Apostle Edward | The Invitation | Behold, Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks.

The Invitation

Behold, Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks. If you hear his voice and will open up your heart, his spirit and God's Spirit will come in and dwell with your spirit and you will become one with them. They will help you overcome this earthly life, so that you can be with them in heaven for an eternal life when your earthly journey ends. Apostle Edward

Bible Verses: Rev 3:20-21; John 14:23; 1John 4:9

Table of Contents

Page

The Invitation 1

Open Up Your Heart 3

All Of Your Heart 4

Exercise Your Faith 5

Become Born Again 6

Jesus' Instructions To Paul 7

Expectations of Christ 8

Expectations of God 9

Knowing Christ's God 10-11

Get God's Identify Right 12

God Is The Father 13

Becoming One 14-15

Give God A Loyal Heart 16

Born Again Through Word of God 17

Paul's Born Again Formula 18

Don't Miss Part II 19

Righteousness Standard 20

Falling In Love With God 21-28

Salvation Prayer 29

The Apostle Edward 30-31

Two Heart Gateways 32

Open Up Your Heart

Exactly what does it mean to open up your heart to God and His only begotten human Son Jesus? Well, it's really quite simple if you think about it. Doesn't everyone you love occupy a special place "in your heart" where joy, happiness, sadness and even heartache or heartbreak can occur?

When you choose to love someone, you open up your heart to all the emotions associated with that love. The same thing occurs with God. He wants to be in that special place called your heart. Jesus gives us a second chance offer by knocking on the door of our hearts asking us to "open up."

Hello! Do you know that life begins after our earthly journey ends? Do you know about "The Invitation" from God?

All Of Your Heart

God sent Jesus to remind us once again that the "kingdom of heaven" is real. That there is an afterlife for those who will repent and return back to God. Jesus was not the first to offer us this invitation to an eternal life.

God said: "You will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart!"

Jeremiah 29:13

In order for you to search for God with all your heart, you'll have to acknowledge that God exists and step into the realm of faith.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is [exists], and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

Exercise Your Faith

You approach God with your whole heart in faith. Exercising faith means you do not have all the answers. If you had the answers, you would not need to exercise faith/hope.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17

The more you know God's Word, the easier it is to exercise faith. Only by exercising faith can you become born-again. You were first born of a woman [flesh]. Becoming born again means that you are born of the Spirit by returning to and acknowledging your God, our Creator.

You return to God by exercising the faith of a child, by accepting God's Word as truth.

Become Born Again

Many preach that you are born again by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. However, this is not the complete truth of salvation. Accepting Christ as savior must go beyond just mouthing him as Lord.

Jesus said: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father [God] in heaven." Matthew 7:21

Jesus rejects many Christians who claim that he is their savior. We don't have to guess why, because Jesus tells us why in verse 23.

Jesus said: "I will declare to them [those people who Christ rejects], I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." Matthew 7:23

Jesus' Instructions To Paul

So, in Jesus' own words, we see that just claiming him, as savior with our mouths, is not enough in spite of what many people preach. Paul explains to King Agrippa in Acts the instructions he received from Jesus.

Jesus said: "I now send you [to the Gentiles] to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light; and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Acts 26:17-18

So, in Christ's mind, you have at least FOUR things to do to get your inheritance, which is an eternal life in heaven. This is the invitation I am talking about.

Expectations Of Christ

1. You open up your eyes. This means you open up your heart and listen to God and His Son Jesus. That you take to your heart the message now being given.

2. You turn from darkness to light. This means that you focus on God's ways; not on man's ways.

3. You turn from the power of Satan to God. This means that you repent of your sins and tap into the power of God. It means that you choose to become one with God and His Son Jesus.

4. You are sanctified by faith in Jesus. This means you are made holy before God's eyes because you have chosen to believe in God's only begotten human Son – Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Your faith is then followed by obedience.

Expectations Of God

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten [human] Son, that whosoever believes in him [Jesus] should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

What a wonderful verse this is, but if you stopped here in John, you would miss the message in verse 36.

"He who believes in the Son [Jesus] has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36

Some bibles state the last part clearer in that the wrath of God abides on those who do not obey the Son. Therefore, you must not only believe in Jesus, but you must believe what he taught and obey his commands.

Knowing Christ's God

Many Christians have been misled by false doctrines and no longer know the God that Christ served. Worse, they have mistakenly substituted Christ as their God. We know this because the manmade tradition called the "trinity doctrine" has negated the actual teachings of Jesus Christ and Paul in many churches. Listen carefully, it's important.

Jesus said: "He who believes in me, believes not in me, but in Him who sent me." John 12:44

If you are a true believer in Jesus, you listen to his words and you have returned back to his Father, our God. That means you know the Father, God Almighty, who is known as Yahweh, Jehovah, Lord, and also designated in Hebrew by Ywhw. Lord replaces Ywhw in bibles to designate God.

Jesus said: "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." John 20:17

These are very simple words from Jesus. He speaks of the God we all serve, including he himself. However, many who believe in the trinity doctrine, cannot accept these words as they are written. Perverse doctrines now distort and twist the words of Christ for the purpose of leading people to hell.

Is it important to know the God that Christ served? Yes, it is, and the Apostle Paul tells us why in 2 Thessalonians 1:8.

"When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with God's mighty angels, in flaming fire [Christ will] take vengeance on A) those who do not know God, and on B) those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thess. 1:8

Get God's Identity Right

Seven Bible Teachings:

1. Christ is our High Priest. Heb 7:16-17

2. In all things, Christ had to made like his human brethren so that he could be an effective High Priest. Hebrews 2:17

3. Those who do not believe Christ and obey Christ are not really saved. Jn 3:36

4. Christ taught us to worship and serve only the Father, our God. Mt 4:10

5. Christ taught us to pray only to the Father, our God. John 4:23-24; Mt 6:6

6. Christ taught us that he was the first of God's creations. Revelation 3:14

7. There are seven Spirits of God. Rev 1:4

"Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." Revelation 14:7

God Is The Father

Jesus taught us that the Father was his God and also our God. The Apostle Paul taught us the same thing about God in Corinthians!

ONE GOD, THE FATHER

"There is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us …

There is only one God, the Father of whom are all things and we for Him; and

ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST

One Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live." 1 Corinthians 8:4-6

This means we are of God and created by Him, but we live through Christ Jesus and by faith in Christ we are obedient to God.

It is our faith in Christ that welcomes his spirit and the spirit of his God into our heart. When we operate in faith, without having all the human answers, the door to our heart opens wide to our savior Jesus and his God. It is our obedience to God that then allows us to overcome this world.

Becoming One

The spirits of my wife Jackie and I became one-flesh. Of course, we were not literally one flesh, but in spiritual terms we were one flesh. We were of the same mind, the same spirit and because of this we thought alike on almost everything. We were not robots. Both of us had different opinions at times, but still, we were basically of one mind.

Because we were one with each other, we often completed each other's sentences and even knew what the other was thinking long before any words were spoken. I often could hear her voice speaking to me or hear her mind thinking about me. The same thing occurred with her.

I cannot fully explain this in human terms, because it is a spiritual mystery that comes into play when a love bond is very strong between two people. However, many who made a commitment to love for a lifetime can testify to the wonderment that they were of one-flesh with their spouse.

After my wife Jackie died in 2003, I could still hear her thoughts. I knew what she would think in every situation. For example: When I reached for a shirt, I could even hear her in my mind saying: "You can't wear that shirt with those pants."

Give God A Loyal Heart

Jackie and I got to this place of wonderment of being one-flesh by giving all of our heart to each other. Our hearts were committed and unquestionably loyal to each other. God wants nothing less than a committed and loyal heart from you. If your heart is loyal and committed to Him, you will be amazed at the adventure He will bring to your life.

"For the eyes of the Lord [God] run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal [committed] to Him." 2 Chronicles 16:9

Think about this! God Almighty will show Himself strong on your behalf if you give Him a loyal heart. It all starts when you just open up your heart in faith to His Son Jesus.

Born Again

Through Word of God

You'll find the phrase born again used in the Bible in three locations: John 3:3, 3:7; and, in 1 Peter 1:23. Jesus talking to Nicodemus confirms in John 3:3 that you will need to be born again to enter the kingdom of God. In John 3:7-8, Jesus confirms that being born again means that you are born of the Spirit.

Peter teaches that "born again" comes through the "incorruptible Word of God."

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God, which lives and abides forever." 1 Peter 1:22-23

Paul's Born Again Formula

"But what does it say? 'The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart.' (That is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." Romans 10:8-10

*Two parts to Paul's born again formula.

I) You confess with your mouth that God raised Jesus from the dead [you believe in the resurrection]; and,

II) You believe in your heart unto God's righteousness. You want to do what is right in God's eyes.

Don't Miss Part II

Many ministries promote a message that all you have to do is "mouth" that Jesus is your Lord and savior and you then have eternal life. You can now see that Jesus preached a different message and that Paul's salvation formula is two parts and not just one.

Anyone who fully accepts Christ returns back to God, our Father and truly knows God and the fact that Jesus is not God. They do not worship Jesus or even pray to Jesus. They obey what Jesus taught them: Worship only the Father, our God; and, Pray to only the Father in Jesus' name. We pray to God in Jesus' name to honor his sacrifice on the cross and because he is our Teacher.

Part II is belief in our hearts unto God's righteousness. In other words, we become obedient to God's righteousness standard.

Righteousness Standard

Jesus said: "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20

In the above verse, Jesus teaches us there is a minimum righteousness standard to get into heaven. Our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. They often pretended to be righteous with God, but instead were wicked; they were hypocrites.

Righteousness simply means you do what is right in God's eyes. Often this can be contrasted as being opposite of what is right in man's eyes. We know what God expects from us because the Bible tells us all about God's character and His likes and dislikes.

Falling In Love With God

Many believe the Bible is all about Jesus, but this is not true. These people fail to acknowledge Jesus was another messenger from God. The real story in the Bible is a great love story about our God who created us and loved us so much that He would send and sacrifice His only human Son in a final attempt to give us "The Invitation."

Jesus said: "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent." Luke 4:43

"For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." 2 John 7

To become saved, your mouth must confess the humanity [coming in the flesh], the death on the cross and the resurrection of Jesus.

"And we know that the Son of God [Jesus Christ] has come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him [God, the Father] who is true; and we are in Him [God, the Father] who is true, [if we are] in His Son Jesus Christ. This [God, the Father] is the true God and eternal life." 1 John 5:20

If you accept Jesus Christ in your heart as savior, he has brought you back to his God. You have, like I did – fallen in love with our Creator God who seeks fellowship with us. At this point, you'll be excited about your future eternity and you'll want to know more. You'll want to read the entire Bible.

It was 30-years ago that I fell in love with God. Struggling with life seemed like the never ending story of my existence until one day God touched my life in a way that I knew He was absolutely real.

"The Invitation" asks you to acknowledge that there is more going on in this earthly life than what your human senses can detect. There is another side to this life, a spiritual side. Unless you become born again in the spirit, you cannot begin to understand or for that matter even perceive truth in this life.

Events in life happen for many reasons, but often those reasons have a spiritual basis.

God sent His Son as a final sacrifice for the sins of mankind. In the process, God left us with an opportunity to step out in faith.

Stepping out in faith requires that we open up our hearts and allow the Spirit of God and His Son to enter in and teach us the way home to our eternal life. This is your eternal invitation and it may be the only one you will ever receive in this life. Listen to God.

God Speaks

"Then those who feared the Lord [God] spoke to one another, and the Lord [God] listened and heard them; so, a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.

'They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, on the day that I make them My jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.'

Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him." Malachi 3:16-18

"Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb [Jesus at the right hand of God]." Revelation 7:11

Jesus said: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him [God, the Father] who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has [already] passed from death into [eternal] life." John 5:24

If you know the God who sent Jesus, you already have eternal life and you will not be judged at the time of your death.

Jesus said: "And this is eternal life, that they may know You [God, the Father], the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3

Jesus said: "My doctrine is not mine, but His [God, the Father] who sent me." John 7:16

God has always wanted the best for your life. His invitation for an eternal life did not just start with Jesus.

An expression of God's great love for you can be found in Ezekiel chapter 18. From the beginning of history you will find God hoping for our best and hoping we would turn away from wickedness and to a life of righteousness.

Righteousness brings us into fellowship with God. That is when we truly become His people for eternity.

It's a choice for God in faith knowing that we are just travelers here on a temporary earthly journey. Our big decision on earth will be to accept the reality that God exists and that life truly transcends this existence. Knowing in our hearts that as Jesus was resurrected, so will God resurrect us.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15

Jesus said: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63

I am the Apostle Edward. I write to reach souls with God's invitation of an eternal life. However, I especially write to those souls who claim salvation through Christ, but have been misled to think that Christ is God.

Many Christians do not know the God that Christ served. If this is you, your eternal life is in question. You need to get right with God and reject the church apostasy that has people now praying to and worshipping Jesus instead of the God that he served and taught us about. Anyone who worships the Son of God commits idolatry in God's eyes. Such people are not saved. Worship of Jesus is the same as worshipping any Priest or Pastor. God has said to have no other god's besides Him. That includes His Son.

Study the Scriptures cited in this booklet very carefully. While in the Spirit, God gave these Scriptures to me for your benefit.

Please open up your heart to God's Word and let Jesus Christ, our Teacher, become the example you follow all the way back to your own heavenly home.

Do this and you will not only love Jesus and the sacrifice he made for our sins, you will also fall in love with God. You can call Him heavenly Father in all of your prayers.

Apostle's Prayer

Heavenly Father and God of my brother Jesus Christ, who is our Teacher, hear my prayer. Bless every soul that reads this booklet and will open up their heart to Your Son Jesus and also to Your Spirit. And, to all who pray the salvation prayer on the next page, grant them repentance.

Salvation Prayer

Father God, I accept this special invitation of Yours to an eternal life in heaven.

I confess with my mouth that You raised Jesus Christ from the dead and that he is the first of many humans to be resurrected to be with You, as Your sons and daughters.

I believe in my heart unto righteousness and I will do my best to live a righteous life in Your eyes. I will follow the example of Jesus and be faithful unto my own death.

Father, I thank you that You and Your Son will become one with me to help me overcome this earthly life. I know that this will make us of one mind and that Your Spirit will dwell within me to guide my path back home. Teach me Your ways Lord.

The Apostle Edward

Please accept God's Invitation to an eternal life. This may be the only time you will be presented with God's Word.

These are only the basics, but they will get you started on a life with God and His Son Jesus Christ.

You must understand that Jesus Christ is God's human begotten Son; he is not God. It is as simple as believing what Jesus taught us and accepting Scripture over manmade church doctrine. If your church doesn't preach the Word, find another church that does. You can read more about this topic and others at http://www.bookofedward.org.

Notations in small caps such as Lord, He, Him, His, You, and Father refer to God.

Scripture Key: If you keep the relationship between God and His begotten human Son straight, you will understand your Bible and God's invitation to an eternal life will be for real. It's a key to understanding His Word.

Contact Information: Apostle Edward may be contacted using an online feedback form or by mail. Prayers & donations welcomed.

Rev. Edward G. Palmer

Apostle Ministry, Inc.

13570 Grove Drive #361

Maple Grove, Minnesota 55311

Copyright 2007-2013, Edward G. Palmer, All Rights Reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this booklet for non-profit use without restriction as long as the content is left unchanged. [4JLP-61-121407]

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