SAVED!

“Aging house seemed doomed; caring neighbor stepped in”

Such was the front page headline of the July 5, 2013 issue of The Manassas Observer.  The article immediately piqued my interest because my husband and I have driven by that large, old Victorian run-down house at 9300 Prescott Avenue many times in the nine years we’ve lived in Manassas City.  We always remarked to one another that it’s a shame the 100-year-old house hasn’t been kept up; we’d heard the owner, despite numerous repeated entreaties and ultimatums, refused to respond.  Finally Manassas City had it targeted for demolition, planning to build another house in its place.  That’s when the neighbors took action. 

The paper says, “Mr. Ickrath and two other investors managed to buy the decaying eyesore at the last hour for $118, 750 at a short sale just before a demolition crew was to arrive.”

As I drove by the other week, I was particularly intrigued by what I saw on the chain link fence surrounding the renovation work.  Stuck in the links were red and blue plastic cups arranged to spell the word, “SAVED.”   I knew I wanted to write a blog post about that word, and I determined to get a photograph of the work going on.  So on July 5, I drove as close as I could to the street, walked across the very busy intersection of a four-way stop to take the picture:

I couldn’t help but think how Jesus stepped in to save us from destruction when He came to earth to die for our sins to restore us to fellowship with our Creator.  Each life is like that old run-down abandoned house until God moves in.  The Holy Spirit goes to work, lovingly making all things new. 

Have you been “saved?”  Have you invited the Lord Jesus to move into your life and forgive all your sins, wipe the slate clean and give you a brand new beginning?  A“new birth,” if you will?   If not, why not ask Him to come into your life right now?  Don’t we all want a new beginning?  Of course we do.  The heart of mankind longs to be reinstated to fellowship with his Heavenly Father.  And you don't want to miss heaven! It will truly be "out of this world!"

We are promised in God’s Word, Romans 10:9-13, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, ‘anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame…Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  What an awesome promise. 

 We cannot save ourselves; no one's good works or attempts to whitewash the broken condition of our lives will ever stand in the presence of a holy God.  It's only by accepting what Jesus did for us that satisfies God; His great heart of love wants to do it all for us!  Isn't that wonderful?  Trust what Jesus did to make you right with God.  You'll want to invite all your family and friends to give their lives to Jesus, too!

  

 A couple of years ago I chose Jack Hayford’s book, “Rebuilding the Real You,” to teach a ladies’ Bible study in my home.  It’s a study on the book of Nehemiah where he, as governor of Jerusalem, is likened to the Governor, the Holy Spirit, in the lives of us believers.

To quote from the online study guide by Jack Hayford, “While our eternal destiny is secured when we open to new life in Jesus Christ, our pathway of spiritual and emotional growth as a disciple is often cluttered with obstacles left over from the past.”  In other words, once you are born again, you need to have the rubble removed and be “rebuilt.”

Do those obstacles to your growth as a disciple of Jesus mean you aren’t saved after all?  No. That’s why the Holy Spirit comes to live in us when we turn our lives over to Jesus.  Restoration is a life-long process as we let Him work in us.

Each of us – the whole human race – has been damaged.  Mistreatment by others, deficiencies, sins, bad habits, and strongholds passed down from ancestors create wreckage that far exceeds our ability to help ourselves.  We need the Holy Spirit Governor to step in and rebuild our broken down walls and foundations.  And He’s an expert Builder! 

In Hayford's study, we learned that the name "Nehemiah" means “the consolation of God.”  His name is synonymous with the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.  In the same manner, the Holy Spirit focuses on establishing a capital center of righteousness in each believer.

Just as Sanballat tried to hinder the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 4 and 6), so Satan tries to hinder our cooperation with the Holy Spirit's "re-building project."  But be of good cheer: Jesus our Savior has already given us the victory!

In what areas of your life do you sense the need to be rebuilt?  Are there weak or damaged areas in you or your family that could use some rebuilding?  Ask the Holy Spirit to take over.  He will save you!  

I invite your comments or questions below; God bless you, dear reader!

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy