All for God

We know all about Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul. They all died in the service of the Lord, martyred, because of their faith. It makes one wonder if I or we as a church would have faith and trust in God to walk to the gallows, the chopping block willingly, or the firing squad without fear. I say to you, the only thing to fear is God.

Bonhoeffer

If I said the name to you, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, it would probably mean nothing. Now, Bonhoeffer’s life story is inspiring. He was a Lutheran Pastor in Nazi Germany during World War II. How died because of his faith and his cooperation with a resistance movement. The Nazis convicted Bonhoeffer as part of a plan to assassinate Adolph Hitler.

Bonhoeffer walked in faith, worked against the Nazi regime, and was hung by the Gestapo 31 days before Germany surrendered to the Allies. The Gestapo already knew the war was practically over. His death was sheer evil and retaliation against him for his faith in God and opposition to the Nazis.

A man who witnessed the execution said Bonhoeffer said a short prayer, walked to the gallows then stood on a stool. Upon being hung, he died 30 seconds later. The man testified that he had never seen a man walk so calmly to his death. Bonhoeffer was acting with the peace and grace of God. He was walking with complete faith in his salvation.

Could You?

Wow, do you have that kind of faith? Do you worry about end times? Some preachers are preaching about end times, and they are near. Even Jesus said He did not know the time of His return. Yet these preachers are saying, prepare yourself; the end is near. Folks, the last days started when Jesus died and rose. We cannot worry about end times; if anything, we should welcome it.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Every morning I wake, I remember God has blessed me in at least two ways. First, I have another day to serve the Lord. Second, I am one day closer to seeing my Lord. The stuff in between? Well, God takes care of that for me. Think about it, would you rather be here dealing with the garbage of the world or in a place with a new body, no pain, no sorrow, only the glory of God to worship nonstop? I’ll take the second, please.

Do you have faith like Bonhoeffer? Do you welcome meeting Jesus in eternity? Do you even know Jesus?

Born of a Virgin.

Christ Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. It is essential to acknowledge the virgin birth. The virgin birth shows us that Jesus was not tainted with the sin of Adam. The sin that we all share. He was sent to us to appease God’s anger against our sins. He packed up our sins, put them on His shoulders, and then was nailed to a tree, becoming a curse for us. Beaten, tortured, and crucified, He died a bodily death. After three days in the tomb, Jesus rose in physical form, not a ghost or representation, but in a body; the holes in His hands, feet, and side visible to the apostles and those who saw the resurrected Christ. He then ascended to heaven, where He is seated at the right hand of God, our direct intercessor with God the Father, our brother, the firstborn of many brethren. By faith, the elect can be saved by his blood. A simple profession of genuine faith and Christ opens the door to salvation.

What a gift, and it’s free. In true Christianity, you don’t have to do a thing to be saved but profess your faith in Christ. By doing so, you are cleansed of all sin and made righteous. After our salvation, it is up to us to grow in faith and show our works of salvation, all the while repenting our sins.

Do I Need a Shower?

Someone once asked me if I really believed that when I died, I would be cleansed of the world enough to stand before God (they believed in purgatory). I replied absolutely. They asked how I could think that because they knew much of my life before Christ. My answer was simple. The blood of the Lamb has washed me; I am cleansed of sin and restored to righteousness, as is my relationship with God restored.

We will all stand before for God to answer for the good and bad things we have done in our lives. If God asks me what makes you worthy to enter here? I will reply, God, I am not worthy, I will point to Jesus, and I will say I am only here because of Him. He saved me.

Where are you with God?

Peace and Grace!