FRIENDS, Accept God- Your Lord and Savior Jesus, the Messiah and Christ, Today! Be Sure to Go to Heaven with God!

"Forgiven" by Thomas Blackshear II

Easter, Good Friday, Every Day of Your Life into Forever!  
A Salvation Prayer!
Actually, this message is for every day to start living in God's Kingdom as a believer, then on to Heaven with Him forever- the only Place you would ever want to be,

dear Friends!
Updated, April 3, 2020 for Easter,
April 12, 2020

If you have already accepted Jesus Christ as Your Lord and your Savior, Rejoice!!  Praise Him!  God inhabits the praises of His people.

Psalm 22:3

If you need to recommit, do so, please!  You can get back on the right track, make a difference in your own life as well as your family's, loved ones, friends- and even your enemies- for the BEST.

If you do not believe or have not fully accepted Christ (unsure, half-heartedly), oh, please do accept Him now!  
Death from this Earth? Assuredly! 

Only God knows how and when.

You truly are not your own, folks.  I did not bring myself into the world- this is my one life (no matter what some occult ideas say). 

I will die some day, and I know where I am going- straight to Heaven with my God, the Only One, the LORD Almighty~~~ I know that I am definitely joining my mother; I believe from our conversations and hope that my dad is awaiting me in Heaven; my Grandma and Grandpa Binder; my so sweet Grandpa McCoy, and I hope my Grandma McCoy, whom I adored my whole childhood; Uncle Jack and Aunt Velma; Uncle Paul and Aunt Helen; Aunts Virginia, Pearl, Ruth and Ruby and her husband- kind Uncle George (all of these aunts had Jesus-believing husbands who surely must be in Heaven); Aunt Opal, (twin to Ruby) who died as a very young child with Bright's Disease, whom I have not met yet; and Uncle Harry who died working in the oil fields with his dad and brothers before my mother was born, and the list goes on. 

Oh, I know certainly my close friend Cheryl Patton will be there because my husband and I saw her two times before her illness overcame her, and Cheryl nodded so happily and said, indeed, she believed in Jesus!! My beloved mentor, Phyllis Del Vecchio, whom Christ put in my life to harken me back to Him.  She laughed and talked so joyfully about Jesus day in and day out as we taught together, and she answered my very curious and serious questions about Him to her...  I cannot wait to see these loved ones! 

However, I am completely happy to stay here with the LORD for now, to stay with my blessed- my family, church, dear friends and Bible study, new friends to make and to meet- even the enemies of God. 

I intend to say and to do, including writing this blog I hold dear for Christ until He calls me to my true HOME with Him.

Why Do We Say, Good Friday?! 

It is the darkest yet, most glorious day of our Lord and King, Christ Jesus- and for His believers! God was accomplishing what He knew that He would do for mankind, for us, before the foundations of the world- all of which and of whom He created.

Lord Jesus, God the Father's Son, (the Son of God), was taking on all the sin that was or ever would be committed by His children.  The Almighty God wanted His children to stay permanently in the Garden of Eden with Him and continue to walk in the cool of the day together, but we would choose to listen to the lying, deceitful serpent, Satan.

Jesus, the Son of God, was sent by the Father God for the express purpose of saving us- all of us- because we each fall below the mark that is Holy.  (Each one of us has the choice, free will, to accept Christ as Lord and Savior or to reject Him.)

Bible Gateway - find Scripture from the Bible, read commentaries, etc.

Romans 2:23-26 (NRSV) New Revised Standard Version

²³ since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; ²⁴ they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement^[a] by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶ it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.^[b]

God cannot have sin in His sight, for He is completely Holy, so He sent His most Beloved, His Son Jesus, the second part of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- to live as the Only fully God/ fully Man Who ever was and ever shall be.  Some called/call Jesus a Prophet- oh, my- He is much more than that.  Jesus is the Living Water, the Bread of Life, I AM Who I AM, God.  Jesus is still alive forevermore!!!

There were other people who purported to be God.  Where are they today?  Are they alive?  No, they are not.  Not unless they changed and turned around completely, accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, then when they put their trust and faith in Christ Jesus of Nazareth, in Heaven, Who is the same yesterday, today and forever, they~ any of those people~ indeed, are with Him forever and ever.

Jesus was born of the virgin, young and sweet Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph.  An angel visited each one to explain that Mary would have a Baby, Who would be the Promised One of their faith...they were Israelite, Jews.  Joseph did not put Mary away as was the custom.  Instead, they married but remained in abstinence from each other until Jesus was born.  The Holy Spirit of God had come upon her to bring Baby Jesus to Earth for His great mission.

The night before His crucifixion, Jesus sweated blood as He was praying to the Father in Gethsemane...Jesus knowing what would come the next day. Jesus would suffer like no one ever has because of the horrific treatment at the hands of those mocking, beating, and killing Him, but especially because Jesus did take ALL of OUR sin from each and every person ever born- past, present, and future.

It was so awful and terrible that the Father had to look away from His Beloved Son, and then Jesus said, "Why has thou forsaken Me?"  Jesus knew why, and as has been said thousands of times, Jesus could have called down thousands of His angels to rescue Him, but He did as the Father wanted.  Jesus is God, also, so He wanted to give Himself to be crucified, buried and resurrected in three days to complete the at least 108 prophecies in the Bible about the One and Only Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
His Blood shed on Good Friday is our guarantee of His Presence as a Jason Upton song says from The Sound of Heaven cd by David and Nicole Binion with The Lion of Judah by Jason.

Jesus' Crucifixion, Death, and Resurrection Paid for You!

Wiping that Sin Away Forever, for Your Eternal Life.

Beloved People!  Accept Jesus, the Christ and the Messiah, right now.  Then, you know for absolutely sure- no second-guessing, those "little" worries that fly around your head, the unknowing and wondering, the lies that the devil most-assuredly is telling you- Satan knows your weaknesses well (he tricked Eve and Adam, and they were God's first people in the Garden of Eden!  The LORD lovingly warned them...).  We human beings are made in the image of our Creator, God.  We are like Him, but we will never be Him.  He was and always is.  We are His most loved, created beings, whom He gives free will to choose.  What an honor!!  It is a mighty and amazing honor.  I am so very thankful that He made Himself known to me, and I chose Him. 
Thinking that makes me cry with Joy, every day.

Here is a Salvation Prayer.  It does not have to be just-so, i.e., exact words...tell God in  your own words, or please do use these.  He knows your heart and every corner of your mind- your beauty, your dark thoughts- every cell in your body because He made you in His image.

If you are serious, even if you are unsure (once you step over that line of faith, you will see changes and you will begin to understand the Bible and God, the body of Christ- his fellowship in church, etc.)  No one, not even the very smartest, true Christian or scholar knows everything about God- Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  However!  You will be completely forgiven and redeemed and every day of the rest of your life here, you will grow closer to God (pray and talk to Him each day; surround yourself with loving, fellow believers; reach out to those in need;
and~~~spread the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus!)

God loves you more than you can imagine, and it is much more than any human being or group of human beings are capable.

A Salvation Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

I believe that Jesus died for me.  He took the pain and the suffering to pay for my sin.  He redeemed me!  The blameless Jesus, the Lamb of God, arose from the grave three days later.  He was here on earth and seen by hundreds of people.  Days later He went to the Father in Heaven to sit at His right hand and to intercede for me and us.  When I die, I want to be in Heaven with You.  I thank you that Jesus went to Heaven so that now the Holy Spirit can live within me, my mind and heart- to guide, direct and comfort me.  Help me walk with You each day, God.  In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Jesus Death and Resurrection Foretold in the Book of John

Thank you lostseed.com for the picture of Jesus after the cross at Calvary where He was killed for our sins.  It is entitled "Forgiven", and it is painted by Thomas Blackshear.  A young man, with the hammer he used to crucify the Lord and Savior, is depicted as falling into Jesus' arms with great remorse and the letting go, relenting, and submitting to the power of the Lord because He loves us and is greater than us.  This is an essential part of accepting Christ.  People who refuse to give themselves to Christ will not be saved.  I urge YOU, please, accept the Redemption that Forgiveness that only He can give you.  Step over that line to Him, Dear Friend, no matter what you have done.  He will forgive you as though it never happened, indeed.

God bless you this Easter and always, Friends.  I love you;

God loves you exponentially, incalculably more!  MOST!

Donna M.

How to Accept Jesus Christ as Your Personal Lord and Savior; Why Every Day is Easter When You Put Your Faith and Trust in Jesus Christ, Alone

Why Would Jesus Do Such a Thing?
April 12, 2020, Easter!

Various Translations of the Bible for Hebrews 13:8; Read the Whole Page

I have made some changes to the original  reposting...in my human nature, trying to improve.  However, Jesus and the Bible stand firm and unchanged, the Truth of God Almighty always into eternity. 
Dedicated Posting today to my close friends whose birthdays have fallen on Easter one year or another in their lifetimes.>>>
In Jesus there is His glory, the lowliness on earth for us, the pain and torture He received, plus His mightiness in miracles, teaching, compassion, and the Truth in authority and intensity with which He spoke to the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  In addition to all of the prophecy that came true in complete fulfillment in Christ in the God-Man, Jesus of Nazareth- there is the one absolute true happening that sets Jesus apart~~~ 
It is His Death and Resurrection, especially the latter, as proof that He was and is Who He said He is- Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I AM.  Some have said, and I agree, that Christ's rising from the grave, to be seen by 500 people in a period of 40 days from His death before His own ascension to Heaven, this Jesus of Nazareth being raised from the grave by God the Father was His stamp of approval, so to speak, that Jesus was and is-
His Son, the Son of God, as He had said He was!! 
Earlier as Jesus was dying on that cross, the veil was rent, or torn, from top to bottom, that separated the Holy of Holies, the ultimate place of God from the world in the Temple.  That curtain reminded the Hebrews/Israelites that sin separated them from God, but now it was torn asunder!  "And the Centurion and those who were guarding Yeshua, when they saw the quake and those things that happened, they were very afraid, and they said, 'Truly, this was The Son of God.'”
Mark 15:39 - Aramaic Bible in Plain English

The Veil Torn In Two from Hebrew for Christians
The Parochet Torn in Two

Again, Why would Jesus do such a thing? 

That question above is the most important question that exists, (it is truly second in importance since the first question of Life, your life, is: Do You Put Your Trust and Believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?), and the answer is something that every human being must know.  It is simple, yet some would make you think it is complicated or even foolishness.

Here it is, in a nutshell:

God truly loves you with all of His might, all of His Being, all of His Power, Longsuffering and Kindness!!  When you become/are His in Jesus, you have power and authority in Almighty God!  No stronger power in all the heavens, earth and even below the earth exists is there.  You can always call on Jesus and God (also, the Holy Spirit), and They/He will never, ever, ever let you down.  "No fear," the Bible says that 365 times.  Please read on...

God the Father is One part of the One God, the Triune Almighty Lord God.  There is no one else before Him or after Him, (the Alpha and the Omega) who could even come close to His Love, Mercy, Glory, Longsuffering (Patience), Kindness, GRACE, and Holiness.  Everything about God~~~ His character, His Names, His attributes are GOOD.  He is Holy.  He is just and fair.  God cannot have sin.

Grace comes into play because He loves us so much that He makes a Way, Who is Jesus Christ, His Son, to be the One Who paid the TOTAL penalty for the sins of men and women.  HE is the ONE WHO washes our sins away; they no longer exist!  Who could imagine or think that there is this kind of Lord GOD (some of His Names in Hebrew):
Exodus 3:14, English Standard Version (ESV)
¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” BibleGateway.com
Ehyeh asher ehyeh literally translates as "I Am Who I Am."; Jehovah Rapha~ the Lord Who heals you; Elohim~ the First Name of God, the Creator and Judge of the Universe; El Roi~ the God Who sees me (Hagar, who bore Ishmael, the servant of Abram and Sarai; El Shaddai~ God Almighty, etc., seemingly unending (has anyone seen all the character and aspects of
the Lord God Jehovah?  No, not even the angels.). 
Jesus is the Perfect Lamb; He has no sin.  Jesus is part of the Godhead, and He is also completely Man when He allowed Himself to come to earth in human form, a helpless little baby boy, born to a very young woman and man.  (Jesus was conceived in a young virgin, Mary, as the Holy Spirit, the third part of the Trinty, passed over her.)  Joseph and Mary were visited by angels at various times to explain what was happening. 
Mary gave her consent to become the mother of Jesus; she, considering herself lowly, was honored to do this for her Lord~ and the Babe Who was her own Lord and Savior! 

Mary, Did You Know? Pentatonix youtube (Lyrics by Mark Lowry)

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ²⁹ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.” ³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” ³⁵ And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. ³⁶ ¶ And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing will be impossible.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

– Luke 1:26-38

From:  https://getstarted.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/the-angel-visits-mary/
When Jesus was a boy, he astounded the learned men of the temple with His insight, questions, and understanding of the Scripture.  Jesus helped his father Joseph who was a carpenter in Nazareth, a city in Israel.  At the age of 30, Jesus went to see John the Baptist and was baptized- that was the beginning of His 3 years here on earth to teach and challenge us, in love, to show Who He is and to make the way for us to become true disciples of Jesus Christ.  Jesus performed many, many miracles, taught the people about God and how they, the people, should be loving and kind, and to ask for forgiveness of sins.  Jesus told us the following:
John 14:2-3 -  New King James Version (NKJV)
² In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:2
Our church Community Life Church (please do visit online and in person! Great series there at Easter and always) had a conference a few weeks ago (original posting in 2015).  We were so privileged to hear two people- thank you so much, Glenn and Jordanne!- who are in the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ and our faith for disciples of Christ to pass on the Good News: Disciples Making Disciples...and so it goes.  They are called "The Gathering."  (See the link at this paragraph's end, please.)  Glenn said that Jesus always: 1) invited, then 2) challenged the people.  This invitation and challenge is still happening today!  Please think about that...leave comments if you like; we can get a discussion going.  I am very interested in what you think.  Jordanne talked about each person or married couple invite people in their neighborhoods or circles of influence, if you will. For instance, the Christian disciple invites some folks over for a meal, perhaps, the second and fourth weeks of each month on Saturday.  People can take turns on this venture, and it can be pot-luck, where each one brings a dish or tasty treat :)  The people become friends, just like the Disciples did so in Bible times---people gather and have good relationships as friends, and they may discuss a topic or just talk about the week and what is going on.  People get involved in each other's lives and needs, and God is apt to come into the discussion.  There is nothing surreptitious about this good thing, whatsoever.  The Christians are not covering up any agenda- they are opening their lives to be with other people- maybe from work, their neighborhood, as I said, school gatherings, and so forth. 
The Gathering, A Missional Community
  From, through, and in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our God~~~disciples making more disciples, of course! with the leading of the Holy Spirit, staying and learning in the fellowship, worshiping the Lord and staying in His Word, The Holy Bible.  After all, Jesus' last words to us as He ascended to Heaven to return to the right hand of God, the Father, were:
 Before he was taken up, working in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus instructed the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed them that he was alive with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days, speaking to them about God’s kingdom. While they were eating together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. He said, “This is what you heard from me: John baptized with water, but in only a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
As a result, those who had gathered together asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?”
Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
After Jesus said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going away and as they were staring toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood next to them. They said, “Galileans, why are you standing here, looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw him go into heaven.” — Acts 1:1-11 (CEB)
When we give our hearts and minds, our lives, to Jesus and try to live the very best we can and to do things that Jesus would want us to do for helping others and to spread the Gospel so that others people can join in the Kingdom of God, then Jesus is our Savior and our Lord, and when we die, we will immediately to to Heaven to be present with the Lord.  Please, do not forget that Jesus also told us about Hell many, many times in the Bible- He spoke about it.  We go one of two places upon death, Heaven or Hell.  I so hope and pray you choose Life in Christ, Madam or Sir.
How do you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and Have Eternal Life with Him?
Tell God, pray to Him, that you want Him to be the Lord of your Life, that you believe in and have faith- you trust Jesus, His Son, that He died for your sins, and you accept Him forever as your Savior.  Tell God from your heart; that is what matters.  You can say to Him from your own words, or here is a sample Salvation Prayer that you may want to say, right now.  Be earnest and sincere:
Dear Lord God our Father, I do believe and trust in Jesus Christ, your Son.  I know that He took all the punishment that would have been due me for sins and problems that are my fault.  I want to change.  I want to follow You as your disciple and walk with You each day.  Come, Holy Spirit, to live within me to guide, protect, and direct my life in the way only You are able.  Help me do the best that I can for You, Lord.  Thank You so much, In Jesus' Name, Amen, So be it.

It is not how we, as people, think things should be~~~ that is established only by our Creator, Lord and Savior.  We are His, God's, and God created all that is.  We are not our own!!  Mighty God (omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent), the King of kings and Lord of lords, so very much with all of His Being and His Holy Character, wants us to continue being His children by accepting the One, Pure Replacement for us and the wrongs we have done.  Jesus is the Only Way.
1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 
In Jesus, God's Son, He forgives all and everything in each of us!  Believe it!###

God's Wrath
God poured out His wrath on Jesus, His Son, to pay the price that you, nor I, could never pay because we are sinful, imperfect, missing the mark- however you say that.  Jesus was God's propiation for our sins, so that we could be made right with God.
God's Wrath on Unrighteousness, His Judgment, and Righteousness Upheld
Romans 1:18-3:19)
God is always love, but HE IS GOD, and He sets the Requirement (Jesus Christ) for our sins, not us.  We are made in HIS image.

God is Spirit, yet Three Persons in One God.

***
What a beautiful picture of Christ coming up from the grave, The Resurrection power of God, His stamp of approval that Jesus Christ is the Perfect Atonement for our sins. Thanks to Jeannie Smith, Reasons to Believe, with Pinterest and lostseed.com !
Lord and Savior, OUR JESUS, Has Risen!!
Happy Easter, Beloved, to all nations...
>>>This posting is dedicated to all of my friends who have had their birthdays on Easter over the years or very close to that Most Special of Days- the Remembrance of Why We are Disciples of Christ!~~~ Cheryl Patton (in memoriam, so very thankful she is in Heaven with her Jesus), Rosalie Nichols, and Stephanie Obertop- today!, my sweet, younger sister-in-law, Lori Ballinger, Debbie Helmken, Pat McClenny, Holly Barclay, Sally Pesta, and Debbie Warner!  Happy Birthday, Easter Babies!  I was born on Easter Day, and yet my birth date has never fallen on this great Holy Day again-
not yet, anyway!
Donna M.