We are back from our visit in Germany. It was wonderful to see all of my friends and family again. Sometimes it is strange for me, I call Germany my home and then again America is my home. Germany was were I lived during my childhood and younger years, but America has become special to me, mainly because I found a relationship with Jesus here. I have become a Christian.
Now you may ask, what is a Christian? Is it a member of a certain church? Do you have to live a certain life, where your good outweighs your bad? Do you have to be religious to be a Christian?
Let's take a look and discover what it means to be a Christian. Let's go back to God's word, the Bible. You may say, the Bible was written by people, and who knows how much of their own ideas they put into this book.
Well, that is partly correct. The Bible was written by 40 different people from different countries, on 3 different continents and of different proffessions. They were shepherds, kings, doctors, tax collectors, and they all lived in different time periods. How can so many diff. people write a book that fits together so beautifully? God inspired these people. He told them what to write, yet they all used their own writing styles, which is easy to find when you read the Bible.
The Bible has a beginning, (How the world began, prophesies about Jesus, the coming Messiah,...), a middle (Jesus birth, death on the cross and resurrection), and an end, which gives also an insight in what is still to come. This is the book where you can find answers about anything in life. But most important, this is where you find the answer of how to become a Christian and how to know for sure that you will spend eternity in Heaven.
Visiting Germany showed me again, how many people still trust in their own goodness, but are lost. How they worship others, like Mary, or different saints.
In His 10 commandments, God says: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." It is so sad to see how many people trust in other "gods".
What will your answer be when I ask you: "Where will you spend eternity?"
Let's see...
What must I do to be saved? To live eternity in Heaven? Is Hell real?
Yes, Hell is real. As a matter of fact, in the new testament, Jesus talks about Hell more than He talks about Heaven. It is a dark, sad place. A place of crying and torture.
This is what the Bible says about how to become a Christian:
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This means everyone can get saved!!!!!!! You don't have to be a Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, or such. Everybody!!!!!!!
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We all are sinners, we have been born that way. Well, I have not killed someone or hurt anybody... No, but have you ever told a lie? Lusted after somebody else? Taken something that was not yours? That means you have sinned, and are not worthy to be with God. He is a just God, and He will judge on the last day!
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The wages means our payment. Death means eternal separation from God, Hell. But God has a gift for us, life with Him forever.
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Our sins were laid on Jesus when He hung on the cross. But He did not stay there, He arose from the dead.
Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." If we want to become a Christian, we need to understand that we are sinners. We need to feel bad for our sins. We need to turn to Jesus, ask Him to forgive our sins, to save us, and become our Lord. And we need to turn away from our sins. Will we still sin? Unfortunately yes, but we have forgiveness. And if He lives in us, in our hearts, then we will feel bad any time we sin. And we will try to live better lives, for Him.
Salvation is a gift from God. It can not be earned by being a good person or doing enough good deeds.
Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one."
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. My prayer is, that everyone I know will find the peace and happiness that I found in Christ!
Jesus has saved me. I will spend eternity in Heaven with Him. I am so grateful what He did for me.
Here are some pictures from our time in Germany. I am so sad that we didn't take pictures of my wonderful friend Karin, who took an extra trip to see me. Her and I share many great years of true friendship, much laughter and also some tears. She is one of my very special friends.
At the Springfield Airport, waiting for our flight. Of course we had our coffee drink!
Again, coffee time, with my mom and my brother Armin, after they picked us up from the train station!
A walk in the winyards, with my cousin Andrea, who is not in the picture.
On the ferry, across the Main River. Love this little girl!
Coffee time at the house of Frau Guth, a faithful friend of my mom's. Germans love their coffee time.
Another one of my very special friends, Karin, the other Karin. We love her and her family!!!!
Leeanna and her 2 friends Natalie and Aleena from her Kindergarten time when we lived in Germany.
Tea time with my sister-in-law Gabi and my friend Andrea.
Leeanna's best German friend Natalie
Tante Elsa, one of my dad's sisters.
At the train station, another Good-bye!
In my next post, I will add more pictures from Germany, a beautiful place with many sweet memories!
