FOUR THINGS YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE YOU DIE

Four Things You Must Know Before You Die.


1.  Sound the Alarm!  You Need To Be Rescued!

There is no difference with anyone else - we are all equal - we all need to be rescued.  We as humans are no longer capable of being our own rescuers, because just as some people in a marathon get tired and never reach the finish line, so we fail to get ourselves out of trouble.  No sooner are we seemingly out of trouble, but we are back in it quicker than ever and in worse trouble than previously.  So we need help, and very strong help at that, from outside ourselves to not only get us out of trouble, but to keep us out.  This very strong help from outside ourselves, then, has to be complete - so complete that we are changed from inside out - spirit, soul and body. 

2.  You Are Drowning!  You Cannot Rescue Yourself!

There is absolutely no way we can do this for ourselves - no matter how many self-help books we read, or how ever many positive affirmations we make, or even how religious we are.  We cannot and will never be safe from ourselves, our bad habits, our sin and misery, and be free to live good, happy, and truly righteous, holy and peaceful lives.

3.  A Rescuer Has Been Assigned - His Name Is Jesus!

Only Jesus of Nazareth can both get and keep us out of our terrible condition (and it is a terrible condition - especially when we think it is not).  The Bible says that He suffered the terrors of His Passion for us to bring us to God - not only in the next life, but now also (I do not preach a "believe in Jesus and you'll be better off dead" gospel, oh no!).

4. How To Trust Jesus Now.

Only Jesus can save you.  He is ready to save you.  He has done everything that is necessary to save you.  Jesus has done the hard part.  All you have to do is trust Him.  If you think that that is too easy, then you're either a sceptic or religious.  Yet it is true that if you don't know how to trust Jesus for your salvation, then everything so far has been just idle words.  So, here's how to trust Jesus for your salvation:
4.1.  Repent.  Don't worry about that sounding confrontational.  It's an old military expression meaning "about turn".  God loves you.  Everyone who knows Him will tell you - He's just not like that.  Confess everything to Him.
4.2.  Believe.  If you think you have not got the faith to believe, you've been lied to.  The Bible says that Jesus gives faith to everyone!
4.3.  Ask Jesus to come into your heart and be your Personal Saviour.  This is the sweetest moment in life for anyone!  When you believe that Jesus died for you, and ask Him to be your Personal Saviour, you will be forgiven and rescued from sin and death, and everything they stand for.
4.4.  Tell someone.  Either family member, close friend, or Church leader.  Tell them what you have done and ask them to understand.  Read your Bible every day and pray.  Attend a church where you will find a warm welcome, and where they can help you grow in your new life in Jesus.  If you are in Pembrokeshire, you will be very welcome at Bethesda, Tenby Road, Saundersfoot.

The Bible verses listed below and many others, show that anyone who, by faith, receives Jesus Christ as their Personal Saviour has Eternal Life immediately.  God bless you, and thank you for reading.

Bible References:  Romans 3.23; Ecclesiastes 7.20; John 3.3; Romans 12.3; Titus 3.5; Galatians 2.16; John 14.6; 1st Peter 3.18; John 3.16; Isaiah 55.6; 2nd Corinthians 6.2; Mark 8.36; Luke 13.3; Acts 16.31; Romans 10.9-10; John 5.24; 10.27-28.
 

An Encouragement To Prayer

Read Luke 15.11-32.

My daily readings from Holy Scripture, took me to the above passage. The normal considerations of this parable as one of conversion are to be questioned, because both boys are brothers at the outset. So any consideration of this parable , and our subsequent engagement with it, are to be post conversion considerations. The Lord Jesus intended this parable to be applied to both His disciples (the first boy) and the Pharisees (the

second boy). But today, there are neither Apostles nor Pharisees, but only ourselves,
as we hear and obey (or disobey) the Word of God.

Do we consider ourselves on the inside or the outside of Christendom? As people who

have made open confession of the Christian Faith, and are active members of a Church, for the purpose of this exercise, we must consider, and engage with this parable through the eyes of the second boy. Both brothers, however, tried to distance themselves from their father: the one to the far country, where he wasted his father's substance on riotous living (he is clearly under the illusion that he can sin so that grace may abound – a common mistake among those who are newly converted).  The second distances himself from his father in the field, where he behaves like a servant rather than a son. This father's dress code for his sons was hardly suitable for field work! Neither was the diet! Most poignantly, his speech was not worthy of his father's household.

Where, then, do we find the encouragement or inducement to prayer, here? This

father did not want a working relationship with his sons. He simply wanted their
company and their love. But he lost both his sons; the one to the far country, the
other to the field. Both were absent. His second encounter with his first son was met
with joy, love, restoration and a total abandonment of decorum. His first encounter
with his second son was met with superiority, condemnation and a
curious report about harlots.

No amount of hard field work could justify or cover the malice, hypocrisy and self-righteousness of such a conclusion as this – there being no way he could possibly

know what, if anything, his first brother had done with his father's substance. This
vile conclusion was reached while he was distant from his father, and in the company
of servants (the ungodly and disrespectful). In short, no amount of hard work could
cover or cure his carnal mind.

Where, then, is the inducement to prayer? Later, in chapter 17, the Lord Jesus goes

on to teach very graphically about forbearing and forgiving each other in love. If we
are obedient to this most holy exhortation, we will never be guilty of thinking of each
other in this way. Furthermore, we know from John chapter 3 that those who believe
on Jesus as their Personal Saviour have passed from Judgement. So not even God is
accusing us of thinking in this way. But amazingly, the second brother's speech
remains in Scripture to reveal to us, with great pity for our simplicity, the Divine
Mind. Here we hear from within the very courts of Heaven itself, the manner of the
thought-life of the prayer-less Christian. Why do we not pray without ceasing? For
charitable reasons, the bluntness of the answer required to this question is for private
meditation only. But surely, can we not see the Abomination of Desolation in the
Temple of our hearts that is prayerlessness?

Key thought: a prayer-less Christian is a contradiction in terms.

Additional note on King Josiah.

“When we read his story, we find ourselves dumb-foundedly asking, Why doesn't he

pray? Surely, if he had done so, God would have revealed to him the right thing to
do, and both his life and the Nation of Judah, would have been saved. The truth is,
that while these considerations are valid, our diatribe recoils back on us. Sadly, even
the most godly people miss the mark and the cause is usually due to the absence of
prayer. What was the cause of Josiah's lack of prayer? We don't know. What we can
make sure of, though, is that we do not lack prayer, but pray without ceasing.”

ends.




Affirmations Of A Transformed mind.

The Apostle Paul exhorts us in Romans 12.2 to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  And it is only by a regular diet of prayer, reading of the Bible, both public and private, and Christian fellowship at a local church, that this can happen.  Of course, the rapidity with which this happens varies with each individual, but there are times when is is very appropriate to take stock of our situation, and draw a line, as it were, from our old lives, or as one translation says, "the self we once were." (Jerome).  What follows is simply a help towards that noble purpose.  Please note that it is not magical in any way.  You will need to closely study each affirmation before making it, taking the trouble to pray and find the right Bible references for each one, and that could take some time - even weeks.  You may even be advised to seek help from a more experienced Christian friend with regard to this.

The first set of affirmations are gleaned directly from Romans 6.12-13.  In compiling them, I used the New Living Translation Study Bible.  It served its purpose well, as I was not only able to find the right passage of the Bible for my purpose, but to make sure I had the meaning right.  This is essential for this exercise, because in making any affirmation or confession of faith in the presence of God, it is impossible to be too diligent.  Especially as I intended eventually to upload it for the help of others.  The last thing I ever want to do is lead anyone astray.

The second set of affirmations take some explaining.  They are paraphrased from a book entitled "Man - King of Mind, Body and Circumstances."  Its author is a man named James Allen.  He was born 28th November, 1864 in Leicester (England).  He took his first job at the age of fifteen to support his family in the absence of his father, who was murdered whilst looking for work in America in 1879.  He then worked as a knitter with various factories, and then as a private secretary in various other companies in the manufacturing industry.  In 1901, he published his first book, entitled "From Poverty to Power".  The following year, he left his secretarial duties to devote himself full time to writing, and in 1903 completed his third and best known work, entitled "As A Man Thinketh".  After this, he moved with his wife Lily, and daughter Nora, to Ilfracombe.  Here, he continued to write books and articles, and with Lily, to publish his spiritual journal, "The Light of Reason", later changing its title to "The Epoch".  He died at the age of only forty-seven, on the 24th January, 1912 - most likely from consumption.  Allen completed nineteen books in his career, several of which were published posthumously by his wife.  While not widely known during his lifetime, he came to be seen as a pioneer of inspirational literature, his writing both touching and influencing the twentieth century's leading motivational thinkers.

My own concern about engaging with his work as I do here is, is it right to place any value on it in a Christian context?  After much long consideration, my answer is, rather obviously, yes.  If we can see the best in what we see and hear even if we know they are not "of us", then surely we can in this case.  As far as I am aware, there are no questionable allegances and the Bible, when referred to, is always done in a respectful manner.  Do I find his work inspirational?  A resounding yes is my answer.  If I may, before offering both sets of affirmations, I would like to offer the following poem as a clear instance of this.  I think of it as a hymn to the Grace of God.  See what you think:

I stood upon the shore and saw the rocks
   Resist the onslaught of the mighty sea,
And when I thought how all the countless shocks
   They had withstood through an eternity,
I said, "To wear away this solid main
The ceaseless efforts of the waves are vain."

But when I thought how they the rocks had rent,
   And saw the sand and shingles at my feet,
(Poor passive remnants of resistance spent)
   Tumbled and tossed where they the waters meet,
Then saw I ancient landmarks 'neath the waves,
And knew the waters held the stones their slaves.

I saw the mighty work the waters wrought
   By patient softness and unceasing flow;
How they the proudest promontory brought
   Unto their feet, and mossy hills laid low;
How the soft drops the adamantine wall
Conquered at last and brought it to its fall.

And then I knew that hard resisting sin
   Should yield at last to love's soft ceaseless roll
Coming and going, ever flowing in
   Upon the proud rocks of the human soul;
That all resistance should be spent and past,
And every heart yield unto it at last.



Affirmations of the Renewed Mind.


1.  Based upon Romans 6.12-13 (NLT)

1.1.  I will not let sin control the way I live.
1.2.  I will not give in to sinful desires.
1.3.  I will not allow any part of my body to
        become an instrument of evil to
        serve sin.
1.4.  I will give myself completely to God.
1.5.  I will use my whole body as an
        instrument to do what is right
        for the Glory of God.
1.6.  I am no longer the slave of sin.
1.7.  I will live in the freedom of God's Grace.

2.  Based upon James Allen's "Man - King of Mind, Body & Circumstance."

2.1.  I can and will rise.
2.2.  I can and will break away from
        bad habits.
2.3.  I can and will alter my nature.
2.4.  I can and will control and conquer myself.
2.5.  I can and will cease from sin.

THESE AFFIRMATIONS SHOULD BE REPEATED AT LEAST ONCE PER DAY OR AS FELT NECESSARY.