...There were times in my life when I have felt depressed, lonely, troubled, insecure and anxious... But neither one of those feelings haunted me nor deeply crushed my spirit... Amidst my situation, I can still find reasons to smile, laugh, and be happy... Because no matter what my circumstance was, I never found my soul EMPTY.
There is Someone I know who helps me rise out of my weaknesses and sensitivity... There is Someone I know who can give me a satisfying pleasure that no other man, not even my own mother can give... He tells me Im beautiful, He makes me smile... He whispers my name and says, I LOVE YOU endlessly... Why? I dont know, that's how He is... No matter what I do or how messed up my life can be, He ACCEPTS me unconditionally... I will never fully understand why He treats me this way... All I can do is love Him back...
1. God exists, and has
always existed.
GOD IS PERFECT, POWERFUL, AND YET PERSONAL
"He is the Rock. His work is perfect. Everything He does is just and fair." Dueteronomy 32:4
GOD CREATED THE WORLD, WHICH REFLECTS HIS MAGNIFICENCE, BALANCE, AND BEAUTY
"For God created the heavens and the earth and put everything in place... He made the world to live in and not to be empty chaos." Isaiah 45:18
~~~ Would you like to know GOD personally? ~~~
You were created with value and worth
2. God loves you and created you to know Him personally
GOD CREATED YOU
You created every part of me and put me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13-14
GOD LOVES YOU
"For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
GOD"S PLAN FOR YOU
[Jesus Christ speaking] "My purpose is to give you life in all it's fullness." (John 10:10)
~~~ What keeps us from knowing GOD personally? ~~~
3. People are sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know HIM personally or experience HIS love.
PEOPLE ARE SINFUL
"For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard." Romans 3:23
We were created to have a personal relationship with God, but by our own choice and self-will we have gone our own independent way and that relationship was broken. This self-will, often seen as an attitude of active rebellion towards God or lack of interest in Him, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
PEOPLE ARE SEPARATED
"But the trouble is that your sins have cut you off from God." Isaiah 59:2
"For the wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23
~~~ What is the SOLUTION to our sin and separation from God? ~~~
4. Jesus Christ is God's only solution for our sin. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love.
HE DIED IN OUR PLACE
"But GOd showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5:8
HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD
"Christ died for our sins: He was buried and He was raised from the dead on the third day: He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. After that He was seen by more than five hundred..." 1 Corinthians 15:3-6
HE IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD
"Jesus said to them, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6
~~~ It is not enough just to know these facts about JESUS CHRIST ~~~
We must personally receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love.
WE MUST BELIEVE IN AND RECIEVE CHRIST
"To all who receive Him, He gave the right to become children of God. All they had to do was to trust (believe in) Him to save them." John 1:12
WE RECEIVE CHRIST BY FAITH
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God - not by works so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8,9
When we receive Christ we experience a new BIRTH
WE RECEIVE CHRIST BY PERSONAL INVITATION
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and KNOCK. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." Revelation 3:20
Currently feeling: peaceful