"Look at all these people. I wonder if they know Jesus?" Those were my thoughts on a recent shopping trip to Nashville with my wife and daughters. It was Spring Break and we were looking for some new outfits for Easter.

I love Easter, and not because of new threads. I love Easter because it is the Christians "Independence Day" celebration. The day when believers gather to honor and worship our Great God who sent His own Son to pay for our sins on the cross, then arose from the dead to give us Eternal Life. What an Awesome God. And because the message of Christ is the only hope for someone who is far from God, Easter is the perfect time for believers to be sharing their faith with unchurched family and friends.

Dr. Ed Stetzer and the team at Lifeway recently released one of the largest surveys on American's receptivity to different methods of church invitations. The survey included over 15,000 adults. Look at the chart.

This chart shows that the greatest tool of evangelism is still a personal invite. 63 % of the unchurched surveyed said they would be open to information about attending a local church from a family member and 56% would be open to information from a friend.

Jesus said in Luke 19:10 that He came to seek and to save the lost. As Christians, we are to be like our Lord. I challenge you to be like Jesus, take time to pray about who God wants you to invite to Church this Easter. Then pray for the Holy Spirit to give you the strength and courage you need. Then....GO! Invite someone to Church so they can hear about Jesus.

Do you have the Heartbeat of Jesus?

Matt 9:12
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. NKJV

The Houston Chronicle once showed a picture of a woman with her ear pressed against a man's chest. Kind of an odd picture, odd until you read the whole story. This woman's son had died and donated his organs. His heart had been placed in the man's chest in the picture. So, what was the woman doing? She was listening to the heartbeat of her son.

Have you ever wondered if God hears the heartbeat of His Son in you?

In Matthew chapter 9, Jesus shows us His heartbeat. He calls Matthew to follow Him and then goes into a house for supper, the religious Pharisees are there, then comes in the other invited guests, sinners, outcasts and the Pharisees have a fit. I'm talking, a royal tantrum! Complaints began, questions were whispered to the disciples, not to Jesus, but to the disciples. Does that sound familiar? The self-righteous always have a complaint when sinners show up. They had lost the heartbeat.

What is the heartbeat of Jesus? He tells us in vs. 12; He came to heal the sin-sick, to Save Sinners!

We are coming to the greatest time of the year for the Church...Easter! It's only weeks away and it's the time we will celebrate our Risen Savior. To celebrate the purpose of His Coming...To continue on the work He has called us to do. As believers, we have been called to share the wonderful story of how Christ came, died for the sins of every man, women, boy and girl, Arose from the dead and offers eternal Salvation to all who believe on Him as their Lord.

Is that your desire? Do you have the Heartbeat of Jesus? Does your heart break for those who are far from God. Go ahead, check your heart. Listen closely. If you do, then go share the message of Christ with someone far from God.

Thump, Thump.

Thank you Lord for Mercy.

The Psalmist declared;
“He has not dealt with us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103: 10-14 NKJV).

O’ praise the Lord for His mercy towards us. Romans 3:23 declares that we all have sinned. There has only been one perfect, sinless man to ever walk this soil, the God-man Jesus, and they hung Him on the cross. You and I are not perfect, we are not sinless, but He is. God could deal harshly with us due to our sins, and yet, He has chosen to extend to us Mercy! Just think about it, the sinless Son of God left the glory of Heaven with the praises of the angels to come to this earth and to take our sins and nail them to His cross (Colossians 2:14). When we receive Christ as our Lord, we receive peace with God (Romans 5:1).

Dr. Adrian Rogers once said that man only has 3 problems; Sin, Sorrow and Death. And in Christ, all three are defeated and we receive the victory.

· Victory over Sin: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 NKJV).

· Victory over Sorrow: “…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NKJV).

· Victory over Death: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” ( Philippians 1:21 NIV).
o “ We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV).
o “…Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:54 KJV).

Priase God who gives us mercy and victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.