Our Hope and Strength

Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.

In John 16:33 Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Many of us know this verse and can quote it. However, we often only quote a portion of the verse and fail to also look at the previous verse, which also contains more of what Jesus said. Today's verse is the last verse of Psalm 31, a Psalm where David is crying out for protection. It reminds us that we are to stand strong in times of adversity because our God will strengthen our hearts when our hope is in the Lord. Far too often we are unable to enjoy the peace that is promised because we put our hope in something, or someone, other than Jesus. We put our hope on things that can be lost or fade away, and in people who often fail us. We plan and scheme, and fail to realize that we are limited in what we are capable of accomplishing because of life's instability. The only true source of hope, joy, peace, and strength is Jesus. When Jesus spoke the words recorded for us, by John, He also said (in the previous verse) that His time had come and that soon His disciples would be scattered, leaving Him alone to deal with the cruel suffering He was about to endure. Nonetheless, He also said to them, "And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me." Jesus knew that no matter what lie ahead, the Father was with Him. For those of us who have put our faith in Jesus, and accepted Him as our Savior and Lord, we have the promise that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. Because we have this unfailing promise, we can have the peace that Jesus said we have, in Him, in John 16:33. He made it clear that in Him, we can overcome because He already has. No matter what God allows us to walk through in this life, Jesus is with us, and if He is our Hope, then we can know with all certainty that we too will have our hearts strengthened during difficult times.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

He Can Be Found

Jeremiah 29:10-14 For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

God's people found themselves in captivity for their rebellion against Him. The Lord allowed them to be taken captive by the Assyrians and later by the Babylonians. Their captivity was God's chastening in order to turn their hearts back to Him. He chastened them out of His love for them, in spite of their rebellious hearts. The evidence of His love was shown in the fact that He instructed them how they should live during their time in Babylon, and how He would prosper them as they lived in obedience to His instructions. In the end, He would bring them back to their land because His ultimate goal was to give them peace, a future, and a hope. Today, God has made His people, the church, a similar promise. We who were once in captivity to sin, fear, and death, are now free in Christ Jesus. However, we still deal with the temptations, troubles, trials and tribulations of living in this world. If we are truly free in Christ, why then do we often feel like we are dealing with life's challenges alone? It is often because the only time we seek the Lord is when the bottom falls out of life. God wants to work in, and show Himself in, our lives but we are too busy chasing the things of this world or pursuing to goal WE have set for OURSELVES. God told His people that if they call upon Him, pray to Him, and search for Him with all their heart, the Lord would be found, and He would listen. Today, this truth has not changed. Far too often we treat God like He's some lucky charm or genie in a bottle that we summons whenever we think we need Him. Listen my friends, that's not how a relationship with God works. If we are truly searching for God, it begins with knowing Jesus as Savior. For those of us who know Him, we should be starting every day with God's Word and prayer, calling upon Him. It means seeking God in the everyday occurances of life. It means learning to be sensitive to the things God is doing, and allowing, in order to get our attention or guide us along the path He wants us to walk. Yet, more often than not we miss wonderful opportunities to have intimate fellowship because we were too busy seeking the things of this world and our seeking our own desires. The bottom line is this...in Christ Jesus we have salvation and freedom from oppression. While we wait for deliverance from this world and it troubles, we need to search for the Lord with all our hearts every single moment of every single day. A day is coming very soon when Jesus Himself will come to get His church to be with Him forevermore. Until then, if we are feeling like God is distant and doesn't care about what we are going through, I can guarantee that it's not because God is distant; it's more likely that it is us who have walked away and allowed the world to attract us and distract us.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

What A Precious Day That Will Be

Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints.

How bittersweet is the passing of a loved one. There is no escaping the fact that in this life there will be death. I have seen many unsaved people mourn the loss of another unsaved loved one, and quite frankly it is sad and tragic to know that a person who dies without accepting Jesus will be separated from God for all of eternity in a place that was meant for the devil and his angels. Some die with the false hope that they will go to Heaven, based on their good works, and that too is tragic. However, those of us who have put our trust in Jesus, and called upon His Name, have received eternal life by grace. It is a free gift from God, in Christ Jesus. For us, death is just the gateway to life. In Jesus we live on for eternity with our God. Not only do we know with certainty that when we are absent from these bodies we will be present with the Lord, but we also have the hope that at any moment Jesus could return to get His bride, the church. While it is painful to lose a loved one in death, today's verse is a reminder that when one of God's children passes from death to life, it is precious to our God who welcomes us home. What a day it will be when our loving God calls us to be with Him, and we are reunited with those family members and friends we love who have gone on before us. What a precious and glorious day that will be in the sight of our Lord.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Do We Truly Know Him?

Hebrews 1:1-4 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed Heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

We are, and will be, without excuse when we stand before the Lord. He not only made it plain through His creation that He exists, but He also sent prophets, and ultimately came to us Himself in order to reveal Himself and the salvation that He so freely offers. For the unsaved, the punishment they will receive for their rejection of Jesus and the Gospel will be fair and just. For us, the born again follower of Jesus, our loss of reward for our lack of service and lack of truly knowing God and who He is will be completely fair and just. Why? Because in these last days God has given us His Son who is the express image of the Father. When one of Jesus' disciples asked Him to show him the Father, Jesus responded that to see Him (Jesus) is to see the Father. We have the blessing of having God's Living Word available to us, and the undeserved privilege of getting to know our God and Father, through the Life and Words of Jesus Himself. As we read, study and live out God's Word, as doers of His Word, He will reveal Himself in a very personal way. What a wonderful blessing and privilege to know the One who sacrificed Himself for us, gives us eternal life, and now sits at the right hand of our Father interceding for us. My question to all of us is this, "Do we truly know Him as much as we claim we do?"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

He Will Never Go Back

Joshua 23:14-16 “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the Lord your God promised you, so the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. When you have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”

In Joshua's farewell address to Israel he reminded them of something that we need to remember and be mindful of today. He reminded them that God kept His promises to them, to the letter. Whatever they did not gain from God's promise was not because the Lord failed to keep His Word. Their failure to gain everything God promised was because of their lack of faith and unbelief. In taking the land that the Lord had already promised was theirs, they failed to remove all of the inhabitants that were already there, as God had instructed them. The end result was that they eventually began to commit idolatry and rebel against God. Nonetheless, what is most important is the fact that the Lord was totally faithful to fulfill His promises to them. Today, we have many promises in God's Word that we can believe and hold on to by faith. Those promises are good promises of blessings when we obey His Word and live for His glory and purposes. I did not say He promised wealth and fortune; I said blessings, which come in many different ways. However, lest we forget, there are also promises of troubles, persecutions, and conseqences for sinful choices; but those promises are countered with promises of mercy, grace, strength, and forgiveness when we draw near and stay close to Him. When this life seems to hit rock bottom remember that He promised to never leave us, nor forsake us. He promised that He is coming back to get us. If we experience physical death, we'll be with Him because of the salvation we have in Him. He promised that one day He will return, with us, to establish His Kingdom and we will be with Him forevermore. Let's be encouraged and hold on to those promises. The bottom line is that God has made many promises to both Israel and His church, and He will never go back on His Word. He is faithful.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

He Paved the Only Way

Isaiah 64:6-8 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities. But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our Potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

Colossians 1:13-14 tells us, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." God has made it abundantly clear that there is not one single person alive or who has ever lived, who has been able to earn their way into Heaven. The verses in Isaiah not only applied to Israel, God's people, but it also applies to all of us today. All our works of righteousness are like filthy rags to God. Why? Because we are all born with a sin nature. It is for that reason that Jesus came and laid down His life. He purchased us with His Blood. He paid our sin debt, and when we repented, and called on His Name, by faith, He gave us eternal life. We were sealed by the Spirit, and we were pulled out of the darkness, snatched out of Satan's family and adopted in God's family. We who were once in darkness now dwell in the light of Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Again, we must be reminded of what Isaiah said about our works of righteousness. Works done with the intention of gaining favor with God and earning our own salvation are garbage (to put it plainly). Only works done by the grace of God, in faith, as a result of knowing that our salvation is in Christ, are the only works that have any heavenly worth. We do what we do in appreciation for what Jesus did for us, knowing that we already have all the favor we'll ever have with the Father because of what the Son did. The bottom line is that God is not interested in our religiosity. Our rituals mean nothing. God wants our hearts and He desires that we lay our lives on His altar as living sacrifices, to do the good works He ordained for us to do long before we were even conceived. The only acceptable works are those done in Christ, because He was the One who was the Perfect Sacrifice, the Perfect Lamb, who gave His life and translated us from darkness to light. Praise be to our Judge, Lawgiver, Savior, Lord, and King, who paved the only Way available to make us acceptable to the Father.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

From Its Rising to Its Setting

Psalm 113:1-3 Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord’s name is to be praised.

As you read this, I want to ask you a question, "When was the last time you praised God?" My follow-up question is this, "Why did you praise Him?" I ask it because sometimes we use thanksgiving and praise interchangeably, when in reality there is a difference. When we praise God, we praise Him for who He is. That means that we praise His Name simply because He is God and because He is who He tells us He is in His Word. When we praise Him, we offer up praise, not because He has done something for us or blessed us in some way. No, praise is praise simply because the Lord is Lord. When we give thanks, we give it for something He has done, or even allowed. That means that the circumstances may not even be favorable or pleasureable, but they are still circumstances that help us to grow in our faith and help us to be more like Jesus; and for that we can give thanks. Afterall, we are told to give thanks in all things. So I ask, "When was the last time any of us gave God praise simply because He is God, Lord, and King?" For those of us who claim to know and love Jesus, there should not be any prerequisite to our offering up praise to the only One who deserves it from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Even In the Silent Moments

Psalm 13:1-2; 5-6 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

How long? King David asked that question four times in two verses. It shows the intensity of his despair. How often have we felt this way? How often has it felt like God was not hearing our prayers, and how often did it seem like God was too busy or just didn't care about what we were going through? The truth of the matter is that our Lord does care. He tells us to cast our cares upon Him, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Even when God appears to be silent and unsympathethic to our suffering, we can have confidence in knowing that He is well aware of what is happening, and He is still working on our behalf. We see this confidence and trust in the last couple of verses of this same Psalm. Even though David was in deep despair, he trusted in the Lord's mercy, rejoiced in His salvation, and had a song in his heart for God. Why? Because in spite of the troubles the Lord allowed him to experience, he never forgot how much God had already blessed him. As the Lord allows us to walk threw the valleys of life, we must never forget that He is walking with us. He hears us and knows exactly where we are and what is happening. He is working all things together for good; and lest we forget, He has already blessed us more than we deserve. Our God is faithful, true, and never fails us. We simply have to trust that He is still at work, even in the silent moments.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Savior, Lord, Mediator, and King

1 Timothy 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

The desire of our God is that ALL men would be saved. Peter reiterated this truth in his writings also. God the Father did not give His only begotten Son so that the world would be condemned. No, He gave us His Son because He desires that all would be saved. However, the sad truth is that many will be lost because of unbelief. Humanity is so corrupt that men would rather perish and sentence themselves to an eternity in Hell and the Lake of Fire, rather than believe, call upon, and submit themselves to a loving God who proved His love on a cruel cross, on Calvary. Before that costly sacrifice was made, we had zero access to God. Now that Jesus has paid the price for our sins, and defeated death and the grave by the shedding of His own Blood, we have a Way to the Father; His Name is Jesus. But wait! There's more! When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, He also becomes our Advocate before the Father. He is our Mediator who goes before God the Father when we stumble and return with repentance and confession. In due time, Jesus came, laid down His life, took it back up, and now sits at the right hand of the Father pleading on our behalf. After doing all that for those of us who do not deserve it, He also promised that one day He will return to get us and bring us to where He is (John 14). We have a God who has wiped away our past, gives us grace for the present, and hope for the future; a future when He will establish His Kingdom here on earth. My friends, this is our Savior, Lord, Mediator, and King.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Is It Plainly Visible?

Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

If there is one thing that we born again believers can say with all certainty is that the Lord, our Lord, is God; for salvation can only be found and brought about by God alone. There is salvation in no other and no other name. My question to each of us who claim to know Him is this, "Is Jesus our Savior and Lord, or is He only our Savior?" The fact of the matter is that Jesus is both Savior and Lord. The real question for us is, "Do we live as if Jesus is both Savior and Lord of my life?" We are all His creation, but only those who repent, trust, and call upon His Name are His children. Sadly, far too many of us treat Jesus as if He is only "fire insurance" with no regard for the authority He has over us and our lives. He made us, and Jesus purchased us with His Blood. We are no longer our own. We have been separated unto God for His purposes. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep, under His care. He provides for us and protects us. Therefore, because of what He has done to free us from the bondage of sin and death, we are to live in obedience to the one who is Lord of lords and King of kings; for one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess, whether saved or not, that Jesus Christ is Lord. If we claim that Jesus is Lord and that we love Him, is it plainly visible by our obedience to His Word and how we are living?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Nothing Compares

Nothing Compares

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

The one thing we can be certain of in this world is that we will all suffer at some point in this lifetime. Some will suffer more than others. Why? Because we live in a fallen world, filled with fallen people. Our suffering may not come at the hands of others, but may be the result of our own decisions, or maybe even as the result of some sickness or illness. My observation has been, and continues to be, that everyone reacts differently to the trials and tribulations of this life. What makes the difference for those whose testimony for Jesus seems to shine the brightest during times of difficulty? I'm glad you asked. The difference is perspective and what or who we are trusting in. The Word of God reassures us that whatever we suffer here on earth does not compare to what lies ahead. Jesus even warned us that tough times will come, but we have access to His perfect peace, and in Him we can overcome because He has already overcome the world and its circumstances. The million dollar question is this, "Do you believe Him?" The sad fact of the matter is that far too many of God's children don't know or understand God's promises for our future, as born again believers. As a result, our focus ends up on the "here and now", instead of on Jesus and the wonderful promises of the things to come. As followers of Christ we need to spend more time studying the promises of what is coming, and put our hope on our Living Hope, Jesus Christ. The things that God has in store for those of us who know Him and love Him can give us the hope and strength to endure our momentary suffering in a way that will bring God glory, and open doors of opportunity for us to share the Good News, of what Jesus did, with others when they see us living with joy and the peace that surpasses all understanding. The bottom line is that there is nothing we will suffer here on earth that compares to the heavenly promises we have in Christ Jesus for the future.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

He Is Who He Says He Is

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

This one verse appears to be a random thought that was thrown in by the writer of Hebrews. However, God does not include anything in His Word haphazardly. In previous verses we were told that He would never leave us, nor forsake us, and that we can know and say with confidence that Jesus is our Helper. The verse following this one admonishes us to be consistent regarding what we believe, and not be drawn away by every new and strange thing that comes our way. The fact of the matter is that we have a God who is unchanging. That means that He never goes back on His Word, and His promises can be trusted. Whatever Jesus says He will do, He does. The same God that we read about in the Old Testament is the same God we serve in the New Testament. Sin is still sin. He will one day judge sin, and everyone will give an account for every word, action, and deed. Jesus is also love. In other words, His grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love, are always available to those of us who come to Him in repentance and confession. He never rejects anyone who truly comes to Him with a desire to be forgiven, saved, and changed. This is only possible because we live in an age of grace; a time when salvation is available because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. The bottom line is that the Jesus we read about in His Word is the Jesus that is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is not the Jesus we, or anyone else, makes up based on emotions, feelings, preferences or opinions. Jesus is who He says He is and that, my friends, can be trusted fully from now until the time that He takes us home. 

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

He Never Fails to Provide

Matthew 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Far too often we worry about things that never come to pass. We play the "what if" game, which is a game the devils are really good at. "What if I can't pay this bill or that bill next month?" "What if this happens or that doesn't?" We all have a "what if" that causes us to worry about this, that, or the other thing. Jesus gave us the solution to "worry" in this chapter, and the solution is simply, "Change your focus." Instead of continually putting our eyes on those things that cause us to worry, Jesus told us to put our eyes on, and seek, the Kingdom of God. In other words, focus on the things above. We need to make the things of God the priority in our lives. In the previous verses of this chapter, the promise is that the Lord will provide for all our need, food, clothing, shelter, if we will make the things of God the priority in our lives (service to Him and others). When our focus and concerns are the things of this world and what may or may not happen, based on our own limited ability to see the big picture, we end up worrying about things that often never come to fruition. The bottom line is that God is well aware of our needs long before we have the them, and long before we ask. There is no problem, circumstance, or need, that is too big for our Awesome God. Oh, and lest we forget, when we worry what we are truly saying is, "Lord, I don't really trust you, so I'll just figure out a way to take care of this myself." Which in reality is a recipe for worry and disaster. Focus on the Kingdom and trust Jesus. He never fails to provide all that we need.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

When Was The Last Time?

Matthew 9:35-38 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

What do we see when we look at others; when we have the occasion to be "out and about"? Do we see people who are going about their day? Do we see people who on one hand may greet us and walk on by or people who test our patience with their attitudes? Do we see people who we judge because of their outward appearance or because of the neighborhood they live in? If that is all we see, then I can say with certainty that we are not sharing Jesus with others. It is only when we see people as lost, who are possibly on the path to Hell and the Lake of Fire, that we will see them through eyes of compassion. Only then will we see them as sheep without a Shepherd. Jesus made it very clear in the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Matthew that we are to preach the Good News to everyone, make disciples, and teach them. Are we actively making an effort to share what Jesus did for us, with the people He puts before us every day? It's not as difficult as we make it out to be. It may be an occasion where all we have the opportunity to say is, "Hey, Jesus loves you and died for you." Maybe in passing we are able to hand someone a Gospel Tract that explains the Good News. It may even be that all we can do is pray that God will send someone to share Christ with a person we don't have access to, but know and have a desire that they come to know Jesus. It is not our job to save anyone, but it is our God-given command to tell others about what Jesus did for us, them, and the whole world. When was the last time we stepped outside our comfort zone and gave someone the opportunity to make the decision to choose eternal life in Christ Jesus?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

True Freedom Is Only Found In Christ

John 8:34-36 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Today we celebrate the freedom we have in our country. But are we really free? Looking around today, and truly pondering this, my answer is...no. However, for those of us who have believed and call upon the Name of Jesus, repenting and trusting Him for eternal life, we are truly free. As born again believers, today (and every day) we can celebrate our freedom from the enslavement of sin and death. We are free from Satan's grasp and free to serve the Lord. We are free from the fear of death and have the hope that one day we will be with Jesus forevermore. The only true freedom that exists today is the freedom that comes from knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord. If you want to truly celebrate freedom today, call on Jesus and begin to enjoy what being free really means.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

It's About the Heart

Psalm 51:1-4 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

Psalm 51 is King David's Psalm of repentance. The man who God called "a man after My own heart" had committed adultery and murder. Although David's actions were ugly, this Psalm is beautiful. What he did was evil, but what God saw of David went beyond his actions, right to the heart; a heart of repentance. Nonetheless, it wasn't David's words of sorrow and remorse that make this Psalm beautiful. No...the beauty is found in the fact that God responded with mercy and forgiveness. After David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, in an attempt to cover it up, his heart grew hard. However, God did not give up on David. Instead, He sent Nathan to confront him about what he had done. David's response to that confrontation was a broken spirit that led to true confession of his sins. He bowed his heart before God and confessed that His evil actions were offenses against the God who had been so good to him. God saw passed David's words and right to his heart. God saw true remorse and sorrow for what he had done, and the fact that he acknowledged his sins to be what God said they were. God accepted David's repentance and confession, and forgave him. Far too often, we only confess our sins because we got caught, or we are hoping to avoid the consequences of being caught, and there is no real sorrow for sinning against God. We have a God who sent His Son to pay for our sins. As born again believers, in Christ, we have mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Today, we make far too many excuses in an attempt to justify our sinful actions, words, and deeds. We are quick to point the finger at others and fail to be accountable for our behavior. I would encourage us to take inventory of our lives and ask the Lord to show us what is in our hearts and lives that need to be brought before Him in repentance and confession. We have a God who does not give up on us, but He is also a God who demonstrated His hatred for sin when He poured His wrath upon His own Son for the payment of our sins. Let us be people after God's own heart and come before Him with a contrite and broken spirit, and allow Him to heal us and remove the wall that may be hindering our fellowship with Him.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

How Will We Represent Jesus?

Colossians 3:23-24 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

In this chapter we are encouraged, as born again believers, to keep our minds set on the things above, and not on this world and its ways. Why? Because we are Christ's, and as such we are new creatures with new ways and new attitudes. That means that we no longer behave like we used to. Instead, as God changes us from within, it should be reflected outwardly by the way we do things and the attitude in which we do them. The Apostle Paul sums it up with these words, "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." In other words, anything we are called to do, we are to do it in a way that honors God. However, it's not only about our actions, it is also about our motives and attitudes. Far too often we do what we do, but we have the wrong attitude and selfish motives. As we live out our salvation with fear and trembling, we are to do so with love and humility. We are to have a reverent fear for the Lord, and know that the reward for our obedience will come from Him, not man. That means that we may not always see that reward here, but we will see it one day when we stand before our Lord. He ends this chapter with a serious warning for those of us who choose disobedience and the wrong actions and attitudes. In verse 25 he ends this chapter with these words, "But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality." So, my question for us today is this, "How will we represent Jesus today? Will our actions and attitudes honor Him and gain us good rewards?"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

He Did It For Us

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

The Perfect Lamb of God, without spot or blemish, without sin. Jesus was, and is, the only One who qualified to take on the mission of defeating death and the grave. Stop and think about this. God Himself, our Creator, came into this world as a helpless baby and had to depend on His own Creation to change Him, feed Him, and raise Him up. If that doesn't blow our minds and cause us to wonder in awe, I'd say we need to check our pulse! Why did He do this? He did it because He loves us. He did it because God the Father had a plan, long before He ever created this world, to redeem us, to save us. The fall of man was no surprise to our God who knows all things. He knew that one day, after creating man, man would need a Savior. To save us from what you ask? Well...to save us from sin and death; and the only way that could happen was through the sacrifice of a perfect person. What a hopeless outlook, since there had never been a perfect man or woman born to humanity; that is, until Jesus. The Perfect Lamb of God humbled Himself, took on the form of weak flesh, and being the Perfect Man, without sin, took on our sin and carried it to the cross. His was a painful journey of torture and suffering so that He could pay the price that purchased our salvation. Jesus is the only Way to the Father and to Heaven, and today the Perfect Lamb of God invites the lost to accept His free gift of eternal life, by grace. For those of us who know Him, and have already accepted that gift, my question is this, "What are we doing with this gift? Are we serving Him or serving ourselves? Are we dying to ourselves and to the world, and living for Him, or are we still living as gods of our own life?" Jesus died for us, and by doing so paid a costly price to purchase us for His purposes. Let us serve Him in gratitude for what He did for us. Let us live for Him and proclaim the Good News of what our God and Savior did for us.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).