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When we fail ourselves.

Sit up Jimmy, you don't want others to think you don't belong. Remember way back when you dreamt you could be anything you wanted to be, life seemed free and you might of thought you were. There is an innocence about childhood, and even adolescence to a certain degree and we try to hold on to that feeling of innocence as long as we can. When you reach a certain age you should be getting a big dose of reality, I'm not talking about tough love. I'm talking about limitations. When you reached a certain age you should of realised that life is difficult. I'm talking about serious frustration here. It is usually a crisis, rather large that gets us to realise that we were heading in the wrong direction. The Bible calls this repentance. I had my crisis as a young adult. I had all kinds of dreams about my future and believed I had the ability to carry it off, and I just might have if it were not for God.

Yes God stepped into my life, unannounced and took full control when I had lost it. I was 21. The way I look at my life now it almost appears that I have taken back the reins of my existence, but I know that this is not true. God is more real to me as he has ever been and as I am now 40, it's been 19 years since I gave my life over to God. If you were to ask me if I regret that choice, I would say that despite the added trial of being a christian, I do not regret it, because he forgave me of all my sins the moment I became born again. I have reached another crisis is my life, with my health not doing to well and it almost seems like I can see the sun over the horizon, and I look back through out the decade that the joy of life brought me as an unsaved person and I look forward to what my decision did for me when I was only a kid. You might want to ask me, now as a middle aged man would you still make the same decision you did when you were 21, to invite Christ into your life and become a follower of him? I would say, despite the troubles I have gone through after making that choice, I would never go back to the kind of lifestyle that I was living before I became saved. I made a decision to follow Christ for the rest of my life and with his grace I will do so.

It's not really a matter of me making the effort, what my salvation did for me 19 years ago, it is still doing for me now. That is the point. I believe salvation is eternal and eternal life comes with a cost and that is the cost that Jesus died to pay for my sins 2000 years ago. I cannot loose my salvation and I didn't earn it. It is a gift to be received by faith. I don't know why people try on Christianity, like they are getting their feet a little wet before they fully commit or take the plunge. In my opinion, salvation is not to be taken lightly and once you know the truth you then become responsible for that truth. It's not a matter of let's try this thing on. I know that people have reservations, but the gospel is your reservation. When someone offers you a gift you either take it or leave it. There is no sitting on a fence and some how by osmosis you become saved.

I know God has a way of reaching someone who hates him, but I am convinced that there will come a time when God closes the door. Not understanding is one thing, and trying to understand is another. But God will save you only if you let him. If I were to meet you in church and say to you "you are a very pretty woman, I know you are single..would you like to go on a date with me?" You at this point have two choices, yes or no. Not maybe. Maybe is no. Sorry. I understand your need for a saviour, I understand your need for repentance and so does God, now it's up to you. There is no going back and if you run out of time, I hope you turn now.

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