COME AS YOU ARE

Some people want to wait until they get their act cleaned up before they come to God or say "yes" to what He has called them to do. That would be a pretty long wait. We can never get better on our own---not in the eyes of God. God's standard is perfection, and none of us are perfect. Thankfully, we don't have to be. He sent Jesus to die for our sins so that we don't have to make it on our own.

 What about you? Have you committed you life to God? Have you made Jesus the Lord of your life? Maybe you think that you can’t---that your life is a mess or that you are beyond help. Maybe you think that you have to make things right in your life before you are worthy of His Love.

 God loves you---just the way you are. It’s a good thing that’s true because you can't 'clean up' for Him. The only one who can make you clean is God. God knows where you are now, and He’s committed to taking you where you need to be, so come just as you are!

Maybe you’ve already come to God; you've been a believer for many years and feel discouraged because you're not where you should be. Even if you’ve tried it before and feel like you’ve failed over and over again. God knows, and He wants you NOW. He'll meet you where you're at. He says:

  “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. Matthew 11: 28

 Then again, maybe you're very 'religious' and think that your rituals or works are going to give you peace with God. If so, you're the toughest crowd. Jesus always had problems with the religious. They thought they were good enough. A person needs to know he's sick before he'll receive treatment. The whole world has a sickness: SIN. The whole world needs the cure: JESUS. And, the whole world has the right to come to Him---just as they are.

 There is no sin to great to forgive---no mess too hard to clean up---and nothing in the world worth waiting for.

 John 8:3-5 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees  brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group  and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"

John 8:6-9 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. John 8:9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

John 8:10-11 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
 

 JESUS WON’T CONDEMN YOU EITHER. COME TO HIM TODAY---WHEREVER YOU ARE!

    GOD HAS GOOD

 PLANS

 FOR YOUR

FUTURE

know what I'm doing.

 I have it all planned out--

plans to take care of you,

 not abandon you,

plans to give you

the future you hope for.

   "When you call on me,

when you come

and pray to me,

 I'll listen.

Jeremiah 29:11

(Message Bible)