Time for Courage

“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:7-9 NKJV

This past week brought some encouraging news for believers with the launch of a “task force” by the Trump administration with the goal of eradicating anti-christian bias and discrimination within the federal government.  https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/ag-pamela-bondi-officially-launches-eradicating-anti-christian/.  Yet despite this good news, one has to consider what other forms of discrimination, as well as persecution that are out there and the simple fact that attacking Christian believers is certainly not going to go away.  In truth, most would hold to the belief that considering where many feel we are positionally in regards to the end of this age, it’s only going to get worse.

Anyone who has ever run a race will tell you that the hardest part is the last part as you approach the finish line.  So too, will life on this earth get harder for true believers the closer we get to the end of this age, and the need for strength and courage will increase.  Fortunately for us, the Bible is full of stories regarding courage, strength in times of hardship, persecution and what our response to these situations should be.  As I thought about this, the thing that struck me about courage, or lack of it, was that I was thinking more along the lines of effort, and not considering the mindset which produces a lack of effort. As I began to research that particular subject, God led me to these verses from Joshua which I found to be a beautiful passage that explains this predicament very well. 

Now this passage surprised me because like many of you, my impression of Joshua has always been that of a very courageous warrior for God. Yet here at his commissioning we find God giving him some very pointed advice concerning courage. In a way, I read this and thought to myself that God was in essence telling Joshua to "suck it up and get some guts" much like my old coaches did. Of course, the difference here between my old coaches and God is that my coaches were simply telling me to put forth more effort, where in this passage God gives Joshua a blueprint for success. 

Where we as believers find ourselves right now at this point in time could certainly be described as one in which courage is an absolute necessity.  So let me share briefly what I see in this passage from Joshua, and I believe we can accurately call them God's "Three Steps To Victory".

As we read this passage we find that God reminds Joshua the objective is "strength and courage". Now at first I thought this was two separate words, but when I looked it up I found that it is actually a phrase in the Hebrew, and the definition is a little more complicated than I expected. In Hebrew it is one word, 'amats, which is actually a phrase which means to be "strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, solid, hard". It is also a verb, which if I remember correctly from my High School English class means action. Now I learned a long time ago that in order to get stronger you need to exercise, so if I'm right, God is telling Joshua that first of all there are things he has to DO, not just wish for. So I think that what God is telling Joshua, and we as believers, is that we are going to be required to put forth effort if we want to be "strong and courageous".

Once we are willing to do that, God gives us His three requirements regarding His Word. The first is;

Speak It. Have you ever heard the phrase "put up or shut up"? I know in athletics, we were always encouraged to not only set goals, but share them with our teammates. I suppose it was a way to put the pressure on ourselves to live up to what we said we were going to accomplish. As believers,, when we share the fact we have chosen to accept Christ into our lives, it puts pressure on us to live according to His guidelines. Knowing people are watching our behavior is wonderful motivation. When God told Joshua to not let the Word depart from his mouth, He was telling him to be bold enough to tell all that he had chosen to live according to the law, and in essence proclaim his choice for all to see.

Study It. Now you might say that this one is no surprise, but I would challenge you to look at exactly what God said. He said meditate on it "day and night". In todays vernacular that would be referred to as 24/7, yet I would have to ask the question how many of us are content to give God five or ten minutes a day and then call it good?  The word for meditate is Hagah (meditate): 1) to moan, growl, utter, muse, mutter, meditate, devise, plot, speak. Now the first thing I thought when I read this was a lion. Why? I guess when I think of a lion I see an animal that walks around always thinking about where his next meal is coming from. They moan, growl, mutter, devise, plot, always thinking of just one thing; dinner. Is that how you approach God's Word? Are you hungry for the Word of God?  Even if you aren't reading it, do you think about what you read, repeat it, memorize it, consider how to use it, all 24/7? That is what I believe God is saying here.

Live It. I'm sure that I am not alone in finding it difficult at times to live as a believer should. Yet God says that step two actually results in step three being easy! It follows then that if you meditate day and night, living the life and observing or obeying God's laws becomes easier. I know back in the day when I was involved in athletics, my coaches were always asking what my "game plan" was for winning my race. After I had "meditated" on my tactics, it was easy to put them in motion because I had mentally memorized exactly what I was going to do. 

If we as believers study and meditate on God's Word, it becomes easier to observe them because we have an intimate knowledge of what God expects from us. I'm always encouraged to read the account of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness because His knowledge of scripture was all the defense He needed to repel Satan's temptations. Living the life God expects from us is always easier if we know and understand what His expectations are.

God then tells us that the result of obeying these three steps is exactly what most of us are looking for; "then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success". Will it be easy to do these things? Of course not, yet God not only tells us that they work, and what the result will be ahead of time, He also gives us a final word of encouragement. 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 NKJV

What I see in this final verse is that God asks a question. Did you notice that He asks "Have I"? He is not making a statement, rather He is reminding us that these words are coming from Him, the God of the universe. God wants us to know our strength and courage come from Him, and not from our own efforts. Most of all we can know we have God's promise that He is with us wherever we go. We are never alone, and there is nowhere we can go where God is not with us. Just like Joshua, we can be strong and have courage if we follow God's three steps to victory.

As we watch the world rapidly descend into darkness, the conclusion that the rapture must be near is virtually inescapable.  As believers, we can rejoice and take comfort in knowing we can have the tools to take courage from our Father in Heaven.  May we never forget to give thanks to God for His gift of salvation to us through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.  If you have never made the decision to accept that free gift I encourage you to do so today.  Simply ask God to forgive you of your sin based on your belief that Jesus died to pay the price for your sin, and turn over control of your life to Him.  You can do that right now by praying a prayer just like this one;

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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So What?

“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”              Matthew 27:3,4  NKJV

I wrote this commentary a few years ago but felt led to post it again as I was thinking of the situation we face today.  You see, it has become all too apparent that the country we live in is has many individuals who know what they should do, but choose not to.  In other words, their attitude when faced with making the right choice as opposed to the wrong one is, "so what"?  This is an attitude the world has seen before when certain people desire a certain outcome regardless of the consequences of being wrong.  In other words, it’s not about being right, but rather getting the outcome you desire.

Something often overlooked in the narrative of the events that led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is this response by the chief priests when Judas tried to return the thirty pieces of silver he was paid to betray our Lord.  While Judas felt guilty because he knew that Jesus was innocent of any crime, notice what the chief priests said when Judas said so.  “What is that to us?"  Or another way of saying, “So what?”  You see, they knew that Jesus had done nothing worthy of death yet they could care less that an innocent man had been condemned.  Their hatred of Jesus was such that they had no qualms at all with what they had done, and in fact, by this statement, admitted they knew He was innocent.

As opposed to Jesus, we are the guilty sinners deserving of death, but thanks to His sacrifice by dying in our place, we have the opportunity to join Him in heaven for all eternity.   We simply need to accept that sacrifice and believe that He rose again on the third day proving once and for all that He has the power to conquer death and to save us from our sins.  By the power of His shed blood, we are made sinless in His image and have His promise of spending eternity with Him.

“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.”    Matthew 28:1-9 NKJV

Rejoice indeed. Because of the resurrection, we all have the opportunity to share in His power over death. It is a gift, freely given to anyone who chooses to believe. Have you ever considered the fact that as a believer in Christ, you are immortal? Death has no hold over us for we have the promise of eternal life, and to prove it, Jesus rose from the dead to show us He alone has the power.

“Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

John 11:25-26 NKJV

“Persistent unbelief in light of contrary evidence is willful ignorance!”

“Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.”   Mark 16:9-11  NKJV

“After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.”   Mark 16:12-13  NKJV

In the above passage from Mark we find that the disciples were presented with the testimony of at least three witnesses to the fact that Jesus had risen from the dead in Mary, and then two of their own.  Yet for some reason they still chose not to believe what was being told to them.  Now maybe I could understand how difficult the fact of the resurrection might be to believe if it were not for the fact that Jesus Himself had told them that this was exactly what was going to occur before it ever happened!

“He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”                Luke 9:20-22  NKJV

So what would your reaction be to someone who refused to believe even though the evidence presented to support a position met all the criteria necessary by established legal principles?  I daresay your thoughts would be less than kind, and truthfully mine would refer back to the many passages in Proverbs which describe fools.  Does that seem harsh?  Or would it be justified considering that just like the High Priest and his cohorts in Jesus’ day, they know the truth but choose to say “so what?”  Maybe it would help to look at Jesus’ reaction to the disciples and their stubborn refusal to believe the evidence.

“Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.”   Mark 16:14  NKJV

As we celebrate Easter and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, I am led to ask, do you believe?  This is the most important question that anyone will ever be asked, and if you can answer yes, your place in eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior is guaranteed.   We can know this because God has promised us that all who believe will have eternal life.

“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 NKJV

“And it shall come to pass [That] whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.”   Acts 2:21 NKJV

“And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."  Acts 16:30-31 NKJV

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”   John 10:9 NKJV

On this Easter weekend as we celebrate our salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, my prayer is that if you have never made the decision to believe that He died and rose again, you would decide to do it today. Invite Jesus to come into your life and forgive your sins, and begin to experience the joy that comes from having a relationship with a living God, and the knowledge that He has promised us eternal life with Him in Heaven if we only believe.

Have you made the decision in your own life to know the power of His resurrection? If not, you can right now by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

He lives!

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Passover Thoughts

“Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. ‘And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. ‘Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ‘Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. ‘And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.”    Exodus 12:1-7  NKJV

I don’t recall how old I was when I first watched “The Ten Commandments” starring Charlton Heston as Moses but I certainly do remember the one scene in that movie which affected me greatly as a young child.  It was the scene in which the people celebrated the very first Passover while death visited those who had not put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts.  I have never forgotten that and if you have never seen the movie or know what I am referring to you can still watch it on Youtube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpPCnHObVJo

Passover will be celebrated in Israel this weekend and I thought today I would share a few thoughts I have on this particular Feast of Israel, and some possible ramifications it may well have for the Church as we await the blessed hope of our rapture.  First of all, in Israel this event is called the Pesach Seder.  Pesach is the Hebrew word for Passover, and Seder is derived from the Hebrew word for order.  The dinner is an intricate part of the Passover celebration in which the memory of the deliverance of the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt is recalled.

‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. ‘Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.      Exodus 12:12-14  NKJV

 

In the traditional Seder, there are fifteen steps, or observances which each signify and relate to the deliverance on that first Passover in Egypt.  I am not going to examine all of these today but will encourage you to do that on your own to better understand why this is such an important event.  What I am going to discuss today is four of those fifteen steps which I will call the Four Cups of Wine.  This is because during the entire Seder, there are four instances where the participants drink or sip from a cup of wine in remembrance of the promises God made to them when they were still in bondage in Egypt.

 

“Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. ‘I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. ‘And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.’ ”             Exodus 6:6-8  NKJV

 

The four cups of wine are taken to recall the four promises made in this passage which are referred to as the “four I wills”.  The first cup is called the cup of Sanctification…”I will bring you out from under the the burdens of the Egyptians”.  The second is called the cup of Blessing…” I will rescue you from their bondage”.  The third is the cup of Redemtion…” I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.”, and the fourth cup is the cup of Acceptance…”‘I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.”

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”       Matthew 26:26-29  NKJV

In this passage from Matthew 26, according to many scholars, it is believed that when Jesus said “Drink from it, all of you. “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” during the Seder with His disciples, He was referring to the 3rd cup of the Passover, the cup of Redemption.  Jesus was saying that by His shed blood we can be redeemed from our bondage to sin just as the Israelites were redeemed from their bondage in Egypt.  He then went on to say, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”  

  

Why?  In essence Jesus said He would not drink the Fourth Cup, the Cup of Acceptance, until He could do so with those who have chosen to believe in Him when we are together with Him in Heaven.  Since this will occur after the rapture of the Church, is Jesus somehow giving us a clue as to when the season of the rapture might happen?  Additionally, the fourteenth step in the order of the Seder is the recital of the Hallel, traditionally recited on festivals, followed by drinking the fourth cup of wine.  The Hallel is Psalms 113-118, with chapters 113-114 recited before the meal and chapters 115-118 recited now.  Take a closer look if you will at what we find in the last chapter;

 

“Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.”               Psalms 118:19-23  NKJV

 

According to the Mishnah, a collection of Jewish oral laws and traditions, Jesus is waiting for the marriage feast before He drinks from this cup.  (Mishnah, Pesahim 7:13)  Since we know that the marriage feast takes place after the rapture, is it possible that Jesus’ statement to His disciples about waiting to drink the Fourth Cup of Passover is actually His way of telling us that we will drink this cup with Him on a future Feast of Passover?  Not all scholars agree with that position but I personally believe it to be a distinct possibility.

The first three of the seven feasts of Israel occur this next week, and the one most of the world will celebrate is the Feast of First fruits which we know as Easter. It's the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb where He was laid after His crucifixion. Jesus has told us, His followers, to watch for His return and He went to even greater lengths to tell us what to watch for so we would recognize the time of His appearing. My question to you is this: "Are you watching?" At this most holy of weeks when we celebrate the Resurrection, let us not forget the promise of Jesus' return, and the responsibility that goes along with the command to actively "watch" for it. It's coming soon.

 

If you have never made the decision to accept the sacrifice Jesus made for you by dying on the cross for your sins, there is no better time than right now to do so.   Simply pray to the Father and ask Him to forgive you for your sins and tell Him you believe that Jesus is His Son and died for you.  Accept the gift of salvation He has offered you and you too will drink of this cup of along with Jesus on that future day when He will invite all of His believers to join Him.  Jesus Christ is the Passover lamb who died for our sins, delivering us so we can spend eternity with Him.

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The Wedding Season

"For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!"  Song of Solomon 2:11-13  NKJV

I have shared this article enough in the past that some of you may have considered that it might  be my favorite on the subject of rapture timing speculation.  Obviously there is not a day or an hour specified yet certainly it’s a season that I feel strongly has many reasons to support the idea that it could be when the Church will be called home.  If that weren’t reason enough, where I also believe we are as a world today on God’s prophetic timeline, leads me to share it again with you now.  So I hope you enjoy my thoughts on the Song of Solomon, and the possibility he is telling us when we are finally going home. 

Did you look forward to your wedding?  Did you possibly get a little more impatient the closer you got to the actual date?  I think most of us have either participated in our own, or observed someone else in this position and understand the impatience and anticipation someone approaching their wedding day experiences.  This though, raises a question in my mind which I would like you to consider as well.  Since the Church is described as the bride of Christ, and the Word also tells us He is coming to take His bride home at a future date, do you think Jesus is experiencing those same feelings of anticipation and impatience that we do?

When is the last time you heard a sermon taught on the Songs of Solomon?  To be completely honest, I don't recall personally ever having heard one.  Which truthfully seems to be a shame because if you believe that all scripture is inspired by God, and all scripture is profitable for instruction, you are then left with the question as to why this book was included in the scripture and what is its message?  As Solomon wrote this song to a Shulamite woman who he had fallen in love with, it is in essence his love song to her as he is courting her with the intent of making her his bride.  You don't need to read very far at all to understand the depth of his love for her, and the anticipation he has for the day she will become his own.

Seen in this light, it appears to me that this song can easily be considered to be what Jesus is feeling as He looks forward to His wedding to His bride, the Church.  Although the Jews have always looked at this book as signifying God's love for the nation of Israel, and it easily could be, I can also certainly see Jesus' love for the Church and His anticipation for the coming wedding in it as well.  One of the many interesting things I found while reading this book was this description of his intended which Solomon gives us in chapter 4.

"You are all fair, my love, And there is no spot in you."  Song of Solomon 4:7  NKJV

The fact that he sees no spot in her immediately brought to mind the description of the Church Paul gives us in the book of Ephesians.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."   Ephesians 5:25-27  NKJV

For many reasons, I can read this book and picture Jesus writing these words in anticipation of His future wedding with the Church.  Yet as long as we are going to talk about a future wedding, it would also seem appropriate to consider the possible timing of it, and see if Solomon gives us any clue as to when that might take place.  Notice his description in the passage from the second chapter, and everything that he says there.  It is obvious that Solomon is talking about the season of Spring, and all of the things that occur in Israel during that particular time.

"For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone."

Solomon tells us that the winter is past, as well as the early rains which normally fall in March and April.  It is these early rains which help start the growing season in Israel.

"The flowers appear on the earth;"

 

One of the things I, and many others appreciate most about spring is watching all of the flowers reappear after hiding under the snow for the winter.

"the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land"

 

Did you know that the turtledove is a migratory bird?  It normally leaves in the fall and returns to Israel in the spring.  

"The fig tree puts forth her green figs"

 

The fig tree normally produces its first crop in the spring, usually harvested in early June. 

"And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell"

 

The grapes are on the vine ripening in preparation for the coming harvest which normally occurs in July. 

The late Ray Stedman had this to say about this passage from Song of Solomon;

“There is the springtime of life. But it doesn't lie in the past. It lies in the future. One day this whole world will experience a springtime like that. The Lord Jesus Christ, returning at last to claim his waiting bride, will greet her in words very much like those. The springtime will come, the time of singing, the time when earth shall blossom again and the curse will be lifted and the flowers will appear on the earth. This is a picture of what can take place in the heart of one who falls in love with Jesus Christ and enters into springtime. The cold winter of loneliness, misery, and selfishness is past and the time of singing has come.” 

 

All things considered, I think it is safe to say that Solomon was anticipating a wedding just like many others have.  Being the way that I am, I have to wonder if Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, had a reason to choose spring as the season for a wedding. Many believe the Church is rapidly approaching its own wedding in Heaven, and a close look at the state of this world certainly seems to support that belief.  One day, very soon it would appear, the Church will hear the groom call out for her to "come away" just as Solomon wrote in this passage.  It is my prayer that you have made the decision to accept the gift of eternal life offered by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your sin, and that you are part of the body, the bride of Christ which will live with Him forever in the place He is preparing for us.

If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. Simply admit to God that you need His forgiveness because you are a sinner,  be willing to turn away from your sins, believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and invite Him to come in and control  your life through the Holy Spirit by praying a simple prayer like this;

Father, I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:"   John 1:12 NKJV

If you have prayed this prayer you are part of the body of Christ, a member of His Church, and like the rest of us are now waiting for the call to join Him in Heaven for the wedding soon to come. 

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