Yikes! Great question! The Bible doesn’t say outright but we do get a slight glimpse of the possibility of being able to see Heaven from Hell from the story of the rich man and a man named Lazarus. In the story, the rich man dies and ends up in Hell and sees Lazarus in Heaven with Abraham. The rich man asks Abraham to give him some relief because he is in agony and Abraham say that he cannot because, “…Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross from there to us.” (Luke 16:26) In this story, we know that the rich man can see towards Heaven and can see partially into Heaven but we cannot know for sure that he can see all of Heaven. What we do know is that, once you are condemned to Hell, you are stuck there for eternity.
So, how can a person avoid the same fate as the rich man and live in Heaven with God like Lazarus? Honestly, there is only one way to get to Heaven and the great thing about it is that it doesn’t involve you or me having to be good! The truth is: Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He makes this quite clear in John 14:6, when He says, “I am the truth, the way and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It’s not about being good because we can never be “good enough.” It’s about being forgiven and being saved through the grace of Jesus Christ.
Friday 9 December 2011
Thursday 8 December 2011
Where do animals go when they die?
Wow! That is an awesome question! And I believe what you are asking me is if animals go to Heaven when they die. I get this question a lot because when kids lose their pets, they want to know if their pet gets to go to Heaven.
The truth is we don’t really know and this question has been debated among Bible scholars for a long time. It is one of the mysteries that God has chosen not to reveal to us.
Some Bible scholars claim that animals, however smart they can be, have no souls so they cannot have an immortal spirit that can survive after death. They also argue that animals were created inferior to human and they are not equal to us. Genesis 1:26 says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Still other Bible scholars make the argument that there are animals in Heaven and reference Biblical passages such as Isaiah 65:25, which talks about the new Heaven and new Earth and describes all sorts of animals living together, and Revelation 19:14, which describes Jesus and his army returning on horses.
I tend to believe what it says in Matthew 19:26, “…with God, all things are possible.” I also know God’s character and I personally believe that God, in His infinite love and wisdom, created a Heaven that is a place of perfect happiness. For me, perfect happiness would include all of God’s beauty and creation, including animals.
Is my hope based on complete Biblical truth? Nope. I’m just hoping that I’m right!
The truth is we don’t really know and this question has been debated among Bible scholars for a long time. It is one of the mysteries that God has chosen not to reveal to us.
Some Bible scholars claim that animals, however smart they can be, have no souls so they cannot have an immortal spirit that can survive after death. They also argue that animals were created inferior to human and they are not equal to us. Genesis 1:26 says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Still other Bible scholars make the argument that there are animals in Heaven and reference Biblical passages such as Isaiah 65:25, which talks about the new Heaven and new Earth and describes all sorts of animals living together, and Revelation 19:14, which describes Jesus and his army returning on horses.
I tend to believe what it says in Matthew 19:26, “…with God, all things are possible.” I also know God’s character and I personally believe that God, in His infinite love and wisdom, created a Heaven that is a place of perfect happiness. For me, perfect happiness would include all of God’s beauty and creation, including animals.
Is my hope based on complete Biblical truth? Nope. I’m just hoping that I’m right!
Saturday 24 September 2011
What happens to your spirit when you die?
Wow, what an awesome question! And it’s also a very difficult question to answer because so many Bible scholars have different opinions on it. The truth is that no one knows for sure what happens the moment we die and I think that God had a good reason for keeping us wondering about the mysteries of heaven. Perhaps our brains just couldn’t grasp the realities of eternity.
BUT, the Holy Bible does reveal the following truth about the afterlife. We know that while our earthly bodies will die, our spirit will continue on for eternity. The million dollar question then becomes, where are you going to spend eternity? And there are only two choices there; you can spend eternity with God or apart from God.
You see, the choice is really yours. God gave you free will to either choose Him or reject Him. If you choose to follow God and accept Jesus as your Savior, you will spend eternity with God in Heaven. If you choose to reject God, then you will spend eternity separated from God in a place that God never meant for you. The Bible even says this place, Hell, is a place that God “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).
Remember when I said earlier that no one knows for sure what happens the moment we die? Well, there are many Bible scholars who believe your spirit goes somewhere else before you get to Heaven and that you’ll only get to Heaven once Jesus returns. However, there are other Bible scholars that believe you enter God’s presence at death. We just don’t know.
Here’s what I’m confident of: If you believe that Jesus is who He says He is and you’ve received Him as your Lord and Savior, you will be with God forever (Psalm 23:6) and that Jesus is preparing a special place for all us believers in Heaven! (John 14:1-3) Not only are you with God forever, you will never die again (Revelation 21:1-4).
BUT, the Holy Bible does reveal the following truth about the afterlife. We know that while our earthly bodies will die, our spirit will continue on for eternity. The million dollar question then becomes, where are you going to spend eternity? And there are only two choices there; you can spend eternity with God or apart from God.
You see, the choice is really yours. God gave you free will to either choose Him or reject Him. If you choose to follow God and accept Jesus as your Savior, you will spend eternity with God in Heaven. If you choose to reject God, then you will spend eternity separated from God in a place that God never meant for you. The Bible even says this place, Hell, is a place that God “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).
Remember when I said earlier that no one knows for sure what happens the moment we die? Well, there are many Bible scholars who believe your spirit goes somewhere else before you get to Heaven and that you’ll only get to Heaven once Jesus returns. However, there are other Bible scholars that believe you enter God’s presence at death. We just don’t know.
Here’s what I’m confident of: If you believe that Jesus is who He says He is and you’ve received Him as your Lord and Savior, you will be with God forever (Psalm 23:6) and that Jesus is preparing a special place for all us believers in Heaven! (John 14:1-3) Not only are you with God forever, you will never die again (Revelation 21:1-4).
Friday 23 September 2011
What is Calvary?
Calvary is the name of the hill where Jesus was crucified. In the New Testament, it is also called “Golgotha,” which means “the Place of the Skull” in the Aramaic language (Aramaic is an ancient form of the Hebrew language that was very likely Jesus’ primary language). The Greek translation for “skull” is kranion, which is where we get the English word cranium but the Latin word for "skull" is calvaria, which is where we get the English word, Calvary.
So, when you hear it mentioned in a song, it simply refers to the place where Jesus was crucified.
So, when you hear it mentioned in a song, it simply refers to the place where Jesus was crucified.
Thursday 28 July 2011
Who was the snake in the garden with Adam and Eve?
That is an awesome question!!! Although the Book of Genesis never actually refers to the snake, or serpent, as Satan, we can determine who this serpent was (or rather who was controlling and speaking through this serpent) from other passages of the Bible.
In Ezekiel 28:13, it indicates that Satan was in the Garden of Eden. The only other people that were in the garden were God, Adam and Eve. The snake spoke to Eve and we know that no other animals spoke to Adam or Eve. So, someone was speaking through the snake. And since the Bible shows that there were only four people in the garden, it stands to reason that Satan had possessed the snake.
Next, we can see from Revelation 12:9, 12:15 and 20:2 that the serpent is called “the devil and Satan” not once, but three times! When we combine those passages with what the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:3, the identification of the serpent in the Garden of Eden with Satan is unmistakable.
Also, in Genesis 3:14-15 we see God cursing the snake. And in that passage it says that God will put “enmity” (which is hatred and warfare) between the seeds (future generations) of the snake and the woman. This makes no sense if the snake were simply a physical animal.
Finally, although the snake wasn’t actually the devil, the devil was working through the snake and had assumed the snake’s identity. Remember, this is very close to the time of creation or the beginning of time. And it says in 1 John 3:8, “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Here it shows that Satan was around near the beginning of time, which further supports that he was in the Garden of Eden.
Additional Scripture Citations:
“You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald … Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.” Ezekiel 28:13
“The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 12:9
“Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.” Revelation 12:15
“He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:2
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3
In Ezekiel 28:13, it indicates that Satan was in the Garden of Eden. The only other people that were in the garden were God, Adam and Eve. The snake spoke to Eve and we know that no other animals spoke to Adam or Eve. So, someone was speaking through the snake. And since the Bible shows that there were only four people in the garden, it stands to reason that Satan had possessed the snake.
Next, we can see from Revelation 12:9, 12:15 and 20:2 that the serpent is called “the devil and Satan” not once, but three times! When we combine those passages with what the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:3, the identification of the serpent in the Garden of Eden with Satan is unmistakable.
Also, in Genesis 3:14-15 we see God cursing the snake. And in that passage it says that God will put “enmity” (which is hatred and warfare) between the seeds (future generations) of the snake and the woman. This makes no sense if the snake were simply a physical animal.
Finally, although the snake wasn’t actually the devil, the devil was working through the snake and had assumed the snake’s identity. Remember, this is very close to the time of creation or the beginning of time. And it says in 1 John 3:8, “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Here it shows that Satan was around near the beginning of time, which further supports that he was in the Garden of Eden.
Additional Scripture Citations:
“You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald … Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.” Ezekiel 28:13
“The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 12:9
“Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.” Revelation 12:15
“He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:2
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3
Wednesday 27 July 2011
How did Jonah live without food and water in the fish, and why wasn't he digested?
When Jonah got swallowed by the fish, how did he live without food or water? And after three days, wouldn’t he have already been digested?
These are awesome questions!!! The truth is that this is one of the great mysteries of the Bible and that we may never know the answer until we get to Heaven. There are lots of theories from many respected Bible scholars (people who study the Bible and Bible history) on what happened to Jonah. But we really don’t know how Jonah lived without food or water or why he wasn’t digested.
One of the most interesting theories is that Jonah was actually dead or in the process of dying when he was in the fish’s belly and that he was resurrected by God after three days. The Bible scholars use several parts of the story to support this theory:
• In Jonah 2:2, it says that Jonah cried out from the depths of the grave, or Sheol. Sheol is a Hebrew word for the “place of the dead” and is sometimes referred to as Hades. Bible scholars believe Jonah had drowned and was in Sheol.
• Jonah 2:3-7 makes it sound like he was drowning, especially where it says that seaweed was wrapped around his head and he was sinking to the roots of the mountains.
• Finally in Matthew 12:40, Jesus compares His death and resurrection to that of Jonah when Jesus says, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Now, is that a possible explanation? Yes. Could it also be that God performed a miracle and supernaturally kept Jonah alive in the belly of the fish because God had a bigger plan for Jonah? Yes.
Can we say for sure which is explanation is correct? No, we cannot. BUT, we can say with certainty that the event did happen and that God had a purpose for telling us that story.
The more important aspects of this story are that: 1) You can’t run and hide from God; and 2) God can redeem and restore you even if you try and run and hide from Him. Isn’t it great to know that we have a God who loves us so much that He’s willing to forgive us and give us a second chance?
These are awesome questions!!! The truth is that this is one of the great mysteries of the Bible and that we may never know the answer until we get to Heaven. There are lots of theories from many respected Bible scholars (people who study the Bible and Bible history) on what happened to Jonah. But we really don’t know how Jonah lived without food or water or why he wasn’t digested.
One of the most interesting theories is that Jonah was actually dead or in the process of dying when he was in the fish’s belly and that he was resurrected by God after three days. The Bible scholars use several parts of the story to support this theory:
• In Jonah 2:2, it says that Jonah cried out from the depths of the grave, or Sheol. Sheol is a Hebrew word for the “place of the dead” and is sometimes referred to as Hades. Bible scholars believe Jonah had drowned and was in Sheol.
• Jonah 2:3-7 makes it sound like he was drowning, especially where it says that seaweed was wrapped around his head and he was sinking to the roots of the mountains.
• Finally in Matthew 12:40, Jesus compares His death and resurrection to that of Jonah when Jesus says, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Now, is that a possible explanation? Yes. Could it also be that God performed a miracle and supernaturally kept Jonah alive in the belly of the fish because God had a bigger plan for Jonah? Yes.
Can we say for sure which is explanation is correct? No, we cannot. BUT, we can say with certainty that the event did happen and that God had a purpose for telling us that story.
The more important aspects of this story are that: 1) You can’t run and hide from God; and 2) God can redeem and restore you even if you try and run and hide from Him. Isn’t it great to know that we have a God who loves us so much that He’s willing to forgive us and give us a second chance?
Thursday 14 July 2011
When you get to Heaven, do you come as a … baby, kid, teen, grown up, old person?
That is a very interesting question! And, it’s also a very hard question to answer because we really don’t know! We can get an idea from reading the Holy Bible, but even then it is hard to know for sure.
Here’s what we do know: According to Paul, in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, our heavenly bodies will be very different from our natural earthly bodies. Our earthly bodies eventually die but our resurrected bodies cannot die. Also, our earthly bodies get old and weak but our resurrected bodies will be perfect!
Another big difference is that we will have a spiritual body rather than a natural body. That doesn’t mean we’ll be like ghosts just floating around; it means we will have a body like Jesus’ resurrected body (1 John 3:2). If you remember, after Jesus’ resurrection, He showed that He could be touched and that He could eat (Luke 24:37-43). We get a little bit of a glimpse of what our bodies will look like when we read Luke 9:28-36. Jesus went with three of His disciples up to a mountain. There he changed incredibly as His divine nature shone through His human nature. Moses and Elijah came from Heaven to talk to Him and their appearance was just as wonderful! In fact, the Bible says they, “appeared in glorious splendor” (Luke 9:30).
The Bible also says we will know each other. This tells us that somehow we will be recognizable. The Bible clearly shows that Jesus was recognizable after His resurrection (John 20:16, 20; John 21:12; 1 Corinthians 15:4-7) so that would lead us to believe we will somehow be recognizable in our new bodies. How that will be is uncertain. We may just know or we might look like our old selves; the Bible doesn’t really say.
Whatever our bodies look like and however we will able to recognize each other is an amazing mystery of Heaven. But, remember, Heaven is far more about God and far less about us, so maybe it won’t really matter anyway!
Here’s what we do know: According to Paul, in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, our heavenly bodies will be very different from our natural earthly bodies. Our earthly bodies eventually die but our resurrected bodies cannot die. Also, our earthly bodies get old and weak but our resurrected bodies will be perfect!
Another big difference is that we will have a spiritual body rather than a natural body. That doesn’t mean we’ll be like ghosts just floating around; it means we will have a body like Jesus’ resurrected body (1 John 3:2). If you remember, after Jesus’ resurrection, He showed that He could be touched and that He could eat (Luke 24:37-43). We get a little bit of a glimpse of what our bodies will look like when we read Luke 9:28-36. Jesus went with three of His disciples up to a mountain. There he changed incredibly as His divine nature shone through His human nature. Moses and Elijah came from Heaven to talk to Him and their appearance was just as wonderful! In fact, the Bible says they, “appeared in glorious splendor” (Luke 9:30).
The Bible also says we will know each other. This tells us that somehow we will be recognizable. The Bible clearly shows that Jesus was recognizable after His resurrection (John 20:16, 20; John 21:12; 1 Corinthians 15:4-7) so that would lead us to believe we will somehow be recognizable in our new bodies. How that will be is uncertain. We may just know or we might look like our old selves; the Bible doesn’t really say.
Whatever our bodies look like and however we will able to recognize each other is an amazing mystery of Heaven. But, remember, Heaven is far more about God and far less about us, so maybe it won’t really matter anyway!
Tuesday 12 July 2011
How did God make the world?
That is an awesome question!!! The truth is God spoke the world into existence. He didn’t use some elaborate machine or create some fantastic formula … He simply spoke it and it became true. Look at all the different passages in the Book of Genesis where it says, “And God said…”
Let’s start with the very first passage in the Bible, which is Genesis 1:1. It reads, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Then after that sentence the Bible describes what the earth was like by telling us it was formless and empty and that darkness was over the surface of the deep. (Genesis 1:2)
Then, what happens? God says, “Let there be light.” And guess what? There was light! And God sees that the light is good and separates it from the darkness. God then decides to call the light day and the darkness, night. (Genesis 1:3-5)
The rest of the first chapter of Genesis is God speaking the rest of the world into existence and creating the plants and animals and, finally, creating man. And look what He says about man! God says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26) So, not only did God speak us into existence, we are representations of Him! You and I and everyone else in this world are image-bearers of the Lord God!!! Isn’t that cool?
Let’s start with the very first passage in the Bible, which is Genesis 1:1. It reads, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Then after that sentence the Bible describes what the earth was like by telling us it was formless and empty and that darkness was over the surface of the deep. (Genesis 1:2)
Then, what happens? God says, “Let there be light.” And guess what? There was light! And God sees that the light is good and separates it from the darkness. God then decides to call the light day and the darkness, night. (Genesis 1:3-5)
The rest of the first chapter of Genesis is God speaking the rest of the world into existence and creating the plants and animals and, finally, creating man. And look what He says about man! God says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26) So, not only did God speak us into existence, we are representations of Him! You and I and everyone else in this world are image-bearers of the Lord God!!! Isn’t that cool?
Monday 11 July 2011
If you bring someone into TRACK who has never been here before but has been to JAM, do you still get candy for it?
Well, my goodness,that is an interesting question! I had to look up the answer in the top secret T.R.A.C.K. Rule Book and the answer is … YES!
Anytime you bring a someone to T.R.A.C.K., who has never been there before, they get a candy bar for coming and you get a candy bar for bringing them!
Anytime you bring a someone to T.R.A.C.K., who has never been there before, they get a candy bar for coming and you get a candy bar for bringing them!
Sunday 10 July 2011
How is it possible that God has been here forever because it seems like everything should have a beginning?
Yahoo! I love that question because friends ask me that question all the time! I could easily give them the standard Biblical answer that “God has always been here and He has no beginning and no end and He will always be here because He is eternal.” But, I usually get that deer-in-the-headlights look when I say that.
So, here’s my way of explaining it: Imagine being able to go back in time to the days of the pilgrims as they were colonizing this country and trying to explain to them how a helicopter works or how an iPod works. Remember, there’s no such thing as electricity, gas engines, batteries, etc. So, how do you explain how those things work to people that have never seen stuff like that? You see, we’ve grown up with so much technology that we just accept what is there without really trying to understand how it works. But trying to explain something so difficult that we casually accept to someone who’s never experienced would be very challenging.
Let’s apply that thinking to the idea of God being eternal. Truth: God’s eternal power is clearly seen in the creation of our universe but our brains have a hard time wrapping around that idea. And we kind of know what eternity is but we don’t fully understand it. So, what do we do? We try to explain it in terms we can see and understand. But how do we explain eternity to people (all of us) who are stuck in the passage of time? We usually start by trying to simplify the idea!
The Bible is our place to start. The Bible simply says God “is.” Remember Moses? When he asked the Lord God what His name was, do you remember what God said? He said, “Tell them I AM” Exodus 3:14). Revelation 1:8 and 4:8 says that God is, God was and God is to come.
We know tht time is a measurement of physical change. Time, though, has only existed since the creation of the universe. Genesis 1:1, the very first book and chapter of the Bible, says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God created everything, so time started at creation.
We also know from Genesis 1:1 that God was BEFORE the creation of the heavens and the earth becuse He was there to create it. That makes God timeless (eternal) because He created time! So, to answer your question in the simplest of terms, God has been here for all eternity and will be here for all eternity.
Thank you for a great and challenging question!
So, here’s my way of explaining it: Imagine being able to go back in time to the days of the pilgrims as they were colonizing this country and trying to explain to them how a helicopter works or how an iPod works. Remember, there’s no such thing as electricity, gas engines, batteries, etc. So, how do you explain how those things work to people that have never seen stuff like that? You see, we’ve grown up with so much technology that we just accept what is there without really trying to understand how it works. But trying to explain something so difficult that we casually accept to someone who’s never experienced would be very challenging.
Let’s apply that thinking to the idea of God being eternal. Truth: God’s eternal power is clearly seen in the creation of our universe but our brains have a hard time wrapping around that idea. And we kind of know what eternity is but we don’t fully understand it. So, what do we do? We try to explain it in terms we can see and understand. But how do we explain eternity to people (all of us) who are stuck in the passage of time? We usually start by trying to simplify the idea!
The Bible is our place to start. The Bible simply says God “is.” Remember Moses? When he asked the Lord God what His name was, do you remember what God said? He said, “Tell them I AM” Exodus 3:14). Revelation 1:8 and 4:8 says that God is, God was and God is to come.
We know tht time is a measurement of physical change. Time, though, has only existed since the creation of the universe. Genesis 1:1, the very first book and chapter of the Bible, says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God created everything, so time started at creation.
We also know from Genesis 1:1 that God was BEFORE the creation of the heavens and the earth becuse He was there to create it. That makes God timeless (eternal) because He created time! So, to answer your question in the simplest of terms, God has been here for all eternity and will be here for all eternity.
Thank you for a great and challenging question!
Friday 8 July 2011
Why is it called the Apple Box?
Years ago I brought home a gift for my wife, a beautiful little tissue box with apples pictured on the side. I purchased the little box at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. The problem was, standard-sized tissues didn't fit into it!! SO ... the box was kind of useless.
Then I thought, "This little box would make a great box to collect the questions we were encouraging TRACK kids to ask!" So ... the little tissue box found a new job as TRACK's amazing Apple Box!
And yours is the 209th question to find its way into the Apple Box!
Enjoy this blog – there are lots of cool questions and answers about all kinds of things!
Then I thought, "This little box would make a great box to collect the questions we were encouraging TRACK kids to ask!" So ... the little tissue box found a new job as TRACK's amazing Apple Box!
And yours is the 209th question to find its way into the Apple Box!
Enjoy this blog – there are lots of cool questions and answers about all kinds of things!
Thursday 7 July 2011
Do we play outside sometimes?
What an awesome question!!! The truth is, while we won’t necessarily “play” outside, we will sometimes do our Large Group Teach and Small Group Breakouts outside when the weather is nice. Some of the activities involved in the Small Group Breakouts may involve physical activity or games. But, for the most part, we are here to teach you more about God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit.
As you continue on into the Junior High and High School Ministries, they don’t have a play time either. We don’t get a lot of time with you; it’s just about an hour and twenty minutes. So, in that time, we spend our time with worship, teaching God's Word, and in small group breakouts.
Now, having said that, there is a separate group just for the boys that starts later in the year called G.A.N.G. (God’s Active Next Generation) that does do fun "active" things both inside and outside. There’s also a Girl’s G.A.N.G. The G.A.N.G.s start in September and go through May, the whole school year.
As you continue on into the Junior High and High School Ministries, they don’t have a play time either. We don’t get a lot of time with you; it’s just about an hour and twenty minutes. So, in that time, we spend our time with worship, teaching God's Word, and in small group breakouts.
Now, having said that, there is a separate group just for the boys that starts later in the year called G.A.N.G. (God’s Active Next Generation) that does do fun "active" things both inside and outside. There’s also a Girl’s G.A.N.G. The G.A.N.G.s start in September and go through May, the whole school year.
Wednesday 6 July 2011
Do we ever get to go to the Junior High / High School service?
That is very good question! And the simple answer is no. The way our church is set up, we have specific lesson plans for each of the different age groups designed to grow you as Christ Followers at a level you can understand. In addition, we try and keep all of you that are the same age or close to the same age together so that you can relate to each other as friends.
The only time we leave T.R.A.C.K. and go to Big Church is during Baptisms or if we have a Family Service and there is no T.R.A.C.K. We do a fun service in the summer, though, where the little kids, from Kid’s Kingdom, come and visit us and we play games outside and eat popsicles. But, other than that, we stay with T.R.A.C.K., learn some awesome lessons, and get to sing cool worship songs!
The only time we leave T.R.A.C.K. and go to Big Church is during Baptisms or if we have a Family Service and there is no T.R.A.C.K. We do a fun service in the summer, though, where the little kids, from Kid’s Kingdom, come and visit us and we play games outside and eat popsicles. But, other than that, we stay with T.R.A.C.K., learn some awesome lessons, and get to sing cool worship songs!
Tuesday 5 July 2011
What’s the difference between all the religions?
What an awesome question!!! But, it’s also a very complicated question because there are so many different religions out there. It would be impossible to discuss every individual religion and show you the various differences of each belief in a short post.
So, instead, I think I’d like to tell you about our religion: Christianity. Let me first start by saying that there are a lot of different religious beliefs that use words that sound like they are Christians when, in fact, they are not. For example, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are the Mormons. They do not believe the same thing we do. The Jehovah’s Witnesses use a name of God for their religion but they do not believe that Jesus is God. There are Buddhists, Muslims, Taoists, Shintoists and a whole bunch of other religions that have their own belief system that may recognize Jesus as a teacher or a prophet but not as God. There are groups that use names that sound official, like Scientologists, that make them sound like they use scientific methods to prove God’s existence. There are even certain denominations of Christian-based religions that may have different rituals or beliefs than our church. Names such as Seventh Day Adventists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Catholics and a whole host of others believe that Jesus is the Son of God but may differ in their beliefs on certain parts of the Bible.
The important thing for us to remember and to be able to tell people is what we believe in and that is: Jesus Christ, is the Son of God and is God and died an atoning death on the cross so that we could be saved. He is the only person in history or any other religious belief system who overcame death, being resurrected three days after His crucifixion. We believe that the only way to Heaven and God, the Father, is through the salvation offered to us by Jesus Christ through the forgiveness of sins. (John 14:6) We believe in one God, who reveals himself in three separate persons: God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit. That is a very difficult concept to grasp but it’s true. Did you know that no other religion can make the claim that, “It is by grace, you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves but it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) This means we can’t earn God’s grace. We can’t work our way to Heaven by doing good things! God saves us through grace and He gives it to us freely. All we have to do is accept it.
And how do we do that? “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) By confessing our sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are saved! “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.“ (John 1:12)
And why would God do this? “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) It’s because God loves us. No other religion can make that boast either. Our God loves us so much, He freely sacrificed His Son for us and all we have to do is accept Jesus as our Savior and repent, or turn away, from our sins and we become saved. We become God’s children. Isn’t that awesome?
So, instead, I think I’d like to tell you about our religion: Christianity. Let me first start by saying that there are a lot of different religious beliefs that use words that sound like they are Christians when, in fact, they are not. For example, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are the Mormons. They do not believe the same thing we do. The Jehovah’s Witnesses use a name of God for their religion but they do not believe that Jesus is God. There are Buddhists, Muslims, Taoists, Shintoists and a whole bunch of other religions that have their own belief system that may recognize Jesus as a teacher or a prophet but not as God. There are groups that use names that sound official, like Scientologists, that make them sound like they use scientific methods to prove God’s existence. There are even certain denominations of Christian-based religions that may have different rituals or beliefs than our church. Names such as Seventh Day Adventists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Catholics and a whole host of others believe that Jesus is the Son of God but may differ in their beliefs on certain parts of the Bible.
The important thing for us to remember and to be able to tell people is what we believe in and that is: Jesus Christ, is the Son of God and is God and died an atoning death on the cross so that we could be saved. He is the only person in history or any other religious belief system who overcame death, being resurrected three days after His crucifixion. We believe that the only way to Heaven and God, the Father, is through the salvation offered to us by Jesus Christ through the forgiveness of sins. (John 14:6) We believe in one God, who reveals himself in three separate persons: God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit. That is a very difficult concept to grasp but it’s true. Did you know that no other religion can make the claim that, “It is by grace, you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves but it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) This means we can’t earn God’s grace. We can’t work our way to Heaven by doing good things! God saves us through grace and He gives it to us freely. All we have to do is accept it.
And how do we do that? “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) By confessing our sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are saved! “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.“ (John 1:12)
And why would God do this? “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) It’s because God loves us. No other religion can make that boast either. Our God loves us so much, He freely sacrificed His Son for us and all we have to do is accept Jesus as our Savior and repent, or turn away, from our sins and we become saved. We become God’s children. Isn’t that awesome?
Monday 4 July 2011
Did God play any sports?
That is very interesting question! So, let’s look at this from what the Bible tells us. If you are referring to God, the Father, there is nothing in the Bible to indicate He played sports. Same thing goes for Holy Spirit.
However, let’s look at God, the Son, who we know better as Jesus Christ. While there is no certain proof that he played sports, we do know that He was born as a child and grew up into a man. We know that He had a childhood because in the Book of Luke, chapter 2, there is a passage that starts at verse 41 that indicates that every year, per Jewish custom, His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, took him to Jerusalem for the Festival of Passover. In fact, verse 42 says, “When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.” (Luke 2:42) This is the only time we hear about Jesus as a boy in the whole Bible.
So, we know Jesus had a childhood so he most likely played games with other children his age. Probably not organized sports as we know them but he probably ran or played other games of that day. Again, the Bible does not specifically tell us this, but we can assume that Jesus grew up like any other child during that time period.
However, let’s look at God, the Son, who we know better as Jesus Christ. While there is no certain proof that he played sports, we do know that He was born as a child and grew up into a man. We know that He had a childhood because in the Book of Luke, chapter 2, there is a passage that starts at verse 41 that indicates that every year, per Jewish custom, His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, took him to Jerusalem for the Festival of Passover. In fact, verse 42 says, “When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.” (Luke 2:42) This is the only time we hear about Jesus as a boy in the whole Bible.
So, we know Jesus had a childhood so he most likely played games with other children his age. Probably not organized sports as we know them but he probably ran or played other games of that day. Again, the Bible does not specifically tell us this, but we can assume that Jesus grew up like any other child during that time period.
Monday 13 June 2011
What will happen to people who have different religions?
Jesus is the only way to Heaven. I know that seems unfair but it is the truth. Most of our modern industrial countries know who Jesus is. The Bible is the most translated and published book in the entire world. There is no excuse for a modern society to not know Jesus; what it boils down to is a matter of choice. Will people choose to believe in Jesus or will they choose another form of religion?
Even in this country, there are various forms of religion being practiced. The same goes across the globe. But, the truth is, unless a person believes that Jesus is who He says He is and receives Jesus into their hearts and repents of their sins, they will not go to Heaven. And, I emphasize, Heaven is not for “good” people. It is for “saved” people. After all, what is considered good enough in God's eyes? It is perfection! We could never live up to God’s standard of perfection. That’s why God sent His One and Only Son to us, to die for us and to save us.
People who choose to turn their backs on Jesus will not enter the Kingdom of God. That’s why it is written in the Bible, “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)
Even in this country, there are various forms of religion being practiced. The same goes across the globe. But, the truth is, unless a person believes that Jesus is who He says He is and receives Jesus into their hearts and repents of their sins, they will not go to Heaven. And, I emphasize, Heaven is not for “good” people. It is for “saved” people. After all, what is considered good enough in God's eyes? It is perfection! We could never live up to God’s standard of perfection. That’s why God sent His One and Only Son to us, to die for us and to save us.
People who choose to turn their backs on Jesus will not enter the Kingdom of God. That’s why it is written in the Bible, “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)
Saturday 11 June 2011
Do the people in the Old Testament get to go to heaven if Jesus hadn't died for them?
Ever since “the fall,” salvation has always been available through God. The requirement for salvation has always been faith. The object of faith for salvation has always been God. In the Old Testament it was God the Father; in the New Testament it is Jesus Christ, His Son. No one, either before Jesus’ death or since Jesus’ death, would ever be saved without the resurrection of Jesus. His death paid the penalty for past sins of Old Testament saints and future sins of New Testament believers.
Do you remember the account of Abraham? In Genesis 15:6, Abraham believed in the Lord and was credited for being righteous. He was “saved” because he believed and trusted in God and God saw him as righteous, meaning right – not wrong- according to His eyes. In Isaiah 69:10, Isaiah says, “I delight greatly in the Lord: my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness…” Isaiah’s faith in god made him righteous and “saved.” Even King David, in Psalm 86:1-2, cried out to the Lord and was saved through his faith. There are plenty of other Old Testament heroes that are saved through the simple act of having faith in God (By faith, Abel…by faith, Enoch…by faith, Noah…by faith, Sarah…by faith, Isaac… by faith, Jacob…by faith, Joseph…by faith, Moses…by faith, Rahab…etc.)
And, to answer your question directly, all the Old Testament believers who followed Abraham in his faith in God and also had faith in God also enjoy eternity with Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 states, “For it is by grace you have saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God.”
Do you remember the account of Abraham? In Genesis 15:6, Abraham believed in the Lord and was credited for being righteous. He was “saved” because he believed and trusted in God and God saw him as righteous, meaning right – not wrong- according to His eyes. In Isaiah 69:10, Isaiah says, “I delight greatly in the Lord: my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness…” Isaiah’s faith in god made him righteous and “saved.” Even King David, in Psalm 86:1-2, cried out to the Lord and was saved through his faith. There are plenty of other Old Testament heroes that are saved through the simple act of having faith in God (By faith, Abel…by faith, Enoch…by faith, Noah…by faith, Sarah…by faith, Isaac… by faith, Jacob…by faith, Joseph…by faith, Moses…by faith, Rahab…etc.)
And, to answer your question directly, all the Old Testament believers who followed Abraham in his faith in God and also had faith in God also enjoy eternity with Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 states, “For it is by grace you have saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God.”
Saturday 28 May 2011
What fruit did Adam and Eve eat in the garden?
The Bible does not specifically say what kind of fruit it was other than it was from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Some have speculated it was an apple because the Latin word for apple is malus, which is similar to the word for evil. Yet others believe it was a fig because, they argue, apples don’t grow in that part of the world. We truly don’t know what kind of fruit it was. People have come to accept it as an apple because, in the English language, the word “apple” is etymologically (or the source word, root word) a generic term including all fruits, berries and nuts.
Thursday 26 May 2011
Is it true that if you deny God or stop acting like a Christian, you're not one?
Wow, this is a deep question … The Bible is very specific regarding this topic. If you “profess” to be a Christian and claim you are saved, but knowingly fail to live by Jesus’ teachings, God does not take that lightly. Notice I emphasize “knowingly.” If someone isn’t saved and doesn’t know who Jesus is, that person is living life ignorantly. Basically, they don’t truly know what’s biblically right or wrong. In essence, they are denying God. Sadly, they are perishing without even realizing it. But, if you know Jesus and you know His teachings, you cannot claim ignorance. And, if you willfully violate His standards … look out. I’m going to give you a Scripture that literally changed my life and it’s Hebrews 10:26-27, which reads:
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”
When people profess to know Jesus but then willfully act against His teachings, they are considered enemies of God! I didn’t want to be the guy that claimed he was saved and then knowingly did bad things, believing that because I was “saved” I was somehow protected by God’s grace and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. I think this verse makes it very clear that once you know something is wrong but you continually do it anyways, there is no sacrifice left. The Book of Romans, chapter 6, also addresses this and states very forcefully on two different occasions that being saved doesn’t allow a person to keep sinning (basically turning their back on God and not acting like a Christian). Romans 6:1 and 6:15 are firm in their positions.
Finally, another verse that literally scared me into acting right, not just outwardly but in my heart, is Matthew 7:21-23. In this verse Jesus separates people by true and false disciples when he says:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
I didn’t want to be seen as someone that just acted like he was a Christian … going to church, teaching in TRACK, or leading a small group … but not really loving Jesus with all my heart and submitting to His authority. I didn’t want Jesus to look at me and tell me He never knew me.
Now, having said all that, does that mean if you make a mistake and sin, God’s going to turn His back on you? NO! We are imperfect beings; we make mistakes. Sometimes we even willfully disobey God. But, if you don’t continually and habitually disobey God and you are truly sorrowful and repentant, you will be forgiven. God knows your heart. He knows if you’re truly repentant or just trying to get away with something. And that’s the key.
Are we truly sorry and repentant or are we just sorry we got caught? Do we truly want to change or are we just pretending we want to change because it’s the “Christian” thing to do? Well, God knows for sure where your heart is and what your motives are.
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”
When people profess to know Jesus but then willfully act against His teachings, they are considered enemies of God! I didn’t want to be the guy that claimed he was saved and then knowingly did bad things, believing that because I was “saved” I was somehow protected by God’s grace and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. I think this verse makes it very clear that once you know something is wrong but you continually do it anyways, there is no sacrifice left. The Book of Romans, chapter 6, also addresses this and states very forcefully on two different occasions that being saved doesn’t allow a person to keep sinning (basically turning their back on God and not acting like a Christian). Romans 6:1 and 6:15 are firm in their positions.
Finally, another verse that literally scared me into acting right, not just outwardly but in my heart, is Matthew 7:21-23. In this verse Jesus separates people by true and false disciples when he says:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
I didn’t want to be seen as someone that just acted like he was a Christian … going to church, teaching in TRACK, or leading a small group … but not really loving Jesus with all my heart and submitting to His authority. I didn’t want Jesus to look at me and tell me He never knew me.
Now, having said all that, does that mean if you make a mistake and sin, God’s going to turn His back on you? NO! We are imperfect beings; we make mistakes. Sometimes we even willfully disobey God. But, if you don’t continually and habitually disobey God and you are truly sorrowful and repentant, you will be forgiven. God knows your heart. He knows if you’re truly repentant or just trying to get away with something. And that’s the key.
Are we truly sorry and repentant or are we just sorry we got caught? Do we truly want to change or are we just pretending we want to change because it’s the “Christian” thing to do? Well, God knows for sure where your heart is and what your motives are.
Thursday 19 May 2011
Why do people say “God bless you” when people sneeze?
There are a lot of myths surrounding this practice but the one that kept reoccurring in my research is the following:
In English-speaking countries, it is common for at least one person to say "Bless you" after someone sneezes. The traditional explanation for the custom is that it began literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory I the Great (540-604 AD) became the Pope just in time for the start of the plague in 590 AD (rumor has it that his predecessor died from it). To combat the plague Gregory ordered everyone in the land to pray for God's intercession. When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague.
From there, it just became a custom to say “God Bless you” whenever someone sneezed!
In English-speaking countries, it is common for at least one person to say "Bless you" after someone sneezes. The traditional explanation for the custom is that it began literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory I the Great (540-604 AD) became the Pope just in time for the start of the plague in 590 AD (rumor has it that his predecessor died from it). To combat the plague Gregory ordered everyone in the land to pray for God's intercession. When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague.
From there, it just became a custom to say “God Bless you” whenever someone sneezed!
Sunday 24 April 2011
Where did Noah put the poop of the animals?
Wow. That is a very interesting question! The truth is that the Bible doesn’t really say. But, we do have a few ideas …
Prior to the Great Flood, there is no clear indication in the Bible that animals ate meat or were violent and vicious. In fact, God commanded Noah to load the ark with every kind of food which is edible for his family and for the animals (Genesis 6:21). Since they didn’t eat meat, they likely ate fruits and vegetables. Not everyone agrees about all this, but let’s go with it for this question.
It wasn’t after the flood that man apparently was allowed to eat meat (Genesis 9:2-3) And, God commanded that animals were then also allowed to meat. God warned the animals, however, that if they ate a human, they would have to answer to God for it (Genesis 9:5).
So, because animals and man did not eat meat prior to the flood, their poop wasn’t contaminated with blood (the Bible calls it “lifeblood “) and probably not any other biological impurities either.
So, having said that, (and I am completely guessing here) they probably did two things with the poop: 1) They threw the excess poop overboard into the water were it degraded naturally; or 2) they used it as fertilizer for their plants and crops to grow additional fruits and vegetables!
Prior to the Great Flood, there is no clear indication in the Bible that animals ate meat or were violent and vicious. In fact, God commanded Noah to load the ark with every kind of food which is edible for his family and for the animals (Genesis 6:21). Since they didn’t eat meat, they likely ate fruits and vegetables. Not everyone agrees about all this, but let’s go with it for this question.
It wasn’t after the flood that man apparently was allowed to eat meat (Genesis 9:2-3) And, God commanded that animals were then also allowed to meat. God warned the animals, however, that if they ate a human, they would have to answer to God for it (Genesis 9:5).
So, because animals and man did not eat meat prior to the flood, their poop wasn’t contaminated with blood (the Bible calls it “lifeblood “) and probably not any other biological impurities either.
So, having said that, (and I am completely guessing here) they probably did two things with the poop: 1) They threw the excess poop overboard into the water were it degraded naturally; or 2) they used it as fertilizer for their plants and crops to grow additional fruits and vegetables!
Saturday 23 April 2011
How can I love God and other people like God loves us?
That is a very awesome question! And the honest truth is, you can’t! I have to tell you that up front so that you don’t put so much pressure on yourself because the truth is NO ONE can love as unconditionally, immensely and infinitely as God can.
The reason is because God’s love is perfect. He can’t ever not love us! He can’t hate us. He can’t get sick of us. His love is unconditional. The Holy Bible uses a Greek word, “agape,” to describe God’s love for us. There isn’t even an English translation for it. It’s basically a deep, deep, unconditional love for us.
So, why can’t we love God or others like that? It’s because of our sin nature. This is the sin that was handed down from us from the time of Adam and Eve, Our sinful nature puts conditions on our love … sometimes even with God! We are imperfect beings so we can’t love perfectly. At some point will get mad or hurt and pull our love back just a bit. God doesn’t do that.
But, does that mean we shouldn’t love God or people? Absolutely not! In fact, when asked by His disciple s what the greatest commandment was, Jesus said:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
Do you see what Jesus says? Not love the Lord with all His heart but our own! Our own imperfect hearts … the hearts that sometimes break, the hearts that sometimes grow tired of loving and the hearts that sometimes falter because of anger. So, we’re to love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. We’re to love God as best we can. Then, we’re to love our neighbor as ourselves.
So, how can we do that? Through prayer. Through service. Through random acts of kindness. Remember what Jesus says:
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:21)
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:12)
“This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:17)
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
God bless you!
The reason is because God’s love is perfect. He can’t ever not love us! He can’t hate us. He can’t get sick of us. His love is unconditional. The Holy Bible uses a Greek word, “agape,” to describe God’s love for us. There isn’t even an English translation for it. It’s basically a deep, deep, unconditional love for us.
So, why can’t we love God or others like that? It’s because of our sin nature. This is the sin that was handed down from us from the time of Adam and Eve, Our sinful nature puts conditions on our love … sometimes even with God! We are imperfect beings so we can’t love perfectly. At some point will get mad or hurt and pull our love back just a bit. God doesn’t do that.
But, does that mean we shouldn’t love God or people? Absolutely not! In fact, when asked by His disciple s what the greatest commandment was, Jesus said:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
Do you see what Jesus says? Not love the Lord with all His heart but our own! Our own imperfect hearts … the hearts that sometimes break, the hearts that sometimes grow tired of loving and the hearts that sometimes falter because of anger. So, we’re to love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. We’re to love God as best we can. Then, we’re to love our neighbor as ourselves.
So, how can we do that? Through prayer. Through service. Through random acts of kindness. Remember what Jesus says:
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:21)
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:12)
“This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:17)
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
God bless you!
Thursday 21 April 2011
Who did Cain marry? And don’t you think it would be weird if Seth married his sister?
If Adam and Eve were the first people, then when Cain was banished, who did Cain marry? Wowee, what an awesome question!!! And, this question has been asked many times before by many different people in the past and was even part of the very important historical Scopes trial in Tennessee in 1925. Back then, poor William Jennings Bryan failed to answer the question adequately from the opposing lawyer, Clarence Darrow, which cast doubt on Christianity (A little history trivia for you!).
But, we know the answer because we can look to the Holy Bible for the answer. In order to do that, we must accept as true that Adam and Eve were the first people on this Earth, okay? We know it to be true because it says so in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament. We also know that Adam lived to be 930 years old! During that time, Adam and Eve had a number of children. Even though the Bible only mentions Cain, Abel and Seth by name, it also says that he had many other children: “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.” (Genesis 5:4) Remember also that God commanded that Adam and Eve “be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28)
So, Cain’s wife was probably either another daughter of Adam and Eve or a close relative. The Hebrew scholars believe that Cain’s wife was his sister, based on the Hebrew word ishshah. Remember, that back in those days it was not weird or uncommon to marry your sister or close relative. The same situation applies to Seth. He also, most likely, married his sister or niece. It wasn’t until Moses came along in the Book of Leviticus (Chapters 18-20) that God made the law forbidding close relatives to marry.
Of course, we look at it today and think, “Ewwwwww!” But, that’s because we live in a different time and with different standards and laws prohibiting such practices. We look at the beginning of the human race and we tend to apply today’s laws or today’s problems that are associated with close relatives marrying and try to interpret Genesis based on our present situation. But, we must look at it from a Biblical historical standpoint and the customs and practices of that time.
Remember, too, that back then Adam and Eve were created perfectly by God. There was no sin on Earth when they were created. There were no impurities in the gene pool, so to speak. So, the chances were that their children, and maybe even their grandchildren, were a purer race and could create a human population without fear of birth defects.
But, we know the answer because we can look to the Holy Bible for the answer. In order to do that, we must accept as true that Adam and Eve were the first people on this Earth, okay? We know it to be true because it says so in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament. We also know that Adam lived to be 930 years old! During that time, Adam and Eve had a number of children. Even though the Bible only mentions Cain, Abel and Seth by name, it also says that he had many other children: “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.” (Genesis 5:4) Remember also that God commanded that Adam and Eve “be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28)
So, Cain’s wife was probably either another daughter of Adam and Eve or a close relative. The Hebrew scholars believe that Cain’s wife was his sister, based on the Hebrew word ishshah. Remember, that back in those days it was not weird or uncommon to marry your sister or close relative. The same situation applies to Seth. He also, most likely, married his sister or niece. It wasn’t until Moses came along in the Book of Leviticus (Chapters 18-20) that God made the law forbidding close relatives to marry.
Of course, we look at it today and think, “Ewwwwww!” But, that’s because we live in a different time and with different standards and laws prohibiting such practices. We look at the beginning of the human race and we tend to apply today’s laws or today’s problems that are associated with close relatives marrying and try to interpret Genesis based on our present situation. But, we must look at it from a Biblical historical standpoint and the customs and practices of that time.
Remember, too, that back then Adam and Eve were created perfectly by God. There was no sin on Earth when they were created. There were no impurities in the gene pool, so to speak. So, the chances were that their children, and maybe even their grandchildren, were a purer race and could create a human population without fear of birth defects.
Monday 18 April 2011
Is Leviathan exaggerated? How does it have “fiery breath?”
It’s interesting that Leviathan, which is actually mentioned six times in the Holy Bible, is described in such vivid detail in the Book of Job (Job 41:1-35). But, Leviathan is also mentioned in the Psalms and in Isaiah. Many Bible scholars have argued over what Leviathan was. Some argue it was a crocodile, some argue that it may have been a type of dinosaur, and others have argued that it was, in fact, some sort of creature that we commonly refer to as a dragon. A dragon?? Is that even possible?
Did dragons exist? Well, hmmm … Satan has been described as “the dragon.” And, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 27, Isaiah declares that the Lord will punish and slay Leviathan. Isaiah calls him the “monster of the sea.” In the King James translation, Leviathan is described as that “crooked serpent” and that “dragon in the sea.”
Dragons, throughout history, have been described as “fire-breathing.” In this case, it may have been true fire or, and here’s where it gets tricky, it may have been a description of the evil speech coming from the mouth of the dragon. Remember, the dragon could be a representation of Satan - and Satan is the Prince of Lies and represents everything bad in this world. So, Leviathan’s “fiery breath” could be the lies, the hate and the anger that Satan spews from his mouth.
It could also, quite literally, be fire. Leviathan could have been a fire-breathing dragon that existed in the sea. We just don’t know for sure. Is the description of Leviathan literal? Is it descriptive? Is it exaggerated? Or is it spot on? Again, we truly don’t know for sure.
I do know one thing, when I get to Heaven I am going to ask Job (who clearly saw Leviathan) what in the world was he describing!
Did dragons exist? Well, hmmm … Satan has been described as “the dragon.” And, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 27, Isaiah declares that the Lord will punish and slay Leviathan. Isaiah calls him the “monster of the sea.” In the King James translation, Leviathan is described as that “crooked serpent” and that “dragon in the sea.”
Dragons, throughout history, have been described as “fire-breathing.” In this case, it may have been true fire or, and here’s where it gets tricky, it may have been a description of the evil speech coming from the mouth of the dragon. Remember, the dragon could be a representation of Satan - and Satan is the Prince of Lies and represents everything bad in this world. So, Leviathan’s “fiery breath” could be the lies, the hate and the anger that Satan spews from his mouth.
It could also, quite literally, be fire. Leviathan could have been a fire-breathing dragon that existed in the sea. We just don’t know for sure. Is the description of Leviathan literal? Is it descriptive? Is it exaggerated? Or is it spot on? Again, we truly don’t know for sure.
I do know one thing, when I get to Heaven I am going to ask Job (who clearly saw Leviathan) what in the world was he describing!
Saturday 16 April 2011
Is suicide a sin?
Wow. Thanks for a tough question! I believe the Bible is very clear on this matter: the answer is Yes. But, don’t forget, suicide is just one of a number of sins mankind has committed against God. To God, suicide is the same as stealing, worshipping false gods, not honoring your parents and even taking the Lord’s name in vain. He doesn’t make one sin worse than another. To God, sin is sin.
Let me explain why the Bible says it’s a sin. In the New Testament, there are two places in 1 Corinthians where I believe God speaks to this. First off, let me just say that the word “suicide” is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. But, listen to these two verses:
“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
The Apostle Paul is telling the people of Corinth that their bodies are temples of the Lord and that the Holy Spirit lives in that temple. Basically, your body is sacred and God won’t take kindly to anyone who destroys His temple. Furthermore, God really stresses that we’re to honor Him with our bodies. Killing our own bodies does not honor God and also violates one of God’s original commandments:
“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)
Remember, God is the One who decides how long your life will be (Psalm 139: 15-16, Psalm 39:4). When a person decides to commit suicide, they are taking that decision away from God. Is that a sin? Absolutely. It also the ultimate waste of a life that Jesus gave His own life for! He didn’t suffer and die on the cross just to have a person throw away the life He gave everything for. So, yes, suicide is a sin.
But, also realize that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23). The Bible also tells us that there is no one righteous, not one! (Romans 3:10) The only person who was completely perfect and lived without sin was Jesus Christ, who was crucified for all of our sins. He paid the price for all of us so that we could have eternal life with God, the Father. And it is through the power of His resurrection that we are saved! The Holy Bible is very clear on this:
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
So, if you admit your sins, believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and then commit to repenting (or turning away from the sins) and following Jesus, then you become God’s child. And, because you are God’s child, you are an heir to the inheritance of eternal life with Him in Heaven!!! Isn’t that awesome???
Let me explain why the Bible says it’s a sin. In the New Testament, there are two places in 1 Corinthians where I believe God speaks to this. First off, let me just say that the word “suicide” is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. But, listen to these two verses:
“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
The Apostle Paul is telling the people of Corinth that their bodies are temples of the Lord and that the Holy Spirit lives in that temple. Basically, your body is sacred and God won’t take kindly to anyone who destroys His temple. Furthermore, God really stresses that we’re to honor Him with our bodies. Killing our own bodies does not honor God and also violates one of God’s original commandments:
“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)
Remember, God is the One who decides how long your life will be (Psalm 139: 15-16, Psalm 39:4). When a person decides to commit suicide, they are taking that decision away from God. Is that a sin? Absolutely. It also the ultimate waste of a life that Jesus gave His own life for! He didn’t suffer and die on the cross just to have a person throw away the life He gave everything for. So, yes, suicide is a sin.
But, also realize that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23). The Bible also tells us that there is no one righteous, not one! (Romans 3:10) The only person who was completely perfect and lived without sin was Jesus Christ, who was crucified for all of our sins. He paid the price for all of us so that we could have eternal life with God, the Father. And it is through the power of His resurrection that we are saved! The Holy Bible is very clear on this:
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
So, if you admit your sins, believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and then commit to repenting (or turning away from the sins) and following Jesus, then you become God’s child. And, because you are God’s child, you are an heir to the inheritance of eternal life with Him in Heaven!!! Isn’t that awesome???
Friday 4 February 2011
If you sin and you just don't know it's a sin, did you sin?
Wow, that is an awesome question! It is a little difficult to answer because the answer is very complicated and has been open to much debate and discussion. So, let me use an example that might help you to understand this.
Let’s say you go to another country (we’ll make one up). And let’s say in this country, Kidonia, it was illegal to drink soda on Sundays. So, you go to Kidonia and get thirsty and drink a Coke on Sunday, not knowing that it was against the law. All of a sudden the police come in and arrest you and tell you, “You’re under arrest for drinking a Coke on Sunday!” You would argue that you are a foreigner and didn’t know it was illegal to drink a Coke on Sunday. But, the police say to you, “We don’t care; it’s still illegal and you committed a crime!”
So, did you commit a crime in Kidonia? Yup. Did you know you were committing a crime? No. Does it mean that because you didn’t know it was a crime, it’s okay to do? No. It is still against the law.
Let’s now compare that to sin. Just because you didn’t know something was a sin, doesn’t mean it’s not a sin. It is still a sin and, if you do it, you committed that sin. We call those unintentional sins. God says that stealing is a sin. But, if you didn’t know that stealing was sin and you did it, would you still be sinning? Of course!
But, God also looks at the heart. He looks at your motives. And you do have a foundation in Christ so you do know what is right and what is wrong. And because you do have Christ in your life, you are covered in His love for you.
Romans 8:1-2 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
If you believe in Jesus and because you know that He died on the cross for you, you don’t have to be anxious about things like worrying about whether you have sinned or not. Look at what it says in Philippians 4:4-7:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
God will guard your heart and your mind. If you have to question your actions or your thoughts, then pray for God to help you. He loves you and won’t let you unintentionally sin.
Now, if you know something is a sin and you still do it…well, that’s a different story. Habitual and intentional sin have different consequences. But, that’s a whole different topic!
Let’s say you go to another country (we’ll make one up). And let’s say in this country, Kidonia, it was illegal to drink soda on Sundays. So, you go to Kidonia and get thirsty and drink a Coke on Sunday, not knowing that it was against the law. All of a sudden the police come in and arrest you and tell you, “You’re under arrest for drinking a Coke on Sunday!” You would argue that you are a foreigner and didn’t know it was illegal to drink a Coke on Sunday. But, the police say to you, “We don’t care; it’s still illegal and you committed a crime!”
So, did you commit a crime in Kidonia? Yup. Did you know you were committing a crime? No. Does it mean that because you didn’t know it was a crime, it’s okay to do? No. It is still against the law.
Let’s now compare that to sin. Just because you didn’t know something was a sin, doesn’t mean it’s not a sin. It is still a sin and, if you do it, you committed that sin. We call those unintentional sins. God says that stealing is a sin. But, if you didn’t know that stealing was sin and you did it, would you still be sinning? Of course!
But, God also looks at the heart. He looks at your motives. And you do have a foundation in Christ so you do know what is right and what is wrong. And because you do have Christ in your life, you are covered in His love for you.
Romans 8:1-2 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
If you believe in Jesus and because you know that He died on the cross for you, you don’t have to be anxious about things like worrying about whether you have sinned or not. Look at what it says in Philippians 4:4-7:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
God will guard your heart and your mind. If you have to question your actions or your thoughts, then pray for God to help you. He loves you and won’t let you unintentionally sin.
Now, if you know something is a sin and you still do it…well, that’s a different story. Habitual and intentional sin have different consequences. But, that’s a whole different topic!
Wednesday 2 February 2011
If you die when you are a baby, how can you know Christ?
Wow! That is an awesome question and one that has caused a lot of people to think, discuss and argue for an answer. And to be perfectly honest, the Bible does not tell us directly. I cannot find any Biblical scripture, either in the Old Testament or the New Testament, which addresses this issue directly.
So, we should probably start with a look at the character of God. What do we know about God? Well, the Bible teaches us that God is loving. The Bible teaches us that God is just. The Bible teaches us that God cannot sin or do evil. So what happens to a baby in the hands of our God when that baby never even has a chance to know God?
Part of the good news is that it’s not just about us knowing God but also God knowing us. And He knows us better than we know ourselves! In fact, we were known even before we were born!
Look what Psalm 139:13-16 says:
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
See how the psalmist says we are fearfully and wonderfully made! He emphasizes that God’s works are “wonderful.” God knew us while we were still being formed!
That’s not to say that once we are old enough to know Christ ourselves that we aren’t accountable to Him to make our own decision to accept Him as Lord and Savior, but if we are not yet old enough to know Him – and no baby is – then He covers us by His intimate knowledge of us. Amazing, isn’t it? Our God is great! Based on this scripture of God’s intimate involvement with your creation (and there are certainly other scripture passages as well) and knowing God’s loving and just character, we can say with some assurance that babies that die will go to Heaven and will know Christ.
So, we should probably start with a look at the character of God. What do we know about God? Well, the Bible teaches us that God is loving. The Bible teaches us that God is just. The Bible teaches us that God cannot sin or do evil. So what happens to a baby in the hands of our God when that baby never even has a chance to know God?
Part of the good news is that it’s not just about us knowing God but also God knowing us. And He knows us better than we know ourselves! In fact, we were known even before we were born!
Look what Psalm 139:13-16 says:
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
See how the psalmist says we are fearfully and wonderfully made! He emphasizes that God’s works are “wonderful.” God knew us while we were still being formed!
That’s not to say that once we are old enough to know Christ ourselves that we aren’t accountable to Him to make our own decision to accept Him as Lord and Savior, but if we are not yet old enough to know Him – and no baby is – then He covers us by His intimate knowledge of us. Amazing, isn’t it? Our God is great! Based on this scripture of God’s intimate involvement with your creation (and there are certainly other scripture passages as well) and knowing God’s loving and just character, we can say with some assurance that babies that die will go to Heaven and will know Christ.
Tuesday 1 February 2011
How old were Mary and Joseph when they had Jesus?
Wow! That is an awesome question! And it’s also kind of a tricky one to answer because the Bible never really says how old they were. However, we do get an idea by doing a word study on the words that describe Mary from Matthew 1:23 which reads, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.”
The word “virgin” here is the Greek word “parthenos” which literally means, “A marriageable maiden” as well as its other meaning (go ask your mom!). Matthew 1:23 is referencing the words of the prophet Isaiah of the Old Testament and helps us get a slightly better idea of her age. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
In this instance, the word “virgin” is the Hebrew word “almah.” The word “almah” means a young, woman of marriageable age. Based on cultural norms of the day, historians have now assumed that Mary was likely somewhere between the ages of 13 and 15.
There is absolutely no information on Joseph regarding his age anywhere in the Bible. What we do know of Joseph was that he was a carpenter, which leads many to believe he was older because he already had a trade. But to definitively say that Joseph was 18 or 20 or 25 would only be conjecture.
Joseph was likely older than Mary but what age difference, we just don’t know.
The word “virgin” here is the Greek word “parthenos” which literally means, “A marriageable maiden” as well as its other meaning (go ask your mom!). Matthew 1:23 is referencing the words of the prophet Isaiah of the Old Testament and helps us get a slightly better idea of her age. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
In this instance, the word “virgin” is the Hebrew word “almah.” The word “almah” means a young, woman of marriageable age. Based on cultural norms of the day, historians have now assumed that Mary was likely somewhere between the ages of 13 and 15.
There is absolutely no information on Joseph regarding his age anywhere in the Bible. What we do know of Joseph was that he was a carpenter, which leads many to believe he was older because he already had a trade. But to definitively say that Joseph was 18 or 20 or 25 would only be conjecture.
Joseph was likely older than Mary but what age difference, we just don’t know.
Monday 31 January 2011
How do we know if God is real?
Awesome question! So, let me answer your question with a question. How do we explain the complexities of our world and how everything just all seems to work together? Think about it … the DNA molecule, as small as it is, has more information in it than the most powerful computer microprocessor. How can we explain that? Think about our universe … did you know that there are over 350,000,000,000 galaxies in our universe? Think about the lowly caterpillar…did you know that it has 228 distinct and separate muscles in its head? Your own body is the most complex piece of engineering ever created; even the most advanced robots can’t duplicate everything your body can do or experience.
So, how did this all happen? Was it all just by luck or happenstance? Think about this planet. Why does it rotate at just the right speed and how does gravity work so that we aren’t all flung into space? Our planet spins at 1000 mph! Try staying on a merry-go-round without holding onto something and see how long you last. Why are there seasons? How does a plant defy gravity by drawing water upward from the ground into their stems and veins? Why don’t spiders get stuck on their webs???
I could go on and on but here’s the Biblical answer to your question: We know that God is real because He reveals Himself in three ways: in His creation, in His Word, and in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:20 puts it this way, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”
Look at the history of humans. Every culture or every civilization throughout history has valued certain moral laws and they are surprisingly similar from culture to culture. For example, the idea of love is universally esteemed while the act of lying is universally condemned. How do we explain this morality – this knowledge of what’s right and wrong -across cultures unless we can point to a Supreme Moral Being who gave us such scruples.
Also, if you look at all the different cultures from the most primitive bush-people in the remotest parts of the world to our most advanced countries, we all have cultivated a system of worship. Yes, it may vary, but almost every civilization believes in or has a sense of a “higher power” that is an undeniable part of being human. Those of us who know Christ understand that God created us “in His own image.” (Genesis 1:27)
Next, we have to look at the Bible and see how God revealed Himself to us through His Word. Throughout the Bible, the existence of God is a self-evident fact. Just look at Genesis 1:1 or Exodus 3:14.
Finally, God reveals Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt, even among secular (non-Christian) historians that Jesus Christ existed. Did you know that Jesus fulfilled every single one of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah? Did you know that Jesus also kept the Old Testament law perfectly? How about all the miracles he performed? Everything Jesus did authenticated, or proved, He was the Son of God. The most important being that three days after he was crucified, Jesus rose from the dead, a fact affirmed by many witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Of course there will be many skeptics and the Bible also addresses those people (Psalm 41:1, 1 Corinthians 1:18). No matter how much evidence is presented, they will choose not to believe.
The bottom line is this: It all comes down to faith. Do we choose to believe in the Bible or do we choose to believe something else? Hebrews 11:6 addresses this perfectly:
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
I believe in the God Most High. I believe that He sent His One and Only Son to die for my sins. I believe that through the power of God’s forgiveness of sins, I am saved and that I will have eternal life with God in Heaven when my time here on earth is done. And, I believe that God’s gift of grace and mercy is given to anyone and everyone who will accept it. You don’t have to earn it! God willingly gives it to you; all you have to do is accept it. Are you ready to accept God’s gift to you?
So, how did this all happen? Was it all just by luck or happenstance? Think about this planet. Why does it rotate at just the right speed and how does gravity work so that we aren’t all flung into space? Our planet spins at 1000 mph! Try staying on a merry-go-round without holding onto something and see how long you last. Why are there seasons? How does a plant defy gravity by drawing water upward from the ground into their stems and veins? Why don’t spiders get stuck on their webs???
I could go on and on but here’s the Biblical answer to your question: We know that God is real because He reveals Himself in three ways: in His creation, in His Word, and in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:20 puts it this way, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”
Look at the history of humans. Every culture or every civilization throughout history has valued certain moral laws and they are surprisingly similar from culture to culture. For example, the idea of love is universally esteemed while the act of lying is universally condemned. How do we explain this morality – this knowledge of what’s right and wrong -across cultures unless we can point to a Supreme Moral Being who gave us such scruples.
Also, if you look at all the different cultures from the most primitive bush-people in the remotest parts of the world to our most advanced countries, we all have cultivated a system of worship. Yes, it may vary, but almost every civilization believes in or has a sense of a “higher power” that is an undeniable part of being human. Those of us who know Christ understand that God created us “in His own image.” (Genesis 1:27)
Next, we have to look at the Bible and see how God revealed Himself to us through His Word. Throughout the Bible, the existence of God is a self-evident fact. Just look at Genesis 1:1 or Exodus 3:14.
Finally, God reveals Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt, even among secular (non-Christian) historians that Jesus Christ existed. Did you know that Jesus fulfilled every single one of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah? Did you know that Jesus also kept the Old Testament law perfectly? How about all the miracles he performed? Everything Jesus did authenticated, or proved, He was the Son of God. The most important being that three days after he was crucified, Jesus rose from the dead, a fact affirmed by many witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Of course there will be many skeptics and the Bible also addresses those people (Psalm 41:1, 1 Corinthians 1:18). No matter how much evidence is presented, they will choose not to believe.
The bottom line is this: It all comes down to faith. Do we choose to believe in the Bible or do we choose to believe something else? Hebrews 11:6 addresses this perfectly:
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
I believe in the God Most High. I believe that He sent His One and Only Son to die for my sins. I believe that through the power of God’s forgiveness of sins, I am saved and that I will have eternal life with God in Heaven when my time here on earth is done. And, I believe that God’s gift of grace and mercy is given to anyone and everyone who will accept it. You don’t have to earn it! God willingly gives it to you; all you have to do is accept it. Are you ready to accept God’s gift to you?
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