By the Numbers

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Will Everyone Eventually Go To Heaven?

                  Will Everyone Eventually Go To Heaven?
 .
#Universalism  #Heaven
.
Can our likes and dislikes, strong feelings and opinions be the basis for a universal truth that everyone will go to Heaven? Some persons can't stand the thought of Hell! They feel God would be the worst terrorist to send anyone to an eternal torture chamber such as a lake of fire. Love always forgives and restores, and God is love. It's only a bad environment that makes people go bad and Heaven is only a good environment. Persons who feel this way are called universalists. Now we ask is universalism based on fact? We answer this issue under three questions.
.
                                          Is Everybody Going to Heaven Realistic?
.
Wouldn't universalism make human beliefs insignificant? Consider the many conflicting human beliefs. Atheists claim there is no God of any kind and no reason to expect life after. death. Pantheist religions say everything is god which is universal energy or spirit that temporarily appears as stars, plants, and animals. Muslims say whoever doesn't believe that Allah's angel Gabriel spoke to Muhammad will go to Hell. Mormons believe people can become gods and have their own planet. Religious persons generally believe that if some kind of good world exists after death that you must live a good life as they define it to go to that world. Christians believe events can be accurately recorded and known and that God created the universe with man in his image for a love-trust relationship with Him.
.
Now if we must have the correct belief to go to Heaven, and many people have conflicting beliefs, then it seems all people can't go to Heaven. Can we even know who is right if fickle feelings or conflicting opinions is all we have to go on? Moreover, if all go to Heaven, do beliefs even matter?
.
Wouldn't universalism make our human behavior insignificant? We can minister to one another as Christians claim we should, or we can murder one another as often occurs. We can selfishly look after our own needs, ignore people, or use and abuse them as being of no great worth. We may even murder people we don't like feeling it's good to get them out of our way and send them to Heaven. Now, if in Heaven we're all rewarded the same, what difference does our present behavior ultimately make? Does our life  now have any purpose? 
.
Wouldn't universalism destroy our dignity? Sin can be fun, appetites hard to control. Some persons frankly call righteousness boring, but evil exciting and fun. They like violence, fighting, warfare, stealing, deceiving. They are good at it and conquering a part of the world gives them power and makes them feel superior. Now, if Heaven is an all good or perfect place, then it seems we imperfect people must be forced to be good, or go to a Heaven we don't like. We have no say about it. What dignity is that? Isn't the loss of freedom even to do evil a loss of dignity? Do heavenly robots have dignity?
 .
Wouldn't universalism destroy our security? If we all go to Heaven, and it doesn't matter what we believe, or how we behave, whoopee! It's an amoral world we can do anything we like. Wouldn't it then become a madhouse of excitement? Perhaps! What if the thrill wears off? Couldn't it more likely become  a world of destruction, warfare, waste and terror? We may decide it's better to die and go to Heaven--it couldn't be worse! If universalism is true, is a personal God even necessary? Could there even be a good and caring God? Does universalism provide us any hope?
.
                        From a Christian Perspective Do Universalist's Arguments
                                            Show Everyone Goes to Heaven?
.
Universalists give theological arguments they claim prove all persons will go to Heaven. They say, God as love doesn't give up and never fails in this world or the next. God having all power cannot be stopped and can do good, even impossible things, so that people will finally accept Him. Having infinite wisdom, God can find the best way to get people to accept Him and go to Heaven. And being just, God must assure that all will be saved and none left out of Heaven. 
.
Biblical Christians reply, we must first understand that God is not composed of parts that can be divided, but is of simple essence so that all His perfections work together in harmony to achieve His purposes. Further, it's wrong to define God's perfections and acts different from what the Bible says. Finally, God created man in his image, immortal, and with the power of free will and moral responsibility. Right and wrong is defined by God's perfect standard and judgment, not man's fickle conflicting limited opinions. Doesn't this make far more sense rather than nonsense of universalism?
.
God is love and cannot force us to believe--He respects our humanity, dignity and rights. God has all power to restrain evil, but patiently allows us time to repent. We may selfishly demand our way and ignore His mercy and love. God as infinite wisdom will use the best means to bring people to accept Him. His supreme expression of love was giving His Son Jesus as sacrifice for our sins on the cross.  Before the cross, the world had no concept of a loving God--many still don't today. God is just in rewarding His faithful servants to the degree of their service--Heaven. And God is just in allowing those who despise good and godly living to have their own kind of place suited to their degree of  sin--Hell. Properly understood Heaven and Hell both show God's love and justice. Rev. 22:11-15. But to see it, we must come to the Bible with an open mind, not with a lot of false assumptions or emotional baggage.
.
Universalists argue the  Bible shows all persons go to Heaven. First, notice the character of these phrases below. (1) Not one of them says everybody goes to Heaven--in fact Heaven is never even mentioned. (2) All these phrases are indefinite and can be taken in more than one way. (3) While these ten uncertain texts are said to teach universalism, a great many more clear passages mentioned below teach people do go to a real conscious eternal Hell. Doesn't good sense tell us to take clear definite statements over uncertain ones? (4) While God desires all to go to Heaven, He gives us the free will to reject His will and many do (Matt.23:37).
.
The context in every case shows universalism is not the true meaning.  (1) Passages that speak of enemies under the Lord's feet are unbelievers forced to bow the knee and confess His authority, not believers serving Him as sons (Psalms 110:1; 1 Cor. 15:24-25; Eph. 1:10; Phil. 2:10-11). (2) Other passages mention the restoration of  all things (Acts 3:21). This probably answers Peters' question in Acts 1:9 of when Jesus would restore the kingdom to Israel. The answer is during the millennium when the apostles would sit on twelve thrones (Acts 3:25; Matt. 19:28). (3) Yet others say Christ's death justified all men (Romans 5:18-19). It gives all men opportunity to be saved but only those who believe will be (Acts 4:12; 16:31). (4) Again, God is reconciling the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:19; Rom. 11:15). But this is true only if in Christ. (5) Finally, 1 Peter 3:18-20  and 4:6 say  Jesus preached to disobedience spirits of Noah's day.  Universalists claim Jesus preached the gospel to the dead which means they have a second chance. This text says Jesus preached to a limited group of Noah's day the victory of  his resurrection. It doesn't say he preached the gospel. And Hebrews 9:27 says after death our eternal destiny is fixed.  Again, the Bible gives no case for universalism.
.
                                  What Does Biblical Christianity Say About It?
.
The Bible is crystal clear that Hell is as real and eternal as God and Heaven. Jesus said, "these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt.25:46). The Bible gives abundant clear contrasts between the godly and ungodly and their separate eternal abodes--Heaven/Hell, saved/lost, forgiven/eternal sin,  justified/condemned,  in Christ/not in Christ, righteous/wicked, light/darkness, sheep/goats,  wheat/weeds,  narrow road/broad road,  sons of God/sons of Satan, reconciled/slaves to sin, born again/not born again, washed in the blood/unclean, accepted & beloved/condemned with the world, believed in the Son/not believed in Christ, in glory/tormented forever. It's certain that no universalism is taught in the Bible.
.
Hell is justice and is love in its universal social aspect. Justice means we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-8). People of every country have always  believed human abusers such as thieves, rapists, murderers should be punished and put away to prevent human destruction. But love, joy, peace, and goodness were praiseworthy and should be rewarded. This is why we have jails and why we reward heroes. As preventing harm to people, justice is another word meaning love. So, if it's essential to protect and preserve human well being on earth, it's just as essential in Heaven. "There shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life" (Rev. 21:27). See also Rev. 22:15; 1 Cor. 6:9-11.
. 
Further, and this is important. Just as God's people are rewarded according to their different degrees of services, Satan's people are punished according to their different degrees of sins. That's what justice means (Gal. 6:7-8). Moreover, the punishment God rejecters receive is self-inflicted.  It's their self torment over their own guilt, shame, lost opportunity and eternal despair. And self-conscientiousness--the undying worm (person)--and degrees of punishment show the Bible doesn't teach annihilation--sinners still exist in their darkness and torment. We have one earthly life with opportunity for faith in Christ!  At death our destiny is sealed (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 22:11).

.
The Bible repeatedly says the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, is our only way to be saved from sin and Hell. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)." The whole Jewish sacrificial system of slain animals pictured God's forgiveness of  believers sins by animals dying in their place and it pointed to Christ. Other such statements are John 1:12, 29; 3:7, 16, 36; 5:24; 8:24; 10:9-10; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Romans 5:8-9; 6:23; 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9 and a great many others. It's God alone who  has the right to set the terms of entrance to His Heaven. Truth is absolute and narrow--2 plus 2 can only = 4. It's a mind closed to truth that is prejudiced.
.
The Bible further teaches Heaven or Hell is our own choice. Persons who go to Hell choose to-- God pleads with them to trust Him and go to Heaven. As just mentioned in passages above whoever will may come to Christ and be saved (Isa.1:18). And yes, God knows who will and who won't come, but love cannot force  them to accept Him and His righteousness. The door to Heaven is wide open to all who want God's way. And we can sense God's Spirit inviting us to come (John 16:8-10).
.
It's not a bad environment that sends people to Hell, but a bad or sinful heart that rebels against God and right living. Adam and Eve were provided an idea world in the Garden of Eden and choose to disobey God anyway. God tests humanity throughout the ages and every time people turn away and meet with judgment. No sinner will have an excuse at the Great White Thrown to say God was unfair. And God's people in Heaven seeing His perfect goodness and knowing human evil, depravity, hate and destruction on earth, will want only to know their good and loving Lord. Jesus said, "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man" (Matt. 15:19-20). Can we be honest?
.
We are without excuse. Nature, conscience, and God's Holy Spirit speak to us. The Bible alone is a God breathed revelation (message) to us--not man's centuries later additions, subtractions, beliefs, feelings, or opinions. Unlike other religions, the Lord gave us eyewitness historical accounts of His actions mentioned by both believers and unbelieving secularists. So, ask the Lord to save you from sin and guide you throughout life. Say, I now trust you Jesus as paying the price of my sin in your death for me on the cross.  I turn from love of sin, darkness, and doom to you the Light of the would. Jesus you alone are now my Savior, Lord, and Guide throughout life (John 3:16-21).
.


Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Bible Passages for Happy Godly Living

                     Bible Passages for Happy Godly Living

.
#Bible
.
Below I'm listing some important Bible passages with a commitment statement that can wonderfully transform us when they become a focal part of our everyday living. I suggest you memorize the Scripture and prayerfully and continually repeat it with the commitment statement throughout the day. God's Word will wonderfully transform our way of thinking and living to faithful and fruitful  life in Christ. You may want to copy, cut out and attach some of these passages to your dressing mirror and review them until they become a part of you.
.
Genesis 1:1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. I trust in the Almighty Creator God of the Bible as humanities only standard of truth and right living.
.
Hebrews 11:6. It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Lord, I admit that I can be misinformed, misguided, and mistaken, so I humbly trust in your infinite knowledge, wisdom, goodness and love. 
 .
Psalm 119:11. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. I choose to obey God's Word and not sin against the Lord.
.
Psalm 119:33. Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by any evil. Lord, I trust you to guide me a step at a time even when I don't understand.
.
Genesis 1:27. God created people in his own image. I obey God to respect the dignity and rights of human beings He created directly in His mental and moral image.
Acts 16:31. Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. I believe there is no one but the Lord Jesus who died for us sinners and arose from the dead who can save us from sin and hell.                   .
.
Romans 6:23. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. I accept eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ understanding salvation is God's gift that I can neither earn  nor deserve.
.
John 14:6. Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus, the God-man, is the only way to His Father for everyone willing to believe.  
Romans 12:2. Don't copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. I trust you Lord to transform my thinking and living to be honoring and pleasing in your sight.
.
Romans 8:1. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Praise God! I now belong to Christ Jesus and am no longer condemned for my wicked deeds. 
.
Philippians 3:12. I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. Like God's apostle Paul, I'm not perfect but I am counted righteous, or right with God in Christ.
.
Galatians 5:22-23. When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Holy Spirit of God, I humbly submit my spirit to You trusting You to produce this precious fruit in my life. Thank you, Lord.
.   
Romans 1:16. I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes. I am trusting in the power of God and not ashamed to tell others that Christ died to save us sinners.
.
Matthew 28:18-19. Jesus said, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." As a true and obedient disciple under your authority Lord, I will try to make disciples of all nations in the name of the triune God of the Bible.
Romans 8:28. God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. I love you Lord and trust you to work things together for good according to your good purpose for my life.
.
Romans 8:18. What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. Lord, I look forward to the beautiful new heaven and earth you are preparing for our eternal abode.
.
Romans 8:39. Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.  I trust Lord, not in my weakness, but in your forgiveness and faithfulness.
.
Revelation 22:12. I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds. I trust Lord in your direction and help, and look forward to your coming to reward my efforts to serve you.
.
Moses and God's prophets wrote the Old Testament mostly in Hebrew; Paul and God's apostles wrote the New Testament in Greek. Thus, the Bible must be translated for each new generation and in every modern language for God's Word to be meaningful to us today. I recommend as a study Bible the Life Application Study Bible. It's an easy to understand translation, it's a very informative commentary, and its many meaningful applications make it an excellent source for preachers, Bible teachers, and devotional study.
.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Christ's Historical Resurrection.

                         Christ's Historical Resurrection

If Jesus never arose from the dead, biblical Christianity is a myth, a deception, a lie! Then, there's no reason to believe Jesus incarnate is our God and Savior. No reason to believe the New Testament. No objective or empirical reason to believe life exists after death. No objective reason to believe in heaven, hell, or judgment. No reason to believe in any absolute wrong or sin--only conflicting human opinions leading to chaos and tyranny. And we humans have no great value, dignity or purpose. Whoever gets or whatever has the greater power can eliminate us. These are serious issues we need to fully understand in our own minds and hearts. Consider the following.
.  
Can Honest Thinking Persons Believe Jesus Is Our Risen Lord? The resurrection is among the best historically documented events. Philosopher Bertrand Russell doubted Jesus' existence which only showed his anti-Christian prejudice. Consider these important  facts upon which both believing and unbelieving historians agree.
.
1. Both historians agree that people of Jerusalem knew Jesus' burial cite and could have prevented Christianity simply by producing Jesus' dead body. For good or ill, all Jerusalem at Passover was alerted as to who Jesus was claimed to be. The superscription above his cross in three languages read: This is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. The  Jewish authorities protested to Governor Pilate to no avail. Pilate even allowed Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, disciple of Jesus, and member of the ruling Jewish council (Sanhedrin) to bury Jesus nearby in his own new tomb. Joseph was no disciples invention. Mention of his name and tomb site was well known. Hostile persons would quickly discredit such a claim if false.
.
Further, both Jewish and Roman authorities testify that the tomb was found empty on the third day after Jesus' crucifixion (Matt. 28:11-14). The chief priests invented the story that Jesus' disciples at night stole his body while the soldiers slept and bribed them to tell the Roman authorities. This lie shows  both that the tomb was empty and that Jesus' disciples could freely preach his resurrection throughout Jerusalem and on throughout the world. All the hostile authorities had to do to prevent Christian beginnings was produce Jesus' body, but they could not. Their deafening silence against  Jesus' resurrection and his being Israel's Messiah, God's Son, and our Savior is really strange--that is unless it's true!
.
2. Both agree that the transformed lives of Jesus' disciples requires explanation. The disciples fled during Jesus' trial, cringed in fear and despair in the upper room. But three days after his crucifixion these cringing cowards became courageous preachers. Why? They knew this message could bring them suffering, persecution, even tortures death. Ten of the remaining apostles were killed and John was exiled and persecuted until his death. Would they have undergone all that for what they knew was a lie? Then a risen Jesus is the most reasonable explanation possible. And since millions more have given their lives for the Jesus they love, say truly loves them, and assures them of eternal life.
.
3. Both agree there was a massive transformation of Jews becoming Christians. Jews of Jesus' day were strict monotheists. They knew their history and warnings from Moses and the prophets that when they forsook their God things didn't go well for them (Deut. 28). They were God's uniquely chosen people with the one true religion. They alone were given God's covenants, laws, temple, and sacrificial system--it was all taught them from childhood and was not likely given up easily. But suddenly and freely, thousands of priests and people abandoned basic tenets and practices of their faith. They began worshipping on the first day of the week, the day Jesus is said to have been raised from the dead. They abandoned temple sacrifices believing Jesus was the real sacrificial Lamb without blemish to take away their sins forever. They no longer felt obligated to fulfill the law being declared just and forgiven by faith in Christ.  What other possible explanation can explain this but the risen Christ as their promised Messiah and Lord?
.
4. Both agree that the church from its beginning preached the resurrected Christ.  On the Day of Pentecost just fifty days after Passover, the church was born of the Holy Spirit. Peter addressed the men of Israel with these words: "Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know--Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have by wicked hands, have crucified, and put to death whom God raised up" (Acts 2:22-23). Peter further mentions that King David predicted Christ's resurrection (verses 31-32; Ps. 16:10). At the conclusion of Peter's sermon three thousand souls were saved and the church began and continued in the apostles doctrine, fellowship, and prayer. But there are many other predictions of Jesus' resurrection we need to notice.
.  
Old Testament predictions of Israel's Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus. Isaiah 53,  written 700 B.C.,  predicted Messiah would be innocent, rejected, silent before accusers, beat with strips, tried, imprisoned, die with sinners, for sinners, to justify many, and be buried with the rich.  Such things can't speak of Israel but of Israel's Messiah, and can only apply to the historical Jesus.
 .
Jesus progressively predicted his own death and resurrection. He said, destroy this temple and he will raise it up (John. 2:18-22). He will be in the earth as Jonah was in belly of the fish three days (Matt. 12:38-40). He will voluntary lay his life down and take it up again (John 10:18). He will be betrayed, killed, and raised from the dead (Matt. 17:22-23). The chief priest, scribes, Gentiles will scourge and crucify him, but he will be raised third day (Matt. 20:18-19). Jesus would be a  liar and false prophet if things didn't happen exactly as he predicted.
.  
Jesus fulfilled the Psalms predictions of Messiah. Jesus told disciples on road to Emmaus that the Scriptures spoke of him (Luke 24:44-49).   Messiah will be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9). Forsaken by God (22:1).  Hands and feet pierced (22:16). Soldiers will gamble for his clothes (22:18). No bones broken (34:20). Given vinegar and gall (69:21). Betrayer replaced (109:8).  Be resurrected (16:10). Ascend to heaven (68:18). These details were written centuries before Jesus. There is no such predictions like this in other religions. Chances of these predictions of Messiah being fulfilled by accident  are simply impossible. They plainly show Jesus alone is Israel's Messiah. And when Jesus returns Israel will accept him (Romans 11:25-27).
.
Recent Theories to Refute Jesus' Resurrection. Former theories are shown ridiculous by both believers and skeptics. Let me mention some of the theories attempting to explain away Jesus' resurrection--swoon theory, wrong tomb theory, somebody stole the body theory, hallucination theory, apostles fraud theory, telegram from heaven theory. These theories have been shown impossible by Christians, honest atheists, and skeptics who in examining the evidence became Christians. They are attempts of desperation. Now let me briefly discuss some recent ones equally absurd.
 .
Recent theories are shown equally absurd. John Dominic Crossan eaten by dogs theory. Jesus' body was thrown into a shallow grave and later dug up and eaten by wild dogs. There's nothing to support this  but his bias against Christianity and his wild imagination. He is a member of the Jesus Seminar, a group of atheists and skeptical professors who meet to decide how much of the Bible they can believe. They are out of the mainstream of Bible scholarship, but write books and quote each other as experts who they claim prove Christian faith false.
.
Muhammad mentions a substitution theory (Sura 4:157).  Historians  don't believe the angel Gabriel revealed this to Muhammad. Only Muslims do who are taught it from childhood and aren't allowed to think or read otherwise. It is that Jesus, the son of Mary and Apostle of God, never died on the cross as someone was crucified in Jesus' place. Some say perhaps Judas or Simon of Cyrene. Then Allah took Jesus to heaven. This theory is not really new but newly considered since Islam is again seeking to force other nations to submit to its religion, government and law.
.
The facts are that Jesus' mother, Apostle John, and others who knew him well saw him die on the cross. The Jewish and Roman authorizes made certain it was Jesus who died and was buried in Joseph's tomb. Three days later Jesus appeared to his disciples for forty days under all kinds of circumstances eating with them and talking of the kingdom of God (Acts 1:1-3). And five hundred persons later saw Jesus alive (1 Cor. 15). See also articles: Jesus' Resurrection Is Humanity's Only Hope!; Is There Life After Death?; Did Jesus Arise from the Tomb?
.
As mentioned in the introduction, there can hardly be any more serious issues facing humanity. So much of human well-being depends upon Jesus dying for our sins on the cross and arising from the dead. Not only is there excellent evidence for it but it is the very basis of human dignity, value, morality, rationality, life now and promise of Heaven later. No other world view can compare with the risen Lord Jesus Christ who promises life eternal. Won't you say, Lord, I trust you this minute to forgive my sin, come into my life as my Savior, Lord, and Guide to live according to your will from now to eternity. Praise God!! Thank You, my Lord.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Has God Made Himself Known to Us?

                      Has God Made Himself Known to Us?.

.
#World-Views   #God-knowledge
.
Can we be honest with the facts whether we like them or not? Some statements are true and others false--opposites can't both be true in the same way at the same time. The universe either exists, or it doesn't. Some actions are right and others wrong--if it's wrong to mistreat you, it's wrong to mistreat anyone. If you as a human being have rights to your life and beliefs, then so do all human persons. Now, without these principles of human dignity, rationality, equality, ethics, and free speech can we even survive? Is there an ultimate reality we can stand on that ties it all together and insures human survival and well-being? Let's think it through. 

Aren't these ideas mistakes destructive to human life?

Atheism assumes that nothing of itself exploded into everything and that mindless atoms arranged themselves into all life forms (macroevolution). Atheism takes many forms some being as follows. Materialists say matter exists but not mind. Naturalists claim all is nature and there can't be anything supernatural such as miracles. Secularists affirm anything sacred is superstitious and to be rejected. And humanists hold there's nothing higher than we human animals. Atheist assumptions are contrary to science, logic and common sense. Further, they reduce human beings to soulless dirt, ethics to conflicting human opinions, destroy hope for life after death, and make life a chaotic and manipulative power struggle--survival of the fittest. Elites who get the biggest stick beat down all the rest of us as with laws, taxes, poverty, dependence, secret policing and maybe a blood bath revolution.
.
Agnosticism is either a dogmatic assumption or an unwillingness to search out the facts. Some agnostics say we can't know any kind of god exists. Now like atheism this is another dogmatic claim to exhaustive knowledge. Or, if the agnostic means, "I just don't know." this leads to the same problems and becomes a practical atheism.
.
Polytheism and  subjective relativism are contradictory destructive absurdities. Animism is the belief in spirits in trees, animals, and things. Polytheism raises spirits to gods that control forces of nature, are worshiped by certain tribes, or have their own domains. It's still alive and well in parts of the world.  Logically, however, there can't be but one absolute. These gods arise from nature and can cease to exist. They are finite  and give no visible evidence of their existence. So they are fears of nature's forces or projections of human desires and imagination. Makers of idols have powers to see, hear, talk, and move that their idol gods lack. It's all absurd.
.
Moderns have largely lost faith in one Almighty, holy and loving God. So everything becomes relative, uncertain, chaotic, subjective, competitive. The only sin is to believe in real truth and righteousness. Is this not a prescription for warfare, destruction, disease and death? And what is the philosophy of politically correct but tyranny? Is there a basis for recovery? I believe so but it would require honesty, courage, maybe death!
. 
Monism (reincarnation philosophies and religions) is the claim that God is all that exists and the world is illusion. God is conceived as a great pool of energy whose parts stretch out temporarily to assume every form or identity plants, puppies, people, everything only to return to the pool. This happens repeatedly and things can assume different identities until final absorption. Consequently, nothing has any real identity or permanent existence. So nothing is considered real and important--all is God the great pool of energy and the material world is illusion. In effect, truth, pain, good, evil, life, death, success, failure, history, nothing is ultimately important. What will be will be--the only goal is final absorption. This results in a stagnant depressed compassionless society. It doesn't ultimately matter if we be ministers or murderers. See my article on Understanding Reincarnation.
.
Deism claims a Creator God who forsook us. Deists say a real personal infinite Creator God exists. For this dependent universe requires a first cause. And design throughout nature points to an intelligent Creator. But the world is a closed system of cause and effect so only natures laws guide us and can't be violated by miracles or divine revelations.. Some deists believe our spirits survive death and are rewarded if good or punished if bad.  Persons who feel their prayers go unanswered and see no evidence of God think no caring God exists. It's a sort of practical atheism like above that assumes exhaustive knowledge. Now, we need more than a Creator of stars  and planets. Can we be open to evidence that the God we need may really exist, love and want to save us?

Can we be open to God acting in our world? 

 If we've been taught a particular way of believing all our lives, or one way has been forced upon us and we've never heard anything different, how do we know there is anything different, or that God and the world is different from all that we've heard? Can we be courageous, open and honest to consider another way of seeing things that might be greatly beneficial and even true? Three great religions each claim a personal, ethical Creator God exists.
.
Could God's angel have made God known to Muhammad? Like Christians, Muslims believe in one God, angels good and evil, heaven, hell, and a judgment day. Muslims say the angel Gabriel told Muhammad all we need to know in the Quran. Muhammad accepted some of the Jewish Scripture and Christian New Testament, said Moses, David, and even Jesus were prophets. But Jesus is not God's Son, didn't die on the cross for our sins nor rise from the dead. There are so many problems with Islam, it's really difficult to accept and to explain in this three page article. Basically, Islam wants to force the world into submission if need be.
.
Could God have made Himself known to Israel? When we survey Israel's history recorded in its Scripture (O.T.), incredible events occur. Israel's God sends plagues to kill Egypt's firstborn, waters stand up in walls to let Israel through, they're fed mysterious manna in the dessert forty years while their clothes never wore out, and they defeated seven nations stronger than themselves. Now we don't know of such things happening today, but we do know of other nations claiming gods and fantastic tales so shouldn't we carefully examine such claims and try to be objective?
.
When we do examine them, we notice significant differences with Israel's God. He's not like spirits in trees or families of gods of the other nations--Egyptians, Canaanites, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans. Israel's God is the universe's creator who made man in his image and entered into relation with people. He is fiercely moral who imposes moral standards nobody can attain and issues warnings for disobedience. He imposes a sacrificial system to teach his people there is no forgiveness without the shedding of a blood sacrifice. He establishes unconditional covenants with Israel to become the head nation with a Messiah to bless the world. See my article, God's Unconditional Covenant Promises to Israel.
.
The problem with Israel is that it was always going astray. God sent prophets and warnings and promises. But like us today, Israel was sinfully human and rebellious. The predicted forerunner, John the Baptizer (Isa. 40:3-5; Matt. 3:3; John 1:29) appeared and pointed to Jesus saying, see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Wanting and expecting a political and military Messiah to deliver them from Roman oppression, the Jews had no thought of a Savior of sinners. Jesus, however, did everything the prophets said of the Messiah to die for the sins of his people. And while some rabbis were confused by prophecies of a suffering Messiah as well as a reigning king, Jesus died rejected and ridiculed by his people.
.
Could God have made Himself known to humanity in Jesus Christ? If there exists a great Creator God who cares for us, how can we know this? Surely not by ignoring or abandoning us. Wouldn't it call for doing things nature and men are not known to do in order to get our attention and demonstrate he is truly Lord of his creation? How about predicting events impossible for us to know or imagine like a virgin birth and ascension into heaven? How about walking on water and healing all kinds of diseases immediately? Wouldn't these do it especially with him explaining at the time that he is our God?
.
While Bible events are supernatural, they are not like the silly things found in other religions of once upon a time in some impossible to go place. They speak of real persons, nations, events, practices known to history. Even a time line can be established. Its heroes are very normal and imperfect. The Jews, unlike what the critics make out, knew nature's laws and were skeptical as persons today. Such events and their teachings could never have been accepted if made up stories or myths. Bible prophets and apostles would never have endured such tortures and horrible deaths had their writings been pure lies.
.
Only biblical Christianity supplies the needed principles mentioned in the introduction and ties them together to give us humans a foundation to stand upon. But we will sink back into barbarianism again, if we don't strongly embrace the Lord Jesus again as our Lord, Savior, and Guide for our world and our personal lives.  Won't U say YES to Jesus?
.
See booklist below.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

What Is The Bible's Lake of Fire?

                         What Is The Bible's Lake of Fire?

.
Some persons simply reject Hell. To them a God who throws people into a fire to burn forever seems horribly cruel and really merciless. To them Jesus is not that kind of God! Justice is not served if the most wicked and least wicked burn together in a lake of fire. If it's true, why even try to be good.  Yes! But are there other things said of Hell that never get mentioned? Could the fire be something other than the physical fire we imagine? Can we examine arguments about this painful subject with an open mind?
.
1. Yes, Jesus spoke many times of Hell as eternal fire (Matt. 5:29-30; 22;13). He used vivid figures of speech to capture attention, warn us, and save us from sin that corrupts and confines us away from God and all his blessings. He explained Hell's worse than losing an eye, foot, or hand. It's outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now that's not physical consuming fire; it's great loss and inconsolable grief, unremitting torment. Jesus' warnings show great compassion for human well-being.
.
We shutter at  Hell and  delight in  Heaven.  But if there's no Hell,  neither can there be Heaven. Unbelieving rebels would do the same wicked things  in Heaven they do here (Mark 7:21-22; Rev. 21:11). Ultimately, it wouldn't matter how we believe or behave. Laws, police and jails don't prevent our evil passions or keep us safe. Jesus,  the God-man, is our ethical authority (Matt. 25:46), or we're at the mercy of a dictator's whims and human chaos.  Wisdom then dictates we need to get it right about the prospect of Hell!
.
2. Are some sinners in Hell whipped more than others? In  Luke 12:47-48, Jesus said the wicked servant who knew his master's will but didn't do it will be beaten with many strips, but the one who didn't know it yet deserved punishment, would be beaten with few strips. Isn't this just a way of saying Hell  is degrees of punishment? Mom's lying about her age then would never be punished in a lake of physical fire with Hitler who caused the deaths of millions of people? So many passages that plainly teach Hell is degrees of punishment make it difficult to believe in a lake of physical fire where all would be burned, consumed, or be punished equally. For degrees see also Matt. 10:15; 11:22, 24; Mark 6:11; Hebrews. 10:29
.
3. The Bible says Hell was made for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41).  Angels as spirit beings who wouldn't be burned or consumed by physical fire. But later the beast, false prophet, and the devil are  said cast apparently meaning bodily into the lake of fire and brimstone forever but said only to be  tormented (Rev. 20:10). Could the fire be a metaphor used to depict its serious nature?
.
4. Jesus said the worm doesn't die and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:44). That' s another powerful figure of speech.  Jerusalem's garbage dump was always burning dead carcasses with maggots eating rotting flesh, and fires that never went out. Jesus borrowed that loathsome sight to illustrate Hell. Of course there are no maggots in Hell. The worm is used to express contempt as used of Jacob and of Jesus (Isa. 66:24; 41:14; Ps.22:6), and the physical fire we know can go out. Could the fire then be something like the burning bush that attracted Moses because it didn't burn up (Exodus 3:2).

5. Jesus told about a rich man in Hades and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:19-30). Unbelievers such as this rich man at death went to the place of torment or anxiety as  mentioned here four times.  This tormented man was concerned for his five unrepentant brothers. Jesus said that if they would not heed Moses and the prophets, they would not believe even if one rise from the dead.  His undying memories, lost opportunities, and eternal despair were agonizing. Revelation 20:10, 14 says plainly the lake of fire and brimstone where Death and Hades will be cast, is torment, forever torment. Torment is agony of mind, not torture of body as in physical fire.

6. Our Lord's brother, Jude, says several things about Hell that never seem to get mentioned. Speaking of doomed sinners, he says they are "clouds without water carried about by the winds, late autumn trees without fruit twice dead and pulled up by the roots, raging waves of the sea foaming up their own shame, wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever" (Jude 12-13).  Here persons in Hell are pictured as empty, fruitless and spiritually dead, in rage and shame, lost, and  alone in darkness forever. Daniel 12:2 and 2 Peter 2:17 say similar things. That's the meaning of Hell.
.
7. Pure justice is that we reap exactly what we sow. If we sow to  sinful desires it brings  corruption and death, but  to sow to the Holy Spirit leads to everlasting life (Gal. 6:7-8). Only God who knows our secrets and everything about us can ensure true justice (Gen. 18:25). According to the Bible, trusting Jesus is what decides whether we go to Heaven or Hell (John 3:16, 36). But Scripture everywhere says we're rewarded in Heaven or punished in Hell according to our works which is different with each of us. Believers are rewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 3:9-15). Unbelievers condemned at the Great White Thrown (Rev. 20:11-15)
.
8. Bible lessons are literally true (spiritually), but not necessarily true literally. The fire is real, but not necessarily physical to burn or consume. Persons in Hell have imperishable physical bodies unaffected by fire as we know it (John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:13-15). Moreover, Jesus and others of his day used exaggerated speech or hyperbole to drive home a point. For example, Jesus said his disciples are to hate family in comparison to loving him (Luke 14:26). Strong faith  can move mountains into the sea (Mark 11:23). Lake of fire, furnace, flames, smoke, brimstone are exaggerated metaphors to get attention and drive home the point.

It's unfortunate that Hell fire is sometimes screamed at us without careful explanation. We  have trouble believing God is love when he seems represented so cruelly. Hell is not God torturing us in physical fire--it's our choice of self-torment without God alone in an eternity of darkness. When we turn from God's love, truth, righteousness, and gospel, he gives us up to uncleanness, vile passions, and a debased mind (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). We are then without excuse (Rom. 1:20; 2:1).
.
What then is the Bible's lake of fire? We already seen above that rebels in Hell will have imperishable physical bodies. I believe those who won't obey the gospel experience Hell as God's fiery wrath judging sin (2 Thess. 1:7-9). They love evil, won't repent, and live in darkness (Jn. 3:19-21). John 3:36 tell us what Hell is, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." Hell is the wrath of God felt by everyone who chooses to reject the Lord's truth, love, righteousness, and gospel (good news) of  Jesus dying on the cross to pay for our sins. Love and righteousness can't be forced. God lets unbelievers have their own way forever. So all who reject God  feel his fiery wrath in their anger, hate, guilt, contempt, shame, darkness, despair (Rev. 21:11-15). Can anything be more serious?
.
The Bible is clear that God is love and it's not his will that anyone perish or burn. A loving  God  doesn't and can't force us to trust him when we don't want him in our lives (2 Peter 3:9). A guilty conscience, the promptings of God's Spirit, the beauty and design of nature, the Bible, Christian witnesses, all testify to a personal ethical Creator. He is known to us as the Lord Jesus Christ. Won't U say, Lord Jesus, I trust You now as my Lord, Savior, and Guide from this moment on to live for You and to see You some day in Heaven.
..

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

What Will Heaven Be Like?

                                What Will Heaven Be Like?
.
Will we talk with angels who ministered to us on earth? Will our babies who died at birth be there? Is Heaven merely a state of mind or inactivity? Will we be real people doing things like we do here on earth? Is Jesus preparing each of us a mansion? Can our good deeds earn us a place in Heaven? Let's consider what the Bible says about each of these ideas.
.
Will we talk with angels who ministered to us on earth? Angels are said to be ministering spirits to those who are saved and there are thousands (Heb. 12:22). The Bible does speak of persons seeing angels in bodily form to bring people God's message or protection (Heb. 1:7, 14; 2 Kings 6:17).  I wish I could tell of experiences I've had with good angels, but if I've had them, I didn't recognize it. But I did mention some experiences I've had with evil or fallen angels in one of my articles. I have good reasons to believe it as corresponding with what the Bible says about demons. Yes, we will be with angels in the new Heaven on the New Earth and according to the Bible we will judge them (1 Cor. 6:3).  I recommend Billy Graham's book, Angels: God's Secret Agents.  
.
Will our babies who died at or after birth go to Heaven? The Bible doesn't definitely  say so perhaps because parents would then kill unwanted children thinking they sent them to Heaven. We are all born with a sin nature and told salvation comes by true faith (Ps. 51:5; Jn. 3:36). The following are reasons for believing God in mercy will save infants and those mentally incapable of understanding. (1) Isaiah 7:16 seems to teach a child is not responsible if not old enough to choose between good and evil.  (2) David, believing in the resurrection of life after death (Ps. 16:10-11), implied that he would go to his deceased infant son who would be in Heaven (2 Sam. 12:23).  (3) Jesus  seemed to say spiritually blind persons which infants would be, don't sin (John 9:41). (4) Jesus implies in Mark 10:14  that children should come to him  for of such is the kingdom of God. Heaven being the perfect place, they likely will become adults.
.
Is Heaven merely a state of mind and inactivity? No!  Then we will see God's face  and all His glory (the Beatific Vision), and we'll know our sufferings were worth it. Heaven's a place of greater fulfillment and activity than we could ever imagine (John 10:10; 1 Jn. 3:2-3; Rev. 22:3-4).  It's everything good and blessed of God that we experience in our lives now and a lot more. It's God's original idea for the Garden of Eden only now without the possibility of sin and its negative consequences. While this cursed world of sin and suffering is not the best world, God's wisdom knew it is the best way to the best world. In God's plan Jesus was slain before creation (Rev. 13:8). We will have new strong spiritual bodies of flesh and bone like Jesus, and made fit for Heaven with no reason to be ashamed (I Cor. 15: 35-49). Our experiences and testing here will enable us to understand and appreciate God and our new home far more than if we had never had them. God works all things together for good to those who love God, to those called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). God's apostle Paul tells us our present suffering are nothing comparable to the glory revealed in us (Rom. 8:18).  Praise God, then we'll know it was all worthwhile!  
.
Will we be real people doing things like we do here on earth? During the thousand years (Rev. 20:4-6) the Lord Jesus rules earth righteously with an iron scepter. The devil will be put in the bottomless pit, and the curse will be partially lifted, and so many unfulfilled Scriptures will be fulfilled. Peace, prosperity, good health, and knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth. People will live hundreds of years like in Methuselah's time (Gen. 5). Animals will be harmless even to children. There will be nations and rulers, and people do many of the things we do now only without all the bad stuff. Yes, people will have their own name and identity and will eat, drink, enjoy friendships, have good times with little sickness, pain, misery, boredom, or despair. Afterward Satan's let loose, there's  the final rebellion and judgment of the wicked. Then the New Jerusalem descends to the New Earth and eternity begins with no more curse. See just a few sample passages Psalms 2:6-9; Isa. 11:4-9; 59:20-61:11; Acts 1:6-7; Matt. 19:28; Rev. 20:1-15. Jesus came the first time as the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53), and will come again as the Reigning King in fulfillment of all God's promises (Isa. 54). His second coming will be as true and real as his first coming.
.
Is Jesus preparing each of us a mansion in Heaven? Jesus promised to prepare us a dwelling place perfectly suited to us and that he would return for us (John 14:2-3). But a better word to describe it is a room  or apartment rather than a mansion. Our New Jerusalem home on the New Earth will be 1400 miles square with perhaps hundreds of floors each with thousands of rooms.  The landscape of the New Earth will be radically changed so that there will be no more ocean, desserts, ice caps or wasted land. The new Heaven on the New Earth will contain many people which no one could number of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues (Rev. 7:9). If we consider Old Testament saints, those saved in all the ages, the tribulation, the millennium and babies who died in childbirth, it may add up to trillions of persons and far more than are in Hell. The broad road leading to destruction Jesus spoke of in John 7:13-14 may have applied before the Christian era. The devil is the loser. I'll say more about this in other articles. An eye opening through discussion of Heaven is Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven.
.
Can our good deeds earn us entrance into Heaven? No! Biblical Christianity has a different conception of man, God, Heaven and life after death from other world religions. Unlike reincarnation religions, we cannot work off karma to achieve Nirvana, or loss of identity, or be absorbed into Brahman as universal energy.  And unlike Islam, Christians cannot earn their way to Paradise with more good deeds than evil deeds (Titus 3:5). In Jihad, Muslim men defending Islam by killing Jews, Christians, and others who won't submit to Islam earn men sex in Paradise with many virgins (Surah 23:102-103; 3:195; Hadith 1:35). In contrast, the Christian Bible says seek to win others to faith in Christ, and loving service (Rom. 3;23; 5:8-9; Eph. 2:8-9).

Heaven for Christians is personal fulfillment in relationship with the God they love who loved them enough to bear their sin in his death on the cross (John 3:16; Gal. 2:16, 21). Bible teaching is that God is perfect who has prepared for us a perfect sinless Heaven. God made man--meaning both man and woman--in his image with the same dignity and for relationship with him (Gen. 1:27; Gal. 3:28), and there is no sex in Heaven (Matt. 22:30).  If we sinners choose our way rather than God's way, we're exempt from God and Heaven (Gal. 5:19-25). We must trust Jesus to save us and make us acceptable to God and fit for Heaven (2 Cor. 5:17-20). For if we want our own way rather than God and his blessings, He regretfully lets us have it in the place called Hell.
.
God lovingly invites everyone to accept his way for Hell is darkness, despair, and self-inflicted torment forever. Dear friends, won't you say: Lord Jesus, I'm the sinner deserving Hell, but I trust you from this moment on to be my Lord, Savior, and Guide until I go to be with You in Heaven. Thank You, dear Lord.  Now U can serve God by sharing these articles with others.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Will We Go to the Stars?

                                Will We Go to the Stars?

We've put a man on the moon? We've sent space probes that give us detailed pictures of planets in our solar system and on out into space. We've discovered hundreds of planets circling hundreds of stars. One science channel program discussed planting a colony on Mars. Telescopes have mapped out the ends of the universe and cosmic background radiation shows the universe is not round like a basketball but stretched out or oval like an egg. I'm neither astronomer nor physicist, so I must rely on what they say. What does both science and the Bible say about other worlds?

                What Does Science Say about other Worlds?

Modern telescopes show us there are billions of galaxies like our Milky Way Galaxy each containing billions of stars that must contain billions of planets. It seems reasonable that some are inhabited with intelligent life forms like us. Could aliens travel in space to reach us or we to reach them? And would their advanced civilization be helpful or harmful, develop us or destroy us?
 .
There were millions of reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOS) in the 50's. Television science fiction series such as Star Trek and others became very popular. Movies of space exploration fascinated young movie goers. People grew up wondering if we had been invaded by flying saucers and extraterrestrials. But the reports turned out to be of natural phenomena, home made or experimental aircraft, or pranks. No visible evidence was found of flying saucers, sighted aliens, crash debris, or persons found to have travel in a space ship.
.
Today scientists know of multiple problems that would be connected with space flight. Even the closest stars in our galaxy are light years away. Light travels at approximately 186,000 miles a second. If we  or aliens could travel through space at just 1% of the speed of light or 6.7 million miles an hour it would take 25,000 years to reach another planetary system. It would require hundreds of generations. Just the known hazards of space such as dust, gas, gravity, radiation, and black holes could prove fatal. A little pebble traveling at thousands of miles an hour colliding with the space craft would destroy it. The ship would have to steer away from meteors, comets, asteroids, wandering planets and things in the darkness maybe impossible to detect.
.
Enormous quantities of food, water and other supplies must be preserved. It seems doctors, medicines, labs, machines, mechanics, engineers would be needed as well. Such a super large scale project would demand a huge space craft and its cost would break world banks. Experiments to be encountered in a long term space journey were conducted with only eight people in a 3.15 acre capsule. Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels varied wildly to toxic levels. Cockroaches multiplied out of control. And long term confinement in limited space would cause mental breakdowns. It seems machines and robots would work better but even they would break down after awhile.
.
You may have heard all we need to populate a planet is water. Don't believe it! That's science fiction. Human life on earth requires literally hundreds of exactly right factors that are not known  elsewhere in our galaxy--it's called the anthropic principle.
.
Even a slight variation of earth's gravity, heat,  atmosphere, chemical composition, water, light, rotation, magnetism would make all life impossible. Smaller planets closer to the sun enable us to receive the right amount of light and heat while those bigger planets further out protect us from incoming meteors and space debris. The moon's craters evidence this protection and its gravity enables our tides to cleanse the oceans whose right amount of water enables us to have the right atmosphere. Earth contains the right elements needed in our bodies such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium. Our distance to the nearest star and our exact location between the spiral arms of our galaxy and hundreds of other factors enable us to live on earth.
.
Such utter complexity working in harmony couldn't be an accident of chance and must be a God thing. A nonexistent universe couldn't create itself and the scientific physical law called entropy means heat energy will spread out and one day the universe will become cold, inactive and dead. The universe is the effect, and its cause must be an infinite, self-existent, immaterial, and independent intelligence much like what the Bible describes as God. What now does the Bible say about other worlds?
 .
             What Does the Bible Say about other Worlds?
.
The Bible is clear that ultimately there are only two worlds to which we can go as our eternal home, and they are as different as night and day. Both worlds are the same for all their occupants, but our experiences in our new world will be very different since we all are different persons with different ways. In other words, we are forming our character every day by the things we think, say and do, our beliefs and behaviors, attitudes and acts, what we like and dislike, how we respond to others and even to what we understand about God. At death our character is fixed and final (Heb. 9:27; Rev. 22:11).  So it's most important that we assess ourselves in light of all this--we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-8).
.
The Natural Man Will Go to the World of Darkness to Reap What He's Sown in this World.
.
I like to party with my friends and don't see anything wrong with a few social drinks and drugs. Why are Christians against some sexual pleasures that are just a natural part of different lifestyles? There's nothing wrong to exploit nature's resources, its beauty, its animals, or anything to make me rich and powerful. We have to get what we can while we can. I don't believe in those Bible myths of alleged miracles and God. With so many conflicting religions, we can never know if any religion is right.  Christians are judgmental to say some things are wrong and I don't believe that nonsense about being born again. Everybody knows we can only come from our mother's womb. We have to live it up and get what we want today since we may not have tomorrow. Gal. 3:19-21; Rev. 21:8; Jude 12-13. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
.
The Spiritual Man Will Go to the World of Light to Reap What He's Sown in this World.
.
My body is God's temple, so I try to avoid harmful things that could  enslave me, and to use by body to serve  the Lord I love. Sex is God's precious gift for our pleasure and for producting children in covenant relationship with God and our spouse. Nature's resources, beauty, animals, and objects too are God's gifts for our benefit which we are to care for and use responsibly. Its no advantage to gain the whole world and lose our own soul. I once was blind to the things of God until I opened my heart and invited Jesus to save me. It was like being born all over again with a new outlook on life, a love for God, His Word and His will. I've found the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He lives within me and I'll go to live with Him as my eternal home in His world of light. Gal. 5:22-25; 1 Cor. 3:9-14.  Lord, I love You, trust You, and want my life to count for You eternally.                 
.
What Does the Bible Say About the End of the World?
.
"What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:11-13).  
 .
What Does the Bible Say About the Two Worlds?
.
"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:2-3).
.
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (Gal. 6:7-8). Yes, by trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior we join His world of light; rejecting Him confines us away in darkness forever. But our degree of rejoicing together in light, or degree of torment alone in darkness, is decided by how we live now. If we don't want God in our life, He respects our dignity and choice--He lets us have our own way, forever. And being ungrateful for His benefits, we'll cease to have them. Think about it! Is that what U want?
.
"We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). Which world will be your eternal home--His light, or your darkness? Say, Lord Jesus, I trust You to come into my life, save me from sin, and be my Guide forever. Thank You. 
.