Every day pray that everyone you know will either become a Christian or influence others to become a Christian, and please share this online book with others - www.areyousureyouaresaved.com
Worship music - Please click the links and sing along if you know the words (You can also click skip ad to go straight to the songs) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bDjKbMEwoU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIydtsFBiJ8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qyzDUdVW8
New Year's Resolutions
My copy and paste feature doesn't keep the words that are supposed to be italicized, so instead of me doing it manually, refer to a Bible to see which words are italicized.
If people want to achieve their New Year’s resolutions, it takes a lot of determination and commitment. The same goes for people wanting to become Christians.
People have the idea that they will become Christians and maybe get around to following Jesus someday. Jesus didn't take that approach - Luke 13:22-24 records, "And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."
In Dr. John MacArthur’s book The Gospel According to Jesus he said, “The Greek word for “strive” is agonizomai, implying an agonizing, intense, purposeful struggle. It is the same word used 1 Corinthians 9:25 of an athlete battling to win a victory. It is also used in Colossians 4:12 of Epaphras laboring fervently, and in 1 Timothy 6:12 of the Christian who “fights the good fight of faith.” It is a struggle, a battle, an extreme effort.”
In other words, the word ‘strive’ means to make every effort. A lot of people who have read Luke 13:22-24 may be trying to figure out why Jesus said that, because it seems He meant that someone has to labor and work in order to be saved. However, that isn’t what He meant. Multitudes of unsaved people are taught that they can be saved if they believe Jesus died on the cross for their sins and arose from the dead. As a result, the unsaved person has two choices - If they believe Jesus died on the cross for their sins, they will go to heaven. If they don’t believe Jesus died on the cross for their sins, they won’t go to heaven. There are those who really become Christians when they choose to believe, because their hearts were prepared to receive Jesus before they believed (The Parable of the Sower - Matthew 13:1-23). Although, the tragedy is that few people get saved when they are simply left with the decision to believe or not to believe. The reason this happens is because they don’t strive to enter in at the straight gate (Luke 13:22- 24). People need to realize that after they pray or make decisions to become Christians, they must make every effort (try very hard) to begin following Jesus (live a lifestyle similar to the one explained in chapter 39 of the pdf file book featured at this website - www.areyousureyouaresaved.com), no matter who or what circumstances try to stop them. So, the question is, “Why do few people get saved?” The answer is, “They don’t strive to enter in at the straight gate (Luke 13:22-24).” This is basically the same question the person asked Jesus in Luke 13:23. The person asked Jesus, “Lord, are there few that be saved?” In Luke 13:24 Jesus answered and said, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
Mistakenly, people make decisions to trust Jesus' work on the cross to save them, and they say things such as, "Well I might go to church Sunday morning, and I could read a little bit of the Bible today." As a result, these people keep living and thinking this way, and they believe that is all there is to living the Christian lifestyle. They basically ignore 2 Corinthians 5:17 which says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." and Colossians 3:1-4 which says, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." This is assurance of salvation; Jesus completely takes over every area of someone's life and every moment of each day. For an example of this lifestyle, see chapter 39 of the pdf file book featured at this website - www.areyousureyouaresaved.com
If you have not prayed or made a decision to become a Christian, please follow this website - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/howtogotoheaven
If you have prayed or made a decision to become a Christian, but you are not sure you are really a Christian (Hebrews 11:6, Matthew 21:18-22, 1 John 5:14, and Hebrews 11:1), please follow this website - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/howtogotoheaven