dear folks, i wanna talk to ya a little bit about JESUS and what it means to know HIM.
john 1:11 HE came to HIS own ; and HIS own did not recieve HIM.
john 1:12 but as many as recieved HIM , to them HE gave the right to become children of GOD, to those who believe in HIS name.
i find this very facinating that JESUS , HIS own peoples wouldnt recieve HIM. i recon the said hes just a carpenters son. i know him. we wont accept him as the messiah... cant ya just hear em now. ohhhh you know the folks and the town was just a buzzin huh hehe.. thank GOD that the ones who did recieve HIM were given the chance to believe in HIS name.
its alot like that in todays time. you know its really hard to preach or to witness to folks who lived around you or known you all of your life.. they remember back when you was a wild child ,the things you done or the way you may of acted. they go i remember him ha he aint changed none.. and here was JESUS who could perform miracles for folks to see the power and the glory of GOD.right before their very own eyes. and yet alot of them didnt believe either.. and here we are armed today with what? our walkin testimony when people can look at you and know how you were and can see the kind of changes in you that only can come from above.. ive never seen a cold calloused heart changed except by the love of GOD entering into it. the words to one of my favorite songs says . who can change a life so wicked when the world says theres no hope ,who can cause a drunkard to stop drinkin ,set an addict free from dope. who can make something from nothing cause he did just that for me.. tell me who but GOD can do such things as these. amen
what does JESUS offer them? well if they ask for forgiveness and accept JESUS as their personal savior then they will be forgiven of their sins. and if not then they will die in their sins.
john 8:24 therefore I say to you that you will die in your sins , for if you do not believe that I am HE , you will die in your sins.
so therefore if you believe in HIM you wont die in your sins..
youll know the peace that only comes only from faith in JESUS. . you also have opportunity for a continueing companionship with HIM. an ongoing relationship with HIM is what HE seeks. and we all know where our road ends up.. thats right in HEAVEN .. the place of no more sorrow sickness pain nor sin.
and you will know GODS promise to us.
hebrews 13:5 let your conduct be without covetousness , be content with such things as you have for HE HIMSELF has said 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'
I beg to disagree with Cattleman here. With all due respect, let me remind you Cattleman, that the Disciples during their times here on earth were never at peace, for they were persecuted here and there, killed, maimed, and tortured for our Lord Jesus' sake.
Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it." Matt. 16:24,25.
To carry one's cross is not an easy task. There is no peace in suffering and in losing one's life for His sake.
Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy, "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (1Timothy 1:8-10).
He urged us Christians to join with him in suffering for the Gospel. In other words, if you just stay in your house sitting pretty, reading the Bible, typing the keyboards of your PC, of course you have peace. But that does not mean you are the Lord's follower. Maybe you believe in Him, you have faith in Him, but the lack of doing His works in actual scenario, does not make you His follower. Perhaps you are His avid fan, but not a follower.
Try doing some missions, preach the Gospel boldly in the presence of unbelievers, or perhaps go to Afghanistan to preach the Gospel, there you will realize that even if you have faith in Jesus, you will have no peace. You will only have peace when you die for His sake.
