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Why Pray for Spain?Jesus said: 'I have come that they may have life and have it to the full'. (John 10:10) Spain is a country, like many in Europe, where less and less people believe the words of Jesus. Yes, historically one can say that Spain was a 'Christian land', but even the Roman Catholic church recognises that people are no longer interested in the formal religious expression of the past. It is clear that much of that past expression had little to do with the Jesus that we find in the pages of the Bible. Indeed it can also be agreed that much of that socio-cultural Christianity was held more from imposition (the reconquest, inquisition and even Franco's Spain) than from choice and yet, nevertheless, caused deep and long-lasting behavioural patterns in the life of Spaniards. Other pages on this site deal with issues such as statistics and culture. This short thought is here to explain more about the message which has remained hidden all these centuries under the religious trappings and which, in the current age of freedom of thought and expression is finally able to be freely announced and considered. The message of the Bible is very simple and in some ways quite contrary to the religious traditions which make up Spain's Catholicism. In the Old Testament (OT), once the scene was set with the explanation of how we 'men' (people) decided to attempt to live separately from our Creator -which is sin-, God gave man a law to live by, not so much to condemn him for failure to live by it, but rather to show him of his need for God's personal precsence and help. This is much more easily found in the New Testament (NT), where the Gospel (good news) of Jesus is announced: that Jesus is the announced Christ who has come to save us from our selfishness and sin. If the OT pointed out our sin, it also pointed to a coming solution. Jesus is that solution. Yet the sad thing is that even in so called 'Christian Countries', few people know the risen Jesus for themselves and the life and power that he offers. If you yourself are interested in knowing more about how to know the life which Jesus came to bring, you need to recognise that you are separated from Him, that your life is far from perfect... indeed you not only make mistakes, but often you deliberately do so. Then you can understand how wonderful it is that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for that sin, allowing you to have a way into His presence. You may like to know more first, in which case send us a message! Or perhaps you understand this and realise you want to ask the risen Jesus to come into your life. But be warned, He loves you just as you are, but He just might have plans for your life, involving changes... for the best - if only you are willing to let Him. This conviction is what moves the evangelical churches of Spain to preach the Gospel of Jesus in a country which has long since turned its back on a true relationship with Him. And of course, it is what moves pray4spain to keep this web site. If you would like to know more check out Xplore Jesus
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