8 Jesus Christ is the same
Updated on April 1, 2021
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Our great God of all creation, the Creator, the Healer, the Messiah, Emmanuel- "God is with us". Yes, can you imagine? The One Who spoke the world into being, making Himself a tiny Babe, completely helpless, the One Who could have called thousands of angels down at any moment, chose to come fully as a man, the Son of Man, and also the Son of God, fully God! He chose to come down to earth to save us, for we could never save ourselves from our sins. It had to be done by the perfect Lamb of God because God is holy. Yet, he loves us more than any of His creation, so much so, that He had a Plan in place even when we fell from grace in the Garden of Eden.
The Lord has never let me down, not ever, not even once. He is always faithful to us, even at times when we have turned our backs on Him.
During my teen years and into college, I did a lot of reckless things; sometimes I suffered the consequences, and sometimes, by the grace of God, I seemed completely spared. In high school I was standing up in the back of a truck bed where I should not have been, and the truck lurched forward, so did I, and off and out I went onto the solid concrete in the parking lot. I made it home and was badly bruised and very sore. My poor mom met me at the door. Mom was a believer in Christ as she always was- oh, how relieved and yet I am sure- shocked and thankful she was for my return home in one piece. I am positive that she had been praying for my safe return that night while I was out with friends, as she prayed for my sister Sherry and me each day, certainly multiple times! Once I became a parent, I joined in with the multitude of praying parents over their children's lives, forever and always, and I understood full well why Mom must've been praying for me that night, and I came away from it all relatively unscathed, by the Lord's grace.
My mother prayed quietly, openly, often- all of that and more. Early on in life, she had taken Christ Jesus as her Lord and Savior. It is an act of faith that when we hear the Word of God and His promises in Jesus, that we say, "Yes," to Him, asking for forgiveness of sins and promising to live in a close relationship with God, now and forever. Everything that one has done before accepting Christ is forgiven; "as far as the east is from the west," or though the Lord had thrown your sins into the deepest chasm of the sea, never to be remembered. Psalm 103:8,10-14 (NIV) "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love... He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgression from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust."
This is no small thing, since it is the most important decision that you and I will ever make- all else pales in comparison. Please do not wait a second more if you are still waiting or undecided. You can pray a prayer like this one: Dear Father in Heaven, I know I have done things that have displeased you, even greatly at times. I ask for the forgiveness that only You can give me. You made me and love me, knowing every thought I will ever have. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and the Lord of my life. Thanks be to You, in Jesus' Name, Amen.
In the first posting, I mentioned how most of the time around the car accident that I experienced what little I saw was a gray-color, but I did remember some distinctive things. The point that I really want to make is that God is the most merciful, the most loving, the most patient, and the most powerful Almighty King we could ever imagine. He spared me from so much hurt, pain and remembrance of a terrible moment in my life. I do hope that this realization will comfort those of you who have loved ones who have endured horrible events.
It will be incredible when we get to experience the full Presence of God, night and day for eternity. The peace, joy, and goodness of being together with the Lord for ever and ever, well, it is something I long for- don't you? We can talk more about Heaven any time; I have a couple of great books I have enjoyed and learned about aspects of Heaven (based on the Bible)- and of course, I have The Holy Bible to read itself, just like you do! Please send your comments, experiences, and thoughts. Coming up soon: God is Always with You; Jesus Christ, the Same Yesterday, Today and Forever; Jesus is the Open Door; and The Names of God. If these titles speak to you, send your comments about them any time.
Here is a poem I wrote awhile back that I hope you enjoy- then a few more comments. Until next time, God be with you- He is!!
***(Some thoughts on emergency preparedness... I originally wrote this article in Autumn after Hurricane Sandy.)
Donna M.
