God called King David: “a man after mine own heart” (Acts 13:22; KJV), and yet David committed adultery and had the husband of the woman involved (Bathsheba) killed (2 Sam.11). However, David recognized his sin and repented and God forgave him (2 Sam 12) and used David mightily. Saul (Paul) said he was the worst of sinners (1 Tim 1:15) and yet God used him to evangelize much of the known world at that time and to write a large portion of the New Testament of the Bible.

As Christians we have been forgiven and made righteous by Christs sacrifice on the cross (Col 1:14; 2 Cor 5:21); we are no longer sinners. We should no longer willfully continue to sin (1 John 3:6) but we will slip and sin; however, if we repent and ask forgiveness God is quick to forgive us (1 John 1:8-2:2).

Don’t be condemned, be encouraged; none of us are perfect, but God in his mercy is perfecting us day by day (Phil 1:6). If there is an area of your life that is causing you to be tempted remember that God can help you; Romans 8:37 tells us that we are: "more than conquerors THROUGH HIM that loved us."

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We need to Close our eyes, imagine God right in front of us, imagine him holding our chins and directing our eyes to look right into his eyes and he says to us, Son, Daughter: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my  righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10; KJV).

Wow, that brings tears to my eyes. When God says I am he means it; when God says I will, he will. Fear not, cast every care on him (1 Peter 5:7). God is greater than anything that can come against us (1 John 4:4). He is our strength (Isaiah 40:31) and help in time of trouble (Ps 91:15).

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He who feareth is not made perfect in love” (John 4:18). If we have perfect love it removes fear from our lives! Wow, sounds like one of those impossible heights to reach. However, if we read the context of John 4:18 (John 4:15-17), we see that the perfect love of God dwells in us!

So, imagine God’s mighty arm of righteousness around you and his perfect love in you. Now confess: there is no fear here. O dear Lord, you have preached me happy, time to run around my office again.

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“Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded” (John 13:3-5; KJV).

Humility is so important in our Christian Walk. “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). However, our passage from John 13 shows more than the humility of Jesus. It shows a major, necessary characteristic of a leader, that of having a servant’s heart. For me, the most wonderful part of this passage; however, is the illustration of the confidence Jesus had in his relationship with his Father. He could humble himself in a way that must have amazed his disciples. He could do this because he was so secure in himself, knowing who he was and the relationship, love and support he enjoyed in our God.

We love people but our security must be in God; he will never let us down (Heb 13:5). With our focus on him and our confidence in our relationship with him, Just like Jesus, we can do all things (Phil 4:13); we can walk as Jesus did.

In Acts 2:21 (KJV) we read: “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” To become a Christian you must be born again or saved (John 3:1-6). Sin in our life causes our spirit to die and breaks our fellowship with God (Rom 6:23; Rom 3:23). Christ died as a sacrifice for our sins (Rom 5:8), he paid the price, we are washed by his blood (Heb 9:14). The way through the veil into fellowship with God has been restored. If we ask Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior God gives us a new spirit (heart; Rom 10:9-10); this is salvation, the new birth or being born again.

If you study out the word salvation; however, it means so much more than spiritual rebirth, restored fellowship and forgiveness. The Greek word for salvation is an all-encompassing word and includes healing, preservation, safety, rescue, liberation, deliverance, soundness, restoration, prosperity, happiness and general well-being. Our God is a good God who loves us and wants to walk and talk with us (Gen 3:8). 

Long ago there lived a lady servant of a wealthy family. She became too old to work and had to retire. Her employers gave her a home and a beautiful document that she had framed and put away safely in a drawer. She then lived out her days in abject poverty as she had no money to live on. When she died, her friends found the framed document, it indicated that her employers had set aside a pension fund for her to meet all her needs the rest of her days. The old lady could not read and never took advantage of her ex-master’s love and generosity.

We can read, lets press into God’s word and enjoy salvation, be all he wants us to be, do all he has for us to do.

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“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man PRESSETH INTO it” (Luke 16:16; KJV). “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt. 11:12).  

So, who are the “violent men”? We are. These verses speak of an urgency and a passion in following after God and I believe this urgency is birthed in prayer. The apostle Paul also talked about pressing in. In Philippians 3:12-14, he told us that he was pressing in to win the prize and he then encouraged us to do the same thing. People who are seriously training for any kind of athletic event will give it all they've got to win the prize and that is how we need to be about pressing in to God.

We need to be aware of the warnings Jesus gave to the lukewarm church at Laodicea in the book of Revelations: “I know thy works, that they are neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth”.

If we are going to make an impact on our society, our Christianity cannot be halfhearted.