OPPORTUNITY

YAHWEH SALVATION CORPORATION

  316 SAVIOR BLVD

                                                   ROMANS 10:-9-13

I am with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We are into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, pregnancy crisis centers, homeless shelters, board rooms, school rooms, and nursing homes to name a few. We care for clients from birth to death. We are into life and fire insurance. We perform spiritual, heart transplants. Our founding Father owns all the real estate on earth to say nothing of the other galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere except in the hearts of those who refuse to hear and accept Him. Our product is free for the taking if only you accept it.

Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, did not own a home, was misunderstood by his family, and hated by his enemies. He walked on water, healed the sick, feed the masses, and saved the world. He was condemned to death without a real trial, beaten, spit upon, mocked, nailed to a tree, crucified between thieves, died, but rose from the dead defeating death, the grave, Satan, and Hell. I talk with Him daily, and He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

To apply for the position, all you need to do is repent from your sins, believe and confess that Jesus is God’s son and that He died for you only to rise from death, so that you can spend your eternal retirement with God in Heaven.

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me and save me. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me do your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

The Cost

                Jesus. The very name stirs emotions. What does it cost to follow Him? Those of us who follow Jesus know the cost. In the event you do not know, I want to share with you the commitment that is made when one genuinely puts trust, faith, and love into a relationship with Christ. Before we look at the cost, let’s look at what isn’t following Christ.  

                First, attending a church is not following Christ. Church attendance is not a mandatory requirement for entry into Heaven. The Bible teaches that Christians should not forsake the fellowship of other believers during worship. A person can attend every service, die, and go straight to Hell because not once did they actually call on Jesus and know Him as Savior. That being said, so many people cling to the concept of religion when times are troubling only to throw their Bibles and Christian ideologies out when life goes their way.  So, what is the cost of following Christ? Everything, but nothing.

Luke 9:57-62

 ⁵⁷And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

 ⁵⁸And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

 ⁵⁹And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

 ⁶⁰Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

 ⁶¹And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

 ⁶²And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

                We see right away in verse 57 that a person pledged allegiance to Christ and said, “I’ll go wherever you go.” This is a spiritual and public profession to Christ. Yet, the Lord replies that he has nowhere to lay his head. Right away, we see that following Christ isn’t going to be easy.   Jesus speaks to another and we see quite a different response.

                When Christ chose his early disciples all He had to do was say, “Follow me.” After he did this, they followed. James and John even left their father. Yet, one man DID NOT FOLLOW. He spoke like so many people do today when they first hear and feel God, Christ, and The Holy Spirit.  He wanted to follow Christ, BUT there was something else pressing on his mind.

 Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

                All the man wanted was to stay and bury his dad. He showed he was willing to follow Christ on his own terms. The phrase bury my father may not have meant physically bury a body. Perhaps the man wanted to stay with his father until the man died per the 10 Commandments as to obey, but regardless of the reason, we have to remember that God wants us to come to him his way not on our own terms. We have one way to God; Jesus Christ is that one way. So how did Jesus respond to this seemingly innocent, decent request?

Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

                Jesus’ second half of the statement should be heard clearly. He said, “go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” How can we, or why do we go to a building, stand halfway humming a worship song, and listen to a sermon the whole time we are thinking about Monday, lunch, or whether or not there will be a game on Sunday in the fall? If we are Christians, we simply go and preach the kingdom.

            Another wanted to follow Christ, but he first wanted to say good-bye. Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

                Again, that isn’t a harsh request. But Jesus made it clear more than once THAT ANYONE WHO PUT ANYTHING OR ANYONE ABOVE HIM WAS NOT WORTHY TO BE HIS FOLLOWER. Here in Luke, this point is repeated. No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

                This statement is consistent with His teaching that the road to the kingdom is narrow and not many will find it. Does it mean that we all drop our jobs and run off to a dark country with nothing but the clothes on our backs and a Bible? No, it doesn’t, but what it does mean is that we have no excuse when it comes to serving God. When we hear His call, we answer. There is only one, correct answer. If we give Him any other answer or excuse why we can’t commit to Him, we are lying to ourselves. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is a loving, caring God that wants us to spend eternity with him, but He also is a jealous God that will not play second fiddle. The word fit means usable. With that understood, we have to understand that we give our all to God because he gave His all to us first.  

MATTER OF FAITH

Salvation Through Christ: A Matter of FAITH God's Plan What do you think it takes for someone to get to heaven? Is it luck? Good deeds? Nothing at all? Or is there something more? The Bible has the real answer to this question. It's a matter of FAITH. F stands for FORGIVENESS. We cannot have eternal life without God's forgiveness. Ephesians 1:7a says, "In Him (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." A is for AVAILABLE. Forgiveness is available for all. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." But forgiveness is not automatic. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven," says Matthew 7:21a. I is for IMPOSSIBLE. It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven because of who He is and because of who we are. God is loving and just, but His judgment is against sin. James 2:13a says, "Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful." We are sinful people. Romans 3:23 tells us, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." T is for TURN. To turn means to repent. We can repent -- or turn -- from our sin and from ourselves. "But unless you repent, you too will all perish," Luke 13:3b says. We can also turn to Someone. Trust Christ alone. Romans 10:9 tells us how: "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." H is for HEAVEN. Heaven is eternal life. Here, that means life "to the full:" "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10b)." In the hereafter, it means the promise of heaven: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am (John 14:3)." So how can a person have God's forgiveness, heaven and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Savior and Lord? By trusting in Christ and asking Him for forgiveness. Take the step of faith described by another meaning of FAITH: Forsaking All I Trust Him. You do this through a simple prayer reflecting your desire for Christ to change your life. You don't need fancy words--only an honest heart. You can pray something like this: Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and have displeased You in many ways. I believe You died for my sin, and only through faith in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn from my sin and ask You to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. From this day on, I will follow You by living a life that pleases You. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen. Accepting Christ is just the beginning of a wonderful adventure with God! Get to know Him better in a number of ways: Follow Christ's example in baptism. Join a church where you can worship God and grow in your faith. In your church, get involved in Sunday School and Bible study. Begin a daily personal worship experience with God where you study the Bible and pray.