Reflections in The WORD

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Timing is Everything!

“God works in mysterious ways.” We hear that phrase all the time, but when it comes down to seeing it play out in our own lives we are far more likely to miss His divine intervention than to watch it unfold. Often, this is because we are too busy interfering with the situation ourselves to see what He is trying to do. Between the stress of confusion and fear, and our natural but misguided belief that our fate is dependent on ourselves, we can easily miss the amazing work of His flawless orchestrations.

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” ~ Psalm 27:14

Recently, I have been experiencing trouble at work. Miscommunication with a boss was causing unnecessary tensions, and while I had taken some steps to remove myself from the situation as much as possible it was still a source of great stress and frustration for me. A transfer to another department would be ideal, but how to go about it without increasing the tension was not something I was sure I could accomplish. For weeks I tossed around various ideas, but nothing really seemed to work out. Rather than pushing it I tried to be patient, in part because I had this nagging sense that I would be better off just waiting.

The problems eventually became impossible to ignore when I inadvertently angered my boss. I expected a reaming, and instead got the “silent treatment”. A hundred angry remarks and actions crowded my mind; but even louder was that still, small voice that insisted I hold my peace. I’m glad I listened to God’s leading, even though it was not what my human nature wanted to do. Hours later, I received a phone call from my boss, offering to transfer me to a different department. In fact, offering to transfer me to the exact department I had been considering. Within minutes the deal was done, and I was left stunned, marveling that God had stepped in and accomplished so quickly what I had been unable to do after weeks of careful deliberation.

“Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” ~ Psalm 37:4-8

Please don’t think me a saint. As God’s will unfolded there were still temptations to take the reigns into my own hands. My boss decided to throw a few barbs at me on my way out the door, and my desire for my own brand of justice almost won the day. But my heavenly Father guarded my stubborn tongue, giving me the right words to say and holding back the ones that would be unprofitable, and remarkably my anger melted into joy and trust. In the end, the arrows intended to hurt me caused me no harm whatsoever; and my now ex-boss found that human vengeance has a way of causing more grief than relief. And it all happened by a Hand much greater than mine, simply because I actually listened rather than act on my own understanding.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” ~ Proverbs 3:5

Sometimes God chooses to let us walk through the storm so that we can learn that He will never leave us or let a situation be more than we can handle with His help. And sometimes He just plain steps in and fixes everything better than you could possibly have dreamed. Sometimes it happens in a moment, sometimes after years of patient waiting. We’ll never see it if we don’t let Him work, if we don’t step back in faith and let God be God.

Trust me, He’s far better at it than we are.

“Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.” ~ Proverbs 20:22

Contributed by Robert “Bob” Cratchit

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Eternal Economics 101: Profit and Loss

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“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” ~ Mark 8:36

In asking this question, Jesus challenges us to examine our values from an eternal perspective. The question has two crucial pivots: the first is the definition of profit and the second is the comparative value of a man’s soul versus the value of all the temporal pleasures the world offers.

A profit is an improvement resulting from a transaction. And Jesus is asking us to examine whether the transaction of exchanging our souls to gain the world puts us in a better position eternally. Because in God’s ledger only salvation through the Blood of Jesus Christ counts as profit; only work in the Kingdom of God brings in revenue; everything else is loss.

We, however, often make decisions from a “short-term” (temporal) perspective. At best, we make most of our plans for our lifespan here on earth. Based on our present circumstances we choose where we live, where we work, whom we marry, where we attend church, how many children we have, how much we save, the kind of car we drive, how much we give, etc. Moreover, we evaluate our worth by our standing in the World rather than our standing in the Kingdom of God.

To illustrate this point, consider what many people do when they think they have only a few days left to live. When faced with the prospect of imminent death, most focus on non-material issues. They don’t spend more time working for more money, or on house improvements. Instead, when facing death people are often more generous and less petty. Tracking dirt on the carpet loses its importance compared to spending time with a loved one. The size of the television, the house, the car and the paycheck all fade to insignificance.

It is when we are forced to contemplate the eternal that we reorganize our values. Jesus’ challenge is for us to reorganize our values NOW, not a few days before we pass away. Because the transaction is already complete for (most of) those who wait until their last days: they have already exchanged their souls to gain the world. If we are to ‘profit’ from our stay on earth, we have to make the right transaction: we must determine to lose the whole world to gain our souls.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” ~ Matthew 13:44

A second illustration that can give us insight is the life of a drug addict. Most of us have seen, heard of or know of substance abusers who give up everything in their lives in pursuit of a drug. For the non-addict it is incredible that people would give up everything for a fleeting pleasure. Addicts often give up money, careers, families, freedom and much more chasing after the next “high”. In the addict’s mind, the need to fulfill a short-term pleasure far outweighs their long-term well-being. On their distorted balance sheets, chemical “highs” are more profitable than anything else is, so they make the “reasonable” decision to exchange their lives to get it.

Similarly, many of us are hooked on the short-term appeal of a worldly lifestyle. Worldly successes give us instant “positive” feedback on which we thrive. We like being important, we enjoy the approval of our peers, we find comfort in financial security, we relish the “finer things of life”.

To be clear, power, pleasure, prosperity, and/or popularity are not sins in and of themselves. Rather, it is when we focus on accumulating power, pleasure, prosperity, and/or popularity that we fall into the trap. When our work in the world and the world’s rewards becomes more important than our work in the Kingdom of God and God’s rewards, then the transaction, the exchange of soul for the world, is “in full swing”. Like the drug addict, we become blind to the long-term perspective of eternity, and cash-in for the fierce urgency of satisfying the flesh now.

Finally, Jesus’ question indicates the options (the soul versus the world) are mutually exclusive. That is, we can’t gain some of the world and only lose some of our soul, because the soul is singular and indivisible. Therefore, “the whole world” indicates the maximum that one could get for one’s soul, not the value of the soul itself. Accordingly, an individual often exchanges his/her soul for much less than “the whole world”. The key point here is that there is no half way. To choose Jesus is to reject the world and to choose the world is to reject Jesus: We can’t play both sides of the game. We can’t serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). There are no half-addicts.

Jesus is also not telling us to re-order our priorities; He is telling us there is only one priority: our souls. Before salvation, the choice before each man/woman every day is, “gain the world or gain my soul“. After salvation, our lives are governed by the decision to “gain our souls and lose the world“. In the future, when God brings an end to this world, our eternity will be determined by whether we “gained our souls, or gained the world“.

As we each decide our personal response to Jesus’ question, let us be careful that we get true value for our souls and a real profit that last for eternity.

The Heart

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The heart must be the principal point to which we attend in all the relations between God and our souls.

What is the first thing we need, in order to be Christians?
………………A new heart (Ezekiel 11:19; 18:31).

What is the sacrifice God asks us to bring to him?
………………A broken and a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17).

What is the true circumcision?
………………The circumcision of the heart (Deut. 10:16, 30:6; Jer. 4:4; Rom. 2:29).

What is genuine obedience?
………………To obey from the heart (Romans 6:17).

What is saving faith?
………………To believe with the heart (Acts 8:36-38; Romans 10:9-11).

Where ought Christ to dwell?
………………To dwell in our hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:17).

What is the chief request that Wisdom makes to every one?
………………“My son, give me your heart.” (Proverbs 2:2, 23:26)

~ J.C. Ryle

Armed and Right-e-ous

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“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” ~ Ephesians 6:10-11

Every true child of God soon learns that the Christian life is warfare, not against each other, but against the devil and his schemes! The Apostle Paul is warns us to be prepared in advance for the onslaught of satan’s attacks. The first preparatory command is to be strengthened in the Lord and the boundless resources of His might. By reading God’s Word and applying it to our everyday lives, we will know how to react when the devil attacks us. The enemy knows our weaknesses, and we need to be aware of them as well, because that is exactly where he will strike time after time!

The second command is concerned with our need for God’s armor. Ephesians 6:10-18 describes the armor of God and its function. Can you imagine a soldier going into a battle without the armor and weapons needed to defeat his enemy?! Yet that is exactly what takes place when a Christian is not grounded in Scripture and is not in communication with God through prayer but goes about their life trying through their own power to live a life that is godly. We have no power on our own to do so; it has to come from God. He has given us the Holy Spirit, which in-dwells us; He has given us His Word to obey; and He has given us fellow Christians for support in our conflicts with our enemy the devil. But we must be willing to USE them!

If a soldier went into a battle carrying his sword, yet refused to use it he could be killed! And many onlookers would wonder at the foolishness of that soldier. Well, when we Christians only carry our Bibles around, or leave them on the shelf never opening them, never reading them, never applying the Word’s instruction to our lives, we are behaving just like that foolish soldier, putting our spiritual lives in grave danger! When we fail to use the armor of God we become ineffective soldiers for God, and that is exactly what satan wants: he wants to make God’s children ineffective in their testimony for Christ!

God calls us who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, to live a life that is obedient to His Word. So the child of God MUST be ready for the attacks of satan that will surely come throughout our day. But we have every weapon at our disposal to be victorious over him, giving Christ the victory in our lives!!

Thank You Father God for giving me Your Holy Spirit and Your Word to defeat satan in my life, help me to stay close to You my Rock and my Salvation!! I praise You this day!!

Contributed by Mary Heuss Nelson

Prayers & Promises

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“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” ~ John 14:13-14

Some read this verse and conclude that Jesus will grant whatever a believer asks for. Not surprisingly, however, this viewpoint often leads to disappointment and frustration when earnest prayers go seem to go “unanswered”, and it appears Jesus reneges on His promise. However, for us to get a better understanding of this verse it is crucial that we consider its conditional content: “in my name”.

Regrettably, we often think of the “in my name” part as a mere appendage to prayer: something to add at the end to secure God’s approval. But it is not just an add-on. It is the key part because it is like a signet ring.

Think of the ring Pharaoh gave to Joseph when he appointed him governor. Joseph could stamp documents, orders etc., with the ring as an official seal and the request would be carried out as if it came from Pharaoh himself.

Likewise, as long as we walk in the will of Jesus, we are cloaked by His signet ring: we are walking in His name. Therefore, all we ask for while walking in God’s will has His Divine seal on it. However, whenever we walk outside of God’s will and purpose we have taken His signet ring off and cannot expect that anything we ask for will be given. Jesus did not give us a ‘blank check’; He only promised to deliver requests made in His name.

Therefore, for answers in the affirmative, the things we ask for must be in accordance and consistent with the character of Jesus who subjugated His will to the will of the Father and did nothing outside the Father’s will (John 5:30).

In closing, consider the following:

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” ~ James 4:3

and

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” ~ James 5:16b

So, let us live in Jesus’ name, so that we can pray in His name and receive His promises in His name.

Whose Ambassador are You?

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“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:” ~ Philippians 3:20

As Paul encouraged the Christians in Philippi to serve God earnestly, with total commitment, he used this verse to justify his teaching. Christians are agents of the Kingdom of God because of their citizenship in the Kingdom of God: “our conversation is in heaven”. Therefore, Paul reasoned, the sole concern of a Believer on earth is tending to the affairs of the Kingdom of God.

To understand this better, consider the ambassador of Fiji to Chile. Although he is stationed in Chile, the ambassador of Fiji concerns himself solely with the interests and affairs of Fiji as they pertain to Chile. The ambassador of Fiji can never allow himself to be overcome by the demands and distractions of life in Chile. Otherwise, he will lose his effectiveness in representing Fiji and achieving Fiji’s objectives in Chile.

Similarly, while we live here on earth, Believers must never allow the affairs of earth to distract us from our purpose here, which is attending to the interests and affairs of God as they pertain to this world. For as much as we are distracted by the cares of this world we live in, we lose our effectiveness in representing God and achieving His righteous purposes here. Indeed, one might ask, “If we are citizens of heaven, why do we live as citizens of earth?”

The ambassador of Fiji does not worry himself about buying property in Chile, because his home is in Fiji. He does not have to worry about the Chilean economy, because Fiji pays his salary and takes care of stay in Chile.

But Believer’s are even more secure that the ambassador of Fiji, for our conversation is in Heaven! We are citizens of Heaven and Heaven takes care of our affairs.

►The economy on earth doesn’t bother us, because the King of Heaven, never runs out of resources: He WILL supply ALL our need while we are His ambassadors on earth (Philippians 4:19).

►We are not concerned about what we own or don’t own on earth, because it will be of no use to us when we get back home to Heaven (Matthew 6:19-20).

►We don’t worry about sickness or disease, because we are leaving our bodies of flesh on earth to inhabit newly crafted bodies suitable for Heaven (Philippians 3:21).

►And, we don’t worry about our status here on earth, because, whatever people might think of us on earth, we know we will reign with Jesus in Heaven (Revelation 20:4)!

Therefore, as Paul exhorted the Philippians, let us decide not to

“…mind earthly things” ~ Philippians 3:19

Instead, let us

“…press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 3:14

For we are His ambassadors, from His Kingdom, while we live here on earth.

Righteous Representation

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“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” ~ 1 Peter 3:15

Notice the order of the instructions given in this verse:

FIRST, “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts”;
SECOND, “be ready always to give an answer… with meekness and fear.”

If we are not purposing in our hearts to live a Christ-centered life, then we can talk to people all we want about Jesus, but all we will end up doing is to give them a bad example of who the Lord really is!

Every single believer in Christ is a witness for Him, the question is what kind of witnesses are we?!

It should be our personal goal everyday to do as Romans 12:1-2 says and live godly lives, not conforming to the ways of this world but being transformed from it. This is not impossible to do since we have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. When non-believers look at our behavior and speech, it should resemble that of Jesus!

The only way that we can be prepared to give an answer, is to be in close communication with God: through reading, meditating on, and applying His Word to our lives AND, by praying to Him often, and listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit inside us. This way, when we are called on to answer why we believe, we can give Scripture references and tell of our own experiences of living out His Word through its application to our lives. We can attest to how, in good times and bad, we have peace, joy and satisfaction that only He can give!

Neither arrogance nor pride should be involved when witnessing for Christ. As our verse points out, we are to behave with gentleness and respect in all we say and do towards unbelievers. We should not ‘beat the unsaved about the head’ with the Word of God, but rather present it with love and caring. Always we should remember the golden rule: treat others as you would want to be treated.

Thank You Jesus for coming to this earth and for shedding Your blood for the forgiveness of my sin, help me to always be a good example of You to a dying world that needs You so!!

Contributed by Mary Heuss Nelson

Jesus and the Declaring Devils: Fanfare Foments Furor not Faith

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“And He healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.” ~ Mark 1:34

It would have been astounding to see/hear demons declaring Jesus as the Son of God, supernatural beings buzzing about announcing that Jesus is the Messiah: the Holy One of God. Surely, that would have been a convincing spectacle: who would dare challenge Jesus? Jesus, however, saw things differently.

If He had wanted to make a spectacle, He would have had the heavenly host of angels announce His Deity wherever He went. Jesus certainly didn’t need devils to identify Him as God’s Son. The devils knew Jesus’ identity, but they didn’t know His mission (Matthew 8:29, Mark 1:24). They thought He had come for judgment, but Jesus had come for salvation.

Accordingly, in Mark 1:38 Jesus declares that His purpose for coming among men was to preach, that is, to declare to the world that Salvation was now available through Him: that He would be the Way for man to have fellowship with God again (John 14:6).

Therefore, some time after Jesus had miraculously healed the people in Capernaum, as described in our text (above), He rebuked them strongly. Because the miraculous restoration of physical health that they had seen and/or experienced had not brought about a change in their spiritual health:

“Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not… And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.” ~ Matthew 11:20, 23-24

The people were unwilling to repent. For all the great miracles He had performed and all the great teachings He taught (Mark 1:21-22) the people lacked the faith needed to accept Jesus as their Saviour and repent of their sins.

Jesus’ mission was one of spiritual healing, not physical healing. For Jesus, faith was foremost, not physical health. The people brought their sick to Him for healing, but they never brought their hearts to Him, in faith, for Him to remedy their relationship to God. Therefore, despite the great miracles they had seen/experienced, many of them were doomed.

So, Jesus silenced the devils; the people didn’t need more spectacle, they needed faith!!! If miracles didn’t produce repentance, neither would the declarations of devils. For the great spectacle they would have caused, for the (even more) numerous the crowds that would have followed; no one would have come any closer to having faith in Him, it would not have accomplished His purpose of salvation.

“…blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” ~ John 20:29b

Likewise, if we have no faith in Jesus to begin with, then miracles are useless to us. Without faith, miracles are just entertainment: they bring us no closer to God. Conversely, with faith we have ALL we need, miracles or not. And we know this truth, because Jesus told us that this was His purpose for coming. When someone accepts Jesus as his /her Lord and Saviour, Jesus’ goal has been accomplished in them. Faith in God causes us to want to fellowship with Him and fellowship with God grows our faith. As we come to know God, we gain faith in Him because we are learning His true character.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” ~ Hebrews 11:6

If the people of Capernaum refused to believe Jesus when He identified Himself as the Messiah, do you think they would have believed it if the devils declared it?? Certainly not, it would just have been a bigger spectacle. Likewise, anyone who refuses to accept Jesus as Saviour now, will reject Him even if demons jumped up and declared him to be the Son of God. Because we don’t receive the gift of salvation through spectacular experiences; we receive salvation by God’s grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

However, there will be a time for declarations. When Jesus returns, a Host of loyal angels will announce His coming, not a cacophony of doomed devils. Jesus will return to gather the Believers, those who were made spiritually whole through faith in Him (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Yes, it will be spectacular, but it certainly won’t be a show for entertainment, it will be a show of His awesome power as rightful ruler of the universe: as the Lamb that was slain ascends to His Throne (Revelation 5:5-14) then…

“…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ~ Philippians 2:10-11

The Father’s Good Gift

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“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” ~ Luke 11:13

This verse is a remarkable reminder of God’s perspective on what is good, compared to man’s perspective on what is good. Present day Christian culture is so infected with consumerism, hedonism, narcissism and other me-isms, that we develop a warped outlook on what is good in life. Our prayers to God are often full of “give-me” requests: that usually start as “Lord please give me a ____ ” or “Father God I need a ____.” And we usually fill in the blanks with a material (money, machine, etc.) or a mate (future husband/wife) or something else that focuses on “me, myself and I”.

God, however, has a totally different perspective. Our Holy Father defines a “good gift” as the Holy Spirit. When God the Father looks upon His children as they struggle to cope with day-to-day living, He sees that what we need to thrive here on earth is not physical gifts, but the Spiritual Gift of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, Scripture tells us that we:

“…wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” ~ Ephesians 6:12

Accordingly, when Jesus was about to return to Heaven, He promised His disciples to send the Holy Spirit to them. Jesus even called the Holy Spirit by an unexpected, but revealing, name: “The Comforter”. As He sent His disciples out into a world that would be hostile to them, that would imprison them and beat them and kill them, what they needed to succeed wasn’t a new car, or perfect teeth or a retirement plan. What they needed to live successfully (as God defines it) was The Comforter.

Jesus told them that The Comforter would do (at least) two key things for Believers, the children of God

Teach them the truth (John 14:16; John 15:26; John 16:13)
Provide constant contact with God—i.e., indwell their lives (John 14:17; John 16:14)

The Holy Spirit teaches us the truth about life so that we won’t be vulnerable to the lies of the devil that permeate the societies we live in. So, for example:

►When society tells us that it is work in our careers is the most important, The Holy Spirit reminds us that it is work in the Kingdom of God that has lasting value (Matthew 6:19, 25-34).

►Or, when the cognoscenti tells us that a healthy life/lifestyle is what we should aim for, The Holy Spirit tells us to aim for a helpful life (Matthew 25:31-46).

►When banks encourage us to live on credit, the Holy Spirit exhorts us not to live in debt (Proverbs 22:7).

►When educators report that our children need more knowledge, the Holy Spirit reveals that our children need more discipline (Proverbs 29:17).

The Holy Spirit indwells us so that we have constant (always on, better-than-broadband) access to God. We can really pray to Him without ceasing. We can ask for His help always and at any time. We can draw on His grace to enable us to overcome temptation, to overcome adversity. We are never alone.

This is the work of the Holy Spirit within us, WHAT A GIFT!!!! This gift is far more valuable than the coolest car or the fanciest house. It is more secure than a retirement plan underwritten by gold. It is more invigorating than perfect health. And the Holy Spirit gives our lives more purpose and meaning than any job could.

So as we pray to God, our Heavenly Father, let us bring to Him all our cares, all our struggles, all our sorrows. But let us embrace the Gift He has given to us, The Holy Spirit, to triumph over all the challenges that life can throw at us.

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” ~ 2 Peter 1:3-4

People are More Precious than Protocol

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“And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils…” ~ Mark 1:32-34a

Wrapped in what appears to be a marvelous message of miracles is a troublesome tragedy left from the legacy of legalism. In these verses we learn that the people (of Capernaum) brought all their sick to Jesus who healed and cast demons from many of them. This was indeed a wonderful miraculous experience for the people of that city, but the tragedy was that they had to wait till the Sabbath ended, after sunset, to come to Jesus (see Mark 1:21-34).

The Scribes and Pharisees had so distorted God’s Word with their legalistic teaching that the people believed that on the Sabbath, the day they set aside to dedicate themselves to worshipping God, on that very day, they could not bring their troubles to Him. On the very day that was set aside to commune with God, they were not allowed to tell Him their troubles. On the day they celebrated God’s power, they were barred from experiencing it.

Can you imagine someone, writhing in excruciating pain from an illness, being told:

“God won’t help you now because it’s the Sabbath; miracles aren’t done on the Sabbath, it’s too special. Just wait until the Sabbath’s finished, if you’re still alive by then, maybe God will help you. In the mean time just try and cope.”

This view of the Sabbath is not just wrong; it is dangerous. For it implies that God values protocol more than people. And, therefore, we must always practice the right rituals to stay in God’s favor. However, as Jesus showed us, it’s just the opposite: God LOVES people (John 3:16-17) not protocol and we can never ritualize the path to righteousness (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Nevertheless, this false perspective still persists today in various forms. The people in Jesus’ day thought they couldn’t approach God because it was the Sabbath, nowadays we hear:

1. I can’t come to God, I’m too sinful.
BUT, When can anyone be sinless enough to demand entry into God’s presence? We are all sinners and we come to God not because of our goodness, but because of His mercy!

2. I can’t come to God, I’ve done too much bad stuff.
BUT, Even one sin disqualifies us from God’s presence. AND we were all born with Adam’s sin, so we’ve ALL done too much bad stuff. But we can come to Him through Jesus who has made all the bad stuff forgivable.

3. I can’t come to God, I don’t know what kind of church (denomination) is the right one.
BUT, Who we worship is far more important than where we worship. And, He promises that we will find Him if we seek Him.

God loves us every day (even on the Sabbath), and every moment of every day. He wants us to come to Him with our burdens and troubles, to commune, to fellowship, to talk with Him every day, and every moment of every day. And the path to God is not through any ritual; the path to God is through faith in Jesus Christ who died for our sins because of God’s love for us: A love we don’t deserve, a love we cannot earn.