Don't Give Up!

The Bible will keep you from sin
&
Sin will keep you from the Bible

Corinthians 4:16
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.

Corinthians 5:5
New Bodies
God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

Corinthians 5:11
We Are God's Ambassadors
Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.

Corinthians 5:13-15
If we seem to be crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if it is in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ's love controls us.* Greek Urges us on.
Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.* Greek Since one died for all, then all died.
He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was risen for them.

Producing Good Fruit

When I was an early Christian I banned the Church from interfering in my spiritual walk. Now I want to go to Church because it builds me up with the Lord and I learn something new every time I go. I've learned this from my own spiritual walk. Christians may say that they know the Bible and believe in it, but don't believe in the Word.

Parable of the Blind Leading the Blind
Luke 6:39-42
And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?

We should be careful how we witness to the lost. We should first examine ourselves. "Am I producing good fruit? Am I a hypocrite?"

True & False Teaching
Matthew 7:18-20
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Luke 6:43-45)

True Way into the Kingdom
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

People preach but it doesn't mean anything to God if you don't "practice what you preach."

Parable of Two Fountains
Luke 6:46
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?

If you're not producing "good fruit" your soil will never produce a praiseworthy crop if you don't work on it. Why would we not do what He asks of us? He is our Saviour—the one who gave us everlasting life!

Build Your Faith on a Rock
Matthew 7: 24-27
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (Luke 6:47-49)
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Therefore brothers and sisters let us hear the Lord and practice what we claim to preach! (Cor 4:1-3,13)

Walking Blindly

Parable of Leading the Blind
Luke 6:39
And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?

Sometimes when I'm in the bathroom taking out my contacts just before I go to bed I would start walking to my room and then realize that I don't have my glasses on. I usually put on my glasses so I can at least read a book in bed if I feel like it. I stop and remember, “Oh, I'm blind!” I mean I can't see any further than six inches. So I walk back to the bathroom to put on my glasses. This sometimes happens in our Christian walk. We sometimes get so used to the daily things we do, or the regular practices like communion or group prayer and forget to check out the path we are heading into. We find ourselves walking blindly on our path forgetting to put on our Lord the Saviour! We sometimes make the choice of spiritual independence. We put our trust in the Lord but somehow we get distracted by some of the things happening in our life and we choose to do our spiritual walk alone.

* Read Luke 15 for the information below.

Steps to Spiritual Independence
by Dr. Charles F. Stanley:

1. Desire

(to do your own thing)

2. Deception

(overlooking your met needs)

3. Decision

(departure)

4. Delight

(pleasures of sin)

5. Disappointment

(unsatisfied)

6. Despair

(afraid)

7. Disaster

(turning over to something evil)

8. Decision

(come back to your senses and act on it)

Out of the hog pen!

Walk back to that intimate relationship with the Lord where you'll be able to enjoy everything that the world promised but could not produce in your life. We must learn to listen to Him before we know how to trust him.

**Dr. Charles F. Stanley, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries.

The Road of Life: The Road to Salvation

The

Road

of

Life:

THE ROAD TO

SALVATION

Michael K. Lilley

Preface

God gave us the road map (the Bible). It's up to you to read it and follow it! The rules and directions are all there. Even if you've never believed in putting your faith into the Bible, and what it proclaims, it doesn't hurt to try. You will never know unless you try!

Antidote

You know how a mother tries to warn her child not to cross the road without looking both ways but the child neglects their mother's warning and runs across, nearly getting struck by a car? Well, God warns us in the Bible about our judgment. He also safeguards us with the promise of our salvation through Jesus and how we can be safe before crossing the road of life.

Our Navigator

Make sure you're driving on the right path. There are a lot of distractions on the road. Big flashy signs and alluring entertainment. We may choose to go left or right and detour our path towards God. Take the righteous path and drive straight to God. Put on Christ as you would trust seat belt and let him navigate you onto the Holy path. He gives us grace to stand against evil desires. As the Scriptures say,

Proverbs 3:34

“God opposes the proud

but favours the humble.”

Road Map

How do we know if we are on the right path in our Christian walk with the Lord? Everyone we meet is a part of our journey. The people we meet should not be in our way but on our way to growing with the Lord. Neglecting who may detour us on our path will not help us grow in our faith. Be diligent to help the lost along our road to salvation. We should maintain perseverance in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly along our path and an unflagging faith that had persevered Jesus to proclaim the Word to the world. As Christians we should uphold what we have been instructed. Your loyalty will be divided between God and the world (James 4:8).

Division by Proclamation

Share the gospel with everyone on your path. Your faith is inexplicable to an non-believer. So use the Gospel to help them understand. They will see how different you are, but remind them you used to be just like them, following the world, and share how God changed your life (Titus 3:3-5). The divergence in opinion will distinguish the Holy from the Unholy (Luke 12:51). Because you who have God's approval will be recognized! (1 Cor 11:19). Mockers will ridicule you and impostors will quarrel with you (Proverbs 14:9). There is a 50/50 chance of losing friends. It's unfortunate but you will find out who your real friends are. It's a win/lose situation we all don't want to be in: to find ourselves in a sorry plight over our differences.

However, it's better to find out sooner than have the burden of resentment to build up on your shoulders for years and fading into a nought relationship bound by distrust.

Avoid Quarrels

Remember, do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual genealogies or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. If people are causing divisions among you, give a first a second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. For people like that have turned away form the truth, and their own sins condemn them. (Titus 3:9-11)

Humble Servant

So humble yourselves before God.... Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:7,9,10)

Self-Examination

We are so busy trying to save and encourage others but sometimes forget to look at ourselves and ask God to show us who we are and who we should be for Him. It's time to park the car for a moment and ask God to show us what we look like through His eyes and ask Him to show us how to live more for Him and only Him. Don't forget to pray for yourself sometimes and ask God to show you the person He wants you to be and to give you the strength, courage, and knowledge to show you the person He sees in you.

Let the Lord show you what you are missing before you're ready to cruise down the road. Sometimes we check the rear view mirrors too concerned about other drivers and miss what God has to help us on our path. He may be trying to flash His headlights at you but you fail to realize you're driving in the dark right into a road barrier. Take yourself out of the dark and ask God to help you flick on the headlights.

Effective Prayer

When speaking to the Lord acknowledge His authority, wisdom, goodness, and righteousness by being humble. God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Respond with deep, inner worship of Him asking for His wisdom, guidance, strength, and provision.

Ask and it will be given to you. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matt 7:7,8)

Simple Logic of True or False – Believe or Beleive Not

It's a fifty/fifty chance. In the Christian faith if I didn't believe in God I'd go to Hell. If the proclamation of the Gospel was true and I believed in it faithfully I'd be safe.

So, if being a devout Christian and put my faith in Jesus, and it's true then I go to heaven. If it's not true and I still get to go to heaven then I lived a good life and I'm still safe. If the Bible was true and I didn't believe it then I go straight to Hell.

Entering The Narrow Gates

Satan hinders us from our path towards God. He despises holiness and tries to 'woo' us away from God so that we are separated by His Holiness. With these theological ideas Satan tries to fill us with the idea of spiritual independence from God.

Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

If I believe in the proclamation of the Bible then I'm impervious to what happens to me after I leave this world. It's better to safeguard your salvation in Jesus Christ than missing an opportunity of eternal life and leaving it all up to chance! God left us with the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Read it and obey it!

Epilogue

To be concluded......

Appendix

The Living Translation Bible: Second Edition

Is God First In Your Life?

God will not punish the lost because they do not know the truth (Psalm 107:17). But for the believers and fellow Christians He will make fools of it they proclaim the truth but give false witness (Romans 1:22).
The true believers know the truth. They will look like fools to the people they witness to if they don't practice what they preach (Proverbs 13:20).
Fools will never understand (Proverbs 14:33). But try to put up with them. You will be proven wise! (2 Corinthians 11:19). The ones who seek knowledge will find understanding (Proverbs 15:14).
I used to live doing things careless (Ecclesiastes 2:13). Partying without thinking their were any consequences. It wasn't until that night in the hospital when I was 19 that God grabbed my attention and showed me that everything I do an everything I say has consequences (Proverbs 18:1-24).
Was I willing to risk relying on my own righteousness to save me? (Job 33:26). I was putting God under my foot.

Genesis 15:6 (KJV)
And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Unshaken

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to
this world,
but be transformed by
the renewal of your mind.

...in our knowledge of Him but not sensual.

The Bible was written for the believers
and to help the lost seek the Lord.

6 Tips To Handing Down Your Faith (The 6 P's)

By: Dr. Charles F. Stanley

Principle:
Teachings
Interest
Instruction

Pattern:
Character
Actions
Failures
Mistakes
Examples

Persistent:
Consistency

Participation:
Involved
Interest
Openness

Praise:
Admiration
Grace
Homage
Encouragement

Prayer:
Worship
Devotion
Hope

**Dr. Charles F. Stanley, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries.