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    • Work hard your whole life and what do you get?

      Posted at 7:00 am by sneuhofer, on November 1, 2018

      As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. (‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ NLT)

      We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭10, 22‬ NLT)

      According to the verses above, scripture is clear…we have all sinned. There is no one who walks the face of this earth that is without sin. Not one. I think it’s interesting in both of these verses Paul refers the reader back to the Old Testament scripture. The verse he refers to here is Psalm 14:3 in which the psalmist tells us “there is no one who does good…not one.”

      There is nothing we can do to be good enough. We cannot follow the law good enough, or serve others good enough, or live a good and moral life that will ever be good enough to make us right with God. The only way this can happen Paul says in v.23 is through placing our faith in Jesus. Believing and trusting that the work he did on Calvary is good enough to cleanse us from every sin…past, present, and future.

      I’m sure you have heard someone say “Well, I haven’t killed anyone, I obey traffic signals, and I don’t cheat on my spouse…I live a good and moral life.” While that may be true, if they haven’t accepted Christ and put their trust in him, they are still considered unrighteous…not right with God.

      God wants to be in relationship with us…we’ve seen this truth from the very beginning of time when Adam and Eve walked and talked with Him in the Garden of Eden. Yet in one moment of doubt, they gave up the paradise God made for them and believed the lie of the enemy. In that instant, their eyes were open to this sin-stained world and they were cast into the midst of it as a direct result of their disobedience.

      God never intended for us to face eternity without Him. He loves us and wants to give us life! He’s not some cosmic kill-joy who wants to rule over us. If He did…He wouldn’t have given us free-will (the ability to choose.) But with choice comes consequence. The consequence of sin…death. I like the way the Message paraphrases Romans 6:22 – 23:

      ” But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.”

      Romans 6:23 echoes what Jesus said in the Gospel of John (John 10:10 – NCV) “…I came to give life-life in all its fullness.”

      The word of God is clear…the wages or penalty of sin is death. Throughout the entire chapter of Romans 3, Paul urges us to understand that Jesus is the only way to become right with God. It is only by His blood are we are washed clean and considered good enough to enter God’s perfect heaven.

      So what is your relationship with Jesus like? Have you asked Him to come into your heart and forgive you for your sin? Are you reading your Bible and discovering who Jesus is and how to trust Him with the details of your life?

      Father, on this 1st day of November, help us to set aside some time, this month, to reflect and be thankful for all that you have done for us. First and foremost, thank you for sending your son Jesus to die for my sin. I am so thankful that you love us (me) so much that you provided a way (through Jesus) for us to spend eternity with you. I also thank you that you will not stop pursuing us – you will never, ever give up on us!

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      Posted in abundant life, consequences of sin, eternal life | 0 Comments
    • Where are you, Lord?

      Posted at 11:16 am by sneuhofer, on October 26, 2018

      John 11:4 (NIV) When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

      John 11 tells the story of the death of Lazarus. Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were close personal friends of Jesus. They recognized who he was; they believed in him; they loved him and he loved them. When Lazarus got sick, Martha sent someone to tell Jesus. When Jesus heard of the news he knew what was going to happen. Yet it had to happen. Jesus was going to remain where he was and Lazarus was going to die and God’s glory would be revealed through it all.

      When Jesus finally made into Bethany, the Bible tells us that Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb for four days. Someone told Martha that Jesus was on his way and she ran out to meet him. “Jesus, if you had only been here! Lazarus would still be alive!” She knew that Jesus had the power to heal her brother and wanted to know why Jesus didn’t come right away when he found out that Lazarus was ill. But look how Jesus responds. “Your brother will rise again.” (v23) Martha thought that Jesus was talking about rising again on resurrection day. But Jesus continued “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will have life even if they die. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” Jesus asks the question “Martha, do you believe this?” Her response without hesitation came “Yes, Lord.”

      Have you ever been in the middle of your circumstances and asked “where are you Lord, why aren’t you here?” This exchange between Martha and Jesus is comforting to me because Jesus knew what was happening. He had the situation in his sight, fully aware the entire time. He shared in their pain and then he brought glory to the Father by bringing life out of death.

      Jesus does bring healing from the pain. He brings life… but not just life on this earth. He brings eternal life for those who put their trust and faith in him.

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      Posted in Circumstances, faith in Christ, Martha and Mary | 0 Comments
    • Shopping cart madness

      Posted at 7:00 am by sneuhofer, on October 17, 2018

      Leviticus 20:7-8 (MSG) Set yourselves apart for a holy life. Live a holy life, because I am God, your God. Do what I tell you; live the way I tell you. I am the God who makes you holy.

      Have you ever had one of those days when you forgot who is REALLY in control? I sure have. Today, I believe God wants me to understand that HE is God and I am not. Should be a simple truth right… so why can’t I get that through my THICK head sometimes? Truth moment here: Sometimes I have a tendency to “control” things that are completely and totally out of my control. It’s just like grabbing a shopping cart at a grocery store and “steering” it up and down desired isles, I grab a “shopping cart” in my life and won’t let go. I try so hard to “steer” things the way I want them to go. By trying to control the “cart” (outcomes of circumstances that I have no business trying to control in the first place) I fail miserably.

      Plain and simple: When I try to “take control”,  things don’t get better…they get worse.

      God doesn’t want me calling the shots of my own life. He wants me to live a life of total surrender, holding back NOTHING from Him. He wants it all: my life, my spouse, my child, my finances, my job/vocation, my talents, my time…etc.

      I have to unwrap my white-knuckled grip from around the “shopping cart” of my life and let go!

      When I surrender fully to Christ and allow him to “steer the shopping cart of my life” amazing things begin to happen. I see Him instead of the circumstance. I feel His peace instead of the chaos that surrounds. I find a deep sense of joy that carries me through the most emotionally gut-wrenching blow. I see abundance in the midst of despair and poverty.

      This process of “giving up control” or “total surrender to Christ and his lordship” never ends. When I decide to release control of my life over to Christ, He will show up in ways I would have never dared to dream or imagine.

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      Posted in let go and let God, release control | 0 Comments
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