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Forgiveness through Jesus

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LuAnn was a 20-year-old student at a local college. She told my wife and me her story. “I was recently in a relationship,” LuAnn said, “but that ended because I got pregnant. Now Im three months along, and Im considering an abortion.”

LuAnns situation broke our hearts. Obviously, the worst option for her would be to have an abortion. But, I knew that before LuAnn could make any decision about her baby, she needed to make a decision about Jesus Christ.

“LuAnn,” I said, “God, the Father, loves you with an everlasting love. God will not ever leave you, He will never forsake you, as Hebrews 13:5 says. He forgives and forgets, wipes clean, and then does new things in our lives.” After talking a bit more, LuAnn was ready to commit her life to Jesus. She also decided to keep her baby!

You know, the ability to start fresh, knowing that Jesus has forgiven all your sins, is so freeing! And, like LuAnn, there are many people today who are desperate for this kind of clean start. Yet often, they dont know where to look. Thats why God is calling you and me to be his Good News messenger.

Are you willing to share the hope that Jesus offers with a friend – perhaps this week?

Alluring Cities

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In 1960 I was on my way to America for graduate studies. At the airport in Buenos Aires, before the first flight of my life, my mother couldnt stop giving me advice. Her last words before I got on the plane were, “Dont go into the cities, dont travel alone, dont get shot and stuffed in a trunk, and remember Hebrews 13, verses 5 and 6!”

I confess to ignoring at least some of my moms admonition. Americas cities were alluring, and I couldnt wait for the day when I would preach the Gospel to tens of thousands in the nations stadiums!

Does your heart beat for your city? Do you feel compassion for lost souls? Wherever you may be listening from today, your city – your community – is full of hurting people. And YOU are called by Jesus Christ to share His love with them.

As you do, remember the Bible verses from Hebrews: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Let Jesus be your strength as you take the Good News to your city today.

A Liberating Message

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Think back to the first time you heard Gods revolutionizing Good News. What made the biggest impact on you? Why did you decide to give your life to Jesus Christ? What sins did He free you from? How would your life be different without Gods forgiveness?

Its important to remember – really remember – just how powerfully our lives have been transformed by the Lord. That way, well be less likely to view the Good News as old news. Yes, you and I may have heard it hundreds of times.

But, there will always be someone who needs to hear the amazing Gospel for the very first time. Its liberating for those who are lonely, burdened with guilt, or frightened of the future. The Good News is the best news they will ever hear!

Paul gives us a great exhortation in Romans 10: He says, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? … As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

So, may your feet – your hands – your voice – your life – bring the life-changing Good News of Jesus Christ to someone in your

Forget About It

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Why is it that we cant remember where we put our car keys or our pencil but we can recall all the details about the moment someone disappointed us? We forget our kids birthdays, but dont forget when someone says something hurtful. Unless we learn how to forgive and forget, we will always live in the past. Bitterness or guilt will eat away at us.

In the Bible, Saul persecuted the Church. He committed terrible sins. Yet, after he became a believer in Jesus Christ, he was renamed Paul and said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul deliberately chose to forget his past failures through the power of the indwelling Christ in his life.

My friend, if you have confessed your sin to God, dont revisit it. God has forgotten your offense! It has vanished from His memory as though it never happened. You can choose right now to confess your sin, accept Gods forgiveness, and forget about it. Move forward in peace and let God use you to reach your world for Him! When you are free from guilt, you will be a powerfu

Skeletons in Your Closet

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Are you haunted by the past? Do you feel guilty or trapped because you cant let go of something from years ago?

Rudyard Kipling said it well: “Nothing is ever settled until it is settled right.” We can point our finger and make up excuses, but the key to being free is confession.

Confess your sin to God and make things right with whomever you have wronged. Confess your sins before the Lord and experience Gods forgiveness. Come before Him and say, “Lord, I have sinned. I am unworthy. Please forgive me. Make me clean again.”

And, He will. He will also give you freedom and joy. You will be able to look every man and woman in the eye because youre clean. You are forgiven. You will be at peace with God and with others.

James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

Confess your sins to the Lord, experience His forgiveness, and then tell those in your world that they can be forgiven too. They need His freedom just as much as you. Will you tell the people in your world about the forgiveness Jesus offers?