ALL

Do you hide certain facts about yourself from your friends? Do you do things in private that you do not want others to see or know that you do? That may be well and good but remember…

God knows everything that you do, say and think; all of it.

Perhaps that is why Jesus, when He described how we are to love God, said,

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37 (NASB)

When Moses wrote down God’s words in Deuteronomy 6:5 he said, with all your heart, soul and strength or might. Either way, it is to be with our entire being because God sees and knows all. You can’t fake loving God.

If God is in you, your heart will be changed from one of deceitfulness, to one of desiring God’s will in your life. If God is in you, your soul is heaven bound and will not regard the things of the earth as all that important for you are no longer a citizen of earth but of heaven. If God is in you, every thing that your mind thinks, speaks and acts on will be according to His will for your life.

All that said, we WILL make mistakes; we will slip. However, when we do, our changed heart, soul and mind will immediately recognize it, repent and claim God’s forgiveness based on 1 John 1:9 where it says,

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Now I’ll share the main verse of the day…

2 Corinthians 5:11 (NKJV) ¹¹Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Paul’s reference to being “well known” in their consciences was that whenever they would think about doing something that might be questionable in the sight of God, the hope was that the preaching of Paul might pop up in their consciences and warn them.

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ALIVE

HE HAS RISEN. HE IS ALIVE!

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; ⁷then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; ⁸and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 1 Corinthians 15:3 - 9 (NASB)

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THINK

When we think of the week preceding Easter, we often think of being out of school or off work. When what we need to think about is what Christ went through.

Yesterday was “Good Friday.” Jesus was tried, convicted, crucified and buried all in that one day. Now it is Saturday, a time for reflection of the previous day’s events.

What were the events of that day?

The only thing the scriptures tell us is that Pilate issued orders for the tomb of Jesus to be guarded.

⁶²Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, ⁶³and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ ⁶⁴“Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” ⁶⁵Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone. Matthew 27:62 - 66 (NASB)

I also wonder what was going through the minds of the disciples?

Were they grieving over the loss of their friend that they had been with for the last three years? Or, were they angry because he was supposed to have been their king?

We know that after he had risen from the grave that the disciples didn’t believe it (Mark 16:11, 13). At least, Peter and John went to see for themselves (Luke 24:12; John 20:2-8). We also know that the disciples were afraid that the Jews might harm them as well:

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews… John 20:19 (NASB)

What are you thinking about today?

Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins or are you afraid of what people might think or do to you if you claim Jesus as your Savior?

Take at least part of this day to reflect on what Jesus has done for you. Think about the fact that He conquered sin and death. Think about the home that He is preparing for you in heaven. And then, live that life that He purchased for you on the cross, for Him.

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MAUNDY

I never understood where the term Maundy Thursday came from. Maybe you’ve never even heard of the term before. In the church, it is the Thursday before Easter and commemorates Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. This event is recorded in John, chapter three:

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, ⁴rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. ⁵After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. John 13:3 - 5 (NKJV)

Jesus then proceeded to explain to them why He had done that...

And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. ¹⁵I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. John 13:14 - 15 (NLT)

His explanation continued and reinforced the fact that He wanted them to know beyond doubt that He was the Messiah…and then,

When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” John 13:21 (NASB)

Jesus already knew who it was and what he had already done. The account in Matthew shows us that Judas went to the chief priests right after the incident with the costly perfume being poured out on Jesus’ head and before the First Day of Passover:

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. Matthew 26:14 - 16 (NKJV)

Well, you may think that I have digressed from my original wonderings at the origin of the term “Maundy Thursday,” but hang in there.

The Encarta Dictionary North America (online) says that the term “Maundy” is “the distribution of Maundy money by the British sovereign.” They also mention the Christian observance of the foot washing, but isn’t it interesting to note that the leadership of the Jews “distributed money” for the purpose of getting rid of Jesus!

Well, I hope I didn’t bore you with that little adventure. The most important thing I think that we can dwell on today, Maundy Thursday, is that Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, stooped to serve others on this day. We must not see ourselves as to high and mighty to serve even the lowliest of people, for they are all God’s children.

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BETRAYED

I don’t know about you, but I know that I have felt, in the past, betrayed by someone that I thought was my friend. It’s not a great feeling, especially when you thought that the two of you were friends and you were trying to help them.

The scene in the following passage shows Jesus being betrayed by someone with whom he had walked, talked and eaten for the last three years. And why? You read the passage and tell me if it looks like a money thing to you…

³And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. ⁴But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? ⁵For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. ⁶But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. ⁷For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. ⁸She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. ⁹Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” ¹⁰Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. ¹¹And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. Mark 14:3 - 11 (NKJV)

Jesus had let this woman waste the equivalent of an entire year’s salary – on His feet!!!! That was poor money management. Judas, being the treasurer, naturally had to do something about it, so he contacted the people who wanted to kill Jesus to make sure that it wouldn’t happen again.

Notice Jesus’ response to those who complained about the waste. He praised the woman for the attention and worship that she lavished on Him, the Messiah. It reminds me of another time that someone was indignant in the company of Jesus…

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. ³⁹Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” ⁴¹But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! ⁴²There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38 - 42 (NLT)

As the week before Resurrection Day unfolds, think about that “one thing” that Jesus was talking about. Are you worried and upset over the day-to-day operations of your life, or are you thinking about the One (thing), Jesus Christ?

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HEED

There was a television special a couple of weeks ago about this guy that claims to be Christ. Actually, if you read his website, he has changed his claim and now he is the antichrist. He has the number “666” tattooed on one arm and “SSS” (Salvo siempre salvo –saved always saved) tattooed on the other. His followers are actually on waiting lists to receive the same tattoos! Jesus warns us that there will be people like that.

“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; ²²for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. ²³“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance. Mark 13:21 - 23 (NASB)

Jesus began instructing his disciples as to what to expect after He was gone just a couple of days after the crowds had shouted “Hosannas” to Him. This is something we ought to get excited about! Hear the words of Jesus:

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷“And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. Mark 13:24 - 27 (NASB)

He is coming back for us! However, because He knows how weak the human heart is and how short our attention spans are, He warns us to be “alert.”

“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. Mark 13:33 (NASB)

I think that is probably why He didn’t then and doesn’t now want anyone to know when He is coming back. He knows we’d just goof off until the day before! Luke goes into greater detail as to what Jesus said…

³⁴“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; ³⁵for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. ³⁶“But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-38 (NASB)

During this Holy Week before Easter, let your mind dwell on these words of Jesus. Take them to heart and pray for understanding and direction on a daily basis. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. We have access to God the Father only through Him.

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FRUIT

The people had just welcomed Jesus as he was nearing the villages of Bethphage and Bethany. They had shouted “Hosanna. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” They were excited about this man, Jesus, who had healed so many and performed many miracles.

As we come to verse twelve in Mark chapter eleven, we see a different picture as Jesus comes upon a fig tree that was not bearing fruit…

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. ¹³And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

Then the scene shifts to Jesus entering the temple…

So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹⁶And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. ¹⁷Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” Mark 11:15-17 (NKJV)

The “fruit” that should have been coming from those in the temple was a spiritual heart devoted to prayer and the worship of God but instead Jesus found those interested in merely making a material profit.

The next day, as Jesus and his disciples are leaving the city, we return to the fig tree once again…

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ²¹And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” Mark 11:20-21 (NKJV)

A picture of what will happen to those who do not bear fruit for the kingdom of God…

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:5 - 6 (NKJV)

If that isn’t incentive for staying close to Jesus, I don’t know what is! Is it really that simple? Yes! All we have to do is abide in (remain in, stay with, live with, rely on, live for) Jesus and we will bear fruit for His kingdom.

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COMING

On Palm Sunday, we celebrate the coming of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. It is sometimes referred to as the triumphal entry.

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors ¹³ took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,

“Praise God!

Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!

Hail to the King of Israel!”

⁸ Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹ Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God!

Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!

¹⁰ Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David!

Praise God in highest heaven!”

John 12:12 – 13; (NLT) Mark 11:8 - 10 (NLT)

It was less than one week after Jesus came into the city that they crucified him. Hallelujah, by God’s grace, there is to be another time that Jesus comes to His own people.

And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. ¹⁷Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸So encourage each other with these words. Matthew 24:30 – 31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16 - 18 (NLT)

One day Jesus and the New Jerusalem will come together as God originally intended; the final healing will have taken place, and once again, peace will reign throughout the universe.

²Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁶Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. ⁷“He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. Revelation 21:2-3 (NKJV); 6-7 (NASB)

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INSTEAD

You may have heard the story about the judge whose son appeared before him on a murder charge. The trial went proceeded and the son was found guilty. When sentencing time came, the judge looked at his son and read the guilty verdict again with the sentencing recommendation of the death penalty. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the judge stood up and took off his robe. He walked around to the front and declared that he was stepping down as judge and his last act would be to transfer the punishment to himself. He would die instead of his child.

That’s a wonderful earthly illustration of what God for us. He gave His only Son Jesus to accept the punishment for our sin. He died instead of us even though He was without guilt.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

No one on earth can match the perfection of God in Heaven.

Romans 3:23 (NKJV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

The punishment for sin is death

Romans 6:23 (NKJV) For the wages of sin is death, Blood had to be shed for the forgiveness of sin

God loved us so much; He wanted to provide a way out for us

John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

He made it so simple

Romans 10:9 - 10 (NKJV) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We can’t earn it or buy it. It is a gift of God. Rom 6:23b

⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8 – 10; Romans 6:23b (NKJV)

Share this with someone on your email list or someone that you know needs Christ in their lives.

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AMBASSADORS

The Ambassadors…wasn’t that a singing group? I think too, of those people who go to foreign countries and represent the United States; they are ambassadors. What an incredible responsibility, but they have been given the authority to speak for the president.

Those of us who call Christ, Savior, are also ambassadors, not of the United States but of the Kingdom of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Whereas an earthly ambassador attempts to bring peace to the peoples of nations, we, as ambassadors of Christ, bring the Gospel of Peace to those who have not reconciled themselves to God.

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:18 - 20 (NLT)

If we would only concentrate on doing that, we might be effective for our Lord and Savior. Peace with God is the message and that ONLY through His Son, Jesus.

The problem is we become sidetracked on things that don’t matter:

Communion every week or once a month

Hymns only or songs that are more contemporary

King James or a modern English translation

Instruments in worship or no instruments

We worry, fuss and fight over things like that when the real question is:

Do you want to go to hell or heaven when you die?

Jesus said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NLT)

He did not say,

If you have communion every week you can come to heaven

If you sing two hymns, one chorus and a chant, you can come to heaven

If you read the King James with a British accent, you can come to heaven

Is it any wonder that Islam is the fastest growing religion and that Mormonism is gaining ground? They are united. We should be too, not worrying about the little stuff that doesn’t matter.

For there is ONE body and ONE Spirit, just as you have been called to ONE glorious hope for the future. ⁵There is ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ⁶and ONE God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. Ephesians 4:4 - 6 (NLT, emphasis added)

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24

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PURPOSE

One bad apple can spoil the whole barrel. That’s a saying that goes way back…even before I was born! There is a spiritual truth to that when one thinks about Adam and Eve. Even though it was a “fruit” and not specified as an apple, I think you get the point.

But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one (Adam) the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. ¹⁷For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:15, 17 (NASB)

Disobedience spread to all of Adam and Eve’s kids…us! The Bible mentions that in a couple places:

The heart is more deceitful than all else

And is desperately sick;

Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 (NASB)

We are all infected and impure with sin.

When we display our righteous deeds,

they are nothing but filthy rags.

Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,

and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Isaiah 64:6 (NLT)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23 (NKJV)

But there is Good News that we are to share with everyone…

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 2 Corinthians 5:14 - 15 (NKJV)

Need a purpose in life? Live for Christ who died for you. What does that mean? Well, for starters, share this Good News with somebody else. Do you really want to know what He wants from you? Check out His autobiography…the Bible, love God and love each other.

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PERSUADE

The vegetables are cooking in a pan on the stove. Your little two-year-old nephew is standing on a stool getting ready to touch the burner. What do you do?

Well, obviously, you run like crazy, scream “no” or “hot” and grab him before he can get hurt. You wouldn’t just stand there, knowing that he would get hurt and watch it happen.

Paul is basically saying the same thing in 2 Corinthians 5:11 (NKJV),

Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

He is referring back to verse 10 where he had explained that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ someday where we will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Paul’s mission in life is to persuade men that Jesus is the Christ, that he is a just and righteous judge. Why? Because he knows that this event, the judgment, is coming and he doesn’t want to see anybody appear before the Lord that has not accepted His atoning sacrifice on their behalf. He doesn’t want them to get “burned” in the fires of hell.

We should care about the people around us in the same manner. Knowing that the judgment day is coming, we should rush to tell them of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, just as we would rush to save our two-year-old nephew from his fate.

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CONSEQUENCES

Life is all about choices. Every choice we make has a consequence, whether good or bad.

If you choose to break the law, chances are you’ll get caught and punished depending on the severity of the law you broke. If you choose to have sex before you get married, you may end up with a baby before you’re ready. There is always a consequence.

Sometimes we don’t experience the consequence until after some time has passed. A meth user may feel great doing their drug of choice…at first. But time shows that they will lose teeth and experience other horrible physical side effects from long term use.

There are always consequences for our actions. Someday we will face consequences in front of the King of kings…

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV).

Judgment is coming.

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4 (NKJV)

Be friends with the world.

Become an enemy of the Judge.

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 2 Corinthians 5:9 (NKJV).

Please the Judge.

After all, there are only two rules that we need to pay attention to …

1. Love God with all your heart, soul and mind.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself. (see Matthew 22:37-40)

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TRUST

Who do you trust? Do you trust your friends? After all, none of them would ever let you down. Has anybody that you thought was your friend ever let you down?

Do you trust all politicians? All salesmen? All commercials on the television?

How do you know who you can trust?

If someone were well known for building a giant skyscraper that had been standing for 50 years, would you trust them to build you a house? That sounds like a safe bet, doesn’t it!

If there was a Secret Service employee that had successfully kept the past six Presidents alive, thwarting several attempts on their lives, you might trust him to keep you safe as you walked through a mall in Tucson.

That may sound somewhat silly, but when you stop to think that God, Who made heaven and earth, and created all life, simply asks us to trust Him with our one life, it seems like a “no-brainer.”

When we read in His manual for living (the Bible) how He saved an entire race from slavery in Egypt and led them into another land where He helped them conquer all the people that lived there, we surely ought to be able to trust Him with our one life.

When we read about His love for us and how He sent His only Son to take the punishment for our sin, for your sin and for my sin, we surely owe Him a debt of gratitude and a life of love.

What do you think?

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)

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