[2nd file of 5, ARROWS] "I DON'T BELIEVE IN HELL" "I don't believe God would ever send anybody to Hell." If you have ever made this statement, God has a surprise for you. The Lord Jesus Christ said about twice as much about Hell as He did about Heaven, and the apostle Paul wrote, "He (the Lord Jesus) will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." (I Thessalonians 1:8-9 NIV) The only real God, the One who created the universe that you live in, has revealed a whole lot about Himself, His creation, and His plan for mankind in the Scriptures; and He has revealed Himself supremely in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has purchased salvation for every sinner who will simply believe the gospel and transfer his trust to the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Trusting in oneself "being good enough" or in any other religious system, simply will not work. It's either TRUST in the gospel of the Scriptures, or it will be THE DESTINATION that Paul wrote about to the Thessalonians. The Lord Jesus Christ said, "I am the Way,...no one comes to the Father, but by Me." We warmly and urgently appeal to you to COME to the Lord Jesus Christ, and through Him, to God the Father. Hell is a reality, and those who fail to trust in Jesus Christ will go there. We do not want you to be among them. Come visit us. We'd like to talk with you. [Clyde Price, Arrows8] IMITATION CHRISTIANS "Oh, I believe Christ was our Great Example. I always ask myself, 'What would Jesus do?' and then I try to do it." Sorry, friend, no place in the New Testament that comments on following the example of Jesus in any way confirms the doctrine of "salvation by imitation." The apostle Peter mentioned Christ (in I Peter 2:21 ff.) as an example who was sinless even under gross mistreatment and who entrusted Himself completely in His suffering to His Father. Peter continues, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; for by his wounds you have been healed." (I Peter 2:24 NIV) The biggest problem with being saved by following Christ's example is that we've already blown it. It's awfully hard to imitate someone with a perfect record, especially when the only "passing grade" in that system is PERFECTION (see Matthew 5:48 and I John 1:10). But Peter tells us, quoting from Isaiah 53:4 and 11, that Messiah is not only our EXAMPLE but He is also our SUBSTITUTE. He took the consequences of our sin upon Himself so that through faith in Him we might receive forgiveness and healing and abundant eternal life. Are you an "imitation Christian" or the real thing? If you are trying to follow your own concept of what you think Jesus would do, when you examine the Scriptures you'll probably find that the God of the Scriptures and the Jesus of the New Testament say and do things that don't fit your personal notions. Even if your concept is close, when you try to "be like Jesus" in your own strength, you are doomed to frustration. You can't do it. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life. You must transfer your trust from your own "trying" to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. You must divorce your notions of what you THINK Jesus would do, and accept the Scriptures as the standard for what you believe and do. And put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross and arose again from the dead, to be your only Savior and the King of your life. We're here to help you. We'd like to meet you. But you don't have to wait. Put your trust in Jesus, right now. [Clyde Price, Arrows9] THE SOURCE OF HOLINESS "Well, I believe God will let me into heaven because I try to live right and do my best. Don't you think that's good enough?" Unfortunately, God does not think that is "good enough." There is a definite place for holiness, or "living right", in Christianity, but it is as a RESULT of salvation rather than the CAUSE. Scripture reveals that God has chosen to save sinners by His own grace, and He made His plans to do this even before He created the universe. The apostle Paul wrote, "[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." (II Timothy 1:9 NIV) God gives us grace to be forgiven, or "saved", and then He gives grace to live a holy life. The Bible is very clear that we are not accepted by God on the basis of what we do, but rather on the basis of what the Lord Jesus Christ (God the Son) has already done for us. AFTER being saved by God's grace through faith, our Father will assign us things He wants us to do (see Ephesians 2:8-10). This was the plan of love agreed to by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (one God, three Persons) before the beginning of time. It is a very good policy always to try to "live right and do your best", but that will NOT earn you a place in heaven. Only through Jesus Christ, and by putting your trust in Him alone as your only hope of salvation, will you ever get to heaven. NOTHING ELSE is "good enough" for God. We encourage you to contact us; if possible, come by for a visit. We want to meet you and talk with you. But don't wait. PUT YOUR TRUST IN JESUS. [Clyde Price,Arrows10] IS THE DEVIL A CHRISTIAN? Many church members are no more Christians than the devil is. James writes, "The devils also believe, and tremble." (James 2:19 KJV) Giving intellectual assent to the reality of God and the facts of Christianity does not constitute a SAVING FAITH. It is a very good thing to teach new converts and children the facts of our faith, but the ability to recite a series of right answers is not the same as actually putting your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you. The apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church, "that if you confess with your mouth, `Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10 NIV) If you haven't invested that "heart-belief" in Christ Jesus, and His death and resurrection on your behalf, then you have not yet been justified before God. If Jesus Christ is not the Lord (Boss) of your life, then you may mouth, "Jesus is Lord!", but for you that would not be a CONFESSION; it would be a LIE. If the simple unfolding of this passage has pricked you, don't get mad! Instead, receive it as GOOD news. Put your trust in the Risen Lord, the Messiah Jesus, and confess Him as the Boss of your life. Heaven and Hell (for many folks) are eighteen inches apart: that's the distance from your head to your heart. If you want to know more, read Romans 4, and see what God means by real faith. Abraham not only believed that the facts of God's promises were true, but he depended on them even when his visible circumstances made the promise seem impossible. While you're at it, read the whole letter to the Romans. Most folks could read it in less than an hour. We'd like to talk with you. Come and visit us. [Clyde Price, Arrows11] ETERNAL SECURITY Do you feel lonely? Do you feel insecure? Do you worry about unforeseen things that could happen to you? You might find it distasteful to compare yourself to a sheep, especially if you know anything about sheep. But distasteful or not, here is something the Lord Jesus Christ said about the relationship between Himself and those who have put their trust in Him: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:27-30 NAS) The Good Shepherd has a personal, individual relationship with each of His sheep, calling each one by name. Any thief looking for "mutton" must get through the protection of Jesus Christ, and there is no better Protector in the universe. Some folks use this passage as a source-text in arguments about whether or not a true believer can ever "jump out" of the Father's hand and end up in Hell. What fool would WANT to? Don't be offended about being compared to a sheep. This comparison is not intended to "get your goat." We wanted to get you to think about how wonderful the Shepherd is. We invite you to find a New Testament, find the fourth Gospel, John, and read the 10th chapter, which we quoted from. Then start back at the beginning, and read it straight through. We'd like to meet you and try to answer your questions, but you shouldn't wait until you understand every little detail. Don't wait. Put your trust in Jesus. Do it now. [Clyde Price, Arrows12] "I'M NOT SO BAD" Some people resent being told that they are "sinners." Often people will react to a personal presentation of the gospel by saying, "I'm not so bad!" The book of Proverbs says, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts." (Proverbs 21:2 NKJ) Most people simply adopt the value-system in which they grew up, either unconsciously or deliberately, without ever questioning whether or not it is RIGHT. Even for those few who determine to work out their own solitary path, they seldom seek for an objective standard to measure their ambitions or achievements. The true and living God has revealed Himself in the Scriptures and in His Son, Jesus the Messiah of Israel, who was crucified for sinners, raised victorious over death, and lives today to face you with the truth. We urge you to read for yourself the New Testament books of John, Galatians and Romans. Many could do this in 4 hours or less. These sections of Scripture explain that no one except the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has ever had a "record" acceptable to God. Everybody else from Adam and Eve down to you has needed a Savior, and the Lord Jesus is the only one who can save. Read especially John 5, Romans 3 & 5, Galatians 2 & 3. God's standard is perfection, judged against His own laws which He has revealed in Scripture. Jesus Christ will be the Judge on Judgment Day, since He is both the Son of Man and God the Son. God offers free and complete forgiveness to all those who repent of their sins and come in faith to the Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. On Judgment Day, you will not be judged by your own standards, but by God's. We pray that before that Day comes, you will have already "settled out of court" with the Judge, Jesus Christ, as your Lord (Boss) and Savior. Do it right now: Put your trust in Jesus. Come and see us. [Clyde Price, Arrows13] "TOO MUCH TO GIVE UP" Some people have heard the Good News about forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus Christ, but because of some relationship, or certain practices they think they must employ in business, or some personal ambition or habit, they say that they cannot put their faith in Christ because there is "too much to give up." It's a GOOD thing to recognize that faith in Christ will radically affect your lifestyle. Even if some aspect of your life is totally incompatible with faith in Christ, WHAT temporary pleasure or benefit can possibly be WORTH FORFEITING an eternity of bliss? What could possibly be WORTH the prospect of an eternity in the place of "weeping and gnashing of teeth"? Even if it means breaking a close personal relationship or walking away from every earthly possession, as did Francis of Assisi or Sundar Singh of India, following Christ is WORTH it. "WORTHY is the Lamb who was slain." (Revelation 5:12) That means, He is WORTH it. In Paul's letter to the Philippians, Paul gives his testimony of the things he walked away from in order to follow Christ, and why he thought it was worth it. The whole letter is short enough to read aloud in 10 minutes. In his testimony in ch. 3, he employs the accounting terms of "counting as a loss" the things he left behind in view of the "surpassing value" or "profit" of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ personally and intimately. This is the favorite New Testament book of many believers. Jesus asked the question, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" (Mark 8:36 NKJ) Work out your own "profit and loss" balance, then RUN to put your trust in Jesus Christ. He's worth it. We'd like to meet you and talk with you. Come and see us. [Clyde Price, Arrows14] "I DON'T UNDERSTAND" One really big problem that we Christians have in trying to share our message is that it is so SIMPLE, some people think there must be more to it. They object, "Hey, wait now! This is TOO simple. Where's the catch? I don't understand." The simple truth is that God not only offers you forgiveness and eternal life through faith in His Son Jesus Christ; but He also COMMANDS you to abandon whatever value-system you did have and to adopt His values, His ways, and His objectives, to be pursued in His power. Jesus promises that you can be SURE of the Truth for yourself, but the condition is that you FIRST submit your will to God with a commitment to OBEY the Truth that He shows you. The Lord Jesus said, "If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority." (John 7:17 NKJ) FIRST, make your commitment to the Truth; THEN set out to read straight through the Gospel of John several times, asking God to show you (inwardly) whether this is Truth or not. We confidently expect you to find the Truth in the person of our Lord Jesus, Israel's Messiah, and in the Old and New Covenants which we accept as God's holy and inerrant Word. Don't wait until you understand all the details: Put your trust in the Lord Jesus, right now. Come and visit us. [Clyde Price, Arrows15] "I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH YET" Have you ever frantically straightened your living room just before company came over? Or maybe asked someone not to come over just now because you felt your home was too messy? Some folks have that same feeling about receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They don't want to "join the church" or "go down front" yet--different things from being BORN AGAIN--because they want to clean up their messy lives, at least a little bit, first. If you feel this way, QUIT HOLDING OFF. Here's why: NO ONE is able to become "good enough." That was the reason the sinless Messiah died on the cross as the Sin-bearing Lamb, so that every sinner who trusts in Him can be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. Jesus Christ is the ONLY ONE who was ever "good enough." He offers His full and free salvation ONLY to people who are NOT "good enough." Doctor Luke records, "And Jesus answered and said to them, `Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.'" (Luke 5:31-32 NKJ) If you think you are "good enough" for God on your own, then we don't have any good news for you at all. If you think you're already "righteous", you might even be getting very angry right about now. But if you realize that you are a sinner, we call on you to turn in repentance and faith to our Great Physician. Jesus Christ is "good for what ails you." Read more about Him in the New Testament. But don't wait. Trust Him NOW. [Clyde Price, Arrows16] "WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK?" You know perfectly well that if you come out openly as a believer in Jesus Christ, that some people will criticize you, and you might be afraid of this. This fear of what other people will think is a real road-block for many who are afraid either to receive Christ at all, or to quit being "secret believers" and "come out of the closet." This fear demonstrates a warped sense of values. Q: Who is the Most Important Person in the universe? A: The One who created it, the One who is listening to your every word and watching your every action; the One to whom you will someday give an account for your every deed, word, thought, attitude and motive. He is the One you should be most eager to please. The Lord Jesus said to a bunch of public-relations- conscious people, "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44 NKJ) Being honored by God is a much bigger matter than the petty recognitions or criticisms of materialistic worldlings. Possibly, some of the very people whose criticisms you fear would actually respect and honor someone (such as yourself) willing to take a stand for Jesus Christ openly. Read the Gospel of John for yourself, and notice Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. They were two religious leaders who secretly sympathized with Jesus, but had a great deal to lose if they came out for Him openly. Don't worry about "what people will think." Put your full trust in Jesus the Messiah of Israel, as your sin-bearing Savior and the Lord of your life. Confess Him openly as your Redeemer and King and loving Friend. The angels of God will do handsprings for joy, and GOD will be mightily pleased with you. We'd like to meet you and encourage you and try to answer your questions. We would be overjoyed to hear you confess your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Put your full trust in Him, RIGHT NOW. Come by and see us. [Clyde Price, Arrows17] [end of 2nd file of 5]