A Tasty Morsel

Nothing gives me more joy than discovering a Bible verse that is layered with depth and Truth. Digging into it is like mining for precious gems.

Tonight I am scheduled to attend a conference seminar on.... (frankly, I am not sure). All I know for sure is.... I'm not going. The walls of the motel are so thin, I can actually hear the seminar music bleeding through the walls. So technically, I should get 1/2 credit for attending.

At the foot of my bed is a 1/2 eaten pizza and a pile of books begging to be read. Who am I to refuse them. I wish I could say, "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" but truth.... my spirit and my flesh are voting to finish the pizza and lose myself in a pile of books. So....

Back to my story, I was chugging through one of the books on my "dying to read list" and ran across Isaiah 35:8-10:

And a great road will go through that once deserted land.
    It will be named the Highway of Holiness.
Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
    It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways;
    fools will never walk there.
Lions will not lurk along its course,
    nor any other ferocious beasts.
There will be no other dangers.
    Only the redeemed will walk on it.
Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
    They will enter Jerusalem singing,
    crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
    and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

This is like a rich piece of cake that demands small bites. And those small bites demand to be savored. You know, the delicacies that make your eyes roll back in your head and that fleeting thought of, "I could die right now and have no regrets" kind of flavor.

I will refrain from preaching a sermon right now because..... well, I can't take up an offering.... so, where is the motivation?
(that was humor folks, relax)

Think about these verses, roll them around in your brain. They are rich.

Line 1: The "great road" is God's plan of Salvation for mankind.

Line 2: The "highway of holiness" is where God's children will travel to meet with their Heavenly Father.

Line 3: "Evil minded people" refuse to repent of their sin and accept God's free gift of Salvation.

Line 4: "only for those" who have believed in their heart that God raised His Son from the dead and make Him LORD of their lives.

I could keep going like this through this whole passage.
This was written about 700 years BEFORE Jesus was born.

Isaiah knew that God had a plan, from eternity past, that would address man's sin problem. (read Isaiah 53)

Isaiah knew that God's plan would be life changing and that not everyone would trust Jesus Christ as Savior.

Your spiritual take-away is:
"Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior?"

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you will be saved,
along with everyone in your household.”
And they shared the word of the Lord
with him and with all who lived in his household.
Acts 16:30-32

“You can enter God’s Kingdom
only through the narrow gate.
The highway to hell is broad,
and its gate is wide
for the many who choose that way.
But the gateway to life is very narrow
and the road is difficult,
and only a few ever find it."
Matthew 7:13-14

What Do I Believe?

Garden Valley Community Church Pastor Shane Moffitt                            April 8^th 2012

 What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?                  

“but your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;
your sins have caused Him to reject you
and not listen to your prayers” Isaiah 59:2

“No one is righteous—not even one.”                   
                                                 Romans 3:10

“He saved us, not because of the righteous things  we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.  He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace He declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."     Titus 3:5-7

“God made Christ, who never sinned,

to be the offering for our sin,

so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”            

2 Corinthians 5:21

How Do You Become A Christian?
·        FAITH in Jesus  Christ as Savior is the ONLY “step” to salvation
·        Salvation is not about “steps” we must follow to earn salvation                  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you will be saved,
along with everyone in your household.” 
Acts 16:30-31

A:  ADMIT you are a sinner
"There is no one righteous, not even one....
for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God"  Romans 3:10
ASK:  Ask God's Forgiveness
"Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved"  Romans 10:13

B:  BELIEVE in Jesus Christ
Trust Jesus Christ 100% to be your ONLY
hope of Salvation
"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"  John 3:16
BECOME a child of God by TRUSTING Jesus Christ
"To all who receive Him, to those who believed in His
name, He gave the right to become the children of God"
John 1:12

C:  CONFESS that Jesus Christ is your Lord
"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" 
Romans 10:9-10

The Sinners Prayer
“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 help me avoid sinning again. 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 obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”