"And then Jesus said, 'Father forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
..........
God promised the humankind again and again and again that he would take us to Heaven. Our door of Hope, in this very thing happening, came in the Almighty Form of Jesus Christ, Who is the Only One with the capacity to take people with Him into Heaven. And while we are still on Earth, Jesus calms this storm which we call "life", IF we choose to follow Him.
..........
You'd have to be blind and deaf not to know that our world rejects Jesus, even if so VERY many people profess that they don't. It only takes an occasional look at the nightly news or a daily paper to realize this. Yet we all still have the opportunity, while there is still time, to accept Jesus into our lives. Yes, even amidst the pain of life, there is the hope of Heaven for those who choose Christ.
And THIS is what Scripture confronts in us, THIS rejection and THIS opportunity. And this rejection could not be clearer in Jesus' Crucifiction, the ultimate act of the world's rejection of Him. Yet God the Father did not revenge this cruel act but, rather, let Jesus take the blame and punishment, thus potentially diverting punishment AWAY from us. ALL OF US ! And THIS opened Heaven for us. We are, if we even choose to BARELY look at ourselves, like the thief who hung next to Jesus, on his OWN cross. Heaven is open, as forgiveness is released onto us, when we accept what the Bible says of Jesus. AND ONLY THEN.
..........
What this post wants to ask is that, "If you are still resisting Jesus' Cross, what are you waiting for?" Can't you see Jesus' uniqueness? God's Promises are not just words. It is Jesus, and Jesus only, Who you need to deal with in this world. All else just comes and goes like the wind. I say this because, as I look at the world today, in all its beauty, splendor, disease, war and chaos, and everything else in between, I remember when I once used to wonder if maybe God had this wonderful idea about creating life and humanity, and then things just went all wrong as time went along. But THAT was before I started studying Scripture. "Life" is not God's on-going experiment which He is constantly trying to straighten out. And, no, Jesus was not, nor IS not God's afterthought, once humanity went down the tubes, as we all learned to basically ignore the Ten Commandments and what God's prophets had to tell us. God's Plan doesn't have contingencies like our own lives always seem to end up having. God's Power is sovereign and nothing stops it, ever. All of our humanity has never surprised God. HIS Purpose in you and I WILL occur ........ period. God WILL be glorified. YOU are a unique creation with not one accident involved, whether you choose to believe this or not.
...........
Please read, if you will, Genesis 1:26: God our Father said, "Let US make man in OUR Image." Think about it: Jesus was already there, AT Creation. How astounding and almost impossible to imagine, right? This verse is saying that True Life is given through Christ Jesus to whomever will reflect His Glory. If you believe in the Bible, It is talking to YOU, personally. YOU are God's joy, when you choose to love Him, and then you will begin to act like it.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, in the Garden of Eden, was God's signpost of warning to us all. Adam and Eve already knew what "good" was, because they walked and talked with God. So, what was left to learn for them, EXCEPT evil?? And WE, also, CHOOSE evil in EACH sinful act we commit. Do you think that you don't? Yes, my friend, this post asks you to come clean with yourself here, OK? It's all between you and God.
..........
God entered His own Creation and He lives with you and I, who choose to look at Him. During the Passover of the Old Testament, God asked His people to paint their door posts with the blood of a sacrificial lamb so that His Judgment of Death to all unbelievers would not strike their home and family. Thusly, Jesus' Blood, as we pour it over our own lives, will save US from eternal destruction in hell. Do you see this giant parallel in God's Plan of Redemption? HIS Plan brings us out of slavery just like when He delivered Moses' people out of Egypt, yet they and we still continue to sin.
And just what am I trying to say here? We need much, much more than just the Ten Commandments, OK? God gave the Old Testament people sacraments and sacrifices and He gave US today Jesus as a sacrifice in full atonement for all of our sins, IF we choose to believe in Jesus. NOW we have unconditional fellowship within His Presence, to reconcile us to God the Father THROUGH Jesus <<<<<<<< THIS is His Plan to walk with us ......... THIS sacrifice of Jesus sealed His Promise, HIS Covenant with us. How grand, indeed, wouldn't you say?
...........
Heavenly Father, thank You for being with us, even as we wander daily into our own ways in the world. Thank You for the prophets and disciples and teachers who wrote down Your Word and Plan for us. Thank You for having Moses and Isaiah, Samuel and Ruth, Nehemiah and Ester, and Job and Jeremiah, and all the others' living accounts of Your Plan IN ACTION through the people You elected to live and tell the story that they lived, as they grew in Your Presence. Thank You, Lord, for working in our lives daily to try to bring us back to You. Please continue to help us be complete in You. Amen.
.........
The Door of Hope remains open for ALL people, whether saved now or not. THIS is the Good News. Can you savor it? God has promised to demolish and totally destroy evil one day and to have us walk in His Kingdom through our lives in Christ Jesus. How amazing of a promise is THAT?? His promise is established in Jesus' Life on Earth as we are given the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the New Testament. Do YOU believe that God is all of this??
Do you still resist Him and your repentance? You will see His Mercy and Love as soon as you turn to HIM. If you feel far from God, HIS promises are for YOU. Let Him call you from the Gospel TODAY, OK?
..........
Lord, I pray that you will soften the heart of whomever reads this, to turn to YOUR Word. Thank You for whomever You have guided to Your Word. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
..........
God promised the humankind again and again and again that he would take us to Heaven. Our door of Hope, in this very thing happening, came in the Almighty Form of Jesus Christ, Who is the Only One with the capacity to take people with Him into Heaven. And while we are still on Earth, Jesus calms this storm which we call "life", IF we choose to follow Him.
..........
You'd have to be blind and deaf not to know that our world rejects Jesus, even if so VERY many people profess that they don't. It only takes an occasional look at the nightly news or a daily paper to realize this. Yet we all still have the opportunity, while there is still time, to accept Jesus into our lives. Yes, even amidst the pain of life, there is the hope of Heaven for those who choose Christ.
And THIS is what Scripture confronts in us, THIS rejection and THIS opportunity. And this rejection could not be clearer in Jesus' Crucifiction, the ultimate act of the world's rejection of Him. Yet God the Father did not revenge this cruel act but, rather, let Jesus take the blame and punishment, thus potentially diverting punishment AWAY from us. ALL OF US ! And THIS opened Heaven for us. We are, if we even choose to BARELY look at ourselves, like the thief who hung next to Jesus, on his OWN cross. Heaven is open, as forgiveness is released onto us, when we accept what the Bible says of Jesus. AND ONLY THEN.
..........
What this post wants to ask is that, "If you are still resisting Jesus' Cross, what are you waiting for?" Can't you see Jesus' uniqueness? God's Promises are not just words. It is Jesus, and Jesus only, Who you need to deal with in this world. All else just comes and goes like the wind. I say this because, as I look at the world today, in all its beauty, splendor, disease, war and chaos, and everything else in between, I remember when I once used to wonder if maybe God had this wonderful idea about creating life and humanity, and then things just went all wrong as time went along. But THAT was before I started studying Scripture. "Life" is not God's on-going experiment which He is constantly trying to straighten out. And, no, Jesus was not, nor IS not God's afterthought, once humanity went down the tubes, as we all learned to basically ignore the Ten Commandments and what God's prophets had to tell us. God's Plan doesn't have contingencies like our own lives always seem to end up having. God's Power is sovereign and nothing stops it, ever. All of our humanity has never surprised God. HIS Purpose in you and I WILL occur ........ period. God WILL be glorified. YOU are a unique creation with not one accident involved, whether you choose to believe this or not.
...........
Please read, if you will, Genesis 1:26: God our Father said, "Let US make man in OUR Image." Think about it: Jesus was already there, AT Creation. How astounding and almost impossible to imagine, right? This verse is saying that True Life is given through Christ Jesus to whomever will reflect His Glory. If you believe in the Bible, It is talking to YOU, personally. YOU are God's joy, when you choose to love Him, and then you will begin to act like it.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, in the Garden of Eden, was God's signpost of warning to us all. Adam and Eve already knew what "good" was, because they walked and talked with God. So, what was left to learn for them, EXCEPT evil?? And WE, also, CHOOSE evil in EACH sinful act we commit. Do you think that you don't? Yes, my friend, this post asks you to come clean with yourself here, OK? It's all between you and God.
..........
God entered His own Creation and He lives with you and I, who choose to look at Him. During the Passover of the Old Testament, God asked His people to paint their door posts with the blood of a sacrificial lamb so that His Judgment of Death to all unbelievers would not strike their home and family. Thusly, Jesus' Blood, as we pour it over our own lives, will save US from eternal destruction in hell. Do you see this giant parallel in God's Plan of Redemption? HIS Plan brings us out of slavery just like when He delivered Moses' people out of Egypt, yet they and we still continue to sin.
And just what am I trying to say here? We need much, much more than just the Ten Commandments, OK? God gave the Old Testament people sacraments and sacrifices and He gave US today Jesus as a sacrifice in full atonement for all of our sins, IF we choose to believe in Jesus. NOW we have unconditional fellowship within His Presence, to reconcile us to God the Father THROUGH Jesus <<<<<<<< THIS is His Plan to walk with us ......... THIS sacrifice of Jesus sealed His Promise, HIS Covenant with us. How grand, indeed, wouldn't you say?
...........
Heavenly Father, thank You for being with us, even as we wander daily into our own ways in the world. Thank You for the prophets and disciples and teachers who wrote down Your Word and Plan for us. Thank You for having Moses and Isaiah, Samuel and Ruth, Nehemiah and Ester, and Job and Jeremiah, and all the others' living accounts of Your Plan IN ACTION through the people You elected to live and tell the story that they lived, as they grew in Your Presence. Thank You, Lord, for working in our lives daily to try to bring us back to You. Please continue to help us be complete in You. Amen.
.........
The Door of Hope remains open for ALL people, whether saved now or not. THIS is the Good News. Can you savor it? God has promised to demolish and totally destroy evil one day and to have us walk in His Kingdom through our lives in Christ Jesus. How amazing of a promise is THAT?? His promise is established in Jesus' Life on Earth as we are given the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the New Testament. Do YOU believe that God is all of this??
Do you still resist Him and your repentance? You will see His Mercy and Love as soon as you turn to HIM. If you feel far from God, HIS promises are for YOU. Let Him call you from the Gospel TODAY, OK?
..........
Lord, I pray that you will soften the heart of whomever reads this, to turn to YOUR Word. Thank You for whomever You have guided to Your Word. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
