Permission to Have Fun: For Those who Feel Forgotten

Permission to Have Fun: For Those who Feel Forgotten

Death, Hell & the Grave

So why DID Christ's beaten, bruised and mangled body hang from a cross on Calvary's Hill. Did the enemy think he could hold Christ as HIS captive? Yes, Christ died. He gave up the ghost. They pierced Him- blood & water flowed. They took Him down, buried His mangled body in a tomb and covered it with a stone way too cumbersome for natural human strength alone to move. But could that grave hold Him? Could it prevent Him from descending into the lower depths of Hell? No! He went to hell and took 3 vital keys from the enemy's hell grip. He went through hell for us. But, could hell hold Him captive? NO! But the grave? Could it hold Christ captive? No! God moved Heaven and earth… even “hell”. The tombstone? Rolled away. His body? He was NOT there. Three days later, He has risen! He IS alive! But why, and what’s left now?
     Christ was born. He lived, was crucified, He died and then was resurrected from death. But why? New life! Resurrection Life! But how? Christ left us with His earnest (something of value that is given to bind a contract), the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit moves throughout the earth inviting us to come to the Father. And He still moves heaven & earth for us. He is moving in your life at this very moment. But why? Did He did just promise us life now? No, He promises us life eternal. He wants to be with us. Because sin separates human man from a Holy God and blood was the only covering for sin, Christ became the eternal sacrifice. He bridged the gap caused by man’s sin. When Christ’s blood is applied to sin, that sin is washed clean. Man is pure because of the blood of Christ. God sees us through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.  
     Because of Jesus Christ, we can all know freedom. Nothing can hold anyone of us captive! NOTHING! The blood of Jesus Christ breaks EVERY stronghold & sets every captive free! Do you know Him? He knows you. He wants you to know Him. Because you mean EVERYTHING to Him, He sacrificed His everything in hopes that you would want to accept His love and the power of His love. As long as we live on this earth, there will be sin. Without His sacrifice, there is no remission for sin. Only His blood can cleanse ALL of our sin. Do you know Him? The God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob forever remains - King of Kings & Lord of Lords. He still moves heaven and earth for His children.
     If U don’t know Jesus, U can. Everyone sins- falls short of God’s glory Romans 3:23. Face it, in THIS world nobody will ever be perfect. Yet by confessing the Lord Jesus & believing in your heart that God raised Christ from the dead, U can be saved- a confession like: Father, I know I’ve broken Your laws & my sins separate me from You. I’m truly sorry. I want to turn away from my past & turn to You. Please forgive me. Help me to avoid sinning. I believe Your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive & hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule & be the predominant Ruler of my life from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You & to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen
     You just accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, now you need to find a church that will help you to grow in your new faith. God has a passionate love for you. He wants you to know Him and what HE says about you and about your life. You can find all that in His Word, the Bible. Just read it, you won’t understand everything…nobody does. And you don’t HAVE to understand God or His Word to believe. Seeing doesn’t mean understanding. Understanding doesn’t mean seeing. Some things will never be seen. Some things will never be understood. But some things will never be believed simple because a person can’t understand it. Don’t miss out on God’s promises just because you don’t understand them. Believing or not believing doesn’t change the truth. It is what it is.
    Because God is holy, He can’t look on sin. But because you now have His son, Jesus living inside of you, He can’t keep His eyes off of you. You need spiritual resources that will help you develop your faith in God. Legalism will kill you, so don’t hang out with nit-picky people who judge others. Others will be  held accountable for their own lives, not yours. And…as if it wasn’t enough for them already. They must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. God wants to change your heart. Although you’ve been forgiven of all your past sins, there may be things that you will continue to struggle with. Turn those things over to God and do that for as long as it takes. Only He can break the strongholds of sin. And don’t ever forget about the blood of Christ. Take everything to Him in prayer. Talk to Him out loud. He already knows you on the inside and on the outside so stay real with Him. He wants to live not just on the inside of you, but also on the outside – in real life. There is nothing too small or too big for Him. He’s not concerned about your comfort, but He is concerned about your heart. Everything you need can be found in Him. If you search to fill your needs any other way, you will come up empty and even broken. Trust Him to be your Source. By His Holy Spirit, He will lead you.
     Part of your new life is development of your faith. If you can’t walk, He will carry you. Let Him be your “crutch”. He will help you walk as your are going through the healing and transformation process. If you struggle with bad thoughts, you can get become “brain wash” by reading His Word, which will renew your  mind. When you can’t see, He will be your Light. He will give you eyes to see. When you can’t hear over the bustle and noise around you, He will give you “ears to hear”. When the storms hit, He will shelter you. He is totally committed to you. Stay totally committed to Him. Develop relationships with others who are going through God’s transformation process. Remain in Him and will He remain in you.