Christian Living / faith / heaven

What Does it Mean to Believe?

John 6.29 describes the work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.
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One of the knocks on Christianity is it’s easy entry to heaven. Some believe going to heaven is as easy as believing in Jesus, after all, isn’t that what He just said? Its fair to say what He meant by belief and what we understand by belief are not the same.

If what we understand belief to mean, simply believe, then the devil and all the demons would go to heaven since they certainly believe. In the gospel it is only the evil spirits who consistently identify Jesus correctly as the Christ the Son of God. I don’t think they will live with God forever though they believe. (more…)

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March 16, 2015
heaven / Judgement

What Happens When We Die?

Luke 20.38 declares He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.images

Every religion seeks to answer the question concerning what happens to humanity after we die. Why does this question plague us so?

The educational institutions from grade school through graduate school tell us there is no God. The media confirm this belief by their incessant promotion of atheism and all things antagonistic toward a God Who Created the universe and will hold His creation accountable to His will.

Yet we cant seem to shake the notion that there really is a God and someday we will see Him when we leave this life. All people from all time in all places of the globe have held this nagging question and have created various answers to it.

So why the question and what does happen when we die? (more…)

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March 6, 2015
Christian Living / faith / heaven

Becoming Like Children

Luke 18.17 records God promising anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little childimage will never enter it.

This is a very familiar warning to us but few take it seriously because most of us don’t understand what He means to receive the kingdom like a little child.

We usually begin by thinking of sweet and innocent children all of whom will go to heaven because it only seems fair. Those of us who have children however know they are often not so sweet nor innocent but are rather quite overt in their selfishness.

This takes us back to ignoring the meaning of God’s warning because it fails to make sense to us. (more…)

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March 4, 2015
Christian Living / Suffering

Suffering as Jesus did

2 Corinthians 1.5 promises just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfortimage abounds through Christ.

We are promised abundant sufferings of Christ. The word ‘of’ is the key to understanding what the Apostle is promising those who believe.

Jesus suffered the shame and humiliation of Creation not honoring Him as God, Lord and Creator of all. Instead, all of creation rejected Him, some spat upon Him while others struck Him with their fists. Many cursed Him and a few crucified Him.

Though He was God He did not demand His honor and rights as God but instead took the role of a servant and humbled Himself to the point of death, even death as a criminal upon the cross. (more…)

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March 2, 2015
Christian Living / heaven / Suffering

The Sovereignty of God

Job 1.22 observes Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.image

Job had just lost his business and his children but still he didn’t blame God for his tragedies. Instead he proclaimed that we come into the world naked and we leave the same but God is always to be praised.

Far easier said than done by the rest of us.

Everyone believes in the sovereignty of God, His ability to do anything He wants any way He wants any time He wants. This is our universal definition of God. (more…)

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February 3, 2015
Christian Living / Judgement / obedience

Why God is Kind

Romans 2:4 explains that God’s kindness is intended to lead us to repentance?image

God is good.

Not everyone believes this and some have life experiences such that it is indeed hard to believe. Yet not one of us gets treated in this life as our rebellion and disobedience against God deserves. Herein lies the problem. (more…)

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January 30, 2015
Christian Living

Happiness or Joy

Acts 16:34 describes he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God.image

What’s the difference between being happy and having joy?

I would suggest happiness is a result of circumstances and joy is the result of attitude. Feelings tell me whether I am happy or not but conviction tells me I have joy.

Interestingly, God promises joy but not happiness. (more…)

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January 16, 2015
heaven / Judgement

The Secret of Heaven

Matthew 13:11 Jesus taught the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to imagesthem.

With an ideology that God loves everyone so everyone is welcome in heaven, the idea that God is withholding information about heaven from some and revealing it only to others is frightening.

Certainly the Creator loves everyone He has created. Absolutely God wants everyone in heaven.

Regrettably, He never gives the impression that everyone will be in heaven despite His love or desire. (more…)

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January 13, 2015
evangelism / Judgement / obedience

Drawing a Line in the Sand

Matthew 12:30 observes whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Meimage scatters.

On occasion in the gospels, Jesus, God Who has become man, throws down the gauntlet and demands we choose sides. This passage is one of those times when Jesus invites us to separate ourselves into wheat or chaff.

What does it mean for us when God demands we choose but we refuse to even engage the discussion? (more…)

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January 12, 2015
Christian Living / Judgement / money / obedience

Pursuing Treasure

Matthew 6:19 commands ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.’images

When God lived among us He said, ‘do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth.’ We need to read that again slowly, thinking carefully about His words. God said, ‘do not store up treasures on earth.’

Yet most of us ignore Him. We are like the Israelites we read about in the Bible who constantly ignore God’s commands so we find ourselves shaking our heads at their disobedience and subsequent negative consequences. (more…)

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January 6, 2015