Category: Romans

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Dinner’s Over…

But the joy remains!

Do you remember that sound of laughter, the fun and contentment from yesterday? Everyone around the table enjoying one another’s company?

Isn’t it great to know that we can have that for all eternity? Our heavenly Father is waiting for us all to come to His dinner table – to laugh, to sing, just to be together and enjoy His presence!

Now that will be a wonderful dinner of Thanksgiving. All of us have been invited to that wonderful supper.

“Then I heard what seemed to be a large crowd that sounded like a roaring flood and loud thunder all mixed together. They were saying,

‘Praise the Lord! Our Lord God All-Powerful now rules as king. 7 So we will be glad and happy and give him praise. The wedding day of the Lamb is here, and his bride is ready. 8 She will be given a wedding dress made of pure and shining linen. This linen stands for the good things God’s people have done.’

9 Then the angel told me, ‘Put this in writing. God will bless everyone who is invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.‘ The angel also said, ‘These things that God has said are true.'” Revelation 19:6-9 CEV

We have all been invited to that feast. The invitation is open-ended.

“ It says this because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all people. And he richly blesses everyone who looks to him for help. 13 Yes, ‘everyone who trusts in the Lord will be saved.‘” Romans 10:12-13 ERV

Everyone who trusts in the Lord will be saved. Everyone. I hope and pray that you have placed your trust in Him.

Accept the invitation and join in the heavenly dinner that God is preparing for us.

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10,000 to 1

As I lay in bed last night, waiting for sleep to come, I was reminded of a precious thought from my college days.

One of our chapel speakers was Dale Evans Rogers. Just to refresh your memory, she was married to Roy Rogers. She talked of some of the hardships she had faced in life and how her faith in the Lord carried her through. She talked of the fame she and Roy shared and all the adoring fans but she said in the rough times it wasn’t the fame that comforted them, it was the “One” where they found strength.

That was a pivotal moment for me. I walked out of chapel realizing if I never married, never had a family, never had friends other than Christ, my life would be complete. The others would just be added blessings but my person, who I was made to be, didn’t come from others it came only from Jesus.

10,000 to 1.

Jesus was followed by crowds. He fed the 5,000 men plus their families with 5 loaves and 2 fish. He had twelve men who were called His apostles. He planted the truths of God’s word into their hearts, daily. He had three apostles who were closest to Him – Peter, James and John. They were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, they were with Him in the garden but when the soldiers came, they fled.

Then there was the one. When Jesus looked down from the cross, He saw John standing with His mother. He was John the Beloved.

Holiday times can bring on a touch of melancholy. Remembering old friends, loved ones who have passed and favorite “good times”. If we aren’t careful, those memories could lead to depression and depression robs us of our gratitude for what we have.

Looking back should make us grateful for all the wonderful blessings and joys we have had, for the daily expressions of God’s love that we experience. Afterall, when He is our One, we are complete.

“ What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us?” Romans 8:31 CEV

God the Father has made us His one.

“…Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. 40 Martha was worried about all that had to be done…41 The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, 42 but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 CEV

He wants our lives to be God-focused, so the worries, distractions and busy-ness of life don’t separate us from our commitment to Him. Jesus final prayer before dying was this.

“I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. 21 Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us… so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. 23 I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.” John 17:20-23 ERV

“ I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

We are complete in Christ. We go from being the 10,000 to being the 1!

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Bravery & Boldness

Bravery: displaying courage, especially when facing danger or adversity. A brave person might face challenges head-on, despite feelings of fear.

Boldness: a daring spirit or the willingness to take risks. A bold individual doesn’t just face challenges but does so audaciously.

When we trust the Lord He will give us both bravery and boldness.

Think of David facing Goliath. Courage in the face of danger and the willingness to take the risk.

“ David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me using sword, spear, and javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the armies of Israel. You have said bad things about him. 46 Today the Lord will let me defeat you. I will kill you. I will cut off your head and feed your body to the birds and wild animals. And we will do the same thing to all the other Philistines too. Then all the world will know there is a God in Israel. 47 All the people gathered here will know that the Lord doesn’t need swords or spears to save people. The battle belongs to the Lord, and he will help us defeat all of you.” I Samuel 17:45-47 ERV

Bravery and Boldness has always been at the forefront of the life of those who followed God. Hundreds of years later, the Christians were facing persecution. They were imprisoned, beaten, and even killed.

“They were upset because of what Peter and John were teaching the people. By telling people about Jesus, the apostles were teaching that people will rise from death. 3 The Jewish leaders arrested Peter and John and put them in jail. It was already night, so they kept them in jail until the next day.,, 24 When the believers heard this, they all prayed to God with one purpose. They said… 28 These people who came together against Jesus made your plan happen. It was done because of your power and your will. 29 And now, Lord, listen to what they are saying. They are trying to make us afraid. We are your servants. Help us to say what you want us to say without fear. 30 Help us to be brave by showing us your power. Make sick people well. Cause miraculous signs and wonders to happen by the authority of Jesus, your holy servant.”

31 After the believers prayed, the place where they were meeting shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak God’s message without fear.” Acts 4 ERV

We may not experience arrest and beatings because we speak out for Jesus, but we may. We may lose friendships, business relationships and standing in social circles. It’s time for bravery and boldness.

The Apostle Paul penned these words: “I am not ashamed of the Good News. It is the power of God. It is the way He saves men from the punishment of their sins if they put their trust in Him. It is for the Jew first and for all other people also.” Romans 1:16 NLV

Be grateful that the Lord has called us to be brave and bold. It means that He is investing His power to change lives through us.

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Words of Kindness

While Dave and I were in Greece several years back, we visited the island of Crete. One of the things I wanted to see most while we were there was the Church of Titus. Titus had traveled with Paul on one of the missionary journeys but instead of completing the trip with Paul, Titus stayed in Crete.

Paul left him there to evangelize the island.

We found the Church, it wasn’t one of the most elaborative we had seen in Greece but there was a sense of peace. It was a place of worship for the members of the community and those of us who were temporary travelers.

This morning, I was reading in the book of Titus. Paul was writing Titus from prison and giving him instruction for the new believers on Crete. Listen to these kind words of an aged apostle to his younger protege and to new followers of Christ.

“ Remind your people that they should always be under the authority of rulers and government leaders. They should obey these leaders and be ready to do good. 2 Tell them not to speak evil of anyone but to live in peace with others. They should be gentle and polite to everyone.

3 In the past we were foolish too. We did not obey, we were wrong, and we were slaves to the many things our bodies wanted and enjoyed. We lived doing evil and being jealous. People hated us and we hated each other. 4 But then the kindness and love of God our Savior was made known. 5 He saved us because of his mercy, not because of any good things we did. He saved us through the washing that made us new people. He saved us by making us new through the Holy Spirit. 6 God poured out to us that Holy Spirit fully through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 We were made right with God by his grace. God saved us so that we could be his children and look forward to receiving life that never ends. 8 This is a true statement.

And I want you to be sure that the people understand these things. Then those who believe in God will be careful to use their lives for doing good. These things are good and will help everyone.” Titus 3:1-8 ERV

“I want you to be sure that the people understand these things. He saved us, He saved us, He saved us”!

These words came from a heart filled with kindness for the people of Crete and they are also for us.

Be ready to do good. Be gentle and polite. Live in peace because we used to be foolish too, but God made us right with Him by His grace. We are to use our lives for doing good.

Some of the kindest words I ever heard were these:

“But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:8 ERV

With our words of kindness, we show God’s love to the world. I’m grateful for His love!

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Keep Us From Falling

This morning, I woke up thinking about mountain goats. Strange right?

I’ve seen them on our trips through Glacier National Park and other places in Montana. They are majestic animals and their ability to scale the mountainside is unparalleled.

How do they keep from falling?

It’s a question we should ask ourselves from a spiritual point of view. Falling for deception, falling into complacency. Falling into routine. Falling away from our First Love.

“ God is strong and can keep you from falling. He can bring you before his glory without any wrong in you and give you great joy. 25 He is the only God, the one who saves us. To him be glory, greatness, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord for all time past, now, and forever. Amen.” Jude 1:24-25 ERV

God created each of us with a free will. We are free to choose whether we follow Christ or not. No one will be in heaven who was forced to be there against their will. But we must all yield our will to the Father so that we honor Him and live the best life that He has planned for us.

“ Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.” Romans 12:2 ERV

If we let Him, God will change our desires and our way of thinking to conform to what He knows is right and true.

“ Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 And do what you learned and received from me—what I told you and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9 ERV

When Jesus encountered people – those who needed physical healing, deliverance, forgiveness, those who needed the Father’s love, He would often say to them “Go your way and sin no more”. In other words, go on your way, changed by the power of God and change your lifestyle to honor Him.

“The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone. So all have died. 15 He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him. 16 From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. 17 When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!” II Corinthians 5:14-17 ERV

Many times, I pray. “Father, forgive me for doing that again. I am truly sorry, I give you my will. I desire to do those things that please you. You have made me new”.

Repentance is the conviction of the Holy Spirit, reminding us that we were created for better things in Christ.

Let me leave you with these thoughts:

“God is the one who gives me strength. He clears the path I need to take. 33 He makes my feet as steady as those of a deer. Even on steep mountains he keeps me from falling.” Psalm 18:32-33 ERV

“Lord, you be the judge and prove that I have lived a pure life. I have depended on you, Lord, to keep me from falling.” Psalm 26:1 ERV

God created the mountain goat to be able to scale rocky mountain sides. He is more than able to keep us from falling when we submit our will to Him!

Be thankful for steady feet.

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Through Loving Eyes

Do you ever have problems with being critical or judgmental? Finding fault before finding the good? Ya, me neither! But we all know someone who is like that.

Are you glad that our heavenly Father isn’t like that? Oh yes, He sees our flaws and our shortcomings but He uses His strength and love to help us grow and overcome.

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful. 9 But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger.” Romans 5:6-9 CEV

Our Father isn’t willing for any of us to perish – and surely in all of time, in all the world, there could have been someone, some where who could have really irritated Him enough that He would have, could have said – “Nope, not offering you salvation. I just don’t like you.” but He didn’t.

“The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” II Peter 3:9 CEV

“16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” John 3:16 CEV

“The Scriptures say that no one who has faith will be disappointed, 12 no matter if that person is a Jew or a Gentile. There is only one Lord, and he is generous to everyone who asks for his help. 13 All who call out to the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:11-13 CEV

Where we see faults, the Father sees a child worth dying for.

Transformation is having that kind of mindset. Looking for the value and worth in a person as God does and then letting the Holy Spirit bring the correction and change.

” Don’t make God’s Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins. 31 Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. 32 Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.” Ephesians 4:30-32 CEV

I wish I could tell you that I have this down, that I am free from criticism but if I did that it would be a lie. I can tell you that I am convicted more than I ever have been about the words I say. God is working in my life on a daily basis.

Paul says in I Corinthians 13 that love thinks no evil but is patient and kind. I will pray for you and ask that you pray for me. I desire to live God’s word to the fullest in every area of my life.

“God doesn’t intend to punish us, but wants us to be saved by our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 Christ died for us, so that we could live with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes. 11 That’s why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing…14 My friends, we beg you to warn anyone who isn’t living right. Encourage anyone who feels left out, help all who are weak, and be patient with everyone. 15 Don’t be hateful to people, just because they are hateful to you. Rather, be good to each other and to everyone else.” I Thessalonians 5:10-15 CEV

Lord let my words encourage and build up others today. Let me see others through Your loving eyes!

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The Aroma of Thanksgiving

You probably think I’m a bit early to be talking about Thanksgiving dinner and you would be right. It’s not the aroma of turkey roasting, rolls baking or even fresh pies sitting on the kitchen counter.

The aroma of thanksgiving is that of a thankful heart.

“ I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume. ” II Corinthians 2:14 CEV

When we center our focus on Christ and follow His lead He will always – ALWAYS – lead us to victory. With those victories comes our testimony of God’s goodness, His power and His provision. Our testimonies bring the knowledge of Christ to the world and that knowledge brings the smell like a sweet perfume.

So, we have the opportunity to be God’s perfume. Thanksgiving in our hearts is an aroma that draws the world to Christ.

In the Old Testament, when a sacrifice or an offering of thanksgiving was made the priest also burned incense to make the sacrifice smell sweet.

The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to give our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord.

“Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:1-2 CEV

We give our lives to Him to be molded and used for His honor. As we thank Him for all He has done and the purpose He gives our life, we are a living sacrifice that is pure and pleasing.

The Lord has so many good things in store for us. He created us for good things. He’s not looking to withhold blessings from us, He desires to overflow us with blessings.

“ I pray that God will be kind to you and will let you live in perfect peace! May you keep learning more and more about God and our Lord Jesus. 3 We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:2-4 CEV

Take time to let those verses sink in. We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. Not by our own power but by His. He gave us great and marvelous promises. Now that’s a reason to be thankful. It’s knowledge like this, that God wants us sharing with others.

God doesn’t expect us to live a life that pleases Him on our own. No, He gave us His promise that He would empowered us for the life He called us too.

“God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.” Ephesians 2:10 CEV

When obstacles, trials and difficult times come, and they will, let’s refrain from complaining and worrying. Instead, let us be secure in the knowledge that God has provided victory for us through His power and His promises.

That way, we will be the ones who are the sweet smelling perfume of thankfulness.

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A Father’s Prayer

We have three children, two are married, five grandchildren, two are married, and two great grandchildren. We are blessed!

We pray for them daily and many times a day as the Lord puts them on our hearts. This morning, I was praying for them and the joys and obstacles that they face each day. In that, my heart began to feel a bit overwhelmed. So, I did what the Word says.

“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.” I Peter 5:7 CEV

“6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

And then I was reminded of these verses:

“All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and the well-being of your children will be great. 14 All will be right and good for you. No one over you will make it hard for you, and you will not be afraid. You will be far from trouble, for it will not come near you.” Isaiah 54:13-14 NLV

“ See what great love the Father has for us that He would call us His children. And that is what we are. For this reason the people of the world do not know who we are because they did not know Him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now. But it has not yet been shown to us what we are going to be. We know that when He comes again, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.” I John 3:1-2 NLV

“I do not pray for these followers only. I pray for those who will put their trust in Me through the teaching they have heard. 21 May they all be as one, Father, as You are in Me and I am in You. May they belong to Us. Then the world will believe that You sent Me. 22 I gave them the honor You gave Me that they may be one as We are One. 23 I am in them and You are in Me so they may be one and be made perfect. Then the world may know that You sent Me and that You love them as You love Me.” John 17:20-23 NLV

This morning, I got a deeper vision of the Father’s love for each one of us. We are His children, we were adopted into His family when we placed our trust in Him. I only have fourteen in my prayers, He has millions.

How great is the Father’s love for us! The Holy Spirit prays for us just as Jesus did.

“God knows the hearts of men. He knows what the Holy Spirit is thinking. The Holy Spirit prays for those who belong to Christ the way God wants Him to pray.28 We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His plan.” Romans 8:27-28 NLV

My heart is at peace. Peace because I know that the Father hears and answers prayer and He is praying for us. Thank you, Father, for Your prayers!

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Fill the Temple

The first words that came to my heart when I got up are from Isaiah the prophet.

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a very high and wonderful throne. His long robe filled the Temple. 2 Seraph angels stood around him. Each angel had six wings. They used two wings to cover their faces, two wings to cover their bodies, and two wings to fly. 3 The angels were calling to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord All-Powerful. His Glory fills the whole earth.’” Isaiah 6:1-3 ERV

Have you noticed in the last weeks that revival, a massive revival, is happening worldwide? People are filling stadiums, auditoriums, congregating and parading in city streets and public parks declaring their allegiance and love for the Lord. They are being saved by the thousands!

His glory is filling the whole earth!

My Bible reading took me to I Chronicles today. King David had brought the Ark of God’s Covenant back to Jerusalem. (Side note: it was called the Ark of the Covenant because it contained items that reminded the Israelites that God had made a promise, an unbreakable covenant with them. He would be their God and they would be His people.)

The people were thrilled. They made sacrifices – they sang – they danced – they worshipped!

“The Levites brought God’s Holy Box and put it inside the tent David had set up for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God. 2 After David had finished giving the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he used the Lord’s name to bless the people… 7 This was when David first gave Asaph and his brothers the job of singing praises to the Lord.” I Chronicles 16:1-7 ERV

This is part of the song they sang. I encourage you to go to the Bible and read the whole song.

“Give thanks to the Lord and call out to him!
    Tell the nations what he has done!
9 Sing to him; sing praises to him.
    Tell about the amazing things he has done.
10 Be proud of his holy name.
    You followers of the Lord, be happy!
11 Depend on the Lord for strength.
    Always go to him for help.
12 Remember the amazing things he has done.
    Remember his miracles and his fair decisions.
13 The people of Israel are his servants.
    The descendants of Jacob are his chosen people.
14 The Lord is our God.
    He rules the whole world.
15 Remember his agreement forever,
    the promise he gave that will never end.” I Chronicles 16:8-15 ERV

I can hear someone saying, “Well Kristi, that’s Old Testament and was written to the Jews. What’s that got to do with me?” I’m so glad you asked!

“You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit that you received from God and that lives in you. You don’t own yourselves. 20 God paid a very high price to make you his. So honor God with your body.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 ERV

” But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made you right with God. 11 God raised Jesus from death. And if God’s Spirit lives in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. Yes, God is the one who raised Christ from death, and he will raise you to life through his Spirit living in you.” Romans 8:10-11 ERV

We are God’s Temple! He has chosen to live in us, to make His home in us. We are where he resides by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“ Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you. 20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.

Each of us have been ordained by God to be filled with His presence and His glory will be spread though out the earth!

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Life with Benefits

Yesterday I had a routine visit to the dentist. You know the semi-annual cleaning. Everything went well – the hygienist is so sweet and she’s very thorough. When I was checking out, I learned that our dentist office is no longer “in network” and next year we will be without a dental benefit if we continue with this practice.

What??

Our practice is under new ownership. Our previous dentist sold the practice and two new dentists, who are very good, purchased it but now it is out-of-network. We like the new dentists and especially our hygienist.

But…we’ve lost our benefit. Have you ever been in a situation where you lost benefits?

That’s one thing we never have to be concerned about in our relationship with the Lord.

“ Honor and thanks be to the Lord, Who carries our heavy loads day by day. He is the God Who saves us. 20 Our God is a God Who sets us free. The way out of death belongs to God the Lord.” Psalm 68:19-20 NLV

“We praise you, Lord God! You treat us with kindness day after day, and you rescue us. 20 You always protect us and save us from death.” Psalm 68:19-20 CEV

“Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah
20 Our God is the God of salvation; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.” Psalm 68:19-20 NJKV

The Lord, our Father, the God of salvation daily loads us up with benefits. When we are in Christ, we are “in-network”. We don’t have to get a referral or special authorization to enjoy the benefits. We don’t have a co-pay – that was all taken care of on the cross.

“ Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5

When it comes to our relationship with the Lord, we are always in an open enrollment. We aren’t limited to calendar restrictions.

“ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” Romans 10:12-13 NKJV

The premium has been paid for.

“Then he said, ‘Here I am, God. I have come to do what you want.‘ So God ends that first system of sacrifices and starts his new way. 10 Jesus Christ did the things God wanted him to do. And because of that, we are made holy through the sacrifice of Christ’s body. Christ made that sacrifice one time—enough for all time.” Hebrews 10:9-10 ERV

Because of Christ we have life with benefits!

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