My spiritual birthday

John 1:12 (ESV)

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

50 years ago today I was adopted into God's family. On March 9, 1969 after Sunday school was over, I stayed to talk to my teacher Mrs. Rose. She explained to me how Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead 3 days later. It was then that I put my faith in Jesus.

As Christians, we are privileged to have two birthdays–the day that we were born physically, and the day that we were born spiritually. Over the years, I have found that our spiritual birth is actually God inspired and ordained.

We cannot come to God unless He draws us to Himself. God, being merciful, sent His Son to die for each and every man and woman—no matter how bad, sinful, or unholy that person might appear to be.

Still, just like our physical birth, our spiritual birth (our salvation), is a gift from God for which we can take no credit. Whilst the two days might differ, whenever you choose to celebrate the latter, it is certainly something that you should be thankful for everyday, and more so on that special birthday.

I pray that as you are reading this you also have the special day you celebrate the gift of salvation, the gift that only God can give. 

This gift has transformed me into a masterpiece—God’s masterpiece—I was created anew in the Christ Jesus. This enables and empowers me to do those things that I was destined to do—to fulfill my purpose.

If you would like to hear more about how you can receive that same gift I did please send me a message.  I would be thrilled to share with you how you can receive that gift today.  If you already have received that gift I would love to hear your testimony. 

Dear Lord, thank You for the greatest gift ever—the gift of salvation—which you gave to us individually on our spiritual birthday. I thank You for Mrs Rose taking the time to show a 7-year-old little boy how he could receive the gift of salvation. Help us to share that gift to those around us today.  Thank you, Lord. In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Lame Christmas presents

John 3:17 (ESV)

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

I’m sure we’ve all experienced it, that moment when you’ve been given a bad Christmas gift. It could be the horrible sweater your aunt got you with the huge fuzzy cat face on it. Or perhaps it was the time your grandma gave you socks and underwear instead of the headphones you asked for.

There is always that awkward moment when you’re trying to think of something nice to say. You know you need to thank the person that gave you the gift, but how do you do it? How do you thank someone for a horrible sweater without laughing or seeming disappointed. How do you tell grandma thanks for giving you socks and underwear instead of what you really wanted?

This Christmas season, no matter how bad your aunt messes up your Christmas gift wish list, there are a few things you can be excited for. The main thing to be excited about is Jesus. See God wasn’t like Grandma who gave you what you didn’t want and didn’t need. He gave us the main thing we were lacking, salvation.

God could have judged the world. He could have been a rotten gift giver. He could have told us all the things we have done wrong. He could have reminded us of all the ways we didn’t measure up. However, He didn’t do that. Instead he decided to save us from our sins.

So this Christmas, if your aunt gives you a horrible sweater or your grandma gives you some stupid socks, remember that God gave you an awesome gift. He saved us from our sins. So, if you’ve never made the decision to accept Jesus into your heart and become a child of God you can. Ask me how and I will love to share with you how you can have the BEST Christmas gift ever. If you have accepted Jesus, then remember to share Him and His love with others this Christmas season. That way, regardless of the gifts you get, you can enjoy knowing that you’ve already received the greatest gift ever.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us the greatest gift ever. Help us to share that with those that You bring into our path today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Grateful

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Three times a month, Jermaine Washington and Michelle Stevens get together for what they call a "gratitude lunch." With good reason! Washington donated a kidney to Stevens, whom he described as "just a friend." They met at work where they used to have lunch together. One day Michelle wept as she spoke about waiting on a kidney donor list for 11 months. She was being sustained by kidney dialysis, but suffered chronic fatigue and blackouts and was plagued by joint pain. Because Washington couldn't stand the thought of watching his friend die, he gave her one of his kidneys. Michelle likes to say “If you've got something great to be thankful for, having a "gratitude lunch" is a great way to celebrate.”  When we think about the great thing Jesus did for us lets take the time to have a “Gratitude lunch” and thank Him for the great things He does for us each and every day.

Dear Lord, we thank You for dying on the cross and raising from the dead to take away our sins. Help us always be grateful for the gift and for You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

There are but 2

John 3:16  (ESV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Salvation is a free gift from our Lord. There are so many out there that struggle who or what to believe. I found this simple article that explains it pretty well.

"While witnessing for Christ on the streets of a city in California, evangelist H.A. Ironside and his associates were often interrupted by questions from the crowd. "There are hundreds of religions in this country, and the followers of each sect think they're right. How can poor plain people like us find out what really is the truth?" Ironside and his friends would answer something like this: "Did I hear you say there are hundreds of religions? That's strange; I've heard of only two. True, I find many shades of difference in the opinions of those comprising the two great schools. But after all, there are but two. The one covers all who expect salvation by doing; the other, all who have been saved by something done."

Jesus did the work, all we have to do is believe and accept the free gift that He has given to us.

Dear Lord, we thank You for dying on the cross for each of us so that we may have forgiveness of the sins we do each day. Help us spread Your great love to the world around us today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

You've got a point

1 John 3:16 (ESV)

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Here is a great story illustrating What God did for us.

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.

With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak. "A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high that, even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright, and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in the story. The aged minister continued with his story. "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of the waves. As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!', he threw out the life line to the son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth. "The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend. How great is the love of God that He could do the same for us. Our heavenly Father sacrificed His only begotten Son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept His offer to rescue you and take hold of the life line."

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice story," politely said one of the boys, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."

"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. Sorrow began to overtake the old man's smiling face as he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm here today to tell you that I understand more than most the pain God must have felt to give up His only Son. For you see, I'm the man who lost his son to the ocean that day, and my son's friend that I chose to save is your pastor."

Dear Lord, help our hearts and minds be set on sharing Your love with those you bring into our life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

What do you do with such a gift?

2 Corinthians 9:15 (ESV)

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

I  read a story about a Dutch pastor and his family who had been hiding Jewish people in their home during the second World War. One night, they heard the sound of heavy boots and the loud impatient knocking on the door. They were arrested and loaded into a cattle car. All night long, the pastor and his family rode along in anguish, knowing they were being taken to one of Hitler's concentration camps only to be separated from each other and likely killed.

Finally, the train stopped. The doors of the cattle car were opened. They were marched out and lined up beside the railroad tracks. But then something very strange happened. They discovered that they were not in a death camp at all -- they weren't even in Germany!

During the night a courageous employee risked his life and purposely tripped a switch which sent the train of prisoners to Switzerland, to their freedom. Instead of being marched to death, they were welcomed to new life. Wow. Thank you God. In the midst of his joy and relief, the Dutch pastor said, "What do you do with such a gift?"

We have been given a gift of redemption much more powerful than this! And what are we doing with such a gift? Let's start being about doing the work of the Kingdom!

Dear Lord,  we thank You for the great gift You have given to each of us. Help us make the effort to share it with all those we come in contact with. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

God's gifts

Philippians 2:12 (ESV)

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

One of the paradoxes of our walk is that God’s gifts often require work on our part. After He delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, the Lord led them to the Promised Land and told them He was going to "give" it to them. It wasn't long before they realized, however, that they were going to have to fight battles and overcome fortified cities in order to inhabit the land. God did promise that they would not have to fight the battles on their own, but even with this divine advantage the Israelites themselves would be required to destroy their enemies – they would still need to fight.

They might have preferred that God just give them the land, without having to do anything; to just walk into already built cities and houses without any conflict or opposition. But this was not God’s plan. He desired and expected their full cooperation, expecting them to take serious responsibility for the destiny He had prepared for them, and to grow in faith, thereby.

Our situation is similar. Though the gift of our salvation is free, the Lord requires us to work it out...with fear and trembling! [Phil. 2:12] We are not automatically or supernaturally filled with knowledge of the Bible, or faith to move mountains, or the power to pray without ceasing. Instead, we discover that we have to fight the fight of faith, taking serious responsibility for the destiny He has prepared for us.

Are you discouraged because the walk of a believer is more difficult than you imagined and the challenges greater than you expected? Don’t be! God is calling you to the simple responsibility of working out your faith and participating in your own destiny. You can be grateful that He doesn't treat you like a helpless infant who has no part in shaping his/her life, but as a growing adult who can rejoice in his/her participation with a loving and powerful Creator.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the Salvation You give us freely. Help us to work at learning all we can about You and serving You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

We are a pearl.

Matthew 13:45-46 (ESV)

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

I read a story that is a beautiful interpretation of Jesus' parable of the pearl and we wanted to share it with you.

In Matthew 13, we see that a merchant sold all that he had to purchase a single pearl. But why, of all things, a pearl? As a jeweler, I would question the choice the Lord made -- choosing to leave the Father's side for a pearl instead of what I would think has much greater significance, the much coveted diamond. You may know that the diamond is graded in value according to the 4 C's, Cut, Color, Clarity & Carat-weight. The answer to my pondering was right there! The diamond receives a substantial portion of its value from the way a person cuts it -- the work of man's hand! Interestingly, the only natural gemstone that has more value when it is found than when men finish with it is the PEARL!

In the same way, we can add nothing to the work of Salvation! God has paid the price for us in full -- and a tremendous price it was. The God of glory, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords left all the splendor of Heaven to claim this pearl. And He gained it by paying a price that was far more precious than any of us could pay.

Sometimes we get so busy and we don't take time out consider this incredible work of God in our lives. He has bought us with a price. We are fully paid, fully ransomed, fully redeemed! We are the pearls of great desire!

Dear Lord, help us always take the time to consider the incredible work that You have done for each of us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Sin is deadly

1 Corinthians 15:56-57 (ESV)

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The thieves spotted what appeared to be a really sweet deal.

In front of their eyes was an unguarded 2007 Volkswagen cargo vehicle with a movable platform and crane. Along with that, the vehicle seemed to be easy pickings: the driver was asleep and the vehicle was unguarded. Quickly, they overpowered the driver, tied him up, dropped him in a vacant parking lot, and drove away.

They drove for about 24 miles and then decided to investigate the vehicle's cargo. What can it hurt? They thought to themselves. We've made a score, and we need to see what we've got here. In short order they unloaded the containers, broke them open, scattered the contents, and found nothing of interest.

They may have found nothing of interest, but that doesn't mean they found nothing.

What the crooks had opened up were containers of radioactive cobalt-60 pellets. Those pellets had been taken from hospitals in Tijuana and were headed for a nuclear holding plant located outside of Mexico City. There's one other thing those crooks found in those pellets.

They found death.

Those cobalt-60 pellets were small things, but they were deadly. They carried enough radioactive punch to kill anyone who came into close contact with them. Death would come in two or three days. Although the crooks didn't know it, when they looked into those containers they became walking dead men.

Their story isn't so much different than that of Adam and Eve who thought the forbidden fruit wasn't such a bad thing ... or King David who believed a little look at Bathsheba couldn't hurt ... or Achan who thought a few bars of silver and gold taken from Jericho wouldn't cause any problem or ... the rest of us.

Indeed, because of sin, all of us were walking dead. Big sins, little sins, every sin separated us from God and condemned.

This is precisely why humankind's walking dead need and have been given a Savior.

In this respect, we are in much better shape than the thieves who came into contact with the cobalt-60. There is no cure for their condition, but in God's Son we have received the antidote and treatment for our lost condition.

Through His life, by His suffering, death, and in His glorious resurrection from the dead, Jesus has become the heaven-sent healing, which can cleanse sinners of all that had contaminated and condemned.

With Holy Spirit-given faith we are no longer walking dead, we are eternally saved souls.

Dear Lord, today we ask that You would help us not to play around with sin. Help us be strong to stand against the temptations that come our way.  In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Do you know Him intimately?

Ecclesiastes 2:26  (ESV)

For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Prior to his death from cancer at age 40 in March 1991, Republican campaign manager Lee Atwater was one of the most admired and hated men in American politics. His greatest accomplishment was guiding Vice President George Bush to a comeback victory over Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis in 1988. Bush's comeback was partially the result of Atwater's skillful use of "attack" television commercials directed at Dukakis' record as governor of Massachusetts.

But soon after his cancer was detected in the summer of 1990, Lee became a Christian. He said: "I've found Jesus Christ - It's that simple. He's made a difference, and I'm glad I've found Him while there's still time." Atwater spent much of his remaining life publicly apologizing for his attacks.

Reflecting on the past, Atwater said: "The eighties were about acquiring: wealth, power, and prestige. I know. I acquired more wealth and power and prestige than most. But you can acquire all you want and still feel empty." He continued: "It took a deadly illness to put me eye to eye with that truth, but it is a truth that the country, caught up in its ruthless ambitions and moral decay, can learn on my dime."

Wealth and power disappear quickly. But our relationship with the Lord lasts throughout eternity.

Dear Lord, thanks for all You do for us. Help us to strive to know You more intimately. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

lesson from a lamb

John 1:29 (ESV) 

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

When a ewe has a lamb and it dies for some reason, the skin can be taken from the dead lamb and placed over an orphan lamb which can then be introduced to the mother whose lamb died. She will smell the scent of her own lamb and will accept it as her own. Usually after a day or so the skin can be removed as a permanent bond will have been established between the mother and the lamb.

Remember God killed animals to make coats of skins for Adam and Eve.

When Jesus died on the cross His blood was shed for us. He did this for us to deal with the problem of our sins which are a barrier between us and God. He provided a coat or a cover for us that we put on by faith and God accepts us because He smells the sweet fragrance of Jesus.

When you see the little adopted lamb skipping and jumping in the field you must remember a lamb died to give it a new life.

Likewise when we see a sinner, saved by grace adopted into Gods family and enjoying a close relationship with Him we must remember a lamb died to make this possible. The Lamb of God. But remember Jesus rose again from the dead because he had no sins of his own. Hallelujah.

The adopted lamb sometimes finds it strange to be with a different mother than its own but it soon settles down if it is well fed.

Likewise Gods children who have been rescued from the devil can take a wee while to get adjusted to a relationship with God but God being well able to meet His child`s every need soon settles down, albeit sometimes it takes a bit longer than a lamb.

Dear Lord, thanks for covering us with Your blood so that we may be at home with You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Cash the check

Isaiah 64:6 (ESV)

We have all become like one who is unclean,

    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

We all fade like a leaf,

    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

A beggar stopped a lawyer on the street in a large southern city and asked him for a quarter. Taking a long, hard look into the man's unshaven face, the attorney asked, "Don't I know you from somewhere?" "You should," came the reply. "I'm your former classmate. Remember, second floor, old Main Hall?"

"Why Sam, of course I know you!" Without further question the lawyer wrote a check for $10,000. "Here, take this and get a new start. I don't care what's happened in the past, it's the future that counts." And with that he hurried on. Tears welled up in the man's eyes as he walked to a bank nearby. Stopping at the door, he saw through the glass well-dressed tellers and the spotlessly clean interior. Then he looked at his filthy rags. "They won't take this from me! They'll swear that I forged it," he muttered as he turned away.

The next day the two men met again. "Why Sam, what did you do with my check? Gamble it away? Drink it up?" "No," said the beggar as he pulled it out of his dirty shirt pocket and told why he hadn't cashed it. "Listen, friend," said the lawyer.... "What makes that check good is not your clothes or appearance, but my signature. Go on, cash it!"

Isaiah described the sinful condition of man in a very descriptive and truthful way: "all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away" (Isaiah 64:6).

The Good News is... that Jesus has “written a check” to cover our debt of sin. The payment for our sin cost Jesus His life. He bore our sins in His own body on the cross that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. We can be healed of our sinful condition because He paid the price for sin (1 Peter 2:24).

As we look at our filthy rags, however, we may feel unworthy of “cashing the check.” Ashamed at our fruitless attempts to live the way that we should, we don’t feel like we deserve a fresh start. That’s the beauty of grace: we don’t deserve it, but because of His love and mercy, God wants to give us a new beginning. We will never be able to earn this new life; we must simply “cash the check.”

What makes God’s “check” of salvation good is not your clothes or appearance, but His signature, written with the cleansing blood of Jesus!

Don't let the "tattered clothes" of your past keep you from cashing God's "check" of salvation.

Dear Lord, thank You for the check of salvation. Thank You that it isn’t dependent upon what we have done or look like but dependent upon what You have done for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The great cost

Romans 5:8 (ESV)

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I read about how the "King of Abyssinia once took a British subject named Cameron prisoner and incarcerated him in the high fortress of Magdala. No cause was stated for his confinement. When Great Britain found out, she demanded an immediate release of her citizen. King Theodore refused."

According to the story, within days Great Britain sent several thousand soldiers by ship to Magdala. After marching across unfriendly country for many miles, they attacked the fortress and rescued that one British subject. "The expedition took several months and cost the English government twenty-five million dollars. The entire resources of the government were made available in the rescue of only one citizen."

Just think if the government of Great Britain was willing to spend twenty-five million dollars to save one of it's citizens, how much more does God want to save you!

Dear Lord, we thank You for the price You paid to save each and every one of us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

White garment

Ecclesiastes 9:8 (ESV)

Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

In the olden days there were two brothers, the elder good and devout, the younger a libertine who reveled with unsavory companions. The elder brother prayed for the younger and often begged him to change his life, but all seemed in vain.

One night as the elder brother sat in his study reading, the younger brother rushed into his room, begging, "Save me! The police are after me! I have killed a man." There were bloodstains on his clothes.

The older brother grasped the situation immediately and said, "I will save you. Let us change clothes." He took the bloodstained suit of the criminal and gave him his white robe.

The two had barely dressed when the police arrived. They had pursued the criminal from the place where the deed had been committed and seized the brother in the bloodstained garment.

Brought before the judge, he pleaded guilty, saying, "I bear the whole responsibility for the crime." Faced with the evidence before him-the pursuit, the blood, the confession-the judge had no doubt. He sentenced the man to death, then asked him his final wish. "Only one," said the supposed criminal. "I want my brother to receive this letter, which I have prepared for him, at the very moment I am hanged." The wish was granted.

The next day, his brother received the letter. Opening it, he read: "My beloved, at this very moment, I die in your place, in your bloodstained clothes, for your crime-and I am happy to offer this sacrifice on your behalf.

"But I would like you, in the white clothes I gave you, to lead a life of righteousness and purity. I have no other desire!"

The younger brother, on reading these words, was taken by remorse. He ran to stop the execution-but it was too late. Then he ran to the judge to confess his crime, but the judge would not listen to him. "A murder was committed; it has been expiated. What was between you two brothers is of no interest to us."

After that, as often as his former comrades in revelry called the young lad to drinking parties and loose living, he would say, "In the white clothes left to me by the brother who gave his life for me, I can no longer do the evil deeds I did before."

Because of the forgiveness that we have received because of what Jesus has done for us we to our covered with white clothes we should no longer participate in evil deeds.

Dear Lord, thank You for covering us with your spotless clothes.  Help us not give into the evil thoughts or deeds. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Jesus is our bridge

John 14:6 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan , also known as Pearl Bridge , is the longest suspension bridge in the world to date. The bridge crosses the Akashi Strait ; it links Maiko in Kobe and Iwaya on Awaji Island as part of the Honshu--Shikoku Highway . As measured by the length of its center span (6,532 ft), the bridge is substantially longer than the second longest suspension bridge, the Eastern Bridge (5,328 ft) of the Danish Great Belt Fixed Link. The total length of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge is 12,831 ft. It was planned to be one of three Honshu--Shikoku connecting bridges, annexing two borders of the Inland Sea .

Before the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge was built, ferries carried passengers across the Akashi Strait . This dangerous waterway often experiences severe storms, and in 1955, two ferries sank in the strait during a storm, killing 168 children. The ensuing shock and public outrage convinced the Japanese government to draw up plans for a suspension bridge to cross the strait. Construction on the bridge began in May 1988, and the bridge was opened with six lanes of traffic on April 5, 1998.

The bridge has three spans: the central span and two other sections each 3,150 ft (960 meters). It was designed on a two-hinged stiffening girder system, allowing it to withstand 178 mph winds, earthquakes measuring up to 8.5 on the Richter scale, and harsh sea currents. The bridge also contains pendulums that are designed to dampen forces on it. The two main supporting towers are 978 ft (298 mts) above sea level.*

Yet, there is a GREATER BRIDGE that spans an even GREATER CHASM...

Our sin has caused a GREAT SEPARATION from God: “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).

Many “bridges” have been built to try to span the distance between sinful man and a holy God.

* Some have tried to reach God through good works. This bridge is far too expensive! Although important, one cannot do enough good works to EARN one’s way to heaven (Eph 2:8-10).

* Some have sought to bridge the gap to God by living good, moral lives. This bridge just isn’t long enough. Being good isn’t good enough, for even at our best, we still FALL SHORT (Rom 3:23).

The ONLY Bridge by which we can reach God is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus spanned the gulf between man and God by dying on the cross for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2).

Dear Lord, thank You for being the bridge that we need.  Help us share the way to those that come into our path today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Bought for a price

Matthew 11:28-29  (ESV)

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

During the years when slavery was legal in the United States, a gentleman happened upon a slave-bidding in a crowed street. The man paused to observe the activities. As he watched from the edge of the crowd, he saw one slave after another led to a platform, their arms and legs shackled with ropes as if they were animals. Displayed before the jeering crowd, they were auctioned off, one by one. Some onlookers would inspect the "merchandise", grabbing disrespectfully at the women, examining the muscular arms of the men. The gentleman studied the group of slaves waiting nearby. He paused when he saw a young girl standing at the back. Her eyes were filled with fear. She looked so frightened. He hesitated for a moment and then disappeared briefly. When he returned, the auctioneer was about to start the bidding for the young girl he had noticed beforehand.

As the auctioneer opened the bidding, the gentleman shouted out a bid that was twice the amount of any other selling price offered that day. There was silence for an instance, and then the gavel fell as; "sold to the gentleman" was heard. The gentleman stepped forward, making his way through the crowd. He waited at the bottom of the steps as the young girl was led down to her new owner.

The rope which bound her was handed to the man, who accepted it without saying nothing. The young girl stared at the ground. Suddenly she looked up and spit in his face. Silently, he reached for a handkerchief and wiped the spittle from his face. He smiled gently at the young girl and said, "follow me". She followed him reluctantly. As they reached the edge of the crowd, he continued to a nearby area where each deal was closed legally.

When a slave was set free, legal documents, called manumission papers, were necessary. The gentleman paid the purchase price and signed the necessary documents. When the transaction was complete, he turned to the young girl and presented the documents to her. Startled, she looked at him with uncertainty. Her narrowed eyes asked, what are you doing? The gentlemen responded to her questioning look. He said, "Here, take these papers. I bought you to make you free. As long as you have these papers in your possession, no man can ever make you a slave again.

The girl looked into his face. What was happening? There was silence. Slowly, she said, "You bought me, to make me free?" "You bought me, to make me free?" As she repeated this phrase over and over, the significance of what had just happened became more and more real to her. "You bought me, to make me free?" Was it possible that a stranger had just granted her freedom and never again could she be held in bondage and servitude to any man? As she began to grasp the significance of the documents which she now held in her hand, she fell to her knees and wept at the gentleman's feet. Through her tears of joy and gratitude, she said, "You bought me, to make me free....I'll serve you forever!"

You and I were once bound in slavery to sin. But the Lord Jesus paid the price, to make us free, when He shed His Blood at Calvary. That's what the Bible calls redemption. "In Christ Jesus, we have Redemption through His Blood, the Forgiveness of sins, according to the Riches of His Grace." (Ephesians 1:7) "For you were Bought with a Price, therefore Glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:20) The Blood of Jesus was not spilled; it was Shed. It was no accident. The Lord chose to Die in our place, Shedding His Precious Blood on our behalf. Jesus Said of Himself, "The Son of man did not come to be served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)

I wondered as I read this story, the girl had spit in her masters face once. When he gave her the papers of her freedom, she could have spit in his face again, not believing him. How often have we spit in our Master's (Jesus') face. He Who paid His All, for our freedom? As I read this story, I could see myself in the girls position and could see the gentleman as Christ Jesus, Himself. The gentleman gave of himself and only required that the girl Accept her freedom that he had freely given unto her.

Jesus, Paid our debt when He Gave His Life on a Cross at Calvary almost 2000 years ago. Christ Jesus poured out His Precious Blood to cover all of our sins, past, present and future.

Dear Lord, thank You for paying the price for our sins.  Thank You for paying the price that we couldn’t ourselves.  In The Name of Jesus, Amen.

A lesson from a Blue Hummingbird

John 3:16 (ESV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

I found this little story that has some good lessons for each of us.

Once, long ago, there was a young boy who lived in a distant land called Tandow. He was a cheerful lad with not a care in the world. A special friend had he, the little blue hummingbird. Now this little boy didn't have a lot of great friends, but the little bird and the boy were inseparable friends. The boy loved the little hummingbird so, he built him a home. The bird also loved the boy and would follow him wherever he would go. As time went by their love grew and grew.

Then one day the young lad met a pretty young girl in school. The girl had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a cute little smile. This was about the time of the biggest dance of the year. All the boy could think about was how he would love to take the girl to the dance. He gathered his courage all day and at the end of school confronted the girl and asked her to go with him to the dance.

Now this young girl was very popular and felt she did not want to be seen with the boy who cared for her so, but she did not want to hurt his feelings and so figured out a way to avoid saying no or yes. She told the boy if he brought her a red rose she would allow him to escort her to the dance. This hurt the little boy because he knew that in the land of Tandow there had never been a red rose, in fact the only roses in the land of Tandow were white.

On the way home the boy kept mumbling to himself why couldn't she have asked for a white rose. There were hundreds of them in his front yard. Feeling sorry for himself the boy didn't even notice his friend the hummingbird fluttering above him. Now the bird loved him so, that it could tell instantly the boy was troubled. The bird hovered closer as the boy mumbled on home. Now the bird knew why the boy was so troubled.

The bird could not rest all the night long, it pondered all night, a solution to the boy's problem. Finally as the sun began to rise the answer to how the bird could help his best friend entered his mind. The little blue hummingbird flew to a rose bush and searched for a large rose with a stem bearing thorns directly above it. Now the bird chose a thorn and with all the power in his wings cast his small body against the sharp thorn. It entered with great pain, as the tear drops of blood fell upon the white petals of the rose.

Now as the boy was ready for school, as he left the house he saw a red rose, he could hardly believe it, he ran to the bush and plucked the red rose. In his excitement he failed to notice the lifeless little body that lay below the bush in a puddle of blood.

Happy as could be, he began with his red rose on his way to school. Before he got there some other boys playing football in a field called to him and asked him to come and play. His first thought was, no, he had something more important to do. But they begged him and said they really needed him to even the teams. He looked at the rose, then them, then back at the rose. He said to himself. Ah!!! She didn't really want to go with me anyway. Then, throwing the rose down, the boy went and played football.

You've probably already figured out the allegory...

1. The boy is each of us.

2. The humming bird is Jesus Christ.

3. The girl is eternal life.

4. The rose is the atonement.

5. The football game is the worldly things we sometimes feel are so important.

Dear Lord, we thank You for all that You have done for us. Help us not get distracted by the things around us to take us away from You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

God used a moth

Acts 2:38 (ESV)

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Years ago, a British express train was racing through the night.

Its powerful headlamp speared the fog ahead. This train was special for it carried Britain's Queen Victoria. Suddenly, revealed in the beam of the train's headlight, the engineer saw a figure in a black cloak. On the middle of the tracks, he was waving his arms.

It took but a second for the engineer to throw the brake lever, a little longer for the train to scream to a halt. The engineer, along with the other railroad employees, got out to find the fellow who had stopped them.

The man was gone.

They did, however, find a section of track, which had been washed out by a swollen stream. The engineer cringed at the thought: if the unfound man in the black cloak had not stopped them, they would have derailed, creating a national catastrophe. Eventually, the bridge was repaired, and the train finished its trip in London.

There, the mystery of the man in the black cloak was discovered.

At the base of the engine's headlamp was a great moth. The engineer studied it, wet its wings, and pasted it to the glass of his lamp. Climbing back into his cab, he switched on the lamp and saw the "phantom flagman" in the bright beam. Seconds before the train reached the ruined track, the moth had flown onto the lamp.

In the fog, it appeared to be a black-cloaked man waving his arms.

Queen Victoria's reaction to the strange occurrence? She said, "I'm sure it was no accident. It was God's way of saving us."

Most certainly, we are all saved through the sacrifice of the Savior. His gracious act wherein He carried our sins, resisted temptation, and conquered death is the common denominator for all who are forgiven and redeemed. Many of us have been saved by simple means whereby the Holy Spirit has placed faith into our transformed hearts. How has the Lord saved you? What delivery system did He use? Was it through the preaching of a faithful pastor, a never-to-be-forgotten teacher, your parents, a radio or television broadcast? Did He use a watershed moment in your life to make plain His commitment to rescue you?

No matter how you were saved there are two things to know:

1. You couldn't save yourself. No matter how hard you tried, you remained a condemned sinner.

2. God's love for you is so great He was willing to sacrifice His Son, so you could be adopted into His family of faith. God's mercy and grace ... that's what saved the Queen ... it is what saves us, too.

Dear Lord, without You we would have been lost forever. For our salvation, a gracious gift which comes to us through Jesus' sacrifice and the Holy Sprit's work, we are saved. In the Name of Jesus.  Amen.

The answer to "I don't know"

1 John 5:11-13  (ESV)

11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

One of the traits of a three year old is whenever they are asked something which they don’t have the answer for, or would rather not give the answer to, responds in a little sing song voice with these words-I don't know--.

I don't know is often our answer as well when others ask us deep and probing questions about why God allows certain things to happen in our world. We may be Christians, followers of Christ, wholehearted believers in God, yet this does not mean we possess the answer to all things spiritual for has not God said:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

There is one very important spiritual question however which we can all respond to with a definite answer. That question is: how can anyone know for sure that they are going to heaven? The apostle John revealed this when he wrote:

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 john 5:11-12)

These two verses make it very clear that we can know our eternal destiny. We can know what awaits us at the end of this life, for he who has the Son has life while he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. There is no maybe here. There is no perhaps only certainty regarding ones destiny according to this, the word of God.

Do you have Jesus in your life? Have you trusted Him as the Christ, the forgiver of men's sin, the redeemer of mankind? Has his forgiveness been applied to your heart by faith? If so then God has given you eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

So the next time someone asks you this very important question, or asks how they can know their eternal destiny, the response I don't know is no longer an option for indeed we have "The Answer!"

Dear Lord, thank you that none of us have to hang in limbo concerning what awaits us at the end of this earthly life. Your word makes it clear that we can know our destiny. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Two thousand plus years

2 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV)

For he says, 

“In a favorable time I listened to you,

    and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

On a dull, sultry day some years ago, a young man was seated in a railway train with a clergyman across the aisle reading the daily paper. The young man, a recent convert to Christianity, was gazing out of the window in happy contemplation when he began to sing quietly the gospel song "Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It!"

When he came to the end of the first stanza, the minister softly joined in the refrain, and then remarked, "I take it, young man, that you are a Christian."

"Yes, sir," the younger man replied.

"How long is it since you were redeemed?" Asked the minister.

"Two thousand plus years, sir," came the prompt reply.

"But I mean," said the preacher, a little confused, "how long since you yourself were redeemed?"

Again the new convert replied, " 2 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV)

For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,

    and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

On a dull, sultry day some years ago, a young man was seated in a railway train with a clergyman across the aisle reading the daily paper. The young man, a recent convert to Christianity, was gazing out of the window in happy contemplation when he began to sing quietly the gospel song "Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It!"

When he came to the end of the first stanza, the minister softly joined in the refrain, and then remarked, "I take it, young man, that you are a Christian."

"Yes, sir," the younger man replied.

"How long is it since you were redeemed?" Asked the minister.

"Two thousand plus years, sir," came the prompt reply.

"But I mean," said the preacher, a little nonplussed, "how long since you yourself were redeemed?"

Again the new convert replied, " Two thousand plus years, sir."

With this answer the conversation lapsed, and the minister resumed his reading. As the lad was about to leave the train, he said, "Pardon me, sir, I did not wish to appear smart or clever in my reply just now. I meant what I said. I was redeemed Two thousand plus years ago, but it was only last year that I found it out."

Never were truer words spoken of the philosophy of salvation. Two thousand plus years ago our Lord purchased our pardon on Calvary's cross.

Dear Lord, thank You for purchasing our pardon two thousand plus years ago. Help us to be diligent to share that great news with all we come into contact with. In The Name of Jesus, Amen.