Be On Guard
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:12 Now that the gift-giving season has taken its course, it would be pleasing to Almighty God if we, his created beings, those who profess to be "in Christ" would consider and prayerfully acknowledge that the greatest gift that we do process is eternal life.
As we search the scriptures, we cannot find the materialistic things for which we are grateful. Of course, as the book of James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
What greater gift could humanity ever receive than what has been offered to us by Jesus' precious blood. We should never be reticent to acknowledge not only in our hearts and minds, but verbally and with sincerity to all within our circle of acquaintances, the awesome gift of salvation and redemption that has been imparted to us.
Just this past week, I had a conversation with a medical doctor who happens to be a Hindu, born in India. I noticed he had a small red circle in the middle of his forehead and so inquired what this meant. He said he was praying and this red dot was a necessary part of prayer for him. He was not hesitant to further tell me as we conversed, that although living in America is beneficial in many ways, the social/religious life in India was far superior to ours. So much so, that his parents will not come to America to live. This is how important religious beliefs are to him and he was not shy to tell me so.
The reason for mentioning this encounter is simply to emphasize that we, too, as Christians believers must never put down our guard and fail to let it be known that Christ is not only first in our lives, but why we believe so fervently.
There is a vast difference in the Eastern religions of this world. (Buddhists, Hindus, Islam) since they all fall short due to their necessity to perform "good works" to gain merit. The "Koran" is an excellent example of a self-help book with no assurance of forgiveness or salvation.
The Bible clearly states that "all men have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:24. God's love for mankind is so great that his beloved Son took on the burden of our sins as a once for all ransom. Our belief in Jesus' ultimate sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection demands our obedience to His commands and is the pathway we follow to assure our eternal salvation.
Each new year brings us much closer to eternity. All the days that have passed can never be returned. Therefore our destiny is always today. Since we cannot foresee or know that there is a tomorrow, then we ought to bear in mind that all that matters is today, and conduct ourselves accordingly. May God bless all our today's as we journey towards our heavenly abode.
Angie McGraw
12/20/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is ?
What created what is.
What lies without ?
What lies in the serenity of a morning
hike through the forest, along side a
mountain stream, slowly and steadily
cascading a bed of mountain stone.
What is mighty and majestic as
the roar and tumble of the ocean?s
tide at storm.
What is as gentle as the touch of the gardener,
tending the rose.
What is ?
Gentle, Calm, Mighty,
and Majestic from the depths of my soul
to the world around me?
God is All-Surrounding.
Magnificent, Unfathomable, Astonishing?
His vastness is beyond comprehension?
His mercy unceasing ?
His love?undying.
Robin M. Ferguson