A Matter of Life and Death

How to have hope. I know I've posted this before...and I even have a link button for it in the sidebar...but as I sat here today wondering what to blog about, I realized that there is nothing of greater importance than this...salvation in Jesus Christ. It's about hope, but even more than that it's a matter of life and death! Heaven is real, and despite what some may say, so is hell.

2 Thess. 1:8-9 "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might"

God doesn't want anyone to go there ~ 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

But because of our sin...we are seperated from God. However (and Hallelujah!), hope, forgiveness, and salvation are available to all. How do I know? I've experienced it for myself and I want nothing more than for you to know it for yourself as well!

Here is my story of hope ~

Before the Lord changed my life and became my Savior, I had no peace, no hope, and no purpose. I grew up in a Christian home, and for many years believed myself to be a Christian, but it wasn't until I was 14 years old that I understood that I was a sinner destined for a place called Hell. I believed that Jesus died on a cross for me and my sins, and that without Jesus Christ, I could never get into Heaven. So that night at a revival service at my church, I admitted to God I was a sinner and repented of those sins, then I asked Him to come into my life and be my LORD, my SAVIOR, my Boss. At that very moment He did, and I've never been the same since. I know that my life and I are NOT perfect, but I also know I couldn't imagine going through this life without my Savior and the peace, hope, purpose, and joy He has given me. Not to mention, an eternity with Him!

If you could, would you want what God has given me? Would you want absolute forgiveness, peace, hope, joy, and purpose? If you do, you CAN! God loves you so much that he sent His Son to die for YOU and YOUR sins! He wants you to spend eternity in heaven Him with and so do I.

You must understand that you are a sinner. (when you do things you know your not supposed to do, but also when you don't do things you know you should!)(Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God")

Understand that the price for your sins is death and Hell, that's the bad news! The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ! (Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord")

Confess your sins and ask God for forgiveness.(1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.")

Believe that Jesus Christ came into this world,lived a perfect sinless life, died on a painful cross for you and your sin, and then was raised again on the third day and that He is ALIVE today. Believe that He lives to be your LORD! (Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us") (Romans 10:9 "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.")

Ask Him to come into your heart and save you, surrender everything to Him! Make Him boss, Lord of your life. You will NEVER be sorry you did!

Please, if you have any questions either comment, message me, or email me at leesarawood@gmail.com and I will be HAPPY to help you start on this AMAZING journey into an eternity with Christ! I love you and I can't wait to hear from you!

Obedience

God didn't call us to question Him. He simply asks us to believe Him, trust Him, and obey Him. He has already proven His faithfulness to us time and time again. So why do we constantly shrink back from immediate obedience? I would venture to say it's a control issue with our sinful nature as it's base. At least that's how it is with me. The moment I can't see or even guess what's coming down the pipe, I dig my heels in and question everything. I begin to take back the things I've previously surrendered to the Lord. I begin to try and take back control, like somehow I can manage that situation better than Almighty God, the Maker of Heaven and earth...oh dear! The moment that happens, worry, stress, and anxiety begin to creep in and steal away peace and joy. And the thing is, He promises us that will happen...

Isaiah 48:17-18 " This is what the LORD says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea."

He commands us to trust Him because He delights in us and He wants us to have peace...but more than that He commands it because He is the LORD, our Redeemer, the HOLY ONE. He is GOD and He is worthy of our surrender just because of who He is! But even in His holiness, He wants the best for us. His best might not look like what we thought it would, but no matter what, we must be obedient and totally surrender control.
He doesn't call us to be comfortable, He calls us to be obedient! Most of the time our very God-given purpose in life will take us so far out of our comfort zone that on our own it would be terrifying. However, praise God we aren't on our own! He is completely trustworthy and perfectly faithful! He promises to NEVER leave us or forsake us!
Now if only we would pay attention to His commands and follow them, we would have peace like a river! Now THAT'S a promise! :)