Scripture
Text:
1The 4:1 (NIV) Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in
order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in
the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we
gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God's will that you
should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of
you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in
this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord
will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.
7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore,
he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his
Holy Spirit. 9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for
you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you
do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to
do so more and more. 11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind
your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so
that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not
be dependent on anybody.
“Our business is people and
Our reason is Jesus Christ.
Our purpose is to personally live Jesus
Christ.
Because of His love for us,
We can love Him and one another.
We believe in the absolute necessity
of conversion to Jesus,
The absolute reality of eternal life now
in Jesus,
And the absolute need of each other in
the fellowship of believers.
Our desire is to present Jesus Christ In
compassion and understanding
To every individual who does not know
Him,
And to encourage and develop every
individual who does know Him. “
By Gerry Hickman (Matthew
28:19-20)
What pleases God?
2Pet
3:8 (NIV) But do not forget this one
thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a
thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,
as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
John
3:17 (NIV)
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save
the world through him.
What
is a real Christian..? What makes
you a real Christian? Some
common myths about what is a christian?
Myth
#1: Being Born in America Makes You a Christian
by Luis Palau
I've met people who have told me, "I was born in America, so of
course I
am a Christian. What do you take me
to be, a heathen?" The truth is that
they could be a lot of things.
Others have said: "I've been a Christian all my life; I was born
in a Christian
home" or "in the
church." But since when does where you're born
determine what you are? As one of my
friends quipped, someone may be
born in a stable, but that doesn't
make him a horse. Nor does being born in
an airport make someone an airplane.
Be thankful for where you were born and for the family and church in
which you were reared. But don't
assume that automatically makes you a
Christian. God has no grandchildren.
Myth #2: Thinking Positively Makes You a Christian
Some people also think that if you
give a hearty handshake, pat others on
the back, smile, and ask, "How
are you doing?" that you're somehow a
Christian.. So thinking positively
about life in general and about
yourself in particular doesn't
automatically make you a Christian.
Myth #3: Living a Good Life Makes You a Christian
And, then, living a clean and moral life doesn't make anyone a
Christian.
Many atheists live a decent,
straight life. Anyway, how good is "good"?
That is the real issue. Most people
have a warped idea of the true standard
against which our goodness should be
measured.
Myth #4: Going to Church Makes You a Christian
Last Sunday four out of ten
Americans went to church. But does that mean
that all these people are
Christians? Of course not. Even some thieves go to
church.
Some people go to church because
it's a social habit. Others attend because
their family makes them go. At the
encouragement of a minister, they may
even go to special classes for
confirmation or membership.
Myth #5: Giving to Others Makes You a
Christian
Many of us were taught since childhood to give a portion of our income
to
charity or to the church. Whether
rich or poor, we feel it's our "Christian"
duty.
Even Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, says he feels a
"duty to do
something" so that "in
some way I can make life a little less stinking for
some people." So he donates
part of his wealth to worthy causes. And that's
commendable. But that's not what
makes somebody a Christian.
Myth #6: Receiving a Sacrament Makes You a
Christian
Maybe you were baptized as a child
or young adult. That doesn't
necessarily mean you're a Christian.
Many violent inmates in penitentiaries
were baptized years ago. But few
people would consider these inmates
Christians.
Or maybe you take Communion every Sunday. If you're a Christian, that's
great. But I've had someone tell me,
"Mr. Palau, I'm confused. I take
Communion every week, but I don't
know what it means to be a Christian."
You see, both baptism and Communion
are biblical. God commands
Christians to observe these
ordinances. But receiving either one won't make
you a Christian.
Myth
#7: Believing in God Makes You a Christian
Eight out of ten people in America
say they believe God exists. But are they
all Christians? Colonel James Irwin,
remembered for his Apollo 15 moon
mission, told me that while he was
in the Middle East, a Muslim leader said
to him, "You talk about God so
much--why aren't you a Muslim?"
I have a good friend who believes in
exercise. But he never does any. He is
forty-five pounds overweight and
hopelessly out of shape. I know countless
small boys who believe in soap. But
they are not a shade cleaner in spite of
their belief. Belief, on its own,
makes no difference. That is why belief, by
itself, doesn't make someone a
Christian.
Myth #8: Talking about Jesus Christ Makes You a
Christian
Many people talk about Jesus Christ
and even speak well of Him. They
may be teachers, ministers, church
leaders, or "just plain folk." But they
may not even believe that the
Bible's message about Jesus is true.
Some actually have a distorted view
of Jesus that fits their own way of
thinking, rather than seeing the
Jesus of history and the Bible. And that
disqualifies them from calling
themselves real Christians.
Myth #9: Praying Makes You a Christian
Certainly Christians pray. But
someone can pray and still not be a Christian.
Hindus pray all the time. Muslims
pray five times a day.
When traveling abroad, the late
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat carried a
little prayer rug on which to kneel
five times daily. But he was a Muslim,
not a Christian. So praying in
itself doesn't make someone a Christian.
Myth #10: Reading the Bible Makes You a Christian
Of course Christians love the Bible.
Some of us read it daily. But just
reading
the Bible doesn't mean you are a Christian.
Read
the Bible all you can. It explains how to settle this issue once and for
all.
Since it's God's Word, not man's, we can trust it completely. But
remember, just reading the Bible
won't make you a Christian.
According
to the Word of God you become a Christian when you:
1. Choose to become a Child of God by becoming born again through
the Spirit of God.. John
1:12 (KJS) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: {power: or, the right,
or, privilege}
2.
Repent from your way of Living to follow the Lord's Way of Life for you..
John
14:6 (KJS) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me.
3. Follow the Way .. The way of life that Jesus lived..
The disciples were christians first at Antioch because they followed
Jesus..Turn from your wickedness and unrighteousness to God's ways of
Holiness...
Let this question be the
guide for your life:
What would Jesus Do?