The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Captain John Kirschman, The Salvation Army When Jesus died on the cross about 2000 years ago God knew this was absolutely necessary. Why? The most basic answer is that man was lost, he was corrupt and he was living far short of God's intention for him. If you take an honest look at the shape the world is in today it doesn't really seem as if anything has changed. Jesus came to make things better and everywhere he went things changed for the better. He is still in the same business today. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever." (Heb. 13:8). Jesus worked with individuals, not with society as a whole, he still operates this way today. He wants to change the world one person at a time. He starts by forgiving us our sins (He died on the cross to make this possible) and then building back the things in our lives that our rebellion and sin against God has destroyed. Things such as marriages, children, priorities, prayer, conversation, relationships, responsibilites, job performance and our attitude toward ourselves. He wants us to know Him, to know God, to know the Holy Spirit, to know real love, forgiveness, purity, perseverance, honesty and integrity, faith, discernment, peace, joy, accountability, and wholeness of life. Jesus was sent to this earth to be a benefit to us, He did not come to rain on our parade. He said, "I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10b). Notice the word 'might' in there. It's not automatic, it's up to us to take this wonderful offer that Jesus extends to each of us. He is God's one and only answer for the ills of this world and the ills of each of our personal lives, and He is more than sufficient. We just need to give Him an honest opportunity to prove Himself to us. He will not let us down.
