It states in2 Corinthians 7:10:
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Let’s say that you did not know God. You spent your entire life feeling like a victim of circumstances, only because you didn’t know any other way for life to be. Let’s also say that one day, you are witnessed to by a Christian who tells you about the love of God and how He sent His only son to die on a cross so that you and all who accept him can be saved. Again, just for argument’s sake, let’s say that you accept this and become a Christian. Just because you now have the Holy Spirit working on the inside of you, now you have this belief that your sorrows and suffering are finally over. Unfortunately, that is not the truth.
You see, there are 2 types of sorrows, the sorrows that God sends your way in hopes that you will completely turn from your sins and repent, and the sorrows of the world. God loves you so much that He will send trials and tribulations your way so that you will understand that He is in control and that you NEED Him. These types of trials make you stronger and stronger. The trials and sorrows of the world are much different. They usually come about when you are willfully living a life that is not pleasing to God. When you sin and don’t repent (ask God for forgiveness), you give Satan a loophole to step in and give you grief. If you continue to sin without repentance, it will only lead you to calamity and certain death. By certain death, it means that you will be separated from God forever when you die. In the Bible, it says that God is Love; can you imagine existing without Love? Sure, you are probably thinking to yourself, “well if I die, who cares if there is love? I will be dead.” You see, once your human flesh dies and is gone, your spirit will live on. You do however, have a choice as to where it will live on.
Remember, today is a new day and you can even start now by living a life that is pleasing to God. You cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven by doing good works, but if you assuredly believe in your heart that Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God, died for YOUR sins, then you too will be given the opportunity to be called a child of God. Don’t forget that when you do sin, if you sincerely repent each time you sin – and at the same time, turn away from your sin, you will surely be forgiven by God our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ who intercedes on our behalf.
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This year the U.S. Government is conducting the 2010 Census. Let’s just say that instead of the Census, the United States Government decided to take a poll in every household asking each member of each household whether they knew Jesus Christ as their Savior ~ what do you think the outcome would be? Think about it. Think about the current morals and ethics of this nation as a whole, and what is being presented in the media (television, radio, internet). If we judged our nation on media alone, I would say that the majority of this nation is non-Christian. Okay, now let us take a look at who our president is. Barack Obama himself, the leader of a nation founded on Christ, has professed that the U.S.A. is no longer a Christian Nation (Watch Video).This really does disturb me that our leader, who professes to be a Christian, makes a statement that shakes the very foundation on which this nation was built.
I received an email yesterday, one that I am surprised I had not seen before. Amazing how some things in Washington get swept under the rug and are not widely publicized. Just so you know, I am the type of person who researches my emails before passing them on to others as “fact”. I am sad to say that the following email is actually true (I have also inserted YouTube videos and news sources so that you can read/view for yourself):
In 1952 President Truman established one day a year as a “National Day of Prayer.”
In 1988, President Reagan designated the first Thursday in May of each year as the National Day of Prayer.
In June 2007, (then) Presidential candidate Barack Obama declared that the USA was no longer a Christian nation. (Watch Video)
This year (actually in 2009) President Obama, canceled the 21st annual National Day of Prayer ceremony at the White House under the rouse of “not wanting to offend anyone” (View Article)
On September 25, 2009 from 4 am until 7 pm, a National Day of Prayer for the Muslim religion was held on Capitol Hill, beside the White House. There were over 50,000 Muslims that day in DC.
I guess it doesn’t matter if “Christians” are offended by this event – we obviously don’t count as “anyone” anymore.
The direction this country is headed should strike fear in the heart of every Christian. Especially knowing that the Muslim religion believes that if Christians cannot be converted they should be annihilated.
This is not a rumor – Go to the website to confirm this info: ( http://www.islamoncapitolhill.com/ ) Pay particular attention to the very bottom of the page: “OUR TIME HAS COME”
I hope that this information will stir your spirit.
The words of 2 Chronicles 7:14:
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
We must pray for our nation, our communities, our families, and especially our children. They are the ones that are going to suffer the most if we don’t PRAY!
May God have mercy…IN GOD WE TRUST.
Please share this with others, maybe someone, somehow can figure out a way to put America back on the map as it was when we were growing up, a safe place to live and by the Ten Commandments and Pledge of Allegiance, etc!
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You see, while researching the content of that email, not only did I discover that the email was accurate but also discovered some more alarming truths. I came across a website: Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (http://www.defendchristians.org/). They revealed some information about our president and provided some reasons why they feel Barack Obama is not a Christian. Ordinarily I am not one to point fingers at others, or tear down someone’s character – when I should be building them up in love the way Christ would want me to, but I also feel that it is my duty as a Christian to defend my Lord Jesus Christ for all that He stands for, and for all that He has done for us. Here are some YouTube videos that may actually enlighten you as to what may become of Christians – because we, as a Nation, have turned away from God:
It is with great sadness that Rev. Don Hamer, the speaker in these videos, passed away this past week. Even though we know he has gone home to the Lord, he will surely be missed. Read Tribute to Rev. Don Hamer
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Here is another Video where on June 28, 2006, then Senator, Barack Obama Mocked & Attacked Jesus Christ And The Bible:
In spite of all the bad news I passed along, I do have some GOOD NEWS! Jesus is the GOOD NEWS. He took our place on the cross so that our sins would be forgiven, so that we would not perish but have everlasting life! More Good News is that God is in control of everything and knows everything that is happening in this world. We now live in the end times and in order for prophecy to be fulfilled, certain events must take place.
In Mark 13:3-8 it says:
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
5Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.”
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Scripture tells us “do not be alarmed”. In other words, do not be afraid. It tells us this because like I said before, God knows what is happening and is in control of the situation.
Luke 21:7-11 says about the end times:
7“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
10Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”
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The point that I am basically trying to make with this entire article is, if you read in the next part of Luke 21(see below), you will understand that some day, and at some point in time (especially if this great nation of ours does not turn from her wicked ways), we will be persecuted for our Christian faith.
Luke 21:12-19 says:
12“But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17All men will hate you because of me. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By standing firm you will gain life.”
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We must stand firm in our faith even if it means persecution or even death. We are not to be afraid of what is to come, for the Lord is with us always. He will protect us and provide us with the right words to say when faced with adversity. I will leave you for now with the comforting words from Psalm 91:
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Ordinarily I write about what it means to be a Christian and why we are called by God to do certain things. Today I come to you as a concerned United States Citizen and as a Christian, urging you to step up to the plate and do your part in the humanitarian effort for the Haitian earthquake victims. On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, Haiti suffered a catastrophic earthquake that left tens of thousands dead and many more injured, and without food, water or shelter. The bible states that in the end times that there will be great earthquakes and famines. Luke 21, verses 10-11 states:
10Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”
Mark 13:8 states:
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
Those of you who know the written word of God may be wondering if this particular earthquake is one of those signs. Personally, I don’t know if it is or not, and I believe that right now as Christians, we shouldn’t be placing our focus on that. We should be focusing our attention on the humanitarian effort and asking ourselves “What can I do to help the Haitian people?” This morning on CNN President Obama, along with former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton gave a speech, rallying the American people to come together as a nation in a humanitarian effort to help save the lives of the Haitian people, and help them to reclaim and rebuild their country.
The two Former Presidents Clinton and Bush have established a website where you can go to donate toward saving the lives of the people of Haiti. From a statement on their website here is what they are saying:
“Through the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, we will work to provide immediate relief and long-term support to earthquake survivors. We will channel the collective goodwill around the globe to help the people of Haiti rebuild their cities, their neighborhoods, and their families.”
Won’t you please join in this effort as a Christian, as a decent Human Being and as my Brothers and Sisters in Christ? Even if you can only donate $5 or $10, I believe that every little bit helps and we can make this world a better place – even if it is just a little bit at a time.
Also, I believe that prayer can move mountains. If you find it in your heart, please pray for the Haitian Nation that God will have mercy on them and that He will bless them, making them strong. Please pray that those He has claimed as His, will come to know Jesus as their Savior.
Isaiah 53:5 (NIV): But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Often you will hear Christians talking about “The Blood of Jesus” or “The Blood of the Lamb”; and some of you may not fully understand what it is that they are referring to. You see, human beings are creatures that are sinful by nature, and there is only one way in which we can be reconciled to God; and that is by our sins being washed clean by the Blood of Jesus (sometimes referred to as the Blood of the Lamb). If you do not understand what this means, then I am sure that it may sound a bit far-fetched, considering the color of blood. However, in the Kingdom of God, it is only by blood that one’s sins can be washed white as snow. It is only by the Blood of Jesus that we can be forgiven of our sinsand be freed from our guilt as sinners. It is only by the blood of Jesus that we are able to be reconciled to God, and dwell with Him in Heaven forever. Here is what 1 John says about The Blood of Jesus:
1 John 1:5-10~ Walking in the Light
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.
The History of “The Blood”
Adam and Eve were the first to introduce sin into God’s perfect and sinless world. It was in the Garden of Eden that Eve first disobeyed God and caused her husband Adam to sin as well. After this, God banished them both from the garden; and because they had eaten from the forbidden Tree of Life, they would surely die instead of spending eternity with God (Genesis 2:4 – Genesis 3).
In the days of Noah and after the flood, burnt offerings were offered up to God at the altar (Genesis 8:15-22), and this pleased God very much. Years later, but not long after the mass exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, Leviticus 17 tells us that the Israelites were instructed to provide burnt offerings at the altar for atonement (forgiveness) of their sins. Here is what it says in Leviticus 17:10-14:
Leviticus 17:10-14 (New International Version) 10 ” ‘Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood—I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.”
13 ” ‘Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”
It is in the book of Exodus that God spoke to Moses about redemption (Exodus 40). God redeemed his people from bondage in Egypt with His mighty hand, in order to fulfill the oath that he had sworn to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At Mount Sinai, the covenant was established and the Law of Moses (as we now know it), was given. It was at this time that God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle to be His dwelling place in the midst of His people.
And so it was, for God to accept their sin offering (sins that were against the laws and decrees that God had commanded for the people of Israel), the Israelites were instructed to follow certain rituals and traditions (The Sin Offering ~ Leviticus 4). In order for sins to be forgiven, the shedding of blood is an absolute requirement. Because of the sinful actions or thoughts that the Israelites had committed each year, an atonement for those sins was needed. There were more than 600 commandments that the Israelites were supposed to keep, but keeping them was impossible for them to do. Therefore, it was the High Priest who made the sacrifice on their behalf each year. The High Priest would then sacrifice a pure, spotless lamb without blemish, and it was to be slain and offered unto the Lord so that the people could be forgiven of their sins.
The Final Sacrifice ~ The Blood of Jesus
In His mercy, because God knew that it would be impossible for any human to keep ALL of the commandments of God, it was through the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 9:6-7), that God foretold of The One who would eventually come; The One who would become the final sacrifice for the remission of all sin, on our behalf (Isaiah 53). Yes, it was Jesus Christ, The One who Isaiah foretold would come to take away the sins of the world. It is only by the blood of Jesus Christ that we can be forgiven of our sins; and it is only by His blood that we are able to be reconciled to God.
How do you feel when you know that someone has done something wrong to you or someone you care about, and they ask you for forgiveness? Most people without even thinking, will feel that if they forgive that person, they are condoning their behavior or what they’ve done. However, this is so far from the truth. Jesus said in Matthew 18:21-22:
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Why do you think Jesus would actually want us to forgive someone who sins against us? Is it because He thinks we should condone sin? No. It is because when we ask Jesus to forgive us of our own sins, He does. And if we do not forgive those who have sinned against us, God may not forgive us for our sins.
In Mark 11:25, Jesus tells us:
25 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
You see, if you want God to forgive you for your own sins, then you MUST forgive others. Now you may be asking, how can this be done? If someone has hurt you, forgiving them is usually the last thing you intend to do, right? Let me tell you a little bit about forgiveness. I honestly think that forgiveness is one of the hardest things we are expected to do in our Christian walk. If you know that you have to forgive someone and it isn’t in your heart to do that, how can you? Did you know that when you do not forgive, that person actually has power over you? That’s right, they actually have power over you. I say this because when you are angry, feeling rejected, or you are mentally or physically wounded by someone and you hold on to that, it is constantly playing out in your mind over and over again, just like a broken record. When you don’t forgive, you are actually hurting yourself.
Here is an example about forgiveness: Let’s say that you just caught one of your friends cheating with your spouse. At this point you are feeling angry, rejected, betrayed and bitter toward your spouse and your friend. Your spouse begs you for your forgiveness, but it just isn’t in your heart to forgive them. Your friend doesn’t bother asking you for forgiveness, so in your mind you feel that you will never forgive them. A few days go by and your spouse keeps begging for forgiveness, but still you cannot forgive them. You go to sleep angry each night and wake up angry each morning. But still, you do not condone what they did, so you will not forgive. Two weeks have now gone by and you still haven’t forgiven your spouse or your friend. You are now starting to suffer with migraines and you are drained because you haven’t been sleeping well. You become irritable and your job is starting to suffer as well. Now you are at a point where something has to give – or you are going to have worse problems.
Finally. You approach your spouse and say that you need to discuss what happened and where to go from here. You make the decision that if you want to continue in your marriage, you are going to have to forgive. At this point you forgive your spouse and you find a way to work things out. Just because you forgave, does not mean that you condone. You feel better because when you forgive someone, you are no longer resisting something that inevitably needs to happen in order to maintain your relationship
However… you still have not forgiven your friend and you never plan to. Your friend has been avoiding you and has had such a bad attitude. It is as if they have no remorse for what they’ve done to you and your family. The migraines continue, the anger still hovers in the background and you are still not sleeping well. What should you do at this point? The first thing that I suggest that you do is to forgive your friend. I know, it is not an easy thing to do. But there is a way of doing this, without even saying a word to your friend. What you now need to do is forgive that person in your heart. Obviously they are not coming to you asking for you to forgive them, and they seem to have no remorse, so I would not go to them and forgive them either. BUT I would forgive them in my heart so that they no longer have the power over me, causing me to hold on to that anger and resentment. Once you have forgiven somebody for wronging you, you will be set free. You will have no reason to hold on to any of that bitterness or negative feelings any longer. Sure the anger and resentment will creep back up from time to time, but you will just need to forgive them again and again, for as long as it takes. Even though your friend (or ex-friend at this point) has not asked for your forgiveness, if you take it upon yourself to forgive them in your heart, they never need to know. You are doing this for your own peace of mind and to heal your own heart, not to make them feel better.
So remember, when someone sins against you, once you have come to your senses, you need to realize that at some point you will have to forgive them and let it go; because if you don’t, it will eat at you until you do. Believe me, after many hard lessons and many sleepless nights, I finally began to use this technique in my own life, and it really has made a positive difference in the way I interact with other people.
Have you ever wondered just exactly who and what your inner spirit is? Have you ever heard anyone speak about a near-death or out-of-body experience, of how they were in a situation where they were dying or pronounced dead, and that they’d left their bodies and literally rose above the situation? How they found themselves looking down and watching as someone was working on them, attempting to save their lives?
I know that this scenario has played out in movies such as City of Angels and Ghost, but still, doesn’t that make you stop and wonder about what your inner spirit is actually capable of doing? Can the spirit leave your body and return? Is it a separate entity from your body? I myself had often wondered about this for many years. It was just recently that I had a revelation about the human spirit in correlation with God.
One day I was astounded by the abomination that I saw when I was cutting the back of my own hair. As I turned around to see the back of my head in the bathroom mirror, I was appalled by what I saw in the reflection of the small hand mirror that I held. You see I wasn’t wearing anything on the upper part of my body because I didn’t want the hair clippings to get on my clothes. When I looked at the reflection, what I saw were huge dangling rolls of fat that I obviously knew were there, but hadn’t really looked at in a long time.
Having been a hairdresser many years back, I have been giving myself haircuts for the past 20 years, because I just happen to like the way I cut my own hair. Ordinarily I cut my hair fully clothed, but this time I was cutting most of my hair off into a short bob and didn’t want to deal with the hair clippings getting embedded in my clothes. So there I was looking at the reflection of my backside and all I wanted to do is throw myself down on the floor and cry.
I had been trying to lose weight for months, but hadn’t really gotten very far, and what I saw in the mirror that day proved it. Instead of throwing myself down on the floor and crying, I did something worse; I started to mentally punish myself for looking so disgusting and letting myself go like that. I didn’t stop there. I began telling myself just how ugly I really am and that I could not believe anyone would ever say I was pretty and actually be telling me the truth, especially the way I looked now.
Only a few moments passed after beating myself up mentally, when I had a very clear revelation. I began to realize that it isn’t what is on the outside that needs to be beautiful, but it is actually what is on the inside that God truly looks at. I thought that if I could separate my spirit from my body and take a good look at it, I wondered what type of reflection I would see. When I was finished analyzing and looking my spirit over top to bottom, I was simply amazed! I then said out loud, “Now THAT’S BEAUTIFUL”!
Within moments the ugliness that I felt disappeared and I was able to focus on what is beautiful about me. I began looking at myself the same way that God looks at me, and realized that even though my spirit is in this body, my body is only a shell that houses the “Beautiful” spirit that God created for His Glory, not for Man’s glory. I realized right there and then that God does not see us in our flesh, but lovingly looks at our spirits to find our true selves. My spirit is kind, generous and loves the Lord more than life itself.
Don’t get me wrong, my spirit does have its ugly days, but even when it does, God still loves me and promises to never leave me. Even now, as I pass a mirror and am tempted to look at what is wrong with what I see, I don’t give in to that temptation any more and look beyond what the human eye can see. I see a “Beautiful Spirit reflecting back at me”, even on my worst days.
After telling this story to my dear friend Donna, and seeing how much it blessed her, I decided to write this article and share it with others, hoping it will be a blessing to them as well.
Today, I heard on the news driving home from work, that a man in Louisiana who was mowing his lawn on a tractor, was hit by a stray bullet. Ordinarily, the man would carry his cell phone in his pants pocket, but today he put it in his shirt pocket – something he wouldn’t have done before. While mowing his grass, the man was struck in the chest by a stray bullet that authorities believe came from a hunter’s gun. The cell phone in the man’s shirt pocket miraculously stopped the bullet and the man only got a bruised chest. Would you call that a coincidence, or a miracle?
A father was getting his daughter and himself ready for work and school, and the daughter wouldn’t quit playing around and get ready like she was told. Most days this little girl is up and dressed before her dad. Needless to say, completely out of character for her, this day she didn’t feel like going to school. She took her time picking out her clothes, playing with her toys, picking at her breakfast – you name it. During this unexpected ordeal the father becomes extremely agitated at his daughter’s tardiness, realizing that she is making him late for work and that she would also be late for school. When they were about 10 minutes late getting out the door, finally, they were in the car and on their way. About a mile down the highway, traffic had come to a complete halt. There were fire trucks, ambulances, rescue workers and police cars everywhere. It turned out that 10 minutes prior to their arrival, there was a huge accident and most everyone involved in the accident had died. Had the father and daughter been running on time that day, they would most certainly have been in that accident – and most likely would be dead, had they not been running late that day. Coincidence or Miracle?
A woman driving to work, was driving 80 miles per hour on a winding highway in the far left lane, just like she did every weekday morning. Today was no different. As she was approaching a bend in the road, “something” told her to get over in the next lane IMMEDIATELY! Just as she was over in the other lane and coming around the bend, there was a mini-van stalled in the lane she was in. As she passed the mini-van, she glanced in her rear-view mirror and saw the mini-van pull off to the shoulder of the road just AFTER she had passed. If she had stayed in the far left-hand lane, she would have slammed into that mini-van going 80 miles per hour. She may as well of hit a brick wall. Coincidence or Miracle?
It states in Ephesians 2:8-9:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
If you already know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can be thankful that God saved you by His grace. If you don’t already have a relationship with Jesus, you may ask, “What is meant by God’s Grace?” Grace is God showing His love to us even though we do not deserve it. Because grace is a gift from God, we cannot earn it. Grace was shown to us by God when He saved us from the punishment of sin through the death of Christ on the cross. We must put our faith in Jesus and trust him as our Lord and Savior in order to receive God’s grace. God also shows us His grace by giving us the strength to handle difficult situations, providing us with guidance by caring for us each day.
You can depend on God each and every day for the grace you need to live for Him. Because God lovingly shows His grace to you, you should in turn, show His grace to others.
Do you understand what Communion is? In 1Corinthians, chapter 11, while Jesus was seated amongst his apostles sharing the ‘Last Supper’ with them before his crucifixion, he left them with instructions on how believers should regularly gather together in his name and share the Lord’s Supper (also known as communion). In the following scripture, the Apostle Paul touches on what Jesus said at the Last Supper and discusses the manner in which communion was introduced to the early church. Also, notice how at the end of this scripture, the Apostle Paul issues a warning to those who receive communion in an unworthy manner.
1 Corinthians 11:23-34 (NIV)
The Lord’s Supper
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.
You see, in the Church of Corinth, many believers were excluded from communion, some were there only to eat the feast, and others were there to get drunk on the wine. Paul brought order to communion with his instructions on how a man or woman should spiritually examine themselves before taking communion and that the body of believers should take communion in unison.
In the Lord’s Supper, according to Christ’s own Word and institution, it is his true body and blood that physically exists in the consecrated bread and wine. Trusting in the promises of their Savior, communicants who repent of their sins receive from Jesus the forgiveness of their sins as well as the blessings that flow from this forgiveness. However, as Paul warns in 1Corinithian 11:27-34, those who commune in an unworthy manner, without discerning the Lord’s body, sin against Christ’s body and blood, and eat and drink to their own judgment. Participating in the Sacrament of communion is a very serious matter.
Mutual participation in the Lord’s Supper is an outward manifestation of our biblically based oneness in the Christian faith. As the church communes together, they remember Jesus Christ and everything he has taught and accomplished for our salvation, therefore proclaiming the saving Gospel of Christ in unity.
Are you searching for someone or something that you don’t even know if they or it exists? Do you ever find yourself feeling like you have a huge hole in your heart and nothing or nobody can fill that empty space? If you can relate to these questions and you are feeling lonely and without direction, I can tell you how to fill that gaping hole in your heart.
Earlier in my life, I had always been searching, hoping to find somebody, anybody who would make me feel complete. I went from relationship to relationship, from activity to activity, but always coming up short, and feeling emptier than I did before. Then, one night, when I was at my all time low in life, I met a friend, a comforter, someone I could talk to who was always there waiting to hear my troubles. Someone who gave me peace in times of turmoil, someone whom I could trust with my life and someone who gave up his life so that I could live. If you are wondering who I found that is so perfect for me, well then I’ll tell you; It is Jesus Christ, that’s who. My life was completely falling apart, I was filled with so much loneliness and despair, that I was on a quick-moving downward spiral, with little chance of recovery on my own. The night I met Jesus, I was ready to go down a road of no-return, a road that could only condemn me to a place that I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to be. Hell. I was ready to take my own life and I didn’t think that God would send me there had I succeeded in taking my own life- but now I know differently. That night, before I could dispose of my own life, Jesus came to me; filled me with his love and his peace and I have never been the same since. Family and friends noticed the difference in me immediately. I was happier and filled to the brim with joy. Now my life is devoted to teaching others about the joy and peace they too can know when they turn their lives over to Jesus.
Not only does Jesus restore the joy and peace in your life, he restores order. He gives you a reason to get up every day and a reason to press on even in times of trial. The loneliness and despair that I once knew, now seem like they belonged to someone else – a part of someone else’s life. I now feel complete and am no longer searching for someone else to complete me. Jesus has already done that for me – and he can do that for you as well.
Do you want to know Jesus; to enjoy a life with joy, peace, happiness and direction? I am not saying that once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that you won’t have times of trials, but you will be better equipped to handle those trials. It is through Jesus Christ that you are given the strength to handle whatever trials that come your way and it is through the word of God that you are able to defeat the enemy, Satan.
If you would like to learn more about Salvation, here is a website that will teach you more about accepting Christ into your life: http://www.salvationprayer.info.
