being the hands and feet of Jesus

compassion: sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it (emphasis mine)



i thought this was a great devotional this morning and wanted to share it. this comes from Joni Eareckson Tada's book Diamonds in the Dust.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort." 2 Corinthians 1:3

What word best describes the way you feel when you watch a dear friend in agony? What is the word you wrap around your feelings when you see pictures on television of starving refugees in Africa, or earthquake victims in Armenia? It probably is the word "compassion."

We use that word frequently yet hardly give its true meaning much thought. I looked up compassion in the dictionary and discovered that the first part of the word means "with", and the second part means "that which relates to the agony and suffering of Christ on the cross." Amazing what you find in some dictionaries!

When you feel compassion, you experience what Christ feels. And when you say you have compassion for someone, you are standing with that person, agonizing with him, and suffering as though you were in his shoes. Just as Christ placed himself on the cross on our behalf, we are demonstrating compassion when we take on the cross that someone else is bearing.

God doesn't want you to merely feel deeply about a person in heartbreaking circumstances. Aren't you glad that Jesus did more than just "feel bad" about your sin? He went much further than pitying our sad situation. He put himself in our place, and His love has given new meaning to the word "compassion." "Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:18).

Father of compassion, please use me today to reach out to someone in need. Help me not to just feel hurt and pain for their situation, but use me to help lighten their load. Jesus carried my cross so please grant me Your compassion so I may carry the cross of another who needs Your hope and encouragement.

that really challenged me today as i thought of those hurting around me. is it simply enough to pray for that person? prayer is definitely needed and is an act of compassion but i believe we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are hurting...using our gifts and our resources to meet the very basic and practical needs of those who need it the most. phrases like standing with, agonizing with and suffering as if you were walking in their shoes...causes me to redefine my original thought of compassion and brings me to the point of genuine compassion.

Be Mine

I got this in an email for Valentine's Day and I wanted to share the message. I hope you had a wonderful day full of love!

By: Rachel Olsen

"My lover is mine, and I am his." Song of Solomon 2:16 (NLT)

While I spent the last few months thinking about Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, another group of people likely spent it focused on Valentine's Day: greeting card writers. Valentine's Day is the second-biggest card-buying holiday besides Christmas. More than 200 million cards will be exchanged this weekend. That's a lot of love.

Have you ever watched somebody pick out a greeting card for someone special? Growing up, my family owned a chain of Hallmark stores where I worked as a sales clerk. The occasional customer would breeze in, look at two or three cards and then head to my cash register. However, most would spend 10, 20, even 30 minutes reading through cards, searching for the just right expression of love.

In Christ, God sent us the ultimate Valentine. "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life" (John 3:16, The Message). Whole and lasting, two things we desperately seek but rarely find in this world. Long after the greeting cards I might receive are forgotten, I know that God's love for me endures.

Jesus demonstrated His love for us and taught us how to live and love each other. He received criticism, testing and rejection -- and yet gathered strength from God to turn the other cheek. Jesus prayed for us, and His enemies. He even suffered crucifixion in order to save us from our sin. Jesus is God's perfect expression of love. His life and death are God saying to me and you, "Be Mine."

Yes, God loves us so much that He gave us His most valuable gift, Himself. And after Jesus rose fr om the grave and ascended back to heaven, God sent His Spirit to remain with us. As He shares Himself with us through His Son and His Sprit, God says, "You are my beloved." Hearing that is better than any sentiment the best card-writer could pen. God Himself, given for you and me -- as well as anyone willing to open their heart to Him -- demonstrates the ultimate expression of love. Like melt-in-your-mouth chocolates from a heart-shape satin box, He invites us to taste and see that He is good.

Close your eyes and hear Him whispering to you today, "Be Mine."

obedience

The story is told that when Dr. David Livingstone was working in Africa, a group of friends sent a letter saying, "We would like to send other men to you. Have you found a good road into your area yet?” Apparently, Dr. Livingstone sent this message in reply: "If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all."

I wonder if God thinks this about us sometimes. I wonder if He ever calls us to obedience without showing us the path we will travel, or the end result, just to see what we will do. Kind of like a test. Will we obey without a road map?

And I often wonder why following God isn’t easier. There are days when I feel tired of getting called out of my comfort zone to obey God.

Maybe there is something within us that is revealed when we are pressured from without. Maybe the call to obey shines light on the truth about our faith. I know that in order to grow, faith must be stretched, and that’s often uncomfortable.
You see, I have not learned to trust God in the easy ways of faith. I have not learned to trust God by reading a book or listening to a great sermon. Nor have I learned to trust God by hearing how my friend trusts God. No, I am learning to trust God by stepping out into an adventure of obedience and discovering for myself that He is trustworthy.

Obeying when God hasn’t revealed the steps along the way or the final destination is challenging. But when we choose to walk by faith and not by sight, God gets all the glory in the end because we KNOW we couldn’t have done it on our own!

Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for being completely trustworthy. Thank You for having my best interest at heart, even when the path to obedience seems scary. Help me to take the next step of faith, even when I don’t see where I’m going. I will choose to trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

By: Glynnis Whitwer
www.proverbs31.org

in times of trouble

after yesterday, i went back and re-read some devotionals i had in my inbox. i found this one and it was just what i needed to hear. i hope it encourages you as well.

Sometimes struggle makes us aware of just how much we depend on God: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).

Whatever trouble we're going through, God is always with us. Paul himself was "perplexed" as to why he was suffering, but he knew that he could have faith (trust) in God. Since Jesus suffered, as followers of Jesus sometimes we too will sometimes suffer, for "no servant is greater than his master" (John 13:16). How great a promise God gives us that he will never abandon us!

What is troubling you today? Our natural instinct is to obsess over the "Why?" question. Instead, why not try to focus on the "What?" question: "What shall I do next?" And leave the rest to God, who is our refuge, gives us strength in times of trouble, and gave His life so we will live.

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength"(Philippians 4:13).

By: Darren Hewer

Lord, change me

this came from one of my devotionals. the message struck me. do we go to church just to feel good? to feel better about ourselves? to show others that we are faithful in going? or do we genuinely go to be changed? that can be a scary thing to think on. if my desire is to be like Christ and to be the woman He wants me to be, i need to be willing to change. today is sunday...think about this as you go to church today...next week or the week after. when you walk through those doors, you are inviting Christ to change you.

As I sat in church, my foot began to tap to the lively praise music. It
was refreshing! Then the pastor stood and prayed, "Oh Lord, we have
come here today to be changed by You. Please change us."

The words caught me off guard. I wasn't sure I had come to be changed;
encouraged and refreshed, yes, but changed? I thought about it over the
next week.

As Christians we so often want God's blessing and His strength and His
wisdom...but do we willingly say, "Lord, change me?" I knew I didn't
always. Yet it is the thing God calls us to, to be changed.

I thought of the worm and the butterfly. If the worm were asked, I am
quite sure that he would not feel the need to change, having no concept
of the beautiful, flying creature he would become.

Only the Lord sees us as the finished product of what His grace can do
in our lives. Only He knows the butterfly in each of us.

"The Spirit of the Lord works within us to become more and more like
Him" (2 Corinthians 3: 18, The Living Bible).

Is the Lord asking you to let Him change you? Change is not always
easy. But the joy and the reward of being transformed into the godly person
God knows you can be will surprise and delight you. It will bring a
fulfillment that is worth every effort. And God will enable you, by His
Spirit, to make the changes you have put off too long.

Don't wait any longer for God to change your circumstances, your boss,
your husband or whoever or whatever is holding you back. Ask Him today
to change you. He promises to transform you, and you won't be
disappointed with the result!

By: Gail Rogers

describe God

how would you describe God? what words come to mind? i was challenged the other day in my devotions to write down 3 words to describe God. it then asked to find verses in the Bible to correspond with the words you wrote down. once i started writing, i didn't want to stop because there are just so many words! one of my friends had shared this video of a skit called "everything". i had seen a version of it on youtube before. it really touches my heart. after watching it again i was reminded of the words i would use to describe God and this is what i wrote:

*Creator: Isaiah 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

*Sustainer: Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

*Provider: Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

*Companion: Isaiah 41:13 For I hold you by your right hand— I, the LORD your God. And I say to you ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.'

*Lover: Psalm 13:5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

*Constant: Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

*Faithful: Psalm 36:5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

*Sacrifice: John 3:16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.

*Persistent: Psalm 37:24 The LORD will hold your hand,and if you stumble,you still won't fall.

*Protector: Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

*Friend: John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

*There: Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

*Loving: Psalm 136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.

He is EVERYTHING

here is the powerful skit...

secret things

Another great devotional from Girlfriends In God. I am so challenged by today’s thoughts. We all have secret things that we hide from others. What do you hide from your spouse, family, friends, and co-workers? God doesn’t want us to live in secrecy. He wants us to live a full and rich life free from bondage. That rich and full life only comes from Christ. Nothing we try to satisfy ourselves with, will fill that void. Our validation and meaning comes from Him. Make sure to read the suggestions below for combating our secret habits.

Have you ever noticed how often Satan uses secret things to trip us up on our journey...those secret places that reside deep within our soul that we keep hidden from others and even try to hide from God?

Think about it...

...Pornography is usually done in secret.
...Excessive shopping can be done over the Internet, with no one watching.
...Eating disorders develop in isolation when we binge by ourselves, purge with no one
around, or publicly pretend to eat, but privately starve ourselves.
...Negative attitudes and thoughts begin in the sanctity of our mind, secretly taking root
in our hearts.

The things we watch, what we think and how we spend our time are the "secret places" Satan can and will use against us. Yet, often we continue in our secrecy, afraid to reach for Truth. Why?

Secret places seem safe. Secret places are familiar and can be kept hidden. Secret places feel comfortable to us, so we cling to them.

It's not that we don't want to be honest and get real about the secret places in our soul. It's just easier to keep the truth hidden than it is to get real about things from the inside-out. Though most of us crave authenticity, our fears of being "found out" are what keep us living in secret, which is exactly where Satan wants us to stay. The crafty, conniving one knows that if he can get us to continue to bury our secret places deep within our heart, we can't be effective for God. He knows that thoughts of our private sins will eventually eat away at us, causing us to feel fraudulent and unworthy of the love and acceptance of others, and most of all, our Heavenly Father. However, the truth is, we are the ones who don't love and accept ourselves. Not God.

Friends, the message of Jesus Christ is one of hope and restoration. It is one of freedom, of unconditional love and acceptance, and it is one of Truth and spiritual exposure. What He wants from all of us is greater authenticity, greater genuineness, and the Truth, that can only be found in Him.

So, how do you combat those secret keeping habits you have developed over time?

1. Practice telling the truth. Telling the truth is a choice and needs to be a conviction. Healthy habits can and will be formed when practiced repeatedly, and truth telling is an important habit to cultivate.

2. Develop a genuinely authentic faith. Recognize the importance of authenticity, and begin making it of utmost priority. Do things to strengthen your walk (prayer, Bible study, etc.) and to guard your mind.

3. Recognize that no one has it all together. See Satan's lie for what it is and determine not to get into the comparison trap with others. You cannot know what a person is all about by what they look like on the outside.

4. Stop trying to be perfect, act confident, appear happy, and seem super spiritual. These are some of the most common ways we, as women, pretend. When we operate in a spirit of truth and openness, we will be able to live without pretense.

5. Determine to live your life with a genuineness that others will cling to and want to emulate. Honesty facilitates honesty. When you begin to get real and honest, hiding nothing in your relationship with God and others, people will begin to take notice and follow suit. This will strengthen all of your relationships and build up your self-esteem!

By: Lisa Whittle
www.girlfriendsingod.com

Lord, I pray that those who are reading this devotional might be convicted and encouraged. May we all know that You came to set us free from a life of bondage. I pray in the powerful name of Jesus that you would set us free from our secrets. I ask that you would expose the sin in our life that we have become comfortable with. Transform us to the men and women you desire us to be. Amen.

mercy

"But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God's grace has saved you.

God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom because we belong to Christ Jesus. He has done it to show the riches of his grace for all time to come. His grace can't be compared with anything else. He has shown it by being kind to us because of what Christ Jesus has done.

God's grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn't come from anything you do. It is God's gift." ~ Ephesians 2:4-8 NIRV

my parents shared a website with me yesterday for Back to the Bible. is it an international media ministry. Woodrow Kroll is the president and senior Bible teacher for the ministry. yesterday on his program he talked about mercy: "God's mercy means withholding penalty." (click on the title for the video and transcripts from this program).

here are some poignant thoughts i walked away with.

God's character is such that His mercy means there isn't anything you and I have done so heinous, so bad, that God, when He chooses to, can exercise mercy on our behalf.

When we receive the mercy of God in our lives, we're not making excuses for the way we've lived our life. We're saying, "There is no excuse for the way I've lived my life. There's no excuse for the way I've acted in front of God and in front of other people." And what we're doing is, we're saying to God, without making excuses, setting aside every opportunity I have to justify myself. "I am admitting I need Your mercy."

Fourth century church father, John Chrysostom said, "Mercy imitates God and disappoints Satan." That is so true. If I demand justice, I make Satan happy, but I may disappoint God. If I show mercy, I surely will disappoint Satan, but I will be more God-like in the process of doing that.

Being merciful then means not being judgmental and not demanding justice. It means not allowing the penalty for sin against us to become a penalty. We just take that sin and we say we'll wipe it away by showing mercy to this person.

To show mercy always demands more than intellectual assent that I need to show mercy. It demands action. It demands that I find ways and find people in my own life that I can go out of my way to show them mercy as opposed to asking for justice.

those thoughts are so convicting to me. we have such a wonderful example in Christ. yet why it is so hard for us to grant others mercy? one line from Mr. Kroll really stood out to me: mercy demands action. it is something we show…something we demonstrate. we choose to wipe the slate clean. we don’t look at the wrongs, the sin…we don’t penalize them. we look at them through God’s eyes. what a great reminder. oh, to be more like Christ.

when good things happen to bad people

how many times have we been discouraged when we see an unworthy or "bad" person gain something good? how many times have we questioned God and wondered "why would you bless this person and not me?" i know i'm guilty of that. there are things in my life that i take to the Lord daily. i ask for His direction and will to be accomplished not mine. i still have desires and dreams that i hope He will bless me with. as i struggle through these things with God i see others who aren't walking with Him receive "blessings". i know that they aren't true blessings because God is not in it but it's hard not to look at it that way. and i question God's choice. i read this article this morning and it hit the spot on this topic. here's an excerpt. you can click on the title for the full article.

When Good Things Happen to Bad People
Elizabeth Cody Newenhuyse

I can't figure out why people who seem to live only for their selfish pleasures become multimillionaires—while some of my most faithful Christian friends live one paycheck away from homelessness. I'm confounded when people who engage in shady business practices never get caught—they only get richer; when people who lie and lust and gossip seem to go on their merry way.

Life isn't fair. I know bad things happen to good people. But it really bothers me when good things happen to bad people—or at least people who don't seem especially worthy.

When I read my Bible, here's the message I get: Because I've been saved by grace—meaning unmerited favor—my primary task is to become more Christlike through the work of his Spirit in me. As one of God's adopted children, he holds me to a higher standard, and it's a daily, humbling challenge to live up to that standard. In fact, it's often when I'm feeling proud of myself, thinking, Hey, God, look at me! What a good servant I am!, that God shoots off some reminder of my foolishness and dependence on him. When we're tempted to think of ourselves as worthy, Romans 3:23 provides a pithy corrective: All have sinned. None is "worthy" except God alone.

So whenever I whine about the good fortune undeserving people seem to be blessed with while I muddle along, I'm being less like Christ. I've been helped by Oswald Chambers' no-nonsense observation: "Never waste your time looking for justice; if you do, you will soon put yourself in bandages and give way to self-pity. Our business is to see that no one suffers from our injustice."

When we speak of "good things" happening to bad people, we often mean material reward, achievement, worldly success. But God has given each of us so much! We can acknowledge that intellectually, but there are times when we all feel decidedly empty-handed. My friend Vicki says she's been working on this in her own life: "I'm least happy with myself when I pay too much attention to what others have. It's almost as if dwelling on others' good things diminishes what God's given me."

So maybe we don't live in a rambling farmhouse on two acres, like the place I've admired just a few blocks away. I've been blessed with wonderful friends, and I love opening my modest home to those friends. Besides, the things of the world rust and decay. We have a much greater Treasure.

like mentioned in this article, as a Christian my primary focus needs to be on how to be more like Christ. not worrying about the injustices all around me...that makes me less like Christ. the Bible says, "ALL HAVE SINNED". sin is sin and we all do it. it's only because of God's GRACE that He lavishes me with all that i have and that is all i need....that is His blessing.

Heavenly Father,
As I walk through my day may Your Holy Spirit remind me that when circumstances are shaky around me, You remain my Rock and my soul can find refuge in You. When my mind is tempted to focus on the things that steal peace from my heart and mind, may Your Spirit whisper to my soul that You are my strength, my shelter and my resting place. You are the one who daily bears my burdens and is near to those who are crushed in spirit, sustaining them with unexplainable peace in the face of hardship.
You are my Peace.

i don't like the dirt!

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
Jeremiah 29:11 The Message

A little girl walking in a garden saw a particularly beautiful flower and promptly picked it because she felt it was too pretty to be in the dirt. She then took the flower home and rinsed the dirt off with water. Shortly thereafter, the flower wilted and died. When the owner of that garden saw what the little girl had done, he exclaimed, "You have destroyed my finest plant!" "I'm sorry, but I didn't like it in all that dirt," said the girl. The gardener responded by saying, "I chose that spot and mixed the soil because I knew that only there could it grow to be a beautiful flower."

Sometimes we become like that little girl, fixated on the dirt of our life instead of seeing the beauty and growth that will emerge in time. But once we have experienced seeing the hand of God in our life, we have assurance that we can trust Him in His sovereignty. So, if it feels like nothing good will ever come out of what you are going through, be patient and steadfast, knowing that God "plans to give you a hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).
By: David Jeremiah www.turningpointonline.org

i love the example of the little girl. she thought what she was doing was right and would help the beautiful flower but in the end only the expert knew what was best for that flower in order for it to thrive and grow. i am like that little girl so often. i think i know what is best for me and i do everything in my own power to make it so. only to discover later that i haven't succeeded in my plans because i don't have the means to make it happen. if i only looked to the "expert", God. He has a plan for each of us and His plan is the best, dirt and all.

God, could you please hurry?

i think one of my worst qualities is patience. God's timing is always perfect. who am i to try and do things in my time? “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” ~Ecclesiastes 3: 11 (NIV)

here is a devotional i received this morning:

Those of us that have lived in rural areas know that tractors on the road are a fact of life. However, just because they are a fact of life doesn’t make them any less irritating if you’re in a hurry! I followed a tractor down one of our narrow two-lane roads recently. At one point I completely lost my patience for its pace and started yelling (unheard—thank goodness), “Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!” It didn’t speed up the tractor at all.

How many times have I approached God’s timing the same way? And it never hurries Him up either.

I admit God often does not operate at a pace that pleases me, and I want Him to hurry, hurry, hurry! I’m thinking Sarah, Abraham’s wife, felt the same way. After waiting 10 years for a baby that God had promised Abraham (read Genesis 12-21 for the complete story), Sarah decided to “help” God. Surely 10 years was too long for anybody to wait. So Sarah gave her maidservant Hagar to her husband, and the two of them had a child. Soon the two women were at odds. Talk about a soap-opera! Finally, fifteen years later, the child promised by God to Abraham and Sarah was born. God was not late. His timing was perfect. It was Sarah who was in a hurry and rushing things, but she found out that there was a price to pay for manipulating her circumstances.

I know Sarah and I are not alone in our desire for God to hurry up. I once heard it said that we are people with gods on our wrists.

In Isaiah 55:9, God says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (NIV) God’s timing is part of His ways. I may be tapping my watch, but He is never late. He may seem slow, but He is always right on time.

Has God made a promise to you that is slow in coming? Has He planted a dream in your heart that has yet to come to fruition? Don’t give up hope! God is faithful, and you can rely on His perfect timing. Fix your eyes on Him and enjoy the journey to your destination. There are things to be learned along the way that will enhance the joy of a promise fulfilled. By: Amy Carroll www.proverbs31.org

Dear Lord, sometimes I don’t understand your timing. It’s often very hard to wait, but I trust You. I want to rely on Your ways and Your timing. Help me to learn what I need to learn as I wait. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

are you on the list?

i receive a couple different devotionals via email every morning. the one i'm going to post today had such a poignant message, i had to share it.

One List by Tracie Miles at www.proverbs31.org


“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Revelation 3:5 (KJV)


Devotion:

A crowd of girls were frantically searching the list, squealing with happiness when they found their name on the new team roster. It was a happy scene, but one which abruptly ended. One girl was left standing, peering through the names on the list over and over, but her name could not be found. No matter how badly she wanted to be on the team, and despite all her hard work, her name was not on the list. The scene quickly turned to one of sorrow, as sympathetic hugs and tears were offered from the same girls who were jumping with joy just minutes before. One list… many names… one name missing.

Seeing the hurt and pain of this young girl brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to say something to comfort her, but no words seemed sufficient. I remembered how painful it was to want something so desperately, but know that I had no power to change the outcome. God spoke to my heart in the midst of that scene, and I began thinking about all the people whose lives had come to an end, who had stood face to face before the Almighty God as he flipped through the book of life, only to realize that their name was not on the list. They may have tried to remind the Father of all the hard work they had done, all the good deeds they had performed, all the people they had helped. They desperately yearned to walk through the pearly gates, but no longer had the power to change the outcome. Their window of opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as the One and only Savior had passed. One list… many names… one name missing.

Revelation 20:15 says, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” This verse is not meant to scare people into accepting Jesus, but instead to share two very important facts: First, we must recognize our need for Jesus today. Life is full of joy and happiness; hurt and pain; disappointments and fear. We need a heavenly Father to hold our hand, guide us down the right paths, and comfort us when we are hurting. Second, knowing that life is short and unpredictable, God wants us to understand that Jesus is the only way into heaven. Once our earthly life is over, we will each be faced with the consequences of our earthly decisions, and at that time, we will have no power to change the outcome.

But today, you still have the power to decide where your soul will spend eternity. Today is your window of opportunity to accept Jesus into your heart, and praise Him for who He is. Today could be the day that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you, and your heart is forever changed. Today could be the day that you not only gain eternal life with Jesus, but a joyful and fulfilling life on earth through the grace and love of Christ. Today could be the day that your name is forever written into the holy pages of the book of life. One list… many names… and when your time comes, you could be assured that the Father would see your name.

If you know Jesus as your Savior today, your name is already recorded in the book of life. But is your friend’s name there? Your co-worker? Boss? Mother-in-law? Sister? Mother? Husband? Enemy? Would God find their names in the book of life if they were to come face to face with Him today? Jesus can provide the courage you need to reach out to them. Will it be easy? No. Will it be worth it? Absolutely! You could be the one God wants to work through to lead them into the arms of Jesus. You could be the one to rejoice with them as their names are written in the book of life by the holy Hand that gives life. One list … many names … is one name missing?