| Home | Christian | COPD | Links | Photos | Superstition Mts | Whatever (almost) |

Mary's Christian Page

This Web Page is created in hopes of helping newer believers.

Here is a link to give you something to think about 'The Difference'

I hope I can get their attention, and others too. If you are well versed in Christianity you may not find this site of a lot of interest. If you are trying to lead someone to the Lord then you may find some references here of use. I have created this based on my own personal experiences through life. Sometimes this is a subject that is pushed at people in a way that causes them to back off rather than to listen and learn. I never wanted to listen when religion was being ‘pushed on me’.

I have always said that if it was not for my belief in God I would not be here today. I always believed in God but did not really understand like I do today. I was always thankful for what I had learned when I was young, even though it was very limited. As I looked back later through the years, I could see where what I had learned, and did believe, worked for, and yet, also, against me, as I went on through life. That would not have happened had I understood what I know now. It was enough to keep me going through tough times. Not enough to keep me from feeling unnecessary guilt and shame.

I hope maybe I can help reach someone else who is looking for God and just cannot connect. To me, God works in mysterious ways and I have seen that and I believe, in God's time, that certain people are brought into a person's life for reasons. Looking back I am a little sad about some that helped me but are gone now .

I know what I read, and learn and believe. I am not always real good at conveying the technical things that bring me to these beliefs. Therefore, it is easier for me to refer you to some of the literature that I read and things I studied. I mainly want to get some good books on here that might help some of you if you are interested enough.

Do be careful of false teachers and there are many. The bible is the word and if it isn’t in the bible it is not God’s way. The only real way to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Often times statements made sound really good but they have, in fact, been taken 'out of context' and really have a completely different meaning if you could read and understand the complete reading.

As a child a few times I went to church when I spent the night at a friends house. Remember stayed with her for two weeks and attended Bible School. As teen attended small Pentecostal Church for a while. Not my choice today, BUT very thankful for what I did learn, because I think ‘But For the Grace of God’ I would not be alive today. It worked both for me in a good way and bad though in other ways. Good because it kept me going and from doing a lot of things I might otherwise have done. I had a conscience.

Not to say I didn’t do things wrong but could have been worse. I had something (God) to hang onto when I was feeling so alone. Bad because I didn’t get the right understanding and I thought I was being punished for some things I had done, and that had a very negative affect on me, for many years, and was a big factor in the person I became. For years I walked with head down, mumbled, and no smiles.

What I felt I was going through, I would not have made it without God. Although there were people in my life, I was very alone & it was ‘me, myself and God’. My deepest and innermost thoughts and concerns were just between us.

I never would have thought a Baptist Church would be my preference, but it was. I thought there were all these things that Baptist were not able to do but I discovered not necessarily so. I did not understand what Christianity really was all about. I learned the simple difference between religion and Christianity. Religion is what you can do for God. Christianity is what God can do for you. Don’t be judgmental about Christianity until you study and check it out through reputable resources, and are well enough versed to make an educated decision. 

I have learned so much through the years and my thinking is so much different now & I am so thankful that I am still learning and growing. I was shy in the early years and didn’t speak up and so didn’t ask questions. There is a point in time that it can feel embarrassing to admit you don’t know something. Finally, I realized the only way to learn anything was to admit you didn’t know. I now ask too many questions. LOL!  It’s the only way to grow. If you get nothing else from this page except to learn to ask questions you would benefit.

 

A Message From Mary - This is part of what I sent my family members in 2003 

I don’t want to ever wonder if I should have said anything to anyone. I am not preaching, and never have pushed my beliefs on anyone, and I still will not but I can not live with myself unless I say this at least one time.

“I, personally, believe there is a God and He did send his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins and that if we accept Him into our life and recognize that He paid the price for our sins, and ask forgiveness of our sins, that we are forgiven and we will have eternal life.”

All you have to do is say a little prayer from your heart and God knows.

Don’t make a judgment not to include God in your life based on what others say, or your prior experiences. If you have doubts actually study the subject and then make an informed decision. There are a lot of good pastors and Christians around (not so good ones too) to help explain more. I have learned that there is a difference between ‘teaching’ and ‘preaching’.

Once more, I believe if it was not “But For The Grace of God”, I would never have survived my adult years. Yes, I never talked about it much. I had wanted to be baptized since I was very young. Yes, probably my almost dying and seeing others so close to me die is causing me to send this card. I never in my life attempted to tell anyone this until I wrote my Brother in 2001. I know he is in Heaven and I hope all of you who are reading this will be one day.

I will hope and pray that you also come to believe this way.

 

 

 

  A Personal Testimony 

A Personal Testimony is simply telling your story, relaying a concise description of your own journey to faith in Christ. Most people are willing, and actually glad to hear someone share what their faith means to them. It's describing how you became a follower of Christ. It's talk about the difference Jesus has made in your life. It's telling another person how great God is and what having faith in Jesus has done to change your life.

 

Do vs. Done

"Sometimes I’ll say to a seeker," If you’d ever be interested in discovering the difference between religion and Christianity, I’d be happy to explain it to you."

Almost everyone is willing to pick on that discussion. I explain that religion is spelt D-O. It is all about what we 'do' to please God. We go to Church, we give offerings, we try to be good, we follow the rules. The problem is, we never know if we have done enough. The reality is we can never 'do' enough.

Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E. Christianity is all about what Jesus has 'done' for me. He came from heaven to earth, lived a perfect life, died on a cross for my sin, rose again, and offers us forgiveness and eternity in heaven. The focal point is on what Jesus has 'done' for us, not what we do for him."

Bill Hybels "Becoming a Contagious Christian"

The Roman Road

There is a classic three stage presentation of how to become a Christian often called The Roman Road, because it’s all found in the Book of Romans.

First, Romans 3v23 says "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." In other words we must acknowledge our own sin.

Second, Romans 6v23 says "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life." That is, the consequences of sin is death, however God’s wonderful free gift is forgiveness and eternal life in him.

Third, Romans 10v13 says, "Everyone who calls in the name of the Lord will be saved." When we call on Jesus for forgiveness, He will cleanse us give us a new beginning and help us live as his children forever.

    

The Bridge

This illustration was made famous by Campus Crusade through a little booklet called "The Four Spiritual Laws"

In this illustration there is a hill on one side, a chasm in the middle and a hill on the other side. Sin separates a person from God. The result of trying to get to God on our own will be death - both physical and spiritual. There’s only one way to cross the chasm of sin and that’s the bridge. The cross of Jesus spans the distance between us and God the Father. Jesus Christ is the only way to God. When we trust in His death on the cross, we are freed from the power of sin and the judgment of death.

       

 


Here are links to some good books for starters. If any of the links should be gone you can do a search for the books. My favorite bookstore is  Christianbook.com  

A Non-Churchgoer's Guide to the Bible  by Michael Gantt (probably soon discontinue-note current sale price) (Recommend this to anyone that has found the Bible too confusing to read. I wish I had this many years ago.)
Becoming A Contagious Christian by Bill Hybels/Mark Mittelberg
And The Angels Were Silent by Max Lucado

Safe In The Shepherd's Arms  by Max Lucado
Stories for the Heart compiled by Alice Gray
Joni: An Unforgettable Story   by Joni Eareckson Tada (True story of inspiration)
In God's Care Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery (Excellent for anyone)
Stick a Geranium in Your Hat  by Barbara Johnson
America's God & Country Encyclopedia of Quotations by William Federer
The Case for Christ  by Lee Strobel 
The Covering by Hank Hanegraaff (known as 'Bible Answerman"-excellent source of information from him if you can listen or read. He is on our local radio station. Has many books.
Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century by Hank Hanegraaff
Though None Go With Me  by Jerry Jenkins (Fiction but one of my favorite books)

CBD Guide Bible Reference  by David M. Fowler This was another excellent book for beginners and no longer available. Probably cannot find this one.

Back to the Top


 

I like to read any books by Bill Hybels, Max Lucado, Lee Strobel, Hank Hanegraaff.
Many that I have read by Bill Hybels are easy for new believers. Some I have read are listed below:

Bill Hybels:
  Honest to God? 
Becoming an Authentic Christian     
  Making Life Work
  Too Busy Not To Pray
  The God You're Looking For   
  Courageous Leadership
  Who Are You When No One Is Looking
  Making Life Work 

Lee Strobel:
  God's Outrageous Claims  

  Inside The Mind Of Unchurched Harry & Mary
  Surviving Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage
  The Case for Faith   
  What Jesus Would Say

Not too many years ago, in church one Sunday the Pastor challenged the congregation to read a certain amount of the Bible each day. I think it was 3 verses. If we were to do that, he said by Thanksgiving we would have read the whole New Testament. I committed to this and found out that there are a lot of good stories in the Bible. Not long after that I was able to finally read the whole book. Not to say I took it all in but had a better idea of what was in it and made studying more interesting. I may have read it many years before if I had a book like this one to guide me. A Non-Churchgoer's Guide to the Bible.

 

 

To Top of Page

 

 

Revisions or additions
made as time permits."
Last update:  February 8, 2005
Last update:  November 3, 2009 (284)

free web counter
Buy.com Coupon