At the very center of the Christian faith is an innocent man nailed to a cross between heaven and earth, dying for the sins of others.
This is the whole gospel: Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. It is so simple that a child can hear it and understand.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness: but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
The gospel of the Cross is a powerful message to those who believe.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth . . .
You might ask, "What can I do to be saved?" Since salvation is an expensive gift bought with the blood of Jesus, you cannot pay for it, pray for it or perform for it. You just believe it and receive it.
Sometimes it's hard to settle the thoughts roaming my mind when it's time to pray. I've found that quoting the following scripture removes those thoughts and puts me in the presence of God. I recall glorious deliverences every time.
Psalm 18:2 The LORD is [You are] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Visualize Jesus as your own personal High Priest, listening intensely as He has promised. Then boldly approach the throne of grace in prayer.
You should pray for the will of God in your life, for spiritual maturity, for others, for wisdom, for a passion for the things of God, and for courage and boldness to witness.
Unconfessed sin or selfish desires will choke off the purpose and power of prayer.
Pray humbly every day. It changes things.
Some folks want just enough of Jesus to make them feel good and to keep them out of Hell. Jesus isn't a good luck charm. He is a life-changing, eternity-altering Savior.
He wants more than just a few hours a week. He wants everything you have and everything you are to be laid on the altar of surrender. It is amazing what Jesus can do when a life is placed in His hands.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Are you out of God's will and trapped in pride and bitterness? Jesus can set you free. Do you need His touch, His compassion, His life-changing power? It is a prayer of faith away.
Materialism, philosophies, and worldly influence compete with our Christian minds. Whoever or whatever wins our minds wins our hearts.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.
If we are going to love God with all our hearts and minds, we must get to know Him. The better we know Him, the more we are going to love Him.
Loving God is not merely about feelings. A true love of God involves investigating who He is, how He is, and what He has said.
In the whole Bible we see life and the world the way God sees it. We see His might, power, judgement, mercy, grace, compassion, and love.
Loving God is filling our minds and concentrating on the truths revealed in Christ, and then living out, fleshing out, those truths in every day life.
There is something special about people who have been touched and trained by suffering.
1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you . . .
When Jesus asked, "Saul, Saul, why persecuteth thou Me? (Acts 9:4). He was feeling the pain and hardship of the Christians Saul was arresting and killing because of their faith.
God considers the suffering done to us is also done to Him. He comforts us. He has been there because He was at the cross when His son died. We are also His child.
There will be an end to suffering for those who know and love Jesus. After He suffered on the cross and arose from the grave, He entered into His glory. We will also have victory over death and be caught up to be with Christ.
There are times in our Christian lives when we need to be restored. Perhaps we have gotten rusty and worn out. We've distanced ourselves from God. We've gotten out of harmony with His fellowship. Maybe we are doing things we shouldn't be doing. By neglecting the Word and prayer, we can lose our first love and joy.
Years ago, I got out of church after moving away and stayed out when I came back. I was out a total of five years and miserable.
I'm glad God never stopped loving me. He was there all the time, waiting for the day when I finally said, "Lord, how do I get back?" I felt so helpless.
The events that happened the next week were not coincidental, but personally directed by the Holy Spirit, drawing me back to the arms of Jesus.
Psalm 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Nicodemus didn't understand when Jesus said he had to be born again to enter His kingdom.
We may not understand the mystery of how God changes a person's heart when they believe, but when they are born again we see the evidence.
Years ago when I worked in the VA Hospital Neurosurgery Clinic, a patient called me repeatedly, complaining and cussing about his back pain, his appointments, and the system. It seemed I was to blame for all his problems.
One day I shuddered when I saw he was coming to clinic. To my surprise, he checked in with a pleasant attitude. His appearance had drastically changed, and I wasn't sure if it was the same man.
"You look different," I said.
He smiled. "I got saved."
As he told me his experience, we rejoiced together. He apologized for treating me bad on the phone.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
