Jesus

The Help We Need

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If my truck breaks down in the middle of nowhere, I hope someone stops to help.  If my back goes out when I have a lot of work to do, I hope someone can help.  If I am about to eat something that could harm me, I hope someone lets me know.  Basically, if I ever need help, I hope I get it.

My friends, we all need help.

Heaven is perfect.  We are not.  We cannot undo the wrongs (sins) we have done.  And we will all die someday and face God.  We need help.

THAT is Easter!

God loves you.  He is willing to forgive you.  He offers salvation to you.  But you must accept His offer.

Because we do not deserve Heaven, God made a way through Jesus and the cross.  2 Corinthians 5:21 states, “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Jesus paid the price that we owe.  1 Peter 2:24 states, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness.  By His wounds you have been healed.”

Before He died, Jesus uttered the words that could change our lives (they changed my life): “It is finished!”  He paid the price.

That payment is not automatic for anyone, though.  Jesus offers forgiveness and salvation if you are willing to accept His salvation and follow Him.  We do not get to make up our own way; we lost that right by not deserving salvation. We must choose His way.

Jesus even proved His power over sin and death by rising from the dead.  He showed us that nothing is greater or more powerful than He is.  And that power is available to you.  Romans 6:4 states, “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.”

We may have added a lot of extra festivities, fluff, and decorations to Easter, but the day will always be about Jesus loving us, dying in our place, offering salvation to us, and defeating death.

If you have never accepted His gift on His terms, the time to do it is now.  We do not know what tomorrow holds, but we do know who holds tomorrow.  Reach out to me if you would like to know more.

And Happy Easter!

If you’d like to dig into the evidence behind Easter, check out the following excellent resource…

Do You Have a Tissue?

DrJayCook Christian Life, God, Immanuel , , , , , , , ,

Our family is SO sad because our 14-year-old puppy left us this weekend.  I enjoyed walking my dog, and she loved it, too.  However, it was a little tougher with the COLD weather of late.

I normally am not one who has a runny nose, but walking in the cold changes that.  Suddenly, my nose thinks it is a running faucet, and I need a tissue.  I am not one to carry tissues with me, but when I need one, I need one.

And that caused a lightbulb moment for me.  How often do we treat God like a tissue?  How often do we fail to acknowledge or talk to Him unless we are in need?  How often do we forget that He is with His children – always?

We just exited the Christmas season where we sang about Immanuel – God with us (Matthew 1:23).  But do we realize it?

Being a Christian is not about agreeing with some code or creed.  It is not about having your name on a membership role.  Being a Christian is about accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and when that happens, He saves you and comes into your life.  God lives in you.

Consider what Romans 8:9 states: “You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.  If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”  If you are a child of God, the Holy Spirit is in you.

Jesus promised this.  He said (in John 14:17) about the Holy Spirit: “‘He is the Spirit of truth.  The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him.  But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.’”  And the reason is clear.  Jesus made a promise in Matthew 28:20: “‘…And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

He is not to be treated like a tissue.  He is with you always.  And that should means something to us.

First, it means that He is at work.  God is still active and moving.

Second, it means that He has a plan.  He clearly wants you to be part of it.

Third, it means that we can trust Him.  He will never leave His child, and He loves us.

Fourth, it means that we should act like we know it.  Our daily lives should demonstrate that we are His and live for Him.

So – if it is cold outside, grab a tissue.  But as you live your daily life, do not treat God that way.  He already is with you (if you are His child).  Live like it.

For better thoughts than I had on this, check out this classic, beloved book on the subject…

It It All About Jesus

DrJayCook Christmas , , , , , ,

One of the most beautiful buildings in the world is the Taj Mahal in India. The emperor Shah Jahan commissioned its creation to honor his deceased wife.  Since it is nearly four hundred years old, many legends have been created in connection with it.

One legend describes how passionate the emperor was to build a spectacular temple for his wife’s coffin.  He ordered that her coffin be placed in the center of the site as the temple was built around it.  Work continued for over twenty years, and one day during that time Jahan stumbled over a wooden box that was covered with dust.  He was upset at the inconvenience, so he ordered a workman to get rid of the box.  Later he discovered that he had ordered the removal of the box containing the coffin of his love – the very reason for the entire project.

I do not know if that is true, but I can imagine it happening.  After all, I see a similar thing happening every year.

Year after year, we prepare for and celebrate Christmas.  Many people get so wrapped up in the holiday details, traditions, festivities, and gifts that they neglect Jesus.  Some see Jesus as an inconvenience to the holiday and would prefer to remove Him from the holiday completely.  We do exactly what the Taj Mahal legend was about.

But it does not have to be that way.  Christmas comes back to Luke 2:11: “Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Christmas is about the only One who can save our souls coming to us.  Christmas is about the Messiah – the Lord coming to us.  Christmas is all about Jesus, and anything else should point to Him.

Personally, I love the music, foods, gatherings, and festivities of Christmas.  However, my prayer is that I never forget why we celebrate it.  And I pray that you never forget why we celebrate it.  In fact, I pray that if you have not accepted the Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord, that you will soon.  It is all about Jesus.

The following book goes into detail about the amazing birth of Jesus. Click the picture to see more…