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Are You Saved?

Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?  Would you like to have an active, personal relationship with Him?  Here’s how you can:

First of all know that:

God loves you –  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

We are all sinful and separated from God –  “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)

Sin has its price – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)

Jesus Christ paid that price – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)

But God’s love is not unconditional.

If

  • You believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins and then rose up from that death on the 3rd day. (Hebrew 11:6)

AND

  • You confess Him with your mouth before men as your Lord and Savior. (Matthew 10:32)
  • Repent of your sins – feel sorry for the sins you’ve committed, and have a true desire to change. (Acts 2:38)
  • Are baptized for the remission (forgiveness) of your sins. (Acts 2:38)

THEN

You will be set free from the bondage of satan and the wages of sin. The Bible tells us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Corinthians 5:17)

Find a Bible preaching church where you can be baptized and grow in Christ.

As long as you are obedient to His word you will receive the gift of eternal life with the One who loved you enough to die for you.

Your sin debt has been paid in full with the blood of Jesus Christ. He died for YOU!

NOW

Will you live for Him?

* To learn more about the sufferings of Jesus Christ – His trial, abuse, rejection, death, and resurrection — read John Chapters 18, 19, and 20.

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Something Missing – Love?

We are living in very trying times.

2 Timothy 3:2-4 tells us: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers
of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful,
unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal,
not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God;” (NIV)

But in 1 Corinthians 13 – specifically verses 4 through 7 – God gives us a
pretty clear description of what love is. And by finding out what love is, we
ultimately find out what love IS NOT.

Verse 4: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does
not boast, it is not proud.”

Verse 5: “It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Verse 6: “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

Verse 7: “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres.” (NIV)

This is how God intended for us to love.

But we tend to make our own rules in this world, don’t we?

We should get back to God’s rules. We should use 1 Corinthians 13 as a
standard by which we measure how we love. Many will fall short; all the while
thinking their love is unconditional. But the Bible tells us “…the wisdom of
this world is foolishness in God’s sight…” (1 Corinthians 3:19 NIV)

And in Isaiah 55:8-9, God tells us, “For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,…As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts.”

So, what we think we’re doing doesn’t compare with what God KNOWS we’re
doing.

If the way you love doesn’t measure up to God’s standards, surrender your
heart to Jesus Christ. Let Him transform you, fix you, and lead you down the
pathway of unconditional love and life everlasting.

To discover what it means to be unconditionally loved, study the Gospel of John and see what our Savior, Jesus Christ, did for us.

Giving God the Glory…

 


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Choices

Psalms 127:1 tells us, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain…” That means if God is not a part of our plan, we’re going to have some problems with it whether it be in the execution of it, the structure, or the maintenance.


Still, folks often look for solutions outside of God’s plan. There is an urgency that is not compatible with His timing, and it becomes a challenge to wait on Him. So, the choice is made to move ahead without consulting with God.


But then He is expected to bless something that He never played a part in, something He was never consulted on, something He never condoned…


Waiting on God’s timing is sometimes hard to do but His wisdom far surpasses ours. And waiting is worth it because God, our Creator, knows what’s best for us, His creation. Likewise, He knows WHEN it’s best for us.


If you are a non-believer, you may have no desire to wait on God for direction. You probably feel like you know what’s best for you as if you are truly the captain of your own ship. Well, to some extent you are when it comes to the ability to make choices – but even that is a gift from God.


How would your life be improved if you waited on direction and guidance from the One who created you, the One who knows what’s best for you?

Make the right choice, the soul-saving choice and turn your life over to Jesus Christ. Come before Him in repentance and stop trying to do it all on your own. Choose to look to the Lord for your direction and guidance. It’s a choice you won’t regret making because God will never lead you astray!

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In the Gospel of John 1:1 it states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

For a long time I did not make the connection that the “Word” was Jesus Christ even though verse 14 tells me so.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

It was only after a particular Bible study did I put it all together. It’s also when I noticed that the ‘w’ in word is capitalized. This indicates to me that the writer is not speaking of a word in the literal sense, but of Jesus Christ – God’s Word made into flesh.

Another significant verse is found in John 1:5: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

Jesus Christ is the light this verse speaks of, but those who were in darkness (meaning they were lost because they did not know Christ) could not or would not accept Him. This verse is significant because the same thing is still going on today.

There are many lost souls who have no true knowledge or understanding of Jesus Christ. Sadly, they want to keep it that way. But Jesus said, “He that is not with me is against me;…” (Matthew 12:30)

So, if a person is not abiding by the commandments of Jesus Christ, they are against Him. They are living in sin. And living in sin is the same as being lost – both of which the word “darkness” in John 1:5 refers to.

Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

This is a most significant statement because it is telling us what must happen in order for us to abide with God forever.

To be born again means that you must surrender yourself to Jesus Christ. You must repent of your sins (feel sorry) and be willing to change for the better. Repentance is a change of heart and mind that will bring you closer to God. You must accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, and be willing to leave your old self behind. Hence the term “born again”.

If you put all your trust and faith in Jesus Christ, He can begin the renewing process within you. This involves a daily cleansing of your soul, and it is something you cannot achieve on your own.

But Philippians 4:13 assures us -“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

And although you will still encounter trials and tribulations in the world, you will also be able to claim the promise of Jesus when He said, “… in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

This means if you are in Jesus, He is in you so you too will overcome any trial and/or tribulation.

You will also begin to have a different mind-set, a change of heart that will compel you to turn away from the sinful habits that once held you captive.

And “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Surrender, believe and stand on the promises of Jesus!

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My pastor said today that if we want to experience the peace of God, we must first make peace WITH God.

That got me to thinking about how I used to search for inner peace back in the day. I searched for it in the form of Qigong (pronounced chi gung or chi kung), which is an ancient Chinese meditative practice; Feng shui (pronounced fung shway), an ancient Chinese system that when practiced, is supposed to balance the energy in your home as well as bring in peace and harmony; and yoga.

Qigong released the flow of my body’s energy and put it more in alignment with my mind. Feng shui provided a positive flow of space and energy into different areas of my house which aided in relaxation. And yoga was beneficial to my body (and maybe my mind, I’m not sure).

Still, the supernatural peace I was searching for was not manifesting itself. Then I returned to Jesus, and I remembered what He said below:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  KJV John 14:27

Jesus promises to give His peace to all those who believe and follow Him, and I think that trumps what the world has to offer.

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