changed life – Valerie Rumfelt

Mary of Bethany

Just a few days before Jesus would die on the cross for the sins of the world, there is an account of a woman who took an opportunity to worship Him. Her display was remarkable and loving and remembered throughout all time.

photo-1520408222757-6f9f95d87d5d

John 12:1-8 is the passage. We find Lazarus hosting a dinner for Jesus. His sisters are present. Martha is serving. Mary is near Jesus.

It is six days before the Passover Feast. Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived. Lazarus was the one Jesus had raised from the dead.

2 A dinner was given at Bethany to honor Jesus. Martha served the food. Lazarus was among the people at the table with Jesus. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard. It was an expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the sweet smell of the perfume.
4 But Judas Iscariot didn’t like what Mary did. He was one of Jesus’ disciples. Later he was going to hand Jesus over to his enemies. Judas said, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold? Why wasn’t the money given to poor people? It was worth a year’s pay.” 6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor. He said it because he was a thief. Judas was in charge of the money bag. He used to help himself to what was in it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “The perfume was meant for the day I am buried. 8 You will always have the poor among you. But you won’t always have me.”

As onlookers to this beautiful story, we admire Mary because of her outward evidence of inward devotion toward Jesus. She gave all she had to worship Jesus and show her love to Him. To Mary, Jesus was the only one in the room. She is compelled to worship Him in this precious and costly way.

Judas, the thief, the one who would later betray Jesus was in the room and opposed this act of love. Judas’ weakness was he cared only for himself. And he was guilty and trying to hide it. When he tried to deceitfully point out Mary’s love toward Jesus as being misguided, the selfishness and darkness in his character were exposed. Judas tried to garner favor for his position by pulling in the poor as his cover. He not only revealed his true colors but tried to deceive those around him into thinking he was concerned for the poor. Jesus, of course, was the One present concerned about the poor most of all. The fact that Judas tried this tactic with Jesus present exposes even more of his unfavorable and repulsive character. 97e36477-fe33-4da0-a91f-00552724a6cf

Mary, on the other hand, is generous in her expression of love. To be clear, it was a display. Unabashed, Mary seems oblivious to the dark character sitting near her in Judas and still displays a lavish love for Jesus using a lavish product. She is one to admire and esteem. Jesus welcomed Mary’s love and worship while penetrating the darkness of Judas with a direct command to leave Mary alone.

Jesus was willing to fellowship with friends and foes alike, ready to defend the pure in heart, available to receive an extravagant expression of love, and used the sacrifice to teach a lesson. In only a few words, He exposes the motives and forces of evil sitting near Him in Judas. He uses Mary’s display of worship to uncover the truth.

The people in Jesus’ day didn’t understand they would soon lose Him to a brutal and sacrificial death on their behalf. Even in this passage, Jesus tells those present that He will not always be with them. They couldn’t grasp that He’d soon be gone.

What qualities do we see in Mary of Bethany? A brave lady used an opportunity to worship Jesus in the face of evil. Mary understood Jesus was going to die. She cared for Him. Her act of worship pointed to his forthcoming death. She was devoted. She wanted to be with Jesus. She followed Him, and she worshipped Him. She hung on to His every word. She had a pure heart.

And how does Jesus respond to Mary of Bethany? He receives her lavish love and worship. He stands up to evil and defends her pure love. He uses her example to show that a heart of worship and a heart of evil are choices. God, through the Holy Spirit, inspired John, the writer, to share it in Scripture to be read and told through the ages.

Mary of Bethany did not know this encounter with Jesus would be historical and serve as an example to us all. Mary of Bethany wasn’t in a hurry. Because her heart was ready, she experienced the presence and love of Jesus. He calls each of His followers to be ready with a devoted heart because each day, we get to express our devotion to Him in the way we live too.

©Valerie Rumfelt

Thanks for taking the time to read my article. If you aren’t signed up already, please add your email below, and tap subscribe. Each time I publish, you will receive Winning Ways to Follow Jesus in your email first. Blessings.

This article shares Old Testament prophesies and their fulfillment. You can find it here:https://www.jesusfilm.org/blog/old-testament-prophecies/

Just As I Am

Is this lyric familiar to you? What is your memory of it?

If you are a Christians, may it comfort you and remind you of the day you decided to come to Jesus.

Pray for someone you know who needs so great a salvation.

©Valerie Rumfelt

Thanks for taking the time to read my article. If you aren’t signed up already, please add your email below, and hit subscribe. Each time I publish, you will receive Winning Ways to Follow Jesus in your email first. Blessings.

Why I Meet With God in the Morning

How do you feel when you are out alone and discover your phone battery is low and you didn’t bring a charger? While this happens to all of us occasionally(or maybe just once, a lesson learned), none of us like to feel vulnerable and detached from those we love.

The lack of readiness and vulnerability the above scenario alludes to is how I feel when I miss my morning quiet time. Of course, there are mornings when it isn’t possible because, occasionally, life happens, something out of the ordinary like an early flight, a medical procedure, a hospital stay, and a variety of other situations.

Think about your typical morning routine. Do you wait until the last snooze to get out of bed? Is having an occasional morning quiet time all you expect of yourself? Maybe no one ever challenged you when you were a new Christian to set aside time every morning to spend with God.

Why am I writing about meeting God every morning? Because living life intentionally is important. Mornings are important. Your morning routine, or lack of one, can change your life. One sets you on a successful, Spirit-led trajectory—the other results in a sluggish, unfocused drift. Meeting with God first changes my life. Meeting with God first before you accelerate into your day should be a priority for every Christian. Over time this excellent habit will change your life.

Lamentations 3:23 proclaims that God’s mercies are new every morning. We hardly know this when we rush to leave the house. We cannot run on automatic and expect to see God working in our lives. The Bible says that God loads us daily with benefits(Psalm 68:19). Our spiritual eyes are alert to see all He gives us on any given day when we spend time with Him each morning.

My phone illustration reminds me I want to stay connected to the Source. I want to be connected to God through reading His word and prayer. I want to absorb His Word and use His Word to pray for His desires over my life.

My relationship with God is first. My relationship with God is a friendship, and friendships require time and investment. But this relationship is not like meeting a friend you haven’t seen in a while and catching up on things. Not at all. The all-powerful, all-knowing God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, your soul rescuer, your Redeemer, the One who died for your sin and is alive today to be your Helper and Comforter, He is the One you meet. The One who provides you everything you need to love and serve Him on earth, and to keep you faithful because He is faithful(Hebrews 10:23) until He comes again.

That old quote about we become like those whom we keep as our company is true. We become like our closest companions. My dearest companion is Jesus. My first priority of the day is to meet with the One who saved my soul. I Corinthians 15:33 says, ” Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.'” “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (Proverbs 13:20). I will become more like Jesus as I spend time with Him.

Today, I’m writing to persuade you to consider adjusting your morning routine to include a morning quiet time in your home before you leave to begin your day. Even if you have to change your alarm, sacrifice a little, and wake up before anyone else in your house, I can testify that this is one habit you won’t regret. Solitude, alone with God, is transformative.
Just getting to this point, I’ve given so many reasons! I could name a hundred. But here are 5 reasons I meet with God in the morning:

I get to meet with God, the Creator of the universe who loves me. Like the music director said in Psalm 42:2, … “When can I go and meet with God?” The author of this statement longed to meet with God. If you don’t have that longing. It’s ok. Show up. And one day, you will. Meeting with God each morning gives me time to worship, let go of worries, and strength to wait on God’s plans. It also gives me comfort and guidance to start taking His steps into a new day(Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 37:23). Truly, God’s Word is a lamp and a light(Psalm 119:105) showing me the way.
The Bible tells me sinless Jesus often went away for prayer and to be alone with the Father. It stands to reason that if Jesus needed to meet with God, then we who are sinners need to meet with God(Mark 1:35). How can I take up my cross daily and follow Jesus if I don’t look to Him at the beginning of each day(Luke 9:23)? Jesus gave me an example in His life that I can follow.
Philippians 2 urges me to imitate Christ. Surrendering and choosing humility are settled in my time with Him. My wrong thinking, bad attitude, and rebellious spirit dissolve and lose their hold on me as I confess my sin and let His Spirit reign in me. God changes my heart, and it needs it every single day. Any real change in my life comes not through a rushed or skipped time with God but through self-examination, cries to be changed as I pray scripture and pour out my heart, and worship to the only One with transformative power.
Jesus promises to be with me always, but when I choose to meet with Him, I sense His presence. Through the Holy Spirit, He responds to my willingness and provides all I need to follow His plan in this quiet time. I get to gaze upon His beauty, majesty, and splendor(Psalm 27:4). I would miss this joy if I were in a rush, flying down the road to work.
I need the Lord. My time with Him brings me emotional and spiritual health. I need the spiritual protection of Ephesians 6 to stay alert to the devil’s schemes. When suffering and trial come, the investment I’ve put in to meet with God pays off because I can trust God. Meeting with God equips me for the day that He knows all about and that I know very little about. The Lord desires me to grow up in my salvation( I Peter 2:2). These few reasons I’ve given here can’t be achieved in exhaustion at the end of the day or midday rush. I often meet with God throughout my day or even at night on my bed. Those are extra times, not the main time. If every day is a trip, then I need to consult my Guide before I take the trip.
BONUS REASON: “He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.” John Bunyon
The above quote might be a one-sentence summary of this article! Having a morning quiet time has nothing to do with works unto salvation. God has a plan. We are Christians. Jesus told us to follow Him, which means He is the Leader. A leader is a first position, meaning you meet with your Leader first. Intentionality, a desire to understand God’s plan, and a desire to get a sound mind before heading out into the dark world are intelligent actions. Learning to lean on Jesus and longing to hear from Him bring honor to Him and spiritual reward to your life. I know myself and need the Holy Spirit to change, transform, and prepare me to go out in the dark world. I must take spiritual responsibility for my life. Jesus already did the work of achieving my salvation. The very least I can do is meet with Him. Why not start a new, life-long, redemptive, results-driven habit to meet Him every morning?

“My quiet time is not a gift I give to God.
My quiet time is a gift God gives me.
I don’t offer him my quiet time. I simply offer him my time, my self. He’s the one who provides the quiet spirit.”
― Emilie Barnes, Fill My Cup, Lord… With the Peace of Your Presence

©Valerie Rumfelt

The Lowdown on Loving

Luke 6:27-35

⁷“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. ³⁰Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you^{. 32}“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. ³⁴And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Matthew 5:43-48

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[a] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Romans 12:17-21

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[a] says the Lord.²⁰On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[b]

²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

A friend asked me this week, what do I pray for my enemies? Years ago, I worked in a Christian environment, and it wasn’t long before an enemy presented herself. This lady would do all manner of hurtful things. The shocking part was she was a Christian. At the time, I had no idea I’d be in that work situation for 10 years. But that’s where Jesus kept me, so I had to learn to get along with this person. On my way home one day, the Spirit reminded me that He loved her as much as He loved me. That truth likely began my journey to please God in that situation.
When my friend asked me how to pray for her enemies, I immediately thought of my past work situation.
Jesus’ biblical commands, at first glance, present an impossible task for His children. I submit that all Biblical teaching, precepts, and commands are impossible. But thankfully, Christians have God’s divine power to lead a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). Knowing this power is within should motivate us, but it might cause us to question why we struggle to live it out.

No one likes their rights trampled on. Plus, Christians and unbelievers alike have lots of pride. Many times we live for ourselves. In this area, often, we can live like the world, walking in darkness. And we justify ourselves. All this gives us plenty of obstacles to carrying out these biblical mandates.
We should approach these passages with a spirit of obedience. Jesus is good, right, and just in all His ways. Jesus expects His followers to act toward enemies as He teaches us.
Most of our problems come with our rebellion against what Jesus asks. We are good at developing alternative plans, rationalizations, and reasons to ignore uncomfortable commands. These commands in this passage require a dying to self on the front end. If you don’t, you will add an enemy to the situation, yourself.
At the point of our salvation in Christ, each of God’s children receives the promised Holy Spirit. Acts of obedience are accomplished only through the power of the Holy Spirit.
So what does it take to love our enemies, as Jesus outlines in these passages?
-Die to yourself first
-Obey all that Jesus outlines here.
-Remember, you have the power inside you to do what pleases God. He doesn’t ask His children to do anything without the power of the Holy Spirit. He never expects us to act on our own will, ability, or desire. He looks to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him( 2 Chronicles 16:9).
Luke 6:31 assumes we want to bless our enemies since we would like to be treated this way too. Jesus is trying to help us see that sometimes we are the enemy. But we don’t want to hear that. They are the wicked ones, not us. But this is not what Jesus implies. Our self-righteousness hangs us. His demands are high. Verse 35 is in no way speaking of earning your salvation. It implies that should you choose the biblical way of relating to your enemies, then you are being like Jesus. He is the only perfect one.
Matthew 5:48 only highlights Jesus’ desire for His children to obey the command to love one’s enemies by declaring perfection before God when we do these actions toward our enemy. When we act as He desires, we are becoming more like Him. He is the perfect example.
So why is God so hard on us?
The whole Bible is about the redemption and salvation of all men. Behavior like this is so counter to human nature. What would happen if we decided to behave as Jesus tells us? What effect would our Christian behavior have on the world, our families, and our workplace?
There is a high probability that our enemy will see Christ in us, and God will get the glory(Matthew 5:16). What is the outcome of this example? Possible reconciliation. Certain forgiveness in your heart(the offended one), possible salvation in Christ Jesus for the enemy. This behavior can potentially have such eternal ramifications that Jesus spells out precisely what to do. The details are clear. A life well lived in demanding situations with our enemies is a good witness. If nothing else, it gives your enemies a good impression of what Christianity is.
So my friend asked, “How do I pray?” Suppose any of God’s children decide to take God at His Word and follow these instructions. In that case, you will be praying throughout the process for yourself, and your enemy, and those prayers are coming from our Counselor, the promised Holy Spirit. I know this because if you decide in your heart to follow Jesus in obedience, then He will teach you how to pray, and behave.
As a child of God, you can’t read these requirements for your obedience without being impacted. You must know that whether you are mistreated for persecution or just another believer being mean-spirited toward you, God wants you to leave revenge with Him. Your assignment is to pray for all you will need to obey God, and then go in obedience to your enemy and begin your task.
Do these passages take into account loving those who never respond redemptively? Do they offer anything for the offended one? I can tell you from experience that God left me in an office with someone ten years before delivering me. When He did, I left knowing I’d been obedient to Him. I’d learned my lesson, and I left at peace with myself and that person.

Some people have enemies hundreds of miles away. Maybe you have forgiven them, and for you, they are no longer an enemy. But you know they still view you as their enemy. Your requirement is to do all these passages outlined and leave the result in God’s care. Everyone is not interested in redemption. Whether your enemy is interested in redemption or not, be sure you are interested in redemption.

Let’s be sure we desire to please God and not just get revenge or keep the offense alive. Situations of injustice make enemies. Situations with enemies make Christians Christian. To act like Christ, we must focus on Christ, remember His suffering, how He acted before His enemies, and how little he talked before His enemies.
Praying, giving, loving, and blessing are all required of Christ’s followers. It is how we become most like Jesus and how our enemies in life know we are Christians. I believe Jesus spends so much time teaching about this because it is one of the most profound ways to lay down our lives and to show His love to others.

©Valerie Rumfelt

Writer Answers Reader

Just like the lego man was built one piece at a time, when you engage Scripture, you are investing and building for yourself a strong life in Christ. Valerie Rumfelt

In the comments of my last article, a reader asked me a question. I decided to answer her question with another article. I told her to look for another article soon. My desire is to answer her question so all my readers will see it and that she will see the answer too.

Reader question:

I’ve done a bit of Scripture memorization in the past, but I haven’t been consistent with it. Do you have any tips for committing Scripture to memory?

5 Tips for Scripture Memory:

1. Choose Scripture that the Spirit has highlighted for you in your morning quiet time. This way, it isn’t a random scripture but one with a meaningful connection.

2. Engage with the Scripture as much as you can. Many tips are in the articles here: https://valerierumfelt.com/2023/02/14/the-ultimate-love-letter, and this one, https://valerierumfelt.com/2023/01/29/diagramming-scripture/. Choose ones you like, and you could begin to remember parts of a verse or verses soon.

3. Learn a little more about the context of the Bible passage. What’s the surrounding story or teaching? That will give your brain some connectors.

4. Get a partner and encourage one another until you both get it memorized.

5. Stay away from human expectations. God wants His children to love His Word, not be frustrated with it. Know the Spirit is working in your life each time you engage His Holy Word,

Reader, I hope this encourages you to keep going in your pursuit of hiding God’s Word in your heart. To everyone reading, remember, as good as it feels to conquer a scripture, you may not be able to have instant recall later. The reward is you know it is hidden in your heart(Psalm 119:11), and it will not come back void(Isaiah 55:11).

If any readers have other tips, please share them in the comments.

©Valerie Rumfelt

Imagine a New Life

Yesterday morning in church, we sang a medley of songs about heaven as well as grace. While singing, my mind pondered how freeing it is to live a life indelibly marked by God’s grace.

None of us deserve God’s grace. Maybe as a believer in Jesus, you have wondered where you would be if it had not been for the Lord. I often do. Then other times, when aware of my sin nature, the idea of God’s grace made known to me causes me to want to weep, and sometimes I do. If you are a believer in Jesus, surely you know and experience the grace of God daily!

He cares so deeply for His children, and His love is boundless and inexhaustible, unfathomable.

With all the uncertainty in this world, the lack of peace has caused many who don’t know Jesus to at least wonder how to make sense of it all. Surely, observing the events would shake one’s soul and cause questions to swirl. I’m wondering, if you are in that state now, would you be looking for peace?

The One that lives inside me is the only One that’s been able to give my life

peace,

purpose,

and a plan.

He is my stability, my Rock, and my Home. This all-encompassing God also has a place reserved for me in Heaven. I know this for certain, and it’s not because of anything I’ve done. It’s actually because of everything He did for me when He died on the cross. Then when I made the choice to receive His gift of salvation, certainty, and assurance became my eternal hope.

I don’t deserve this one bit.

It certainly isn’t because I’m a good person or because of any good works I’ve done.

I am not a good person, nor do I have to do good works to earn this salvation.
Any good coming from me is Jesus inside me, and the good works are done only because I love Him.
Earning my salvation is not needed.
My faith is in the person of Jesus, not a religion. This keeps me from becoming callous to the world and its troubles.

In fact, my heart is more tender to this world, and prayer is my response.

Certainly, I’ve decided to follow Jesus, which means my life is directed to being part of the solution to the world’s ills. But my hope and peace are not found in this world. So how does one find this peace?

These verses explain how to find peace with God.

John 3:16&17- “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

John 14:6- Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Romans 3:23-for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

Romans 6:23- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.

Acts 2:21 – And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

I Corinthians 3:16 – Do you not know that you are God’s temple and the Spirit of God dwells in you?

If you believe what you’ve just read, then you can ask Jesus to live in your heart, and He will. It is the best decision you will ever make. You can pray something like this, and Jesus will hear you and, by His Spirit, come to live in your heart.

Dear God, I know through your son Jesus, I can have forgiveness of my sin. I know I need you. I believe Jesus is God’s son. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe God raised Jesus from the dead. Because He lives, I can live too. I receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior now. Please forgive my sin, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, help me to follow you faithfully all the days of my life. Amen.

Please leave a comment below to tell your story of when you became a follower of Jesus. Or, leave a comment if you just began that journey.

If you did decide to follow Jesus, begin reading the Bible. Ask God’s Holy Spirit to give you understanding and begin to obey what you read. Pray, talk to Jesus, and tell Him about your life and your needs. Praise Him. Contact another Christian and share your decision. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to a church family who believes in the Bible as God’s Holy Word, who worships the triune God in all its purpose, and who values the growth of Christian character found in the person of Christ for each of its members.

©Valerie Rumfelt

Are You On Your Way to Heaven?

Have you wondered how to get to heaven? Many people have ideas about getting to heaven. The sources for information that are readily available many times are the ones least likely to have the answers you’re looking for.

There is an idea out there that if one has not offended humanity in some overt way, then heaven is surely possible. This is a popular belief of our day. Good works is a gospel quite prevalent in many religious sects. One must abide by a set of rules or do many works. This will surely reserve one’s place in heaven. The perpetrator of these lies leading people to hell is the enemy of our souls. The Bible says the devil, a predator, roams around seeking who he may devour (I Peter 5:8). He is successful in leading millions to believe in these ideas or others. Each of these mentioned is putting trust in oneself for salvation. It seems like a glance at humanity could bring an intelligent conclusion that salvation surely does not come from within the heart of humanity. But the enemy is vicious and clever, so the lies perpetuate from one generation to the next.

The Bible is clear that our works do not get us to heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9). We will express our faith through works once we are saved by faith in Jesus, but that is a compelling expression of our love and service to Jesus and His church, not out of obligation. The Bible is clear that no one is good, so all our sin is an offense to God (Romans 3:10-12). We all sin (Romans 3:23).

Many are missing the best information. There is only one way to fix the human heart. God made us in His image (Genesis 1:27), and He desires for us to know Him. God loves us. He loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son to die so we could have eternal life(John 3:16). Because there is only one way, there is no guessing. Jesus stated in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” The statement is clear and spoken with authority by the One and Only One who can provide the way. The only way to God is through Jesus.

The world religions make it complicated and exhausting to get to God. Thank God for Jesus!. Jesus never sinned. This fact made Him the perfect sacrifice. In John 1:29, John the Baptist said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The purpose is clear why Jesus came to earth. Jesus came to take away our sin. Because He never sinned, He could take our sin. He bore our sin when He bled and died on the cross. Because our sin is an offense to Him, we cannot get to heaven because no sin is in heaven. We have to be righteous, and when we receive Jesus, then His righteousness covers us, and we are declared righteous.

Jesus made the way for everyone to come to God through Him. Although He provided the way with His flesh and blood sacrifice, not everyone will choose Him. It is a personal choice that every person on the planet, past, present, and future, must make. What to do with Jesus? Those who choose Him can know that His resurrection ensures resurrected life for them too. The assurance is when He returns, every person who has put their faith in Him will be resurrected, whether in the grave or still alive (John 14:1-3).

Some people reject Jesus in their last bitter breath. Some receive Him in their last believing breath. But everyone will decide. It is not an objective decision. It is not an arbitrary decision. Philippians 2 tells us that one day every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess when Jesus comes again. What you find the hardest to do now will be forced out of you because no one will be able to be in His presence, see His presence, or know the reality of His coming without being in submission. But it will be too late at that moment. Every human on the planet, past, present, and future, has to decide whether they will make that choice now. Now is the time. It will be too late the moment you die or the moment He appears. Now is the time.

I’ve included verses that will help you ponder so great a salvation. The most important decision you can make now is what to do with God’s Son, Jesus.

As you read these verses, I pray that you will believe these verses. I pray you will receive Jesus as your Savior. Jesus is the only One who ever claimed to be God. In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” This so clearly declared Jesus is God. This is a life-changing statement of truth. Only Jesus could state this.

Please read and ponder these verses today. Jesus is the only way to God. I hope you decide to receive Jesus and claim Him as Lord of your life. He is so wonderful. He will be your dearest friend every day of your life. You will find His friendship the best and His love for you dear and kind. He is worthy of trust, and He has a plan for your life that you would never think of on your own. If you decide to follow Him, you will wonder what took you so long. I know others who would agree with me about this. Please give your heart and life to Jesus today. I’ve never heard anyone say they regret it. Jesus is the way to heaven, and once you know Him, your place is reserved.

If you are reading this and already have this relationship with Jesus, then please share this post with someone you know who needs to know how to get to heaven.

How to get to heaven:

John 3:16 & 17- “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

Romans 3:23-for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

Romans 6:23- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.

Acts 2:21 – And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.

Romans 10:9 – If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Years ago, my husband and I shared this wonderful news with a group and when we led them to consider these truths, one man declared aloud to his wife, “Now we know how to get to heaven.” This man was around 90 years of age. The Lord was merciful to him and let him live long enough to believe and receive Jesus in his heart. Maybe wherever you are now, you too will receive this wonderful gift of grace, given freely by Jesus, the Son of God.

Now is the time. May today be the day you can say with assurance, “Now I know how to get to heaven.”

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

I John 5:13

Please press subscribe and enter your email. It would be my joy to have you as one of my readers. You will receive an email alert each time I publish. Welcome.

Christ is Our Way

Christ is our Way; we walk in Him.
He is our Truth; we embrace Him.
He is our Life; we live in Him.

From D. L. Moody’s book – The Way To God and How To Find It . Mr. Moody states he was looking through some papers and found this and he wanted to pass it to his readers. I found it in his book and am passing it on to my readers. The author is unknown.

“Christ is our Way; we walk in Him.

He is our Truth; we embrace Him.

He is our Life; we live in Him.

He is our Lord; we chose Him to rule over us.

He is our Master; we serve Him.

He is our Teacher; instructing us in the way of salvation

He is our Prophet; pointing out the future.

He is our Priest; having atoned for us.

He is our Advocate; ever living to make intercession for us.

He is our Saviour; saving to the uttermost.

He is our Root; we grow from Him.

He is our Bread; we feed upon Him.

He is our Shepherd; leading us into green pastures.

He is our true Vine; we abide in Him.

He is the Water of Life; we slake our thirst from Him.

He is the fairest among ten thousand; we admire Him above all others.

He is the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express image of His person; we strive to reflect His likeness.

He is the upholder of all things; we rest upon Him.

He is our wisdom; we are guided by Him.

He is our Righteousness; we cast all our imperfections upon Him.

He is our Sanctification; we draw all our power for holy life from Him.

He is our Redemption; redeeming us from all iniquity.

He is our Healer, curing all our diseases.

He is our Friend, relieving us in all our necessities.

He is our Brother, cheering us in our difficulties.”

It would be my joy to have you as a reader. Put your email in the box below, and press subscribe to receive my post each time I publish.

4 Quotes That Changed My Life

Who doesn’t love a good quote? A good quote has at its origin a pithy quality and sums up a truth about the human experience we relate to.

The following quotes likely won’t be famous, but none the less, they’ve impacted my life. All have a memory associated with them.

4 Quotes That Changed My Life:

Honey, if we knew it all, we couldn’t stand it!

” – I remember standing in the living room of one of my mother’s friends when I heard this. It’s like yesterday, my tall mother and her tall friend chatting away, and my little self, paying attention. I was a curious child. They must’ve been talking about something terrible that had occurred because the question that swirled in my head and soon emerged was about why couldn’t God let us know things. This phrase was the answer my mother’s friend said to me. I didn’t understand it then, but her experience walking with God prepared her to answer me this way, and I never forgot it. Her answer’s been indelibly printed in my mind and remains an active concept to me. The phrase points to God’s wisdom in all things and His protection of our emotions.

“Faith is not a feeling” – At a meeting of Campus Crusade for Christ in college, I first heard this. The speaker introduced this idea, and it is a concept that has pulsated in my mind throughout my life. Truly faith and feelings can rarely coexist. Without faith, the Bible says it is impossible to please God. As women, we let our feelings and emotions make decisions for us. Faith relies fully on God and His wisdom.

“Go do something normal” – My husband first said this to me and just him saying it brought comfort to me at the time. We’ve all had times when we didn’t feel like our typical self? We could be confused, fearful, uncertain, plagued by doubt. Anytime this happens, it’s good to find the familiar, call a friend, brush your teeth, exercise, listen to a sermon, write some scripture. At times, this angst comes at night, ushering in a sleepless night. Whenever this happens, don’t focus on it. Instead, work around it. Go do something normal.

“You can’t go with God and stay where you are” – It was at a marriage conference at Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina that I heard Henry Blackaby utter these profound words. There are times when God is calling a follower of His to do something. If we don’t do it, then we’ve decided to stay where we are. When we do this, we miss the joy of the following Him in obedience and you can be sure of this, you will regret your no. Sometimes these calls from God require an address change. Sometimes they require courage to speak, the decision to let go, the tenacity to face the hill and begin, or maybe to change your schedule. Going with God could be obediently staying where we are when the urge to leave is strong. Going with God is staying in step with His spirit. It’s an adventure. It is irrevocable. If you miss it, well, you’ve missed it. Gone forever.

Maybe these quotes will keep you pondering today about your walk with God. We miss so much of what God has for us. These quotes teach me that I don’t have to know everything, God is big enough to carry me through whatever is coming, I can trust Him in faith. There are times I’m going to feel off or uncertain, but the feeling will pass as I press on through the day, and if I go with God, He will be with me. God is speaking, are you listening?

And theLordsaid to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud and speak to you. The people will hear me speaking with you and will always trust you.” Then Moses told theLordwhat the people had said. Exodus 19:9