Your Invitation: Come as You Are

By Lee Humphrey

Have you ever desired to do something helpful for a hurting, desperate personbut didnt know what to say or what to do? For many Christians who both feel and know the comforting, healing power of Christ in their own lives, it can still be hard to know how to witness to others and show them the way to Christ.

Your Invitation: Come as You Are is just the tool you need if you are like those Christians who long to bring hope to the hurting but dont always know how. Using simple daily devotionals and sharing the gospel message in common, everyday language, it reminds us that Jesus invites us to come as we are. And whether we are hurting or wish to help those who are, this invitation can lead us to Christ, where we can get to know him as a friend and begin on the road to true Christian living every day.

If you are lost or want to help someone who is feeling hopeless or desperate, you must accept Jesuss invitation. He doesnt ask you to dress up and pretend youre someone else; he simply wants you to come as you are, bringing a refreshing breath of fresh air to the seasoned Christian longing for that joy he or she once had.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973618799

Lee Humphrey

This author has a heart for those who feel they have no hope and was led to write this book for them. In the process of creating daily devotions, the author searched through many translations/versions of the Bible, sought advice from trusted pastors and ministers, and waited on the Holy Spirits guidance for each page.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 Lee Humphrey.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Cover and Interior Photographs by Bob Humphrey

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-1878-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-1880-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-1879-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018902209

WestBow Press rev. date: 5/24/2018

Scripture taken from King James Version of the Bible

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New Life Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Voice™. Copyright © 2012 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

DAY 5

DAY 6

DAY 7

DAY 8

DAY 9

DAY 10

DAY 11

DAY 12

DAY 13

DAY 14

DAY 15

DAY 16

DAY 17

DAY 18

DAY 19

DAY 20

DAY 21

DAY 22

DAY 23

DAY 24

DAY 25

DAY 26

DAY 27

DAY 28

DAY 29

DAY 30

DAY 31

DAY 32

DAY 33

DAY 34

DAY 35

DAY 36

DAY 37

DAY 38

DAY 39

DAY 40

DAY 41

DAY 42

DAY 43

DAY 44

DAY 45

DAY 46

DAY 47

DAY 48

DAY 49

DAY 50

DAY 51

DAY 52

DAY 53

DAY 54

DAY 55

DAY 56

DAY 57

DAY 58

DAY 59

DAY 60

DAY 61

DAY 62

DAY 63

DAY 64

DAY 65

DAY 66

DAY 67

DAY 68

DAY 69

DAY 70

DAY 71

DAY 72

DAY 73

DAY 74

DAY 75

DAY 76

DAY 77

DAY 78

DAY 79

DAY 80

DAY 81

DAY 82

DAY 83

DAY 84

DAY 85

DAY 86

DAY 87

DAY 88

DAY 89

DAY 90

DAY 91

DAY 92

DAY 93

DAY 94

DAY 95

DAY 96

DAY 97

DAY 98

DAY 99

DAY 100

DAY 101

DAY 102

DAY 103

DAY 104

DAY 105

DAY 106

DAY 107

DAY 108

DAY 109

DAY 110

DAY 111

DAY 112

DAY 113

DAY 114

DAY 115

DAY 116

DAY 117

DAY 118

DAY 119

DAY 120

DAY 121

DAY 122

DAY 123

DAY 124

DAY 125

DAY 126

DAY 127

DAY 128

DAY 129

DAY 130

DAY 131

DAY 132

DAY 133

DAY 134

DAY 135

DAY 136

DAY 137

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:10 (KJV)

1ChurchBeggar.jpg

DAY 1

I n a world filled with deception, cruelty, abuse, and chaos, it’s not hard to become paralyzed by fear and sink into hopelessness.

This book is to tell you there is a way out of that prison.

When everyone has turned their backs on you and said, You’re hopeless, there is a friend who will put His arm around you and walk you out to freedom.

These pages will introduce you to Him. Please read only one page each day. Read it over again and let it become truth to you. Only then will you be ready for the next day’s writing.

Several different translations of the Bible have been used in these pages. When you see the designation KJV, that scripture is from the King James Version. Do you have a problem with all those thees and thous? Go to the last two pages in this book for a few tips to make it easier to read that version.

This author has a heart for those who are hurting and was led to write this just for you. May you be freed from your hopelessness and fear and begin to look forward to a life filled with joy and expectation.

This book did not come into your hands by accident. Now turn the page and begin your new life. See for yourself why you are special.

2FearBars.jpg

DAY 2

M y friend, who has a jail ministry, shared some letters from the incarcerated women, and there was a recurring theme in them all—fear. Fear of failure, fear of being alone or forgotten, fear of what the future might hold, fear that their families and friends would forget them, fear of falling back into sin. My heart ached for them. But all those same fears can be real to anyone—inside a prison or walking free on the streets. Wherever we live, fear is the real prison that keeps us bound. That’s why 1 John 4:18 (KJV) is where we start:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

How are we made perfect in love? By inviting the perfect one into our hearts and surrendering our entire being to Him. There’s a simple way that leads to doing just that. It’s a term I heard long ago; it’s the Roman Road. Let’s take a walk.

3RomanRoad.JPG

DAY 3

R omans 3:23 (KJV) informs us, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

You’re not alone—notice the word all. All have sinned—that’s you, me, and everyone in the world. But God, in His mercy, gave us a way out of living in sin. It’s in Romans 6:23 (KJV):

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What a gift! Eternal life—something to look forward to when we leave this earth and the hope we need to face a world full of fear.

Every year at the Christmas season, we celebrate that gift from God. On that long-ago night of His birth, there was fear in the dark fields, but even then God soothed them with these words we can read in Luke 2:10 (KJV):

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Notice again that you’re not alone—it’s great joy for all!

DAY 4

C ontinuing down the Roman Road, we find conviction in Romans 10:9–10 (KJV).

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Jesus, God’s only son, came to earth for you and me. He voluntarily gave His life that we might have that salvation leading to eternal life.

Even though this scripture originally spoken by Jesus doesn’t specifically mention fear, it will soothe yours. Read