Montaz Ali WHAT S LIFE ABOUT?

Montaz Ali WHAT S LIFE ABOUT?

Page 1 Surely there must be more to LIFE than this?

What s Life About...? Is life about survival... ambitions... family... romance... pleasures... fun... sports... success... fame... wealth... power? Is there any purpose to life? Why am I here? Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life 1 John 5: 12 For two thousand years, Jesus Christ s revolutionary message of peace and friendship with God (which has stood the test of critics, archaeology, science and time), has been refreshing the parts of the human soul that no other religion has been able to reach. All who have responded to Jesus teaching have embarked upon the Christian journey the journey that leads to an everdeepening, satisfying and exciting friendship with the Creator of the Universe God. This Christian journey is a roller coaster experience that never ends and gives a sense of purpose, destiny and fulfilment to life. It brings a deep sense of peace from a troubled conscience, the comfort of knowing that the events of life are governed by an all-powerful supreme God, friendship with Him and a sure hope of getting to an everlasting Heaven. Is it not time you opened your heart and mind to Jesus and joined millions of others on the journey of a lifetime, to discover that life really begins when you come to Christ? What s life about...? Life is about knowing the Creator of the Universe and enjoying an amazing friendship with Him forever. Page 2 How can I know God? >

How can I know God? By believing in God? The Bible says it is foolish not to believe in God, but believing that God exists, in itself, does not bring you into a relationship with Him. Jesus said I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to [God] except through me John 14: 6 By going to Church? Going to a good Bible believing (evangelical) Church is a start, but just doing Church will not bring you into a relationship with God. By praying regularly? That s a good thing, but praying alone does not bring you into a relationship with God. By having faith? Faith is essential to knowing God, but your own, self-produced faith will not bring you into a relationship with Him. Page 3 By trying to do my part for society? Trying to be a good person is a great thing, but it does not bring you into a true, life-saving relationship with God. Well, how then can I know God? Let s start at the beginning...

In the beginning... God made the world and its inhabitants perfect, good and without sin. He made us to be His friends and He made the planet for us to live in, enjoy and look after. God saw all that He had made, and it was very good Genesis 1: 31 The basis for this friendship is love. Therefore, He made us with the faculties to love (which enable us to express and receive love) and gave us the gift of freedom with which we could choose to accept or reject His friendship, or do right or wrong. Sadly, all of us have and are (to some degree) exploiting God s gift of freedom by: denying His existence, caring little for His love, rejecting His friendship, ignoring His rules for safe and happy living and instead, doing as we please. Page 4 The problem >

The Problem Page 5...all have sinned and fall short... Romans 3: 23 God calls this kind of behaviour sin it means that we have fallen short of His standard. Like a contagious terminal disease, sin has infected the whole human race, resulting in alienation from God and our fellow human beings, and breaking down our bodies until we eventually die. We see the power and effects of sin on the world and people every day: Our world is dying: there is evidence of decay, breakdown, overheating, and chaos one day the whole solar system will burn out. We are dying: there is disease, deterioration, malfunction and breakdown. Globally, over one hundred people die every minute of every day! There is hatred, violence, greed and selfishness in all of us. We all possess the potential to do wrong and evil things; towards each other and towards God. Sinning has become a part of our very nature as humans. That is not to say that we have all achieved our full potential in sinning. However, if we are honest with ourselves, even we can trace elements of sin in our lives living just to please ourselves, having the attitude, It s my life, I ll live it as I please, telling little white lies, turning a blind eye to injustices, or harbouring unkind or malicious thoughts. In fact, the apex of sin and something of which every individual is guilty, is failing to: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37)

The Result Sin affects the quality of our lives just like rotten fruit that looks and tastes bad, so our lives look ugly and lack satisfaction. Nothing we do ever really makes us content; dreams become illusive and even when we achieve them they disappoint us. In the endless search for that next high, some resort to vices such as, crime, substance abuse or pornography, but find no lasting fulfilment. Jesus said Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst John 4: 13-14 Sin distances us from our Maker that is why God often seems remote, irrelevant and unconcerned. God, because He is holy, does not commit sin and cannot associate with it; thus, He withdraws from us. In fact, sin acts like a barrier, dividing God and us. The worst part of this alienation is that it continues beyond now and into the life to come (beyond death) Hell will be a grim and dreadful reality for all who die in their present condition. What can we do to combat the effects of sin? Unfortunately, very little, as sin is a tactile super virus which we have all inherited. We do not have an antivirus to remedy the diagnosis. Not even good behaviour, charitable works or new resolutions can reverse the critical damage already caused or win us favour with God. Page 6 Is there any hope? >

The Solution God is love in both substance and expression. The sending of His Son, Jesus (who shares all of His qualities and substance) into our world was the most supreme illustration of love; it cost Him everything but provided for us the only cure for our, otherwise, incurable disease. God s justice demands that He judges and condemns us at the end of life, because sin is a crime against Him and thus, has eternal consequences. However, because of His love for us, He sent Jesus into our world to save us from inevitable judgment. The sudden end to Jesus life was in God s plan all along, because on the Cross God s justice and love for humanity were perfectly satisfied. In a mysterious transaction, Jesus took upon Himself our sins (our disease and failure) and paid the penalty for them by suffering and dying on the Cross. He bore God s wrath and judgment on our behalf: the death...god so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3: 16 of one perfect man God s Son, for the lives of many imperfect people God s creation. Thus, He disarmed, once and for all, the power and effects of sin. Once His work had finished, Jesus was buried in a tomb. Three days later God brought Him back from the dead to crown His success and present proof of His true identity - that He is, indeed, the Son of God. Page 7 The way is now open and clear for us to return to God and begin a new relationship God and us at peace and adopted into His closest family forever.

Page 8 The choice >

The Choice God s welcoming hand is extended out to you. You have to make a choice! - Jesus sacrificial death only averts the wrath and judgment of God from those that respond to Him in faith and obedience: A: You can dismiss or ignore all this and go on in your endless pursuit for meaning, purpose and fulfilment in life, but to no avail. B: You can respond to God s invitation and step forward to take a hold of His hand and begin a brand new, never-ending life of discovery, purpose and fulfilment. The following six steps will enable you to respond in the way God has opened up for you: 1. Admit the truth Admit that you have the sin super virus at work in you and consequently, in thought, word or action you have sinned in the sight of God. 2. Believe Jesus Believe that Jesus really is God s Son and that He died on the Cross to pay the penalty for your sins, to remove your guilt, and to disarm the power and effects of sin in your life. 3. Turn your back on sin Be deeply sorry for your sin and do a U-turn from every thought, word, action and habit that you know to be wrong. 4. Trust in Him Stop trusting in your own efforts to save you; in what you have done or achieved and instead, put all your trust in Christ. 5. Consider the cost Every area of your life relationships, time, hobbies, work, money and ambitions, must all be willingly submitted to Jesus influence, oversight and control. Page 9 6. Take action Receive Jesus Christ into your life to be your Lord and Master, your Saviour from sin and its consequences, and your friend and companion in life.

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near Isaiah 55: 6 Page 10 A helpful prayer >

A helpful prayer You may find the following prayer helpful to address God and respond to His invitation: Lord Jesus Christ, I affirm by this prayer that I believe in You, believe You are God s Son and believe what You have said. I admit and confess that I have sinned in my thoughts, words and actions and that I don t deserve to be forgiven. There are so many good things that I have not done and so many bad things I have done please forgive me. Thank you for giving Your life for me upon the Cross. In return, I give my life to living for You. I am truly sorry for my sins and now depend on You to help me turn from everything I know to be wrong. I commit myself, by Your help and enabling, to following the example You set for us when You walked the earth and to obeying everything You taught. I consider the cost of following You a small price compared to the price You paid to remedy my condition. Page 11 Please come into my heart and life; come in as my Lord and Master, Saviour and friend, Amen.

A New Start...He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves If you have seriously considered these six Colossians 1: 13 steps and have prayed the prayer on the previous page, or one like it, honestly and sincerely, then God s promise to you is: you have been forgiven, the power and effects of sin in your life have been disarmed, and His Son Jesus has come into your life and now lives within you by His Spirit. Welcome to the largest family in the world the international Christian family! You are now a Christian, a child of God s family. A bright and exciting, although often challenging, future lies ahead of you; which will one day lead to a home with God in Heaven forever. You may not feel any different, but put your confidence in the following promises found in the Bible: Jesus said:...whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (John 6:37)...he who believes has everlasting life. (John 6:47)...if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) Page 12 So what happens now? >

What Now? Now that you have begun the Christian journey the journey of a lifetime, you need equipping to face the challenges that lie ahead. In Jesus Christ you have an all-powerful, ever-present friend, guide and Lord, but in the devil a cunning and strong enemy. Essential to your progress are: A Sat Nav: The Bible is the Christian s sat nav God communicates with us through it, guiding us on our journey through life (giving us precise guidance on every matter). Read it every day. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105) Page 13 A Sat Phone: Prayer is the Christian s line of communication with Jesus. Wherever you are in the world, you always have access to Him. Talk to Him as you would a friend, yet respect who He is. Pray every day. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. (John 16:24)

Jesus said I am with you always, to the very end of the age Matthew 28: 20 A Support Team: Church members are the Christian s support team. Join a Bible believing (evangelical) Church and commit yourself to going every Sunday. Your experience of Jesus will deepen as the Bible is clearly and simply preached. You will also find lots of others with whom to share your experiences and who are on the same journey as you. Let us not give up meeting together,... but let us encourage one another. (Hebrews 10:25) A whole new future is before you a future that continues into the life to come. There is so much to explore, so much to discover and so much to experience. Go; enjoy God s amazing friendship forever. Page 14

WHAT S LIFE ABOUT? The Bible says, Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12) Could it be life is really about knowing God? This booklet will help you discover the answer. www.whatslifeabout.org Copyright Montaz Ali 2009 All rights reserved www.montazali.com Design: www.3sixtycreative.com