Have a Good Forever

 

 Thought for Today - September 4
Have A Good Forever
By: Robert A. Searles

Dear Reader:

     A wise person is one who makes preparation for the future.  Have you thought about your future?  You CAN have an abundant life and a “good forever” if you WILL, it's all up to you.  The right to choose has been given to you by a loving heavenly Father who, being rich, became poor that you might become rich.  What will your future be like?

     If you knew that you had only a few more hours to live and at this time tomorrow you would be somewhere in eternity, wouldn't you want to know that you were “right” with God?  Wouldn't you want to have truth and justice on your side?

     We all must die sooner or later.  Some will die today.  It could be your time today.  If you were to die today, do you know for sure where you will spend eternity?

     “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27), where will you stand at the last judgment of God?  “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27: 1.

     An important man in the eyes of the world once asked, “What is truth?”  Unfortunately, he did not wait for the answer.  God is true, and the Word of God is truth.  We are surrounded by darkness and uncertainties, but the light from heaven shines
forth the truth of God to give us  light to  dispel the darkness and bring us good news and hope.

     “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginniung with God All things were made  by him: and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life: and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1: 1-5)

 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, ( and we beheld his glory, the glory as of  the only begotten of the Father),
 full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

  “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1: 10-12.

     The “Word made flesh” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten, divine son of God, who is one with the Father.  He came into the world to reveal to us the Father and to lay down his  life for the sins of all mankind.  The Word of God says that all people are sinners from birth, and are separated from God.  If they remain in this condition, they will be forever separated from God and will go to hell.

     “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” (Romans 3: 10,11)

  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” ( Romans 3: 23.) 

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6: 23)

     The Word of God also tells us that whosoever will believe in his heart that Jesus Christ is the divine son of God (virgin born), and that he laid down his life on the cross and shed his blood to pay for the sins of individuals; whosoever  will believe that God hath raised him from the dead and that he ever liveth to  make intercession for us; whosoever will call upon the Lord Jesus Christ from his heart, repent, and turn away from sin and invite the Lord Jesus Christ to come live in his heart shall be saved.  He will be “born again” into the family  of God and will become a child of God.

     Jesus said: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ( John 3: 3.)

     The Philippian jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?”  The answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16: 30,31)

 “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2: 21).“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

  “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.” (John 3: 18).

     The one and only thing that can determine your destiny for all eternity is what you do with Jesus Christ, God's gift of love to you. The one and only thing that can seal your doom in hell is your rejection of the only begotten son of God.  God is not willing for you to spend eternity in hell apart from him.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16).

     What will you do with Jesus Christ? He is the only one that has the power to save you and give you eternal life.  What would you do with him if you knew that this was your very last day on earth?  Salvation is by the grace of God alone, not by good deeds, nor good morals, nor by good intentions.

  “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God, not  of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8, 9).

     How can you be sure that you are saved?  Confess, and agree with God that you are a sinner by birth, and by choice, and that you fall far short of what God intended for you to be. Repent – be truly sorry for this fact and have a genuine desire in your heart to change the direction of your life and live for God.  Ask God's forgiveness, pray this simple prayer to God: - “God, be merciful to me a sinner, and save me for Christ's sake.”  Gratefully receive by faith God's pardon.  Appropriate to yourself  the atoning power of the cross and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. Trust God to do the rest.  What is the next step?

     Tell someone that you have trusted in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, it could be your wife, your husband, your children, your parents, your friends, or anyone.  Write to us and let us know.  We will rejoice with you.  The Word of God says: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with  the heart man believeth unto rigfhteousness: and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10: 9,10).

     As a newborn child of God, you ought to seek the fellowship of other born again children of God, preferably in an independent ,fundamental, bible-teaching church, for the purpose of worship, study, and service.  Within the fellowship of a local church, you ought to follow the Lord in believer's baptism, by immersion, as a testimony of the death of the old person, and resurrection to newness of life in Christ: going down into the water in the likeness of Christ's death, and being raised up out of the water in the likeness of his resurrection.  You ought to attend services on a regular basis In order to grow In grace and knowledge of the word of God,  and be a regular partaker of the Lord's supper or communion as a memorial of what the Lord has done for you.  You ought to obtain a  copy of a good translation of the word of God, the bible, (I recommend the King James version), and read and study it daily and allow the Holy Spirit to instruct you and cause you to grow in the things of the Lord. 

May God Bless you in your new Christian life.

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Telehelp Publications Christian Literature Ministry