Jesus!

November 23, 2013November 2, 20144 Comments

Photo credit: Pinterest

The past few posts have been about what can cause us to run from Jesus. Today I wanted to write about Jesus!

Some love Him, some hate Him. Some believe in Him, some do not. Some love His name, some are offended by His name. He’s been represented and misrepresented since He came into the world. He is the beautiful, radiant, glorious, Son of God. Let’s read what the Old Testament had to say about Jesus in Isaiah 53…

Isaiah 53

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Why did Jesus come? Why did Love leave paradise to enter into humanity?

He came to save you and me. He offered His life as a perfect sacrifice so every person who chooses to believe in Him and follow Him would have everlasting life. He came to bear our burdens. He came to pay for our sins. He came so we would not be alone or defeated in this sinful world. He came to give hope! He came to set captives free, heal the broken hearted, restore sight to the blind, cleanse humanity, and provide an inheritance we could call our own. He came to give us back the authority Adam surrendered to the devil.

Jesus the Victor!

Though He’s often painted or depicted on a cross, Jesus didn’t remain on the cross! He got up with all power in His hands. He was raised up above all powers, seated at the right hand of the Father, and raises us up to sit in heavenly places with Him.

Sweet friends, no matter what life throws at you, Jesus is still victorious. You have an Advocate, a Friend, a Savior, a sure Hope, a Victorious Warrior, a Healer, and Deliverer. He’s not dead! Jesus is very much alive. He loves you. Whatever your need today, cry out to Jesus!

Praying for you and your loved ones. You are deeply loved (John 3:16)!

Erin

When Christians Make You Want To Run From Jesus!

November 3, 2013November 2, 20142 Comments

Photo Credit: Sermon Quotes

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples,~John 13:35.

The title of this post is long, but I hope to help those who have been wounded by Christians. I listened to a sermon this morning about people abandoning faith in Jesus. The behavior of those claiming to represent God is the number one reason why people choose to forego church, faith, & God. I wasn’t startled by the pastors statistics. I’ve heard and lived some of the painful stories. There were quite a few other reasons why people abandon faith, but I wanted to address this one.

The problem:

Christians (followers of Jesus) are human, and humans are flawed. Also our disappointment is often directly proportional to our expectation.

Maybe you believe every person who claims Christ will act like Him.

Maybe you’ve been wounded, betrayed, rejected, hurt, or mistreated by Christians.

Maybe those in authority over you have abused that power, neglected their responsibilities to God or the flock, or you’ve been manipulated or controlled.

Here’s some freeing news:

1. Every person in church or claiming Christ is not following Jesus or Spirit filled. Going to church doesn’t save anyone or make them better. Faith in Christ and conversion opens the door for life transformation. If you don’t believe me, read Jesus’s parable of the wheat and tare (See Matthew 13:24-30). Tare is a weed that looks like wheat when it’s growing. The wheat (true believers) and tare (non believers) grow up together. The point for us isn’t to go around inspecting people’s lives. God will separate the wheat from the tare. Some people will come to church for years and not have a conversion. Our job is to focus on our walk with God, extend grace and mercy, and allow God to transform lives. We teach and live the Gospel. We leave the transformation up to God.

2. Only God is perfect! There’s trouble brewing when we expect perfection from people. People will blow it. People will fail you. Saved, delivered, and Spirit filled people may or will disappoint you. Some great examples come from the disciples. They blew it all the time. Peter denied Jesus three times. Judas betrayed Jesus for a bag of silver. The night before Jesus was betrayed, the disciples went to sleep instead of praying with Him. They often failed to believe Him. They fought over petty things. People are not perfect. Hence the beauty of grace!

3. Spiritual growth is a process. Jesus grew in favor. He was perfect, yet walked out obedience. He began His public ministry at age 30. We learn over time. We grow to become like Jesus over time, experience, and relationship. So, even though we are transformed by faith in Christ, we are being transformed into His likeness (character) by the power of the Holy Spirit. In church you will encounter spiritual adults, teens, and babies and natural age is not always an indication of spiritual maturity. Babies are selfish, & can make messes. We don’t all grow at the same rate and every person has a unique walk with God. We all have struggles, weaknesses, and things God is working on.

Lastly I will say God wants us to love one another. That doesn’t always happen. Scandals, people failing, hurt, offense, and division are all a possibility. God does not delight in our sinning against Him or others. As someone who’s had to walk it out, I won’t tell you it doesn’t hurt when you’re attacked or mistreated or betrayed by people who are supposed to love you. I will say, God heals.

Hopefully these points brought some freedom. Don’t run from God, run to Him. Jesus knows how you feel. He’s walked it out too! The Father knows how you feel. He’s been mistreated since man sinned. You have an Advocate who will stand strong for you! You have Someone who will bring about perfect justice. God loves you and only His love never fails.

We will talk about steps to healing next post. Bless you friends.

God-The Promise Keeper

October 28, 2013November 2, 20144 Comments

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clipart (text added by Over app)

The Call of Abram

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there,~Genesis 12:1-5.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be Abraham? You are in your mid 70s, childless, and God promises to make you a great nation. He’s also asking you to leave what you know and go someplace new. I don’t know about you, but I might start asking questions…

Have you questioned God’s promises for your life?

Have you ever questioned what He was asking you to do?

Have you ever doubted His promises for your life or your loved ones?

Have you ever looked at your circumstances and then dismissed God’s promises for you?

Have you clung to a promises for what seems like an eternity and wondered if God forgot you?

Have you ever been discouraged because you felt as though God was handing out gifts and blessings to everyone but you?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, know God is 100 percent faithful and understands better than you do how you feel. He knows we are human and prone to doubt Him. Trust develops over time. We learn to trust through relationship. It’s impossible to trust someone we are not close to or don’t know well.

God offers us relationship through His Son. We are invited into a deep, personal, and intimate relationship. It’s not only learning about God, it’s about knowing Him personally. He gave us His Spirit so we could know Him in greater ways. It’s more than reading about Him in His Word; it’s getting to know the Author.

God is faithful to keep His Word. He cannot lie. The promises God made to Abraham are just one example. God made so many promises that were fulfilled in scripture. God kept and keeps His word 100 percent of the time. He’s also made promises to me and to you through His Son Jesus and His Word.

What can we learn about God from Abraham?

God kept His promise even though Abraham and Sarah decided to bypass His plan. They grew tired of waiting on God and tried to make the promises of heirs come via Hagar. Their decision has impacted the world in so many negative ways. Sarah did not believe God, and we probably wouldn’t either. She and Abraham were way past the years of having kids! Today we’d say it was medically impossible. However, when God makes a promise-He keeps His Word.

God specializes in miracles! He can do anything He wants. When He makes a promise, you can bet your life on His ability to make it happen. Just look at Jesus and you see a miracle! Jesus was born to virgin. He resurrected from the dead. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and so much more. God is beyond able.

God is our sure hope!

October 20, 2013November 2, 20142 Comments

Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Hope is also a feeling of trust.

If you live in the world long enough, you’ll find there’s an enemy of hope. Unbelief is the greatest enemy of hope. The voice that cries out, “Nothing good is going to happen to you. Life will always be this way. Nothing is ever going to change. You have nothing to look forward to. God is not listening to you; He won’t come through for you.” All of those statements are geared towards destroying hope.

If we are not hopeless, we can have misplaced hope. Some place hope in a spouse or family, friends, bank accounts, pastors, political party, the government, their appearance, abilities, or themselves. The problem with hope placed in people or things is that it always leads to disappointment. There is nothing more secure than a relationship with God.

God is filled with hope. He has great things to say. His Word is filled with promises to deposit hope.

Here are some sweet promises from God’s Word:

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am, John 14:2-3.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus, Phil 4:6-7.

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;…If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:11,13.

It’s challenging to be hopeful in this world. It is challenging to be hopeful if you’ve had a series of disappointments. It’s challenging to be hopeful when circumstances don’t align with God’s goodness. Here’s what I can say…

Don’t give up on God. God is 100% faithful. He cannot lie. He is good. He keeps His promises. He has given us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee that we are His. We have a sure hope, not in something, but in Someone! My prayer is that we cling to the One who is secure. He is our strength, hope, & joy!

God-The Burden Bearer

October 13, 2013November 2, 20143 Comments

Photo Credit: Pinterest

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

Beautiful friends, we live in a sinful world. Since we live in a sinful world, we are not immune from burdens. Jesus said, “In the world you will have trouble; take heart I have already overcome the world.”
He warned us ahead of time there would be suffering in this world. Aside from challenges and burdens, there can be stress.

We may have sick or needy relatives. We may have challenging coworkers. You may have family demands, obligations, or small children to care for. We may have church family that have burdens we help carry. The stress or burden may be a result of our unbelief in God’s promises.

Regardless of the burden, there are a few things to remember:

1: God is strong enough to carry everyone’s burdens, we are not.

Even though the Holy Spirit is our strength, He still calls us to cast our cares, burdens, and concerns on Him. If we try to carry the weight of the world, we will be destroyed. Even Jesus retreated for seasons to be alone with the Father. He knew His source. We are not God, we are empowered by Him. We (by ourselves), are not strong enough and we are limited.

2. God cares enough to carry our burdens.

I love this verse: Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens (carries us in His arms),~Psalm 68:19. People get overwhelmed when you rely on them too much, God does not. He does not grow tired or weary. You can approach Him at any time and unload your burdens. He is not limited; He is not human.

3. People are not God. Therefore, seek God first.

God invites us into His family and most people have a biological or adopted family. God designed us for relationship. We get into trouble when we seek people first. People are not God. They can help, but God goes to the root and heals. Anything or anyone we put in the place of God becomes our idol. Idols will always disappoint. I truly believe sometimes God allows people to let us down so we stop putting them in His place. Only God saves. Jesus is the Hero!

No matter what we face friends, we can rely on Jesus. Don’t place your hopes in yourself or other people. It may seem unbearable today, but I promise God is strong enough to carry your burdens. May we rest in His arms, the burden bearer.

When Reality Does Not Match God’s Promises

September 20, 2013November 2, 20142 Comments

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“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the Holy Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny],
” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10.

We live in a world that is flooded with negativity and fear. I normally cannot stomach the news, not because I like to stick my head in the sand, but because they normally don’t have anything good to say. Fear has replaced love and hope. Cynicism has replaced optimism. Sarcasm has replaced encouragement. And we call it all normal.

In this often upside down world, it can be challenging to look with the eyes of faith. I had someone call me Pollyanna once because for the most part I’m looking for something to be thankful for. There’s a difference between denying reality, and praying or expecting God to create a new reality. Even if God’s answer is no, He is still good. Either God is who He says He is and can do everything His word says He can do, or we need to throw in the towel and close all the churches.

If God no longer heals, let’s stop praying for the sick.

If God no longer delivers, let’s stopping pursuing breakthrough.

If our circumstances or what we see determine the ability of God, we have created a demi-god. The God we create is powerless. We make our circumstances and what we see more impressive than God.

The truth is, nothing is ever impossible with God. He is the One who spoke and it was. He is the One who formed Adam from the ground and breathed life into him. He is the One who came as a child, walked among us, was crucified for all sin, and was resurrected on the third day. This is the same God we are crying out to today. God has not changed. Our expectations of what He will do have changed. We’ve put God in a box.

On missions and hearing from missionary friends, there are more miracles and radical encounters with God. People are desperate for God and not the Jesus painted on the stained glass windows. It’s not for show, money, or entertainment. People come hungry and leave fed.

God change my situation:

I am no fan of bossing God around. We don’t tell God what to do. He can do as He pleases. I do believe unbelief blocks us from the richness and fullness of God’s presence. He never promised us a trouble free life. He did promise to never leave or forsake us. He did promise to be faithful to His word. He never ceases to be God. Sometimes He changes our situations, sometimes He gives us strength to walk through them, and sometimes we remain where we are because we choose complaining over praise.

No matter the circumstances, what is true of God:

God is love.

God is good.

God does not fail.

God saves, heals, and delivers.

God has already won and will be victorious again over all evil.

God’s saving power is greater than our capacity to sin.

God is faithful and keeps His word.

God cannot lie.

God’s perfect love casts out fear.

God will always love you!

God is not surprised by what’s happening in the world or ill equipped to deal with it.

God is all powerful. Nothing and no one trumps His power.

God will bring perfect justice in His time.

When your circumstances don’t match God’s word, I encourage you to dig into His Word. Pull out verses about His character. I’ve cried many nights and had great comfort in God’s presence. What’s helped the most was to look to who He is and remind myself of who my Father is.

Yes, life will hurt. Gosh, I know all too well. There are some things I’m surprised I lived through. I counted, I’ve almost died or could have died at least a half dozen times. As a young person, I feel I’ve lived a 100 years. I look back and see countless miracles. Despite it all, I’ve found none more faithful than God. He can be trusted. When we are faithless, He is still faithful.

Bless you. Praying for you. You are deeply loved.

Unconditional Love vs. Unconditional Approval

August 18, 2013August 18, 20137 Comments

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,a that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God, Romans 6:1-10.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives, Hebrews 12:6 and Proverbs 3:12.

I recommend reading the entire book of Romans in one sitting. I have included parts of Chapter 6. There’s a scary phenomenon I’ve seen on blogs and some Christian websites that say because we are saved by faith we can live however we want. It’s true God allows us to make choices. It is incorrect that God approves of a lifestyle of sin. God never approves of sin.

He forgives our sins. When we confess our sins and seek repentance, He washes away our sins. God is 100 percent holy and just. There would have been no reason to send Jesus to the cross if He were okay with us living any way we want. Sin carries with it the penalty of death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23). Someone without sin had to pay for our sins. Jesus did that for us so we could be raised from spiritual death to life.

God did what we could not do. And the righteousness of Jesus is imputed to those who believe by faith and follow Him. Following Jesus involves obedience, not to earn righteousness or approval, but out of love for Him. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you’ll keep My commandments,” John 14:15.

God loves us no matter what we do. His love is agape, unconditional. He does not approve of or delight in sin. He never has and never will. It violates His nature as holy. His unconditional love is not unconditional approval. Jesus didn’t throw away the law, He fulfilled it and gave us His Spirit to empower us to live differently. Being born again means being given a new nature. We are no longer slaves to sin and sin becomes uncomfortable or unnatural.

Just as a human parent does not approve of their child disobeying, getting in trouble, abusing others or themselves, God does not delight in evil. He wants the best for us. He corrects us knowing sin is destructive. He’s not out to get us, but to help and protect us. Adam and Eve didn’t listen and we are still suffering from their choices. Sin is not our friend.

Key notes:

There is nothing we can do to make God love us more or less. Out of love He corrects us and leads us away from sin. He never approves of sin.

Grace empowers us to live righteous lives because of Christ in us. He changes us from the inside out.

Following Jesus includes making Him Lord over every area of our lives.

God doesn’t come to shame or condemn, but to convict and restore.

Jesus died for our freedom from sin!

Sweet friends, no matter the struggle, if our hearts long to follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit will lead us on a path to becoming like Him. We don’t strive, we abide and follow. God loves us too much to leave us the same. If we harden our hearts it can lead to destruction (Romans 1:28). It is in our best interests to submit to God in every way.

You Are Loved!

August 9, 20131 Comment

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness, ~Jeremiah 31:3.

You mean the world to God! You were chosen to be the object of His affection. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, the value of something is determined by how much someone is willing to pay for it. Jesus paid for us with His life. He didn’t just die, He was beaten, humiliated, mocked, abused, rejected, scorned, and He suffered. You were worth dying for.

So, today, no matter what you face may you rest in the truth that God loves you!

God loves you and it’s not with a blanket love. It’s personalized and on full blast aimed at your heart! He adores you! He will never leave or forsake you.

No matter the problem, God has a solution.

No matter the pain, He offers His comfort.

No matter the joy, He always has more available in Him.

You are beautiful, set apart, a holy priesthood, a holy nation, the apple of God’s eye, deeply loved and cherished. There’s nothing you can do to make God love you more or less.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love in Christ,

Erin

From My Heart to Yours

July 23, 2013Leave a comment

The reason I began writing was to express my heart to God. I never imagined I would write a book or write for three blogs. Knowing God, not simply knowing about Him, has been my desire since I was a child. God is beyond amazing. I don’t know of anyone worth more devotion or worship. So, here’s the intro from I Thought I Knew What Love Was. I hope it inspires you to dive deeper into the depths of God’s heart. He loves you, and He longs to be with you more than you could ever want to be with Him.

I Thought I Knew What Love Was is a series of poems and reflections about God, about life, and about life with God. Over the years, the view of God has changed. He has broken out of every box in which He was placed. His love transforms all other loves into what they were meant to be. Once we receive His love, we view the love of others so differently. He changes our worldview as we receive more of Him. His love is the foundation for the truest, purest love. His love is the glue that holds all other loves together. His love is the most amazing of all loves. The title of this book should be I Thought I Knew Who Love Was. Love is who God is. It is impossible to understand even a fraction of who He is without first looking at love. Our human love may fail, but God’s love does not fail.

I have found that love is a journey, not a destination. I will never say I have God or love all figured out. Until I meet Him face to face, He will continue to remain a bit mysterious. I also cannot say the love in my heart can even compare to His. I am simply learning day by day how to pour out what He pours in. What I can tell you is that walking with Him is an adventure. He is better than any person I have met. He is kind, compassionate, gracious, a gentleman, truthful, and always seeks our best. He loves justice and truth. He loves people. So if you have not encountered the love of God, I pray these poems speak to you. He loves you. It isn’t based on what you do, or fail to do. He simply loves you. If you invite Him into your heart and into your life, you won’t regret it.

Yes, life will still present challenges, but now you can face them with the most powerful being in the Universe. You will have a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He will bring about the internal changes in your life as you submit your life to Him. The more I grow to know Him, the more I realize that I say, “Yes” and He does all the hard work. I can always depend on Him to provide what is needed.

If you’ve already met Him and invited Him into your heart, I pray you are encouraged to dive in a little further. God wants to wow you. He wants to surprise you. He wants to stand by you. He longs to continue His pursuit of your heart. He never grows tired of being with you. He never wants the flame in your heart for Him to go out.

So here’s to you, the reader. I am praying for you. I hope you will never forget that you are deeply loved.

You’re not an Orphan

July 14, 2013July 16, 20132 Comments

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine,~Isaiah 43:1b.

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows,~Luke 12:6-7.

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.“~Jeremiah 1:5.

I will start out by saying you cannot know who you are and your purpose in life without knowing God. He is the Creator of all things. Nothing we see would exist without Him. He holds it all together. Though He gives humans the right to choose, He is still Sovereign. You are here because God allowed you to be here.

“Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name–and his son’s name? Tell me if you know!” Proverbs 30:4.

God knows why you were born, and He has a great plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). You are not an orphan (without a father or parent). You are an extension of His heart and His plan. Even if your earthly mother or father forsake you, God never will (Psalm 27:10). You must forsake Him. He doesn’t send anyone to hell, if we end up there, we chose to live life without Him. Without holiness (salvation) no person can enter heaven. He’s a loving Father who says, “I made you for Me. Come be with Me. You are invited to enter into My Royal Family. Everything I have, I want to share with you. I want you to be united with Me. I gave My Son so you can be set free. I want to give you life abundantly.”

You are invited to belong to Someone great. I heard someone say, “When God looks at the earth He sees two groups of people, repentant and unrepentant. He loves them both. He, like the Prodigal son’s father, is working to bring lost sons and daughters home.” It’s true. God wants you! You were created to be united with Him for eternity. He longs for you. Many are deceived or willingly reject Him, which I am sure hurts His heart. No parent likes to see their child headed for destruction.

God hates what’s aimed at destroying us, sin is aimed at destroying us. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The devil wants to take as many people as he can to hell with him. His fate is sealed, there is no redemption for him. He will burn in the lake of fire being tortured for eternity. He hates people, for humans can be redeemed. Humans can be saved. Humans can worship and love God. Humans are the recipients of God’s grace, love, and made in His image.

So, dear friends, if you want to know who you are, why you were born, who your Father is, go to God. If you want to know your purpose, go to God. He knows all, sees all, and has a great plan for your life. If we want to know the purpose of something, we ask the One who made it. You are of Divine Design. Don’t allow the world or even your own thoughts to define who you are. God is perfect and I am certain His thoughts towards you and your life will exceed your expectations. You are and will always be, deeply loved.

If you have not accepted the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, I invite you to come find life. God longs to bless you. He says, “No matter where you have been or what you have done. I paid for it all.” If that’s you and you want to know God, follow along in this prayer with me.

Prayer for salvation:

God I confess that I am a sinner. I have done things to grieve Your heart and sought to live life my own way. I believe that you sent Your Son Jesus to pay the price for all my sins. I place my faith and trust in You. I ask for Your forgiveness for all my sins, and I invite You into My life. I want to commit my life to You and turn from the life I’ve been living. In Jesus name.

If you sincerely prayed that prayer, know heaven is rejoicing. Heaven celebrates every single time we repent (say God is right and decide we don’t want sin in our lives). If you sincerely prayed this prayer, expect life changes. Find a Gospel centered church and get connected. Pick up a Bible and start reading it. I recommend starting in the New Testament and asking God to speak to you through His word. Start praying, talking to God. You can comment here if you want more information. Know that being in God’s family is a tremendous blessing. God LOVES you!

You can find more resources and teachings on what it means to be in Christ on my devotional blog (http://morena242.wordpress.com). Whatever you choose in life, I hope you choose Jesus! He is the way, the truth, and the life. God bless you.

God=Love

Exploring God's Heart

Category: Devotions