Bible Studies 12 (for newest Bible Study see "Bible Studies 19")
Glory. Love. Grace. Mercy (added 9-27-15)
written by Patty Barnes - my very wise and AWESOME wife :-)
We usually don’t have a problem with understanding God’s love, grace, mercy and glory when it’s talking about Him. But what about how He means for us to apply those same attributes to our everyday lives? Many times we try to live a Christ like life. But aren’t always sure what that means and in the process we sometimes do or say things that really aren’t so Christ like. Staying on the narrow path is often pretty tricky. But by applying the above attributes of God to ourselves we can more easily navigate that path.
But before starting we need to understand one point: why did God create us in the first place? What is our number one job in our lives? Many believe God created us because He wanted a people/children to love. Hence the titles of “Father,” & “Abba,” that we commonly associate with Him. And many believe our number one job is to bring more people to Christ for the purpose of saving them so they can go to heaven. While both of these are true, they are NOT the primary purpose God created us or why we are to bring others to Christ.
The main purpose that God created us was simply to praise Him. Worship Him. And our main purpose in bringing others to Him is so they can praise Him and worship Him. Taken at surface level this sounds like God is an egomaniac. Why would we worship, praise, obey, and love someone who only wants for us to just praise and worship them and only them? Well luckily for us God isn’t a raving egomaniac. :-) He knows that in praising and worshiping Him we are brought closer to Him and His love for us! We, who are so flawed and hard headed to learn and obey are so important to Him that He gives us the way to get closest to Him. Now that’s a Father of love!
John Piper (pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church) writes that “missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is...Worship is the fuel and goal of missions. To bring nations into the enjoyment of God’s glory.”
“Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all peoples praise you!” Psalm 67:3,4
The Bible is often thought of as a sort of “owner's manual” for us, a history book by others, and a teaching book of morals, etc… When in actuality it is about God. All about God. Him. And how He wants us to glorify and worship Him. It all points back to Him. “...make His deeds known among the peoples,” so that the nations are steadily reminded that “His name is exalted.” Isaiah 12:4
“...All the earth will worship you. And will sing praises to You…” Psalm 66:4 The ultimate value of our salvation isn’t in what we are being saved from, but what we are saved for. We are saved to serve God in worship. And we know how God is a jealous God. Not accepting of worshipping any others before Him. Not to say He is an insecure God, but one saddened by false worship. As worship to Him is an interaction with Him. A way to be closer to Him and His love. How glorious for us!
This is also why He sent Jesus. Not just to save us from our sins, but to save us from our sins so that we could worship and bring praises to God. Which in turn brings us closer to Him, a wonderful circle that never ends! So now that we know why God created us and what our ultimate mission is let’s see how we can use God’s attributes in our lives so that we can accomplish what He created us for and in turn become closer to Him and His great love.
Love: We all know we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Gal 5:14) and Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and bless the one who curses you, and do what is beautiful to the one who hates you…” Easier said than done. But if we remember to think in the context of bringing glory to God it makes it easier. We’re not simply doing good for the sake of being good because the bible tells us to. But for His glory! Which brings us closer to Him. With the recent events surround Kim Davis it’s been easy for Christians to be angry and self-righteous in talking about her plight. Right or wrong, how is fighting and anger bringing God glory? Ask yourself “How do I address sin without taking away from Your grace? And what’s my (honest and true) motive?” Glorify Him in all things and work to love those who would work against you. There are times and places to fight, just be sure it is done in a way that glorifies Him. Otherwise we’re just doing it for ourselves and causing more division and anger and reinforcing non-believer’s stereotypes of the bigoted, narrow minded, hateful Christian, rather than a Christ follower who only wants to honor God. Love your enemies as you’d love yourself... Think about different ways you can stand up for God and your belief in Him while people may not agree with you but can still see His love through you even in disagreement. You all saw my post on Facebook about being ashamed of myself over how I stated I wasn’t a fan of Planned Parenthood’s abortions and body parts sales in a way that was just crying to pick a fight. I basically shot the first volley of an argument with another lady. Not very loving or showing God’s glory. Luckily I caught myself and we continued to talk. Still disagree, but we are still also talking. And as long as you can talk to someone you have a chance to share and show God’s glory and love. Burning bridges with people, if it can be avoided, does none of this. As the song says love is the answer!! :)
Grace. One of the descriptions of grace from Vine’s Concise Dictionary is this: disposition from which the kindly act proceeds, graciousness, lovingkindness, goodwill. God has extended more grace to us than we ever deserved! All we deserve is a one way ticket to Hell. But in His love and grace He made a way for us. The words “Grace be to you, and peace, from God…” is seen in many places in the bible. 1 Cor 1:3, Eph 1:2, Col 1:2, 1 Thess 1:1 and more. So obviously grace is very important to God and should be to us too. Think about all the grace God has bestowed on you when you didn’t deserve it. And the peace it brings. This is exactly the very thing we should be bestowing on others. Remember each person has things they believe as much as you believe. And by showing grace even when you disagree you are showing love. You’ve just done 2 things on the list! And also remember you can NOT hold a non-believer to the same standards and beliefs of a Christ follower. Any more then they can expect you to have their standards/beliefs. Show them grace, even if they’re wrong. LOL All to God’s glory.
Mercy. Again, Vine’s defines mercy as: “to feel sympathy with the misery of another.” “pity, compassion for the ills of others” “not simply possessed of pity but actively compassionate.” Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Mercy and grace go together. When you show mercy you show grace and in that show love which in turn glorifies God. You have now done the 3 attributes listed above and in doing so accomplished your great mission for God. Zechariah 7:9 “...Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another …” In showing mercy we are administering true justice, and again grace, love, and the glory of God.
So you can see if we realize that we are here to glorify and show glory to God and not simply try to “save” people; showing love, grace and mercy become a little easier to remember to apply to our lives.
Where is our Hope? (added 1-17-16)
I was sitting and thinking about things, and I got to thinking about the world that we’re living in. There is so much going on around us anymore. For most of us life is just too hectic. It seems like we can never stop and catch our breath. There is always something happening that demands our attention. And we all have pains, burdens, relationships, sickness, etc. Then pile on work, taking care of kids or grandkids, shopping for necessities, just surviving is so hard for most of us nowadays.
During this election cycle we have been constantly bombarded with every remark and raised eyebrow of every candidate in all forms of media (I am very aware I perpetuate this barrage on FB). We have a 24-hour news cycle now that never stops. We get news 24/7 and hardly any of it is good. We learn about every news “event” and get all of it crammed down our throats by “journalists” who don’t just report the news anymore; they glorify it and insert themselves into it. (I’m sure a couple of examples come readily to mind for you.) It is beyond ridiculous. The amount of information we get, and try to process on a daily basis, is enough to make you put your hands over your ears and scream “Just leave me alone to have some peace!”
So, as we go about our days we try to piece it all together. We try to carry it all and find peace, solace, comfort, and direction. We are looking for our hope. But where is it? Is there even any good news anymore? Where can we find hope and good news?
Can you find it in any person? Is there anyone you can completely depend upon to always do the right thing and who will never let you down? Is it in our political system, in our politicians? I know I can let each of you answer that one for yourselves and I KNOW what the answer is - NO!!!!! We cannot trust anyone to do what is right for our country (and that goes for every country on the planet anymore – just look at Europe!). Even if a person truly wants to do what is right, and they have a pure heart and a deep, enduring love for this country, the political machine at EVERY level of government is so corrupt and twisted that person quickly loses their focus, drive, and ability to fight against the system. So they cave in and make “sacrifices” and they make concessions and they make deals. Each politician (or “outsider” as a few are being described now) says they have the answers, the direction to give us back our hope, to give us good news again. But do they really?
Is it in our economy? Let me ask you this: Has your financial situation improved over the last few years? Are you truly better off now than before? Or have you adapted to the times? Less movies, less steak dinners, less discretionary money, still wearing clothes you know are really too old? Do you hesitate to go to the doctor because you don’t have the co-pay or can’t afford your medicine? Do you even have medical coverage now? Do you need to get car repairs done, or something needs fixing at home, that you just can’t fit in the budget?
Well then, how about the religious side of things? Can we put our hope in religion? Let’s think about it. We have seen how the religion of Islam is treating everyone who is an infidel (which is everyone who is not pledged to Muhammad). And the Pope has come out and said that while people from various global faiths may be "seeking God or meeting God in different ways" that it is important to keep in mind that "we are all children of God." And he said that Muslims “worship the one living and merciful God, and call upon him in prayer.” Both of these statements are completely wrong. All religions do not lead to heaven. The God of Islam and the God of Christianity are drastically different. However, the purpose of this Bible study is not religion (If you would like to read more about the differences between the religions of the world here is a great resource: http://contenderministries.org/).
So, I would posit then that we cannot put our faith, our hope in spiritual leaders or in religion. Religion was created by man who is flawed, biased, ungodly, selfish, etc... God did not make religion. Man did. And they got it wrong in Jesus' day. And they're still getting it wrong!
So, what is the Good News for us? The answer lies in one name: Jesus. He alone can give us hope, strength, purpose, redemption, love – Jesus is the Good News. Acts 5:42 declares “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” The word gospel means “good news,” glad tidings. It is a message. The gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ is the message He preached.
Where is our hope to come from? Titus 2:13-14 says “while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” So we see God is telling us that Jesus is the Good News He is our Hope, our Blessed Hope.
I am going to share a couple of paragraphs from an article my Brother-In-Christ and Best Friend shared today. In the article, the author (Kayla Lemmon http://lemmonythings.com/2014/01/05/god-will-give-you-more-than-you-can-handle-i-guarantee-it/) is telling us about the pain and anguish she feels after losing her Dad, and the solace and hope she finds in Jesus.
“I didn’t really know what needing him meant until I had no other choice. I didn’t know what it meant until I wrapped my arms around my middle so I wouldn’t fall apart–or the time I choked on tears and yelled toward Heaven. Or the times when I was utterly alone, and the silence was too much to bear. Those are the times that taught me he’s not just a want or a convenient symbol of love or a reason to do good deeds.
No, he’s the very air we breathe.
And he’s the only one who can make it bearable when life is simply anything but.”
Earlier in the article she described how she always heard the phrase “God will never give you more than you can handle.” We’ve all heard that phrase and been taught God won’t give us more than we can bear. But He does. He never promised us easy, but He did promise us hope and help and love and strength. Listen to the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus is telling us we do not have to go it alone. We do not have to settle or muddle through life. We find our hope and our direction and our peace and love and joy in Him. All we have to do is surrender to Him.
Is life then going to be easy and carefree? Is life ever going to be simple again like when we were children? Probably not, but we do have Hope and the Good News of God’s redemption plan through our Savior Jesus Christ.
Let me leave you with this. Those who trust in Christ are:
Baby Jesus (added 1-31-16)
This is who Ricky Bobby said grace to in the movie Talladega Nights. Sweet, little baby Jesus. Oh, how cute. Well this derogatory term is another attack used by Satan to demean, put-down, and belittle the name of Jesus. He wants us to accept Jesus’ name as just another phrase to utter when we are disgusted, upset, angry – basically Satan wants us to use the Name of Jesus Christ to show our derision, disgust, and as profanity. Satan wants us to use the glorious name of Jesus; however we can, as long as it is used to make the name ineffective and ineffectual.
So exactly what does the name of Jesus mean? There are over 200 names and titles of Jesus in the bible.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” God is telling us here that the name of Jesus is above every name and it is to be exalted, revered, respected, and lifted up in praise. This passage also tells us every single person will kneel before the throne of Jesus someday, admit out loud He alone is Lord, and that we will all be judged by Him (There’s a great article on gotquestions.org about our coming judgment. Go there and search “What is the Great White Throne Judgement?"). Jesus alone is King of kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:16)
We also see in multiple places that the name of Jesus is powerful and that Jesus has given us the Power of Attorney to use His name in prayer and in battle with Satan and his evil forces.
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Wow! This describes Jesus in all His glory! Far cry from “baby Jesus” right?!!!! Amen and Amen!!!
In Matthew 1:23 we see the name of Jesus is Immanuel which means “God with us.” That is because Jesus came down from heaven and became a man to walk among us. Fully God, fully Man. He lived a spot-free, sinless life to give Himself for us. John 3:16 says God loves us so much He gave His only Son (Jesus) to die in our place. Jesus was, and is, the perfect, unblemished sacrifice for our sins. So, for us perhaps the most important title or name we can attribute to Jesus is that of Savior and Redeemer. Through His blood He redeemed us and He has saved us.
Have you used the name of Jesus in any way other than to exalt, praise and worship Him? I know I have. So, what are you going to do about it? It is time now to admit that Jesus Christ is Lord and King. Do this now before it is too late. Before you kneel before Jesus and have to admit He alone is Lord. That judgment is described in Revelation 19. And in verse 15 we read “And anyone (whose name was) not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Hell is real. People will suffer and be tormented for all eternity if they do not confess the name of Jesus and repent of their sins. There is only One Way to be saved and that is through the name of Jesus. In John 14:6 Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Ask for forgiveness for using His name inappropriately and turn away from all of your sins. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Please say this prayer right now: "Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" and "If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9) You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live in me (John 3:5-6, 15-16; Romans 8:9-11) and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Spirit. (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4) I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I ask that you to forgive me of all my sins and cleanse from all unrighteousness. I believe in my heart that You have raised Jesus from the dead and I am a "New Man" (or Woman) in Christ. Thank You for coming to live in my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen."
The celebration of the life of Muhammad Ali (added 6-9-16)
Tomorrow the world will to come Louisville, KY. The purpose will be to celebrate the life of Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest.” Presidents and Kings and all manner of celebrities and common folk will be here. There will be the traditional Muslim funeral prayer service (open to the public and members of all faiths) on Thursday and an interfaith service on Friday. Dignitaries will give eulogies and the Quran will be read. There will be a procession from the service to the cemetery and the city residents “are encouraged” by the city government to line the streets and greet the procession as it passes. Television and news crews from across the globe will be here. It will be one of the events of the decade.
Ali’s spokesperson stated “For a man who preached inclusiveness and reached millions around the world, it's a fitting way to let his fans say goodbye.” And he stated “We want this to be inclusive of everyone.” The TV cameras will capture men and women from all religions, from every walk of life and from all points on the globe praying together during the service. Representatives from a number of religions, including Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, Mormonism and Buddhism will also be present. "The message that we'll be sending out is not our message — this was really designed by The Champ himself," said Timothy Gianotti, an Islamic studies scholar who for years helped to plan the services … The love and the reverence and the inclusivity that we're going to experience over the coming days is really a reflection of his message to the people of planet Earth." This is a huge public relations opportunity for the Muslim community and the Islamic faith. I fear that through these events, and the passing of this Man, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people young and old will convert to Islam. And this is what they want. To show the “Religion of Peace” in a positive light: all-inclusive, peaceful, loving, open to everyone. Obama said in a speech at the UN that “Islam teaches peace.” Nowhere, and at no time, has Islam ever been a peaceful religion.
Let’s explore this “Religion of Peace” for a moment and their Prophet Muhammad who wrote the Quran:
This is a very brief listing of what Muhammad did and commanded through his writings. If you think I am wrong, look at how ISIS is treating everyone who is not a Muslim. They are raping, torturing, and brutally murdering everyone who does not align with their faith. Where did they get their beliefs from? From Islam. Are they truly “radical” in their beliefs? I fear not. They are acting upon the teachings of Muhammad. And it is not just ISIS. Here is an excerpt from Rev Graham’s speech:
“’Mr. President, believers in a peaceful religion do not kidnap 300 young schoolgirls as Boko Haram did in northeastern Nigeria in April and reportedly [sell] them to men to be sex slaves,’ he said. ‘Mr. President, no peaceful religion would tolerate, let alone practice, female circumcision, require a woman to have her husband’s permission to leave her home and take up employment, and restrict her ability to receive justice in the case of sex crimes.’
Rev. Graham continued, ‘Mr. President, a peaceful religion would not condone and allow a father to drown a daughter in a swimming pool in front of the family in the name of family honor because she might have stayed out late in the evening with her boyfriend. Mr. President, why haven’t the 3.5 million Muslims in North America rejected this gross, barbaric and despicable behavior by their fellow Muslims on American soil?’
Rev. Graham went on to note that the ‘terrible acts’ he cited had not been carried out by ‘peaceful Muslims, but by radical extremists,’ but he questioned why many, ‘if not most’ of the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world have not condemned these violent acts. If a so-called Christian commits an act of terrorism, mainstream Christians ‘quickly and unanimously rise together to condemn it,’ he said.
Noting that President Obama said radicals such as Al Qaida and Boko Haram were guided by an ‘ideology’ that will wither and die when exposed to the public, Rev. Graham said, ‘That simply is not the case. Islam is not a simple ideology or philosophy.’
‘It is a false religion,’ he said. ‘While it may contain some elements of human moralism, it is nonetheless guided and characterized by treacherous deceit.’
The reverend, who also heads the international relief group Samaritan’s Purse, said, ‘The blinding lies of Satan himself are the dark and sinister force ultimately behind any false religion. … It is impossible for a false religion to be a true religion of peace, since it can never reconcile a holy God and sinful man, and it can never bring lasting peace between men or nations.’”
The only way to reconcile a Holy God and sinful man is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He alone is the only way to God. In John 14-6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” And Acts 4:12 says "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name (the name of Jesus Christ) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
If a person does not submit to Jesus as Redeemer and Savior and does not confess their sins to God and repent of their sins (to turn away) and ask for forgiveness they will stand before Jesus someday and be judged.
Revelation 20:11-15 "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
No one has to go to hell. But you must accept Jesus into your heart and turn away from sin in order to secure your Salvation.
This is my story (added 8-11-16)
So, if you were to tell me your story how does it go? Would it be filled with love, laughter, hope, peace, joy, hurt, regret, lost opportunities, lost loved ones, etc, etc, etc? Just how does your story go? My story too is filled with all of those things. I won’t bore you with my story. Just know, like you, my story too is the story of a person living in this world.
I’ve often wondered how my life would be different if I had made the “right choices” that I can clearly see (with my perfect 20-20 vision) as I look back on my life and how it’s turned out so far. I have allot of wishes as I look back. I wish I had spent more time with my kids as they were growing up. I was very much the stereotypical Military Man: driven, professional, dedicated, loyal, committed. I wish I had never started smoking (however, it will be 20 years this December since I quit!). I wish I had made more time for my Brother Ted (I didn’t know I’d lose him so soon) and my Dad (lost him way too many years ago too!). I wish I wouldn’t have gotten drunk and punched that window thereby permanently damaging my left arm. I wish, I wish, I wish! Maybe I should have stayed in the Air Force? Maybe I should have tried to go to college instead of going into the AF? Maybe I should have moved to Ohio when we retired from the AF? Maybe I should have tried harder to find a job that lined up with my college degree after retiring? Maybe, maybe, maybe???
In my 54 years on this earth I’ve come to understand some things. I know that if I had made even one decision differently my life would be completely different. If Chip and I had not gone to the pool that evening 39 years ago I never would have met Patty. If I had not cut my arm (even though it was through a stupid thing I did) I would have been moved by the AF to Fairbanks Alaska and chances are very good Patty and I may not have reconciled. If I had stayed in the AF longer, we never would have followed the path we did and Josh would not have met Kasandra and we wouldn’t have our beautiful Daughter-In-Law or our fantastic Kaitlynn and Scarlett. I am embarrassed by quite a few of my decisions, and some I’m not proud of, but all of them, every single one, have led me here and made me the Man I am.
So, after giving this allot of thought over the years I have come to this conclusion:
I WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING IN MY PAST!
I know. That’s a pretty bold, strong statement to make. But that is how I feel and believe. Every decision, every moment in my life, has led me right here, where I am right now. Is my life perfect? Nope. Is it all happy-happy joy-joy? Nope. But this is where God has me right now.
You see, I’ve come to realize throughout my life God has been directing my path (and when I made “wrong decisions” and choices He’s brought me back). He has been able to use me everywhere I have been. God can (and does) take a bad decision and He can still make good from it. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Watch this video testimony on how God works in our lives: https://vimeo.com/11930408 - I cry every time I watch it.) Who knows what God did in your life or in those around you? We don’t know God’s plans for us or them, but I do know this. Even when I did not see the hand of God moving in or around me, it was. We may never know just how much one word, gesture, or act we did affected another’s life. And we may never realize what word, gesture, or act another did for us (or our family) and how drastically it impacted our lives.
There are some decisions I absolutely would change. That is every time the Holy Spirit told me to talk to someone about Jesus and I was too afraid or embarrassed to speak. I regret every one of those decisions and I sure do wish I could change them. I ask our Father to give me strength, love, and courage to be bold and allow Him to work through me.
So, the better question is: How does your story end? Where does it end? If you have done as Jesus commanded in Luke 10:27 to “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” If you know Jesus and you became His disciple (turning away from your sin and accepting Him as your Savior) it will end with you, along with all His children, in His presence surrounded by His love.
However, if you have not done that then you are destined to spend your eternity in hell. Hell is real and eternity is real. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus tells us, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” And in Luke 12:5 he reminds us “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
Please don’t go through life living in your regrets, heartache, and pain. Don’t keep saying “I wish,” “What If,” and “Maybe!” Instead turn to Jesus. In Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus lovingly tells us “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Give Him everything. He loves you and wants to help you become the man or Woman of God you were designed for. In Psalm 139:13 King David said “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” God created you, He created us, for a purpose. He has a plan for our lives. Will you please turn to Him and let Him guide you as King David describes in Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
Amen and Amen
Here’s the Bottom Line (added 8-14-16)
“I go to Church Every Sunday.” A loved one (who is Catholic) said these words to me. Then he said something to the effect of “I don’t believe in all that Bible stuff.” Then he followed that up with saying that twice when he attended an Evangelical church he felt like he should go up to the altar. I really wish he had. Both of those times he was being drawn into the presence of Jesus. He also said he was not going to go back to that church again. A couple of days ago his wife told him (in a loving and gentle way) that he needed to repent. He told her he’d go to confession. He is rejecting God and Jesus and he thinks he is a good man. I fear for his eternal soul.
Here’s the Bottom Line: IF you put YOUR trust, YOUR faith, YOUR belief, YOUR VERY ETERNITY in a religion, a set of rules to live by, or anyone/anything else and NOT in Jesus Christ as your Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and King then you will go to hell. If you have not repented (to turn away) of your sins, then you are doomed and will be sentenced to eternity in hell.
There are many deep conflicts between what Catholics believe and what Evangelical Christians believe and I fear this will affect the salvation of millions. (If you are interested in those go to http://www.contenderministries.org/catholicism.php and here is another good article on confession of sins http://www.gotquestions.org/confession-sin-priest.html.)
However, Catholicism is not the only denomination or religion which is leading its flock down the wrong path.
I grew up in a Pentecostal church. When we were stationed in Wichita Falls, TX I found a Pentecostal church there that I loved. I was there (along with my kids) every time the doors were open. However, it wasn’t long before I learned there was a BIG flaw in their beliefs and in their theology. They truly believed, and taught, that you were not saved if you did not speak in tongues. They pointed to various verses in the Bible where the early church began to speak in tongues when the Holy Spirit fell on them. So, they believed speaking in tongues was a sign you were saved. I had heard that before from other Pentecostal churches (I don’t think all Pentecostal/Assemblies of God believe this). This saddened me. You see, I was established enough in my faith that their beliefs in this matter did not affect me. But they weren’t going to teach my kids that. I know speaking in tongues is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t until years and years later I received that gift as a prayer language.
A huge number of Christian churches today are leading their congregations straight to hell. There is a Grace movement (referred to as Hyper-Grace) going on in a huge number of churches today which basically teaches it’s members: God’s grace saved you from your sins; they do not exist anymore; you can live your life however you want because you are already forgiven and going to heaven. See this link to read more about this terrible false teaching which is fooling millions of people straight into hell: http://www.gotquestions.org/hyper-grace.html
The Word of God is very explicit on the path to Salvation.
In Luke 10:16 Jesus said “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
1 John 1:8-10 says “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
There is no other religion that leads to Jesus Christ.
This passage in Act 26:27-28 is one of the most heart wrenching and sad passages you will find. “’King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.’ Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.’”
PLEASE do not be “Almost Persuaded!” Turn you mind, soul, body, heart over to Jesus right now! Do not wait. There is no more time. You never know when your life will end.
Please turn to Jesus now and say this prayer: "Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" and "If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9) You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live in me (John 3:5-6, 15-16; Romans 8:9-11) and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Spirit. (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4) I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I ask that you forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe in my heart that You have raised Jesus from the dead and I am a "New Man" (or Woman) in Christ. Thank You for coming to live in my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen."
P.S. I have some wonderful news to report! I started writing this Bible study over a month ago. Since then the Man I told you about has turned to Jesus and repented of his sins. With all sincerity he turned to his wife (who never gave up on him) and said “It’s a miracle.” Please never give up on someone and always keep praying for them. Praise God! Amen and Amen.
written by Patty Barnes - my very wise and AWESOME wife :-)
We usually don’t have a problem with understanding God’s love, grace, mercy and glory when it’s talking about Him. But what about how He means for us to apply those same attributes to our everyday lives? Many times we try to live a Christ like life. But aren’t always sure what that means and in the process we sometimes do or say things that really aren’t so Christ like. Staying on the narrow path is often pretty tricky. But by applying the above attributes of God to ourselves we can more easily navigate that path.
But before starting we need to understand one point: why did God create us in the first place? What is our number one job in our lives? Many believe God created us because He wanted a people/children to love. Hence the titles of “Father,” & “Abba,” that we commonly associate with Him. And many believe our number one job is to bring more people to Christ for the purpose of saving them so they can go to heaven. While both of these are true, they are NOT the primary purpose God created us or why we are to bring others to Christ.
The main purpose that God created us was simply to praise Him. Worship Him. And our main purpose in bringing others to Him is so they can praise Him and worship Him. Taken at surface level this sounds like God is an egomaniac. Why would we worship, praise, obey, and love someone who only wants for us to just praise and worship them and only them? Well luckily for us God isn’t a raving egomaniac. :-) He knows that in praising and worshiping Him we are brought closer to Him and His love for us! We, who are so flawed and hard headed to learn and obey are so important to Him that He gives us the way to get closest to Him. Now that’s a Father of love!
John Piper (pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church) writes that “missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is...Worship is the fuel and goal of missions. To bring nations into the enjoyment of God’s glory.”
“Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all peoples praise you!” Psalm 67:3,4
The Bible is often thought of as a sort of “owner's manual” for us, a history book by others, and a teaching book of morals, etc… When in actuality it is about God. All about God. Him. And how He wants us to glorify and worship Him. It all points back to Him. “...make His deeds known among the peoples,” so that the nations are steadily reminded that “His name is exalted.” Isaiah 12:4
“...All the earth will worship you. And will sing praises to You…” Psalm 66:4 The ultimate value of our salvation isn’t in what we are being saved from, but what we are saved for. We are saved to serve God in worship. And we know how God is a jealous God. Not accepting of worshipping any others before Him. Not to say He is an insecure God, but one saddened by false worship. As worship to Him is an interaction with Him. A way to be closer to Him and His love. How glorious for us!
This is also why He sent Jesus. Not just to save us from our sins, but to save us from our sins so that we could worship and bring praises to God. Which in turn brings us closer to Him, a wonderful circle that never ends! So now that we know why God created us and what our ultimate mission is let’s see how we can use God’s attributes in our lives so that we can accomplish what He created us for and in turn become closer to Him and His great love.
Love: We all know we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Gal 5:14) and Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and bless the one who curses you, and do what is beautiful to the one who hates you…” Easier said than done. But if we remember to think in the context of bringing glory to God it makes it easier. We’re not simply doing good for the sake of being good because the bible tells us to. But for His glory! Which brings us closer to Him. With the recent events surround Kim Davis it’s been easy for Christians to be angry and self-righteous in talking about her plight. Right or wrong, how is fighting and anger bringing God glory? Ask yourself “How do I address sin without taking away from Your grace? And what’s my (honest and true) motive?” Glorify Him in all things and work to love those who would work against you. There are times and places to fight, just be sure it is done in a way that glorifies Him. Otherwise we’re just doing it for ourselves and causing more division and anger and reinforcing non-believer’s stereotypes of the bigoted, narrow minded, hateful Christian, rather than a Christ follower who only wants to honor God. Love your enemies as you’d love yourself... Think about different ways you can stand up for God and your belief in Him while people may not agree with you but can still see His love through you even in disagreement. You all saw my post on Facebook about being ashamed of myself over how I stated I wasn’t a fan of Planned Parenthood’s abortions and body parts sales in a way that was just crying to pick a fight. I basically shot the first volley of an argument with another lady. Not very loving or showing God’s glory. Luckily I caught myself and we continued to talk. Still disagree, but we are still also talking. And as long as you can talk to someone you have a chance to share and show God’s glory and love. Burning bridges with people, if it can be avoided, does none of this. As the song says love is the answer!! :)
Grace. One of the descriptions of grace from Vine’s Concise Dictionary is this: disposition from which the kindly act proceeds, graciousness, lovingkindness, goodwill. God has extended more grace to us than we ever deserved! All we deserve is a one way ticket to Hell. But in His love and grace He made a way for us. The words “Grace be to you, and peace, from God…” is seen in many places in the bible. 1 Cor 1:3, Eph 1:2, Col 1:2, 1 Thess 1:1 and more. So obviously grace is very important to God and should be to us too. Think about all the grace God has bestowed on you when you didn’t deserve it. And the peace it brings. This is exactly the very thing we should be bestowing on others. Remember each person has things they believe as much as you believe. And by showing grace even when you disagree you are showing love. You’ve just done 2 things on the list! And also remember you can NOT hold a non-believer to the same standards and beliefs of a Christ follower. Any more then they can expect you to have their standards/beliefs. Show them grace, even if they’re wrong. LOL All to God’s glory.
Mercy. Again, Vine’s defines mercy as: “to feel sympathy with the misery of another.” “pity, compassion for the ills of others” “not simply possessed of pity but actively compassionate.” Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Mercy and grace go together. When you show mercy you show grace and in that show love which in turn glorifies God. You have now done the 3 attributes listed above and in doing so accomplished your great mission for God. Zechariah 7:9 “...Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another …” In showing mercy we are administering true justice, and again grace, love, and the glory of God.
So you can see if we realize that we are here to glorify and show glory to God and not simply try to “save” people; showing love, grace and mercy become a little easier to remember to apply to our lives.
Where is our Hope? (added 1-17-16)
I was sitting and thinking about things, and I got to thinking about the world that we’re living in. There is so much going on around us anymore. For most of us life is just too hectic. It seems like we can never stop and catch our breath. There is always something happening that demands our attention. And we all have pains, burdens, relationships, sickness, etc. Then pile on work, taking care of kids or grandkids, shopping for necessities, just surviving is so hard for most of us nowadays.
During this election cycle we have been constantly bombarded with every remark and raised eyebrow of every candidate in all forms of media (I am very aware I perpetuate this barrage on FB). We have a 24-hour news cycle now that never stops. We get news 24/7 and hardly any of it is good. We learn about every news “event” and get all of it crammed down our throats by “journalists” who don’t just report the news anymore; they glorify it and insert themselves into it. (I’m sure a couple of examples come readily to mind for you.) It is beyond ridiculous. The amount of information we get, and try to process on a daily basis, is enough to make you put your hands over your ears and scream “Just leave me alone to have some peace!”
So, as we go about our days we try to piece it all together. We try to carry it all and find peace, solace, comfort, and direction. We are looking for our hope. But where is it? Is there even any good news anymore? Where can we find hope and good news?
Can you find it in any person? Is there anyone you can completely depend upon to always do the right thing and who will never let you down? Is it in our political system, in our politicians? I know I can let each of you answer that one for yourselves and I KNOW what the answer is - NO!!!!! We cannot trust anyone to do what is right for our country (and that goes for every country on the planet anymore – just look at Europe!). Even if a person truly wants to do what is right, and they have a pure heart and a deep, enduring love for this country, the political machine at EVERY level of government is so corrupt and twisted that person quickly loses their focus, drive, and ability to fight against the system. So they cave in and make “sacrifices” and they make concessions and they make deals. Each politician (or “outsider” as a few are being described now) says they have the answers, the direction to give us back our hope, to give us good news again. But do they really?
Is it in our economy? Let me ask you this: Has your financial situation improved over the last few years? Are you truly better off now than before? Or have you adapted to the times? Less movies, less steak dinners, less discretionary money, still wearing clothes you know are really too old? Do you hesitate to go to the doctor because you don’t have the co-pay or can’t afford your medicine? Do you even have medical coverage now? Do you need to get car repairs done, or something needs fixing at home, that you just can’t fit in the budget?
Well then, how about the religious side of things? Can we put our hope in religion? Let’s think about it. We have seen how the religion of Islam is treating everyone who is an infidel (which is everyone who is not pledged to Muhammad). And the Pope has come out and said that while people from various global faiths may be "seeking God or meeting God in different ways" that it is important to keep in mind that "we are all children of God." And he said that Muslims “worship the one living and merciful God, and call upon him in prayer.” Both of these statements are completely wrong. All religions do not lead to heaven. The God of Islam and the God of Christianity are drastically different. However, the purpose of this Bible study is not religion (If you would like to read more about the differences between the religions of the world here is a great resource: http://contenderministries.org/).
So, I would posit then that we cannot put our faith, our hope in spiritual leaders or in religion. Religion was created by man who is flawed, biased, ungodly, selfish, etc... God did not make religion. Man did. And they got it wrong in Jesus' day. And they're still getting it wrong!
So, what is the Good News for us? The answer lies in one name: Jesus. He alone can give us hope, strength, purpose, redemption, love – Jesus is the Good News. Acts 5:42 declares “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” The word gospel means “good news,” glad tidings. It is a message. The gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ is the message He preached.
Where is our hope to come from? Titus 2:13-14 says “while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” So we see God is telling us that Jesus is the Good News He is our Hope, our Blessed Hope.
I am going to share a couple of paragraphs from an article my Brother-In-Christ and Best Friend shared today. In the article, the author (Kayla Lemmon http://lemmonythings.com/2014/01/05/god-will-give-you-more-than-you-can-handle-i-guarantee-it/) is telling us about the pain and anguish she feels after losing her Dad, and the solace and hope she finds in Jesus.
“I didn’t really know what needing him meant until I had no other choice. I didn’t know what it meant until I wrapped my arms around my middle so I wouldn’t fall apart–or the time I choked on tears and yelled toward Heaven. Or the times when I was utterly alone, and the silence was too much to bear. Those are the times that taught me he’s not just a want or a convenient symbol of love or a reason to do good deeds.
No, he’s the very air we breathe.
And he’s the only one who can make it bearable when life is simply anything but.”
Earlier in the article she described how she always heard the phrase “God will never give you more than you can handle.” We’ve all heard that phrase and been taught God won’t give us more than we can bear. But He does. He never promised us easy, but He did promise us hope and help and love and strength. Listen to the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus is telling us we do not have to go it alone. We do not have to settle or muddle through life. We find our hope and our direction and our peace and love and joy in Him. All we have to do is surrender to Him.
Is life then going to be easy and carefree? Is life ever going to be simple again like when we were children? Probably not, but we do have Hope and the Good News of God’s redemption plan through our Savior Jesus Christ.
Let me leave you with this. Those who trust in Christ are:
- Forgiven (Ephesians 1:7; Acts 10:43)
- Justified (Romans 3:28; Acts 13:39)
- A new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- Sanctified/purified (1 Corinthians 1:30)
- Sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30)
- A temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)
- Free from condemnation (Romans 8:1; John 5:24)
- Given peace (Romans 5:1; John 14:27)
- Made an heir of God (Galatians 3:29, 4:7)
- Given spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3)
- Delivered from this world (Galatians 1:4)
Baby Jesus (added 1-31-16)
This is who Ricky Bobby said grace to in the movie Talladega Nights. Sweet, little baby Jesus. Oh, how cute. Well this derogatory term is another attack used by Satan to demean, put-down, and belittle the name of Jesus. He wants us to accept Jesus’ name as just another phrase to utter when we are disgusted, upset, angry – basically Satan wants us to use the Name of Jesus Christ to show our derision, disgust, and as profanity. Satan wants us to use the glorious name of Jesus; however we can, as long as it is used to make the name ineffective and ineffectual.
So exactly what does the name of Jesus mean? There are over 200 names and titles of Jesus in the bible.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” God is telling us here that the name of Jesus is above every name and it is to be exalted, revered, respected, and lifted up in praise. This passage also tells us every single person will kneel before the throne of Jesus someday, admit out loud He alone is Lord, and that we will all be judged by Him (There’s a great article on gotquestions.org about our coming judgment. Go there and search “What is the Great White Throne Judgement?"). Jesus alone is King of kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:16)
We also see in multiple places that the name of Jesus is powerful and that Jesus has given us the Power of Attorney to use His name in prayer and in battle with Satan and his evil forces.
- Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
- John 14:13 Jesus says “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
- Mark 16:17-18 Jesus says “And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
- Luke 10:17 “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’”
- Romans 10:13 “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
- Acts 3:6 “But Peter said, ‘I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!’”
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Wow! This describes Jesus in all His glory! Far cry from “baby Jesus” right?!!!! Amen and Amen!!!
In Matthew 1:23 we see the name of Jesus is Immanuel which means “God with us.” That is because Jesus came down from heaven and became a man to walk among us. Fully God, fully Man. He lived a spot-free, sinless life to give Himself for us. John 3:16 says God loves us so much He gave His only Son (Jesus) to die in our place. Jesus was, and is, the perfect, unblemished sacrifice for our sins. So, for us perhaps the most important title or name we can attribute to Jesus is that of Savior and Redeemer. Through His blood He redeemed us and He has saved us.
Have you used the name of Jesus in any way other than to exalt, praise and worship Him? I know I have. So, what are you going to do about it? It is time now to admit that Jesus Christ is Lord and King. Do this now before it is too late. Before you kneel before Jesus and have to admit He alone is Lord. That judgment is described in Revelation 19. And in verse 15 we read “And anyone (whose name was) not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Hell is real. People will suffer and be tormented for all eternity if they do not confess the name of Jesus and repent of their sins. There is only One Way to be saved and that is through the name of Jesus. In John 14:6 Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Ask for forgiveness for using His name inappropriately and turn away from all of your sins. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Please say this prayer right now: "Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" and "If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9) You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live in me (John 3:5-6, 15-16; Romans 8:9-11) and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Spirit. (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4) I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I ask that you to forgive me of all my sins and cleanse from all unrighteousness. I believe in my heart that You have raised Jesus from the dead and I am a "New Man" (or Woman) in Christ. Thank You for coming to live in my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen."
The celebration of the life of Muhammad Ali (added 6-9-16)
Tomorrow the world will to come Louisville, KY. The purpose will be to celebrate the life of Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest.” Presidents and Kings and all manner of celebrities and common folk will be here. There will be the traditional Muslim funeral prayer service (open to the public and members of all faiths) on Thursday and an interfaith service on Friday. Dignitaries will give eulogies and the Quran will be read. There will be a procession from the service to the cemetery and the city residents “are encouraged” by the city government to line the streets and greet the procession as it passes. Television and news crews from across the globe will be here. It will be one of the events of the decade.
Ali’s spokesperson stated “For a man who preached inclusiveness and reached millions around the world, it's a fitting way to let his fans say goodbye.” And he stated “We want this to be inclusive of everyone.” The TV cameras will capture men and women from all religions, from every walk of life and from all points on the globe praying together during the service. Representatives from a number of religions, including Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, Mormonism and Buddhism will also be present. "The message that we'll be sending out is not our message — this was really designed by The Champ himself," said Timothy Gianotti, an Islamic studies scholar who for years helped to plan the services … The love and the reverence and the inclusivity that we're going to experience over the coming days is really a reflection of his message to the people of planet Earth." This is a huge public relations opportunity for the Muslim community and the Islamic faith. I fear that through these events, and the passing of this Man, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people young and old will convert to Islam. And this is what they want. To show the “Religion of Peace” in a positive light: all-inclusive, peaceful, loving, open to everyone. Obama said in a speech at the UN that “Islam teaches peace.” Nowhere, and at no time, has Islam ever been a peaceful religion.
Let’s explore this “Religion of Peace” for a moment and their Prophet Muhammad who wrote the Quran:
- He owned and traded slaves, was married to 13 women and owned sex slaves.
- He raped a 9 year old child.
- He murdered those who insulted him.
- He encouraged his men to rape and enslave women.
- He wrote "I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah" (Muslim 1:33).
- He called for Jihad (Holy War) against the infidels of the world. All Muslims are obliged to kill the infidel. An infidel (or kafir) is a non-Muslim. Many Muslims think that killing an infidel guarantees going straight to paradise.
- Islam is not simply a belief about God. Islam is a word that means submission. Islam is a set of rules that define a social hierarchy in which Muslims submit to Allah, women submit to men and all non-Muslims submit to Islamic rule.
- The Islamic community in every nation has either gotten Sharia laws passed or are fighting hard to get them passed. In fact, many states in America have allowed Sharia Law to be accepted in our courts. Sharia is, as expressed in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, divine law. Here is a good resource on why you should be concerned and oppose Sharia Law: http://www.gotquestions.org/Sharia-Law.html
- Allah tells Muslims to kill anyone who rejects Islam, converts to Christianity, or becomes an atheist.
- Here is an article written outlining a speech Reverend Franklin Graham gave concerning Islam http://cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/rev-graham-obama-s-wrong-islam-false-religion.
This is a very brief listing of what Muhammad did and commanded through his writings. If you think I am wrong, look at how ISIS is treating everyone who is not a Muslim. They are raping, torturing, and brutally murdering everyone who does not align with their faith. Where did they get their beliefs from? From Islam. Are they truly “radical” in their beliefs? I fear not. They are acting upon the teachings of Muhammad. And it is not just ISIS. Here is an excerpt from Rev Graham’s speech:
“’Mr. President, believers in a peaceful religion do not kidnap 300 young schoolgirls as Boko Haram did in northeastern Nigeria in April and reportedly [sell] them to men to be sex slaves,’ he said. ‘Mr. President, no peaceful religion would tolerate, let alone practice, female circumcision, require a woman to have her husband’s permission to leave her home and take up employment, and restrict her ability to receive justice in the case of sex crimes.’
Rev. Graham continued, ‘Mr. President, a peaceful religion would not condone and allow a father to drown a daughter in a swimming pool in front of the family in the name of family honor because she might have stayed out late in the evening with her boyfriend. Mr. President, why haven’t the 3.5 million Muslims in North America rejected this gross, barbaric and despicable behavior by their fellow Muslims on American soil?’
Rev. Graham went on to note that the ‘terrible acts’ he cited had not been carried out by ‘peaceful Muslims, but by radical extremists,’ but he questioned why many, ‘if not most’ of the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world have not condemned these violent acts. If a so-called Christian commits an act of terrorism, mainstream Christians ‘quickly and unanimously rise together to condemn it,’ he said.
Noting that President Obama said radicals such as Al Qaida and Boko Haram were guided by an ‘ideology’ that will wither and die when exposed to the public, Rev. Graham said, ‘That simply is not the case. Islam is not a simple ideology or philosophy.’
‘It is a false religion,’ he said. ‘While it may contain some elements of human moralism, it is nonetheless guided and characterized by treacherous deceit.’
The reverend, who also heads the international relief group Samaritan’s Purse, said, ‘The blinding lies of Satan himself are the dark and sinister force ultimately behind any false religion. … It is impossible for a false religion to be a true religion of peace, since it can never reconcile a holy God and sinful man, and it can never bring lasting peace between men or nations.’”
The only way to reconcile a Holy God and sinful man is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He alone is the only way to God. In John 14-6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” And Acts 4:12 says "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name (the name of Jesus Christ) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
If a person does not submit to Jesus as Redeemer and Savior and does not confess their sins to God and repent of their sins (to turn away) and ask for forgiveness they will stand before Jesus someday and be judged.
Revelation 20:11-15 "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
No one has to go to hell. But you must accept Jesus into your heart and turn away from sin in order to secure your Salvation.
This is my story (added 8-11-16)
So, if you were to tell me your story how does it go? Would it be filled with love, laughter, hope, peace, joy, hurt, regret, lost opportunities, lost loved ones, etc, etc, etc? Just how does your story go? My story too is filled with all of those things. I won’t bore you with my story. Just know, like you, my story too is the story of a person living in this world.
I’ve often wondered how my life would be different if I had made the “right choices” that I can clearly see (with my perfect 20-20 vision) as I look back on my life and how it’s turned out so far. I have allot of wishes as I look back. I wish I had spent more time with my kids as they were growing up. I was very much the stereotypical Military Man: driven, professional, dedicated, loyal, committed. I wish I had never started smoking (however, it will be 20 years this December since I quit!). I wish I had made more time for my Brother Ted (I didn’t know I’d lose him so soon) and my Dad (lost him way too many years ago too!). I wish I wouldn’t have gotten drunk and punched that window thereby permanently damaging my left arm. I wish, I wish, I wish! Maybe I should have stayed in the Air Force? Maybe I should have tried to go to college instead of going into the AF? Maybe I should have moved to Ohio when we retired from the AF? Maybe I should have tried harder to find a job that lined up with my college degree after retiring? Maybe, maybe, maybe???
In my 54 years on this earth I’ve come to understand some things. I know that if I had made even one decision differently my life would be completely different. If Chip and I had not gone to the pool that evening 39 years ago I never would have met Patty. If I had not cut my arm (even though it was through a stupid thing I did) I would have been moved by the AF to Fairbanks Alaska and chances are very good Patty and I may not have reconciled. If I had stayed in the AF longer, we never would have followed the path we did and Josh would not have met Kasandra and we wouldn’t have our beautiful Daughter-In-Law or our fantastic Kaitlynn and Scarlett. I am embarrassed by quite a few of my decisions, and some I’m not proud of, but all of them, every single one, have led me here and made me the Man I am.
So, after giving this allot of thought over the years I have come to this conclusion:
I WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING IN MY PAST!
I know. That’s a pretty bold, strong statement to make. But that is how I feel and believe. Every decision, every moment in my life, has led me right here, where I am right now. Is my life perfect? Nope. Is it all happy-happy joy-joy? Nope. But this is where God has me right now.
You see, I’ve come to realize throughout my life God has been directing my path (and when I made “wrong decisions” and choices He’s brought me back). He has been able to use me everywhere I have been. God can (and does) take a bad decision and He can still make good from it. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Watch this video testimony on how God works in our lives: https://vimeo.com/11930408 - I cry every time I watch it.) Who knows what God did in your life or in those around you? We don’t know God’s plans for us or them, but I do know this. Even when I did not see the hand of God moving in or around me, it was. We may never know just how much one word, gesture, or act we did affected another’s life. And we may never realize what word, gesture, or act another did for us (or our family) and how drastically it impacted our lives.
There are some decisions I absolutely would change. That is every time the Holy Spirit told me to talk to someone about Jesus and I was too afraid or embarrassed to speak. I regret every one of those decisions and I sure do wish I could change them. I ask our Father to give me strength, love, and courage to be bold and allow Him to work through me.
So, the better question is: How does your story end? Where does it end? If you have done as Jesus commanded in Luke 10:27 to “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” If you know Jesus and you became His disciple (turning away from your sin and accepting Him as your Savior) it will end with you, along with all His children, in His presence surrounded by His love.
However, if you have not done that then you are destined to spend your eternity in hell. Hell is real and eternity is real. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus tells us, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” And in Luke 12:5 he reminds us “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
Please don’t go through life living in your regrets, heartache, and pain. Don’t keep saying “I wish,” “What If,” and “Maybe!” Instead turn to Jesus. In Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus lovingly tells us “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Give Him everything. He loves you and wants to help you become the man or Woman of God you were designed for. In Psalm 139:13 King David said “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” God created you, He created us, for a purpose. He has a plan for our lives. Will you please turn to Him and let Him guide you as King David describes in Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
Amen and Amen
Here’s the Bottom Line (added 8-14-16)
“I go to Church Every Sunday.” A loved one (who is Catholic) said these words to me. Then he said something to the effect of “I don’t believe in all that Bible stuff.” Then he followed that up with saying that twice when he attended an Evangelical church he felt like he should go up to the altar. I really wish he had. Both of those times he was being drawn into the presence of Jesus. He also said he was not going to go back to that church again. A couple of days ago his wife told him (in a loving and gentle way) that he needed to repent. He told her he’d go to confession. He is rejecting God and Jesus and he thinks he is a good man. I fear for his eternal soul.
Here’s the Bottom Line: IF you put YOUR trust, YOUR faith, YOUR belief, YOUR VERY ETERNITY in a religion, a set of rules to live by, or anyone/anything else and NOT in Jesus Christ as your Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and King then you will go to hell. If you have not repented (to turn away) of your sins, then you are doomed and will be sentenced to eternity in hell.
There are many deep conflicts between what Catholics believe and what Evangelical Christians believe and I fear this will affect the salvation of millions. (If you are interested in those go to http://www.contenderministries.org/catholicism.php and here is another good article on confession of sins http://www.gotquestions.org/confession-sin-priest.html.)
However, Catholicism is not the only denomination or religion which is leading its flock down the wrong path.
I grew up in a Pentecostal church. When we were stationed in Wichita Falls, TX I found a Pentecostal church there that I loved. I was there (along with my kids) every time the doors were open. However, it wasn’t long before I learned there was a BIG flaw in their beliefs and in their theology. They truly believed, and taught, that you were not saved if you did not speak in tongues. They pointed to various verses in the Bible where the early church began to speak in tongues when the Holy Spirit fell on them. So, they believed speaking in tongues was a sign you were saved. I had heard that before from other Pentecostal churches (I don’t think all Pentecostal/Assemblies of God believe this). This saddened me. You see, I was established enough in my faith that their beliefs in this matter did not affect me. But they weren’t going to teach my kids that. I know speaking in tongues is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t until years and years later I received that gift as a prayer language.
A huge number of Christian churches today are leading their congregations straight to hell. There is a Grace movement (referred to as Hyper-Grace) going on in a huge number of churches today which basically teaches it’s members: God’s grace saved you from your sins; they do not exist anymore; you can live your life however you want because you are already forgiven and going to heaven. See this link to read more about this terrible false teaching which is fooling millions of people straight into hell: http://www.gotquestions.org/hyper-grace.html
The Word of God is very explicit on the path to Salvation.
- 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” It is because of the great Mediator that we are able to stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ Himself. On the cross Jesus exchanged our sin for His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). His mediation is the only means of salvation.
- John 14-6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
- Acts 4:11-13 “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone (Jesus Christ).’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name (the name of Jesus Christ) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
- 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10 “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”
In Luke 10:16 Jesus said “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
1 John 1:8-10 says “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
There is no other religion that leads to Jesus Christ.
This passage in Act 26:27-28 is one of the most heart wrenching and sad passages you will find. “’King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.’ Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.’”
PLEASE do not be “Almost Persuaded!” Turn you mind, soul, body, heart over to Jesus right now! Do not wait. There is no more time. You never know when your life will end.
Please turn to Jesus now and say this prayer: "Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" and "If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9) You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live in me (John 3:5-6, 15-16; Romans 8:9-11) and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Spirit. (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4) I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I ask that you forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe in my heart that You have raised Jesus from the dead and I am a "New Man" (or Woman) in Christ. Thank You for coming to live in my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen."
P.S. I have some wonderful news to report! I started writing this Bible study over a month ago. Since then the Man I told you about has turned to Jesus and repented of his sins. With all sincerity he turned to his wife (who never gave up on him) and said “It’s a miracle.” Please never give up on someone and always keep praying for them. Praise God! Amen and Amen.
