Live and Live Forever
Introduction – This paper was written by a high
school and college mathematics instructor. It was not written or produced
by any particular denomination, cult, or religious leader. It is provided
free of charge as an expression of God’s love for mankind.
There is a
book that tells us how to live now and live forever. This book is not
hidden or a secret. The Holy Bible is the most popular book in the history
of the world. Johannes Gutenberg invented his efficient printing press
around A.D. 1440 for the purpose of printing large quantities of the Bible.
Rulers and governments have not been able to remove the Bible or its influence.
It remains the most important and most widely available book in the world.
Bibles are printed in hundreds of languages in many different countries.
Today, the Amity Printing Company in Nanjing, China, is the world's largest
Bible printer with millions of copies produced and distributed each year.
Public schools were established in many countries, including the United States,
for the purpose of teaching children to read God's Word. Millions of
people are required to use the Bible to take legal oaths and pledges. The
Holy Bible is the most respected book of all time and it is widely accepted as
being the inspired Word of God. "For the prophecy came not in old time by
the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost"
(2 Peter 1:21 KJV). How can we stand before God and say, "Oh, I had no idea
that the Bible was Your Word?"
The Bible was written over a period of
approximately fifteen hundred years by some forty writers who were inspired by
the Spirit of God. The central theme of the Bible is eternal life through
Jesus Christ. God's plan for redemption and eternal life runs all the way
from Genesis to Revelation. From the beginning to the end, God's love for
mankind is revealed. "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 KJV). The integrity of the Old Testament was
guarded by the Jewish scribes, who faithfully used exhaustive methods of
counting tens of thousands of characters to verify the accuracy of each copy.
The Bible is complete with no missing parts, unlike the works of Shakespeare and
other more recent documents. With more than five thousand Greek
manuscripts, approximately ten thousand Latin manuscripts, and more than nine
thousand other manuscripts, no other ancient document even comes remotely close
to the evidence and volume of documentation for the New Testament. All
other extensive ancient works are supported by less than seven hundred ancient
manuscripts.
There are nearly two thousand prophecies found in the
Bible. Many refer to the nation of Israel and to Jesus Christ, the
Messiah. Some of the prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. I remember
hearing Bible prophecies of the end times when I was a child. For example,
the coming cashless society mentioned in Revelation 13: "16And
he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a
mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17And that no man might buy or sell,
save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
This notion seemed a little distant in 1960, but today, the whole planet is
wired and waiting.
The Bible says in Revelation chapter eleven that God will send two prophets
who will be killed by the beast on the streets of Jerusalem. "9And
they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead
bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put
in graves. 10And they that
dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send
gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on
the earth. 11And after three
days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood
upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them" (Revelation
11:9-11 KJV). More than two thousand years ago, the Bible said that people
throughout the world would see this drama unfold in real time. Now, it
doesn't even require a sophisticated satellite news network, just a cheap cell
phone and social media.
In A.D. 70, the Roman Empire pulverized the City
of Jerusalem. Historian Flavius Josephus described the brutal attack of
Roman soldiers. They literally had to climb over the bodies of their
Jewish victims. The Bible declares that Jerusalem will remain the center
of attention and controversy until Christ returns.
There is a person who
tells us how to live now and live forever. He rose from the dead and He is
the central figure in the history of the world. As a matter of fact, the
history of the world and time itself is divided into two parts, based on His
coming to the earth. He is the focal point in history. His name is
Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life. He is the Messiah. He is
Emmanuel, God with us. B.C. stands for "before Christ" and A.D. stands for
"anno Domini, in the year of the Lord." Modern secular societies are
trying to replaced B.C. with B.C.E. and A.D. with C.E. While B.C.E. was
intended to mean "before the common era," many just read it as "before the
Christian era." Similarly, when A.D. is preplaced with C.E., it is often
read as "the Christian era."
Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
The cross is the most recognized symbol in the world. It is the symbol of
God's love for mankind and the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. You and
I were created to have fellowship with God. "God is faithful, by whom ye
were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians
1:9 KJV). We were created in His image. "So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them"
(Genesis 1:27 KJV). We were not created as robots. Unfortunately,
man used his freedom to rebel against God. Man yielded to temptation and
traded life for death.
The Bible says that God is holy and righteous.
The penalty for sin had to be paid and Jesus paid it all. In obedience to
the Father, Christ laid down His life for us. "17Therefore
doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18No man taketh it from me, but I
lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it
again. This commandment have I received of my Father" (John 10:17-18 KJV).
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6 KJV). Salvation cannot be earned by
good works. "4But God, who is
rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye
are saved; 6And hath raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7That in the ages to come he might
shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ
Jesus. 8For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should
boast" (Ephesians 2:4-9 KJV).
If the
Spirit of God is speaking to you today, then today is your day of salvation.
Second Corinthians 6:2 says that at just the right time, God heard you.
If you cry out to God, He will hear you. On the day of salvation, He
will help you. He will send the Holy Spirit to guide you and draw you
to Him. Certainly, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of
salvation! There is no guarantee of tomorrow. Your heart may
become hard and your ears deaf to His call. Today, if you are
fortunate enough to hear His voice, I urge you to say yes to Christ and His
love. May God bless you,
You can experience a spiritual rebirth today. Romans
10:9 (KJV) says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved.”
Will you pray today and begin your journey
with Christ? “Lord Jesus, I confess with my mouth today that You are
the only begotten Son of the living God. I repent and turn from my
sins. I believe that You died on the cross to save me from my
punishment and I receive You as Savior and Lord of my life. Please
help me to grow in Your fellowship and serve You all the days of my life.
I ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
If you prayed that
prayer today from your heart, then you have become a child of God. You
have been born again and your adventure with Christ begins. Read the
Bible each day, beginning with the book of John. Talk to God each day
and ask for His help. Find a church that loves Jesus, loves people,
worships God with enthusiasm, and teaches the Bible. They will help
and encourage you on your journey with Christ.
Ken Campbell
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©2018 Ken Campbell – Permission is hereby granted to print copies of this tract in complete unedited form for free distribution.