Being Saved is So Simple!

What would you do if someone you knew came up to you and provided you with an airline ticket to Hawaii for two weeks. All expenses paid, airfare, hotel and car rental were all included and upgrade to the very best money could buy. There is even traveler's checks included for all the expenses you might incur from souvenirs, meals, you name it. You didn't have to provide anything except to accept the ticket, pack your bags and show up. Would you accept it?

Or would you stand back and wonder how real this all was? What if the ticket is fake? What if there really isn't a place called Hawaii, I mean you never have been there before, maybe it really doesn't exist after all? What if the plane doesn't show up? What if my seat assignment is wrong? What if my luggage gets lost? What if the plane doesn't start? What if ....???

Why is it, that when we put our faith in Jesus, for our salvation, we can't accept it as freely as we would a plane ticket and trip to Hawaii, no questions asked?

Because it is too simple!

We have all heard the saying, nothing in this life is really free. That is true but it isn't in this life, that we are taking about.

People who purchased tickets on the Titanic were of one of three classes of people. Those in first class got the most opulent accommodations that were available. Those in second class, were in what many would call coach on airlines today. And then there were third class passengers who would have had to sit in the baggage compartment, but they all got to travel.

When reports from the newspapers got back to New York about the sinking of the disaster, however, there were only two lists of people, lost and saved. It didn't matter what class passengers were on. They were either lost or saved.

All of humanity is placed into one of two groups today. Lost? or Saved?

You have the opportunity to change today, which list your name will appear on.

Grace defined is simply unmerited favor. You don't need to do anything to receive it.

Just like you get a present for your birthday from friends and family, you simply accept it if it is given to you. You don't have to do anything to earn it. Such is the way of salvation in Jesus Christ. We simply must accept the gift He gave us, that if we believe in Him and accept what He did for us in our heart we can be saved.

James 1:17 (NIV) ~ "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows."

Ephesians 2: 4-5, 8-9 (NIV) ~ "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

1 Corinthians 15:50, 53-55 (NIV) ~ "I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. For the perishable most clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the say that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

The minute you confess and place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you are saved! Instantly! No works are needed.

What happens now if you are still among the living is that you will begin to battle against your old sin nature. The way you were living your life before you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Our old ways are no longer appealing to us.

Hebrews 9:24 (NIV) ~ "For Christ did  not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one: he entered heaven itself, not to appear for us in God's presence. "

Which means that at this moment, Jesus is standing before God getting from Him, everything you need to get through your day. Jesus is now our mediator before God, helping us get through our days by giving us strength, grace or mercy when we need it.

Hebrews 10:10 (NIV) ~ "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

This means we have been sanctified through the death of Jesus Christ once and for all. It isn't what we can do, but what Jesus did for us that will get us into Heaven.

Hebrews 10:14 (NIV) ~ "Because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

At the moment of the rapture or when you die, you enter into heaven, your faith will no longer be needed. We are saved from sin at that moment for all of time and eternity.

Romans 5: 9-10 (NIV) ~ " Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be save through his life!"

We have been justified when we place our trust and faith in Jesus Christ. It was as if we had never sinned. We need to believe that we are saved and begin living our life out now for Jesus.

Matthew 10:8b (NIV) ~ " Freely you have received, freely give."

2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) ~ "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"

Romans 5:15 (NIV) ~"But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!"

Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) ~"It is by grace you have been saved."

Start using the same faith you have when you get ready to go to the store and get in your car, that it will start and you'll get to where you're going, as you do in your faith in Jesus Christ that you are saved. Stop doubting it! It is received by faith alone! Let us start using it!

Warning Signs!

Monday marked 102 years since the day the Titantic sank into the Atlantic and claimed the lives of 1512 souls onboard. It is sad to consider all the signs that pointed to the prevention of those deaths and how each of them were overlooked in light of other things. Or was the Titanic simply fated to sink based on the pride of man to build a ship that was unsinkable?

If you have read enough books on the subject of the Titanic and not simply viewed Hollywood's version of the movie on the big screen, and separated the facts from simply a great unforgettable movie, than you know there were several things I believe that contributed to the sinking of the great ocean liner and could have prevented such a great loss of life.

First, the ship was not carrying enough life boats due to the cosmetic way that they appeared to take away from the look of a beautiful ocean liner that was touted as being unsinkable. Not only that but when the ship struck the iceberg on the early morning of April 14, 1912, those very lifeboats were not filled to the capacity of which they were designed, leaving many with no choice of what to do next. Either remain on the ship and hope for rescue, or let fate decide and risk the bitterly cold ocean waters of 28 degrees.

Second, Captain Smith was set to retire when the ship docked in New York, and since Bruce Ismay was all about making headlines, he was able to persuade Captain Smith to run the engines full steam ahead to make it to New York ahead of schedule and thus giving Captain Smith a royal way to retire. Yet despite all his years of knowledge of the sea, and the repeated ice berg warnings, Captain Smith made a fateful decision to go against his better judgement and do what Bruce Ismay wanted. They got their headlines alright!

Third, the iceberg warnings that were received were simply ignored by those that had the ability to make executive decisions. Knowing the crew that was on duty to search for icebergs in the crows nest had misplaced the binoculars that night and instead relied on what they could see and hope the ship would be able to turn in time. We know that would not be the case. Later we would learn that the Titanic simply ignored several reports of icebergs in the area they would later encounter.

The weather that night caused the seas to appear glassy and with no moon to shine upon the seas, it provided little light to see danger until they were literally on top of it. The calm seas prevented the sound of splashing waves on the iceberg to not be heard or even seen. We know the size of the propellers and the speed at which Titanic was moving along prevented them from being able to take appropriate action in enough time to prevent the ship from hitting the iceberg. Later studies would show that the ship might have survived the impact if they had not turned and instead hit the iceberg head on.

Yet despite all the warning signs, it sank. Lives were lost. In hindsight many wondered why so many things were ignored and the loss of life was so great when it could have been prevented or even reduced how many lives were taken that night.

However even today, we often ignore those same warning signs in our own life. We choose to think we have things in control and will ignore the signs of something coming that God doesn't want us to ignore. Perhaps it's signs of a pending job loss, but you think after all the time you have invested in the company or how valuable you think you are, you will never be let go, and then you are. You ignore those aches, pains, lumps and medical issues believing as long as you aren't told, you will be fine. Until you get the results of your medical tests back and realize that what could have been taken care of is now untreatable. How those signs in marriages where we know things aren't going right, however we choose to look the other way believing it can't happen to us, and it does when that faithful spouse of so many years simply walks out the front door.

God did not design us to simply choose to procrastinate and ignore the signs. He has provides us with the wisdom and foresight to see these signs and act before they are irreversible. Just like trying to find happiness and contentment in the world, through everything the world offers, hoping to find joy and instead wind up feeling empty inside. No amount of drugs or alcohol or whatever the world wants to offer will ever fill the hole in your life. Only Jesus can. Isn't it about time, you looked at the signs He has been sending your way and accept what He has to offer instead of the world's promises?

If you think you can put it off one more day, you are in fact tempting that same fate the Titanic did. We don't know when our lives will end or how. God could be at the threshold of your life right now ready to take your life at the end of the day. No one is guaranteed anything. We have a standing appointment of when we are born and when we did, but it's up to us what we do with that dash in between. If you reject Jesus today, you don't say yes, you are in fact saying No instead. It is simply that easy to accept what Jesus is offering today. Redemption, forgiveness, hope and unconditional love! Most of all, an eternal home with Him in Heaven along with every single believer in Jesus who has already died.

For believers when we die, there is no goodbye for our loved ones. Only see you when you get there! Don't you want that hope today? If you do, pray this prayer out loud and change your future today!! It will be the best thing you can do for the rest of your life and for your eternal one as well.

Dear Jesus,

Lord, I know I am a sinner. I've been trying to find my way in the world and have come up empty. I am ready to try having You take over my life instead and live in my heart. I know You came into this world to save me, to die for me, on the cross as payment for what I have done. I believe You are the Son of God and through Your sacrifice on the cross, Your resurrection after three days in which you rose from the dead, Your payment of blood that was shed for my sins, is the reason for hope in this world. That death will not be the end for me. That only through believing in Your Jesus, I will be saved!

I turn from my sin Lord and choose instead to follow You the rest of the days of my life I accept your gift of grace and know that NOTHING I can do will ever be enough to get me to heaven. Thank You Lord for this gift of salvation and I welcome you to dwell in my life and to change me. Thank You for loving me that much to die for me.

In Jesus precious name, AMEN!!

If you have prayed this prayer, the angels in Heaven are rejoicing!!! There will be significant changes about to take place in your life. Some of them won't be easy because the Bible says that we will face persecution for following Jesus, but the eternal rewards will be worth it. The enemy is not happy with the choice you made and will now launch a battle against you, but YOU are deemed and NOW have at YOUR disposal God's power of prayer. Use it daily and it will encourage you on those days when life gets you down. We don't have to stay down, we can look up and be filled with His Spirit. It will be worth it in the end, and I look forward to chatting with you soon. If you want to talk about anything, please reach out to me at Stevenkat27@gmail.com. I'd love to help encourage you and pray for you in your personal walk!