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Four words I would not like to hear Jesus say to me are, "I never knew you," but He will say them. Many will say in their defense, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" Then Jesus will answer, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:22 NIV)
People may talk religious and do wonderful things, but if they do not have a relationship with Jesus, all their good works are as filthy rags. Love, real love, God's amazing love makes the difference. Have you been touched by the love of Jesus? When that happens, you are changed forever. You never want to be without God's love in your life. You want to stay connected so you pick up His word, the Bible, and read it. Every word speaks to you personally. You find yourself with God's people in church. You sing praises to God and thank Him for all He does for you. Think About It If you feel alone and in despair, there is hope. Say the name of Jesus and know He is near. Say it over and over again. You will know He is with you. I know, because I have been in despair. I have felt alone and lost. God's love changed me. I responded by loving Him and others. That's what God's love does. Pray About It Heavenly Father, be with the one reading this message. Let him or her know You are near and that you want to be his or her best Friend forever. Help him or her to trust You with their lives. Amen.
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 Jesus cautioned the disciples about false prophets. A false prophet is someone who preaches what they think is right, but it is not what the Bible says. If you hear a friend say they think they are good enough to get to heaven, do not believe them. If a teacher encourages you to work for your salvation, do not do it.
Jesus died on the cross to take away our tendency to sin, doing things that disappoint God. He rose from the dead to give us eternal life with God. When we experience that kind of amazing love, we will want to love others the way God does. We will be motivated to work in the kingdom, but not for our salvation or the hope of heaven. People in this world get these mixed up. You don't have to. Believe what Jesus said. "Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You'll recognize them by their fruit" (Matthew 7:13-16). Think About It Many times the worldly ways seem more attractive. I've been misled by the words, "If it feels good, do it," or "You're the most important person." Both of these are wrong. God is the most important part of our lives. He created us to be with Him and to live for Him. He wants to be our forever Friend. Living in relationship with Him is more fun anyway. It brings new joy and mercy, peace and hope every day. Pray About It Thank you, Lord, for loving me and saving me for an eternity with You. I love you and want to live for you, not myself. Amen. I once heard of a man who found money on the street. He found a lot of money. Why? Because he looked for it. He said he found coins as well as dollar bills--all because he was looking.
When my kids were little, they asked a lot of questions. Why? Because they got a lot of answers. I have to admit that sometimes I didn't know the answers and I said, "Just because," or "I don't know." They kept asking. Jesus said, "Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8 HCSB). Think About It God made us with inquisitive minds. He wants us to look and ask because He wants us to find our answers in Him. He wants us to trust Him with our questions. He wants us to find what we look for in Him. Pray About It Thank you, Lord, for making us want to learn more about the world we live in. Help us to find our answers in You alone. Amen.  Do you find that it's easy to judge people who are not like you? They don't think like you. They don't act like you. It's easy for me to stand by and judge a friend because she chose to say or do something I wouldn't. I know it's wrong, but I do it. Then I feel badly, and have to ask God to forgive me, to have mercy on me.
I want to be more like Jesus. This is what He says about judging. "Do not judge, so that you won't be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Matthew 7:1-2). These two verses teach me to be humble, to think of the other person and not myself. My friends have reasons for the way they think and act that I know nothing about. Think About It Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commands." His greatest command is, "Love your neighbor as you love yourselves." How can we love if we judge others? Pray About It Lord Jesus, forgive me when I judge. Help me to be aware of Your presence with me and to love as you love. Amen. |
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