MISSION READY
Christian Witness
Hi, I'm Mike Berry founder and President of UCI. I wanted to share with you another mission of mine, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was saved many years ago, but did not really start walking with the Lord until I was in my thirty's. As a state police diver, I started praying for protection and guidance whenever I was on a search and recovery operation or just working the road. I have no doubt that God has protected me throughout my career and has guided my path. He has blessed me in so many ways, having the opportunity to be involved in underwater criminal investigations is just one of those blessings. My prayer for you is that you come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him into your heart. His strength, mercy and unending love will take you places you never dreamed possible and God's love will fill any need or void you might have.
Suppose you were standing before God right now and He asked you, "Why should I let you into heaven?" What would you say?
Y
ou may not know what you would say. But...
You can know, because God loves you and has a purpose for your life.
The Bible states it this way, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
When Adam sinned, God was separated from us due to that sin. In order to fill the void that separated us, He sent His only begotten Son as a blood sacrifice. Jesus died on the cross so you and I can have eternal life forever with Him.
God did not make us robots to mindlessly love and obey Him. Instead, he gave us a will and freedom of choice. But like Adam, we often choose to disobey God and go our own selfish way (read Genesis chapters 2-3). This side of our nature is called sin, and it separates us from God.
The Bible says…
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…the wages of sin is death."
Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem of separation from God. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay the penalty for our sin – completely bridging the gap between us and God.
The Bible says…
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
"…God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, Himself man, is between them to bring them together…" (1 Timothy 2:5) (TLB)
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word (Jesus) and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)
We can receive Jesus Christ when we believe in His message and trust in Him alone to save us.
The Bible says…
"All the prophets testify about Him that every one who believes in Him (Jesus Christ) receives forgiveness of sins through His name." (Acts 10:43)
How to receive Christ:
Admit your need (I am a sinner)
Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as your Savior).
What to pray:
A SINNERS PRAYER:
Dear God, I know that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the cross and was raised from the dead. I know I have sinned and need forgiveness. I am willing to turn from my sins and receive Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God's Assurance:
If you sincerely prayed this prayer and asked Jesus Christ to come into your life, do you know what He has given you?
The Bible says…
"Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)
"Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39)
"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…" (1 John 5:12-13, NKJV)
Your new life:
When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are considered "born again." This means your old life of sin and separation is gone and your new life with the Lord eternally has begun. God loves you and I so much that He sacrificed His only Son for us. He's reaching out His arms to you right now and wants you to join His family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer.
Final thoughts:
If you die tomorrow, where will you spend eternity? If you're not sure, you can be. God has a plan for your life. Invite Him in. It is the most important decision you will ever make in your entire life.
If you joined the family of God, welcome Christian brother/sister, now:
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Read your Bible every day to get to know Christ better.
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Talk to God in prayer every day.
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Be baptized, worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached and the Bible is the final authority.
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Tell others about Christ.
As public safety divers, we see death all the time either in the victims we are recovering or in the loss of a fellow diver. Death is with us every day. We need Jesus. His love, mercy, strength and guidance. If you have any questions about the Christian faith or anything I can help you with, please write. Here are a few sites will point you in the right direction as well as great articles:
Charlton Hesston's Speech to the Harvard Law School Forum