Wow! Great question! And it’s also a very complicated question with an equally complex answer. The Apostle Paul talks about this very subject in the book of Romans, Chapter 6. The whole chapter is devoted to us being dead to sin but alive in Christ and that we are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness. The subject is so critical that Paul writes, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” (Romans 6:1) And he later repeats himself when he says, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15)
What Paul is saying is that just because God will forgive you doesn’t give you the excuse to commit the sin, especially when you know it’s wrong. It all has to do with your heart. Are you truly sorry? Are you truly repentant? Or do you think because you know God forgives sins, you’ll be okay?
Let’s look at another very important scripture verse that deals specifically with this: it’s Hebrews 10:26-27. It says, “If we keep deliberately sinning after we have received the knowledge of 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.”
God does not take this stuff lightly. If you know it’s wrong and you intentionally do it because you think by asking for forgiveness later you’ll be forgiven, God says there is no sacrifice for that. You must truly be sorry and never do it again. Only God knows your heart. But, when He knows you are truly sorry and that you won’t do it again and that you were silly for thinking you could do it and expecting forgiveness … believe it or not, then God will forgive you! He knows you are sincere in your apology.
Showing posts with label Paul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul. Show all posts
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Why didn’t Paul and Silas run away when the earthquake opens the jail doors?
Wow, what an awesome question! So, the passage you are referring to is in the Book of Acts, Chapter 16. Paul and Silas are in prison because they are preaching about Jesus and going against Roman customs. Not only are they in prison but they are in an inner jail and their feet are in stocks so that they can’t run away.
Then the earthquake happens and the guard, who was told to watch them carefully, saw that the jail doors were open and the chains came loose! He was about to kill himself when Paul said, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here.”
So, why didn’t Paul run when he had the chance? Because he trusted Jesus and knew that God had another purpose for him. Look what happens immediately after the guard realizes Paul and Silas are still there. He rushes into the cell, sees that the prisoners were free and could have escaped and then falls to his knees before Paul and Silas. Then he takes them outside and asks how to become saved!
In the end, the jailer and his whole family become saved and believe in Jesus. God knew that the jailer and his family would be saved. If Paul had run, the jailer would have never known Jesus. God had a plan and Paul trusted God.
Then the earthquake happens and the guard, who was told to watch them carefully, saw that the jail doors were open and the chains came loose! He was about to kill himself when Paul said, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here.”
So, why didn’t Paul run when he had the chance? Because he trusted Jesus and knew that God had another purpose for him. Look what happens immediately after the guard realizes Paul and Silas are still there. He rushes into the cell, sees that the prisoners were free and could have escaped and then falls to his knees before Paul and Silas. Then he takes them outside and asks how to become saved!
In the end, the jailer and his whole family become saved and believe in Jesus. God knew that the jailer and his family would be saved. If Paul had run, the jailer would have never known Jesus. God had a plan and Paul trusted God.
Saturday, 7 August 2010
How could the Bible get out if John was on an island?
That is an awesome question! While it is true that John, one of Jesus’ original disciples, was exiled on the Island of Patmos for a time in his life, we also know that he was eventually released and that he most likely ended up in Ephesus where he died.
It was while he was on Patmos, as a prisoner in a penal colony, that John wrote down on a scroll of the things he “saw and heard” when the Lord came to him in a vision. Those writings later became the Book of Revelation. John starts the Book of Revelation with an assurance too:
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw — that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Revelation 1:1-3)
Now, remember also that the Holy Bible is a series of historical accounts written by several different authors. They were accounts inspired by the Word of God but men actually wrote the various books. John was just one of those authors. All of his writings are in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul also wrote many of the New Testament books. The Old Testament has many different authors, some of them unknown.
It was a group of early church leaders that assembled all of these different accounts of God’s word in what we call the Holy Bible.
It was while he was on Patmos, as a prisoner in a penal colony, that John wrote down on a scroll of the things he “saw and heard” when the Lord came to him in a vision. Those writings later became the Book of Revelation. John starts the Book of Revelation with an assurance too:
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw — that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Revelation 1:1-3)
Now, remember also that the Holy Bible is a series of historical accounts written by several different authors. They were accounts inspired by the Word of God but men actually wrote the various books. John was just one of those authors. All of his writings are in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul also wrote many of the New Testament books. The Old Testament has many different authors, some of them unknown.
It was a group of early church leaders that assembled all of these different accounts of God’s word in what we call the Holy Bible.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
How old was Paul when he died?
That is an interesting question since nowhere in the Holy Bible does it specifically give a birth date for Saul of Tarsus or a date for the death of the Apostle Paul. In fact, no other historical book exists that says how or when he died. According to Christian tradition, though, Paul was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero around the mid-60s A.D. at Tre Fontane Abbey. Some scholars said it was 67 A.D. and others claim it was in 68 A.D. Still others claim that it was closer to 64 A.D. when Nero burned Rome to the ground. The truth is, no one really knows the exact date and it’s not mentioned anywhere in the Bible.
So, without know when he was born, we really don’t know how old he was. Scholars have speculated that Paul was either in his mid-50’s or his mid-60’s when he died. They base this on when he was a student under Gamaliel learning to be a Pharisee (which would usually be around 13 or 14) and compare it to when he was a Pharisee and then when he converted to Christianity. But, truthfully, no one knows for sure.
Extra Info!!! Below is a suggested timeline for the life of Paul. It's pretty cool. Even though scholars don't all agree on the dates, you can get a pretty good idea of what his life was like.
A walk through the Bible & some of Paul’s experiences –
YEAR, BIBLE VERSES, WHAT HAPPENED?
1 Saul (his Jewish name) is born in Tarsus.
12 – 15 Enrolled in school in Jerusalem (Rabbi Gamaliel)
30 Jesus is crucified!
Saul is made a member of the Sanhedrin (religious board)
31 – 34 Gal 1:13 Saul persecutes the Christian Church in Jerusalem
34 Acts 7:58 – 8:3 Stephen is killed as Saul watches
35 Acts 9:1-9 Saul meets Jesus on the road to Damascus
Acts 9:17-19a Saul is baptized (and later given the Christian name ‘Paul’)
35 – 37 Gal 1:17 Paul goes to Arabia for a few years
37 Acts 9:19b-25 Paul ministers in Damascus
37 Acts 9:26-29 Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem as a Christian
48 – 57 Paul took 3 (and maybe even 4) big missionary journeys
57 – 59 Acts 21:17-31 Begins the story of his arrest and 2 years in prison
59 Acts 27:22-25 An angel visits Paul before the shipwreck
60 – 64 Phil 4:4-7 Paul is imprisoned in Rome; writes Prison Letters
(Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians)
68 Paul is beheaded
So, without know when he was born, we really don’t know how old he was. Scholars have speculated that Paul was either in his mid-50’s or his mid-60’s when he died. They base this on when he was a student under Gamaliel learning to be a Pharisee (which would usually be around 13 or 14) and compare it to when he was a Pharisee and then when he converted to Christianity. But, truthfully, no one knows for sure.
Extra Info!!! Below is a suggested timeline for the life of Paul. It's pretty cool. Even though scholars don't all agree on the dates, you can get a pretty good idea of what his life was like.
A walk through the Bible & some of Paul’s experiences –
YEAR, BIBLE VERSES, WHAT HAPPENED?
1 Saul (his Jewish name) is born in Tarsus.
12 – 15 Enrolled in school in Jerusalem (Rabbi Gamaliel)
30 Jesus is crucified!
Saul is made a member of the Sanhedrin (religious board)
31 – 34 Gal 1:13 Saul persecutes the Christian Church in Jerusalem
34 Acts 7:58 – 8:3 Stephen is killed as Saul watches
35 Acts 9:1-9 Saul meets Jesus on the road to Damascus
Acts 9:17-19a Saul is baptized (and later given the Christian name ‘Paul’)
35 – 37 Gal 1:17 Paul goes to Arabia for a few years
37 Acts 9:19b-25 Paul ministers in Damascus
37 Acts 9:26-29 Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem as a Christian
48 – 57 Paul took 3 (and maybe even 4) big missionary journeys
57 – 59 Acts 21:17-31 Begins the story of his arrest and 2 years in prison
59 Acts 27:22-25 An angel visits Paul before the shipwreck
60 – 64 Phil 4:4-7 Paul is imprisoned in Rome; writes Prison Letters
(Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians)
68 Paul is beheaded
Thursday, 10 June 2010
What’s an easy way to explain baptism?
That is very good question! Baptism is simply the symbolic way of demonstrating to friends and family that you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior. It is a ceremony that imitates symbolically what John the Baptist did to Jesus when he baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. It represents the “washing away” of your sins and compares it to the burial of Jesus’ death when He died on the cross and took the sin of the world on Himself. Then, when you are lifted from the water, it represents Jesus’ resurrection and His overcoming of sin and death. That’s why we declare that you are to “rise again and walk in the newness of life,” because through the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, you are forgiven and given eternal life with Him in Heaven! Pretty cool, huh?
There are many people who believe that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, which, in turn, gets you into Heaven. They often quote the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:38, “repent and be baptized,” as evidence that asking Jesus into your heart plus baptism results in salvation. Well guess what? Scripture clearly doesn’t support that view.
For example, when the thief on the cross placed his faith in Christ, Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), even though the dying thief had no chance of being baptized. Jesus assured the thief he would go to Heaven. The book of Acts demonstrates that baptism is a sign of becoming a Christ Follower, but not the way we become a Christ Follower.
When the jailer asked the Apostle Paul, “what must I do to be saved?” Paul responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:30-31) He didn’t say anything about having to be baptized.
Baptism isn’t the way we’re saved. It is merely the symbolic way we show our friends that we’ve turned away from our sin and have asked Jesus into our life. It’s a symbolic gesture to show everyone that we’re no longer our own – that we’ve been adopted into the family of Christ.
There are many people who believe that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, which, in turn, gets you into Heaven. They often quote the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:38, “repent and be baptized,” as evidence that asking Jesus into your heart plus baptism results in salvation. Well guess what? Scripture clearly doesn’t support that view.
For example, when the thief on the cross placed his faith in Christ, Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), even though the dying thief had no chance of being baptized. Jesus assured the thief he would go to Heaven. The book of Acts demonstrates that baptism is a sign of becoming a Christ Follower, but not the way we become a Christ Follower.
When the jailer asked the Apostle Paul, “what must I do to be saved?” Paul responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:30-31) He didn’t say anything about having to be baptized.
Baptism isn’t the way we’re saved. It is merely the symbolic way we show our friends that we’ve turned away from our sin and have asked Jesus into our life. It’s a symbolic gesture to show everyone that we’re no longer our own – that we’ve been adopted into the family of Christ.
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Is divorce a sin when your wife is like sinning and cussing and drinking?
Wow, now that is an interesting question because Jesus was asked a similar question in Matthew 19. First, though, let’s get a firm Biblical perspective on what God’s position on divorce is. I think what God says in Malachi 2:16 is pretty blunt and to the point: “I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel.” Then, in Matthew 19:9, Jesus supports God’s position by stating “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
This verse seems to imply that divorce is okay if one of the spouses commits the sin of adultery against the other spouse. Remember, the Bible is written from the male perspective so this passage means that if either of the two spouses, husband or wife, commits adultery then the other can get a divorce and remarry without being considered a sinner. Now, the question is, is this only applicable to the sin of adultery? Can we interpret it to include all sin? The answer is yes, it only applies to adultery and does not include other sins like cussing or drinking.
In fact, Jesus even states that it has only been since the time of sin entering the world that God allows the adultery stipulation. This was not so in the beginning of time and that Moses only allowed divorce because peoples’ “heart were hardened.”
Bottom line: God does not want people to get a divorce. When two people get married and they make that marriage covenant with God, they basically become one flesh, just like it’s written in Genesis 2:24. And when you make a covenant with God, you better be serious because breaking that covenant can lead to serious repercussions! God even says, “Therefore, what I (God) have joined together, let no man put asunder.”
The marriage union is a very serious covenant in God’s eyes and should not be dissolved, especially for some of the trivial reasons people use today. In the case of someone who cusses or drinks, while those are terrible things, they can be corrected through counseling and therapy. We have to be willing to take that first step, though. I know that God wants us all to do whatever we can to keep the marriage covenant.
Remember, God sent His one and Only Son to die for our sins. He can forgive people who cuss and people who drink. If we can’t, then we diminish His death on the cross. Some sins are hard to overcome, believe me, I know! But, remember also what Paul wrote to the citizens of Philippi in the Book of Philippians, Chapter 4, verse 13: “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength.”
This verse seems to imply that divorce is okay if one of the spouses commits the sin of adultery against the other spouse. Remember, the Bible is written from the male perspective so this passage means that if either of the two spouses, husband or wife, commits adultery then the other can get a divorce and remarry without being considered a sinner. Now, the question is, is this only applicable to the sin of adultery? Can we interpret it to include all sin? The answer is yes, it only applies to adultery and does not include other sins like cussing or drinking.
In fact, Jesus even states that it has only been since the time of sin entering the world that God allows the adultery stipulation. This was not so in the beginning of time and that Moses only allowed divorce because peoples’ “heart were hardened.”
Bottom line: God does not want people to get a divorce. When two people get married and they make that marriage covenant with God, they basically become one flesh, just like it’s written in Genesis 2:24. And when you make a covenant with God, you better be serious because breaking that covenant can lead to serious repercussions! God even says, “Therefore, what I (God) have joined together, let no man put asunder.”
The marriage union is a very serious covenant in God’s eyes and should not be dissolved, especially for some of the trivial reasons people use today. In the case of someone who cusses or drinks, while those are terrible things, they can be corrected through counseling and therapy. We have to be willing to take that first step, though. I know that God wants us all to do whatever we can to keep the marriage covenant.
Remember, God sent His one and Only Son to die for our sins. He can forgive people who cuss and people who drink. If we can’t, then we diminish His death on the cross. Some sins are hard to overcome, believe me, I know! But, remember also what Paul wrote to the citizens of Philippi in the Book of Philippians, Chapter 4, verse 13: “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength.”
Friday, 4 December 2009
How did Paul become a Christ-follower when he met Jesus because he killed Christians?
That is a very awesome question! In order to understand how Paul became a Christ-Follower, you should read the Book of Acts, which is in the New Testament. Chapter 9 deals with Paul’s conversion from being a Jewish leader to becoming a Christ-Follower. The very end of Chapter 7 and the beginning of Chapter 8 introduces us to Paul (Saul) and tells us who he is and the kind of person he is.
Paul started out persecuting Christians; in fact, he even killed them. Then, while on the way to Damascus to find more Christians and imprison them, Paul met the resurrected Christ. That meeting was so impactful that it changed Paul forever.
Now, it seems kinda weird that Jesus would pick Paul, who used to be known as Saul, out of all the people who lived during that time to become a Christ-Follower, doesn’t it? I mean, this guy was actually going around the country and persecuting Christians, beating them, imprisoning them and even killing them! Why Paul?!?!
Remember, Jesus is God. And, because He is God, He knows everything. Jesus knew that Paul would change. Jesus knew that Paul would be one of the greatest disciples of the word. Jesus knew that people who knew Saul of Tarsus would be amazed at his transformation into the Christ-Follower Paul and Jesus knew that Paul would do great things to further Christianity.
And, that’s exactly what Paul did! Paul started churches in places all throughout the region. Many of these places were unchurched and full of sin. Paul not only began churches, he wrote them letters to keep them strong in their faith. Many of those letters are parts of the New Testament. Many of the letters Paul wrote were while he was in prison!
That meeting on the road to Damascus with Christ changed Paul so much that he was willing to go to prison and even die for Jesus. In fact, Paul has no fear of dying because, as he says in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
It’s really amazing how quickly Paul converted to Christianity. You should read Acts 9:1-20. It’s pretty short and really cool!
Paul started out persecuting Christians; in fact, he even killed them. Then, while on the way to Damascus to find more Christians and imprison them, Paul met the resurrected Christ. That meeting was so impactful that it changed Paul forever.
Now, it seems kinda weird that Jesus would pick Paul, who used to be known as Saul, out of all the people who lived during that time to become a Christ-Follower, doesn’t it? I mean, this guy was actually going around the country and persecuting Christians, beating them, imprisoning them and even killing them! Why Paul?!?!
Remember, Jesus is God. And, because He is God, He knows everything. Jesus knew that Paul would change. Jesus knew that Paul would be one of the greatest disciples of the word. Jesus knew that people who knew Saul of Tarsus would be amazed at his transformation into the Christ-Follower Paul and Jesus knew that Paul would do great things to further Christianity.
And, that’s exactly what Paul did! Paul started churches in places all throughout the region. Many of these places were unchurched and full of sin. Paul not only began churches, he wrote them letters to keep them strong in their faith. Many of those letters are parts of the New Testament. Many of the letters Paul wrote were while he was in prison!
That meeting on the road to Damascus with Christ changed Paul so much that he was willing to go to prison and even die for Jesus. In fact, Paul has no fear of dying because, as he says in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
It’s really amazing how quickly Paul converted to Christianity. You should read Acts 9:1-20. It’s pretty short and really cool!
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
What do I say when people are making fun of me?
I am proud of you for asking me a really good Apple Box question. You asked me, “What do I say when people are making fun of me?” You also said, “I need help at school” and “Some of the kids at school are being really mean by making fun of the way I dress and they are calling me a boy and stuff like that.”
It’s a big deal and so I will try to answer your Apple Box question and help you with this problem. I promise we’ll keep praying, and you can keep asking questions too. If other kids are really bullying you a lot, though, we may need to help you more, OK? Promise me that you will tell your mom or dad or me or me if these other kids are going too far and are hurting you.
Proverbs 11:5 says,
The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
The kids who are bothering you and making fun of you may not stop. You can’t force them to stop, but you can control the way you react. If you ignore them or aren’t bothered by them, they may just stop cuz they’re not getting you upset anymore. That isn’t easy, I know.
I will ask God to help grow you to be the kind of person who honors God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in!
Also, you have to realize that you simply can’t please everybody or be friends with everyone. Look at what Paul says in his letter to the church in Galatia about people who are bullying him about the truth of the Gospel:
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
I promise you that you are not the only one who was ever teased!
And I get teased, too. One of the things that I do that really helps is that I search for positive influences and good friends and godly people to be in my life. And then I hang out with them. They are such good friends and people, that the others don’t matter as much any more!
I will say one more thing, and it’s kind of tough, but it will work. Check out these verses and I’ll bet you know what I am going to say.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. (1 John 4:7a)
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:44-45a)
O boy! It’s not easy to love your enemies. But it’s the right thing to do, and it honors God. BTW, “love your enemies” doesn’t mean that they have to be your friends, it doesn’t mean you have to like them, and it doesn’t mean you have to be anywhere near them, and it certainly doesn’t mean you should just let them hurt you. It just means that you will respect them as created by God (just like you are) and you can pray that God will change their hearts.
I hope this helps you a little bit. Let me know how it’s going, OK?
It’s a big deal and so I will try to answer your Apple Box question and help you with this problem. I promise we’ll keep praying, and you can keep asking questions too. If other kids are really bullying you a lot, though, we may need to help you more, OK? Promise me that you will tell your mom or dad or me or me if these other kids are going too far and are hurting you.
Proverbs 11:5 says,
The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
The kids who are bothering you and making fun of you may not stop. You can’t force them to stop, but you can control the way you react. If you ignore them or aren’t bothered by them, they may just stop cuz they’re not getting you upset anymore. That isn’t easy, I know.
I will ask God to help grow you to be the kind of person who honors God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in!
Also, you have to realize that you simply can’t please everybody or be friends with everyone. Look at what Paul says in his letter to the church in Galatia about people who are bullying him about the truth of the Gospel:
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
I promise you that you are not the only one who was ever teased!
And I get teased, too. One of the things that I do that really helps is that I search for positive influences and good friends and godly people to be in my life. And then I hang out with them. They are such good friends and people, that the others don’t matter as much any more!
I will say one more thing, and it’s kind of tough, but it will work. Check out these verses and I’ll bet you know what I am going to say.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. (1 John 4:7a)
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:44-45a)
O boy! It’s not easy to love your enemies. But it’s the right thing to do, and it honors God. BTW, “love your enemies” doesn’t mean that they have to be your friends, it doesn’t mean you have to like them, and it doesn’t mean you have to be anywhere near them, and it certainly doesn’t mean you should just let them hurt you. It just means that you will respect them as created by God (just like you are) and you can pray that God will change their hearts.
I hope this helps you a little bit. Let me know how it’s going, OK?
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
What if we are not doing the right religion?
This is such a good question. The answer can be found in the Word of God. Any other religion could argue that THEIR “bible” contains the truth and they might ask, “Why do you think “YOURS” is the absolute truth?” I’ll just share with you a few pieces of Scripture so you can see what God says about Himself and His Word.
He both speaks directly and uses others as His mouthpiece. For instance, this is what the apostle Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable (useful) for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man (or woman or girl or boy!) of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (New American Standard Bible).”
Here are some more:
“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony (evidence) of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts (instructions) of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7, 8)”
In verses 9-11, King David goes on to describe what it’s like to follow the Word of God:
“The fear (reverence, worship, respect) of the Lord is clean, enduring forever, the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
Jesus prays for His disciples in chapter 17 of John. In verse 17 He says, “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.”
There are so many scriptures in the Bible that confirm the fact that this truly is THE very word of God. We’re even told that He holds His Word above His name. One fun thing for you to do would be to look up “word” in a concordance (ask me if you don’t know this word) and check out some of the verses.
Again, it is important to believe that the Bible we read and reference is really true because it provides us with the very foundation of our faith. Another aspect of our faith has to do with the fact that Jesus is the only “religious” leader who rose from the dead. With all other beliefs, the spiritual leaders died, were buried and their graves still hold their bones.
Colossians 1:15 tells us that Jesus is the “image of the invisible God.” Hebrews 1:1-3 says, “God…..in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world, and He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature…” These are just a few of the verses that verify the fact that Jesus truly is God.
There are also many scriptures that confirm to my spirit that THIS God, the One who gave His life for us, is the One true God. This is important to believe because so many other religions will say that THEIR God or religious hero is the REAL one and ours is false.
Listen to what God says about Himself in Isaiah 45:5-7: “I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God. I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.” That’s just one teeny weeny portion of all God says about Himself in Isaiah.
Isaiah is a GREAT book in the Bible. If ever you want your socks blown off about the reality of God, go ahead and read Isaiah 40-50. Some parts might be hard for you to understand because they contain prophecy, but other parts are clear as a bell!
You already know that when we ask Jesus to live in our hearts, He sets His Spirit in us. We’re told in John 16:13 that when “He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide [us] into all truth.” The Holy Spirit is the mouthpiece of Jesus. He speaks to our hearts and reminds us of all that Jesus desires of us. Listen to what Jesus says in John 10:1-5: “Truly, truly I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep, to him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own (sheep), he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” In this passage, Jesus is the Shepherd and WE are the sheep. When the Holy Spirit indwells us, we fully recognize the voice of our Shepherd. This mouthpiece of God is only given to those who confess that “Jesus is Lord.”
You know, I could go on and on—but at least what I’ll do is jot down a few verses for you to check out on your own and you can see how the Lord speaks to YOU on the topic (or topics):
--Jeremiah 31:33
--Jeremiah 10 (the whole chapter is full of good stuff)
--Jeremiah 23: 16-24
--1 Corinthians 1:18
He both speaks directly and uses others as His mouthpiece. For instance, this is what the apostle Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable (useful) for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man (or woman or girl or boy!) of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (New American Standard Bible).”
Here are some more:
“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony (evidence) of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts (instructions) of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7, 8)”
In verses 9-11, King David goes on to describe what it’s like to follow the Word of God:
“The fear (reverence, worship, respect) of the Lord is clean, enduring forever, the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
Jesus prays for His disciples in chapter 17 of John. In verse 17 He says, “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.”
There are so many scriptures in the Bible that confirm the fact that this truly is THE very word of God. We’re even told that He holds His Word above His name. One fun thing for you to do would be to look up “word” in a concordance (ask me if you don’t know this word) and check out some of the verses.
Again, it is important to believe that the Bible we read and reference is really true because it provides us with the very foundation of our faith. Another aspect of our faith has to do with the fact that Jesus is the only “religious” leader who rose from the dead. With all other beliefs, the spiritual leaders died, were buried and their graves still hold their bones.
Colossians 1:15 tells us that Jesus is the “image of the invisible God.” Hebrews 1:1-3 says, “God…..in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world, and He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature…” These are just a few of the verses that verify the fact that Jesus truly is God.
There are also many scriptures that confirm to my spirit that THIS God, the One who gave His life for us, is the One true God. This is important to believe because so many other religions will say that THEIR God or religious hero is the REAL one and ours is false.
Listen to what God says about Himself in Isaiah 45:5-7: “I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God. I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.” That’s just one teeny weeny portion of all God says about Himself in Isaiah.
Isaiah is a GREAT book in the Bible. If ever you want your socks blown off about the reality of God, go ahead and read Isaiah 40-50. Some parts might be hard for you to understand because they contain prophecy, but other parts are clear as a bell!
You already know that when we ask Jesus to live in our hearts, He sets His Spirit in us. We’re told in John 16:13 that when “He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide [us] into all truth.” The Holy Spirit is the mouthpiece of Jesus. He speaks to our hearts and reminds us of all that Jesus desires of us. Listen to what Jesus says in John 10:1-5: “Truly, truly I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep, to him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own (sheep), he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” In this passage, Jesus is the Shepherd and WE are the sheep. When the Holy Spirit indwells us, we fully recognize the voice of our Shepherd. This mouthpiece of God is only given to those who confess that “Jesus is Lord.”
You know, I could go on and on—but at least what I’ll do is jot down a few verses for you to check out on your own and you can see how the Lord speaks to YOU on the topic (or topics):
--Jeremiah 31:33
--Jeremiah 10 (the whole chapter is full of good stuff)
--Jeremiah 23: 16-24
--1 Corinthians 1:18
Friday, 10 July 2009
If God says in Thessalonians that he’s going to call people to heaven, why does he say in Revelation that demons are going to kill a third of mankind?
Wow! Awesome question!
I started by finding the verses I think you were asking about. Here they are:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Revelation 9:14-19
14It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
17The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
At first, this does seem a bit confusing, so let’s break this down and understand it. First, do you see that in Thessalonians God is calling people to heaven, but in Revelation it is again God who has sent the angels (even though they may be evil angels) to destroy a third of mankind?! Is that even more surprising, or what? (That’s important to understand, though … read on …)
In order to understand the Bible correctly, we have to understand that God gave these words to us and – because this is how awesome God is – one part of the Bible will agree with another part of the Bible. It becomes our job to understand it correctly! In order to do that, one of the things we have to understand is the “context” of the verses we are reading. Go grab a dictionary and look up the word, “context.” (go do that right now, and then finish reading this.)
So you see that “context” means the words, and sentences, and even the story that comes before and after the verse we are reading, AND (and this is very important) it affects the meaning and our understanding. If I tell you to go ahead and pick out a shirt to wear, but I don’t tell you whether we are going to a funeral or a football game, then you can easily pick out the wrong shirt (and obviously you would want a different shirt for those two times.) It would help if I gave you the “context” of why you needed to grab another shirt, right?
OK, back to Thessalonians and Revelation … what is the context of those verses? Take a few minutes right now to read the verses that come before and after the verses we are talking about (take a minute to do that right now …)
Here’s what’s going on with those two letters:
In 1 Thessalonians: the apostle Paul, Silas and Timothy have visited Thessalonica, a Greek city, on one of their missionary journeys. They started a church there, and many of the people who came to that church did not know God. The people there were enthusiastic about getting to know God, but they also had a lot of questions. And they didn’t always come up with the right answers!
Paul wrote back to that church (that’s the letter of 1 Thessalonians) to correct some of the errors they had made. One of the main issues he is writing about concerns what happens to people who believe in God when Jesus returns. You see, Paul was worried that the church there (because it was so young) would abandon their commitment to following Jesus, so Paul is writing to correct them and ALSO to encourage them!
SO – in 1 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul is encouraging new believers in Jesus Christ to hang in there even though things were at times a bit confusing and difficult.
Revelation was written by the apostle John at the very end of his life. John’s purpose was to comfort Christians who were going through really rough times; and Christians were being heavily attacked and persecuted during those days. John is telling his readers that the ultimate victory belongs to Jesus but – as you probably noticed – he uses some pretty wild and imaginative images to get his ideas across. He talks about horses of different colors and lakes of fire and swords coming out of mouths and WOW! how do we understand all that? Well, let’s remember that this letter is intended to comfort people (not to scare them, though the apostle John is not afraid to scare people into trusting Jesus!) and then recognize that this type of writing is called “apocalyptic.” (that’s a big word, but it just describes a kind of writing that uses lots of visions and wild images.) This is a little bit like how The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia stories are also pretty wild, but there are good stories and message there, right? Apocalyptic literature was a style of writing used to encourage people who were really being persecuted. Does that make sense to you?
In these verses in Revelation, Jesus is making it clear that those who don’t follow him (read verse 20 to see what all people were doing!) were going to be separated from him forever – and that sounds way harsh. But the context of this part of the story shows that ultimately God wins, Satan loses, and those who follow Jesus and accept him as their Savior, get to be with him forever. See, that’s the encouraging part that people needed to hear – and that’s the bigger picture that you and I have to understand. If we just see God as this God who is going to slay one third of mankind and we don’t realize that that third is the third that has rejected God, then we wonder if he is a mean God, or if we’re going to get killed like that.
SO – in Revelation, the apostle John is encouraging all believers in Jesus Christ to remain committed to him and to be comforted by the fact that in the end he wins, and Satan loses, even though things were way tough, confusing and difficult right then.
I started by finding the verses I think you were asking about. Here they are:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Revelation 9:14-19
14It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
17The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
At first, this does seem a bit confusing, so let’s break this down and understand it. First, do you see that in Thessalonians God is calling people to heaven, but in Revelation it is again God who has sent the angels (even though they may be evil angels) to destroy a third of mankind?! Is that even more surprising, or what? (That’s important to understand, though … read on …)
In order to understand the Bible correctly, we have to understand that God gave these words to us and – because this is how awesome God is – one part of the Bible will agree with another part of the Bible. It becomes our job to understand it correctly! In order to do that, one of the things we have to understand is the “context” of the verses we are reading. Go grab a dictionary and look up the word, “context.” (go do that right now, and then finish reading this.)
So you see that “context” means the words, and sentences, and even the story that comes before and after the verse we are reading, AND (and this is very important) it affects the meaning and our understanding. If I tell you to go ahead and pick out a shirt to wear, but I don’t tell you whether we are going to a funeral or a football game, then you can easily pick out the wrong shirt (and obviously you would want a different shirt for those two times.) It would help if I gave you the “context” of why you needed to grab another shirt, right?
OK, back to Thessalonians and Revelation … what is the context of those verses? Take a few minutes right now to read the verses that come before and after the verses we are talking about (take a minute to do that right now …)
Here’s what’s going on with those two letters:
In 1 Thessalonians: the apostle Paul, Silas and Timothy have visited Thessalonica, a Greek city, on one of their missionary journeys. They started a church there, and many of the people who came to that church did not know God. The people there were enthusiastic about getting to know God, but they also had a lot of questions. And they didn’t always come up with the right answers!
Paul wrote back to that church (that’s the letter of 1 Thessalonians) to correct some of the errors they had made. One of the main issues he is writing about concerns what happens to people who believe in God when Jesus returns. You see, Paul was worried that the church there (because it was so young) would abandon their commitment to following Jesus, so Paul is writing to correct them and ALSO to encourage them!
SO – in 1 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul is encouraging new believers in Jesus Christ to hang in there even though things were at times a bit confusing and difficult.
Revelation was written by the apostle John at the very end of his life. John’s purpose was to comfort Christians who were going through really rough times; and Christians were being heavily attacked and persecuted during those days. John is telling his readers that the ultimate victory belongs to Jesus but – as you probably noticed – he uses some pretty wild and imaginative images to get his ideas across. He talks about horses of different colors and lakes of fire and swords coming out of mouths and WOW! how do we understand all that? Well, let’s remember that this letter is intended to comfort people (not to scare them, though the apostle John is not afraid to scare people into trusting Jesus!) and then recognize that this type of writing is called “apocalyptic.” (that’s a big word, but it just describes a kind of writing that uses lots of visions and wild images.) This is a little bit like how The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia stories are also pretty wild, but there are good stories and message there, right? Apocalyptic literature was a style of writing used to encourage people who were really being persecuted. Does that make sense to you?
In these verses in Revelation, Jesus is making it clear that those who don’t follow him (read verse 20 to see what all people were doing!) were going to be separated from him forever – and that sounds way harsh. But the context of this part of the story shows that ultimately God wins, Satan loses, and those who follow Jesus and accept him as their Savior, get to be with him forever. See, that’s the encouraging part that people needed to hear – and that’s the bigger picture that you and I have to understand. If we just see God as this God who is going to slay one third of mankind and we don’t realize that that third is the third that has rejected God, then we wonder if he is a mean God, or if we’re going to get killed like that.
SO – in Revelation, the apostle John is encouraging all believers in Jesus Christ to remain committed to him and to be comforted by the fact that in the end he wins, and Satan loses, even though things were way tough, confusing and difficult right then.
Friday, 3 July 2009
Why did Paul include the belt in the armor of God? I mean, it doesn't protect you or anything.
It's true that today’s belts that go through belt loops and hold up our pants aren't a part of our armor. But, in biblical times, belts were more than fashion statements! They were used to wrap around the waist to keep a warriors robes from tripping him. Warriors in Paul’s days didn’t always wear pants. They wore long robes, even in battle. The belt kept the robe out of the way. The belts in Paul’s days also kept the sword close to the warrior.
A good comparison would be the gunbelt a policeman wears at work every day. It has a holster for a gun and is easily accessible. Policemen also have a pouch for extra bullets and a holder for a radio and flashlight.
In biblical times, they didn’t have guns just swords. And those swords had to be close for easy access!!!
A good comparison would be the gunbelt a policeman wears at work every day. It has a holster for a gun and is easily accessible. Policemen also have a pouch for extra bullets and a holder for a radio and flashlight.
In biblical times, they didn’t have guns just swords. And those swords had to be close for easy access!!!
Saturday, 27 June 2009
If a baby dies at birth, how old will it be in heaven? Will it stay a baby and not know anything in heaven?
This is a set of big questions, and the answers are also big, so follow along with me.
First – how old will the baby be?
God is the Creator of everything – including time (and also matter, energy, space, relationships, intelligence, emotions, etc etc … really … everything.) And time helps us understand where we are in this physical world. Typically, we say we are in a place at a time. We have a place and a time where we are.
But that changes! God is outside of time, and eternity is outside of time. By “outside” of time I mean that you cannot measure it. Remember the beautiful song, “Amazing Grace”? Remember the words, "When we've been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we'd first begun"?
Read on to understand a bit better what we will BE like in heaven…
Second – will it stay a baby?
The answer lies in understanding Jesus after his resurrection. Here we go …
Read Philippians 3:20-21 starting with “And we eagerly await….” What will Jesus transform? [to transform is to change the form of something]
Put you answer here: __________________________
What will Jesus transform the “our lowly bodies” into? To be like his what?
Put your answer here: __________________________
Our lowly bodies, that is, our earthly bodies, whether baby or adult, will be transformed to be like his heavenly body! Wow, huh?
Now go to 1 Corinthians and read chapter 15, verse 35 through the end of the chapter.
Pretty cool, huh?
Did you notice the key 44th verse? There is a natural body, the one we live in now, and there is a spiritual body, the one we will after our earthly death!
Right now you know by experience that life is much more than just our physical body, right? We have an intellect, we have emotions, we have relationships, and we have a spiritual part of our being. Sooooo … wanna know what a baby’s new spiritual body looks like?
Go back to 1 Corinthians 15:49. “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man [Paul is talking about the first created man, Adam], so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven [that is Jesus].
So the baby, and you, and me will all bear the likeness of Jesus after our earthly death.
So wanna know what Jesus looks like in his spiritual body? [If you don’t, just stop reading here, but if you do, keep reading …]
Go to the account of Jesus’ transfiguration. Read Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:3, and Luke 9:29. [The word “transfiguration” refers to Jesus’ appearance when the disciples saw him changed.]
What is wild, is that just as you have a physical body, so did Jesus. But when Jesus was transfigured, his disciples caught a glimpse of his spiritual body. We can’t know exactly what’s up with that body, and the disciples barely had words to describe it. We can’t really wrap our brains around what that new body will be like, but we do know that, “so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”
Third, will the baby know anything?
Follow me carefully now … while we see a little baby, helpless, limited in knowledge & strength & intelligence, this is not what God sees. God sees a perfectly and completely formed spiritual being! [This may also help you understand how God sees disabled people, poor people, widows, orphans, and – honestly – all the rest of us who just ain’t exactly “perfect!”]
The theologian C.S. Lewis said that you will NEVER look upon an ordinary person. ALL of God’s children (doesn’t matter how old) are EXTRAORDINARY because they all bear the image of our Creator!!
The Bible doesn’t speak specifically to babies in heaven, but the nature and character of God point to that baby as someone who also has a spiritual body and who will share in the blessings of heaven. Cool, huh?
First – how old will the baby be?
God is the Creator of everything – including time (and also matter, energy, space, relationships, intelligence, emotions, etc etc … really … everything.) And time helps us understand where we are in this physical world. Typically, we say we are in a place at a time. We have a place and a time where we are.
But that changes! God is outside of time, and eternity is outside of time. By “outside” of time I mean that you cannot measure it. Remember the beautiful song, “Amazing Grace”? Remember the words, "When we've been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we'd first begun"?
Read on to understand a bit better what we will BE like in heaven…
Second – will it stay a baby?
The answer lies in understanding Jesus after his resurrection. Here we go …
Read Philippians 3:20-21 starting with “And we eagerly await….” What will Jesus transform? [to transform is to change the form of something]
Put you answer here: __________________________
What will Jesus transform the “our lowly bodies” into? To be like his what?
Put your answer here: __________________________
Our lowly bodies, that is, our earthly bodies, whether baby or adult, will be transformed to be like his heavenly body! Wow, huh?
Now go to 1 Corinthians and read chapter 15, verse 35 through the end of the chapter.
Pretty cool, huh?
Did you notice the key 44th verse? There is a natural body, the one we live in now, and there is a spiritual body, the one we will after our earthly death!
Right now you know by experience that life is much more than just our physical body, right? We have an intellect, we have emotions, we have relationships, and we have a spiritual part of our being. Sooooo … wanna know what a baby’s new spiritual body looks like?
Go back to 1 Corinthians 15:49. “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man [Paul is talking about the first created man, Adam], so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven [that is Jesus].
So the baby, and you, and me will all bear the likeness of Jesus after our earthly death.
So wanna know what Jesus looks like in his spiritual body? [If you don’t, just stop reading here, but if you do, keep reading …]
Go to the account of Jesus’ transfiguration. Read Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:3, and Luke 9:29. [The word “transfiguration” refers to Jesus’ appearance when the disciples saw him changed.]
What is wild, is that just as you have a physical body, so did Jesus. But when Jesus was transfigured, his disciples caught a glimpse of his spiritual body. We can’t know exactly what’s up with that body, and the disciples barely had words to describe it. We can’t really wrap our brains around what that new body will be like, but we do know that, “so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”
Third, will the baby know anything?
Follow me carefully now … while we see a little baby, helpless, limited in knowledge & strength & intelligence, this is not what God sees. God sees a perfectly and completely formed spiritual being! [This may also help you understand how God sees disabled people, poor people, widows, orphans, and – honestly – all the rest of us who just ain’t exactly “perfect!”]
The theologian C.S. Lewis said that you will NEVER look upon an ordinary person. ALL of God’s children (doesn’t matter how old) are EXTRAORDINARY because they all bear the image of our Creator!!
The Bible doesn’t speak specifically to babies in heaven, but the nature and character of God point to that baby as someone who also has a spiritual body and who will share in the blessings of heaven. Cool, huh?
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Because I’m a Christian, I’m cast out. Why do people do that?
When we study the life of the Apostle Paul and how he was persecuted, we learn that faith and persecution can always be found together. The sad truth is that persecution (whether it is just teasing or actually killing) happens for many, many reasons.
Your question is very close to another question that has been asked many times by many great people during the course of human history! Why do people dislike (or hate) each other just because they are different? (like different religions, different races, different jobs, different educations, different physical abilities, and a million others!)
The answer to why this happens, to why people hate each other, and to why we sometimes feel “cast out” from others, has to do with sin. This is difficult to understand, but it is still true. Because of sin our connection with God and with others – which was originally perfect – is broken and messed up. This is sad, but this is the way it is right now.
It is comorting to remember that the Holy Spirit came to give us power. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to persevere, to hang in there, to be strong and to have courage. Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians that “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21). Paul knew that even though there was persecution and trouble now, that to be one of Jesus’ followers meant that you could share in an awesome forever with Him, and that made everything better and OK for him!
Your question is very close to another question that has been asked many times by many great people during the course of human history! Why do people dislike (or hate) each other just because they are different? (like different religions, different races, different jobs, different educations, different physical abilities, and a million others!)
The answer to why this happens, to why people hate each other, and to why we sometimes feel “cast out” from others, has to do with sin. This is difficult to understand, but it is still true. Because of sin our connection with God and with others – which was originally perfect – is broken and messed up. This is sad, but this is the way it is right now.
It is comorting to remember that the Holy Spirit came to give us power. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to persevere, to hang in there, to be strong and to have courage. Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians that “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21). Paul knew that even though there was persecution and trouble now, that to be one of Jesus’ followers meant that you could share in an awesome forever with Him, and that made everything better and OK for him!
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