"Who Accepted Who?"

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out".  John 6:37

When we get saved, we say that we accepted Jesus as our Savior.  It would be more correct to say that He accepted us instead.  We don't "accept" Him.  We put our faith in Him as Savior.  We come to Him in faith believing that what He did at the cross was the way for us to be saved.  "We are saved by grace through faith".  We are only saved when the Father accepts us and says that we are.

The story of the prodigal son is one that shows us the plan of salvation.  It shows a lost son who repents and goes to his father for forgiveness and restoration.  When the prodigal son finally came to himself and got up out of the pigpen, he decided to go back to his father's house and see if he would make him a servant.  The father did not make him a servant; he welcomed him back as a son.  The father could have rejected him.  The father could have made him a hired hand.  The decision was all in the father's hand.  The outcome would have been whatever the father decided.

The outcome as to our salvation is strictly in the Heavenly Father's hands.  He decides and chooses to accept or reject us.  When we come to Him in faith through His Son Jesus, we have the assurance that He will accept us.  But if we come to Him any other way-- good deeds, religious adherence, to make a show, through pride or arrogance-- He will reject us.   

So, when we get saved, it is because the Father loves us so much.  It is because He sent His Son to make a way.  It is because He drew us by His Spirit to repentance.  He saved us by accepting us.  In the Old Testament they brought an offering to Him.  He either accepted or rejected their offering.  It hasn't changed.  We still bring Him an offering.  Only our offering is not a lamb, a goat or a bull.  Our offering is us, given to Him in faith.  So, if we are saved it is because He accepted our offering-- our faith. 

Have a great day.  We aren't saved because we accepted Him, we are saved because He accepted us. 

Psalm 51:16-18; 40:6
Ephesians 2:8

"We Can't Help Ourselves"

"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Luke 18:27

We have all heard it said, "The Lord helps those who help themselves".  This is not a scripture, and it is not even true.  The truth is that the Lord helps those who can't help themselves. Man was hopelessly lost because of his rebellion against God and unable to "help" himself out of his sinful lost condition.  So, God helped us and offered us hope and salvation by sending His Only Begotten Son into the world to save us from our sins... because we couldn't save ourselves.

God required a sacrifice for our sins.  He is a holy God and in order to come into His presence there has to be a sacrifice.  The whole Old Testament taught us that there weren't enough sacrifices, even offerings, even obedient acts that we could do that would save us.  It taught us that it was impossible for us to "help" ourselves have a relationship with God and eternal life on our own. 

Since we couldn't "help" or "save" ourselves, God sent us a gift that would.  That gift came wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  It was a gift.  It was freely given.  We didn't earn it.  We didn't work for it.  We didn't deserve it.  It wasn't something He gave us as a little extra help to what we were already doing. 

A virgin (Mary) could not get pregnant on her own.  It took God intervening and opening her womb and planting the "seed" (the Savior) in there.  Neither can we save ourselves on our own.  Neither can we help ourselves and make it possible for us to be saved on our own.  It takes God.  Without Him it is impossible for us to do-- no matter how hard we try, or how much we help ourselves.

Have a great day.  We couldn't help ourselves, so God sent the gift of His Son to help us and save us.    

"Move On"

"And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons".  1 Samuel 16:1

It is not always easy for us to "move on".  Sometimes it is "downright hard" for us.  When we experience the death of a loved one, the breakup of a relationship, the loss of some possession, the pain of an affliction, past failures and mistakes, we want to stay there in that place.  For some reason, we can't seem to move on. 

The prophet Samuel faced this same thing.  When King Saul disobeyed God and He removed the kingdom from him, Samuel mourned over it for a while.  He got "stuck" in his grief and could not move on.  One day the Lord spoke to him and told him it was time to "move on".  God had rejected Saul and was now ready for Samuel to anoint a new king in Israel.  Samuel had a choice at this point, either stay in that state or move on.

There eventually comes a point where we have to "move on".  We can't stay stuck in the situation.  We can't stay stuck in the past.  We can't stay stuck in our emotions and feelings.  We can't stay stuck in regrets and what could have or might have been.  We can't stay stuck in our own dreams and desires.  We have to move on because, like with Samuel, God is ready to do a new thing in our life.

If God is calling you out of that internal/emotional place you are stuck in it is because He is wanting to move you into a new place in your life.  You have a choice-- either stay there or move on. 

Have a great day.  Are you having a hard time moving on?  God will help you because He is wanting to bring you into a new thing. 

"The Reward"

"Therefore, hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight."  Psalm 18:24

There is a reward for the righteous.  God will reward us here and now, but the greatest reward will come in eternity.  The greatest reward we will receive is to be able to stand before Him face to face and hear Him say, "Well done, My good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of My rest".

This reward comes to the righteous, not the sinner, not the wicked, not the self-serving, not the rebellious, not those who have turned their backs on Him.  It amazes me that many people think that they can live their lives anyway they choose and still think that "all is well" where their relationship with God is concerned.  If you are living according to the lusts of your own flesh, if you are lukewarm, if you are not following Him, if you are not being a living sacrifice, if you are not taking up your cross, if you have no love, if you are living in bitterness and unforgiveness, if you neglect prayer (unless you need Him for something then you pray), if you aren't reading His word, if you aren't letting the Holy Spirit change you, if you are still involved in what is vile, if you are living an immoral lifestyle, then you don't have a relationship with Him!!! 

Without a relationship with Him, you will not receive the reward of hearing Him say, "Well done, enter in".  Instead, you will receive another "reward".  You will hear Him say, "Depart from Me, you worker of iniquity/lawlessness.  I don't know you". 

Which reward do you want? It is up to you.  Believe "on" Jesus as your Savior and repent of your sins and follow Him and you will receive the reward of everlasting life.  Or just believe "in" Jesus and keep living like you want to live and receive eternal damnation.

Have a great day.  God has a reward of eternal life for those that are righteous.

"Control Them"

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts...".  Colossians 3:15a

We were created with a body, a soul and a spirit.  Included in the way we were created are emotions.  Sometimes those emotions are in check.  Sometimes things happen and cause our emotions to "run wild".  Sometimes the enemy of our soul attacks us in our emotions.  Emotions are not bad; they are part of our God-given makeup.  They are a good thing, when they are ruled by us.  They become a problem when we are ruled by them.

When our emotions are "running wild" and "dictating" us, God has provided a way to bring them under "control" so we can master them instead of them mastering us.  That way is God Himself.  At salvation He imparts Himself into us.  He lives and dwells within us now.  So we must constantly remind ourselves of this truth. 

Take for instance, when fear tries to dominate us, we must capture it and we must take control over that fear by reminding it (and ourselves) that the Prince of Peace is in us-- therefore, I will not fear.  When confusion tries to take control, again, the One who is peace lives in us and confusion can't rule.  No matter what emotion is trying to rule your life, the Lord in you is greater and will give you the victory over it.  He has already won the victory.  When anxiety tries to rule, He is your peace of mind.  When anger tries to take hold, He is your peace of heart.  When distress tries to take control, He is still your peace.  When grief, when depression, when sadness, self-pity or envy want to take over, Jesus is your peace.  Draw from His peace.  Draw from His strength.  Draw from His power that is alive and well in you and overcome.

Have a great day.  Our emotions try to overcome and master us.  But the Lord in us gives us the power to overcome and master them.