Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

The grass always looks greener… on the other side of the firmament.

One of the terrible weaknesses humans have is the innate tendency to despise or minimize what we have and view what we do not (or cannot) have as being more wonderful. The adage is that the grass always looks greener (to cows) on the other side of the fence. 

When we are told that we cannot have something, our inborn rebellion, which the Bible call sin, automatically desires it and sets about to obtain it.

Paul wrote about this sad state of affairs in Romans Chapter Seven.

When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. Romans 7:5 (NLT)

This is the universal condition of man and a big reason why we so desperately need a Savior.

When God created the earth and the heavens, he gave the earth to us for our habitation, but he reserved the heavens for himself and the angels. The Bible says we live on a stationary plane enclosed by a solid dome called the firmament, in which God placed the sun, moon, and stars. There are multiple levels to the firmament, also called the heavens. We are not told very much about this solid enclosure, except that is a solid crystalline-like structure having multiple layers which separate the waters above from the waters below. (You can read more about this in another article.) We are told that God himself has his throne in the third heaven, which seems to be atop this structure.

And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking. Ezekiel 1:26–28 (NKJV)

Apparently beyond that is what Jesus called “outer darkness,” which will be a terrible place where those who are rejected at the judgment must dwell.

Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 22:13 (NASB95)

The lure of “outer space” is a grand deception whereby Satan has convinced us that the place of judgment is somewhere we need to go and conquer.

God never told us that we can inhabit the moon or any other heavenly body. Trying to do so is clearly looking over the fence at grass we cannot have. Satan tried move beyond his assigned area to wrest God’s throne from him. Not surprisingly, he was utterly defeated.

How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. Isaiah 14:12–15 (NASB95)

Satan was cast down to the earth (Revelation 12:9), where he enlists rebellious people to join him in his quest to overthrow God.

Men have tried to reach God’s throne for a long time, beginning at the tower of Babel. More recently, NASA has joined the rebellion by using rockets in an attempt to pierce the firmament and go beyond our assigned domain. 

God’s throne resides atop the firmament, and only the privileged are granted access.

Jesus ascended there after his resurrection, where he sits enthroned, waiting for his Abba Father to roll back the firmament on the Last Day. Over the years, prophets have been allowed to see the wonders of this real place. (I have written elsewhere more extensively about heaven being an actual place, not just a spiritual dimension.) All those who proclaim allegiance to Christ will also be given access, but no rocket or any other device will ever penetrate its environs illegitimately.

The moral of the story is this. If we want to see and experience this amazing realm, we must join the winning side by proclaiming faith and allegiance to our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

It is time for us to leave the rebellion and choose to be satisfied with living on the earth until God transports us to heaven to be with him forever.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, forgive me for being part of Satan’s rebellion. Now I see the error of my ways and choose to join you. I believe that you rose from the dead and now reign in heaven as Lord. Thank you for giving me eternal life and the promise of reigning with you forever. Holy Spirit, I welcome you into my life and ask you to transform me on the inside and empower me to tell others about this marvelous good news that we can be reconciled to God. Amen.

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Preaching vs Discussing

As Paul and Silas continued on their second missionary journey, they arrived in the city of Thessalonica in Greece.

Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2  As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3  He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” Acts 17:1-3 (NLT)

The Greek word translated “to reason with” in verse 2 above is dialegomai, which can also mean to discuss with, preach, or address. There is quite a difference between talking to an audience and holding a discussing with a group. It is the kind of difference in experience between listening to a “talking head” in a large auditorium and sitting in a living room talking with a group of people.

When people are open to engage the scriptures, it is important for us to present the gospel in a way that enlists our hearers to think through the its claims and hopefully arrive at the desired conclusion.

Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to see truth, however. Our part is to reason with people. His part is to open their understanding and reveal Christ to them, causing faith to spring up in their hearts. 

There is a divine logic to the gospel, but only those whose eyes and hearts have been opened by the Holy Spirit can perceive it.

You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:5–6 (NLT)
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Be Prepared to “Close the Deal”

On Paul’s second missionary journey, he was thrown in jail in Philippi. After being beaten and put in stocks, Paul and Silas sang praises to God, who caused an earthquake that set the prisoners free. The jailer was going to commit suicide, thinking he had lost his prisoners – a capital offense. Paul stopped him, saying that everyone was accounted for.

The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30  Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31  They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32  And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33  Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34  He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. Acts 16:29-34 (NLT)

Even though many of our hearers may be closed to the gospel, we may at times have the privilege of sharing with someone who is immediately ready to repent and confess Christ as Savior and Lord. In such cases, we must be ready to “close the deal.”

We do not want to rush things and make it “too easy” for someone to be saved by indicating that all one has to do is repeat a prayer, even when there is no heartfelt repentance. However, if a person gives a clear indication of true faith, we should move immediately, just as Paul did. I suggest encouraging (or, if necessary, leading) the person to pray out loud something like the following. The exact words are not as important as the heartfelt communication to God.

Typical Prayer for Salvation

Jesus, I realize now that you are indeed the risen Lord of Lords. Thank you for dying for my sins and giving me eternal life. I now give you my life. Help me to serve you and be a faithful witness to you and the gospel. Holy Spirit, fill me to overflowing. Transform me from the inside out so that I think and act like Jesus. Father God, thank you for making me your child and part of your forever family. Help me to know, experience, and communicate to others your amazing love. I give you my worship and thanks. Amen.

It is a great idea to immediately baptize new believers in water, too, just as Paul did. Water baptism is our public proclamation of allegiance to Jesus the Messiah.

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Duped by the Devil

Con men are experts at telling us what we want to hear and preying our naivete, compassion, greed, pride, and other weaknesses. All of us have been conned at one time or another, mostly by the devil. Every time we sin, we take another bite from the big lie that “sin gives life.” Adam and Eve were conned into disobeying God in the first “get rich quick” scheme. He promised them they would instantly become “like God,” knowing good and evil for themselves, instead of having to do what God told them to do all the time. The devil promised them greener grass on the other side of the obedience fence, which, in fact, turned out to be a barren and lonely wasteland.

One of the great con jobs of the last 500 years was the Copernican Revolution and all that followed. The devil tempted us once again to throw aside the confines of God’s words written in the Bible and to embark on the thrilling journey of figuring out the cosmos for ourselves.

(I wrote more on man’s quest to free himself from God’s Word here.)

The Bible teaches us that the earth is the epicenter of God’s creation, made especially for humans. The mighty dome of the firmament, a safe enclosure which allows for the pressurization of the atmosphere, was made on day two. On day four, God placed the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens. God stocked his amazing terrarium with living things, including man and woman last of all. The Bible teaches us that God is the “Most High,” occupying the uppermost heavenly realm above the firmament. (I have written extensively on the nature of the firmament and of heaven in previous articles. You can click on the links to read them if you desire.) From his position above the earth, God carefully watches over everything. This is what God tells us is the origin and nature of the cosmos, which was believed by the ancients and the authors of the Bible.

Enter Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, et al. Believing they were smarter than the Bible, they began to seek an alternate explanation, one they would figure out on their own. They thought that circles were the perfect geometric figures and were offended by the “retrograde” motion  the paths the “planets” took in the heavens, not realizing that a toroidal electromagnetic force field can produce exactly those kinds of motions. (We are still trying to figure out the way the heavens work in God’s creation, but many suspect we live in such an electromagnetic world, rather that what we have been led to believe.)

To “cut to the chase,” eventually we were told that the “universe” in which we live is completely different from what the Bible teaches us. The earth not the center of things. We are not stationary. We are not safely enclosed in a dome, and God is not watching over us from his heavenly position above the firmament. Instead, we are a globe hurtling through “outer space” (consider the Bible term “outer darkness”) at incomprehensible speeds in multiple directions, covered by a quite flimsy atmosphere held in place by a mysterious new force called gravity, in danger of being exterminated by an impact from asteroids, comets, and sun flares. God is nowhere in sight and heaven is a spiritual place somewhere in the vastness of the universe, if it is there at all. We no longer can use such terms as up and down, except in a relative way. Does this sound like God or someone else?

It is no wonder that anti-biblical Copernicanism laid the groundwork for the Big Bang theory, evolution, and atheism.

Instead of God’s being the center of everything, we are told that we are held in the grip of a very large and powerful star called the sun, otherwise known as Helios or Sol Invictus in pagan thought. (The Bible says that the sun is unique, not just another star.) We are just one of several bodies known as planets circling the sun. The word planet comes from the Greek word planetes, which means wandering. Each of these so-called planets have the names of pagan gods, the earth being placed smack dab in the middle of them, all of which are beholden to the sun god, Helios or Sol Invictus.

Can you see how the heliocentric lie has turned God’s biblical cosmology upside down? Rather than being under God’s watchful eye, we are held by the awesome power of the false God Helios. We are not God’s special creation. Rather we are just one of many wandering pagan entities in our little “Sol-ar” system, all held in place by the power of Sol Invictus, the pagan sun god.

Copernican cosmology is nothing short of pagan idolatry.

And just to reinforce my point, here is a quote from Copernicus himself.

You can read a longer article of mine about Heliocentric idolatry by clicking here.

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Carefully Present Gospel Truth

When God healed the crippled man in Lystra, the onlookers misinterpreted what it meant.

And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12  Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13  And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. Acts 14:11-13 (ESV)

God intended for the attesting healing miracle in Lystra to convince people of the truth of the gospel, but the people of Lystra tried to fit it into their existing pagan paradigm. Before knowing the truth about God, we like to create for ourselves “gods” that fit into our presuppositions about life and reality and allow us to do whatever we want.

God’s name, as revealed to Moses, is “I am Who I am.”

God is not who we might want him to be. He is who he is, whether we like it or not. We must change to be like him, not the other way around.

He revealed himself fully through his Son, Jesus the Messiah King of Israel.

If we want to know what God is really like, we can find out by believing in and knowing Christ.

The gospel is a presentation of the truth about God as revealed through Christ. Our responsibility as gospel preachers is to carefully present the Good News so that people will not easily misinterpret it.

Only faith in the true God as revealed in the true gospel saves. Our job is to make sure that is what people hear.

As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT)
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Circuit Rider

My father’s mother’s father was a Methodist circuit riding pastor in north Georgia named Charles Ledford. These hardy servants of God rode horseback to circulate among the churches under their care. He and his wife, my great grandmother, Lillie, died quite young, probably due to the intense rigors of life back then in the post-civil-war South. The few photos I have of them with their daughters indicate that they lived in poverty. As a result, my grandmother, Leone, spent time in an orphanage before being adopted by the Lightfoot family. Later, of course, she married my grandfather, Pete Beck, Sr.

Circuit riders existed because there were not enough pastors for each church to have its own local preacher. Since the church buildings could not move, the circuit riders followed a defined circuit so that each church knew when he would arrive. That way the members would plan to be present when he was.

The Bible tells us that the earth is stationary and the sun rides a circuit above it.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:1–6 (NASB95)

I have been reading and studying the Bible since the Spring of 1971 and continue to discover new “nuggets” of truth in its pages. It is a book that never grows old or dull. Its depths can never be completely plumbed. Its inspired words provide life and truth to those who revere it and rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us from it.

The passage in Psalm 19 begins by informing us that the creation tells us about God and his glory.

A proper understanding of the creation provides a proper understanding of God. A skewed understanding of creation gives us a warped view of God that can produce a false understanding of who we are.

The devil loves to contradict God’s words. He did so in the Garden of Eden when he told Eve, “You will not surely die!” He does it now. Sadly, the majority of modern Christians have bought into his contradiction of scripture regarding the nature of the heavens and the earth. Modern cosmology, which originated with Copernicus, teaches us that the sun does not make a circuit above the earth, but that the earth revolves around the sun. This is no small thing. It leads us to the following conclusions.

  • The Bible is not always true.
  • The earth is not central to God’s creation.
  • We are under the grip of the sun’s “gravity,” which means we serve it instead of its serving us.
  • Eventually, heliocentrism leads to other lies – the Big Bang theory, evolution, and atheism.

This profound contradiction of God’s Word regarding the sun is defended vigorously by well-meaning believers who insist that they believe every word in the Bible, except, of course, those which contradict the heliocentric theory. Those they conveniently ignore or twist, ascribing their supposed error to the ignorance of the biblical authors, at which God winked, thus allowing untruths to fill the pages of scripture. No wonder so many have wandered away from biblical truth.

Once we say that some of God’s Word is false, all of it comes into question.

Heliocentrism teaches us that the earth is held in the iron grip of the sun’s immense “gravitational pull,” making the sun the center of things in our “solar system,” which is an infinitely small part of an ever-expanding incomprehensibly huge universe. This means that we humans dare not think of ourselves as special or central to God’s plan.

The Bible, however, teaches us that God created the earth as the center of things, a perfect enclosed habitation for mankind, above which he placed the “lights,” which serve us, much as the circuit riders served the churches under their oversight and care.

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:14–18 (NKJV)

So which is it? Does the sun serve us, as God says, as it completes its daily circuit above, or do we serve the sun by forever revolving around it as it hurtles at ridiculous speeds going who knows where? It depends on whether we believe the Bible or Copernicus, doesn’t it? Since I worship God, not Helios or any man, I say the Bible is correct. How about you?

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Are We Willing to Take the Risk?

Paul and Barnabas arrived in Lystra, where they preached the gospel.

Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9  He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10  said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. Acts 14:8-10 (ESV)

Since we believe that God’s Spirit partners with us when we share the gospel, we should be alert to signs of his activity.

At Lystra, Paul discerned that one of his listeners had faith to be healed. How did he know? Only those who have trained themselves (Hebrews 5:14) through practice to see, hear, or intuit what the Spirit is doing and saying (John 5:19) and who are willing to take the risk of possibly being wrong will be able to do this.

Being Christ’s representative is not about our looking good to people and never making a mistake. Christ expects his messengers to be faithful to him, regardless of the personal cost.

Being led by the Spirit involves an internal “knowing” that cannot be logically explained. The Spirit is an able communicator, but he speaks most often in what the Bible calls a “still, small voice,” (1Kings 19:12) that only those who believe and are open and alert will detect.

Once we discern the Spirit’s “leading,” we face the choice of what to do next.

Paul risked the entire gospel opportunity by publicly commanding the man to stand up, something impossible for him without a miracle. The risk was rewarded when God healed him. This public attesting miracle validated the message and the messengers to the people of the area and opened their hearts to the gospel message.

If we want biblical results, we must take biblical risks.

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Here Comes the Sun

Imagine, if you can, seeing light on the earth, but there are no sun, no moon, and no stars. It would have to look something like photos taken on the moon during the Apollo missions. (Hint, hint…) A lighted world without heavenly lights was the situation on earth before the fourth day of creation. God created light on the first day of creation, but as yet there were no lights in the sky until the fourth day. From where did this light come? We can surmise that God himself was the light.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1–5 (NASB95)

Those who do not believe that the Bible is the inspired and true Word of God still cannot comprehend this light and refuse to acknowledge God’s ability to shine into the darkness. (2 Corinthians 4:6) Those who believe in a materialistic universe governed by known mechanics cannot conceive of a light without a physical source; so, they believe the Genesis creation account is just another religious myth. (Everyone has to believe something!) But those of us who believe that God’s Word is literally true, accept a lighted world without any physical light source without understanding how it worked. We would rather appear foolish in the eyes of men than be guilty of calling God a liar.

May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” Romans 3:4 (NASB95)

Since it was not until the fourth day that God created the sun, moon, and stars and placed them in the firmament, the Big Bang theory and its corollary, the heliocentric system, is a lie. This places all who profess to believe the Bible in a crisis of faith. Will I believe the Bible is an accurate account of creation, or will I twist its clear meaning into something that bows the knee to modern cosmological theory?

Will I claim that the Bible is true, but Genesis is not true science? Will I say that it contains the truth without being true? What kind of satanic mischief is that? Will I call God a liar in order to appear to be wise to the world? I formerly did that out of ignorance, but no more. I now boldly declare that God’s Words in the Genesis account of creation are actually true. How about you?

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The Day the Sun Stood Still

Is there one verse in the Bible that completely disproves heliocentrism? Actually, there are many, but the one that Martin Luther chose was in Joshua.

Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. Joshua 10:12–13 (NASB95)

Martin Luther was a principal in what is called the Protestant Reformation, in which one of the rallying cries was “sola scriptura,” meaning that the Bible is the highest standard for truth. In the midst of this cataclysmic upheaval that rearranged nations and delivered people from the bondage of Roman Catholicism, the devil instituted a “counter reformation” spearheaded by the Jesuit order. In addition to using torture against those whom they regarded as heretics, Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the order, began to offset people’s trust in the Word of God with a new emphasis on “science” and “knowledge.” (If you want to learn more about this devilish strategy, I recommend that you watch the Heliosorcery documentary.) It was about this time that some amazing new ideas burst onto the scene, Copernican heliocentrism being one of the most important. This novel theory began to grab the imagination of people who had no biblical foundation or who did not esteem the scriptures as God’s bastion of truth.

Martin Luther was a contemporary of Copernicus, and met the astronomer’s refutation of the Bible very simply by referencing the above quoted passage from Joshua, and writing the following statement.

Oh, that Christians regarded the Bible with such reverence today! Instead, the majority have bowed the knee to what is called science, preferring to look good in the world’s eyes rather than God’s.

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Please don’t be offended by this article.

When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. 49  So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region. Acts 13:48-49 (NLT)

This is going to offend someone, but the Bible teaches that because of sin, none of us just naturally chooses God. Unless God does something on his end, we will never move toward him. We are his inveterate enemies until the Holy Spirit does his hidden internal work in our hearts. 

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 “It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. John 6:44–45 (NASB95)

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:8–10 (NASB95)

God chose those who would become his children before he created the world.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT)

This theological truth has enormous implications regarding the gospel.

It means that when we share the good news with people, we can be confident that some will respond.

Despite our natural propensity to resist God and his Word, some will hear, believe, and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. We do not know in advance who these chosen ones are. Neither to do they. Only God knows. That being the case, we share the gospel with everyone, knowing that God is working behind the scenes in ways we cannot necessarily comprehend or perceive, preparing hearts to receive the good news about Jesus.

Our responsibility is to share the gospel with everyone we can. The Spirit’s work is to bring people to Christ.

We find out who the elect are when they respond to the gospel, but God has known all along. If this offends me, it means that I have not yet come to terms with my own sinfulness. It means that I think everyone deserves to be able to go to heaven. No one deserves anything but death because all of us have rebelled against God. Rather, let us rejoice that God did not leave all of us in a deadly state of rebellion, but mercifully saves some.

Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! 15 For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” 16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. 17 For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” 18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. Romans 9:14–18 (NLT)

Thank you, Lord, for your mercy and grace! We are also promised that anyone who comes to Christ will not be turned away.

However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)

If something in you is drawn to Christ, it is a wonderful sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in your life.

Why not go ahead and surrender? God’s election does not render us impotent. Rather, we too have a part to play. He wants us to respond to his grace by opening our hearts to him and receiving Jesus as both Lord and Savior.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 (NASB95)

Do your part. Open your heart to God.

Prayer

Jesus, I can sense your tug on my heart. I have resisted you for too long. Come into my life! I give you my whole being and receive all that you died to provide for me – forgiveness, reconciliation, eternal life, and your enduring presence. Holy Spirit, fill me to overflowing. Transform me on the inside and empower me to boldly tell others this good news. Amen.

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