Knowing the Lord Jesus Christ!

     *Heaven is for Real  is a book about a four year old boy named Colton who died due to a burst appendix and was brought back to life. The parents were surprised to hear of his stories of angels and Jesus. 
Over the course of the next few years Colton’s parents would glean more and more detail from his extraordinary trip. 

Since Colton had said he had met Jesus, whenever Colton’s Dad would come across a painting of Jesus he would show it to Colton and ask him if this is what Jesus really looked like. He dismissed all of them until he saw a painting called The Prince of Peace, painted by a child prodigy. That painting is the one you see above.

When he saw that painting, Colton just stopped and stared, then said “Yeah, that’s him.” He was especially drawn to Jesus’ eyes in the painting, which Colton said did a great job of expressing the love he saw when he met him.*Source Sonlight Pictures Blog

There is nothing that compares to knowing the Lord Jesus Christ!  He has been the central and most critical relationship of my life, after receiving His forgiveness and being placed in His forever family as a teenager in North Carolina!

 On that incredible day I heard a Pastor tell about The Lord Jesus Christ dying for sinners, offering forgiveness, and His friendship.  He then asked if anyone would like to become a follower of Jesus. If so, walk forward!

I walked forward during the invitation, a time at the conclusion of a Worship service in Baptist and other protestant churches where those in the congregation have the opportunity to respond to the Gospel.  

I knelt with a Godly man, who led me in a heartfelt prayer of repentance (turning away from sin) and asking the Lord Jesus Christ to come into my life, and forgive my sins, to be my Savior. I did, and He came in…and I have never been the same since that initial encounter with Gods Son!

  

The Gospel is God’s good news, the Apostle Paul wrote:

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

I am reminded of something someone once said that reminds us of the urgency of responding to Gods offer of salvation.

   “The Gospel is only Good news, if it gets there in time”

 Do you know Him? Have you received Him? If not, why not? What are you waiting for ?

Yesterday October 12^th would have been my Dad’s 81^st birthday.  He only lived until the age of 50, my age now, which seems so young. 

Three years before his death Dad, after not being in a Church for 20 years went, he heard the Gospel; he responded…he was changed! He discovered what I had, and what billions of people have discovered…if you genuinely offer your life to Jesus and sincerely desire Him, He will accept your surrendered life and make something wonderful out of it!

He would often tell me I wish I had not waited so long to offer my sinful life to the Lord for His cleansing, and forgiveness. 

Today, right now…wherever this moment finds you, find a quiet place, sincerely ask Jesus to take your life, all of it, everything from what you want to be (Ambitions)  to who you now are, and ask Him for forgiveness, ask Him to take the reins of your life, entrust yourself to Him. 

If you do, I assure you He will keep His word, and you will discover for yourself: 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

I am asking God, for your new beginning!

The following song by Steven Curtis Chapman, sums up my earnest hope for everyone in the world.