Get to know Him!

Dear Friends,  I urge you to get to know Jesus.  The first step is believing in God; the 2nd step is seeking to know Him.  If your heart is sincere in this quest, the Bible promises that the Holy Spirit will guide you to know Him more.  This is the most important question you every need to answer in your life here on earth: "Do you know Him?"

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?  'Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!'    Matthew 7:21-23

In this passage from the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is teaching with authority about how to enter the kingdom.  He reminds us that we must actually know Him in order to enter, and that He should know us.  It is not enough just to say "I am a Christian" or "I go to church" or "I read my Bible"... we need to get to know Him.  How do we do this?  Just like any relationship, it takes a devoted effort to spend time with the person, to speak with them, to read their letters, and to share your thoughts and life with them.  Knowing Jesus is even better though, he offers us forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation! 

Friends, please do not take this lightly.  Jesus knows our heart, and when we seek him earnestly and with passion and discipline, He will recognize us when we enter the kingdom of heaven!

God bless you... (thanks, Pastor Bill, for sharing this passage from Matthew which gave me the idea for this blog entry).

-atg-

Trusting God, Part 2

In the previous post, we explored what it meant to trust God to direct our steps, even as we plan our course.  This Part 2 is to remind us that God is just and fair and that He is our final judge.  Why is this important?... because many times when we fail to trust God with the outcome of something it's because we wish to control the punishment or reward for something that others have done or have not done.  A great example of this is whether or not someone has accepted the gospel and given their heart to Jesus, accepting His forgiveness and that free gift of salvation.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

In my own life, one of the tendencies that I have struggled with (but the Lord is teaching me a better way!) was to judge those who outwardly did not appear to have accepted the gospel message.  This outward appearance was usually manifest in behavior or attitude (not necessarily in physical appearance).  As I mature in Christ, I now realize that it is not my role to judge.  God looks on the heart... he knows our heart.  It is up to him, not me, to know and to judge what someone does with their heart (Matthew 7; 1 John 3; and Proverbs 21:2). 

My role is to be a witness to the gospel with my life; sometimes with words, but mostly with actions.  Prayer is a powerful weapon in the war to win souls.  God hears our prayers, and he weighs our hearts; and ultimately it is Him who judges each and every one of us.  I will leave that task to Him and continue to do my part... Trusting Him!

Blessings...

-atg-