I grew up in a Christian home with parents who loved me and made sure that I was in church from the time that I was a baby.  As a result, I heard about God's love at a very early age.  I would like to tell you about the night that changed my life--the night that I accepted Jesus as my Savior.  It was during a revival at my church.  

First the pastor read this verse from the Bible:

FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.                                                                                          Romans 3:23

Then he asked, "Who is a sinner? "   His question seemed simple enough for me.  I was only 8 years old, but I knew who a sinner was.  It was somebody who robbed a bank, or who killed somebody.  I wasn't prepared for the next question.  "Have you ever told a lie?"  Well, sure I had--probably that very day.  "Have you ever disobeyed your parents?"  Yeah, I'd done that too.  Then he said, "If you have ever done either of these things--YOU ARE A SINNER".    Me?  A sinner?  No, that couldn't be right...I was only a kid.  Surely he wasn't talking to me.  But deep down in my heart, I began to realize that he was talking to me.  Next he read:

FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.

                                                                                      Romans 6:23

The pastor asked, "What happens to a sinner?"  I knew the answer to that too.  Sinners went to Hell.  They couldn't live in Heaven, because Heaven was where God was--and God didn't like sin.  Another question, "If you die tonight--where will you go, Heaven or Hell?"  "Where would I go?", I asked myself.  I didn't like the answer that was coming to me.  I thought about it for a minute.  If I was a sinner, and it seemed like I was...and I died tonight...I WOULD GO TO HELL!   I didn't want to go to Hell!!  But what could I do?  The pastor had the answer:

THAT IF THOU SHALT CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS AND BELIEVE IN THINE HEART THAT GOD HATH RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, THOU SHALT BE SAVED.

                                                                                              Romans 10:9

Another question from the pastor:  "Don't you want Jesus to be your Savior?"  Yes!!  Yes, I wanted that more than anything I'd ever wanted.  But how?  What could I do?  How could I ever be good enough for Jesus to be my Savior?  I was a sinner.  I knew that now...why would Jesus even care about me? Another verse from the Bible:

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

                                                                                                 John 3:16

The pastor asked, "Are you part of the world?"  Well, sure I was.  I lived in the world, so I was part of it.  Then he said, "If you are part of this world, then put your name in this verse".  For God so loved ______ that He gave his only begotten Son.  For God so loved Marti...For God so loved--ME--that He gave His only begotten Son.  The pastor went on..."that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  All you have to do is believe!!  "Listen to this verse", the pastor said:

FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.                               

                                                                                                    Romans 10:13

"Don't you want to ask Jesus to be your Savior?", he asked.  Yes!  I did want to, but at the same time something was holding me back.  It felt like a war was going on inside me.  On one side was God, holding His arms out to me, wanting me to become His child.  On the other side was the devil, telling me to wait--telling me to think about it just a little while longer.  As I stood there, the pastor said, "Don't put it off--come to Jesus now."  Then he quoted:

BEHOLD I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK; IF ANY MAN HEAR MY VOICE, AND OPEN THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN TO HIM AND SUP WITH HIM AND HE WITH ME.

                                                                                                     Revelation 3:20

His final question, "Is Jesus knocking on your heart's door tonight?"  Yes, I could feel His love  as He stood just outside, waiting to be let in.  Finally I let go of my doubts and fears and prayed a very simple prayer, asking Jesus to come into my life and take my sins away.  When my prayer was finished, I knew that Jesus had answered it.  I knew that He was my Savior, and I knew that if I died that night, I would go to Heaven.  I still have that assurance to this very day.

Now, I have some questions for you:

Don't you want to have that assurance that you will go to Heaven when you die?

Don't you want to ask Jesus to be your Savior?

If you would like to invite Jesus into your heart, you can pray this simple prayer:

Heavenly Father, 

I know that I am a sinner, and that there is nothing I can do to save myself.

I believe that Jesus died on the cross to take my sins away.

I believe that You raised Him from the dead on the third day.

Lord Jesus, I ask you now to come into my heart and take away my sins.

I accept you as my Savior.

Forgive me for what I've done wrong.

Cleanse me from my sins.

Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You.

Thank you for saving me.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen 

If you prayed this prayer to receive Christ as your Savior, please click here to contact me, and let me know so I can rejoice with you.