Go to the home page: Do You Need A Winning Game Plan For Your Life?
Acts 4:12, Romans 3:9
Most people are trying to work their way into heaven. Even people who may not even believe in God might think that as an insurance policy they can just do more good things than bad things and that if there is a God and if there is a heaven and a hell, they will end up in the right place.
This is the way humans think, good takes us up and bad takes us down. But, this is not what God has to say about this. The Bible is very clear about how we get to heaven. Remember that God intended for all humans to live with him in paradise. God created Adam and Eve and placed them in a perfect state in a perfect world. God instructed Adam and Eve to have free rein over paradise but there was one thing they should not do. They should not eat of the fruit of a specific tree.
We all know that Adam and Eve disobeyed God and thus ruined the perfect world that God had created and put them in to enjoy. Everything changed that day and after the 10 commandments were provided and humans continued to miss the point, God had to become fully human to set the example for how we are to live.
By coming to this world in the form of Jesus, God showed us how to live. He went to the cross and died with the weight of every human sin on his shoulders. In Acts 4:12 we read that no salvation comes to any person without calling on the name of Jesus. In Romans 3:9 we read that there is no good person, not one.
The only way to get to heaven is to recognize that you need God and then to accept the free gift of grace given to each of us through the death of Jesus on the cross. Accept the fact that Jesus died in your place, that Jesus took your sins and through believing this, your sins are forgiven and you are on the way to heaven.
Now, because of Jesus' love for you, you are happy and ready to do good. You can't do enough good to save yourself, Jesus saves you then you are fit to do good out of a desire to please the one who has done so much for you.
It has been said, Jesus replaced what Adam erased. Because of this, we should all be about doing good. This is not our ticket to heaven, it is the way we are to live until we finally get back to paradise.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
You Can Bring on the Miracles
Go to the home page: Do You Need A Winning Game Plan For Your Life?
Acts 2:37 - 3:11
At this point in the scripture we see that Peter catches fire. He had been on-again-off-again with Jesus. Just like us. We say we believe but then in a crunch we often collapse and turn to our human wits to solve a problem or explain ourselves. The Message translation of the Bible says that Peter preached to the people gathered and said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." That day, 3,000 men and women took up Peter's offer and were baptized.
One day, Peter and John were going to the Temple for prayer and they saw a crippled man who had been sitting at the Temple gate for years. He was calling out for help from anyone who might give him money or food.
Peter said to the man, "Look here."
This is the first step to being part of God's miracle-making. We have to notice people in need, we have to be ready and available for God to use us to heal a person who is broken in body or spirit. Any person who does not know Christ is sick and Jesus commanded us to reach out to every person in need. Peter and John set the example for us in this passage.
Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" The man got up and walked and everyone was amazed.
The second step we must take is to tell our own story of salvation to others. We can tell how Jesus took our sick and broken lives and made us well. God may not use you to make a crippled person walk but he will use you for sure to lead a broken spirit to wholeness.
You do not need to do anything for God but out of love for God and for his creation, you will do good. There are people in our congregation who are hurting today because of the death of a three-year old and the death of a good, strong man who was a husband and father of four. There is pain all around and you can be a healing source.
First, notice the pain. And second, share the love that Jesus has put in you. Catch Peter's fire and you can bring on the miracles.
Acts 2:37 - 3:11
At this point in the scripture we see that Peter catches fire. He had been on-again-off-again with Jesus. Just like us. We say we believe but then in a crunch we often collapse and turn to our human wits to solve a problem or explain ourselves. The Message translation of the Bible says that Peter preached to the people gathered and said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." That day, 3,000 men and women took up Peter's offer and were baptized.
One day, Peter and John were going to the Temple for prayer and they saw a crippled man who had been sitting at the Temple gate for years. He was calling out for help from anyone who might give him money or food.
Peter said to the man, "Look here."
This is the first step to being part of God's miracle-making. We have to notice people in need, we have to be ready and available for God to use us to heal a person who is broken in body or spirit. Any person who does not know Christ is sick and Jesus commanded us to reach out to every person in need. Peter and John set the example for us in this passage.
Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" The man got up and walked and everyone was amazed.
The second step we must take is to tell our own story of salvation to others. We can tell how Jesus took our sick and broken lives and made us well. God may not use you to make a crippled person walk but he will use you for sure to lead a broken spirit to wholeness.
You do not need to do anything for God but out of love for God and for his creation, you will do good. There are people in our congregation who are hurting today because of the death of a three-year old and the death of a good, strong man who was a husband and father of four. There is pain all around and you can be a healing source.
First, notice the pain. And second, share the love that Jesus has put in you. Catch Peter's fire and you can bring on the miracles.
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