In having a conversation with an atheist some time ago, he cited all the reasons why he and others like him refuse to believe in any kind of a deity. Most of them claim science will eventually be able to prove the universe was not created but evolved, but one of their "evidences" comes from the notion that God cannot be all that powerful; or if He is, he must not be all that good of a god since there are so many injustices in the world, so many diseases, so much oppression, pain, suffering and misery taking place. A good god should not permit such things to happen.
Those of us in Christ know that God actually permits such evil to exist on the earth. When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they chose not just to rebel from God, they chose to learn what good and evil truly are. As a result, we live in a beautiful world that also has earthquakes, tornados, plagues, and a host of maladies the make life difficult at times. God from the beginning cursed the ground for our sake (Genesis 3:17, NKJV). So we can enjoy the appearance and the fragrance of a rose, while getting pricked by its thorns. Good and evil.
Albert Einstein described evil as a lack of good. Just as cold is actually an absence of heat, and darkness is an absence of light. And if every good thing comes from our creator God, then the absence of God is in effect, pure evil. The realm of Lucifer, aka Satan.
We as humans get to choose whether or not to do good or evil; to ourselves as well as to one another. The Bible gives us lessons on how to do good, as well as examples of doing evil. It also gives consequences; good and bad, for doing either good or evil respectively. And we get to choose whether or not we follow God's good rules; or our own rules, which by God's standards, are truly evil.
This is what Heaven and Hell are all about. Heaven is eternity with God; Hell, on the other hand, is eternity separated from God. And everyone gets to choose where they spend eternity. In this day and age, that choice is based on one's faith that Jesus Christ is their Lord and King; and because of that, we seek a complete, perfect relationship with Him. (Prior to Christ, or for those who die without ever hearing this good news, those with the heart that seeks God will find him, and His eternal Salvation (Romans 1:20).) I believe God's grace will give such a person a place in heaven. But God will not send anyone to Hell; the individual chooses Hell because he or she wants to avoid having a relationship with God.
How do I know this? Seriously, I'm not anyone's judge, jury and executioner. I'm just a messenger; and as such, I may get the message wrong. Yet, when asked the question, "If there became scientific evidence that removed any and all doubt that God is real, and that Jesus is real; would you become a Christian?", most atheists would either refuse to answer the question or flat out say, "No". The honest ones who say no would state they like their lifestyle just as it is, and refuse to answer to any higher power. Others would insist on debating the point further.
The bottom line is, God cannot make any of us love him. As much as He loves His creation, we as individuals get to choose to love Him back. And Heaven and Hell are the places we go; based on who we choose to love.
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
January 2, 2012
Jesus Calls All - 77
Jesus calls All – 77 Why does God allow pain, suffering, struggling and bad things to happen to even good people?
Genesis 3:18b … "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.
There is a benefit to all this misery we experience. Together with the good we receive, we now have this unfair blend of good and evil that we all deal with. Some get more of one and less of another. Education, attitude, faith and sheer luck (aka; the Grace of God) all play a determining factor in how much good, and how much evil each of us will have to deal with.
But the curse God placed on earth is for our sake? For our benefit?? How can we benefit from bad things happening to us?
1) We experience a blend of good and evil (as promised above) on earth; either in the acts of nature or our own selfish motives, and we get to choose: for good, or for evil.
The curse of Genesis 3:18 above promises mankind a blend of good and evil all rolled into one planet. We get majestic mountains with snow, delicious food, oceans that start the rain cycle, rivers and beautiful flowers. We also have floods, earthquakes, and diseases. And thorns on that rosebush we love so well.
In addition, we as humans, who know what is good and what is evil, all too often choose to do that which is evil. We will lie, steal, murder, covet, dishonor our parents and/ or worship the almighty dollar; instead of our creator. Worse, we make excuses and blame others for the consequences that have fallen upon us as a result of the evil things we have chosen to do!
2) It gives us a reason to persevere.
Romans 5:3,4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Defeating adversity gives us a huge sense of accomplishment and creates a bond with those who faced such tribulations together. Ask any football player, or one who has faced military combat. Even a simple family camping trip (when it rains) often becomes a fond memory in later years.
3) For everyone, it may point to our sin; a rebellion against God.
Proverbs 13:24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
As a sinful people, when we choose to rebel against God, or even out of ignorance disobey His teaching, bad things will often happen. This can often be revealed to us when we turn to Him in prayer. Repentance and returning to God will either soften this punishment, or you will be led through it, usually coming out of the ordeal emotionally and spiritually stronger than before.
That said, the sin will never be counted against a follower of Jesus Christ. The non believer, who chooses to ignore the teachings of God will find themselves addicted to their sin (Romans 1:24), which will lead them to their doom.
4) For a Christian, it tests our faith.
Zechariah 13:9 I will bring the [one]-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This [is] My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD [is] my God.' "
Stress testing a physical object, such as a weld or a joint in a water or gas line, assures the connection between two pieces is strong enough to hold, and not break or leak. When difficulties face any of us, the Christian should see this as a test of faith: do we hold onto Jesus and trust Him, or do we try to take control of the situation? The non Christian has no faith, so he must rely on himself and his own determination. The lack of this faith in the Lord causes personal failures that remove all hope for this person…until they turn to God…or face death.
Ultimately, we can choose to follow a loving, caring God, who gave up His Son, Jesus the Christ, on a cross. All we have to do to choose God – to choose what is good and right - is to say, “Thank you Jesus, for your gift”. As a result, earth will be the only hell you will ever experience.
Should you choose to reject this free gift - or not make any choice at all - is the same as choosing evil. You are declaring you want to run your life your way, earning you eternity separated from God, in a place prepared for Satan and his demons. Fire and brimstone may or may not be part of this destination: terror and hate definitely will be.
And Earth will be the only heaven you will ever experience.
Genesis 3:18b … "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.
There is a benefit to all this misery we experience. Together with the good we receive, we now have this unfair blend of good and evil that we all deal with. Some get more of one and less of another. Education, attitude, faith and sheer luck (aka; the Grace of God) all play a determining factor in how much good, and how much evil each of us will have to deal with.
But the curse God placed on earth is for our sake? For our benefit?? How can we benefit from bad things happening to us?
1) We experience a blend of good and evil (as promised above) on earth; either in the acts of nature or our own selfish motives, and we get to choose: for good, or for evil.
The curse of Genesis 3:18 above promises mankind a blend of good and evil all rolled into one planet. We get majestic mountains with snow, delicious food, oceans that start the rain cycle, rivers and beautiful flowers. We also have floods, earthquakes, and diseases. And thorns on that rosebush we love so well.
In addition, we as humans, who know what is good and what is evil, all too often choose to do that which is evil. We will lie, steal, murder, covet, dishonor our parents and/ or worship the almighty dollar; instead of our creator. Worse, we make excuses and blame others for the consequences that have fallen upon us as a result of the evil things we have chosen to do!
2) It gives us a reason to persevere.
Romans 5:3,4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Defeating adversity gives us a huge sense of accomplishment and creates a bond with those who faced such tribulations together. Ask any football player, or one who has faced military combat. Even a simple family camping trip (when it rains) often becomes a fond memory in later years.
3) For everyone, it may point to our sin; a rebellion against God.
Proverbs 13:24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
As a sinful people, when we choose to rebel against God, or even out of ignorance disobey His teaching, bad things will often happen. This can often be revealed to us when we turn to Him in prayer. Repentance and returning to God will either soften this punishment, or you will be led through it, usually coming out of the ordeal emotionally and spiritually stronger than before.
That said, the sin will never be counted against a follower of Jesus Christ. The non believer, who chooses to ignore the teachings of God will find themselves addicted to their sin (Romans 1:24), which will lead them to their doom.
4) For a Christian, it tests our faith.
Zechariah 13:9 I will bring the [one]-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This [is] My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD [is] my God.' "
Stress testing a physical object, such as a weld or a joint in a water or gas line, assures the connection between two pieces is strong enough to hold, and not break or leak. When difficulties face any of us, the Christian should see this as a test of faith: do we hold onto Jesus and trust Him, or do we try to take control of the situation? The non Christian has no faith, so he must rely on himself and his own determination. The lack of this faith in the Lord causes personal failures that remove all hope for this person…until they turn to God…or face death.
Ultimately, we can choose to follow a loving, caring God, who gave up His Son, Jesus the Christ, on a cross. All we have to do to choose God – to choose what is good and right - is to say, “Thank you Jesus, for your gift”. As a result, earth will be the only hell you will ever experience.
Should you choose to reject this free gift - or not make any choice at all - is the same as choosing evil. You are declaring you want to run your life your way, earning you eternity separated from God, in a place prepared for Satan and his demons. Fire and brimstone may or may not be part of this destination: terror and hate definitely will be.
And Earth will be the only heaven you will ever experience.
December 26, 2011
Jesus Calls All - 75
Why would God send anyone to hell? Especially if He loves all of us??
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Without a doubt, there is not one of us; be it Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Pagan or Atheist; that has not sinned - not broken one of God’s commandments -over the last 24 hours. We may not think it’s not that bad, but remember, God’s standards are much higher than ours.
We may work excessively in pursuit of money. Many have placed money in front of God on our priority list. Or perhaps we place ourselves over God with a selfish pride. How many other pursuits do we have that we have placed a higher priority than God? Have we cursed God? Do we keep a traditional Sabbath; on Saturday? Do we disrespect our parents? Do we murder (or hate others), commit adultery (or simply lust after another) steal, lie or covet? Maybe not all of them today, but all of us do one or more of these things daily. Sometimes multiple times a day! (Exodus 20)
So, we all deserve eternity in Hell. At the very least, we deserve the death we face. And this is where God’s love comes in. He gives us a way out, through His son, Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh (John 1:14). Christ took your place; your death sentence, when he died on the cross 2000 years ago. As a result, the physical death of your body becomes irrelevant. You have been offered a free gift of eternal life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Accept this free gift, as you are, and you will be spared from Hell. Better yet, you live with Jesus in paradise, with no pain, suffering, tears, all that bad stuff we experience on earth. Don’t worry about cleaning up your life first – Jesus changes millions of lives each day. Humble yourself and surrender your life to Jesus. Get involved with a church where sinners like you and I meet weekly to give glory to God.
But it’s your choice. You can accept or reject this free gift. You can send yourself to heaven or to hell. You have been offered a free gift, a free pass into absolute paradise. But if you would rather spend eternity apart form God (in hell) God will respect your choice.
You see, it’s not God that will send you to hell. You will send yourself there.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Without a doubt, there is not one of us; be it Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Pagan or Atheist; that has not sinned - not broken one of God’s commandments -over the last 24 hours. We may not think it’s not that bad, but remember, God’s standards are much higher than ours.
We may work excessively in pursuit of money. Many have placed money in front of God on our priority list. Or perhaps we place ourselves over God with a selfish pride. How many other pursuits do we have that we have placed a higher priority than God? Have we cursed God? Do we keep a traditional Sabbath; on Saturday? Do we disrespect our parents? Do we murder (or hate others), commit adultery (or simply lust after another) steal, lie or covet? Maybe not all of them today, but all of us do one or more of these things daily. Sometimes multiple times a day! (Exodus 20)
So, we all deserve eternity in Hell. At the very least, we deserve the death we face. And this is where God’s love comes in. He gives us a way out, through His son, Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh (John 1:14). Christ took your place; your death sentence, when he died on the cross 2000 years ago. As a result, the physical death of your body becomes irrelevant. You have been offered a free gift of eternal life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Accept this free gift, as you are, and you will be spared from Hell. Better yet, you live with Jesus in paradise, with no pain, suffering, tears, all that bad stuff we experience on earth. Don’t worry about cleaning up your life first – Jesus changes millions of lives each day. Humble yourself and surrender your life to Jesus. Get involved with a church where sinners like you and I meet weekly to give glory to God.
But it’s your choice. You can accept or reject this free gift. You can send yourself to heaven or to hell. You have been offered a free gift, a free pass into absolute paradise. But if you would rather spend eternity apart form God (in hell) God will respect your choice.
You see, it’s not God that will send you to hell. You will send yourself there.
November 16, 2009
Have You Prayed for your Country Today? 4
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 3:1-2; New King James
This is why we must pray for Barak Obama. And why we must pray for all those who rule over us. As we approach the end of days, and the rule of law gets more distorted and twisted, our prayers will hold back our spiritual enemies, soften the hearts of those with evil intent, and perhaps even delay the inevitable described in Revelation. It also allows our spirit to bear the fruit Jesus seeks in all of us.
Jesus taught to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44). While our leaders may not be enemies, and most do not persecute us, if we are to love our actual enemies and pray for those who persecute, how much more than should we pray for those who simply don’t see the world as we do, through the eyes of a loving Father in Heaven?
Pray for your leaders, especially Barak Obama, that they may turn from their wrongful ways and seek the Lord with all their heart. Pray that the Lord has mercy on all His people, that they may prosper and succeed through these difficult times. Finally, pray for forgiveness, for none of us can keep and maintain the loving, merciful heart required full time, as we all think or say things we shouldn’t when our leaders try to exclude our Lord in all that goes on in America.
© 2009 David Etenburn.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)