Not-so-Wordless Wednesday! Good grief.
No words on Wednesday didn't quite happen for me, LOL! The picture has words:
"It seemed like an ordinary day until I had coffee with Jesus at the Cafe' du Monde."
Please scroll way down, or click here to see the painting. I took the photo one morning while enjoying a cafe' au lait--like the photo at the top of the blog--at the Cafe' du Monde in New Orleans' French Quarter. (Unless the photo shows a bowl of crawfish, or me in the patio of the Dauphine Orleans hotel looking up at my husband, or any number of others.)
I love the, yes, words. They lift my spirit to read them.
Have you ever had coffee with Jesus? He'd love that!
He waits to be invited into our lives. Jesus Christ, himself, says, "Look, I'm standing here at the door, knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and share a meal with them." Revelation 3:20.
(Actually, it's written to a whole church that is meeting in his name, but leaving him outside! A word to the wise! )
Anyway, one on one, He wants to set us free from the penalities of our bad choices. Even the little ones.
Our perfect God cannot have imperfection--sin--yes, that's what he calls it--in his presence.
And if we've ever told a lie, or wished you could have something that belonged to someone else and they couldn't, anymore, or been really angry with someone, then, in God's eyes, we've already broken three of the Ten Commandments!
In God's perfect eyes, we're a thief, a liar and a murderer, in our hearts! That's a heavy truth. But it is the truth. Jesus said if we are angry with someone without cause, we have committed murder already in our hearts!
Yes, we do get some credit for not actually commiting murder, but that's not enough. God says our "righteousnesses are as filthy rags."
Uncleansed, we cannot stand in the presence of a holy God!
Whoa! That is too hard! Who can live up to such a standard? No one!
"But, wait! for just $19.95.... " LOL
No, a far greater price than that has been paid, on the cross of Christ, so that we can have a great personal relationship with God.
In his great love for us all, he took on a body of flesh and came into this world to live among his creatures, teach us about himself, and finally, pay the awful penalty for our sins.
All the sacrifices given to Moses and his people were to prepare the way for this ultimate sacrifice. He is "the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."
And all who receive this sacrifice and agree, "Yes, God, those are my sins on that cross, forgive me and help me to live right," and mean it, become children of God. And he becomes our Lord and Savior.
So, let's open the doors of our hearts and invite him in to live with us and help us turn away from bad choices. Agree with God that we have done wrong. Tell him we're sorry for falling short of his perfection, whether in awful deeds or little thoughts.
Ask him to forgive us and help us to live for him.
Make that commitment to him, and our sins will already be forgiven, even as we learn to do better.
And when the time comes, we will join him in heaven, along with many other believers who have gone before you. (Along with our pets, I believe.)
There, we'll probably have satisfying work, wonderful times with others, and sing some of the best songs we've never heard in our lives!
Not only that, our eternal life will begin. I know mine has. As they say, I'm not perfect, just forgiven. Thank you, Lord!
Is that arrogant? No. God says,
These things I have written to you that believe on the name (nature, identity, mission) of the Lord Jesus Christ that you may know you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Wish I knew the artist's name to give him or her the credit.
"It seemed like an ordinary day until I had coffee with Jesus at the Cafe' du Monde."
LOL See what an awesome truth comes with a few little words on a Wednesday!
