Luke 23:42-43,  "Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.'  Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.'"

Think

"The gospel is gloriously simple and simply glorious!" On the day of the crucifixion, three men, naked and exposed, hung suspended on wooden crosses to die an excruciating and shameful death – two of them guilty criminals, one the sinless Son of God. Having heard Jesus pray for His enemies and seeing the grace with which He faced death, one of the hardened criminal's hearts cracked wide open with a sudden understanding of who Jesus was. Ironically, this man recognized Christ's divinity at the absolute worst moment of His humanity, and he pleaded with Jesus for a place in His Kingdom. Imagine the all-consuming love this man surely felt as Jesus mercifully turned toward him and said, "Today you will be with me in paradise." That same, all-consuming love and grace is available to us the moment we place our faith in Jesus and admit that we are desperate sinners in need of a Savior. On that fateful day, one man died  for sin (Jesus). One man died  in his sin (the criminal who refused to acknowledge who Jesus was). And one man was saved  from his sin (the criminal who cried out to Jesus). This demonstrates that it's never too late, nor is any sin too great to receive God's amazing grace. However, there is a caveat. Salvation procrastination isn't wise! Only God knows what day will be our last. Therefore, the choice is ours; we can either accept Jesus today as Savior or meet him as our judge tomorrow!

Act

If you have recently made the decision to commit your life to Jesus and are ready to take the next step, you can start by visiting us at fellowshipchurch.com/next-steps/ If you already have a personal relationship with Jesus, pray for the people you know who have not yet surrendered their lives to Him. Ask God to open their eyes to who He is, their own sinfulness, and their need for salvation.

Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your all-consuming love and amazing grace. I place my trust in You, knowing that You have a specific plan and purpose for my life. Help me to remain focused on the path You've placed before me and to fulfill my purpose for Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.