Como doctor por 33 aNos con especializaciOn en medicina clInica y medicina nuclear, yo les recomendaba a mis pacientes hacerse exAmenes fIsicos anualmente. Muchos confirmaban estar en excelente salud. Pero al pasar el tiempo, algunas veces me llamaban al cuarto de urgencias para examinar a uno de mis pacientes con una emergencia aguda, ya sea un ataque cardiaco, un accidente o algUn otro problema fIsico. Tales pacientes estaban a menudo temerosos y ansiosos al pensar que la muerte pudiera estar tan cerca. DespuEs de tratar el problema mEdico, escuchaba a algunos admitir que habIan oIdo del cristianismo por la radio o el televisor, pero rara vez leIan la Biblia, oraban o asistIan a la iglesia. VivIan vidas moralmente buenas, haciendo buenas obras y dando a organizaciones de benficencia, pero no sentIan la paz de Dios. Les preguntaba frecuentemente, "Crees con certeza que entrarAs al cielo si es que mueres inesperadamente?" La respuesta tIpica era "Creo que sI," o "Espero que sI." Algunos contestaban "SI, lo sE, pues he confiado en el SeNor Jesucristo y tengo paz con Dios. Estoy preparado para ir al cielo." Alguna vez te has preguntado cOmo puedes saber con certeza si tienes vida eterna, paz con Dios y si estAs preparado para entrar al cielo? Todos los doctores tienen textos de medicina escritos por autoridades para asistirles al hacer una diagnosis correcta y para dar el tratamiento apropiado. La humanidad tambiEn tiene un manual privisto por la autoridad espiritual suprema, Dios. La Biblia nos enseNa cOmo conocer a Dios, cOmo vivir una vida con propOsito que le agrade y cOmo pasar la eternidad en el cielo. La Biblia tambiEn declara que todos tenemos una condiciOn espritual fatal, "pues todos han pecado y estAn privados de la gloria de Dios....Porque la paga del pecado es muerte" (Romanos 3:23; 6:23). Tal como un paciente enfermo gravemente debe buscar cuidado mEdico para evitar la muerte, asI tambiEn debemos buscar una soluciOn a nuestra condiciOn pecaminosa o moriremos en nuestros pecados sin Dios. Afortunadamente, Dios ha provisto una cura al mandar a su Hijo, Jesucristo, a morir en la cruz para limpiarnos de nuestros pecados. "Pero Dios demuestra su amor por nosotros en esto: en que cuando todavIa Eramos pecadores, Cristo muriO por nosotros" (Romanos 5:8). El Hijo de Dios, sin pecado ni mancha, tomO tu condena para que Dios pudiera perdonar tus pecados justamente y darte vida eterna. Tres dIas despuEs de su crucifixiOn, Cristo resucitO, comprobando que habIa pagado el castigo completo por todos nuestros pecados. El Siguiente Paso Necesitas, por fe, confiar en Jesucristo como tu salvador a fin de pertenecer a la familia de Dios. La Biblia lo describe de esta manera: "que si confiesas con tu boca que JesUs es el SeNor, y crees en tu corazOn que Dios lo levantO de entre los muertos, serAs salvo. Porque con el corazOn se cree para ser justificado, pero con la boca se confiesa para ser salvo" (Romanos 10:9-10). "Porque todo el que invoque el nombre del SeNor serA salvo" (Romanos 10:13). Si clamas a Jesucristo con fe como tu salvador del juicio que mereces, serAs salvo. Nadie estA excluido. Esto te asegura que ahora sI estAs listo para conocer a Dios en el cielo. Ya no existe el "tal vez" o "espero que sI" o "creo que sI," solo el "SI, lo sE!" QuE te detiene hoy de poner tu confianza en Jesucristo? La Biblia dice, "Este es el momento propicio de Dios; hoy es el dIa de salvaciOn!" (2 Corintios 6:2). Le puedes decir en tus propias palabras o usar esta oraciOn como una guIa. Querido JesUs, Libremente admito que soy un pecador. Creo que eres el Hijo de Dios quien muriO y resucitO para ser perdonado de todos mis pecados. Hoy clamo a ti en fe y te acepto como mi salvador. Gracias por hacer posible la paz con Dios el Padre, por el regalo de la vida eterna, y por un futuro hogar en el cielo! Si esas palabras expresan tu fe en Jesucristo, resultarAn tres cambios positivos: 1. Puedes decir, "SE que tengo vida eterna basAndome en la autoridad de la palabra de Dios." "Les escribo estas cosas a ustedes que creen en el nombre del hijo de Dios, para que sepan que tienen vida eterna" (1 Juan 5:13). 2. Tienes paz con Dios. "En cosecuencia, ya que hemos sido justificados mediante la fe, tenemos paz con Dios por medio de nuestro SeNor Jesucristo" (Romanos 5:1). 3. Has pasado de muerte espritual a vida eterna...Esa vida comienza ahora! "Ciertamente les aseguro que el que oye mi palabra y cree al que me enviO, tiene vida eterna y no serA juzgado, sino que ha pasado de la muerte a la vida" (Juan 5:24). Estas son algunas sugerencias para ayudarte a fortalecer tu nueva relaciOn con Dios: Inmediatamente dile a alguien cercano acerca de tu fe en Jesucristo. Lee la Biblia diariamente, es el manual para nosotros de parte de Dios. Ora frecuentemente, la oraciOn es simplemente hablar con Dios. Busca amistades Cristianas en uan iglesia donde enseNan la Biblia como la verdad de Dios. Memoriza versIculos de la Biblia, comenzando con los que encuentras en este tratado.

When someone asks you if you will go to heaven when you die, it is important to be able to answer the question confidently.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Father's Love Letter by Barry Adams is a series of paraphrased Scriptures that take on the form of a love letter from God and will impact your heart, soul and spirit. Experience the love you have been looking for all your life. This gift book contains beautiful full-color photographs and fifty-seven powerful devotional thoughts. A prayer that will help you put into words your response to God follows each devotional thought.

The central theme of the New Testament is God's love for you as an individual. This love was revealed through Christ's coming into the world and living among men, His dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Through Christ's death God offers you forgiveness for your sins, and through His resurrection the promise of everlasting life. Christ died and rose again for the whole world, but for you to become a Christian is an individual matter. The only way to establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is to accept His offer of forgiveness and everlasting life. The following Scripture passages show God's part and yours. Read each verse and believe it, for it is the Word of God speaking to you. God's love is revealed "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." John 3:16 God loves you and all of mankind. He wants to bless your life and make it full and complete. He offers you not only an abundant life here and now, but a life which is eternal--His very own life. Man is sinful "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 The saying, "Well, we are just human--nobody is perfect," is biblically sound. When we acknowledge this truth, we can see our separation from God, for He is holy. Sin has a penalty "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 To continue in sin will result in spiritual death, which is separation from God forever. The alternative is to personally receive God's free gift, which is pardon for sin and provision of life everlasting. Christ paid the penalty "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 You may think you must lead a "good" life and do charitable acts before God will love you. This is not so. God loves you even in your sin. He sent Christ to die in your place and to pay the penalty for your sin so that you can be reconciled to Him. Salvation is a free gift "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9 Grace means undeserved favor. God graciously offers to you what you could never do for yourself. God's gift to you is free. You do not, and cannot, work for a gift. All you need to do is receive it. Believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ died for you to provide deliverance from your sins and to give you eternal life. We must receive Christ "But as many as received Him [Christ], to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12 When you receive Christ--when you accept what He has done for you--you become a child of God. Picture, if you will, Jesus Christ standing at the door of your life. Invite Him in. He is waiting to be received into your life. Receive Christ now You can invite Jesus Christ into your life right now by praying to God something like the following: Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner and that I need Your forgiveness. I believe that Christ died in my place to pay the penalty for my sin and that He rose from the dead. I now invite Jesus Christ to come into my life as my Savior. Thank You for making me Your child. Help me learn to please You in every part of my life. God's Promises from His Word. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13 If you just now received Christ by calling upon the name of the Lord in prayer, the following took place: your sins were forgiven (Colossians 1:14); you became a child of God (John 1:12); you were made an heir to all of God's blessings (Romans 8:16,17); and you now possess everlasting life (1 John 5:12, 13)! You became a Christian the moment you received Christ. Don't trust your feelings, for they will change. Take God at His Word and believe His promises. Review the above passages whenever doubts arise. You should be able to say with assurance, "I have received Christ. On the authority of God's Word, I have eternal life." May God grant you "all joy and peace in believing" Romans 15:13

Monthly magazine devoted to topics of general scientific interest.