Heaven's Celebrations

In the same way, I tell you,

there is rejoicing in the presence

of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:10

Do you remember the story of the prodigal son? It is the story of a son who turns to his father (he is the younger son) and asks for his inheritance early (get it ? The father is still alive and the kids wants his share of what he'll get when the father dies. Not exactly loving.).

He takes that inheritance and goes partying in the next town. He has a great time. He is living high on the hog!

Now he is broke. He has nothing. He cannot find a job. He is in a pig pen (which for a Jew is like being in the worst place possible) wanting to eat their slop because he is so hungry. He decides to return home, face his father's wrath, beg for mercy and ask to be hired on as a servant.

It turns out that his father has been watching and waiting for his son to return. He rushes him at the gate! He kisses and hugs him. They throw him a party to celebrate!

 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. Luke 15:22-24

This is how God the Father is with all sinners who repent and turn to Him. He is watching and waiting. When the sinner turns from sin and repents - He rushes towards us to welcome the sinner with open, loving arms.

It does not matter how ugly the sin. It does not matter how long it has been.

They throw a party in heaven when a sinner comes home to God the Father.

Give heaven a reason for celebration. Spread the good news of Jesus to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear!


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Evangelism Story and Link Up

One Teen's Evangelism Experience

Going to Chicago was an absolutely eye-opening experience.

We hear every week how we have to evangelize because the vast majority of people on the earth are blind to the truth, but you don't really feel the true sense of urgency until you've been out there, seeing just how misguided people are by Satan's lies.

One woman insisted everyone, no matter their beliefs, was going to heaven. Multiple times, one of our members kept asking, "What is your basis for believing this?" and she couldn't answer. Yet she was willing to stake her eternal salvation on that baseless belief! In spite of the evidence she was confronted with, particularly John 14:6 that says Jesus is the only way to the Father, she denied the truth.

Our group probably spoke with her for forty-five minutes, and by the end of it, we parted having to agree to disagree.

It really evoked compassion in me toward unbelievers that I didn't know I had.

The vast majority of the people we spoke to were like this! But not everyone (thank the Lord).

At the very end we encountered a man who was a huge environmental advocate. He had grown up a Catholic, but had never really heard the true gospel of Jesus. He thought he just had to make good choices and take care of the planet to go to heaven. And through God's grace and Sovereign Hand, we were able to share the gospel with him.

Our group left feeling so encouraged by the man's receptiveness that despite all the rejection and weird glances we got, talking to that man made it all worth it. That one conversation could have changed his eternal future.

This just shows, God has placed us where we are for a reason.

We pass by so many people each day without saying a single word about Jesus, yet we have this amazing truth burning inside us. So why not tell the world?

Do we really have so much to fear when God is on our side? Besides, if we, God's children, don't say something, who will?

Jesus said we're to be the salt and light of the world. So let's go season and illuminate!

In addition, the trip pressed on my heart just how privileged we are to even know the truth. So many people are headed to hell, as Jesus says in Matthew 7, and yet we have this unbelievable and undeserving privilege to know Christ, to call God our Father.

After the missions trip, I cannot help but feel this overwhelming gratitude toward God. There is nothing we've done to earn this salvation; there is nothing about us that makes us better or worse than that rude person we encounter in the store. But despite all that, God loves us. And that's awesome!

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What a wonderful story about how a teenager in our church went with a group to take the good news of Jesus to the streets of Chicago! I know that God will use His words of Truth for good...

So is My Word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to Me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

This is our first official link-up party on Merry, Married, Mary Mom. If you have a story of evangelism, missions, giving hope to another or are participating in the 31 Days of Chatting at the Sky challenge - please link up! I'd love to hear from you (and I am sure others would as well).

Rules:
1. Please remember to link back. If you find that your link has been deleted, it is because you forgot to link back. Grab the code  for our 31 Days of Good News in the panel to the right.

2. Share this with others. The more links, the better. It is so fun to read what others post. I am always so encouraged.

3. Come back next Friday for another link-up party.

Don't forget about our current giveaway ...become a fan, like our FB page, follow by email or google connect to enter! It's just that easy!

The Good News

So yesterday, I wrote about the bad news. It is that we are stained in and out, up and down, all the way through - with sin. And our loving Creator is holy, which means He does not sin, cannot sin and cannot be in the presence of sin.

So what happens if you die?

God is a perfect Judge. He must look at each individual person and determine if they should or should not go to heaven or suffer eternal punishment. We have sinned and therefore, owe a debt to God.

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. Romans 2:5-8


Well, God has a plan for that (and I am ever so grateful!). God sent His only Son to live on Earth. I'm sure you've heard of Him. His name is Jesus.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Romans 3:22


Do not set your mind on the Christmas story. Jesus is so much more than a baby in a manger. He was a strong and powerful Man. He was fully God and fully man - living and walking among the people.

He lived a perfect life. He never sinned. He is holy.

But He died. He died for sinners. He died for you. He died for me.

He not only died, He suffered the wrath of God. You see, God is angry because of sin. There must be punishment.

Jesus endured that punishment. Then He rose again. Now He sits at the right hand of God as an intercessor for you and me. He talks to God the Father about us. Can you even imagine?

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.  Romans 3:25-26


Now this is not some namby-pamby, please accept Jesus because He us just begging for you to follow Him. Jesus is not some weak person who will just come into your life to make it better.

Do not be confused by those nuts on TV- you and I need Jesus. We cannot get into heaven (and also have any sort of victory over sin in this world) without Him.


Jesus did not give up His glory in heaven, come to Earth, live a perfect life, suffer, die and rise from the dead in order to give us our best life now. He came to save us from our sins and ourselves.

Think of it this way. If you were getting on a plan and the stewardess gave you a parachute to wear during the trip and said it is because it is so fashionable and cool and will make the trip more fun, what would you do? Maybe put it on for a bit and then realize it is uncomfortable. It does not look cool. Other people might even make fun of you.

But if that same stewardess told you that you needed to wear the parachute because the plane was going to crash and this is your only hope of survival, then what would you do? You would clutch onto that backpack with all your strength and not take it off for a second no matter what anyone else says.

Jesus is our only hope of survival when we crash.

So please don't make Jesus out to be some wimpy guy in a robe who is begging for us to accept Him and if we do that He will improve our lives.

Jesus is God the Son. He is powerful, yet meek. He suffered and died for our sins. He conquered death and now sits in heaven next to God the Father. He is coming again in His full glory to judge the earth.

Are you prepared to meet Jesus? If not, click here for more information on how you can be prepared.

If you are prepared to meet Him, please share this good news with others - it is their only hope of survival.

Jesus answered,

“I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father

except through me."
John 14:6