Jesus Is A Personal Savior

       Who is Jesus? I can discuss His role as the most important historical figure in the entire history of the world. Or, I am always happy to share his miraculous  life as revealed in the Word of God. Or, I can shed tears with you as we discuss his awful death to purchase our salvation but punctuate the conversation with "Hallelujah" because of His resurrection. 

     The wonder of Jesus is that He is not only God Incarnate for all mankind, but as Mosie Lister wrote in song and the Statesmen Quartet made famous and I have often sung if to nobody else but myself. This is the chorus:

     "He's a personal Savior

     He's mine I know

     I love Him so

     He did my heart 

     A personal favor 

     That's why I tell it out

     Wherever I may go. 

     When I am blue

     And feeling oh so low down

     He'll take me through

     Old Satan can't get me down 

     And from the path

     I'll never more waver

     For He's a friend

     A personal friend."

     

     There is so much I'd like to tell you about what He means to me. He has never failed to be near me in my darkest hours. He has been my Great Physician when hope was gone. He has lifted me up when I've stumbled. He's given me direction when I've been confused as to what to do or where to turn. 

     Most of all, He is my personal Savior because on the day we celebrated His resurrection, I watched my four grandchildren hunting eggs, scurrying here and there while laughing with childhood glee....and His resurrection means death will not permanently separate me from them. Jesus makes all of that possible. 

     I was in an elevator one day and a fellow rider began to use our Lord's name in a vile profane way, I turned to him and said, "Sir, I wish you would not speak of Jesus in such a way, my beloved mother and father are dead, and one day I'll be dead and my grandchildren whom I love dearly will live their lives without me. The only hope I have of seeing them again is the Jesus you are using as a curse word."

     I would have loved to sing for him the first two verses of Mosie Lister's song:

     "You've heard about a place called 

          heaven up in the blue

     I'm glad that all my sins are forgiven

     I'm telling you

     I'd like to see you get this feeling

     You can receive

     God's ready now to give you 

          this feeling

     If you believe.

     Don't ever try to quench the Spirit

     When God's around

     Some people seem to get

          so near it 

     Then turn Him down.

     Judgment you're going

          to see the Savior

     That you passed by

     Think how you're going 

          to feel that morning

     When others cry"....(sing chorus)

     I love Jesus, my personal Savior, for many, many reasons. Most of all, however, it is He who will bring us all safely to the other side.