It's Never Too Late



"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9)

When Jesus was dying on the cross, the thief on one side of him hurled insults at him.  The thief on the other side of him said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42).

At the very last minute, Jesus promises that thief that "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).  Praise God that it is never too late to accept the forgiveness for our sins and know that we have eternal life in heaven.

My brother-in-law succumbed to the addiction of alcohol.  Numerous attempts at rehabilitation failed because the strong pull of alcohol.  He placed alcohol above everything--his wife, his two sons, his job (he had not worked for the past ten years) and everything.  My sister kept telling him that he "needed to get right with God."  I had shared the gospel in person, by phone and by letter in the past year--and he just was not ready to acknowledge that Jesus was the Son of God and that he could forgive him for his sins.

On August 20th, 2013, Glenn died in his bed at home at age 51.  A sad life?  Yes!  The last few days? Assuring!  Glenn accepted Christ during the week before he died.  He never had a chance to get out of bed, get baptized or serve the Lord.  BUT--he does have the assurance of eternal life. 

It is never too late for your loved ones or friends to accept Christ. Don't give up praying for them.  It is NEVER too late!   Nor, is it ever too early!  Encourage others not to put off until tomorrow what they can be sure of today.



Sharon Beougher

A beam of light - Light up the night

"Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him" (1 John 1:5, HCSB). 

A couple weekends ago, I got to go camping with a group of friends in the Texas Hill Country. It was beautiful and a fun trip. One night, some of us walked away from our campsite to find an open space to look at stars. Sure enough, we found a great space where we found so many shining brightly. When we left to go back to our campsite, I was relieved that a few of us had bright flashlights to help us find our way. The stars had light of their own, but the flashlights were closer to us and beamed to guide us through the trees and back to our tents.

Kelli Martin

Do you remember a time you were lost in darkness? Maybe you can recall a time you were outside late one night, or maybe spiritually you remember being lost when God was not your guide.

God, our Creator wishes to draw us close to Him and to help us navigate through life. That's why Jesus, the light of the world, came to earth, to die in our place so we wouldn't have to live and remain in darkness. Sin separates us from God, but God is faithful to forgive our sins against Him out of His lovingkindness. He offers a beam of light, because He is light.

I pray we look to Him as our guide today. Let's share this light that brings hope with others, this light that can shine in the darkest of places.

Photo by Murfy Kristiadi. You can find it here: http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/1198727/

A few songs to YouTube music video links:
Light of the World / Here I Am to Worship - Tim Hughes .
Fuego - Lecrae feat. KB and Suzy Rock

More verses:
1 John 1:5-10, Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 20:27, John 8:12, John 12:46, 2 Corinthians 4:5-6

In the Light

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us form all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, New American Standard Bible).

If you rub your hands on a newspaper, then what happens? Usually, it makes my hands smeared with black ink. When we sin, our hearts are marked up by it. We are further from God because of it, because He is holy. 

In this verse and the verses surrounding it (1 John 1:5-10), we learn that God is light. As believers who have turned from sin and seek to live life with the holy God, we also seek to walk in the light. Sin separates us from God, yet He still desires for us to come closer. Remember how He loved us while we were still trapped in sin (Romans 5:8)? Jesus was sent to die for our sins so that God's wrath on the sin would be paid.

Therefore, as believers, we are forgiven and are under grace (Romans 6:14). Yet, in our relationship with God, we must still confess the sin that He sees and turn from it, so this relationship will strengthen (Romans 6:15). God is faithful to forgive us from those sins.

So, God not only walks in the light, but also desires for us to walk in it as well.  When we turn to God, turn away from sin that threatens to damage us, and ask for forgiveness, it is like He washes hands that have been covered in newspaper ink. We are made new, as white as freshly fallen snow. Jesus came into the world, after all, to save us from lives marred from sin, so we would have the chance to be in a mended relationship with God (Titus 2:11-14).

Lord, thank You for sending Your Son to the world, and thank You for Your forgiveness. Give us hearts that ache to be made right with You and follow You, so that Your Spirit can continue its work through us. Help us to share the power of Your forgiveness with someone else this week. Amen.

"Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7, NASB).

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from interactive.wxxi.org.

We pray they believe and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord

"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation" (Romans 10:9-10, New American Standard Bible).

Do you know anyone who has been adopted? In the past few years, I have gotten close to a few families who have adopted children. It has been inspiring and a joy to see people love each other as family, even when they are not family by blood.

Adoption is a great reflection of how God loves those who receive His call to be a part of His family. God already loves us, His creation. Do we know someone who has not yet received His invitation to lead us as the good and loving Father God?

John 1:12 explains, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (New American Standard Bible). God, most holy and righteous, sent His Son to die a death we deserve to die. If we receive His invitation by turning to Him and trusting in Him, then we are invited into His family, His protection, and His presence. His love and mercy draws us to Him and puts us in awe.

Lord, this person on our mind who does not know You, please help them believe in You and Your Son, Jesus. Help them believe in You and confess their sins, so they can have a mended relationship with You. We pray they confess and believe, so they, too, will be a part of Your family.

More verses on this: Matthew 10:32, John 5:24, John 20:31, Romans 10:13, Joel 2:32
Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from stlfamilylife.com.