Chapter One

If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:9-13

Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is "the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. 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 4:10-12

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Devotional Thought on Eternal Life

Father of glory,

How I thank you for the assurance of heaven! While I know I could never deserve such an assurance, I'm so grateful that you even give it to me as a right because of my union with your Son, my Savior.

Thank you that while I live in the world I can seek to serve you fruitfully, and to praise you by the kind of life I live, as well as by my lips. I long to give glory, honor and thanks to you always.

May your indwelling Spirit-the Spirit of glory-ever keep before me the great privilege of being an heir of your glory, and a citizen of heaven. May my life in its praise and worship of you now be the closest possible approximation to the praise and worship of heaven.

Father, I worship and adore you, through Jesus Christ your Son. Amen. Derek Prime

God's Words of Life on Faith

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:5-7

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Devotional Thought on Faith

God was perfect and I wasn't. I was just a guy, and he was, well, God. How could I relate to him? A friend named Butch said Jesus was the answer. I could relate to him because even though he was perfect, he had also become a man. He was the bridge. He paid for my sin. If I could accept that and believe in Christ, then I could be forgiven and know I was going to heaven.

Overnight I pulled out the Gideon Bible. My mind was racing. Do I believe in God? Yes. Do I believe the Bible is God's message to man? Yes. Do I believe what the Bible says? Yes. That all have sinned? Yes. Do I want to become a Christian? How does one go about praying? I didn't know. I figured if God was God, he would understand if I just told him what was on my mind.

I said, "God, I don't know everything about you. I don't think I ever will. But I know I'm a sinner and I know I want to be forgiven. I know I want Christ in my life, and I want to go to heaven. I want to become a Christian. With that, I accept you. Amen." No tears, no lightning, no wind, no visions. What a relief! I knew I had done the right thing. I had stepped from skepticism to belief. Orel Hershiser

(Continues...)