SIX STEPS TO GETTING HOOKED ON A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD - THE FISHER
So pleased that you've come to this page, because it's all about the most important question that you will ever respond to: What will I do with the ultimate Fisherman—the Person of Jesus Christ—trust Him as my own Savior or reject Him?
That’s a pretty straightforward question huh. So what do you prefer.. real humility or pride?—a first hand knowledge of God or ignorance?—in or out?—liberty or spiritual bondage?—light or horrible darkness?—obedience to this loving Lord or rebellion?—eternal life or fierce wrath? It’s really a no-brainer, but God will honor your choice either way. It just breaks His heart when people choose Hell though, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). God’s Son, Jesus Christ said, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (Luke 11:23). You see, fishing for souls is the most noble rescue effort—it’s about gatheringpeople unto God in righteousness and no one can be a part of that great undertaking until they’ve first been gathered unto Him through Christ themselves. Please repent and trust Jesus today—you’ll totally steer clear of God’s soon coming judgment! Don’t put it off. You’ll never regret being born from above! The Bible says: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Just know that contrary to popular televangelistic teaching, Christians are not exempt from times of suffering and various troubles on this planet. Those negatives are here because man has sinned—not God. And it would be wrong for me to make the earthly-life-enhancing-fringe-benefits-of-salvation (i.e., love, joy and peace etc) the "draw-card" for you to repent. Being a real Christian is about following, knowing and serving Christ without foolish compromise. It’s about avoiding imminent punishment; uber-horrific wrath and permanent relocation to a real place called Hell. The Bible promises for the true convert are: trials, temptation and persecution, so please don’t get the wrong idea. Some people might mock you. Christians are not immune to the struggles of life, but we are not alone in them either. Unbelievers have troubles that work against them; we have trials that work for us as we put our trust in the Lord. It’s not always comfortable to be a Christian, but listen; the excellent retirement benefits are out of this world! Please don’t delay—make the choice today! Remember that not to decide …is to decide.
Perhaps you arrived here due to mere curiosity or maybe it’s because of a genuine desire for closeness with the God who both made and loves you. No matter! You are here, so please take all the time that you need to prayerfully read the Scripture verses below, count the cost and carefully consider all that God has in store for you. I am only a delivery boy; this is God's wonderful Message of the Gospel that you are about to mull over. And it’s my sincere prayer that during the next few moments, as you look at these truths, the Holy Spirit will powerfully and yet tenderly visit you to change your life for time and eternity! He is more than able to meet all your needs.
Sincerely,
kurt
STEP 1
God’s Purpose: Peace and Life
God loves you and wants you to experience long term peace and life together with Him – abundant and eternal LIFE – even though for a short time here on this planet there could be severe testings, opposition, suffering and persecution.
The Bible says…
“…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
“…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
Since God planned for us to have peace and the abundant life right now, why are most people not having this experience?
STEP 2
Our Problem: Separation
God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him, but gave us a will and a freedom of choice.
We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God.
The Bible says…
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Our choice results in separation from God.
Through the ages, individuals have tried in many ways to bridge this gap… without success…
The Bible says…
“There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
There is only one remedy for this problem of separation.
STEP 3
God’s Remedy: The Cross
Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem. He died on the cross and rose from the grave, paying the penalty for our sin and bridging the gap between God and people.
The Bible says…
“…God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, Himself man, is between them to bring them together…” 1 Timothy 2:5
“For Christ also has suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God…” 1 Peter 3:18
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
God has provided the only way…
We must make the choice…
STEP 4
God's Provision: Jesus Christ
We must trust Jesus Christ and receive Him by personal invitation.
The Bible says…
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12
“…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
Is there any good reason why you cannot receive Jesus Christ right now?
How to receive Jesus Christ and be born again:
*Admit your need (God, I am a sinner).
*Be willing to turn from your sins to Christ (Lord, I do repent and receive Your forgiveness).
This means to change your direction and be done with a life of sinning. Many people feel that they are good. Do you say you are a good person? Why should God, the just Judge of the universe, allow you into His holy Heaven even if you are better than some? Have you ever broken the Ten Commandments? Have you ever taken God’s Name in vain?—you know, been upset and instead of saying a cuss word, you replaced that word with “God”? Blasphemy never goes unnoticed by the righteous Judge. Have you ever told one lie? Well, what would that make you? Have you ever stolen one thing? The Bible says, “You shall not steal.” If you feel guilty when you hear all this, why do you think that is? Could it be because you are guilty? God gave us our conscience so we would know when we break His holy Law. The guilt we feel when we do something wrong tells us that we need to permanently turn away from a life of sin to Jesus. Have you ever lusted after someone even one time? If so, Jesus said you are an adulterer at heart. Have you ever been angry with anyone? That would make you a murderer at heart according to what God says.
If you have done these things God sees you as an unrighteous, blasphemous, lying, thieving, adulterer and murder at heart and warns that you are indeed culpable. The passing of lots of time, many good deeds done and more learning won’t erase your sins or gain you entrance into Heaven! Many think God will let them into heaven because He of course, is good, but because God is good He must judge the guilty. What many unrepentant people rely upon to later gain them entrance to Heaven (namely "God’s goodness'), will actually gain them the judgment they deserve. Sinners don't realize they're condemned already and God’s wrath currently abides on them (John 3:18 and 36). But Jesus mercifully paid the penalty for all your sins on Calvary's Cross so you wouldn’t have to go to that burning lake permanently. Hope for you is only to be found in Christ as you turn from your wrong doings to Him, so don't reject God's only provision for your sin!
*Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave (over 500 witnesses saw Him).
*Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit, (Receive Him as Lord and Savior).
Would you pray something like this...
Dear Lord Jesus,
I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. So as You grant me true repentance now, I choose to appropriate it by faith, to fully repent and to trust You completely. I believe that You died for my sins on the cross and I want to turn away from all my sins for good. Jesus, I now invite You to come into my heart and life. Please forgive me and fill me with your Spirit. Make me into the kind of victorious fruit bearing person that you want me to be. I want to love and follow You as Lord and Savior all my days. Thanks for making me born again!
In Jesus’ name. Amen!
STEP 5
God’s Assurance: His Word
If you prayed this prayer.
The Bible says...
“For ‘whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:13
Did you sincerely ask Jesus Christ to come into your life? Where is He right now? What has He given you?
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9
The Bible says…
“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:12 ,13 (NKJV).
Receiving Christ, we are born into God’s family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer… this is called regeneration or the “new birth.”
STEP 6
God's Plan: Get Started Walking In The Spirit
This is just the beginning of a beautiful, marvelously glorious relationship with God and a wonderful new adventure in Jesus Christ! Welcome into the family of God. To deepen this relationship and grow spiritually, it is so important for you to:
Prayerfully read your Bible daily to know Christ better. God will come meet with you in the volume of the Book. Talk to God candidly in prayer every single day. He longs to hear from you. Live a life that bears fruit!
"And this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" 1 John 5:11-12.
Your decision to follow Jesus means that God has totally forgiven you – He has wiped the slate clean, so to speak. You are going to spend eternity with Him in Heaven!
How exciting! Congrats. Now put your faith in action before anyone even offers to follow-up with you. Many churches, even ones with noble intentions, unfortunately gain false converts today, but as a new believer in Jesus you will want to lay some solid groundwork for your faith to flourish upon. Why? So that you'll have assurance inside and go the distance with God! Sure there are trials and blessings ahead, but Jesus will see you through. We really never know how long our exciting earthly fishing experience will last, but we can know Him and give it our best as we prepare ourselves to fish well. Much better adventures in eternity are before you! ShareThisNOW THAT YOU'RE HOOKED ON JESUS...
Here Are Your First Steps In Becoming The Fisher That God Has Called You To Be:
That’s a pretty straightforward question huh. So what do you prefer.. real humility or pride?—a first hand knowledge of God or ignorance?—in or out?—liberty or spiritual bondage?—light or horrible darkness?—obedience to this loving Lord or rebellion?—eternal life or fierce wrath? It’s really a no-brainer, but God will honor your choice either way. It just breaks His heart when people choose Hell though, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). God’s Son, Jesus Christ said, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (Luke 11:23). You see, fishing for souls is the most noble rescue effort—it’s about gatheringpeople unto God in righteousness and no one can be a part of that great undertaking until they’ve first been gathered unto Him through Christ themselves. Please repent and trust Jesus today—you’ll totally steer clear of God’s soon coming judgment! Don’t put it off. You’ll never regret being born from above! The Bible says: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Just know that contrary to popular televangelistic teaching, Christians are not exempt from times of suffering and various troubles on this planet. Those negatives are here because man has sinned—not God. And it would be wrong for me to make the earthly-life-enhancing-fringe-benefits-of-salvation (i.e., love, joy and peace etc) the "draw-card" for you to repent. Being a real Christian is about following, knowing and serving Christ without foolish compromise. It’s about avoiding imminent punishment; uber-horrific wrath and permanent relocation to a real place called Hell. The Bible promises for the true convert are: trials, temptation and persecution, so please don’t get the wrong idea. Some people might mock you. Christians are not immune to the struggles of life, but we are not alone in them either. Unbelievers have troubles that work against them; we have trials that work for us as we put our trust in the Lord. It’s not always comfortable to be a Christian, but listen; the excellent retirement benefits are out of this world! Please don’t delay—make the choice today! Remember that not to decide …is to decide.
Perhaps you arrived here due to mere curiosity or maybe it’s because of a genuine desire for closeness with the God who both made and loves you. No matter! You are here, so please take all the time that you need to prayerfully read the Scripture verses below, count the cost and carefully consider all that God has in store for you. I am only a delivery boy; this is God's wonderful Message of the Gospel that you are about to mull over. And it’s my sincere prayer that during the next few moments, as you look at these truths, the Holy Spirit will powerfully and yet tenderly visit you to change your life for time and eternity! He is more than able to meet all your needs.
Sincerely,
kurt
STEP 1
God’s Purpose: Peace and Life
God loves you and wants you to experience long term peace and life together with Him – abundant and eternal LIFE – even though for a short time here on this planet there could be severe testings, opposition, suffering and persecution.
The Bible says…
“…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
“…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
Since God planned for us to have peace and the abundant life right now, why are most people not having this experience?
STEP 2
Our Problem: Separation
God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him, but gave us a will and a freedom of choice.
We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God.
The Bible says…
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Our choice results in separation from God.
Through the ages, individuals have tried in many ways to bridge this gap… without success…
The Bible says…
“There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
There is only one remedy for this problem of separation.
STEP 3
God’s Remedy: The Cross
Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem. He died on the cross and rose from the grave, paying the penalty for our sin and bridging the gap between God and people.
The Bible says…
“…God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, Himself man, is between them to bring them together…” 1 Timothy 2:5
“For Christ also has suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God…” 1 Peter 3:18
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
God has provided the only way…
We must make the choice…
STEP 4
God's Provision: Jesus Christ
We must trust Jesus Christ and receive Him by personal invitation.
The Bible says…
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12
“…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
Is there any good reason why you cannot receive Jesus Christ right now?
How to receive Jesus Christ and be born again:
*Admit your need (God, I am a sinner).
*Be willing to turn from your sins to Christ (Lord, I do repent and receive Your forgiveness).
This means to change your direction and be done with a life of sinning. Many people feel that they are good. Do you say you are a good person? Why should God, the just Judge of the universe, allow you into His holy Heaven even if you are better than some? Have you ever broken the Ten Commandments? Have you ever taken God’s Name in vain?—you know, been upset and instead of saying a cuss word, you replaced that word with “God”? Blasphemy never goes unnoticed by the righteous Judge. Have you ever told one lie? Well, what would that make you? Have you ever stolen one thing? The Bible says, “You shall not steal.” If you feel guilty when you hear all this, why do you think that is? Could it be because you are guilty? God gave us our conscience so we would know when we break His holy Law. The guilt we feel when we do something wrong tells us that we need to permanently turn away from a life of sin to Jesus. Have you ever lusted after someone even one time? If so, Jesus said you are an adulterer at heart. Have you ever been angry with anyone? That would make you a murderer at heart according to what God says.
If you have done these things God sees you as an unrighteous, blasphemous, lying, thieving, adulterer and murder at heart and warns that you are indeed culpable. The passing of lots of time, many good deeds done and more learning won’t erase your sins or gain you entrance into Heaven! Many think God will let them into heaven because He of course, is good, but because God is good He must judge the guilty. What many unrepentant people rely upon to later gain them entrance to Heaven (namely "God’s goodness'), will actually gain them the judgment they deserve. Sinners don't realize they're condemned already and God’s wrath currently abides on them (John 3:18 and 36). But Jesus mercifully paid the penalty for all your sins on Calvary's Cross so you wouldn’t have to go to that burning lake permanently. Hope for you is only to be found in Christ as you turn from your wrong doings to Him, so don't reject God's only provision for your sin!
*Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave (over 500 witnesses saw Him).
*Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit, (Receive Him as Lord and Savior).
Would you pray something like this...
Dear Lord Jesus,
I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. So as You grant me true repentance now, I choose to appropriate it by faith, to fully repent and to trust You completely. I believe that You died for my sins on the cross and I want to turn away from all my sins for good. Jesus, I now invite You to come into my heart and life. Please forgive me and fill me with your Spirit. Make me into the kind of victorious fruit bearing person that you want me to be. I want to love and follow You as Lord and Savior all my days. Thanks for making me born again!
In Jesus’ name. Amen!
STEP 5
God’s Assurance: His Word
If you prayed this prayer.
The Bible says...
“For ‘whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:13
Did you sincerely ask Jesus Christ to come into your life? Where is He right now? What has He given you?
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9
The Bible says…
“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:12 ,13 (NKJV).
Receiving Christ, we are born into God’s family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer… this is called regeneration or the “new birth.”
STEP 6
God's Plan: Get Started Walking In The Spirit
This is just the beginning of a beautiful, marvelously glorious relationship with God and a wonderful new adventure in Jesus Christ! Welcome into the family of God. To deepen this relationship and grow spiritually, it is so important for you to:
Prayerfully read your Bible daily to know Christ better. God will come meet with you in the volume of the Book. Talk to God candidly in prayer every single day. He longs to hear from you. Live a life that bears fruit!
"And this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" 1 John 5:11-12.
Your decision to follow Jesus means that God has totally forgiven you – He has wiped the slate clean, so to speak. You are going to spend eternity with Him in Heaven!
How exciting! Congrats. Now put your faith in action before anyone even offers to follow-up with you. Many churches, even ones with noble intentions, unfortunately gain false converts today, but as a new believer in Jesus you will want to lay some solid groundwork for your faith to flourish upon. Why? So that you'll have assurance inside and go the distance with God! Sure there are trials and blessings ahead, but Jesus will see you through. We really never know how long our exciting earthly fishing experience will last, but we can know Him and give it our best as we prepare ourselves to fish well. Much better adventures in eternity are before you! ShareThisNOW THAT YOU'RE HOOKED ON JESUS...
Here Are Your First Steps In Becoming The Fisher That God Has Called You To Be:
- Go tell someone publicly about your faith in Christ. Let us know and then use sanctified common sense in fishing. Yes, be tactful in how you tell others about Christ and what He has done. God will show you how to witness and He will give you courage. Even though some Christians and church leaders don’t act like Christ, choose not to be ashamed of Jesus. Don't allow them to get in the way of your relationship with Christ. Just keep loving Christ's Church depending on God to help you. Read Romans 10:9 and 10.
- Follow Christ into the waters of baptism. Also see Romans 6:4.
- By faith, continually allow the Holy Spirit to fill, lead and control you according to the Scriptures. Don't be a half-committed, carnal, or worldly Christian. Mature in the Lord! Chose to be a spiritual Christian, looking to God to meet all your needs. He's never late! Check out Ephesians 5:18.
- Go and sin no more; be totally finished with it! Learn about righteousness; the Bible will tell you what is wrong. Allow God to literally give you a lasting hatred of sin, for it only destroys lives. See 1 John 1:9.
- Unite with a sound, Bible teaching for fellowship. Christ honoring local church that is led by Christ; one with a balanced spiritual pastor (who is truly born again) and adheres to Essential Christian Doctrine. View Hebrews 10:24 and 25.
- Lay the proper foundation and feed yourself in the Word. Look up Colossians 2:6 and verse 7.
- Allow the Lord speak to you through all the counsels of God as you enjoy reading the entire Bible. See Psalm 119:105.
- Develop a dynamic prayer life (when alone and all through the day) by simply getting real with Him. Peruse Jeremiah 33:3.
- Fish for souls as you boldly live the the life of Jesus... as you serve others and prayerfully reach out to tell them the Good News. Share your story! Be practical not hyper-mystical, religious or spooky! God is not religious. Give people the opportunity to pray and receive Christ on the spot if they're willing. Investigate Acts 1:8.
- Trust all God's promises for they are true no matter what it looks or feels like. Read 2 Corinthians 5:7.