Tag: salvation

Reacting to Tragedy

On By vickleaIn prayer, Scripture6 Comments

The last few days have been long and sad. First, there was the plane crash in D.C. Investigations are ongoing, but it is enough for me to know that there were almost seventy people who died within minutes of the collision between the plane and the helicopter. You have probably seen the horrifying photos and videos for yourself.

I was still struggling with the “why” for the first tragedy when another tragedy happened. The second aircraft that went down over Philadelphia was a medical transport, carrying a young girl who had been sponsored by the Shriners to have her procedure in the U.S. The plane was taking her and her adult companion, two doctors and two pilots back to Mexico. The news reports said that the hospital had given her a “going home” party. Once I heard of the second crash last night, I was devastated, but I knew that my heart was not aching as much as those involved, both in the plane and on the ground.

So, how do we as Christians react to such tragedy? I will tell you first what I think we should not do. We don’t need to be pointing fingers at air traffic controllers, their training or their abilities. I am confident that they were doing the best they could. Nor do we need to start blaming DEI or the previous administration. Wherever the fault lies, there are a lot of innocent people who died and they need hope, not shaming and finger wagging.

We can offer that hope to them in the name of Jesus Christ. He came to give hope and comfort. I don’t think we will ever really understand why such tragedies occur. The FAA and the DOD may issue statements with what they think is the answer, but the real answer is we don’t know. What I do know is that God was waiting for these victims who knew Him with open arms and reassurance of His love. They went from death to His presence as long as they knew Him as their Lord and Savior.

The urgency to tell others about Jesus and the free gift of salvation that He offers has been stirring in me for a while. These tragedies brought this need to the forefront. How many did not know the Lord? How many went to be with Him while others will never see His face? Those thoughts kept me awake and desperate to tell others about the Lord. I pray that each person on each flight had someone in their lives who cared enough to tell them about Jesus and the eternity with Him that could be theirs.

My reaction to the tragedies is a burning desire within me to not allow others to leave this earth without the opportunity to know grace, mercy and forgiveness. I could care less about the politics and who is blaming whom. Souls are worth more than bitterness and opportunities to point to the other guy. Shame on anyone who takes advantage of these tragedies to push their own agenda! And bless those who see this sadness as an opportunity to stand in the gap and go and tell.

In the meantime, while I wait for God to tell me what to say and to whom, I am waiting. Just as the Israelites did not move until God led them, I am not speaking or posting online or condemning anyone. Rather, I am waiting for God to give me the words to speak and to point me to whomever needs to hear them. I am waiting and listening for God to give me directions even as I pray for the families of those who died. Please join me in praying for their comfort, peace in their hearts and provision for each of them spiritually, physically and mentally.

“How Long, O Lord…?”

On By vickleaIn praise, prayer, Scripture2 Comments

Sometimes God answers our prayers right away, but I have found that most times, I am waiting for an answer and feeling a lot like David in Psalm 13 when he asked God this question. He didn’t expect a reply from God. Instead, he kept on being faithful. I think David knew that the answer would come in God’s time.

Sometimes it does feel as though God has turned away from us, but He never does. He is watching us all the time while we deliberate how we will respond to his delay. He is looking for people who will be faithful.

We have to keep trusting and in that trust, we need to rejoice. We are not rejoicing because all of our prayers are answered right away. I have said it before, and I repeat it here again. God is not a magic genie who instantly grants our requests. He has a reason for all He does and He has a plan for us. We rejoice because we know ultimately we have salvation and will live with Him for eternity. I keep reminding myself that this life is temporary. The aches, pains, heartaches and trials will all pass. God and salvation are forever!

While we wait for an answer, a good use of our time would be to praise God and remind ourselves of all that He has already done for us. God has been good to me! My life is a living testimony of His goodness, grace and mercy, and for that I can sing even as I wait. So, how long? As long as it takes. Because when the answer comes, I can rest fully assured that it will be the right answer at the right time and for the right reasons.

Banished/Driven Out/Cast Out

On By vickleaIn Admonition, ScriptureLeave a comment

These verses are very sad, aren’t they? Adam and Eve were living in a perfect world, in total harmony with God and nature. Then, they sinned and God banished them from the Garden of Eden that He had created for them. Not only that, God put cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the tree of life. God, who made man in His image, casts him away from the closeness that he had enjoyed since creation. The hopelessness and despair must have been overwhelming.

Lest we decide to blame Adam and Eve for all of mankind’s problems, the Bible is filled with reminders that we are ALL sinners. Not one of us would have been allowed to stay in the Garden of Eden! We can now stop pointing that finger at Adam and Eve and point it back at ourselves. We are sinners. We are the reason that Christ had to die for the sins of mankind.

Aha! Hope follows despair if we know that Jesus is our Lord and that He died for us. God didn’t just send man out of the garden. He already had a plan for the redemption of mankind, if man would only believe and accept His free gift of salvation.

Like many of you, I have been watching with horror as a great swath of Los Angeles burns. I have been praying for the people there and for the firefighters and rescuers. But I have also been praying that no one has to suffer the eternal fires of hell. These fires in L.A. look hot and unrelenting. Imagine if you can the torment of eternity in a fire created by God for those who choose to go there. Yes, that’s right. If we don’t repent and ask Jesus to be our Savior, we are choosing to spend eternity separated from God and in the eternal fire of damnation.

As you sit mesmerized in front of your screen, please pray for all the people in L.A. But, more importantly, pray for the souls of all those who have not yet come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Let’s pray together that they come to salvation before Judgment Day.

Say “Yes” to Jesus

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

The most important and life-changing word you can speak is one syllable. Say “yes” to Jesus and watch as your life becomes one of never-ending hope and faith in Him. It doesn’t mean that all of your problems will go away instantly. But what it does mean is that you can have a relationship with the God of the Universe and talk to Him about your problems and how He can help you with them. God loves, and when we accept that sacrificial love and say “yes” and really mean it, our lives will never be the same!

Say “Yes” to What Matters

Peter sat in grief and darkness. He had publicly denied knowing Jesus just before Jesus was crucified. And for a couple of days, Peter had to process his guilt without expecting it to go away. But on the third day, Jesus’ tomb was found empty and the stone rolled away. 

Not long afterward though, Peter was out in a boat with several other disciples doing what he was trained to do before he met Jesus: fishing. 

It’s as he’s doing this that Jesus appears. But instead of letting Peter continue to live with the shame of his past, Jesus pulls him aside and asks him a question that propels Peter into his purpose: 

“Do you love me?”

Three times Jesus asks Peter this—one for each time Peter denied him. This wasn’t a passive-aggressive question: Jesus was inviting Peter to reaffirm the relationship he’d previously denied. 

Every time Peter responds with, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you,” Jesus re-commissions Peter by calling him into the role of church builder and shepherd. 

Jesus’ resurrection meant that Peter didn’t have to be defined by his mistakes. He could still embrace the call on his life and become the leader Jesus knew he could be. 

Like Peter, you also have the opportunity to say “yes” to loving Jesus and being loved by Him. No matter how dysfunctional your life looks, or how far from Jesus you feel, there is nothing that can separate you from His love. 

Your past mistakes or current problems do not dictate your purpose when your life is rooted in Christ. 

God has given each of us access to a free gift we don’t deserve: a free gift that is available when we choose to love God and receive His relentless, sacrificial love for us.

The resurrection reassures us that no situation or mistake is impossible for God to redeem. There is no fear Jesus cannot conquer and no life He cannot heal. No darkness can stand against the power of the risen God who conquered death on our behalf. 

There is nothing our God can’t do, and no one our God can’t redeem. 

Today, say “yes” to Jesus and allow Him to reveal His deep, unending love for you.

One More Thing

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/22

As a recovering perfectionist, I know the frustration of wanting everything to be just right, of planning for everything to be just right, and then of feeling after the event that if I had done one more thing, it would have been perfect. But then perfection is not possible in this broken world. We have to accept that and do the best we can to change what we can and live with what we cannot change. I like that the devotional’s author says that we need to help people get to that perfect place. How do we do that? We share the gospel so that they can know the peace that comes from not striving to be perfect here on earth, knowing that we are God’s children and can rest in His love, even in an imperfect world. Let that one more thing you need to do be to tell someone the difference Jesus has made in your life.

Sinless v. Sin Less

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App3 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/14

I feel like Paul sometimes who wrote that the things he wants to do, he doesn’t do and the things he doesn’t want to do, he does. And he added, “O, wretched man that I am!” That’s the problem…the whole human thing means that we are, well, human. We aren’t God and will never be God, but we are supposed to strive to be as perfect as we can, with every day being a new beginning for us. There would be no need for I John 1:9 if there were no sin, right? Thus, I am one of those imperfect Christians, under construction by the Holy Spirit and praying each day that I will sin less. I am made righteous before God, but I am not sinless and don’t think I will be until I reach my eternal destination. I hope this post makes sense because I feel as though I am rambling. Perhaps that is because I don’t totally understand the scriptures that say to “be perfect” and then to “confess your sins one to another.” I think it’s a work in progress. Jesus finished His work when He died on the cross, but my work on myself, to become more like Him, started the day I accepted Him as Savior and will continue until the day I did. My hope is in Him who helps me to sin less and love more!

The Right Response

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

I was the student in school who raised my hand only when I knew my answer was right, and when I answered, I expected an immediate reply from the teacher that I was right. That immediate kudo that I got was my reward for the right answer. When we repent, turning away from our old life and towards a new one with God, we don’t get an immediate oral response from God as our reward. Instead, what we receive is so much better…it’s a peace that I cannot explain, a feeling of relief that a big burden is gone, and a total feeling of acceptance in a way that you have never been accepted before. Your reward is also a promise of a future spent in eternity with your Creator. So, don’t be afraid to raise your hands toward Heaven and confess your sins to God and your belief in His plan of salvation. The reward is eternal; the consequences of not answering His call to repentance are eternity without Him and separation from God forever. That’s a high price to pay just because you won’t raise your hand. You already know your answer is the right one if you are ready to repent. So, don’t wait…today is the day of your salvation and the beginning of a new life with the Lord!

The Beginning of Our Journey

God has been working within history for thousands of years. His redemptive plan has culminated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. All of God’s promises in the Old Testament find their fulfillment in Jesus. 

The book of Acts, which details the life of the early church, contains many long speeches which cover the historical timeline of God’s redemptive activity. Acts 3 is one of those speeches, given by Peter to a group of Israelites. Peter’s speech not only includes historical details, but also a right response to all of this information.

The right response to hearing about what God has done throughout history is to repent and believe in Jesus. When we learn of all that God has done for us, it’s only fitting that we should turn our lives back to Him.

Repentance is when we recognize the truth and we turn towards it. Usually it involves turning away from our own way of life and turning towards God’s way. Repentance is the beginning of our faith journey.

When we repent, God forgives us. We no longer live according to our past mistakes and offenses. Rather, God gives us a new life that is forgiven of those things.

This is why Peter says that times of refreshing follow repentance. Repentance leads to rebirth. We are made into a new creation. We are empowered to walk in the newness of life with God. After beginning this journey with Jesus, we continue it by the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you haven’t started that journey, begin today by repenting of your sins and turning back to God. He is faithful to forgive you. Pray for Him to guide your life. Continue to read about God’s ways in Scripture so you can grow in your knowledge of Him.

Possibilities with God

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

I have read the scripture verse repeatedly and I admit that today is the first time that I see that it is truly about salvation. God can save anyone at any time, even those whom we deem a hopeless cause because He makes all things possible. But then, there is that little sticky point called free will. God can cross that threshold but He chooses not to do so. Thus, it is up to the free will of the individual to accept the gift of salvation. God will do everything He can to get the attention of the unbeliever and to bring him or her to the knowledge that what they really need in life is Jesus Christ. God can and will do the impossible if we believe. He will act according to His timetable and His plan. If this post seems a little muddled and not quite clear, that is how I am actually feeling. I know that God can do the impossible and will save those who come to Him. The hard thing to understand is that they have to choose to come to Him. He doesn’t drag anyone kicking and screaming to the altar of salvation. God will do His part, but we cannot expect Him to force someone to be saved. That is not part of His nature or His plan. So, if you, like me, are believing for the salvation of a loved one, perhaps pray for God to do the impossible but also pray for the person to want to be saved, to see the need for salvation, so that they come to the Lord willingly. That may seem impossible, but God does answer prayers. After all, I’m a living testimony of someone who had no idea I needed Jesus Christ as my Savior until one day I did know and I did come to Him and repent!

Jesus Does the Impossible

Jesus’ statement in Matthew 19:26 is often taken out of context. Many people have taken this verse to mean that they can do anything they want in life because God can do the impossible. Often this can lead to us asking God to do something selfish.

In order to understand what Jesus is saying, we should read the preceding verses. In Matthew 19:16-22, a young man comes to Jesus asking for eternal life. Jesus tells him that he must give up all of his earthly possessions–something the young man is not willing to do. Because he failed the test, the young man failed to inherit eternal life.

Jesus says in Matthew 19:23 that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter heaven. The point is that loving Jesus requires everything we are. Our ultimate love cannot be split between Jesus and something else.

The disciples then ask, “Who can be saved?” Jesus responds in Matthew 19:26 that it is impossible for man to save himself—but it is possible with God. God can do the very thing that man cannot.

We cannot earn our salvation. We cannot work hard enough to attain it, and we can’t achieve it on our own. It is impossible. But with God all things are made possible for us to be saved. It is only through the work and power of Jesus that we have access to salvation. And through the empowerment of the Spirit, we are enabled to have faith in God.

What in your life is keeping you from faith in Jesus? Maybe it’s a relationship. Maybe it’s material possessions. Maybe it’s a wrong mindset. Whatever it might be—God has the power to remove these things from your heart so that you can have faith in Jesus. 

So spend some time with God today, and ask Him to search your heart. Ask Him to reveal anything within you that is keeping you from loving Jesus better. Then, do something daring—surrender those things over to God.

God Purchased What Was Already His

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/9115/day/5

The lessons from the book of Hosea are many but none is more important than the one of redemption. Hosea was already married to Gomer; she was already his wife. But when she left him and their three children, he did what God told him to do and went in search of her. After he found her, he had to pay to get her back with him. Isn’t that the story of our own salvation? We belonged to God from the day He created us. We wandered away, strayed far from our Heavenly Father. Then He sent Jesus as the price for our redemption so that we could be accepted back into His presence again, restored to a relationship with Him. The story of Hosea is one of forgiveness and love, even when the object of your love is not worthy. We did nothing to deserve God’s love and forgiveness, yet He forgives us anyway. You may be thinking as I did; But we are not prostitutes. We didn’t go out and sell ourselves to others. Really? In our state of sin, that is exactly what we did. We sold ourselves to whatever caught our eye and took our attention off of God and what was holy and right. It may not have been an idol of lust, but whatever replaced God in our lives was our idol and He redeemed us because of His great love for us, not because we deserved it. Grace…mercy…love. All equal salvation. I don’t know if Gomer was thankful or not but I know that I am and I hope that you are grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus’s blood that God paid for our eternal souls.

We Have Earned Justice

On By vickleaIn Book Review, Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/13952/day/2

The word “justice” is much talked about these days. There is the feeling that justice has been perverted, that there is no real justice. Our understanding of justice is clouded by the actions of those who do not support what true justice is. God is just; He would be totally just in destroying the earth right now, just as in the days of Noah. Instead, He reached out and provided grace and mercy for us in the form of His own Son. It’s difficult for us to fathom what justice would look like if it were meted fairly to all, but that is what God’s justice is all about. But if you explore the Old Testament and the many times that God destroyed an entire group of people because of their sin, or when the Israelites and then those in Judah were taken captive, we see a clear picture that God will not be mocked. We have earned His justice, but He offers us His grace in place of it. It is our choice to accept it or not. I am blessed to have received God’s grace and mercy, His free gift of salvation, over five decades ago. But my story does not end there. Every day is a new day to say “yes” to God and “no” to my own desires. God’s mercy is indeed new every day and we can all be grateful that He loves us enough to show us His mercy instead of His justice. One day His judgment against all of mankind will come, but if you have accepted His gift of salvation, His justice is not to be feared, but rather to be welcomed because it means that we who know the Lord as Savior will be able to live with Him forever. Yes, we have earned justice, but thanks be to God that He has shown us His love and mercy and called us His own. God’s great love for mankind reaches out in love while He holds back His mighty hand of justice until the time is right for His judgment. Why is He waiting? Because He is God and justice and judgment are His choice in His time. I believe, and I think that others believe the same, that God is waiting until as many as possible come to the knowledge of His grace. He does not want to destroy His beloved creation, but one day He will. We will stand before God without excuse because He provided the only way to Him, the way to escape His justice, and so many have turned away and chosen to live in sin instead. May we ever be mindful of the fact that we have earned God’s justice, but He extends His mercy and grace.