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The Good News Invitation


Now for the very good news . . .

This is the very good news.

Just as Heaven was directly and personally involved in the life of Jesus from the moment that He was born until the moment that He was resurrected --

if you choose to understand what God has done in Jesus Christ, and you choose to place your confidence in that death and that resurrection, and you choose to place your life in that Jesus who is Lord and Christ
-- then Heaven will be personally and directly interested in your life and everything that occurs from the moment that you are born into God's family until the moment that you are raised from the dead.

Jesus was born to create your opportunity to choose.

Jesus died to give you a choice.

And that's the good news!

The good news is that there's not a single person alive in any situation or circumstance that doesn't have a right to that choice. He has the right to that choice, or she has the right to that choice, not because of who he or she is or what he or she has accomplished.

And just as Heaven rejoiced when He was born, Heaven will rejoice again when you're reborn. For the same Heavenly Host that celebrated with joy and ecstasy when that infant lay in a manger will celebrate with joy and ecstasy the moment you decide that you'll place your trust in Christ.
And you'll give God your life.
And you'll be born into His family by your choice.
Then you will be baptized that your sins might be removed --
that that Infant might not have been born for nothing as far as your life is concerned and that that Man might not have died for nothing as far as your life is concerned.

I'm afraid too often as we consider our sins and mistakes and failures that we concentrate too much about the sorrow that we bring Heaven through our failures.

I know our mistakes grieve God, but He expects them.
That's why He provided us forgiveness.

There's something else that's much more significant than understanding that our failures cause grief in Heaven. It is the understanding that when we become alive in Jesus Christ that everyone that rejoiced the night that Jesus was born will rejoice again.

But this time, they will rejoice because you were born.

When we repent there is joy in Heaven. When we're baptized into Christ there is celebration in Heaven. For that means that all that God did from Adam and Eve to the Cross of Jesus has produced fruit and that He has been successful.

Have you caused joy in Heaven in your life? Does Heaven celebrate because you're son or daughter to God? Heaven will, if you'll simply choose.

And I'm pleased to tell you -- pleased to tell you -- that you can make that choice any time. Even this moment.

We want to do whatever we can to encourage you to know that we would welcome you as brother and sister in Christ with us. If you make that choice, we would celebrate with Heaven as you become son or daughter to God.

Don't look at sin as your defeat.
Look at God's forgiveness as your victory.

And in His forgiveness, give God
reason to celebrate and Heaven rejoice.
If we can assist you in any way in becoming a Christian or aid you in any way spiritually, we would rejoice to do so and we invite you to the Lord and the Christ.

David Chadwell
david@westarkchurchofchrist.org

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR

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