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Do you know about Jesus?
The bible teaches that Jesus was no ordinary man. In fact, He was the perfect combination of God and Man. In the beginning He took part in the creation of the world as the Word of God. When the time was right, the Word of God became flesh and Jesus was born in Bethlehem. That means He left the glory and splendor of heaven in order to come to earth to be "God with us". We are told that He did this because of His love for the Father and His love for us.
Jesus was not conceived in the usual way. God miraculously placed the baby Jesus inside the womb of a virgin Jewish girl named, Mary. An angel visited her to tell her about the miracle and she gladly assumed the role of "handmaiden of the Lord". Her husband-to-be, Joseph, was also visited by an angel to assure him that the baby was a divinely placed gift. He believed the angel and did not abandon Mary but became her faithful husband and Jesus earthly father.
Jesus grew in favor with God and Man and learned the trade of carpentry. When He was 30, He began His public ministry and called twelve men to serve as His disciples. During His ministry He proclaimed Gods Truth to all who would hear. He also performed many signs and miracles to validate His claims of deity. The Jewish leaders became outraged at what they considered blasphemy and determined to destroy Him. Much attention was given to the training of the Twelve. He did everything He could to prepare them for His coming death and resurrection. However, they did not fully understand what was about to happen. One disciple turned Him in to the Jewish authorities and one denied even knowing Him when the pressure was on.
When the time was right, Jesus willingly gave His life on the cross in payment for our sins. He did this to provide a way for all who would believe to join Him one day in heaven. He said that no one could come to the Father except through Him. Best of all, He didnt stay dead. Three days after He was buried He rose from the dead, proving His power over death and the grave. He spent time again with His disciples and then returned to heaven, promising to send the Holy Spirit to be a Comforter and Guide for all who would believe in Him.
Jesus was the unblemished, sacrificial Lamb of God who gave His life to atone for our sin. He is our Savior and Redeemer. All who believe that their entrance into heaven was bought by His shed blood on the cross are true believers, or Christians. We realize that there is nothing we can do to earn our way to heaven. It is purely a gift from God to all who will receive it. Once accepting Jesus as Savior, we should determine to follow Him as Lord. That means that we will respond to His love for us by loving Him in return. Knowing Him, serving Him, and honoring Him become our lifelong goals.
Do you understand the definition and consequences of sin?
The bible teaches that sin is disobeying or dishonoring God. It also teaches that everyone has sinned and fallen short of Gods standard. Since sin is detestable to God, no sinner will be allowed in heaven unless that sin has been adequately paid for. So what is the price of our sin?
The first sin happened when Adam and Eve disregarded Gods direct command and ate the forbidden fruit. The consequences were shame and separation from God. They tried to hide from God but He knew exactly where they were. God provided garments for them from the skins of animals. Blood was shed in the garden for the forgiveness of sin and Gods plan has remained in tact over the centuries. The price of our sin is death.
The Old Testament defined an elaborate system of blood sacrifices that God designed to illustrate the seriousness of sin. However, those burnt offerings and all that shed blood was powerless because it was imperfect. The system did have a purpose, of course, and that was to point the people back to God, to convict them of their sinfulness, and to vividly illustrate the necessity of a blood sacrifice. It all pointed ahead to the time when the Perfect Sacrifice would be offered. At just the right time, Jesus, the spotless Lamb, was crucified to pay for your sin and mine. There is nothing we can do on our own behalf. We cannot earn our way into heaven. We need to accept the free gift of salvation bought by the shedding of His precious blood. If there were some other way, His death would have been unnecessary.
Have you faced the reality of your sin? Do you realize that heaven is closed to sinners and that the only way to receive salvation is by accepting the sacrifice Christ made for you on the cross? Would you like to accept that gift right now? If so, please pray something like this:
"Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner. I understand that sin separates me from you and that I cannot go to heaven based upon my own goodness or good deeds. I believe that Jesus died on the cross in my place and that His shed blood is the payment required for my sin. I accept that free gift. I want Jesus to be my Savior and Lord. Help me to turn from my sin and live a life that is pleasing to you. Thank you for saving me. Amen."
If you just prayed that prayer welcome to the family!! You are now a child of God, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Hallelujah!! Please let me know via the "Contact Us" page so that I can encourage you and send some helpful materials as you begin your new walk of faith. Congratulations!!! Praise the Lord!!! Tell someone about this wonderful decision and write the date in a special place. The enemy will try to steal your joy at some point so you must be ready to remind him that you now belong to Jesus!!
Have you been "born again" as a child of God through Jesus Christ?
The bible teaches that we are not all automatically Gods children. In fact, if we do not belong to God, we actually belong to a different Father, the devil. In order to be Gods child we need to be born into His family. That is what it means to be "born again". We are all born naturally, but we must choose to be born spiritually.
Spiritual rebirth involves acknowledging our sinfulness and our need for a new relationship with God. Sin separates us from God and prevents us from entering heaven when we die. But Jesus came to take care of that problem. He lived a perfect life and then died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for our sins past, present, and future. Through Him we are adopted into Gods family and have full access to the Father. As joint-heirs with Christ we have the promise of a glorious inheritance in heaven. As one beautiful hymn states it, we have "strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow blessings all mine with ten thousand beside."
Do you want to have the hope of heaven? Is it your desire to be "born again" into Gods family? It happens immediately when you accept the sacrifice Christ made for you on the cross. Would you like to accept that free gift of salvation right now? If so, please pray something like this:
"Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner. I understand that sin separates me from you and that I cannot go to heaven based upon my own goodness or good deeds. I believe that Jesus died on the cross in my place and that His shed blood is the payment required for my sin. I accept that free gift. I want Jesus to be my Savior and Lord. Help me to turn from my sin and live a life that is pleasing to you. Thank you for saving me. Amen."
If you just prayed that prayer welcome to the family!! You are now a child of God with full rights to your home someday in heaven. Hallelujah!! Please let me know via the "Contact Us" page so that I can encourage you and send some helpful materials as you begin your new walk of faith. Congratulations!!! Praise the Lord!!! Tell someone about this wonderful decision and write the date in a special place. The enemy will try to steal your joy at some point so you must be ready to remind him that you now belong to Jesus!!
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ then your sins have been forgiven. At the moment of salvation you were washed clean (and that includes ALL past, present and future sins!). It is good to acknowledge your sins daily before God in order to keep your communication with Him unhindered. True repentance involves turning away from those sins. We should have godly sorrow as we admit our guilt before the Lord and we should also have a sincere desire to change. However, there is no reason to hang onto guilt and shame because God is faithful to forgive us and He cleanses us from all unrighteousness. The bible says that He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west! He remembers our sin no more. His ability to forgive and forget far exceeds our ability to do the same.
If you are still carrying a burden of guilt or shame related to past sin, it is time to release it and lay it down before the cross of Christ. He died so that you would be free from condemnation, including self-condemnation. It is sometimes harder for us to forgive ourselves than it is for God to forgive us in Christ. The enemy of your soul, Satan, wants to keep you in bondage to your shame because that makes you ineffective for the cause of Christ. Recognize his plan and refuse to let him distract you from the next step in your walk of faith.
Stop right now and thank the Lord for His incredible gift of forgiveness. Praise Him for His precious shed blood that cleanses you completely. There is no sin so great that His blood cannot pay the redemption price. His death is more than sufficient to set you free. Give Him your pain and ask Him to release you from the grip of guilt and shame so that you can receive His joy today. It is time to move forward. No more looking back! Hallelujah! What a Savior!!
One of the remarkable things about Christianity is that it is grace-based rather than works-based. That means that our salvation is a grace gift from God, not something we earn by good works. Since our position as a child of God is secure in the finished work of Christ upon the cross, we dont have to worry about losing the favor of God. He loves us completely and unconditionally. As Max Lucado has stated, "There is nothing you can do to make God love you any more. And there is nothing you can do to make God love you any less." When He thinks of you He sees Christ in you and that brings Him great joy. Amazing and wonderful, isnt it?
However, we must admit that there are times when we dont live up to the honor of being a beloved child of God. Our three enemies (the world, the flesh, and the devil) can bring us to the point of despair when we realize how far we fall short of Gods best. It is so easy to get our focus off the Lord and onto self. We can live independently and selfishly for a period of time, but eventually the conviction of the Holy Spirit within us gets our attention. He wants us to return to the place of blessing, pointed in the direction of Gods grace and moving ahead by His power. Thats starting over we all need to do it from time to time. It is a good and blessed thing. It delights the Father to know that we desire to be more like the Son.
You can start over right now. Just take a moment to be still before the Lord. Tell Him that you want to renew your commitment to Him. Ask Him to show you what needs to change so that you can be headed in the right direction once again. Determine to listen to the "still, small voice" of the Holy Spirit within so that you will heed His promptings before things get so out of control. Spend time in the Word so that you can know the heart of God. Rest in the joy of being His beloved child and depend again on Him, not your own efforts. The Christian walk is all about grace following Him step by step, empowered by the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit. Rejoice today because ours is the God of New Beginnings!!
