Love Your Heavenly Father

Our Heavenly Father loved us so much that he sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ, so that we may be reconciled with Him. We were separated from Him at birth because Adam and Eve sinned at the very beginning. We are born into this world spiritually dead but are made spiritually alive when we believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for our sins. We are only cleansed of our sins by the blood of Christ if we forgive others and repent of our sinful ways. We are now a new creation and reborn into the family of God.

God knew us even before we were born. He chose the human race when He planned salvation. In fact, our Lord Jesus Christ asked his Father to send the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of every believer to help each of us in our Christian walk of faith. We become spiritually mature when we submit our will to God and abide under the shadow of His wings. The Holy Spirit counsels us through scripture to lead us to all truth. Every word in the bible is truth as it is God breathed. The bible is a spiritual guide for daily living and used for teaching, rebuking and correction. While there are many versions of the Bible, they are correct if the original meaning is the same and interpreted correctly by the believer.

The two greatest commandments in the Bible are to love the Lord and to love your neighbor as yourself. “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”(1 John 4:16, NIV) When we live in love, we cannot be separated from the love of our Heavenly Father. If you seek Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart and soul, you will find God's unconditional love. His love is unfailing even though we may stray from Him. He wants us to seek Him out and to know Him through our relationship with the Lord. He wants us to walk in Jesus' ways and not those that tempt us to sin. 

As the Father loves his Son, He also loves us when we love His Son Jesus. When we love Jesus, we follow him. Jesus Christ came to earth to save souls. His apostles spread the good news about the gift of salvation for everyone. As disciples in Christ, we too are to share the gift of salvation with others. The Holy Spirit will guide us to evangelize to others so that they also can be saved. Our time here on earth is temporary but our reward is in heaven. If you know people who do not know Jesus, then share the love of the Lord with them. They will be glad you did.

Jesus Christ: The True Messiah

Many religions claim that they are worshiping God but none of them can claim that their “Messiah” was resurrected from the dead. Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was resurrected from the dead. Five hundred people saw Jesus Christ, the true living God, after he was resurrected. These eye-witness accounts along with Jesus’ disciples’ encounters with Jesus after his resurrection support this biblical truth. 

Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples who was not there when Jesus first appeared to his disciples after his resurrection no longer doubted after Jesus appeared and spoke to him: “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:27-28, NIV). Over a period of forty days after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive and spoke to them about the kingdom of God.

If Jesus Christ had not been resurrected from the dead, we would not have the gift of salvation. Faith would be futile as there would be nothing to believe in. But because of our Heavenly Father’s great love for us, Jesus died and was resurrected from the dead in order to make the gift of salvation possible. Whoever believes in His Son will have eternal life and not perish. It is with this belief that all disciples in Christ are to share the gospel and the gift of salvation with those around them. Jesus did all the redemptive work at the cross through his suffering, bloodshed and death for all of our sins. When we believe in Jesus, we identify with him in his death where we are dead to our old sinful natures; and we identify with him in his resurrection where we are reborn into the family of God and made clean by Jesus’ shed blood on the cross.

Even after we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and have been forgiven of all our sins, we are not immune to temptation. We can overcome all temptation when we have a strong prayer life and walk closely with the Lord by living out the Word of God. There are many Christians who pray only when things are going wrong in their lives but in order to live an abundant Christian life, we need to speak with God daily through heart-felt prayers and to study and meditate on His Word. 

If your idea of prayer is to pray a quick prayer in the morning and in the evening before you go to bed, then you are missing out on having a personal relationship with God. God wants you to rely on Him for everything. When you pass the reins over to Him, He will never steer you wrong. He knows what is best for you even when you yourself don’t know. Pray to your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus about what is on your mind no matter what it is and expect to hear from Him.

Who is Jesus Christ?

Most people know Jesus Christ to be a Savior but do not realize that he is God in human form. Jesus came to dwell among us in the form of a man to help us understand who God is and to bridge the gap between our Heavenly Father and ourselves. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” and “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in [Christ]” (Colossians 1:15, 19, NIV). 

We know Jesus Christ was human because he experienced human emotions and physical limitations – he wept when he was moved in spirit and troubled when he saw Mary and the Jews weeping over Lazarus’ death; he was tired from his journey and sat down by the well; and he was thirsty and asked the Samaritan woman drawing water from the well to give him a drink. But we also know that he is divine because he performed many miracles which showed his divine power – he healed a blind man with his spittle; he calmed the wind and waves by his command; he healed many who were sick and drove out demons from people who were possessed. Only Jesus could perform these miracles.

As John the Baptist was a witness to Christ, we who are baptized by water are also witnesses to Christ. We as believers can identify with Jesus in his death and in his resurrection. For we died with Christ in our transgressions and are reborn again through his resurrection; he sacrificed his life as an atonement for all of our sins so that we are blameless in the sight of our Heavenly Father. Believers’ baptism is a form of sanctification in the sight of God. Those who are sanctified in the presence of others can testify to the truth about Jesus Christ.

When we fully acknowledge that Jesus Christ was sent by God our Father to die on the cross to atone for our sins and believe that he was resurrected from the dead so we may have the gift of salvation through him, we are inviting Jesus into our lives to be our Lord and Savior. By receiving the gift of salvation, we are baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is sent by our Heavenly Father to dwell inside of us and to teach us all things about Christ. Those who love Jesus will obey his commands.

We are all born with a selfish nature, for even babies cry out because of their needs and have yet to learn how to give. Jesus said he came to this world to serve and not to be served. He wanted his followers to know that this is God’s will. “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15). By serving others, we are being selfless and sharing the love of God. Jesus himself commands his followers to love each other so that the world will know that we are his disciples.

The Gift of Salvation

Many people do not know that the gift of salvation is a gift from God. There are some who believe that you must earn your way to heaven but the truth is that the only way to heaven is through our belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the bible, it says that “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) God sent Jesus our Lord and Savior to save the world from its own sins. He came to this earth two thousand years ago so we could be reconciled with our Heavenly Father.  If we believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for humankind’s sins and that he defeated death through his resurrection on Easter Sunday, we too can have eternal life through him.

Jesus made it clear to his disciples that we need to forgive each other in order to receive forgiveness of our own sins. When we hold grudges against one another or are angry with one another, how can God forgive us if we cannot forgive others?  There are angry people who pass away who never receive the gift of salvation because they could not forgive others of their wrongdoings when they were still alive. God’s love is unconditional and He understands that when others wrong us, we are hurt; but God wants us to forgive others no matter what they have done to us. He expects us to be merciful as He is also merciful with us. For the gift of salvation is for everyone; and he wants us to receive it and to share it openly with others.

For those who have received the gift of salvation, God expects us to share the good news with others. We are all part of the Great Commission that Jesus Christ started when he was here on earth. He wants every person to share this gift of salvation with other people. While no one knows exactly when Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior will return to this earth, we can still all help in the Great Commission.  If you know of someone who has yet to come to Christ, then share this gift of salvation with them. They will be happy you did. For this gift is to be shared because God so loved this world that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

If you know of someone who is ready to receive Christ, then have them pray this prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I believe that Jesus Christ died to atone for my sins and was resurrected from the dead so that I may have life through him. I receive Jesus Christ today as my Lord and Savior.

I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Why God Is Important In Our Lives

Today many people are focused on money, fame, and power yet don’t see anything wrong with it. However, it is only when something drastic happens in their lives that they see that these things don’t matter because life is more important. When we encounter hardships and no one is able to help us, we cry out to God. God is our last resort. If you ever recall a time in your life when you thought that there was no way out of a situation, or there was no cure for your sickness, God does hear us and helps us. God doesn’t want us to rely on Him only when we are in trouble but He wants us to have a relationship with Him.

When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are inviting the Lord into our lives. God sends the Holy Spirit to help guide us and to teach us what we need to know in order to do the work God purposed us to do. When we seek God’s kingdom first and are righteous in our deeds, God blesses us abundantly. Blessings can be good health, healthy relationships with those around us, or feeling fulfilled when we do God’s work. When we put God first, he makes things go smoothly in our lives because God is in control. 

While many people continue to believe that their lives will be better with material wealth, they eventually realize that money does not buy happiness. Happiness comes from having the peace of God inside of you. When you have a relationship with God, you will feel His peace. No matter what difficulties you might be experiencing in your life, you are calm because you know God is with you.  Jesus’ birth name was Immanuel which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23, NIV). When you have Jesus in your heart, God is with you. This is God’s peace.

There are Christians whose spiritual walk with God are at a standstill. They do not realize that faith alone is not enough; they need to step up to do God’s work and to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Whether this means helping out at your local church, doing outreach in the community or going on a missions trip, these are all examples of God working through us to share His love. When we do God’s work, we do it to glorify God. He enables us to do the things that He purposed us to do through Christ no matter what our limitations are.

God Is Faithful

No matter what we have done, God is faithful. He is the one true constant that never changes. His love for us is unconditional. He created us in His image and gave us free will to choose whether to love Him or not. When we are obedient to God, we are saying to Him, we love You and will follow You. This is why when we believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ and what he did for us on the cross, we have the opportunity to start a new life. By acknowledging that Christ died on the cross to atone for all of our sins, we are made clean or new again when we believe in Jesus.

Those who do not have a relationship with God suffer in silence. They feel hopeless about their circumstances, abandoned and even unworthy because they have never known the love of God. When we put our faith in Jesus, we are not alone. God sends His Holy Spirit to be with us and to guide us because He knows what is best for us. His Spirit is always in agreement with what the bible says because scripture comes from God. 

The bible is our guide to living a Christian abundant life; no matter what problems we encounter, the solutions are found in the bible. For “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV) Whether you are having a problem in your marriage, or with your finances, or are suffering in some way, God knows exactly what you are going through and provides counsel through Scripture in every aspect of our lives. 

God wants each and every one of us to live a life full of love but because He gave us free will, evil exists. The devil knows our weaknesses and will try to tempt us with worldly things but those who have a solid foundation in Christ’s teachings will not be tempted. By following the teachings in the bible, we can live a life full of love and serve as a blessing to others. God shows His love through people by having them serve in different ways. Whether you are compelled to help out at a local food bank, or to advocate for community programs to empower the poor, or to listen and give a stranger much needed encouragement, God is calling all of us to help others in whatever capacity we can as He wants everyone to know His love. When we put our faith in Jesus and are righteous in all that we do, God blesses our lives abundantly.

What Is Faith and Who Has It?

You may know of people who do not believe in anything that they cannot see, or need for it to be proved scientifically before they can believe. This is NOT faith. For faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV) Without faith, you cannot possibly have a relationship with God.

While there are people who question the validity of the bible and that it comes from God, there is evidence that the accounts given in the bible are all true and are God inspired. Based on a number of artifacts and manuscripts found in the period before and after Christ, the places and events documented in the bible do exist and did in fact happen. With forty different authors including the apostles in the bible giving their accounts of miracles, events and the time they spent with Jesus, there is a common thread that ties them all together i.e. our salvation in Christ. More specifically it is our belief that Jesus walked on this earth in human form, died on the cross for all of our sins and was resurrected from the dead to give us an opportunity to have eternal life through him. 

Our Heavenly Father loved us so much that He sacrificed His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and gave us free will to love Him back freely. Love given freely is the largest selfless act we can do. Yet for some people, their relationships do not work out or are often difficult because they are forcing their will on other people. Forced relationships based on our own selfish desires just don’t work. By following the teachings of Jesus in the bible, we can have the solid foundation necessary to cultivate kind, loving and caring relationships with the people around us. Whether it’s with a family member, a friend or a colleague, we can build loving and supportive relationships with them.

The bible tells us that God is love. Love means to serve selflessly, the same way Jesus served others when he was on earth. When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper, he was showing his love and setting an example for them. We cannot serve others unless we humble ourselves just like Jesus did. Serving others is an act of love and in order to experience God’s love, we need to show our love by serving others. When Christians serve with cheerful hearts while attending to the sick, the poor or the oppressed, we are giving glory to God for continuing the Lord's good works on earth.