Wed. March 21, 2012 Born of God

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God, by loving God and carrying out His commands. This is love for God to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Salvation Wednesday Evening, my dear brothers and sisters, and a real beautiful day at that. Of course on Wednesday we pray for salvation for the lost and also pray for God to use we who are saved to work to bring in the lost. Praise report... Today while out mowing grass for some folks, Grant Crocket lost his hearing aid. On their way home they planned to stop and break bread with us and he had just missed his hearing aid. So as we prayed over our dinner, we also prayed over that hearing aid. He called the folks where he was mowing and told them of this loss, and they walked out in the area he was working and found this tiny aid... Is God good or what? God is good... Let's get to the message this evening.

March 21 "Born of God" 1 John 5:1 - Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God, by loving God and carrying out His commands. 3 This is love for God to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (NIV)

God led me to this passage for this salvation Wednesday. As we know, or should know by now, to have salvation through Jesus we must be "Born Again". As we look at that first verse, everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Let me stop right there for a minute. If you do not believe and have faith that Jesus is the Christ and that He is born of God, there is no way you are born again. This is pretty basic stuff. And if you are not Born Again you are not saved, and if you are not saved and you cash in your chips, buy the farm, fall over dead, or have the big one, or kick the bucket, or whatever you want to call dying, you are not heading to heaven. Now, brothers and sisters, that is not judging you, that is just telling you some basic facts about getting into heaven and getting our place in the mansion and seeing Jesus face to face.

So how do we know that we love God? After all, it is faith based and we must have faith, but we must also do some other things. One of those is carry out His commands, yes, the commands of Jesus we must carry out. You know sometimes in life you get blessed and maybe someone gives you a free pass to say Hershey Park, or Disney World, or Disney Land, or the Museum of Bus Transportation at the AACA Museum in Hershey, but you can be sure of this...  No one is handing out free passes to Heaven except for Jesus, and although they might be free to us, Jesus paid for them with His life because He loves us. Again we cannot buy our way in, but there is work involved in this, we do not catch a "free" ride so to speak, for we must show our faith by obeying the commands of Jesus and working for Him.

Obeying the commands of our Lord Jesus shows our love for Him and they are not burdensome for those who love Him. But they are not always easy for we need to repent of our sins to carry out His work. Ok, so I said it is not always easy but it is not burdensome. Oh, no I sound like I am running for office on that one. Let me just in wrapping this message up today explain that one. If we love Jesus and carry out the commands they are not burdensome to us, Jesus would not have made them that way. But when I say not always easy it is because in a lot of cases it involves a complete makeover for us. I am telling you right now, when you invited Jesus into your heart, you changed, and if you did not change from your old ways, then you better be taking another look in the mirror and be sure you are walking with Jesus. FOR YOU CANNOT COME TO JESUS AND NOT CHANGE!! Someone want to say amen to that one! And once you are saved, you can tackle all the problems the world throws at you, and with the help of Jesus you will overcome all of them.

Dear Father in Heaven, I know I am unworthy of Your love, but You never stop loving me and I know that, but Lord, I sometimes must question that I am doing enough for You and that I am doing what I do for You because I love You. Today I ask as You forgive me of my sins that You open doors to keep leading people to Your feet to be saved. And Lord, this day, will you please look at our prayer requests and honor them according to Your will. And Lord, this young lady and man need some help getting a plumbing business going stronger. Lord, please bless Jeff and Danelle and touch that business. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Oh, and Lord, thanks for finding that hearing aid for Grant.

Now brothers and sisters, go forth and share the blessings God has given you, and remember you just cannot out give the Lord, when you give in faith... Love ya, Pastor Dan.