Presenting The Gospel

     Today is the day to read the simple and profound Gospel truth. It is straightforward. It is what Jesus has done for you and for me. It is a gift. You don’t need to jump through hoops, go through a daily ritual, follow impossible rules pray at certain times of the day or go to church every week. God doesn’t go by rules. He meets us right where we are. He offers his heart. He gave everything for us. The apostle Paul writes the words of the Gospel for us. He was a religious leader, a Jew above Jews, a master of the law until one day his life was changed on the road to Damascus, when Jesus showed him the truth.

For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:3-6

     The Gospel, pure and simple. Christ came to earth, born of a virgin, fully God and fully man, and willingly went to the cross to pay the price for each one of us. The perfect, sinless man, bearing the sins of the world. He was buried and three days later rose again. Hundreds witnessed him after the resurrection, a promise of life eternal, when each of his believers, will have bodies like his, able to eat and drink and walk and talk! What do we do with this Gospel?

     Join me tomorrow.

Jesus,

We thank you for moving from the glories of heaven to be earth-bound as one of us. Thank you for taking our sins upon yourself and for rising from the dead. You overcame death for us! It is almost too much to take in. Help our unbelief.

Amen

Is Jesus Real?

     Thanks for joining me this week. For those of you with logical, rational minds (like my husband) it might help to know that more evidence exists that Jesus walked the earth than almost any other person in history. The Bible has been 100 percent accurate in its prophetic words, in historical accuracy, in archaeological proof and in advanced scientific knowledge. An example would be a verse that describes the earth as a circle (Isaiah 40:22) written in the 8^th century BC) hundreds of years before anyone else mentioned the earth as a sphere. (I recommend these two books for the left-brained among us., “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel and “Surprised by Faith” by Don Bierle)

     The claims of Jesus himself cannot be reduced to his “being a good man or teacher” as many argue. C.S. Lewis says in “Mere Christianity,” that our choices are to deem Jesus as a lunatic, as a liar or as Lord. God is a holy and righteous God. As fallen humans, there is no way to connect with him. The plan to redeem humanity came in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

     He was the perfect sacrifice for sin, being the only one to live a sinless life. He shed his holy and precious blood and died the most agonizing, horrific death that has ever been suffered. Why? To bridge the gap between us and our Father in heaven. He felt every disease, every sin, every mistake, every torture, every terror, every trauma, every tragedy, every one of them as he died. And he overcame them all. His sacrifice was for you and for me, for everyone. Here are some words for our first day this week spoken by Jesus.

“I have told you these things so that, in me, you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

      Tired of maneuvering the world on your own? Weary of asking and not finding answers? Tired of guilt and shame, worry  and fear, addiction or hopelessness? Jesus may be opening your heart to his truth.

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Rest and peace, within our very souls. Intrigued? I hope so.

Jesus,

I pray for each person reading your word this week. Speak to their hearts and minds with your Holy Spirit and speak with your truth and your light.

Amen

The Words of Eternal Life

     The words of Jesus hold the key to eternity. He tells us to come to Him. He gives rest. He brings peace. He offers hope. He gives us forever.

Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. John 6:68

And, here are those words of eternal life, straight from our Lord’s mouth.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live even though they die.” John 11:25

     The words of eternal life are made for everyone. Believing in Jesus as Lord is a gift waiting to be taken. Just believe and we will live.

Jesus,

You do have the words of eternal life. You offer us forever, because of Your sacrifice. There are no words powerful enough to thank you, but we do from the bottom of our hearts.

Amen

Keep In Step

     Is Jesus working on something in your life? He continually transforms our lives and the transformation takes a long time. It may be years before we notice a difference. Do you look back and see how He has changed an attitude, improved a relationship, cleaned up your language, altered your thoughts, moved you from a bad relationship, healed you from addiction or abuse or adultery?

     The power of the risen Lord alters our lives in mighty ways. And the Holy Spirit will guard our mouths, teach us what to say and when to say it and convict us when we are moving down a destructive path. Listen for the nudging of the Spirit. What is He saying to you?

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

     Keep in step with the Spirit and find peace.

Jesus,

Fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Keep moving us in the right direction with Your power and Your Word. Give us time to spend with You away from the world.

Amen

A Way Out

     As we talked about our actions yesterday in the midst of moral decline and unrest, we wonder. How do we stay out of the storm? How do we stay away from the temptations that stare each one of us in the face every single day? It is tough to stay immune with 24/7 news cycles and social media. How do we stay attached to Jesus and keep our thoughts and actions tuned to His?

     Jesus promises us a way out. He faced the same temptations we did, most of which come under three categories listed in the Bible.

For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-comes not from the Father, but from the world. 1 John 2:16

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

     The Bible doesn’t say “if” we are tempted, but “when” we are tempted. If you find yourself heading down a wrong road with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes or the pride of life, ask Jesus to remove it from your life and find a way out. He will provide it.

Lord,

Keep us on Your path. Continue to bless us with the way out of temptation. The world swirls around us in ways that seem impossible to comprehend. Hold Your people to a higher standard that honors You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

     Civility and respect are tough to find these days. The changes in our culture, in our speech and in our actions are appalling and hard to fathom. Even family members have stopped speaking because of our recent election. The mean-spirited dialogue on both sides is disturbing and stomach-churning.

     Jesus asks us to continue loving others, to watch our tongues and to be kind to each other. No easy task these days, is it? Here are a couple of Scriptures to remind us of what the Bible says.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:4

     Let’s remain respectful, with kindness and love, even when it seems impossible. The Holy Spirit will give us the power to do just that.

Lord,

It is a difficult time, as we witness the chaos, confusion and crisis surrounding us. Show us Your ways, which are higher than ours and give us Your thoughts which rise above our own.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Bought With A Price

     Know some people who need Jesus? Praying for family to find Jesus? Asking the Holy Spirit to give you opportunities to share Jesus? As I get older, I find my prayers filled with names. It has become my greatest desire for hearts to be opened to His saving grace.

     Jesus was bold in His truth about heaven and hell. God is just and holy and righteous and no one will have an excuse. Everyone (and we don’t understand how) will have an opportunity to accept Christ. Jesus is not slow in coming back. He does not want to lose even one person.

The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

     Prayer is a powerful tool. God will open up the heavens to move into someone’s heart. Let’s make this year a year of salvation. Let’s pray for many to come to a saving knowledge of the free gift of eternity. Jesus paid a high price for each one of us.

You were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:20

Jesus,

You paid the ultimate price to save us. Give us the will to live for You, to share Your amazing grace and to pray continually for others to be saved. Give us boldness to share the great gift of eternity.

Amen