We at Garden of Hope love life and believe in providing compassionate care to support your physical, emotional, and relational needs. But, we would be leaving something very important out if we didn’t provide for spiritual needs too.
We all have a deep longing to understand the reason for our existence and where real hope comes from. Have you ever heard the difference between religion and relationship with God? Religion sometimes feels like a set of rules you are required to follow or good moral teaching. Some people think they are good enough and others never feel like they are good enough. People have been forced to go to church and it didn’t feel like love. Others don’t have any type of faith upbringing or you did and you have walked away. No matter your story, be assured that the Bible tells us that we were created by God who is a good and perfect Father that loves us. He designed each of us wonderfully and uniquely from any other person and in the likeness of His image. We all were born with a physical body and given the gift of life made to reflect Him, His love, and character. But because we were given the freedom to choose and the first man Adam was deceived into going against God’s way, the fall of the world happened and we each have inherited a broken and sinful nature. We can often relate to and understand this brokenness just by realizing our own thoughts and the way it can be difficult at times to control the way we think. Or, we lack self-control with our actions and habits. We’ve been hurt and we hurt people.
But, because of God’s love and plan from the beginning; He made a way that we could have a second chance – in fact many second chances. He didn’t make us to live perfectly like robots but He designed us to have the freedom to turn toward Him, know Him, and have a working and life-changing relationship with Him. It is like the best father and child relationship you could imagine. This might sound a little “crazy”! But keep reading because the God who made us is not crazy but is rather described as orderly and is more unimaginable and full of justice and at the same time full of compassion, steadfast love, and faithfulness to His people.
So, this life-changing relationship is found through hearing the Good News with our hearts and believing it! Are you in need of some good news? It’s been around for over 2000 years now but we don’t hear it and share it enough. And, sadly, many people take it for granted. It truly is the BEST NEWS of ALL!
The Good News is better realized when we first begin with describing the bad news. I touched on it already but to give more detail the Bible says that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Not one of us is righteous. We all like sheep have gone astray. Our sin separates us from God and the wages of sin is death. We see the effects of this sin through the wrong done against us, our own personal sin done in our thoughts and actions, the dysfunction of family relationships, and so much more all around us.
The Good and Greatest News is that God loves us and knows us. He had a plan from the beginning that He would send His one and only begotten Son Jesus Christ to be born as a baby (like you and me). He lived a perfect life on earth (unlike you and me). He fed, healed, taught, and forgave people and showed many miracles. Then, He gave up His life on a cross. In doing so – He was tortured, beaten, and severely suffered. He took upon Himself my sin and your sin and all of the painful grief that is related to it – receiving the full punishment for the sin of the world. He came to be the perfect and holy sacrifice for me and you. He Who knew no sin, became sin.
Then in three days, He rose from the dead! And by the same power Jesus was brought back to life, He offers us eternal forgiveness and newness of life. So, we first were given a physical birth – not by our choice. And through Jesus we are given the freedom to choose a new spiritual birth. This is the best and most important decision we get to make with our lives – to believe in the Name of Jesus and be born again.
The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life. The Bible says that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is LORD and believe in our hearts that Christ Jesus raised from the dead – that we would be saved.
Has anyone ever invited you to trust Jesus as your LORD and Savior? Have you accepted His free gift of forgiveness and a restored life? Why would you not accept such a gift?
We at Garden of Hope Ministries are not ones to pressure but to tell, offer, and invite. It is the greatest news on earth to share! May all people know that He died for each of us personally and also globally for the sin of the world. When we understand that we are forgiven, He gives us the power to forgive others. He gently pursues each of us like only a loving Father would and wants us to have real hope and trust in His promises.
If these words are speaking to your heart, you can pray right now. You don’t have to understand everything. Just say a simple prayer with simple faith like a child in the all-powerful God to begin a new or renewed personal relationship with Him.
Pray: Father God I believe you are who you say you are. I believe in you Jesus that you died and rose to forgive me of my sin and offer me eternal life. By faith, I trust you and turn to you and accept you as my LORD and Savior. Help me to know my sin, to confess it, and turn away from it and to know that you care. Help me to live for you and with you by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Congratulations if you just prayed that prayer! Now you are no longer separated from God. It doesn’t mean here on this fallen earth you will live perfectly or not have any struggles. But, now He gives you the gift of His Spirit to help you to walk in this new relationship with Him no longer bound by your old nature. And, when He returns again as He has promised to do or if we pass before He returns we can have the assurance of going to Heaven and one day live on the New Earth where there will be no more pain, sin, sickness, or death.
To grow in your understanding, It is helpful to spend time studying the Bible with others that have known Jesus longer than you. It has been said that there are over 3000 promises in His Word that when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. He changes us from the inside out. In Him, we are given new purpose and identity with a different reason to love, live, and forgive. We should want others to know Him too.
WE would be happy to hear if today you decided to trust Jesus in your heart or if you have questions or comments.
Where love grows hope 