"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
-Romans 3: 23-24

Just As You Are

"Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!"

Can you hear the words to that great hymn of faith? God wants His people to come to Him. Come as you are. You do not need to 'clean' up or play 'religious.' Just talk to Him. Open up yourself to Him and let His healing powers flow. We are told in Ephesians 2: 4-5 "But because of his great love
for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved." Come as you are to this awesome God of great mercy! In Hebrews 4: 16 "Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Approach the 'throne of grace' with confidence! God is there for you in your time of need. Here is there for you right now! Just as your are. 'O Lamb of God, I come! I come!' Go to Him now.

God wants you to come to Him and He will accept you as you are. But when you receive Him let me warn you :), you will be changed! You will see the world in a whole different light. Burdens and struggles will fade away. Your heart, soul, and mind will be transformed. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!' (2 Corinthians 5: 17). Just imagine how good it feels after you have taken a long, hot shower. You are cleaned and refreshed. You have become 'new.' Now if a hot shower can do that for our bodies how much more can God's cleansing, changing power do for our souls? Let's look at the greatest example that we can of what our new self should strive to be. Read Philippians 2: 5-11 below. What a challenge set before us to follow the example of Jesus, Himself. Come as you are; for that is the beginning.
Then allow God to work in you and do not give up. Here is some encouragement for you from the great evangelist, Paul. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3: 12-14) Press on!

I pray that all is well with you. Please let me know if you have any prayer concerns or praises. Have a great week and remember to smile :), the Lord loves you!

In Christ,

Shan D. Hartsough

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in
very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in
human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted
him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
-Philippians 2: 5-11

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