Have you asked Jesus Christ into your heart and asked Him to be Lord of your life? If so, did your life change?

What things did you give up?

Whats more important to you than spending time with God & going to church?

Do you pray?

Do you have a longing to read the Bible and learn more about God?

Do you even read the Bible?

Can anyone tell that there is something different about you?

Are you different in certain ways or are you just like everybody else in the world?

How are you different?

How about the way you talk, do you use bad language?

Do you abuse alcohol or use drugs and not feel convicted about it?

Do you have sex and not feel convicted about it?

Do you hate certain people?

Do you feel compassion for people, no matter their skin color?

Answer these questions honestly. It's just you and God right now. Only you and God know the truth.

Do You Know Him ?

There's an old saying I heard once that goes like this : " IF IT LOOKS AND WALKS LIKE A DUCK AND IT QUACKS LIKE A DUCK , THE CHANCES ARE GREAT THAT IT IS A DUCK." So think about this, " IF YOU WALK AND TALK LIKE A LOST PERSON, THERE'S A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT YOU ARE A LOST PERSON."

Going to church does not make you a Christian. Just because your Dad is a deacon or your Mom is a Sunday School teacher at the church , this does not make you a Christian too. Just because you have been baptized before or that you walked down an aisle at a church and said a prayer, these things don't necessarily mean that you're a Christian and that you are saved. Only you and God can know for sure.

How do I know these things? I know from experience!

I walked an aisle at the age of 12, I said a prayer and a couple of days later I got baptized. I didn't get saved , I got wet in a pool of water! I walked the face of this earth for many years after that day thinking that I was safe. I was a Christian! I was no different from the rest of the world. I had no remorse about what I said or did. In my teens I took on a new world view and eventually I turned my back on God and Christianity. I became what would be termed as an Atheist. I didn't care about anyone but myself and I didn't want anything to do with God or the Church. I got to the point I didn't believe He was real.

You see I walked down that aisle as a young boy because I wanted to be like my other friends at church. They we're all joining the church and getting baptized , it was the cool thing to do. I didn't mean anything I said or did that day. I just wanted to fit in. If I've heard this story once, I've heard it thousands of times from others. So many people have done this, both young and old. All those questions I asked you a moment ago, I could not have answered yes to any of them after that day.

What about you? Are you truly saved?

I'm not asking you all these questions to try and make you doubt your salvation, I just don't want you to be like I was for so long. I almost lost my life a couple of times during that period of my life when I was living a worldly life. If I would have died at anytime during that frame of my life, I would have went to hell so fast I would have knocked the gates off their hinges!

Maybe you're reading this and you have never went to church or been told the truth about Jesus Christ. Friend, I'm here to tell you today GOD LOVES YOU ! He gave His only Son's life for you. He is waiting with open arms to receive you, if you'll step out and walk to Him. He is real and is waiting for you to take that step to Him.

Just like the song "Come With Me" from my CD "This Is What I Believe" proclaims, "Jesus don't care, where you've been, and Jesus don't care, what you've done, Jesus don't care, where you've gone, and Jesus don't care, what you've seen, just open up your eyes, it's time to realize, Jesus is the only way, to see the light of day. "The chorus to this song is this : "Come With Me, to a place, a place where love can set you free, To a place where life, is everlasting for you and me. Come With Me, to a life, given freely by Jesus Christ ,if you'll take Him by the hand."

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

If you don't, come with me to the foot of the cross and ask Jesus from the bottom of your heart to come into your life. If you mean it with all your soul, He will make you brand new. He'll give you a peace like no other and He will empower you to be the kind of person you should be. I know, because He did it for me and He can do it for you too.

Maybe you know that you have been saved, but you have let the world and Satan try to use you to let other people see negative things about Christianity. I'm not going to say you need to get re-baptized or that you need to rededicate your life to Jesus but anytime is a good time to renew your relationship with Him and re-discover His love and forgiveness. If you are already saved but you know your relationship with God could be better, I invite you to go to the Father on your knees and ask Him to enable you to seek Him with a passion and reveal Himself to you so that you can re-kindle your friendship with Him. If you are not saved, I invite you to keep reading...

If you would like to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior please repeat this prayer after me. God knows your heart and if you pray this prayer honestly and with sincerity He will save you and your name will be written in the book of life and even the angels in heaven will rejoice and celebrate because of your decision to choose God as your Lord and Savior!

The Invitation:

DEAR JESUS ....... RIGHT NOW I ADMIT THAT I HAVE SINNED AGAINST OTHERS AND AGAINST MYSELF, BUT MOST OF ALL, AGAINST YOU. PLEASE FORGIVE ME OF MY SINS.

BY FAITH, I ACCEPT YOU & I INVITE YOU TO COME INTO MY HEART AND SOUL AND BE THE LORD OF MY LIFE. I ASK FOR YOUR POWER TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO SIN. LORD I BELIEVE THAT YOU SENT YOUR SON AND THAT HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD FOR ME. I BELIEVE YOU ARE THE ONLY TRUE GOD. JESUS I KNOW YOU LOVE ME, BECAUSE YOU PROVED IT BY DYING ON THE CROSS TO PAY THE PENALTY FOR MY SINS. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME ETERNAL LIFE WITH YOU.

JESUS, I KNOW THE DEVIL WILL WORK TO DECEIVE ME EACH AND EVERYDAY BUT I ASK YOU TO GIVE ME STRENGTH TO ALWAYS WIN OVER SIN AND TEMPTATION. YOU DEFEATED DEATH AND THE DEVIL THE DAY YOU WALKED OUT OF THE TOMB AND NOW I HAVE YOU IN MY LIFE. THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME AND ALLOWING ME TO BE PART OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

YOUR WORD SAYS, "WHOEVER THE SON SET'S FREE, IS FREE INDEED." THANK YOU JESUS FOR SETTING ME FREE.

IN JESUS' NAME I PRAY, AMEN.

If you prayed this prayer and you truly mean every word of it, Congratulations, you are a Child of God now !

Once you accept Jesus as your Savior, please follow these simple guidelines and they will help you grow in your walk with the Lord:

1. Get in the Word. (Read your Bible daily, begin with the book of John, every answer to every question you will ever have is in the Bible)

2. Get on your knees. (Pray often about everything)

3. Get in church. (Surround yourself with other believers so you can ask questions and trade ideas and thoughts with them, it will help you grow your friendship with God)

4. Get baptized. (Make a public profession of faith.)

5. Tell your friends about your salvation. (Be a witness to those around you.)

Where does a new Christian begin in the Bible?

I would like to encourage you to consider reading the Bible all the way through...start with the New Testament and then read through the Old Testament...but if that seems a little overwhelming to you then start smaller by just tackling one book at a time.

As a new Christian or someone just reading through the Bible for the first time read 1-3 chapters a day and then increase as you get used to it and are able to grasp a great and greater understanding of it. Take it at your own pace but be consistent and try to read every day.

The main thing is to become like a sponge, to soak up all the info you read and apply it to your life.

Begin a daily Bible study by reading the book of John. In my opinion, the book of John will help you get started on your journey better than any other book. John tells the story of Jesus from birth to crucifixion and lets the reader get to know the man; JESUS.

Another great place to being to read is the Proverbs they are short and you can easliy read and absorb 3-5 a day and the Proverbs are full of great life application lessons that are easy to understand. You will be surprised at how God will use the book of Proverbs to minister and speak to you.

My favorite book of the Bible is James. Jesus' brother did not pull any punches with this book. It will speak to you in a mighty way if you let it and it will give you many great principles to apply to your life.

1 Peter & 2 Peter are great also. Great principles that we are to live by each and everyday.

I would definitely recommend 1 John as a great book to dive into. It's a short book , but speaks in volumes to the Christian.

Below I have listed a few of my favorite books which I believe to be a good place to start.

Other Good Reading...

There nothing like hanging out with the experts. Reading books about the the Word of God is good for your Christian growth but dont read books about the Bible in place of the Bible. Read books by Christian Authors to strengthen you and help you understand the Bible. Reading a good book about our God written by someone who had studied the Word deeply is like having an expert at your beck and call.

Some great books to read are:

"The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren

What on earth am I here for? This book will help you answer that question. Whether you are a seeker, a new believer, or a seasoned saint, let God use this book to place your feet firmly on the right path. This book will help you understand why you are alive and God's amazing plan for you - both here and now, and for eternity.


"The Case For Christ" and "The Case For Faith" by Lee Strobel.

These two books are fantastic. The Case For Christ is a journalist's investigation of the evidence for Jesus Christ. The Case For Faith investigates some of the toughest objections to Christianity. Both will help you grow with leaps and bounds.


"Rescued By The Cross" by Ken Freeman.

Ken is one of my favorite pastors. In this book Ken will share his powerful testimony at the beginning and end with great teachings on God's purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I learn more about the Bible besides just reading it? How do I begin a study of the Word?

You can great a great deal of understanding of God simply by reading the Bible, however, once you begin to read you will find that some of the lessons and stories intrigue you to dig deeper and know more and this is where you will want to refer to outside sources.

We encourage you to supplement your reading with insight and understanding from commentaries and Bible dictionaries and a Lexicon if necessary. When you come across a word you dont understand, look it up in the back of your Bible or in a Bible dictionary. When you read a Chapter that doesnt make sense, see what a Matthew Henry commentary has to say about it.

Go to your local Christian bookstore and get a book with more information about the particular subject matter you are studying. Commentaries are kind of like the Cliff Notes to the Bible except that they are not the condensed version but rather the expanded version and they tell you about customs of the times and practices and other details that are in the Bible that refer to that passage but are not necessarily right there on the same page...or even in the same book. To study the Word, read the actual scripture, read commentaries or reference books (get several viewpoints) about the scripture, look up words you dont understand, refer to a map to follow along mentally where things are taking place and finally discuss your findings and questions with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

2. What translation of the Bible should I read?

It is important to be able to understand what you are reading. If the King James Version is difficult for you to read as it is for me I suggest you get a copy of the Bible in the New King James or New Internation Version or the New Living Translation.

Personally I suggest the New International Version Life Application Study Bible by Zondervan which has a "commentary" at the bottom of every page and character outlines and study helps and maps as you read along.

There are theories about how perfectly translated some versions are and for deep study of the Bible you would want to use the King James Version but for study that intense you might also want to know Greek and Hebrew, but for a new Christian I encourage you to go with something easier to read and then once you have a foundation you can take your studies to the next level.

For the very young readers I would suggest a Childrens Bible appropriate to their age. For pre-teens the Teen Extreme is an excellent Bible.

Now, lastly, let me just say it doesnt matter if you are 4 or 40 or 400 the point is to get in the Word regardless of what version it is. If New King James and NIV are still too difficult for you and it causes you not to read at all then get a childrens Bible and start there and work your way up but whatever you do,start somewhere and grow with God. You will never experience His supernatural presence if you do not get to know Him.


3. What is a good amount of time I should spend in prayer?

Is there a specific way or place I should pray? God has never given us a time scale for prayer and because He made all of us uniquely individual and because we are all at a different level in our relationship with Him then there is no set amount of time He demands of us.

God wants to be part of your life as much as you will let Him but if it is not sincere, quality time from your heart then there is a problem.

God never said you have to come to Him only on your knees or facing the east or anything like that but out of respect and reverence for Him we each must figure out for ourselves how we can devote our time to Him.

We encourage you to spend some uninterrupted time in prayer each day with no distractions. Hide away from others and just be alone with God and tell Him whats on your heart. Share your concerns with Him. Be thankful for His blessings in your life. Ask for His direction and leading.

Our recommendation: Start your prayer routine by getting on your knees for 10 minutes a day and work your way up to an hour a week or even an hour a day and just see the difference it will make in your life. There may be days when you pray less and days when you pray more, but strive not to let the day pass without being in close communion with God.

4. How do I know what is the truth and what is false teaching? What kind of church should I go to? Is there any one perfect religion?

The Bible warns us of false teachers and there are many religions out there who proclaim to be true followers of Christ but are not. Never, no matter what, take for granted that anything you are being told is the sacred truth. You absolutely, positively have to read it for yourself and if you still dont know, get on your knees, go to the Father and ask him to reveal the truth to you.

Even when seeking out a church you must ask God to guide you to a place where the truth is being taught. You need to be in a church where you are able to be taught the Word and where you are able to have confidence that the church leadership is bringing the truth of God's Word to you and the congregation.

5. How do I know when God is speaking to me?

God will likely not beam down a blinding ray of light as you walk through the mall and speak to you in a resounding voice the reverberates throughout the city, but if you are listening for Him you will hear Him just as plainly.

By learning Gods ways and by being informed of the way He has answered the prayers of people in the Bible you will be better equipped to recognize when He is speaking to you.

Next time you pray and ask God for something and He answers you be aware of that little inclination that taps into your mind and causes you to think of Him. That is His way of telling you that He is responsible for your answer to prayer and it should be your reminder to thank Him immediately.

Never assume that an answer to prayer is a coincidence and fail to thank God for making a change in your life. Sometimes God makes His presence very obvious and undeniable and sometimes His presence is very subtle. Faith is when we know He is near regardless of how subtle He is.

The more faith you have, the easier it is for you to feel His presence and hear Him when He speaks to you. If you really wanna know God personally, get to know Him, get in the Word and get on your knees.

If you still have questions, E-Mail me and I will do everything I can to help you.

<>< BRIAN NEAL <><