Good Intentions

I am behind in my posts to the blog, not because I have been lazy but because I've been busy. I have not stopped since last Sunday and this weekend was no different. I actually feel a little tired, and I tried to think of a good excuse for not posting now but I know that this is a work of love and I never know who God has hand selected to receive some love and encouragement from the pearls of wisdom He pours my way.



Exhausted. That is exactly how I feel after a weekend spent in church. Since Friday, we were in service in Lake Charles and having an awesome time praising God. It is so good when our clan gets together because we have church all by ourselves. Of course there were non-Murphy's attending services, but it is said that you can always tell when one of Willie's (or Irma's or Aunt Ethel's) are in the building. We are not quiet- sit in your seat- kind of Christians. We take an active or more of an interactive part in the service but that is the way we were brought up.



When I was a kid, my grandparents would wake us before 5 a.m. and we would have church. I mean singing, praying, and reading the Bible until my grandpa knew we had reached Heaven. On Friday night, I had the pleasure of bringing a word on the legacy of prayer. I shared how when you are brought to the knowledge of who God is and the significance of a personal relationship you have a hope and a surety in the power of God that others simply don't have. It is not that you are better than anyone else; it is that you know who you are and whose you are. You know that God is and that He is a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him. You realize that through prayer and intimacy spent in worship that God knows you and pours His love out on you and your family and your circumstances. You are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus and you want others to experience that awesomeness of our King!



Many people have good intentions in having a relationship with God. They feel like they love God and so if they attend a weekly worship service that they have served Him. Some believe that if they try to do good and give to the church or help those in need, then they are on their way to Heaven or at least stand a chance. But the scripture says in Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. This means that if you acknowledge that you were born a sinner and that you cannot stop sinning unless you believe that Jesus died for your sins and if you accept His death in your place, then you are saved. Saved from what you ask? Jesus died to save us from the penalty or consequence of sin, which is eternal death or Hell. If you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior then you trade lives with Him. He already accepted and redeemed you from death, and now you must let Him lead and guide your life. It is your free choice, and no one not even your parents can choose this for you, unlike your religion. This means that you stop sinning, or doing things that Jesus would not do, and you begin to do what He does. The difference is without Jesus as your savior, we do not have the power to change. With God, all things are possible and He gives us the strength to leave sinful acts alone and cling to Him.



Being nice and kind is fine. Giving to the church or the needy is noble. But turning away from sin and toward Jesus is more than a good intention. It is the key to knowing that when you die you will spend eternity in Heaven. Anyone who does not accept Jesus as redeemer and Savior will not enter into the kingdom of Heaven because the Bible says that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and that if any one wants to live in Heaven with the Father then there is no other way to get in.



If you are saved, then I pray God's blessings as He continues to fill your life and I ask that you pass today's blog to people on your email list so the gospel is spread. However, if you are not or are unsure, then pray and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart and lead you and guide you into His perfect will and plan for your life. God will do the rest!