If you are in a place in your life where everything seems to be upside down, somewhere in a shadow that threatens to destroy you, then you are precisely where the enemy of mankind wants you to be. As this world quite rapidly begins to come unraveled, as we watch wholesale slaughter of human beings by other human beings, as we become aware of pressing droughts and water shortages around the world, erupting volcanoes, and so many other things over which we have little or no control, it seems impossible to have any hope. But more importantly, when you are at the end of your rope and believe that because of your sinful lifestyle that God won’t help you out of your darkness, there’s plenty of reason to hope, because your sinful lifestyle is precisely why Jesus Christ came to our world! I’m not saying that your sin is a good thing – it’s not – but we’ve all made mistakes. Most of us did things that were wrong in the eyes of God, myself being one of the worst, but we are told by the apostle Paul: [Romans 3:23]: “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

Every human being has screwed up in the eyes of God. All sins are looked down on by the Lord, and if you were to find out the truth, the very worst things you’ve ever done, things of which you are ashamed, are common among people. You haven’t done anything other people have or at least have been tempted to do. done: [1 Corinthians 10:13]: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” So it really doesn’t matter what the error you’ve made, most other people have been tempted to do the same thing, and many have succumbed to the human proclivity to do wrong.

Your sin is not so peculiar after all, so understand that by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Father is willing to forgive you and furthermore, He will gladly welcome you into His Kingdom. There’s no fee for joining, no paywall, no cost other than admitting (to yourself) that you screwed up, however many times, over however many years. Also, prospective entrants into God’s Kingdom must repent of the life they’ve led without the guidance of the Spirit of Christ. Repentance is very important, because it also involves the intent to avoid the previous behavior. There are times when we become overwhelmed by the temptation to sin and sometimes we lose sight of that Godly protection and fall into that sin again. As long as we know we did wrong, are sorry of it, and commit to trying harder, we can be forgiven.

There was a time when the disciple Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and desired to walk to Him on the water. Peter did okay until fear took him; then he began to sink. He cried out to Jesus for help and Jesus took his hand and saved him. That’s a phenomenal example for us – if we begin to sink into the darkness, we must reach out to Jesus and understand we need His help, it’s that easy. Even though in this human form our human eyes cannot see His hand, it’s there every time we need Him. We may begin to sink into our former lifestyle, but Jesus is always there to pull us out if we but ask. If we just reach out to Him.

There were times in this old hillbilly’s former life when I would find myself too inebriated to drive my vehicle. When that happened, I would let someone else drive if someone else was available. There were other times when I foolishly took the wheel against all sensibility. I use this example to illustrate that we might not realize it, but just like the drunk who cannot drive safely, none of us are capable of living a righteous life. Not on our own – we have to give Jesus the keys and trust Him to get us where we need to go.

The crop is ripe; the harvest is upon us, and we all need to get involved. I know it’s getting late, but Jesus is still willing to save souls; even if people have only been in service to Him for a short time. The reward of eternal life in a far better place awaits all who follow Jesus. [Matthew 20:1-16]: He told a parable about a guy who went to what was the first century equivalent of Home Depot and hired workers early in the morning for a certain wage and throughout the day he went back to the store and hired more. He even hired men at close the end of the day and when it came time to pay them, he gave them all the same wage. Some of the guys who were hired in the morning started carping about the evening hires getting the same wage as the them (the morning hires), but the boss said that he paid all the agreed wage and basically it was his business what he paid as long as it was agreed before beginning the work. This is how the Kingdom of God works. Even though we may not have a lot of time left, the reward will be the same – eternal life in a place of unimaginable joy. What a wonderful experience that will be for mankind – especially those of us who have lived in this world with a crumbling society.

Folkpotpourri normally directs posts at folks who are already believers, but this one is for anyone who might be afraid that their behavior is too shameful for God to forgive or maybe worry that since we are so close to the end that they might not have time to do enough. If He was (is) willing to forgive my behavior, and believe me, it wasn’t pretty and I hesitated for a big part of my life – He will forgive others – everyone who comes to Him with a sincere desire to leave the sinful life in this world and follow Jesus. We don’t have a lot of time left to spend sitting on the fence, so just call on Him. There are Christian Churches all over the world – get baptized and be a part of something marvelous and it doesn’t cost a dime. Do yourself a favor and join in on a magnificent homecoming!

May the blessings of the Almighty Father find and keep us.

MK