You matter.

For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with the thought that my existence was meaningless. What could a broken, misled, rebellious runaway ever be worth? Those thoughts led me to believe that God could never care about what happened to me. You can only imagine how a person lives when they think the God of the universe forgot about them. 

Here is the beautiful truth, friend. I know it now and how I wish I had known it then! God knows you. You matter to Him. In fact, you are so precious to Him that not only did He die for you in the most humiliating way, but He is coming back after He has prepared a wonderful place for you in His kingdom. He says you're worth it. You're worth dying for.

Psalm 139:13-16 

For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb. 

I will give thanks to You, 

for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well. 

My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them. 

God created you. Everything and everyone, but specifically, He created you. You matter. He carefully planned all your days before you were born and knit you together Himself in your mother's womb. No matter the circumstances of that conception, your life now or your past, God knows you. He is in control. He has wonderful and awesome plans for each one of us. Each one. You. 

Your life doesn't disqualify you. In fact, you are qualified because of the life God planned for you. 

Do you think you are too broken? Look at Rahab. A prostitute redeemed and rewarded because she feared The Lord and was a part of the heritage of our Savior. 

Do you think you have turned your back on God too many times? Look at Peter. The one who denied Christ and ended up leading many to Him. 

Do you think you are too young? Look at David. A youth who ended up slaying a giant and a king Israel would not soon forget. 

Do you think you are too weak? Look at Gideon. The least of his family and yet trusted God, yielding mighty results in battle. 

God is calling you. And when God calls, He qualifies. He knows you and you do matter. Every part matters. Whether you are called to stay at home and raise your family or to travel around the world as a missionary, you are called. Will you listen?

Will you listen to the God who made you, has cared for you, planned your days before they existed and knows your innermost being? 

You matter to Him. You always have. You always will. He says you are worth it. 

Don't be misled!

I sincerely hope what I am about to tell you truly is the result of irresponsible journalism and a misunderstanding. However, I cannot sit idly by while this is out there. 

The pope said in a recent interview that you don't have to believe in God to go to heaven. You only have to follow your conscience. The interview has been removed from the Vatican website. 

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/scalfari-interview-taken-down-from-vatican-website?nomobile=1

Apparently it was all a big misunderstanding? That's oddly convenient...

Then in the interview he says this:

“Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us. Sometimes after a meeting I want to arrange another one because new ideas are born and I discover new needs. This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good.”

So it is not surprising that this is his view on how to be saved:

“Agape, the love of each one of us for the other, from the closest to the furthest, is in fact the only way that Jesus has given us to find the way of salvation and of the Beatitudes.”

Here's the link to the interview: 

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4023659/

He ends by saying the Church is feminine. 

I implore you to seek the truth. Trusting in Jesus and His finished work on the cross is the only way to be saved from paying the price for your sins. Nothing we can do other than trust in Jesus will ever earn us a place in heaven. Not good works, being a good person and certainly not following your conscience. Please pass this along!

The truth about salvation: 

It is a free gift from God. For more information, call me or visit this site. 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/about/becoming_a_christian.aspx