"Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" Matthew 22:37
Jesus commands us to love God with everything we've got. In a recent Bible study I was in, we were discussing how there are some things that as humans we just can't wrap our minds around. We don't have all the answers and it is prideful and arrogant of us to believe we can or should know everything God knows. In this Bible study a lady put it this way--she said many people ignore the verse commanding us to love God with everything we've got, but instead they want to know God with all they've got. That is not what we are commanded. We are commanded to love. God is infinite in wisdom and the pride that caused Satan to fall from heaven can deceive us into thinking we can be as knowledgeable as God.
As a side note, God doesn't call for blind faith. He tells us He gives wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5-8)and that we are to test everything we are taught or told to scripture, to ensure its validity: "Test everything. Hold on to the good. " 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Two Gates
Let's be blunt: God's word says that not very many people will end up in heaven.
Ouch.
That is a scary thought.
That is a thought denied by our society.
That is a thought Satan doesn't want us to think about.
But Jesus said it:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14
In Luke, Jesus explains how there are no second chances:
Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' " Luke 13:23-25
Will few people go to heaven because God is unloving and mean? Absolutely not. The Bible says God "wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2: 4. In fact, God is waiting for you to come to Him: "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:8-9 People go to hell because of unrepentant hearts and unbelief, not because God is unkind and mean.
God does not want anyone to perish!! He loves you and wants a relationship with you. If you haven't yet, go to Him before the door is shut forever.
Eternity is a long time to be wrong.
Ouch.
That is a scary thought.
That is a thought denied by our society.
That is a thought Satan doesn't want us to think about.
But Jesus said it:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14
In Luke, Jesus explains how there are no second chances:
Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' " Luke 13:23-25
Will few people go to heaven because God is unloving and mean? Absolutely not. The Bible says God "wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2: 4. In fact, God is waiting for you to come to Him: "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:8-9 People go to hell because of unrepentant hearts and unbelief, not because God is unkind and mean.
God does not want anyone to perish!! He loves you and wants a relationship with you. If you haven't yet, go to Him before the door is shut forever.
Eternity is a long time to be wrong.
He's Coming Back!
In a previous post I had mentioned the rapture. Well, right now I am going through a study on the Book of John. We are in chapter 14 and just came across this verses:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John14:1-3
Jesus promised that while He would leave for a period of time to prepare a place for us in heaven, He would come back and take us to be with Him.
A description of the rapture is given in the New Testament:
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
God promises that Jesus will return and first take the dead in Christ and then us who are alive now. It could happen at anytime. Jesus said He will come like a thief in the night---when we are least expecting it.
I'm thankful for Jesus and His promise to come back and get us. And when we are in the middle of our daily struggles and stresses, we are to use this promise to encourage each other. What are you dealing with today? Does it have eternal consequences? Take comfort in the fact that in the twinkling of an eye all our problems will disappear!!
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John14:1-3
Jesus promised that while He would leave for a period of time to prepare a place for us in heaven, He would come back and take us to be with Him.
A description of the rapture is given in the New Testament:
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
God promises that Jesus will return and first take the dead in Christ and then us who are alive now. It could happen at anytime. Jesus said He will come like a thief in the night---when we are least expecting it.
I'm thankful for Jesus and His promise to come back and get us. And when we are in the middle of our daily struggles and stresses, we are to use this promise to encourage each other. What are you dealing with today? Does it have eternal consequences? Take comfort in the fact that in the twinkling of an eye all our problems will disappear!!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Born Again
"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3
There are many people who believe that because they were raised in church, or because their parents were Christians and always "practiced" Biblical traditions in their home--that they are somehow automatically going to heaven. They may state something to the effect of, "I have always been a Christian." But is that possible? According to Jesus in the above verse, we must all come to a point in our lives when we are "born again," in order to spend eternity in heaven.
So what does it mean to be born again? In this passage Nicodemus (a Pharisee) asks how we can literally be born out of our mother's womb again. Obviously that is not possible. Jesus explains:
"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3: 5-8
Jesus's phrase "born again" literally means "born from above." In other words, being born again is an act of God from above where we are given eternal life when we make a decision to choose (and believe) Jesus as Savior and Lord of our life.
As I have stated before, we are saved not by any good deeds we do (or by anything we can do for that matter), but by faith. Ephesians makes it clear that we are "saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
All the work was done by Jesus on the cross, the rest is up to us to make that decision for ourselves.
There are many people who believe that because they were raised in church, or because their parents were Christians and always "practiced" Biblical traditions in their home--that they are somehow automatically going to heaven. They may state something to the effect of, "I have always been a Christian." But is that possible? According to Jesus in the above verse, we must all come to a point in our lives when we are "born again," in order to spend eternity in heaven.
So what does it mean to be born again? In this passage Nicodemus (a Pharisee) asks how we can literally be born out of our mother's womb again. Obviously that is not possible. Jesus explains:
"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3: 5-8
Jesus's phrase "born again" literally means "born from above." In other words, being born again is an act of God from above where we are given eternal life when we make a decision to choose (and believe) Jesus as Savior and Lord of our life.
As I have stated before, we are saved not by any good deeds we do (or by anything we can do for that matter), but by faith. Ephesians makes it clear that we are "saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
All the work was done by Jesus on the cross, the rest is up to us to make that decision for ourselves.
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