The Seeker's page

There's a hunger in every human heart.  It motivates some to write stories like the movie, "Enchanted."  Every heart knows there's more to life than what meets the physical eye.  We have a desire for the reality that exists beyond what we experience through our senses.  You can enter into the Kingdom of God.  All you have to do is give yourself into the hands of God who loves you enough to provide a free entrance.

It's in the Bible, as faith. All you need is faith, because Jesus already paid the price. To you and to me, it's free. Let me explain. I know this sounds too good to be true!

To explain, let me do what God did. Let me give you a metaphore, or a parable... a kind of picture.

It's interesting that most of our movies, songs, and poetry deal with the wonder of human love that leads a man and a woman to marriage and the deepest human physical and emotional intimacy.  Paul explains in Ephesians, chapter 5, that special love is a picture, painted in the heart of man by God himself, of the love Jesus has for his Church!  God created that human love so we would have a clue to how he desires union with us, a togetherness that begins here but is fully realized only when he takes us to be with him in heaven!  

God himself came to the earth as a human person, Jesus, so he could show us what God is like, and so Jesus could die in payment for every wrong thing we ever did, and will do. And that's what he did!

The essential heart-ingredient for entering his kingdom is: faith!  Faith means trust.  Jesus said he paid for your entrance with his life.  If you believe that, putting your trust in what Jesus did to save you, admitting you cannot save yourself, then you have the necessary faith. You qualify. He immediately removes every sin of your past.  You are cleansed, and you will probably realize it right away, or soon.  You will notice you are not the same.

If you insist you are not good enough, you're absolutely right, but Jesus will save you if you trust him. He says this several times in the first 7 or 8 chapters of the book of John [The Gospel of John].  John 3:16 [the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 16] is one of those times. Here is John 3:16, plus the next two verses for more clarity:

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

This is no fairy tale!  It's what the Bible is essentially meant to communicate to our hungry hearts. It's actually the main theme, or message, of the Bible.

You can enjoy sonship with Creator God, and have his Spirit dwelling within you every moment, comforting you and showing you how to live. Unfortunately you will still be free to do wrong things. Fortunately, you will be able to receive his forgiveness by just admitting you did the wrong thing. That's in John's first letter, chapter 1, verse 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Confessing means admitting we did wrong.  Sincerity will cause us to desire to follow him more closely. God does not ask us to promise anything. But we do change. For some changes, it takes time. God always does what he says he will do, if we do the confessing.

Can't we get to heaven by determining to be good enough?  No. God knows we cannot possibly be good enough.  With God who is all holy, only a perfectly sinless life is good enough.  That's why we all need a Savior.  We have One, the only possible One.  God Himself, the Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. He became a man. His name is Jesus.  He is perfect and always was perfect.  He died in our place to pay for all sin.

Don't we have to be good?  Once we trust Jesus to save us, we change.  Our hearts change.  Check it out in Second Corinthians 5:17.  [That's chapter 5, verse 17.]  Even our behavior changes, though it takes time for some changes to happen.  We will never be perfect in this life. 

Surprise!!?  God knows we can't be perfect.  He's asking for our hearts!  Our performance will improve when we belong to him. 

Now this is a surprise!!  When you give yourself to the Lord [trusting him to save you] he marks you with a seal.  His seal of ownership!  And that seal is the Holy Spirit!  Read about this in Ephesians chapter one, verses 13 and 14.

Surprise again!!  When you give yourself to God, he wonderfully gives himself to you!  Read Psalm 73:23-26.  [Some Bibles have a different numbering of the Psalms.  So it might be either 72 or 74.]

Don't be afraid to trust God.  It may seem safer to watch a movie like "Enchanted," or "Cinderella."  But all you get from them is a chance to experience for an hour that feeling that there's something out there that satisfies the soul.  There is! By surrendering to God you get the real thing! Eternal life!!  And you'll know you have it, too!

Here's the amazing facet about all this. A child can understand his desire for God, and he can be open to the voice of God inviting him into relationship with Himself. I was nine. God impressed his simple message on my young heart. To translate that impression: "Don, if you want to, you can give your whole self to me, and I will accept you."

Two weeks later, he reminded me of his offer and I said, "Yes!" From that time on, I lost my fear of dying. I had hated funerals because they reminded me I would die some day. Not anymore. From that time I knew that when I die I will go immediately to be with the Lord. I belonged to him. Even though that was not what I was taught in school.

If you want to talk about any of this, please email me.  I really want to help you with this.  It's a matter of life or death, spiritually speaking.  And the spiritual realm is more real than the material world.  Spiritual things are eternal! Heaven is real.  The desire for a life that is fully satisfying is imbedded in all our hearts.  God put it there so we would long for relationship with him!

If you don't experience that longing, or that desire, at all, then other teachers are right and I am wrong. They say, that desire comes as a special gift from God. Many have not received it! God spoke to me because he knew I was ready to accept that offer. He had already given me the desire. Desiring God is a gift from God, I'm sure. But I'm thinking everyone has received it. Some cover it over with louder voices, and realize they need God only at rare moments. That's my analysis.

We can never totally shake off every bit of selfishness in our souls, in this life. But there is genuine peace, his peace, in trying.

If you clicked the “Seeker” button because you want to know more about Jesus Christ, you’ve come to the right page.

How unusual! Nothing about this site would normally appeal to anyone who is not radically in love with Jesus! If you are not one of his own, he must be drawing you into his eternal kingdom. And that’s wonderful! You'll see.

Not that you will have no more problems. You will. But Jesus said, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

He will be with you through every difficulty.

He drew me when I was only nine. He impressed on my young heart this simple message, though I heard no words: “Don, if you want to, you can give your whole self to me… and, I will accept you.”

Years later I found out the message God impressed on my heart was a scriptural one, totally, though the exact words I felt God was using are not found in the Bible.

I said, “Yes.” I have never regretted that decision. It was the best decision I ever made. And that was over 70 years ago!

Here are some verses of Scripture that show you, he wants you for his own. If you surrender your heart to him, he will accept you. You then become “a new creation.” That’s in the Bible. You will experience more and more of his deep-down joy, as you follow him.

I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. [Words of Jesus] John 3:3.

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. [Words of Jesus] John 3:14, 15.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. [Words of John the Baptist] John 3:36.

But these [words] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. [Words of Jesus.] John 10:10.


Jesus is asking you to trust him, totally.

If you pray like this, below, and mean it, you will receive the gift of eternal life. And you will notice a difference in your life right away. Some changes come later, as you follow the Lord.

PRAYER. Use these words, or your own words.
Lord Jesus, I believe you died for the sins of the world. I believe you died to pay the whole price for my sins. I admit I am a sinner, and I cannot do anything to deserve heaven. I accept what you did for me. I trust you to save me. Cleanse me now from all sin. Thank you for your gift of eternal life. Thank you that I am now on my way to heaven because I am trusting you to save me from hell. Thank you that I have the abundant life you came to give me. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, Congratulations!! Please email me if you have any questions! Or if you just want to tell me about it. I’d love to know.  Email me at:  don@prayforup.com  or go to the top of any page and click on the "Contact me" button.

If you don't have a Bible, I'll send you one. Just request it. Or shop for one.  Read part of the gospel of John, chapter one, to compare Bibles.  Pick the one you understand best, or like best.  If you don't have a "church home," shop for one of those, too.  Be sure to try some Pentecostal or Charismatic churches.  They're different. Not every believer wants to attend one, though.

Don.

More Suggestions:

• Click the "Spiritual Food" button to read a short message of encouragement. There are several there.
• Go to a Christian book store. There may be one at your church. My favorite authors will be different from yours. Sit down and read a few pages to see if the book that looks good, is easy to understand and is an encouragement to your heart.
• If the church has "small groups" for mutual fellowship and encouragement, join one. If one group isn't right for you, try another.

Click on this link if you'd like to pray today for an Unreached People being prayed for today by 70,000 other lovers of the Most High God!
http://global-prayer-digest.org
Then click on "Today's Topic."
[I am not connected with Global Prayer Digest except by heart and by prayer.  Don.]