A Full Solar Eclipse
Have you ever experienced a full solar eclipse? In such an eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking out all or part of the sun for up to about three hours, with the moon completely blocking the sun creating total darkness for about two minutes and forty seconds (nasa.gov). The last time the U.S. saw a total eclipse was in 2017 and the one before was in 1979.
Darkness at Noon
The Bible tells us about another day where it was about noon and darkness covered the land until three in the afternoon because the sun stopped shining. (Luke 23:44-45a) On that day, Jesus Christ hung on a cross, bearing the sins of every person throughout all time. As he bore our sin, God could not look upon his own son as he suffered for you and for me. In that moment, God turned his back on his son.
As a mother with a 25 year old son, there is no way I could ever turn my back on my child and certainly not in his biggest moment of pain and suffering. Yet, God did because he loves you and me enough that no matter what sin we may have committed or currently are involved in, He wanted to have a relationship with us. Our sin, however, keeps us separated from Him because He is Holy. Jesus willingly endured the torture of the cross and willingly gave His life to pay the penalty for our sin.
The wages of sin is death and eternal darkness
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Our sin has consequences and there is a price to be paid for it. Just as you are paid a wage for the work you do each week, God has a paycheck to give you for the sins you commit and that paycheck is…death.
Before sin entered the world, people would not have died. Death is the consequence of sin. But not just physical death. There is also spiritual death in that when you physically die without accepting Jesus a your Savior, you experience eternal darkness, torment, and separation from God in Hell. God never sends a person to hell. Every person that ends up in hell chooses hell by rejecting Jesus. So, if you have not placed your faith in trust in Jesus – you are on your to hell. But don’t panic yet!
Good News! There is an alternative to death and eternal darkness
There is good news! Jesus took payment we earned on himself in our place. Jesus’s death on the cross covered our sin debt and because he died in our place, he is able to offer us the gift of eternal life. If I hold in my hand a beautifully wrapped present and extend my hand to you, how does the gift become yours? It is a gift, because you did nothing to earn it. And if you pay me for it, it ceases to become a gift. There is only one way the gift can become yours. You must reach out and accept it.
It’s your choice as to what you will do with the gift of eternal life and only you can make that choice. Infant baptism or any other kind of baptism can’t save you. Having a father who is preacher won’t get you out of going to hell. You can’t do enough good works to earn your want into heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) He is the way into heaven as we accept the truth about who He is and the truth of our sinfulness. When we accept His free gift, we then experience an abundant and eternal life in His presence in Heaven.
How do you receive the free gift of eternal life and escape death and eternal darkness?
How do you accept the free gift of eternal life? You must receive it by faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and it’s not of yourselves: It is the gift of God: not of works, so nobody can boast.”
You begin by acknowledging that you have a sin problem. Romans 3:23 say, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That little word “all, “means you. It means me. It means every single person that has ever lived with the exception of Christ. Because Jesus lived a sinless life, He was able to offer His life in place of ours.
Ephesians 2:1-3 says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” Deserving of God’s wrath. Our problem is sin.
Our problem is sin, but there is an answer
Like any other problem, there is an answer. Ephesians 2:4-10 gives the answer. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
The Answer to our Sin Problem is Jesus
The answer to our sin problem is God’s grace extended to us through the death, burial and resurrection of his only son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 tells why God allowed Jesus to die for us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God loves all of us. It doesn’t matter what color skin we have, what our past looks like or what our present life looks like. It doesn’t matter how “big” your sin is because we are the only ones that puts value on sin. To God, a little small sin as just as big as the worst sin you can think of.
Sin is sin and only one sin will keep you from eternal life. But because of his love and grace, he allowed his Son to take the punishment we deserve. The Bible says, “Christ died for our sins…and rose (from the dead) on the third day” (1 Corinthian 15:3,4). “But God showed His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) It also tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us so that we can be made righteous in the sight of God and this is what makes eternal life possible.
God’s Extravagant Gift Requires a Response
Just as the only way you could possess a wrapped present from me is to reach out and take it, there also has to be a response from you towards the gift that God offers you. You reach out and accept His gift of eternal life by acknowledging your sin, asking him to forgive you of your sin and placing your faith and trust in Christ alone. Acts16:31 tells us, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” In John 6:47, Jesus said, “Truthfully I say unto you, He that believes on Me has everlasting life.
For Christians, I hope the next time you experience an eclipse it will serve as a reminder to you of what it cost Christ for your gift of eternal life. For non-Christians, I hope you will think of this moment in time when the sun did not shine as Jesus hung on a cross in payment for your sin. As he hung in total darkness, separated from God, so you too are in spiritual darkness and separated from God. Jesus went to the cross so that you could have eternal life with God rather than everlasting separation from God.
You Can Receive God’s Free Gift Right Now
If you wish to accept the free gift of eternal life right now, you can simply pray the prayer below with a sincere heart and God will hear you.
“Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. Right now, in this moment, I trust you as my Savior. I believe that you died for me and rose from the dead as payment for my sins. I accept your free gift of eternal life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
If you prayed that prayer, let us know in the comment sections or send us a note through the contact us page. Also, find a local evangelical church in your area and talk with the pastor and let him know of the decision you have made. He can then help you as you follow in obedience to God and grow as a Christian.
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlyOur Newest Download! The Path to Sin Worksheet
Satan is constantly trying to trip us up and he doesn’t even play fair because he uses our own desires as bait to get us to sin. James tells us the five steps that lead us down the path to sin in James 1:14-15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This download helps you identify your desires so that you can better recognize when Satan is baiting you and you can avoid falling into sin. When used along with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify the desires that Satan baits you with, you can then ask the Holy Spirit to help you not become a victim to the bait of your desires. Download the worksheet today.
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Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.
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We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.
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With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!
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The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.
Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.
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The Joy of the Lord
No matter what we face in life, Jesus gives up peace and laughter because the joy of the Lord is our strength.
The slide show below highlights some of our favorite Christian Tees designs available in our Spreadshop and Teespring stores.
Every Knee Will Bow 
Godfidence 
Prayer Warrior 
Way Maker 
Living for the world to see Jesus 
Raise a Hallelujah 
Faith Can Move Mountains 
Don’t Quit 
Walk by faith 
Battle Isn’t Over 
Just Pray 
Jesus is our Peace 
Fight on my knees 
Giants 
I’m only talking to Jesus today 
Known Loved Worthy Enough Chosen Child of God 
Grace wins 
Walk by Faith 
Script Unstoppable God 
Print Unstoppable God 
Unstoppable Force 
Run with perseverance 
Steps of a Good Man 
Something New 
Seek and Find 
Revive Us Again 
Resist the Devil 
Beloved- Mr and Mrs 
Mr and Mrs – God’s Plan 
Man of God 
He Left 99 for Me 
Cast All Your Cares 
Faith over Fear 
Don’t Worry 
Created to Praise 
All things are Possible 
What the Lord Requires 
All Things New 
Anything is possible 
With my song I will praise Him 
Names of God 
All things are possible 
Revive us again, Lord 
Blessings head to toe-hearts 
Isaiah 41:13 
Blessings head to toe 
Jeremiah 29:11 
Blessings head to toe – roses 
Be Still 
Blessings head to toe – floral 
God’s starting point 
Revive us Again 
God bless the USA 
As far as the east is from the west 
Hem of His Garment 
Three In One
See our Canvase prints in the Teespring Store: All Things New
We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store. These prints make great gifts or for decor in your home.
When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.
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God, Love and Marshmallow Wars by Julia M. Bruce
What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
- Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
- Conversation Starters.
- Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
- Romance Builders.
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- Personal reflections.
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However, Revelation 21:8 says that the unbelievers, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will share hell with Satan and his demons.
While sin leaves us exposed, God stands read to clothe us in His righteousness. That means we don’t have to continue to live with guilt and shame. 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection, we can be made new because His blood washes away all our sin. Jesus paid the penalty for us. You are never too far gone for Jesus to cleanse you too. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift.” You can’t earn it. You can never be good enough. Isaiah 64:6 says, “All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.” Even if we based our most righteous act in our entire life, it wouldn’t be good enough to gain salvation. But the good news is salvation isn’t dependent on being good enough. And that’s good news because it means that we can come to God just as we are. We don’t have to get “cleaned up” first. In fact, it’s God’s job to clean us. And we become clean when we place our faith in God and the finished work of His Son, Jesus Christ who paid the penalty of sin for us. God offers it to each one of us as a free gift, unearned, unmerited, undeserved…FREE. You can’t buy it, earn it, or work for it. You can never be good enough on your own. It comes only through confessing your sins to God, asking for forgiveness, admitting your need for Him, and placing your faith and trust in Him.
