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NUGGETS OF TRUTH By REV. ANDY SMITH Family Worship Center, Washington, Va. Have you ever felt a desire to have a close relationship with God, but you wondered if He would welcome you? I can remember a time in my life when I had a great desire to know God, but I didn't see how He could possibly love me because of sin in my life Jesus tells a beautiful parable in Luke, chapter 15. about a man who had two sons One day the younger son decided to take his share of his father s inheritance and leave home. The son traveled to a far country and in verse 16, it says he "wasted his money with riotous living". With all his money gone, he was forced to do hard labor just to survive. After some time the son finally came to himself. Though he had turned his back on his father and wasted the inheritance, he began to make his way back home hoping in his heart that his father would at least take him back as a servant. Maybe you are in this same situation. You want to go home to your heavenly Father, your creator, and yet you are afraid that He might not want you. Because you haven't lived right all these years, you don't think that God will accept you. Let's see how the father in this story responded to his son's homecoming. In verse 20 it reads, "But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. " Not only did the father take his son back, but he was so glad to see him that he made a great feast to celebrate his return. The father in this parable represents God, the heavenly Father. He would not only be glad, but overjoyed to see you give your life to Him. God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us all and give us everlasting life. (John 3:14-18). The purpose of this was to "reconcile the world to Himself", according to II Corinthians 5:19. To reconcile means to restore friendship. In other words, God wants to be friends with you. He doesn't expect us to make our lives right before we come to Him. He wants us to give our lives to Him and allow Him to change us and make us right, through Jesus. God is standing at the door, looking i down the road so to speak, and waiting for
| you to come home. Won't you give your heart i to the Lord and receive His loving welcome? \ According to Romans 10:9 & 10, we must be| lieve in the resurrection of Jesus and confess
| Him as our Lord. If you will do this right now, j God will change your life. This article is sponsored by
\ ROBERT DUNPHY
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% MINISTRIES, INC. Rt. 1. Box 266, Sperryvilie, Va. 22740
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