GIVE IT UP FOR JESUS CRUSADE
Friday, March 16, 2012 – Friday April 6, 2012
It is Lent. Most Christians habitually will give up something to celebrate the season. That “giving up something” is an act of repentance. By so doing we give a testament of our love and respect and gratitude and worship and exaltation, for Jesus.
Psychology teaches it takes three weeks to form a new habit. I’d like to challenge you, likewise, spend three weeks bringing to an end a negative habit. Break a bad habit that has become your character trait.
Jesus Christ is God the Son. God manifested himself in human form and that human form is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was born on earth. Jesus Christ came to earth. Jesus lived in human flesh. Jesus Christ died. Jesus arose from the dead. Jesus Christ got up out of the grave. Jesus Christ walked around on earth in His glorified body for the disciples (human beings) to see. Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven. Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus Christ is INTERCEEDING FOR YOU AND ME. In Jesus we become righteous!
Figuratively, journey to Good Friday. Count down from Friday March 16, 2012.
Begin the Three-Week quest to erase a bad habit that is holding you hostage. Give up that character flaw. Let Jesus take it to the cross. Give up that flaw for Jesus Christ to be able to take it away from you.
As long as you hold on tightly to it, Jesus cannot remove sin from you. Jesus is peaceful. The Lord does not force you to do anything. Pray that God would make you willing. Willingly give up that moral filth or creeping vice or sinful nuisance. Willingly put up for sale that unwanted sinful asset you have. Jesus will take it from you. Jesus will take it with Him to The Cross.
Jesus is on His way to The Cross where He will bury our sins. No more would sin hold you captive. Pack all that stuff up and hand over the luggage. Dispose of the clutter that is squeezing your soul to death. Let it go. It is not worth your eternal life. There is value to your soul. Hell was not made for you. Sin is not sweet. Sinful living should never be a way of life. There is more to you than being a vessel for evil. You are a child of God. You are light. You are the salt of the earth. You have a constant flicker of the light of Christ in you waiting to be turned on, forever.
Surrender it. Surrender! Give up anything that stands in the way of you and a relationship with Jesus. Give up everything that stands against your obedience to the Word of God. Confess those uncontrollable vices, to Jesus. Add that blemish to the list of things Jesus is taking to The Cross for you. Add your secret sin. Secret sins bring on more despicable behavior. Is secret sin robbing you blind? Do you want to stop but cannot help yourself? You have held the secret for so long you don’t see it as evil anymore. You would need to commit more ugliness to feel better. And you never would feel better. You want no one to know that you do that. But that is what you do. That is your “nice little” secret. It has become a habit squeezing you. You end up committing more sin just by trying to fill the void it leaves when you try to stop. Surrender it! Jesus can strip it away from you. Ask the Lord to help you. Let Jesus break that habit. Let Jesus free you. Jesus will add it to the list of the many stains He is taking to The Cross. Give that up for three weeks. Jesus can pardon, cleanse and forgive you. You will be able, once more, to feel at peace with yourself. Try Jesus. Give up that character trait. Give it up for three weeks. Jesus will break that habit!
To the rest of you that are not like these sinners! Pat yourself on the back, oh “pious” sinful you. What about these people?
The habitual liar, gossipmonger, slanderer. Every time you feel like spreading untruths, rumors and discord, repeat a Bible verse. “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity” (Proverbs 21:23). Give that trait up for three weeks. Watch God break that habit.
The woman with multiple lovers. To the women of the night. To the daytime-night-trick providers: Stop the supply. See how quickly the demand dwindles. Regard your body as the Temple of God. The Lord knows your every pressing need. Seek Him. He will provide and take care of you. God can strip you of evil fixations. God can turn you around. The Lord can clean you up. God’s love can make a decent woman out of you. Give up a life of prostitution and street walking. Give up a life of following big men around for small money. If you could see yourself ten years from now! That money is not worth your virtue. Give those ways up for three week. Watch God break that habit.
To those persons who brilliantly purloin; pocketing what is not yours or what you did not work for, is called stealing. The Bible says “thou shall not.” You were not created to be a thief. Cast away greed. Shed selfishness. Give it up for three week. Watch Jesus break that habit.
To the full grown man who likes to follow little girls, and teenagers. And then you boast about it. Shame on you! In the western world, you would be arrested, tried, and convicted for those offenses. You would not dare to commit them when you go to visit abroad. You would be jailed and branded a felon. You would be called a pedophile for life. Your name would be placed on every media Alert. Parents would be made aware of you. Children would be warned and they would run away when they spotted you. In the Third World you get no reprimand. Not even a slap on your wrist. But I've got news for you. The Person who oversees the “West” civilized world and the Third World, sees you. The Lord sees you! Jesus convicts you. God’s wrath is worse than anything humans could envision. God will make sure you pay for that abomination. Do not tell me the girls want money. Stop the demand for their young bodies. The supply will dwindle. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. You know better than that. Leave the little children alone. You are sick. Get help. Give up that trait for three weeks. Watch God break that habit.
People, give it up for Jesus. Watch as the Lord turns situations around. Christians give up your secret sins. Allow the Lord to take those to The Cross on Good Friday. Jesus can silence those traits forever. Jesus Christ can remove those sins forever. Christ can wipe the slate clean, forever. Jesus can make certain that those vices never resurface in your life. Give it up for Jesus. In three short weeks you could experience transformation! Begin the journey to transformation, today.
And You: So you did not see yourself in the group above. Wipe that smirk off your face. You are no better. Let’s face it, my friend. You and I are in the same sorry boat! All sin is sin. Every sin is equal to sin.
One person tells lies. One goes to medicine man for witchcraft. Another steals. One gossips. Another has child out of wedlock. One cheats on exams. One takes somebody’s husband. One person is stingy. One is a hypocrite. One person commits murder. One borrow money and doesn’t pay it back. Another looks down on people. Another is mean to people who need help. One married woman got small-boy boyfriend. Another person slanders others. Child disrespects parent. One person has jealousy buried in their heart. One engages in premarital sex. One kills somebody because you want their job. Another cut your eye at someone. Another gets involve in homosexuality. One misleads others to harm. One man leaves his wife. Another plan the downfall of somebody. One puts witch in food and invite friend over to eat. One commits adultery. One gives wrong advice to someone who trusts you. Another is a glutton. One uses curse word in every sentence. One has an abortion. One keeps speech. One crash someone’s wedding and then condemns the food. Another has multiple lovers. One offers sympathy only to call others and joyfully explain friend’s problem. Another rubs juju on her skin to attract men. One spread rumors. One “shag” live with somebody not married to. Another has hateful manners. One uses office computer to do personal work during office hours. Another is living in fornication. Another beats up his wife. One hit someone’s parked car and drives away quickly. Another sleeps with best friend husband or wife. Parent molest child. One uses voodoo to break up other’s relationship. Another files false income tax returns. One is disrespectful of people. One is an alcoholic. Another tells people private business. One resign his job to keep from paying child support.
My friend, keep adding to the list. Now you see why we are all doomed! Only Christ can help us. If not for Jesus Christ!
Begin the journey to transformation, today.
GIVE IT UP FOR JESUS
Friday, March 16, 2012 – Friday April 6, 2012.
Blessings and peace,
Hortense
P.S. Sometimes, tough love is necessary. I wish you well my friend. Enjoy your weekend.
© copyright 2012 Hortense Duarma Grimes
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