It is true that God loves and accepts us as we are, but he loves us too much to leave us as we are.

God’s design for each one of us is that we become the person he envisioned us to be—not only to receive forgiveness for our sins and the gift of eternal life, but also to grow and become mature, to be made whole, to resolve any and all impaired relationships, and to learn to love and accept ourselves, others, and God more fully.

Forgiveness and eternal life are gifts from God. There is nothing we can do to earn them. We receive them by faith in Jesus Christ. But growth and maturity are a life-long process. These are our responsibility. When we begin, we are like diamonds in the rough. To be polished takes a lot of time and hard work.

As Stuart Briscoe said, “The same sun that melts wax hardens clay.” In the same way God’s discipline hardens some folk and they become bitter; in others it produces gentleness, a loving spirit, growth and maturity. God’s will is the latter but the choice is ours.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in every trial please help me to see what I need to learn, what I need to change, and how I can keep growing to become the person you have envisioned for me to be. And please give me the grace and courage I need to submit to your molding. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Colossians 1:28 (NIV).

As already noted, sin is much more than external acts. It is our damaged inner condition that results in our wrong or sinful acts. Our sinful nature contaminates everything we do. It not only shows itself in external acts, but also twists our motives and damages our emotions. It is behind every broken home, every empty life, every sorrow and grief. The disease of sin weakens nations, produces sick societies, and causes physical, mental and spiritual suffering. It causes men and nations to fight, kill and destroy. And as the Bible says, its end result is death.

We need to understand that God is not opposed to nor outraged by our breaking his commandment for his sake, but primarily for our sake. As Cecil Osborne also said, “Adultery (or any other sin) is not wrong because it is forbidden in the Ten Commandments; it is forbidden in the Ten Commandments because it is destructive of human personality. God is against whatever is destructive to us. His love for us is so great that he cannot see us destroying ourselves without suffering himself. It is the suffering of God, symbolized by the cross, which is involved in sin. We suffer in our sins. Christ suffered because of them. His suffering becomes redemption for us when we are able to confess the right sins with true contrition.”

Because Christ himself was sinless, only he could die to pay the penalty for and thereby save us from our sins. We simply cannot save ourselves. No matter how good (or bad) we are, we are all afflicted with the terminal disease of sin for which Jesus Christ is the only cure.

I read once about a drowning boy who was struggling frantically to save himself. On the bank his distraught mother pleaded with a man to save her son, but the man made no move. When the boy weakened and gave up the struggle to save himself, the man then jumped into the stream and rescued him.

“Why didn’t you save my boy sooner?” the mother asked.

“I couldn’t as long as he struggled,” the man replied. “He would have dragged us both to death. When he gave up the struggle to save himself, it was easy to rescue him.”

We, too, need to give up the struggle to save ourselves from our sin. Only Christ can do that. As we confess our sins to him and thank him for dying on the cross for us, he gives us his free pardon and the gift of eternal life. Why not pray to ask Christ to do this for you today? For help to do this, click on the God’s Invitation link at: www.actsweb.org/invitation.php.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you love me so much that you gave your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross in my place to save me from the penalty and consequences of my sin. And Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God and thank you for dying in my place to save me from my sins. I accept you as my personal Lord and Savior. Please forgive me for all my sins. Thank you for doing this and for giving me your gift of eternal life in heaven. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Please note: For further help be sure to read, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian,” at: www.actsweb.org/christian and discover how to know for certain that your sins are forgiven, and that you have God’s gift of eternal life.

1. Romans 6:23 (NIV).

The question is asked, “If God loves us unconditionally, why is he so vehemently opposed to our sin?” It is because sin is so completely destructive of human personality. It totally destroys those whom God loves—us. Nevertheless, God still loves the sinner. That’s why he gave his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. And now, through Christ’s death God can save us from our self-destructive sin.

Sometimes we view God as a hard taskmaster running around with a “big stick” waiting to rap us on the knuckles if we break his commandments. In fact, one person I knew felt that if he committed certain sins, God would actually kill him.

This false view of God is usually formed in childhood. If, for example, we had a very punitive earthy father or mother, we tend to feel that God, the Heavenly Father, is exactly the same. But God isn’t like that at all. In fact, we can totally ignore or reject him, and he will still keep on loving us.

Sometimes we falsely see sin only as specific acts that God happens to oppose. But sin is much more than this. We tend to see only the external acts, but God sees the heart, too. He is just as concerned with sins of the spirit—pride, jealously, lust, greed, envy, hatred, false motives, emotional dishonesty, resentment and other super-charged negative emotions (including the ones we have repressed and consequently denied)—as he is with such things as murder, rape, and stealing. In fact, many of our external sins are the symptoms of our inner, hidden sins that are equally or some even more destructive than the ones we can see.

In his excellent book, The Art of Understanding Yourself, Dr. Cecil Osborne wrote, “It is extremely naive to think of sin simply as an isolated act—a lie, a theft, immorality, dishonesty, etcetera—for sin is all that is less than perfection. It is rejecting God—’falling short’ of the perfection which God envisioned for us. Sin is being impaired, not simply performing a wicked act. It is having impaired relationships and attitudes. It is being less than whole. It is having mixed motives. Sin is the clever rationalization by which we seek to escape from facing ourselves. It can consist in responding to a set of rigid moralistic ‘oughts’ rather than obeying the spirit of God which dwells within us,” and then feeling very self-righteous about our pious attitude and behavior.

To be concluded…

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to grasp the destructiveness of sin and understand why you are so opposed to it. Help me to see my sinfulness, confess it to you, and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 5:7-9 (NIV).

Karl Barth, famous though controversial, contemporary Swiss theologian, was a great thinker, a prolific writer, and a professor at several European universities. On one occasion he was confronted by a reporter who wanted a brief summary of his twelve thick volumes on church dogmatics. Barth could have given an impressive intellectual reply, but didn’t. Quoting from the popular child’s hymn, he simply said, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

And there is no greater proof of this love than when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave his life for us.

As Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” His own love, however, went much further than this. He laid down his life for his enemies as well as his friends.

Imagine the torturous agony Christ must have endured when nailed to the cross. This was the price he paid to die for our sins. Added to his physical suffering was his sense of utter rejection by being forsaken, not only by his few remaining friends, but also by God. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus cried out in utter despair from the cross.²

But so great was his love even for those who caused his excruciating pain—those who nailed him to the cross, thrust a spear into his side, mocked him, spat in his face—that in the midst of this inhuman torture he prayed, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”³

Referring to this prayer, Thomas Carlyle said, “The sublimest words that ever fell from human lips.”

Human love is often conditional. If we are what others want us to be, and do what they want us to do, we are loved. If not, we are often rejected. Fortunately, God’s love is never conditional. It is never based on who we are or what we do or have done—good or bad. God loves us simply because we are his creation.

To be continued…

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for loving me even though I am a sinner? Help me to understand the depths of your love for me and, as a result, surrender and dedicate my life to live for you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen. ”

1. John 15:13 (NIV).

2. Mark 15:34.

3. Luke 23:34.

Somebody has facetiously said, “Blessed be he who aimeth at nothing for he shall surely hit it!”

On the same theme, Bill Bernbach made the following insightful comment: “If you stand for something, you will always find some people for you and some against you. If you stand for nothing, you will find nobody against you and nobody for you!”

It is true, if we aim for and stand for right, for justice, for integrity, for truth, and are committed to doing the will of God, there will always be opposition. Chances are the more worthy our cause, the greater will be the opposition—and the temptation to discouragement.

However, when we get to the end of life’s journey, how rewarding it will be to have the Savior welcome us to Heaven with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord!”

What Jesus will say to us when we meet him face to face will totally depend on what we are doing and how we are living today. We have that opportunity now. As a favorite one-liner puts it, “It is choice, not chance, that determines our destiny.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, grant that I will so live that when I meet you face to face, I will hear your wonderful words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord!’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 25:21 (NIV).

On this day, April 3, 1968, on the eve of his assassination, Martin Luther King delivered his last sermon at Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee. His closing remarks were: “Well, I don’t know what will happen now; we’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life—longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. So I’m happy tonight; I’m not worried about anything; I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”²

Dr. King certainly had a mountaintop experience. Many years before, Moses also had a mountaintop experience. God showed him the land he was promising to the nation of Israel and commissioned Joshua to “arise, go, and possess” this Promised Land. Was it easy to do this? No, not at all. Following Martin Luther King’s mountaintop experience it was left to his followers to “arise, go, and possess” the promised land that Dr. King saw. Was it easy for them? No, not at all.

Jesus had a mountaintop experience too. It was at Calvary where he, seeing the whole world lost in sin, gave his life as a sacrifice for all. After his resurrection, he gave his followers a vision/dream too—actually a commission. It was, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.”³ Now it’s up to us to “arise, go, and possess” the vision God has for the world—reaching people with the gospel message—one person at a time! Will it be easy? No, not at all. However, knowing this is God’s vision and his will, with his help there will always be a way to fulfill it.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, open my eyes that I will clearly see your vision to reach everybody in the world with the saving gospel message of Jesus Christ. And help me to arise and do my part. Also, help me to be as Jesus to every person in my world and grant that they, seeing Jesus in me, will want him for themselves. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: For a simple and effective way to reach people with the gospel, please see our Global Communications Outreach website at: www.actsweb.org/people_power02.php.

1. Deuteronomy 34:1 (NIV).

2. Martin Luther King, speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” Memphis, Tennessee (3rd April, 1968). http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAmountaintop.htm

3. Mark 16:15 (NLT).

“In about 1930, Nikolai Bukharin journeyed from Moscow to Kiev. His mission was to address a huge assembly; his subject, atheism. For a solid hour, he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity, hurling every argument and ridicule he could think of. At last he was finished and viewed what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of men’s faith.

“‘Are there any questions?’ Bukharin demanded.

“A solitary man arose and asked permission to speak. He mounted the platform and moved close to the Bolshevik. The audience was breathlessly silent as the man surveyed them first to the right, then to the left.

“At last he shouted the ancient Orthodox greeting, ‘CHRIST IS RISEN!’

“The vast assembly arose as one man and the response came crashing like the sound of an avalanche, ‘HE IS RISEN INDEED!’”²

Today here in America at least it isn’t Communists who are screaming “Away with Christianity! Crucify it! Crucify it!” It is some of our radical fellow so-called progressive Americans. So let those of us who name the name of Christ—not just on Good Friday but every day of the year—by our life and testimony rise to the occasion and stand up as one to claim: “HE IS RISEN INDEED!”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for your great love sacrifice to the world in giving your Son, Jesus, to die in my place on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins so that you could grant me forgiveness and give to me the gift of eternal life. Because you died for me please give me the courage to live always for you in all ways regardless of the circumstances. Please make my life a living testimony and powerful witness for all you have done for me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 28:5-7 (NIV).

2. Chaplain’s Corner by Lt. Jon A. Rozema http://www.dcmilitary.com/

You may have read about “layman Edward Kimball who gathered the nerve to witness and win the soul of a young shoe salesman named D.L. Moody to Christ. D.L. Moody went on to become one of the greatest evangelists of his day. But, do you know the rest of the story? D.L. Moody went to England and worked a profound change in the ministry of F.B. Meyer. F.B. Meyer, with his new evangelistic fervor, influenced J. Wilbur Chapman. Chapman helped in the ministry of converted baseball player Billy Sunday, who had a profound impact upon Mordacai Ham. And Mordacai Ham, holding a revival in North Carolina, led Billy Graham to Christ. And the man who started it all was a layman, Edward Kimball, who took seriously Christ’s commission to be a witness in his world.”²

And we all know the incredible way God has used Billy Graham to reach millions of people worldwide with the gospel.

You and I are not too likely to ever become a Billy Sunday or a Billy Graham, but every single one of us can be an “Edward Kimball” witness for Christ.

As the hymn writer so eloquently said, “When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be, when we all see Jesus we’ll sing and shout the victory.” And how wonderful it will also be to meet the ones who are in heaven because of your and my witness for Jesus. Only heaven will reveal who these ones are.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I’m available for you to use … please make me usable and use me today and every day to be an effective witness for you and to be ‘as Jesus’ in some way to every life I touch. And grant that they, seeing Jesus in me, will want you for themselves. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Mark 16:15 (TLB)(NLT).

2. Submitted by Deward Hurst. Cited on the Sermon Fodder list. To subscribe please send an e-mail to Sermon_Fodder-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

P.S. I happened to graduate from Moody Bible Institute, the school that D.L. Moody founded.

“In a National Geographic article about the Portia spider, author Robert Jackson detailed the various ways it deceives its prey. Sitting still, the spider looks like a piece of dried leaf or foliage until a meal walks by. It also will crawl onto another spider’s web and tap the threads, mimicking the actions of a trapped insect. When the host spider appears, the Portia devours it. Deception is the Portia’s primary tool.

“Satan is like the Portia spider in that deception is his weapon of choice. He does whatever he can to counterfeit the words of God—to make the unwary and naïve think that God is present and speaking when in fact He is not. The apostle Paul wrote about Satan masquerading as an ‘angel of light’ and about his agents acting like ‘servants of righteousness.’ The book of Revelation says a day is coming when the satanic Antichrist and False Prophet will deceive most of the world. Only those who know the Word of God will be prepared and protected. Know the truth—don’t be deceived by a counterfeiter like Satan.

“The more you get to know the truth—and the One who is Truth—the easier it will be to spot deception when it appears.”²

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a love for your Word and a desire to know and understand your truth so I will never be led astray by the evil one or deceived by his devices. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT).

2. “Turning Point Daily Devotional,” 9-23-05. Cited on Preaching Now, http://www.preaching.com/newsletter.

The word “worship” comes from an old English word “worth-ship” meaning to acknowledge the worth of someone. For the Christian worship means to acknowledge the worth of God.

Many in the church today equate worship with singing upbeat choruses. Others equate it with a more traditional approach where the main meetings on the Lord’s Day are called “worship” services—both of which may or may not have anything to do with worship.

A friend of mine, John Fitzroy, was once asked where he worshiped, which meant what church he attended. He gave a straightforward answer when he replied, “I attend such and such a church where I lead the choir, but I don’t worship!” At least he was being honest.

As important as attending a good church is, I don’t need to be in a church or chapel to worship. I can worship when I see a beautiful sunset, a new-born baby, a flower, a tree, a singing bird, an animal, the ocean, in sunshine or in rain, on a mountain, in the desert—wherever I am at home, school, work, or play—as well as at church.

I need to constantly acknowledge the worth of God which is what worship is. Chances are, if I’m not practicing worship throughout the week, I’m not too likely to do so sitting in a church for one hour a week. We bring a worship attitude or spirit with us. If we don’t, we’re not too likely to find it in church regardless of whether the service is contemporary or traditional.

Worship is an attitude of the heart. Going through the motions when the heart isn’t in it may be religiosity or churchianity, but it isn’t worship. It’s just a shadow of the real. My best guess is that God thinks about the same of this as he did the burning of incense and burnt offerings in OT days when they were rituals without heart or sincerity. The same is true of prayers that are insincere and are words without heart.

How absurd it must be to God when he sees us trying to “drum up” what we call worship—whether it’s with a pipe organ, a grand piano, a clanging symbol, an electric guitar, or noisy drums—when our heart isn’t in it, and in so doing not be acknowledging the worth of God!

David had it right. He said, “I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” And again, “I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.”² Now that’s worship—with or without music. And, by the way, I love music and used to be on a gospel musical team in younger days.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to understand the true meaning of worship and learn how to worship you in spirit and in truth, not only at church, but wherever I am. Please give me a worshipful heart and spirit. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Jeremiah 6:20 (NIV).

2. Psalm 9:1-2; 111:1 (NIV).