What is Christianity for??
1. Lack of Hope makes the heart sick
Emotional health in America has become a major issue, especially in young people. Anxiety, self hate, panic attacks, depression, hopelessness and other emotional disorders have become common in today’s society. With the suicide rate alarmingly high and doctors giving out drugs for so many emotional problems, we seem to be missing the point on what brings fulfillment and happiness.
All of these emotional disorders are signs of spiritual separation from the God of the Bible. Everyone is born separated from God spiritually. This is why you need to be spiritually born again. When you fear dying, you live a life of fear and dread. There is no such thing as inner peace outside the God of the Bible. You can not be at peace with God until you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior who died on the cross for your sins. When you ask Jesus to come into your heart, your spirit is united with the Spirit of the living God. Being at peace with God allows you to be at peace with yourself. You can’t love yourself in a wholesome way until you accept God’s love for you and His forgiveness for your sins. The ultimate feeling is to be at peace with yourself even when life is not good.
2. Why Christianity is necessary
To have the peace of Jesus in your heart is simple. Become a Christian. The purpose of Christianity is for the Salvation of your Soul. Everything else is an added benefit. Accepting Jesus as your Savior is not really about a prayer - it’s understanding how to attain eternal life in Heaven. The attitude of your heart is the real issue.
An example is the two thieves dying on a cross along with Jesus: Luke, 23 - 39: “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” 40: But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41: And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42: Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” 43: And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Say: Lord Jesus, I deserve condemnation for my sins and shortcomings. But I give all my sins to you. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart and fill me with your presence. Take control of my life. Protect me, guide me and deliver me from all evil. Amen.
No one is good enough to get into Heaven. Most religions use the scorecard method - but don’t have a scorecard. They hope they can do more good than bad so they go to Heaven. But Christians are saved by the mercy of God - “lest any man should boast.”(Eph 2:9) This is one of many reasons why Christianity is unique among the world’s religions.
Being born again is the beginning, not the end. Becoming a Christian does NOT mean you suddenly become mature, responsible, brave, a good parent, good worker, good student, rich, etc. You can still walk away from the Lord because you still have free will. Salvation means your outlook and attitude change. Your life will still have problems, but you will now have the peace of Jesus in your heart. When your outlook and attitude change, you are open to improving the circumstances of your life. Even with a sincere repentance of sin, we are going to fail from time to time, and every time we fail, we start over again.
Some people say they don’t need God and they feel fine. But these people have only gotten used to spiritual separation and will never understand the peace of Jesus. They don’t know what they never had.
However, becoming a Christian MUST mean a change in behavior: If a drug dealer gives his life to the Lord and continues selling drugs, the sincerity of his repentance is doubtful. He needs to stop selling drugs. Claiming God’s mercy while deliberately sinning is not scriptural. God knows the motivation of your heart.
Once you become a Christian, things start to become understandable.
3. Benefits for the believer
Only Christianity gives us protection against Satan and the demonic spirit world. If you attract ‘bad luck’ or illness, you need the Lord working in your life to protect yourself and your family with prayer.
Americans are under spiritual attack like never before due to the explosion of witchcraft around the world. Prayers of destruction against Americans are cast by Muslims, Native American spiritualists, voodoo practitioners, Satanic cults and other witchcraft groups. There are now 1.4 MILLION witches in the US. Non-Christians have no defense against these curses. Social Christians have no defense. If you don’t believe there is a spiritual world you will laugh at this but that’s on you. Prayer is the key.
4. Understanding the reason for our existence and the World
This world makes no sense until you understand the reason for your existence. Our purpose in this world is to see what type of life we lead - whether we have a positive or negative impact on the world.
The world is screwed up due to a lack of understanding of what is right and wrong OR the free will choice to do evil in this world. This is why we need police and the US military. God created the human race with a free will to do good or evil - and some people choose to do evil. There certainly would be no purpose for God to create beings that are programed: No free will. No good or evil. No joy. No sadness. No thinking. No anything. What would be the purpose of this existence? That would be like an animal.
Evil people bring evil into the world. We are to bring goodness and light into the world - freely. Jesus introduced a new concept to the world: ‘Do undo others as you would have them do to you.’ This means personal integrity, honesty and other traits to make life joyful and the world a better place. Maintaining our Christian values in this world gives us the right to be with Jesus in the next. When we leave this world, we will only leave one thing behind - our reputation.
5. American Society
Two generations ago, Americans were considered a contented and optimistic people - traits recognized around the world. That’s because Christianity WAS the foundation of Western Civilization and American Society.
Western Civilization is a social system derived from the beliefs set fourth from the Christian faith. Without Christianity, there would be no civilization. The world would revert to its dark past of cult religions, superstitions and Might makes Right.
As America has abandoned Christianity and Western Civilization, we have reaped many unintended consequences. Christian social norms that used to make America such an attractive place to live are mostly gone. The Christian culture that was largely in place in America has been replaced by secular America. There are many issues in America that will never be fixed by passing laws.
American society has become very negative - which is not the way it used to be - or should be.
In the 1930s, America was in the middle of a terrible depression. Manufacturing declined 77 percent. One fourth of the labor force was left idle. Many cities could not afford to keep schools open. At one point, 34 million men, women and children were without any income at all.(2)
Yet in the depth of that hardship, with its soup kitchens, bank closings and hunger, Franklin Roosevelt could tell the nation in a radio address, “Our difficulties, thank God, concern only material things.” Americans were civil and courteous with each other and moral strength was the bedrock of our society.(2) Our Modern America that ridicules God has seen a spectacular rise in all types of destructive behavior and social chaos.
6. Why Christianity and not some other belief?
Christianity is the one true religion. When people say you should experiment with different religions or beliefs to see what works for you, you are going on a wild goose chase. Christianity works for everyone. If this offends you, sorry but it is the truth. There is no inner peace outside the God of the Bible.
The most powerful proof for Christianity is the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ after He was crucified on the cross. Some people claim that the resurrection of Christ was nothing but a hoax. Logic alone disproves this claim. The resurrection is the only conceivable explanation for the beginning of the Christian Faith. After Christ was crucified, the disciples were terrified and scattered. It was only after the risen Christ appeared to the disciples that His followers believed and received power from on high after receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. None of the original Apostles became rich and famous by becoming Christians. Most of the original apostles were tortured and executed. It is inconceivable that the Apostles would live a life of depravation, then face torture and death to perpetuate a myth.
If Christ had not risen from the dead, the Christian Church would never have started.
As CS Lewis states in his brilliant book “Mere Christianity”, “If no set of moral ideas were truer or better than any other, there would be no sense in preferring civilized morality to savage morality, or Christian morality to Nazi morality.”
Christianity has dramatically improved virtually every aspect of humanity - and most people don’t know it. George Washington, in his farewell address of September 1796, warned Americans of the dangers of separating morality from Christianity:
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.
We have all remarked at times what a hypocrite some Christians are. Well, there is another way to look at this issue. Is the person a better person since he/she became a Christian or not? We may not know the answer to that question. Is this criticism justified? Let’s be honest. Unless we are perfect, we are ALL hypocrites!!
7. Why pray?
Prayers:
Warm up
Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God, the Messiah who came in the flesh to destroy the works of the devil. You died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead. Through the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed out of the hand of the devil. Forgive me of all my sins and if I have prayed any ungodly prayers against myself or anyone else, I declare them null and void in Jesus Name. If I have hurt someone, heal them of their hurt, in Jesus Name.
The Word of God is FOREVER settled in heaven. Therefore, I establish His Word upon this earth.
I am a member of the body of Christ. I have the power of God flowing through me in Jesus name and I do God’s will in Jesus name.
The WORD of God is sharper than any double-edged sword. (Heb 4:12)
I am of God through Jesus Christ. God in me is greater than Satan and his demons in this world. Everywhere I go, the glory and power of God goes with me in Jesus Name.
In all my ways I acknowledge God and He directs my path in Jesus name (Ps 119:105)
I am filled with the knowledge of the Lord’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col 1:9)
I am increasing in the knowledge of God. I am strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.” (Col 1:10,11)
I receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened. And I am not reformed to this world but I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. My mind is renewed by the Word of God. (Eph 1:17 -)
Bind the strongman
By the power of Almighty God, through my Savior Jesus Christ, I bind the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world. I bind and cast down spiritual wickedness in high places and render them harmless and ineffective against ____ in the name of Jesus Christ. (Eph 6:12,13)
By the power of Almighty God, through my Savior Jesus Christ, anyone who is praying injury, disease, accidents, curses, spells or any other ungodly prayers against ____ either directly or indirectly, I break & declare these evil prayers null and void forever in Jesus Name.
Victory in Jesus
By the Power of Almighty God through my Savior Jesus Christ, I have Godly desires in all areas, Godly protection & safety, perfect health, long life and deliverance from all evil in Jesus Name.
By the Power of Almighty God through my Savior Jesus Christ, I am filled with the fullness of God, the peace of Jesus that passes all understanding, the joy of the Lord, self recognition of my personal shortcomings, Godly wisdom and intelligence in Jesus name.
The blood of Jesus protects me from all evil. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ, Satan has no power over me, no place in me. I renounce him and his hosts completely and declare them to be my enemy and defeated in Jesus name.
No evil will befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling. For the Lord has given His angels charge over me and they keep me safe in all my ways. In my pathway is life and there is no death in Jesus name.
Health
God wants his people well(3Jn 2) Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the Law. By the power of Almighty God, I curse (name the disease) & declare it dead and gone from me by the power of God through my Savior Jesus Christ.
My immune system is stronger then any disease in Jesus name. My immune system destroys any infections or disease attempting to enter my body in Jesus name.
Any ungodly cells in my body are destroyed by the Power of God in Jesus name.
Every organ, bone, ligament, cartiledge, joint, muscle, every tissue and every cell in my body are restored to perfect heath if needed and functions in the perfection to which God created them to function by the power of God in Jesus name. I forbid any malfunction in my body forever, by the power of God, through my Savior, Jesus Christ.
8. Life is Good
Our choices determine our fate. If anyone tries to talk you into doing something that is illegal or harmful to you - like doing drugs, stealing, etc., you have a decision to make.
Three people will decide how your life turns out: God loves you and wants you to make the right decision. The devil hates you and wants you to destroy yourself and YOU cast the deciding vote. If you vote with God you will have a wonderful life.
Jan 2020
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As C S Lewis said in Mere Christianity: “...Christianity simply does not make sense until you have faced the sort of facts I have been describing. Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness. It therefore has nothing (as far as I know) to say to people who do not know they have done anything to repent of and who do not feel that they need any forgiveness. It is after you have realized that there is a real Moral law, and a Power behind the law, and that you have broken that law and put yourself wrong with that Power - it is after all this, and not a moment sooner, that Christianity begins to talk.”
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