This morning I gave blood to Mississippi Blood Services. I gave two units of blood because it was needed and I could live without it for a while. Life is in our blood and many people get into serious trouble when they don’t have enough and can’t get a compatible unit. My blood type is not the most useful like O-negative is but it will help someone.
Our Savior gave His blood to cover all of our sins and He paid the penalty for all of our sins. So why do we seem to trivialize His sacrifice? Why do we do this? Is it possible that we look at the time that has gone by since His sacrifice and think it doesn’t matter anymore? God planned this before He created the Garden of Eden so it has to have significance for all of us.
Our society in the last forty years or so has moved away from our Christian beliefs. I’m not saying that our country isn’t “Christian” anymore but the respect that our society at large once gave to being a Christian isn’t there anymore. It doesn’t mean the same that it once did and to many people it doesn’t mean anything at all. Jesus came to pay our penalty with His blood and with His life and He did this willingly. Even though it broke His heart to see His people turn away from the salvation that He was offering them. I’m sure it still breaks His heart to see how the world has turned against Christians and Christianity too.
I pray that anyone who reads this will read the New Testament and seek out Jesus as your Savior before the time is up. Life is short and in our world today, life doesn’t seem to mean nearly as much as it once did. God made it simple, just believe in Jesus and what He did for your salvation and you will be saved. Don’t just read it in a book or get baptized because your friends are doing it. It has to be a real commitment…complete and real in your heart. If it’s just something you decided to do that isn’t enough.
Many times people give their life to Jesus Christ but they aren’t taught how to access the Armor of God. Through study and prayer you can do all things through Christ and be prepared for the schemes of the devil.
Jesus paid a huge price to save all of the souls that came to know Him as Savior and Lord. We will never understand the depth of the love that it took for Him to give us His grace and mercy by dying on the cross for us. God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to pay the penalty for each of us so we could have eternity with Him. The cross is where He paid the price but the finishing touch was on Sunday morning when He walked out of the grave.
Jesus lived and fulfilled so many prophecies during His lifetime. He died on the cross just as God had planned so many years ago and then on the morning of the third day, Jesus came out of the tomb and completely finished His work.
Do you know if you will be alive tonight? Not one of us is guaranteed even the next minute of life. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us, regardless of our health. Do you know if you are saved through the grace of God in Jesus Christ? If you can’t answer that positively and boldly right now then you need to seek Jesus Christ and get that taken care of soon. God loves each of us but our sinful ways and lifestyles He can’t tolerate. That is why we are changed when the Holy Spirit comes into hour hearts. We become a new person in Jesus Christ. Sin doesn’t have us in chains anymore but we can still fall and fail to follow Jesus even after we’ve asked Him into our hearts.
Are churches full of “hypocrites”? Yes, but they are saved hypocrites. If you see someone living sinfully after they have been “saved” and they don’t seem to care about their sinful living then it is possible that they are not saved at all. The problem that we have in this world is that Satan has made it too easy for some people. They think they are saved by going to church or getting baptized or they’ve been in the church for many years so they are okay. But they’re not. If the Holy Spirit hasn’t convicted you and brought you to the cross and forced you to see how sinful you are then your “salvation” doesn’t mean anything.
I did it myself. I went down to a meeting where an evangelist was preaching and then told my pastor about it and I got baptized but it wasn’t real. I “felt” something when I went down and it might’ve been conviction from the Holy Spirit but I didn’t recognize it for what it was. Many people in church have done this and are living in this condition but they think they are saved. Yes, salvation comes through our belief in Jesus Christ and what He did for us but many people only have knowledge of Him but they are not known by Him. It doesn’t sound like much difference but the difference is between life in Heaven or being tortured in hell.
I pray that most of you know Jesus and are known by Him. Hell was not made for humanity but for Satan and the angels he deceived into rebellion, yet he has made sure that much of humanity will be there for eternity by using religion to deceive many. Christianity is a relationship with Jesus. It is not a religion. Believe in Jesus and His work on the cross to save you and ask Him to forgive you for waiting so long and follow Him every day, reading the Bible and learning more about Him. Don’t wait because you are not assured of tomorrow.
This Easter, consider what Jesus gave up for your salvation and what you truly owe Him in return. Then put the bunny and the eggs away and serve Him until the day He comes for His Bride.
This is what should not happen to us. Being almost persuaded means that you doubt God’s word and His ability to bring salvation to you. The problem with this unbelief is that Jesus finished God’s plan on the cross and when He came out of the tomb. In these words, it doesn’t sound like much but Jesus made the Way to Heaven for us through Him and our belief in His accomplishments.
Don’t turn away from the call of the Holy Spirit because you may not get that call again. No one of us is guaranteed even the next minute of life but when God’s Spirit touches your soul and you know that you need Jesus, it is your call from God. Don’t turn away from His call like it was a telemarketer! God loves you and He has a plan for your life. It may involve being an example to someone in your family. Someone that nobody else has been able to reach or maybe someone who will listen to you and take your words or your actions to heart. You may be the one who can persuade them that Jesus is worth following because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and nobody can come to the Father except through Him.
There have been revivals and movements in America because of Jesus and I pray there will be many more. So why does it seem that we are pushing God and Jesus out of our country? America needs to return to Jesus Christ but I believe a revival may be coming soon. God loves each of us. He disapproves of the way we live but He loves each of you. If you are searching for real life, you can find it following Jesus.
When you know the truth of the Lord, you shouldn’t hold it in for yourself. People need to hear the Truth of God’s Word. Don’t keep it to yourself.
When you get to the end of your rope, give it to Jesus and He can accomplish whatever is needed for your good and His glory.
The Living Message of Christ 