Take Every Passage to Prayer, Volume 2 - The Gospels, was written for you. Charles Wagner, the author, never graduated from seminary. He was never a pastor of a church. He spent years thinking God didn't love him. In 2004, broken and despairing of life, he was hospitalized because he wanted to kill himself. He seems like the least qualified man to write a book about the Bible. However, he cried out to God for deliverance. God answered and opened his eyes so he could see how dearly he was loved by his heavenly Father. Charles then blew the dust off his Bible and began to read it. It was not the words of an angry God but the words of a loving God who had gone to incredible lengths to rescue him. Using various trustworthy guides, Charles dug deep into the Bible from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 for several years in row.

Charles hasn't forgotten his roots. He understands your skepticism about the Bible. He understands your confusion. An experienced trainer, having taught computer technology to over 8,000 adults, Charles began typing this book for you. He understood the last thing you want to read is seminary jargon that leaves your head spinning. He also understood you are busy and you may only have a few minutes a day to study the Bible. Therefore, Charles wrote Take Every Passage to Prayer, Volume 2 - The Gospels for the non-seminary student to read and, with its short prayers of application, bold and bulleted text, he made the book perfect for quick browsing and understanding of key concepts. The 1,000 footnotes in the book are for you in case you ever fancy yourself as a pseudo-seminary student and want to dig deeper into the text.

The purpose of this book is for the reader to understand the life and the teachings of Jesus Christ. When finished, the reader will understand who Jesus was, whom He claimed to be, why He said he came to earth, what was His mission in life, what He experienced in His three years of ministry, how He taught us to live our lives, how and why He died, and how He came back to life. The purpose of the book is to give you hope not only for this life but hope for the life to come after you die. Charles had many of his questions answered by his study of the Word of God. He then devoted himself to writing a book that will answer those same questions for you. When you've finished the book, Charles hopes his words have led you to run into the arms of Jesus who loves you so much.

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The Good News (the "Gospel") About Jesus In Six Minutes

God Exists

Was there an architect who designed your home? Was there an author who wrote your favorite book? Was there a songwriter who composed your favorite song? Was there a general manager who built your favorite sports team? Was there a director who directed your favorite movie? Was there an inventor of your favorite device? Of course.

Therefore, there was a Creator who designed the brain, the eye, the ear, the heart, the lungs, the feet, and the hands.  There was a Creator who designed DNA, aluminum, gold, iron, flowers, birds, animals, fish, and sandy beaches. There was a Creator who designed the stars in the sky. There was a Creator who established the law of gravity. There was a Creator who designed men and women to join together to reproduce children. God exists.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

God Maintains the Universe

Several years ago there was a television series entitled “Life After People”. Experts speculated about what would happen to the earth if humans suddenly disappeared. The series concluded that 10,000 years from now the earth would show no evidence that humans ever existed. Even cities that had at one time 100 story skyscrapers would become forests with hills and valleys. The point of the series was that it is only the maintenance of humans, such as the continual resurfacing of a highway, that prevents nature from reclaiming every inch of the planet.

Why does gravity continue to function? Why does the earth continue to rotate? Why do planets continue to orbit around the sun? Why does the earth maintain perfect distance from the sun? God is maintaining all of this. Our world hasn’t  fallen into chaos with the earth burning up, or splitting in two, or the Moon crashing into the planet because God is maintaining the universe.

The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. Psalm 135:6-7

 

God Has Established Order

Birds don’t lay turtle eggs. Dogs don’t turn into zebras. Maple trees don’t produce walnut tree seeds. Water always begins to boil at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Balls thrown into the air always come back down to earth. The sun always goes down in the west in the evening and rises again in the east in the morning. Every human must sleep every day, regardless of their desire to stay awake. Two plus two will always equal four and fifty-seven divided by fifteen will always equal three point eight. Mothers have a natural instinct to care for their children. We instinctively know in our hearts that murder and child abuse are wrong. We have a natural desire to eat and another natural desire to love and be loved. We have a natural instinct to cover our private parts and to perform personal body functions in private.

In other words, we know that God is the god of order. He has established right and wrong and good and evil. He wrote many of these laws into our hearts and minds. There is absolute truth - whatever God has established as truth.

He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. Psalm 104:19

God is Loving

Kittens. Puppies. Chocolate. A newborn baby. A cool breeze on a hot summer day and the  warmth of a fireplace on a cold winter day. A delicious cherry pie hot out of the oven. Laughter and singing with friends. The skilled picking and strumming of an expert guitar player. The deep blue of a clear midday sky. An evergreen tree dusted with snow. The warm hug from a loved one. The ecstasy of intimacy between a godly husband and wife. Butterflies with the excitement of a new romance. Farms. Cattle. Accomplishing something noble and good. Sailing on a calm lake. Holidays. Sports. Talents. Skills. Natural abilities. Creativity. Innovation. A good story. The first kiss. Weddings. Birthday parties. A hike through the woods. Beautiful scenery nearby and in distant lands. Human intelligence. Medicine. Surgery. Therapy. Education. Comfortable clothes. Inventions and technologies. A police force to protect us. A military to protect us. Good laws that prevent chaos and anarchy. People who help others in need. And on and on and on. The evidence of God's love for people is unmistakable.

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7

The Promise

A good and loving God has created a world for people to enjoy. All He asks is for people to do what He says is right and good and to not do what He says is bad and evil. If we humble ourselves before Him in this way, He will provide for us, protect us, guide us, and give us everlasting peace, joy, and fulfillment. He has created us in such a way that the only way we will enjoy a fulfilling life is if we live to please Him.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Evil Comes

However, one of God's archangels, Lucifer, decided he didn’t like God having authority over him. He wanted to be treated like God himself. He wanted to be independent from God, answering only to himself. He would define right and wrong and good and evil himself. He wanted the world that God created to be his. He rebelled from God and took one third of the angels with him. They became demons, determined to overthrow God and place Lucifer, also known as Satan, on the throne.

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;     I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Isaiah 14:12-15

The Battlefield

Earth became the battlefield in this spiritual war. God created the human race to fellowship with Him and worship Him and enjoy life to its fullest doing so. Satan wanted the human race to rebel from God and serve and worship him. He would use and abuse people as pawns to accomplish his coup. He would lead as many people as he could into eternal separation from God.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

God Had a Plan

Satan’s action did not come as a surprise to God. In fact, God already had a strategy for total victory over His fallen archangel. While Satan came to bring destruction to God’s beautiful world, God conceived a plan to prove His vast superiority over Satan by showing the depths of His indescribable love for the human race. Knowing full well that Satan would corrupt the human race, God planned to send His one and only Son, who would be born Jesus of Nazareth, into this world to bear His wrath for their rebellion against Him. When a person believes that God’s Son did this to pay the penalty for their rebellion, their sins would be forgiven and they would spend eternity - not with Satan - but with the Creator who loved them so much.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4

God's Word

What kind of God would He have been if He didn’t tell the human race how they could be rescued from Satan’s evil scheme? Imagine if God refused to tell us that our rebellion from Him could be forgiven through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that God inspired a book that we know today as the “Bible”. The Bible answers our most basic questions:

1. Who is God?
2. Why are we here?
3. What is our purpose in life?
4. Why is our world in the condition it is in?
5. How can we find peace, joy, and fulfillment?
6. Will suffering end one day?

As evidence of God’s deep love for humanity, He inspired human writers, with their unique writing styles, to deliver His message of hope to us. The writers of the Old Testament:

1. Proved to us, through the story of the nation of Israel, that it is impossible for us to save ourselves by obeying God’s commands. We are too corrupt.
2. Promised that a savior would come who would forgive us of our rebellion from God through faith in Him.

The New Testament writers described the Savior’s coming, His life, His ministry, His death on the cross, His resurrection from the dead, and His return to heaven. The New Testament writers also taught us how to be followers of Jesus, to live our lives in a restored relationship with God through His Son.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

The Greatest Lie

Our ancient ancestors were Adam and Eve, our first parents. They enjoyed paradise, the perfect world God had designed for us all to enjoy. They enjoyed a perfect relationship with Him, spending their days walking and talking with Him.

Satan then whispered the greatest lie of all-time into their ears:

"Who made Him the God of your life? You should be your own god. You should do whatever you feel like doing whenever you want to. You should decide for yourself what is right and what is wrong and what is good and evil. You should define the truth for yourself. You should depend upon your own strength and your own smarts to make it through your day.”

Adam and Eve believed him.

“Hey, that’s a good idea. Who wants someone else telling us how to live our lives? God, stay away from us. Don’t meddle in our lives. If we need you, we will ask you for stuff and you’ll give it to us right away. Your only purpose is to be our butler, continuously waiting for your next instruction from us (in the form of prayer).”

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1-5

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

This World was Cursed

Adam and Eve had joined Satan’s rebellion from God. They had become rebels and traitors. Though God still loved them very much, there was no way they deserved to be in His paradise anymore. God changed the “DNA” of earth, so to speak, so that this world would no longer be paradise. Death, decay, and disease came to earth.

However, there was hope for humanity. God promised Adam and Eve that He would send His Son to die for their rebellion, giving them forgiveness if they believed His coming would pay for their rebellion. While Satan would think he gained ultimate victory by killing the Son of God, the truth is the Son of God would crush Satan’s agenda forever by being raised from the dead and returned to His glory sitting beside God the Father in heaven.

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:17-19

The Current State of the World

History is the detailed story of how mankind has rebelled from God. Most of the suffering throughout time has been the consequences of mankind’s rejection of God’s commands that were designed to give us peace, hope, freedom, and joy. Each person tries to be their own little god, doing as they please and expecting everyone else to cater to their every whim.

Oh, we have done such a great job as gods of this world, haven’t we? We told God to get lost and take His commands with Him. Now our world is full of war, terrorism, murder, theft, lying, cheating, child abuse, prostitution, human trafficking, homelessness, bitterness and unforgiveness, estranged relationships, drunkenness, alcoholism, adultery, divorce, rape, elder abuse, domestic violence, Fentanyl deaths, and so much more. Our institutions are crumbling and there are few things left we can trust in life. The family has been destroyed and our churches are suffering a decline in membership. Now we can’t even define what a man and a woman is. Godliness is now considered evil and evil is now considered good. Math has been called racist and science is settled by politicians who use it to advance their political agenda. Most people are burdened with disappointment, guilt, shame, anxiety, insecurity, and fear all of the time. The rest of the people are incessantly bored, feeling incomplete and unfulfilled in life.

Rebelling from God has worked out well for us, hasn’t it?

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. Genesis 6:5

21st Century Evidence of Human Rebellion from God

Check out this video. This woman speaks not only for her generation but for the heart of the entire human race from the dawn of time. We believe ourselves to be gods and we want nothing to do with the real God telling us how to live our lives.Take note of her arrogance and angry heart, driven by her desire to do whatever the ______ she wants to do because she is the god of her life.

Warning: These women speak graphic obscenities multiple times. You have been warned.

Are You a Rebel From God?

“Ok, that woman’s a bit abrasive,” you might respond. “I’m a nice person. I don’t have that kind of attitude.”

Are you sure?

Consider your answers to the following questions. Do they reveal that you too have rebelled from God?

1. Do you agree with this woman’s message?
2. Did you laugh at or applaud that woman’s defiance of God, like the person standing behind her in the blue shirt?
3. When you woke up this morning, did you thank God for the day He had given you?
4. When was the last time you gave thanks for all the blessings God has showered upon you?
5. When was the last time you prayed for wisdom and understanding before making a decision?
6. When was the last time you asked yourself what God’s plan for your life might be?
7. When was the last time you wondered who God is and what He might want to say to you?
8. When you are struggling, do you turn to God for help? Or, do you rely on your own street smarts, creativity, ingenuity, and determination?
9. Do you consider things like going to church and praying to be humorous, things to laugh about in a comedy routine?
10. Do you enjoy the arguments put forth by atheists, that there is no God to whom we will ever be accountable to for our behavior?
11. Do you support abortion BECAUSE you support a woman’s right to do whatever the ______ she feels like doing?
12. Is your primary goal in life to become wealthy? Influential? Powerful? Famous? Successful? To do whatever you feel like doing?
13. When you are struggling, do you place your faith first in the wisdom of your thoughts? The wisdom of your friends, family, psychiatrists, mediums, astrologers, and palm readers?
14. When given the choice, would you rather listen quietly to God or would you prefer an evening staring at the television or browsing the Internet?
15. If these two groups were your only choices of whom you could spend time with, would you rather hang out with people who desire to love, obey, and please God or would you rather hang out with those who hate God and want nothing to do with Him?
16. Do you believe that people are more enlightened today and that we’ve discovered we no longer need religion?
17. Have you ever felt unloved? (You reject God's words of love to you)
18. Have you ever felt there was no hope? (You reject God's offer of healing and restoration.)
19. Have you ever felt like you were a failure in life? (You have rejected God’s definition of Your value and worth.)
20. Have you ever broken any of the Ten Commandments? Do you even know what they are? Do you even care about them?
21. Do you believe people have to earn their way to heaven by doing good works?
22. Do you believe that God permits anyone to enter into heaven, regardless of what they believe or how they live their life?
23. Do you believe there are many ways to get into heaven and that people can choose whatever way seems right to them?
24. Do you believe God has made reprehensible mistakes, such as allowing a child to be born with a disability or allowing a girl to grow up in a boy’s body?
25. Have you ever accused God of doing evil?
26. Have you ever had the desire to lecture God, to let Him know how He has messed up things in your life?
27. Do you believe that God just wants us to be happy, doing whatever we want in life?
28. Have you ever tried to improve yourself (self-improvement section of a bookstore) without giving any consideration to how God can transform you?
29. Are you an advocate for those who express themselves however they feel like? (Cue the videos of drag queens who pole dance in front of an audience of kindergarteners at a public library).
30. Do you believe that the discussion of sin is bad for people’s emotional well-being?
31. Do you believe God will only send mass murderers like Adolf Hitler or Josef Stalin to hell?
32. Do you deny the existence of evil? Do you deny the existence of hell?
33. Do you believe our culture needs less religion and that religious people should have nothing to say about current issues?
34. Do you believe we should tolerate, affirm, and celebrate people who embrace evil because that’s who they have chosen to be and everyone can do as they please?
35. Have you rejected the message of salvation through Christ, wanting nothing to do with humbling yourself before God, seeking forgiveness, and living a life of obedience to Him?
36. Have you ever concluded that there is no God or that His existence cannot be proven?

Can you see your rebellious heart now?

“But I’m a nice person!”

“Oh, come on. I’m a good person. I don’t outright rebel against God.”

Yes you do.

Let’s examine the “white lie”. It’s so sweet and innocent. It’s cuddly, like a teddy bear. We disguise the truth so as to not hurt someone’s feelings. A white lie means we are a good and kind person.

God tells us in the Ten Commandments that we are not to “bear false witness.” We are not to tell lies. Period. He didn’t give us exceptions. He told us not to lie. However, we have overruled God. We have said there are certain circumstances when lying to someone is actually a good thing to do. We have torn up God’s law and replaced it with our own. That is rebellion. That is treason.

1. Have you ever told a “white lie?” If so, you overruled God’s command never to lie. You committed rebellion.
2. Have you ever had sex with someone other than your spouse? If so, you overruled God’s command never to have sex outside of marriage. You committed rebellion.
3. Have you ever stolen something? If so, you overruled God’s command never to steal. You committed rebellion.
4. Have you ever used God’s name as a swear word? If so, you overruled God’s command never to use His name carelessly. You committed rebellion.

Your rebellion was open defiance of God. It was just like you stormed His throne room and attempted to kick Him off of His throne and to sit there on it yourself.

Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Psalm 53:3

Spiritual Death

What do humans do with those who betray their country? We punish them with capital punishment. What does God do with those who betray Him? He sends them far away from Him, banishing them to a place called “hell”. It is spiritual death. It is eternal suffering.

There may be a lake of fire in hell but burning flesh is not necessary for hell to be hellish. Hell is a place where God is absent. He doesn’t hear our prayers or our cries for anguish. He doesn’t rescue us, deliver us, comfort us, or heal us. All good things come from God. Therefore, where God is absent, none of the good things can be found. No friendships. No love. No kindness. Everyone is 100% pure evil and selfish narcissists. No singing. No music. No medical care. No law and order. No beaches. No cool mountain streams. No sports. No vacation spots with beautiful beaches and warm water. No puppies or kittens. No restaurants. No parties. No weddings. No schools. No delicious food or tasty drinks. No justice. Violence, rape, and abuse are everywhere. Inhabitants of hell are completely alone in a place where danger lurks nonstop throughout eternity.

I will make a very bold statement:

“No human ever goes to hell against their will.”

People choose hell because they spent their life longing for a world where God didn’t tell them what to do. On the Day of Judgement, God will give to such people their deepest wish – to be eternally free from God, His laws, His ways, and His care. It will be hell.

The question is not “why does God send innocent people to hell?” The question is “why do people choose to go to hell when they could spend eternity with God?”

Do you want nothing to do with God's ways? You have already made your reservation in hell. It's where people go who want nothing to do with God and His commands. You have made your choice, and under no duress, to spend eternity away from God's annoying influence.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. Romans 5:12

Mankind’s Stubborn Pride

The Word of God tells us what we all know to be true. Despite the severe and eternal consequences of our actions, there is no way the typical person is going to let go of their independence and autonomy from God.

"Fine, if I get to rule my life in this lifetime, and be my own boss, I'll gladly accept an eternity in hell. For that matter, I'll even joke about my destiny in torment. I laugh at those foolish Christians who want to tell me that I need salvation."

The Word of God describes us as a stubbornly proud people. We absolutely refuse to humble ourselves before God. We would rather risk burning in an eternal lake of fire than to bow our knees before God in submission. The lie has infiltrated our hearts and minds so much that we like blind sheep willingly walk off the edge of a cliff and fall to our deaths.

We cannot save ourselves because, under no circumstance, will we voluntarily give up our independence from God. We may do plenty of good works but we do so with a hard heart that expects to continue to do as we please in life.

But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. 2 Kings 17:14

Suffering is Designed to Soften Our Stubborn Hearts

Since we refuse to soften our hearts towards God, He is forced to soften our hearts for us. The tool that He lovingly uses to soften us to the truth is suffering.

We learn from suffering that we are not in control of our lives. We learn from suffering that we are not all-powerful, all-wise, and all-smart. We learn from suffering that we cannot take care of ourselves. We learn from suffering that we are not qualified to be the god of our lives. We learn from suffering that we need something greater than ourselves to take care of us.

However, we harden our hearts once more. Because of our stubborn pride, many men and women throughout history have suffered extraordinarily but still went to their graves in total defiance of God. They not only ignored the lessons to be learned from suffering, but they also flat out rejected them. In fact, the more people suffer, the angrier they often get at God and the more incompetent they believe Him to be. Those who foolishly believe they should be in control of their lives blame God for what has happened to them because they resent that they are not in control of their lives.

I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. Leviticus 26:19

The Holy Spirit Must Intervene to Save Us

Therefore, God must send His Holy Spirit to do what a person cannot do for themself. The Holy Spirit prompts a person to see that they are not God. The Holy Spirit prompts a person to understand that they need God. The Holy Spirit prompts a person to long to restore his or her relationship with God. The Holy Spirit prompts a person to understand that they have rebelled from God. The Holy Spirit prompts a person to understand that they deserve to spend eternity in hell. The Holy Spirit prompts a person to understand they cannot pay off their huge debt of massive treasonous rebellion from the Lord God Almighty. The Holy Spirit prompts a person to understand that they have been deceived by the greatest lie in history. The Holy Spirit prompts a person to ask:

How can I be forgiven of my rebellion from God?

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44

Perfection is the Minimum Requirement for Admission into Heaven

The world thinks that imperfect people will populate heaven simply because God is too nice to block anyone's admission. If people believe their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, they believe they are good enough to enter heaven. As long as they haven't murdered someone, molested a child, or supported the wrong political candidate, a person will be greeted with fanfare at the so-called "pearly gates''.

This attitude proves that people simply do not understand God's holiness, righteousness, and purity. Does a woman want to leave the house for an important date with a stain on her dress? Would a man take a sip of a cold glass of ice tea if he knew there was a drop of fatal cyanide in it? Would God allow the stench of a rebellious and defiant man or woman into His Kingdom? No! God is not only holy and perfect but all who dwell with Him must be holy and perfect as well. The minimum standard for entry into God's paradise is perfection and total purity.

When a person dies, they must be perfect and pure when they come before God...or else they will be cast into hell.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

The Foolishness of Thinking we can Earn Perfection and Holiness

Let's say that you owe someone $ 10 billion. Let's say you could possibly earn $ 100,000 a day to give to the man to reduce your debt. It would take you 10,000 days to pay off that debt. That's roughly 27.5 years. However, there's this little problem. You have to pay that person $ 100,000 in interest every single day. After making that payment each day, there is nothing left to reduce the principle. It is impossible to pay off your debt to this man.

Similarly, we have accumulated a debt to God of millions, if not billions, of our sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. If we are going to try to earn perfection in order to come into God's Kingdom, perfection is the minimum requirement for each day. I must live perfectly today to avoid increasing the size of my debt to God. If I fail to live perfectly today, I end up deepening the hole I find myself in. If I do live perfectly today, it is useless towards satisfying the huge debt I owe God. Today's perfection can only be applied to God's demand that I live perfectly today. There's nothing left over for me to apply to past debts I owe God. It is impossible to gain perfection by performing perfectly.

However, even if it was numerically possible to reduce our debt to God by performing good works, it is impossible for us to do good works that count. The only motivation for a good work that counts to God is the motivation to please Him, worship Him, glorify Him, and honor Him. If we are motivated to save ourselves from hell by reducing our debt, our good works stop being good. They actually become evil. If I help the old lady cross the street so that God will punish me less, my good work becomes ugly, a self-centered attempt to manipulate God and play games with Him. We aren't motivated to honor God. We are motivated only to save our bacon. Therefore, it is impossible to do good works that please God without first humbling ourselves before Him.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

How Can We Become Perfect to Enter Heaven?

Our sin, rebellion, and imperfection needs to be washed away from us. We need to be purified. We need to be “justified”, our debt to God paid in full. In short, all of our sin needs to be erased somehow. Imagine a shower that we could step into and come out as if we had never sinned or rebelled from God. That is what we so desperately need.

However, God is the just and holy God. Our sin has deeply offended His majesty, glory, and honor. We have attempted to overthrow His Kingdom. We have rejected His authority over our lives. God’s wrath needs to be expressed in full measure, punishing every person for daring to rebel against Him. Our eternal punishment in hell is the only fitting punishment for daring to rebel against the Lord God Almighty.

We can’t merely step into a shower and be cleaned. Many people believe that simply saying “I’m sorry” to God cleanses us of all of our shame and guilt. Nope. God’s justice demands that we receive His full eternal wrath against us.

Therefore, there was a huge problem facing mankind! We needed to be cleansed of our sin and rebellion so that we could be holy and enter into heaven for eternity BUT we also had to receive God’s everlasting wrath in hell for daring to rebel against Him.

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. Romans 2:5

Jesus Christ is the Solution for Mankind

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took on humanity and became a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. He perfectly obeyed all of God’s commands and He perfectly lived to give God the Father honor and glory. He never rebelled or sinned against God. He proved Himself to be God by performing many miracles. He also proved Himself to have the wisdom of God by the authority and power of His teachings.

He told us that He came to earth for one purpose: to die on a tree for the sin of all who place their faith in Him. His three year ministry on earth was a planned journey with the final stop His excruciating pain on a cross just outside of Jerusalem. It was on that cross that God poured out His wrath upon Jesus for the sin of all who believe in Him. Christ received the blows of God for every shameful act that a believer in Jesus Christ has done in their life. Lying? Christ was punished for it. Stealing? Christ was punished for it. Adultery? Christ was punished for it. Prostitution? Christ was punished for it. Pornography? Christ was punished for it. Sexual perversion? Christ was punished for it. Open defiance of God? Christ was punished for it. Murder? Christ was punished for it.

The punishment was so severe that Jesus cried out just before His death, “My God why have You left me alone?” After spending an eternity as one with God the Father, God the Son was crying out in the pain of feeling abandoned by His Father. His Father was treating Jesus like Jesus was the one responsible for all sin throughout history and, therefore, He belonged in hell. God wanted nothing to do with Him for a few short hours.

Jesus then said, “It is finished!”

He died.

Jesus had received God’s full wrath for the sin of all who believe in Him. Now it was time for Him to be reunited with God the Father who loved Jesus so much. Jesus rose again from the dead on the third day. On the 40th day He ascended into heaven where Jesus returned to all of the glory and worship He had known before He was born a baby in Jerusalem. God the Father was so pleased with what Jesus had done to save the humans, whom God loved so much He punished His Son for their sin, that He gave Jesus power and authority above everything and everyone else. Jesus is now King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins. John 8:24

The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. John 12:48

Knowledge of Christ is not Enough

“Ok. I’ve heard the story. Jesus died for people’s sins. I must be saved. Cool. Pass me a beer and look at that girl over there.”

Not so fast.

No one in the universe understands the details of the plan of salvation more than Satan. He is skilled at quoting the Bible in order to deceive us. Is he saved because he knows the facts about what Christ did for humans? No.

Humans aren’t saved either because they’ve read the Bible. They aren’t saved because they’ve listened about Jesus in Sunday School class or because they heard sermons about Jesus in church. They aren’t saved because they’ve memorized Bible verses or they’ve sung worship music about Jesus. They aren’t saved because they understand the facts that Jesus died and rose again from the dead. They aren’t saved because they were confirmed or baptized or participated in communion.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

True Forgiveness of Sin

A man (or woman) is saved because…

1. He humbles himself before God, confessing he has dared to rebel against almighty God and that he deserves God’s eternal wrath against him.
2. He humbles himself before God and confesses that there is nothing he can do to save himself. He cannot pay off his debt to God. There are not enough good works he can do to make things right with God.
3. He believes that God loved him so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live the perfect life the man couldn’t live himself.
4. He believes that God loved him so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to receive the wrath of God on behalf of the man, as a substitute for the man.
5. He believes that when Jesus died, and rose again from the dead, all of the man’s sin and rebellion was paid for by Jesus, so much so that the man now stands perfect in the eyes of God the Father, as if he, like Christ, had never sinned.
6. He believes that if he were to die this very hour, the man will be welcomed into heaven not because he was good enough to enter but because Christ washed away all of his sin and rebellion. Christ had given the man a spiritual shower.
7. He proves his belief in Jesus is genuine and authentic by now desiring to live a life that pleases God and honors Jesus. He believes that the Holy Spirit has entered his heart to help him live a godly life.

Such a man has become holy and righteous in God’s eyes. Such a man will be welcomed into heaven to enjoy being with God throughout eternity.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Warning

However, the man who comes before God on Judgment Day without having humbled himself and received Christ as his savior will come before God with all of his baggage of wretched corruption, filth, stench, and unholiness. God won’t want that evil anywhere near His perfect home. The man will be sent to where he ought to be - to the place called hell with all of the other people who didn’t want God to rule over them.

There is no Muslim god who took upon himself the wrath people deserved for their sin.
There is no Hindu god who took upon himself the wrath people deserved for their sin.
There is no Buddhist god who took upon himself the wrath people deserved for their sin.
There is no New Age god who took upon himself the wrath people deserved for their sin.
There is no mythical god who took upon himself the wrath people deserved for their sin.
It is only the one true God who sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take upon himself the wrath people deserved for their sin.

To stand before God without having been cleansed by Jesus Christ is truly a frightening prospect that no one will survive.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36

The Christian Life

A Christian’s words and actions don’t become perfect once they receive Christ as their savior. They will still do sinful things and make foolish decisions. Many non-believers will call them hypocrites when they witness such things. However, believing Christians are now led by the Holy Spirit who dwells within them. They no longer desire to live a rebellious life against God. They now desire to please Him. They now desire to obey His commands, even if they slip up a little each day. They confess their sins and repent, pledging to not do the same sin again. Sometimes it is hard for a Christian to erase a sin from their life. However, their heart longs to be without sin and they continue to fight against that sin and that pleases God.

The Christian life is like an empty glass being filled by water. The water represents their hearts desire to love, please, and obey God. Over time, more and more water is poured into the glass as they study God’s Word, pray, and fellowship with other Christians. A Christian is continually maturing and becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. Their blatant and egregious sins become fewer and less noticeable. At the moment of their death, their glass will overflow with water and they will be perfect and holy as they enter into God’s presence.

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Ezekiel 36:26-27

Please Receive Jesus Christ as Your Savior This Very Moment

My friend, thank you for reading about salvation through Jesus Christ. Are you thinking about what I’ve written? Has it captured your interest? Does it make sense, perhaps for the first time? If so, it sounds like God the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit are inviting you to receive Jesus Christ as your savior. In Christ’s deep love for you, He wants your sins to be forgiven. He wants you to spend eternity with Him. Whatever you have done, no matter how awful it is, you can have it erased from your record.

You may never feel this way again. Now is the time of salvation. Please cry out to Jesus, confess you have sinned against Him and admit you deserve to spend eternity away from Him. Cry out to Him that you want to be cleansed of all of your sin and rebellion. Admit there is nothing you can do to save yourself. Tell Him that you believe He died on the cross for your sin and, because of Him, you will be holy and perfect when you die and come before Him for judgment. Tell Him you want to spend eternity with Him. Tell Jesus that you now want to spend the rest of your life learning more about what He has done for you and ask Him for help to live a life that pleases Him.

If you pray that prayer, I am confident I will spend eternity with you, my friend, enjoying heaven. You can have peace and joy in your heart that all is well with your relationship with God.

For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

Why is the World Still in an Awful Mess?

It has been 2,000 years since Christ died for our sin. The world remains an evil place. Why hasn’t Christianity brought about heaven on earth? The simple answer is that God never intended to create a perfect world in a place where sin was still rampant. The perfect world will one day be heaven. Even better, God has promised there will be a new earth someday, a perfect earth with no suffering, corruption, decay, or death. Imagine this world, with all of its wondrous sights and places, being perfect! That is the world we all want to live in and that is the world awaiting believers in Jesus Christ.

In the meantime, the entire church age has been the spread of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ (called the “gospel). People from every generation, nation, race, and tribe have come to faith in Jesus Christ. The population of heaven grows each time someone receives Christ as their savior. There are now millions, if not billions, of people who will spend eternity with Jesus.

Satan can have this earth. He is trying so hard to build a one world government where he rules over everyone. He is trying so hard to stamp out Christianity, to destroy our godly traditions, to destroy our institutions such as the family, to destroy truth itself (how many genders are there?), and to destroy our moral absolutes (watch the video above again). However, believers in Jesus Christ continue to be a thorn in his side. We continue to honor Jesus Christ no matter how hard he has tried to stop us. We continue to build the body of Christ, putting more nails in his coffin.
Satan is defeated. Christ’s work on the cross crushed him. He is destined to eternal agony himself.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. Revelation 21:1

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:10

The Second Coming of Christ

World history will come to an end. There will be a moment in the future when the last person who will ever receive Christ as their savior will have come to faith in Him. There will be no more purpose for the church. There will be no more purpose for sharing the gospel. It is at that moment, I believe, that Jesus Christ will come again. He will not come as a baby this time. He will come as the conquering King with mighty angelic armies. He will destroy all evil and wickedness on earth. He will put an end to death itself. Every person throughout world history will then kneel before Jesus Christ. Those who received Him as their savior, who loved Him on earth, will be pardoned of their sin and welcomed into heaven. Those who did not receive Him will be cast into hell for eternity, “enjoying” the world they wanted so much - a world where God wasn’t around to tell them what to do.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. Revelation 1:7

Please complete and submit the form below. The Gramazin team will receive your prayer request via email. We will pray for your request as we feel led by God to pray.

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Sincerity Test

We suspect there are those who are displeased by our faith in Jesus Christ. They would like to abuse this prayer request form to express their disapproval. While we can't prevent that from happening, we can require each person who submits a prayer request to do a little Bible research before submitting this form. We expect those who have legitimate prayer requests will understand and cooperate. Those who seek to abuse this form may not want to read the Word of God before submitting the form. Perhaps they will read it and the Holy Spirit plants a seed in their hearts.

You must answer three (3) of the five (5) questions correctly in order for your prayer request to process. You may choose to answer any three of the five questions.

It is believed that the prophet Isaiah lived in the 8th century BC, over 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. In the 53rd chapter of the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 53, the prophet perfectly described the character of Jesus and what His ministry on earth would be like. Please click here and open up Isaiah 53.

1. In verse 2, Jesus was described as:
   Select your answer A man of great physical strength An unattractive and undesirable man An attractive and handsome man A man who would lead many people


2. According to verse 3, which of the following was NOT experienced by Jesus:
   Select your answer He was despised and rejected He suffered and was familiar with pain People thought very little of him He was so lonely He wanted to die


3. According to verse 5, which of the following was NOT true about Jesus:
   Select your answer His body was pierced and crushed for our sin His punishment gave us peace with God Jesus would get revenge for the suffering He experienced We would be healed because of His suffering


4. According to verse 9, which of the following was NOT true about Jesus:
   Select your answer Jesus was punished for His own sin Jesus was buried after His death Jesus was never violent Jesus never told a lie


5. According to verse 10, which of the following was NOT true about Jesus:
   Select your answer It was God's will that Jesus be punished Jesus life will be cut short and He will not fufill His potential Jesus was an offering for our sin Jesus will live again to see His spiritual offspring

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