GOD’S FINALE JUDGEMENT OF THE WICKED.

 

1Thessalonians 1:9 says that “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might”.  What is Paul’s message here?

The Bible records, see Acts 16 and 17, that Paul did not have a good experience when he visited Thessalonica.  Paul was beaten illegally and then put into prison.  They then forced him to leave the city by night because unbelieving Jews brought false charges against Paul. 

Paul did not give up, he made several attempt to return but he was hindered by Satan.

“But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time (in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person. For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) but Satan thwarted us” (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18).

In this first letter to the Thessalonian Church Paul was concerned about the progress of the church and wanted to be with them to strengthen them in their faith and beliefs.

“All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

He wanted to reassure the Church that they were chosen by God.  He did not want the Thessalonians to give up.  He wanted them to look to their faith so that they could endure the persecution that was sure to come.  Paul knew that the people who persecuted them were wicked and would get their just due, but this was not the message he had for them here. 

Paul was using God’s authentication and empowering of the gospel message when he wrote this letter.  He said that because of their “…perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials…” that they were enduring, it was proof that God chose them. (1 Thessalonians 1:4).  Because of this fact he was encouraging them to continue to endure these persecutions.

For this message to have power it is important to understand that the gospel that Paul preached were not his words, but the words came from God through the Holy Spirit and he constantly used this fact to authenticate and empower his words.  The church in Corinth he wrote:

“God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who among men knows the things of a man except the man’s spirit within him?  So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.  And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.  The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.  The one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is understood by no one.  For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:10-16).

Paul’s message was always that Jesus Christ made the promises to all those who follow Him that when the Holy Spirit came, He would empower the messengers so that others would believe and be saved to eternal life.  This is what this passage is based on.  It is an encouragement to all saints down through the last almost two thousand years that in difficult days of adversity and persecution, God’s word can serve to encourage us as the dark clouds of persecution gather for Christians around the world. This power of God will sustain believers when persecuted in the end times.

The message of Eternal destruction, is an important message based on the fact that it is mentioned throughout the Old and the New Testaments.  The problem is that the phrase “eternal destruction” is misunderstood by many.  More importantly, it is not the message we need to be taking away from this Biblical passage.  If this is done, the true message is hidden, which is what Satan wants to happen. 

Because it is mentioned here, it is important to have a basic scriptural knowledge of what the phrase means.  There is a very simple answer when trying to describe what eternal destruction means, if you take each word individually.  Eternal means, “Continuing without interruption; perpetual”, (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/eternal ), forever, it will never change.

Destruction means “to cause (something) to end or no longer exist, to cause the destruction of (something), to damage (something) so badly that it cannot be repaired. (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroy ).  When a human being meets “eternal destruction” as described in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, it means that that person will be damaged so badly, that he or she will no longer exist.  That that person cannot be repaired.  The existence of that person will come to an end.

The prophet Malachi explains it clearly:

““Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.”” (Malachi 4:1).

The non-believers and the wicked will be burned to ashes to such an extent that there will be nothing left.  There will be no “root” or “branch left”.  When this happens there is no way that that person can exist, period.

CHRISTIAN LIVING FOR GOD - TODAY AND BEYOND.

ETERNAL LIFE IS IMPARTED AT THE LAST TRUMPET.

In John 5:24 Jesus says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

When it comes to being alive or dead, Jesus places people in two categories.  Jesus identifies these two groups of people in the above verse.  The difference between these two groups is that those who are spiritually alive have heard Jesus’ words and believed in the One who sent Him, whereas the latter do not and are spiritually dead.  To understand the verse, it must be understood that Jesus is talking about a person spiritually.

Notice that “death” is put before “life” in this verse.  This is not a coincidence.  Since Adam and Eve, all humans have been born spiritually dead.  Physically man is alive at birth and continues to be “physically alive” until he dies.  At that point, according to the Bible, he no longer exists in any form. (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20).  Jesus is making the claim here that at “judgement” he can “impart eternal life” to those who believe in Him.

Jesus goes on (5:25-26) to state that He has the power to impart eternal life.  In (5:27-30) Jesus claims that in the future He will raise from the dead everyone who has ever lived and at that time will judge them for all eternity. This claim that Jesus is making about eternal life must be understood in the context of God’s plan of redemption as outlined throughout the Old and the New Testaments.

The Bible tells us that God gave us physical life and also that we all will eventually die.  This situation came about by the actions of our first parents, Adam and Eve.  God made available for them the gift of eternal life that is represented by the tree of life in Genesis 2:9.  The tree represented God’s way of life which was total obedience to God’s revealed will. 

The garden also had another tree which was the called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The tree represented man deciding for himself what was right and what was wrong.  They rejected the total obedience to God’s will in favor of choosing to follow their own will.  If they would not have done this, they would have received eternal life (Genesis 2:17).  God told them their fate, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

The good news is that God, from the beginning, had a plan, and the offer of eternal life still stands.  Through the rest of the Bible, God unfolds this plan for us.  We are rescued from death by the blood of Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul explains how and when we will receive eternal life when he explains, “I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

Paul clearly tells us that this will happen when Christ returns to earth.  “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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. After 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.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

This is when all Christians meet with Jesus, receive our immortal glorified bodies and return to heaven with Jesus to live eternally.

 

CHRISTIAN LIVING FOR GOD - TODAY AND BEYOND

THE IMMORTALITY OF MANKIND, MATTHEW 25:46.

 

There are many Bible verses that are taken out of the context of the passage they are found in to support various Christian doctrines.  In order to understand passages, the entire passage needs to be read, and then it has to be related to the time period that the passage is referring to.  We then need to be sure that our interpretation can be verified and not denied by other passages in the Bible.  

Matthew 25:46 is one of these passages.  It reads, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”  Several questions immediately come to mind.  What time period is this talking about?  Who are “they”?  What is meant when is says that the righteous will “go away…to eternal life”? 

The chapter Matthew 25 is describing the future judgment of the “nations”.  This judgment will take place immediately after the second coming of Jesus Christ.  During this time period there will be mortal human beings, on earth, who survived the tribulation.  Christ is on the earth. 

There will be people living on the earth at this time who started believing in Christ during the tribulation during the tribulation period.  There will be other people who still do not believe.  These two groups of people are represented by the sheep, (the ones who believe in Christ), and the goats, (the ones who do not).  The people will be judged on how they treated each other during the tribulation period.  (Matthew 25:37-45).

There will also be a group of people on the earth who will be resurrected at that time.  These are people who died during the tribulation period believing in Christ.  Revelation 20:5-6 says “This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”  Revelation 20:5-6 is referring to Matthew 25:46.

Revelation 20:5-6 indicates that before these people were judged at this point in time, they were subject to “The second death…” (Revelation 20:6).  If that is the case, these human beings are not yet immortal because they can die.  It is here that the righteous people, those who survived the tribulation and those who were just resurrected, are judged and receive eternal life, immortality. 

Matthew 25:46 confirms this where it states clearly that, “Then they will go away…the righteous to eternal life.” (emphasis added).

 

CHRISTIAN LIVING FOR GOD - TODAY AND BEYOND.

DO NOT ABUSE YOUR PRIVELEGE OF PRAYER.

 

The Bible characterizes Solomon as being richer and wiser than any other king and the story of how he came to be so wise is repeated in every generation. Solomon had a dream in which he said the Lord appeared to him and asked “What would you like me to give you?” After thanking God “for letting me succeed my father, David,” he said “give me wisdom I need to rule your people with justice and to know the difference between good and evil.” (I Kings 3:5,7,9) 

King Solomon wrote, “Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.  Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.  For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore, let your words be few.  For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words.  (Ecclesiastes 5:1-3)

People have this idea that they impress God by a long prayer Mark wrote that some people pray for show and feel that they need to make lengthy prayers in order to make their prayer relevant. Mark writes that this does not impress Him and if a person is using prayer to glorify himself he will be punished.  Depending on the person, he or she could be punished severely. (Mark 12:40).

In Ecclesiastes King Solomon says that some people do this and are not even aware that they are actually doing something that God considers to be evil. The Bible often warns people about proud attitudes. And that is especially important when people pray.   

King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 to  "Walk prudently" which means "watch your moral conduct." Frequently, "hear" is used synonymously with "obey," and the "sacrifice of fools" is allowing fellowship to degenerate into mere socializing, especially in a church setting, without a serious regard toward walking prudently and hearing God.

Hastiness in prayer, speaking fast to save time and get it over with, is speaking ill-considered words before God. Though we pour out a prayer to Him in anguish, we may not think about the possible effects of our words. We can also do this by praying carelessly, ignorant of the seriousness of our communication with God.

In prayer, the scripture tells us to “…let your words be few.” because “…a fool’s voice is known by his many words.” It is more important to have the right attitudes than to say the right words. God already knows what we will ask. And he knows what we really need (Matthew 6:8).

(John W. Ritenbaugh), ( http://usefulbible.com/ecclesiastes/foolish-wise-prayers.htm )

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SPIRITUALISM AND THE BIBLE - LIFE AFTER DEATH.

SPIRITUALISM AND THE BIBLE – LIFE AFTER DEATH.

 

 

“Spiritualism is the belief or doctrine that the spirits of the dead, surviving after the mortal life, can and do communicate with the living, especially through a person (a medium) particularly susceptible to their influence.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spiritualism).

Satan uses many successful agencies in order to seduce man and spiritualism is one of these delusive teachings.  The belief that spirits of the dead can return and/or communicate with the living is a sacred channel through which Satan works to accomplish his purpose.  The fallen angels who do Satan’s bidding appear as messengers. 

Satan has the power to bring before men what appears to be their departed friends.  His counterfeits are perfect in familiarity as far as looks, words, tone and demeanor.  Satan comforts many with the false assurance that their loved ones are enjoying bliss in heaven and he does this without any suspicion of danger.  Men give ear “…to the seducing spirits and doctrines of devils”. (1 Timothy 4:1).

The these fallen spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct.  They build confidence and then they present doctrines, by leading people to misinterpret scriptures, which actually undermines the scriptures.  They state some truths and this gives their statements the appearance of reliability and the false teachings are believed as implicitly as if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible.

He contradicts what the apostles wrote as documented in the Bible and in this way he denies the truth of the Holy Spirit and the divine origin of the Bible.  In this way Satan tears away the foundation of the Christian’s hope for eternal life and puts out the truth that reveals the only path to salvation.  This is ultimately Satan’s goal.  The same way Satan tried to exalt himself…

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:” (Isaiah 14:13).

…and lost his place in heaven, he is now trying to do the same thing to mankind.

Satan misleads people by exciting the ambition for self-exaltation.  In the place of righteousness and perfection of the infinite God, he has substituted the sinful, erring nature of man himself as the rule of judgement, standard, and character.  Instead of progressing upward toward the likeness of God, man is descending downward.

Spiritualism professes to teach Christ and the Bible.  The problem is, the Bible is interpreted in a manner that is pleasing to the ears of unrepentant men with un-renewed hearts.  Love is upheld as the chief attribute of God, but it is degraded with a weak sentimentalism and does not make a distinction between what God and Jesus Christ view as good and evil.  God’s denunciations of sin, the requirements of His holy law and His justice are all kept out of site.

Satan, as sure as the sunrises in the east, is preparing for his final effort to deceive the world.  He laid the foundation when he assured Eve in the garden “In the day ye eat thereof, then you surely not die.  In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as good as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5-5).  


God never intended man to determine "good and evil".  That is why he told Adam and Eve, (...Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."  (Genesis 2:16-17). 

 

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WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT LIFE AFTER DEATH?

 

The Bible does not contradict itself and the word of God does not lie.  The scriptures all have to support each other in what they mean.

King Solomon wrote:

“So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.  All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

“As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.  This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun:

“The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.  Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

“For the living know that they will die but the dead know nothing.  They have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 9:1-6).

After we die, we do not either go to heaven, hell or somewhere else to continue to live on as a conscious being until the time when Jesus passes judgment.  When we die, we no longer exist in any conscious form, we simply "...return to dust".

Daniel 12:2 says “…those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awaken.” Explaining the present condition of the dead, they are asleep, not aware of what is going on.  Solomon explains “For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them:  as one dies, so does the other…All go to one place:  all are from dust, and all return to dust.”  (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20).

Job wrote, “man comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue” (Job 14:2).  “Since his days are determined, the number of his months are with you; you have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass” (Job 14:5).  

Job goes on to note the stark reality of death when he wrote, “So man lies down and does not rise.  Till the heavens and earths are no more, they will not awake or be aroused from their sleep” (Job 14:12).  Job wrote about the complete absence of consciousness in death.

I do believe that there is both eternal and immortal life, just not the way most Christians define it.

THE OLD MAN AND THE DOG.

The Old Man and the Dog:  Written by Catherine Moore.

    

    

"Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!" My father yelled at me.   "Can't you do anything right?"

 

Those words hurt worse than being punched in the nose. I turned my head toward the old man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle with him. 

 "I saw the car, Dad. Please don't yell at me when I'm driving." My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.           

      Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts. Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him?

      "Dad had been a lumberjack most of his life in Washington and Oregon. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often.  The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his powers.

      "The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He shook his head disgustedly and stomped back into the house.  He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man.

     "Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing.

      "At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived... But something inside Dad finally died all together. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.

      "My wife, Sue, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We, were afraid to let him by himself and we hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust and bring him back to some sort of normalcy.

      "Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and angry. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Sue. We began to bicker and argue.  We never said it out loud but I knew we both wished he wasn’t living with us.

      "Finally, Sue decided to seek out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session we prayed with him, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind.

      "But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done, but what?

      "One day when I was nearing my breaking point, I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered, but it was in vain.

      "Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article." 

      "I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.

      "I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the rows of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down.

"It was a large black lab, one of the dog world's aristocrats.  Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hipbones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly. 

      "I pointed to the dog "Can you tell me about him?"

      "The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement.

     "He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly

      "As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill him?"" 

      ""Sir," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed dog.""

      "I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said.

      "I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad walked out onto the front porch.

     ""Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!" I said excitedly.

    "Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.

     "Anger rose inside me.  It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!" 

     "Dad ignored me. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I yelled even louder.

     "At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing.  We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw.

     "Dad's lower jaw trembled and then dropped as he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. After a moment, Dad was on his knees, hugging the animal with tears in his eyes.  This is the first time I saw my day with an emotion other than anger in a very long time. 

     "It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne.  Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet

     "Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next 11 years. Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne’s cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night. I woke Sue, put on my slippers and went to my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night. 

     "Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's empty bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug that he had slept on. As Sue and I buried him, near their favorite fishing hole, with tears freely flowing from our eyes, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind.

     "The morning of Dad's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family.

     "I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made during the last three years, filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life.

     "And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2 and read:

""Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”"

     "The pastor then said, "I've often thanked God for sending an angel to someone in need".

     "For me, everything dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before.  Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter...his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father…and the proximity of their deaths were not a coincidence.  Suddenly I understood.  It was not me who restored my dad’s “peace of mind”.  I finally realized that God had answered our prayers after all.

     "Sometimes we go through life blinded to the simple blessings that God affords us.  We pray for help and then do not recognize when God answers our prayers. 

     "In this story they prayed for God to “soothe their Dad's troubled mind”.  They were waiting on God when the fact is, God was waiting on them, to act. When they finally did act, their answer came in the form of a dog.

     "Was this an angel?  We can only speculate.  What we do know is that there was a prayer prayed, and, there was a blessing given in an answer to that prayer.   Was this from God?  I’ll let that up to you to decide. ( https://bible.org/illustration/old-man-and-dog )

 

CHRISTIAN LIVING FOR GOD - TODAY AND BEYOND.

 

 

DEATH AND TAXES - BOTH ARE INEVITABLE!

YOU WILL DIE!

IF YOU DO NOT KNOW JESUS WHEN YOU DIE, YOUR DEATH WILL BE ETERNAL!

It is a fact.  10 out of 10 people will die.  You just never know when it is going to happen.  There is no alternative to this fact.

So, what can you do?  Do you just need to accept this fact? 

The simple answer to these questions is, “You need to know and believe in Jesus.

The Word of God tells us, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him,” (John 3 : 36 ).

We are all sinners and as sinners we can never have everlasting life unless our sins are forgiven.  The only way to do that is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

“…sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and 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.”  (Galatians 5:19-21).

We break God’s laws on a daily basis and because of this we need Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ, took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross.  But, He rose from the grave and He now sits at the right hand of God His Father.  He will pass judgement on all who do not accept Him as their Savior.

The good news is that it is easy to secure your eternal future by simply turning from your evil ways.  The Word of God tells us:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

Turn away from sin, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and live your life following Jesus’s example.  You can start today by praying this prayer:

God, I know I have sinned and deserve Your punishment.  But I thank you for sending Your Son to take my place in death, then raising Him to life.  I turn from my sin and invite Jesus into my life so I can live with you forever.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

 

 

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LIFE AFTER DEATH!

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HOW YOU CAN RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE.