Most of us who have come to know Jesus still have sins we are dealing with. Unfortunately, some just continue to sin with no remorse and justify their actions. How often do you stop and really think about the sacrifice Jesus made for your salvation? He left His home in Glory to enter this sin-filled world to provide us with the only way to salvation. He willingly allowed Himself to be arrested on phony charges and to be tried in a kangaroo court.

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11).

He was found guilty at that unlawful trial and beaten beyond recognition. He wasn’t crucified for His own sin (He had no sin) but was crucified for your sin and mine. He gave His all to save humanity from the sin that condemns us to Hell. Today we don’t give a lot of thought about spending eternity in Hell, but it is a real place with real pain and eternal suffering. It makes sense that when someone does something for you that you cannot do for yourself, you feel grateful. Jesus saved us from eternal death in the Lake of Fire. Only He could do that, so shouldn’t we all be grateful? You cannot work to repay Him for His perfect love, but we can show our gratitude. How can you thank Jesus? The only way to show our gratitude is to surrender our lives to Him.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).

Sin is a heavy weight to bear. If you are prone to telling lies, then you have to remember your lies and lie some more to cover up the previous lies. If you steal, you will face prison time. If you are sexually permissive, there’s disease that comes with that sin. Life lived in sin is a heavy burden. Why not surrender your life to Christ? You’ll be happier and healthier if you follow Him. You’ll also be doing the only thing that allows you to say, “Thank You, Jesus.”

Judson W. VanDeVenter felt the pull at his heart to surrender his life to Jesus. He was an art teacher who was also a talented musician. He loved the Lord, and friends encouraged him to leave teaching and work full-time for the Lord. After much consideration, he decided to surrender to Jesus. He left teaching to become an evangelist, and he also wrote hymns. One of his most well-known hymns is “I Surrender All.”

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

One day when Jesus was walking along with His disciples, a rich young man came running up to Him. He knew Jesus was a man who taught truth. The young man was concerned about his eternity and asked Jesus what he could do to inherit eternal life. The young man was of the mindset that he had to work for salvation. Of course, this happened before the cross. Jesus reminded him of the commandments.

“Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy Father and mother” (Mark 10:19).

These commandments all concerned human interaction. The young man was very pleased to say that he had kept these commandments since childhood.

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me” (Mark 10:21).

We all have things we just can’t let go. Not all of the things we hold tight are material; some of these things are attitudes, lifestyles, or words we use. Are you filled with pride? Do you gossip? Do you use foul language? Examine your life and see what you need to surrender to Jesus. We are saved by our faith, but our walk and fellowship with Christ is closer if we surrender our sin to Him. You might even find that you have a talent, like Mr. VanDeVenter, and find a way to use your talent to glorify God.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at his feet I bow.
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

Jesus showed us the way to be humble. It’s important that we humble ourselves before Him and allow Him to shape our life and attitude. We need to learn humility.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

One of the downfalls of humanity is craving worldly pleasure. It goes back to the Garden of Eden. When Eve had a chat with the serpent, he convinced her that God didn’t want her to eat the forbidden fruit because by eating it, she and Adam would be as gods.

“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).

In truth, God was protecting them from eternal death. Adam and Eve ate the fruit and were expelled from the Garden. God was right, and the serpent was wrong. We aren’t like gods, but death has been our enemy ever since. That’s why Christ entered His creation and gave His life. There will come a time when God will be recognized as sovereign by all.

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11).

It is much wiser to bow before Him now and confess that He is God rather than wait for judgment day. Surrender all to Him.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that thou art mine.

When we surrender everything to Jesus, we haven’t lost anything. We may think that if we stop living a worldly lifestyle, we will lose our worldly friends. It’s true; that could happen. You might also be the example that your friends need to give their lives to Christ. Worldly ways come with a price.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Salvation only comes through Jesus, and when you make an honest confession of faith, the Holy Spirit is sealed within you. Although salvation is much more than a feeling, there are times when it’s good to “feel” saved. Those times usually come when we have done something to please God, such as saying no to sin, or when we’ve witnessed to someone who needed to hear the Gospel. The closer we walk with Jesus, the more we feel the Holy Spirit.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to thee,
Fill me with thy love and power,
Let thy blessing fall on me.

I know that I’ve truly accepted Jesus, and I pray that His power will dwell in me. I would love to have the discernment to know if someone needs to hear the Gospel message and then be brave enough to start a conversation that leads someone to Christ. Fear is what stops me, and that fear needs to be surrendered to Jesus. I know I’m not alone. Many people hide behind gimmicks hoping a lost soul will get God’s message without actually hearing the Gospel.

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14).

Use words to share the Gospel, and let Jesus lead the conversation. It will be a blessing to you and also to the one with whom you share the Gospel.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to his name.

It would have been an amazing thing to be with the disciples on the day of Pentecost.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1).

Just being with like-minded believers is a blessing, but what was about to happen was incredible.

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:2-3).

What joy they must have felt. Peter was there. Peter had denied knowing Jesus, but then Jesus met him on the shores of Galilee and restored his position with the others. Peter felt the forgiveness and love of Jesus deeply. Even though Peter had walked with Jesus for 3 years, he hadn’t surrendered his life to Christ. It was after Peter surrendered his life to Jesus that he was able to serve Christ. It was Peter who stood up that day of Pentecost and put any lingering fear behind him. He spoke a sermon that was neither politically correct nor seeker friendly. It was to the point and touched the souls of at least 3,000 people. What joy there must have been in Jerusalem that day! We can only feel that joy when we surrender all to Jesus.

I surrender all,
I surrender all,
All to thee my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

What are you holding back? Think of the joy you’re missing out on by holding on to things that hamper your walk with our Lord. Surrender it all to Him.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

Israel has always been a unique nation. It was established by God, but its history is filled with many ups and downs. When they obey God, they prosper. When they rebel, things aren’t good. Even in rebellion, God never deserts them. They had strong leaders in Moses and Joshua. These men led them from captivity and conquered the land that God had promised to Abraham forever. God’s plan was that He would be their King, and they would prosper. After they settled in the land God promised them, there were disputes. Instead of a human king to rule over them, God raised up judges, but the people eventually demanded a king.

Samuel was a prophet and a godly man who served God faithfully. His sons weren’t as honorable as their father. “And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment” (1 Samuel 8:1-3).

Samuel served God, but his sons weren’t honorable men. Still, they became judges over Israel. There had been judges for many years but no king. Judges and kings are human, and unless God is looked to as the ultimate King, there will always be failure of nations. The rule of the judges was a time when Israel rebelled. “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

That same attitude seems to be governing our world today. The people were fed up with the evil in their land, and today in America, the people are getting fed up with the corruption.

The people in Israel approached Samuel with their dissatisfaction “And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:6). The people went to Samuel, another human, asking him to make them a king, but they should have gone before God, then waited for His answer. People haven’t changed much over the many centuries since that time. Instead of wanting a king just like the nations, they should have desired for God to be their King.

History is a good teacher if we pay attention. We forget to consult God when we choose our leaders. Samuel wasn’t happy with the people, but he did turn to God. He felt that he had been rejected. “And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7).

God should have been their King, but the people rejected Him. God gave them what they deserved: Saul. He looked good… tall, dark and handsome, but those aren’t qualifications for a God-fearing leader. If the people had been patient and waited, God would have provided a godly king. That’s really what causes most of our problems in life. We try to solve our problems by our own efforts in our own time.

The people demanded a king, and Saul was selected. He wasn’t the best leadership material. He had mood swings and was a violent man who couldn’t lead his army with competence. Not the best choice for king. In addition to that, he was a Benjamite. The Kings were to come from the Tribe of Judah, so he was wrong on every point. It was a young boy from the tribe of Judah named David whom God had chosen for their king. David was the youngest son of Jesse, and a shepherd. God was preparing him for leadership, but it would be many years until he was skilled in fighting enemy armies and leading the nation of Israel. God allowed Saul to be king until David was ready.

David was a great king, and his heart was humble. He was far from perfect, but when sin was brought to his attention, he didn’t try to justify his actions. He turned to God in humble repentance. “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightiest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Psalm 51:3-4).

David had committed more than one great sin. He lusted after a married woman named Bathsheba, and she became pregnant by him. Her husband was a very loyal member of David’s army, and David made sure he was put in a position in battle where he would be killed. The sin was great and worthy of David’s death. At least David didn’t have the baby murdered in the womb. When his sins were brought to his attention, David was broken. He realized that he could lose the closeness he had with God. That’s when he went before the Lord and acknowledged his sin. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

How do you react when you sin? Do you just keep on sinning and justify your actions? Or do you go before the Lord, repent, and then turn away from sin? David ran the very real risk of losing his salvation. Christians are sealed with the Holy Spirit, but David lived before the Cross, and his salvation could be lost. He loved the Lord, but he understood the seriousness of his sin. He repented and was forgiven.

Brothers and sisters, do you acknowledge the sin in your life and go to God for forgiveness? “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). God loves us and will forgive all sin, but then we need to turn away from our sin.

David and Bathsheba’s baby was born in very poor health. David had mourned deeply as the baby struggled for life. David fasted and prayed and mourned. Then the child died. “Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat” (2 Samuel 12:20). King David did what was right. He sought God while the child was alive, but when the baby died, David cleaned himself up and went “…into the house of the LORD, and worshipped…”

Again, here’s a lesson to be learned. Pray fervently while we can, but when God’s answer isn’t what we prayed for, it’s important to make ourselves presentable and worship the Lord. Never blame or accuse God.

Bathsheba was also in mourning for her son. “And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him” (2 Samuel 12:24).

Time passed, and eventually Solomon became king over Israel. Solomon began his reign as a God-fearing monarch, and God granted Solomon wisdom. “And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom” (1 Kings 4:32-34).

Solomon had a father he could look up to and use as an example of a godly man and king, but Solomon didn’t follow David’s example of worshipping God and wasn’t a good steward of God’s blessings. Solomon made many mistakes, such as marrying pagan wives and building them pagan places of worship. He never forgot God, but he never honored God in the way David did. Solomon did do some very good things, such as building the Temple, which David had desired to build for God.

God was pleased with Solomon’s efforts, but He had a warning and a promise for Solomon, the Jewish nation, and for Christians. The warning was for all of God’s people. “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

God’s blessings are all around us, but there are troubles too. Natural disasters, famine, and more. God wants us to turn from the wickedness of our daily life. If all of God’s people would turn from wickedness and turn to God, we would be amazed at the blessings we would receive.

Sin is out of control within Christian congregations. Just like Samuel’s sons, authority is being abused, and God’s truth is being perverted and rejected. Many congregations today take pride in accepting sexual sin within the congregation and leadership. Read the first chapter of Romans to see what God thinks of rejecting Him as the Creator. The lie of evolution isn’t a minor issue. The punishment is homosexuality. It’s a sin to participate but also a sin to accept it as normal. Take a look at the nations that are on the verge of collapse, and ask yourself whether we should turn from our wicked ways. The answer is “Yes”!

I listen to news reports, and there are some encouraging things happening. Men who think they are women are being stopped from competing in women’s sports, many states are coming against abortion, and some states are requiring the 10 Commandments to be posted in public schools as well as Bible study. This is a start, but Christians need to get behind these laws. We need to stand strong for our Lord and King, Jesus. America will soon have elections to choose leaders. We must vote for candidates who support Biblical truth.

Saul was given an amazing blessing from God, but he didn’t appreciate it and was very much like the world in his attitude. David honored God, and even when troubled times came, he praised God. When he failed, he didn’t treat his sin lightly or cover it up but humbly repented. Solomon was blessed by God with wisdom. He didn’t use his gift wisely and was very dissatisfied with life. His riches and wives didn’t bring the contentment that his father David found in serving the Lord.

There is a greater King. “I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:13-16).

All praise and honor to our King, Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Christians should learn a lesson from these accounts. God wants the best for each of us, but it might be that we want our way, and we want it now. We can see the result of everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. God’s truth must be first. God wants His best for us and will give it in His perfect time. When we pray, we need to listen to His answer and be content. It’s good to present our desires to God, but we need to be patient.

Israel wanted a king like the nations had. Those kings were pagan, idol worshippers who didn’t know the True God. We need to turn away from the world and only worship God Almighty. Jesus needs to be the King of our life. The world around us is getting darker and darker with wickedness and evil. Jesus is the Light. Live your life according to the Gospel. The world cannot understand God’s truth, so we need to shine brighter than the darkness. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Let the Gospel shine in you, and don’t let Satan make you blind.

Who do you want to rule over you? A fallible human who is only trying to please the world, or do you want the King of kings to reign? Jesus will soon call Christians Home to live eternally with Him. You would be wise to let Him be King of your life today.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.