Burunche’s Blog

Acts 17:16-34 Paul Preaches in Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. 17 He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.

18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”

19 Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. 20 “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” 21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)

If you’ve ever studied ancient Greek mythology, you might wonder how any bunch of people as intelligent as the Greeks could possibly have fallen for such a line of codswallop. Encyclopedia Britannica summarizes the ancient Greek religion in this fashion:

Though the worship of the sky god Zeus began as early as the 2nd millennium by, Greek religion in the established sense began c. 750 by and lasted for over a thousand years, extending its influence throughout the Mediterranean world and beyond. The Greeks had numerous gods who controlled various natural or social forces (e.g., Poseidon the sea, Demeter the harvest, Hera marriage). Different deities were worshiped in different localities, but Homer’s epics helped create a unified religion, in which the major gods were believed to live on Mount Olympus under the rule of Zeus.

The Greeks also worshiped various gods of the countryside: Pan, nymphs, naiads, dryads, Nereids, and satyrs (see satyr and silenus), along with the Furies and the Fates. Heroes from the past, such as Heracles and Asclepius, were also venerated. Animal sacrifices were of great importance, usually made at a temple on the altar of the god. Other cultic activities included prayers, libations, processions, athletic contests, and divination, particularly through oracles and birds.

Great religious festivals included the City Dionysia at Athens and the festival of Zeus in the western Peloponnese that included the Olympic Games. Death was seen as a hateful state; the dead lived in the realm of Hades, and only heroes enjoyed Elysium. Great wrongdoers suffered in Tartarus. Mystery religions emerged to satisfy the desire for personal guidance, salvation, and immortality. Greek religion faded with the rise of Christianity and lost its last great advocate with the death of Julian in ad 363. 

In an African context, we would have called these people fetish worshipers. Yes, these people were spiritually hungry and in their hunger were worshiping real spirits; however, these spirits were some of the demons who accompanied Lucifer when he fell from heaven. One third of the angels fell along with Lucifer, allowing for plenty of demons to populate the earth. Even though some of the ideals were lofty, at the end, believers would wind up in Hades, no matter how many sacrifices, prayers, libations, athletic contests, or other acts of worship they had carried out.

Athens was not a major trading center; in fact, Athens was much more an academic community. An AI summary tells us: Athens during Paul’s time was not a wealthy economic hub. Instead, it was more akin to an academic center, similar to modern university towns like Oxford or Harvard. While it had a rich history in philosophy, arts, and politics, the city was not experiencing economic growth like other cities such as Corinth or Ephesus. The focus in Athens was primarily on intellectual pursuits rather than commercial prosperity, which influenced its cultural and social dynamics.

So Paul, one of the brightest minds ever to grace the Christian church in any age, now found himself in Athens, a place where philosophers abounded, education was prized, and many men gathered in hopes of learning something that would make sense of their lives and give them hope. How could Paul possibly reach these people effectively?

22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.

Immediately, Paul grabbed the attention of his listeners, complimenting them on their search for truth and referring to an altar that might have stood close to where he was speaking. Paul was establishing common ground, identifying with his audience. But why would anybody erect an altar to a god whom they didn’t know? AI tells us: According to the legend recorded by Diogenes Laërtius, during a plague, the Athenians released sacrificial sheep on the Areopagus. Wherever the sheep lay down, they built altars to the appropriate unknown god, believing this would appease the deity and end the plague.

 
While no intact altar with the exact inscription has been found, archaeological findings support the existence of altars dedicated to unnamed deities in ancient Athens, affirming the city’s religious practices. This altar exemplifies the Athenians’ desire to connect with the divine, even in uncertainty, and highlights the cultural and historical layers of their worship.

Paul was speaking to men who instinctively felt that their ancient Greek religion was lacking and who found it unsatisfying. Now Paul continued.

Acts 17:24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.

27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

Now Paul had the rapt attention of his audience, for he was proving that he was highly educated and conversant with traditional Greek literature. This was a direct quotation of Greek sources-likely Epimenides for the first phrase and Aratus (or possibly Cleanthes) for the second. Therefore, Paul’s usage reflects both his scholarly exposure to secular writings and his willingness to connect with his audience on common ground.

30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33 That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Resurrection? What a novel idea! Remember that the Greeks believed that once dead, always dead, and that they would all wind up in Hades unless they did something incredibly heroic. Most of the audience were realistic enough to know that they were simply ordinary people. Now Paul was offering those ordinary people the opportunity for something remarkable, eternal life with a loving Father God who had sent His own son to die for their sins. No more animal sacrifices. No more speculations about one’s eventual fate after death. Even though many in the audience clung to their ancient beliefs, some began glimpsing a new future full of hope.

Notice what Paul did not do during this meeting. Paul did not condemn the Greeks or criticize their traditional religion. Paul simply created an intellectual bond and then described a better way.

“Bob, if you don’t accept Jesus, you’re going to burn in hell!” It was 1979 at a factory in a small town in western New York. My husband found himself confronted by a coworker he later described as a “pushy Baptist.” Several times a day, this man would get in my husband’s face, confronting him with his need for Jesus. Somehow, it worked. Bob’s story is much longer than that, for he first heard the Gospel in a Sunday School at age five and later encountered Bible-believing Christians several times. But it was the “in your face” style of witness that helped turn Bob’s life around. One morning, he found himself turning back to that man and asking, “___, how do I get the Lord in my life?” That morning was the turning point. Bob received Jesus as Savior and Lord, began attending a church where he was mentored, and eventually embarked on a journey that wound up in a small village in northeastern Ghana.

Why tell this story? Believers are as individual as their DNA or their finger prints. God tailors each salvation story to the individual experiencing it. The believers in Athens required a totally different approach from the one that turned Bob around. But God knows people’s hearts and God knows what will work in each situation. May God help each of us so that when we are called upon to witness, we will do so, looking to Him for guidance.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that we are surrounded by spiritually hungry people and that You are the One who can best direct our testimonies. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Acts 4:23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John found the other disciples and told them what the Council had said.

24 Then all the believers united in this prayer:

“O Lord, Creator of heaven and earth and of the sea and everything in them— 25-26 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor King David, your servant, saying, ‘Why do the heathen rage against the Lord, and the foolish nations plan their little plots against Almighty God? The kings of the earth unite to fight against him and against the anointed Son of God!’

27 “That is what is happening here in this city today! For Herod the king, and Pontius Pilate the governor, and all the Romans—as well as the people of Israel—are united against Jesus, your anointed Son, your holy servant. 28 They won’t stop at anything that you in your wise power will let them do. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and grant to your servants great boldness in their preaching, 30 and send your healing power, and may miracles and wonders be done by the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly preached God’s message.

The new believers might have been shaking in their sandals. Peter and John have just been released after having been interrogated by Jewish religious authorities. All attempts at intimidation have failed, and the two men have returned to report to their friends. But instead of responding with fear, the group immediately breaks into shouts of praise. And these people are even begging for more holy boldness. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and grant to your servants great boldness in their preaching, 30 and send your healing power, and may miracles and wonders be done by the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

While this reaction might seem weird, remember that Jesus has already warned the disciples that they will face persecution and that they will even be cast out of the synagogues. Once more, Jesus’ prophecies are being fulfilled. But there is more. As the believers are praising and glorifying God, the Holy Spirit shakes the building, filling all who are there, and empowering them to speak even more boldly.

There’s an interesting thing about courage-the more courageously you stand, generally, the more you are inspired to continue to act courageously. Consider the situation of these believers. Religious authorities have no shortage of informers willing to give lists of names for a small fee. Many of the believers are poor or middle class, lacking any political clout. All these people have families who might suffer as a consequence of their becoming targets.; they have every reason in the world to remain silent and even to hide. And yet, the Holy Spirit emboldens these people so that they are all willing to go out to spread the Gospel, rendering themselves even more visible and more vulnerable.

In 2011 we took part in a Community Health Evangelism training program in Kansas City. Three of the other participants were Korean Christians who were seeking training in preparation for moving across the border into North Korea to witness. These men knew the risks were horrific, for only a few months previously, one North Korean believer had been run over by a bull dozer in the town square while his family was forced to watch. His crime? He showed a Christian video in the privacy of his own home.

There’s a song by Ray Bolz, “I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb,” that testifies of the sacrifices made by Christians through the centuries. We live and work in West Africa, where parts of Burkina Faso and Northern Nigeria have been decimated by Islamic terrorists attacking Christians. Innocent church goers have been slaughtered as they have gathered for worship. Now we are hearing of increased persecution of Chinese and Russian Christians. Ukraine, which is largely Christian, remains under vicious attack by the Russians. For many people gathering to worship might cost them everything, but they still come to worship and go out to tell others about Jesus. Only the Holy Spirit can give this kind of boldness. May God anoint us with His Holy Spirit so that we too will be bold to tell others about him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please anoint us with Your Holy Spirit and give us holy boldness to tell others about You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Deuteronomy 29:9-29 “Therefore, obey the terms of this covenant so that you will prosper in everything you do. All of you—tribal leaders, elders, officers, all the men of Israel—are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God. Your little ones and your wives are with you, as well as the foreigners living among you who chop your wood and carry your water. You are standing here today to enter into the covenant of the Lord your God. The Lord is making this covenant, including the curses. By entering into the covenant today, he will establish you as his people and confirm that he is your God, just as he promised you and as he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

“But you are not the only ones with whom I am making this covenant with its curses. I am making this covenant both with you who stand here today in the presence of the Lord our God, and also with the future generations who are not standing here today.

“You remember how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we traveled through the lands of enemy nations as we left. You have seen their detestable practices and their idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold. I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you—no man, woman, clan, or tribe—will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears bitter and poisonous fruit.

“Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, ‘I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart.’ This would lead to utter ruin! The Lord will never pardon such people. Instead his anger and jealousy will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will come down on them, and the Lord will erase their names from under heaven. The Lord will separate them from all the tribes of Israel, to pour out on them all the curses of the covenant recorded in this Book of Instruction.”

“Then the generations to come, both your own descendants and the foreigners who come from distant lands, will see the devastation of the land and the diseases the Lord inflicts on it. They will exclaim, ‘The whole land is devastated by sulfur and salt. It is a wasteland with nothing planted and nothing growing, not even a blade of grass. It is like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord destroyed in his intense anger.’

“And all the surrounding nations will ask, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why was he so angry?’

“And the answer will be, ‘This happened because the people of the land abandoned the covenant that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. Instead, they turned away to serve and worship gods they had not known before, gods that were not from the Lord. That is why the Lord’s anger has burned against this land, bringing down on it every curse recorded in this book. In great anger and fury the Lord uprooted his people from their land and banished them to another land, where they still live today!’

“The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.”

The Israelites are camped on the east side of the Jordan River. Moses knows that God will not allow him to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. When you read the Book of Deuteronomy, you realize that God uses Moses to repeatedly issue stern warnings in hopes that the Israelites will actually listen this time, although even as Moses is speaking, he doubts that his words will accomplish anything. Moses has been leading these people for forty years and he has no illusions about them.

Much of the Old Testament documents the disastrous moral and spiritual slide of the Israelites into oblivion. After repeated revivals under several judges and under King David, King Solomon promotes whole-scale idolatry even as he is erecting the most magnificent temple ever built. When King Solomon’s hapless son Rehoboam tries to bully the Israelites, ten tribes leave forever, leaving only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to form the Southern Kingdom. Jeroboam, the leader of the Northern Kingdom, forms his own idolatrous religion and allows gross paganism. Despite the best efforts of prophets to warn members of both kingdoms, eventually, God brings the punishment that He has already promised. The Assyrians conquer the Northern Kingdom in 722 BCE, slaughtering or carrying off most of the population of the Northern Kingdom and importing people from other areas to settle Samaria. Then in 597 BCE and 586 BCE, the Babylonians carry off citizens of Judah, destroying Jerusalem in the process. At that point, the nation of Israel appears to be completely dead; however, God is not through with Israel, not at all.

Isaiah 44:26-28 But I carry out the predictions of my prophets! By them I say to Jerusalem, people will live here again,’ and to the towns of Judah, ‘You will be rebuilt; I will restore all your ruins!’
When I speak to the rivers and say, ‘Dry up!’ they will be dry. When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’; he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”

Isaiah 45:1-4 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again. This is what the Lord says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. “And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.

Even as things are falling apart in both Israel and Judah, God is already beginning to speak about a Persian king named Cyrus who will spearhead the rebuilding of the temple and the city of Jerusalem. Is Cyrus a secret believer? Only in heaven will we know the answer to that question; however, Cyrus evidently knows the Voice of God when he hears it.

2 Chronicles 36:21-23 So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said. In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you!”

Cyrus is also quoted in Ezra 1, and there’s an itemized list of the items from Solomon’s temple that Cyrus is returning to grace the new temple in Jerusalem. Why must citizens of Judah live in Babylon 70 years before returning to Jerusalem? God wants them to experience what it’s like to live in a fully pagan society so that they will appreciate a society built on the worship of the One True Living God. Groups of Jews do return from Babylon under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, and the temple and the walls and gates of Jerusalem are rebuilt.

No matter what people do, God remains faithful and true, just in all His ways. God fulfills His promises, even when people disappoint Him. But God has no patience with a sense of entitlement. The people of both kingdoms wound up in exile because they were sure God would give them a free pass because they were His people. But when people fail to behave as God’s people, God allows them to suffer the consequences of their own actions so that they will repent.

Today, God is calling each one of us to come to Him so that He can transform our lives and our hearts. We are free to choose; however, we are not free from the consequences. When we delay or postpone following God, we are playing with fire, for who knows how long we will live? Today, let us run to God, confess our sins, and accept God’s Son Jesus as Savior and Lord.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, let all who read these words turn to You completely. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

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Deuteronomy 29:9-29 “Therefore, obey the terms of this covenant so that you will prosper in everything you do. All of you—tribal leaders, elders, officers, all the men of Israel—are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God. Your little ones and your wives are with you, as well as the foreigners living among you who chop your wood and carry your water. You are standing here today to enter into the covenant of the Lord your God. The Lord is making this covenant, including the curses. By entering into the covenant today, he will establish you as his people and confirm that he is your God, just as he promised you and as he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

“But you are not the only ones with whom I am making this covenant with its curses. I am making this covenant both with you who stand here today in the presence of the Lord our God, and also with the future generations who are not standing here today.

“You remember how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we traveled through the lands of enemy nations as we left. You have seen their detestable practices and their idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold. I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you—no man, woman, clan, or tribe—will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears bitter and poisonous fruit.

“Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, ‘I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart.’ This would lead to utter ruin! The Lord will never pardon such people. Instead his anger and jealousy will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will come down on them, and the Lord will erase their names from under heaven. The Lord will separate them from all the tribes of Israel, to pour out on them all the curses of the covenant recorded in this Book of Instruction.”

“Then the generations to come, both your own descendants and the foreigners who come from distant lands, will see the devastation of the land and the diseases the Lord inflicts on it. They will exclaim, ‘The whole land is devastated by sulfur and salt. It is a wasteland with nothing planted and nothing growing, not even a blade of grass. It is like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord destroyed in his intense anger.’

“And all the surrounding nations will ask, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why was he so angry?’

“And the answer will be, ‘This happened because the people of the land abandoned the covenant that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. Instead, they turned away to serve and worship gods they had not known before, gods that were not from the Lord. That is why the Lord’s anger has burned against this land, bringing down on it every curse recorded in this book. In great anger and fury the Lord uprooted his people from their land and banished them to another land, where they still live today!’

“The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.”

The Israelites are camped on the east side of the Jordan River. Moses knows that God will not allow him to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. When you read the Book of Deuteronomy, you realize that God uses Moses to repeatedly issue stern warnings in hopes that the Israelites will actually listen this time, although even as Moses is speaking, he doubts that his words will accomplish anything. Moses has been leading these people for forty years and he has no illusions about them.

Much of the Old Testament documents the disastrous moral and spiritual slide of the Israelites into oblivion. After repeated revivals under several judges and under King David, King Solomon promotes whole-scale idolatry even as he is erecting the most magnificent temple ever built. When King Solomon’s hapless son Rehoboam tries to bully the Israelites, ten tribes leave forever, leaving only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to form the Southern Kingdom. Jeroboam, the leader of the Northern Kingdom, forms his own idolatrous religion and allows gross paganism. Despite the best efforts of prophets to warn members of both kingdoms, eventually, God brings the punishment that He has already promised. The Assyrians conquer the Northern Kingdom in 722 BCE, slaughtering or carrying off most of the population of the Northern Kingdom and importing people from other areas to settle Samaria. Then in 597 BCE and 586 BCE, the Babylonians carry off citizens of Judah, destroying Jerusalem in the process. At that point, the nation of Israel appears to be completely dead; however, God is not through with Israel, not at all.

Isaiah 44:26-28 But I carry out the predictions of my prophets! By them I say to Jerusalem, people will live here again,’ and to the towns of Judah, ‘You will be rebuilt; I will restore all your ruins!’
When I speak to the rivers and say, ‘Dry up!’ they will be dry. When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’; he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”

Isaiah 45:1-4 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again. This is what the Lord says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. “And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.

Even as things are falling apart in both Israel and Judah, God is already beginning to speak about a Persian king named Cyrus who will spearhead the rebuilding of the temple and the city of Jerusalem. Is Cyrus a secret believer? Only in heaven will we know the answer to that question; however, Cyrus evidently knows the Voice of God when he hears it.

2 Chronicles 36:21-23 So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said. In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you!”

Cyrus is also quoted in Ezra 1, and there’s an itemized list of the items from Solomon’s temple that Cyrus is returning to grace the new temple in Jerusalem. Why must citizens of Judah live in Babylon 70 years before returning to Jerusalem? God wants them to experience what it’s like to live in a fully pagan society so that they will appreciate a society built on the worship of the One True Living God. Groups of Jews do return from Babylon under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, and the temple and the walls and gates of Jerusalem are rebuilt.

No matter what people do, God remains faithful and true, just in all His ways. God fulfills His promises, even when people disappoint Him. But God has no patience with a sense of entitlement. The people of both kingdoms wound up in exile because they were sure God would give them a free pass because they were His people. But when people fail to behave as God’s people, God allows them to suffer the consequences of their own actions so that they will repent.

Today, God is calling each one of us to come to Him so that He can transform our lives and our hearts. We are free to choose; however, we are not free from the consequences. When we delay or postpone following God, we are playing with fire, for who knows how long we will live? Today, let us run to God, confess our sins, and accept God’s Son Jesus as Savior and Lord.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, let all who read these words turn to You completely. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.