Christian Salvation

How do people become Christians? What does the bible say about salvation? Why do you want/need salvation? How do you know you have and will always have salvation?
These are all words and can mean just words.
The standard lines I've heard in evangelistic circles are:
-"Ask Jesus into your heart!"
-"Make God the lord of your life!"
Lets read the most common verse that people bring up when it comes to salvation:

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

I think our modern take on the word "Believe" has not as much meaning as perhaps was intended. But I think most people in evangelistic circles feel the same way and that's where the whole asking Jesus into your heart, etc. stuff comes from.
If our salvation is wrapped up in the word believe, then...
(read john 3:14-17)
-are we clinging/cleaving to God in our daily living? When you have a little kid with you that knows they need you, they cleave to you. Are we that way with God? Do we know we need him?
-are we trusting God with everything in our life? Money, children, family, friends, job(s), loss, health, etc? or are we worried and troubled, trying to control all our problems?
-do we rely on God to take care of us, to lift us up, to correct us, to comfort us, to calm us, to guide us? Is Jesus the first thing we think of when we think of something?
If we are saved because we "believe" then shouldn't we exude all the signs of belief? If we don't then are we truly saved, or are we living a lie? If we are saved but aren't living like we believe then what's the problem? What's stopping us? Perhaps that is where our attention should be.

Prayerful Listening

Perhaps others can relate to me. I find that there is the temptation for prayer to become an item on my checklist of things to do for the day. And even worse I find sometimes that I ramble off the things that are at the top of my head and then close off the prayer. I think it's easy to forget that prayer is as much listening as it is speaking. I'm no scholar but I'm find more power in prayer when I pray like this:
-Clear my mind from the activities and stress of the day
-Start with thanks giving, praise and repentance
-Ask the Holy Spirit to speak for me and to help me pray
-See (imagine) the Father listening to me
-Patiently start listening for how the Spirit may be trying to guide my prayer
-Start praying for the needs of others (and listening for God to speak to me)
-Start praying for my needs (and listening for God to speak to me)
-Tell God I'm listening and waiting for Him to speak
-Wait a while for God to speak
-Close with thanks giving and praise

Pictures of Jesus

We tend to think in pictures and video. Over the years as I have prayed and worshiped, I have prayed with no pictures of God in my head. Recently after hearing my paster talk about pictures in our mind I started thinking about how I prayed and worshiped. After a time I made the commitment to start picturing God the Father and Jesus when I pray and worship. I picture them in heaven on a throne of power and brilliant glory. I picture Jesus coming to me with loving arms that hold me and cherish me. I picture the Father giving me a high five when I do His will and give him the glory. These pictures are bringing me closer to God because my faith is no longer linked to a invisible cloud of power, its linked to a picture like the rest of the thoughts in my life.

God seeking humans.

I think it was Reinhart Bonke that said, the difference between Christianity and other religions is that they are founded on humans seeking God. Fundamental Christianity acknowledges that it's founded on God seeking humans.
Please feel free to comment and correct this statement if it requires it.

Christianity = Tylenol for Life's Problems?

I've noticed that in traditional conservative circles the "Good News" seems to consistently carry a theme.
The theme is:
"Become a Christian because your miserable and He'll fix all the mess in your life."

Why can't the theme be:
"Become a Christian because your a bright lad and will find enlightenment!"
"Become a Christian because we believe sciences are a valued part of human knowledge and the bible screams science!"
"Become a Christian because you will learn the truth about how people tick. Gee Wizz! You've got the ear of the creator of humans! He created philosophy/psychology!"
"Become a Christian because you will find a purpose that so much more exciting then desperately trying to make yourself happy!"
"Become a Christian because your missing out on an amazing opportunity to fight tooth and nail for something worth fighting for!"
"Become a Christian because... "

Franklin Graham (Man of the past or a part of God's plan?)

I went see Franklin Graham when he was in our city. I wasn't too sure what to expect as I had never been to an evangelistic event like this before.
I enjoyed the music and tried to focus on giving God praise and praying for souls to come to a relationship with God.
Franklin only talked for about 20-30 min. He talked about sin, judgment and how the people of Noah time suffered judgment because they refused to follow God. I was also made aware that on a previous nite, he called people that had had an abortion murderers.
My first reaction was to be critical of his methods and uber-fundamental, hell-fire and brimstone preaching. I was concerned that plucking the heartstrings of people that are at the end of their rope or putting the fear of damnation into people for the purpose of salvation wouldn't lead to a genuine commitment.
Seriously... if someone commits themselves to a life contract with Jesus based on choice grounded in depression or fear, how long will that commitment last? When the emotional glow fades will their commitment fade too? I used to smoke cigarettes and felt God wanted me to quit, but and I honestly couldn't quit until I made the right choice for the right reasons and was aligned with God's timing. How often did the OT talk about Hell? How often did Jesus talk about hell? Did he incessantly preach that we should come to Him so that we wouldn't go to hell?

So what did I conclude?
I think my over the top, conservative background made me a little biased and rebellious to God's plan and will. God uses many people with many different abilities(gifts) to bring the lost home. I think Franklin Graham has a niche in God's plan... just like me. What's important is that people make the commitment and then get in a group (church) where they can be helped to grow.