Graceland
A few years back, my husband and I visited, "Graceland The Home of Elvis Presley," the sign indicated. I grew up in the era of Elvis Presley, and I would say I had a little girl crush on him. I'm not too sure my grandmother didn't as well. When I stayed the night with her, she'd fill two bowls with vanilla ice cream and put a Windmill Almond Cookie on the side, then let me stay up late to watch Elvis Presley movies with her. Those were great memories and probably added to my love of Elvis.
My grandmother died in her 60's suddenly of cancer, I miss her even now. Grandmothers have a special place in a child's heart and mind. Today, as I think about Valentine's Day, I recall the kind of love we are all looking for: unconditional and full of grace. For me, that was the love I received from both of my grandmothers. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that they loved me, that they wanted what was best for me.
That's the kind of love I now get from God. He is full of grace and welcomed me into His Kingdom when I was undeserving and full of sin. When I learned that there was a kind of love that came without strings attached, without me having to work for it and deserve it in some way, I wanted that love, that grace.
I heard grace defined by a pastor one time as undeserved, unmerited favor. That makes sense to me. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to die an atrocious death on a cross over 2,000 years ago, due to a mission from His Father. The mission was me...you. He came to save the lost and free us from fear and worry. We no longer need to fear death, if we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Death will happen, but it doesn't have a hold on our souls. The chains of sin were broken on the cross at Calvary.
My husband bought me a balloon the shape of a chocolate covered strawberry and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine's Day today. This gift shows a special kind of love, familiarity. He knows I love chocolate covered strawberries, so in his love, he bought me what he knew I'd really like. Jesus Christ did something even better, on a much grander scale, He bought me, my soul for eternity, with His shed blood on the cross, so that I could have relationship with the Father again. The sin decision made in the Garden of Eden tainted all humanity. We could no longer have a familiar relationship with God, because pure goodness and love can't coexist with sin. Our Adam and Eve DNA, if you will, left us unable to live throughout eternity with God. But in His mercy, He created a way again, through belief in the Messiah Jesus Christ, for us to gain access to our Father God.
Join me today in receiving the gift of eternal life by simply saying and believing in your heart, "Jesus Christ, I know I am a sinner who needs saving. Please forgive me of my sins-past, present, and future. I thank you for being the Son of God, who came as a man to earth, to live and then to die on the cross, taking my sins upon You as a living sacrifice, so that I can live eternally with You one day in heaven. Amen." If you believe this about Jesus in your heart, you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit within you today. God sends the Holy Spirit as your comforter, counselor, and guide for the remained of your days here on earth. Read God's Word, the Bible; pray to God; and find a Bible teaching church where you can join with other believers on the mission of telling lost souls about Jesus Christ so they too can be saved from an eternity in hell, separated from God.
Yes, there is a hell, the Bible is clear on this matter. Everything about God is not clear and understandable, but His wisdom is not ours and as Creator of the Universe, He knows what needs to happen and how. Just have faith that God is in control. You may say, that is a Christian's way of escaping the realities of the world. That is your opinion, but opinions are personal beliefs; they do not change the truth of God's Word. Do not overthink this matter, I know I did and I wasted years on things that only caused me further problems, rather than solving any of the worries or fears of my soul.
My grandmother died in her 60's suddenly of cancer, I miss her even now. Grandmothers have a special place in a child's heart and mind. Today, as I think about Valentine's Day, I recall the kind of love we are all looking for: unconditional and full of grace. For me, that was the love I received from both of my grandmothers. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that they loved me, that they wanted what was best for me.
That's the kind of love I now get from God. He is full of grace and welcomed me into His Kingdom when I was undeserving and full of sin. When I learned that there was a kind of love that came without strings attached, without me having to work for it and deserve it in some way, I wanted that love, that grace.
I heard grace defined by a pastor one time as undeserved, unmerited favor. That makes sense to me. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to die an atrocious death on a cross over 2,000 years ago, due to a mission from His Father. The mission was me...you. He came to save the lost and free us from fear and worry. We no longer need to fear death, if we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Death will happen, but it doesn't have a hold on our souls. The chains of sin were broken on the cross at Calvary.
My husband bought me a balloon the shape of a chocolate covered strawberry and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine's Day today. This gift shows a special kind of love, familiarity. He knows I love chocolate covered strawberries, so in his love, he bought me what he knew I'd really like. Jesus Christ did something even better, on a much grander scale, He bought me, my soul for eternity, with His shed blood on the cross, so that I could have relationship with the Father again. The sin decision made in the Garden of Eden tainted all humanity. We could no longer have a familiar relationship with God, because pure goodness and love can't coexist with sin. Our Adam and Eve DNA, if you will, left us unable to live throughout eternity with God. But in His mercy, He created a way again, through belief in the Messiah Jesus Christ, for us to gain access to our Father God.
Join me today in receiving the gift of eternal life by simply saying and believing in your heart, "Jesus Christ, I know I am a sinner who needs saving. Please forgive me of my sins-past, present, and future. I thank you for being the Son of God, who came as a man to earth, to live and then to die on the cross, taking my sins upon You as a living sacrifice, so that I can live eternally with You one day in heaven. Amen." If you believe this about Jesus in your heart, you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit within you today. God sends the Holy Spirit as your comforter, counselor, and guide for the remained of your days here on earth. Read God's Word, the Bible; pray to God; and find a Bible teaching church where you can join with other believers on the mission of telling lost souls about Jesus Christ so they too can be saved from an eternity in hell, separated from God.
Yes, there is a hell, the Bible is clear on this matter. Everything about God is not clear and understandable, but His wisdom is not ours and as Creator of the Universe, He knows what needs to happen and how. Just have faith that God is in control. You may say, that is a Christian's way of escaping the realities of the world. That is your opinion, but opinions are personal beliefs; they do not change the truth of God's Word. Do not overthink this matter, I know I did and I wasted years on things that only caused me further problems, rather than solving any of the worries or fears of my soul.
Matthew 25:41
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'"
Great message!! Preach!!
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