Sharing about Jesus with the Holy Spirit is easy!

Back in April of 2007 I began working with an organization that is filled with followers of Jesus Christ, praise God!  Prior to my employment with this new organization I was working in the entertainment and promotional industry getting what work I could here and there.  The entertainment industry as most of you are aware or might guess provides opportunity to share Jesus with individuals who know nothing or very little about the Savior of the world – Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Upon beginning this new job I realized that I still had a large appetite to share the good news of Jesus with others who are completely unaware of how great Jesus truly is to each and every one of us. 

I began to pray and ask the Holy Spirit how I might be able to share the good news of Jesus Christ?  At this time in my life, the only portion of the day it seemed I was not surrounded by other believers was when I would go jogging in the morning.  How could I share Jesus with the people I jog by early in the morning I wondered?

The Holy Spirit brought this scripture spoken by Jesus to mind … "proclaim my name to all creation."  Hmm, interesting I thought, what does this mean to, "proclaim my name to all creation?"  Immediately this follow up question was answered with, "Jesus is Lord!"  Another scripture came to mind, Jesus said, "He who confesses my name before man, I will confess his name before the Father."  Yet more scripture poured out on this topic the demons cannot say, "Jesus is Lord!" 

I thought, no it can't be that easy or can it be?  Thoughts began to flow like, I need to talk with the person, have a conversation and really make certain they understand the gospel in its fullness – from Genesis to Revelation (don't get me wrong this is important to do in the right place and time).  However, I just didn't have time for this during a jog.  The Holy Spirit just needs a tiny bit of faith and trust on our part, then mighty things will begin to happen as we become, "doers of the word." 

I began jogging through the neighborhood praying in the spirit and as strangers came into ear shot distance I would say, "Jesus is Lord!" or "Jesus rules!"  At first I didn't want to say this and/or was filled with fear over making such a statement.  As I stepped out of my comfort zone for the lover of my life – Jesus Christ my Savior, I began to notice a profound correlation -- my JOY would go up one notch each time I proclaimed the name of Jesus.  I was given another revelation, "the joy of the Lord is our strength."  Each time a person proclaims, "Jesus is Lord!" their joy meter goes up one notch (at least mine does).  Please don't take my word for it, implement this notion for yourself and see.  The first couple attempts are the most difficult, once you get to about the 5th "Jesus is Lord," everything seems to get easier and easier, joy begins to flow into a snow ball affect.

Why does making the statement, "Jesus is Lord!" work as an evangelistic tool?  The Holy Spirit.  You see, questions open the door for the Holy Spirit to do the work in the individual's life.  Jesus says, "You have not because you ask not." When you "Jesus is Lord" somebody, you're going to get 1 of 3 responses from people. 

1. Amen! … or some other positive affirmation which will only encourage that other believer in Jesus.
2. No he's not!  … some people get angered and make some ridiculous statements back to me such as … "Lucifer is lord, satan is lord" or even some people have said, "I am lord."  Sad but true.
3. The last response is the lukewarm response which is typical for the USA unfortunately.

All responses are good in a sense because ultimately we don't know where that person is in their life, what they're struggling with, or going through.  No matter what the person you proclaim to will ask themselves something along these lines, "Why's he so stoked/excited about Jesus?"  "Who's Jesus?"  "Who do I say is Lord?"  These are just a few questions people begin to ask themselves and all of them just opened the door for the Holy Spirit to move over their hearts.  Jesus says, "I stand at the door and knock he who opens the door I will eat with and he with me."  Questions are a way in which we invite the Lord into our hearts. 

"Jesus is Lord!" Is a statement that cuts to the heart of everything, I repeat everything!  It is a statement said as a FACT!  It is a FACT!  People aren't really able to argue this statement you'll soon discover.  They can try to argue it but basically this statement stirs the spiritual realms whether being principalities of darkness and strongholds clinging to the not-yet-believer or stirring the Holy Spirit and boldness in the other believer. 

Do you ever notice when you ask somebody, "How's it going?" as in a hello statement people more often than not say, "Good. How are you?"  The Holy Spirit showed me another opportunity to, "Jesus is Lord" people.  When I see somebody I don't know I take the opportunity to greet them 1st.  "How's it going?" As I stated they will typically say, "Good.  How are you?"  My response now is, "Jesus is Lord!  I'm doing good because of that."  This response typically catches people way off guard.  Yet all of a sudden you've brought the realm of the eternal into the other person's day and they won't soon forget you.

Another scripture came to mind, Jesus said, "He who confesses my name before man, I will confess his name before the Father."  Yet more scripture poured out on this topic the demons cannot say, "Jesus is Lord!" 

The last thing I'll leave with you.  "The joy of the Lord is our strength."  As much as people want to argue some alternative point of view about eternity and/or salvation, there is NOTHING anybody can do to argue against the pure joy we as believers are to radiate.  Saying, "Jesus is Lord!" unlocks the joy contained within our hearts and truly becomes our strength because nothing else matters.  We will be brought into the love of Christ, the compassion of Christ and the joy of Christ.  All fear drops by the wayside.  Praise Jesus!

Be bold!  Jesus is Lord!  Amen and Hallelujah!

Here's an email I recently wrote to followers of Jesus ... you may appreciate it too.

Hello All,
 
People have asked me recently.  How have you become so passionate about Jesus?  What changed you?  I'll tell you...
 
One night 4-5 years ago I was in my room in San Diego reading the following verses:
 
Romans 6:19-23 NIV
 
I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.  When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.  What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.   For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
After reading this I thought; I'm going to write a contract to Jesus committing my life as a slave to him.  Instantly my mind (flesh) started freaking out saying, "No you don't have to do that!  That's way too severe!  That's going too far!  You believe in Jesus that's enough.  You'll never be able to keep the agreement anyway."  Could I fail at upholding this contract?  Yes, I could fall into sin.  Jesus knows this too.  Jesus knows the flesh is weak.  Guess what, all God cares about is 1 thing - our hearts.  What do our hearts seek and desire most?  I want to serve Jesus 1st and foremost.
 
Thank God I stopped and questioned this reaction, rather then letting fear take over.  Why is this a bad thing to write a contract committing my life as a slave to Jesus?  
 
Let's see here:
 
1. Jesus created my life
2. Jesus died to save my life.
3. Jesus loves me more than I love myself.
 
Hmm, I thought, this is a no brainer!  This is the best thing I could ever do!  Of course I'm going to write a contract to Jesus, it went something like this:
 
I commit my life as a slave to Jesus Christ into everlasting eternity.  I signed it.
 
I consider this my wedding to Jesus because at that point I made a contract to him with the intent of always putting him first in my life.  No other false gods, people or things would come between me and my relationship to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 
 
Did you know I read in a secular book recently that anytime we sign something our thoughts, behaviors, self belief and perceptions are changed whether we like it or not.  I found that very interesting as it pertained to this contract and could see its truth.
 
Do you want your relationship with Jesus - the God of the Universe - God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to radically change?  Write a contract out, sign it and put it up in a place or places where you will see it and read it often.

I recently shared this idea of writing out a contract between you and Jesus with a friend and this is the contract he came up with – see attachment. 

I suspect some of you will think that's ridiculous I'm not doing that.  I suspect others of you will light up like a Christmas tree in February with a some kerosene and a match at this idea. 

This is between you and God.  I recommend typing out or writing out your own contract rather than simply cutting, pasting, and inserting your name into the attached document_  It will become more real as you type out every word or write out every word.  I'm going to personally re-write my contract in a similar way to the contract my friend recently put together, frame it and hang it on a wall as a reminder of who I am and why I'm here.  I'm eager to see how my relationship to Jesus steps up yet another notch.

Everyone's relationship to Jesus is different, I respect and appreciate this.  All I can say is that I know this has changed everything between God Almighty and me – for the positive. 

This is simply a little nugget I discovered in Christ on this journey of life he has me on.  I share it with you all openly and freely.  Run with it as you may …

UPDATE - 10.06.07
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I recently came across this passage in Isaiah.  To me this represents more confirmation as to why writing a contract to Jesus is a wonderful thing to do.

Isaiah 44:5 - One will say, "I am the LORD'S"; Another will call himself by the name of Jacob; Another will WRITE with his hand, "The LORD'S," And name himself by the name of Israel.

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I pray that God richly blesses you today!

Here's a sample contract should you want to use something to work with ...

THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY'S HEAVENLY ARMY
ENLISTMENT CONTRACT AGREEMENT

I, name, ENLIST IN THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY'S HEAVENLY ARMY THIS DATE OF July 7, 2007.

I, name, HEREBY AGREE THAT THE ACTIVE SERVICE DUTY PERIOD SHALL START ON July 7, 2007 AND MY JOYFUL, LOVING, SERVICE OF DEVOTION SHALL BE RENDERED PAST PHYSICAL DEATH OR GOD'S INTERVENTION, FOREVER AND EVER INTO EVERLASTING ETERNITY.

I, name, HEREBY GIVE UP AND HAND OVER ALL MY PERSONAL RIGHTS AND DECISIONS TO THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY'S HEAVENLY ORDER, SOVERIEGNTY AND GOVERNMENT.  EVERYTHING I AM AND POSESS IS LAID AT THE FEET OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH FOR HIS PURPOSES. 

I, name, HEREBY ACCEPT AND SUBMIT COMPLETELY TO THE COMMANDER AND CHIEF, JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, THE SON OF GOD AND SON OF MAN, BORN OF VIRGIN BIRTH, WHO DIED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF PONTIUS PILATE, WAS CRUCIFIED DEAD, BURIED, ROSE AGAIN ON THE 3rd DAY AND ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN TO SIT AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER.

I, name, HEREBY BECOME THE PROPERTY, ADOPTED SON, WARRIOR, BROTHER, FRIEND, SERVANT, AND SLAVE OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY'S KINGDOM OF HEAVEN TO DIRECT MY SERVICES AS NEEDED FOR THE OVERALL GOOD AND WELFARE OF THE KINGDOM THROUGH THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  THE HOLY SPIRIT RESIDES WITHIN ME 24/7.

I, name, HEREBY ACCEPT THE ENLISTMENT DUTY BASE BEING LOCATED IN THE REGION KNOWN AS "THE UNIVERSE" – SPECIFICALLY THE MILKY WAY GALAXY AND STATIONED ON PLANET EARTH – UNTIL OTHERWISE DIRECTED BY THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB. 

I, name, HEREBY ACCEPT THE SINGLE FOCUS OBJECTIVE TO EXPAND THE MAJESTY, RULE AND REIGN OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON EARTH BY FORCE THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST – THE PERFECT LAMB THAT WAS SLANE. 

I, name, HEREBY ACCEPT THE SPECIFIC TARGET AREA – MANKIND; SPECIFICALLY - THE HEARTS, MINDS AND LIVES OF EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH WITH THE TRUTH AND LOVE OF – JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH – GOD IN THE FLESH.

        _______________________
      (ENLISTMENT'S PRINTED NAME)

SIGNATURE: _______________________           ______________
      (ENLISTMENT'S SIGNATURE)   (DATE)

Keep in mind those of you who don't know the Bible, God's army is against evil and unclean spirits, not people.  This is not about physical army that you would see in the news hurting people - it's against Satan and his army of darkness.  God's Word is like a double edged sword - that is the weapon believers in Jesus use.  True believers do not use weapons against other people such as guns, swords or bombs.  Instead we are called to love others as ourselves.  Again, this is about principalities of darkness.  Followers of Jesus are not called to shed anybody's blood, ever.  We are called to share the truth and love of Jesus Christ and that's what this is talking about.  Feel free to email with questions anytime.  Please do if anything is not clear because I don't want you to walk away from this in any confusion or mis-understanding. 

Today I encountered Jesus, myself and the Word of God.  My day started off like any other.  I don't know if it's possible to put into words the things that happened for me as I met myself and God on the topic of who He really claims to be and what's required of me as a believer, adopted son and servant to the Most High – Living God.  Over the course of my life the idea of being martyred for Jesus' name has come up, none more real than 4/26/07.  It's one thing to say, "I follow Jesus," without persecution in "candy land USA."  It's an entirely different ball game to say, "I follow Jesus," with the blade held to your flesh and some stranger asking you to make the same confession. 

Well guess what Joshua?  The Word of God is real and it's going to cost your life to follow me, your entire LIFE!  So do you believe? 

These are the questions being asked of me.  To be honest, I broke down in a mini weep in my cute little cubicle.   God broke me in yet another way, He's very good at this I might add. 

I was weeping for several reasons, which I won't go fully into, to sum it up many questions were racing through my brain.  Do I really believe what I say I believe?  I want to with all my heart.  I also don't want to kid myself.  I don't want to kid God.  Being really really honest with myself I don't know how I would hold up with the blade to my flesh, I truly do not and that SUCKS!  Of course I want to say, "Yes, I will remain loyal to Jesus my Lord and Savior!"  I also know I'm weak.  I also know I've been a coward more often than not.  Do I like these realizations?  NOOOOOO WAAAAAY!  I'd be a liar if I said they weren't true though.  My "work" day came to a screeching halt. 

I went for prayer with some other believers and shared the things weighing on my heart, yes more weeping broke out.  I'm beginning at this point to realize I cry A LOT!  So be it.  After all of this had taken place, the only thing I could describe it as is, "I was undone before the Lord."  He got it all or so I thought.

Below is a conversation God had with me later in the evening during TOAG internship – Training Ordinary Apprentices to Go!  At this point I was distraught and unsettled.  We had a 20 minute break to listen to God speak, here's the conversation as I walked it out:

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Joshua, I'm not joking with the Words that are contained in the Bible.  The Bible is My Word, said God.  It's real and it's powerful!  You're going to be required to REALLY believe in the Words from cover-to-cover.  You're going to need to move past man's view and step into my view 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  I'm taking you to a new place in Me, a place of utter DESPERATION for Jesus and him alone because an ounce of anything else will not do. 

Sooo, Do you want to be brought into the bosom of Jesus?!  Do you want to know God?!  Do you want His presence? Yes?????!

You're going to have to shed tears!!!  Tears!!!  Lots and lots of tears!!  As a snake sheds/molts and grows bigger, tears are how your spirit molts/sheds.  Each tear makes your spirit widen for a greater capacity to hold the Spirit of God.

Do you have fear?  Do you have a hard heart?

There is NO WAY you will ever be effective for God's kingdom with either of those characteristics!!  God wants "Jell-O Gigglers" for hearts.

Do you want, REVIVAL????!!!!

Draw near to God.  ALL people are people!  You all have the same fear, the same insecurities, the same everything!!

By being able to have a heart like Father's is how everybody will see God in you.  That's what starts REVIVAL!  That's what draws people into you!!  He's above culture; He's the Master of cross-culture communication because LOVE is never going to be beaten!  This is a fact.

Why do you care about your life?  Isn't it My life?  Didn't I give it to you? 

Trust Me!  Trust My Word!

Why do you want to hold onto a life so badly that you know is going to end anyway?

Don't possess anything, He said.  Don't hold onto even yourself.  Have no possession except for that of the Lord.  Hold onto My Word and My precepts alone!  Clutch that treasure – the treasure of JESUS!

By the way, He said, "it's not possible for you to lose it until I say you're to lose it and when you think you're losing it, you're really gaining it!!!"  Ha! Praise Jesus!!

You were destined for HELL a child of Wrath and now Jesus has turned it all upside down so that you might have eternal life!!!!  He's worthy of your praise regardless of heaven or hell!!  And, you're so concerned about being Martyred for His name????

Praise Jesus that you would earn such a death!!!  Such a glorious way to die for the King of Heaven and Earth!! Almighty God, who owns your soul today and evermore anyway!!!

How would you pray if your life were at risk?  If you were under real persecution?

You would pray with passion, zeal, fervor and reverence!!!  You would pray like you mean it!  You would pray as if you were undone before the Lord!  Why don't you do that regardless of persecution?!

Sooooooo, you say you want a church movement? 

After the 20 minutes I came back to write down this dialogue above.  We typically share what the Lord has spoken to us in a group setting once we all return.  I didn't know where I was from an emotional standpoint with this fresh conversation percolating and the day's events leading up to this moment.  I began reading the words and of course, "here we go again."  More tears spilled from the ducts.  This day opened up for me what it truly means to believe God Almighty and His Word.  He's doing me the honor of introducing me to Himself in a whole new way.  NOTHING MATTERS!  Let me say it again, "NOTHING MATTERS!" but the love of Jesus and where I stand in relation to that. 

Where do you stand today?  If you don't know, I suggest you figure it out yesterday!  Guess what, Jesus is coming back soon and with FIRE in his eyes!  Everything going on in the world today has been foretold in the Bible thousands of years ago.  Don't give me your "interpretations" or "written by man" excuses.  I've seen God, His Word is true!  Ask Jesus himself to reveal his truth to you, if you have the guts.  Don't live in your ignorance any longer, that excuse doesn't hold water with God Almighty.  Open the Bible yourself and discover a LIVING GOD a relational GOD.  A GOD you can know intimately!

Description of the Kingdom of Heaven and how to get in or be left out ...

The kingdom of heaven is near.  The kingdom of heaven is not a place you can taste, touch, or see in the physical realm.  The kingdom is growing forcefully and rapidly, with little beginnings the end will be mighty and powerful.  There are rules and regulations to the kingdom of heaven, repent, do the will of the Father, freely give and freely receive, preach "the kingdom of heaven is near",  drive out demons and heal the sick.  It is to be sought after like pirate treasure but ever so more valuable.  It is something that costs the individual everything, the price of admission is the same to all and yet is to be discovered before it can be purchased.  The only way to receive the kingdom is to become as a little child because otherwise you will miss it.  The riches in the kingdom are new and old; you receive the answers to the mysteries and secrets.  Upon receipt of your keys you will be given power in heaven and earth to bind and loose.  If you're not prepared, ready and waiting you will be left out.  It's something to be missed.  It's something to be found!

A friend of mine forwarded me this piece.  I did not write any of it.  I place this on myspace to hear of what your thoughts on the matter might be?  By the way it doesn't matter what you believe everybody has an opinion and I ask for yours as well.
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JJ -
In the course of the last week, in hearing you talk, I have thought on several occasions of Charles Finney's "How to Promote a Revival."  I read his book, Revivals of Religion , when I was in college, but found myself drawn to that book because of this chapter on promoting revival. 

You've talked about revival, and how one gets it started, and the desire to see one.  I am with you.  I know there are those who say the work of revival can only be initiated and accomplished by God, and I understand the spirit of their response.  However, if Finney is right, revival can come through us: it is our responsibility.  In us breaking up our dry and stale ground and taking active steps towards God in repentance, I believe we can watch with certainty as God starts a revival.  Indeed, if we do these things, the revival has already begun.

HOW TO PROMOTE A REVIVAL

TEXT. --Break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.--HOSEA X. 12.

THE Jews were a nation of farmers, and it is therefore a common thing in the Scriptures to refer for illustrations to their occupation, and to the scenes with which farmers and shepherds are familiar. The prophet Hosea addresses them as a nation of backsliders, and reproves them for their idolatry, and threatens them with the judgments of God. I have showed you in my first lecture what a revival is not--what it is--and the agencies to be employed in promoting it; and in my second, when it is needed--its importance--and when it may be expected. My design in this lecture is to show,

A revival consists of two parts; as it respects the church, and as it respects the ungodly. I shall speak to-night of a revival in the church. Fallow ground is ground which has once been tilled, but which now lies waste, and needs to be broken up and mellowed, before it is suited to receive grain. I shall show, as it respects a revival in the church,

1. What it is to break up the fallow ground, in the sense of the text.

2. How it is to be performed.

To break up the fallow ground, is to break up your hearts--to prepare your minds to bring forth fruit unto God. The mind of man is often compared in the Bible to ground, and the word of God to seed sown in it, and the fruit represents the actions and affections of those who receive it. To break up the fallow ground, therefore, is to bring the mind into such a state, that it is fitted to receive the word of God. Sometimes your hearts get matted down hard and dry, and all run to waste, till there is no such thing as getting fruit from them till they are all broken up, and mellowed down, and fitted to receive the word of God. It is this softening of the heart, so as to make it feel the truth, which the prophet calls breaking up your fallow ground.

1. It is not by any direct efforts to feel. People run into a mistake on this subject, from not making the laws of mind the object of thought. There are great errors on the subject of the laws which govern the mind. People talk about religious feeling, as if they thought they could, by direct effort, call forth religious affection. But this is not the way the mind acts. No man can make himself feel in this way, merely by trying to feel. The feelings of the mind are not directly under our control. We cannot by willing, or by direct volition, call forth religious feelings. We might as well think to call spirits up from the deep. They are purely involuntary states of mind. They naturally and necessarily exist in the mind under certain circumstances calculated to excite them. But they can be controlled indirectly. Otherwise there would be no moral character in our feelings, if there were not a way to control them. We cannot say, "Now I will feel so and so towards such an object." But we can command our attention to it, and look at it intently, till the involuntary affections arise. Let a man who is away from his family, bring them up before his mind, and will he not feel? But it is not by saying to himself, "Now I will feel deeply for my family." A man can direct his attention to any object, about which he ought to feel and wishes to feel, and in that way he will call into existence the proper emotions. Let a man call up his enemy before his mind, and his feelings of enmity will rise. So if a man thinks of God, and fastens his mind on any parts of God's character, he will feel--emotions will come up, by the very laws of mind. If he is a friend of God, let him contemplate God as a gracious and holy being, and he will have emotions of friendship kindled up in his mind. If he is an enemy of God, only let him get the true character of God before his mind, and look at it, and fasten his attention on it, and his enmity will rise against God, or he will break down and give his heart to God.

If you wish to break up the fallow ground of your hearts, and make your minds feel on the subject of religion, you must go to work just as you would to feel on any other subject. Instead of keeping your thoughts on every thing else, and then imagine that by going to a few meetings you will get your feelings enlisted, go the common sense way to work, as you would on any other subject. It is just as easy to make your minds feel on the subject of religion as it is on any other subject. God has put these states of mind under your control. If people were as unphilosophical about moving their limbs, as they are about regulating their emotions, you would never have got here to meeting to-night.

If you mean to break up the fallow ground of your hearts, you must begin by looking at your hearts--examine and note the state of your minds, and see where you are. Many never seem to think about this. They pay no attention to their own hearts, and never know whether they are doing well in religion or not--whether they are gaining ground or going back--whether they are fruitful, or lying waste like the fallow ground. Now you must draw off your attention from other things, and look into this. Make a business of it. Do not be in a hurry. Examine thoroughly the state of your hearts, and see where you are--whether you are walking with God every day, or walking with the devil--whether you are serving God or serving the devil most--whether you are under the dominion of the prince of darkness, or the Lord Jesus Christ.

To do all this, you must set yourself at work to consider your sins. You must examine yourselves. And by this I do not mean, that you must stop and look directly within to see what is the present state of your feelings. That is the very way to put a stop to all feeling. This is just as absurd as it would be for a man to shut his eyes on the lamp, and try to turn his eyes inward to find out whether there was any image painted on the retina. The man complains that he does not see anything! And why? Because he has turned his eyes away from the objects of sight. The truth is, our moral feelings are as much an object of consciousness as our sensations. And the way to excite is to go on acting, and employing our minds. Then we can tell our moral feelings by consciousness, just as I could tell my natural feelings by consciousness, if I should put my hand in the fire.

Self-examination consists in looking at your lives, in considering your actions, in calling up the past, and learning its true character. Look back over your past history. Take up your individual sins one by one, and look at them. I do not mean that you should just cast a glance at your past life, and see that it has been full of sins, and then go to God and make a sort of general confession, and ask for pardon. That is not the way. You must take them up one by one. It will be a good thing to take a pen and paper, as you go over them, and write them down as they occur to you. Go over them as carefully as a merchant goes over his books; and as often as a sin comes before your memory, add it to the list. General confessions of sin will never do. Your sins were committed one by one; and as far as you can come at them, they ought to be reviewed and repented of one by one. Now begin; and take up first what are commonly, but improperly, called your

1. Ingratitude. Take this sin, for instance, and write down under it all the instances you can remember, wherein you have received favors from God, for which you have never exercised gratitude. How many cases can you remember? Some remarkable providence, some wonderful turn of events, that saved you from ruin. Set down the instances of God's goodness to you when you were in sin, before your conversion. Then the mercy of God in the circumstances of your conversion, for which you have never been half thankful enough. The numerous mercies you have received since. How long the catalogue of instances, where your ingratitude is so black that you are forced to hide your face in confusion! Now go on your knees, and confess them one by one to God, and ask forgiveness. The very act of confession, by the laws of suggestion, will bring up others to your memory. Put down these. Go over these three or four times in this way, and you will find an astonishing amount of mercies, for which you have never thanked God. Then take another sin. Let it be,

2. Want of love to God. Write that down, and go over all the instances you can remember, when you did not give to the blessed God that hearty love which you ought.

Think how grieved and alarmed you would be, if you discovered any flagging of affection for you in your wife, husband, or children; if you saw somebody else engrossing their hearts, and thoughts, and time. Perhaps, in such a case, you would well nigh die with a just and virtuous jealousy. Now, God styles himself a jealous God; and have you not given your heart to other loves: played the harlot, and infinitely offended him?

3. Neglect of the Bible. Put down the cases, when for days, and perhaps for weeks--yea, it may be, even for months together, you had no pleasure in God's word. Perhaps you did not read a chapter, or if you read it, it was in a way that was still more displeasing to God. Many people read over a whole chapter in such a way, that if they were put under oath when they have done, they could not tell what they have been reading. With so little attention do they read, that they cannot remember where they have read from morning till evening, unless they put in a string or turn down a leaf. This demonstrates that they did not lay to heart what they read, that they did not make it a subject of reflection. If you were reading a novel, or any other piece of intelligence that greatly interested you, would you not remember what you read last? And the fact that you fold a leaf or put in a string, demonstrates that you read rather as a task, than from love or reverence for the word of God. The word of God is the rule of your duty. And do you pay so little regard to it as not to remember what you read? If so, no wonder that you live so at random, and that your religion is such a miserable failure.

4. Unbelief. Instances in which you have virtually charged the God of truth with lying, by your unbelief of his express promises and declarations. God has promised to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Now, have you believed this? Have you expected him to answer? Have you not virtually said in your hearts, when you prayed for the Holy Spirit, "I do not believe that I shall receive it?" If you have not believed nor expected you should receive the blessing, which God has expressly promised, you have charged him with lying.

5. Neglect of prayer. Times when you omitted secret prayer, family prayer, and prayer meetings, or have prayed in such a way as more grievously to offend God, than to have neglected it altogether.

6. Neglect of the means of grace. When you have suffered trifling excuses to prevent your attending meetings, have neglected and poured contempt upon the means of salvation, merely from disrelish of spiritual duties.

7. The manner in which you have performed those duties--want of feeling--want of faith--worldly frame of mind--so that your words were nothing but the mere chattering of a wretch, that did not deserve that God should feel the least care for him. When you have fallen down upon your knees, and said your prayers, in such an unfeeling and careless manner, that if you had been put under oath five minutes after you left your closet, you could not have told what you had been praying for.

8. Your want of love for the souls of your fellow-men. Look round upon your friends and relations, and remember how little compassion you have felt for them. You have stood by and seen them going right to hell, and it seems as though you did not care if they did. How many days have there been, in which you did not make their condition the subject of a single fervent prayer, or even an ardent desire for their salvation?

9. Your want of care for the heathen. Perhaps you have not cared enough for them to attempt to learn their condition; perhaps not even to take a Missionary paper. Look at this, and see how much you do really care for the heathen, and set down honestly the real amount of your feelings for them, and your desire for their salvation. Measure your desire for their salvation by the self-denial you practise, in giving of your substance to send them the Gospel. Do you deny yourself even the hurtful superfluities of life, such as tea, coffee, and tobacco? Do you retrench your style of living, and really subject yourself to any inconvenience to save them? Do you daily pray for them in your closet? Do you statedly attend the monthly concert? Are you from month to month laying by something to put into the treasury of the Lord, when you go up to pray? If you are not doing these things, and if your soul is not agonized for the poor benighted heathen, why are you such a hypocrite as to pretend to be a Christian? Why, your profession is an insult to Jesus Christ!

10. Your neglect of family duties. How you have lived before them, how you have prayed, what an example you have set before them. What direct efforts do you habitually make for their spiritual good? What duty have you not neglected?

11. Neglect of social duties.

12. Neglect of watchfulness over your own life. Instances in which you have hurried over your private duties, and not taken yourself to task, nor honestly made up your accounts with God. Where you have entirely neglected to watch your conduct, and have been off your guard, and have sinned before the world, and before the church, and before God.

13. Neglect to watch over your brethren. How often have you broken your covenant, that you would watch over them in the Lord! How little do you know or care about the state of their souls! And yet you are under a solemn oath to watch over them. What have you done to make yourself acquainted with them? How many of them have you interested yourself for, to know their spiritual state? Go over the list, and wherever you find there has been a neglect, write it down. How many times have you seen your brethren growing cold in religion, and have not spoken to them about it? You have seen them beginning to neglect one duty after another, and you did not reprove them in a brotherly way. You have seen them falling into sin, and you let them go on. And yet you pretend to love them. What a hypocrite! Would you see your wife or child going into disgrace, or into the fire, and hold your peace? No, you would not. What do you think of yourself, then, to pretend to love Christians, and to love Christ, while you can see them going into disgrace, and say nothing to them?

14. Neglect of self-denial. There are many professors who are willing to do almost any thing in religion, that does not require self-denial. But when they are called to do any thing that requires them to deny themselves, Oh! that is too much. They think they are doing a great deal for God, and doing about as much as he ought to ask in reason, if they are only doing what they can do about as well as not; but they are not willing to deny themselves any comfort or convenience whatever, for the sake of serving the Lord. They will not willingly suffer reproach for the name of Christ. Nor will they deny themselves the luxuries of life, to save a world from hell. So far are they from remembering that self-denial is a condition of discipleship, that they do not know what self-denial is. They never have really denied themselves a riband or a pin for Christ, and for the Gospel. Oh, how soon such professors will be in hell! Some are giving of their abundance, and are giving much, and are ready to complain that others don't give more; when, in truth, they do not give any thing that they need, any thing that they could enjoy, if they kept it. They only give of their surplus wealth; and perhaps that poor woman, who puts in twelve and a half cents at the monthly concert, has exercised more self-denial, than they have in giving thousands.

From these we now turn to

1. Worldly mindedness. What has been the state of your heart in regard to your worldly possessions? Have you looked at them as really yours--as if you had a right to dispose of them as your own, according to your own will? If you have, write that down. If you have loved property, and sought after it for its own sake, or to gratify lust or ambition, or a worldly spirit, or to lay it up for your families, you have sinned, and must repent.

2. Pride. Recollect all the instances you can, in which you have detected yourself in the exercise of pride. Vanity is a particular form of pride. How many times have you detected yourself in consulting vanity, about your dress and appearance? How many times have you thought more, and taken more pains, and spent more time, about decorating your body to go to church, than you have about preparing your mind for the worship of God? You have gone to the house of God caring more how you appear outwardly in the sight of mortal men, than how your soul appears in the sight of the heart-searching God. You have in fact set up yourself to be worshipped by them, rather than prepared to worship God yourself. You came to divide the worship of God's house, to draw off the attention of God's people to look at your pretty appearance. It is in vain to pretend now, that you don't care any thing about having people look at you. Be honest about it. Would you take all this pains about your looks if every body was blind?

3. Envy. Look at the cases in which you were envious at those who you thought were above you in any respect. Or perhaps you have envied those who have been more talented or more useful than yourself. Have you not so envied some, that you have been pained to hear them praised? It has been more agreeable to you to dwell upon their faults, than upon their virtues, upon their failures, than upon their success. Be honest with yourself, and if you have harbored this spirit of hell, repent deeply before God, or he will never forgive you.

4. Censoriousness. Instances in which you have had a bitter spirit, and spoken of Christians in a manner entirely devoid of charity and love--charity, which requires you always to hope the best the case will admit, and to put the best construction upon any ambiguous conduct.

5. Slander. The times you have spoken behind people's backs of their faults, real or supposed, of members of the church or others, unnecessarily or without good reason. This is slander. You need not lie to be guilty of slander;--to tell the truth with the design to injure, is slander.

6. Levity. How often have you trifled before God, as you would not have dared to trifle in the presence of an earthly sovereign? You have either been an Atheist, and forgotten that there was a God, or have had less respect for him, and his presence, than you would have had for an earthly judge.

7. Lying. Understand now what lying is. Any species of designed deception for a selfish reason is lying. If the deception is not a design it is not lying. But if you design to make an impression contrary to the naked truth, you lie. Put down all those cases you can recollect. Don't call them by any soft name. God calls them LIES, and charges you with LYING, and you had better charge yourself correctly.

How innumerable are the falsehoods perpetrated every day in business, and in social intercourse, by words, and looks, and actions--designed to make an impression on others contrary to the truth for selfish reasons.

8. Cheating. Set down all the cases in which you have dealt with an individual, and done to him that which you would not like to have done to you. That is cheating. God has laid down a rule in the case; "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." That is the rule; and now if you have not done so you are a cheat. Mind, the rule is not that you should do what you might reasonably expect them to do to you. That is a rule which would admit of every degree of wickedness. But it is "As ye WOULD they should do to you."

9. Hypocrisy. For instance, in your prayers and confessions to God. Set down the instances in which you have prayed for things you did not really want. And the evidence is, that when you had done praying, you could not tell what you had prayed for. How many times have you confessed sins that you did not mean to break off, and when you had no solemn purpose not to repeat them? Yes, have confessed sins when you knew you as much expected to go and repeat them as you expected to live.

10. Robbing God. Instances in which you have misspent your time, and squandered hours which God gave you to serve him and save souls, in vain amusements or foolish conversation, reading novels, or doing nothing; cases where you have misapplied your talents and powers of mind; where you have squandered money on your lusts, or spent it for things you did not need, and which neither contributed to your health, comfort or usefulness. Perhaps some of you who are here to-night have laid out God's money for TOBACCO. I will not speak of rum, for I presume there is no professor of religion here to-night that would drink rum. I hope there is no one that uses that filthy poison, tobacco. Think of a professor of religion, using God's money to poison himself with tobacco!

11. Bad temper. Perhaps you have abused your wife, or your children, or your family, or servants, or neighbors. Write it all down.

12. Hindering others from being useful. Perhaps you have weakened their influence by insinuations against them. You have not only robbed God of your own talents, but tied the hands of somebody else. What a wicked servant is he that loiters himself, and hinders the rest! This is done sometimes by taking their time needlessly; sometimes by destroying Christian confidence in them. Thus you have played into the hands of Satan, and not only showed yourself an idle vagabond, but prevented others from working.

If you find you have committed a fault against an individual, and that individual is within your reach, go and confess it immediately, and get that out of the way. If the individual you have injured is too far off for you to go and see him, sit down and write him a letter, and confess the injury, pay the postage, and put it into the mail immediately. I say, pay the postage, or otherwise you will only make the matter worse. You will add to the former injury, by making him a bill of expense. The man that writes a letter on his own business, and sends it to another without paying the postage, is dishonest, and has cheated him out of so much. And if he would cheat a man out of a sixpence or shilling, when the temptation is so small, what would he not do were the temptation greater, if he had the prospect of impunity? If you have defrauded any body, send the money, the full amount and the interest.

Go thoroughly to work in all this. Go now. Don't put it off; that will only make the matter worse. Confess to God those sins that have been committed against God, and to man those sins that have been committed against man. Don't think of getting off by going round the stumbling blocks. Take them up out of the way. In breaking up your fallow ground, you must remove every obstruction. Things may be left that you may think little things, and you may wonder why you do not feel as you wish to in religion, when the reason is that your proud and carnal mind has covered up something which God required you to confess and remove. Break up all the ground and turn it over. Do not balk it, as the farmers say; do not turn aside for little difficulties; drive the plow right through them, beam deep, and turn the ground all up, so that it may all be mellow and soft, and fit to receive the seed and bear fruit a hundred fold.

When you have gone over your whole history in this way, thoroughly, if you will then go over the ground the second time, and give your solemn and fixed attention to it, you will find that the things you have put down will suggest other things of which you have been guilty, connected with them, or near them. Then go over it a third time, and you will recollect other things connected with these. And you will find in the end that you can remember an amount of your history, and particular actions, even in this life, which you did not think you should remember in eternity. Unless you do take up your sins in this way, and consider them in detail, one by one, you can form no idea of the amount of your sins. You should go over it as thoroughly and as carefully, and as solemnly, as you would if you were just preparing yourself for the judgment.

As you go over the catalogue of your sins, be sure to resolve upon present and entire reformation. Wherever you find any thing wrong, resolve at once, in the strength of God, to sin no more in that way. It will be of no benefit to examine yourself, unless you determine to amend in every particular that you find wrong in heart, temper, or conduct.

If you find, as you go on with this duty, that your mind is still all dark, cast about you, and you will find there is some reason for the Spirit of God to depart from you. You have not been faithful and thorough. In the progress of such a work you have got to do violence to yourself, and bring yourself as a rational being up to this work, with the Bible before you, and try your heart till you do feel. You need not expect that God will work a miracle for you to break up your fallow ground. It is to be done by means. Fasten your attention to the subject of your sins. You cannot look at your sins long and thoroughly, and see how bad they are, without feeling, and feeling deeply. Experience abundantly proves the benefit of going over our history in this way. Set yourself to the work now; resolve that you never will stop till you find you can pray. You never will have the spirit of prayer, till you examine yourself, and confess your sins, and break up your fallow ground. You never will have the Spirit of God dwelling in you, till you have unraveled this whole mystery of iniquity, and spread out your sins before God. Let there be this deep work of repentance, and full confession, this breaking down before God, and you will have as much of the spirit of prayer as your body can bear up under. The reason why so few Christians know any thing about the spirit of prayer, is because they never would take the pains to examine themselves properly, and so never knew what it was to have their hearts all broken up in this way.

You see I have only begun to lay open this subject to-night. I want to lay it out before you, in the course of these lectures, so that if you will begin and go on to do as I say, the results will be just as certain as they are when the farmer breaks up a fallow field, and mellows it, and sows his grain. It will be so, if you will only begin in this way, and hold on till all your hardened and callous hearts break up.

1. It will do no good to preach to you while your hearts are in this hardened, and waste, and fallow state. The farmer might just as well sow his grain on the rock. It will bring forth no fruit. This is the reason why there are so many fruitless professors in the church, and why there is so much outside machinery, and so little deep-toned feeling in the church. Look at the Sabbath-school for instance, and see how much machinery there is, and how little of the power of godliness. If you go on in this way, the word of God will continue to harden you, and you will grow worse and worse, just as the rain and snow on an old fallow field makes the turf thicker, and the clods stronger.

2. See why so much preaching is wasted, and worse than wasted. It is because the church will not break up their fallow ground. A preacher may wear out his life, and do very little good, while there are so many stony-ground hearers, who have never had their fallow ground broken up. They are only half converted, and their religion is rather a change of opinion than a change of the feeling of their hearts. There is mechanical religion enough, but very little that looks like deep heart-work.

3. Professors of religion should never satisfy themselves, or expect a revival, just by starting out of their slumbers, and blustering about, and making a noise, and talking to sinners. They must get their fallow ground broken up. It is utterly unphilosophical to think of getting engaged in religion in this way. If your fallow ground is broken up, then the way to get more feeling, is to go out and see sinners on the road to hell, and talk to them, and guide inquiring souls, and you will get more feeling. You may get into an excitement without this breaking up; you may show a kind of zeal, but it will not last long, and it will not take hold of sinners, unless your hearts are broken up. The reason is, that you go about it mechanically, and have not broken up your fallow ground.

4. And now, finally, will you break up your fallow ground? Will you enter upon the course now pointed out, and persevere till you are thoroughly awake? If you fail here, if you do not do this, and get prepared, you can go no further with me in this course of lectures. I have gone with you as far as it is of any use to go, until your fallow ground is broken up. Now, you must make thorough work upon this point, or all I have further to say will do you little good. Nay, it will only harden and make you worse. If, when next Friday night arrives, it finds you with unbroken hearts, you need not expect to be benefited by what I shall say. If you do not set about this work immediately, I shall take it for granted that you do not mean to be revived, that you have forsaken your minister, and mean to let him go up to battle alone. If you do not do this, I charge you with having forsaken Christ, with refusing to repent and do your first work. But if you will be prepared to enter upon the work, I propose, God willing, next Friday evening, to lead you into the work of saving sinners.

To my future wife,

I found myself thinking about you today. Wondering where you are, what you're thinking and doing. It hurts a little not to be with you, but I can live with that for now, knowing that we'll spend the rest of our lives together. I'm writing this letter to help you understand what I've been thinking about and why. I probably don't know all the right things to say, but my feelings and words are from the heart.

Actually I find myself thinking about you more and more. The very idea of you provides a much needed break from the pressures of dating, relationships and life. In the midst of it all – the thought of you calms and refreshes me – makes me smile, in spite of my situation and surroundings.

I know it sounds crazy, but I picture you – your smile, the way you pull your hair behind your ear, your wonderful laugh, even when my jokes aren't funny. I can't help but wonder what our children will look like ..[endif]>

I've gone out with other girls, but something always seems to be missing. I go out and have fun but the idea of you and our future together is always in my thoughts. It keeps me focused and on track, aware of who I am and what's important.

And loving you, without ever having met you, makes me want to be deserving of your love. So I wait for you – in mind, body, and soul.

I don't usually talk or write like this, but my mind and heart are racing with anticipation. Because I love you, because I know you're out there. Because the very thought of you makes my pulse race, my palms sweat, my stomach flip like I'm on a roller coaster. And what better way to show that I've always loved you than to save myself for you – completely. And I hope that you're doing the same.

I know waiting isn't easy. We're taught to expect instant gratification. We're told we shouldn't have to wait – for anything. Too often we act on feelings or impulses, sacrificing the future by buying into the lie that sex equals love, leaving little room for commitment or marriage. But that's not love and that's not why I'm thinking about and waiting for you.

I'm waiting for you because I love you unconditionally. And I need you to know that what matters to me is not where you've been or what you've done, but where you're going. Maybe you didn't know I existed. Or you thought that we'd found each other, only to realize later that what you discovered wasn't true love. Real love is so different from infatuation or simple pleasure. It isn't abusive or selfish or purely physical. Real love involves mutual respect, affection, trust, equality, and a shared spirituality. Real love doesn't revolve around sex! Real love grows into a relationship where sexual intimacy will only serve to express that love – marriage.

I talked with a friend the other day about chastity – modesty and purity in our thoughts, words, the way we dress and act – how it's a building block for a perfect love that casts out all fear. And sex before marriage brings many fears – pregnancy, STDs, the emotional scars associated with broken relationships. So, in the search for perfect love, it only makes sense to practice chastity and wait until you're married to give yourself to the person you love. And --- OUR marriage will bring with it the promise of forever. We will give ourselves to one another completely, become best friends – soul mates. So even though we may be apart right now, by living chastely for each other in the present we can build our future together.

Have you ever been in the middle of doing something when you stop to think, "This would be perfect if….?" Those words come to mind often – for example, on a Fall day, with leaves covering the ground and crisp, cool breezes blowing, and I think, "This would be perfect if…. She were here." The thought that someday you will be here comforts me.

And… I want that same thought to comfort you. Whether you realize it or not, I've been there in your thoughts, that shiver or the goosebumps you get every once in a while – in the long daydream or a lingering glance. You don't have to wonder anymore, because I'm real, I love you and I am waiting for you – in every way. And now that you know I'm here, I hope you'll do the same. Whenever you feel scared, unsure, or pressured to give a part of yourself away, read this letter. Think about us and how perfect it will be when we are together.

You may have been waiting and looking for me all the while. You may be starting today. Either way, we'll know when we've found each other; we'll be together for the rest of our lives and the wait will have been worthwhile.

All My Love,

Your Future Husband

Apparently, for some bizarre reason, manhood doesn't come automatically for males. Some guys seem to spend their entire lives trying to "prove their manhood" - by hunting, playing sports, driving fast...and, unfortunately, by having sex. It seems rather strange to us women that guys think having sex proves you're a man. To us, it just proves that you've reached puberty. And we don't really consider that, in itself, to be any great accomplishment. Becoming a man is a much more complicated process.

The funny thing is, even in this day in age, most guys want to marry a girl who respects her sexuality. A guy doesn't like the idea of his future wife in the back-seat with someone else, or of her being the subject of a sexual conquest story in the locker room. They'll brag about girls like that, but they won't marry them. They want to marry a girl, whether she's never "done it" or done it and regretted it, who recognizes that sex speaks the language of forever, committed love...someone like me.

But why would I want to marry someone like that...someone who wants to marry a virgin, but spends his dating years robbing other girls of their virginity so that he can prove his manhood? He's not a "real man" in my eyes - he's a selfish, immature boy driven by insecurity, not love. And I'm not interested.

I want more from you. I want you to respect your sexuality as much as I respect mine. I want you to be a real, confident man, not a wimp who has to use women to feed his insecurity. A guy like that couldn't use all of those women, and then suddenly love me. He may be "good" in bed, but he's no good at loving.

I want you to learn to really love. Learning to love is learning to put the other first. A guy who messes around outside of marriage isn't putting the good of the other first. He's using a girl...speaking the "body language" of permanent commitment when the relationship isn't permanent. He's putting the girl at risk of pregnancy. And he's putting himself at risk for some nasty diseases...diseases he can then later give his wife. That's not making love. A real man loves women - all women - and wants what's best for them. And he doesn't let his desires control his actions. He controls his desires instead.

I want you to develop self-control. That's important to me. I don't want to marry a man who can't control himself. Men like that make lousy husbands. A guy who isn't used to saying "no" to sex isn't going to be any better at 40 than he was at 18. I've seen women who worry every time their husbands hire an attractive secretary. I don't want that. What kind of marriage could I have with someone I couldn't even trust on a business trip?

In the short run, I'm sure there aren't too many rewards for a guy living this way. Society tells you that you're missing out on your "sexual peak." Your silence during locker room bragging sessions can seem deafening. You may have even heard from the girls you date that something must be "wrong" with you because you won't take them to bed. Deep down, you must know that having sex won't prove you're a man. It's just irritating to no one else seems to know it, isn't it?

But someone else does know it. I know it. And in the end, I'm the only someone who matters.

And no, I'm not as narrow-minded as those guys who say they'll only marry a virgin. Society isn't too supportive of virginity, especially male virginity. I can forgive mistakes in your past. But I'm interested in your future, starting now. When I meet you, I want you to be a man who has made a conscious decision to wait...out of love for our future family and commitment to marriage. And I want you to be a real man, who's developed the control, maturity and unselfishness that waiting brings. They may not be popular traits in the locker room, but they're popular with me. They'll make you a better husband, and a better father. To me, that's sexy.

I've abstained from sex all these years, and it hasn't been for the lack of offers. I've had plenty of opportunities, and saying "no" hasn't always been easy. I'm sure it's not always easy for you, either. But it will make our marriage so much stronger. Sex will be our gift to each other, our exclusive "language." It'll belong to us, not "us and everyone else we ever dated."

Thanks for waiting for me, I promise you won't regret it.

-Author Unknown

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!