The plan of salvation is so simple. It is so easy that young children can comprehend it. Unfortunately, sometimes it gets complicated and not explained in the straight forward easy way that Christ designed.
The easiest way I can explain it is how my little five-year-old daughter came to accept Christ in her heart. We were on our way to drop her off at her Pre-K class. Every morning she prayed before we arrived. Her prayers were just adorable. It made me smile.
“Dear Jesus, help me to be a good girl. Help me not to pee in my pants. Help me to clean up my center. Amen.”
If something happened at school that day, she would add it to her prayer the next morning.
“Dear Jesus, help me to be a good girl. Help me not to pee in my pants. Help me to clean up my center. Help me not to play guns. Amen.”
The next day, “Dear Jesus, help me to be a good girl. Help me not to pee in my pants. Help me to clean up my center. Help me not to play guns. Help me not get my name on the board. Amen.”
When I would pick her up, she would bounce into the van exclaiming how Jesus had helped her that day. Her innocent, unbendable faith was such a lesson for me.
One morning, we were headed to school, and right in the middle of her prayer, she asked me how did Jesus know how to help her. I explained that Jesus lives in our hearts, and asked her if Jesus lived in her heart. She said no, and expressed that she wanted to have Jesus live in her heart.
Being that her morning school prayer, and the “thank you for this food” prayer was all she knew, she said, “Mommy, can you help me pray it, ‘cause I don’t know what to say.”
I said, “Sure, honey. You repeat after me.”
I then prayed a prayer asking God to help me to pray in the simplest form. We started with her repeating each word.
“Dear, Jesus, I want you to come live in my heart. Help me to be a good girl. I don’t want to do bad things anymore. I love you, Jesus, and thank you for living in my heart.”
Tears fell as I heard her little voice, and glanced back to see her head down, her hands clasped, and the serious expression on her adorable face. After we finished, she looked up with shining eyes.
“Oh, Mommy, I’m so glad Jesus lives in my heart. That means he is with me all the time.”
I have had the pleasure of watching her put her complete hope in Jesus Christ.
Jesus gives us two simply spoken scriptures. They clearly state how to become a Christian.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 NLT
Believe. Ask. Receive. It is straightforward, direct, and complete with instant forgiveness. That is simple salvation.
Copyright 2008 Michelle Rocker
6/30/10
6/24/10
My Accuser
Why did I keep coming back? Why did I come here? Day after day I showed up knowing she would be here, accusing me. She would always be here, and I was unable to stay away. But today it was going to be different. I was going to let her know that God had forgiven me. I was going to face her.
”You,” she snarled while pointing her finger down at me. “Look at you. Who do you think you are? Look at me!”
I started shaking, incapable of looking up. She knew everything. All the horrible things I had ever done. She knew the worst about me, the BIG thing. She was not the type of woman to hold her tongue. She pierced my heart and spirit quicker then anyone else could.
”I saw you went to church the other day. What gives you the right to go there? Oh, and you volunteered to help out? Who would want your help? If they knew what kind of person you were, they would never let you do a single thing. I know what kind of person you are. The kind of person who screwed up! How could you do that? You are stupid, a complete idiot. Look at yourself. You can’t even look at me.”
I backed away. I could not listen anymore, but she was in my thoughts, her words pounded in my brain.
“Yeah, and you are supposed to be a Christian? Some Christian you are. You say that God forgave you. Uh huh, sure he did,” she snarled sarcastically.
I worked up my courage to speak. I hated the way she made me feel like a complete wimp. “Well, God d-d-did f-f-forgive me. It says so in his w-w-word.”
”Oh, I s-s-see!” She mimicked. My whole face turned red with embarrassment.
”Then why won’t you look at me,” she taunted. “You don’t even know who I am anymore, or who you are, do you?”
”Yes, I know who I am!” My whole body trembled, but I knew it was time. Time to face her and stand my ground. God had forgiven me. I sent a quick prayer toward heaven, took a deep breath, and began to speak with my eyes shut, my fist clenched.
”I am God’s child. In Him, I am a new creation. I’m not same girl that you accuse me of being. I asked God to forgive me and He threw my sin away into the sea of his forgetfulness. He remembers it no more. Only you remember! He doesn’t. It’s over.”
Silence. Where was she? I swallowed and opened my eyes. She had not uttered a word. As I raised my head, tears began pouring from my eyes. I looked into her face. She was crying too! No, that was me, crying. I was facing myself in a mirror. It had been me the whole time. I was the accuser, my own worst enemy.
I smiled at my reflection. Yes, I am the daughter of the Most High. My heart is clean and I can stand with my head high and a smile on my face. The guilt—that is what always makes me hang my head, but no more. I stand here knowing no stain remains of my sin. I stand here pure, confident, forgiven.
Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean. Count yourself lucky—God holds nothing against you and you’re holding nothing back from him. When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.” Suddenly the pressure was gone—my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
~Psalms 32:1-5 MSG
*Copyright 2003 Michelle Rocker
”You,” she snarled while pointing her finger down at me. “Look at you. Who do you think you are? Look at me!”
I started shaking, incapable of looking up. She knew everything. All the horrible things I had ever done. She knew the worst about me, the BIG thing. She was not the type of woman to hold her tongue. She pierced my heart and spirit quicker then anyone else could.
”I saw you went to church the other day. What gives you the right to go there? Oh, and you volunteered to help out? Who would want your help? If they knew what kind of person you were, they would never let you do a single thing. I know what kind of person you are. The kind of person who screwed up! How could you do that? You are stupid, a complete idiot. Look at yourself. You can’t even look at me.”
I backed away. I could not listen anymore, but she was in my thoughts, her words pounded in my brain.
“Yeah, and you are supposed to be a Christian? Some Christian you are. You say that God forgave you. Uh huh, sure he did,” she snarled sarcastically.
I worked up my courage to speak. I hated the way she made me feel like a complete wimp. “Well, God d-d-did f-f-forgive me. It says so in his w-w-word.”
”Oh, I s-s-see!” She mimicked. My whole face turned red with embarrassment.
”Then why won’t you look at me,” she taunted. “You don’t even know who I am anymore, or who you are, do you?”
”Yes, I know who I am!” My whole body trembled, but I knew it was time. Time to face her and stand my ground. God had forgiven me. I sent a quick prayer toward heaven, took a deep breath, and began to speak with my eyes shut, my fist clenched.
”I am God’s child. In Him, I am a new creation. I’m not same girl that you accuse me of being. I asked God to forgive me and He threw my sin away into the sea of his forgetfulness. He remembers it no more. Only you remember! He doesn’t. It’s over.”
Silence. Where was she? I swallowed and opened my eyes. She had not uttered a word. As I raised my head, tears began pouring from my eyes. I looked into her face. She was crying too! No, that was me, crying. I was facing myself in a mirror. It had been me the whole time. I was the accuser, my own worst enemy.
I smiled at my reflection. Yes, I am the daughter of the Most High. My heart is clean and I can stand with my head high and a smile on my face. The guilt—that is what always makes me hang my head, but no more. I stand here knowing no stain remains of my sin. I stand here pure, confident, forgiven.
Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean. Count yourself lucky—God holds nothing against you and you’re holding nothing back from him. When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.” Suddenly the pressure was gone—my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
~Psalms 32:1-5 MSG
*Copyright 2003 Michelle Rocker
6/22/10
God's Math
I ran a daycare out of my home during my twenties. I had my son and six other boys I watched full-time. One of the boys, Douglas was three years old. He was struggling with potty training. One day, I could tell he desperately needed to use the bathroom.
I said, “Douglas, do you have to go number one or number two?”
He looked up at me quizzically, so I explained what that meant. His whole countenance lit up with understanding.
He proudly announced, “I have to go number six!”
We aren’t much different then Douglas. We think we understand the math, but God shakes his head.
We exclaim, “I got it!” but we don’t.
In Matthew 17, we read about a desperate father who falls to His knees at Jesus feet, and begs Jesus to heal his demon-possessed son. Jesus’ disciples had not been able to heal him.
Jesus said, “What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." (Luke 17:18-19, The Message).
Jesus then commanded the demon to come out and it was gone. Later in private the disciples asked him why they couldn’t heal the boy.
Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Luke 17:20-21, NIV).
A mustard seed is about the same size as the periods in a sentence. Jesus says it just takes that tiny, miniscule amount of faith to move a mountain. While it adds up in Jesus mind, I confess that I am confused by the visual mathematics. Mustard seed of faith = a mountain moved. What? We think our faith has to equal the mountain of the situation. God says it only takes a mustard seed to move the mountain. Don’t worry about the math. Grasp that mustard seed then stand back and watch God move the mountain. Then see your faith grow.
*Copyright 2008 Michelle Rocker
I said, “Douglas, do you have to go number one or number two?”
He looked up at me quizzically, so I explained what that meant. His whole countenance lit up with understanding.
He proudly announced, “I have to go number six!”
We aren’t much different then Douglas. We think we understand the math, but God shakes his head.
We exclaim, “I got it!” but we don’t.
In Matthew 17, we read about a desperate father who falls to His knees at Jesus feet, and begs Jesus to heal his demon-possessed son. Jesus’ disciples had not been able to heal him.
Jesus said, “What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." (Luke 17:18-19, The Message).
Jesus then commanded the demon to come out and it was gone. Later in private the disciples asked him why they couldn’t heal the boy.
Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Luke 17:20-21, NIV).
A mustard seed is about the same size as the periods in a sentence. Jesus says it just takes that tiny, miniscule amount of faith to move a mountain. While it adds up in Jesus mind, I confess that I am confused by the visual mathematics. Mustard seed of faith = a mountain moved. What? We think our faith has to equal the mountain of the situation. God says it only takes a mustard seed to move the mountain. Don’t worry about the math. Grasp that mustard seed then stand back and watch God move the mountain. Then see your faith grow.
*Copyright 2008 Michelle Rocker
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