspirations. You are working together for the same thing, for the



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furtherance of the Kingdom of God on earth. This is why you attend church;

not because you have to, but because you want to.

c. Don't become a "spiritual butterfly." Send your roots down. If you are

moving from church to church, how will your pastor know what type of food you are digesting? The Bible says that your shepherd will have to give an

account to Him that has entrusted you to him (Hebrews 13:17), so make yourself known to your pastor. Pray for him regularly. Pray also for his wife,

his family, and the elders. Being a pastor is no easy task. Most people don't realize how many hours it takes to gather a fresh sermon each week. They

don't appreciate the time spent in prayer and in the study of the Word. If the pastor makes the same joke twice, or shares something he has shared

before, remember, he's human. So give him a great deal of grace, and double honor. Never murmur about him. If you don't like something he has

said, pray about it, then leave the issue with God. If that doesn't satisfy you, leave the church, rather than divide it through murmuring and complaining.

d. A woman once spread some hot gossip about a local pastor. What he had supposedly done became common knowledge around town. Then she found

that what she had heard wasn't true. She gallantly went to the pastor, and asked for his forgiveness. The pastor forgave her, but then told her to take a

pillow full of tiny feathers to a corner of the town, and in high winds, shake the feather out. Then he told her to try and pick up every feather. He

explained that the damage had already been done. She had destroyed his good reputation, and trying to repair the damage was like trying to pick up

feathers in high winds.

e. The Bible says that there is life and death in the power of the tongue. We

can kill or make something alive with our words. The Scriptures also reveal that God hates those who cause division among the brethren (Proverbs

6:16). Pray with the psalmist,

f. Set a watch O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

g. Remember the old saying,

h. He that gossips to you, will gossip about you.

7. THANKSGIVING - DO THE RIGHT THING

a. For the Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving Day. We should even be thankful in the midst of problems. The Apostle Paul said, "I am

exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4). He knew that



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God was working all things together for his good, even though he was going

through trials (Romans 8:28).

b. Problems will come your way. God will see to it personally that you grow

as a Christian. He will allow the storms, to send your roots deep into the soil of His Word. We pray more in the midst of problems, but it's been well said

that you will see more from your knees, than you will on your tip toes.

c. A man once watched a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon. In an effort to help it, he took a razor blade, and carefully slit the edge of the

cocoon. The butterfly escaped from its problem ... and immediately died.

d. It is God's way to have the butterfly struggle. It is the struggle that

causes its tiny heart to beat fast, and send the life's blood into its wings.

e. Trials have their purpose. They make us struggle; they bring us to our knees. They are the cocoon in which we often find ourselves. It is there that

the life's blood of faith in God helps us spread our wings.

f. Faith and thanksgiving are close friends. If you have faith in God, you will

be thankful because you know His loving hand is upon you, even though you are in a lion's den. That will give you a deep sense of joy, and joy is the

barometer of the depth of faith you have in God. Let me give you an example.

g. Imagine if I said I would give you one million dollars if you ripped out the

last page of today's newspaper, and mailed it to me. Of course, you don't

believe that I would do that. But imagine if you did. Imagine if you had knowledge of more than 1,000 people who had sent in the page, and every

one received their million dollars, no strings attached. More than that; you had actually called me, and I had assured you personally that I would keep

my word. If you believed me, wouldn't you have joy? If you didn't believe me, there would be no joy.

h. The amount of joy you have would be a barometer as to how much you

believed my promise.

i. We have so much to be thankful for. God has given us "exceeding great

and precious promises" that are "more to be desired than gold." Do yourself a big favor; believe those promises, thank God continually for them, and "let

your joy be full."



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j. An old farmer once had an ungodly relative visit him. After the farmer had

bowed his head and thanked God for the food they were about to eat, the relative rudely said, "What did you do that for? There's no God. We live in an

age of enlightenment." The old farmer smiled and said, "There is one on the farm who doesn't thank God before he eats." The relative sat up and said,

"Who is this enlightened one?" To which the farmer quietly replied, "My pig."

8. WATER BAPTISM - SPRINKLE OR IMMERSE?

a. The Bible Says, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name

of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). There is therefore no question as to whether or not you should be baptized.

b. What about the timing of baptism? The Philippian jailer and his family were baptized at midnight, the same hour they believed (Acts 16:30-33).

The Ethiopian eunuch was baptized as soon as he believed (Acts 8:35-37), as was Paul (Acts 9:17,18).

c. So who should baptize a new believer? It is clear from Scripture that

believers had the privilege; it was not limited to clergy or church leaders

only. However, if you are thinking of baptism, check with your pastor because he may want the honor himself.

d. While some Christian church denominations teach that baptism is an

essential ingredient of salvation (e.g., International Churches of Christ), the Bible is clear that it is not a means of salvation; yet it is a command we are

to do in obedience.

e. Baptism is a step of obedience, and God blesses our obedience.

f. IS WATER BAPTISM NECESSARY FOR SALVATION?

i. While we should preach that all people are commanded to repent and be

baptized (Acts 2:38), adding any other requirement to salvation by grace

becomes "works" in disguise.

ii. Even though numerous Scriptures speak of the importance of water baptism, adding anything to the work of the cross demeans the sacrifice of

the Savior. It implies that His finished work wasn't enough. But the Bible makes clear that we are saved by grace, and grace alone, For by grace are

ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,(Ephesians 2:8-9)



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iii. Baptism is simply a step of obedience to the Lord following our

repentance and confession of sin. Our obedience; water baptism, prayer, good works, fellowship, witnessing, etc.; issues from our faith in Christ.

Salvation is not what we do, but Who we have. “He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life,”•(1 John 5:12)

g. BUT WHAT ABOUT MARK 16:16?

i. Mark 16:16 quotes Jesus as saying: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (NKJV). Does this

mean that salvation is by baptism?

ii. "In no way does this verse establish baptism as a condition for salvation;

it is merely the declaration that those who believe and are baptized are saved. Any act of obedience to the Lord could be added after the expression

'whoever believes' and it would remain a true statement, because salvation is the result of faith in Christ.

iii. It should be noted that when the Lord added, 'but whoever does not

believe will be condemned,' there is no mention of baptism. In identifying

what would bring about condemnation, Jesus did not say that 'whoever believes but is not baptized shall not be saved.' If baptism were necessary

for salvation, there are many significant verses which should be amended to read 'you are saved through faith and baptism.' It is clear that faith in Jesus

Christ is what saves a person (Acts 16:30-31; Eph. 2:8-9).

iv. Baptism is a distinct act of obedience, apart from salvation. This is clarified by the order in which the words 'believe' and 'baptize' occur in the

text (cf. Acts 2:38; 10:44-48). Baptism with the Spirit places believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13), while water baptism merely signifies to

others that a person has professed Christ.

v. The word 'saved' is translated from the Greek word “sesosmenoi”, which

is a perfect passive participle. It means that this salvation took place at some point in the past, being accomplished by Jesus Christ Himself, and is

continuing on in the present."

9. GIVING TO GOD

a. It was once said that the wallet is the "last frontier"-- that it's the last

thing that comes to God in surrender. But it should be the first, along with our surrendered heart. Jesus spoke much about money. He said that we

cannot serve God and mammon (see Matthew 6:24). The word "mammon"



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was the common Aramaic word for riches and it signifies "that which is to be

trusted." In other words, either money is our source of joy, our sense of security, the supplier of our needs -- or God is.

b. When you give, make sure you do so with a cheerful heart. Our giving should be a systematic and purposeful giving to the church where we

fellowship (see 2 Corinthians 9:7). It should be in response to need (see Acts 11: 27-29). It should be sacrificial (see Galatians 2:10), and should be

done in secret with a humble heart (see Matthew 6:1-4). It is a key to spiritual fruit (see Luke 16:10-11).

10. TROUBLESHOOTING CULTS, ATHEISTS, SKEPTICS

a. If you know the Lord, nothing will shake your faith. It is true that the man with an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an argument. Take for

example a little boy who is looking at a heater. His father warns him that it's hot. The child says, "O.K. I believe it's hot." At that point, he has an

intellectual belief that the heater is hot. When his Dad leaves the room, he says, "I wonder if it really is hot?" He then reaches out his little hand and

grabs the heater bar with his fingers. The second his flesh burns he stops believing the heater is hot. He now knows it's hot! He has moved out of the

realm of "faith" into the realm of "experience."

b. In comes a heater expert and says, "Son, I have a B.A. in the study of

heat. The heater is definitely not hot. I can prove it to you." The child would probably say, "Mister Expert, I don't care how many B.A.'s you have. I know

that heater is hot -- I touched it! I'm not in the realm of belief; I'm in the realm of experience. Goodbye.•

c. If you have touched the heater bar of God's love and forgiveness, if the

Holy Spirit has "born witness" that you are a child of God (Romans 8:16), if

you have received the Gospel with "power, the Holy Ghost and much assurance" (1 Thessalonians 1:5), you will never be shaken by a skeptic.

d. When cults tell you that you must acknowledge God's name to be saved,

that you must worship on a certain day that you must be baptized by an elder of their church, don't panic. Merely go back to the Instruction Manual.

The Bible has all the answers, and searching them out, will make you grow.

e. If you feel intimidated by atheists -- if you think they are "intellectuals,"

read the book, God Doesn't Believe in Atheists. It will show you that they are the opposite. It will also instruct you on how you can prove God's

existence, and also prove that the "atheist" doesn't exist.



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f. Finally, the way to prevent sporting injury and pain is to keep yourself fit;

exercise. The Apostle Paul kept fit through exercise. He said, "Herein do I exercise myself, to always have a conscience void of offense toward God,

and toward men" (Acts 24:16). Do the same. Listen to the voice of conscience. It's your friend, not your enemy. Remember the words of

Solomon:

g. "Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of

man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

h. Keep the Day of Judgment before your eyes. On that Day, you will be glad

for the cultivations of a tender conscience.

With so many denominations and religions, how can I decide which are true and which are false?

It is certainly understandable that even a very earnest and sincere seeker after truth would be confused over the religious situation today, with

hundreds of denominations, sects, and cults in Christendom alone, as well as hundreds more in other countries and cultures, and with new religious

movements arising almost every day. Nevertheless, God has provided adequate instruction for us to enable us “to know the spirit of truth and the

spirit of error” (I John 4:6) if we really want to do so.

There are three criteria which are especially helpful in evaluating a particular

cult or movement: the teachings of its leaders concerning the Bible, concerning Christ, and concerning the way of salvation, respectively.

1. ATTITUDE TOWARD THE BIBLE

a. The Bible claims, many hundreds of time, to be the written Word of God. The Old Testament Scriptures were accepted by Christ and the apostles as

divinely inspired and completely infallible. Jesus said: “The scriptures cannot be broken” (John 10:35). With respect to the New Testament, He promised

His apostles that “the Holy Ghost shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John

14:26), and that “the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

b. Therefore, during the first century, the apostles who had been with Christ, had witnessed His resurrection and had received these promises gradually

wrote down the Gospels and Epistles which now comprise the New



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Testament. These were readily received and recognized by the early

Christians as inspired Scriptures. The apostles claimed that these writings were divinely inspired and authoritative, and true Christians have always

accepted them as such.

c. Finally, the last of the apostles, John the Beloved, near the end of the first

century, was enabled to look prophetically into the future ages and to write down the last of the true Scriptures, the book of Revelation. This completed

God's written words,

d. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him

the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away

from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life” (Revelation 22:18, 19).

e. These last words of Christ's apostles give us a most important rule. The

Scriptures are fully inspired, even to the very words, and those who would add to them or take away from them are, to the extent they do so, false

teachers.

f. In general, cultists have been guilty of "adding to" the Scriptures, claiming

either that the writings of their own founders were divinely inspired or that the interpretations of their leaders were uniquely necessary and

authoritative. Modernists and liberals, on the other hand, have been guilty of the even more serious error of "taking away from" Scripture, culling out or

allegorizing those portions which they decide are unscientific or unreasonable to modern man. The true teacher, however, will accept all the

Scriptures, and only the Scriptures, as the infallible Word of God.

2. ATTITUDE TOWARD CHRIST

a. A true Christian teacher will gladly accept and proclaim Jesus A true

Christian teacher will gladly accept and proclaim Jesus Christ as He is, true God and true man.

b. “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is the

antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son” (I John 2:22).

c. “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that

Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist”• (II John 7).



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d. “There shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in

damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought [that is, "redeemed them"• (II Peter 2:1).

e. Error concerning the person of Christ can take either the form of the ancient Gnostic heresy, which denied His true humanity, or that of the

modern Agnostic heresy, which denies His true deity. The latter considers Him to be a great man and great religious teacher and leader, but rejects

His virgin birth, His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, and His bodily resurrection and ascension. Any cult or denomination or religious movement

which does not clearly and forcefully proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ both as the perfect Son of man and the only begotten Son of God, “the Lord, which

is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”• (Revelation 1:8), is false, and should be rejected. Christ as He is, true God and true man.

f. "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is the antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son"• (I John 2:22).

g. "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that

Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist"• (II John 7).

h. "There shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought [that is, "redeemed

them"]• (II Peter 2:1).

3. ATTITUDE TOWARD SALVATION

a. The gospel of Christ is “the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that

believeth”• (Romans 1:16). The word "gospel" means "good news," not "good advice." It does not tell us what we must do and not do in order to

earn salvation, but rather what Christ has done to provide salvation as a free gift. "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it

is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).

b. Every other religion under the sun, whether pseudo-Christian or non-

Christian, panders to man's pride by teaching him there is something he can

do to earn, or to help in earning, his own salvation. Only true Biblical Christianity recognizes man as he really is, utterly lost in sin, destined for

eternal separation from God. The gospel, “by which you are saved,” is the glorious news that “Christ died for our sin”• (I Corinthians 15:1,3), and that

we can be saved by grace, through personal faith in Christ, plus nothing else



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whatever! Any religion which teaches otherwise is, to that extent, false. Paul

said,

c. "If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have

received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:9).

d. One who is truly saved by God's grace in Christ will, of course, and then seek to follow Christ and His Word in all things, not to earn salvation, but in

love and gratitude for His glorious gift of cleansing and everlasting life.

GOD DOESN'T BELIEVE IN ATHEISTS

Do you know any atheists? Do you think that they are somehow intellectual?

Then put an end to such unbiblical thoughts. The Bible says that the atheist is a fool. Contrary to popular opinion, the existence of God can be proven.

You can do this absolutely, scientifically, without reference to faith or even the Bible and watch atheists backslide before your very eyes. As you read

this book, you will also learn that it is possible to prove that the Bible is supernatural in origin. The Scriptures are filled with medical and scientific

facts written thousands of years before man discovered them, showing that

the Bible has the fingerprint of God all over it. This publication shows the atheist that he doesn't exist, reveals the true motives of the agnostic, and

strengthens the faith of the believer.

Chapter One - Who Made God?

Someone with dry wit once made me laugh when he mumbled, "Come in,

boat number nine. Please come in, boat number nine. Boat number nine, can you hear me? Wait a minute, we don't have a boat number nine! Boat

number six - are you in trouble?"

It amazes me that people can have a belief in the existence of God, and yet not think for a minute that something is radically wrong in our world. They

can smile while boat number six sits upside-down in the water, slowly sinking. Let's look at an average day on God's fair earth. The day dawns to

find that (according to UNICEF), 20,000 children have starved to death during the night. Another 20,000 children and many thousands of adults will

die today of severe malnutrition; nothing new there. Thousands of people

will die from snake bites, poisonous spiders, attacks by sharks (an average of twenty-eight per year), scorpion bites, being eaten by lions, tigers, and

devoured by other man-eating killers, not to mention blood-sucking mosquitoes and leeches.



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Perhaps today we will have a surprise volcanic eruption, or an earthquake to

crush families to death beneath the debris of their homes. Cancerous diseases will continue to take their toll and cause thousands to die in agony.

Multitudes will perish from fatal ailments that have always plagued mankind, from asthma to typhoid to leprosy to heart disease. Today, human beings

will be struck by lightning, drowned in floods, stung to death by killer bees,

killed by hurricanes and tornadoes, tormented by blights, pestilence and infestations. They will be afflicted, devastated and brought to ruin.

The fact is, there are only three alternatives to explain all this suffering:

1. There is no God, as evidenced by the chaos.

2. God is totally incompetent and can't control His creation (or won't, which makes Him a tyrant).

3. Another explanation exists, one which the Bible gives for the state of the

world.

Let's take a rational, logical look at the first of these three possibilities. It is

the basis of a philosophy commonly called "atheism."

Faith Is for Wimps

From my own experience and from listening to many objections to

Christianity, I have found that the subject of faith is often offensive to the

nonbeliever. My own thinking was that faith was for the weak-minded, for little old ladies, and for those near death. Yet every belief you and I have

about history, other countries, science, biology, etc., exists because of faith. You only believe what you believe because you believed the person who told

you the information you believe. You don't know who discovered America. You simply have faith that what was told to you is indeed true. Neither do

you know if General Custer died at the hands of Indians, or if Napoleon really existed.

We can't live without faith. Try it. Say to yourself; "Today, I refuse to

exercise any faith at all." Then before you eat your corn flakes, go through

every flake, scientifically testing it before you eat it. Refuse to trust that the manufacturers have obeyed health regulations and mixed the ingredients



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correctly. Do the same tests on the milk before you pour it on the corn

flakes, in faith? You don't know that the milk processors have done their job and given you pure milk. They may have mixed in something that could be

harmful to your health. Don't trust the sugar producers either. God only knows what they did while they were processing the sugar. Check the

microscope and other tools used for your analysis. How can you really trust

that the information you gather from them is reliable? Don't trust your weight to the chair at the breakfast table. Don't believe today's weather

report or any news item until you actually go to the proper location and see for yourself if what they would have you believe is true. Even then you will

have to trust your natural senses (which can't always be trusted).

Before you drink your coffee, don't trust that the cup is perfectly clean. Wash it out yourself. Don't use untested water, in faith. We really don't

know what's in it nowadays. It may be contaminated. Analyze the coffee. If you decide to take a taxi to work, you will have to trust your life to the

vehicle and the taxi driver, and trust the other drivers to stay on their side

of the road. You will have to trust elevators, stairways, airplanes, the post office, and banks. Believe me, we either live with faith or fall victim to

paranoia.

If, then, faith so evidently surrounds us, why should it be so offensive? It is simply because faith is as essential to the spiritual realm as oxygen is to the

natural realm. The professing atheist thinks that if he can get rid of any thought of faith, he can get rid of Christianity. In trying to do so, he saws

through the branch he is sitting on. His own faith in the erroneous information he has makes him think he is atheistic in his beliefs.

Trump Card

I have found from experience that the popular atheist's question, "Who made God?" doesn't deserve to have a question mark. It is usually

presented as a statement. The questioner is persuaded that such a question cannot be answered. A twinkle is usually seen in his eye as he tosses what

he thinks is his trump card onto the table. He gambles his very soul on the

belief that there is no higher card; that it cannot be answered.

Actually, the explanation is very simple. Does space have an end? If it does, if there is a brick wall at the end of space that reads "The End," I want to

know what's behind the brick wall. By faith you and I are forced to believe that no matter in which direction we set off, space will never end. It just

goes on and on and on, forever. It has no beginning or end. It hurts the



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brain to think about such a state, but we have no choice but to accept that

fact by faith.

God also has no beginning and no end. But with God, we have a little more

information than we have with space. Time is a dimension that God has created and it is to this dimension that mankind is subjected. We have to

wait for time to pass. We can't jump ahead even one second in time. We are enslaved in its power. It is because we are in time that reason demands a

beginning and an end. It hurts the brain to think of any other dimension.

God is not subject to the dimension of time. He dwells in eternity. The Bible tells us that a day to the Lord is as a thousand years to us (see Psalm 90:4

& 2 Peter 3:8). You can prove this for yourself by studying the prophecies of

the Bible mentioned in a later chapter. God can flick through time as you and I flick through the pages of a history book. If you find this hard to

believe, even when confronted with the evidence of biblical prophecies, you will find it to be true one day. The Scriptures tell us that God will eventually

withdraw time, and we will then dwell in eternity.

The Christian is told that he understands "by faith." This happens if I have major surgery. I trust a surgeon, even though I have no real understanding

of how he is going to operate. I have to trust him or there will be no operation. I understand that he has the ability to make me well, so I have

faith in him.

In the same manner, I trust God. Many have died at the hands of surgeons,

but no one perishes in the hands of God. God's ability is boundless and His promises are "both sure and steadfast, an anchor of the soul" (Hebrews

6:19). Doctors and pilots will fail you, friends you trust will disappoint you, elevators will let you down, but the promises of Almighty God are utterly

trustworthy. This may be hard for you to appreciate at this time, but I want to encourage you to have an open mind as we look closely at the subject of

atheism.

The Atheist Test

I don't believe in atheists. This isn't because I haven't met people who claim

the title; but because such a person cannot be. Let's imagine that you are a professing atheist. I will ask you two questions: First, do you know the

combined weight of all the sand on all the beaches of Hawaii? I think I can safely assume that you don't. This brings us to the second question: Do you

know how many hairs are on the back of a fully grown male Tibetan yak?

Probably not. I think therefore, that it is reasonable for me to conclude that



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there are some things you don't know. It is important to ask these questions

because there are some people who think they know everything.

Let's say that you know an incredible one percent of all the knowledge in the

universe. To know 100 percent, you would have to know everything. There wouldn't be a rock in the universe that you would not be intimately familiar

with, or a grain of sand that you would not be aware of. You would know everything that has happened in history, from that which is common

knowledge to the minor details of the secret love life of Napoleon's great-grandmother's black cat's fleas. You would know every hair of every head,

and every thought of every heart. All history would be laid out before you, because you would be omniscient (all-knowing).

Bear in mind that one of the greatest scientists who ever lived, Thomas Edison, said, "We do not know a millionth of one percent about anything."

Let me repeat: Let's say that you have an incredible one percent of all the knowledge in the universe. Would it be possible, in the ninety-nine percent

of the knowledge that you haven't yet come across, that there might be ample evidence to prove the existence of God? If you are reasonable, you

will be forced to admit that it is possible. Somewhere, in the knowledge you haven't yet discovered, there could be enough evidence to prove that God

does exist.

Let's look at the same thought from another angle. If I were to make an

absolute statement such as, "There is no gold in China," what is needed for that statement to be proven true? I need absolute or total knowledge. I need

to have information that there is no gold in any rock, in any river, in the ground, in any store, in any ring, or in any mouth (gold filling) in China. If

there is one speck of gold in China, then my statement is false and I have no basis for it. I need absolute knowledge before I can make an absolute

statement. Conversely, for me to say, "There is gold in China," I don't need to have all knowledge. I just need to have seen a speck of gold in the

country, and the statement is then true.

To say categorically, "There is no God," is to make an absolute statement.

For the statement to be true, I must know for certain that there is no God in the entire universe. No human being has all knowledge. Therefore, none of

us is able to truthfully make this assertion.

If you insist upon disbelief in God, what you must say is, "Having the limited knowledge I have at present, I believe that there is no God." Owing to a lack

of knowledge on your part, you don't know if God exists. So, in the strict sense of the word, you cannot be an atheist. The only true qualifier for the



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title is the One who has absolute knowledge, and why on earth would God

want to deny His own existence?

The professing atheist is what is commonly known as an "agnostic"--one

who claims he "doesn't know" if God exists. It is interesting to note that the Latin equivalent for the Greek word is "ignoramus." The Bible tells us that

this ignorance is "willful" (Psalm 10:4). It's not that a person can't find God, but that he won't. It has been rightly said that the "atheist" can't find God

for the same reason a thief can't find a policeman. He knows that if he admits that there is a God, he is admitting that he is ultimately responsible

to Him. This is not a pleasant thought for some.

It is said that Mussolini (the Italian dictator), once stood on a pinnacle and

cried, "'God, if you are there, strike me dead!" When God didn't immediately bow to his dictates, Mussolini then concluded that there was no God.

However, his prayer was answered some time later.

If you have questions, let us help you find the answers. Contact Pastor

10 steps for new and growing christians

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