The Most Profound Words Ever Written by Randy Willis

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

The Word became flesh. (John 1:14)

“Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'” (Luke 2:13-14)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14) Word is the Greek word Logos. Literally in the Greek, God was the Word.

John, the Apostle, reveals that the Word (Logos) is a person, Jesus. And John does it in only four words: “The Word became flesh.” This should be a bumper sticker. More importantly, it should be engraved on the tablet of every follower of Christ’s heart. These words are the most profound ever written.

The Old Testament is the written Word and the Revelation of God. Jesus in the New Testament is the incarnate Word. Jesus is God in the flesh. Jesus is the Word and the Revelation of God in the flesh.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

This is the most remarkable story in history. The Just for the unjust. The Righteous for the unrighteous. The sinless Lamb of God for the sinner.

In just four words, John 1:14 reveals the real meaning of Christmas: “The Word became flesh.” This is the Gospel; the eternal God of the universe became a human being. God, who has no beginning or ending, became flesh and bone.

Two three-word sentences in the Bible are my favorites. One is “It is finished” (John 19:30). Another is “He is risen” (Matthew 28:6). However, neither would have occurred if “The Word became flesh” had not occurred first.

God, who is Spirit, created everything from nothing. Only God can create matter from nothing. He has now come to earth as a man to accomplish what we cannot do for ourselves. He saves us from our rebellion against Him, our sins, and our eternal separation from Him, which is called Hell.

Isaiah wrote of the birth of Jesus 700 years before it happened in the tiny village of Bethlehem.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:17)

Seven centuries later, Matthew, the Apostle, references Isaiah. He declares Jesus’ deity in the first chapter of the first book of the New Testament.

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)

There is no mistaking the deity of Christ in the Bible. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9)

The Jewish people did not need an explanation of this. The phrase “The Word of the Lord” was used over a hundred times in the Old Testament.

Jesus is 100% God and 100% human. He is wholly God and wholly flesh, not half God and half man.

John tells us Jesus is the incarnation of God, the second person of the Godhead. Christ has no beginning or ending. John confirms that Christ, the Word, preexisted (John 1:1): “In the beginning was the Word.” Christ existed before Genesis 1:1. He existed before time and space. He created time and space. In Colossians 1:16, Christ is called the “Lord of creation.” He made all of this from nothing by speaking it into existence. Only God can create something from nothing.

But this revelation did not begin in the New Testament. It started over 600,000 words before. It began with the fourth word in the Bible in Genesis, chapter 1, verse 1. It began with the word Elohim.

What’s in a Word

The Bible’s New King James Version (NKJV) contains 770,430 words. I’ve primarily used this version since it was published in 1982. Why? The NKJV uses the exact Greek text as the King James Version (KJV) for the New Testament, but it replaces some words and phrases with more contemporary ones.

Please do not share the following with my more educated friends, who have an array of “Ds” after their names. I often read the King James Version. The beauty of the language is unsurpassed in all of literature.

The point is that the meaning of certain words has changed since the publication of the King James Version, 1611. Go figure. And the correct words are essential, especially regarding our eternal destiny.

When I wrote Twice a Slave, my publisher used several editors. Copy editors and proofreaders checked my manuscript for grammar, punctuation, spelling, pagination, and consistency.

Then, it advanced to the content editing stage, which included the period in which my scenes were set. This stage is also known as substantive, comprehensive, macro, or heavy editing. At this stage, I found myself saying to myself duh, numerous times.

“My Willis,” one editor wrote, “The word okay did not appear in print until the 20th century. Your book is set in the 18th century, sir.” Nitpicking, I know. I also used nitpicking. Sorry, the word nitpicking was not used until the 1950s. They also said Cherokees did not wear war bonnets and seldom wore feathers. There went my first cover (below). Duh!

Cherokee seldom wore feathers. This cover was rejected for that reason.

The more serious point is the misuse of words from the Bible. This misuse has created entire denominations and bizarre doctrines. Some of these denominations and doctrines deny the Holy Trinity (Elohim mentioned above) and, thus, the deity of Christ.

When asked about the different faiths, the late Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long said, “I can take anything except those guys who handle those snakes.”

I can take anything except those guys who handle those snakes. – Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long

A church in 1946 Kentucky believed in handling serpents. That’s one way to increase tithing, especially in the front pew.

The fourth word in the entire Bible is Elohim (in Hebrew).

Now, allow me to switch from the ridiculous to the sublime. The fourth word (Genesis 1:1) in the Bible is Elohim. To get this word wrong is far more dangerous than a snake bit. When you ignore the truth of this word, you can miss the doctrine of the Trinity. You might also overlook the deity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And that is a duh you want to avoid.

The plural use of the word El, Elohim, is throughout the Old Testament. The tri-personality of God is introduced in the first sentence of the Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures foreshadow the revelation of the Trinity plainly presented throughout the New Testament too.

The great avowal of faith of Israel is “Hear, O Israel: The Lord thy God is one God.” (Deuteronomy 6:40)

“And God [Elohim] said in Genesis 1:26 “Let Us, [plural], make man in Our, [plural] image, after Our, [plural] likeness.”

Isaiah writes of the stupendous vision of the Lord, high and lifted up. He heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom will I send, and who will go for Us?” {The bold italicized emphasis is mine here and below}

Then Isaiah responds, “Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

“Who shall go for Us [Elohim],” said the Lord.

The Holy Spirit is mentioned by name in the second verse of the Bible.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2)

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The Son of God, Christ, is the second person of the Trinity. The pre-incarnate Christ is mentioned by name in the Old Testament. He appears throughout the Old Testament.

“Look!” he [King Nebuchadnezzar] answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. (Daniel 3:25)

In the New Testament, the Trinity of God is fully revealed. Our Lord gave the Great Commission, saying, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations.” He instructed them to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

When the Lord was baptized, the Son, Jesus Christ, was buried beneath the water. John the Baptist raised Him out of the water. The Father’s voice was heard from heaven. He said, “This is My Son.” The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. (Matthew 3:16-17) This scene represents the Trinity of God.

In the New Testament, all three are called God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Three distinct persons address one another, interact with one another, and love one another.

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Calling Christ a politically correct “higher power” is inconsistent with the Word of God. This so-called impersonal higher power cannot and will not judge. How convenient for those who will not turn from their sins (repent).

God is not a mystic power, cosmic dust, or divine energy. When you stand before the Lord of Creation, Jesus Christ, He will not be cosmic dust. He is not some mystical higher power who is only about love. He judges the world in 2 Timothy 4:1. You will be standing before God Almighty, the judge of the “living and dead,” according to the Word of God.

Today, we have a group that say Jesus was a good man. They believe he was a great teacher, a wonderful example or even an archangel. My friend Jesus Christ is God incarnate, God in the flesh. Otherwise, he was the greatest impostor whomever lived for He said “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)

Jesus asks Peter, “But who do you say that I am?” in Matthew 16:13. Peter did not say a good man, someone I admire, a higher power. Peter answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”

Three or four decades later, in Peter’s introduction of the Second Epistle of Peter he calls Him God. “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1)

The Word is Coming Again and He is Not Alone

Christ, the Word, the Logos is coming again and He will not be alone. “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen white and clean, followed Him on white horses” (Revelation 19:13)

He will not come this time as a baby laid in a humble feed trough called a manger. No one had room for Him in the village of Bethlehem that starry night. Do you have room for him this night? Or will you reduce Him to the “stable” of your life or nothing at all.

He will not come as a misunderstood 12 year old boy speaking with the authority of God in the flesh. He angered everyone in the synagogue as He read from the scroll of Isaiah. “Today, as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”

He will fulfill the rest that was written, causing many chagrin. This will occur when He comes again as the King of kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:16) “And His name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:13)

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He will not come as a man to be beaten and mocked. No one will spit on him or pluck out his beard. No one will press a crown of sharp thorns into His forehead. He will not be nailed to a cross in shame high on a hill for all to see. He will not be laid in a borrowed tomb. His disciples will not flee; save one, in fear. He will not be stripped of His robe to be gambled for. For He will be clothed with the garment of righteous.

Christ scars will remain. Ours will not.

The news spreads like wildfire. As the news spreads, the doubting world bows their knees as Doubting Thomas did. They confess Christ with their tongues as God. But salvation is by grace through faith, not by sight (Ephesian 2:8-9). One of the two thieves on a cross made that mistake.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesian 2:8-9)

Every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Philippians 2:10-12)

Jesus is called God in Titus 2:13, “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

In the New Testament, the Father is called God. The Son is also called God. The Holy Spirit is called God as well. In the fifth chapter of the Book of Acts, Peter spoke to Ananias. He asked, “Why hast Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” (Acts 5:3)

Proclaim Him as God

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us. (Matthew 1:23)

Epologue

You can handle rattlesnakes if you wish to risk physical death. But don’t deny the Trinity. Don’t deny the deity of Christ, God incarnate, God in the flesh. To do so puts you in danger of much more than physical death.

What is more dangerous than handling snakes? Believing there is no Trinity. Denying the incarnation of Christ, God in the flesh.

Christ is not a created being. Time began with His creation of the Universe. Christ is not confined by time. He created time. He knows the end in the beginning. What finite human is capable of understanding our infinite God? The Bible speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 13:12.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Study the Word of God. In it is life, love, joy, peace, salvation, and direction. However, all your questions will not be answered. The rest is called walking by faith. The Lord has sent me to Boot Camp numerous times to learn to walk by faith. I am still a work-in-progress.

I am not a new recruit after all but I sometimes forget to walk by faith. What a privilege to trust Christ by faith daily and when my dilemma seems impossible. It’s my only opportunity to walk by faith for eternity in Heaven, I will walk by sight.

Embrace this brief time to walk by faith. In 2 Corinthians 5:7, the apostle Paul says, “We live by faith, not by sight.” Trust Jesus when it seems there’s no way. Trust Him with the impossible. Trust Him for every breath and step you make. Trust Him with small and large decisions.

He will bless you, and guide you, and and protect you. At His direction He will give His angels “charge over you” as seen in Psalm 91:11-12. You will need all of that in this journey called life. This pleases God.

Choose your Destiny

Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied. —Proverbs 27:20

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There are insatiable desires in man of appetites, recognition, money, and lust. Many are always wanting more, bigger, and better things. This is nothing new.

For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. —2 Corinthians 11:14

The eyes of man are never satisfied, the scripture records. Our restless heart that cannot find contentment in worldly possessions. We seem to be always seeking more.

Man has a hole in his heart. It’s a void, an emptiness. We can never fill it with relationships or money. Nor an endless array of entertainment, stimulants. Family and religion cannot fill this emptiness either.

Why? Only God can fill the “hole in our hearts.” Jesus Christ can and will satisfy that sense of longing and emptiness. We are designed—created—for God alone to occupy our souls: our heart, our mind, our will, our emotions.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. —Psalm 139:13

We need a personal relationship with the Lord of Creation, Jesus. This means a one-on-one connection with God in the Flesh. Jesus, the Christ of the Bible, fulfills this role. He alone can fill the longings of our hearts.

Millions try pills, drugs, and alcohol. History is littered with those who have taken this route. Some try education, career, family, and religion. My friend, only Jesus can fill the longing in our hearts. He alone can fill the hole in your heart—your soul —your mind.

Jesus loves you. He came to this earth because of that love. Jesus was beaten, and a crown of thorns was pressed into his head. His beard was plucked out. He was nailed to a cross naked. Shedding his blood, God’s blood for you and me.

His coat was gambled for. And dying high on that hill called Calvary—while his beloved mother wept. His disciples, who had witnessed His miracles, all fled—save one. Despised, mocked, and rejected, he prayed.

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. —Luke 23:34

All of this for you and me. That’s how much he loves you and me.

Do you want joy and peace, and a sense of purpose? Do you long to know why the Holy God in Heaven created you? Is his intent to jerk you up by the “nap of your shirt” and then condemn you with a smirk? Not hardly.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. —John 3:17

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Is your heart broken? Have your dreams failed? Are you overwhelmed? Are you oppressed? Jesus said in Like 4:18:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed. —Luke 4:18

Join me on the most extraordinary destiny ever offered to mankind.

This most extraordinary destiny ever offered to mankind.

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. —Habakkuk 1:13

The Lord God in Heaven cannot look upon sin, for He is Holy. Yet He loves us, sinful man, and has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. To spend eternity with Him.

This is the story of this most extraordinary destiny ever offered to mankind.

Let’s begin with the last invitation in the Word of God, it is in Revelation 22:17:

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” —Revelation 22:17

Are you thirsty? Then come. Let him who hears come. And whosoever will, can come.

The invitation is to you—to me—to “whosoever will”—to everyone!

Bring your disappointments, failures, fears, and heartaches. The Holy Spirit says, Come to Jesus, our Savior.

God loves you. He wants to save you. He will save you. Come to Jesus, and drink the water of life freely.

Christ suffered, He bled, He died because He loves you and me. Listen to the still voice of the Holy Spirit, bidding you come to Jesus.

Don’t wait—come today! The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 today is the day of salvation.

The Ends of the Earth

Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. —Isaiah 45:22

All you ends of the earth” includes the Aboriginal people of the Central Australian desert.

All you ends of the earth” are those in darkest Africa.

All you ends of the earth” are the isolated tribes in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.

All you ends of the earth” are presidents, world leaders, and kings.

All you ends of the earth” is the polished lawyer, the gifted doctor, and the brilliant college professor.

All you ends of the earth” is the prostitute. It is the drug dealer. It is the rapist. It is the thief. It is the murderer.

All the ends of the earth is me—and you. Come today!

Why a Bronze Serpent

“So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was if a serpent had bitten anyone when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. —Numbers 21:19

Bronze represents judgment. The serpent is destructive, deceptive, and the most dangerous creature you will ever encounter. He is our adversary and the father of all lies. His name is Satan.

He does not appear with horns, a red cape, and an ugly face. Instead, he appears as an angel of light and says, what harm can what I offer do? No one will know. No one will be hurt.

It’s your body. You are in control. You can be your own god. You can be like god. No one can tell you what you can and can’t do. He is Satan, and he comes to destroy God’s most cherished and loved creation: You.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. —John 10:10

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Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. “Take a little cocaine,” Satan whispers. “It will make you feel good. No one will know. You’re not hurting anyone.”

The Greek term pharmakeia, in the Bible, is the root of the word “pharmacy,” in English. Pharmakeia is used in the New Testament (Galatians 5:20; Revelation 9:21; 18:23) to describe sorcery, witchcraft, and drug-related magic.

Jesus says, He has come that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Choose an abundant life in Jesus today.

You don’t need hangouts, hangups, or hangovers. You need a personal relationship with the Lord of Creation, who created the Universe and you. Jesus is His name.

In that relationship lies your future, your blessed Hope, your salvation, and your joy. And your Christ blood bought destiny. Choose your destiny today. It has already been paid for with Jesus’s blood on the cross of Calvary. But you must accept God’s free gift of eternal life. That is done through faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

“For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” —2 Corinthians 11:14

You and I have been bitten by sin, like the Israelite’s who followed Moses out of Egyptian bondage.

The Israelites had to choose whether to put their faith in God. It was a simple act of faith, but a life-or-death decision. We too face such a choice.

Those who looked lived.
Those who looked were healed.
Those who looked were made whole.
Those who looked were saved.
They didn’t wait until they were better people.
They didn’t have to touch it.
They just looked.

Jesus tells us in John 3:14-15 that this is a picture of Him being lifted up on the Cross of Calvary.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. —John 3:14-15

The bronze serpent represented the people’s sin. According to the Scriptures, Christ was made sin for us.

Will you look to Jesus?—will you put your trust in Him?—the One who died for your sins.

Will you put your faith in Jesus?—the One who shed His lifeblood for you—and me.

My son Aaron Willis’s Automobile Accident

Some years ago, my eldest son, Aaron, was in an automobile accident. His back was broken so severely that the doctors said he might not ever walk again.

Several vertebrae in his lower back were fused. After that, he was able to begin the long task of healing from the spinal fusion surgery. He was encased in a rigid plastic back brace from his neck to his waist.

Later, his doctor agreed to let him briefly remove the brace and shower as long as someone was with him.

I was driving to pick Aaron and his brothers up for the weekend. Unbeknownst to me, his brother Josh helped him remove the brace as instructed by the doctor. Aaron could take a hot shower in his shorts. Josh was with him, but was much smaller than Aaron at that time. Aaron’s doctor approved all of this.

I began to exit to stop at the Austin post office on St. Johns, off Interstate 35, when a small but clear voice said, “You need to go now.”

I passed the post office exit. I drove as fast as possible to Wimberley, an hour away. I wondered what that warning was about.

There were no cell phones then. As I entered their mother’s home, I asked his mother where Aaron was. She said in the shower.

I ran to it, and the moment I entered the bathroom, Aaron said, “Dad, I’m dizzy.”

I stepped into the shower and placed my arms under his arms from his back. He immediately passed out.

I told Josh to help me move him to a bed while their mother called 911. His dead weight was more than I could have imagined.

We got him onto his bed without re-injuring his back. I knew if he had fallen, he probably would have been paralyzed.

I prayed as I followed the ambulance to the emergency room at Austin’s Seton Medical Center. I noticed the symbol on the back of the ambulance.

It was the American Medical Association’s (AMA) logo of a serpent wrapped around a staff.

The sign of healing medicine reminded me of the bronze serpent on the staff lifted up by Moses. Christians believe that’s where the symbol originated.

But, more importantly, it reminded me of Jesus being lifted up on a cross for my son. God’s son suffered in place of my son.

To this day, I cannot see that symbol without giving thanks to the Lord for that warning. I remember the shed blood of Christ lifted high upon a cross. It was for my sins, your sins, and the entire world’s sins.

When we arrived at the hospital’s emergency room, the doctors gave him intravenous (IV) fluids. They also gave him two bottles of Gatorade for dehydration.

The hot shower, combined with pain medication and dehydration, caused his blood to rush to his feet. This resulted in him fainting.

Look

Will you look to the One lifted up on a cross for you and me? Will you look to the Great Physician—Jesus—to heal you of all your pain, emptiness, and disappointments?

Will you look to Jesus? He took your place on the cross and died for your sins. Through Him alone, you can be made new, whole, and born again.

Choose

Jesus hung between two thieves (criminals) on a cross. One rejected Him, but the other put his faith in Him.

“Will You remember me when You enter Your kingdom?” one thief asks.

Jesus replied, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

Both of those men were guilty of crimes serious enough to warrant the Roman death penalty. One put his trust in Jesus, and the other chose not to.

The question is, which thief on the cross are you? The one who said yes or the one who said no?

Now, there was the third cross that day. It was for another criminal named Barabbas, and he represents us.

Jesus was crucified on a cross meant for Barabbas—it was your cross—it was my cross, too.

Come

Come just as you are.

Will you say yes to Jesus—today?

There’s a Scripture that I love, and it explains things so clearly even I can understand.

If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. —Romans 10:9-10

You can settle this question in heaven and on earth today. Say yes to Jesus. Accept His pardon, just as that one thief did on the cross. There are no prescriptive or mandated words. Praying is just talking to the Lord.

Open

Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” — Revelation 3:20

Ask

Self-improvement will not qualify you for salvation, for God’s Word says, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10)

Comparing yourself to others will not work either: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

We seek to commend ourselves to God. However, God says our good works are like filthy rags in His sight [Isaiah 64:6]. If we are ever accepted in the eyes of Holy God, it must be through Christ our Lord.

There is no other way for says in Habakkuk 1:13, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.”

If you could be good enough to pay for your sins, think about this. Why did Jesus have to die for you?

Jesus bore your cross and my cross. He took our place on the cross. He shed His blood for our sins on that cross high on a hill for all the world to see.

The Just for the unjust. The Righteous for the unrighteous. The Godly for the ungodly The sinless Lamb of God for the sinner.

According to the Bible, we all have feet of clay and fall short of God’s glory. Our righteousness is described in the Bible as filthy rags. God’s grace (his undeserved favor) is available to us all. However, we must accept His gift of forgiveness. This gift was bought and paid for on the cross with Jesus Christ’s lifeblood. You can say yes to Jesus’s free gift right now.

Our greatest need is forgiveness. Christ came to forgive us, but we must accept that free gift. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. —Revelation 3:20

Jesus knocks, but you must open the door to your heart, to your life, to your future.

It’s not a prescribed list of words. In Luke 23:42, one of the criminals crucified with Jesus pleads, “Lord, remember me when You come into your kingdom. His heartfelt cry of faith from the cross saves him.

Jesus answers in the next verse with a promise. He says, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” The first person to accompany Christ to Heaven was this lowly thief on the cross.

Isn’t it time to decide which “thief” on the cross you are? Are you the one who put his faith in Jesus Christ? Or are you the one who rejected our Savior who gave His lifeblood for us?

The most famous 25 words ever written:

For God so loved the world. He gave His only begotten Son. Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. —John 3:16

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If these words are how you feel in your heart, then pray:

Heavenly Father,

I pray to You, asking for the forgiveness of my sins.

I confess with my mouth. I believe with my heart that Jesus is Your Son. He died on the cross at Calvary so that I might be forgiven.

Father, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead. I ask Jesus to come into my life as my personal Lord and Savior.

I turn from my sins and will surrender to your will throughout my life.

Your word is truth. I confess with my mouth that I am born again. I am cleansed by the blood of Jesus!

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!

Reach out and touch Him today!

For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well. —Matthew 9:21

Epilogue

I was headed to Temple Baptist Church with Grandma, and my owner’s manual: the Bible. It was Grandma Lillie Hanks Willis who first poured Jesus into me; sometimes, she even used words. That’s my dog Pedro wanting to follow me.

We attended Temple Baptist Church in Clute, Texas, every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. It seemed that everyone attended church in those days.

On a Wednesday night, my mother could not attend church. I walked to church from our home at 519 Coleman Street. My twelve-year-old sister Marjorie accompanied me. I was only eight.

I had no intention of that night being any different from any other. I cannot recall a word Pastor Bill Campbell said in his sermon. But I remember vividly another voice that spoke to my mind—my heart—my spirit.

It was not an audible voice. It was a still, gentle voice, tender but ever so clear, telling me to go forward and accept Christ as my Savior.

I recall my response to the Holy Spirit as if it were five minutes ago: “Lord, I am too shy. I would if my mother were here to go with me.”

I felt someone touch my left shoulder. My sister Marjorie was sitting in the back row with her friends. She could not see my face, for I was seated near the front.

She said, “I’ll go with you if you want me to.” I immediately stood and walked with her to the front of the church and made my decision public.

I know you do not have to have an experience like that to be born again. Nevertheless, I am grateful for that experience; it has never left my mind or my heart.