Did you forget?

Ephesians 2:12 - "At that time you were without Christ, ... You had no hope and were in the world without God."

Those of us who call ourselves Christians, seem to have a memory problem. We like to remember that God loves us, and that we are going to heaven. We like to remember that we are God's children. We even have special times called Testimony time to share (remember) all of the good things that God gives us.

We like to think about those things, but we tend to forget that Hell is a real place. We don't like to think about the people we know that will end up there if they don't believe in Jesus personally. And we really don't like to remember that WE WERE ONCE HEADING THERE OURSELVES.

Unless we remember the truth about Hell, the message of Christ becomes ordinary. Unless we feel the heat from the flames, we will not be motivated to share the truth of Jesus. Unless we smell the smoke, we will think everything is just fine and leave things as is.

This may seem like a negative thought, but we need to remember the reality of Hell in order to appriciate the gift of Eternal life in Heaven. We need to feel the weight of this truth to be able to experience the joy of our Salvation (daily). Without Hell, the Good News is just news. Without eternal punishment, we would never understand the depth of God's love for us.

Suggested reading - Romans 3:23-26, Romans 10:9-14, Ephesians 2:1-10

Is Jesus missing?

As I was doing some reading this morning, a thought crossed my mind. The book I was reading is Jesus Centered Youth Ministry by Rick Lawrence. The chapter was talking about determining to know nothing but Christ (1 Corinthians 2:2). He was sharing how we need to make a beeline straight to Jesus in every situation, conversation, and area of our lives.

Well my thoughts quickly went to a question, "What if Jesus is missing?"

Let me explain, what if we look for Jesus in a situation and can't find Him? What if we are trying to find how Jesus is connected to something going on and we can't see the connection? What if we look for Jesus and He is missing?

My mind remembered a story in the Bible that talked about this. There was a group of people who were going through a very difficult time in their lives. Their whole world was just turned upside down. They went to find Jesus for some comfort and closure on the situation and He was nowhere to be found. He was missing. This sent the disciples into more of a panic.

The times when Jesus seems to be missing - He is not gone missing. No, He is alive! The disciples were looking for Jesus in the last place they left Him - the grave.

Jesus is very much alive and walking the earth today. The problem is that we are still looking for Jesus in the last place we left Him - at church, on the coffee table, in a devotion book, etc. Jesus is alive and we need to look for Him living in and through our lives.

Is Jesus missing from any part of your life? Have you had times when you looked for Jesus and could not find Him in the last place you left Him?

"Why do you look for the living among the dead?" He is not here, but is ALIVE! Look for Him in every moment of every day - He's there!

Can I really have my sins forgiven? (Even the BAD ones)

First, let's talk about what is sin.


SIN - n. - any thought, word, or deed that goes against the teachings of Jesus Christ or the law of God.


Next, let's ask a question - does everybody sin (even 'good people')? - According to the Bible - YES. "For ALL have sinned ..." Romans 3:23

Now, why do we need to be forgiven? - Again, everyone sins against God. Without forgiveness we are seperated from God. Only through forgiveness can we have a relationship with this God who loves us. God's law required a sacrifice for payment of sin. Now God loves us so much that He decided to pay the price for us. He left heaven and came to earth as Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a perfect life (never sinned) and then died to pay the price for all of our sins.

But, a gift, is only useful when it is received. According to the Bible, when we 'believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord and confess with our mouth that God raised Him from the grave, you will be saved (forgiven). Romans 10:9 That is how we receive the gift of God's forgiveness for our sins.

So, if I admit that I am a sinner, believe Jesus is Lord, and confess that He rose from the grave, I can be forgiven for my sins? - YES! Even the BAD ones? - Well all sins are bad according to God's standards. Hate is just as bad as a lie. Porn is just as bad as stealing a cookie. Sin is anything against God's standards. And a sin is a sin, no matter how bad we think one is compared to another.

Go read 1 John 1:9.