Weekly Devotional: Gems From Pastor Jim 8/3/2020

by Jim Hughes

Ezek. 18:23 Do you think, asks the LORD, that I like to see wicked people die? Of course not! I only want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.

We must understand this truth. The Lord does not like to see wicked people die. God knows that those who live wicked lives will go to hell when they die if they don’t repent. They must be sent to hell for no sin can ever be in His presence. In human terms, it’s not God’s most favorite thing to do. His holiness demands it, but His love does not want to do it.

The Lord does all He can do to get people to repent. He shows himself to us in a multitude of ways. He can be found by anyone who sincerely is looking for Him. He bears witness of His existence and love in all of life. For those who have eyes to see, what man needs to know about God in order to be saved is everywhere. God wants people to open their eyes and see Him. He wants them to see themselves as sinners in need of a Savior.

But, He also knows that sin darkens the mind of man and prevents the soul from seeing or wanting God. The deeper one goes into sin, the harder it is for the soul to find God. God allows man the freedom to choose how deep into sin they go. No one has to be a slave to sin. Living in sin is a choice that is daily made. It is the natural tendency of the heart, but it is not the way it has to be. God provides a way out of sin and a way to stay out of it. It is God’s heart desire for us to choose to come out of sin and live in righteousness. There is a way out; there is hope for the soul. Jesus is the way, truth, and life. We come to God only through Him.

About the Author:

Spending his formative years in Ft. Wayne, IN, Jim followed the love of his life to southeast Iowa where they married and have spent the majority of their lives. Jim has pastored several churches throughout his life and has worked many years in local factories to help support his family. The father of two married adult children and one son still at home, Jim is a first-time author.

C Through Marriage came into being through many years of pastoral and life experiences. The book first took on a life of its own over 20 years ago when I sought to address the much publicized moral failures of prominent leaders in the church. In the chapter on Chasity, I include the guideliness that I developed then to protect one's self from such failures.

I am a firm believer in order to make sense out of life you have to use much common sense. We need to get back to the basics of what has worked for many, many generations. If is isn't broke, why try to fix it? I strive to return to the basics of what really works in all my writings.