Where Do You Stand?

I got word today that my Aunt Joyce has died.  She was placed in a nursing home earlier this year after having fallen at home.  She refused to eat while she was at the nursing home.  My mother, my brother, and I went to visit her over the summer and I had the opportunity to pray for her and over her.  I made sure that I mentioned the Gospel of Jesus Christ in may prayer.  I would ask you to pray for her sons and their families during this time of sorrow.

Sometimes sorrow comes to each one of us.  We don't like the thoughts of saying goodbye to a loved one.  It seems to happen so fast and can be unexpected.  We may feel shocked and overwhelmed at hearing of someone's passing.  We live in a fallen world where we are appointed a day when we will die.  We don't like to think about it, but there is an appointed time for us to die then appear before God to answer for the lives we lived.

The question that God may ask of each of us may be, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus?"

Did we reject Him or did we believe Him and receive Him as our Lord and Savior?

We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of God's high standards.  We can't save ourselves.  There are no amount of good works that we can ever do to earn our way into Heaven.  We can't save ourselves.  We can't keep a set of rules to save ourselves because if we fail on one point then we are guilty on all points.

God demonstrated His great love for you and I by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to save sinners such as you and I.  I have sinned and I have fallen short of the glory of God.  There is nothing good within Michael Rairdon (that's me).  I am a law breaker.  I have broken God's law and I can't save myself.  I am a sinful and wretched man.  Who can save such a man as I?  Thanks be to God there is One who can save me and you as well.  The Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the only One that in the history of humankind that has lived a perfect and sinless life.  It was Jesus that went to the Cross and died for my sins, your sins, and the sins of the entire world.

We must realize that we have sinned against the true living God and that we can't save ourselves then we need to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  When we appear before God we will be allowed into Heaven because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross.  Jesus shed His blood on the Cross for our sins.  We need to repent of our sins and be born again by placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.  We can't save ourselves.  Only Jesus saves.  God raised Jesus to life on the third day and He is at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.  One day the Lord Jesus will return to this earth and He will bring the Kingdom of God to the earth in full completion and rule as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

When we come to faith in Christ the Holy Spirit comes to live within us to help us to be more like Jesus each and everyday.  We must submit to His leading and to His work in our lives.  Sometimes we fail at that a lot.  I know I do.  I am thankful that the Lord doesn't give up on me.  I am trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  I am saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

I hope that you will draw near to the Lord Jesus and trust Him more with your lives.  If you haven't trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior I pray that you would take this opportunity to turn to Him right now right where you are and receive Him as your Lord and Savior.

You have a choice you can stand with God or you can stand against God.  It's your choice, but just remember there will be consequences to your choice.  Those who receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior will enter into Heaven to be with Him for all eternity.  Those who have rejected Him will have to pay for their sins on their own and be placed outside the presence of the Living God and placed into a literal hell.

Where do you stand?


Lord, 
You are Holy and Just in Your Judgments.
We come to You and we love You O Lord.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
Come Soon Lord.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.