Message

 

Entering into a personal relationship with God was, by far, the most significant event in my entire life.  I have found Him to be the most loving, faithful, compassionate and gracious Person I have ever met. I am overwhelmed by His great love for me and for every other individual.

God fervently longs to have a close, personal relationship with every single one of us. 

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

 

God is also perfect in holiness and righteousness and cannot be in the presence of sin. Sadly, because we have all sinned, we cannot even stand in his presence; thus we are cut off from him, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

 

God, who is perfect in love and justice, declares that the just punishment for our sin is death and hell, where we will be cut off from his loving presence eternally. 

 

“For the wages [consequences] of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

 

Despite the fact we are sinners; however, God still loves us and still longs to have that personal relationship with us. 

 

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6,8).

 

To make the way for us to be reconciled to himself, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to live the perfect sinless life we could never live. Jesus then took upon himself all of our sins and bore the punishment for them through his death on the cross. He died as a ransom, a substitute, a scapegoat, for all those who would repent and believe in him. He rose from the dead three days later, eternally conquering sin, death, hell and the devil. Through his death and resurrection he has made reconciliation with God possible for us.

 

In order to be reconciled to God and to enter into a loving, personal relationship with him:

  • First, you must repent (confess, be sorry and turn away) from all of your sins. (God promises to freely forgive you of ALL your sins–no matter how many sins you have committed and no matter how bad they are. “If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).)
  • Second, you must trust in Jesus to be your personal Savior. Believe in your heart that Jesus has paid the punishment for your sins through his death on the cross. When you receive him in faith as your Savior, then all your sins (past, present and future) will be forgiven and eternally removed. “For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]” (Ephesians 2:8-9 AMP)

 

When you sincerely call upon the Lord from your heart, repent and trust in Jesus as your personal Savior, you will enter into a personal relationship with Him that will last forever, “…for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13)

 

Our relationship with God is best nurtured through daily prayer, daily Bible reading and regular fellowship with other Bible-believing Christians.

 

This is your invitation. 

 

If you come now, just as you are, no matter what state you are in, God will receive you. 

 

Jesus says, “…whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).

 

He also says this about God’s invitation to you in Luke 14:16-24:

 

“A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet’…”