There are some people today who honestly believe they are God’s gift to the world. The thing is, God did give all of us a gift, and it’s not anyone on this earth right now. It happened about 2,000 years ago, and the “Gift” is one-third of our Heavenly Father, Himself. As for me, I have no illusions as to my so-called importance here. Without my Jesus, I would be a subject to be completely pitied. (all emphasis mine – ESV)
Up until about 35 years ago, I fell into a category that so many others have been in, and many are in right now. My conclusion was that I believed in Jesus and thought I was a pretty good person. That alone should reserve a spot in Heaven for me – right? What I was going to discover was I was a perfect candidate for a reservation in the long line at the Great White Throne.
All my life up to then, I relied on the “preaching” that was in the churches I occasionally attended. After leaving for a stint in the Navy in the 1960s, my church attendance became sporadic at the very least. I had never read the Bible from Genesis through Revelation even once. “Religion” would cross my mind occasionally, but not to a point that I wanted to get more “involved.”
There were some “prayer warriors” that I found out later were steadily asking the Father to put it on my heart and in my mind to seek a relationship with Jesus. One day, a strong thought went through my mind about just how fragile life is, and if I were to die right then, what would be next. I firmly believe the Holy Spirit acted on the prayer warriors’ requests and was giving me one more invitation to change my lifestyle and eternal address.
I did not like the thought that I was headed for a very miserable forever. I called out to Jesus and asked Him to forgive and save me. I told my wife about this and bought a new Bible. For the first time ever, I read it from cover to cover. That was a King James Version, and I next bought a New King James Version, followed by a New American Standard, and finally an English Standard Version. Today, if I don’t read a chapter or two from the Father’s word, I feel as if something is missing, which it is. By the way, one of the prayer warriors was my Mom, and she lived long enough to see me start a true relationship with Jesus.
So with all this and even getting a Pastor Ordination through Truett Seminary, you might think I’m a very “holy” person. Actually, the deeper my relationship gets with Jesus, the more I realize just how lost I would be without Him. Am I still a sinner? Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23 answer this by stating we all are sinners needing a Savior. And, “yes,” I’m one of the “all,” and as long as we are in these fallible human bodies, we will fall short. However, one part of the Gift we have from the Savior is a pure pathway to forgiveness when we do sin. That’s found in 1 John 1:8-10.
A song by Dale and Cheryl Golden called “Everything I’m Not” tells just how much I need to rely on my Heavenly Father in this sin-filled world.
1.) Am I not a weary wounded soldier? Am I not a failure in Your eyes? Am I not a burden You must shoulder? Everything I’m not, You surely recognize.
My Jesus, am I not ungrateful of Your kindness? Am I not a pity, harsh and cold? Am I not so awkward in my blindness? Everything I’m not, You readily behold.
(ref) Tell me how can You continue loving me, though, when all I’ve done, I’ve failed You miserably? Such Amazing Grace You’ve given me thus far; For everything I’m not, My Lord, You are.
2.) Am I not the weakness You are strong for? Am I not the lowest of the low? Am I not the sinner You were wronged for? Everything I’m not, so sadly, You must know.
My Savior, am I not the pain of blood still flowing? Am I not Your cause of deepest shame? Am I not the price of love through knowing? Everything I’m not, yet dying just the same.
Ref) Tell me how can You continue loving me, though, when all I’ve done, I’ve failed You miserably? Such Amazing Grace You’ve given me thus far. For everything I’m not, My Lord You are.
Such Amazing Grace You’ve given me thus far – for everything I’m not, my Lord you are. You are the Precious Lord Jehovah, God, You are!
The refrain tells what I have fully come to believe. It is amazing that the Lord can love me after all I’ve done in my lifetime. However, please understand, this isn’t only for me, but He loves each and every one of us. He desires that we all reach repentance and call out to His Son to save us (2 Peter 3:9).
Sadly, more will refuse Him than will accept Him (Matthew 7:13-14). That’s why I am privileged to take the messages He Gives Me and pass them on in hopes of bringing more souls to my Savior.
Please understand, the Father will not impose His will on anyone by force. As our Savior willingly went to the Cross (John 10:18), our Father will be glad to use anyone who willingly submits to His will. He knows I have the desire to get Jesus to souls, and souls to Jesus, as I have heard one pastor say recently. He has helped me with this beyond anything I could have imagined.
The day is coming very soon when all true believers will hear the trumpet of God and the shout from the archangel. Then, the next biggest event on the prophetic calendar will take place. We will be taken up to meet our Savior in the air. That’s found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-53.
All the signs are present right now, and that call could come at any second. All who refuse to accept the gift given at the cost of the blood of My Savior will go into a very terrible time such as never has been seen here. It’s so easy to ensure you won’t be here, but many think it’s just too easy. Don’t complicate what God has made simple. Follow Romans 10:9-13, and you will have chosen eternity with the Savior. Otherwise, Revelation 20:11-15 will be the fate of those who refuse.
Romans 8:1 states, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” There are times when I am totally in awe that the Creator of the Universe – the Creator of me – wants us to be with Him.
Then again, I realize, He’s Everything I’m Not!
Hope to see you at Home!