Not Finished Yet - I Am a Work In Progress - Be Patient With Me
"What I Believe about God Is the Most Important Thing about Me" - A.W.Tozer
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I know some of you might wonder about the title, but yes God visited me Wednesday morning. You know, in the Bible you can read over and over again about instances and times when God showed up, stopped by and appeared in different circumstances and situations. I remember often reading those passages and wondering why God doesn’t show up like that today.
Last week I had a rough week. We’re kind of going through rough waters, and it’s not easy. When I talk with God I’m always honest, so I told Him: “You know God, I really like the God of the Bible, when His people cry out – He shows up and fights their fight. So they don’t have to wait
But then God reminded me that is true in some instances, but not all of them. So I told God, “it’s OK Lord, I will not expect you to change my circumstances if that’s not your will and timing, but at least show up and somehow let me know you’re in control and everything will be OK, because you are in control.” – all this struggle started two weeks ago and still going into last week. Sometimes it feels like, Ok we are tested, but test after test, God could we get a break?
Wednesday, I woke up with this song in my head: How he loves us, Oh how he loves us by Kim Walker you can listen to the song on the video player on the left side panel. So this song just played again and again in my head.
I sat down to read my mails and here is a short email from a friend of mine, who is on the other part of the globe. She was saying thanks that I suggested her to like the Work In Progress Online Bible Community Facebook page. As she read through some articles God helped her to refocus and think about her life.
Now her story is so painful,
so I was like: Lord what should I write her back? In that moment I just felt God telling me the words, better said God took over the writing. 30 minutes later I re-read my reply all over again and I was wow…where did that come from? Of course, I knew the answer. This song was my answer, she too like all of us, messed it up and because she sinned, her family rejected her.Familiar? We call ourselves Christians? Which means: like Christ. Oh my, where are we from that: Jesus is merciful, graceful, loving…This friend of mine did not see that in her circumstance. Like millions of teens, young adults when they blow it, parents want to reject the sin, but often they do it by rejecting the sinner too.
Nothing like Jesus, Jesus loved the sinner, ate with them, and forgave their sins. But sadly said there are far too many so called “Christians” who are NOTHING like Jesus and when someone sins … you know – some of you know it better then you want to know, the rejection, the discrimination, and the pain what comes with it.
As I was answering her email, I just knew God’s love poured out on that email and then I started to pray for her, like don’t get me wrong, I pray for her a lot, she is on my prayer list, she is in my heart, but that morning the Holy Spirit yearned for her, it was nothing like the regular me….Oh how he loves us, that He would come and give His life for us. That morning He took over my prayer time to cry out for her and then that prayer just become so powerful for others, those who need that love, His love, His mercy, His grace….Oh how he loves us, Oh how.
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power, that comes from God” ~ Ephesians
As I read this Bible verses and God’s presence was almost palpable I felt His love surrounding me in a powerful way. God’s presence was real in my family room, I felt like Peter at the mountain of transfiguration. I was like God, my God this in amazing, yes when David said it better one day in your home...in your presence then thousands elsewhere, yes he was right. I would give up any resort holiday week for a whole day like that…I would, even thou, I love traveling.
It wasn’t a day, it was about one hour of God’s surrounding, loving presence and I felt like: God just stay here, just spend this day with me, I give you my blanky and just talk to me. It was overwhelming. God allowed me for a little time to understand His heart, His love…Oh how he loves us!!! We don’t get it, and how much pain is for Him when He sees that those who call themselves by His name misrepresent Him.
Wednesday morning I didn’t know that the next day, I will hear some news that will shock me. God prepared me in advance for the next day. Wednesday I didn’t saw that. How He loves us, how He loves you, how He loves me, that he visited me to strengthen me for the next day.
I know He is the same God, my God today is the same powerful God from the Bible, He never changes, NEVER. If we honestly cry out He answers! Why? Because He is real!!!
Have you ever had an experience when God came really close to you? Did God visited you in some or any different way? How was that manifested in your life?
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- God’s Desire
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God desires a personal relationship with us. Understand that God wants to give you a life filed with joy and peace. God wants us to have a life not just to make it through but an abundant and eternal life because he loves you.
"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." ~ John 10:10
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" ~ Romans 5:1
But to giving you abundant life required the supreme sacrifice:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" ~ John 3:16
What a wonderful gift the Father has given. If God gave His own Son to provide an abundant and everlasting life, why more people don’t have what He has designed for us to receive?
- Our Problem
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We were created in God’s image for an abundant and joyful life with the ability and need to know God and have a personal relationship with Him. But our freedom of choice of disobedience caused a separation and gap between God and us.
"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" ~ Isaiah 59:2
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." ~ Romans 3:23
People always try to fill that empty void in their lives with "things." They even try good works, morality, and religion. Yet they remain empty, for only God, through His Son, can fill that emptiness.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” ~ Proverbs 14:12
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." ~ Romans 6:23
Our Problem is that sin separated us from God. But
God provided only ONE SOLUTION
- God’s Solution
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God has provided only one solution to sin and separation from Himself.
Jesus Christ, His Son, is the only way to God.
Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin and rebellion against God and bridged the gap between God and humanity by dying on the cross, shedding His blood, and rising from the dead to justify and reconcile you back to God the Father.
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." ~ 1Peter 3:18
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ~ Romans 5:8
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." ~ Ephesians 2:8,9
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" ~ 1Timothy 2:5
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. “~ John 14:6
God so loved us that he gave his only Son to bridge the gap between us and the Father. God has provided the only way, the only solution. You have to take a decision and choose how to respond to God’s provision.
- Our Response
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Your relationship with God can be restored and you can be brought back into his family by trusting in Christ alone who can save your life from destruction. Jesus is the bridge to the Father but you have to choose to trust him, you have to make a step forward him, you have to step out in faith and give your life to God. At the Cross you can exchange your worst for Jesus’ best.
This step happens by asking Jesus Christ to take away your sin and to come into your heart to be your Lord and Savior.
The Bible says...
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." ~ Romans 10:9"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." ~ John 1:12
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." ~ Revelation 3:20
Would you like to invite Jesus to be part of your life, to be your Lord and Savior now? You can start a new life with him. It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from, what you did in the past. When you give your life to Jesus you can start all over again. With Jesus you can have a new chance again.
- Receive Christ
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If you too need Jesus to give you a new start, if you realized that Jesus is all you need then here is how you can receive Christ:
Admit your need (I am a sinner).
Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)At this moment you can pray the most important prayer of your life by simply saying:
Dear Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe you died for me on the cross and shed Your blood for my salvation. I believe you rose from the dead and ascended in Heaven. I believe You are coming back again to earth. Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. Forgive my sins. Cleanse me now with Your precious blood. I want to turn from sins. I invite you to come into my heart. I give you my life now. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. I receive You now as my Savior, my Lord, and my God. I am Yours forever, I belong to You only. I no longer belong to this world, nor to the enemy of my soul. Amen!
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, confessed your sins, and received Jesus Christ into your heart, God has given you the right to become His child.
The Bible gives you this assurance:
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ~ Romans 10:13"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." ~ Ephesians 2:8,9
This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ. If you have just received Jesus Christ into your life, we want to rejoice with you. Click here to send us your salvation praise report.
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Books I Read
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Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference By Max Lucado |
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The Purpose Driven Life, Softcover By Rick Warren |
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The Hole in Our Gospel - Limited Editon By Richard Stearns |
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The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn't Exist By Craig Groeschel |
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