Tuesday, January 22, 2008

John 3:16

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but gain eternal life

John 3:16 - God loved the people of the world so much, that He gave His Son, His one and only Son, who was God come to earth in the form of Jesus, so that no one needs to be destroyed in hell - but - by believing in Jesus as Lord and Saviour of their lives, they can have everlasting life in paradise in the presence of a loving God.

John 3:16 - God has provided a way of rescuing you from hell. This option is open to anyone and everyone. All you have to do is place your faith in Jesus who is God. He loves you so much that He allowed Himself to be tortured to death in order to rescue you from hell. By dying for you, Jesus paid the price of your sin so that you don't have to pay it yourself. If you place your faith in Jesus, admitting that you are a sinner in need of His forgiveness, God will rescue you and bring you safely home to live with Him for eternity in paradise. However, if you go to hell, it will be because you were determined to get there by climbing over the dead body of Jesus.

Scientists are Learning

The Bible is absolutely unique in terms of ancient documents in asserting that the universe had a beginning. It is absolutely unique in terms of ancient documents in positing a beginning to which science also agrees. Science now agrees with the Bible, as opposed to other ancient religious documents, in that time is part of the universe, that time does not and cannot exist outside of the universe, that time is therefore finite.

Slowly but surely, modern science is acquiescing to the scientific facts of the Bible. As Gerald Schroeder has said, “The Old Testament was not composed in response to cosmological discoveries as an attempt to force an agreement between theology and cosmology . . . Theology presents a fixed view of the universe. Science, through its progressively improved understanding of the world, has come to agree with theology.”

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Christians are Hypocrites!

I’ve been working on another project, so blogging time is at a minimum. However, a News item caught my eye that I need to write about.

Apparently 75% of non Christians believe that Christians are hypocrites. That in itself isn’t the interesting part. The accusation is old news. The interesting part is what hasn’t been said. For instance. Since 100% of Christians are hypocrites, why haven’t 100% of non Christians noticed that? Are the other 25% too polite to say it? Have they just not noticed? Maybe they don’t know any Christians? Or is the other 25% are wise enough to know that 100% of people, all of us, Christian or not are hypocrites to one degree or another?

Another question is, what do the 75% mean by hypocrite? Is it just that they see us as not living up to the ideals of Christianity? Or do they really believe that we are pretending to be better than we know we are? Do these 75% understand that people become Christians because we have become glaringly aware of the fact that we aren’t good people, that we aren’t holier than anyone else, that we are sinners of the first order who are in desperate need of forgiveness? Do they know that or are their responses born out of ignorance?

Just wondering.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Salvation and Equality

The idea that all people are created equal is a distinctly Christian ideal that most cultures throughout history could not even comprehend. Christianity overrides the self-evident inequality of human reality. Salvation through faith in Jesus is available to all, regardless of race, gender, culture, sexual orientation, intellectual ability or education. Salvation through faith in Jesus levels the playing field and makes possible possessing God’s love, mercy and grace for everyone except for those who refuse to take this wonderful gift.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Christianity is the only Foundadation

Some say that the greatness of Western Civilization has nothing to do with Christianity. That’s like enjoying your fill at a banquet table and stating with great fanfare that your feeling of gastronomic satisfaction has nothing to do with the food that you’ve just consumed.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Intellectual Fulfillment in Jesus

“The Pharisees objected, “All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to believe.”

Jesus replied, “You’re right that you only have my word. You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don’t make judgements out of the NARROWNESS OF MY EXPERIENCE but in the largeness of the One who sent Me, the Creator, Father God. You are tied down to the mundane; I’m in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I’m living on other terms. I told you that you were missing God in all this. If you won’t believe I am who I say I am, you’re at a dead end in terms of learning.” John 8:14-18, 23,24.

The Bible has many, many verses whereby the authors record their dealing with those in their community who were materialists. These authors are trying to explain, both from evidence and from experience that there is much more to life than what meets the eye, or any of the other senses for that matter. For example:

Romans 1:1 . . . since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Hebrews 11:3 - “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

I find this verse fascinating. Here we have a 1st century author declaring a truth that wasn't confirmed until the first living cells were observed under a microscope in the middle of the 15th century.

2nd Corinthians 5:12 - “We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again . . . so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.”

2nd Corinthians 4:18 - “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Rather than constricting life, as so many suppose, a life with Jesus at the centre and with God as the cause opens one’s mind to a storehouse of wisdom and knowledge that is simply unavailable to those who try to live life on their own terms. Humbly accepting that we are not the centre of the universe and opening ourselves to the wisdom of God is the most liberating move that a person can make. It is the most intellectually fulfilling move that a person can make.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Spirituality in Jesus

“Religious people develop a zest for life that is, in a sense, unnatural. They exhibit a hopefulness about the future that may exceed what is warranted by how the world is going. And they forge principles of morality and charity that simply make them more cohesive, adaptive, and successful than groups whose members lack this binding and elevating force.” Biologist, David Sloan Wilson.

Spirituality in Jesus is a guiding force that is changing lives for the positive in literally millions of new people every year. New life, new direction, new purpose is bring hope and peace to those who have known only fear and despair. Thank you Lord!