:: believe

How do I follow Jesus Christ? Click here WONDERING ABOUT GOD.
 
Who is God?

 The most important thing that each of us will decide in our lives is what we think about God. Our view of God affects every part of our lives. It is important that we understand who God is and how that affects our life. The Bible teaches us that there is only one God ( Deut. 6:4 ) and that He is the Creator and Designer of the entire universe. God is one and exists in three distinct persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. When God created Earth and humanity, He did it with the intention of having a relationship with us. It is God’s will that He be connected with every part of our lives (Psalm 37:23 ). People often wonder what the point of life is and why we are here. God tells us that we were created by Him and for Him.

 1 John 4:16 tells us that God doesn’t just love us, but that He is love. We wonder how God could love certain people after what they have done. God loves people even in their worst moments because it is in His nature to do so. Every decision He makes streams from His unconditional love ( John 3:16 ). There is nothing that we could ever do to make God stop loving us and there is nothing we could ever do to make God love us more ( Rom. 8:38-40 ). Because of His love, God has been reaching out to humanity since He created us. In His undying love, God has reached out to humanity by sending His son as a sacrifice for our sins. God longs to be near the broken-hearted and the wounded ( Isaiah 57:15 ) and gives us this promise: that He will always be with us, even to the end of the world ( Matt. 28:20 ).
 

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is a name familiar to everyone. It would be difficult to find someone that has not heard of Him. Who is this man? Many say He was a moral teacher or a prophet. But what do those who walked along side of Him say? What does He say about Himself?

 Nothing is normal about Jesus. His mother was a virgin when He was conceived, making His birth an absolute marvel. He taught that God loved humanity and wanted to restore the broken connection between them and that He came to re-establish that relationship between God and mankind. In everything He did, Jesus demonstrated compassion to the poor and hurting, and in the ultimate act of love, He offered His body to be crucified as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Because Jesus is fully God, death couldn’t have the final say-so. Jesus rose from the dead giving hope to all those who believe in Him.

One with the Father  -John, perhaps Jesus’ closest friend, writes about one statement Jesus made about himself, “I and the Father are one.” ( John 10:30 ). This means is that He Himself is fully God and co-equal to the Father in status and power. Jesus left the heavens and came here simply to let humanity know who God is. He is identical in every way to the Father, and so that qualifies Him to be the perfect messenger and sacrifice for the sins of a hurting world.

Amazing Birth  -From the beginning of His life, Jesus attracted attention. His birth was unique. It was spoken of and anticipated by many generations before His time. The prophet Isaiah promised the nation of Israel that God would send someone to save the world. Isaiah said we would know who it is because his mother would be a virgin when he was conceived ( Is. 7:14 ). Her pregnancy would not be the result of a man, but from God. Luke, an author in the New Testament, records the circumstances of Jesus’ birth. He writes that an angel appeared to a girl named Mary and told her, “You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the most high.” ( Lk. 1:31-32 ). To be called the Son of God simply means that He bears God’s name and authority. Jesus’ astonishing birth identified Him as the one who was promised by God to be the savior of all people.
 
Teachings  -The description of Jesus’ life is given in the first four books of the New Testament. Jesus lived many years of His life as a normal 1st century Jew. Jesus began His public ministry around the age of 30 after being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River . Jesus regularly taught in churches and public squares. The message of Jesus was simple. He focused a lot on “The Kingdom of God.” He told His audience that God’s reign and authority was everlasting, and that God was setting up His kingdom through Him.
 
Compassion  -Jesus captivated large audiences because He taught things that challenged them and healed those who were sick. Jesus wasn’t afraid to approach those who were rejected by society because of their illness. Because of this, Jesus was ridiculed and rejected by the religious leaders of His day. Jesus traveled from city to city modeling compassion to those who were sick and hurting. He said that this is what the Father had chosen for Him to do ( Lk. 4:18-19 ).

 The Sacrifice  -The most unusual event of Jesus’ life was his death. Jesus was wrongly charged by the authorities and was deemed worthy of capitol punishment. In the first century, only the most extreme crimes were punished by the Roman government through crucifixion. Jesus was sentenced to the worst of penalties for crimes He did not commit. What is even more peculiar is that Jesus claimed that this injustice was the reason he was born ( Jn. 12:27 ). He told the man who overlooked his trial that the true decision of his death came from God and not man. Another writer says that Jesus’ brutal death was God’s demonstration of His powerful love. “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” ( Rom. 5:8 ). Christ didn’t die because He was a threat to some or because He broke any laws. Yet His death was purposeful. When He died, He was receiving the punishment for the sin of every person who has ever existed and will ever exist ( 1 Pet. 2:24 ).

Victory  - Two days later, the grave that held Jesus’ body was found empty. Because He is God, Jesus could not be held down by death. In the greatest event of all time, He rose from the dead. His resurrection is the hope of every believer that one day they too will be raised. Also, His resurrection confirms His identity as God. Only God has the power over death. After He rose from the dead He gave instructions to His followers, and then ascended to heaven. He left them and us with a promise- that one day He will return to set up the eternal Kingdom of God here on Earth.

 Jesus’ life here on Earth was remarkable. He was perfect in all that he did and said, not committing any sin. He modeled the giving and compassionate heart of the Father in every way. What does Jesus tell us about himself? He gives a description of himself so exclusive that no one can ignore it. It challenges even the most brilliant of minds today. He tells us that He is God’s only plan for the world. That humanity only has one hope, and His name is Jesus. He said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ( Jn. 14:6 )

 

Why do I need God?

Everyone would agree that God would be a great asset to any team. With all of His resources and power, He could take any business, career, or household to the top. But that is the problem. Often we see God as an asset. We fail to recognize our need for Him. God told us in His word that hidden in us all is a tendency to act in ways contrary to His commands. No person has lived a life that completely lives up to God’s standards ( Rom. 3:23 ).

Eternity  -God has made us eternal creatures. There is more to us than just our bodies. There is part of us that will exist forever. We will either live forever with God in heaven or apart from Him in hell. It is easy to assume that bad people will go to hell and that good people will go to heaven. But the Bible teaches us that there is nothing good enough anybody can do to be worthy of heaven ( Rom. 3:27 ). God only accepts those who put their faith and trust into what Jesus did when he died for all ( Rom. 3:25 ). We need God to take care of our eternity.

The Now  -Because we were created for relationship with God, He doesn’t just desire to take care of our after life, but He has plans to bring fulfillment to our life now. Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” ( John 10:10 ). Inside all of us there is something missing in our hearts that longs to be filled. Many times we attempt to fill that empty spot with relationships or possessions, but it can only be filled by our heavenly Father. Without God, we are empty and incomplete. Because God is just and perfect, He must punish people for all the wrong they have done, but because He is loving and compassionate, He has offered a solution. God offers forgiveness to those who admit their guilt and accept Christ’s sacrifice. We all need forgiveness. Only God through Jesus can give us the forgiveness we need. When we put our trust in Jesus, we enter into a relationship with God that brings complete joy even in the worst of times ( Rom. 5:11 ).  

Accepting Christ!!!

John 14: 6 says that there is one way to God, through Jesus. It doesn’t matter what we have done or who we are, Jesus accepts us. But He loves us so much that He will not let us stay the same. His desire is to change us into the person He intended us to be. We all need God’s forgiveness, and He gives it when we accept Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. If you would like to accept Christ, pray this prayer:

 "Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I need your forgiveness for the things I’ve done. I believe that you are the Son of God and that you died for me. I know you rose from the dead and have complete victory over death. Come live in my heart and take my life. Cleanse me and make me whole. Thank you for what you’ve done for me. I love you."

 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John. 14:6)

 If you have made a decision today to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please take a moment to and fill out the form below. This isn’t a commitment, and we aren’t signing you up as a member of VCC. We just want to be able to contact you so that we can find out how we can serve you and your family in any way possible.