Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering?

Wonderful article on the topic of suffering from www.WillYouGetInHeaven.com  –  http://willyougetinheaven.wordpress.com/knowlege/suffering/ 

 

Why would a good, loving, and all powerful God allow so much evil and suffering in the world?

            The standard Evangelical response to this question is that God desires for us to love him and for that love to be real we must have free will. Humans have decided to rebel against God and sin, thus our sins have consequences (evil and suffering).  I believe that there is some truth in this response, but the existence of sin and suffering and why God Continues to let it thrive goes much deeper than that.  Let me give you some bullet points to consider to you help deal with this hard issue:

-         Remember that God possesses all wisdom and knowledge and we/you do not.

-         How many horrid and wicked schemes has God caused to never come to fruition?  You have no idea and neither do I?  He is probably saving us from hundreds of disasters everyday without our ever even knowing it.  God is restraining Evil in the world every day.

-         Hard times, pain and suffering is often how we learn life’s greatest lesions, develop positive character traits, and grow closer with God.  C.S. Lewis put it well, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speak in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a dead world.”

-         God often uses pain and suffering as a means to draw us to himself.  When times are good people can often be self reliant.  God will often bring about or allow hard circumstances in our life to break our pride, humble us and bring us to repentance.  For the person who is trusting in Christ, all circumstances are for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28)

-         If you want God to eliminate sin and suffering and its causes then would you mind if he started with eliminating you?  We are the problem!  In order to get rid of sin and suffering God would have to deal with humans.  We are the direct cause of most evil in the world.

-         If you saw humanity from God’s perspective you would probably ask, “Why does this God of Justice and righteousness allow any pleasure and goodness in the lives of humans at all?”  We are so corrupted by sin that we do not realize the stench of our sin in God’s nose. We forget that we actually deserve suffering because of our rebellion against God.  It is only because of his mercy we don’t get sent to Hell after our first sin.

-         Trials and suffering reveal to us if our allegiance to God is real, and it provides opportunities for Him to show himself faithful to his true children. (1 Peter 1:5-7)

-         God comforts his children in our suffering so that we can be of help to others when they enter times of suffering or affliction.  (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

-         God does not just point the finger and look at suffering and sin from a distance.  God became a man in the person of Jesus and he suffered more than any person ever had or ever would so that he could conquer sin once and for all time.

-         God promises that all things will be made new.  He will make this broken and sinful world into a place of perfection and paradise.  It will be a new Heaven and new earth where God’s people will enjoy him, worship him and exalt in him forever.  (Revelation 21:4)

-          God is completely sovereign, but this does not mean that human decisions are not real and that they won’t be held accountable for their evil actions.  For example we can see God’s plan for the death of Christ in Acts 2:23, yet those who were responsible for the crime will endure wrath unless they repent.  This is truly a hard concept to figure out.

-         Those who suffer in this life will be so amazed by Go for all of eternity that the trials of this world will be nothing compared to the glories of heaven and the rewards obtained if the suffering was for Jesus’ sake.  On the flipside, those who do not receive the forgiveness that Christ offers will suffer eternally at the hands of a perfectly holy and just God.

-         We could not know the fullness of God’s love and goodness if evil and suffering  did not exist, as a result we will be able to glorify God at a higher level and enjoy him at a higher level

-         God has temporarily allowed sin and suffering primarily to allow for His greatest glorification and secondarily for the ultimate good of those who truly love him.  True worshipers of God will have a far greater capacity to appreciate God and his goodness after seeing what darkness is like which will magnify the Glory given to God and our ability to enjoy him.  Christians also have the promise that any suffering endured for Christ’s sake will be repaid over and above in the life to come.  

-         God has been glorified by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in a magnificent way.  Followers of Christ will praise him for eternity for the work accomplished during his time dwelling on earth.  None of His redemptive work would have been possible or necessary had sin not entered the world.

-         If sin had not entered the world then God could not show us the full extent of his love and his willingness to sacrifice for us.  Heroes and Saviors are only shown to be what they are when the circumstances are right.

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“The existence of evil and suffering proves that God does not exist.”

            On the surface this may seem to be a good objection to negate the existence of God, but I believe that if you scratch a bit below the surface, the existence of sin, evil, and suffering actually proves that God is real. 

 Why is stealing, murder and  rape wrong?  Most people I ask this question to respond by saying, “ because it hurts someone.”  I respond by saying, “what is wrong with hurting someone?”   Try to answer this question for yourself.  If Atheists are correct that there is no God, and we are just glorified monkey-like creatures, then where did all this fuss about evil, suffering, and sin come from? If we are purely random, materialistic cosmic accidents, then sin, evil, and suffering are just concepts humans made up.  They are not real.  The Big Bang and Darwinian evolution cannot account for evil and immorality.  If Darwin was right and it really is survival of the fittest out there then there is nothing really wrong with stealing (more for me), murder (less mouths to feed), rape (spread my seed).  This is crazy talk that leads to monsters like Hitler. Atheism and naturalistic evolution cannot account for the reality of moral laws and real suffering.  If the critics are right, then moral ills like rape, murder, and racism are not really ills at all, they are simply societal preferences. 

The Critics are not right. God is the creator of Goodness and morality.  Moral laws exist and he is the moral law giver.  He is the standard of goodness by which everything is measured.  God has in a general sense written his laws on our hearts; we call it our conscience. The fine tuning of our conscience comes when we learn what he has written in his word (the Bible).

Romans 2:14-16 (ESV) “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ¹⁶ on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

What is the Purpose of life?

Wonderful article on the purpose of life— click on link or read below  http://willyougetinheaven.wordpress.com/knowlege/lifes-purpose/

 

What is the Purpose of life?

     What is the purpose of life? Before I get to the purpose of life, I quickly want you to realize that this question presupposes a purpose giver, namely God. Think about it, if God doesn’t exist and this is just a purely random, materialistic universe, then life has no ultimate meaning and we really have no more intrinsic value than a rock or a monkey. Thankfully this is not the case. God exists and his Word teaches us that he has created all things for his own good purposes.
     I have asked many college students what they thought the purpose of life is and I usually come away disappointed in their answers. Their responses usually focus on enjoying life to the max, making good money, or having a family. While these things can be good additions to life, they can also destroy your life. If you dedicate your life to fulfill God’s purposes for your life God guarantees that you will never regret it in eternity. So what is the purpose of life?

The Westminster Shorter Catechism summarizes biblical teaching on the issue by stating:
Question: What is the chief end (purpose) of man?
Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

The great biblical answer is that we have been created to glorify and enjoy our creator? After reading this statement I can think of four immediate questions I would want to be answered:
1. What does it mean to Glorify God?
2. Why should we glorify God?
3. How do we glorify God?
4. What does enjoying him forever have to do with anything?

1. What does it mean to Glorify God? Let’s first of all note that glorifying God does not mean that you are adding to his glory. He is independently glorious whether or not we ever realize it. We give glory to God when we recognize his supreme importance or weightiness which results in worship, honor and praise to Him with our thoughts, words and deeds. I like to think of giving glory to God in part like reflecting his glory and attributes back at Him and at others by living, acting and thinking the way His word commands.

In a limited way, an everyday example can be the relationship between parents and a child. When a child goes rogue and begins to disrespect all law and authority in the land, that child’s parents feel a sense of disgrace. On the other hand when your child is playing by the rules and living life to the best of their ability parents often feel “glorified”. Parallel that with our lives. God created us to live holy, God honoring, thank filled lives that will reflect His goodness and attract others to him, but all too often human’s sin and live their lives as if God does not exist and as if He is not the greatest treasure in the universe. This does not honor and glorify the Great God who made us.

We need to realize what an honor it is that God would want to use us to make his name greatly known among the nations and people groups of the world. God could appear to his people in visions or dreams but for some reason in his sovereignty he has he has chosen to use sin stained humans to deliver his message and magnify his glory.

2. Why should we glorify God?
Objectors often ridicule by calling the God of the Bible egotistical. Does God really need us to massage his ego? The answer is obviously no. So why should we glorify God with our lives?
Reason #1 is because he is worthy of ultimate glory. There is nothing that compares to His power and Majesty. God is the self-existent, self-sufficient, eternal, infinite, unchanging, all-knowing, all-powerful, holy, just, loving, merciful, gracious creator of the universe. This is something that no mere little man or woman can claim. Even if God never saved one human from their sins He is still worthy to be worshiped and glorified because he is glorious in his essence and being!
• Revelation 4:11 – “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Reason #2 is that God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, thus he obviously gets to dictate the purpose of his creation. He holds every molecule in the universe together by his magnificent power.
• Isaiah 43:7; 21 “…Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made….21 the people whom I formed from myself that they might declare my praise.”
• Colossians 1:16-20 – “For by him (Jesus) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
• Romans 11:36 – “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

Reason #3 is that putting God first in our lives by glorifying Him above all else is what is best for us. God loves humanity and he wants what is best for us, and He is what is best for us. God has commanded us to love and glorify Him above all else and he has instructed us how to do this by giving us laws or rules to live by. Please remember that God has given us a set of rules to live by not because he is a kill joy, but because he wants us to experience the ultimate joy. When we sin and refuse to glorify Him, we never have God’s best for our lives because we are not fulfilling the purpose for which we were ultimately created, namely God Glorification. The Creator of the universe knows that knowing him and living in his will brings ultimate joy and satisfaction, and this brings God great glory. I love how Dr. John Piper puts it when he says, “God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him.”
• John 15:8 – “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples….If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
• Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
• Ephesians 3:19 – “and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
• John 10:10 – “…I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Reason #3 pertains to the people who call themselves Christians. Have you repented from sins and turned to Jesus in faith for the cleansing of sin which was accomplished by His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead? If so, you have been ransomed back from your old slave master, namely sin. You have promised you life to your new master, namely God. He has paid the ultimate price for you and your glorifying obedience. He has shown great sacrificial love for us, how then can we not show great appreciation for Him in return by obeying his commands, thereby glorifying him?
• 1 Corinthians 6:20 – “for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
• 1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
• Romans 12:1 – “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

3. How do we glorify God?
This question could potentially consume a full book, but for our purposes I will try to be brief. I know I will fail to cover some ways to bring God glory, but I hope the following will be helpful.
• 1 Corinthians 10:31 “ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

a. Trust in God – Hebrews 11:4 states “and without faith it is impossible to please Him (God), for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” It is glorifying to God when we trust his promises of salvation and provision in our lives. (also see Romans 4:20)
b. Know who God is –You cannot intentionally glorify God if you do not know who the true God of the bible is. It is imperative that you have a basic understanding of the nature of God and who he has claimed to be, namely one God revealed in three distinct persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit (A.K.A. the Trinity). But don’t stop there; you need to study His attributes! The more you know about God the more there is to love, honor and adore. The difference between worshiping a false god and the real God starts with knowing who he has claimed to be. (Recommended reading: The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer, or Knowing God by J.I. Packer)
c. Faith in Jesus – Philippians 2:10-11 states, “…so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Repenting of your sins and receiving Christ as Lord, God and Savior is essential if you want to god now and for eternity. The bible explicitly teaches that apart from being “born again” by the Spirit of God and drawn into a saving relationship with Jesus that we are spiritually dead and not capable of doing anything good in the eyes of God (see Romans 3 and Ephesians 2). After being filled with the Spirit of God and having our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus through faith, we are seen as righteous in the eyes of God (2 Corinthians 5:21), and only then are we capable to do the good deeds that will bring God glory. In fact Ephesians 2:10 states that, “We are His is workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (also see Matthew 5:16, Hebrews 13:21, and Isaiah 64:6)
d. Worship Him – Psalm 29:2 states, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.”
e. Know His Word – God has revealed himself to us primarily through the Bible. When we the Christian puts great value what God has desired to teach us it brings him Glory
f. Obey the commands in his Word – Jesus said in John 14:15, “”If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” If you want to glorify the Father you must have love for the son, and if you have love for the son the fruit of your life will be obedience to the commands of Jesus and the rest of the bible. If you do not read and know your bible then how will you obey its commands?
g. Confess your sins often – When we confess we are agreeing that God was right and we were wrong thus glorifying Him. We can see an example in Joshua 7:19 where Achan is told by Joshua, “My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” We should also realize that inherent in the Christians confession should be the plea for forgiveness based on the substitutionary work of Christ on the Cross. This showcases God’s glorious sacrificial love for guilty sinners.
h. Telling others about Him – God has chosen to save sinners by using sinners to spread his gospel around the whole earth. It should be obvious that as more and more sinners repent God will receive more and more worship, praise and Glory. Christians are also commanded to share the good news of God and his Christ. As we noted above, when we obey his commands we express our love for Him and bring God glory. What an honor it is to be commissioned to do God’s work on his behalf. I know evangelism is scary, but for me, telling others about God and his redemptive story is a great joy!
i. Pray – When we pray we are acknowledging God’s sovereignty over us and our dependence on him.
j. Bearing fruit / Good works – Matthew 5:16 – “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
k. Worship and Thanksgiving – Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I have a firm belief that a central part of worshiping God is done by giving thanks to Him. In fact Hebrews 12:28 tells us, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God” acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”” (also see Luke 17:15-17)

How Can I be Saved?

Wonderful article posted at www.WillYouGetInHeaven.com  —–    click on this link  http://willyougetinheaven.wordpress.com/knowlege/the-next-life/

Born Again — Dr. Henery Blackaby

Born Again

Experiencing God Day-By-Day  July 21

www.blackaby.org

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Entering a saving relationship with Christ is a life-changing experience! All things become new! Not some things, but all things (2 Cor. 5:17). For the first time in your life, Christ is Lord; God is Master. When you become a Christian, Christ’s presence will affect every part of you. You will have new thoughts, new attitudes, new values, and new sensitivities. New priorities will dramatically affect your relationships. You will view everything in your life from a Christlike perspective. Christianity is not something you add to your life; it is life!

Nicodemus thought that salvation meant performing certain religious exercises and holding to particular religious teachings. He had no idea of the all-encompassing nature of salvation! When you become a Christian, God gives you a new heart so that everything becomes new! God gives you a new mind, like that of Christ, so you think differently. He gives you new emotions, so you feel deeply about completely different matters. You become sensitive to sin, so you are no longer comfortable with it. Your recreation will be affected as you are made aware of what is honoring to God and what is not. Your relationships will now be guided by the Holy Spirit. Destructive habits and attitudes, previously immune to change, will be transformed.

Have you noticed the changes God has brought to your life since you entered a vital relationship with Jesus Christ? These changes should be very noticeable as a testimony of the new life you received when you trusted Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

Dr. Henry Blackaby                     Blackaby Ministries                     www.blackaby.org

Cancer, Law and Gospel

Cancer, Law and Gospel

 

          Thousands of people over the years have been killed for sharing the information that I am about to divulge to you.  For some it will revolutionize their life for now and eternity, and for others it will cause anger, resentment, and some will just be indifferent.  Who will you be?

 

Good News and Bad News

 

          In this case the bad news must precede the good news so that you can hopefully fully appreciate the good news for how amazing it actually is!  Let me begin by using an illustration.  What would you think about a doctor that knew you had deadly cancer growing in your body but he didn’t want to offend or scare you by revealing your life threatening condition to you?  I would assume that you would want to know regardless of how the news would make you feel.  If the Doctor was good, loving and responsible he would tell you the truth.  The bad news would shock you and sadden you, but it would also be the motivation for you to take drastic action, such as pumping radioactive poison into your veins in order to destroy the cancer or even amputating a part of your body.  Armed with the knowledge of your illness, the cancer fighting drugs and methods that meant little to you before the diagnosis are now great news and invaluable to you.  They are now your salvation and you would have never considered taking them had the doctor not been brave enough to share to bad news with you. 

                It may sound strange to you, but God’s word tells us that you and I were born with a condition that is much more serious than cancer.  This condition will not only kill us, but it will cause us eternal anguish if it is not dealt with properly.  There is an antidote that will shield us from its negative effects in the next life and give you great hope in this life, but you must see how serious the disease is before you are given opportunity to receive the antidote. 

          The disease all humans have is the SIN disease.  You might say, “Everyone is a sinner and no one is perfect, and besides, I am really a pretty good person.  Oh yah, I forgot to mention that God is really forgiving!”  If this describes you at all then you have greatly under estimated the severity of your sinful condition.  Take a moment to let me prove to you how serious sin actually is.  Let’s look at God’s holy standard to see if you are a good person by His standard (remember, come judgment day, God’s opinion of you is the only one that matters).  Let’s look at a few of his commands from the Bible:

1. Do not lie.  How many lies have you told in your life?  _________
2. Do not steal.  How many things have you stolen? ________  (Money, Candy, Clothing, Music off the internet, illegally burning cd’s, cheating on test, getting paid when you are not really working like you should, ect…)
3. Do not misuse God’s name.  Have you ever used God’s name in vain?_________  (“Oh my G_D!  G_d Damn!  J.C. something”)
4. Do not commit adultery.  Jesus said that looking at a person that is not your husband or wife to lust after them is adultery and it doesn’t matter if you are married or not.  WOW!—God looks at our thought life as well as our actions!  Have you ever had a X-rated thought ? _________
5. Do not murder.  God’s word teaches that hatred is murder of the heart.  Have you ever hated or been intensely angry at someone? _____________
6. Honor your parents.  Have you ever dishonored your parents?_________
7. Jesus said the most important command is to Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?  Have you loved God like you should all the time?  ___________  (probably not when you were lying, stealing, lusting, ect…)
8. And attached to the above command Jesus said to love your neighbor as you love yourself.  Have you ever been selfish?  ________

          Remember, I am attempting to be like the loving and responsible doctor that wants to share the truth with you so that you can avoid the Holy, furious wrath of God.  If God judges you by your actions will God see you as a liar, thief, blasphemer, adulterer, murder at heart, who hasn’t always honored his parents, honored his God, or honored others like you should?  Left to myself and my works, I am not a good person, I deserve Hell!  How about you?   God’s word says “…for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8) and “⁵For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ …because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 5:5-6) 

                Many object at this point by saying that, “My God is a loving and forgiving God that would never send anyone to hell.” Or “Why would God be so harsh? My sins are not that bad.” Or, “I have done more good than bad!”   Reason with for a moment:

1.    Think about the value of God, and who it is we are actually sinning against.  If you punch me in the nose you might go to jail for a night.  If you punch the president in the nose you will go to jail for much longer because the supposed dignity of that person is much greater.  If you punch God in the nose (sinning against him) you have offended the creator of the universe.  He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  He is one that controls every molecule in the universe.  Hell is forever because when you sin against God you are sinning against an infinitely valuable being and one sin against someone of such value deserves an infinite punishment.  That is justice.  (Remember, Adam and eve sinned once and the whole universe was cursed.  Satan, who was an the most beautiful angel God ever created sinned once and was banished from Heaven and will never get a second chance.)
2. Good and just judges don’t let guilty sinners go free without proper punishment.  If someone molests a child then kills that child and a judge let him go free because he said sorry that judge has just now become corrupt!  Because God is a God of Goodness, righteousness, justice and love, he cannot just let sin go unpunished.  Psalm 89:14 says, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your (God’s) throne…”and Isaiah 30:18 tells us that “… the LORD is a God of justice.”
3. What if you believe God will let you go free because you have done more good than bad?  That sounds like a judge that would accept a bribe to me.  Think if you murder someone, it doesn’t matter how many good works you have done.  You still must be punished for the crime.

James 2:10  “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”

Good News!

                At this point you may be saying, “Enough with the bad news!  I am in big trouble come judgment day.  Give me some good news!”  God made a way that Justice could be taken care of and your sins could be forgiven at the same time.  It is best said in John 3:16-21, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes (trusts into) in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

                God’s word tells us the even though we were rebels against God he still loved us.  He does not want to just show wrath, Justice and judgment; he also desires to show us his love, grace and mercy.  God has done that through the work and the person of Jesus the Christ.  God came into this world (Jesus, second person of the Trinity—One God yet three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) born of a virgin, he lived a perfectly sinless life, fulfilled all kinds of prophecies, did all kinds of miracles (healing the blind, raising the dead, walking on water, calming the storms, ect…), taught amazing truths, but what he ultimately came to do is to die on the cross.  When Jesus was on that Roman Cross he was absorbing the wrath of the Father in place of all those who would ever trust in him.  Jesus drank down the Hell that I deserve.  He then died, and rose from the dead on the third day.  He then appeared to many over a forty day period, then ascended into Heaven and he has left us with a promise that he is coming back to judge the living and the dead.  Jesus defeated sin and death for His Glory and our good!       “God made him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

How to be forgiven

                So hopefully at this point you are asking, “How can I have my sins forgiven and get right with God?”  The bible tells us that in response to the amazing work and offer of Jesus we must exercise a repentant faith in Jesus Christ.  What that basically mean is that you are acknowledging  your sinfulness, confessing it to God, turning from your life of sin and turning to Jesus Christ and trusting him as your Master, Lord, God, and Savior.  If you have a repentant faith in Christ you are not trusting in your good works or righteousness to save you; you are trusting alone in Christ’s righteousness credited to you through faith.  Now as a Christian you will do good works, but those good works will be the fruit of your salvation, not the root of your salvation.  The old hymns said it well, “nothing in my hands I bring, only to the cross I cling” and “What can wash away my sin?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

                Do you love your sin more than the Savior?  I beg you to repent and fling yourself on the mercy of Christ.  He is mighty to save!  I have heard it said that our sins must be dealt with.  They will either be poured over Jesus’ head on the cross or over our head in Hell for eternity.

               One last point of extreme importance.  Jesus is not just fire insurance or a get out of hell free card.  The primary reason for becoming a Christian is so that you may glorify God to the fullest and enjoy him forever.  Can you imagine how spectacular it will be to spend eternity with the God of the universe that made you for himself?  Some think that hanging out with someone they love is fulfilling, but how about being with the creator of my soul!!!  It will be great beyond what words can describe.

Heaven or Hell—What Do You Deserve From God?

What do you deserve from God?  Your answer to this seemingly simple question will be very revealing about your relationship with God.  When I ask this question I mainly want you to think of it in terms of what you deserve from God come judgment day.  If you died right now and God opened up the book of your life and examined all of your works, good and bad, what should He do with you?  Based on your works, do you deserve to enjoy the presence of God forever in Heaven or should you be sent to eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire (Hell)?  These are the only two options God has put before humanity. Before you read on, decide if you deserve Heaven or Hell.

At this point most people I speak to tell me that they are not bad enough to deserve Hell and that they are really pretty upstanding human beings, so they probably deserve Heaven.  I then proceed to ask, “If you deserve Heaven based on your works, then why did Jesus die on the Cross?”  If the person had claimed to be a “Christian” they usually have a look of bewilderment on their face.  The cold hard fact is that one of the primary reasons Jesus came to die on the cross was to rescue humans from the hell that we deserve.  Jesus came to drink down the wrath that I deserve at the hand of His Father in Heaven.  He said He had come to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

This is a hard pill to swallow.  Most people think that they are good or righteous in the eyes of God, and if this were true it would make no sense that God would send “Good” people to Hell.  A Good God would never send a good person to Hell.  The problem is that according to the Bible, in the eyes of God there is not a good person on the face of the earth based on their own merit.  Jesus told the rich young ruler in Luke 18:19 that there is no one that is good except God alone.  This is a big problem for the billions of people that are banking on their goodness or self-righteousness as their ticket into eternal heavenly bliss.  The Bible tells us elsewhere that, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…there is no one who does good, not one” (Romans 3:10-12) .  Ecclesiastes 7:20 tells us, “There is not a just man upon the earth, that does good, and does not sin”, and Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”

Do you still think that you are good enough in the eyes of God?  Please examine some common sins with me. How many times have you been prideful, selfish, or greedy?  How many lies have you told in your life?  Did you know that Revelation 21:8 says all liars will have their part in the lake of fire?  How many times have you looked at someone with a lustful sexual thought? In Matthew 5 Jesus said that just looking with lust is considered adultery of the heart (guys, I suggest putting your porn away).  The Bible even says that hatred is murder (1 Jn. 3:15).  Look at what Galatians 5:19-21 says, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (to look further into the sinfulness of humanity read the Ten Commandments (Deut. 5:1-21), Revelation 21:8, and Ephesians 5:3-7)

How many sins have you committed in your life?  There is no way that you can count.  I would say that most of the time when we sin we don’t even know we are sinning.  Sin is so much more serious than any human fully realizes.  Every time we sin we are committing a crime against the infinitely valuable King of the universe.  One single crime against an infinitely holy, just and righteous God deserves and infinite/eternal punishment.  As an illustration think for a moment if you punched a King in the nose and then punched a homeless man in the nose.  For which crime do you think there would be a greater punishment?  You would be in far greater trouble for punching the King because of his greater level of authority and dignity.  God is the greatest authority in the universe and you have sinned against him thousands of times.  You and I are not valuable enough to ever pay the debt we owe to God for one of our sins, much less all of them we have compiled over the years.  This is why Hell is forever.

At this point many will object by saying, “God is a God of love and He will forgive if you just ask”.  God can forgive every sin, but what about his Justice and Righteousness?  In our earthly courts if a Judge let a guilty child molester go with no punishment we would call that judge corrupt!  Is God less just than a good earthly judge?  By no means!  God must punish sin properly or else he is corrupt himself and he is a liar.  God has said in his Word, “For the LORD is a God of justice.”  (Isaiah 30:18) and “… the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.” (Nahum 1:3)

The only reason God can forgive our sins is because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  The infinitely valuable God-Man, Jesus Christ, took the punishment that guilty sinners deserve while on the cross.  Jesus then died and rose triumphantly from the grave on the third day.  To put it simply, I owed a debt that I could never pay but Jesus came and paid that debt with his blood. 

In order for you to receive the forgiveness of sins you must turn from your sinful way of life and turn to Jesus as your King, Savior, and greatest treasure.  I beg you to confess and forsake your sins today and to trust in the one and only Savior, the Lord Jesus.  The penalty for your sins must be paid, the only question is will it be paid by you in Hell for eternity or by the magnificently loving Savior on the cross?

The following passages nicely sum up what I have been trying to say:

“But God showed his great LOVE for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgment. For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life.”(Romans 5:8-10)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes (trusts into) in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:16-21)

*All scriptures are from the New International Version (NIV)

The Shack Review

I am a bit frustrated/righteously angry that Christians are embracing The Shack as an acceptable “Christian” book.  Why?  It misrepresents the God of the Bible.  I was told today that I should not read it for its theology, but just as a fiction book.  Then this lady proceeded to tell me about the many people that have been saved at her son’s church as a result of reading the book (then obviously people are paying attention to the theology of the book–right?). Does the shack even present the true God of Scripture and a Gospel message that can save?

Enough of me ranting——-Please read and watch some of the reviews I have posted below, and if you are discerning, maybe read the book.  If you do read the book, don’t buy it —  get it from the library.

Reviews on The Shack Below

Chuck Colson  –  Prison Fellowship and Break Point

http://www.breakpoint.org/commentaries/2439-diminishing-glory

Tim Challies.com

http://www.challies.com/articles/the-shack-by-william-p-young

The Shack Review.com

http://theshackreview.com/

Insight For Living—Bible Teaching Ministry of Chuck Swindoll

http://daily.insight.org/site/PageServer?pagename=shack

Dr. Michael Youseff –  Leading The Way Ministries

To see this full sermon and a list of Dr. Youseff’s 13 Heresies found in The Shack click
http://www.leadingtheway.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sto_TheShack_13heresies 

 Mark Driscoll on The Shack

Wretched TV and Todd Friell on The Shack

 

 

 

 

“Let’s Roll”—Lessons from Lisa Beamer

Lessons from Lisa (Beamer)

A 9/11 Widow Trusts in the Sovereign Goodness of God

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 On Sunday, September 8, 2002 John Piper preached from Romans 8:35-36 with a focus on the commemoration of the calamity of 9/11.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’”

He argued that Jesus Christ is mightily loving his people with omnipotent, moment-by-moment love that does not always rescue us from calamity but preserves for everlasting joy in his presence even through suffering and death.

After the exposition, he said, “Let’s let Lisa Beamer bear witness to this sovereign love. Her husband Todd was on flight 93 that went down in Pennsylvania. He was the one who said, ‘Let’s Roll.’ He left behind Lisa and three small children (one born last January). I have found at least ten lessons from Lisa mostly in her own words.”

What follows are the ten “Lessons from Lisa” that he gave his people as an extended application and embodiment of Romans 8:35.

1. Embracing the sovereignty of God brings strength and hope.

Lisa: “God knew the terrible choices the terrorists would make and that Todd Beamer would die as a result. He knew my children would be left without a father and me without a husband . . . Yet in his sovereignty and in his perspective on the big picture, he knew it was better to allow the events to unfold as they did rather than redirect Todd’s plans to avoid death. . . . I can’t see all the reasons he might have allowed this when I know he could have stopped it . . . I don’t like how his plan looks from my perspective right now., but knowing that he loves me and can see the world from start to finish helps me say, ‘It’s OK.’” (Modern Reformation, 24-25)

“If we believe wholeheartedly, each moment, that our destiny rests in the hands of Jesus Christ – the one with ultimate love and ultimate power – what do we have to be concerned about? Of course, our humanity clouds this truth many times but hanging on to glimpses of it keeps everything in perspective.” (Modern Reformation, 31)

2. Don’t presume to know better than God how to run the world. It is pride.

Lisa: “My faith wasn’t rooted in governments, religion, tall buildings, or frail people. Instead, my faith and my security were in God. A thought struck me. Who are you to question God and say that you have a better plan than He does? You don’t have the same wisdom and knowledge that He has, or the understanding of the big picture.” (World, 25)

“We also aren’t privy to the perspective he has and shouldn’t claim to know better than he does what should happen and what shouldn’t. . . . Faith means that, regardless of circumstances, we take him at his word that he loves us and will bring us to a good result if we just trust and obey him. Obviously, the ramifications of this understanding have been tremendous for me since 9/11.” (Modern Reformation, 25)

3. God has a good purpose in all the hard things that happen to his people.

“God’s sovereignty has been made clear to me. When I am tempted to become angry and ask ‘What if?’ and , ‘Why us?’ God says, ‘I knew on September 10, and I could have stopped it, but I have a plan for greater good than you can ever imagine.’ I don’t know God’s plan, and honestly, right now I don’t like it very much. But I trust that He is true to His promise in Romans 8:28: ‘We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.’ My only responsibility is to love God. He’ll work out the rest.” (Decision, 8). Beneath her signature Lisa writes Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Modern Reformation, 30)

4. Death and suffering press in on us the perspective of eternity.

Lisa: “September 11 has shown me the reality of eternity in a dynamic way these past few months. When I’m overwhelmed with sadness at what I’ve lost in this life, He is quick to give me His eternal perspective. ‘Lisa, this life is just a blip on the radar screen compared to your future with Me in heaven,’ He says. ‘The best thing that you can imagine on earth is garbage compared to what awaits you.’” (Decision,

5. God’s distribution of suffering is not equal, and one hard thing may prepare for another.

When Lisa was 15 her father suffered an aneurysm at work and died the next morning in the hospital. Lisa: “When my father died, faith wasn’t so easy anymore. . . . I spent five years asking why, expressing my anger saying it’s not fair, before God helped me realize that he is who he is all the time – in good circumstances and bad. He is all-powerful and all-loving, but that doesn’t mean that as a citizen of this fallen world he protects us from every ‘bad’ event.” (Modern Reformation, 25)

What a witness to God’s goodness and sovereignty the world would be missing today if God had not prepared Lisa Beamer for this loss by the death of her dad!

6. God’s love takes care of us right now in our suffering, not just later.

Lisa: “He knows that I am a hurting and in need right now. Every day He provides encouragement and resources just for me. Little things show me that He is with me: a Scripture with just the words I need to hear, a call from a friend when I feel lonely, help with a task that I can’t do alone, or a hug and ‘I love you’ from one of my children. God’s love is truly sufficient to meet any need that I have.” (Decision, 8-9)

7. Calamity calls for quick practical love like meals and baby sitting.

Lisa: “The picture of the church as the hands and feet of Christ, with each person having a special gift, has been well portrayed to me these last months. In the beginning, it was immediate and practical help I needed – meals, child care, managing phone calls, and mail. Now that we’re out of the crisis mode it is rebuilding help I need – counseling , encouragement, prayer.” (Modern Reformation, 28)

8. Quiet, confidence in God’s power and goodness through suffering create occasions for witness.

Marilee Melvin said of Lisa, “Her disarming quiet confidence in God’s purposes must be the reason Larry King has had her on his show eleven times.” (Modern Reformation, 30)

9. Trusting in God’s sovereign care in all circumstances frees you from greed and releases love for others.

Money started to flow in to Lisa Beamer. Some letters were simply addressed, Lisa Beamer, New Jersey, and got to her. Lisa: “I didn’t feel comfortable keeping this for ourselves when there were many unknown families who should share.” So she started the Todd M. Beamer Foundation to assist children who lost a parent in the 9/11 calamity. (Modern Reformation, 30)

Her freedom for others comes out in another way: “My family and I mourned the loss of Todd deeply that day . . . and we still do. But because we have a hope in the Lord, we know beyond a doubt that one day we will see Todd again. I hurt for the people who don’t have that same hope, and I pray that they will see something in our family that will encourage them to trust in the Lord.” (World, 26)

Lisa’s way of encouraging people to trust in the Lord is sometimes so straightforward that Newsweek magazine called it “stern and even a little grim.” She wrote in her memoir, “You think you deserve a happy life and get angry when it doesn’t always happen like that. In fact you are a sinner and deserve only death. The fact that God has offered you hope of eternal life is amazing! You should be overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.” (Newsweek, 42)

10. Without God the world is hopeless.

With hundreds of others she attended the memorial service in Shanksville, PA at the crash site where her husband died. The Christ-exalting memorial service for Todd had been on Sunday, the day before, and had strengthened her. “On Monday,” she said, “as I listened to the well-intentioned speakers, who were doing their best to comfort but with little if any direct reference to the power of God to sustain us. I felt I was sliding helplessly down a high mountain into a deep crevasse. As much as I appreciated the kindness of the wonderful people who tried to encourage us, that afternoon was actually one of the lowest points in my grieving. It wasn’t the people, or event, or the place. Instead, it struck me how hopeless the world is when God is factored out of the equation.” (World, 26)

So, together with Lisa Beamer and the apostle Paul and Jesus Christ himself, I plead with you, Don’t factor God out of your life, or Jesus Christ who died and rose and reigns and intercedes for all who trust him, that we might have eternal joy with him in the presence of God.

The quotes are from:

Let’s Roll [excerpts from her book], World, Vol. 17, No. 31, August 17, 2002, pp. 20-28.

Lisa Beamer, “The Hope I Know,” Decision, Vol. 43, No. 9, September, 2002, pp. 6-9.

Ann Henderson Hart, “Finding Hope Beyond the Ruins: An Interview with Lisa Beamer,” Modern Reformation, Vol. 11, No. 5, September/October, 2002, pp. 24-31.

Evan Thomas, “Their Faith and Their Fears,” Newsweek, September 11, 2002, pp. 36-48.

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War On Sin—–Sermon Jam

Watch this on youtube or listen to the audio only (if the pictures are distracting) by clicking on the following link

http://www.1031sermonjams.com/vol4.html

Massive Ponzi Scheme

There is a massive fraudulent ponzi scheme going on that has likely lured you in, and if you are like most of the victims, you are not aware of it yet.  In fact, even after many people learn of this scheme they ignore sound reasoning and continue to invest their most precious treasures and resources into the lie.  This ponzi scheme does not primarily have to do with your money.  It is far more serious than that!  This ponzi scheme may cost you your very soul.

Here is how the scheme works.  Satan, Sinful Desire, and our wicked human nature have teamed up to convince people that they are basically good or righteous in the eyes of God just as they are.  This results in people thinking that when they die there is nothing to worry about because God grades on the curve.  The victims are tricked into believing that God will just sweep all their sins under the rug and let them walk right into Heaven after they die.  The horrid trio also promises amazing reward and personal fulfillment if you will only commit your life to their false promises.  Functionally, these false promises become a god or idol.  Some of the common promises are, “dedicate you life to making money and you will have great joy”, “Sleep with your girlfriend or boyfriend.  After all, you are in love”,  “I’ll just watch a little porn.  It is not hurting anyone”, “If I looked a little more like that person I would be happy”, “I was baptized, so I’m good”, “I don’t have a problem with drinking, it is just social”, “I just need to worry about me” and their favorite, “I am just too busy to read the Bible or go to a good church”. (see Revelation 21:8, Galatians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 6:9) (I know this doesn’t fit the strict definition of a ponzi scheme, but you get the point.)

Most People think they have an idea of what God is like, but they really have no idea.  They have not examined the bible to see what God has revealed about himself and they have not honestly taken a look to see how he will judge their soul.  God is Love and he is forgiving, but that is not even half of the story.  God is a God of Justice, Holiness, and Wrath.  If God let guilty criminals go free on judgment day he would be more corrupt than a judge that would let a child rapist go free without the proper punishment.

The proper punishment for every sinful human eternal condemnation to hell, and here is one good reason why.  If you punch a common man it the nose you will get in a bit of trouble, but if you punch the President of the U.S. the penalty will be much more severe because of the perceived value of the person whom you punched.  We punch God in the nose every time we lust, lie, or have a prideful thought.  We have all sinned against the most valuable being in the universe every moment of every day.  Jesus told that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.  No one has ever really honored God like he deserves to be honored.  With every sin we commit against God we just store up more wrath that will be released on us on judgment day.  O how we need a Savior!

Praise God for Sending His Son to take the Hell I deserve in my place and giving me the righteousness of Jesus Christ in return.  2 Corinthians 5:21 puts it like this, “God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  Romans 8:1 says that, “…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”.

So how do we get “IN” Christ Jesus.  The bible tells us to Repent and Put our faith in Jesus as our Master and Savior.  We must turn from our sins and turn to Christ and embrace Him as our greatest treasure.  The response of a repentant faith is the result of God breathing new life into your soul.  Beg God to give you eyes to see your sin as he sees it and a heart, mind, and soul that is willing to embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Please run from the deception of “the world’s” ponzi scheme.  They have marked many roads with signs that say “Sin=fulfillment” and “Heaven Ahead”, but there is only one true path that leads to the “abundant life” now and eternal joy with God in that ages to come.  It is a very narrow road that runs exclusively through King Jesus and it may only be found through the free gift of faith, not by works lest any man should boast.

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