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=xSE5PuX63vc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1UHi-iqYuY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wZaItExbKk&index=14&list=RD30sY4Mhvhr8
Perfect Love
I watched an interview in which Tim Tebow was asked if he feared failing at Major League Baseball the way he did in the NFL, and he responded by saying, "Perfect love casts out all fear." These are words from 1 John 4:18 which says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
Not only in Tebow's example of not fearing to fail at sports, 1 John 4:18 can be applied to any fear we face. Since God has forgiven Christians for their sins and promises they will go to heaven (This is perfect love.), they don't need to fear the most frightening thing possible - going to hell. Not only do they not have to have this ultimate fear, but they don't need to fear anything in this life either. Romans 8:28 declares, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and are living a similar lifestyle to the one explained in chapter 39 of this book - www.areyousureyouaresaved.com “everything” that happens in your life (good and bad) is designed to help you be closer to God. So instead of going through life worrying about your circumstances, realize that God is in control of every second of each day, and no matter how horrible things are in your life, He allowed it to happen, and something good will come out of it (even though you may not notice it) . When you think about it, Christians are invincible. Their minds and bodies may be tormented every day, but they are really in God’s protective bubble forever!
Another way to visualize this is that Christians are riding an escalator on a straight path to heaven. On this ride, they will experience mental and physical suffering (broken bones, job loses, problems with family and friends, car wrecks, headaches, fevers, etc.), but God knows when these things will happen and allows them to happen; it is part of the ride. There is no escaping it, but it is very comforting to know that this escalator ride ends at heaven.
Christians have the responsibility to trust that God has everything under control. First Peter 4:12-13 says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
In other words, when bad things happen to Christians, they shouldn’t be surprised, because this is part of the escalator ride to heaven. The escalator doesn’t stop when problems happen; it keeps moving ahead and stops when it reaches the gates of heaven. The ride is very rough, but it becomes perfectly smooth once it stops at the gates of heaven. So, when a Christian loses a loved one, they need to realize this is part of the ride and continue to live the Christian lifestyle. (An example of the Christian lifestyle is explained in chapter 39 of this book - www.areyousureyouaresaved.com) When a Christian loses their money, they need to realize this is part of the ride and continue to live the Christian lifestyle. This pattern should be used for every problem.
A final important note is the last sentence in 1 John 4:18, "He that feareth is not made perfect in love." Christians shouldn't fear anything. If you have prayed or made a decision to become a Christian, but you fear something, please follow chapter 10 of this book - www.areyousureyouaresaved.com
If you have not prayed or made a decision to become a Christian, please follow chapter 41 of this book - www.areyousureyouaresaved.com
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