“I am
crucified with
Christ:
nevertheless I
live; yet not I,
but Christ
liveth in me:
and the life
which I now live
in the flesh I
live by the
faith of the Son
of God, who
loved me, and
gave himself for
me” (Galatians
2:20, KJV).
I love that
verse from
Galatians (I
love a lot of
verses). It sums
it all up for
me: I live by
faith in Jesus.
Jesus is an
intricate part
of my life now
and I have no
regrets of
leaving the
worldly ways
behind me. In
everything I do,
I do with Jesus
on my mind and
in my heart. I
have a strong
desire to please
Jesus and hope
that the things
I do for Him are
of His will and
pleasing to Him.
I feel
inadequate at
times about
pleasing, Jesus.
There is
something
missing in my
heart regarding
doing the works
Christ wants me
to do. I just
can’t seem to
put my finger on
it. Maybe I
should witness
more, and maybe
that is what I
am lacking. Or
maybe it’s
getting more
involved in
church
activities. I
don’t know. But
I do have faith
the Holy Spirit
will guide me to
that “thing” in
my heart that
feels
inadequate. I
have to remember
that Christ
sacrificed
Himself for me
and He will
guide me to the
path I need to
be on.
Nonetheless I
am confident in
my salvation,
even though I
feel I’m missing
something. I am
confident in
Jesus running my
life and leading
me to where I
need to be and
to do what I
need to do for
Him. I just have
to get over my
own fears and
stumbling
blocks. But
again, I’m
confident that
my salvation is
sealed, I just
have to work on
what God wants
of me as a
disciple of
Christ. I also
know that today
is another day
to renew that
relationship
with Christ and
continue to grow
in the love,
peace, and rest
that is only
found in Jesus.
“Ask, and it
shall be given
you; seek, and
ye shall find;
knock, and it
shall be opened
unto you: For
every one that
asketh
receiveth; and
he that seeketh
findeth; and to
him that
knocketh it
shall be opened”
(Matthew 7:7-8,
KJV).
If you’re not
sure of your
salvation, or
you are ready to
move forward in
your
relationship
with Christ,
that verse from
Matthew makes it
clear that if
you honestly and
truly want to
improve and move
forward in your
relationship
with Christ, all
you have to do
is knock, ask
Him, and hold on
for the ride of
your life
(heaven bound).
If your heart
isn’t ready,
then ask that
your heart be
opened to Christ
and the guidance
of the Holy
Spirit within
you for a
renewed and
better
relationship
with, Jesus.
Jesus is always
ready to welcome
a new follower
into His
kingdom. He is
of love, peace,
and rest.
I find the
peace and rest
the best part of
my relationship
with Christ,
when I ask for
it. I sometimes
forget to do
this and try to
work things out
on my own─always
a failure. When
I reach my wits
end and can’t
find a
resolution to my
problems, I lay
my burdens on
Him and through
the Holy Spirit,
things always
seem to get
better and
things work
themselves out
better than if I
tried it on my
own. I always
ask myself why I
didn’t go to God
in the first
place, but I
guess that is
just my being
human. I know
that whenever I
knock on the
door for
guidance or
direction, He is
always there as
an Advocate for
me and to place
my heart and
mind at peace
and gives me
rest for my
problems.
“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
righteousness;
and with the
mouth confession
is made unto
salvation.
For the
scripture saith,
whosoever
believeth on him
shall not be
ashamed. For
there is no
difference
between the Jew
and the Greek:
for the same
Lord over all is
rich unto all
that call upon
him. For
whosoever shall
call upon the
name of the Lord
shall be saved”
(Romans 10:9-13,
KJV).
You read that
first part of
the verse from
Romans 9:13?
“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.” This is
so awesome and
yet so simple. I
sometimes forget
the simplicity
of my salvation.
I sometimes get
caught-up in
trying to be
perfect, or when
I stumble I feel
I am not
deserving of his
grace.
We all fall
down and what is
great is that if
you allow Him
to, Jesus is
always there
with His arm
stretched out to
help us back up
to fellowship,
with Him again.
This isn’t a
onetime thing,
this is for
every time we
fall, or fail to
live to the
standards that
we should when
working on our
relationship
with Christ. It
is the gift of
God that we need
to embrace in
our daily walk
with Jesus. No
matter how bad
things are,
remember, that
Christ is there
for your
salvation, to
give you
guidance,
strength, peace,
and the will to
follow Him to
the end, every
day.
“For by grace
are ye saved
through faith;
and that not of
yourselves: it
is the gift of
God” (Ephesians
2:8, KJV).
It is by
grace that I
daily have
Christ in my
heart and that I
am a saved
sinner. What is
grace? Grace is
God doing good
for us that we
do not deserve.
Grace is God
giving His Son,
Jesus as a
sacrifice for us
sinners─who do
not deserve
forgiveness─so
that we may have
a way to
salvation, to
live with Christ
forever in
heaven by faith
in Him. I know I
don’t deserve
it, but grace
was given for
me, and you. It
is by grace that
if we accept
Christ as our
Savior and do
his will, we
will spend our
eternity with
Him because
Christ Jesus
died for the
sins of the
world so that
all who accept
Him as their
Savior will not
taste death but
drink the
eternal water
with Him in love
and fellowship
with others that
are saved.
“But the
Comforter, which
is the Holy
Ghost, whom the
Father will send
in my name, he
shall teach you
all things, and
bring all things
to your
remembrance,
whatsoever I
have said unto
you” (John
14:26, KJV).
The Holy
Spirit works in
me every moment
of my life.
Without Him I
would be lost
and would be
like a leaf in
the wind, going
to and fro
without any
direction. The
Holy Spirit is
my compass that
points me always
to Jesus, His
ways and wants
for me, my
salvation as
well as what
works He wants
me to do. The
Holy Spirit is
there to guide
me and to help
me understand
the gospel as I
read and study.
The Holy Spirit
is in us
believers so
that we have a
guide that keeps
us on the
straight and
narrow path to
heaven and helps
us to do the
will of Christ.
The Holy Spirit
helps us renew
our relationship
with Christ
daily and puts
on our hearts
the desires that
Christ has and
wants from and
for us.
Being led by
the Holy Spirit
took me some
time to figure
out. In my
Christian
infancy, I
didn’t hone in
on the Holy
Spirit speaking
to me and as a
result I made a
lot of mistakes
in my beginning
walk with
Christ. Yet, as
I delved into
the Word and
prayed, and as
my understanding
of the Bible
grew, I could
hear the voice
of the Holy
Spirit in me all
the time. The
Holy Spirit
works in me by
putting strong
desires in my
heart and speaks
to my mind with
ideas and
inspirations. I
now can discern
the voice of the
Holy Spirit and
when I listen
and follow,
blessings come
forth for me and
I am led to act
in ways I would
have never had
done before I
honed in to the
Holy Spirit’s
impressions on
me.
An example of
the Holy Spirit
working in me
was with my tax
return. I was
fantasizing in
January of what
I could do with
my tax return,
assuming I got
one this year. I
could pay off
that credit
card, buy some
things the
family wanted
like another
computer or
television to go
into my bedroom.
Suddenly, I felt
in my heart very
clearly that I
needed to give
my tax refund to
the church’s
compassion
ministry that
helps feed
people through a
food bank or
helps needy
people with
their utility
bills so they
won’t freeze in
the winter. At
the time, I
didn’t even do
my taxes and
didn’t know what
I would get
back. Once I
finished my
taxes, my refund
was just under
$6000.00.
I gladly gave
my refund to the
church because
that was what
the Holy Spirit
directed me to
do. I challenged
all in the
congregation to
give up their
tax refund to
help with
various
ministries
within the
church. I don’t
know if anyone
else followed my
example, but I
testified to the
congregation
what the Holy
Spirit had put
on my heart and
how it was
important to
listen to the
voice of the
Holy Spirit. I
told them it
wasn’t the
amount that was
important but
the obedience to
what God wanted
me to do that
was important.
“And let the
peace of God
rule in your
hearts, to which
also ye are
called in one
body; and be ye
thankful”
(Colossians
3:15, KJV).
I am so very
thankful for
Jesus and the
Holy Spirit.
Without either I
would be a lost
soul. I look
back on my life
before I had
Jesus and the
Holy Spirit and
wonder how I
ever survived. I
am thankful that
I survived long
enough to be
where I am now:
with Jesus in my
heart. I’m so
thankful for the
sacrifice God
made by giving
his only Son for
us sinners, that
we can have a
way to heaven
through the
sacrifice of
Jesus on the
cross. I thank
God everyday for
the opportunity
to be alive, to
speak to others
about the Lord,
and to write as
I am now, that I
may touch just
one person to
turn to or back
to Jesus.
I’m also very
grateful that
the peace of
Christ rules my
heart. Sometimes
people look at
me weird at work
when things get
crazy and
chaotic. I have
peace and most
of the unsaved I
work with just
don’t get it.
They get all
stressed out for
the large and
smallest things
that go wrong.
Me, I don’t,
because I have
the peace of
Christ in my
heart. I have
that peace
because I know
God is in
control. No
matter what
happens in the
world at large,
or in my small
realm of my
life, my heart
is at peace
because I have
Christ in my
life and the
Holy Spirit
leads me, as I
need to be led.
If you don’t
have Christ in
your life, I’m
not going to
miss the
opportunity to
let you know
that God loves
you, and He
wants you to
accept Christ as
your Lord and
Savior. God gave
his only Son so
that you can
choose eternity
with Christ.
Christ died as
atonement for
your sins, no
matter how small
or big those
sins are or will
occur. Think of
the most
unimaginable sin
that you can
commit or have
committed. Guess
what; if you
accept Christ as
your Savior,
then those sins
are washed
clean. You will
begin to live a
life of love and
peace as led by
the Holy Spirit
and will work to
live a sin free
life. Know that
you will fail to
be sin free but
it is not the
end for you.
Repent daily and
do the Lord’s
will for you.
Think you are
too bad? You
aren’t. Think
you are
undeserving? You
are, but Christ
died to make a
way for you to
spend eternity
with him. Don’t
miss this chance
for eternity
with Christ.
Take a moment to
reflect on Jesus
and pray for
understanding
and confirmation
that he is real.
Accept that
Christ died for
all your sins
and was raised
from the dead
and ascended to
heaven to return
one day (soon).
This is an
important
decision to
accept Christ.
If you accept
Christ as your
Savior then you
are saved and
will spend
eternity with
Him. If you deny
Christ in your
life, then
eternity is not
with Jesus, but
in hell,
separated from
the love and
peace offered by
Jesus. Choose
eternal life
with Christ.
John Lysaught
john_lysaught@yahoo.com