ALMOST CHRISTIAN author unknown ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (John 3:3 KJV) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ------------------------------------------------------------

THE ALMOST CHRISTIAN spends his life

With constant burden of sacrifice He rises early to make amends For everything he knows is sin He goes to church and pays his tithe And despies what he calls compromise THE ALMOST CHRISTIAN fits the mold But there's no change to his heart And his soul
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You either know me or you don't You'll either defend me or you won't I want you to come to my sheep fold I want to change your heart And your soul
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THE ALMOST CHRISTIAN can learn to speak In religious terms that astound the weak He can build and organize To defend himself from compromise He can rise and stand his ground Til he feels that justice has been found THE ALMOST CHRISTIAN can be very bold But there's no change to his heart And his soul

But THE ALMOST CHRISTIAN never feels The freedom from his own fears He never feels that blessed release That comes to those who inherit peace And no matter how he strives to relate He'll never see the pearly gate Cause without the trust he never knows There'll be no change to his heart And his soul
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You either know me or you don't You'll either defend me or you won't Come to the door of my sheep fold And I will change your heart And your soul.

Mat 7:21-23 (KJV)

{21} Not every one that saith unto me,

Lord, Lord,

shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

{22} Many will say to me in that day,

Lord, Lord,

have we not prophesied in thy name?

and in thy name have cast out devils?

and in thy name done many wonderful works?

{23} And then will I profess unto them,

I never knew you:

depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mat 25:1-13 (KJV)

{1} Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins,

which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

{2} And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

{3} They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

{4} But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

{5} While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

{6} And at midnight there was a cry made,

Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

{7} Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.And the foolish virgins said unto the wise,

Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

{9} But the wise answered, saying,

Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you:

but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

{10} And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;

and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage:

and the door was shut.

{11} Afterward came also the other virgins, saying,

Lord, Lord, open to us.

{12} But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

{13} Watch therefore,

for ye know neither the day nor the hour

wherein the Son of man cometh.

Luke 13:24-28 (TLB)

"The door to heaven is narrow. Work hard to get in,

for the truth is that many will try to enter

{25} but when the head of the house has locked the door, it will be too late.

Then if you stand outside knocking, and pleading,

'Lord, open the door for us,' he will reply, 'I do not know you.'

{26} "'But we ate with you, and you taught in our streets,' you will say.

{27} "And he will reply, 'I tell you, I don't know you.

You can't come in here, guilty as you are. Go away.'

{28} "And there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth

as you stand outside and see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,

and all the prophets within the Kingdom of God--

and you yourselves thrust out.

(1 Tim 4:7-10 KJV)

But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

{8} For bodily exercise profiteth little:

but godliness is profitable unto all things,

having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

{9} This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

{10} For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach,

because we trust in the living God,

who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

Titus 1:15-16 (TLB)

A person who is pure of heart sees goodness and purity in everything;

but a person whose own heart is evil and untrusting

finds evil in everything,

for his dirty mind and rebellious heart color all he sees and hears.

{16} Such persons claim they know God,

but from seeing the way they act, one knows they don't.

They are rotten and disobedient,

worthless so far as doing anything good is concerned.

James 1:22-27 (KJV)

But be ye doers of the word,

and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

{23} For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer,

he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

{24} For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way,

and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

{25} But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,

and continueth therein,

he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work,

this man shall be blessed in his deed.

{26} If any man among you seem to be religious,

and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart,

this man's religion is vain.

{27} Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,

To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,

and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

(Heb 4:1-3 KJV)

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest,

any of you should seem to come short of it.

{2} For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them:

but the word preached did not profit them,

not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

{3} For we which have believed do enter into rest,

as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest:

although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

IXTHEUS CHRISTIAN GROWTH DEVOTIONALS