You go to the grocery store, find the items on your shopping list and then go to the cashier.
     “What is your name?” You give your name and hear:
     “Your name is on the list.”
      You ask what that means.
     “It means you don't have to pay for your groceries.” You know something is wrong and that sooner or later you will receive a bill.
      Then you go to a clothing store. They too say your name is on the list and you do not have to pay. What is going on? Did you win the lottery?
      You decide to try something really expensive, so you go to an auto dealer, pick out the car you want, and to your astonishment they tell you the same thing. You drive home with your new car.
      You tell other people of your amazing good fortune. They look at you strangely and by their expressions you realize they do not believe you or else they think you are very confused. Most all of us know that few things are free in this life!
      Jesus came with God's new plan. He offers us a totally free gift: forgiveness of all our sins and eternity with Him in Heaven. When we believe Him and accept His offer, we want to tell others. They may think we are mistaken about what Jesus said and did. Or, they may ask, “If what you are saying is true, why haven't we heard this before”? We need to be ready to explain what happens when we believe that Jesus gives us God's free gift.
      Are you ready to explain?
      If not, I urge you to search the New Testament until you are sure that what Paul has written in his letters to fellow Christians is true.
     Many people find it very difficult to believe that anyone has received such an incredible gift. Or that Jesus purchased it for us. Some folks are convinced that there has to be something that everyone needs to do before they can be positive - absolutely positive - that they are going to Heaven. Yes, God's gift seems too good for many people to believe. They cling to the “natural” assumption that God's gift must require us to do something other than believe what Jesus said. They may try praying, attending church, giving money to help others, being kind to others and doing whatever they think a “good” person should do. Our efforts may make us feel better, for a while. Then something happens that causes us to feel there must be something “more” that we should do.

      God's gift is free, absolutely free. Everyone must receive this gift on God's terms. No person has ever done anything or become good enough in order to deserve receiving this gift.
      Because of his kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. It is God himself who has given us new lives from Christ Jesus. . . (Eph. 2:7-10 TLB).
      But are there things that all of us should do after we receive God's free gift? Yes, many things. We should meditate on this free gift until we realize how blessed we are. Then we should be so thankful that we want to tell others about God's goodness to us.
      We can study God's Word for the rest of our lives to learn and understand what He wants us to do. He wants our service to come from a heart that longs to please Him and to help others as He has helped us.
      Here are some words that Jesus used to explain God's gift: God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 NIV). We can share these words with people who try to carry the burden of their sins and failures. God gave His own Son so that He could do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
      Now we can come fearlessly right into God's presence, assured of his glad welcome when we come with Christ and trust in him (Eph. 3:12 TLB).
      The only condition is that you fully believe the Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting him to save you. This is the wonderful news that came to each of you and is now spreading all over the world (Col. 1:23 TLB).

 by Mary Carothers

      Married couples have to let go of the irritating flaws of their spouses. The same is true with parents and children. We all have ample opportunities to overlook the many frustrations of daily life, or we can allow them to stress us and go through each day feeling overwhelmed by our circumstances.
      I have a dear friend who continually complains about her husband. She either doesn't like what he does, or she's upset about what he doesn't do. How much peace she could have if she would turn all her frustrations over to the Lord and begin thanking Him for these irritations. They are designed, after all, to cause us to: set our thoughts and minds on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1).
      Let's not allow the little foxes (frustrating irritations) to spoil the vineyard. Rather, let's learn to walk in the victory and joy that are available to us as we trust and thank and praise our Lord for all that happens to us in this life.