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Many people believe that God exists but don’t realise that they can know Him personally. I pray that as you read this page you will come to know Him for yourself.
God created you as a unique individual. He designed every one of us differently, but regardless of your age and background, his plan has always been that you should have a relationship with Him. He loves you, but will never force this relationship on you against your will. He invites you to get to know Him personally and discover the good plans He has for you. So many have found that God’s plan is best for their life and that He alone is able to give you the hope and the future that you are searching for.
To build a relationship with a pure and holy God, we need to recognise that our personal sin has separated us from Him. In the same way that a cloud cuts us off from the warmth of the sun, so our sin acts as a barrier making it impossible to experience God’s love and forgiveness. Sin includes our evil deeds, selfishness and wrong attitudes towards God and others.
It is important that this sin barrier is removed and this is why Jesus’ death on the cross is at the heart of the Christian message of hope and peace with God. We cannot clean ourselves up sufficiently and no amount of ‘trying to be better’ or even religious pursuits will make us clean on the inside. We can make a good job externally but God sees our heart! Jesus Christ, who is God’s son, never sinned. He lived a perfect life and died on a cross to pay the price for our sin. His sinless sacrifice was accepted by God the Father on our behalf and it opened the way for our relationship to begin with God personally.
It is not a question of only believing in God but believing that Jesus died on a cross for you, for the forgiveness of your personal sin. He paid the price that you should have paid, and he rose from the dead to defeat the power of sin and death once and for all time for you.
Becoming a Christian is a step of faith. You must be prepared to turn away from your sinful past, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
God loves you. He made you so that you could enjoy a special friendship with Him.
God is perfect in all that he does, says and thinks. He sent his Son Jesus Christ to our world to show us how to live.
Sadly, you and I are not perfect and we do, say and think things that are not good. The Bible calls this sin. Sin demands punishment and it separates us from God.
God loves you so much that he allowed his Son Jesus to take the punishment you and I deserve for our sin. Jesus died on a Roman cross 2000 years ago on our behalf.
Jesus was perfect and did not deserve to die but he willingly paid the price for my sin and yours and broke its power off our lives by coming back to life again. His one sacrifice covers all sin both then, now and in the future.
By asking the living Lord Jesus into your life, sin’s power is broken off you and you will receive forgiveness and freedom. You can now enjoy a special friendship with God through Jesus for ever.
Jesus went back to heaven and is there now. God sent his Holy Spirit to help us to live and he gives you the power to follow Jesus and walk away from sin.
Jesus will come again to earth to judge us all on how we have lived our lives and responded to his love for us.
This starts the relationship of knowing God personally. The easiest way to start is to pray a prayer like this and really mean it:
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Lord Jesus,
Thank you that you love me so much.
I am so sorry for my sin and I want to turn away from it.
I need your forgiveness. Thank you for dying on a cross for me and breaking sin’s power off me.
I ask you now to come into my life and clean me on the inside.
I want to follow you and know you in a real way.
I want to be your friend.
Please help me to live for you in the future.
I need the power of the Holy Spirit in my life and I promise to follow you for the rest of my life.
Amen. |
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If you have prayed your own prayer or a prayer like this one and would like to know more about the Christian faith we would be happy to try and help you and answer any questions you may have.
Please do contact us.
Pastor Bruce Oliver
The Ark Community Church.
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God loves you and has good plans for you |
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God created you as a unique individual. |
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God loves you and made you to enjoy a relationship with Him. |
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Jesus willingly paid the price for my sin and yours. |
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You can ask Jesus into your life and receive forgiveness and freedom.
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 You can now enjoy a special friendship with God through Jesus for ever.
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