What's Your Score?

Are you familiar with the 10 Commandments? If so, what kind of score would you give yourself on keeping them? On a scale of 1-10, what would be your score?
  Here is an interesting fact: If you break one of the Commandments, it is like breaking all of them. The Bible says that the 10 Commandments are based the the 2 Great Commandments. The Great Commandments are: 1. Love the Lord your God with all your strength, soul, and mind.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
The bottom line has to do with our selfishness. Who do we love more; God our ourselves? How is our relationship with God? Is He more important than anything else in our lives? Are we listening and doing what He tells us (do we even know what He is saying to us, and do we really care?). What does our calendar tell us about how we spend our time? Are we spending it on our pleasures or on serving others? What about our check books? What do we spend our money on? Things that we think will make us happy? What if we knew that God was going to inspect our hearts next week. What would change?
   Here is a brief list of the Commandments:
1. Nothing has a higher priority than God.
2. No making idols or creating a god to serve that will make us happy
3. No taking God's name in vain. (using His name in a careless way)
4. Keeping a day holy each week for rest.
5. Honoring our parents
6. Murder is not allowed (this could also involve being angry with someone)
7. No committing adultery ( this includes actively using lust on a person you aren't married to)
8. No stealing (even small things.)
9. No lying ( white lies, dishonesty)
10. No coveting (strongly desiring something that you don't have)
As you can see, there are a lot of details in breaking these commandments. For example, you might not have murdered someone physically, but you may have murdered someone in your heart by being angry with him or her. When another person gets in the way of what we want, we are committing idolatry (see Commandment 1 and 2). You might not be married, and thinking that you can't commit adultery because you aren't married. But, Jesus said, that if a man lusts after a woman, that man is committing adultery in his heart. You probably never robbed a bank, but you possibly may have stolen something from someone else on a smaller scale. Perhaps you have downloaded music from the Internet that wasn't free. Maybe you stole an idea from someone else, and are taking the credit for it now that it has been implemented. Or maybe a towel or salt shaker set from the motel.
   Here is a question you might ask yourself; If there were a microchip planted in your brain that recorded all your thoughts for about a week, would you want that microchip to be taken out and have all your thoughts projected on a screen for everyone to see? Think about that next time you have a questionable thought!
  It is easy for us to break a Commandment. Breaking the Commandments is called 'sin'. The reason we sin so easily is because we are sinners. The reason we are sinners has to do with the fact that Adam and Eve, the first people God created, chose to disobey God. When that happened, they placed the whole human race under sin. Everyone born to them, and to their children, and to all their descendants (which includes all people) are born in sin. Now we are in trouble with God. He must punish all sin. We will be punished for sin after we die. We can't be good enough for heaven. Our good works will not erase our sins. But there is a person who did not sin, and kept all the Commandments perfectly, His entire life. He took God's punishment for our sins. When He was dying, God put all our sin on Him. Every sin that you and I will ever commit or have committed already was placed on the Son of God, when He was dying on the cross. He didn't deserve to die for sin, because He was without sin. But He took our place and died in our place. We don't have to be punished for our sins now. Also, three days later, Jesus rose from the grave. After He died, he came back to life and ascended back to heaven. One day, He will return to earth again and take those people who belong to Him. Those people have repented of their sins, and trusted in Him. Are you ready for when He will come back? We don't know when this will be, but it could be any time. We must be ready, or we will not ever be with Him in heaven.
   How can a person be ready for heaven, or, the return of Christ? By repenting of sin (turning from living for self and violating the Commandments) and trusting in what Jesus did on the Cross.
   Before your head hits the pillow tonight, will you consider what you will do with Jesus Christ? Your eternity depends on it. Will you turn to God and trust in Him? Or will you continue to live for yourself and your own desires, and then die in your sins? You can turn to God right now, and trust in what He did for you 2000 years ago. If you have any questions about this, or would like help, please send an email to: RUgood@mail.com

Where Will You Be in the Year 3333?

When I was young, a song was out called, 'In the Year 2525'. I had an eerie feeling when I heard this song. The song went on to describe life in the year 2525, 3535, and so on. If time continues, then someday, the year 2525 will be here. Neither you nor I will still be living in our physical bodies though. The Bible is clear in that it says "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment". Every person that has been born is appointed to die. Every person will face God and give an account of his or her life. The Bible talks about books being opened. There is a book with all our deeds recorded. Everything in your life and my life is being recorded. The Bible also talks about the 'Book of Life' . Everyone whose name is written in this 'Book of Life' will go to heaven. If a person's name is not in the Book of Life, he or she will spend eternity in hell.
   What determines where a person goes when he or she dies? Can a person be good enough for heaven? Is there anyone who has perfectly kept the 10 Commandments their entire life? Yes, there is only One person who did this. The Bible says that everyone has sinned. When we die and are before God, everything will be there for Him to see. All our unrighteous deeds will be there. Even our good works will be there, but they can't erase or cancel out the bad things we have done.
   There is a person who did live a perfect, sinless life. He lived a good life that was acceptable to God. We can get into heaven on His score. We can't get into heaven on our score, because we have sinned, and sin requires an eternal payment. 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son to come to earth, live a perfect, sinless life, die a horrible, torturous death, so that we could go to heaven. Not only that, but we can be delivered from all our sins. We don't have to live sinful, self-centered lives any more. Jesus died so you and I can be free from sin, as well as forgiven of our debt from sin.
   We have to repent of sin. We have to let go of our 'rights to ourselves'. You see, we love ourselves. We love ourselves more than we love God. We are more important to ourselves than God is to us. God wants us to love Him more than anything else. He wants to have a relationship with us. We can't have a relationship with God until we are born into His family (born again). When we repent of our sin and trust in Him, we are born again. We now have the power to say 'no' to sin, and 'yes' to righteousness. We also get a new heart that wants to love God and people. We don't have to live selfishly anymore. Plus, Jesus rose from the grave three days after He died for our sin. Today, He lives in Heaven and is praying for those who belong to Him.
   So, where will you be in the year 3333? There are only two options; heaven, for people who know God. Jesus is their Savior from sin. They are 'born again' and their names are written in the 'Book of Life', and the second option is, hell. Hell is for people who live for their own glory and desires. It is for people who do not trust in Jesus for their salvation. It is a place for people to pay for their sins.
   Every time a person breaks a Commandment, it is sin. Sin is breaking God's law. God says that we should not lie. If we lie, we have broken one of His Commandments. We need to have an atonement made for that sin. Jesus provided the atonement for our sins, but it is not enough for us to just know about this. We have to apply this to our own lives. If we steal, or commit adultery, we have sinned. Even just one time, or even just one Commandment, we are guilty of sin.
   Life in eternity doesn't end either. People who end up in hell will never be able to get out. People who end up in heaven will never have to worry about going to hell. Today, you can be 100% sure that you will be in heaven one day. You can have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me". There is no other way to heaven. Jesus provides the only way. Will you trust Him today? Please turn from your sin and trust in Him. You can talk to God right now and tell Him you want to be saved from His wrath. You can ask God to forgive you of all your sin. Thank God for sending Jesus to die in your place, so you don't have to spend eternity in hell.
    If you would like more help or have questions, or even a prayer request, please email me at: RUgood@mail.com

The Gospel Conversation Welcome Message

Welcome to the web page for The Gospel Conversation. You may have been directed to this site because of a conversation I had with you concerning the Gospel message. I will be working on this page in order to serve those who will be reading this page in response to hearing the Gospel message. Please feel free to ask questions if you have any. I will work on updating this page periodically. If you have further questions about the Gospel conversation we had, or if you want to understand the Gospel in a more clear way, please feel free to email me your questions at awestruck@bellsouth.net. I will look forward to hearing your comments and questions and hope I can serve you by pointing you to the right web sites and resources.