JESUS paid it ALL ♥

This picture says it ALL!

If you can look at this and NOT be moved . . . well, I'm not sure WHAT to say!

THIS picture depicts my HOPE.

THIS picture depicts my JOY.

THIS picture depicts the REASON I CAN SMILE.

THIS picture is the REASON that I KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW exactly WHERE Rick is today and that SOMEDAY, I will be reunited with him in GLORY.

It's been awhile since I shared ... so, how did he KNOW, how do we KNOW? You can link to that post by clicking on the red letters, or keep reading here for the answer (or do both!)! ♥

The PAIN that this picture depicts is PAIN that should have been felt by me.  By you.  By Rick.  Instead, it was ALL borne by Jesus Christ.  And HE would have taken ALL of that pain even if I was the only person on this earth.  Or you.  Or Rick.  He did it for each and every one of us individually.

OH, HOW HE LOVES YOU AND ME ♥

And ALL YOU MUST DO to accept this gift HE has offered is to trust in HIM.  To believe that he suffered the death on the cross in YOUR place.  To take away YOUR sins.  You only have to believe that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  You only have to believe that the WAGES of sin is DEATH (Romans 6:23 a), BUT the GIFT (free, undeserved, unmerited) of GOD is ETERNAL life through Jesus Christ our LORD! (Romans 6:23 b)  You just have to TRUST that God so loved the world that He GAVE His ONLY BEGOTTEN Son, that WHOSOEVER believes on HIM shall not perish, but have EVERLASTING life! (John 3:16)

It's really that simple!  You don't have to do good works (you could never do or be good enough!).  You don't have to go to the right church, sit in the right pew, give the right amount of money or even be baptized.  Being "good" is a right way to live, going to church and having fellowship with other believers is WONDERFUL, having "your" own pew isn't wrong, giving to the church to further the Gospel is great, baptism is an OUTWARD expression of your faith, yet NONE of those things will GET YOU INTO HEAVEN!!

But if you CONFESS with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and BELIEVE in your heart that God raised Him from the dead . . . YOU WILL BE SAVED!  (Romans 10:9)

That's it.  In a nutshell.  Plain and simple.

Yet, it's PROFOUND!!  It's what Rick did.  He confessed with his mouth - he believed in his heart and GOD SAVED HIM!!  Rick WAS a "good" guy.  Rick did go to church regularly.  We gave to the church regularly.  Rick and I were baptized on the same day . . . but THOSE aren't the reasons we KNOW where he is.  We KNOW where he is because he simply put his hope and faith in Jesus Christ.  He trusted the Lord as his PERSONAL Lord and Savior.  He asked Christ into his heart and asked Him to be the ruler of his life.  

So in that split second between life and death, Rick's eternity was sealed!  He was sealed for ETERNITY with the LORD in GLORY!  

As we who are left here grieve our loss, the loss of a husband, daddy, papa, son, brother, son-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, friend . . . Rick is experiencing JOY beyond our wildest dreams.  Joy unspeakable and full of glory!  And one day, we KNOW that we will be reunited with him!

There's so much more I could say, but I think tonight, I'll let the picture speak for itself.  The image of the spike being driven through HIS hand.  The only hand on this earth to NEVER HAVE DONE WRONG.  The only spotless, blameless hand on the only spotless, blameless man to EVER walk this earth, yet, HE suffered and died a hideous death so that we may LIVE.  So that even in our grief, we can smile through our tears and have the promise of WHERE Rick is and that we WILL join him someday!

Jesus paid it all

All to HIM I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

HE washed it white as snow!