I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Confess and Believe
In the Old Testament, the Jewish people had a very different relationship with God than we have today. Because Adam and Eve went against Him, a divide was formed between humans and God. Years later, God gave Moses a long list of rules—the law—for His followers to live by. A relationship with God was based on how well believers followed the law. In order to become right with God, they would have to regularly go through a series of rituals and follow His list of rules perfectly.
Because this relationship was complicated and challenging—many people had a hard time following the Law. But regardless of the mistakes they made, God still loved His people—and He wanted to make things right with them. So God sent His Son, Jesus, to live a life on earth as a man, and take the punishment humans deserved.
Because of Jesus, we no longer have to follow the law perfectly in order to become right with God. Instead, Paul tells us in Romans:
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:10 NIV
Because of Jesus, becoming right with God is much simpler than it was in the Old Testament. If we believe Jesus is God and declare our faith in Him, we are saved. It can sometimes be hard to believe this, but because of Jesus, God invites us into a relationship with Him just as we are. We don’t have to be perfect. We don't have to do anything to deserve it—we just have to be willing to accept it.
But although we no longer have to follow the law, this doesn’t mean we should do whatever we like. Through a relationship with Jesus, we’re encouraged to become more like Him each day. It’s not always easy, and we won’t always be perfect—but like a loving parent teaching His child to walk, Jesus is forgiving—He will help us after we fall, and encourage us to keep going.
If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus—know that He loves you and will meet you where you are. He doesn’t expect perfection. Instead, all He asks for is your belief in Him. Take a moment to tell Him now that you believe in Him, and ask Him to guide your life. The offer is open, all you have to do is accept it.
Live Prepared
Pause and think of the people who, at a moment’s notice, have to be ready for anything. Maybe your list includes first responders, the military, athletes, teachers, parents, pilots, surgeons, or pastors.
But does your list include you?
As followers of Jesus, we are called to…
“…Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
1 Peter 3:15 NIV
We can’t expect people to observe what Jesus has commanded unless we are also observing His commands ourselves.
Do we want people to learn about God’s love? Then we need to show God’s love to people. Do we want people to learn about Jesus’ compassion? Then we need to be compassionate. Do we want people to give generously? Then we need to be good stewards of our own money. Do we want people to study God’s Word? Then we need to study it for ourselves.
When you give Jesus control over your life, you allow His ...
