United In
Christ · Growing In Grace · Reaching Out In Love
HOW
To Become a Follower of Jesus
The Bible declares that “all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God.” (Romans
3:23). This just means that when God created you and me He had
something really amazing in mind. The problem is, none of us have all
He planned for us to have – in
this life, or the next!
The big issue is presented later in the book of
Romans (6:23): “The wages of sin is death…” Want it straight? We’re
walking dead men (and women). There are lots of
ways for human beings to be “dead” and still walking around suffering
through life. I’ll wager you know what I’m talking about.
The solution is pretty simple: “The gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ His
Son.” (Same verse)
There is a problem though. Jesus said, “God so
loved the world (that’s you and me) that He gave His only Son (that’s Jesus) that whosoever
(you and me
again) believes in Him should not perish (experience that living death
I told you about) but have
everlasting life (beginning here and now).” (John 3:16). THE PROBLEM
is that believing in Jesus means buying in to what He said, what He
did, and what He offers in exchange for your allegiance.
To
Become Part of the Body of Christ at Atwater Baptist Church
Once you’ve acknowledged Jesus as your Savior and
the Lord of your life (determined to be obedient to His guidance for
your life), and have decided you want to be part of our “body,” we’d
love to talk to you about joining our fellowship. We’ll want you to
follow the Lord in believers’ baptism (if you haven’t already) and
commit yourself to an active ministry in our fellowship. That’s it.
We’re not a club or an organization to join. We’re a ministry family,
serving the Lord together to join Him in His mission: to become famous
in Atwater and the surrounding area, to extend His kingdom (and reduce
the enemy’s kingdom), and reconcile the world to Himself. That’s it!
Contact pastor Paul to get the ball rolling! And welcome!
Mailing address:
Atwater Baptist Church
2124 First Street
Atwater, CA 95301
Is Your Heart
Ready for Disaster?
Accepting the Gospel truth
essential now and for eternity
(CEN, Oct. 5) PHOENIX,
Ariz. – With Christian relief and development
agencies continuing their deployment throughout the Gulf
Coast region of the United States, Christian Emergency
Network (CEN) CEO and Founder Mary Marr said that Christians
must see this time for the opportunity it is – to share the
hope found only in Jesus.
Marr said, “CEN partners such
as the Salvation Army, Convoy of Hope, Strategic World
Impact and others are now on the ground earning the right to
share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their steps have been
primed with prayer, they have provided care at every level –
physical, emotional, and spiritual – and they have the
answer to the problems and questions that no government or
secular agency can answer. That is Jesus Christ.”
She added, “It is no secret
that today in America, as throughout the recorded history of
humanity, there are those opposed to Christians sharing
their faith. However, we answer to a higher authority. Jesus
commanded – yes, commanded – us to share our faith as we go
through life. Certainly, one way to do that is to provide
financial support for those ministries that have proven that
they are prepared, capable and excellent, but that also do
not waver in obeying the Great Commission.” She continued,
“Even those not directly impacted by the storm are
questioning where God is in all of this. There is no better
time than the present for us to share with our families,
friends, neighbors and coworkers this truth about Jesus –
‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other
name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved'"(Acts
4:12).
Marr remarked, “So, we
encourage Christians throughout America to ask those they
know and love, ‘Is your heart ready for disaster?’ Helping
those you know to acknowledge and deal with that question
may very well lead them to accept the truth of the Gospel,
so that they can experience a purposeful life in the present
and eternity in the presence of God.”
Marr noted, “Our own personal
testimonies are likely our most powerful witnessing tool.
However, Scripture promises it will not come back void. So,
do not hesitate to open your Bible so that others can read
for themselves the truth of Scripture.” She pointed to
several verses, that used in order, can lead a person
quickly through the core Gospel message. Those verses are:
Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; 1 Peter 3:18; Acts 3:19; Ephesians
2:8; Romans 10:9-10; and, Romans 10:13.
Prayer
Reminding Christians that CEN’s ministry is focused on
conveying the hope of Christ through a prayer-care-share
message, Marr asked that Christians consider each of these
prayer requests and following information.
Pray that God will enable
and embolden Christians to share their faith with
non-Christians.
Pray that Christians will
abandon idols and other temporal pleasures that stand in
the way of their own witness.
Pray that God will shake
Christians from their complacency and comfort and would
adopt the same sense of urgency demonstrated by Jesus in
His ministry.
PRAYER TIP: To read some
thoughts on how to pray for your coworkers,
click here.
To learn how you can pray for
those in need and demonstrate the love of Christ,
click here.
Care CARE TIP: To read some thoughts on how
to care for your coworkers,
click here.
To learn of additional ways to
demonstrate the love of Christ by showing care,
click here.
Share
Meanwhile, Strategic World Impact, an international
ministry, has moved into areas devastated by Hurricane Rita,
helping in a number of ways, including removing debris and
bringing in generators. To learn more, visit
www.swi.org
SHARE TIP: Join with CEN in
committing to a lifetime of adopting the biblical response
of prayer-care-share by becoming a CEN partner. To learn
more, click here.
To learn of additional ways to
demonstrate the love of Christ by sharing your time, talents
and treasure for the long run,
click here.
“To encourage a lifestyle of
pray-care-share in your home and church,
click here.
Pray-Care-Share Inspiration
SCRIPTURE: “And let the peace (soul harmony
which comes) from Christ rule (act
as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling
with finality
all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful
state] to which as
[members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to
live]. And be
thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]"
Colossians 3:15. Outlook: We turn our eyes, hearts and minds
to You, Oh God, for in our
weakness You are strong. Song: “His Strength Is Perfect,” by Steven
Curtis Chapman and Jerry Salley
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"I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God for the salvation
of everyone who believes..." Romans 1:16 (New International Version)
