“The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness” John 10:10
In the fly leaf of my “purse” Bible, I often jot down quotes and thought-provoking ideas I hear in church. This morning I noticed one I had written a few years ago: “Satan is not out to give you a bad day, he wants to destroy your life.”
The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. Death and darkness! Christ’s purpose is to give live in all its fullness. Life and light. Complete opposites.
Marvin and I were youth directors in our church for many years. One year we experienced a phenomenal revival and spiritual awakening — not only in our church youth group, but also in many others in our district. Three young adults, who were drug pushers, attended the youth meetings every Monday evening. One evening, all three of these young men gave the control of their lives to Christ. We were so happy and so were they.
That night we were in bed, almost asleep, when the phone rang. It was one of the three young men. The Holy Spirit had filled them with great boldness. “We were just at the pool hall and were witnessing to the guys in there,” he said. With the Bible on the pool table, they had pointed to the road and said, “See the road out there? Cars are going east or west. There is no middle road. You all have to decide whether you want to go to heaven or hell. There is no in between.”
Heaven or hell. Darkness or Light. Death or Life. I encourage you to choose Christ and life, eternal life in heaven — light. Today!
If you have not yet consciously made the commitment to follow Christ, do it today. Don’t put it off.
Lord, You are the Father of Life and Light. The enemy is the father of lies and darkness. Father, we choose You and Life. We reject Satan and his lies and darkness. Amen.
By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission
Living with hope
Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at different times. We experience a mix of dreams and regrets.
In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over? Your past doesn’t have to control your future. God has a wonderful plan for your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience complete forgiveness through a personal relationship with God made possible through Jesus Christ. And when God comes into your life, he starts to transform you from the inside out.
You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.
Further Reading
• When Satan Hinders You – by Charles Stanley
• Satan’s Strategies – by Charles Stanley