The truth is that every person who has ever lived, with the one exception of Jesus, has been corrupted with sin and separated from a relationship with God because of their sin. Though this is true, God in His great love and mercy has made a way for humanity, a way for you, to be rescued from this sin-condition. Jesus sets us free from the chains of sin, death, and judgement.  And in addition to this great news, Jesus also has reconciled us to our Father God. Jesus, who never sinned, suffered and died on the cross in order to pay the debt for the sin of the whole world and to cleanse those who will receive Him and His sacrifice for all their sins. Because of this we now have the opportunity to have a relationship with our Father God. When we give our lives to God, repent of our sins, and accept & receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, God no longer sees us as stained with sin and corruption. Instead He sees us as cleansed, pure, righteous, and holy, because when He looks at us He sees the purity of Jesus within us and covering us. |Rom 3:23; 1 John 1:10; Rom 5:12-21; Isaiah 59:2; 2 Cor 5:18-19; John 3:16; John 1:12; 1 John 1:6-9; Gal 3:26-27|

While God has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him, it does require a heart response on our part. The most devastating of all responses a person can make is to reject God, His love, and His sacrifice. The Bible warns us that those who do not respond by submitting to God in obedience and accepting Jesus’ sacrifice and His invitation to have a relationship with God will be eternally separated from God and will live in punishment and torment eternally in Hell. Yes, the Good News is so good because there is also this bad news. The last thing God wants for any of His children He created is to be separated from Him and to suffer for eternity. He sees each of us as the apple of His eye and longs for us to return to Him, give our lives to Him, and spend eternity with Him. |2 Thes 1:7-10; Mat 25:31-46; Psalm 17:7-8; Rom 8:37-39; Rom 5:8; John 3:16|

So please, respond to this Amazing News! Turn your heart to Jesus and give in to His love. Do not put it off any longer! God tells us in the Bible, “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 5:2). If you are ready in this moment to turn to Jesus and give your life once and for all to God and to receive Jesus as your Savior, I want to encourage you to talk directly to God and let Him know right now. He’s listening! There is no formula or specific prayer that must be stated to accept Jesus’ sacrifice and to enter into a relationship with Him and our Father God, but in case you don’t know what to say or how to talk to God, please use the following prayer to help you through your conversation with Him:

"Loving God, I know I have sinned in my life in ways I am aware of and in ways I am unaware of, and right now I ask for your forgiveness. I’m so sorry for all the things I’ve done that have hurt others, myself, and especially you. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son, and I believe that He died for my sins and that you raised Him from the dead. I am choosing today to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as the Lord of my life. Guide my life and help me to live the way you want me to. I thank you for forgiving me for all my sin, and that the Bible says that I am now a new creation. The old me is gone and the new me has been born.  Thank you God, and I look forward to experiencing your love and peace in this life and to living forever with you and all your children in Heaven. I pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen."   

If you just prayed the above prayer or one like it to our Father God, then He and the angels in Heaven are celebrating in this very moment.  Now that you responded to this Great News, I want to encourage you to connect with other Christians and find a Christian church to start attending.  We would love to have you join our family at Joy Christian Center, but if you are not able to do so for some reason, please find a good, loving church near you that is founded on truth (the Bible) and is focused on seeking to know and love God.  If you need some assistance finding a church near you, reach out to us and we will do our best to help.  

God bless you and welcome to the family of God!