"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe."

(Paul's letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 1, verses 17 - 19)

My friends, this is my prayer for you who are not yet believers…that your eyes may be opened to receive all the glories of God and His heavenly kingdom. Our finite minds can only begin to fathom the magnificent treasures in His many mansions, the peace and joy that await us at His throne. But there is only one key that unlocks the door to His kingdom - our faith in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as our personal Lord and Savior. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Following Jesus is the only way to salvation. The alternative leads to sin and damnation in a fiery hell. The finality of spiritual death or the shining promise of life everlasting. Which do you choose? It is without question the greatest decision you'll ever make!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

It's that simple! "Whoever" means you and you and you and me! Through the power of His redeeming love, whoever of us miserable sinners accepts Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior will be set free from the power and penalty of sin. Forever!

"But Michael," you argue, "you can't mean me. I've lived a wretched life; I'm a slave to sin; I can't change; I'm doomed to a lifetime of guilt and shame." Yes, I do mean you! I want you to count on these assurances from God Himself: When you are tempted to think guilt is too powerful for you, remember God's grace is more powerful. When you are tempted to think your past is too dark for anyone to know it, remember God's grace is bright and will dissipate the darkness of your past. When you are overwhelmed by your weaknesses, be assured that His grace can give you strength to resist temptation and put the love of God ahead of all else in your life!

For it is through God's merciful grace that you are saved from your love of self and its consequences. When "I" is more important than God, you fall into the trap of sin and its sentence - the darkness and desolation of hell which separate you from the light and goodness of God and His promise of life eternal with Him.

None of us, not one of us, could ever earn our way to heaven. All of us by nature are sinners through inheritance of Adam's sinful nature. When he disobeyed God, Adam transmitted those consequences through all generations: "The wages of sin is death…" (Romans 6:23)

But God reversed the curse of Adam's sin and mankind's inevitable damnation by sending His Son to purchase our sins with His death upon the cross. This is God's gift of salvation to us unworthy sinners. This is how much He loves us and wants to be our heavenly Father.

All God asks of you is faith in the saving power of Jesus His Son so that you may be born again as a believer. What do I mean by born again? When you repent of your sins and unconditionally surrender your life to Christ, you will begin a process of radical change in your life and your character. You will begin a journey of wondrous hope which will lead you to a full, satisfying, enriching communion with God your Father for all eternity.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone; the new has come! All this from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them…" (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

Does becoming a follower of Christ mean you'll never be tempted to sin again? Of course not! Only Jesus was without sin. You are always going to be under attack from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Indeed, the more faithful you are as a believer, the more severe the attacks.

But God will send His Holy Spirit to dwell within you, to comfort, protect, defend, and shield you. Through the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, you are strengthened, you soar over circumstances, you defeat fear. You begin to experience what is known as the "fruit of the Spirit" - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

God sends His Holy Spirit to every genuine born-again believer to insure liberty and victory over sin. But the Holy Spirit does more. The Holy Spirit seals your permanent adoption as a child of God. As an obedient child, you begin to surrender your self-will and seek His will. In the process, God will re-shape and re-direct your life so that you learn your true identity, and you learn God's amazing purpose for you as His chosen son or daughter.

God is Abba, our heavenly Daddy, our loving Father. On your earthly journey, you seek Him in prayer and find communion with Him. In the hereafter, you can look upon the radiance of His whole countenance. You inherit the full majesty of His kingdom, His infinite glory, His unfathomable riches. For ever and ever! Nothing can take that away from you! Hear me right: He has promised this to all believers and He will not forsake you!

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24)

All human beings are mastered either by sin or by righteousness. There is no in-between. You cannot live in Christ and in the slavery of sin at the same time. When you surrender to sin, your bondage yields only shame and guilt, ultimately culminating in spiritual death and separation from God. Bondage to God yields the ultimate gift of eternal life and the precious fruit of growing in peace and grace throughout your earthly journey.

Which will it be? Will you belong to the King of Kings or the prince of darkness? Pride is the number one hindrance that keeps a person from coming to Jesus Christ, who bought and paid for us with His blood. Won't you go in prayer to the Lord and ask Him to banish your pride today? Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks (Revelation 3:20). Won't you invite Him in as your personal savior?

If you sincerely want to be born again in Christ, please pray with me now:

Oh God, how great You are to love a sinner like me. I know I can never deserve your forgiveness. I can only ask for your mercy. I repent of my sins and desire with all my heart to have your Son Jesus Christ as the Lord of my life. I surrender my life to you unconditionally. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to direct my ways, guide my days, and make me your obedient child. I ask this in the sweet name of Jesus. Amen.

If you have prayed this simple prayer with honesty and sincerity, you have embarked on the most exciting adventure in your life, an adventure of discovering who you really are as your old self dies and your new self is born again as a son or daughter of God and brother or sister of His Son Jesus Christ.

You have become a member of the Royal Family and are entitled to all its rights and privileges! Keep your eyes riveted on this reward so that nothing on earth ever causes you to alter your course or abandon your faith in Jesus Christ. How can you know if your surrender is genuine? Here's how you can tell:

• You love God more than anyone or anything (Matthew 10:37).
• You have a hatred for sin (Psalm 51).
• You have a genuine humility (Matthew 5:3).
• You have a genuine desire for prayer (Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18).
• You love others and want to serve and pray for them (1 John 4:7-8).
• You are growing spiritually (Ephesians 4:13).
• You are living in obedience to God (John14:15; 15:10).

Praise the Lord for your salvation! Tell others! Be a witness for Christ! Be a faithful follower! Confess your sins each day (1 John 1:9) and thank God for His mercy in leading you to the sincere repentance (Romans 2:4) which turned your old sinful life around and led you to a new abundant life in Christ. Be strengthened in your faith by daily prayer and Bible reading. Be sustained and nourished by the fellowship of other believers at The Church of The Apostles.

Please let us know how the new you is growing and changing and becoming more like Jesus Christ. Let us know how you are growing closer to God our heavenly Father. Let us know if you are touching other lives as a witness for Christ.

Until we meet in heaven, I pray that God showers you with all the blessings of this life as you seek His will and serve in obedience to Him.

In Christ,

Michael Youssef