If This Was Your Last Day?

It's the end of another year. You may already be thinking about those New Year resolutions. But what if you received an official notice today that this will be your last day to live? What would you do? Would you try to make more money, or stay late at the office working hard? Would you spend time with your family, or express thanks to those who've helped you along the way? Would you seek to get right with God?

"...godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." - 1 Timothy 4:8

 We tend to focus on the material and the temporal and neglect the eternal and relational. But none of us knows the number of days God has planned for us. 

Don't put off until tomorrow the really important things you can do today--like getting right with God. God became a man in the person of Jesus to show us how. Start there. Then show your family how much you love them. Surprise them by occasionally coming home early. Tell them you love them. Plan fun things to do with them. Help someone you care about - someone who needs you at the office, in the neighborhood, or maybe someone who needs a friend.

It may not be the last day you live here on earth, but it may become a great day for you and those you care about.

Still Hungry? Matthew 6:33, Mark 10:29, Proverbs 22:4

Finding Christmas

"...he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6

It's easy to miss the real meaning of Christmas, but the story of Christmas tells us who found it:

1. The Shepherds. They were social nobodies, yet God sent them a supernatural birth announcement through the angels. They believed God's Word, searched in faith to find Jesus, and they did. They found Christmas.
2. The Wise Men. These guys were pagans from another culture. They studied the stars for insight. God spoke to them right where they were in life. They stepped out in faith to follow a star that appeared in the sky, understanding it meant the birth of a special King. They found Christmas when they found Jesus.

The shepherds found Christmas because they believed the Word of God. The wise men found Christmas because, as seekers, they found Jesus. Find Jesus as Savior and Lord, and you'll find Christmas--guaranteed!

Still Hungry? Hebrews 3:6, Hebrews 10:22

As God Leads!!

The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall." - Joshua 3:13 NLT

Did you know that faith requires action? After 40 years, the children of Israel had been led out of the wilderness and then found themselves on the banks of a swollen Jordan River. The Promised Land was just on the other side. Oh, so close, yet so far away! A huge obstacle separated them from the blessing God had promised. Standing on the bank of the raging river, wringing their hands and praying would not solve their problem. They had to act. But it wasn't really the river that was stopping them from crossing - it was their lack of FAITH! It was not until, in faith, they stepped into the turbulent waters that the river stood on end and the people walked into the Promised Land on dry land.

So it is with our lives. Obstacles separate us from God's richest blessings. To simply have faith that God will provide a way doesn't always make a way. To stand by until God makes a way obvious may cause us to delay His blessing. It takes both faith and action to experience God's best.

Don't fall victim to "paralysis of analysis." In other words, go for it as God leads!

Still Hungry? Exodus 15:8

He Turned Back To Gd

"That's the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty." - Ecclesiastes 12:13 

Solomon, the ancient king of Israel, was a man who had everything he wanted. He had extraordinary success and wealth, incredible intellect, more women, and sex than any Hollywood star or professional athlete could ever have, yet it all became meaningless to him. He felt so empty inside. Why? Because he had turned his back on God to pursue all that he wanted for himself. He was a classic example of a good man who started strong, but turned the wrong way and wound up empty.

The good news of the story of Solomon is that late in his life, he came to his senses and turned back to God. After trying everything else, he found the key to life is "to fear God and keep His commandments." Fear means reverence. In other words, to revere God, worship Him and show you mean it by obeying His word.

Do you feel empty and weary? Trust God and obey Him. It's a sure way to feel fulfilled and not empty inside

Still hungry?  Exodus 20:20, 1 Samuel 12:24, Job 37:24

What We CAN Do

"...but he has told me, 'My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah's power may rest on me.'" - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Mother Teresa was a soul filled with the light of Christ, on fire with love for Him, and burning with one desire: “to quench His thirst for love and for souls.” She felt this way in spite of a difficult life, filled with health problems, poverty, and a profound sense of responsibility for the poor. When reminded that God does not give us any burdens we cannot handle, Mother Teresa replied, "I know, but sometimes I just wish He didn't think so highly of me." While it's true that tough times can challenge us and shape character, most of us would prefer that God would find another teaching method!

While hitting rock bottom is not fun, crises do offer opportunities for growth and service. For instance, sometimes God allows us to go through hard times so that we can learn to truly trust Him. You see, when we do choose to trust God...even when there is no concrete evidence of His presence - we demonstrate real faith. And that faith is not only demonstrated to God, it is a powerful witness to everyone who sees what you have gone through. Look at the example shown by Joseph. After thirteen years of miserable setbacks, the first thing he did was to stand before Pharaoh and share his testimony of his faith in God. What a magnificent witness to the glory of God! 

So, when facing tough times, recognize the opportunity you have to build trust in God, deepen your faith, and become a powerful witness for your Heavenly Father.

Still Hungry?  Romans 3:24, 1 Kings 19:12, 1 Corinthians 2:3

Never Lose Your Flavour

'Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.'

- You and I should add flavour and taste to the lives of others.

- Salt adds taste and value to the food it touches.

- And in the same way we should add value to the lives we touch.

- In addition, we are called to live at peace with each other.

PRAYER: Lord, may my life bring value and blessing to others. May I model the types of life You gave us as an example and may my life be blessed with real and lasting relationships. Amen.

Still Hungry? Matthew 5:13, Luke 14:34, Romans 12:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:13 

Wisdom In Your Investment

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." - Matthew 6:19-20

Most of us realize that knowledge is the key to proper saving and investing of our assets. It is certainly on the minds of many of us, including the media. There are news channels that, all day long, focus solely on the market. There are internet sites, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts that deal exclusively with money and investments.

So, what is the right starting point on investing? God's Word tells us our starting point should be eternity. If all of our focus is on earthly investing, that knowledge we have is mighty shortsighted. Eternity is a lot longer than anything in this life.

Jesus tells us that when we invest in eternal treasure, we never lose it. It has returns that last forever. We should begin with investments in eternity even before we focus on investments for college, retirement, or in whatever else we're investing. This takes faith, but it proves to God where our hearts are - whether with Him or with our money.

Many men who see themselves as strong are absolutely gutless in this area. It takes a strong man to have this kind of faith. True wisdom in investing begins with the long-term view of eternity. 

Still hungry? Proverbs 23:4, Luke 12:16, James 5:2-3

Be Students of our Children

Behold, children are a gift from the Lord..." - Psalm 127:3

 This is a devotion that we just can't read too many times, and here's why: Have you ever considered what the most difficult job in life is? It's the job of parenting; the challenge of guiding a child through the demands of growing up and helping that child become all he or she was created to be.

The Bible provides timeless insight. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." The way he should go means according to his bent. This means we have to be students of our children - learning to recognize their God-given abilities and interests. We're also to help our children develop their strengths, as well as curb and check their weaknesses.

Once we become students of our children and teach them right from wrong with a lot of prayer, the promise of God can be realized. The challenge is a great one, but the rewards of seeing our children become mature, productive adults makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Still Hungry? Genesis 1:28

Christ Likeness

Luke 12:13-21 ¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

 

If we only can get this one thing right,and the whole world stand still to understand this one thing, the greatest wealth we can experience is not measured by any currency or all the money the whole can put together but total obedience to God give Him no choice but to bless us. You know why cause God says so in His word, for obedience we are blessed but for disobedience we bring a whole lot of curses upon us even Gods fury and swift punishment. 

Let's strive for this one thing to obey God, to reference Him with exaltation and to fully submit to His power, since He said through His Son heap not for yourselves treasures on earth where moths will eat it up and rust destroy it, or thieves steal it rather heap for yourselves treasures in heaven where they will not be destroyed stolen or demolished. Though the fig tree doesn't bear fruit and the vine produce grapes I will still rejoice in the Lord. Let our lives not be defined by the fine things in life for they fade away and loose their worth rather let us be defined by the measure of Christ likeness we possess.

 

Still Hungry?  Matthew 6v19-34,1Timothy 6v3-11

 

Don't Give Up

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." - Psalm 51:17

Do you feel as though everyone else seems to have it all together except you? Are you struggling with a life-crisis caused by a personal character flaw, indiscretion, or misstep? Let me assure you that you're not alone. 

Consider the mess Moses got himself into. At age 39, Moses was at the apex of society, of status, of wealth, of educational pedigree, as the adopted son of the most prominent man in the world - Pharaoh. He was at the pinnacle of all society. And then he murdered an Egyptian he saw beating a slave. He buried the body and thought he had gotten away with it. But Moses was exposed the next day and had to flee for his life in the wilderness. Moses went from high society to desert nomad in just one day. And you're talking about a drastic change in everything about his life. 

Moses probably felt like his life was over and thought there was no chance for him ever again doing anything of significance. But, even though what Moses did was evil and wrong, God did not abandon him. God took Moses' evil and turned it into a means for good by preparing him for the challenge of his life - calling on Pharaoh to release all the Hebrew slaves.

Perhaps you can relate to what Moses went through. No matter how bad your fall or how serious your character flaw or how much difficulty you face in life - don't give up. Turn to the Lord with trust and let God do something powerful in your life. Let God develop all the Godly attributes that He wants you to have in your life. Just like He did for Moses, God still has great plans for your life!

Still Hungry? Isaiah 4:4, Hebrews 9:19, Exodus 12:2

God Understands

"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'” - Matthew 27:46 

Many Christians have a hard time understanding why on the cross Christ cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" On the surface, it seems contradictory to what we know of Christ, His understanding of His earthly mission, and His relationship with God. But the truth is that instead of being a contradiction, these words are actually a wonderful blessing for all of us!

Understand that when Jesus said those words, it was the exact moment He took all our sins upon Himself. And because God will have nothing to do with sin, Jesus was separated from His Heavenly Father. It's a picture of God having to turn away when His Son took that awful punishment of absorbing all of our sins. So, Jesus cried out because He was separated from His Father for the only time in all eternity.

Here is what is so wonderful about Christ doing this. What do we do when we face tragedy, disappointments, and rejection in our lives? Our tendency is to cry out to God, "Why? Why have You allowed this?" It's so encouraging to realize that the God of the universe understands when we ask Him, "Why?" He knows pain and He knows what it's like to ask, "Why Lord? Why?"

Still hungry? Psalm 22:1

Equipping YouR Gatekeeper

An active faith—an excellent gatekeeper—is what the Bereans had. After eagerly hearing Paul preach, they "examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11). What a great attitude!

You can bet Satan had a hard time fooling them. Their example is yours to follow

Still Hungry? Luke 16:29, John 5:39

The Gatekeeper

Second Corinthians 10:5 provides a good model: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Think of an active faith as a strict gatekeeper for your mind, one who is deeply concerned about what comes in to occupy it. He wants your brain to be a safe, healthy environment.

Now imagine the thousands of thoughts you have in a day, all lined up, waiting to enter the castle that is your mind. Some of those thoughts bring good tidings and no danger. Others, however, conceal a poisoned dagger.

As each thought steps up, the gatekeeper pulls it aside and frisks it, checking it against truth. Does this thought help my master in his desire to know God? Will it enable him to obey Christ more? Your gatekeeper firmly challenges everything you see and hear.

Run that by me again. Is that true? What does God say? I'll have to check it out.

If a thought or idea passes inspection, it is allowed full entry. But if it is unmasked as a lie, it is taken captive, imprisoned, and not allowed to wander freely in your mind.

Warding Off The Devil's Darts

No matter how many lies Satan has hooked you with already, he does not slow down. The rush of untruth presses on. The devil hasn't merely pawned you lies in the distant past; he continues to attack you with them in the ongoing present.

  

Consider this verse: “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). Those "flaming arrows" are thoughts, little lies, which Satan launches into your mind during the course of a day. He and his fallen host—we're talking millions of demons here—have nothing better to do than run around telling lies, as many and as fast as they can. That's their 24/7 vocation because they don't need to eat, sleep, or take potty breaks.

They like their job.

  

If your imagination conjures up an imp sitting on your shoulder, whispering sweet, evil little nothings into your ear all day long, that's fine. It's not really like that, but the picture may help you understand. One way or another, Satan and his unholy pals are itching to stick you with their barbs.

Unless you have an active faith—a shield you're constantly holding in ready position—those lies are going to get you. Whoosh, thunk! Whoosh, thunk! Heh-heh-heh! Stick him some more! Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

Now, what does "an active faith" look like?

Satan's Hooks - Out Where You Can See Them

Paul talks about being aware of the devil's schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). It's sometimes helpful to put your enemy's lies down in black and white, unmasking them for the folly that they are. Here's a short encyclopedia of common falsehoods found today. These are deceptions Satan sells day in, day out. He knows that if he pushes a lie often enough, most people will buy it. If you think you've heard and heeded any of the following sales pitches, allow God's Word to do its job. Root the lie out. Find a true way of thinking.

  

There is no absolute truth

Is there an absolute truth? Anyone who believes otherwise has spent the last fifty years in a cave. Forget about the guy who said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). And never mind the fact that "there is no absolute truth" is a statement that contradicts itself . The bottom line is there is an absolute truth and the word of God concerning any issue as far as life is concern is the absolute truth.

It's all good.

Anything works As long as you're sincere about it. Don't think about how ridiculous that sounds; just get out there and go for it. Your heart's in it, so it'll turn out just fine. To be sincere doesn’t necessarily mean you re right because you can be sincerely wrong. The reality is not every thing works, but any thing that comes from God works. 1 John 5:4

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12) . Don't pay attention to that. Death is good, too.  James 1:17

Fitting in is the only thing that matters.

So if you're a Christian, keep it low key. Wouldn't want anyone to be asking you about Jesus, would you? Others might overhear, and that would be totally embarrassing.

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16) . Come on! Do you know how many people are listening to you? Any idea the amount of gossip you're generating?

College is for experiencing.

So go ahead and dive in. You're free to sample the whole, juicy smorgasbord. Mom's not looking, Dad's not around, and your pastor's too far away to care.

"I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil" (Romans 16:19). Give me a break. How can you know if it's truly evil, if you haven't tried it first? Put that Bible down!

 Only once never hurts.

No one's ever been killed the first time they enjoyed a meth mirage—at least not according to my records. You've never watched a nice horror flick? Get a life! You've gotta see one just to say you have. There's nothing wrong with trying anything once.

"Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" (Genesis 3:11). Er, ah, yeah, right. But that was a long time ago.

Halfway does no harm.

So if you smoke but don't inhale, how's that a problem? It takes four drinks to get drunk; you can surely handle three—and one little extra sip. Just plagiarize a couple of pages; no one will notice. And if you both keep your clothes on, you can have most of the fun without the guilt, right?

"But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires" (Romans 13:14, NLT). Who said anything about indulging? Halfway is not indulging—really.

Your body is your own.

Yours to do with as you please. Have at it. You can always have a doctor fix anything you don't like later.

"You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Oh, my, you aren't considering that ludicrous option, are you?

Now is all that counts.

Does tomorrow ever matter? Of course not. Don't give it a second thought. Live for today. Gorge, belch, and be oh-so-merry. Life is short, and then you disappear. Who cares about anything that comes after that?

"Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). Would you quit thinking such depressing thoughts!

Knowing is the same as doing.

So suck up the sermon. Cram your brain full of Bible trivia. Just don't let them change the way you live—or anything radical like that.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22). Watch out. That Book wants to control your life!

Lazy is cool.   

So relax until the cows calves horses. You wouldn't want to get too excited about life. Do your absolute best to get maximum results out of minimum action. People will stand amazed at your smooth effortlessness.

"Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically"
(Romans 12:11, NLT). I'm telling you, that overblown Book will contradict anything I have to say.

 I don't need to hear that again.

Once is plenty, especially when it comes to religious stuff. How many times have you heard: "For God so loved the world... "? Blah, blah, blah. Yada, yada, yada. You'd think they were trying to sell you something.

"So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory" (2 Peter 1:12-13). You really know how to make a demon's life miserable, you know that?

Unhooking Lies already Swallowed

Be convinced of this: In your eighteen-plus years of existence, you have swallowed a string of lies. That's not a guilt trip; that's reality. Many of the decisions you make are being jerked around by unseen hooks in your mind. It's impossible, as mere humans, to have completely avoided every one of Satan's shams.

  Fully aware of the problem, God wants to take you somewhere: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5, KJV) . In other words, God wants you to think the way Christ thinks. No lies or deceptions in Jesus' mind. That's a wonderful place to be.

  To get you there, God has to do some major renovations. Paul put it this way: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) . God's primary means of bringing about this mind renewal—unhooking the lies, so to speak—is his Word.

Only truth can undo untruth. Jesus, while praying for you, asked his Father this: "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:17). Here's a loose translation for the phrase "sanctify them": Get them untangled from Satan's net of deception.

  The degree to which you allow your mind to remain riddled with ideas, values, and slogans that come from the devil is the measure to which your existence will be confusing, empty, and outright miserable. A life based on lies is unhappy. No way around it.

That's why you desperately need—on a steady basis—to meditate on the Scriptures. “Truth will set you free” (John 8:32) . The deeper your appreciation of God's Word, the greater your freedom. Don't be passive in your pursuit of truth. Be hungry.

Lord Of Lies

Satan's deceptions are the real challenge. Most Christian youth are mature enough to avoid the pitfalls the devil has laid out to kill them. But when it comes to big fibs and little ones, the snares of Satan are legion.

The instruments the devil uses to propagate his lies are almost as numerous as the lies themselves: music, magazines, movies, TV, radio, theater, newspapers, advertisements, video games, novels, textbooks, professors, talk show hosts, sports celebrities, movie stars, acquaintances, false prophets, well-meaning-but-misled preachers, and false religions and cults—for starters. Oh, don't forget this: www.one-deep-pile-of-bunkum.com.

Understand that the individuals the devil uses usually aren't monsters out to serve you a fat, black lie. That would be too obvious. Instead, Satan sells his deceptions packaged in the guise of nice people, mixed with as much truth as possible. More powerful still, the lies people distribute on the devil's behalf are generally convictions they sincerely accept. That's what makes Satan's scams so believable. The more truth and sincerity your Enemy can mix with any given deception, the more effective it becomes.

Even a good friend can be used to lead you astray. She may have the best of intentions, but the suggestion "That guy is perfect for you" may not come from God. If she goes on to insist that "anything goes, as long as your love for each other is sincere," you can be certain your friend has swallowed a fat hook, one the devil gleefully dangles in your face. The apostle Peter was used by Satan in an attempt to deceive Jesus, the very person Peter longed to serve and follow (Matthew 16:21-23).

It's no great exaggeration to say that the devil tries to "hook" you a thousand times a day

Master Murderer

Sobered by the thought that Satan wants to kill you? Good. You're obeying God's Word: "Be SOBER, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8, KJV). 

To be SOBER : To be free from excess, extravagance, or exaggeration, is also to show  self control , sober restraint.

Drugs, alcohol, and illicit sex are three of his weapons of choice against your age group. If he can't get you to OD(Over does), or wrap your pickup around an oak tree(To lost ones mind), he'll take you slowly with an STD. Those aren't his only weapons, of course. Others include foolish dares, abortion, unnecessary heroics, and bottles of sleeping pills. He's a master assassin.

And he's likely to invite you to your own funeral with some pretty obvious lies:

• "It's risky, yeah. But if you're going to join this fraternity, suck it up and take the challenge."
• "Can't you get this thing to go any faster?"
• "But everyone does this on their twenty-first birthday."
• Even Jesus had to ward off Satan's attempt at assassination prior to the cross: "Go ahead and jump. God will send angels to catch you" (Matthew 4:6).
  
  
  Be sober. Stay sober. Don't get paranoid, but do remember, an angel of death roams nearby

Still Hungry? John 8:44, John 10:10

A Journal

One of the most exciting things you can do in your Christian walk with the Lord is to keep a journal of all that He is teaching you. Exodus 24:4 says, “Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.” In other words, he did not want to miss or forget anything. He took notes! If he were attending church with you, you could expect him to pull out a notebook and start jotting things down. Why? God directed Moses to do this because he was the one who would communicate what God said to the nation of Israel.

Today, godly men and women teach God’s truth, and we would be wise to pick up the habit of taking notes, as God taught Moses to do. Actually, the human mind has to hear or record a fact at least three times before it is committed to memory. Sometimes, it can take hearing a fact up to fourteen times before it is actually stored in our knowledge base.
This is why when you walk up to your pastor at the end of the worship service and commend him on his sermon, you pray that he does not ask you to repeat his main points back to him. It also is the reason you can gather over lunch with family and friends and exclaim how much you learned at church, but when you are asked to tell what you thought was the highlight, your mind goes blank.

Learn to take notes. Record your thoughts, and then, when you are alone with the Lord, ask Him to affirm what you have heard in and through His Word. Godly messages never conflict with what God has written in the Bible—it is the infallible Word of God. This means that it is God’s Word to us, and nothing about it can be changed or taken away.
We live in a devious world because Satan is constantly enticing us away from God’s truth. As you worship the Lord, ask Him to make you aware of the Enemy’s subtle and dangerous scheme. 

There is only one way to worship God, and that is with the entirety of our hearts and minds.
Worship is not a place or an event. It's a way of life.


Still Hungry? Genesis 8: 20, Genesis 28:18, Deuteronomy 27:2

Come As You Are

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away..Jesus Christ." - John 6:37 NIV

There is no way to verify this, but I believe that no song is more associated with people’s public profession of faith than the hymn, “Just As I Am.” Though written in 1835, the hymn’s popularity reached its apex in the second half of the twentieth century when Billy Graham used it for his altar calls. Many churches and evangelists also adopted it, making it a tradition at the end of services when people are invited to “walk down the aisle” and declare their lives for Jesus.

And no wonder. Does any hymn summarize the declaration of a spiritual journey more succinctly than “Just As I Am”? Focus on these words – these powerful, beautiful words – of a sinner deciding to place his soul in the hands of Jesus.

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, tho' tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come.

Have you come? Will you come today – just as you are6

Still Hungry? John 17:2, John 17:7