Many Years Ago, I Was The Chief Judge For The National Concourse D'Elegance Jaguar Show. The Finest Cars

Many years ago, I was the Chief Judge for the national Concourse d'Elegance Jaguar show. The finest cars from across the nation competed in more than two dozen categories - each hoping to be obtain a flawless, perfect score.

At the awards presentation later that evening, while standing with the President of Jaguar Cars N.A. on one side, and Ian Callum, head director of design on the other, I announced the winners to hundreds of anxious owners who had spent many years and untold hours and dollars bringing their cars to perfection.

After congratulating all the participants on their participation and before announcing the winners, I soberly reminded them that despite all the time, effort, and money spent, that just one wayward NAT found by a judge that was missed somewhere would be the difference between being “perfect” or not.

As today’s scripture tells us, likewise God cannot look upon or accept anything that is not 100% perfect and pure. Even if you have lived and worked diligently by living an exemplary life, just one sin in your life as small as a single 'nat' is what seperates you from perfection.

Friend, no matter how hard you work on the 'car' of your life, the eternal judge cannot judge you as 100% perfect unless you ask God to wipe clean every sin from your life. The GOOD NEWS (Gospel) is that when Jesus Christ died on the cross, his sacrificial death cleaned away EVERY 'nat' of your sin. All you need do to be perfect in this judge's eye is simply and honestly ask him to do so.

At the end of this life’s 'show,' how will your life be judged?

God Bless Your Day Jesus Loves You

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While many may not totally believe or embrace all parts of the Bible, there are many points on which many will agree. For example murder certainly is not good and neither is stealing, lying, and generally not following “The Golden Rule.” All these are clear to grasp and easy to understand, but as Mark Twain infamously said, it is parts like today’s Bible verse that are a real stumbling block for a lot of people.

Here’s the thing about “God’s Word”...it is NOT an easy path through life, but a Difficult One. To follow what God says requires discipline, dedication, and determination to look past the temptations and distractions of this world and aim for the high goal of your calling to live a peaceable, productive, and prudent life.

As Twain points out, some of these injunctions to living — while straightforward to read and comprehend — are seemingly impossible to follow. For example in today’s verse on forgiveness, this is unbearable for many people due to their hurt, anger, or the injustice they received from someone, but here is how this is possible and what Twain did not understand.

As long as you try do this in your human strength it will always be either extremely difficult or nearly impossible, but once you receive the Holy Spirit of God in your life and totally yield to His direction, the Bible promises us that “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Are you struggling with unforgiveness? As today’s scripture says, if you do not forgive you will not be forgiven. That is easy to understand but impossible to follow unless you let go of your pride, yield to the Holy Spirit and start simply by making a conscious, mental decision to forgive. (Don’t worry about emotionally “feeling” forgiving..that will come in time...)

Friend, if you 'GO WITH GOD', All Things then Are Indeed POSSIBLE. Unlike Twain’s dilemma, it is not a matter of understanding, but of faith, trust and obedience to the one that literally wrote the book. Then and only then will it be possible to have victory over all the difficult parts that you DO UNDERSTAND.

God Bless Your Day Jesus Loves You

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Character is not inherited or simply obtained by being around outstanding people. Instead, it is created by persevering through difficult problems - and overcoming them.

The Bible tells the story of people that despite circumstances, opposition, or persecution, persevered through situations that were seemingly impossible. Great characters of faith like Joseph, Moses, David - and most significantly Jesus - worked through difficulties beyond what most of us could not imagine. However, all of them eventually not only overcame but persevered to victory. Despite the challenges and suffering set before them, they persevered in the face of their severe trials and tribulations by putting into practical practice faith with persistence.

Because we live in a fallen world, problems will arise, and the unpredictably in this year of 2020 is a sobering example. The good news is that Isaiah 9:6 says that we have a great “Counselor” on our side to help us work through every obstacle and His Name is Jesus.

Perseverance takes practice performed with persistence. While we are all inundated by problems in this life, as you persist in overcoming problems that you have resolved, the better you will become at resolving them going forward, and by doing so, by default you will inherit CHARACTER.

God Bless Your Day Jesus Loves You NotesOnLife.org

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In U.S. courts at the conclusion of a trial, the verdict is either ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty.’ Note that it is not GUILTY or INNOCENT, but that does not mean that they are the same! Here’s why.

At the end of the famous O.J. Simpson trial, he was found Not Guilty, but was he Innocent? Personally (and this is NOT a political comment!) I agreed with the verdict because there were both no eye-witnesses to the crime, and from my perspective and the evidence presented he was (in my thought, right or wrong) not found to be guilty ‘beyond a shadow of doubt.’ Therefore, it is possible to be found “Not Guilty” but not wholly “Innocent.”

At the end of your life, you will stand before the Supreme Judge in the Heavenly Court, and because God is Holy and cannot have any sin in his presence, his eye-witness evidence of every one of your crimes (“secret sins”, Psalm 19:13) will be presented fully and your verdict will be beyond a shadow of doubt - ‘GUILTY!’ But here is the good news…there IS a way to be found INNOCENT!

“While we were still sinners Christ died for us, and we have been justified by his blood sacrifice and saved by that through him.” Romans 5:8-9 (paraphrased)

This scripture says that because what Christ did on the cross for you, all your sins have been completely exonerated and paid for. His blood wipes your record clean, and you will not just be 'not guilty,' but marked as INNOCENT.

Friend, if you have not accepted this pardon by the Eternal Judge, why would you not want to?? Do not delay – there is no guarantee you will have another chance before the judge puts down his gavel. Ask God to forgive you today and let the saving edict of his merciful judgement pay for the crime of all your sins and declare you INNOCENT.

God Bless Your Day Jesus Loves You

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In 1971 at the San Francisco zoo, Penny Patterson, a young graduate student in psychology at Stanford University agreed to care for a baby gorilla who was sick and abandoned by her mother. What started as a care-giving mission turned into a four decades relationship and science experiment where over her 37-year life, Koko the gorilla learned to communicate with over 1,000 signs. One particular conversation she had with Patterson was revealing about the fallen nature of the world.

Koko and a companion gorilla got into an argument in the house where they lived, and Koko in anger tore a sink off the wall. When Patterson saw this on video she came in and asked Koko who was responsible, and she pointed at the other gorilla and signed “HE DID IT!”

You see, the Bible says that when Adam and Eve sinned “…sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12) and this sin caused all creation to fall, and that is why there is evil, sickness, disease (and mosquitos!) in the world.

Jesus said “Let him without sin, cast the first stone” and that’s the point — NO ONE IS WITHOUT SIN — but many sadly ignore this. 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” However the GOOD NEWS (literally GOSPEL) is that although we all still live in a fallen world, Jesus Christ came to free us and forgive us of our sin. This is, plain and simple, the message of the Gospel, and this leaves all of us to answer these two questions…

1) Am I a sinner just like Koko? 2) Will I continue to deceive myself about my need to be free from it and receive the truth of Christ and His redemming power in my life?

Friend, Koko showed us despite her kindness and intelligence that she too was a sinner.

How about you…and what will you do about it?

God Bless Your Day Jesus Loves You

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Oh-Oh!! The years fly by and then one day your last year comes and it is time for you to make an exit. When that day comes, are you ready for it?

If there is one critical question that most people NEVER take the time to answer, it is this - WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Sadly at the moment of death, if this question was never resolved then there are desperate cries of “I don’t want to die!!” But here is the raw truth - we ALL get booted off planet earth, and there is nothing you can do to stop that, but there IS something YOU can do beforehand to prepare for it!

All that takes is one simple step and one sure decision. Make a choice right now to go before Almighty God and simply say, “LORD, you are God and I am a sinful person that has not lived a perfect life. I am asking you to forgive me of my sins, to make me clean by what Jesus Christ did on the cross on my behalf, and take me when I die to be with you forever. I promise to make you the LORD of my life and to follow you the rest of my days. I ask this in the name of Jesus, AMEN.”

Friend, if you prayed that prayer earnestly from the heart, when that last year comes, you’ll enjoy an 'EEE' (Excellent Earth Exit!)

[ Then, have a nice flight! :-) ]

God Bless Your Day Jesus Loves You

NotesOnLife.org

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