Receive Jesus Now. Here’s Why…

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

At some point of my day, I will usually have a devotional time – for me, usually in the morning. Devotion can take on different forms but it is always to the one and only God. The word devotion is used in the Bible by the Apostle Paul. We see it in Acts 17:23. Paul says, to some pagan leaders, “For as I was passing through and beheld your devotions—the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ”TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” At this point Paul begins to share with them some of the most powerful words of truth ever declared to anyone. He reveals the truth to them about their misguided attempts to worship God—which is a good thing—but worshiping false gods, because they did not know about the one and only God. He continues to say to them:

Acts 17:24-31 “Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Paul continued to teach them about Jesus and as always, some wanted to learn and believed and some mocked him.

Jesus is coming again. Jesus foretold that He would come back many times with many descriptions. In Mark 13:32-33 Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”

Out of ignorance people in the world make statements that Christians are intolerant because they are unwilling to believe that there are other ways to God besides Jesus. What they don’t realize when they say that is that those other religions are intolerant toward other religions. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc., do not think there are other ways. They believe theirs is the only way to their god. Only Jesus provides a way for man’s sins and failures to be forgiven and be restored to God in relationship and one day Heaven.

No other god ever did the miracles recorded in the Bible that Jesus did. Not one. Only God could! When the guards came to get Jesus at the mount of Olives, Peter took his sward and cut off the ear of one of the guards. Jesus immediately healed the guard. Luke 22:49-51 “When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.” Only God can do something like this!

Jesus is coming again. There was a day when the ignorance of pagan or other gods was allowed but those days are coming to a close. Jesus is coming again to love and receive all who believe. Now is the time to know Him, receive Him personally into your heart, and through Him be washed of your sins and reconciled to God. Again, the Apostle Paul said, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the one (Jesus) whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Jesus alone is the only one who is worthy as the object of our devotion! Jesus alone can save man from their sins! Jesus alone can give us the gift of eternal life. We worship Him today!

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is not found in any other than Jesus! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.”

Philip. 2:9-11 “God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave Him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt