The pastor has preached a message, and at the end he gives an invitation to all who would receive Christ to "come". The music begins and someone starts down the aisle. For some strange reason, we seem to assume that the person coming forward is converted by the time he takes the minister by the hand.
The pastor will usually ask, "Do you want to receive Christ as Savior? And be baptized and become a part of this church? Do you believe in Jesus Christ as Savior?" After a "yes" to all these questions, the individual is asked to take a seat and fill out a card. THIS IS NOT CONVERSION!!!!
We are literally bringing millions into our churches this way, and they are still just as lost as they were before "walking the aisle". Some of you are thinking, I didn't do any of that, my Mom & Dad just had the "holy man" pour water over my head as a baby, yeah I know. They made a decision for you, but you have never made one on your own.
Pastors stand children up in Vacation Bible School, and ask them if they love Jesus, love God and want to go to Heaven, they always answer yes. These would also answer yes if you asked them if they believed in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. He leads them through a prayer, and then they are often times baptized, with the blessings of their parents, but were they truly converted............hey don't think I'm judging, I'm just asking.
Did these people see themselves "lost". Romans 3:10, 3:23, 6:23, 5;8??? How can a person be saved, if he doesn't see himself lost? Have you ever met a child that didn't want to go to Heaven? Believed in God? Trusted everything the pastor, priest and pope said?
Romans 10:9-10 & 13 is how a person is converted to Christianity. Acts 4:12 says, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Ephesians 2:8 & 9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. " Who's faith? Your parents? Your spiritual leaders? Or YOUR faith?
Anyone who comes forward in a service, should have these verses read to them, explaining what God means by them, and then a person, no matter the age, as long as they do know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and honestly see themselves as "sinners", (yes even at a young age, if a child is brought up under Biblical preaching and has witnessed sin, and been taught the Scriptures (remember Jesus was only 12 when He was teaching inn the church) they can be saved early in life, which I believe is the greatest testimony of all. How awesome it would be to hear a person say they were saved as a child and has lived for Christ their whole life, instead of a testimony as mine, where I have to say that I was a drunk, an idolater, a whore monger a liar and cheater before my conversion), can make a rational decision and be truly converted!!!
I'm sure some of you may be thinking, "Yeah Cochise, but you have to believe all that junk is real in the first place." Yes, I am aware of that. God will reveal Himself to you for a season (and He has to you several times), then after awhile, He will withdraw the Spirit's wooing, because of the hardness of your heart. Isaiah 55:6 says, "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near."
Isaiah 59:1-2 says, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities (sin) have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Someone asked me again this week, "What are you trying to do, win the world to God?" Yes, I'm trying, failing miserably at times, but I'm trying. At times I am the biggest hypocrite in the world, as my anger gets a hold of me or I have an unforgiving spirit, and sometimes I can out cuss any sailor in the world, but please overlook me, and take a good long look at Jesus and what He has done for us all.
Romans 3:10, 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-10,13 Know them, read them, share them!!!
Big Love, Cochise
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