Spiritual Receipt

I wish I could say I made this myself, but it was actually sent to me by someone who found it on Facebook. Whoever thought of this, my hat is off to you. Well done!

Comfort for Coronavirus Fears

I'm no doctor; I can't offer a cure or vaccine for the coronavirus. Nor am I a scientist with pertinent information to prevent the spread of the disease. But I do have a Bible verse that has helped me to stay calm by focusing my attention on the great God of eternity. I'd like to share it in the hope that it will help someone else:

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40 Years and Counting

Today being the 40th anniversary of my second birthday, I thought it would be appropriate to give my personal testimony in detail. So here goes...

I was what you would doubtless call a good little girl. I rarely got into any kind of trouble, and never anything serious, did well in school, and pleased my parents most of the time. I hated going to church, which wasn't too unusual, finding it mind-numbing in its ritualistic sameness. We stopped going altogether sometime in my youth, which suited me fine.

When my Grandfather died and my Grandma came to live with us, my mother began to take her to church regularly. Being 18 myself, I was not forced to go along. For reasons I can't explain, or even understand, I decided to try it.

What a difference! Here was a preacher who didn't chant rituals, but who spoke plainly from the Bible, which, by the way, I knew nothing about. The messages were very practical, and everything said was backed up by Scripture verses, not his own opinion or ideas. I'd never heard anything like this.

I attended regularly for a year and learned a lot. I learned what Jesus said about salvation, that "Ye must be born again" (John 3:7), how the sinful condition of humanity is so great that we need to be born all over again to make it right with God. It was such an unusual idea, trusting the Lord for salvation instead of trusting my own good works, so unlike what I'd always believed. But I couldn't deny the logic of it: if I could just be good to be right with God, then Jesus didn't have to die for my sin (Galatians 2:21).

At the end of a year's time, I was waiting for Sunday dinner, thinking about the message I'd heard that morning on John 1:12-13:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And then the truth hit me, like a two-by-four right between the eyes. Those verses were for me. I needed to receive Him, I needed to become a child of God, I was on my way to Hell. My sins may not have been obvious to those around me, but they were rampant inside: pride, lust, envy, greed, and a self-centered heart. I came face to face with the truth about myself, and I didn't waste a second in getting it right with God.

I fell onto my knees and begged and pleaded with Him to save me, transferring all my trust to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for my sin when He died in my place. That's when the eternal God made my soul new like a newborn baby. That's why it's called being "born again."

Forty years has gone by like forty days, but I thank Him for loving me, for dying for me, for saving me. I sure could never have saved myself. I know I'm not all I should be as a Christian, far from it, but I trust His Word that I am now God's child, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us (Titus 3:5).

And that's the long and the short of it, how I found peace with God, peace that is available to anyone and everyone who will receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, too. Thanks so much for listening.

Best. Gift. Ever!

I love giving gifts. And, yes, getting them, too. But it seems only appropriate on this day to contemplate the greatest gift ever given.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

If you have to earn or work for a gift, it's not a gift at all. Redemption is 100% free, because Jesus Christ already paid for it, paid with His life on the Cross.

Any gift can be refused. It's up to you to accept this free gift. If you refuse, it's not God's fault.

Won't you receive the best gift of all this Christmas? Admit to God that you are a sinner, just as His Word says, and that you can't save yourself by works. Turn away from whatever you've trusted before, and place all your faith in Jesus Christ, the Son who died for you. Tell him that you want to receive His free gift today.

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" John 1:12

Things God Wants You to Know

What is God's message to us as revealed in the Bible? It can be summed up in 6 simple steps: