If your best friend appeared at your door unexpectedly, would you be happy to see them?

Would you say something like, “I’m so glad you stopped by let me show you the project I’m involved with.” 

Or, would you say within your heart, “ I hope they don’t see what I’ve been doing or watching on the TV etc. 

We Christians must make sure we are never embarrassed especially if Jesus Himself should appear next to us. 

Isn’t this so? 

This brings up an interesting point. Do you know the Bible says we are created in the image of God? We are, but we lack many of His abilities. One thing He kept for Himself is the ability to forgive and forget. 

He says I will remember your sins no more. I wish I had the second part of His ability. He definitely gives us the ability and the command to forgive others. As a matter of fact, the Lord’s Prayer makes this extremely clear. He even says if we don’t forgive each other, He won’t forgive us!  Wow!!! Don’t you think this is more than a suggestion? I certainly do!

Want to know more?  Read on! 

Capt. Ben Marler 

It is amazing how many people own and use personal computers. I am writing this message for you on my Compaq laptop that I take everywhere. When I go online my MSN hotmail service alerts me to mail. I love to get mail and am usually very happy to see messages from those whom I love. Then without fail I see that someone has sent me more than junk mail. It is the most disgusting pornographic garbage you can imagine. I hate this stuff and quickly delete it or better yet block the sender.

Why do I hate it so much? A confession is in order here and I’m not proud
to tell you many years ago when I bought a large dish I found some of it and was lured back to it more than once. I even tried to rationalize why I
should watch it. I would say something like, “I’m an evangelist. I speak
to many thousands of people every year. If I see what this stuff is about
then I can warn them etc. 

Boy, was this stupid. 

The truth is I always felt extremely dirty after watching it. So, with much will power and much prayer I stopped. [warning] Satan wants us to feel dirty and guilty so we won’t be close to God.

This experience also made me more watchful over my family. The girls and
women being used seemed, at times, to be doped. I know one in particular
scene she definitely was. I won’t describe here what I saw as I have been
asking God for some time to erase it from my memory. Thank God it is slowly going away.

Let me see if I can put the rubber on the road here. I would not want the
Lord to show up and catching me drinking alcoholic beverages. 

Check out the daily paper especially in the arrest reports and you will see what habitual drinking does for most people. If you deny yourself the drink you will never be caught DUI? 

Another thing, I do not go to the movies anymore. The movies being produced are full of the stuff God hates. If you think I am going too far, why not get down on your knees the next time you go to a movie and say, “Jesus, I will save the seat next to me for You so you can enjoy it with me.” 

I would ask Him to go with me again to the Sound of Music. This is wholesome entertainment.

I do not read much in the paper or magazines if I see the author is taking
me where Jesus does not want me to go. It hurts me to see men, some wearing wedding rings, reading trash in the magazine areas of bookstores. Some how they must not be loving their wives with the same love Christ has for the Church. Their love life is in BIG trouble.

Once a young woman called me from Alaska. My friend, her husband, was so addicted to pornographic magazines that he could not function without them. I will leave to your imagination what else she told me. This young military officer was a bright and kind person who I believed loved the Lord. On another call she told me he was living with some women and had left her. She was crying and said she was returning to New Zealand where she was from. I prayed long and hard for them and I trust the Lord helped them.  Dave, her husband, kept this secret from me, someone whom he considered a close friend but you know, He couldn’t keep it from Jesus. And, neither can you or I keep anything from Him. Worse yet, the Bible says it is all written down for Judgment Day.

If you are born again of God’s Spirit it means that the Holy Spirit has come
to live within your heart. If He is there, you might be tempted to do
things He doesn’t approve of but you won’t do them for long. Either you
will quit or He will make you miserable. He does this with the wonderful
thing we call conviction. He does not condemn us because Jesus took our
condemnation to the cross where He suffered terribly for us. Since He did, I
never want to hurt Him again. Jesus has suffered too much for me already.

How do you feel about it? Are you going to be careful about what you do
from now on? I sure hope so. If someone should ask us, “what are you
doing”?  Let's tell them we are loving Jesus and spreading the word and loving those in the world who don’t know Him yet?

If you are not born again of His Spirit you can become His right now. If you
can see Jesus paying for your sins on the terrible cross of Calvary get down
on your knees and ask His forgiveness. 

He will forgive you instantly. 

Then pray with all of your heart the prayer I have written for you. Why should you keep Him out of your life any longer? John 1:12 tells us, “to as many as those who will RECEIVE HIM, to them gave He the power to become the children of God even those who will believe in His name.”  JESUS!

If you desire to know more about this Jesus Christ who loves you, and you want to ask Him  into your heart, receiving His Saving Grace please click on this Salvation Prayer