the priceless gift

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Psalms 42:1

As the Hart Panteth after the

Water Brooks,

So Panteth my Soul after Thee O

Lord

David the King of Israel committed despicable sins

but in poetry he expressed a real love of God. Have

you ever felt this way toward God?

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Your author and Tucker after a hike atMount Baldy

"he author lives in #pland$ %& where he en'oys thefruits of retirement. (ou can have real 'oy in life and)now your future is eternal life in Heaven.*ay +yes, to God and ta)e His -riceless Gift.

&ll man)ind$ from )ids to seniors$ thin) about what

lies ahead when this life ends and you move on."ime passes faster than we realie. "he best time toaccept %hrist is /012

(our life will change. e patient and be focused.

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"his boo) is in memory of a man that +wal)ed the

tal).,

Chung 5anuary 67$ 6834 5une !9$ !77:

/ever mind that I grew up in the shadow of my little

brother in athletics. His 6stgrade teacher commented

on his report card that she never wanted to see himagain. /ever mind that he dropped out of our family

at age thirteen$ or that many of us prayed five years

for him to return to God. 1hen God was ready He

changed a +no$ not yet, to a +yes, in answer to our

prayers. "han)s to his wife *hirley for helping %hung

grow rapidly in %hrist. 0ur entire family benefitted

from his example of %hristian witnessing. "he worldgot a little brighter when %hung turned his life over to

God. (ou may be trying to solve life;s problems on

your own. God too) this unli)ely life and made it

beautiful.

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"he &ssociate -astor for whom %hung wor)ed told us

that %hung had no hesitance in tal)ing to someone

about being

saved. Heheard that

%hung

witnessed to

=ohammad &li

in an airport

terminal$ andrealied the

potential in the

ministry. God

answers prayer.

"he effectual

fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.>5ames


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%hung also loved the water. 0ne time we flew into

Hilo on the ig Island of Hawaii. %hung spotted an

old metal tower in the bay. &top that tower would

ma)e a good diving platform. 0ff we 'ogged to theother side of Hilo ay for a few dives. Ditto the

waterfalls on =aui. 1e had to stop and wait for him

to dive. "here were native Hawaiians 'umping from

the falls. %hung peeled to swim trun)s$ and climbed

the roc)s to the top of the falls. 1ithout hesitation$ he

pushed away from the roc)s and opened into hispatented swan dive. It was a thing of beauty$ and

locals all applauded as he came up out of the water.

%hung had no fear. His favorite ible verse was

Hebrews 6!6. +Aet us run with patience the race

which is set before us.,

I realie this is a lengthy dedication$ but I want you tobe challenged as I am by a real man in love with our

Bedeemer. It is good to select a %hristian role model$

but always remember that our ultimate model is the

one who went through torture and agony on a cross

and shed His blood to wash away my sin and your

sin. "he one whom I cherish and serve is 5esus%hrist. %hung$ are you saving me a spot in line to

see and tal) with 5esus?

+1herefore seeing we also are compassed about with

so great a cloud of witnesses$ let us lay aside every

weight$ and the sin which doth so easily beset us$ and

let us run with patience the race that is set before us$,

Hebrews 6! 6

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e sure the ible verses are ta)en within context of

the chapter and boo) of the ible.

What is the Bible?

"he ible is

"he word of God

Heralds *alvation and the love of God

-owerful promises and values >love$ mercy$

liberty$ faith$ and %hristian example

Inerrant world history stands the test of time

%onsistent with &ncient =anuscripts

"he world leader in publication

God;s word for everyone. iblica references a

*tatistical *ummary provided by #* 1orld

Beport$ =arch !77! that !!:9 languages aretranslated for you

God is a Jealous God

+I am the Aord your God$ who brought you out of

the land of Egypt$ out of the house of bondage.

(ou shall have no other gods before =e.,

+(ou shall not ma)e for yourself a carved image$ or

any li)eness of anything that is in heaven above$

or that is in the earth beneath$ or that is in the

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water under the earth you shall not bow down to

them nor serve them. or I$ the Aord your God$ am

a 'ealous God. urther evidence that God and His

1ord >"he ible@ are real and true.

our gospel boo)s corroborate one another

&ll boo)s and verses were inspired by the Holy

*pirit through the author chosen by God

*ixty six boo)s written by different men over

hundreds of years are compatible$ and

consistent

-erfect harmony among all boo)s credited

to the inspiration of the Holy *pirit.

-rophetic verses of the coming =essiah in the

0ld "estament in precise detail are fulfilled in

the /ew "estament

/umerous miracles by 5esus are highly

authenticated

Each of the ensuing chapters is something important

for your beliefs on life. 1e may not )now each other$

but I care for your spiritual destiny. I )now God cares

about you much more than anyone in man)ind

possibly could.

"here is more evidence than any other choice for your

worship. 1hether you and I have ever met or not$ I

recommend$ yes even urge you to give your life to

%hrist. I spea) with all I can offer for your trust in your

%reator. God has shown me

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He can help in navigating life;s storms

He can help you find the right career

He can help in finding =r. or =rs. Bight.

If married He can help you find harmony

Help you include children for family love

1hen you wal) through the valley of theshadow of death$ God is with you

0n and on and on$ God can help you.

1hen you become a %hristian$ the grave will no

longer have victory and death no sting. (our future is

in Heaven. 5esus said$ +I go to prepare a place foryou., 5ohn 644.

"he following may help. It is a brief definition of )ey

points.

ey "alues or factors #ith a brief definition

*alvation 1hen we accept %hrist$ He gives us

eternal life. 1e become 'oint heirs with %hrist.

"he -riceless Gift F is salvation. 0nly God can

provide it.

%reation God spo)e everything into existence.God;s time %reation was completed in >@ !4 hour

days.

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Aiberty "his is freedom within limits. (ou alone

among all of creation have the power and liberty to

accept %hrist or not. 1hen you die physically$ it

becomes too late to decide.

%ondemned #pon death one goes directly to hell if

heCshe is not saved. Do nothing and ta)e the default

choice$ which is hell. (ou are already condemned.

*in enmity against God. "he ible says +&s a man

thin)s in his heart$ so is he., (ou sin with yourthoughts.

Iconoclast F one who attac)s and see)s to destroy

widely accepted ideas.

orn again 1hen you accept %hrist you begin a

new life. 5esus gave this analogy in 5ohn 36F9.

5ustification y accepting %hrist$ I am >'ustFasFifFI;d@

never sinned. (ou are +'ustified, through faith.

*anctification "he process of a %hristian growing

more li)e %hrist every day.

ible It is God;s word to you. -rophesies of the

=essiah in the 0ld "estament are precisely realied

in the /ew "estament. It is also the best world

history boo) ever written. (ou might ditto that for

poetry. "he wisest man)ind in history was *olomon.

He authored the boo) of -roverbs. "hat is God

teaching us how to be successful and full of 'oy.

aith elieving in something you cannot see. It is

the most powerful force you will ever obtain if you

accept the gift that is the sub'ect of your reading this

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boo). Hebrews 666 faith is the substance of things

hoped for$ the evidence of things not seen.

reedom free from the condemnation of our sin

*inless 5esus bore no sin of his own$ but He bore

our sin so that we might stand before God as sinless.

Heaven or hell If you chose to accept %hrist$ your

eternal home is Heaven. If you choose another god$

prophet$ or idol$ or ma)e no choice you will spendeternity in hell.

*ummary of salvation 5ohn 36.

+or God so loved the world >that is you@ that He gave

His only begotten *on >%hrist@ that whosoever >you@

believes in Him shall not perish >hell@$ but haveeverlasting life. >Heaven@,

Aove F %orinthians 6363

$&nd now abides faith$ hope$ and charity$ but the

greatest of these is charity ,%harity is agape love.

&I"H (ou have complete faith in God$ and only

God. & )in word is +trust.,

H0-E "he %hristian )nows heCshe has eternal life

in Heaven. "he ible says it$ and I believed it.

AIEB"( F you have liberty >freedom@ to decide life

choices. 0nly man)ind has a soul and the liberty to

ma)e a choice to accept %hrist. & )indred to the

%olonials who sought freedom >or liberty.@

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A%ercu by Cha%ter

"his is a digest of each chapter to enable you to

uic)ly see material compiled in my lifetime of God;s

blessings. "he Aord God$ the real God will bless you

too.

1hy is the -riceless Gift a critical issue?

1hy did a friend want you to have this boo)? "he

purpose in the first chapter is to remind you that God

loves you. God touched the heart of a friend$

compelling him or her to give you some straight facts

on the love of God. "he everFsoFcritical issue is

sal"ation It enables you to en'oy eternal life in

Heaven$ and to avoid hell.

Cha%ter & ' The Priceless Gift

1hat is this gift? %an a thin)ing person be successful

in their career and believe in God? &re Heaven and

hell real? Is salvation really free? Describe +wage,

and +gift, in the context of Bomans !3.

-riceless means F *omething so valuable it can never

be sold for any price$ often used as hyperbole forsomething with extremely high value.

Cha%ter ( ' Gift Means )ree

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"he priceless gift is free to +who so ever will, accept

%hrist. (es$ that includes you.

Cha%ter &

The Priceless Gift

Mark *+,* $If anyone is ashamed of me and my

words in this adulterous and sinful generation$ the

*on of =an will be ashamed of them when he comes

in his ather;s glory with the holy &ngels., &ccept His

-riceless Gift.

(es I accept the gift eternity in Heaven

/o I re'ect the gift eternity in hell

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1elcome to The Priceless Gift

In this boo)$ we will list and use some of the general

mind sets that many put ahead ofour loving Heavenly ather.

(our beliefs should be on this next

list. 1hich did you choose before

considering the first choice listed?

Which best describes you-

"he true 5ehovah God ather$ *on$ and Holy

Ghost

0r one of these

&ny other god$ false gods$ or idols

%ult 0ften a mix of ible and a selfF

proclaimed god

&theist and often choose evolution

&gnostic$ blan) thought may acceptevolution.

/o thought about a god$ li)e an ostrich

0ther anything but the true God$ 5ehovah

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(es. "he line in the sand has been drawn. =ay you

step over to God;s side today?

Your .ich /eritage

If you would li)e a fantastic life$ let God in and accept

%hrist as *avior. If you do not accept Him you may

still have happy times. ut$ for real 'oy and peace in

your life you must claim God;s promises such as the

!3rd-salm. (our access to God the ather is through

God the *on 5esus %hrist.

1ould you li)e to leave a rich inheritance to that

husband or wife son or daughter or other friend?

*et the example with God leading you into fellowship

with the %reator and Bedeemer.

"he #*& in 699 was 'ust 63 colonies. "hen menwho were brave visionaries united those colonies.

"hey were ready to denounce the shac)les

Greeeeeat ritttain. & great patriot and leader of our

nation$ and Governor of Jirginia$ -atric) Henry said

+Give me liberty or give me death., "hat same man

wisely said +"his is all the inheritance I give to mydear family. "he religion of %hrist will give them one

which will ma)e them rich indeed., (our 'ob is to

supplement a small amount of faith with historical

evidence as in this boo) and ma)e the right decision.

The Priceless Gift0 What is it-

*omething is free to you and for you. Hurry$ open the

gift wrap. 1hat is in the box? In the box is a promise

from God. It is 5ohn 36.

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"he most wonderful gift in the world will be found

when you pray and as) God for salvation. "he

precious gift of God is truly the -riceless Gift.

1al"ation

"he ible says +...who so ever >(ou@ believes in Him

>5esus@ shall not perish >condemned to hell@$ but have

everlasting life >*alvation for Heaven@. >5ohn 36@. I

li)e this verse of God;s promise$ and its importance

compels me to remind you of that promise often.

"he message of this boo) may sound li)e it was

written 'ust for you. It is a gift from a friend. "he

message for you is li)e no other gift ever given.

-lease accept both the boo) and the message as

gifts of love. (ou can be very successful in life whenyou )now your eternal future is Heaven.

"he ible spea)s of two different natures. 1hen you

have salvation$ you are born again with a new and

much different nature. (ou are no longer

condemned. >5ohn 36:@. (our Heavenly ather

shows you the apex of mercy and forgiveness.

Jesus is the Perfect 1acrifice

5ust li)e the 0ld "estament followers of (ahweh$ slew

the perfect$ unblemished lamb to sacrifice for the

remission of sin$ 5esus is our sacrifice today. %hrist

came from Heaven to be sub'ected to *atan;stemptations 'ust as we are. He went to the cross$ and

accepted every degrading thing the -harisees could

imagine. 5esus paid the price. He dragged the heavy

cross up the via dolorosa road to a small hill called

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Golgotha also called %alvary. "his man on a cross

was hoisted into the air na)ed and bleeding. His

closest friends and family felt his pain and suffering.

& crown of thorns sun) into His head.

"he crowd lining the way cursed$ spit$ laughed$

moc)ed$ and anticipated the execution. "here was

also screaming$ wailing$ fainting$ and horrible pain by

those who loved and followed 5esus.

"he crowd moc)ed my *avior. "his experience musthave torn at the soul of the &postles. "he ible tells

us that 5esus; mother was at the cross. It must have

been li)e all of the world;s cruelty poured out on one

man. Hard even for the GodCman. (ou see$ 5esus

was paying for your sins. ree? 0nly free to you and

me and all man)ind. %hrist paid in full for yourredemption. (ou must only claim it in a simple prayer

to God that you accept His gift. (our prayer of

acceptance obliterates the sin that sends men and

women to hell for eternity. Do not miss the gift. Do

not miss the gift. I plead$ do not miss the gift.

1al"ation is through Christ 2 only! 5ohn 643

"he pastor was preaching on salvation and as this

boo) does he repeated the plan of salvation. "hen he

would say over and over again. +(ou must be saved

through %hrist., "he sermon was finished$ and one of

the deacons came up to his pastor and complimentedhim on the message 'ust heard. +ut$ tell me one thing

pastor,$ the man as)ed. +1hy did you repeat over and

over that we must be saved through %hrist?, "he

pastor 'umped all over that uestion. +It is because

you must be saved through %hrist., >/o man comes

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to the ather$ except by me.@ &s the preacher said$

there is salvation through none other than 5esus

%hrist.

Cha%ter (

Gift Means )ree

In 5ohn 36$ God promises you the gift.

(ou are ualified to receive the Gift.

>1hosoever believes on Him F you@

(ou shall not perish in hell.>*hall not perish@

1ill have everlasting life.

>Eternity in Heaven@

uestions you will want answered

1hat does salvation cost you?

1hy me?

1hy would God pardon my sin?

1hat am I saved from?

*hort answers are at the end of this chapter.

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Why is The Priceless Gift )ree-

"he price has been paid in full by %hrist. (es$ the

priceless gift is yours by as)ing God for it andaccepting %hrist as your personal *avior. "oday$

some groups fight it. "he world does not understand.

If you have trouble believing right now$ stop and pray

for God to help you repent and surrender to Him.

/o rules to obey. /o pilgrimages. /o self inflicted

suffering. /o one else can pray you in. /o baptism or

communion$ or confession to a priest will wor). "hat

is ditto for idol worship. /o rules to obey. /o

pilgrimages. /o stairs to climb. /o courses to pass.

/o one can pray you in. "here are no idols >candles$

prayer cloth$ handmade cross$ beads$ pictures$

statues$ church buildings$ or prayer booth@ tointervene. "here are no classes$ or tests. &n ob'ect

lesson to understand the >L@ has stayed with me.

I was around nine years old when I saw a small group

clustered around a street preacher. "he preacher

held a dollar bill in the air and said anyone could

come and ta)e it with no strings attached. & man

wal)ing by too) it. "he rest of us froe in our trac)s.

It would be mine if I 'ust wal)ed over and too) it.

1ell$ it happened again recently. 0ur family was

vacationing at /ewport each. &s we strolled by the

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pier in the evening$ we stopped to hear a couple of

young men espousing the gospel of %hrist. "hey

offered a L!7 bill to the first to come and ta)e it.

"he lesson here is on salvation. It is available to

anyone who will come to God in prayer$ and accept

%hrist as your *avior no strings attached.

*alvation changes you. Here are a few of the

changes.

"herefore if any man be in %hrist$ he is a new

creature old things are passed away behold

all things are become new. ! %orinthians ...the gift of God is salvation ...@

Have you ever flown first class? Have you everpar)ed for a ball game in the JI- lot? Have you everwatched a game from the s)y box? Have you everhad privileged boarding for a flight? "hese are giftsfound in our world today. God;s gift surpasses things

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that may be lost to thieves$ rust$ moth$ fire$ water$ orcon artists.

I am the Aord your God$ who brought you out of the

land of Egypt$ out of the house of bondage. (ou shall

have no other gods before =e.

(ou shall not ma)e for yourself a carved image$ or

any li)eness of anything that is in heaven above$ or

that is in the earth beneath$ or that is in the water

under the earth you shall not bow down to them norserve them. or I$ the Aord your God$ am a 'ealous

God.,

In our world today we may get used to every cause.

=ost want our money. History shows that a nation

that follows the true God prospers.

During the reign of King &hab$ his wife 5eebel

brought her false god with her aal. Eli'ah

prophesied her demise$ but the false prophets )ept

their worship of aal$ and the nation suffered.

5eebel;s demise was precisely prophesied. Dogs

ate her body as she lie dead in the street."he pattern of 5ewish history$ both Israel and 5udah

was consistent. >Good )ing and success$ bad )ing

and failure.@

"here are no catches to %hristianity. &s you continue

in this boo)$ it is time for you to become a %hristian.5esus paid your way$ but you still need to reach out

and ta)e it. (our acceptance is critical. 1hat can

you lose?

/o second chance after you die

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/either baptism nor communions are

conditions for salvation. Each is an ordinance

for %hristians to observe. "hey are acts of

worship to God after salvation.

/o one can pray or buy you into Heaven

/o one can ma)e the decision for you

(ou cannot decide after your death

#pon death$ the door is closed$ the opportunity

is lost

(ou must not wait until you are on the

deathbed to accept ris) is too high

(ou cannot buy salvation

=any people will re'oice with your decision

& friend of yours gave you this boo) because they

want you to pray to God and accept salvation through

5esus %hrist. 1hy? "here are two reasons. irst$

they love God and they love you. >&gape love@

*econdly$ before ascending into Heaven$ 5esus

commanded the body of believers to witness

throughout the world. =ar) 66< &nd He said to

them$ MGo into the entire world and preach the gospel

to all creation.,

"here is no other way to receive salvation exceptthrough %hrist. 5ohn64. (ou sin N fall short ofGod;s Glory. Bomans 3!3 %hrist paid the price to

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cleanse you of your sins. Bomans !3 >0ur boo)title came from this verse.@ God wants you to prayand accept His gift of %hrist for your salvation. If you

meant that prayer$ what has God promised you?Bead 5ohn 3 9. (ou are +born again,. If you reallydid 'ust pray to accept %hrist$ you 'ust made the bestdecision you have ever made and ever will ma)e.%ongratulations >and hallelu'ah@. (ou may feel aweight was 'ust ta)en off of your shoulders. In 5ohn36 F9$ 5esus tal)s about being +born again,.

&ssuming you mean business and you truly accepted%hrist$ (ou are now +born again., "a)e the -ricelessGift now and secure your peace and freedom foreternity.

uestions you will want answered

1hat will salvation cost me?

o &nswer L7.77

1hy me?

o God loves every one of us

1hy would God pardon my sin?

o &nswer again is pure love

1hat am I saved from?

o (ou are condemned to an Eternal hell

He made man)ind for our reciprocity of love. I love

God$ because He first loved me.

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+I am the Aord your God$ who brought you out of the

land of Egypt$ out of the house of bondage. (ou shall

have no other gods before =e.,

Cha%ter ,

4thics0 Justice 1ystem0 and the Bible

"hese three things need clarification. Is there any

difference between them? *in is the most punishing.

#nethical behavior will not send you to hell.

%riminal behavior will not send you to hell.

*in will send you to hell$ but there is a way to cover or

to wipe out that sin as though it never happened.

1hat is that one thing? It is the -riceless Gift. 1hat

is that Gift? Have you ta)en that Gift? Is there any

substitute?

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1ould God share your love with thing else? (ou shall

not ma)e for yourself a carved image$ or any li)eness

of anything that is in heaven above$ or that is in the

earth beneath$ or that is in the water under the earth

you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. orI$ the Aord your God$ am a 'ealous God.,

*in uniuely$ has to do with your relationship to God.

"he 'ustice system is designed by men and women

who may not be %hristian. &ny notion that our laws

are under girded by %hrist is faulty.

/ow compare to ethics. "here is a theory to 'ustify

anything you do. Ethics parts way with the Aaw.

1ith ethics anything goes$ because there are about

five completely different theories. 0ne may be used

in con'unction with the ible to wor).

"he deontological theory would wor) if the ible were

the set of rules. "he Deontological theory only

handles the +'ustice, aspect. It does not congeal with

mercy or liberty or freedom.

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Immanuel Kant$ in his undamental -rinciples of the

=etaphysics of =orals dubbed his wor) in ethics as

+"he %ategorical Imperative,. He designeda rule for

testing rules. asically it reuires KantOs example of afalse promise.

%ompare these to *in. God says *in is in the mind.

"o lust after someone is a sin. "han) you for staying

with the boo). I truly hope you will accept and agree

with the material so far.

"he material is honest and reflects my deep

concern and love for you.

Ditto concern by your friend the one who

gave the gift of this boo) to you.

"he ible does ma)e sense and you must

admit now that it could be true.

Do you feel li)e King &grippa in &cts !!:$

when he said to -aul? +&lmost thou

persuadest me to become a %hristian.,

However$ you must ma)e it

1hat is the difference between Ethics$ the Aaw$ and

*in?

(ou may have noticed. %orporations and small

businesses each have a =ission *tatement. Grandpa

used them$ but today they are largely windowdressing. "he career talent that God gave me was

the analysis$ and design of business systems to

improve company performance$ and for better

company productivity. &s companies update their

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usiness *tatement$ you will see more use of the

term +ethics, and a reduction of the term +uality,.

1hat ma)es an honest manager? 1ould he or shebe described in terms of a standard as follows? How

do these compare? 1hat is +ethics,? Does it

adeuately invo)e the meaning of +honesty,? &s one

who taught the sub'ect in graduate and

undergraduate levels in the university$ I would not use

it. -eople use it to mean a degree above others in

being fair$ honest$ and all else you can sueee under

the oy *cout cloa). "here are 4 or < definitions

within the theories of ethics.

Ethical "heories

Conse5uentialismmay be used when you want an

act to do the most good for the most people.

If you apply.elati"ityyou decide the best outcome

under a set of circumstances.

4goism is what is best for number one.

"he 6eontological theory says right is meeting thelist of rule statements. I accept only the Deontological

theory if the rules come from the ible.

"he ant7s Categorical 8m%erati"ebelieves in the

value of human life.

"here is 'ust one right way in life$ and that is God;sway. 5esus said +I am the way ..., >5ohn 64@

How about Aegality? 1e are certainly a litigious

society. "he legal field is full of ambulance chasers.

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&ny good lawyer )eeps a nec) brace in his or her

des) drawer.

%ivil law is based on your actions. 0f course yourthoughts prompt sin. (our thoughts may run

passionately out of control$ but unless you act on

them$ there is no crime.

"o hate someone is sin. Envy$ pride$ lust$ and anger

are sins.

Ethics does not tell who you are. It can mean

different things depending on the theory you choose.

(ou can also mixCmatch the theories.

1ith respect to the law$ it can differ substantially with

the law. I submit for your 'udgment that sin is the

greatest indicator of who you are.

God;s word supports this.

&ll have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

>Bomans 3 !3@

&s a man thin)s in his heart$ so is he. >-roverbs!39@ "his is in God;s word. & crime is an action that

tramples the rights of another. It becomes a sin as

you plan it out in advance.

1hat a person thin)s is a sin. It could also be a

prelude to a crime. 1hat a person thin)s could be a

motive for a crime.

(ou were created with a soul. /o other of Gods

creations has a soul. *ome who might admit to being

+evolutionists, should have trouble with the ible.

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=any such people have an income from their digging.

I can understand them for fighting people li)e me and

most %hristians.

%omparing the three explanations for good and bad

behavior$ what do we have?

Ethics is for your behavioral display window$ but does

not identify bad behavior.

Aaw and 'ustice are important and necessary in anysociety. "he devil cries out for government control$

but the people cry out for freedom. Evil regimes

however can abuse the law for their benefit. Aaw may

be temporal to provide a harmonious society$ e.g.

prohibition.

*in is defined in the ible. It ta)es place in the mind.(ou can never stand before God with sin. y

accepting %hrist as your *avior$ He blots out your sin.

(ou then can enter the presence of God. (ou have

been 'ustified for this$ through the blood %hrist shed

on the cross on Golgotha;s hill.

&s a %hristian you might celebrate Easter and

Besurrection *unday for what %hrist did for you. (ou

might celebrate %hristmas to remember that God

came down from Heaven as God the *on$ and at the

same time God as man >incarnate@ to live on earth

sub'ected to all temptation as you$ but He remained

sinless.

+He who )new no sin became sin for us$ so that in him

we might become the righteousness of God >! %or.


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"he ible has the best word on behavior. "he man or

woman who has learned to trust in God can turn the

problem over to Him. Hallelu'ah2

%lothe yourselves with the Aord 5esus %hrist$ and do

not thin) about how to gratify the desires of the sinful

nature >Bomans 6364@.

Each one is tempted when$ by his own evil desire$ he

is dragged away and enticed. "hen$ after desire has

conceived$ it gives birth to sin and sin$ when it is fullFgrown$ gives birth to death >5ames 664F65ames 46@.

1e should try to act properly$ but it;s even more

important to deal with our thoughts and emotions$

since they are the source of our sinful actions.

lind -harisee2 irst clean the inside of the cup and

dish$ and then the outside also will be clean >=atthew

!3!@.

DonOt fantasie about sin$ thin)ing that your thoughts

are harmless. 1hen you cherish sin in your heart$ you

put a wedge between yourself and God.

If I had cherished sin in my heart$ the Aord would not

have listened >-salm 6:@.

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Cha%ter 9

1atan a 1%iritual 8conoclast

"he ible says in Ephesians 6!

+1e wrestle not against flesh and blood$ but against

principalities$ against powers$ against the rulers of the

dar)ness of this world$ and against spiritual

wic)edness in high places.,

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"he Devil will hit you with lies$ lies$ and more lies.

5esus warned us that there would be many coming in

His name$ but who are false prophets or an &ntiF

%hrist. (our choice in life is so terribly critical. Aies

can be well disguised. "he best way to tell when he

is lying it is when his lips move.

Be#are of false gods and idols

5esus said in =ar) 63

+=any will come in my name$ claiming$ PI am the

=essiah$; and will deceive many.,

&nd stated again in :uke (&+*

He said +1atch out that you are not deceived. or

many will come in my name claiming$ PI am he$; and$

P"he time is near.; Do not follow them.

*atan is real. He will deceive you and lie to you. He

will start you on drugs$ alcohol$ and tobacco until you

are hoo)ed. "here are facets of salvation to ma)e you

stronger against temptation.

(our nature from the first birth you had as an heir of

&dam is the following.

& Corinthians (+&9-

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P/ow the natural man receives not the things of the

*pirit of God for they are foolishness unto him and

he cannot )now them$ because they are spiritually

'udged; >!

"he natural man also is see)ing an answer to his

malaise with life. 1e will never beat up on the new

%hristian. God will forgive all past sins. "he new

man or woman must wor) to drop the bad habits.

.omans *+;

"hose who live according to the sinful nature have

their minds set on what that nature desires but those

who live in accordance with the *pirit have their

minds set on what the *pirit desires.

(our nature upon salvation is changed as given inGalatians.

Galatians ;+((0 (,

+"he fruit of the *pirit is love$ 'oy$ peace$ forbearance$

)indness$ goodness$ faithfulness$ gentleness and selfF

control.,

=any battles are small and meant to wea)en your

resistance to temptation. (ou see the devil wor)ing

all around you every day.

:ist of reasons for not acce%ting Christ as 1a"ior

I cannot discern which is the correct religion

I euate going to church with formality$ and get

nothing from it.

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I am too busy with +better, things to do.

/o one I )now goes to church. I play golf on

*unday.

I agree with evolution. /ot the ible. I trust

science.

I was baptied when I was a baby.

I do not remember going to church more than adoen times in my life. =y mom stopped going.

*he said it was full of hypocrites.

I thin) I am as good as anybody else and better

than most. %hurch doesn;t seem to help my

friends.

I 'ust drin) socially. I can stop anytime I want. =y

)ids do not see me.

I am a female. "he male office wor)er is going to

lunch with me tomorrow. 1e have a pro'ect to tal)

over. It does not mean any more than that. 1emay have to come in *aturday to do some catch

up. "hese are pitfalls to avoid.

Honestly$ I 'ust cannot believe in God. /o proof.

&nother reason that is not on the list. -erhaps you

)now of another reason often used.

/one of these reasons preFempt your decision to

accept %hrist as *avior. 1hatever$ reasons you

relate to are spoiling the opportunity for real 'oy. "ry

maximiing the pleasure of wal)ing through the day

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with %hrist. elieve me. I have been there. "here

was nothing wrong with golf. "he problem for me was

I was substituting a good activity for the best activity.

"he decision for %hrist is it urgent? (es. (our life

is at ris) every moment. -eople die all the time

without notice.

=any societal problems and even crimes are

promoted by *atan. If you choose the real God$ you

do well. /ext$ we will loo) at two phenomena that arein the purview only of the true God. "hen$ we will

compare the real God to the fa)es and cults. 1e

want you to decide on the true place to invest your

faith.

*atan lives to destroy lives$ marriages$ and nations.

=any sports fans loo) up to a star player. *atan

wants that athlete to get hoo)ed on performance

enhancing drugs.

=any young people experiment with drugs and

alcohol. & synapse connects two or more nerves.

&lcohol deadens each synapse it touches. "he resultis a slower response time.

*ome use these and seem to get away with it. "here

are still reasons to abstain. Here are some things to

thin) about.

0thers follow you who will have a greaterpropensity to addiction. (our influence is at

sta)e. (our bad habits are being observed by

others whom you influence.

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How many have suffered due to drun) drivers?

How many marriages have crumbled? How

many 'obs lost?

How many crimes for money to feed a habit?

How many lives were shortened with lung

cancer and other results of tobacco use?

& cancerous throat and chin result from achaw.

0K$ you cannot live forever anyway. ut you will.

1hen you accept %hrist two new values occur to your

life. irst is a secure future in Heaven. *econd is a

tremendous upgrade in uality living in your life today

on earth.

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perhaps most do not accept because of their foolish

pride.

"his chapter finds the answer to be no less than5esus and a parable. =any speculations on hell are

published$ but I throw out all but those in the ible.

Here is all I )now about hell.

6. &ll about hell that is in the ible. =any people

found no fault in the ible. "he evidence over

many years finds no fault with the printed wordof God. "he ible continues to be the best

seller year after year.

!. "hat is nice$ but it does not prove the ible is

correct$ or that it is God;s word.

3. Here is my strongest evidence$ and it is strong.I )now there is a devil and a hell because the

ible tells me so. I )now the ible and God

are true because they have tal)ed to me

through both prayer and the ible. I could not

list all of the blessings$ miracles$ &ngel help$

and guidance that I received first hand.

4. "a)e away all evidence$ and I still )now the

ible is 677Q valid. &fter a long life of )nowing

God$ His fellowship and the 'oy of His

presence$ His reality is not in uestion.

Do you have enemies? Is there a hateful neighbor$co wor)er$ or little league parent? "ry this after you

become a %hristian. Aove them$ pray for them$ and

ta)e them a plate of coo)ies$ and a copy of this boo).

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&s) them to forgive you$ and then tell them you 'ust

accepted %hrist. "his may brea) the hold *atan has

on them.

Cha%ter ;

/ell

Hell is real$ because the ible tells me so. 5esus

often taught with the power of parables. 1e close

this critical issue with 5esus teaching through a

parable.

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The .ich Man and :a


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this$ between us and you there is a great gulf fixed$ so

that those who want to pass from here to you cannot$

nor can those from there pass to us that you would

send him to my father;s house for I have five brothers$that he may testify to them$ lest they also come to this

place of torment.

&braham said to him$ they have =oses and the

prophets let them hear them. &nd he said$ P/o$

father &braham but if one goes to them from the

dead$ they will repent.; ut$ he said to him$if they do

not hear =oses and the prophets$ neither will they be

persuaded though one rise from the dead.

God is infinitely more )nowledgeable and wiser than

we might not ever )now.

Do you believe any other choice matches a ris)

greater than the ris) by not choosing %hristianity?

"he ris) of you choosing a false god or a cult or not

ma)ing a choice for God could not be worse if you are

wrong.

The 6e"ils Ploys

During the past forty or fifty years I have seen *atan;sbest shots ta)en to confuse you.

ridie =urphy was hypnotied

*he described previous lives she lived. *hedescribed events ta)en in each prior life.

lying *aucers

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*ome one claimed they saw flying saucers.0thers claim they were given a ride in one. 0hboy2 =any 'umped in on that one$ including the

=ilitary. "ime has proved these to be hoaxes. 5esus face appears in a shroud.

esides the point that no one has seen Him$ itseems very suspiciously li)e an altruistic motive.

*ome report they died$ and saw a bright light.

/ice thought$ but I believe they witnessed somehallucinations.

=ail 0rder -rayers

I visited the operation of this ministry. *everalcler)s open the mail and sort letters by the

appropriate model response. "he moneynaturally goes into a ban) account. Everything Isaw was very mechanical. I did not stay longenough to see if any praying too) place.

Badio -reachers

/o doubt$ some are sincere in wanting to helpyou come to %hrist. (ou must discern. 0ne thatI li)ed and learned from was good. 0ne day Itimed his expository. He spent one half of hisfifteen minutes from theible$ and one half of thetime trying to riaise money.

God can do anything$ but I believe all of these are

hallucinations or hoaxes. *atan;s ploys are designedto )eep you off balance.

1ho can you trust? I can only offer you mytestimony. I )now God is the source of showers ofblessings$ and I want you to en'oy life to the fullest.

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(ou have everything to gain and nothing to lose byaccepting %hrist.

Cha%ter 3

4"olution 4le"ator Going 6o#n

In my lifetime the theory of evolution is in every high

school curriculum. It has even dropped the tag

+theory,. &s this notion has grown$ creation has

become a dirty word to liberal thin)ing.

&ll three tenets are faulty thin)ing

6. ig bang

!. *urvival of the itest

3. %arbon Dating

1hen these three things are exposed to the light of

truth they brea) down fast.

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/ow$ things are changing. & ma'or change is out

there for the evolutionist that fights against God. It is

though many people really believe in evolution? %an

you fathom very many well educated people believing

life was started by two meteors colliding? &s a

systems analyst$ that is the way I approached this

conundrum. "here appear to be at least these three

beliefs by the evolutionist.

"he earth is a result of two space roc)s

colliding the big bang.

rom water$ life developed.

0ver time$ the fit survived. "hat life form was a

progenitor of human)ind$ and other animals$

plants$ and roc)s around us today.

"o believe this$ I thin) a person would ascribe to

these things.

"here is no god

"he world is millions of years old

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"he ible is inaccurate

"here is no resurrection F =odern *educes

"here was a conspiracy among the four gospel

writers to ma)e up the life of 5esus on earth.

"here were many conspiracies including all

ible writers over hundreds of years$ and it

was chance that seemed to harmonie all

boo)s of the ible.

"he time slices that the ible calls a day is not

!4 hrs. It is millions of years.

4nough ' 1take holders #ill =um% shi%

I predict that not long from now >5anuary !76!@ thatevolution will crumble and all will pull out of that

theory.

It was not long ago that I sat in an =& class and an

evolutionist instructor espoused evolution in each

session. How could an otherwise smart guy believe

the big bang$ etc.? In the early sixties they spo)e of

irrefutable evidence of the chain of man)ind.

"he picture of five stages of man was everywhere.

*ince those days in the fifties$ each evolutionary age

has been proven false. "he only argument ever

advanced to explain why we haven;t seen someevidence of the evolutionary chain has been the factor

of time. (ou always hear that a discovered is ten

million years old. "hat ma)es it hard to disprove

because none of us were around at that time.

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"here was no big bang that produced the earth

It is not clear by con'ecture why anyone ever

bought into the big bang

& recommendation that evolutionist in the

future build research upon the ible

5esus is the 1ay$ the "ruth$ and the Aife F

begin with that

Evolutionists are wrong on every board in their

platform

"he ible says God created this earth$ and

seas along with man and beast. He did this in

six days and on the seventh day He rested.

1here were the mon)ey theory people when

the ible was written$ or before Genesis was R

not happen by chance. 1ere meteors smarter

than they are now?

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Cha%ter >

The True God Performs Miracles

"he life of 5esus between the ages of 6! and 37 is not

in the ible. He began the recorded preaching with

the *ermon on the =ount at around 37 years of age.

"hat series of sermons drew thousands. I would thin)

that 5esus had been preaching and healing people

and building followers during the uiet and

unrecorded years. 1hy is this important? Good

uestion. It might help an unbelieving mind by adding

the number of converts with authentication of the

gospel.

It was my intent with the first chapters to set the stage

to help you believe$ and trust %hrist as your *avior."hen add to the case the miracles of %hrist and

prophesies of the coming =essiah. If for any reason

you decide to not accept %hrist$ you will miss the

wonders of Heaven$ and true$ unselfish love.

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What are miracles-

God helps us to live through the laws of nature.

0ften$ however God will intervene in the natural lawsof nations and of individuals.

%an God will any miracle He chooses? %ertainly

yes there is nothing God cannot do. God who created

the universe has power and wisdom we cannot

understand. He protects us from dangers we are not

even aware of. He blesses us in ways we did not)now. /o other can match our God in the domain of

miracles. How about examples that were

authenticated?

?ur God ans#ers %rayer today

5ames


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& miracle I particularly li)e shows 5esus rewarding

faith. &fter 5esus gave the *ermon on the =ount$ he

must have continued for a time in the area between

the north shore of the *ea of Galilee and %apernaum.Bead this scripture for the story line. Bead both Au)e

96F67 and =atthew :


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Cha%ter *

?ld Testament Pro%hesies on the messiahare )ulfilled

"here are numerous postings on the web that give a

list of messianic prophesies. >ortelling the coming of

a =essiah.@

"he ible is the instrument containing theseprophesies. 1ord came originally from word of mouth

and ancient manuscripts. "here were

& number of web posts list andCor elaborate on the

0ld "estament. *everal for yourself2

orn of a virgin >Isaiah 964 =atthew 6!6F!3@& descendant of &braham >Genesis 6!6F3 !!6:

=atthew 66 Galatians 36@

0f the tribe of 5udah >Genesis 4867 Au)e 3!3$ 33

Hebrews 964@

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0f the house of David >! *amuel 96!F6 =atthew

66@

orn in ethlehem >=icah =alachi 36 =atthew

!66!F63@

1ould first present Himself as King 693$::7 daysfrom the decree to rebuild 5erusalem >Daniel 8!Techariah 88 =atthew !64F8@

Be'ection >Isaiah


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*old for 37 pieces of silver >Techariah 666! =atthew

!64F6Isaiah -salm !! 9F: =atthew !936@

eaten >Isaiah

*pit upon >Isaiah -salm !!6 =atthew

!936@

%rucified with thieves >Isaiah Isaiah Techariah 6!67 5ohn 6834@

Given gall and vinegar to drin) >-salm 8!6$

=atthew !934$ Au)e !33@

/o bro)en bones >-salm 34!7 5ohn 683!F3@

uried in a rich man;s tomb >Isaiah -salm 667 =ar) 6

&cts !36@

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Cha%ter &@

Analysis of the 4ight Cha%ters

Everything said in this boo) comes to you with prayer.

1hy? 0ut of love we want you to choose 5esus

%hrist as your *avior. 1hy? "he most en'oyablewal) through life is with the true God. 1hy? God

gives those who trust in Him the strength$ comfort$

and love to survive the assaults from *atan. Bead

-salms !3.

In this chapter$ we will wal) through the assessment

model. "han) you.

&t the close of this chapter you will be invited to ta)e

"he -riceless Gift.

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1electing Best Choice from Many&

1e will now proceed through the model.

& 2 6efine the %roblem

6Anderson General Model for Choice

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1e must choose between %hrist >the real God@ and

any other as discussed in %hapter 6$ and shown in

step !. "he problem is to identify your best choice.

( 2 8dentify the Choices(our options are listed here from %hapter 6.

?%tions

"he true 5ehovah God ather$ *on >5esus

%hrist$ the =essiah@$ and Holy Ghost

0r one of these

o &ny other god such as money$ false gods$

or idol worship

o %ult 0ften a mix of ible and a selfF

proclaimed god

o &theist and often choose evolution

o &gnostic$ blan) thought may accept

evolution.

o /o thought about a god$ li)e an ostrich

o 0ther anything but the true God$ 5ehovah

, 2 4"aluate 4ach ?%tion

irst$ we must set the criteria to use in assessing

each option to perform as God. "he criteria to be

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used$ is the following. "he evaluation follows that.

"he criteria and evaluation are wrapped together.

4"aluation Points

God sees all of them. (ou rebel against God.1e have a merciful God that came to earthand endured the cross to pay the bill for allpast$ present$ and future sin you commit.

/o other choice is free$ to my )nowledge. How

about you? Does %hristianity win on the costfactor? &bility and love to perform miracles. %hrist

performed more miracles that were visible andauthenticated >eye witnesses to the manysightings of each. >*een by a group of


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How do you feel about 5esus %hrist now? 1hat doyou thin) about 5esus; miracles and the events whichwere prophesied hundreds of years earlier?

"here are two more important criteria$ and with apositive note this time. 1e must include +good life,$and +Heaven,.

Good life F 5ohn 3 6F9 5esus referred to salvation asbeing born again. (ou become a new creature withdifferent attributes. (ou have a new and gloriousnature. eing born gain is mentioned in the prefaceand chapters 6 and !. 1e all face difficult times. Aifehas heartaches$ poor health$ cannot pay the bills$family suabbles$ death$ and enemies. I )now. (ouhave a doen more that I did not mention. "he Holy*pirit can soothe your nerves and ease the stress.-ray about the problem. "he true God has alwaysanswered my prayer$ and often even better than Ithought was possible.

"he effective$ fervent prayer of a righteous man availsmuch. >5ames


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*ay +yes, to God by trusting %hrist as your *avior. Inthe paragraph above we said you also get heaven.1e are saved for life when we accept the -riceless

Gift of God. 1hat is that gift? It was defined in%hapter 6. "hat is right salvation.

Aet us loo) at our model for %hoice to see the nextstep.

1electing Best Choice from Many

In step 3 we defined the criteria for assessment and

rolled my evaluation into the same ob'ect$ which wecalled simply +Evaluation -oints,.

I trust you and I are together thus far in our choicemodel. 1e now loo) at step 4 Bis).

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3Test

9.isk

;6eri"ebest

choice

(

8dentifyAll

Choices

,4"aluate

4ach

6Defineproble

m


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9 ' .isk

Helping management of corporations has been my life

wor). "hey do not always follow my advice. In thisboo)$ I humbly beg you to see how much I want you

to heed my advice to accept "he -riceless Gift from

God. I )now you might not trust my words of advice.

(ou have seen people try to sell you things before$

and often you have been sorry afterward >buyers;

remorse@. =y only motive is the same as your friend

who gave this boo) as a gift. "here is also a church

or great organiation$ which serves and helps you

spiritually as you reuest. /one of us will ever as) for

money.

If you choose %hrist as the answer$ you have no ris)$

at all. If you ignore my plea and your friend;s prayers$you have an unthin)able ris). Befer %hapter < F Hell.

1te% ; ' 6eri"e Best Choice

"a)e a second loo) at the course you had been

following. It should be one of those in %hapter !.Have you done enough thin)ing now? Have youmade the decision to accept %hrist?

1ould you do something for me right now? -ray toGod. &s) Him for great wisdom now. &s) for enoughfaith to trust Him as the true God. &s) Him to forgive

all your sin$ past$ present$ and future. (ou as) this inthe name of 5esus whom you now accept as your*avior.1hen you finish praying$ call your friend and tell himor her that you have 'ust been born again. Go to the

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church which sponsored you getting the word out. Gointo *tep mode.

1te% 3 2 Test

If you were open minded at the beginning of thisboo)$ you are most li)ely ready to pray to acceptGod;s gift of salvation through 5esus %hrist.

God is the only answer for the thin)ing person. "hescientific approach is to accept the most li)ely bloc)s

of )nowledge$ and then build a bridge to truth withinductive and deductive logic.

=ost li)ely foundation bloc)s are.

6. God is real. =any testify he is present withthem. "hey have a strong relationship withGod. He hears and answers their prayers.

!. God created the universe. & reasonablethin)er must confess there is no other possibleanswer for how we all got here.

3. "he ible comes from God and is true.

4. Do not follow the foolish man)ind who believethe evolution theory. I believe the day iscoming soon when rational thin)ing prevailsand wise men and women agree to discontinuethat faulty logic. & master designer created thehuman body. It did not evolve from a large+bang,.

&t the end of the first wee) of your transformation>born again@ have you tested and tried letting God beon the throne of your life?Jisit the church and spea) with the pastor.

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the priceless gift

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