In Him – part 1 – 426

The other day I was sorting through our numerous boxes of books and materials from Come Alive Ministries now that we’ve relocated to Florida, and I came across a little booklet from 1975 written by Kenneth Hagen senior.

The title was, “IN HIM.” The booklet covers some awesome bible truths which bear repeating.

Here’s one from Romans 10, beginning in verse 6, “righteousness (that’s right standing with God) based on faith speaks as follows… “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.”” Paul then explains that it is the word of faith that he is preaching, and says, “…if you confess with your MOUTH Jesus as Lord, and believe in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

When a person believes in their heart that God’s Son Jesus died for their sins, and was raised from the dead as proof that that sacrifice was sufficient and successful, they are justified, made right in God’s eyes. Heaven is their destination, where there is no sickness, pain, suffering, anything bad.

But that person is still living on this earth. Will there be any change to their life NOW? Yes, IF they confess with their mouth Jesus as their Lord. You could say at that point their salvation, real as it is eternally, becomes ‘reality’ in this life, in the here and now. My friend, if you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and is your Savior, say it! Declare it! God-life will pour into you NOW; you don’t have to wait till you get to heaven! The translation into Jesus’ kingdom takes place while you are still on this earth. You come out of the domain of darkness; you are placed into Jesus’ kingdom.

I believed in my heart Jesus was real, was Lord of all and I even asked Him to be my Savior in December of 1975. But it was not until I stood up in a church service and stepped out of the pew on January 18, 1976 to declare Him my Savior that Everything Changed here on earth. Instantly I was a new creation in the here and now. You could say what was already true in the spirit realm became true in my earthly existence.

My mother witnessed the grace of God when she and dad came to visit me in Pittsburgh that Summer. She saw. And wanted what I and the church members had. She believed in her heart and did not know what to do about it.

Thankfully God was merciful. Back at home she awakened one morning hearing a voice say, “I want Jesus as my Savior.” And another voice said, “Well, say it.” She thought she was dreaming and went back to sleep. Shortly thereafter she heard again, “I want Jesus as my Savior,” and the second voice, “Well, say it.” She did, and heaven burst in upon her and she was changed in this life.

Friend, if you believe Jesus is your Savior but you have never spoken it aloud, don’t WAIT — do it today. Speak. Tell someone.

Your life will never be the same, for will COME ALIVE!