Tag: eternal life

Do You Hold the Door Open?

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Scripture, YouVersion App6 Comments

Holding the Door Open

In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter writes to encourage his friends…

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

Peter is reminding them that the world in its present state won’t last forever. We look forward to the day when the new heavens and new earth will arrive and all evil, suffering, and death will pass away.

But our time holds a special characteristic: it’s a chance for people to repent and find salvation.

Jesus, in His kindness, is holding the door open—giving time for more people to turn away from destructive living and come to Him.

This is our golden opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus. Through His followers, He is actively extending His offer of new, eternal life to the world.

And those who respond to that invitation will find the peace of God’s presence. They’ll have access to joy that can’t be taken away by circumstances. They can develop a relationship with the living God, who loves them without reservation.

He wants EVERYONE—all of humanity—invited to the party. Invited to turn away from their old life of destruction. To come to Him and know Him, experiencing His life-changing love. To be with Him, and follow Him today and into eternal life.

What an amazing chance we have been given! And you get to participate! You can help spread the word, making God’s offer of life known:

Jesus came to offer redemption to all who would come. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News for ALL PEOPLE, and the time to share it is now. Will you do it?

My Thoughts

Since I am elderly, I cannot do a lot for other people when I am out and about. They may start walking behind me towards the store, but most people get there before I do. And holding the door takes no effort at all since most doors are electronic. But think about the imagery of going ahead of someone and then going into a regular door and just shutting it once you are inside. That’s what a lot of Christians are doing to non-Christians. We don’t give them a chance to come into the kingdom because we just shut the door. I think sometimes my opinion about their lifestyle weighs too heavily, so I just assume that they don’t want to listen before I have even tried to share. Seriously, is there anyone to whom Jesus did not even offer a chance for eternal life? He gave everyone the opportunity to listen and believe, even though He knew the Pharisees and Sadducees probably wouldn’t hear the truth, He still presented it to them.

It is not up to us to decide who gets to hear. We should be telling everyone. Jesus’s gift of eternal life isn’t a secret that we hold close behind closed doors. The door is open to all who want to listen and come in. I want to be a door holder, not a door closer.

What’s the Catch?

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture1 Comment

You know the bait and hook schemes that are rampant in the world today, especially with all of us online much of the time? Well, this isn’t that. The catch is that there is no catch, no bait and hook, just simple truth.

The promise from God’s Word is that everyone who calls on Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be saved. There is no fine print that says this is only if you are smart enough, rich enough, famous enough or extremely popular. The promise is for all. But there is something you have to do to receive the promise. You have to believe that Jesus came to earth as a man and died for your sins. That’s it! Just believe and receive!

Jesus already did all that He needed to do to restore your relationship with the Father, your Creator. Now, it’s your turn. Pray, accept, believe. If you need more information, go to the book of John in the Bible and read John 3:16 and John 3:36. Then go to the book of Romans and read Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23.

“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 ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.3.16.NIV

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.3.36.NIV

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.3.23-24.NIV

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.6.23.NIV

You can stop what you are doing right now and pray to God for forgiveness of your sins. Tell Him that you believe that Jesus died for your sins. What do you have to lose? There is no fine print, no catch, no bait and hook. Just the free gift of salvation that saves you from eternal separation from God.

If you have prayed and believed, the next step is to find like-minded believers in a local church. They will support you and help you to become more mature in your beliefs as you learn more and more about the Savior you died for you to have life forevermore. May God bless you in your journey of faith. See you in Heaven!

Christ’s Resurrection

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/42932/day/4

The good news keeps coming! Yes, we are weak humans with a finite time on earth. But the good news is that, with Jesus and His resurrection power, we have hope for an eternal future. That is the source of our joy on earth. We don’t have to go around feeling defeated by all of our earthly diseases and pains. We are ultimately victorious, and we need to live like we are victors, with a smile on our face and joy in our hearts.

Prayer for Israel, Part 2

On By vickleaIn prayer, Scripture1 Comment

Yesterday, my prayer was focused on Israel’s physical enemy. Today, my prayer will center on their spiritual well-being. It is not a new truth that the people of Israel need to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior and most have not accepted Him as their Messiah. So, let us pray together for their salvation, that many will come to know the Lord even through this great suffering in their land.

I pray that they will see the need for Jesus and confess their belief in Him and His resurrection. That is the only way to salvation. The Israelites know much about the Old Testament and the Law. I pray for God to open their hearts to the truths of the New Testament and all of the prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

May these blessed and chosen people of God believe with their hearts and be justified, professing their faith in the Lord aloud and rejoicing in the salvation that comes with their belief in the only One who can truly save them. Jesus is the Passover Lamb, the final and ultimate sacrifice. May the Lord open their eyes and hearts to see and believe.

It is only by grace that any of us has been saved. It is a gift, and no amount of following God’s laws can save us. Only God’s grace and our faith in Him can lead to salvation. May the eyes of the Jewish people be opened and their ears attentive to God crying out to them to turn to Him.

No one…not one person can be saved without believing in Jesus. My prayer is for the Jewish people, especially those in Israel, to see their need for a Savior and the truth that the Messiah has come and will come again.

None of us is better than another. God desires to save both Gentiles and Jews. My emphasis today is on the Jewish people who have suffered so much for so long, in the darkness and without hope. May the Lord bring them into the knowledge of His Son as their Savior and into the light of His presence where there is hope and life everlasting.

It is fitting to end my prayer back in Exodus where I began yesterday. I pray that God will use His unfailing love to lead His people and to guide them to the real promised land, eternal life with Him.

In Jesus’s Name. Amen.

The Fountain of Youth

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer most known for his search for the Fountain of Youth. Convinced that if he found it, he would never die, he spent his life vainly looking for it. If only he had opened and studies a Bible!

The Scriptures clearly tell us that this world is going away but if we do what pleases God, we will live forever. So, how do we please God? Repent, accept Jesus as Savior and live with Him as your Lord. The secret to eternal life is not finding a non-existent fountain but in finding the Living Water that provides eternal security with God.

Have a blessed day and may your day be filled with the knowledge that you will be with the Lord forever!

Treasure

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Just about everyone is seeking some kind of treasure, a way to be rich without having to work hard. Whether it’s by pursuing sound investments, flipping houses or waiting impatiently for an inheritance, we want what we want and we don’t want to work for it. The truth is that we already have a treasure, but some of us don’t recognize it.

This treasure is the truth of God’s Word that we are supposed to freely share with others. It is the gift of eternal life that was freely given to us by the sacrifice of Jesus. We did nothing to deserve it and yet sometimes we just carry it around in our “jars of clay” instead of sharing it with others. Our jars of clay, that is our human bodies, are decaying daily, but the treasure of eternal life that we hold is renewing our inner soul in a way that is unimaginable for us finite beings.

Instead of always wanting more of the goods that the world has to offer, we should be content with the treasure that God has given us, a treasure that is so plentiful that we could share daily with multiple people and never deplete the supply. The truth about Jesus is not a lake but an eternal fountain, one of life and restoration.

Have a blessed day and may you recognize the treasure God has given you and be willing to share it daily with others who need to know Gospel.

Heirs of God

On By vickleaIn Scripture, SongLeave a comment

I have never inherited a great fortune, a big house or anything that was a huge sum. I did inherit about $10,000 from an aunt. It stayed in the bank for a long time until the year 2007 when I decided to use part of it to travel to Spain. As a Spanish teacher for many years, I had dreamed of visiting Spain since I was a junior in college. I was scheduled to go on a “junior year abroad” but my parents had financial problems that year, so it never happened. After graduating from college, I began teaching, got married, had children, moved with the military, etc. You get the idea. Life happened. Then when I got the money from my great-Aunt Eunice, I waited until an appropriate time and my husband and I spent two weeks together in Europe. I was an heir to a relatively small amount of money that allowed me to see dreams fulfilled.

There is another inheritance that I am assured of because I am a child of God. As one commentator pointed out, I don’t get that inheritance until after I die rather than waiting for a relative to die. Jesus already died for me and the inheritance of eternity with Him will occur upon my death. My Heavenly Father has provided for me for eternity, not just for a two week trip or a sum that us quickly used up. The inheritance He provides is for always. It’s hard for my finite mind to fathom such a blessing, but God’s Word is true and over and over He makes the promise that I will be with Him when I die. That’s a promise I can count on and a final dream fulfilled!

Jesus is the reason that I can call God my Father and call myself His heir. Indeed, those of us who know Jesus as Lord and Savior are all His children, all His heirs. It’s such a marvelous thing to contemplate! I didn’t have to try to win His favor, He just gave it. I didn’t have to cajole Him into including me in His Last Will and Testament because it was His plan from the beginning of time. Amazing Grace!

Amazing Grace by Pentatonix

Have a wonderful day and may you rest secure in the promise of our Father’s love for you and in the hope of our eternal home.

No Fear of Death

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

bible.com/bible/113/psa.49.15.NIVUK

There is no fear of dying for Christians because dying on earth means living eternally in the presence of the Lord. The thought of dying can be scary for some people because it is an unknown that we have never faced and when we finally face death, it’s for the first and last time. We cannot go through the occasion again and tell others about our experiences so that they won’t be afraid. The good news is that Jesus died BUT He came back to life again and because He lives, I know that one day when I die, I will also be resurrected and live with Him. I’m sorry for all those who do not believe this Biblical truth because they are truly without hope. The older I get, the more I anticipate being with the Lord forever. It will be glorious, beyond what I can think or imagine. It is normal that those left behind will grieve, but they also have hope of seeing their loved ones again in Heaven. “Ever be with the Lord” is not just a Biblical phrase. It’s the hope that I cling to as I face every challenge of being elderly, complete with aches and pains and a body that is breaking down, just as it is supposed to. I just read about the death of Moses and was amazed that he seemed to be totally spry at death…clear vision and a spring in his step. After all, he was able to climb a mountain to see the Holy Land before he died. I’m not Moses, though, and my seventy year old body is weary. Nevertheless, I am called to keep on keeping on until the Lord calls me to my eternal rest. I pray that you have the same hope of eternity with the Lord. No pain, no sorrow, no tears. Just Heaven! As the song says, “I Can Only Imagine.”

I pray that God will bless and keep you today and give you the gift of hope and the refreshing presence of His Spirit guiding you in all your ways.

Reason to Hope

On By vickleaIn Uncategorized4 Comments

No matter what happens to us here on earth, we have an eternity with God to look forward to. I needed that encouragement this morning since I heard last night that the CDC is no longer planning on prioritizing giving vaccines to the elderly, but instead plans to prioritize giving it to non-essential people of color. Another race baiting thing, in my opinion. Our government seems determined to divide us, but I am not falling for their trap! God wants us to hope in Him and to know that our days are numbered by Him, not by the CDC.

I also read a quotation this morning in an Advent Devotional that I started at the beginning of this month.

But, every crisis demands a response that will shift the situation or maintain the status quo. Crisis is never a passive place, but is always a turning point, where responses can result in the circumstances ending for better or for worse. One of these critical and essential responses must be hope. –Advent Devotional, “Our Present Hope” Dec. 19, 2020

I think that our nation has reached a crisis point in which we need to make a turn. My prayer is that we turn towards Jesus and hope. Regardless of the ungodly choices that our government makes, including one that sounds a lot like eugenics, God is still on the throne of His eternal kingdom, and one day we will be with Him there. That is the promise of salvation that Jesus gave us. Celebrate with me today the freedom that comes from knowing that the Lord will take get of us, regardless of what the government does.

May you be blessed today with the assurance of God’s eternal love and the knowledge of His loving sacrifice.