Forward: These messages were written over a period of more than six years. They often were directed at different audiences or individuals. Most of them have been sent by email to many people. Some were written in answer to those who hold different views about religion and beliefs. In most of them there is a familiar theme. This is that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and we need to accept Him to be with Him in Heaven.
George Hagen: glhagen@verizon.net
HOW DO WE KNOW THE HOLY SPIRIT?
For several days it came into my mind to write this article. That is the Holy Spirit acting. He is within us always, but we may not recognize it. I try to listen to His promptings and act on them.
But if we don’t know how the Holy Spirit works, how do we get to know Him? I am not sure, but soon after I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ, I began to get indications if something I was wondering about was right with God. How the query was framed is important.
The Holy Spirit is a miracle provided by God for everyone. Miracles happen when we pray. If you want to experience the Holy Spirit and His power, pray to God to anoint you with the Spirit. God will do this if you are a follower of Christ. Then begin to pray to God for help from the Holy Spirit in specific things. This is not the same as asking God for healing or other vital aid. The Holy Spirit will help you accomplish some projects or help you do something that seems to be beyond your grasp. You will be surprised at how much the Spirit will increase your abilities. What you ask for must be in line with God’s will for you. We should not expect help with anything that is frivolous, immoral or hurtful to someone else.
Like many seniors, sometimes I have had sleeping problems. I know that if I take a sleeping pill, I will sleep. But I only want to take a pill when really needed. So I usually ask the Holy Spirit if something is needed for sleep. Usually there is no answer, but occasionally it is positive. A no answer has come to mean to me that I don’t need to take anything. I was surprised at first how well this works, but now rely on His advice. A more important example -- my wife has some severe physical problems. The other day she had pain. During prayer I said that I KNEW that God would help her and He did. While asking God, but before relief came, I received a very positive feeling about it from the Spirit. If I had said “I think You will help”, there would be no response, and possibly no help. It has to be a positive statement.
Here are some mundane things that I have asked about and received help:
Finding a lost object in our home. Being reminded to do something that otherwise would be overlooked. Accomplishing something on my computer that is elusive but important. Helping me select the most efficient way to do a chore or carry out a needed repair or task. Putting the right words in my mind when talking to a young person; talking to an adult about faith, or a remark to a stranger who might need a “lift”.
Here are some important issues where help has been prayed for and received:
Understanding what I am reading in the Bible. Presenting something to a stranger about Christ. Writing the most useful things in reply to an email that was asking for help about personal or family problems, or asking for help in understanding God’s teachings.
I have quickly denied it when someone calls me a pastor. I want to imitate Christ as much as I can though. What I write is presented as a humble servant of Christ. The Holy Spirit has been immensely helpful in allowing a layman who has far less knowledge that a seminary student or Ann Landers, to help others. I always give thanks for help.
The Spirit of God is far more important than we can imagine. It is impossible to overstate how wonderful it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the revealer of knowledge. The mysteries of God are revealed by the Spirit. This helps us convey to others the meaning of the Scriptures especially relating to salvation, and the kingdom of Heaven and the divine mind of God. Also we are given the means of defeating Satan in our lives.
The Spirit is the very revealer of Christ. We can ask Him to reveal more of Jesus to us. If we read the Scriptures with prayer we will see Christ in the Old Testament in many places. For me, I want the Holy Spirit to own me and help me with everything in my life.
The Spirit is also an instrument in healing. Many illnesses are instigated by the devil. This does not mean that the person is bad, but that Satan is working in our lives to bring problems, hoping that we will blame God. Remember that God is a good god; He wants all of His children (us) to be healed. Why some illnesses are cured quickly and others later or never, is a secret between Jesus and the person. We never know what will be done, but we need to keep praying.
INSIDE YOUR OWN WALLS
In prison, lifers especially may abandon all hope, and only wait for the end. Some though do not let prison walls enclose their minds. They come to faith in the way that only God knows, spread their faith to other prisoners and even to their guards. They are no longer in prison even if the walls are still there. ”Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage”.
For every person in prison there are thousands or more not behind walls, but inside walls of their own making. You can often identify them by the vacant look on their faces, a weary look, lines of fatigue, no smile or twinkle in their eyes. They are imprisoned in Satan’s gloom of hopelessness. A hopeless heart is a defeated heart that sees no signs of future joys, no anticipation of better things.
If you know no God as some atheists, is there anything in life to urge you to better things? Some atheists seem to be content with their life, but are they ever truly happy? Are they searching to fill a void that will never be filled? They must feel happy at least at times, and God allowed me to experience this for ten years of my life when I was about forty. I was busy, was helping to raise a family, and doing well in business. I thought I was happy without God in my life, none, nada. But God opened my mind, and when it came to me that God was really giving me a good life and good health, I started to thank Him every day.
Even during the godless times, I never felt that I was imprisoned behind walls of my mind, so I am not sure how this comes about. I have always been an optimist, a God-given habit. But we know from the suicide rate that many see no way out of the prison of their mind. They hold certain beliefs that constrain any effort of optimism. If our belief system excludes God or biblical promises permanently, little but ultimate despair can survive.
If we believe the story of Christ, His birth, teachings, death and resurrection, we cannot help but be hopeful of our ultimate future. And this keeps despair on the outside of our lives. Our God doesn’t promise a life without trials but He guarantees to be there to help when it is needed. This gives us every reason to be cheerful.
WHEN WE DON’T FEEL CLOSE TO GOD
When we do not feel close to God and wonder if we are really saved, nothing is wrong with us except our attitude. A huge cause of this is that Satan is attacking. He is totally evil and wants to destroy the relationship that Christians have with God. He is very clever and most people do not realize what he is doing. Many do not know that the devil is trying to operating in their lives all the time, or . We need to regularly cast him out of our lives. Simply say “Satan get out of my life in the name of Jesus Christ!” Do this as often as needed. Each time you do not feel close to God, cast Satan out.
If you still do not feel close to God, you can ask someone else to pray over you and cast Satan out. If you go to church, perhaps your pastor or church head or a faithful person in the church can help you. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. We are all plagued by attacks by Satan all the time. Satan’s efforts to defeat Christians will likely be stepped up as he knows his time is growing short before Jesus comes. After you have been cleansed, use your time to try to bring others to Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Next, you should make sure that you do not hold a grudge toward anyone, hate anyone or even intensely dislike someone. No one should be classified as your enemy. Jesus loves everyone as much as He loves you. Adopt the attitude that you really do love every person on earth without reservation; even those you think are wrong or have wronged you. Once you adopt this thinking, it becomes easy to forgive others and no longer regard them as enemies. We can hate what they do or stand for, but we must not hate the person. It is almost natural to hate some politicians as some are bound to be opposite to us on views, but do not allow this. Do not let yourself become angry with anyone. Anger never hurts the other person, it only harms you.
The Lord is your friend. He will never cause anything to harm you unless He has exhausted all other avenues. We know that the people of Israel were carried off to captivity because of their evil ways. This was God’s last resort to try to correct them. He will not necessarily prevent harm coming to us, but He will comfort and try to help us. A God whom knows no sin cannot tolerate any sin, even one we look upon as a small sin. Regard the Lord as your best friend and hold Him above everything and everyone in your life, with no exceptions. Tell Him that you love Him during morning and evening prayers. When you think about the Lord, think only of what He has done for you. Everything we have, everything we are, everything we have achieved is because God gave these blessings to us. Thank Him regularly for his Grace.
The fact that you are able to communicate by telephone or by email is perhaps a blessing that only a minority on earth have. Think of all your other blessings, and compare your lot with that of most of the rest of the world. Over half of the world does not have enough to eat. Every day 5000 children die of malnutrition. We must forget about our own self and needs. We can pray for help, but we must not hold our own needs in our mind all the time. Think of how we can help others. The Lord knows what we need before we ask for it, and if He thinks it is in our best interest, He will grant it eventually. Often God does not agree with what we ask for, and will ignore this request. When we bring ourselves to thank God for our blessings instead of harboring in our minds our own self and (selfish) needs, we will find peace “that transcends all understanding”.
When we think ill thoughts toward God it grieves the Holy Spirit whom is with us all the time. This terrible sin if not repented, will never be forgiven. We should keep our mouths clean, not with toothpaste but with clean and pure thoughts. It could hurt someone when we speak ill thoughts against them, but most assuredly it harms ourselves with God. Think before you open your mouth – “Why do I feel this way? How can I change my thinking?” This way of thinking and living will bring you close to God.
ISN’T IT TIME?
Like most people I have had thousands of nice conversations with others. Had I thought about it, many of these would have given a great opportunity to talk about Christ. I didn’t for a variety of reasons. When I was playing golf regularly there was another person in the golf cart. We could talk about anything we wanted.
At some point I should have said something that might have built even more significant relationships with some of them. As our conversation meandered about golf, weather, the Club, latest news, I should have stopped at some point, looked him in the eye and said: “Isn’t it time?” If he asked “Time for what?” I could say: “Time we stopped talking about trivial things and started talking about what’s going on in your life and mine. Isn’t it time we became brothers in Christ?” This would have taken courage to challenge another person to fight for each other’s spiritual and relational growth. I don’t know if I would have had this kind of courage then. Also at that time I did not know Jesus.
I have learned since that unless I have the courage to talk to others about faith, their level of faith will continue to be unknown to me. Also I have learned but not put into practice what might have been done to make our marriage even more joyful. Like most couples, there were times when we may have briefly wished that we were not married. Irritations and petty grievances creep in. We managed to skate over these but not without some sorrow and unnecessary grief.
Whenever we came to a time when we were in disagreement on something, or when we just didn’t like what the other was doing we should have stopped and talked it out. Our peace of mind suffered unnecessarily. There is seldom a problem in marriage between two people who are normal, [who do not have serious emotional problems] that cannot be straightened out. I should have said: “Isn’t it time we talked about this instead of letting it fester? Our marriage is too important to have it hurt by our unwillingness to discuss our differences.” She might have been too surprised to respond, but if I had done this, I believe it would have helped.
Instead, based on the divorce rate that hovers around fifty percent, few couples try hard enough to resolve their problems. Some just look at the “greener grass” that they might find in another relationship. It takes courage to fight for a marriage but there are many resources. We could turn to another couple we trust and lay it out to them. Perhaps they have had similar problems and it might also help them . There are marriage counselors, and going to a marriage retreat could be immensely helpful. Anita and I went to one after 57 years of marriage, not because we thought we needed it, but for the experience. There were couples that really did need to be there and they were helped. One couple admitted that their next stop would be a divorce court. They reconciled their differences in individual group counseling meetings and left in joy.
Much can be gained by just stopping our mad dash though life and talking about what really matters. Our life on earth is brief compared with the life of our real self - our soul and spirit that lives forever. The eternal residence we choose or do not choose is vitally important. Without our choosing Jesus as our Lord and Savior we then will spend eternity with Satan in hell. The fear of this was what first made me resolve to avoid it by pledging my life to our Lord. Soon after that I found the real joy of being a child of God. So I am thankful for the scare I first had, but no longer think of it. I know that the Lord is with me all the time and this gives comfort beyond description. Isn’t it time to spend more time with Him?
WHAT IS WRONG WHEN WE FEEL LONELY?
Perhaps everyone feels alone at times, but we should never feel lonely. We only have to ask and our Lord will be with us. He has said that He will never abandon us nor forsake us. The sad truth is that most people in this world never ask. Why is that?
We often create our own loneliness by failing to use our God-given personalities to love others. If we care for the needs of those around us, or do the work God gives us, we will never feel lonely. Even at night or in an empty house, a setting that so many face and don’t know how to cope with it, we don’t have to feel alone.
Some people are lonely because they cannot bring themselves to trust another person with their intimate life. They keep it bottled up fearing that someone will take advantage of them. Jesus taught to be open with ourselves even to those who may intend to hurt us. They cannot really hurt us spiritually, and that is most important. We don’t have to go that far; we only need to allow other people to see us as we are, not as the shell that we present to the world.
In its extreme, the feeling of loneliness leads to depression and even suicide. Young people can be afflicted with loneliness but it is more prevalent in elders according to surveys.This feeling that accompanies insecurity is widespread in those whom are not at ease in their own company, or are not committed to a greater cause. They no longer get any pleasure from having a cup of coffee or a meal by themselves. Witness people at restaurants sitting alone but not smiling when we try eye contact. Too many have lost the simple joy of solitude.
Also loneliness is fueled by our own self-doubt and feeling that we are an insignificant part of life. But God says that everyone on earth is equally important to Him. A major cure to all of this is to direct our attention away from ourselves toward a cause that is far larger than we are. As followers of Christ we are commanded to do His work in trying to bring others to know Him.
One lonely man who had abandoned hope of happiness found a Bible passage that changed his life. One morning he opened his Bible at random to John 8:39 “The One who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone”. This was Jesus talking but it applies to us as well. He has not left us alone but is with us all the time. We only have to recognize this and embrace Him. No one needs to be lonely with God with us and if we look, wonderful people as well. This man’s “accident” was not that, Christ tells us that nothing happens by pure accident, there is a cause. In my life I know that the Holy Spirit brings many helpful things that would seem accidental if I wasn’t watching for them.
IF TODAY IS MY LAST DAY - WHAT WILL I DO?
In the morning I should say this may be my very last day,
Everything I say or do today will be remembered by those I've left.
Will it make a difference in their lives and glorify God?
If we do this every day it sure makes you think about everything you do and say.
Time is short; Hell is expanding as I write this.
I must be sure that I am ready for Him, and pray that others are also ready.
I need to do something TODAY to bring souls to Christ!
And I should tell those I love that I love them.
WHY DO PERSONAL EVANGELISM
To evangelize means to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Christ. Jesus in giving the Great Commission to the eleven apostles says in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you." Imagine that Jesus saying these words to eleven of us today and we were one of the eleven. What would be our reaction? Impossible? Or, Lord don't you see there are only eleven of us? Or would we think "Yes Jesus really means me.” We are also under this obligation to teach others. Jesus had just commanded the eleven to go teach and to teach those who were converted to observe all things he had commanded them which included that we are also be taught to go and teach.
Paul says in Romans 1:14, "I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise." In like manner today we are debtors to every non-Christian because we have the good news that can save his soul. This places us under obligation to share the gospel with the lost so they can be saved. Because someone loved us enough to teach us the truth, shouldn't we do as much for someone else? What if you were unsaved and doomed to Hell, wouldn't you want someone to teach you the saving gospel of Christ?
If people have not heard and learned the gospel they cannot obey it. In 1 Peter 4:17 the question is asked, "What shall be the end of those who do not obey the gospel?” The answer is given in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 which says when the Lord comes He will come "In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We should not want to see anyone lost but as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:11, "Knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men.” People are going to be lost forever if we don't teach them now!
The Lord doesn't want anyone to be lost. We read in 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord...is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” They can only come to repentance when they know what to do. We also read in 1 Timothy 2:4, "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Because of what the Lord has done for us, we have the obligation to teach others so they can come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:16, "Woe is to me if I preach not the gospel.” How are we going to answer the Lord if we haven't bothered to tell the good news to others?
Our Lord in teaching His disciples, tells them in John 4:35, "Do you say there are still four months then comes the harvest? Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to harvest.” Our Lord was speaking of the spiritual harvest of souls who would be lost in eternity if they are not harvested. There is an urgency to teach the lost for Jesus says in Matthew 9:37-38, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” We must work in the Lord's harvest because if we don't then those we could have taught will be lost and we don't want that to happen.
In the first century the good news of the gospel caused such great excitement that "And daily in the temple and from house to house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus" (Acts 5;42). We need to be as excited today. And even when they were being heavily persecuted, some even to death, we read in Acts 8:4, "Therefore those who were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word." What should stop us today? We are not being persecuted. We have many more advantages. We have the automobile, the airplane, the telephone, the Internet, and the printed page. We are without excuse.
Teaching the lost is the work the Lord has commanded each of us to do. Successful evangelism is accomplished one person at a time. Evangelism is not only to be done in distant lands, but we must also teach those near us, our next door neighbors. God will be with us as we teach His word to the lost. We will be successful because we read in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” When we do what the Lord says to do we will not fail.
When we teach the lost we cause all of Heaven to rejoice. Jesus tells us that “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents” (Luke 15:7, 10). The joy of teaching one the gospel and seeing them obey it is beyond description.
[The foregoing was copied from the writings of Pastor Culver of the Whittier Church of God.]
The Bible tells us that some people were selected by God to be part of His Elect, His Chosen Ones, before they were born. These folks are fortunate to be in this group and, if they decide to, will find Christ as their Lord and Savior at some time in their lives. We will not know if we are one of His elect, until we decide to follow Jesus and see our life being changed. Even if we are one of His elect, we still have to choose Christ, as He does not automatically become our personal savior. We have to learn about Christ from someone who already knows Him. Even the non-Elect can find Christ if they try.
This is the story of one boy who will make it to Christ’s Kingdom in spite of long held lack of interest. Or was the obstacle just concern about the unknown, or fear of any change to his life? The boy was born into a family who knew God but were not strong Christians. He was taken to church until his teens, but thereafter the family stopped attending. It was many years later that his father was dramatically brought back to Jesus. The father became dedicated to trying to bring the message of Christ to everyone including his family.
At first his father was shy about talking to people about their faith, but his confidence grew with time. He is a good writer so he started to write articles about his faith and what he found in the Bible and other sources that he thought would be helpful. He sent many articles to people he knows and to his family. The boy read these but never wanted to discuss them. His father kept the messages coming though. He did not know what effect they had on the boy, if any. With others in the family, faith was freely discussed.
One day something caused the boy to think about his life and the emptiness he felt, mostly not acknowledged before. He kept searching for things that might fill his life in a meaningful way. Eventually he began to see that the Lord had really changed his father and that the change seemed good. He wondered if he might like to experience this too.
But he had not wanted this before because he had concerns about it. He thought initially that it was all a figment of dad’s imagination, and that there really was no Christ. Then when he considered it further he worried that if he went that route he would have to change his lifestyle. He was afraid that Christ would not approve of how he spent his spare time, which was largely on entertainment from TV, music and the computer. He thought that he might have to start going to church, but church attendance is not a requirement, just a useful addition. His lifestyle was too precious to him to have it changed. He also worried that he had done things that would not be forgiven, but the Lord will forgive all our shortcomings if we ask. Lastly he thought that he had lots of time to decide.
Then the boy realized that his mother also spent much time watching TV and enjoyed movies and other entertainment, yet was a believer and dedicated to Christ. Could he continue to allocate much time to entertainment and still have time for God? If this were possible then he might be willing to give it a shot. His father believes that the boy is worthy to be in Heaven as he is honest, helpful and has never hurt another person. But no matter how good we are, we must still come to Jesus to be saved.
Christ wants His faithful ones to enjoy their lives. He puts in no roadblocks that require a drastic change in a person’s lifestyle. His father found this to be true, but also found that the desire to continue many of the time-consuming activities gradually diminished. Instead, other things that were even more interesting presented themselves. At no time did God ever try to make his father live a strict life of worship. As time passed, he found such a joy in communing with God that this became more interesting. Not only that, but God was a continual help. No matter what he was doing, he found that God would make the way easier if He was asked. So instead of regretting the change in his life that really was happening, he just loved it. It became so wonderful to talk to God at any time and get help, that prayer became as natural as conversation with a human friend. And God is our best friend if we let Him be a part of our life.
Of course the boy could not look into his dad’s mind and actually see how these experiences might also be interesting to him. At some point, we must have faith that what we don’t see is still real. If the boy could read his father’s mind and somehow “feel” his dad’s experiences, he would run to God. His father is having a most wonderful life in knowing God even this late in his life. He has told God that he believes he is now one of the luckiest persons on earth. He regrets all the years that he knew so little about God and nothing about Jesus. The “ride” with Jesus is so wonderful that he has been doing everything he knows to bring Christ’s message to others.
The father of the boy (who is now a man) also knows where he will spend eternity – with God, and this gives him much peace. No matter what happens on earth, he knows he will enjoy an eternity with God. Our life on this earth is only a blink of time compared to our total life in eternity. Our real selves, our soul and spirit, will live on forever. He hopes that many, many people will live with our Lord for all eternity. But the choice is ours to make while we are alive in this life. We must seek the Lord Jesus as our savior. If we don’t, by default we will end up with Satan forever in misery. We don’t have “forever” to decide, as any person’s life could end even today. Younger people tend to think that they will live forever in the sense that their life will go on and on. But we know that all humans die sometime. We must make our choice while we still can do it.
Will the boy come to Jesus? His father believes so but it is in the hands of Christ.
For several days it came into my mind to write this article. That is the Holy Spirit acting. He is within us always, but we may not recognize it. I try to listen to His promptings and act on them.
But if we don’t know how the Holy Spirit works, how do we get to know Him? I am not sure, but soon after I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ, I began to get indications if something I was wondering about was right with God. How the query was framed is important.
The Holy Spirit is a miracle provided by God for everyone. Miracles happen when we pray. If you want to experience the Holy Spirit and His power, pray to God to anoint you with the Spirit. God will do this if you are a follower of Christ. Then begin to pray to God for help from the Holy Spirit in specific things. This is not the same as asking God for healing or other vital aid. The Holy Spirit will help you accomplish some projects or help you do something that seems to be beyond your grasp. You will be surprised at how much the Spirit will increase your abilities. What you ask for must be in line with God’s will for you. We should not expect help with anything that is frivolous, immoral or hurtful to someone else.
Like many seniors, sometimes I have had sleeping problems. I know that if I take a sleeping pill, I will sleep. But I only want to take a pill when really needed. So I usually ask the Holy Spirit if something is needed for sleep. Usually there is no answer, but occasionally it is positive. A no answer has come to mean to me that I don’t need to take anything. I was surprised at first how well this works, but now rely on His advice. A more important example -- my wife has some severe physical problems. The other day she had pain. During prayer I said that I KNEW that God would help her and He did. While asking God, but before relief came, I received a very positive feeling about it from the Spirit. If I had said “I think You will help”, there would be no response, and possibly no help. It has to be a positive statement.
Here are some mundane things that I have asked about and received help:
Finding a lost object in our home. Being reminded to do something that otherwise would be overlooked. Accomplishing something on my computer that is elusive but important. Helping me select the most efficient way to do a chore or carry out a needed repair or task. Putting the right words in my mind when talking to a young person; talking to an adult about faith, or a remark to a stranger who might need a “lift”.
Here are some important issues where help has been prayed for and received:
Understanding what I am reading in the Bible. Presenting something to a stranger about Christ. Writing the most useful things in reply to an email that was asking for help about personal or family problems, or asking for help in understanding God’s teachings.
I have quickly denied it when someone calls me a pastor. I want to imitate Christ as much as I can though. What I write is presented as a humble servant of Christ. The Holy Spirit has been immensely helpful in allowing a layman who has far less knowledge that a seminary student or Ann Landers, to help others. I always give thanks for help.
The Spirit of God is far more important than we can imagine. It is impossible to overstate how wonderful it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the revealer of knowledge. The mysteries of God are revealed by the Spirit. This helps us convey to others the meaning of the Scriptures especially relating to salvation, and the kingdom of Heaven and the divine mind of God. Also we are given the means of defeating Satan in our lives.
The Spirit is the very revealer of Christ. We can ask Him to reveal more of Jesus to us. If we read the Scriptures with prayer we will see Christ in the Old Testament in many places. For me, I want the Holy Spirit to own me and help me with everything in my life.
The Spirit is also an instrument in healing. Many illnesses are instigated by the devil. This does not mean that the person is bad, but that Satan is working in our lives to bring problems, hoping that we will blame God. Remember that God is a good god; He wants all of His children (us) to be healed. Why some illnesses are cured quickly and others later or never, is a secret between Jesus and the person. We never know what will be done, but we need to keep praying.
In prison, lifers especially may abandon all hope, and only wait for the end. Some though do not let prison walls enclose their minds. They come to faith in the way that only God knows, spread their faith to other prisoners and even to their guards. They are no longer in prison even if the walls are still there. ”Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage”.
For every person in prison there are thousands or more not behind walls, but inside walls of their own making. You can often identify them by the vacant look on their faces, a weary look, lines of fatigue, no smile or twinkle in their eyes. They are imprisoned in Satan’s gloom of hopelessness. A hopeless heart is a defeated heart that sees no signs of future joys, no anticipation of better things.
If you know no God as some atheists, is there anything in life to urge you to better things? Some atheists seem to be content with their life, but are they ever truly happy? Are they searching to fill a void that will never be filled? They must feel happy at least at times, and God allowed me to experience this for ten years of my life when I was about forty. I was busy, was helping to raise a family, and doing well in business. I thought I was happy without God in my life, none, nada. But God opened my mind, and when it came to me that God was really giving me a good life and good health, I started to thank Him every day.
Even during the godless times, I never felt that I was imprisoned behind walls of my mind, so I am not sure how this comes about. I have always been an optimist, a God-given habit. But we know from the suicide rate that many see no way out of the prison of their mind. They hold certain beliefs that constrain any effort of optimism. If our belief system excludes God or biblical promises permanently, little but ultimate despair can survive.
If we believe the story of Christ, His birth, teachings, death and resurrection, we cannot help but be hopeful of our ultimate future. And this keeps despair on the outside of our lives. Our God doesn’t promise a life without trials but He guarantees to be there to help when it is needed. This gives us every reason to be cheerful.
IN LIGHT OFOUR FUTURE ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD, ARE OUR PRESENT WORRIES JUSTIFIED?
As humans, we are prone to worry. Our journey through life is strewn with happenings that we cannot control. Illnesses strike us, often without warning. Economic problems sometimes seem to destroy our plans for a better life. A loved one dies. Our world just doesn’t seem to be progressing in the right direction. So we worry, even though the Bible warns that worry is a sin.
Here are some thoughts that may be helpful to avoid worry, they are just random ideas: Believe in miracles -- No one is in charge of your happiness but you – Reflect, in five years will this really matter, how about next month? -- Time heals most everything, Give time enough time -- We get only one trip through life, what matters most is how we loved -- If everyone threw their problems into one pile and we saw them, we’d grab ours back. -- Growing old beats the alternative, dying young. -- God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or did not do.
Even though those whom have pledged their lives to Christ know beyond any doubt that they will spend eternity with God in Heaven, we might worry about this. Is there such a thing as knowing beyond doubt? Even after the many times I have read the Bible, I am not at peace with this 100% of the time. My talks with God give me assurance, but then something in the present life interrupts these thoughts. I cannot seem to avoid concern over the present, not for myself, but for my wife and others. Health problems continually cause her misery and are unsettling even though she believes in her future eternal life with God.
The only relief is prayer for help from God. We know He has our best interests in mind. Meditation on what we know God has in store will give us peace. Of course we should assure ourselves of Christ’s coming. There will be two stages of His Second Coming. The Bible passages relating to this are -- First; a place for His faithful was prepared after He returned to Heaven from his life on earth. He gave assurance of His return in John 14:1-3:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Further assurance of His return is given in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” This is also known as the Rapture of the Church when Christ calls all believers to meet Him in the clouds just before taking them to Heaven as He promised. We of course want to join Him in the clouds and be taken from the earth before the Great Tribulation.
For those left behind, the other part of Christ’s Second Coming, known as the Glorious Appearing will be most important. It applies to all those left behind from the Rapture who did not make a pledge to Satan [or take his number 666] during the Great Tribulation.
In Matthew 24:30-31 - “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn [because most people did not believe that Christ is the Messiah in order to join His elect]. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
Revelation 19:11-21 [in part - This tells about Christ descending and then defeating the armies that Satan as the anti-Christ had amassed to conquer Israel.] “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges … his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
“Then I saw the beast [Satan] and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make war against the rider on the white horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf [during Tribulation]. With these signs he had deluded those who had taken the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword.”
So those who believe that Jesus will take His faithful to Heaven in the Rapture really have no reason to worry. But I would worry if I did not believe that I am ready for Him. To be ready, we must say the Sinner’s Prayer, confess that we along with everyone in the world are a sinner, ask for forgiveness and pledge our lives to the Lord. Then we must live as we believe the Lord wants us to live, loving Him above everything and everyone, and loving others as we love ourselves. This advice is found in the Bible and the wonderful book “Heaven Is So Real” by Choo Thomas.
Sinner’s prayer: Simply say this prayer aloud, sincerely from your heart: “Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and You died for me. Please come into my heart, be my Lord and Savior and forgive me of all my sins and take control of every area of my life from this moment on. Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and use me for Your glory. I want to serve You and love You all the days of my life. Thank You Father, that I am now Your child, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.”
After this prayer, read the Bible, pray often and go to church to hear God’s words and fellowship with God’s people. Your life will never be the same; you’ll have peace while on this earth and live forever with Jesus in Heaven. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5, God bless you.
When we do not feel close to God and wonder if we are really saved, nothing is wrong with us except our attitude. A huge cause of this is that Satan is attacking. He is totally evil and wants to destroy the relationship that Christians have with God. He is very clever and most people do not realize what he is doing. Many do not know that the devil is trying to operating in their lives all the time, or . We need to regularly cast him out of our lives. Simply say “Satan get out of my life in the name of Jesus Christ!” Do this as often as needed. Each time you do not feel close to God, cast Satan out.
If you still do not feel close to God, you can ask someone else to pray over you and cast Satan out. If you go to church, perhaps your pastor or church head or a faithful person in the church can help you. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. We are all plagued by attacks by Satan all the time. Satan’s efforts to defeat Christians will likely be stepped up as he knows his time is growing short before Jesus comes. After you have been cleansed, use your time to try to bring others to Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Next, you should make sure that you do not hold a grudge toward anyone, hate anyone or even intensely dislike someone. No one should be classified as your enemy. Jesus loves everyone as much as He loves you. Adopt the attitude that you really do love every person on earth without reservation; even those you think are wrong or have wronged you. Once you adopt this thinking, it becomes easy to forgive others and no longer regard them as enemies. We can hate what they do or stand for, but we must not hate the person. It is almost natural to hate some politicians as some are bound to be opposite to us on views, but do not allow this. Do not let yourself become angry with anyone. Anger never hurts the other person, it only harms you.
The Lord is your friend. He will never cause anything to harm you unless He has exhausted all other avenues. We know that the people of Israel were carried off to captivity because of their evil ways. This was God’s last resort to try to correct them. He will not necessarily prevent harm coming to us, but He will comfort and try to help us. A God whom knows no sin cannot tolerate any sin, even one we look upon as a small sin. Regard the Lord as your best friend and hold Him above everything and everyone in your life, with no exceptions. Tell Him that you love Him during morning and evening prayers. When you think about the Lord, think only of what He has done for you. Everything we have, everything we are, everything we have achieved is because God gave these blessings to us. Thank Him regularly for his Grace.
The fact that you are able to communicate by telephone or by email is perhaps a blessing that only a minority on earth have. Think of all your other blessings, and compare your lot with that of most of the rest of the world. Over half of the world does not have enough to eat. Every day 5000 children die of malnutrition. We must forget about our own self and needs. We can pray for help, but we must not hold our own needs in our mind all the time. Think of how we can help others. The Lord knows what we need before we ask for it, and if He thinks it is in our best interest, He will grant it eventually. Often God does not agree with what we ask for, and will ignore this request. When we bring ourselves to thank God for our blessings instead of harboring in our minds our own self and (selfish) needs, we will find peace “that transcends all understanding”.
When we think ill thoughts toward God it grieves the Holy Spirit whom is with us all the time. This terrible sin if not repented, will never be forgiven. We should keep our mouths clean, not with toothpaste but with clean and pure thoughts. It could hurt someone when we speak ill thoughts against them, but most assuredly it harms ourselves with God. Think before you open your mouth – “Why do I feel this way? How can I change my thinking?” This way of thinking and living will bring you close to God.
Like most people I have had thousands of nice conversations with others. Had I thought about it, many of these would have given a great opportunity to talk about Christ. I didn’t for a variety of reasons. When I was playing golf regularly there was another person in the golf cart. We could talk about anything we wanted.
At some point I should have said something that might have built even more significant relationships with some of them. As our conversation meandered about golf, weather, the Club, latest news, I should have stopped at some point, looked him in the eye and said: “Isn’t it time?” If he asked “Time for what?” I could say: “Time we stopped talking about trivial things and started talking about what’s going on in your life and mine. Isn’t it time we became brothers in Christ?” This would have taken courage to challenge another person to fight for each other’s spiritual and relational growth. I don’t know if I would have had this kind of courage then. Also at that time I did not know Jesus.
I have learned since that unless I have the courage to talk to others about faith, their level of faith will continue to be unknown to me. Also I have learned but not put into practice what might have been done to make our marriage even more joyful. Like most couples, there were times when we may have briefly wished that we were not married. Irritations and petty grievances creep in. We managed to skate over these but not without some sorrow and unnecessary grief.
Whenever we came to a time when we were in disagreement on something, or when we just didn’t like what the other was doing we should have stopped and talked it out. Our peace of mind suffered unnecessarily. There is seldom a problem in marriage between two people who are normal, [who do not have serious emotional problems] that cannot be straightened out. I should have said: “Isn’t it time we talked about this instead of letting it fester? Our marriage is too important to have it hurt by our unwillingness to discuss our differences.” She might have been too surprised to respond, but if I had done this, I believe it would have helped.
Instead, based on the divorce rate that hovers around fifty percent, few couples try hard enough to resolve their problems. Some just look at the “greener grass” that they might find in another relationship. It takes courage to fight for a marriage but there are many resources. We could turn to another couple we trust and lay it out to them. Perhaps they have had similar problems and it might also help them . There are marriage counselors, and going to a marriage retreat could be immensely helpful. Anita and I went to one after 57 years of marriage, not because we thought we needed it, but for the experience. There were couples that really did need to be there and they were helped. One couple admitted that their next stop would be a divorce court. They reconciled their differences in individual group counseling meetings and left in joy.
Much can be gained by just stopping our mad dash though life and talking about what really matters. Our life on earth is brief compared with the life of our real self - our soul and spirit that lives forever. The eternal residence we choose or do not choose is vitally important. Without our choosing Jesus as our Lord and Savior we then will spend eternity with Satan in hell. The fear of this was what first made me resolve to avoid it by pledging my life to our Lord. Soon after that I found the real joy of being a child of God. So I am thankful for the scare I first had, but no longer think of it. I know that the Lord is with me all the time and this gives comfort beyond description. Isn’t it time to spend more time with Him?
Perhaps everyone feels alone at times, but we should never feel lonely. We only have to ask and our Lord will be with us. He has said that He will never abandon us nor forsake us. The sad truth is that most people in this world never ask. Why is that?
We often create our own loneliness by failing to use our God-given personalities to love others. If we care for the needs of those around us, or do the work God gives us, we will never feel lonely. Even at night or in an empty house, a setting that so many face and don’t know how to cope with it, we don’t have to feel alone.
Some people are lonely because they cannot bring themselves to trust another person with their intimate life. They keep it bottled up fearing that someone will take advantage of them. Jesus taught to be open with ourselves even to those who may intend to hurt us. They cannot really hurt us spiritually, and that is most important. We don’t have to go that far; we only need to allow other people to see us as we are, not as the shell that we present to the world.
In its extreme, the feeling of loneliness leads to depression and even suicide. Young people can be afflicted with loneliness but it is more prevalent in elders according to surveys.This feeling that accompanies insecurity is widespread in those whom are not at ease in their own company, or are not committed to a greater cause. They no longer get any pleasure from having a cup of coffee or a meal by themselves. Witness people at restaurants sitting alone but not smiling when we try eye contact. Too many have lost the simple joy of solitude.
Also loneliness is fueled by our own self-doubt and feeling that we are an insignificant part of life. But God says that everyone on earth is equally important to Him. A major cure to all of this is to direct our attention away from ourselves toward a cause that is far larger than we are. As followers of Christ we are commanded to do His work in trying to bring others to know Him.
One lonely man who had abandoned hope of happiness found a Bible passage that changed his life. One morning he opened his Bible at random to John 8:39 “The One who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone”. This was Jesus talking but it applies to us as well. He has not left us alone but is with us all the time. We only have to recognize this and embrace Him. No one needs to be lonely with God with us and if we look, wonderful people as well. This man’s “accident” was not that, Christ tells us that nothing happens by pure accident, there is a cause. In my life I know that the Holy Spirit brings many helpful things that would seem accidental if I wasn’t watching for them.
This is not my feeling at all but what many others seem to be expressing. They say – I enjoy my life so am in no hurry to leave it. What is this thing called Christianity? It can’t be the only way as there are so many other great religions. I don’t want to change my lifestyle that coming to Christ would entail. Is there really a Heaven? After I die, that is the end of it for me. I don’t know if my beliefs are strong enough to get me to Heaven. I don’t want to go and leave my children. None of my friends seem to care about going to church and don’t even talk about Heaven. I am doing good work for the needy and others and this should earn a place in Heaven if it exists. I don’t want to get labeled as a sinner.
These and probably a myriad of unexpressed thoughts relating to the end of people’s lives keep them from working on their faith. If we don’t even know if Heaven exists, how can we want to go there? Only if we know that Heaven is a far more beautiful and enjoyable place would we want to leave our home and this beautiful land. If we think that dying is the end for us, we would want to hang on to our lives as long as we have enjoyment.
The saddest situation is someone who knows there is a Heaven, but hasn’t taken the steps to assure entrance. Even some people at church say they aren’t sure of their future. There is much Scripture to give support to people who need it. There is no reason to despair or worry about our after life.
Some may not want to hurry into Heaven, but what we must hurry about is to be ready for Christ when He comes for his faithful.
In the morning I should say this may be my very last day,
Everything I say or do today will be remembered by those I've left.
Will it make a difference in their lives and glorify God?
If we do this every day it sure makes you think about everything you do and say.
Time is short; Hell is expanding as I write this.
I must be sure that I am ready for Him, and pray that others are also ready.
I need to do something TODAY to bring souls to Christ!
And I should tell those I love that I love them.
The Bible is rich with telling us how to live so that we will be able to be with God forever.
The Bible has little to say about what we will find in Heaven other than a sinless place of great joy. That may be how the concept of people floating around on clouds with harps originated.
Once we are in Heaven we, that is our souls in new bodies, will live forever, no death. I see nothing in the Bible about fish, birds or animals not being killed. Wild animals will live in harmony there. Fish will be part of our food, I don't know about domestic animals that we slaughter for food on earth. We will still want to eat in Heaven and not just live on fruits and vegetables, as luscious as they will be.
We know there is no such a thing as purgatory that some religions teach about, but only Heaven and hell. Heaven is a multi-faceted place. Again the Bible throws little light on how Heaven is constituted. One of the purposes of Jesus wanting the book HISR written was to give information that was not in the Bible. This is His end-time book where much is explained so that there will be no reason for anyone not to know the path to Heaven. He has told Choo that because of the vast distribution of the book, more than a million souls will be saved, who would have gone to hell. In addition the book tells of the wonderful people and things that we will find in Heaven.
The Valley of the Shadow of Death where a vast number of people in gray-colored robes were wandering aimlessly is a holding place. Those there are waiting for judgment. These are people who Jesus described as "sinful Christians". They knew about Christ and how they should live, but chose to ignore this and live for pleasures in the world. Jesus said that most of these people will end up in hell. I can see that these people may deserve hell as they knew the right way to live. This seems to me to be in sharp contrast to people who never knew Christ, such as Choo's mother. The Bible says that everyone should know who God is because of all the wonders they see, no matter where they live. Yes, but if they have never had a Bible and no one ever told them about Jesus, how could they earn a place in Heaven? Actually I have asked the Lord, in all seriousness to consider creating a place where people who he believes have a chance of becoming sinless may live. They would have to work and live somewhat like on earth, but they would know they are there to earn a place with God. I don't know how this would work, but it seems unfair just to consign people to hell because they did not know Jesus. I thought they should be given a chance.
God does not want anyone to be in hell, but He decided that by sending His beloved son to be crucified, that people must believe in Christ if they are to live in heaven. That is God's rule, not ours. Jesus said in the Bible that the path to Heaven is narrow and the door is small. This means that only those who commit their lives to Jesus and live as best we can as God wants us to live will make it. Perhaps only three percent of all the world will be in Heaven. To me though, this is fair to those who have had the opportunity to know about Jesus, and it is really an easy route. All we have to do is repent, ask for forgiveness, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
This is not onerous, and everyone can do this. Once I read Choo's book, it became a necessity for me to take these steps and I have loved my life with the Lord ever since. No, this did not make an easy life for me any more than it would have been without Jesus. We will have trials and hardships and will be tested. But we can persevere knowing where we will spend eternity. I used to covet the things of this earth and want more possessions. I don't anymore and haven't from the time in 2004 when I found the Lord. Although I still thank God for my life on this beautiful earth, I care little about the earth any more other than a place to wait for Jesus. I do care about the people, and continue to work to try to bring more to the Lord.
I don't claim to be pure and won't be on this earth. I do try to" walk in Jesus' footsteps" and do what I know He expects of me. But I know I fall far short of this. Am I dismayed? No, I know that I am doing the best I can most of the time. How disobedient do we have to be to be left out of the Kingdom? I don't know but I expect that if we really tried to be disobedient, that would be enough to keep us out. Just being disobedient but wanting to do better should not keep us out. I know one thing for sure though -- if we deny that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, or if we deny God as the maker of Heaven and earth, we will go straight to hell without passing 'Go' if you remember the game 'Monopoly'.
If the apostle Paul couldn't live a perfect life, how can we expect to do this? We cannot, but we must try. Debby please do not give up on yourself or your relatives and friends. If you live as best you can for the Lord, you might even 'drag' some of these folks along with you. Certainly you need to be an example to them. But I know some people that have crossed my path in life that I don't see how they will possibly make it to Heaven. I have tried to help those who wanted to be helped, but these efforts were rejected by others. Jesus wants us to be happy and enjoy our lives, but He does not guarantee peace on earth, just peace when we are in Heaven, and peace from knowing where we will spend eternity. We don't have to keep working as Jehovah's Witnesses for salvation. Jesus secured this for us as a gift. We just have to take the steps mentioned above and in HISR and then do our best to live as we know we should. Jesus does not expect us to be perfect, but He does expect us to work at it. He also expects us to bring His message to others.
I strongly suggest that you forget the misconceptions that you had about Heaven, and concern about death of fish. Read HISR again from beginning to end. You can skip over the parts about all the training Jesus had to do on Choo. Just get the 'meat' of what is in this wonderful book. Every word is truly biblical and if you study it along with the Bible, I believe you will see this for yourself. I know Choo personally as we talk usually weekly. She has told me things about her experiences with our Lord beyond what is in the book. Choo is a great apostle of the Lord and a wonderful person. I cannot believe further study of HISR will make it dark for you, but will turn on the light as it did for me. I continue to read HISR from time to time. Today while I was waiting for my wife in a dentist office, I enjoyed a pleasant two hours with the book.
There is no need to be in despair. Jesus will help you if you ask Him and at the same time believe that He will help. You must believe. I see that you are sincerely seeking to know the truth so that your life will be fulfilled. Just keep on this path and you will be helped. You didn't mention that you attend church. I enjoy the Bible studies there very much and have found some wonderful friends by attendance at the church. They have helped me in my walk with God.
The Gospel of Matthew tells us that He does. “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow dies, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Mat 6:28-33. And further: “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.” Rom 8:28.
So why are there so many poor, and why is there despair among some? Those who know Christ believe and actually experience that God takes care of everything in our lives. We know that all things work together for good to those who know God. At the least He gives us the strength to deal with our problems. Does this mean that the poor do not know God? It does not take fine things to make us happy. Anita and I have seen people who live in hovels just off a sidewalk that are singing and dancing for joy. But we see pictures of victims of disasters with looks of abject despair. Has God abandoned them; did they never know God? There are far more questions than answers. But for sure, we must keep taking the message of Jesus’ salvation to as many as possible.
We are taught that this life is only a precursor or training ground for Heaven. Heaven will bring the reward of beauty to some who never saw it on earth. We can look on Heaven as a leveling place for everyone regardless of life on earth. We also are told that a rich life on earth is the only reward that some will have. Unless those who have had luxury, fame and fortune on earth embrace Christ and then help the less fortunate, they will never see Heaven. This too is somewhat of a leveler. So we can hope and pray that those that suffer on earth will get their rewards in their afterlife.
And those who delight in trying to discourage Christians use the inequities of earthly life to prove that God is either not all good or He must be unable to right the wrongs. The answer to that seems difficult but Christians know that God is all powerful and all good. If so, why doesn’t He cure all the world’s ills? He wants us to do some of this work. He puts examples of misfortune in our path to give us the chance to do something about it. Everyone was given free choice, and some of the decisions that are made lead to ruin. Many of the ills are caused by the devil’s work. God allows this within limits, but Satan will be put out of business before too long. It is hard for us to see suffering and be unable to remedy it, but our resources are limited. We want God to step in and He will in His own time table.
This article was written hoping that doing so would give me a better understanding of the role of predestination in people’s lives. I also wanted to try to fathom how our free will is affected; how does free will and predestination interact? What about those not selected (predestined), do they have a chance of being saved?
This is a difficult topic and should only be discussed with mature Christians, those with a large measure of understanding of the Bible. Predestination means “mapped out beforehand.” From all eternity God chose some to have eternal life. These He freed from sin and misery by a covenant of grace. By mapping it beforehand God eliminates any notion we might have that we can save ourselves or that our salvation is by anything other than God. Those He has chosen are called His elect. How and who God has chosen remains in His hidden will. He does however allow the elect who accept a new life in Christ to come to know that they are saved. This happens when they recognize God’s act of regeneration within them.
He offers salvation through a bona fide general calling of the gospel to all people. Those who accept will be brought into the Kingdom. Those who do not accept will be left in their sins to condemnation.
The decrees of God are His eternal plan by which, for His own glory, He has foreordained everything that happens. God is truly sovereign over all things including our free will. All things that happen are either caused by or allowed by God. In doing so God does not sin nor cause us to sin. Nothing escapes the knowledge of God.
This is a hard doctrine for many to accept, that God’s sovereignity far outweighs our free will. The free actions of men are both free and predestined. That is, those who commit these acts do so because they want to. And yet those acts which they do are predetermined by God so that Scripture says they must happen. God is totally in charge of His creation.
Those predestined will have regeneration, (be born again, selected to be saved) where sin no longer dominates. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son,...” Romans 8:29. Even so, they still must be told about Jesus by a Christian. This is because they have free will to make a choice to be saved.
Some people think they are Christian by creating a God of their liking in their mind. These folks do not want to hear the truth. They never really accepted Christ.
We will know that we have been chosen when we recognize that our life has changed. God has sovereignity over our life; He prescribes limits. You may wander around within those limits (golf instead of church) but if you think of going outside these limits such as committing real sin (adultery, murder, blasphemy) He will not allow you to do that. You may not recognize at the time that He is pulling you back, but it is happening.
Once you accept Christ, you will have a thirst to know more. You must be steadfast in your search and in trying to live as you believe the Lord desires. You must persevere. If you ask, people around you will help, and God will help mightily.
So what do we say about those who were not chosen before time began? Can they find Christ with our help through God’s grace? Jesus Christ died for the sins of all people and wants all to come to repentance. But Jesus' death provides salvation only for those who do not resist God's call. Anyone who accepts the gift of salvation becomes the “elect” of God.
God has made salvation possible for anyone who wants it. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,” Titus 2:11. He already knows who will accept His plan of salvation. This does not negate man's choice; rather it is confirmation of God's grace that some will choose salvation. Predestination may raise some intellectual problems, but that is because man tries to wrap his finite mind around an infinite God.
Does God predestine anyone for hell? By electing some to salvation, is God choosing who will continue on their way to Hell? There is much written of this and much controversy harking back to Calvinism. My belief after finding applicable Bible passages and reading ideas of some who have studied the subject is this: No one is predestined for hell. Exceptions might be the usual suspects, Hitler, Egypt’s Pharaoh who persecuted the Israelites, and some of the terrorists. Of course we don’t know if God pardoned some (the Pharaoh for instance) because they had been selected for His purposes.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only begotten Son.” John 3:17-18.
One author says: God would not have placed eternal death upon men and separation from Him before He created them, and at the same time say He created them for His pleasure. God would not pronounce His creation good if before its existence if He had plagued His creation with the death of certain men. God’s predestination is that those who receive the Lord shall be like the Lord Jesus. That is predestination and nothing else is. Is it logical for a potter to make vessels so he could turn around and destroy them?
We are all condemned, until the Spirit reveals the truth of God to us at which point, we cannot help but accept the gift of Grace. Salvation is not man's work, but God's.
Bible Passages: ”Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago” (Ephesians 1:11).
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love. Ephesians 1:4
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. Eph 1:11
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
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Ro 11:6
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Ro 8:33
However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20
My thanks to Dick Murphy for inspiration and some of this information.
This was written at the suggestion of a friend who said that how God had shaped my life could make an interesting story.
Do you ever look back on your life and marvel at what a lucky person you are? Did it seem that good fortune followed you somehow? If so, God was looking after you. Don’t forget to thank Him! We don’t know why some people have a better life than others, but many people can be thankful for what they have and what they are.
After I found Christ and became His follower, I started to think of all the blessings throughout my life. The first blessing was being born in America and to loving parents.
My Mom and Dad taught me what love is; they showered love on me even knowing that I was far from perfect. I was perhaps a typical child of that time. I never knew anyone who didn’t mind his or her parents, although at times we all did stuff for which we had to be corrected. Mom and Dad did their corrections in a gentle way that still did the job. There might have been times when if I had a choice, I would rather have a whipping than be scolded about what I had done wrong. I can remember only one whipping, and I guess my Dad had totally lost patience with me. But he didn’t display anger. We were in the front yard in summer. He simply told me to go to the willow tree and cut a switch. I did and stood still while he applied it to me. I knew I had it coming.
My Mother prayed with me each night at bedtime, the little prayer I still remember: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take”. I doubt if I really knew what this meant about my soul but it was nice to spend the last few minutes of the day with Mom.
The thing that impressed me even then was how hard my parents worked. Our home had no modern conveniences like running water; we had a hand pump in the back porch to draw from a well. Mom scrubbed our clothes on a washboard and rung them out by hand until we could afford a washing machine with a ringer. Dad worked in a produce store as a clerk when we first came to Boise from SE Idaho where I was born. In time he bought a truck and hauled produce from Oregon and southern Idaho and sold it to local merchants. In the summers I often went with him. I didn’t look on my part as work as it was fun to be with him and do what I could. What love was all about was taught by my parents, and I was inspired by the life they lived.
Boy friends were good friends and we had much fun. There were also several young girls who liked to talk to me. Other boys ignored them but I found enjoyment in trying to answer their questions about many things. No I did not have all the answers but I listened and was sympathetic to whatever they wanted to talk about. I had beautiful wavy hair and two older girls often invited me to come over so they could brush and comb it. I remember pretending that I was doing them a favor, but I really enjoyed it.
We lived within walking distance of the Boise River and not far from a canal that brought water from the upper reaches of this river. The river was a favorite fishing place and just a place to hang out. I gave the fish to a Chinese family as we didn’t care for the carp. Boy friends and I swam in the canal through the summer.
Hunting was also only a bicycle ride to the fields where I could occasionally shoot a Chinese pheasant or a mallard duck for dinner. I could also ride up into the foothills which were barren except for sagebrush and shoot jack rabbits. At that time the farmers paid a bounty for these as they invaded their farms and ate whatever was growing.
So life was good and growing up was a great experience. I thank the Lord for this. But by the time I was finishing high school, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and WWII began. I didn’t give it much thought but a friend, Bob Wheeler came to me one day and suggested that we enlist in the Navy V-12 college training program. Otherwise we might be drafted into the armed services. I know that the Lord caused this to happen. We both enlisted and were ordered to go to Seattle for a physical exam and testing. I passed but sadly my friend Bob failed the physical.
The Navy ordered me to continue my education for a year after high school until a spot in the training program was open. I went to Boise University, then called Boise Junior College. I nearly flunked out as I was working nights in a theater and had a full-time girl friend. A kindly advisor coached me in what I must do to stay in school and this woke me up. I began to study hard and got though OK.
The next fall I was ordered to take the train to Butte Montana for training at the Montana School of Mines. This unlikely setting for Navy training had been converted to the Navy program. The student dormitory, a large building was dedicated only to Navy students. A few weeks after I got there we were all asked to undergo a routine physical exam. For me there was nothing routine about it. The doctor discovered a groin hernia that would disqualify me from the program. It may have been generic as my father suffered with one for many years. I guess that it must have enlarged since the Seattle exam which did not find it.
The training base was commanded by a Navy Commander. The Executive Officer was also a surgeon. They called me in after the exam and explained the choices. I could be discharged from the Navy and go home. However they could arrange a discharge so that I could have an operation, and then reinstate me after it was healed. I jumped at this option of course. Here again I know that God was with me and I am grateful to these kindly officers.
A few months later a flight of the Navy Blue Angels came over our base and circled around the valley. This rekindled my desire to be an aviator that had been with me for many years. It seemed a coincidence that a few months later we were told that the Naval Air cadet program was opening up and we could request a transfer to it. Thank you God as this would shape my life. I was transferred to Seattle at the end of the semester to attend the University of Washington. I had no idea what a tremendous change in my life this would bring. In the late fall some of the trainees were invited to a sorority dance. How I came to be included I have to attribute to God.
This was Anita’s sorority and my roommate and I were paired with two lovely ladies. I had no say in the matter but Anita who would become my wife was my date for the night. I was immediately attracted to her as an enjoyable person. I was surprised that she was also attracted to me and she invited me to be a guest at her parents’ home in nearby Tacoma. I must have always had just a bit of maverick in my blood and I had bought an old Chevrolet sedan. We weren’t supposed to own a car but it allowed us to travel to Tacoma. Almost every weekend after that, Anita and I drove to her home. Her parents welcomed me and treated me almost like a son. I had no plans then to make this come true.
I was most attracted to Anita’s Dad. He was a wonderful person to be with. He could tell you about a trip to the grocery store and make you feel that you were with him, and he had many stories about his adventures in the great outdoors. So I really fell in love with him. Anita’s mother was also most kind and always had a cup of cocoa ready when we arrived on Friday night. I didn’t mind the cocktail hour we had before dinner. Later I learned from Anita that her Dad was frustrated when the third girl was born after Anita. He so wanted a boy. So I became his son.
One Saturday while we were in Tacoma Anita asked me to teach her to drive. After dinner I let her drive and she headed for the next little settlement called Dash Point. Her parents’ home was at Brown’s Point where she grew up. It got dark after we started out but her driving was just fine. The road overlooks Puget Sound with steel guard rails on the water side. We spotted what we thought was a motorcycle heading toward us but it was a car with only one light on its right side. That driver wandered into our lane and before we realized it he crashed into us. Our car spun out of control and only stopped by hitting the guard rail and hanging over the 200-foot bank above the Sound. We were not hurt and neither was the other driver, but our car was totaled. Evidently he had no insurance so we were left without a car and no money for another.
It was only a few weeks until I was transferred to the Naval Aviation training base in California. Anita began sending money to pay for the car that she thought was her responsibility. I didn’t want her to do this and told her the accident was not her fault. But she insisted and I put the money in the bank for a future car. The summer was spent at the Alameda Naval Air Station and while there, WWII ended. I happened to be on Market Street in San Francisco that day. It was a riot of joy. A few weeks later i went to the Navy Preflight training base at St. Mary’s, California. I have written about experiences there. After being at St. Mary’s for a few weeks, we were called in and given the choice to sign for four more years in the Navy and continue flight training or be discharged.
It was an agonizing decision for me as I had always wanted to fly and the Navy flight program is a tremendous way to learn. I finally decided to return to the University of Washington and finish engineering training. Also, I could picture Anita in my mind waiting for me as her letters had indicated. I had by then become attached to her as a wonderful companion and a loving person. I am also sure that God had a hand in this knowing what a great marriage we would have and how much she would contribute to it. I know that her sending the money also convinced me of her integrity. So I returned to Seattle in my Aviation Cadet uniform, no longer in the Navy blues that Anita had known.
It was a warm greeting when I saw Anita. I enrolled at the U but being summer decided to spend it in Boise. My parents were glad to see me and my life resumed much as it was before leaving for the Navy. I was offered my job back at the theater where I had worked but decided to do something else. I got a summer job at the Idaho Creamery where I had all the cream and ice cream I could use. Friendship with several of my boy chums was renewed and we had fun together. But my heart was back in Seattle. My Dad at that time had a used car business and he gave me a good deal on a two-door Dodge with a rumble seat. At the end of summer, I drove it to Seattle and took up residence at a fraternity that had recruited me. One of my fraternity brothers had a going real estate business and I worked there one summer as a salesman.
With the car Anita and I could travel to her parents’ home and roam around the area. As I had already found, she is a wonderful companion but became more than that. Our evening rides ended with what we used to call ‘heavy petting’. She would only let me go so far but it was still a thrill to be intimate with her. On one of our dates I finally asked her to marry me. I waited for one or two seconds for her answer. We were married the following August 31 at the Methodist Church in Tacoma. In other writings I have chronicled a little more of our fun together including a trip to Boise to meet my parents. I attribute to God my meeting with Anita, attraction to her and her parents. God knew what He was doing. Anita helped shape much of our lives thereafter.
Another of the great gifts from God was ability to express myself in writing. It was honed all my life starting with thank you letters to my grandmother. Then after leaving Boise I wrote long letters to my parents and to girl friends. I learned to describe my experiences in what they said was an interesting way. Wherever we traveled I also wrote a story about the adventure. This writing ability came in great stead in my career.
After we were married and a degree in Chemical Engineering and Industrial Engineering (including business courses) was received, I started work at Boeing in Seattle. After three years a college friend and my Engineering professor encouraged me to get into the chemical industry. I became Plant Engineer at a chemical plant in Seattle. After five years I talked my boss into giving me a chance as a salesman.
I was successful in this and also was able to satisfy my longtime dream of flying. My territory out of Seattle included six states plus northern California. The first year I did my best to cover this large area by driving, commercial airlines, and occasionally train and bus. Then it dawned on me that I could be more efficient and it would be less tiring if I could fly. So I took flying lessons at Boeing Field in Seattle. Even before getting a pilot’s license I had my instructor go with me on a long cross country flight to call on accounts in Utah. He was satisfied and said I could go on my own. Later, with the pilot’s license I could take passengers and Anita accompanied me on a few of the trips.
Anywhere I headed out of Seattle except south, rugged mountains would be encountered. After moving to Vancouver it was even more hazardous as there was 300 miles of mountainous terrain to the east. If the engine had failed while flying single engine aircraft, there would be no place safe to land. But in flying for twenty years and covering 400,000 miles including all over Mexico, I never had a problem. Ultimately twin-engine planes were acquired and I got an instrument license so could fly over the mountains instead of threading my way through canyons under a blanket of clouds. I write much more about this elsewhere. But the point here is that on any of these flights there could have been trouble. Though I made sure the airplanes were in good condition before flying, you read of accidents regularly in small planes. There is only one explanation; it is that God was my co-pilot all the time.
After five years in sales my boss asked me to go to Vancouver, Canada as western division manager. This was one of the three divisions of the Canadian company. It was not doing well and it took a lot of work to make it the leading profit center for the company. On the way to achieving this I wrote several letters to the American head office in New York outlining plans for improvement. Evidently these letters were read by the head of the company and I received a note that they were impressed at the plans. The plans worked well.
Then I was asked to become the Executive VP and travel to Toronto, the head office. A year later I was made President to replace the American who held the job. It was his idea and I know that God had a hand in this.
The people who had a major influence on my life during this period need to be mentioned. Harold Warner was my first boss at the chemical company. He was a controversial man always stirring up politics when he wasn’t busy enough. He didn’t have an engineering education but he was self-trained and an excellent practical engineer. He taught me to use my education but also to use my head to accomplish what seemed at first impractical but turned out great. With his tutelage I was able to accomplish many things that were beyond what I learned in college.
After I designed my first chemical plant, and with a small budget the basic plant was constructed. It needed additional work and the head office in New York sent Bill Blesee to help. Bill became a good friend and taught me detail planning. Often an engineer could overlook incidentals in getting all the needed materials together. Bill taught me to visualize each step of the assembly and to write down what would be needed. I could have easily forgotten to order minor parts without which plant construction would be delayed, sometimes by weeks. But by conceptualizing the finished plant and then working backwards to the beginning, each step became known and all needed materials were ordered.
The greatest thing that Bill did for me was to get me to plan my future career. One evening after dinner Bill told me to get a yellow pad. We both sprawled on our living room carpet and he started questioning what I wanted out of life. My answers at first were not well thought out. Bill persisted until I finally said that I would like to be the head of a large company some day. Bill insisted that a date be put down when this would be achieved, and I said in ten years. Bill said “great”, put down “president in 1966”. Then he asked me what I would have to be prior to this. During the rest of the evening we talked about the steps and I wrote down each one. The first step was to get into sales as this was the swiftest path to management in those days. It was amazing that this plan came true at the dates set down. The last step though, becoming President was a year later.
So the day after our plan was made, I went to the division manager Ernie Skytta and told him I would like to get into sales. Ernie was skeptical since I was a shy person and he had seen no evidence of ability to sway people as required in sales. But somehow selling had been in my mind for many years without putting it together as part of a career path. In college instead of reading novels for recreation I had read every book that I could lay my hands on about salesmanship and how to influence others. God knew this knowledge was needed. So with the planning skills that Bill had taught me, I put together a plan to convince Ernie that I could sell. Taking every opportunity to talk to him, I would weave in some thoughts about salesmanship. It so happened that the man who had been selling some of the chemicals decided to leave for another job. Thanks God. So I went to Ernie and asked for this man’s job. Ernie was still unsure but took me to lunch weekly at his club.
I knew that if I could not sell him, he would not believe I could sell anyone. So I began to tell him some details that had been learned by reading and in observing sales people who called on us to sell materials. I outlined their good points and discussed what opportunities some had missed by failing to make a convincing argument. We bought from a competitor. Ernie warmed up to the idea that I could sell but gave me one final test. We usually had one cocktail during lunch at his club. One day Ernie said there was no hurry in getting back to the office, so we could have a few more drinks.
I had never had a craving for alcohol so I nursed my second (or third) cocktail while we talked more about ideas for a successful sales program. Ernie was not a heavy drinker but being a big man, he could take on more alcohol without it seeming to affect him. He was used to spending evenings with customers many of whom were heavy drinkers. He knew that I would face people like these in my sales job. But I passed this test to his satisfaction. He gave me the job and I did well. I found it a pleasure to get to know key potential customers and get their confidence. Some of these became family friends.
After five years in sales, Ernie called me in one day and asked if I was interested in moving to Vancouver Canada to be in charge of the western division of the Canadian company. At that time this division was under Ernie’s care. He said that I was his second choice but the star salesman in Oregon did not want to move. I jumped at the chance and Anita went along with it.
This division was not doing well under the existing manager. Taking this job would be a challenge as many of the duties would be foreign to me. But this fit well into the plan to be head of a company so I tackled it with gusto. Using the sales skills that had been honed in five years I was able to gain the confidence of the heads of major forest product companies, and ultimately much of their business. Then as previously mentioned my skills at writing came to good use. After the first year and we had made good progress, I had to have the blessing of the New York head office to expand further. I saw the need of a formaldehyde plant to produce one of the main ingredients in the forest product resins, and money was needed. At that time, the president of the Canadian company was in New York. I wrote a letter outlining the whole plan of how much more business could be won if we could become more competitive.
The letter was directed to Jay Myers, the president. But Jay passed it on to the higher ups and I received a letter from a top executive that the letter really impressed him. We were given the money to build the plant and much more later. We put in facilities for other resin products which we were bringing from Seattle and Toronto. Sales begin to build and a year later our division was the most profitable in the company. Jay visited us several times to get acquainted and to lend help. On one of the trips he said I would be the next president of the company as he felt resident leadership was needed. He told the Canadian Board to appoint me as Executive Vice President. This did not sit well with one man who had his eye on this job, but eventually he accepted it and we became friends. You can see how God was guiding me all through this.
I was asked to travel each month to Toronto and Montreal to help coordinate the overall affairs. After a few months of this I was elected President. Not wanting to uproot our family again since they had become attached to Vancouver, I commuted for a year more. One Saturday morning after a grueling week in the east and the journey back, I asked Anita what she would think of moving to Toronto. She surprised me as she often does and said, let’s do it.
What this career did for me was enable financial security and accumulation of wealth. I was guided by God I am sure to invest with brokers who knew what they were doing. A man in Vancouver who closely followed our company stock invested for me and from a modest amount I gave him he created a substantial portfolio. Merrill Lynch in Toronto invested in commodities for me and made a great deal of money. I worked diligently to invest and did well also on my own. What did I ever do to deserve this good fortune? Nothing, it was a gift from God.
Although this was nice, I didn’t need a fortune, but I found later that God had a plan for it. I had not been particularly generous with our money but after my conversion to love Jesus, we began to give in depth to charities and to help spread His Word in the world. The majority of the wealth was given away by 2009. Was it given with joy? Not at first. As my original incentive to pledge my life to Jesus was the fear of hell, I was concerned that a rich person would never make it to Heaven. But soon I found the joy of giving. I loved God mightily and wanted to help the needy and enhance the spreading of the Good News of Salvation.
And how I found Christ after 79 years of barely knowing who He is was an act of God. A dear friend tried for fifty years to get me interested in spiritual matters. She sent Bibles, tapes, and other things to try to whet an interest. But when she sent the book “Heaven Is So Real” that did it. I read the first six chapters one night at bedtime, went to sleep and was awakened by being shaken. As I got out of bed and tried to stop shaking, I couldn’t see. A brilliant light blinded me. I realized that there was a message from God in the book and there really was. In reading the book I came to know what Jesus had in store for us if we believed and obeyed. This was a changing point in my life, at first beyond my comprehension.
Since then many minor but great miracles have been experienced. Many of these were healing after all else failed. Also I have been put in touch with hundreds of people who are helpful to me in their faith, and many more who I have found ways to help. My ministry if you can call it that is to try to light a fire in the minds of many and then hope that God brings them to Himself. Hundreds of emails have been received from people expressing their faith, or asking for help. Requests are for both spiritual help and often also for assistance in their lives. I do nothing on my own but always ask the Holy Spirit for help. I know from what people have told me, there has been some success. If someone told me before 2004 that I would be helping people with faith, I would have wondered whom they were talking about. But that is what God does; He takes unlikely candidates and molds them into something useful to Him.
Also in the last six years I have written over a hundred articles on faith. Many were sent by email to friends and to others who had written to me. It is enjoyable to do this. Just when I think I have run dry of subjects on which to write, something new comes to mind. Friends make some suggestions and others come from reading and the Holy Spirit. Faith articles continue to be written each week. Often I have no plans for the use of something written until it is done and prayed about. I might send it to several friends to get their ideas, and finally release it to wider audiences in some form. Something prompted me to set up a website and put these articles on it. The result is http://hagen.viviti.com. As new articles are written they are added. Websites can be viewed all over the world so people I have never heard of might be influenced.
I have no idea how God will use me or help me next. I am ready and available to Him. He has done so much in my life that I will do anything He asks. I never deserved any of this; it was solely a gift from God.
The thought occurred to me that it would be wonderful if we could somehow just dial a person we do not know and learn if they are Christian. The more I thought about it the sillier it seemed. But still I often wonder about someone whom comes into view, unknown to me before. We watched the last few minutes of the British Open golf championship at St. Andrews, Scotland . Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa was the clear winner. It was his first major championship and he outplayed the best of the golfing world. They showed his wife holding their baby during the award ceremony, with Louis smiling broadly. What a wonderful moment for this 27 year old. But as I often do, I began to wonder about his real future. I just hoped that he had already come to Christ as his Lord and Savior.
I would like to be able to ask him about this but know we will never meet. So if I could query him even without his knowing, I might somehow start a campaign to introduce him to Christ if need be. Well I realize this is not possible even with today’s technology. But the Bible tells us it will actually be possible. During the Great Tribulation, all those left behind from the Lord’s Rapture of his faithful will be given Satan’s mark if they give in and worship Satan. Satan causes everyone to be identified in this way. Revelation 13:16-17 - “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name [666].” If they refuse Satan’s mark, they will be marked with a cross and be persecuted mightily.
Of course we don’t have to go to someone on the other side of the world to tell them about Christ Jesus. There are opportunities right in our neighborhood, and in some of our families. I realize this and do what I can, but this doesn’t stop me from wondering about someone who seems to have the world by the tail. Do they really? Since accepting Christ in my own life, I know that those who haven’t taken this step must do so if they are to truly have a great future. Over the years I have wondered about Elvis, Sinatra, Glenn Miller, and many others whom are no longer with us. I think of some of our prominent politicians, and media moguls. Has anyone told them about salvation? It would be wonderful to just dial them somehow and ask them this vital question. If they said they have no interest, we would know that at least we tried. Without this though we can pray and that might just do the trick.
To evangelize means to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Christ. Jesus in giving the Great Commission to the eleven apostles says in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you." Imagine that Jesus saying these words to eleven of us today and we were one of the eleven. What would be our reaction? Impossible? Or, Lord don't you see there are only eleven of us? Or would we think "Yes Jesus really means me.” We are also under this obligation to teach others. Jesus had just commanded the eleven to go teach and to teach those who were converted to observe all things he had commanded them which included that we are also be taught to go and teach.
Paul says in Romans 1:14, "I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise." In like manner today we are debtors to every non-Christian because we have the good news that can save his soul. This places us under obligation to share the gospel with the lost so they can be saved. Because someone loved us enough to teach us the truth, shouldn't we do as much for someone else? What if you were unsaved and doomed to Hell, wouldn't you want someone to teach you the saving gospel of Christ?
If people have not heard and learned the gospel they cannot obey it. In 1 Peter 4:17 the question is asked, "What shall be the end of those who do not obey the gospel?” The answer is given in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 which says when the Lord comes He will come "In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We should not want to see anyone lost but as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:11, "Knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men.” People are going to be lost forever if we don't teach them now!
The Lord doesn't want anyone to be lost. We read in 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord...is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” They can only come to repentance when they know what to do. We also read in 1 Timothy 2:4, "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Because of what the Lord has done for us, we have the obligation to teach others so they can come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:16, "Woe is to me if I preach not the gospel.” How are we going to answer the Lord if we haven't bothered to tell the good news to others?
Our Lord in teaching His disciples, tells them in John 4:35, "Do you say there are still four months then comes the harvest? Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to harvest.” Our Lord was speaking of the spiritual harvest of souls who would be lost in eternity if they are not harvested. There is an urgency to teach the lost for Jesus says in Matthew 9:37-38, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” We must work in the Lord's harvest because if we don't then those we could have taught will be lost and we don't want that to happen.
In the first century the good news of the gospel caused such great excitement that "And daily in the temple and from house to house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus" (Acts 5;42). We need to be as excited today. And even when they were being heavily persecuted, some even to death, we read in Acts 8:4, "Therefore those who were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word." What should stop us today? We are not being persecuted. We have many more advantages. We have the automobile, the airplane, the telephone, the Internet, and the printed page. We are without excuse.
Teaching the lost is the work the Lord has commanded each of us to do. Successful evangelism is accomplished one person at a time. Evangelism is not only to be done in distant lands, but we must also teach those near us, our next door neighbors. God will be with us as we teach His word to the lost. We will be successful because we read in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” When we do what the Lord says to do we will not fail.
When we teach the lost we cause all of Heaven to rejoice. Jesus tells us that “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents” (Luke 15:7, 10). The joy of teaching one the gospel and seeing them obey it is beyond description.
[The foregoing was copied from the writings of Pastor Culver of the Whittier Church of God.]
Many questions have been raised about children’s age of accountability. It is defined as an age when the child is able to discern between right and wrong and can choose. It may be the age when children will no longer be taken to Heaven automatically when they die.
What does the Bible say about this?
We know that Jesus valued little ones and admonished not to harm them or prevent them from coming to Him. He has said that ALL children under the age of seven will be taken to Heaven when He comes for His faithful ones.
“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18:6
“In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Matthew 18:14
And yet when their parents are wicked, the children suffer.
“The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open." Hosea 13:16
Why did God kill children along with adults?
The children who lost their lives in the Flood, in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra, and other places where God was no longer worshiped lost their physical lives but did not lose their spiritual life, their eternal life with God. Those children were blessed by God because they did not have to grow up in the midst of rampant perversion, where their minds and bodies would have been daily abused and twisted by vile adults.
Children of a righteous parent.
Can a righteous parent be assured that his/her children will be taken to Heaven with them, regardless of age and whether the child has accepted Jesus as his/her Lord and Savior?
“They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." Acts 16:31
"Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.” Acts 11.11-14
Children can receive Jesus:
“And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Tim 3.15
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Prov. 22.6
“Samuel was ministering before the LORD - a boy wearing a linen ephod.” 1 Sam 2.18
From http://www.biblebell.org/accountability:
The Bible says children are not fully capable of distinguishing between good and evil. (Deuteronomy 1.39, Isa 7.16).
Numbers 14.29 and Deuteronomy 1.39 establish the precedent that God will NOT hold children responsible when He brings judgment for sin.
Those of you who have lost a child will be comforted.
Yes, your child is truly with the Lord in heaven. Yes, your child is eternally free & healthy & happy. Yes, you WILL see your beloved child again someday!
What a joyous reunion that will be!
There is a theory known as "the age of accountability."
Bible verses about the age of accountability:
Both Deuteronomy 1.39 and Isaiah 7.16 acknowledge that children "have no knowledge of good and evil" and do not have the maturity to "know to refuse evil and choose the good." But who is a "child" according to the Bible?
Being admitted to the Promised Land is not on the same level as being admitted to Heaven. So we cannot rely on the following passages as defining the age of accountability as some hope
In this desert your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Num 14:29
The Jews rebelled against God at the border of Canaan. God's judgment for this sin was that the Jews would wander in the wilderness for 40 years. During that wandering, ONLY those Jews who were aged 20 years and older would die (Num 14.29).In other words, the Jews who were 19 years old or younger were NOT held responsible for the rebellion. God permitted all of them to enter the Promised Land.
Many passages in the Bible are like a travel brochure of our eternal home, and should fill us with anticipation. Heaven is real and it is beautiful beyond comparison with even the best areas of our lovely earth. Our life here is brief compared with the life of our soul, the real person we are. Our soul will live in a new body in Heaven forever. That is a long time!
Our job while on earth is to live so that we will make it to Heaven. Many people believe that they will make it because of their good deeds or going to worship service. Unfortunately this is not the truth that will set us free. No matter what we do we cannot earn our way into Heaven.
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 This is a popular saying that was first used by Jesus Christ. And the truth of which He spoke was: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
But the truth is of no use until we believe it. Why should we believe this? Because it is a clear statement in the Bible. Why should we believe that the Bible is the Word of God? The Bible was written by men but under God’s direction and revelation. The men who wrote the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John in the New Testament were witnesses to Jesus’ life. Luke was written by a physician and historian who obtained his information from eyewitnesses. There is no record of Jesus saying anything not true or not believable. People who have seriously studied the Bible have concluded that it indeed is the Word of God. Even those who were dedicated to disproving it ended up believing and were converted. The Bible has withstood assaults for over 2000 years and survives for our benefit. Yes we can ignore all of this, but is that a good idea for our future?
People always want to know what the future will hold for them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we really knew? We can. -- The Bible book of “Revelation” was written by the Apostle John about A.D. 95. John was the apostle that Jesus loved most and an eyewitness to Jesus’ life, death and was with Jesus after His resurrection. He was exiled by the Romans to the island of Patmos off the coast of Asia to rid the empire of John’s teachings about Jesus. But while there he was given a revelation by the glorified Christ, and directed to write it down.
The book of Revelation is the most revealing story of our future. Unfortunately even many who read the Bible do not take the time to understand it. Revelation tells us exactly what our future will be. At God’s appointed time which I believe is very near, the risen and ascended Lord Jesus will burst onto the world scene. Then everyone will know that Jesus is Lord of the universe. Those who love Him will rejoice and greet their Savior with songs of praise. But His enemies will be filled with fear. The book of Revelation gives much detail about these happenings.
For those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, their future is with Him. This is the truth that will set us free. My knowing where I will spend eternity is tremendously comforting. I also have free access to help from our Lord any time I ask. I am amazed at all the help I receive just for asking. No, He doesn’t act like a genie or my servant. The help and aid received is based on what He believes is in my best interest. So that is just one reason that I love Him. And I am just a humble servant of our Lord; His help is available to all.
This is a letter I wrote to a lady who lost her son to disease over fifty years ago. She still asks “why does God allow such suffering”, and blames God for this. George Hagen
Dear _____. It was an interesting dinner with you. I have thought about some of the things that were said ever since. I am troubled by parts of the conversation. You said that people keep pushing books and evangelistic material at you. It seems that you resent this, or at least don’t want it. I submit that if no one cared anything about you, perhaps you would not be bothered by these from people you know. I believe that folks that do this are trying to help you. I know I gain nothing personally by offering the book that brought me to faith. I do it because I believe it will be useful to the other person.
I mentioned that a lady in Tacoma, Washington, who we had known for over fifty years, kept sending stuff to me. This included Bibles, a Bible on tape, books on faith etc. At first I sort of resented her “interfering” in my life. Later I simply ignored the material, but thanked her for it. She finally sent the book “Heaven Is So Real” in January 2004. I told you that it was put aside, but for some reason I decided to start reading it one night just before retiring. During the night I woke up to a bright light, went to the bathroom and then back to sleep. Around 2:00 AM I saw a huge flash of light that was terribly bright. It woke me and I awoke shaking and could not see for the light blinding my eyes. The shaking and bright light only lasted a little while, but I realized that this happening was a message from the Lord. I knew that the book was important, very important. I read it and reread it several times, and continue to read parts of it. This book changed my life completely for the better. For the first time I knew that Jesus Christ was Lord and Savior. Before this, for 79 years I had ignored Him. Now I am eternally grateful, literally, to Nancy Shelton who sent this book. I called her and she was so thankful that something finally got through to me after her efforts over fifty years.
You told us of the tragedy of your son and asked why God would allow the terrible suffering of this young man. His passing was terribly sad for you. We don’t know why God sometimes heals people and sometimes does not. We do know though that God does NOT cause these problems. We live in a world of sin, we are all sinners. I am a sinner even today, but am trying very hard not to do anything that is not pleasing to the Lord. The worst possible sin is the one I was afflicted with most of my life. I valued money and many things more than love for God. I often prayed and thanked our Heavenly Father for our good life and good health, but that was about it for praying. I didn’t know Jesus except of course I knew He died on the cross for some reason. I did not attend church. So my sin was in ignoring Christ and in valuing many things more than I did a love of God. My life changed in 2004 and if it had not, I know where I would have spent eternity – not in Heaven.
We have lost many friends of years back, and this is so sad. Beautiful memories of the good times we had together with them live on but will never be again. We know that some of them, and we hope all, have gone to a better place. This knowledge does indeed ease the pain of the loss, and especially for the loved ones in their immediate family.
We mentioned the tragedies of three of our kids, one was lost to us at about age 22, one was afflicted with crippling arthritis, a third with depression. It was not God that caused any of these problems, and with two of our kids it seems that He helped them largely overcome the illnesses so that they could lead normal lives. Satan is alive and well and is trying very hard and with great skill to alienate Christians from God. He would love to have us blame God for our troubles. When this happens, Satan has won. Illnesses occur in our sinful world, not because a person sins as many of the Old Testament people believed, but it is a natural occurrence because of diseases and other afflictions that are rampant in the world. To expect God to cure every illness is not realistic. The chances are even less if serious prayer is not involved, What God does is to make these problems easier to bear if we believe in Him and offer prayers.
When God created the universe, He saw that it was good. Genesis 1:31. But evil entered. The Bible declares that apart from our Lord Jesus, there is none who does good, no not one. (Romans 3:12). So God’s definition of “good” is different from ours. After we come to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will be prompted to really do good and love our fellow man. Before that, our “good” helps others but does not chalk up any points for a life of eternity with God.
After I came to faith in 2004, I started to read the Bible and have read it through three times. Now I continue to read it every day, picking out books and chapters that have been noted before as being most beneficial. Often when reading, a thought sort of jumps out at me. Several times it accused me of some sin that I had not realized was a sin. I immediately accepted this and prayed for forgiveness. Each time a “load” was taken from me that I hadn’t realized was a problem. An example is that I harbored a grudge against a prominent Democrat. Holding a grudge does not hurt the target person, only the person holding it. It is a very serious sin. To hold a grudge against God is fatal.
Am I perfect? Of course not. Before pledging my life to Jesus, did I ever do anything to deserve an eternity in Heaven. Absolutely not. I lived a good life and tried to help others along the way. But without really loving Jesus, these efforts only made me feel that I was a good person.
In studying the Bible, I came to realize the truth that Jesus stated “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. (John 14:6) In other words, there is no way to get into Heaven just by good works. But it is very simple, we just have to pledge our life to Jesus and then live as we believe he wants us to. There is a “sinner’s prayer” that is the first step. I took this step in 2004 and it changed my life. I found no downside to doing this, only more love for everyone, and I can’t help it, love for others just keeps coming out.
I know you were already tired of people “preaching” to you, but I am not preaching. I have a busy schedule most days and I would not have “wasted” time in writing this just to preach. I believe so much that Jesus will come for His faithful ones soon now, that I don’t want anyone to be left behind. I know that some in our church will not be taken to Heaven at this time, as they think that just attending church and doing good works will get them there. They might make it eventually, but they will have to go through the terrible tribulation first.
May the love of the Lord be with you. If you want to talk about any of this, please let me know.
The very best birthday present that anyone could get is the gift of faith. There is no downside to coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is an unbelievable upside. I wouldn’t have believed this before 2004, but after having experienced the joy and help since accepting Jesus’ invitation that He extends to everyone, I am a dedicated believer. I have received much personal fulfillment since. Do you have something that gives total fulfillment in your life? Reading the wonderful book “Heaven Is So Real” by Choo Thomas brought me to Jesus.
Earlier in my life I didn’t think I needed God, but after beginning to recount my blessings I realized that they weren’t my doing. Achievements in life came because of God’s interventions with His wonderful Grace. The only recognition that I want today is from God. Having the help from my wonderful wife Anita for more than 60 years was also responsible for our good life.
But I was advised by several reviewers of an earlier draft, that some people are impressed with worldly achievement, so here goes. For fifteen years I was President and CEO of a fairly large public company. I eventually became head of nearly every organization with which I was involved including a Red Cross chapter board, a country club board, several smaller companies, and editor of a community newsletter. I was sought out for computer advice for many years and was a consultant in software for two chains of computer stores.
Three computer stores were owned. My investments in public corporations over the years were very successful. But by failing to seek God’s advice, I made some serious private investment mistakes; losing $1.6 million, which fortunately I could afford. As a private pilot I owned a number of different airplanes. Over 400,000 miles were logged for business and pleasure. I had some amusing experiences while flying all over Mexico and the Caribbean. I was able to travel to many countries and visited every state and all but one Canadian Province. I know now that God protected me and gave me all of this by His Grace. I did not deserve any of it.
After I started praying to thank Him for the good life, good health and all our good life, blessings multiplied. But I still hadn’t realized the importance of Jesus Christ to my life.
Finally, I realized that there are far more important things than our life on earth. In my childhood I had learned that my real self is my soul and not my body. I remembered the prayer that my mother taught me, “Now I lay me down to sleep, If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
We are not bodies with just a mind and pulse, our real self is the soul and spirit that is in our body. 1Thes 5:23 The soul existed before we were born to this earth and will live forever. Our soul will remember everything that has happened to us on earth and will experience whatever happens to us after death. After our body dies, our soul has only one of two places to go - to be with God in Heaven in a renewed body, or with Satan and the eternal tortures in hell.
In most of my life I gave little thought to hell. Perhaps I thought, like many, that death is the end. To believe this is a tragedy beyond measure for a person’s eternal life. To follow Jesus gives the greatest sense of security that is imaginable. Matthew 10:28 What else is there that gives you the sense of security to face unknowns?
The only truly reliable guide for living is and always has been the Word of God that is in the Bible. 1Tim 3:15-16 Everything that you need to know about an abundant life is in this book. It is God’s message to the world. The Bible tells us that God is love, and the Bible has much to say about love. For example: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-9 We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:18-20
In the Bible, Jesus Christ teaches that the only way to be with God after earthly life is through Him, Jesus Christ, John 14:6. You cannot go to Heaven by just being a good person; you must accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and confess to Him that you are a sinner. We all are even if our sin is valuing something or someone more than a relationship with God. Then confess your sin, ask for forgiveness, and try to live as you believe Jesus wants you to live.
No matter what we have done, it will be forgiven if we ask. 1John 1:7 That is all there really is to being saved. Although you can continue to enjoy your life, even to a greater degree, you will find that you will lose interest in some things that you thought were important. The Holy Spirit who is available to help you will show you many other things that you will love to do.
There are some things though that will greatly enhance your faith experience; one especially is reading the Bible. I thought that the Bible would be boring, but it is not. Many of the books in the Bible are as exciting as a good novel but are true. Psalm 119:103
Going to church is not necessary for first coming to faith, although it could hasten it. But if you go, you will meet people who will help strengthen your faith. Others may have faced trials much like your own. How do you now deal with some of the unknowns in your life? Could you use some help at times? I always thought that I was self-sufficient and could handle my own problems. While this was true to a point, I have found it far easier with the help of the Lord, and talking with other believers. Hebrews 10:25
Even today it is still hard for me to believe all the help I get from the Lord and the Holy Spirit. He helps me every day and I only have to ask. John 14:13 When something happens that I can’t seem to grasp or solve, I just ask for help. When a heavy burden comes, and it does to me in spite of all our apparent outward “success”, I just put the burden on the Lord. Matthew 11:28
The result is that, and it is often immediate, I receive peace and have the knowledge that the problem will be solved in the best possible manner. John 14:27 I don’t stop working on it, but I know there will be help. There is no downside to faith, and a landslide of advantages.
Could you use a little help at times? If you want to talk about this sometime, it will be my pleasure. Just send an email with your name. Jesus doesn’t want to see anyone following Satan into his inferno. John 10:10 Heaven and hell are very real!
In very recent times Lord Jesus raised up a modern-day prophet, trained her and took her to Heaven and hell. He commanded her to write a book on everything she was shown. This book is His final appeal to get ready for His coming for His faithful ones. The book “Heaven Is So Real” by Choo Thomas, quickly became a world-wide best seller in many languages. Please check the author’s website http://www.choothomas.com/. Several of my own testimonies on salvation are found by clicking on “How To Be Saved” near the top of the first page, starting with the second article. Check out other features of Choo’s website under Resources and Urgent Messages. On http://www.spiritlessons.com/ there is much additional information.
Choo has become a wonderful friend and I talk to her frequently. Jesus has given her many visions of His soon coming. A few weeks ago Choo said that Jesus had shown her new visions that He will be coming very, very soon for his faithful to take them to Heaven. More recently He told her that there would be no more visions as His coming is too soon. Be Ready!!! The eternal life you save will be your own. Tell your family and friends.
If you are already way ahead of me in your faith and don’t feel that you need this message, that is wonderful. Please then pass this information to someone whom you believe can use it.
I know that I am nobody special, just a servant of the Lord. But I plead with all whom have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, not to wait another day. No one knows when their last day will come!
During the coming Great Tribulation, judgments from Heaven more powerful than any nuclear attack will be released. But there is a refuge – God Himself. Those who belong to God through faith in Christ will be removed from earth before the Tribulation. How do you make God your refuge and hiding place? By trusting in His Son, Jesus Christ through faith.
We invest millions of dollars in warning systems for approaching storms, lightning, earthquakes but these often fail to protect. We do this to save human life, God’s most valuable part of creation. But there is one warning system that can only be used by those who know the Lord and His Word. The warning is this: “God intends to judge our world. His righteousness requires it. All who have not repented of their sins and received forgiveness through God’s Son Jesus Christ will find themselves caught up in God’s judgment and consigned to an eternity separated from Him.” Every Christian must warn those nearby of this coming judgment just as you would warn your neighbors of an approaching storm. We know there are gathering storm clouds that portend God’s judgment.
I was fortunate to have a friend who loved me enough to persevere until I finally embraced Christ. She had sent Bibles and other great books over many years. When she sent the book “Heaven Is So Real”, reading it shocked me at first, but then made me realize the value and wonder of being a child of Christ. What a great transformation - from one barely knowing who Jesus is, to one who wants to tell the world about Him. I pray that everyone reading this is already working to tell others about Christ.
When will Christ’s faithful be taken from the earth to Heaven in the Rapture? We are not told except that it is expected soon. The Rapture will occur before the start of the terrible Great Tribulation. How should we respond when people doubt the fact of the Rapture and later the Second Coming of Christ? The same prophets who predicted Jesus’ first coming on earth hundreds of years before, also told of His second coming. They were guided by God so we know there will be a second coming. “After that, we who are still alive and are left (on earth) will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord Forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 Jesus’ own further words give us certainty to quell skepticism. “Let not your heart be troubled …I will come again.” John 14:1-3.
But so many people who once believed in the imminent coming of Christ no longer believe. “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:12-14). How can we help them return to the faith needed for their salvation? Assure them of our faith and tell them on what it is based. I KNOW that Christ will come and take His faithful to Heaven. No, my testimony would not be admitted in a court of law, but I believe it with all my heart.
The Bible in Revelation 20:1-20 tells us that after the Tribulation Christ returns to earth to rule for a thousand years, the Millennium. Jesus compares His second coming to a Groom returning for His Bride. Matthew 25:1-13. During this thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth, the ruins of Jerusalem will be rebuilt and people will build earthly homes and dwell in them (Isaiah 61:4, Isaiah. 65:18-25, Amos 9:8-11, 14-15; Zechariah 6:12-13, 15). Jesus will once again live on this earth while Father God will remain in Heaven. Mortals will continue to be born and die but live much longer than now. Those who are righteous will go to the Father in Heaven but sinners will go on to hell as they do now. (Isaiah 65:20-30; Rev. 1).
During that time Satan will be bound and peace and prosperity as never before will be experienced. This fulfills the prayer that Jesus taught – “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as in Heaven”. It rewards those who believed this and fulfills the prophesies made to Israel in the Old Testament. “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD”.(Isaiah 11-9).
The “New Jerusalem” already built in Heaven does not physically come down to this current earth but remains in Heaven until after the final judgment of all humanity (The Great White Throne Judgment). This final judgment happens after the 1000 year reign of Jesus on the earth and all the dead are brought back to life, those that were not brought back in the Rapture. (Daniel 12:1-3, Rev. 20:12-13). At this time, the heavens and earth as we know it will be destroyed. (Isaiah 65:17-20, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Rev. 20:6-10,11, Rev. 21:1). God will then make a new heaven and earth. It is on the NEW EARTH that the New Jerusalem comes down (Revelation 20:11-22:1:1-8. Only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be able to dwell there. All others will be thrown into the lake of fire..(Rev. 20:12-15). Death & Hades are not destroyed until later.
Who will be there to enjoy this? Rev. 20:4-5 -- “And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark (666) on their foreheads or their hands [in the Tribulation]. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. This is the first resurrection.” The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. All those who have pledged their lives to Christ will be with Him forever.
But there is bad news for those who will die without accepting Jesus as their Savior. When we accept Christ, our name is entered into the Book of Life. At the end of the millennium, Revelation 20:13-15 describes the judgment of God. “each person was judged according to what he had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Instead of fearing this, it is time we lived as if we really believed God’s Truths. Romans 8:28 states that God works all things together for good. We should be optimistic about the future if we believe this. If we really believed that Christ is with us all the time, we would never be lonely, even though we may still miss a dear departed one. Also if we really believed in the power, grace and love of our Lord we would stop agonizing over sins long ago forgiven by Him. When we first truly recognize that our faith is genuine, it is more refreshing than a cool breeze on a hot day, and it lasts as long as we continue to believe.
As we age we might have regrets that we can no longer travel as we did years ago. Yes this was nice and many of us had interesting adventures. But our coming trip to be with Christ and the glories to follow will be wonderful and more than a thousand times greater than any earthly trip. The apostle Paul had been given detailed visions of Heaven. He had suffered mightily in serving Christ – he was shipwrecked, flogged, chained, stoned and treated like an animal. Yet he said his sufferings weren’t worth comparing with the coming glory of Heaven. Many Christians don’t really understand what the Lord has prepared for us in eternity. All our worldly treasures and pleasures are not worth worrying about. Only people are worth cherishing. We should consider what God has done for us and what our future with Him will be like. This will give us a proper perspective in our life.
Before the steamship “London” sank in the English Channel in January 1866, a Wesleyan Methodist minister went from person to person and led the whole ship to faith in Christ. He told them: “Those of you who are not converted, now is the time, not a moment to be lost, for in a few minutes we all will be in the presence of the Judge”. Only three persons survived. We are not on a sinking ship, but we should be aware that time is short. When Jesus comes for His faithful, it will be too late for the others. Those who do not already know the Lord must act! Revelation 20 vividly describes the coming judgment by God on His Great White Throne. He will refer to the Lambs Book of Life Rev 21:27. If your name is not in it, Jesus will say: “I never knew you; depart from Me”. Nothing sadder will ever be heard. We must tell anyone we know who could someday hear those words from Jesus, how to avoid that sad day. If I am given a chance to influence someone and don’t act, I will also feel sadness. I don’t want to hear what Jesus will say about this neglect.
[Ideas were taken from writings of Dr. David Jeremiah, with help from my email friend Princess Lavear]
We can agree that Satan is only one person and not omnipresent in his own person. But his influence can be felt by everyone in the world at any or all times. He can send his angels out to bother every one of us. This is the reason to cast Satan out of your life in the name of Jesus Christ. I do this anytime I do not feel the presence of God when I try to talk to Him.
" 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. 16'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' Acts 26:16-18
in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
2 Corinthians 2:10-12
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 2 Corinthians 12:6-8
For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us. 1 Thessalonians 2:17-19
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,
2 Thessalonians 2:8-10
Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
1 Timothy 5:14-16
The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Revelation 12:8-10
But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" Jude 1:9
This story was written at the prompting of our pastor during Bible study. He thought that the story of Saul’s conversion from a Christian hater to Apostle Paul would make an interesting story. I decided to attempt this and the following is the result. It is written as if Saul, then Paul was the writer. The story is based on the Bible book of Acts.. George Hagen
I am Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee leader in Jerusalem. I am very serious about our religion and was trained under the finest Jewish educators. Because of my training and leadership ability, I became responsible for enforcing the laws that form our great Jewish beliefs. Our laws are fair and just and set up to guide all Jews in how to live according to God’s wishes. These laws were given us by God through Moses. We were taught that we were God appointed to monitor the laws and add new ones when it became necessary.
Whenever someone complained about a law or when one of the laws was broken, our governing body set that person right. We were told often that there were just too many laws. As leaders we felt that we could follow the laws that were in our best interests, but require all others to obey every one. After all, the laws were set up to benefit all our lives. Suddenly though, there arose an upstart group that was trying to wipe out all of our good work and destroy Jewish values. They came to be called Christians, and claimed some power from a person we had eliminated because of his blasphemous teachings. Through false teachings they gathered an expanding group of followers. I knew the Bible and believed that this Christian movement was dangerous to Judaism. So I came to hate the Christians and couldn’t wait to persecute them without mercy.
So I was commissioned to wipe out the threat of these people. With the power given to me by our governing body, I began to arrest everyone I found teaching these terrible things. With an enforcing group from our church, I would hunt and imprison them. It was a tough job but these efforts were paying off. We drove many out of Jerusalem as they fled to avoid prosecution. The worst offender was a man named Stephan. He spoke non-stop about these outlaw ideas and criticized our actions toward this person we had crucified. We aroused the Jews against him and he was sentenced to be stoned. I helped with the process and made sure it was done. While I didn’t cheer when he died, I felt it was good riddance. After that the only ones left hid themselves and largely stopped spreading these messages, or so we thought. Then I found that this heresy had spread to neighboring cities and might eventually endanger Jerusalem. So with proper authority, I walked to Damascus, a city about 175 miles northeast of Jerusalem, six days.
On the road there, I had a life changing experience. The above saga of my life was written in order to give you the reader a perspective on what an amazing change this was.
On the road suddenly I heard a voice out of heaven speaking to me. I asked “Who are you Lord?” I looked up at the sky and saw the risen Christ. “I am Jesus who you are persecuting” He replied. The fiery display of Christ was magnificent, but I was immediately blinded by it. I fell to the ground and then heard His voice again: “Now get up and go to the city and you will be told what to do”. I realized that this indeed was the man we had crucified and felt terribly sad. I realized that we had been blind to the message of this Jesus who really is the Messiah. My companions saw the light but could not understand the voice. I was taken by the hand and led into the city.
II] I heard this story later: In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord told him in a vision to go to the house of Judas and look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. “Lay your hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered “Not him Lord, that is impossible. Lord, I have heard from many about this man and all the evil he has done to your saints.” But the Lord said to him “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and Kings of the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
I found that faith in Christ brings great blessings but often great suffering too. But He promises to always be with us. Ananias found me and greeted me as “Brother Saul”. He laid his hands on my eyes. It felt like something fell off that had been covering my eyes, and I could see again. I got up and was baptized, knowing that this identified me with Christ. The Holy Spirit prompted me that I was a sinner and to confess my sins. I did this gladly. What a transformation for me, being suddenly converted from a Christian hater to a lover of His Word. All I can say is that if you ever meet Jesus, you will be amazed at His power and authority. Also with the Holy Spirit in your life, you will never look back. So for thirty-eight years after Jesus’ ascension, my life was tied to Jesus in one way or another. What a different kind of thrill I had then. Instead of being excited about ridding Jerusalem of Christians, I now found wonderful peace in bringing someone to know Christ. I would never have believed this possible before my conversion.
Even though I was eager to get started converting as many and as quickly as possible to Christ, I knew little about Jesus then. But I took long hours alone to pray and ask for guidance. How different this prayer was from our Jewish prayers! As children we were taught to pray to the God of our father Abraham. The Holy Spirit comforted me and assured me of help in teaching others about Christ. Many days were spent with the disciples in Damascus and I began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. The synagogue rulers readily gave me permission as they thought I was still with them. People were at first afraid of me knowing that I had been a persecutor of Christians. They said to themselves: “Is this not the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem on all those who called upon Jesus’ name?” I have never forgotten the first time I entered a Christian worship service. I could almost feel their scorn. Before long though I was accepted by the people because of my commitment and dedication in teaching the Word. I proclaimed in the synagogue that “He is the son of God”. By then the Holy Spirit had come over me and I was told that my name would be “Paul”.
But some of the Jewish leaders in Damascus conspired to kill me. They hated it as I was confounding the Jews in proving that Jesus was the Christ. They set up a watch day and night at the gates in order to kill me when I was out of the sight of the people. But my new friends got me safely out by letting me down through a break in the wall. While I am ready to die for Christ at any time and consider it gain, He had much more work for me. Many times after with all the suffering for my faith, I had the desire to depart this earth and be with Christ, but realized it is better to remain to help as many as I could. Many times also I was haunted by my former persecution of the Christians. When that thought came to me, I just tried to work that much harder and be more effective, but Christ told me He each time that had forgiven me. I know though that He left me with a partially crippling ailment as a reminder of those horrible days.
From Damascus I journeyed back to Jerusalem. I found that we had not eliminated even half of the believers there, so I tried to join them. Of course they were suspicious of my motives and afraid of me, not believing that I really was a disciple. But Barnabas, a Christian convert, brought me to the apostles. He told them how on my journey I had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to me, and how in Damascus I had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
So I stayed with them and moved about freely, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. I talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill me. When the Holy Spirit made this known to the brothers, they took me down to Caesarea and sent me off to Tarsus. I stayed near my home there preaching for several years until Barnabas brought me to help in Antioch. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. Many people were brought to the Lord by him.
I had been the most zealous prosecutor of Christians, but I guess without me in this role the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. Strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit; it grew in numbers. I had recruited and trained others in effective ways to present the message called the “Way”. But before I came to Jesus, others had paved the way.
A disciple of Jesus, a man who denied knowing Jesus during the crucifixion became a strong advocate for His Word. Peter through his firm convictions and charisma attracted followers. Peter was given healing power and later so was I; we used it wisely. Churches were established in many parts of the Roman Empire.
Besides Rome and Alexandria, Antioch was the largest city in the Roman world. This Greek city became a stronghold of non-Jewish Gentiles. At first Peter was reluctant to associate with Gentiles, but he was urged by God to “eat” what the Lord provided and not just traditional Jewish fare. This message came to him in a dream and led him to spreading Jesus’ message to non-Jews. This was unheard of before this, as Jews jealously guarded their privileged position with God. His teachings took hold and others there spread the Word in the city and in the countryside. Missionaries were commissioned for the first time in church history. The Holy Spirit guided these people and helped overcome obstacles not the least of which was money to sustain missionaries.
Philip, another apostle was also effective in spreading the Gospel especially in Samaria. When word got back to Jerusalem of Philip’s successes, Peter and John were sent to evaluate his ministry. They quickly got involved themselves seeing God’s open acceptance of those who were previously considered unfit. Imagine me as Saul, ever conceiving that a Gentile could be accepted by God! But that became my main job. Before Jesus started to bring Gentiles to Himself, they were considered ‘dogs’ by all Jews. They didn’t even want to accord them ‘scraps’ from God’s feast of love.
Barnabas and I “gathered the church together” so that it would become stronger. We set up a Mission Conference to lay out a plan and pattern for mission outreach. We are proud of this work as our humble efforts spawned mighty missions. By then though, God led us to spread Jesus’ Word in outlying areas where “no [missionary] had tread before”. We didn’t want to spend our time in places that were already flourishing, but did return later to nourish and encourage them.
My first missionary journey was with Barnabas. We were set us apart in Christ for this and we set out from Antioch to Cyprus to proclaim the Gospel, with John Mark with us. In Paphos on the Island of Cyprus we encountered a false prophet named Bar Jesus determined to counter our teachings. God didn’t put up with this and told me to proclaim him blind. Filled with the Holy Spirit I looked straight at him and said, “You are a child of the devil, an enemy of everything that is right, and full of trickery. Now the Hand of the Lord is against you and you will be blind.” I could not muster much sympathy for him as he groped about trying to find something to lean on.
From Paphos my companions and I sailed to Perga where John Mark left us to return to Jerusalem. Then we went to Antioch where we were invited to preach in the synagogue. I stood up and said “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me.” I then told them some of their own history starting with their stay in Egypt and their exodus 450 years later. God had led them through the desert for forty years because they didn’t believe God would protect them against great warriors so were afraid to enter the Promised Land. God had overthrown seven nations in Canaan to provide land for them and was ready for them to settle it.
I then stressed that God had brought Israel a Savior as he had promised. God gave Jews the message of salvation, I told them, but the rulers and people of Jerusalem did not recognize Jesus. Our people carried out the crucifixion that had been written hundreds of years before. But God raised Him from the dead and He spent many days with those who had known Him. “Therefore my brothers I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” As we were leaving the synagogue, we were invited back the next Sabbath. Then almost the whole city turned out to hear. I told them boldly: “We had to speak the Word of God to you first since you rejected it. If you do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” The Gentiles were delighted to hear this and thereafter the Word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the women and men of high standing stirred up persecution of us so we left the city.
We got similar treatment at Iconium where we once more spoke for the Lord in the synagogue. This time again a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed, but the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against us. But we kept on speaking week after week and the Lord allowed us to perform miraculous signs. The people were divided and there was a plot to stone us. We learned of this and we fled to Lystra. There we encountered a man crippled from birth. I looked directly at him and saw he had faith to be healed. I called to him “Stand on your feet”. He jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw this, they, being Greeks thought that one of their gods had come down in the form of Paul. “We are only men like you but we are bringing you good news. Turn these worthless gods into the living God.” We told them that the real God made Heaven and earth. He will bring crops in season and all your food. We barely prevented them from making a sacrifice to us. But soon some Jews came from Antioch and won the crown over. They stoned me and dragged me outside the city thinking I was dead. The disciples helped me and the next day we left.
We left for Derbe and there I met a disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewess and a believer but his father was Greek. Timothy decided to join us and I “adopted him” as my son. We won a large number of disciples in Derbe. Then we returned to Antioch and other cities strengthening the disciples there. We encouraged them to remain true to their faith. We said that there can be many hardships on the way to the Kingdom of God. Elders were appointed by us for every church. With prayer and fasting we committed them to the Lord.
I was finding that I would face challenges to my mind and body almost beyond endurance. Instead of being able to call on any number of Pharisees for help, I was largely on my own. Of course other believers would help me, but the Lord led me to strike out in many different places to teach His Word. Yes the Lord was always with me and He is a great comforter. Still, it was especially a challenge from there on. The strategy I developed was to preach in the major cities of the world. Many times when I thought I knew where the Lord wanted me to go, He would change my course. Sometimes this meant wasting time and sandal leather in heading in one direction and being called back and pointed to somewhere else. I know now that if I had asked the Lord before heading anywhere, He would lead me effectively.
After visiting many cities, preaching and gathering a following large enough to create a church, it was my wish to go back and visit some of these places. I did this eventually, but often the Lord told me to head to new territory. With Timothy, my son in Christ and our team we finally reached Macedonia from Lystra. We had been headed to the province of Asia [now called Turkey]. I wanted with all my heart to visit some of the churches that Barnabas and I had established. Unfortunately Barnabas and I decided to split up because he wanted John Mark to go with us. I objected as this man had dropped out of our campaign several months before. He took John Mark and I took Silas, Timothy and others. This actually turned out for the best as we were able to cover more area so I believe the Lord caused this breakup. Later John Mark joined us for further work.
Our way to visit the churches we had established was blocked by the Holy Spirit. With this blocked, we headed north toward Bithynia. I learned later that Peter had worked this territory and established churches there. For that reason the Lord directed me elsewhere. I was told to go to Troas on the Aegean Sea and this became part of my second missionary journey. This came to me at night in a vision from the Holy Spirit. Troas was a large city and Christ’s teachings had not yet reached there. This is why the Holy Spirit insisted that we go there next. So Timothy and I and others started out on a 700 mile journey that took many days. Can you imagine how tired we were when we finally arrived there? And along the way we didn’t exactly stay at inns. Even if they could be afforded, they simply didn’t exist. Mostly we found a protected space and lay on the ground. Cooking was primitive at best but we survived. Jesus was always with us to encourage and comfort us.
As some of you know, I have had an affliction for years. This has caused pain and made walking more difficulty. In Troas, I visited a physician named Luke. He not only helped ease the pain but after I talked to him about the Lord and His wonderful teachings, he decided to join us. He told us of the great need to spread the message of Christ in this area. He was a great help for many years thereafter. Luke was also a historian and skilled writer. He meticulously recorded details of our adventures, researched information from others, and ultimately wrote books.
Whenever we encountered Jews who had been scattered by nations in raids of Judea, we met violent opposition. We were able to convert many but when our efforts became a threat to the Jewish leaders, they tried to kill us or at least drive us away. We found no such resistance among the non-Jews. We were welcomed and urged to help them believe. So even with the discouragement of the Jews, we still managed to do great works. Later we were also instrumental in convincing the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem that a Gentile did not have to become a Jew before he/she could be saved. Convincing the Gentiles that they were acceptable to God was a larger challenge, but many believed.
How did we survive on the road? I am a tentmaker by profession. In cities and towns of any size I would buy the materials and make tents to sell. Some were made for families but much larger ones were made for groups who needed shelter outside the city. In bad weather, meetings would be held in these large tents. Many souls were converted before we moved on. It was a tough life but we were sustained by the good News that found a home in the hearts of many. I continued this work for many years after. Sometime I may tell you more of this story but the above is a glimpse of the spirit-filled life that I led after Jesus selected me for His work. What an opportunity He gave me, and what a blessing it is to know Him. The greatest blessing for me is that someday I will be with Him forever. Signed in my own hand -- Paul of Tarsus.
Fast forward to the present. No person apart from Jesus himself shaped the history of Christianity like the apostle Paul. Even today his writings challenge us to meet Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Paul helps us know that the Good News is that forgiveness and eternal life are a gift of God’s grace received through faith in Christ, and that it is available to all people. As Saul he was intense and effective in the persecution of Christians. This actually was beneficial as the fleeing Christians spread Christianity throughout the world. After his conversion he never lost his fierce intensity and carried the gospel to Jews and non-Jews. More that anything else the startling conversion of Paul shows us that God can use anyone, including us, to serve Him mightily.
Today as always, we need to know how God’s Spirit empowers us to witness for Him. We might ask though, why not just enjoy our lives and not worry about whether our neighbor knows Jesus? We simply cannot do that if we believe in Jesus’ teachings. He commanded us to reach out to everyone with the “good news”. When we know about our own salvation, how can we not want others to know what this means? It can become a priority if we realize that unless we tell them, who will? Do we want to have these poor souls on our conscience forever? For me I must do what I can. Others far more versed and skilled have given us a wealth of information to help. So I do what my skills permit, and am aware of some success. No matter what we do though, we won’t know what our part and then God’s has been done for a person until we see them in Heaven, or not.
Everyone can spread the message of Jesus in simple ways. In talking with friends we can weave in information of our faith. We should do this carefully so as not to offend. Most people are willing to talk about their faith, whatever it might be. If the atmosphere of a meeting seems favorable but obvious that they don’t know the Lord, you can say: “I want you to meet my Jesus. I want you to know what He means to me.” We don’t have to be an expert on the Bible, just tell them what the Lord means to us and what He has done in our life.
Our beloved pastor Dr. Paul Eckel has challenged church members. “What emphasis has your church placed on missions, both locally and globally? How can we provide fresh energy to the church’s missionary vision and strategy?“ Remember that we are only temporary residents in this world. Our real home is Heaven where we will spend eternity. We cannot keep this a secret!
Today we don’t have to tramp over hills and valleys as the apostle Paul and his companions did. We can admire Paul, and if I am fortunate to meet him in Heaven, I hope I can give him a big hug and talk to him. But today we can reach millions from our own homes. Electronic messaging is available in many forms. Many use e-mail to keep in touch with others. Use it to spread the Message. Comments on some other electronic tools will follow the next paragraph.
Not everyone is comfortable using these electronic methods for spreading news. If you are not, then use the good old telephone and ordinary mail. These are effective. We know from experience that the best means of bringing people to our church is to invite them! So just invite neighbors and acquaintances. They may just be waiting for someone to talk to them about our Lord.
Many millions of people use email to spread their messages and keep in touch, and today many are using websites such as Facebook. It is accessed by over 500 million people and already has the world’s largest photo collection expanding every day. While a message posted on our own Facebook won’t reach millions, in time it will reach many and can have a dramatic effect. I intend to do others a favor by pointing to the best information I know -- sources with messages about faith and our Lord. Some 70% of Facebook users are outside the USA and may just be waiting to know Jesus.
There are other popular ways of spreading your messages. MySpace.com is one and you can post the same messages about Christ that you would be discussing with others. For some MySpace has become a page of their life, dreams and hopes. Of course as with Facebook, we need to be careful what information we put there, but I believe anything about Christ or our beliefs should be something to be proud of, and not to be shy about revealing to others.
Twitter messages are flying around all over the world. Often now they carry news before the press gets wind of it. In disasters people are using Twitter to spread the news of what is happening in their own area. The Red Cross uses Twitter to exchange moment-by-moment information during disasters and emergencies. In some countries where communication with the outside world is carefully controlled, Twitter comes to the rescue. This included reporting on the riots in Iran. Such reporting has been encouraged by our State Department and other agencies.
Many mature adults frown on the ‘time-wasting’ by teens on these sites, but it can be beneficial. If used for our Lord in spreading His Word, speed and coverage is greatly multiplied. I intend to employ every means I can to be His messenger. While the apostle Paul performed a tremendous service in spreading the gospel, he would probably have welcomed some help from the tools we have today.
(written 2003, updated 2008)
Even from an early age, probably around 12, I had a vague idea at least, that I wanted to do three things in life. These were: Go to college, become wealthy, be a boss. Nothing special about those, I guess. I have long since learned to value many other things above the latter two.
The fact that I had a long series of happenings that propelled me in these directions, leads me to speculate. Were these events happenstance, or did I program them to happen even at an early age? Looking back on this statement now, I have to modify it to read,” Did God have a major role in this?” I don't know the answer totally, but you can judge for yourself if I tell you what actually happened. I am certainly of the opinion, now, that most people can design their own future with God’s help, think their way to success, program their life, or whatever else you want to call it. I certainly don't mean programming just to achieve material things, but to achieve any objective that you care enough about to strive for. Among the worthwhile goals would be to have a happy life, to have peace of mind, and to have time to enjoy your life, your loved ones, friends and your material possessions. All are worthwhile goals that can be planned with full expectation that they will be fulfilled if God is with you.
At an early age, I was not in possession of this knowledge, at least not consciously, or perhaps I was? While I do not believe that what happened in my life was unique, I also do not think that it was accidental. Each of you may have a similar situation. Your analysis of it may be different from mine. To me there is no explanation other than planning with God’s help, because too many things fell into place each time when I decided what I wanted out of life. The Bible tells us that there is no such thing as a pure accident, all events are caused by something.
I had assumed in most of my early life that I was a very lucky person. My definition of luck was having good things happen to me with no apparent cause. Yes, I was lucky to be born with a healthy mind and body, with great parents, and in a land of opportunity. However, I found out later that you can make your own luck. Anyway, I thought that I was lucky. It seemed that everything that I hoped would take place in my life eventually did occur.
As a youngster, I had one advantage some children don't have. Although we were poor financially, I didn't know we were poor since all of my friends were no better off. While poor in terms of money, my parents gave me the valuable key to change that. They believed in me and expressed that on many occasions. They both said they knew that whatever I wanted to do in life, I could do. I believed them. At that time, though, I didn't set my sights very high. Raised in a small farming community I was unaware what the world really had to offer.
After my parents, the second major influence in my life was my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Barnhart. She took it upon herself to insert career planning into the 3R's. She reviewed with us many careers, and at the end of the year, we had to write down one for ourselves. Then we were required to plan, in a small way, how we were going to go about it. At that time, I put down engineering as a career. We were required to plan both our high school and our college programs. This planning took me through the first part of college training.
The next person that had a major impact on my life was Bob Wheeler, a high school friend. We hadn’t discussed the military at all, until one day he convinced me to join the U.S. Navy V-12 program right after Pearl Harbor. This led to being able to get a fine college education, which otherwise I would not have been able to afford. This was with the college training program that the Navy offered at that time. Sadly, Bob wasn't able to qualify for the program. Another important thing that this decision set in motion was the meeting with Anita (my wife since 1946) in Seattle, where I was in training.
I again chalked up this series of events to being lucky. This continued to be my explanation, if I thought about it at all, for all of the good things that happened in my life. Now I know it wasn’t just luck, it was informal planning plus all the people that God put in my life.
The next influential person was Anita's father. He was sure at that time that chemistry was the key to the future. He eventually convinced me to switch from Mechanical Engineering to Chemical Engineering, in the middle of my junior year! This, of course, was again very important, since it led to a career with a chemical company in Seattle.
My first job was at Boeing for three years as an Industrial Engineer, my second degree. Another man, Dr. Moulton, my professor at the University of Washington, also had a real impact.
He kept after me to get a job with the chemical company, even after having been rejected twice.
Once at that chemical company in Seattle, Harold Warner, my first boss there, taught me to be tough in business and also taught how to be a good practical engineer. Another major impact was from my next boss, Bill Blesse. Bill was a real planner. He could take any kind of situation, analyze it, and write a detailed step-by-step plan to achieve a desirable conclusion. I learned this well and had a chance to practice it on several chemical plants that I designed and had built.
However, Bill's real influence was in getting me to make a LIFE PLAN. One evening in 1956 he and I put together a plan on a yellow pad of paper while sprawled on our living room rug.
This became the first plan for my future. Bill asked what I wanted to be ten years from then. I said I didn't really know. Bill persisted and finally I admitted that I would like to be General Manager or possibly President of a major corporation. Bill said "A-Ha!" and said "write down President in 1966." Then he asked me what I would have to do leading up to becoming president. Before the evening was over, we had laid out a schedule of events for the ten-year period. To my amazement, as I compared the plan to what happened, the events took place almost according to the schedule. In fact, some were achieved sooner than the plan called for, with one event lagging the plan by a year. I referred to the plan from time-to-time during the ten year period, and I still have that original sheet of paper in my file.
There were other important people that influenced my life. My wife Anita, most of all, as she was always willing to go along with whatever I thought was best for my career. She never complained or wanted more than was practical for us at the time. Actually she conserved our resources so well that we were able to save even when my income was low. Also, she picked up and moved away from our home several times, without seemingly a second thought, although I knew she didn’t really want to make the change. Also, she believed in me and expressed her confidence in many ways that reinforced my will to push ahead on the plan.
Another man was Jay Myers, who told me soon after we were well acquainted and had some business experience together, that I could succeed him as president of the Canadian company. I still don't know why he expressed this confidence in me at this early stage. However, this fit into my plan, so I accepted it at the time. While this was a small company when I joined it, we built it into a formidable industrial enterprise over the years. Many other people influenced me and were helpful during those years and, of course, right up to the present. I may someday write more on the importance of these individuals. Until I was made president, I still had the opinion that it was planning and luck that was carrying me along and giving me a beneficial and happy life. I also attributed it to guidance from a higher being.
In my belief, this guidance plays a strong part in the mental process. My mother, who was very religious, also was a wonderful influence. I was not only aware that she believed in me, but also knew that I was in her prayers. She continued to be a close supporter, and I could "feel" her influence for the good, even after she died. Even now, although she passed away many years ago, I still think often of her support, and it gives me added courage. In saying that she supported me and believed in me, I certainly do not mean that she thought that I was perfect, of course not. Although I have always enjoyed the story, I hope that I am not like the fellow that said "I hate people that won't admit their faults. I'd admit mine, if I had any." My Mother simply believed that there was some spark and ability that would allow me to achieve those things that I set my mind to.
My Dad too was a wonderful influence. He taught me that being honest with everyone is the only way to live. He worked very hard all his life, but took the time to teach me many skills. He loved the outdoors and we spent much time tramping through the woods and fishing. My Mother went along with this, supporting whatever we wanted to do, and going with us on camping and fishing trips.
During these years, and into the early 1970's, I still didn't realize the full power of planning with God’s help, and the total impact that it was making on my life. I especially did not suspect that it could be such a powerful tool on the personal side. That is, not until I sent for the book by Joe Karbo called "The Lazy Man's Way to Riches". This book was about all kinds of “riches”, material things being only a small part of it. The book opened my eyes to what had really happened to me during the years before reading it. Suddenly I began to see what I had been doing with the life planning process.
However, I also saw that this was only a small part of what was really possible. After reading it several times, underlining the passages, and carrying out some of the exercises, I decided to put it to the test. I made out a list of the key things that I would like to have and achieve over the next several years. The list seemed very ambitious at the time. I still have that old list, even though it has been updated several times. Miraculously, the desires of that time were achieved and more, and sooner. There were a couple of things on the original list that haven’t been achieved completely, but a big improvement has taken place.
Other than the value of planning, I learned the remarkable influence that other people can have in your life. If you remain receptive, almost everyone you meet can have a positive influence.
Since I believe that my life and my situation are not unique, if you haven't already tried a life planning system, why not give it a whirl? What do Have to lose?
Post script: After Jesus came into my life I began to realize that the luck was caused by God, even though I did not deserve anything that He did for me. He had a purpose for my life, and it wasn’t just in achieving business or financial success. Because of this success I have been able to benefit many others. Originally written January 18, 1980
Christ has truly changed my life in these ways:
My personal life -- Most important, I have complete peace. I still have many concerns, but they are totally about the welfare of others, not myself. I know where I will be after leaving this earth! This is peace beyond all understanding as Jesus said.
An even more happy marriage. Anita and I have been married for over sixty years. Not every day or everything has been happy between us, or we wouldn’t be human. Generally though we can look back on a happy time together over these years. Now we are even happier as everything I do or say now is done with her welfare in mind. Yes, my temper does flare at times, but only very briefly. I now realize that I am not always right and that she is intelligent and often knows better than I. Before I do anything that involves her, I inquire as to what she would prefer, and I listen carefully. Often we do what she wants, and not what I first thought would be a good idea. She of course gives me the same consideration.
With constant help from the Holy Spirit I continue to spend much time and resources trying to bring others to Jesus Christ. This is central in my mind much of the time. I also do what I can to counsel others in their faith and personal problems, calling on the Lord for my knowledge, and praying for them. My main concern here is that I am not doing all that I could. Also we think much more deeply about the needs of the less fortunate and use some of our God-given resources to help them. We know that everything we have came from God’s Grace.
I still enjoy earthly things that I already have, such as a Lowrey organ, our automobiles, and our home, but have zero interest in acquiring anything more except to replace what breaks or wears out. I have all the clothes, gadgets, and accessories I want, and I know that I do not need anything more. Occasionally though, I admit that some little thing that fills a special need will be bought. I have no envy of anyone with a fancier car or a more splendid home. We could have had anything we wanted, but are content with the home of 30 years. For autos, my main concern is that they are reliable. Unless something major goes wrong we will not replace either of our six-year old cars, ever.
My main recreation is reading, writing about faith and other things, and trying to keep reasonably fit by exercising, swimming and walking. Although I am physically able to play golf, a sport that formerly took a lot of time; I have little desire to play. I played tennis for thirty years but no longer want to. Television holds little or no interest for me, but I do watch a small number of programs. It is fun for me to play our Lowrey organ and I recorded many songs and gave them to others. In spite of these changes in tastes, life holds much enjoyment for me. My wife and our family are a great joy. Interacting with others about their faith and interests holds a keen interest.
[written 2005 & 2008] I believe that God created man in his own image, and that the first man was Adam. However, it is still a mystery in trying to reconcile Genesis with scientific finds about ancient man. According to actual unearthing of early human beings, the first appeared seven million years ago in Africa. Eden could have been in what is now Africa so that is not a sticking point. According to an article in National Geographic Magazine: “Africa remained the only continent our ancestors inhabited until about two million years ago. Then Homo erectus expanded out of Africa into Europe and Asia. Over the next 1.5 million years the population there became different and distinct species. Europe’s became Neanderthals, Asia’s remained Homo erectus, but Africa’s evolved into our own species, Homo sapiens. Some time between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago our African ancestors underwent some profound change and they became what Paleoanthropologists call “behaviorally modern” Homo sapiens.” Then the natural question might be, how “behaviorally modern” were Adam and Eve? We might automatically rate them with all the intelligence and skills that we have, but maybe they had less.
“The race among the world’s humans changed radically about 10,000 years ago with the origins of agriculture. The domestication of wild plants and animals meant our ancestors could grow their own food instead of having to hunt and gather in the wild.” In Genesis, there seems to be an incredibly long span not covered in the Bible between Adam and the history of the Hebrews. Most anything could have taken place during that long period. Was it millions of years?
Another mystery about our earth is the age of dinosaurs. These ranged in size from small like today’s rodents, to so huge that scientists wonder how they could even move. Dinosaurs existed at least 77 million years ago according to excavations, and were all over the world. Scientific evidence has established that the earth existed much earlier. Of course time means nothing to God, but this shows His infinite patience in waiting to create modern man.
Another mystery was how the great flood of Noah’s time came about. How could there be enough water to cover even the highest mountains? The Bible states that the waters came from the heavens and the earth. Scientists have now discovered that the inner earth may hold more water than is on the surface. “Molten rocks deep in the earth’s interior may be surprisingly wet”, Japanese researchers say. From lab experiments, “they have concluded there may be more H2O deep underground than in all oceans, lakes, and rivers combined.” Thus in many ways, science is discovering facts that support the Bible, but many things remain a mystery to our minds. Just because we don’t understand should not mean that our faith is based just on faith and not on hard facts. But if everyone had to have concrete indisputable evidence of the existence of God, only a few would be believers. Those who do believe have evidence continually about God, and about Jesus Christ. This comes to them through strong feelings, and to many by revelations, visions and actual verbal communication with God.
The mystery of the universe will continue, and no probing by man on earth or in outer space will reveal all the answers. We don’t need to be skeptical about science, nor do we need to be skeptical about teachings in the Bible. It is just that what our minds think we know is only a paltry portion of what took place in the history of our earth. We just know that God has been in control since “the beginning of time”, and we are told that there was never a beginning nor will there be an end. What do you think?
There is much discussion about the theory of evolution and the Christian belief of creativity. For the most part, this is a useless argument. The extremes seem to be:
I believe that neither are correct. I heard a radio broadcast by a prominent pastor that said that evolution had no part at all. He went as far as saying that the earth was only 6000 years old. That artifacts have been unearthed with a carbon-dating indicating millions of years of age was false. He said that recent findings about carbon-dating showed that it was based on an untrue supposition. Whether the earth is only a few thousand years old or millions of years does have a huge bearing on the evolution theory. If our planet is only a few thousand years old, there would not have been time for man to emerge from sea water as claimed by some evolutionists.
By studying the recent actual evolution on parts of our earth that are so remote that interbreeding of species has not happened does show what can occur in hundreds of years. Take New Guinea, an island that has sections only a few people have ever seen. The Birds of Paradise seem to have evolved from their crow ancestors to an eye-boggling variety of gorgeous birds. There, in absence of predators or any competing bird species, they were free to breed. By the power of sexual selection, the most beautiful male birds were able to attract females, while the dregs simply died out. This is natural selection more than evolution perhaps, but does demonstrate that a species can change with time, one definition of evolution.
In this and other remote areas, animals have developed characteristics that enable them to survive and thrive. Examples are the variety of bats in some parts of the tropical forests in Panama. Each distinct bat family has unique features and capabilities well suited for the role they play.
The reason that I am convinced that the argument between evolution and creativity has no relevance is that our all powerful God is able to use any and all natural processes for his creation, as well as using His supernatural powers. I don’t think that the teaching of evolution in schools is evil in itself. What matters are the conclusions drawn from evolution theory that could sway students to ignore God. If the teachers move students to conclude that evolution was the only factor in the creation of our planet, then God has been left out. At one time in my life I believed this and ignored God. I came out of this to realize that man himself and our earth are far too complex to have simply evolved from nothing.
The following is based on talking to others and from reading. This is not directed at any particular church but American churches in general. I believe that our church is doing fairly well, but every church could do better. Only a very few churches that have been discussed or read about actually teach that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. Many of those that do gloss over it as if everyone should know this and they can spend time on more “urgent things”. They can sing about Jesus and talk about Him without emphasizing His way to Salvation.
Another topic that is even less favored is the price a person will pay if they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. At best they will go though the terrible trials in the Tribulation if they are alive when Jesus returns. At worst their souls will go directly to hell, with no stop at Go.
While most churches ask for donations and appeal for tithing, they do not tell parishioners that tithing is a command from God, not an option. Failure to pay a full tithe (10% of gross income) could keep them from Heaven.
I read that only 20% of the churches are putting the Lord first. The rest are worrying about what people will think if they teach the truth. Also many churches are not concerned about reaching out to lost souls at all. That is the most important thing that a church can do for the Lord.
The reasons given for not teaching and practicing the above are usually that the church leaders are afraid it will offend some in the congregation. Possibly it would, but these folks need to wake up. Is it worse to offend them now, or is it worse to let them continue in their ignorance? As in raising a child, “tough love” may be what is needed so that proper practices are acquired. But it is not enough to talk about this once a year, perhaps once a month is not too often. Of course, no matter what a church teaches, there will be some people who are truly of faith and living their faith, and many other half-hearted church attendees.
Many people who attend church think that their very attendance is all they need to have an afterlife in Heaven. If a pastor teaches this, you should find another church. Anyone who reads the Bible with a sincere desire to know what it teaches will learn that there are many things that a Christian should be concerned with, not church attendance alone.
Also many believe that they can earn their way to Heaven by doing good deeds. The Bible teaches that after a person has been saved, the Holy Spirit will give them the desire to do good works, but that is after they pledge their life to Jesus Christ. After achieving personal salvation, doing good deeds may earn them a higher place in Heaven, and it does give great satisfaction and a sense of purpose. It also demonstrates to outsiders what Christian life really is. The best thing we can do, though, is to lead another person to true faith.
What should an individual who is concerned about what their church teaches do about it, if anything? Perhaps they can occasionally speak from the pulpit and voice their concerns and suggestions. Also, in Bible studies there may be opportunities to simply compare what the Bible teaches to what is actually practiced in their church. The Lord has said that someone with a special blessing from Him can bring blessing to an entire church. Do I claim to do everything I could or should do? Not by any means, all we can do is try
The following is an article I wrote that appeared in our community newsletter. I received several emails objecting to this article:
Please stop reading this if it offends you. But I believe that time is running out, so this is blunt. Most readers are far ahead of me in their faith as I am just a Christian in process. However, here is the message and perhaps someone you know may need it: Dear Lord, help us to remember that the greatest gift that we can give to another is the gift of love. Help us to know that our life here is brief compared with our life in eternity. But you say we must make the choice, living an eternity in Heaven, or suffering an eternity elsewhere. To choose eternity in Heaven, we first need to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and believe that He died for our sins. These first steps are that simple, but if we don’t do this we will spend eternity in the place of torture, no matter how good a life we live. Thank you dear Lord for helping us to understand your grand plan. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen. The Bible provides all the answers! Other Christians will be most happy to give help to those who ask, and Jesus Himself is always available. My personal experiences with God give me an ironclad testimony. Having such a relationship is available to everyone on earth. George L. Hagen
Thank you friends for your reasoned objection to the Commentary. I knew when I wrote it that it would be controversial and I doubted that it would even be published. I left it to the Editor to include it or not. I commend her action, but I hope that it will not injure community relations. Someday I would like to talk to you privately and learn about your beliefs. I don’t claim to be anything other than a humble servant, trying to take a message that I believe in with all my heart to others who may or may not feel similarly. Personally I lacked any real religious beliefs until 2004 when I had a shocking revelation.
Sid, until 2004 I did not discuss religion with anyone, so I do not know what most of our neighbors actually believe. Also I have avoided casting anyone into a mold, so my approach is probably naïve. From your reaction I could assume that you do not believe there is a God, or I could assume that you are Jewish. What I want to say further is based on the latter assumption. I have had many friends whom are Jewish over the years. Anita and I have been quite close to several couples. Since I came to have a strong belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ, I have spent thousands of hours studying religious writings and even attended an eight-week session on the Islamic religion. None of this made me an expert on anything. However, I have experienced such a strong and personal relationship with Jesus Christ that I am driven to try to share this wonderful experience with others. I apologize if I sound pompous, holier-than-though or anything other than a humble person who realizes that he is far from perfect, and no one special.
Our church holds monthly breakfast meetings where we invite an interesting speaker to make a presentation after the meal. We have had some great presentation on a wide variety of subjects, many non-religious. On November 13th, 2004 Stan Telchin gave us a stirring talk on how he tried to disprove that Jesus was the Messiah. Stan and his family lived near Washington D.C. where Stan was a highly paid insurance executive and a member of the Million Dollar Round Table. The family was close-knit and their heritage was 100% Jewish, or so they thought. One day a call came from their daughter Judy who was a junior at Boston University. As gently as she could Judy informed her Dad that she had accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah. If you had exploded a bomb outside their home it couldn’t have been more of a shock. The family was devastated, and Judy’s younger sister Ann said she did not want to ever see Judy again.
Stan knew that Judy was wrong so he set out on a year-long search to prove just that. His interesting book, “Betrayed!” details the many persons he consulted and some of the books he read including the Bible which was new to him. The end result was that he himself was convinced about Jesus, and at almost the same time the rest of his immediate family came to that conclusion partly on their own. Stan took a year off from his business and became the spiritual leader of the Living Word Fellowship in Bethesda, MD, an inter-denominational fellowship made up of Jewish and Gentile believers. His first book Betrayed! is available in 35 nations with 12 million copies printed, chronicles his fight against Judy’s beliefs and how he eventually changed his mind. Stan and his wife now live in Sarasota, FL. Stan is devoted to spreading the message of Christ through his “Jews for Jesus” organization. He told us that there are only about a hundred thousand USA Jews who now believe in Jesus, a small percentage of the total. Personally I have spent no time in even attempting to spread the message to individual Jewish people except for one man who invited me to do just this. I correspond with him frequently but as far as I know he has not changed his religious views.
The last thing I want to do is offend anyone and simply offer to discuss the subject with anyone who shows an interest. I learn from them as well. George
Dear friends - Anita and I enjoyed very much our meeting at the Club on Wednesday. It was great to learn about your background and experiences. You are truly a wonderful couple. I took this as a learning experience as never before had I been exposed to the depth of feeling that some Jewish people have. The following is noted to emphasize how little I learned about Jewish beliefs even though spending much time with Jews, compared with one evening with you two. We truly have had and still have Jewish friends. We even went to Boston for a wedding reception for the daughter of Rene and Henry Green. We attended one dinner at Manny and Ethyl Fox’s, I believe it was to celebrate Pentecost. Also I spent a week with Manny at a fishing lodge in Quebec. We have been to kosher meals with other Jewish friends, including Anna Cohen. Many of my golf and tennis partners are Jewish. Until the last two years though, I never shared any religious beliefs with a single soul. I know, you just wish I had kept to that practice.
Helen, you expressed many thoughts and posed many questions about religious beliefs as did Sid. I spoke a little about your questions but preferred to learn as much as I could about your thinking. Thank you for the time. In spite of the fact that I was the target of the protest against the “Commentary”, it was an enjoyable evening for me and Anita as well. I am both prepared to defend my faith and to listen to other views. It is important for me to understand how diverse the views are even in our little community. I have to tell you that your beautiful presentation was a shock to me in several ways. I realize that my beliefs are only held by a minority of the people in the world. Even though millions of Christians do exist, we are a minority and may always be. The Islamic religion is the fastest growing one and its adherents are dedicated to populating as rapidly as possible. This would not be as much a threat except for their minority of extremist who are vocal and powerful. Actually Islamic religion has many similarities to Christian beliefs. However they do not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, or that He was resurrected.
Although I only recently accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, most of my life I have believed in our God in Heaven. He was not important to me though, even though I often offered thanks for our good life and health. I did not appeal to Him for a better life or for anything really. I always thought that I was responsible for whatever fortune was to be. The story of how I came to Jesus is in a letter written over two years ago. A copy will be given to you. Since then though, Jesus has been an important part of my life. I value nothing over my love for Him. I would do anything He asks. Saying this though, Anita and I continue to lead a happy life with few real cares. Those we do have are for her health and for our kids and granddaughters. Our oldest son discovered he had type II diabetes several months back. Before seeking treatment his feet were ravished. The feet have largely healed and he started back to work this week; but it was a trying period. I never realized before that diabetes can actually kill, and fairly quickly. Several of the men I golfed with had the disease, but they had it in check and lived a normal life. Thus I did not know how bad it could be.
With your indulgence I would like to try to answer some of your questions. Please forgive me if something is mentioned here that you already know better than I. Undoubtedly you know a lot more about various religions than I do, but my studies have been extensive during the last two years. Now these are my views and I fully realize that you and most of the world do not agree. In part this will be a review of what I believe, what the beliefs are based on, and why I believe.
One of the things you brought up was, if there is a God, why does he allow so much suffering by innocent people? This has been asked by everyone who has considered the subject of God or no god. We haven’t been given the whole answer, but much information has been revealed in the Bible. The total question is: either God does not exist, or he is uncaring, or he is not powerful enough. The answer is that He is both all-powerful and all-caring. God does not create evil. He created a perfect world and created man to live a perfect life of devotion to Him. God is concerned about every living thing on this earth. He does have the power, and this will be shown again sometime in the near future. When He created the human race, He gave humans the ability to choose their own course, He did not create robots. If a person wants to kill someone else because they don’t agree, or whatever reason, God will not stop that from happening.
According to the Old Testament and history, He has stepped in many times to punish mankind for evil. From the beginning if you believe the Genesis story, man rebelled against God. God would tolerate this for awhile but eventually He would punish man. We can cite the flood of Noah’s time, when God warned the people for 120 years through His prophets that the earth would be flooded. They ignored Him. When He does step in He doesn’t mess around. Now I believe that He is overdue for this generation and will take action soon. That is why I wrote the article. Before He comes I hope as many will be saved as is possible. This is why I have worked to try to bring the message of salvation to everyone that I possible can. I know this falls on deaf ears and is most often resented and largely rejected. However a Christian person is given the obligation to spread this message. I don’t care what scorn is heaped on me because of this. I do care when someone else is injured because of my actions. I also am concerned about the feelings of those who take this as an affront or a threat to their own beliefs.
You said that there are many versions of the Bible in print which is of course true. Of those that have world-wide acceptance such as the King James Version and the New International Version, there are differences in the language, but no real difference in the messages. The NIV version was a complete rewrite by a large group of scholars. The NIV was translated from original documents by hundreds of scholars. They used all available records and did exhaustive research aided by computers to compare text and to produce what is widely accepted as the most accurate Bible.
Another of your comments: Isn’t the Bible inaccurate? This question has been raised by many and still crops up. When asked what discrepancies have they detected, there is often just silence. There are some apparent slight differences in the writings in the gospel, the first four books of the New Testament. These have been commented on and researched. These minor differences are due to the different purposes that the writers were aiming for and their different audiences. For example, Luke a Greek physician and historian directed his message to the Greek gentiles. Other gospel writers were directing their message to the Jews.
Legions of people have challenged the validity of the Bible and the facts about Jesus. Lee Strobel was an atheist who challenged the concept of there being a God. He was an award-winning journalist at the Chicago Tribune, and has a Masters of Studies in Law degree from Yale. He wanted to write a story to prove that God did not really exist so he undertook exhaustive research, probing with bulldog-like tenacity the evidence of the truth of biblical Christianity. He is now a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago. He was so convinced that there is overwhelming evidence of God’s existence, that he was converted. His books, one of which is “The Case for Christ” is well worth reading. When I read it I was already convinced about Jesus but was curious as to how Lee went about his investigation. Of course no matter who writes about God there will be critics out to disprove it.
Many other agnostics, non-believers, and outright atheists have had a similar experience in trying to prove that the Bible is not an accurate historical record, or to disprove God, and ended as believers. I have read that many who seriously investigated the case for Christ were converted. The problem is that the vast majority in the world doesn’t want to be convinced, they are happy with their own world and don’t want to do anything to rock it. Some, who do believe there is a God, don’t want to accept Jesus because they think they have sinned too much to ever be forgiven. Or they might have been convinced that Jesus is not God by their parents, friends, or holy men of different faiths. Some are good people who believe that their life on earth is all there is, or that their good works will be a ticket to a joyous hereafter. I do believe that a person can create a “heaven on earth” for themselves. While this is wonderful, it is not all there is. Some fear death, but those who believe in a hereafter have little fear of death.
You said that the New Testament was written long after Jesus was dead. The most important books of the New Testament were written within the lifetimes of those who walked with Jesus. Using the Christian calendar, Jesus died about 33 A.D. The gospel of Matthew was written by a Jewish tax collector who was a disciple of Jesus, between 60 and 65 A.D. Luke was a Greek physician before he became Jesus’ disciple and he wrote his account about 60 A.D. John was an apostle and eye-witness to Jesus’ persecution, his ascension to Heaven, and Jesus’ return for forty days thereafter when He spent time instructing His disciples on how to spread the gospel throughout the world. John did his writing between 85 and 90 A.D. He also wrote the last book of the Bible, Revelations while he was in prison on the island of Patmos in 95 A.D. All of the writing were guided by God who inspired the prophets, writers and apostles throughout the ages. While these writings were after Jesus death and resurrection, they were by men who witnessed Jesus’ life and death.
There is some confusion about God and Jesus, even in the minds of believers. Jesus is God and a full partner with our Heavenly Father, as is also the Holy Spirit. Christianity teaches that there are three entities, all part of God: the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. This is a difficult concept for some, but it is the truth and the Bible lets us learn how all this operates. It took a while for me to even partially understand the relationship between these entities and how each functions. No one will ever have the total knowledge of the complexity of God, but developing a functioning knowledge has been a big help to me.
I remember that you touched on where God can put all the people who go to Heaven. For our all-powerful God who created the universe, this is a relatively simple matter. There is plenty of room in the universe for Heaven. Exactly where it will be, we haven’t been told.
What some people miss is the big picture. Although we agonize about every little thing, I firmly believe that our life on earth is really only important as a training ground for the afterlife. Our bodies will die, but our real selves, our souls, live forever. After we die, we will remember everything that happened to us on earth, but we will be in one of two places, depending on our choices while here. The first step in making the choice that will benefit us for all eternity is to recognize that there really is a God who created everything. It just had to be because if the earth were closer or further from the sun, life as we know it would not exist. If the solar system was even one degree off, there would be chaos. After I thought about this and accepted a creator of everything, my big problem was that I found it hard to love an entity that I had never met or didn’t really know.
The Bible says that we must love our God with all our heart, mind and soul. Over a period of time I finally realized that the good fortune that I thought I had planned and created was really a gift from God’s Grace. Every step where someone came into my life and helped me was actually God making it happen. I thought back to all the nice people who had done something really great for me at just the right time and now know that it wasn’t coincidence as I once thought. It also wasn’t my planning, although I was given this gift and was able to use it. Did I deserve this? Certainly not, I am a sinner as is everyone on earth. It is only by God’s Grace that He helps. I told God a while back that it would be outright foolish of me not to love someone who had loved me all my life and done so much for me. His love is for everyone!
How do I know this? After I came to be a true believer, I started to get signs when I talked things over with God. At first it amazed me that He really wanted to hear from everyone, and could do this all at one time, everyone who wants to talk to Him. Our most powerful computers if all strung together would be but a blip compared with His infinite ability. Now I get signs several times a day. Almost every time I ask for help with some problem, like writing this letter, I get help and often a sign that I am going to get help.
Now to me at least, here is the rest of the big picture. God, our Heavenly Father, caused His Son Jesus to be born of the Virgin Mary. Many do not believe in Immaculate Conception but an all-powerful God could easily make this happen. Jesus grew up and walked on earth for thirty-three years. To Christians at least, His life is the most important event that ever happened on earth. Our calendar is numbered from His birth, although many other calendars are used. He preached God’s Word, did miracles, was crucified, died and on the third day he arose from the dead. He came back and spent forty days with his disciples before making his final ascension to be on the right side of the Father. His whole life was documented by writers who spent time with Him. His life, crucifixion and resurrection are the whole basis for Christianity. The Israelites who lived at that time recognized Him only as a gifted rabbi. They were looking for a messiah who would take control of their land and free them from Roman rule. Instead He came to create a spiritual rule that would last forever. When they found that he wasn’t going to be an earthly ruler, they turned away from Him. That is why most Jews deny Christ today. They don’t admit that He really was the Messiah that they had hoped for. His coming and crucifixion was predicted thousands of years before He was born, and recorded in the Old Testament. His life is laid out in great detail in the New Testament.
So, those who wail about the bad things that are happening miss the real picture. They do not grasp that God does not step into each brawl and punish the bad guys. They will be punished in time unless they confess their sins and repent and worship Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The good guys will suffer a similar fate as the bad guys if they do not take the same course for redemption. This seems unfair, but that is God’s rule. He put Jesus on earth to provide a path to Him, but each person has to take the steps. God does not program anyone to do a certain thing; all have a free will. God wants only those who truly love Him. The rest He allows Satan to own.
And Satan is another piece of the big picture. Satan was an angel in Heaven with God but he became overly ambitious. He decided to set up his own kingdom. Satan is a major influence in the world today and will be until Jesus returns. Many people don’t believe that the devil exists, but he is alive and well and trying to lure as many as he can to his domain. He is smart and crafty and tempts people in the most subtle ways. I know he has worked on me, and sometimes I recognize this and avoid it, but sometimes not until later do I realize that he has affected my life in some way. When we love anything more than God we are in Satan’s corner. The love of money, fancy things, and anything that we treasure above a love of God is really idolatry and abhorred by God. God wants us to spend some time with Him also. I have come to not really treasure anything I own and gladly give up money and other things. All of us must also be wary of the thousands of writers who are trying to discredit Christianity. Satan works this way too.
Here is some more of the big picture that I find spelled out in the Bible. Those people who have Jesus as their Lord and Savior, have admitted that they are sinners, confessed each and every one of their sins and asked for forgiveness, and now show their love for Jesus in every way they can. They are called “My Children” by Jesus. These people will soon now be taken up with him when He comes. Everyone else will be left on earth to go through the Tribulation prophesied in the Bible. Satan will rule and first raise a man to become head of all the nations. He will be accepted as he will promise peace, and will actually deliver peace for over three years. Then he will begin to show his true intent and through guile, coercion and torture, will get everyone he can to accept his sign, the number 666. Those who refuse will be tortured and beheaded. Thus the last 3 ½ years of Tribulation will be a terrible experience for Christians who haven’t repented of all their sins. But, if they resist Satan, their real selves, their souls with new bodies will end up in Paradise with Jesus. Those who accept Satan will have an easy time during the early part of Tribulation, but they will spend eternity with Satan in torture. The wisest course by far is to avoid Tribulation by confessing all sins, repenting and truly loving Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This overall message is a hard pill for most people, but it is something that the Bible teaches.
During my quest to understand God, I had to take the steps one at a time. First I came to accept that there really is a God of creation who is too infinite for me to fully understand; then I found Jesus, and then I came to love both God the Father and Jesus. I studied the Bible with prayers for understanding, and read many books by people who had already traveled this path. It is not a quick path but is enjoyable, and no matter how time consuming it might be, it is worth every ounce of effort. Actually I found the Bible fascinating and as I prayed for understanding, it became more and more clear. The very best Bible for me is the Life Application Bible, available at book stores. In the New International Version (NIV), it is the easiest to read. It is the version recognized by many Christian churches today. In that ‘Life Application Bible’, there is almost as much explanation written by the same scholars as actual Bible text, so you really come to understand. I never attempt to learn every chapter and verse as I would need a photographic memory. But now I have a feeling for much of the Bible and believe that I know a considerable amount of its meaning. I continue to set aside a half-hour or so most evenings for this reading, and it has been valuable for me.
Many people actually have seen and felt the presence of Jesus Christ. He is trying to gain as many people as possible before He returns. He doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. The book that really woke me up (“Heaven Is So Real”) was written for this purpose. I correspond with the author Choo Thomas regularly and have gotten to know her. She is a modern-day apostle of Jesus and we have developed a deep spiritual love for one another. She has been with Jesus many times and communicates with Him every day. Of course not many can have this kind of experience, and they must accept the testimony of others. After all, there are a myriad of things that we accept on faith because others have told us about them. Many have had near-death experience where they see Heaven, and some have experienced hell, and have lived to tell about it. The creatures at the depths of the ocean we may never see but we accept other’s story that they are there. We would never go to sleep if we didn’t have faith that we would wake up. Yes these are different kinds of faith than having faith in God, but nevertheless they represent faith. Without faith, the lives of people would be shallow and meaningless. The Bible is there to support our faith, and archeological findings have confirmed the existence of things that are told about in the Bible.
A relationship with Jesus can bring us a truly happy life, though many non-believers say they are happy. Some think that they are too busy to spend time praying or worshiping the Lord. I thought that way much of my life. Now I realize how much I missed. I get back many times more in quality of life than I spend with the Lord and in trying to do His work. Some have told me that they aren’t interested. There may some sins in their life for which they don’t think that they will be forgiven, but they will if they ask. Also they think that their life style will have to be different and they will have to give up things they enjoy. God wants us to enjoy life, but not at the expense of a void of love for Him. Some believe they could not face their friends if they came to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Friends should not be as important as our salvation.
The Bible says that the Jews are God’s chosen people since Abraham and continuing today. God made a covenant with Abraham to promote and protect his linage as long as they obeyed Him. The problem was that time and time again they decided that they wanted to go their own way. They worshiped dead idols and a multitude of gods over the centuries. Each time, God punished them by enlisting the services of a kingdom that was stronger but often evil. That kingdom however was punished when they mistreated their captives. The first was slavery in Egypt. Then Assyria became an oppressor. Syria, the Babylonian Empire, Medo-Persian Empire, the Greeks, and finally the Roman Empire played key parts in Jewish history. Since their captivity by Egypt, until 1948, the Jews did not have a homeland. Each part of their story is intensely interesting. As long as they obeyed God they prospered. Abraham of course is both the sire of the Jews through his son Isaac, but is also responsible for the present day Moslems. As you know he and Sarah could not wait for God’s plan, so his first born son was with his wife Sarah’s servant. Ishmael was the beginning of the Arab line that became the arch-enemy of Israel and still is today. Whenever the Jews obeyed God, they were protected from enemies and were empowered to overcome them. The big example is their successful conquest of the “Promised Land”. They defeated kingdoms far stronger than they were. It is sad that they chose to disobey God time and time again and therefore suffered his wrath. This does not say that all the Jews’ sufferings were from lack of obedience to God, but so many were.
I can tell you that I am getting rewards right now while still on earth. God lifts many burdens from me. I have a deep feeling of peace, and know where I will be after I die. As I said, I really do get help from the Holy Spirit, and it is a tremendous comfort to know that He is there for me, actually residing within me. I know that I can pray to God and unload all problems on Him, and expect help with everything that is worthy of His help. A song I love goes like this: “What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and grief to bear, What a privilege to carry, Every thing to God in prayer.” My knowledge and experience, while paltry compared with some who have had faith for a long time, is what drives me to try to share this with others. I believe this knowledge is vital beyond measure for our lives throughout eternity. Beginning my days with a talk with God is a great start for me, and ending each day with thanks and unloading my concerns lets me sleep in peace. We were all put on earth for a purpose; I pray that I will fulfill the purpose for which He put me here. The most important fact is that God is love and we should love Him and everyone.
If there is any part of this message or anything else that you would like to talk about, any time, it would be my pleasure. As you well know, I am nobody special; everything that God shares with me is available to all for the asking. He is waiting for each of us to ask.
I pray that the love of God comes to you in full measure. George Hagen
This letter was written to our family:
We know that some of you have thought that my messages about the coming of Jesus Christ to take His faithful ones up to Heaven are premature or nonsense. Now I still don’t know exactly when He will come, but I know it will be “sooner than you think”. These are Jesus’ words.
In late 2006 I received several prophesies from devout Christian people that 2007 could be the year. I ignored them at first. Then the messages got more intense and more frequent. By June many people were sure that He would be coming that year but didn’t know when. Finally it seemed to be narrowed down to late summer or early fall. Although His coming has been delayed, I still believe that He will come soon. Thus in 2008 I have stepped up efforts to try to bring more people to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I won’t chronicle all the time employed to do this, but it was a lot. Of course without the Lord’s help, my efforts would not have achieved much. I may not have gone about it this intensely if I didn’t sincerely believe that His coming will be very soon. I still don’t know the day He will come, but Mom and I are ready. We know that He will come without any warning.
Based on information received more recently, I know for sure that Mom and I will be leaving this earth before long. Without knowing the day or the hour, I continue to give a lot of thought especially about those we know and love, to our wonderful past life, what we have and have done. I know that Heaven will be immeasurably more beautiful than our earth. But I continue to admire our yard and our home and neighborhood. I think fondly of all the trips we have had to simply gorgeous places, and the joy of seeing new scenery. I won’t miss any of this, but do cherish the memories. I will really miss those whom are not taken with us.
I think of people that will be left behind, with deep sorrow for them. Several billion people will have to cope with happenings way beyond anything they have ever had to contend with. Most of the world’s people have not lived as we have, with the protection of our magnificent armed forces, police and firefighters. We are so blessed. For this reason the shock of end times may be greater for those in our country.
Sometimes I take a mental inventory of our material goods and wonder what will happen to them. I hope that someone will be able to put them to good use. Naturally, no one can take their earthly possessions with them after they die.
The Bible has much to say about end times. Especially the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation written by apostles under God’s direction tell the story. Also, we are fortunate that many devout Christian writers have explained much about the tribulation and end-times. The book “Heaven Is So Real”, written under the precise direction of Christ is Jesus’ final word on what is to take place soon. We are already living in the end-time era. After Jesus comes in the clouds for his faithful, the tribulation chronicled in the Bible will begin. Satan will make it a hell on earth. Tribulation will begin soon after Jesus takes his faithful to Heaven!
Satan knows that his time to recruit followers is growing short so he will be working feverishly to convert as many to him as he can. Being totally evil, he can think only of doing more destruction. After Jesus takes to Heaven those throughout the world who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior, Satan will have more freedom to do whatever he wants. He wants the souls of everyone left on earth. He will have more control of the world than he has today. Although he can only do what God allows, one of the purposes of tribulation is to test some of those left behind. I am not clear who will have this last chance to be saved, but those who have heard of Jesus but outright rejected Him are unlikely to have a second chance. Those who have not rejected Him, but also have not accepted Him as their Lord and Savior may.
In the tribulation, the devil will make it terribly hard to even exist if a person does not accept his mark ‘666’ and worship him. Initially he will prevent everyone not accepting his mark from buying or selling anything. Thus money will be useless for those who do not go along with him. They could face starvation after their food supply runs out.
Next, those that refuse the devil will be tortured and possibly killed. But those who resist him and pledge themselves to the Lord will end up in Heaven. The ones who worship Satan will have an easy time for awhile, but will be tortured while still on earth, then go to hell with him for an eternity of torture. Thus enduring some torture and death and not going along with Satan will yield an eternity with God in Heaven!
Satan will make it the easiest choice to go with him. Through miracles and black magic, he will convince many that he is God. It will be difficult to choose to follow our real God, but those who pledge to the Lord, will be rewarded beyond measure.
Now, to avoid all this misery, there is a simple choice to make. If you haven’t done this already, pledge yourself right now to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Confess that you have valued earthly pleasures, friends, even parents and things of the world above a love for God. Ask for His forgiveness and begin living as He wants you to. There is much information on faith in my office, besides the Bible which is the number one source.
As said in other writings, there is no down-side to pledging your life to the Lord. A love for God makes life so much more enjoyable. You may think you are happy and wouldn’t want to give up your life as you know it, but think hard about this. No matter what you now enjoy, your life on earth will be so much sweeter with the Lord. You can continue to enjoy material things and pleasures, but just don’t have them so important that you have no time for a loving relationship with God. He is there for you, all you have to do is ask. Then begin praying regularly. Reading the Bible will bring richness and great knowledge to you.
Although you may have ignored all my religious writings, I urge you not to ignore this letter. It may be my last one ever. Dad
Before I found Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I had difficulty expressing my love to others. Of course I did everything I could for the comfort and well-being of those in my family. But did I ever tell them I love them? Yes on birthday cards, but saying the three words “I love you” seemed foreign to me. Of course I told Anita that I loved her when we were engaged and on our wedding day and honeymoon. But how many times in the years that followed did I say these words? She was always an affectionate person and loved to have hugs and lots of kisses. I responded to this and enjoyed the fact that she was showing her love for me. My love could have been greater if I had not just read but had taken into my heart the message of Ephesians 5: 21 & 28. “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
After Jesus came into my life I looked at my relationships with others and felt the need to change. Not because I thought it was required, but because I really wanted to. Slowly I began to not just shake hands with people, but if they showed the slightest movement for an embrace, I would hug them. The last hurdle was overcome when I started to say the three precious words to others, even men. All of them responded with their love. Perhaps they were just waiting for someone to take the lead.
It was not just being able to say I love you and mean it, and to embrace others easily. It was a genuine change in the way I felt about others. I could look them in the eye and see a person of inward beauty. Even though Anita and I survived over 60 years of marriage, with mostly a wonderful relationship, the last five years has seen a growth in our love for one another. Anita seemed always to have love in her heart, but I believe it became stronger. From not too long after I first met her I could see a person of real character. I have renewed all the beautiful feeling I had had for her and saw her inward beauty. She was especially lovely to look at when she was younger. As we change with age our bodies often become less physically attractive. This never really happened in my eyes as I always saw her as beautiful. But in recent years I began to truly see her inside beauty. Though her body has aged, I just see the sparkle in her eyes.
I can even tell our kids that I love them and mean it. I have long forgotten the trials that we were put to in raising them, and just remember the joys they brought us. Today they continue to bring joy and we have a better relationship than ever. How has this happened? I know now that the love of our wonderful Lord changed my life, and I feel His love all the time. I just have to express it to others as often as the occasion allows.
Recently I read a book by a dear friend. One of their daughters at age 27 had died in Africa of disease while helping those in need. She was a nurse and wholly dedicated to trying to ease the pain and suffering of these unfortunate souls. Her death was terribly sad for the family who were close-knit . They were devastated at first. After several years her mother was prompted to write a book about the life, death and memories of their beloved daughter. Although the mother had little writing experience, her book was beautiful. In reading it, I got to know the daughter and sort of lived the tragedy in my own mind. The book was emotion packed. As I told the author, I was sort of envious of her deep love and emotions. I said there is no way I would want a similar experience of a loss of a loved one to evoke deep emotions, but I wondered again why I have never felt such profound emotions.
I was really concerned that perhaps I am too callous about life and others. So I asked our Lord about this. I said I was concerned that I have not felt such love for another person as did the author. I told Him that in the last few years while my love for my family and friends has increased, love for Him, our precious Lord and Savior, and for His Father has blossomed. The feeling that immediately received was one of love from Him, and that my love for Him was also a love for everyone. As we know, Jesus taught that we must love our God above everything and everyone else. After this talk with the Lord, I felt peace about my emotions. I believe that when I worship God and love Him with all my heart, I do feel more love for others.
In 1993 I read the book “Real Magic” by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. He advised that you should “listen” to your dreams as they sometimes reveal ideas that can be directions to better things in your life. I wanted to find out how this worked, so I started paying more attention to my dreams. Often they are vivid and detailed dreams about many different things and in varying settings. One night I dreamed about a process for fabricating with light weight fiberglass. In light of the morning and from my experience with this years ago I see some “holes” that the dream glossed over but it was still interesting, and had lots of details about the process.
Since paying more attention, I regularly dream vividly and interact with people I know or may have heard about. Recently I was giving a talk before a comedy club audience and I fashioned the talk in a half-awake, half-asleep state. It was amusing to do this, but I doubt there was a message or a value. Often I dream about playing golf with a friend of long ago. I would think in my dreams I would be playing better golf but it never works that way. Other dreams concern my interacting in a business environment. I am trying to solve their problems. Often this is agonizing but I don’t wake up tired from this effort. Occasionally a dream is interrupted by a trip to the bathroom but it is resumed as soon as I go back to sleep. The next morning I remember this happening. Sometimes my dream puts me in a business situation where I am calling on a customer. Suddenly I am working in that company and talking to the same person as an equal. Dreams can be strange.
I have never found real value in these dreams but many are interesting. Occasionally there is something to think about that does cause me to reflect on the meaning after I wake. We know that God has revealed many thing to people in dreams. So far though, I get far more direction from prayer or the Bible than from any dream. Often our Lord gives me a signal that something I have said or read is important. I have acted on or prayed about a number of these signals.
If you knew that this would be the last day of your life on earth, as it could be, what would you say to others today? What message would you want to give to your loved ones; to your friends; to all who have crossed your path at some time? We hope that everyone lives a long and healthy life, but the fact is, most people will not know when their last day will come.
When I think about this, the thought is disturbing. After I leave this earth it will be too late to say something that might have made a difference in someone’s life, and their after life. I know that many opportunities have been missed to more than comfort a friend, or to give them just what they need for their faith. I am not anybody special but just have a great desire that everyone will have the same wonderful experience with the Lord that I have. Some of you have had Heavenly contacts closer than I, but others haven’t.
For a while I have thought about this and wondered what should have been said to others when the chance was there. Some might say “just mind your own business”. But this is my business. Jesus commanded his disciples and then everyone to spread His Word. We are all charged with doing this, so I am only one of the millions who may be on Jesus’ mission.
The best present we could ever give to another is the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. Knowing Him and believing He is our Lord and Savior is the only path to Heaven. Jesus made this very clear when he said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”, John 14:6. This is the message that I should have given to everyone. Although this has been a part of some emails, I know that opportunities in conversation have been missed. Perhaps I should have opened the subject by saying: “What do you think is wrong with the world?” Then after their reply: “Do you think that Jesus is the answer?” Then “What was His purpose in coming to earth?”
So if this should be the last day of my life, I want this message to be in every contact that I make today. If this is not the last day, then I want to take every opportunity in the future to convey this precious message.
What would you do if you knew with certainty that life on earth as you know it would cease while you are still living, and that this end would also include your family, friends and those you know? I don’t know this of course, but the thought is frightening!
What would become important and urgent? What things that used to be important to you would no longer be so? What would you continue to do and concentrate on that has been part of your life? What would you now seek to do in greater earnestness? What would you begin doing as much as possible? What would you stop doing as much as possible? How would your life until the time be different than it has been? Would you plan in detail or would you just wait? How would this be different from the thoughts of someone who did not know about Jesus’ coming and had a terminal illness?
What follows is what I/we are doing or have done.
The very first task would be to learn all I can about Lord Jesus and his teachings. This will of course take time, the rest of my life. Although I have said a brief prayer to our Heavenly Father almost nightly most of my life, only recently have I included Lord Jesus. Now I pray and think of Him often during the day.
Important also is daily prayer. It is important to think of Jesus and pray to him during the day as well as morning and night. Thanks to our Heavenly Father should be included. Whenever we are asking for something, prayers should begin with the Father, ending with “In Jesus’ name”.. Until recently I didn’t think I had any serious sins. I learned from the Bible that everyone on earth has some sins, even the purest in heart. On deep reflection I admitted mine to myself and prayed for forgiveness and will try hard not to repeat any of these. This is an ongoing task.
I have an Internet online Bible that makes it easy to search for passages of most interest and have read the Bible several times starting with Genesis in the Old Testament and Matthew in the New. I use the New International Version of the Bible, and have other books that have helped. I devote time daily if possible to this. Such study has not been a part of my life until recently. I use time formerly devoted to trivial pursuits for this.
I started on this course soon after accepting Jesus. I have used the book “Heaven Is So Real” as an opening and distributed the book from an initial purchase of ten and later over two hundred books. This effort had mixed reactions, but mostly positive. A friend in Ocala didn’t want me to send the book but he bought some and gave them to his relatives and friends. Others have pledged to read it. A few people said “this is not my thing” or something to that effect. I have pursued it with one of those. With the family, it will be an ongoing task but the first job is to alert them to the need to love Lord Jesus.
We have found a church and are attending. I am trying to learn about their philosophies and what is stressed. The church body and the pastor are sincere in their quest to embrace Jesus. I wrote a long letter to the pastor about my religious experiences, seeking guidance, and outlining my view of the church as it exists today. I have tried to help materially with problems and opportunities there.
For some years I have had a goal of looking for opportunities to be of service to others. The goal was to use my talents and experience to help where I can. For this reason I joined the Red Cross board and became chairman at a time when my contribution was most needed. Also I tried to help in the community as editor of the newsletter for about 18 months. Anyone who asks has always been given assistance with computer technology and this has been done for many years. I had a goal of being able to help young people but this has not been fulfilled. It is still a goal. I have tried to pass a message of hope and good thoughts to friends, and take every opportunity to do this. Anita and I have a loving relationship with our kids and we help each other.
While realizing that we need to preserve our funds for the time when it will be needed, we are giving a full tithe, and are trying to make up for some of the past neglect. We have always contributed to many charities, both local and worldwide, but more funds have been directed to the most worthy. We seek avenues where the largest need exists. The needy in the world and our community deserve more help. When funds became more limited, they were directed to charities that also spread the message of our Lord.
What things that were important to you would no longer be so?
While I don’t think we were ever greedy, I did continually strive for wealth. Some of this once gained was taken away by two serious investment mistakes. Looking back on this I can only wonder if I was being shown that the money should have gone to worthwhile causes instead of just being accumulated. Now our surplus if any will be used for worthy causes.
Some of the things that I once enjoyed and spent much time with are no longer important. While I do not intend to change my (our) lifestyle to any extent, where I will spend my time will be different. I want to spend much more time on the worship of Jesus and in helping to spread His message. Every day, as possible, I will spend time on this. Other activities will be worked in but some will be given less time than in the past. I intend however, to continue to do everything to help my family and friends as they wish, and to spend time with them, perhaps even more time than before.
While I have never regarded this as important, I know that time has been spent on learning and doing things with the idea that this would enhance my stature or business abilities. I no longer do this nor have any desire for this. I will however do and learn what I think will be useful to others.
What would I continue to do and concentrate on that has been part of my life?
This has been part of my goal in life for many years. I can try harder to seek these opportunities and do whatever is necessary even if it takes more time and resources.
Without doing this, many of the goals could not be tackled and certainly not accomplished. I must continue to make sure that sufficient time is allotted for physical activities. (Anita will say “O good, you can help more in the garden.”) . I continue to ask for God’s help in the quest for good mental and physical health for Anita and I, our family and people we know. Some in our family have had tough times physically but thanks to God are now doing reasonably well.
For mental fitness, I have always looked for challenges that would stretch my brain. Now I am doing this in seeking much more knowledge of the Bible, Lord Jesus, and our Heavenly Father.
All of my family have always enjoyed the outdoors and have spent time observing the wonders of nature. I hope we can spend much more time on this instead of on so many mundane tasks. Most of these, while seemingly gratifying at the time are soon forgotten. Strolls in beautiful gardens, at the beach, in nature walks are remembered for years. We can also use this time to communicate with the Lord in our own way.
Except for brief periods, Anita and I believe that our lives have been very happy. The bad times were brief and often of our own doing. The good times have wonderfully pervaded our lives most of the time. I believe that we have had Angels watching over us all these years.
What would you stop doing as far as possible?
Too often I have spent time fretting about what is going on with affairs over which I have no control. If I cannot control them, why worry? I should spend my thinking about betterment, and time on things that can be influenced for the better.
Hobbies aside, which I believe are enriching and useful, I have spent time on things that are soon forgotten and in retrospect should not have occupied time. Every day things that look interesting but even on the surface do not appear to be of real benefit, take time to investigate. Some of these, particularly computer related and items in the media simply should be dismissed as interesting but not worthy of time. I plan to continue to learn about the wonders of the world, and new developments, but not spend an inordinate amount of time on these. Of course things around the home and yard must be kept in good repair and improvements made if needed.
A lot of the time spent in my office over the years has been in keeping up with the latest technology. This has been a benefit in broadening my abilities to serve others and to help the company I once owned. Some of this time though was simply spent on keeping up on things that I will never really use. This was largely stopped several years ago, but I still am carried away occasionally.
Again, if I cannot change an issue by fretting about it, this should be stopped. There are of course issues where I could use my talents for the benefit of the causes. I will seek these in a passive way and if it seems that I can contribute something and still carry out the goals above, this will be done.
How would your life until the time be different than it has been?
Besides all the above changes and goals, I will try to be more caring for those who I can help in some way. I will spend time learning about the needs of others without prying.
Would you plan in detail or would you just wait?
I have never waited for something to just happen; I always like to have a plan. The above points are the basis of my plan. I will use these as an active life guide, revising it and enlarging it as seems appropriate. I hope that my loved ones will see some merit in my actions and perhaps adopt some of this in their lives.
How would this be different from the thoughts of someone who did not know about Jesus’ coming but had a terminal illness?
I believe this is far different in many ways. Until recently I have never had nor witnessed on a daily basis anyone with a terminal illness, so I don’t know how they react. From reading and a little observation though, it seems that the emotions of these unfortunate persons run the gamut. Some are so depressed that they know they won’t make it, while others remain optimistic. I would think though that few of these think in terms of the end time for the earth. They no doubt are concerned about death and what may or may not happen thereafter. If they have faith and have been saved, they would look forward with confidence. Some may have paid lip service to praise of the Lord, but never really embraced Him. They probably think that they will go to Heaven if they have lived a good life, or perhaps think that their death is the end. How many actually change their lifelong thinking because of their illness, only they know.
As the time draws nearer for the Rapture, questions seem to be flying around with many different ideas about it. They range from outright denial that there will be a Rapture, to confusion between its timing and that of the Great Tribulation. Some believe Tribulation will come first, and that Jesus will only take His faithful ones to Heaven at His Second Coming after the Tribulation. There is also discussion on whether the rapture will be silent as depicted in the fictional series “Left Behind” where people suddenly disappear with no warning and those left are in shock and wonderment.
Here is what will happen and the sequence, as given in the Bible, and revealed by Jesus to some of His faithful. Jesus has told those with whom He communicates that the Rapture will be very soon. No one will know the exact day or hour until He arrives. Jesus states that He will be coming in the clouds to take His “Children” to Heaven. He will come with trumpets and loud acclamation and everyone on earth will realize that something of great consequence is happening. (Rev, 1:7 & 1 Thes. 4:15-17) The first taken up will be the spirits and souls of those who have already died but who had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They will be given new bodies in the air. After these souls are raised up, He will call up those who are still alive that have accepted his wonderful offer of salvation. They also will get new bodies. There will be great concern, to put it mildly, among those left behind. (Luke 13:22-30) This is NOT His second coming as He will not touch the earth. His second coming is after the Great Tribulation.
Then the Great Tribulation begins. Some believe that the calamities that have already been occurring are a part of the tribulation or a fore-runner of it. This is probably true, but the Great Tribulation is promised to be terrible and nothing like it has occurred before or will happen again. (Rev. 6, 16:16-20 & Mark 13:19) (see also Matthew 24, Luke 21 & 2 Peter 3).
In the first part of this Great Tribulation the world will witness what seems to be the answer to its problems. A man who may already be alive will come to the front as the world leader. He will promise two main things -- world peace and one religion that all can accept. His program will sound so good that he will be acclaimed as the world leader. He will sign an agreement with the Jews to allow them to build their long sought temple. This agreement will later be broken. The Great Tribulation will last seven years and the above will occur during the first half.
After this man who is really the Anti-Christ has consolidated his rule, he will display great miracles using the power Satan gives him. He will even resurrect from the dead. This will convince many that he is really God and people will begin his worship. Then he will build a statue of himself and require everyone to worship it. Those who agree will be asked to accept his mark, the mark of Satan, on their arm or forehead, or perhaps have a microchip implanted under their skin. His mark is the number “666”. (Rev 2:10-12, 13:11-18, 14:9-13)
Everyone who refuses his mark and does not worship him will be first denied the right to buy anything. Their money will be useless. Their foreheads will be marked with the cross of our Lord and great hardship will begin for them. Then they will be persecuted without mercy and those who still refuse Satan’s mark will eventually be killed, probably beheaded. But these will be raised up as saints in Heaven. Those accepting Satan’s mark will be with him forever and suffer his fate. (Rev 14-1, 11-13)
Some believe that those who do not pledge their lives to our Lord before the Rapture will not be given a second chance. I believe that some people will indeed be given a second chance during the Great Tribulation. That is if they pledge their lives to Christ, ignore the lies of Satan promising everlasting life and if they refuse to follow the evil one, and do endure his tortures. (Rev 14:9-13; Rev 20:4-6, Rev 7)
It will be possible for you to still make it to Heaven if you refuse to pledge to Satan. Dr. David Jeremiah has said: “There will be multitudes of people who find themselves in a fix. They will have failed to believe on Jesus Christ before the Rapture, and they find themselves enduring the pain of enduring tribulation on earth. But hopefully they will not fail to call out to God for salvation. We know that many will call upon Him, bases on the multitudes “of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” the apostle John saw in heaven – those who had “come out of the great tribulation” (Revelations 7:9, 14). Even if they lose their life via persecution on earth, their eternal life is secure. God always delivers those He saves.”
Then massive wars and destruction of the earth begins. One part will take place in an area called Armageddon. The Anti-Christ will muster armies from the east, likely China, to assemble and try to destroy the Jews in Jerusalem. The battles will rage in the Armageddon area next to Israel. The huge armies of the east will be confronted with armies of God and soundly defeated. Millions of these warriors will be killed. Also the Bible seems to point to Russia as attacking Israel with their mighty air force intending to drop atomic bombs. God will destroy these planes before they can drop any bombs. All of this terrible turmoil and destruction will occur during the second half of the seven-year Great Tribulation. (Rev 16:16, 20:9)
Also during this time the earth will suffer further disaster almost too horrible to imagine. It will be far worse than depicted even in some science-fiction films. Whole cities will be destroyed. Possibly some of this will be with atomic weapons. The major part of the destruction of mankind will be the work of the Lord’s wrath because of the horrible sins of the world. Over one-half of the world’s population will be killed, and much of the heavily populated areas of the earth will be scrap heaps. Will those destroyed only be the unrepentant sinners? I do not know but it is an interesting question. However sometime during the tribulation all of the wicked will be killed or die of plagues. After the millennium these will be raised to life for their final judgment, which will be Hades forever. (Rev 16:17-21)
After these terrible times are over, God will begin to rebuild the earth and eventually locate a New Jerusalem where many of His saints and faithful ones will live. There will be a Millennium of 1000 years during which Satan will be bound and Christ will rule. The righteous will reign with Him. This New Jerusalem is already built in Heaven and simply will descend to earth. The earth will ultimately be restored to a state far better than it ever was. Possibly the majority of saved people will live in a wonderful area in Heaven. It is large enough with enough housing to accommodate all who will ever go there. Does all of this sound too good to be true? We need not doubt anything that God will do -- didn’t He create the earth and the universe and everyone and everything in it? (Rev 21:1-2,10-27)
Heaven is ready for us and our wonderful Lord has already built housing and developed a Heaven that is beautiful beyond imagination. We will live there forever with God, unless He sends us to help Him on earth or somewhere in the universe. Heaven is something that we should look forward to with great joy. We won’t be sitting around on a cloud strumming a harp, but working actively to make it better. There will be plenty to do and enjoy with recreation facilities far beyond anything on earth. We will relish new kinds of fruit and there will be gorgeous flowers and other beauty. Some of the food will be the kinds we enjoy on earth, but also varieties we do not know. In short, it will be true Paradise. (Isaiah65:17, 66:22). Our bodies will be new but will be recognizable to those who knew us, but mature adults will look younger.
Many mistakenly believe that they have to earn Heaven by doing good deeds and living an exemplary life. This is false. We cannot earn our way into Heaven; it is a free gift from God. We only have to pledge our lives to Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. He will forgive all the sins that we confess to Him and make us into a “new person”. Then we will want to do good deeds and live in the way Jesus desires for our lives. (John 14:6, 1 John 1:9, Titus 3:3-8, Rev 3:3-6, 10-13)
Should you believe that the above sequence is how it will happen? The Bible deals with all of this. Sometimes sorting it out is a challenge. I am only a servant of our precious Lord, but the essence of this message came from God. On Sunday evening September 27th I was prompted by something just read. I wondered about some of the sequence depicted in a little booklet. So I quickly went over these coming events in my mind. I then asked God if my understanding of them was correct. Three times He confirmed that the above is the sequence in which the Rapture and the Tribulation will take place. The events have been described in the Bible (note the above references).The details have been written by others in more detail, but I believe this message captures important things we need to know.
We hear on TV and read daily of catastrophic happenings all over the world. An earthquake takes place every day somewhere, and some are severe causing massive destruction. Hurricanes and tornadoes continue to take their toll on lives and property. The warming trend of the earth is destroying vegetation through drought, removing livelihood for many people and animals, and creating new deserts. People depending on agriculture are finding it difficult or impossible to grow crops so are flooding into cities for survival. New plagues are surfacing regularly; some coming back that were thought to have been eliminated. Terrorist attacks and crime is on the increase in many parts of the world. Also wars and uprisings kill an untold number of people and displace far more. Rogue nations are developing atomic weapons capable of destroying civilization. Some atomic stockpiles could fall into the hands of terrorists.
So what are we to think? Does this terrible trend of events signal the end of civilization as we know it? If so, shouldn’t we just “eat, drink and be merry” and enjoy the end as best we can? That is the advice of those who do not know the Word of God.
Scriptures tell us what will really happen. Yes the world will be partially destroyed sometime in the future, but it will be rebuilt by God in new glory. Meanwhile, the Lord will take his faithful ones up into Heaven before the worst occurs. Then there will be seven years known as “The Great Tribulation” where Satan rules. People left behind may make it to Heaven if they refuse to pledge their souls to Satan by taking his forbidden number “666”. Those who do will be with the devil forever and suffer his fate in hell. But those who refuse Satan and pledge their souls to Christ will live with God forever in Heaven. Yes they may suffer terrible tortures by Satan and hear his lying promises of everlasting life, and they may be killed if they continue to resist the devil. But it will be worth it a million times and more.
How do we know that these biblical predictions about the future will come true? Simply because over 2000 prophecies and predictions made hundreds of years before the event have been fulfilled. For example, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and his death and resurrection was prophesied .500 and 700 years before Jesus was born. The Bible contains 2500 prophesies so 500 have yet to be fulfilled including those in the above paragraph.
So how do we avoid all this misery? By pledging our lives to Christ here and now if we haven’t already done so. We will be taken up in the clouds with the other faithful ones when Jesus comes. And He will be coming very soon now!
This is a letter that was given to our granddaughter at age 20 when she was in her junior year at the University of Jacksonville.
Dear Alicia, Each time I see you I marvel at your progress in the development of your whole being. You were born with the good looks, but your personality development is of your own making, with help from your loving mother. Of course friends have a hand in this too, usually in a very subtle manner. Can you think how certain friends have influenced you, and what did this friendship give you or teach you? Based on experience with some friends, did you try to choose different kinds of friends after that? When you have been the recipient of someone else’s help, what was it like?
Personality is a reflection of a person’s inner makeup, unless it is faked as some are. Your personality reflects a moral being that is not just interested in herself alone, but wants to make a contribution to others. This is important as so many are self-centered, only thinking of themselves. We were put on this planet to learn to be the kind of person that Jesus welcomes. The fact that the majority fail to even realize this and much less live for it does not make its absence the right way to live. We are surrounded and constantly inundated with messages like “live today for all you can get out of it” This has a measure of usefulness, as we do need to make the most of each moment. We also do need to think of ourselves, but not just in what we can gain in material things. Most often this message is interpreted to mean that I must get everything that I can without regard for others. And we are in the “me first” generation but this is not the right way to live. Fortunately there are a many young people who will make a good impact on the world. What do you think about the present generation of people you know?
Many have given thought to WWJD, but far too few. They think that “if I have to do only What Jesus Would Do, I won’t have a fulfilling life”. “I want to do my thing, and never mind anything else”. Also -“What will my friends think if I get religious?” No one can live like Jesus, we all are imperfect and commit sins every day even if we try to live uprightly. But we can give thought to others, and treat them as we want to be treated. Also, by our lives, we can show by example what living for others can do for ourselves. This isn’t easy; and do I do this? No, but I try. Do you often consider WWJD?
Another question we really need to ask ourselves – “are we ready”. If our lives were to end today, are we ready to meet our maker? We all hope to live long lives but many things can cut it short. A car could hit me while on my bicycle, or my car could be broadsided by another car, these accidents happen every day, and they may not always happen to someone else. Freak lightning could strike, or I could fall and sustain fatal injuries. Am I ready? I think so, but this is not something I can answer except by faith. Being ready means that I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, confessed my sins and asked for forgiveness, and then am trying to live the way I believe He wants me to. The reward for this will be eternal life with Him. And this is the ONLY way to we can gain a life everlasting in Heaven. Living a good life won’t cut it, but a good life does help with our life on this earth. Those who seem to live a selfish life and still get ahead can cause us to wonder if being upright is worth it. The Bible makes it clear that these people will be judged and punished.
But there is another reward that faith gives, and this while we are on this earth. It is a wonderful feeling of peace to know that Jesus thinks you are worthy. He loves to help you in everything you do. I get help every day with things beyond number. I can feel that the Holy Spirit is with me whenever I take a moment to talk to Him. Because of this, I have a desire to bring this message to others! Do I deserve His love and help? Certainly not, no one does and it cannot be earned, it is freely given to everyone out of His Grace. Two years ago, I knew none of this, but have learned much since through serious study of the Bible, and talks with other believers. Going to church has helped, and not the way some people think. It isn’t the sermons that spark this, no matter how uplifting they are. The value of church is the people that we meet and get to know. We get to share a bit of their faith and this reinforces our convictions. Participating in Bible study and other groups helps us to get acquainted and enables us to share our beliefs and experiences.
Another point that I had to learn is that everything on this earth was created by God. Therefore everything that we have, and everything that we are belongs to Him or was allowed by Him. What we call our possessions are just ours to use while we are here. They do not belong to us; we are just tenants of them. We had nothing when we were born and we will take nothing with us when we die. Thus we should not be selfish with what we have, or selfish with our abilities, personalities, skills or time but share freely with others. We have these through the Grace of God. Yes, we can maximize these through our own efforts, but these efforts were made possible and are enhanced by God. When I finally came to fully understand this, my view of life changed. I no longer covet our material possessions. Any desire to accumulate more solely for personal use no longer exists. Further, I try harder to share my time and skills with others as opportunities arise.
We should not get too proud of what we have accomplished as it would not have been possible without God’s help. We should never get the idea that God is blessing us because of our own merits. If our faith is strong we can take pride in that, but remember that it too is a gift of God and not something we deserve or earned. Also we should not look down on others – everyone was created by God, is loved by God and is equal under God. We should be quick to forgive anyone whom we believe has wronged us. We should never harbor a grudge as it doesn’t hurt the person but only hurts us.
As we grow up our friends become more important and more influential than our parents. This happened to me. I don’t think I ever told my mother or father that I loved them, although I did love them. I was only able to show this love after I matured and could do nice things for them. But my life was influenced by both parents, especially my mother. Even after she died I could still feel her presence and I believe she is still looking over me. Only until recently have I thought about WWJD seriously, but I often thought about what my mother or father would do. I know this helped build my character. I had some great friends while growing up, enjoyed them very much but none of them were available to me permanently. I can remember things in which they influenced me, and fortunately it was all for the better. A few so-called friends could have been a bad influence if I had allowed it. Choosing your friends is very important, as they will affect your life. Only friends that influence us in a positive way are worth having. All others just come in and go out of our lives and we have little to show for their presence, even if they are fun to be with.
Our choice of friends should not be happenstance, they should be because we are attracted to them because of their character, enjoy being with them, and are comfortable with them. Has your choice of friends always been the right choice? If we want to live a Christian life, we need to associate with others of the same mind as much as possible. We can’t rationalize that someone will change to suit us, it doesn’t work that way. And this is especially vital when considering a marriage partner! Religious beliefs did not play a big role in my choice for marriage, but I was totally impressed by Grandma’s character and this led to lasting love. Choosing Christian friends does not mean that you exclude all others from your life. We are called to bring the Word or God to others that cross our path. Just do not let them influence you toward non-Christian living.
I wish the love of Jesus to you Alicia, and that your life will be filled with love and happiness. I know that you have had some hard knocks but you have persevered, and you have the great love of your mother to sustain you, and others who love you. Remember also that whenever you go into a new challenge, you can trust God to help you if you ask. He won’t always do just what you ask, but He won’t let you face anything beyond your ability to cope with it. Your grandpa
I once wrote an article titled ‘If This Were the Last Day Of Your Life On Earth”, as it could be, what would you say to others today? What message would you want to give to your loved ones; to your friends; and to others who have crossed your path? We hope that everyone lives a long and healthy life, but the fact is, most people will not know when their last day will come.
After I leave this earth it will be too late to say something that might have made a difference in someone’s life, and after life. Opportunities have been missed to tell someone what they need to hear about their faith, and then I learn that they are no longer here. I am nobody special but have a desire that everyone will have a wonderful experience with the Lord as I have. Some who read this have Heavenly contacts closer than I, but others haven’t.
I have thought about this and pondered what should have been said to someone when the chance was there. Jesus commanded his disciples and then everyone to spread His Word. The best present we could ever give to another is the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. Knowing Him and believing He is our Lord and Savior is the only path to Heaven. Jesus made this indelibly clear saying: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”, John 14:6. This is the message that should be given to everyone. When I have a chance to talk to someone about faith, I could have started by saying: “What do you think is wrong with the world?” Then after their reply: “Do you think that Jesus is the answer?” Then “What was His purpose in coming to earth?” I want to take every opportunity I may have to convey our Lord’s precious message.
Christian author Mark Mittelberg suggests this experiment. Why not live as if this were your last month on earth? In what practical ways would this change how you engage with people about God? He suggests keeping a journal of the happenings during this month. With each tick of the clock, a moment of your life is behind you. As you read this, minutes pass that you can never regain. Our days are numbered, and each one that passes is gone forever! When we seriously regard our time on earth as a limited resource, this has incredible power to liberate us. We can be freed up with new vigor and enthusiasm to find creative ways to bring the news about the God we love to people in our lives that we love, and to everyone!
Sometime back I came across this beautiful poem titled “IF I KNEW”.
If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would videotape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time,
I could take an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.
There will always be another day to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do?"
But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear
Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.
Especially if this is your last chance to pray,
And tell another about God’s way,
Don’t let this day pass until you do,
God will love to hear this too.
Pollster George Gallup reports that 8 of 10 Americans say that religion is at least fairly important in their lives. Even among people who do not go to church, 20% read the Bible, and 7 out of 10 pray at least weekly. Although this poll doesn’t state to whom they pray, or what religion these folks follow, the chances are good that if you bring up the subject of God or going to church, most people are willing to discuss it. Even many of those who claim to be atheists will talk about what they believe and why.
In the many times I have asked a stranger if Jesus is important in their lives, more than half say He is. A few say it is not something they want to talk about. Some say they know about Jesus and don’t want to hear more. Several have stated that they are Muslims and that I can’t change their faith. Some Catholics have said “I am Catholic” -- end of discussion. These experiences make me think that if I hadn’t mentioned Jesus at first, it could have opened a discussion. After the usual pleasantries, if it appears that they want to talk, I could have asked about their beliefs, or what is important in their lives. I will probably do that in the future, but will still try to talk about the importance of having Christ as their Lord and Savior.
The facts are, according to Lee Strobel bestselling author, people are intrigued by spiritual stuff. Books about God, both pro and con pepper the best seller lists. Witness the “Da Vinci Code”, a book that many Christians condemned. The movie “The Passion of the Christ” was viewed and acclaimed by millions, and people still talk about it. When Time Magazine put a picture of Jesus on a cover a few years back, that issue became their best seller for the year.
Now more than ever it is socially permissible to get into conversations about faith – if we do it sensibly and with concern for the other person.
One way to start a conversation about faith is to ask what books they most remember. After they answer, you could ask if they read the Bible. Cite its interesting stories that are like some of today’s thrillers. Mention that modern Bible versions are more easily understood than the old King James Bible. If they express an interest, mention how some Bible verses sort of jumped out at you and caused you to rethink your life. Simply put, God's plan of salvation is the divine romance recorded in the pages of the Bible. It is God's way of providing his people deliverance from sin and spiritual death.
Many other topics could lead to a discussion of Christian values such as TV and the Internet -- what children are seeing. What do they think about today’s entertainment, is there enough about family values? How has the media changed in emphasis over the last ten years? Is there more violence and sex? What do they think will have to happen to put the world on a better course? Is Christ the answer?
You could also ask what they are planning for the weekend. After they respond, tell them that you will go to church on Sunday and possibly watch a ball game, or whatever you are planning. Then say “By the way, do you think about church or God very much?” Often this will spark a discussion about church, their faith or lack of it. Let the other person dominate the conversation so as not to overpower them with your views. Ask follow up questions and listen carefully to their responses. Then ask more questions about their life. Tell them briefly about your life, how you came to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior and how that changed your life.
In case you are reluctant to talk about your faith, please remember that Christians are charged by Christ to spread the good Word about Him. You should also keep in mind that there may not be forever to do this. No one knows what day will be his or her last. Don’t wait! Even though the message is vital, people are more likely to be moved to listen when we express a sincere interest in their lives.
And when you believe they could be receptive, tell them the consequences of not pledging their life to Jesus. If they do not, they will be left behind when Christ comes in the clouds for His faithful. Be sure to tell them that they should not accept Satan’s number 666 at all costs or they will be with him for all eternity. Tell them that the book “Heaven Is So Real” portrays what we will see in Heaven, details the author’s experience with Jesus, and expresses what hell is really like.
What do you believe about Jesus Christ? You might be shocked to know that less than half of those who call themselves Christians believe this statement -- “Jesus Christ did not commit sins during His time on earth.” Wow! This is based on a survey by the Barna Group March 27, 2009. [This group serves the information needs of the church by offering statistics, resources, seminars and custom research on current cultural and spiritual trends. http://www.barna.org.]
No one should judge another but questions do arise. Have these people who call themselves Christians ever read the Bible? It is clear in the Bible that Christ never sinned. Also Jesus was proved the son of God by His resurrection from the dead. [2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15, 7:26; Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:14]. Though a core teaching of the Christian faith is the divinity and perfection of Jesus Christ, tens of millions of Christians do not accept this. If we as Christians do not believe these things about Christ, our faith is empty!
Also unfortunately, about 25% do not agree that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches. Further – over half of American Christians do not believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit exists. They believe that they are mere symbols of evil and good, but are not living beings. They do not realize that these entities are operating in their lives all the time. This to their peril!
If we don’t know the truth about Satan, we do not cast him out of our lives regularly. We blame God for our troubles, or we blame others. Satan is totally evil and will do anything to break up marriages and cause Christians to ignore God. In great contrast, the Holy Spirit is with those who believe and is a tremendous help. Those little urgings you get to choose the right path or to do something truly beneficial for yourself or others are from Him.
Another Barna study discovered that half of all adults now contend that Christianity is just one of many options that Americans can choose. Our country was founded on Christian beliefs, and I believe that God helped our nation to be strong to fight for what is right. Now so many no longer hold these truths dear, and are trying mightily to take Christ out of the schools and all government institutions. How sad for the USA! Some argue that if the government, a university, of other public institution favored Christian teachings, they are excluding consideration of all else. Perhaps this has some validity, but I don’t believe it is a strong enough reason. We need Christ in our laws and in education.
Interestingly, a huge majority of adults pick and choose what they believe rather than adopt a church or denomination’s slate of beliefs. That may be worth thinking about as only one fourth of “Christian” churches truly teach about Christ, even some of those claiming to be Jesus based.
Sadly, almost 25% of Christians surveyed do not believe that God is the “all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe who rules the world today”. These people believe such things as “everyone is god”, god is realizing true human potential, etc.” What does God think about these folks? He likely regards them the same way He mourned over the wayward Jews in the Old Testament. He tolerated it for awhile, but finally punished them. Some astronomers are searching the heavens to find how the universe was formed. Many scientists continue to search for links to prove that humans evolved from apes or even sea creatures.
If those facts don’t bode enough bad news for Christianity, we also know that the vast majority of the world’s population follows other religions, or doesn’t believe in God the maker of Heaven and Earth at all. This is why Jesus said that only a small percentage of people will be a part of His Kingdom. In John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Today the most severe punishment we could possibly receive is to be separated from God. We need God in our lives and we need Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Otherwise we will end up knocking on Heaven’s door, greeted by Jesus who will say “I don’t know you”. I pray that those who do not have Jesus in their lives will wake up before it is too late.
This was written in 2005 to an engineer that I worked with back in the 1950s. His wife follows the Christian Science religion, and he professes no religion. I had sent him my report of the “Weekend to Remember” which was all about Christian marriages. He said the report was good, but he thought the most important thing to guide marriages is the way we handle money, delegating equal responsibility to each spouse. He also said he lives by the Golden Rule and thinks that this is all we need to live by. Here is my reply.
Dear Chuck, Thank you for your email message. It is always enlightening to hear from you. I heartily agree that the handling of money is very important. Many marriages break up over disagreements about money, or lack of money. Anita and I never quarreled over money. Until after I retired from Reichhold, she handled our finances in total except for investments. I took over then, not because I needed to but to utilize the computer tools that were then available. We still discuss and agree on many purchases, especially major ones.
The Golden Rule is very important for everyone to observe. We would be in a far better world if we all lived by it wholeheartedly. Some say that the Rule may be best stated as "Treat others only in ways that you're willing to be treated in the same situation”. Those who have thought deeply about it (not me) state that “the golden rule is best seen as a consistency principle. It doesn't replace regular moral norms. It isn't an infallible guide on which actions are right or wrong; it doesn't give all the answers. It only prescribes that our actions toward another not be out of harmony with our desires for ourselves. If we violate the golden rule, then we're violating the spirit of fairness and concern that lie at the heart of morality.”
“The golden rule, with roots in a wide range of world cultures, is well suited to be a standard to which different cultures could appeal in resolving conflicts. As the world becomes more and more a single interacting global community, the need for such a common standard is becoming more urgent.”
I have tried all my life to base my actions on the Golden Rule. I can still look carefully back and state unequivocally that I never knowingly hurt another person in any way. Of course my duties as head of our Canadian company dealt with separating people from their jobs at times. This was always a difficult and sad time for me as I knew it would impact their life. However, except for one sole person, everyone who had to leave remained a friend, someone with whom I could be comfortable.
I have found (for me) a much deeper meaning in life. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and believe that he died for my sins. Continually I get help from the Holy Spirit in everything I do, when I ask. This is the most wonderful feeling. Also I have assurance that when my body dies, my soul, my real self will reside with Jesus. I know some simply cannot accept this, but I believe it and have personal evidence leaving no doubt in my mind. I still read with interest scientific findings of early man and have natural difficulty in completely rationalizing them with the Bible. In fact I have written a small treatise about evolution and Creation. Some scientists of renown cannot accept the Bible, while others of equal qualifications accept it wholeheartedly. Faith is something that cannot be proven to anyone else short of God intervening and performing a miracle. It is something you either have or don’t have.
Since I have come to faith, I am doing what I can to help others realize that this life on earth is only a blink of an eye in time, compared with the life of their souls in eternity. I have found through study of the Bible and other works and much thought, that we have two choices for our souls after we die. We can choose to follow Jesus and have our souls be with Jesus. Or we can choose to follow the world’s ways and become slaves of Satan, and eventually have an eternal life of torture. A person who comes to this understanding would be a fool to choose the latter. In Heaven or hell we will be completely aware of our life on earth and be either joyous or sad beyond belief about the choice we made.
There is a limited time in our lives when we can make this choice. No one has the certainty of knowing if they will even be alive tomorrow, or this afternoon. Accidents or other things can take our lives at any time. An acquaintance had a fall and after several weeks of unconsciousness, died. We must make the choice while we have the chance to do it!
I cannot do anything by myself to bring another person to faith, except to tell them what I know to be true. If they don’t want to accept this, I wish them well, but hope that someday they will become a follower of Jesus Christ. He is the only way to salvation! For more information on Jesus, read any one of the chapters in the New Testament.
I find that reading the Bible is an adventure. The Bible is very interesting, as interesting as any book I have ever read. The New International Version is in modern language. The “Life Application Bible” that I am reading now is a tremendous storehouse of explanation written by the teams that did the latest translation. They used all the modern tools and consulted ancient Greek, Roman, and Hebrew writings to get the best possible information. Also the NIV and other versions are on-line at http://www.biblegateway.com/.
Chuck, I know that others may have bombarded you with their urgings to have Jesus become a part of your life. Please give this some serious thought and don’t dismiss it just because it doesn’t seem to fit with what you already believe. I was an unbeliever in Jesus for many years, years that I now consider unfortunate.
National surveys tell us that those who claim to be Christians are a shrinking group. Further, we find that most people outside of this group know little about God and nothing about Christ. This article is directed to these folks. We hope that even those who know our Lord will find something of interest.
Our country today is largely a society of non-believers. Oh, they believe in something, but it is not God. We have adopted ideas touted in popular books of the last decade. Primarily, the principle is, “take care of yourself first”. Of course we should look after ourselves, but not at all costs. People want instant gratification in everything. They are not willing to wait for fulfillment. While their grandparents were willing to wait for and live for “heaven at all costs”, they do not even think about life after death. They want their heaven on earth. Further, today young people have adopted popular sports and media figures as their idols. They hang on every word coming from or about these people as if they were gods. This has shut our God in Heaven out of their lives.
Many young people, perhaps the majority, are growing up in homes where God is never mentioned. How can they learn of Him without help? If they don’t know God, what is to become of them? God is love, and God teaches moral values. If love for others and appreciation of moral values are missing in a person, they have little chance of happiness. The results are high crime rates, addiction, disillusionment, divorce, and suicide. This is not to belittle those parents who do practice and teach moral values even though they do not teach about Christ. But even then, this leaves an emptiness only filled when God becomes a part of a person’s life.
So who is God? God is our creator; He created the Heavens and the earth, the galaxies of the universe and everything in them. He created you! He created you just the way He wanted you to be. But He also gave you and everyone a free choice. We can follow His path or we can choose our own. And every choice has a consequence. As our Creator, God deserves our allegiance. He created you for His pleasure. He wants and expects you to worship Him. He didn’t put us here to just have a good time. He wants us to be happy, but we are here for a purpose. If we don’t know God, then how can we determine the purpose for which He created us?
How do we get to know God if we don’t already? Prayer, pure and simple. We might pray each and every day something like this:
“Oh God if there is a God, help me to know that you are real.”
With this simple little prayer, we invite God to contact us. Will He? He will if we are sincere in wanting Him in our lives. We were born with an internal need to know God. Until we come to know Him, there will always be emptiness in our life.
What next? The person should seek others who can help him/her to understand what believing in God and ultimately Jesus Christ can do for them. They need a setting where they can learn the basics of the faith. Helpful people can be found in small church groups such as Bible study, or in prayer groups, or perhaps the person next door.
Until recent years, I never once asked another person about their faith. I thought it was none of my business. I learned, though, that it is my business. Once I started asking others what they knew about Christ, I learned that a great many were just waiting for someone to talk to about faith. Ask your friends to recommend a church. Or you can call a church and ask about Bible study or prayer groups. Be sure to ask if the church teaches that Christ is our Lord and Savior. Many churches listed in the Yellow Pages have websites that are easily located on the Internet.
Reading the Bible can also be immensely helpful. The Bible is not boring, although some parts are more interesting than others. There are thousands of great stories in the Bible, fascinating tales of real happenings. Start reading Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament. Then read Exodus and Deuteronomy. Next, read about Daniel (in the lion’s den) in the Book of Daniel, and about David and Goliath in the Book of 1 Samuel. The books of Ruth and Esther are beautiful stories of devotion to others. Then skip to the New Testament and learn about Christ and His miracles. The books of Luke, John and Acts are especially interesting and informative. When you can, read the entire Bible. Even fifteen minutes a day will take you through the Bible in a year. I am willing to bet, though that you will find parts that you “can’t put it down” until you find out what finally happened. I was captivated when I started reading this wonderful book, and occasionally I would read it for hours.
Get a bible with modern language. A New International Version (NIV), or the New King James Version are good choices. I like the bible called “The Message” by Eugene H. Peterson. This is the easiest to understand.
I didn’t start reading the Bible until I had read the wonderful book, “Heaven Is So Real” by Choo Thomas. Choo was chosen by Jesus to write this book under His direction. I was actually shocked into belief in Christ after reading just a part of this book. In continuing to read it, I learned many things about heaven and hell that were full of wonder. Most importantly, I learned who Jesus really is. Then I started to read the Bible in earnest and began to attend church. Also prayer became a necessary part of my daily chores. But prayer is not a chore. Prayer is a tremendous help in every aspect of living. If you ask for help, the Holy Spirit is right there for you.
Aren’t all churches and faiths equal? There must be something useful in the major religions of the world. Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam are religions that have huge followings. Of course they have value. Many religions teach that there is a god, the need to embrace moral values, and a path to a great afterlife. These are also Christian teachings. So what is the difference, why should we be a Christian rather than a Buddhist? The difference, and it is a chasm, is Christ. No other religion embraces Christ as their savior. Muslims do know about Jesus, but they regard Him only as a great teacher, not as God. They do not have a holy intercessor who is God.
What about Jesus Christ? He is also God and He gave up His Heavenly kingdom role to come to earth, be born and live like an ordinary man. But Jesus was far from ordinary. He was the only person who ever lived a life without sin. After He grew up, He performed miracles, taught about God, and ultimately was crucified for this and died for our sins. Then He was resurrected by His Father God, and returned to Heaven where He is today. On earth He left a legacy of disciples who continued Christ’s work, wrote the New Testament, and established many churches.
Heaven is a place of purity. No one can enter Heaven who is not pure in heart and without sin. If it weren’t for Jesus dying for the sins of the world, few could ever enter Heaven. No one is pure enough on their own. But Jesus made a path to Heaven if only we believe in Him. There is no other route to Heaven.
How do we get Christ to be our Lord and Savior? This is the easiest step, but one we must choose to take. Simply say this prayer aloud, from your heart:
Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and You died for me. Please come into my heart, be my Lord and Savior and forgive me of all my sins and take control of every area of my life from this moment on. Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and use me for Your glory. I want to serve You and love You all the days of my life. Thank You, Father, that I am now Your child, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
Then pledge your life to Him! I wrote a note to Jesus with my pledge to Him and signed it.
How do we know that God hears our prayers? His Word tells us: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
This is a letter I wrote to a friend who said he was not sure about his salvation.
I have heard many people express some doubt about their own salvation, including several in our church. Friend, I was dismayed when in Bible Study you mentioned your concern. I was surprised because you and your wife above most Christians I know seem to have solid faith. I hope you will not feel that I am presumptuous in writing to you about this, but the thought has been on my mind since the meeting. I put down some thoughts that I hope will be helpful. Both of you seem to be very close to God. I doubt the following will embody anything new to you, but I thought that going though it might trigger something of help. To me, there is absolutely no reason why you folks are not confident that you will be with God forever in Heaven. I will be happy to spend time with you if there is anything you want to discuss. While I am only a person and not a pastor, I stand ready to try to help. I know I will gain more from this than you will. George
HOW DO WE KNOW?
Many people who call themselves Christians are not sure if they will spend eternity in Heaven. Perhaps this is part of our makeup as humans always to be wary of what may happen to us. Unless we truly trust the Lord, we will have lingering doubts about our salvation. So how do we bring ourselves to believe that we will indeed be saved?
I have not a sliver of doubt about my salvation. I know this as well as I know that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. How did I gain this firm belief? It was a process over time. First I had to be humble that I am not anyone special. Then I learned that Christ’s blessing of salvation is available to everyone, gentiles as well as Jews. He became my Lord when I pledged my life to Him. I prayed the prayer of salvation, confessed my sins, and asked for forgiveness. I signed a pledge to Him that I will do whatever He wants. I love Him above everything and everyone.
I have heard people say that they believe in God but don’t believe in Jesus. You know of course that even if you believe in God, if you don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God, there is no salvation. Salvation comes only through Jesus. Jesus died for all of us because He loves us so much. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6.
Bible passages about salvation that may be helpful --
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:12-14
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let those who hear say, "Come!" Let those who are thirsty come; and let all who wish take the free gift of the water of life. Rev 22:17.
Both the Holy Spirit and the bride, the church, extend the invitation to all the world to come to Jesus and experience the joys of salvation in Christ.
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10
So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the
petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15. God hears and answers the sincere prayers of His children.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). The Word of God imparts faith to our hearts so we can reach out in faith when we pray, and thereby receive answers to our prayers.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. Psalm 13:4-6
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24
Jesus is the only one who can save you and forgive all your sins so that you can have eternal life with Him. If you have never before asked Jesus to save you, now is the time to do so, before it is too late. Simply say this prayer out loud, from your heart:
“Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and You died for me. Please come into my heart, be my Lord and Savior and forgive me of all my sins and take control of every area of my life from this moment on. Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and use me for Your glory. I want to serve You and love You all the days of my life. Thank You Father, that I am now Your child, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
After this prayer, read the Bible, pray often and listen to God’s words in church services, and fellowship with God’s people. Your life will never be the same; you’ll have a feeling of peace while on this earth and live forever with Jesus in Heaven. God bless you.
[Seeking the love of God and knowing what Jesus did for us on the cross should be enough incentive for us to come to Jesus as our Lord and Savior. However if a person knows this and yet does not accept Jesus, perhaps something harsher is necessary. Maybe they need to know that the penalty is so severe that no one in their right mind would turn down Jesus’ offer of salvation. When our body dies, our real self, our spirit and soul live on. We can choose to spend eternity in Heaven or be with Satan in hell. Think about this folks! Eternity is forever. I choose to do whatever it takes to be with Jesus.]
This letter was written to a lady who was in her 90s but still interested in her investments:
Dear ______, Your call yesterday reminded me of some things that have entered my mind, and I do think of you often. You expressed concern about your bank dealings, but you then said twice: “I just wanted to talk”. Evelyn, I sensed a deeper need and that you may not fully realize what it is. I am not wise or skilled enough to really delve into another person’s mind, but I will make a stab at it. Perhaps it will help if I tell again what I now know to be true, with no doubt in my mind. I know that I am no better than anyone else, but believe that I have come to a deeper understanding of my life than ever before.
When I read the book “Heaven Is So Real” in February last year it changed my life. I started to read the Bible in earnest and found that if I had continued to live the way I had been living, my soul, my real self, would be consigned to hell after death on earth. I had been living what I thought was a good life, obeying the Golden Rule, never harming another person intentionally. The Bible says this is not enough, I needed to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, confess my sins, and follow in his footsteps as much as possible. I am working toward this goal all the time.
At first I didn’t think I had any sins, but learned that everyone is a sinner in thoughts and in deeds. I have never committed adultery, but I had sinned in looking at other women with lust in my heart. I don’t do this any more. It wasn’t because I didn’t love Anita, it was just that I thought this was a man thing to do. (Remember the Ink Spots song “Standing on the corner, watching all the girls go by”?) Also I harbored some resentment toward people who I thought had not treated me well, and this is a sin before God. I have gone back and rethought my whole life and have forgiven everyone who I thought had harmed me in some way. While we always had everything we needed, I envied some who had a lot more in material things. I stopped doing this a few years ago, and now know that envy is a sin. Then I realized what the Bible teaches, that we own nothing, we are just allowed to use what we “possess” while we are on earth. We had nothing when we were born and will take nothing with us. Everything we use is a temporary gift from God, and He owns everything. Thus giving part of what we have for God’s purposes is only returning a part of what He has given us to use.
The Bible teaches about tithing. This is not just giving ten percent of your gross income to your church. For those who can afford it, it is giving much more to help the poor and those in unfortunate circumstances. Anita and I had always given to charities, but we stepped this up substantially. Jesus said that it will be harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Like many of Bible sayings, this was not to be taken completely literally, but was a stark illustration to make the point. I am determined that whatever wealth we possess will not be a detriment to our going to Heaven. The Bible also teaches that we should manage our resources carefully, so we are not wantonly disposing of our money, but giving as wisely as we know how and with guidance from the Holy Spirit.
Talking about Him, the Holy Spirit who is a person sent by God, everyone can tap into His guidance just for asking. I get guidance from Him continually, and this is both a wonderful feeling and a real help. I asked Him to help me write this letter, so you can blame Him if you don’t like it (just kidding, sort of). When I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I got the Holy Spirit immediately. At first I didn’t realize what a gift He could be so didn’t take advantage. Now I consult Him many times each day. I am amazed, almost flabbergasted sometimes, at His response.
We have been blessed all our lives with everything we really needed - good health, friends and a loving family. While thanking God every day, over the years I have tried to fathom why we have been so fortunate while most of the world is living in poverty. It was not because we deserve it because we don’t, no one does, but it is the Grace of God. There is no way of knowing why, but we just thank God for it. Now we need to try to give back some of this to others both in money and service. In service, I am doing far more than I ever have, but know that I can do more. Thus I continue to seek ways of using my God-given talents for the benefit of others. So far this has not manifested itself mightily, but I continue to pray for guidance. I am by nature a person who has little patience for slow change, but I have received strong feelings from the Lord that I should not expect to achieve mountains overnight. So I am trying just to do what comes to mind each day in a planned way.
The Bible teaches that becoming a follower of Jesus will give “peace beyond understanding” and that is exactly what it does. I have complete confidence that my soul will go to Heaven as will Anita’s. I believe that we will be taken up when Jesus comes back for His faithful, and that could be soon. I am not just waiting around for this as no one knows exactly when it will be, but we have to be prepared. Even without this happening to us, we have zero assurance that we will be alive even tomorrow due to some accident or sudden health problem. You are familiar with this. I am certain that Vern had no inkling that morning on the golf course that it would be his last game. I had an acquaintance that fell and never recovered consciousness. Thus we have to be ready NOW, not next week or next year.
Now dear friend, are you ready? I am not asking for an answer, only that you think about it. I would be glad to talk to you heart to heart. Of course I am neither a preacher nor a psychologist, just a humble servant of Jesus who is trying to understand for myself. Perhaps with the little that I know, we can find something that would be useful to you. I urge you as a friend, not to slough this off like just another idea, or dismiss it without thinking about your life and what you want to do with it in the time you have left. No doubt your minister and others have rattled at you about this, but now that I know what I must do myself, perhaps I can offer some small guidance for others. P.S. – Though I talked to her about her faith several times after she read this letter, I never knew for sure if she had come to Jesus. I prayed that she would take this step.
I will call this writing just musings on my spiritual life. My mother was very religious and I was raised as a Mormon in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or LDS. At about eight I was baptized and eventually became an elder in the LDS church. Church attendance was regular until going into the Navy at age nineteen. Part of the reason I continued attending was that was a great place to mingle with girls. The LDS creed was based on the Book of Mormon that they believe was revealed to Joseph Smith by the Angel Moroni. The Bible was used but it had secondary billing, and we were told to “believe in the Bible as long it had been translated correctly”. This told us not to trust the Bible completely. Today I believe they have changed this creed for the better. Back then I did read the Bible and accepted it.
My father may have never entered a church, but he was a fine man. I look upon him as even more noble than my mother although she was a saint and a wonderful mother. Her first husband died of cancer and left her to raise three kids. She worked in a boarding house in San Francisco until she met my dad. He married her and took responsibility in helping to raise the kids. At the time they were married he was well off financially as owner of a successful automobile agency. This changed when some woman hit the car he was towing, was injured and sued, taking all of his money.
With little recourse they moved to eastern Idaho and lived with mother’s relatives until they could get a home of their own. I was born in this big barn-like shack. They told me that it got 54 below zero the first winter. My half-sister and her husband took turns staying up at night to keep the fires going in the wood stove and the kitchen range. The house was not insulated I was told so the cold came right through the walls. They said they had to stuff paper in the cracks. I visited this house a few years ago and it was still standing on a hill in a field. Eventually we moved to Boise and mother became active in the LDS church there, and got me to attend.
In the Navy I attended church sporadically with civilian friends in the community where I was stationed. The most important church I ever entered was at our marriage ceremony in Tacoma. I don’t remember how often we attended services while in Seattle, but when our kids were old enough, we took them and became regulars. This continued when we moved to Vancouver, B. C. There we joined the United Church of Canada, an amalgamation for economic reasons of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregationalists churches. Our whole family attended most Sundays except when we were taking vacation time away. I became part of the church board and was very active in other ways. The church was great for us as we were able to meet people and many church goers became good friends.
A few months before we moved to Toronto, the church board decided that they had had enough of the pastor. The attendance was decreasing each Sunday and many people viewed him as an evil man, not at all someone they could lean on, or even want to be associated with. We looked into the procedure of removing him and were told it would be difficult if not impossible under church rules. However, we found a way after a few months and installed a fine man who began quickly to rebuild attendance and create real interest once more. Unfortunately we were not there long enough to enjoy his tenure. This episode soured me on the worth of man’s institutions if a bad person could gain such a position. I realize now that I overreacted and should have seen the overall good, but for reasons hard to explain I didn’t.
We joined a church in Mississauga, the town lying west of Toronto where we had our home. We also met some fine people there and the kids attended as well. However I was traveling a great deal trying to build the business of Reichhold Canada. Being away many week days led me to feel that I would like to spend weekend time on recreation with the family. Thus we slowly drifted away from church attendance. In fact there was a period of a few years when I wondered if anything in the Bible was factual. There seemed to be too much scientific evidence that the story of creation was a fable. The facts of evolution seemed to dispute the Bible and indicate that man evolved from the sea. Today I don’t believe it is necessary for a religious person to disregard evolution, also called biological changes with time, because it is happening and there is a tremendous amount of scientific facts to support it. However it also follows that we don’t have to assume that man evolved from sea creatures. We can believe that he was created by a divine spirit.
Also we don’t have to take literally that the earth was created in six days, since a biblical day could have been a million years or more and not twenty-four hours. It is of course possible that God did the Creation in seven earth days. If we try to accept every word of the Bible as literal in our own interpretation, then we could have problems. In some churches I understand that if you do not accept every word then you are an outcast or an atheist.
Another thing that soured me somewhat on religion, not belief in God or Jesus, but in the institution, was observing how it has created so much strife in the world all through recorded history. In Europe, China, the Middle East, and even among North American natives such as the Aztecs. Clerics and high priests wielded power over the people and created the concept of human sacrifice to appease what we know were false gods. Today there are something like 130 wars going on all the time and many because of differing beliefs about religion. Each proponent is convinced that their beliefs embrace the only truths and that anyone who differs is wrong and immoral and should be punished.
Another discovery made me wonder if the planet earth is really unique. With modern telescopes scientists have said that there are over four billion stars or suns in our solar system, and that there are at least this many more solar systems out in space. Logically it could lead a thinking person to the conclusion that by the laws of chance there must be millions of other planets in a similar proximity to their sun as our earth. Then one wonders if at least some of these aren’t inhabited with beings like our earth. Among some religions, at least in Puritan times, such thinking would be called blasphemy. I think about all of these things and wonder, but it does not now affect my beliefs. Anyway there is no way the idea will be proved at least on earth, so one might as well conclude that God created and then chose this planet and it only. Whether this is right or not doesn’t matter to me as I know that God is with us on this planet.
I came back from the time that I was uncertain that there was even a god, to accept that there is. In my life, there was just too much evidence that I was helped and guided by a divine spirit, which I attributed to prayers of my mother and others, to refute God. Therefore I have said prayers almost every night for at least the last twenty-five years. Having said this, I am sorry to admit that I was unsure of Jesus’ place in all of this. My early learning was that He was the Lord, but when I drifted away from the belief in God, of course I also stopped believing in Him. It is a sorry position to have taken and I hope I will be forgiven. I now intend to try to do everything that I think He wants me to do.
The above is the saga of my religious life, and I pray that I am now on a course to right all the religious wrongs in my life and to help others to know about Jesus. It will take a mighty effort on my part, but I am working on it every day.
Here are some ideas for helping Christians resonate to others so that eventually messages about Jesus can be worked in.
Sports figures resonate with some people.
Go online to find a subject or source that the person could relate to.
Use famous quotes from literature.
Use famous quotes from religious writings, for instance what did Solomon say?
In talking or writing say, by the way Dr. ___ (or other well known person) said this:
Experiences in your life that you couldn’t quite understand.
Jesus gives answers where there are no human answers.
Review Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life”, a wonderful guide.
What do you think is your purpose here?
How do you explain the good things that happened in your life?
How does a person raised in the worst circumstances rise above it?
A lot of a Pastor’s work is with entry-level faith seekers.
Pollster George Gallup reports that 8 of 10 Americans say that religion is at least fairly important in their lives. Even among unchurched people, 1 in 5 reads the Bible, and 7 out of 10 pray at least weekly. So chances are good that if you bring up the subject of Christ or going to church, most people are willing to discuss it. Further, even many of those who claim to be atheists will talk about what they believe and why.
The facts are, according to Lee Strobel best selling author, people are intrigued by spiritual stuff. Books about God, both pro and con pepper the best seller lists. When Time Magazine put a picture of Jesus on a cover a few years back, that issue became their best seller for the year.
Now more than ever it is socially permissible to get into conversations about faith – if we do it sensibly and with concern for the other person.
One way to start a conversation about faith is to ask what they are planning for the weekend. After they respond, you can tell them that you will go to church on Sunday and possibly watch a ball game, or whatever you are planning. Then say “By the way, do you think about church or God very much?” Often this will spark a discussion about church, their faith or lack of it. Let the other person dominate the conversation so as not to overpower them with your views. Ask follow up questions and listen carefully to their responses. Then ask more questions about their life. Tell them briefly about your life, how you came to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior and how that changed your life.
In case you are reluctant to present your faith, please just remember that Christians are charged by Christ to spread the good Word about Him. You should also keep in mind that there may not be forever to do this. No one knows what day will be their last. Don’t wait! Even though the message is vital, people are more likely to be moved to listen when we do something for them, even a small thing.
And when you believe they could be receptive, tell them the consequences of not pledging their life to Jesus. If they do not, they will be left behind when Christ comes in the clouds for His faithful. Be sure to tell them that they should not accept Satan’s number 666 at all costs less they be with him for all eternity.
The Lord doesn’t want anyone to be lost. Without Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have little to hope for in the future. Sure we can live out our lives and enjoy daily moments, but what about our future? Do we know where our soul will reside after it leaves our earthly body? Dying is not the end of our lives, just another event in our life that goes on forever, through eternity.
Thus we must tell others about our faith and what it means to us. If people have not taken the gospel of our Lord seriously, how can they relate to it? They must believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior if they are to be with Him in Heaven. (John 14:6)
I lived without church attendance and Bible study for much of my life. We took the kids to Sunday School until they were teenagers. I was 79 years old before returning to God in a serious way. Then I realized how much He had blessed me all the years of my life. I certainly did not deserve His love, and I did little to acknowledge it. A startling experience in February 2004 aroused me from my negligence. I suddenly realized how much I had missed and how much I needed to do to catch up.
This was a stark change in my life and a wonderful one. Looking back I could see how my lack of faith had affected my life. Some major decisions turned out poorly. I know now that if only God had been brought into the decision process it would have been better. Even so, the Lord blessed me with so much that these unfortunate setbacks were not crucial.
I don’t think that church attendance is a pre-condition to having faith, but it is a great help after we come to faith. Some folks find their faith by associating with others in church. I did not gain faith this way. My faith was brought to me by friends that had been praying for me and it finally took root. The book “Heaven Is So Real” was sent by one of these friends right after it was published. Reading it in February 2004 woke me up to the danger that I faced without Lord Jesus as the center of my life. While I shuddered when considering where I had been headed, I marveled at the new life of opportunities for faith that lay ahead.
So what do we tell others about faith? It is easy for me to tell about what Christ means to me in daily life. But what about the world around us? Every day we read and hear about more evil and tragedies. What is the answer? If we don’t know God’s plan for the world, we don’t have an answer. The Bible has reliable forecasts for our world. We don’t know the exact timing but we know that before long the Lord Jesus will correct the wrongs. Without this faith we could think that things are only going to get worse month by month. And this will be the course until Jesus does come again. We have been given many signs that His coming will be soon, it could even be this week. Our job is to be ready for Him. This is easy but we must take the steps that He has told us about.
To know Jesus personally involves two things. First make a conscious decision and a commitment. In my case in 2004 I actually wrote and signed a note to Jesus saying that from then on my life is His. I told the Lord “Yes I want to belong to you Lord Jesus Christ”. By this we invite Jesus into our lives to be our living Lord and Savior. When we make this commitment we begin to realize that we then have the incredible privilege of being willingly obedient to Him. As we exercise this privilege we find that our love for God and for others multiplies mightily. We feel the need to thank God for our blessings. As we read the Bible seriously we find “tips” from God about our lives. I found that hidden way back in my mind was the need to forgive others whom I had thought wronged me. Even today I search my mind and sometimes discover grudges against some person, especially a politician. Realizing that in our wonderful country we have the right to disagree even on serious matters takes us to knowing that others have the right to be “wrong” in our view, and we should not hate them for this.
Perhaps in the past I did not fully comprehend that God is a living entity. I relegated Him to a place that perhaps I could turn to in emergencies. Now I talk to Him in prayer several times a day as a friend that I need and can trust. I know that He loves me and always wants only the best for me. I am fully committed to living my life for Him which means doing whatever He wants for my life. This is not a burden but a blessing to me. Everyone can have this blessing.
Until recently I did not really know Jesus. I enjoyed the Christmas stories and a few of the hymns but that was my sole experience with Christ. I was not even sure how Jesus related to God the Father. Now I know that Jesus is God along with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. We were told by Jesus to direct our prayers to our Heavenly Father, but to ask for blessings in Jesus’ name. Anything that we ask for in His name will be granted, providing that God believes it is in our best interest. This leads a person to wonder why prayers about healing are not always answered. We can just be sure that it is part of God’s plan for our lives, on His timetable.
Some folks shy away from committing to Christ as they think that things that have occurred in their lives would never be forgiven. This is not true. If we genuinely confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, these sins will be forgiven and forgotten by God. Others think that they don’t have time for God and that everything is going along just fine. “I really don’t need you God”, they might think at least subconsciously. And for some this might actually be the case. Their lives are what they want them to be without any “interference” from Him. But it is strange that when life does not continue down ‘the yellow brick road’ the way we want, then we might turn to God. When God is all we have, He is all we need.
But what about our lives in eternity? Some believe that when we die that is the end. Satan tries to get this thought across as then he knows we won’t seek God. But fortunately or unfortunately depending on your view, physical death on this earth is not the end. We are not just bodies that happen to have a spirit and soul, we are souls that happen to be in these earthly bodies. Our soul existed before we were born and will exist after we physically die or are taken from this earth. There are only two places where our soul will reside after it leaves our bodies, – with God in Heaven, or in hell with Satan. It is our choice to make while we are alive on earth! If we do not make a choice, by default Satan will claim us. Do we want to leave this choice to chance? For me this is a no-brainer now that I know Jesus for the wonderful blessing that being His offers even in this life.
I am still very much interested in life on this earth, especially in relationships with others. But I no longer cherish many things that used to be enjoyable. I have gladly given up earthly possessions when doing so will help others. Does this make me godly? No, but it makes me feel better. Do I feel that I have to go to church? No, but I now have the desire to do so that was suppressed these many years. There is no downside to this relationship with Jesus, and the upside is beyond our imagination.
I am not the first person to write about this, and won’t be the last. Jesus spoke about it and Old Testament saints had to contend with it. And today, people still ask the question “Why?”
Part of the answer is that people’s definition of good is different from that of Christ. People believe that just because they go to church, they are all good. Or they think that because they are kind to others they qualify as good. I am not the judge to say. But we do know that extreme sickness and hardship does befall people that outwardly seem to be “good people”. But, it also happens to people who are truly of our Lord.
We should know if we are Christians that the Lord does not cause these problems. God does not enter a life and slaughter it. Only if a large group sin, and this means putting anything before God, or performing acts that are evil, has He stepped in. These curses from God are outlined throughout the Old Testament starting with Genesis.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Sometimes it is because it helps them to see how to make this world a better place. In some ways that’s what separates the truly good people from those who only think they are good people, and may blame God for troubles. God allows bad things to happen to good people sometimes because it is a necessary part of God’s way for making a good person great.
I didn’t know that there was a book written with the exact title as this article but after starting to write it, I searched on the Internet. Harold S Kushner, a rabbi, wrote a book with this title that has been called a classic, “a classic that offers clear thinking and consolation in times of sorrow”. I have read only excerpts taken from his book. His premise is that God cannot right the wrongs of the world because he does not have the power, as He is limited by the laws of nature.
Here are some quotes from his book: “I believe in God. But I do not believe the same things about Him that I did years ago, when I was growing up or when I was a theological student. I recognize His limitations. He is limited in what He can do by laws of nature and by the evolution of human nature and human moral freedom. I no longer hold God responsible for illnesses, accidents, and natural disasters, because I realize that I gain little and I lose so much when I blame God for those things. I can worship a God who hates suffering but cannot eliminate it, more easily than I can worship a God who chooses to make children suffer and die, for whatever exalted reason.”
There are messages in his book that are probably responsible for its acclaim. -- “We could bear any burden if we thought there was a meaning to what we were doing. Have I made it harder for people to accept their illnesses, their misfortunes, their family tragedies by telling them that they are not sent by God as part of some master plan of His? The question we should be asking is not, ‘Why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this?’ That is really an unanswerable, pointless question. A better question would be ‘Now that this has happened to me, what am I going to do about it?"
Kushner continues: “Let me suggest that the bad things that happen to us in our lives do not have a meaning when they happen to us. They do not happen for any good reason which would cause us to accept them willingly. But we can give them a meaning. We can redeem these tragedies from senselessness by imposing meaning on them. “
I take it that Mr. Kushner is saying that if we can find or create a meaning for the suffering, it then it becomes bearable.
This makes some sense. What I cannot fathom is – how can anyone believe that God created the universe and everything in it, and yet does not have the power to eliminate evil or to destroy those creating it. Of course He does. The Bible tells us that He destroyed entire nations who refused to repent or stop their evil practices. And He will do it again. God did not create robots that do His will. He gave man the ability to choose, and thus we can choose to do evil. If God stepped in every time a bad thing happened, what would this do to God’s provision that we can choose our own ways?
God is all powerful and all knowing. He alone knows the higher meaning behind every suffering and all the evil brought on by humanity. He has the wisdom, we do not. The Word of God tells us that He will put an end to all suffering in His own time table. What we need to do when we see suffering is to think of what Jesus would do. Then if it is in our power we should act. All of us have skills and resources that can be used to help others. This could be with our hands, our money or with our faith.
At times God allows us to be punished as a direct result of our actions. He is simply letting the consequences of our actions teach us a life lesson that we need. But all suffering is not the result of our personal sin. Often we are victims of other people’s evil actions, or unfortunate circumstances. We could even be targets of other’s hostility toward God. Christ suffered for his righteousness and we could also suffer if we are living for Him.
Sometimes we suffer because God is punishing us for wrongdoing, just as we were disciplined as a child. Who are we to question our Creator’s plans for His creation? Mortals have only a very limited knowledge of His plans, much less ability to understand. At such times we may feel that God has abandoned us. But usually it is we who have abandoned God. When we sin we turn away from God’s love and then wonder what happened to God in our lives. God has a plan for the lives of everyone, but because we have free choice, we can go our own way, often to our detriment. If we allow Him to guide our pathways this can bring joy and fulfillment and the best use of the gifts and talents He has given us. Our lives will become more Christ-like. While I will never be like Christ while on this earth, pledging my life to Him has made a huge change for the better.
Many of the unhappy and unfulfilled people around us have simply refused to follow God’s lead. Or perhaps more likely they have made choices that seemed easy or more fun. Their short-lived enjoyment played out. They made mistakes and rather than looking to God for help, just kept repeating the same mistakes. We see this in the lives of some people who married, divorced because of cruelty or oppression but remarried a similar person.
Many things that cause suffering in the world are the natural occurrence of major storms and earthquakes. In our part of the world we have a degree of control over where we live and some areas are more prone to these disasters. Also war, crime and poverty are evils created by humans. People sin and they suffer as do also innocent ones. Satan may have influenced these sins but many people willingly sin on their own and do their own thing. Until we take responsibility for our sins, we will never understand why we are suffering. We will always believe that it is unjust or someone else’s fault. When someone we know is suffering we should do what we can to comfort them.
Comforting technique may not be an inborn skill for any of us. But we can speak from our heart with honesty, kindness and understanding. Tell them you love them and will be there for them. If it seems right, do something to make their life easier. Let them know that they are loved by God and that He is also there for them and they only have to ask. Everyone has the power to receive God’s merciful grace in times of need. Pray with them if they are willing. Tell them that there are other resources that could help them such as a church or even information on the Internet. Never, though, say that their suffering is meaningless or will go away with time. Instead acknowledge their pain and grief. Even if they say that God is to blame, don’t argue; let them be until you can come back with a message of hope. Perhaps you can relate some event in your life where God really helped you and emphasize that you are no one special, He will help them if they can get to the point where they ask.
God’s healing help is available to everyone. ‘God is love‘ (1 John 4:16). Sometimes we can help others to know God. This can be done by praying with them, just the wonderful “Lord’s Prayer” to start. Point out that prayer is as easy as talking to a friend. God does not want fancy prayer, just our inner feelings, our concerns and our aspirations. We can suggest some Bible verses that might be applicable. There are also some wonderful books that can help us know God such as the one referenced at the end of this writing.
What should we as Christians do when we see evil? We should not assume that everything and everyone that does not agree with our thinking is evil. But if we see hatred and racism or cruelty, we can do something to make the world a better place. We can speak out against it even if we might be afraid of the repercussions. If we see a crime being committed we should tell the authorities. Acts of kindness toward others can counter much evil. There will always be evil with us while we are on this earth, but we should do all we can to counter it, and do what is kind, right and good. This was what Jesus did and what we are expected to do.
The ministry author James L. Christensen said: “The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life.”
Of course we have to believe that the Bible is the Word of God but most people of the world have not really read the Bible. Sadly, many people in backward countries have never heard of it. Some of our prominent religious organizations do not teach from the Bible. So how could all of these people be able to know what is biblical and what is of this world? It is vital for us to fathom the difference.
We know from the Bible that once man (Adam and Eve) chose to disobey God, then Satan began to rule the world, as he does today. It is the nature of evil to want to destroy the good. While the devil cannot do anything that God does not allow, he has been given free rein over mankind. He is alive and well and works continuously to bring people under his influence. Christians who truly believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, are especially under attack. Satan will stop at nothing to discredit us and even destroy marriages, and to do much worse. So Satan is a major cause of bad happenings.
Lest the reader conclude that all is lost, that is not so. We have already won the battle with Satan. Jesus’ death and resurrection spelt defeat for Satan. The devil will continue to rule the world but his ultimate defeat is certain. Romans 13:14 summed it up: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust”. If we have taken Christ into our lives as our Lord and Savior, we have all the protection we need. Further, we all have received the Holy Spirit to guide us. Each of us receives from God exactly what we need to do what God asks.
Even way back in the Old Testament days, the coming of the Messiah as the “Prince of Peace” was foretold – Isaiah 9:6“. But Matthew 10:34 states that Jesus’ Gospel of peace would have a dividing effect in the world, but ultimately it would provide a way for us to have peace with God and one another.
So what should we do? Those who spread the Gospel of peace will become known as peacemakers, being blessed and called “sons of God” Matthew 5:9. Everywhere the Holy Spirit leads us, and that means everywhere we go, we are to proclaim the victory of Jesus on the cross. This is a victory that brings us peace with God and will one day bring peace to the world. While we may continue to suffer illness and hardship, this will end when we spend eternity with Jesus. All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord.
The following are some interesting quotes from wonderful people:
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis
“Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than going to the garage makes you a mechanic.” Dr. Laurence J. Peter
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” G. K. Chesterton
“Christianity does not remove you from the world and its problems; it makes you fit to live in it, triumphantly and usefully” Charles Templeton
“Jesus, like any good fisherman, first catches the fish; then He cleans them” Mark Potter
“The Gateway to Christianity is not through an intricate labyrinth of dogma, but by a simple belief in the person of Christ.” “Change your thoughts, and you change your world” Norman Vincent Peale |
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Mahatma Gandhi
Some of the thoughts in this article were inspired by the great book by Jones and Petersen – “God’s Answer to Tough Questions”.
Dr. David Jeremiah, a pastor whose writings I admire, has the following message for all:
To assume that we have plenty of time to ‘get serious’ about spiritual things is to presume upon the future. (No one can say for sure that they will even be alive tomorrow.) Also to assume that we won’t enjoy spiritual growth is an insult to God.
If you have been procrastinating about engaging in spiritual growth, don’t assume that you know the future. Redeem the time today while you are able. Ephesians 5:16.
Instead of making New Year’s resolutions that will not be followed, a better way is to have one goal: To be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18. This means listening for the Lord’s guidance and asking for His strength to avoid sin. Do this every day. Have the objective to live a Spirit-filled life – and see what will be accomplished. [Read Hebrews 13]
Be enthusiastic about your faith, it will show and people will recognize its value. Each morning on arising, tell yourself, “This is the day that God has made! This is day when goodness and mercy shall follow me! This is the day in which the overflow of my heart can touch someone with the Gospel! Today is for purposeful living!”
We can start every day knowing that someone, somewhere, somehow will be influenced toward the Lord today by our lives, smiles, attitude, actions, love and words of witness. We can do this even without realizing our influence on others.
The Bible commands us to be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58). We may not always see the results, but the Lord knows about our faith and actions, and He will bless us.
Tell your friends not to wait too long. They have the opportunity right now to know the Lord, but before long it may be too late.
Faith is the source of our strength, courage and guidance and our victory over the evils of the world, temptations and Satan. So why can’t we just accept in faith God’s promises and let them flow into our life all the time? We are just not constituted this way; at least I know I am not. Even though in the morning I decide to spend time with our Lord, my mind continually encounters thoughts that divert me. I have to consciously bring my mind back to our Lord, and a quick silent prayer helps. No matter what we are doing, our Lord can be a part of it. We have to keep reminding ourselves that for our own good we need to have the Lord in our lives. Whatever effort it takes is worth it in attaining such a comforting feeling of inner peace. While on this earth I plan to take advantage of the wonderful promise of having “peace beyond all understanding”.
Hal Lindsay in his book “Apocalypse Code” offers enlightenment about faith. God promises an experience of perfect inner peace in spite of even severe adversities. He promises wisdom and confidence so that we can stand up for the truth of the Word of God. His peace can be our daily experience. I feel so sorry for people who don’t know God – who don’t understand His promises and what He has to offer us. This is available not only in the next life but in this one. I think about the many in the world who have heard the truth but find themselves denying it and worshiping false gods – false leaders, money and other hollow idols.
Faith is the key to God’s provisions. Few if any subjects in the Bible are more important for us to understand than that of faith. The Bible declares many things about faith and here are a few:
We are born into eternal life through faith. We are declared righteous before God by faith. We are forgiven by faith. We are healed by faith. We learn God’s Word by faith. By faith we understand things to come. We are controlled and empowered in the Holy Spirit by faith. We can please God only by faith. Faith pervades every aspect of our relationship with God and our service for Him. Hebrews 3-4.
At times in the last few months I have felt disappointment that I did not seem to have this promised peace “peace beyond all understanding”. Yes I did have the comforting thought of knowing where I will spend eternity. But what about life here and now? Weren’t we supposed to feel this peace all the time? The answer is no, unless we exercise our faith and keep the Lord in our thoughts. We must continually thank and praise Him, and acknowledge that it is God’s will, not ours that governs our lives. We can dedicate almost any activity to the Lord and feel His presence. We not only gain His peace, but also His help in whatever we do. Earlier in my life I would have thought this folly and nonsense, but now I know that it is His promise, if only I keep the FAITH!
This was written to a friend: Very few Christians I have talked to have ever had a shock or revelation. They decide to change their life sometimes for no apparent reason. At other times some happening in their normal life or with someone in their family causes them to stop and wonder what is their real purpose in life. Some were raised in a family of faith and follow it, while many decide to “throw off the shackles” that they perceive.
I can’t tell completely if my family accepts faith as positively as I do. Anita talks with the Lord often. She and I say prayers together each evening which is important. We both attend church regularly. The kids are at various stages of acceptance from nearly complete to - I don’t know really. I do share my faith with them frequently. Mainly I try to live as close to the way Jesus taught as I have been able, which is still a long way from this perfect man when He was on earth. Nevertheless, by example I hope that our children and grandchildren will ultimately want the peace and joy that I have in the contemplation of my salvation, and the new joy I have in knowing God. I try to tell them that my faith is not based on blue-sky wishing, but on every-day happenings to me that give me living proof of God acting in my life. Everyone who has “true faith” will have this experience. However many who just attend church and do little else for God never know this joy. Jesus Christ is my best friend. We have also developed many wonderful friends at the church we attend.
Before I found salvation in February 2004, I thought I was doing everything right, and I am still trying to do these things. We know that God will never try to force us to believe or to do anything against our will. He is standing at the door and waiting for us to open it. Then He will welcome us with His love. I wrote a short article titled: “What If I Am Wrong?”. It may answer some of the questions people have. For those who haven’t found the Lord as yet, the first thing is that there may not be much more time. Secondly, although I will keep talking to and praying for them, my other feeling is deep sorrow. You may be the kind of person that Heaven was made for, one who does the right things for his fellow man. But you must take this step yourself to open the door to God. I can help you any time you feel like giving it further consideration. I do pray for you. The prayer to God is something like this: “Dear Father, I pray that you will work with this person and open his heart and mind so that he will seek Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name, Amen
I have had a happy life and a fairly successful one. But thinking back, I wonder how much was enjoying the ride versus really living. What do I mean by ‘really living’? I guess I wouldn’t have known how to answer this a few years ago, or even suspect that it was something that needed consideration. After I accepted our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, my life changed markedly. Not a crashing change at first, but the change gained momentum day by day. It sort of crept up on me. I knew this would happen after beginning serious study of the Bible, but still, it was an experience that I could not have described ahead of time.
Today when I feel the presence of our Lord in my life after arising in the morning, and then from time to time throughout the day, I do stop and marvel that He takes the time to let me know in some way. I realize I am not any more special to Him than others, and His love is there for the taking by anyone. What a wonderful feeling! It cannot be compared to anything, but if we can remember back when something exciting and wonderful happened in our life, there could be some similarity. It is like the enjoyment of cold water when we have been perspiring outside on a hot day. It is like the taste of our favorite ice cream or delicious food. But these lovely minor happenings only touch on the indescribable swelling up of the feeling of love for our Lord.
Those who have not come to really know our Lord likely have no idea of what I am talking about. And as I said, I wouldn’t have known either. Often we mistake entertainment and fun for real living. I have continued to enjoy many of these happenings but they take a backseat to the thrill I get in just praying to our Lord and thinking about Him. Perhaps it about time for non-believers to scoff and laugh at such silly ideas. Just remember the old advice - “Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it!”
Perhaps the sad part in my life was that I didn’t even know what I was missing. Although I thanked God most every night for our good life and good health, that was the extent of my devotional. A shock was required to make me realize that my life had to change. This event has been written about before. Until then I just went along doing the best I could and living for enjoyment while at times helping others when their needs were thrust in my face. Mainly I was a preview of the “ME Generation”. My aspirations were all about what would be good for me. Of course I thought seriously about my family, but they often came second. I was on a long course of building a career leading to wealth.
This was fulfilling, but whenever there was a temporary impediment, I didn’t think I had anywhere to turn except to scramble on my own. My wife and family always offered support in every way, and I appreciated and needed this. Where was God? I found much later that He was there all the time and overcame hurdles for me that could have killed future plans. If not for Him, I could have achieved little. Mind you, I did not realize this until long after so now that is one of the important things for which I regularly thank our loving Lord.
From what I read and have learned, many people feel much like I did before really discovering Jesus in my life. So if you happen to be one of these, I urge you to take a shot at seeing what our Lord can do in your life. I guarantee you will be amazed and almost overwhelmed by His power and desire to help you. As the song “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling” goes, ‘Jesus is waiting and watching for you, watching for you and for me. Come home, come home, you who are sinners, come home.’
Again I have to stop and consider what some may be thinking. “I am not sinning; I am doing good, and perhaps even going to church.” Yes you are sinning, if it is only that you regard anyone or anything as more important than your love for our Lord. Also we, myself included, continue to commit little acts that are not pleasing to God. Jesus was the only person who has never sinned. Until we become as pure as Christ, we will continue to sin in some way. And of course becoming this pure is impossible for us. But we can be purified and be acceptable to Christ by simply committing to Him as our Lord and Savior. An incredibly simple step, but Oh so important! This will bring you to a life forever with Him. Nothing else will do this.
Even the most enjoyable trip we ever had was a letdown as it ended. Then we would look forward to being home. The adventures with Christ never end, and there is never a letdown. He continues to bring enjoyment day by day and year by year. Of course not everything that happens in our lives is pure joy. In this world of evil there is bound to be occurrences that interfere with this pure happiness. But our precious Lord helps us cope and bear these situations, no matter how bad they get.
The following was sent to a number of people:
I may risk offending you with this message, and I hope that you don’t need it. However, this is something that I strongly believe will be helpful, and if not to you, to a relative or a friend. I have written before about my tussle with my faith and the form that has evolved. I know now beyond any doubt that there is an afterlife for our souls, and that we must prepare for this. The consequences of not preparing are terrible, forever in eternal hell.
No matter what we have done or experienced in our past life, all of us can live forever with Jesus Christ in Heaven. We must take an easy step, but a vital one – confess our sins (everyone on earth is a sinner), ask forgiveness, and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. If you have already taken this step, I rejoice with you, but perhaps you will pass this on to someone else, using your own words.
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that the only way we will ever see our Heavenly Father or be in Heaven is through belief in Jesus Christ. He is the way and the only way. Living a good life will not, without Jesus, get us there! I have found the way, but I am only a humble servant, no better than anyone else. All of us commit sins every day no matter how hard we try to live a good life. Jesus forgives us of all sins if we ask and will continue to forgive our transgressions if we confess these sins and ask for forgiveness.
Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and believe that he died for our sins, we will find that our lives will gradually become more fulfilling. Many of the earthly things that we cherished in the past will no longer seem important to us. What is important is the love for God and for each other. God is love, and nothing else compares with this.
I found my faith after reading the book “Heaven Is So Real”. Every day it becomes more meaningful as I read the Bible and other inspirational writings, and try to share this faith. Yes I still enjoy many other things and enjoy life to the fullest, but my faith overshadows all else. Prayer has brought so many wonderful things that I feel “undressed” without it. The Holy Spirit lives in me and gives continual guidance when asked. Everyone can have this same experience if they ask.
In the event that you haven’t taken this vital step, as a friend I urge you to take it. If you have, then take the thought to everyone you love, and that should be each and every person that crosses your path in life. We are equal under God, all brothers and sisters in faith. This is another thing that becomes clear when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Don’t wait to take the step yourself if you haven’t, nor to share the message with others. No one can know when their life might end without warning!
I find that reading the Bible is an adventure. The Bible is very interesting, as interesting a any book I have ever read. The New International Version is in modern language. The “Life Application Bible” that I have has a tremendous storehouse of explanation written by the teams that did the latest translation. They used all the modern tools and consulted ancient Greek, Roman, and Hebrew writings to get the best possible information. For more information on Jesus, read any one of the chapters in the New Testament.
I know that others have possibly bombarded you with their urgings to have Jesus become a part of your life. Please give this some serious thought and don’t dismiss it just because it doesn’t seem to fit with what you already believe. I was an unbeliever in Jesus for many years, years that I now consider unfortunate.
Soon after I arise each morning, I look out the window and see a little bit of the wonderful world that we live in. It is slightly different each day as plants change, a never ending display of nature. Then I thank God for the privilege of being on his creation, the earth, for a little while. I believe that plants and everything change over time, some call it evolution, but I know what started it all, and it wasn't happenstance.
A small thing perhaps, but my life is brightened each time I look at a stranger, give them a twinkle of my eye and the start of a smile, and see them respond with a smile. Not everyone does, some just look away, but I could hardly believe the result when I first tried it. What if we said in our heart, for every person we encounter today: "There's no one exactly like you, and I can see in you something that reminds me of God?" Don't you think it would affect the way we treat people - the way we talk to them and work with them? If we said it out loud, some would take us as religious nuts, but many might be flattered.
We are all equals under God but each person is unique. We are told that each of us was created to be exactly as we are, and God decided before we were born where we should live and what characteristics we would have. We do have a free choice in what we do, but if we listen, we will be guided along a certain path. We can listen to the world or listen to Jesus Christ. Making that choice is ours but there is a world, no, an eternity of difference for us. Our time in our bodies on earth is merely a blink in time, compared with the eternity for our souls, which are the real "us".
Where can you send someone for information on the blessings of Christ? As you well know, the Bible, especially the New Testament, is a great source and it is not dull but interesting reading. Direct them to a church that teaches about Jesus. Talk to them about Christ, or suggest they talk to a friend who is a believer. Until I had an awakening, I thought that a person's belief was a private matter and that we shouldn't discuss them. I no longer believe this, and feel that everyone should hear the good news. I was fortunate to have a friend who brought it to me. Some people will never hear the word about Jesus, unless they hear it from one of us.
I learned that everyone can inadvertently choose to listen to the world and then through some event decide to turn to Jesus. Before this, a person may not even be aware that they are not living in a way to gain eternal life in Heaven. I thought I was living a good life, never intentionally doing anyone harm, and helping others as needed. I was happy living this way. I am still happy, but now also in peace and know where I will go after death. This is not something I earned, but a gift from God from his Grace, and is available to everyone. We have heard the expression "by the grace of God", something good happened. This is so true; it is not our doing but His Grace.
Some people know that they are not living a life to gain eternal salvation. Some believe that it doesn't matter, and even if it does, they cannot change. If a person values their present life and especially their possessions more than God, they won't change. Also many believe that they will not be forgiven for their sins even if they decide to change. This is simply not true; we all can repent and receive the forgiveness of God, anytime.
Those who have not experienced the benefits and joys of faith in Jesus Christ may wonder why believers spend time with their faith. I used to think that I didn’t have time to go to church, read the Bible, or pray more than briefly. This was even after retirement with more discretionary time. What changed my mind? Some people no doubt believe that if they don’t do such things they will go to hell after they die. Yes this could be a powerful motive. But if that is the only reason for faith, it would be pretty shallow. Living in fear is negative and counterproductive. There are many reasons to spend time with faith, and all of them are positive and enjoyable.
Having faith is something like swimming. You can’t swim unless you get in the water and it has to be deep enough. Faith in Christ can be as deep as you want, and you can get as much value out of it as you want. It depends on your desire. I paid no attention to Jesus until 2004. Once I realized how much I was missing, I jumped in with both feet. I spend time with God every day, and it has really paid off. -- How?
Jesus is my friend, source of contentment, happiness and I get real help from Him. Through the Holy Spirit whom is available to everyone, these benefits come. It seems so simple to me now, but before knowing Jesus I struggled with many daily problems. None were earth-shaking or terribly worrisome, but they took unnecessary time. Now when stuck with something, when the answer just doesn’t seem to come to me, I stop and pray about it. At first I was hesitant to bother God with mundane problems, but then I found that He wants us to share all our concerns no matter how trivial they seem to us. Often the answer comes instantly; it just pops into my head. Sometimes I have to sleep on it and it comes the next day. I asked and received help in writing this message about faith.
Another real benefit and the greatest is peace of mind. I never did fear dying, but this had to be out of ignorance. At one time I thought that death was the end. Later I did not believe that I would go to hell because of my “good” living. How wrong I would have been! Then I was unaware of the biblical truth that the only path to Heaven is through belief in Jesus Christ and accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. Now I have the wonderful peace beyond understanding that I know where I will spend eternity. I feel sorrow each time I think of where so many people will live forever. It is a terrible tragedy of life that something so wonderful and so readily available to everyone is ignored. Everyone is a sinner if only in putting love of things, busyness with their way of life, or even love of another person above love of Christ and spending time with Him. But the wonderful truth is that Jesus will forgive all sin no matter how deep and terrible, if only we ask.
I have been cured of many health problems that plagued me for years. Suddenly they disappeared after deciding to pray about them. No, the Lord does not promise to cure all our ailments and not on our impatient time table, but I am grateful for what He has done.
I receive real joy in talking to others about their faith. Sometimes this is with a non-believer, and other times with someone I have discovered shares the same strong belief in Christ. Talking with others of faith reinforces our own faith. Before discovering this I can say that the circle of people I really loved was fairly small. I never told even old friends that I loved them and I don’t really know whether I did really love them or not. It was fun to be with them and share good times but that alone does not signify love. Now many of the friends that have been made in the last several years, a love for one another is readily shared. Also when talking to old friends now I am able to express genuine love for them. This may be because I feel the bond of faith that we share. I do love others whom do not share this faith; but it is just that it comes almost automatically when we each have faith.
The second greatest of the Commandments is to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. That does not come easily; we have to work at it. Sometimes we harbor grudges for reasons we may have forgotten, but they get in the way of love for the other person. Often we simply cannot agree with the other, and this especially applies to politicians. I had a hard time putting aside my disdain for what some in political office harp about. In reading the Bible I came to know that this was like a grudge and God hates this. Once deciding that I could love the person without agreeing with him/her, it changed my whole outlook on many people. Now if I met with a politician that I used to “hate”, I could shake hands and even hug them if permitted. Worst case, I bear no grudge toward them as I know their beliefs have different foundlings than mine.
The greatest of the Commandments is “Thou shall have no other gods before me”. Jesus emphasized this with His words: - “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Once you know God, this becomes the easiest to follow. Even then though, we have to spend time with Him and He loves to have us talk to Him about anything and everything. This is not babbles, but things that are really on your mind. You don’t have to be on your knees to talk to God. More powerful than all the computers of the world strung together, God can be everywhere at once, and has time for everyone on earth.
I used to judge others. This could be because of the way they dress, their appearance, their speech, race or country of origin. It is still something that I have to work at, and look hard to see the real person. There is great reward in doing this as everyone has value and we can learn from all.
If this sounds as if I think I am pretty good, that is not true. My faith has caused me to recall all the good happenings in my life and to know that they came from the Grace of God. I would be nothing without the help that He has given over my lifetime. Further, I now realize that nothing He gave me was really deserved. Of course I did some nice things for others during my long life, but was this out of the goodness of my heart or for other reasons? Thinking this way made me very humble. I love God and am so happy that I finally found a real faith.
I hope that those reading this have long ago committed their lives to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If not, DO NOT WAIT another day if you want to have salvation through Jesus Christ. Life and death are always uncertain. Confess to Christ that you are a sinner, ask for forgiveness, and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Then live your life as the Holy Spirit prompts.
What If I Am Wrong?
Being human, of course I am often wrong. But what if I am wrong about Jesus Christ being the Messiah? What if I am wrong that He is the only way to gain salvation and to be with Him in Heaven forever? If I am wrong, or if all Christians are wrong about this key point, what have we lost in our life on this earth? Of course we have lost the wonderful promised life in Heaven, but what about life now? In searching my mind about the life I led before coming to a true faith in Christ, and my life now, I couldn’t come up with a single thing that has been lost. Those of us who have led lives where we valued money and possessions, entertainment and relationships more than valuing a personal relationship with Christ, may feel that they have lost something when they decide to give up some or all of these pursuits. I had a portion of this in my life. But so much is gained even in the present life through the feeling of peace, and having the Lord and the Holy Spirit helping with daily tasks and problems.
If we are right, what have all the true Christians who have a personal relationship with Jesus to gain? They will have a life of joy beyond measure after their time on earth has ended. They will go to Heaven to live with God forever and ever. Heaven is far, far more beautiful and joyful than any life on earth ever has been or ever will be. To me, this is a win-win situation. I really don’t feel that anything has been lost that I formerly valued more than a relationship with Christ. Now earthly possessions and money mean little to me. My life has changed in many ways. I no longer have any desire for better and better things. I don’t spend as much time on activities that I used to think important. I don’t think about nor miss anything of the past. Although I have been fortunate or blessed to have had a most happy life, now it is even better. I trust God. I trust Him not to keep us from problems although this does happen. I trust Him to be with us and help us to overcome our problems or gain strength to bear them.
I don’t look down on anyone, nor do I think I am better than those who so far have chosen not to accept Christ’s offer of salvation. I simply feel a deep sorrow for them. If beliefs that Christians have are correct, I know where those folks will spend eternity if they don’t finally accept Jesus. It will be a life of grief and torture for ever and ever with no escape. So what should a person choose? Should she or he take a chance that life is all over when they die? Should they believe that their true self is not their soul that lives forever, but is simply their earthly bodies? To me the choice is a no-brainer. It is easy to choose to be with Christ after leaving this earth. But the choice must be made.
The Bible tells us in many places about our soul and what we must do to attain Heaven. We have to believe that Jesus was sent to earth to teach by example how we should live. His final purpose was to die on the cross to redeem the sins of mankind. His resurrection that was witnessed by many and written about by his disciples is the basis for Christian faith. Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:6. We need to know that His sacrifice was for our sins. Then we must realize that we are not perfect, far from it, and that we have sinned if only in valuing something more than a relationship with Christ. After recalling our sins, we must confess them to Jesus Christ and ask for forgiveness. He will forgive sins, no matter how great. Then we must trust Jesus with our lives and learn to love Him. Each step is easy and rewarding. But we must take these steps; just being a good person will land us in the bad place. We must take the necessary steps and choose Heaven for our afterlife for an eternity. To not make this choice in this way, we are really choosing Satan and hell. Don’t wait another day to choose your salvation! We can’t be absolutely sure that we will be here even tomorrow, can we?
With the wish that the love of Christ will be with everyone. George Hagen
Most of my life I have believed that there is a God and except for ten-year period starting in my forties, I prayed to Him, thanking Him for His blessings. It was not until 2004 though that I gave much thought to Jesus. In February 2004 I had a spiritual shock after starting to read the book “Heaven Is So Real” when I knew that I had to change my life and live for Jesus.
I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for our sins, and that He is our Lord and Savior. I have confessed my sins, and continue to do so as they come to mind. I ask for forgiveness for each sin. I believe that God does indeed forgive sins when honestly confessed and when we do not deliberately repeat them.
I believe that the Bible is the Word of God and the supreme guide for living and eternal life.
Jesus taught that the only way to our Father in Heaven is through Him, Jesus Christ. Therefore He taught that every Christian should take His Word to others that do not know the Lord so that they can be saved. I am dedicated to doing this but not by myself; I ask for the help of the Holy Spirit in all of these efforts. I want to do everything that I can for Him so that when I face Him one day I will have less to be ashamed of.
I know that everything that I am, possess or have achieved is due to God, and that I would be nothing without the help He has given me throughout my life. I know that I had nothing when I was born and will take nothing with me when I die. Therefore I must share freely with others while I can. This includes sharing of money, time, skills, and whatever others need as best I can.
This was written to a man that I knew through golf. He objected to my email about faith.
Hi Len,
Thank you for writing. I realized when the email was sent that most receivers would delete it, probably even before they had read it all. I remember some good times playing golf with you. I recall looking at your carvings. Thank you for your kind remarks about computer help. I was one of the early adopters of computers in business and was regarded as an expert in those days. But since, technology has passed me by. I spent many hours helping people at no cost to them. Now I just try to pass on things that I have learned in using the computer that I think will be helpful. This is done not to gain any recognition which I simply do not care about, but because I love people.
I am not sure whether anything about faith has been sent to you, but I have sent hundreds of messages to others in the past four years. In February 2004 I was given a startling awakening from a sound sleep and was shaking uncontrollably and could not see because of being blinded by a bright light. After recovering, I realized it was a message from God and it came from reading the first part of the book “Heaven Is So Real” by Choo Thomas. This book was written under the daily guidance of Christ. I know Choo very well now and talk to her weekly. She is a modern-day prophetess of the Lord. Before this startling event in my life, I had paid no attention to Jesus except at Christmas. This awakening caused me to pledge my life to the Lord and sent me on a quest to bring the message of Christ to others. Christians are commanded to do this. I do this because I love people and want them to know what I know. I am nobody special but I have to share what I believe with all my heart.
I realize that the majority of the people in the world do not believe that Jesus was the son of God and the Messiah. Most people do not believe that the Bible is the word of God, but I do. Yes it was written by men, obviously. But it was written of visions given to men by God. Also much of the New Testament was written by men who personally knew Jesus and walked with Him on this earth. They witnessed the miracles of healing that He performed. Much of the New Testaments was written within the first fifty years of Jesus’ crucifixion while His apostles were still alive.
Going against the majority in the world is no reason in my mind not to try to tell them the story of the Lord. If they choose to ignore it, there is nothing I can do about it. I have no power to change a person; only God can do that if He wishes to do so. So I am not now embarking on a quest to convert the world, just trying to do what the Lord has commanded me and all Christians to do. And this is not a new quest for me; I have been working hard on this for four years.
So thanks for writing Len, and I do not expect anything that I say will be convincing, but I pray that you will at least give it some consideration. If ever there is anything you want to discuss, I will be most happy to share time with you. Your friend, George
I feel sorrow for those who don’t even ask this question. People continue to search for something to fill the emptiness within their lives. They try to fill it with entertainment, work, alcohol, drugs or all sorts of adventures. What they fail to recognize is that the strange, sometimes nagging empty feeling is in the depths of their person. Actually it is a built in profound yearning for God Himself. God created us for His own companionship. If we don’t realize this, we continue to feel emptiness that nothing will fill. We are never complete until we find fulfillment by having God as our constant companion.
I have known folks who cannot be alone just within themselves. They are not comfortable with only their thoughts and have to have something going on all the time. Yet it is within inner stillness that God can speak to us. We have to be quiet and listen for His still, small voice. Alone with Him He becomes real to our inner spirit. God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us and to aid in communicating with Him. Our personal Holy Spirit is with us all the time and can be of immense help. We can actually sense God’s presence in this environment and interact with Him. It is helpful if we have studied at least enough of His Word to know how others have sought and found Him. But God will make His presence felt regardless of our background and knowledge if we just give Him the time and attention. Our precious Lord has to be the Center of our life, not just someone to call in case of emergencies.
For those who have come to know God in such intimacy, times of solitude are the most precious times in their lives. They can become the highlight of each day. This also may be the time when prayer is most effective. God already knows what we need without our asking, but He still wants us to talk to Him about any and all of our concerns. For myself, I admit that there are times when I just cannot seem to connect with God. Too many extraneous thoughts clog my mind. I start thinking of problems and annoyances. But I still know that He is near and I just have to wait for a more opportune time to feel His presence. In some respects it is because I know He has already taken over the problems that I can wait in anticipation without having His comforting feeling all the time. I know that He will be there for me at times of most need. It is more likely though that God will be there if I keep thoughts of Him coming into my mind. I can do this but it is not automatic. As any earthly task requires for successful implementation, I must focus attention on our precious Lord . My health may fail, my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart, he is mine forever. Psalm 73:26 At times we grow weak and weary in both body and soul. However, our God is constantly with us and he renews us and restores us! If we are counting on the strength in our bodies to give us peace and security we will be constantly disappointed. If we are counting on our own emotional stability to keep us steady we will be constantly rocked by events in our lives. However, if we realize that God is our strength, God is our hope, God is our rock, then we will be able to weather the moments of weakness and pain in our body and soul. We face real life, but we get to face it with a real God! And He will make all the difference in the world! |
Every person is different in the way they respond to God. For me it was easy after I read the book “Heaven Is So Real”. I knew I had to have the Lord as my number one love and interest in my life. It took awhile but that was the main goal. Of course this does not mean that when putting the love of God as most important in your life that you cannot extend great love to others. On the contrary we are urged to “Love our neighbor as ourselves”. Loving our spouse is very important to the Lord.
If you truly love Him, He will respond and help you overcome any obstacle there might be in becoming close to Him. We are told to cast Satan out of our lives in the name of Jesus Christ. I do this whenever I don’t feel close to the Lord. Satan and his angels or demons cannot attack anyone who is a Christian and casts Him out. But it is not just the presence of the devil that you need to be concerned with. You need to clean up your own life from practices or beliefs that have crept in over the years. Yes some or perhaps all were inspired by Satan, but even without the devil looking over our shoulder we will do things or think things that are against the wishes of the Lord.
Are you harboring any grudges? Grudges can be against someone who you believe has wronged you or you simply do not like for whatever reason. This includes politicians who speak against what you think is best. This was my problem and I held a grudge against a prominent national official. When I decided that harboring what bordered on hatred for her was only doing wrong in my life and I asked forgiveness, I felt clean of this. Even recently there is a person running for Congress in our state whom I just cannot stand. I was even railing against the commercials that were endorsed by this person slamming the opponent. Finally I said “enough” and decided that while I could never agree with this person, it was bad for me to hold a grudge. I forgave what I perceived was wrong with the viewpoint expressed and calmly told myself that perhaps I might feel the same if I were running for office. Forgiving this person cleared my mind and I don’t even talk against this person anymore, I just praise the opponent.
So holding any grudge is a sin and people will be excluded from Heaven if they die without forgiveness. Think of all grudges that you might hold and get them out of your mind right now. Forgive that person at least in your mind and ask God for forgiveness.
What else can keep you from feeling close to God? Putting the love of anything above the love of God will do it. Is there is anything that you own that you would not part with, and value it above your Godly love? Think about this. We know that everything we have is really not ours in the sense that we will always have it. We know that we cannot take it with us when we die. Everything is a gift from God for us to use while we are alive. To treasure something or perhaps all our possessions above love for God is a sin. The Bible tells us to sell everything and give it to the poor. This does not mean to become a pauper, but to at least be willing to sacrifice some of our “wealth” for others. And when we give, we are cautioned to “be a cheerful giver”, not begrudge what we finally give. Whether you go to church or not, you are commanded to tithe. In church you simply give ten percent of your gross earnings to the church. If for some reason you do not attend church, then give at least ten percent to some church. Then also think about helping those less fortunate who could be aided by what you would give.
Attending a good Bible study could be of great help to you. I find that sharing my problems or past problems with others encourages them to open up. Sharing ideas on how to come closer to God is a great benefit of Bible study. Even getting together with one or more friends and discussing your faith could be a real aid to knowing God. Do you know who is of true faith among your acquaintances? Before turning to the Lord, I knew only a few people that I could call Christians. After getting up enough nerve to ask someone about their faith, I found that they included hundreds of people that I knew. But I had not known that they were dedicated Christians. Only one of them ever asked me about my faith. Now I exchange information about faith with many people. I ask strangers if they are followers of Christ and seldom am rebuffed. Often it leads to a short discussion wherein I learn about what they do believe. I have faith material that I can give out to those expressing interest in learning more.
Most important is reading the Bible regularly. After I started to read it, I discovered that it was not boring but even exciting in many places. It also ‘convicted’ me of sins in certain passages. The print seemed to almost jump out at me and tell me that something I was doing or not doing was a deterrent to loving the Lord. I also feel closer to God each day as I read the Bible. I seldom read it for long periods at a time but read it every day. Sometimes my wife reads to me from the Bible instead of my reading it. We often sing a little song to the Lord most nights, and say one of the simple prayers that I found online, and end with the Lord’s Prayer. It took a number of years for us to come to this mutual worship, but now we both look forward to it.
Praying often is another must for knowing God. He does not want fancy prayers or long-winded discourses. He simply wants you to tell Him what is on your mind and He loves to hear from you. You can ask our Heavenly Father for anything you need in the name of Jesus Christ and it will be granted – provided it is what He believes is best for you. I don’t often ask for anything for myself anymore as He has helped me throughout my life without my asking. But when I do ask it is often granted on His timetable. I have been relieved or cured of many health problems after prayer. He developed a communication mechanism so that I know when He agrees with what I talk to Him about. Even before this phenomenon came to me, He still answered prayers.
And I know that the Holy Spirit lives in me as helps me daily, even with my writing. Whenever I am stuck with some problem, and it could be anything from a computer problem to something I need to do around the house or yard, I just ask for help. Usually within the same day help is received. Sometimes I sleep on it and have the answer pop into my mind the next morning. The Holy Spirit is available to all Christians and we only have to ask Him to help us. Be sure to thank Him for everything that He does for you. Of course you need to thank God daily for what He has done and is doing in your life. I thank Him each night and each morning, often reciting what has been received from Him. He loves to be thanked, and He loves to know that we love Him. I thank Our Father for being the great Father that He is, and for Jesus who gives us the bridge to Heaven by way of His Cross.
May the Lord bless you with understanding and help you become close to Him.
As many know I only came to be a person serious about Christ in February 2004. It was after starting to read the book “Heaven Is So Real” that I realized I must try to walk in the footsteps of Christ. Only then did I wake up to the fact that I could not be saved by just doing good to others. I had to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
I have always led what I believed was a good life doing harm on no one, but there were many things in my past that I had to overcome. One was the desire for more and more wealth, and the desire for possessions. I took pride in being a step ahead of our neighbors. While I still enjoy nice things, I no longer feel any need to acquire more and more. I am completely satisfied with what we have. I do not have a speck of envy of others who have a better home, a more expensive car, of those who make their wealth obvious. Things that we use though, will be upgraded as we feel is necessary.
I had to think back and try to remember past mistakes and sins, confess them and ask for forgiveness. Every one on earth is a sinner and I had to admit that I am one of them. I came to realize that what I was guilty of was not obvious to me at the time. While I have been faithful in my marriage, like many men, I have looked with lust at other women. This is a sin but only after reading the Bible did I realize this. I have other sins that only God knows about and I have confessed them. None of them impacted on another person though, except my temper that I have learned to control. Also I have looked down on people of other races and those in poor circumstances. I had to learn that everyone was created by God and is equal in His eyes. I know that I am no better than anyone else, but I have to keep remembering this lesson. Also, I am guilty of being selfish with my time. Sometimes I thought that my projects were more important than family and friends. Now as much as possible, people in my life have a higher priority.
My pride in my accomplishments also got in the way of complete faith. The only thing that I should be proud of is in knowing about the Grace of God, and this is a gift from Him, not something earned. I had to come to realize that nothing that I possess is really mine; it is only on loan from God while I am here. He created everything and therefore everything is really His. What I am, what we possess, and what was accomplished would not have been possible solely by our own efforts. They are gifts of God’s Grace. I learned that when it comes to the serious side of life, I would be helpless without God’s help.
I finally realized that God’s Grace has been with me all my life. I know that I do not deserve it, as it is a gift from Him. It is freely given and it is more than sufficient not only to save me, but also to see me through the struggles of life.
I know that Jesus Christ is with me and the Holy Spirit lives within me, and help is available 24/7. I only have to ask for this help. I know that I receive help in most everything about which I pray. This does not mean that Jesus is my servant, as I am His servant. It means that when I ask for help on something that He believes is beneficial and not just nice to have, help is given and often right away. Whenever I slow down for a minute and reflect on it, I can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit within me and this is a wonderful feeling of assuredness and peace.
We don’t know when we will be taken by Jesus and we won’t know until the instant it happens. It is most important to be ready at all times for His coming. It is also urgent that our work continue to try to bring others to Him. Besides those vital points, is there anything else we should be doing? Some people say that all we can do about it is wait. But, somewhat similar to decisions in business, those who only wait have to accept whatever happens. Often, planning ahead can be beneficial.
We are told that if we have Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are already experiencing Heaven. However after we are actually taken to Heaven, we don’t know if we will be able to observe or have any affect back home. We can’t count on this anyway. With this in mind, can we think of anything we should do before we leave this earth? I am not talking about spiritual work, as we should be doing what we can to bring others to Jesus all the time.
We don’t know if anyone will be left behind among our loved ones and our dearest friends. So we can’t know what will happen to our possessions. I suppose we should not be concerned about these physical things. Perhaps, though, some thought should be given on how those left behind might get some value from them. We might think about this.
What if not one person named in our will is left behind? This is our most precious prayer of course. In this case, should we consider a change in our will to leave to our church or charities everything not claimed by persons named in our will? (We did this). If this were done, and if any form of law and order remains so that a will could be honored, then the estate might be used for good purposes.
The Book of Revelation in the Bible tells us that those left behind will go through a seven year period of the Tribulation after Jesus comes in the clouds and takes His faithful ones to Heaven. Especially during the latter half of the seven years, there will be terrible times for these folks. Individuals won’t be able to spend what money they have unless they take the mark of Satan and abandon God. What about institutions like churches and charities, will they be able to use their resources to help those in need? I believe that they will at least for a while.
We are also told that after those that have pledged their lives to Christ are taken to Heaven, this will remove much of the moral character of the world. But we also are told that it is not enough to be a good person. Unless a person has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they will not be saved and will be taken up to Heaven in the clouds, regardless of how good a life they have led. This leads one to believe then that a large number of good people will be left behind. Perhaps then there will be enough law abiding citizens to keep some measure of order, at least at first.
There will be massive ransacking of buildings and homes during the Tribulation. Should we do anything to warn those left behind about this? What should we tell them and how? Right now we have the protection of law enforcement, and some people have weapons in their homes. Should every home be equipped and people trained to use the weapons? Likely it is too late for this even if it were a good idea. Many of those living by themselves may be too weak to protect themselves. Also, if they have never used a firearm, it is unlikely that they would pay attention to a message about personal protection.
What if one of our loved ones is left behind and could live in our home? Should they? We won’t be here to help or advise them. Is there anything we should tell them now? Especially in the latter half of the Tribulation, will institutions like power and water facilities be able to operate to keep utilities flowing? (Likely Not). If not it will be less desirable to be in our home. Then, the physical structure will only provide shelter and not much else.
What will our investments in stocks and bonds be worth during the Tribulation? It is difficult to imagine that even the best corporations that we know today will be profitable. There will be fewer people for them to serve. We cannot even be sure that they will continue to exist. Their securities are likely to be devalued or worst case, be worthless. Should we liquidate them now? If so, what should we do with the money?
These thoughts may be interesting, but the main concern is how those left behind will even survive in a world largely controlled for several years by Satan? Unless they take the mark 666 of Satan, their ability to survive will be problematical. Their money will be useless, so getting food from stores will not be possible. The farms in our area will likely be overrun with people seeking sustenance. Thus no one can depend on getting anything that way.
Although this will be terrible and so sad, those left behind must not take the mark of Satan, pledge to the devil or worship him. Whatever deprivation or torture they have to endure will be only a tiny price compared with being saved from an eternity in hell.
I had not heard it for many years, but during the past week some of the words of this haunting song have entered my mind and I start singing it to myself. Why? I know that the song is not a spiritual, nor was it intended to be anything more than a love song. But some of the lyrics reminded me that when we go through the Pearly Gates, at first we may be ‘strangers in Paradise’. There will be Angels there to guide us, but it will all be new and far different from our earthly life.
“Take my hand I'm a stranger in paradise
All lost in a wonderland. A stranger in paradise
If I stand starry-eyed That's a danger in paradise.
For mortals who stand beside an angel like you.”
The song was written about an earthly ‘angel’, a woman that the man loves. But our Angel will be far more beautiful and will not be fickle or ever deceitful.
“Won't you answer the fervent prayer, Of a stranger in paradise
Don't send me in dark despair, From all that I hunger for
But open your angel's arms, To the stranger in paradise
And tell him That he need be A stranger no more.”
I can’t imagine that we will have to appeal to our angels in Paradise, as it will be their duty to welcome us and help us get orientated. From several books I have read written by persons who have actually briefly experienced Heaven, I know that it will be awesome, just as our God is awesome.
Our job right now is to make sure that we will see Paradise. Jesus said that only those who are pure in heart will enter Heaven. (Matthew 5:8) No human is completely pure in heart, as we all are sinners no matter how careful we are. But Jesus came to earth and died so that our sins would be cleansed. All who accept His wonderful invitation to be our Lord and Savior will be saved and can enter Paradise. But we must take this step. He will not barge into our lives without our invitation. (John 3:36)
So many signs are coming from all over the world that the ‘end times’ predicted in the Bible are on us, right now. Even if we are not in end times, and I believe that we are, no one knows what day will be their last one on earth. Many of us think we don’t have to worry about losing our lives. But people die every day even in our own community. Will everyone you know be alive next month? We hope they will but don’t bet on it. So no one should wait to be ready for Paradise.
Now we are in the most beautiful season of the year. But many spend their time worrying about what presents they will give others. In its own way, this is a lovely thought. But if we were to search the world for a gift, we would find none to compare with the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Will we spend any time thinking of how we can give this gift to another?
If we truly have Christ in our lives, we may know what it took to have Him there. What has He done in our lives? Each of us can be an effective witness to Jesus and tell others how our life has changed by His wonderful blessings. Is the way we live, in itself, a beacon that shows the Lord to others?
HEAVEN - I WONDER ABOUT MANY THINGS
I wonder Anita if we will be celebrating our anniversary a million years from now
If so, will it be with our family?
Will it be with our earthly friends?
Will it be with the friends made in Heaven?
I wonder how many of our earthly friends will be with us.
How about those who died and we never knew if Jesus was their Lord and Savior?
How about our parents and grand parents, brothers & sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins?
Will we recognize and remember everyone there that we knew on earth? I believe so.
With the billions of souls in Heaven, how will we find any one person?
What will be most important to us then other than worshipping our God?
Jesus has said that the things we enjoy about our earth will be available in Heaven.
Will we seek the ones we enjoyed most first, or will we explore all that Heaven offers?
Will we miss anything that we enjoyed on earth that is missing in Heaven or different?
Will things that Jesus has forgiven us for be known or remembered by others?
What will we be eating besides fruit and fish?
Will we have all the bodily functions we have on earth? [No].
While I am certain that we will love Heaven, will we miss the type of music we love here?
Will we miss not having TV or the Internet?
Will we have any way of contacting those left behind?
Will we be able to give strength to them in any way so that they can persevere against Satan?
Will God allow any kind of salvation for those if they do not pledge their lives to Jesus?
How many of the celebrities that the world loved will make it to Heaven?
[In answer to the question at the beginning, the answer is that we will be married only to our Lord Jesus and no longer to each other. But we can still spend time together if we wish.]
[We believe that everyone in our family will be with us in Heaven, but if not, here is a message for those left behind. It was also given to them to read.] If you have found your personal file and are reading this after Mom and I have been taken to Heaven by Jesus Christ, you still have choices to make. You can still join us in Heaven, or you can join Satan in hell.
With our departure, you must now know that what the Lord has been trying to tell you, through me His servant and through others, is true. Our life on this earth is but a brief time compared with the life of our real self, our soul in eternity. God wants us to use the earthly experience as a training ground for Heaven. Satan has always been after our souls and puts impediments in our lives that make it difficult for us to truly come to God.
Satan now will be after your soul big time! He is very clever and will have many disguises. He will appear as a man and even portray himself as God by resurrecting a man from the dead. Don’t fall for this. Perhaps even to buy food, you will be required to accept the mark of Satan, 666. At all costs and the price may be high, do not take Satan’s mark. Instead, pledge yourself to God and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you remain steadfast and pledge yourself to the Lord, you may be tortured by Satan’s forces and eventually killed. But whatever price you pay to be with Jesus forever is worth it, a million times!
Many people living at the time I am writing this do not even believe that there is a hell. They need to wake up. Hell is just as real as this earth, as is Heaven. Those who do not accept Jesus have another place to go, and it is forever, an eternity of torture in hell.
Read some of my writings that have been sent to you and are in my file under “My Religious Writings”, top drawer beneath the printer. Also read Choo Thomas’ book “Heaven Is So Real”, begin regular Bible reading, and pray. Pray to God our Father in the name of Jesus Christ. Choo’s book and some of my writings will tell you about Heaven and hell and about salvation. Then if you have time, read some of the other interesting and useful religious books in my office. Start now! The life you save will be your own.
Written because Mom and I love you, Dad
Dear _____, Am I missing something in my understanding of Heaven and hell? At the Bible study Tuesday you seemed to say that you could not accept the part of the book “Heaven Is So Real” that told about Choo’s mother being in hell. Choo called today so I asked her about this although we had discussed it before. She said she has prayed to God to give her mother a lighter “sentence” but she knows that she will stay in hell. This broke Choo’s heart, but she accepted it. She did really see her mother in the torture of hell. I would like to discuss this with you. I want to have some rebuttal as there were several people who also could not accept this, and probably many more that didn’t bring it up. There is so much richness in this book that I hope people can get past this apparent difference in understanding. Choo told me that there are over a million people in many lands who have read this book and use it in their life guidance.
In your excellent book (Seeking God and Finding Him) you spoke of this, especially on pages 187-188. You stated that Jesus died to offer forgiveness to all mankind. “But all men will not choose to come to Him. Those who do not will carry the burden of sin to their death.” I cannot find any other meaning than that they will not enter Heaven, since God will not permit sin in Heaven. You know better than I what the Bible says about Jesus being the only way to the Father.
My first reading of the book “Heaven Is So Real” by Choo Thomas led me to question if Choo’s mother could really be relegated to hell and all its miseries. But that chapter really did grab my attention. How could a God of Love be so cruel? Choo said that her mother was not a bad person but she never had the opportunity to know Jesus.
There are many things in the Bible that I have wondered about, but now believe the following:
God is a loving God. The problem for us is that He cannot tolerate even the tiniest sin since He is absolutely without sin. The only person who ever led a perfect life on earth was Jesus Christ. It is impossible for us to be perfect. The Bible states that even a sin that seems insignificant to us will keep us out of Heaven unless we are forgiven. And this was the purpose of Jesus dying for our sins, so that we could enter Heaven with a clean slate if we ask for His forgiveness.
Many people who believe that they will go to Heaven do not take this into consideration. They apparently believe that t if their good deeds outweigh their bad ones, they will pass through the gates of Heaven. But God is perfect and He demands that Heaven be kept perfect. So how could Choo’s mother or anyone else enter Heaven without being forgiven by Jesus? It does seem cruel that since she didn’t know Jesus that her only possible destination was hell. But we don’t make the rules, God does. The Bible states that we have a spirit and a soul that live on after our body dies. It is vital that we know where our soul, the real person, will live.
Excerpt from the Bible:
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
Lord Jesus Christ has healed me from the following physical ailments. This is only a partial list. Most often He has simply given relief or outright healing. Occasionally He has directed me through someone to a physician who prescribed the healing. Unfortunately for some of these if didn’t think to pray about them sooner because I was too stubborn to admit that I couldn’t heal them on my own.
I went to a heart specialist, a cardiologist, in May 05 for what had been diagnosed as a blocked main heart artery. The cardiologist prepared to insert a stent to unblock the artery. On examination under a live CRT screen, it was confirmed that indeed one of the main arteries had become blocked. But miraculously my body had grown a new main artery alongside the blocked one.
Hemorrhoids that plagued me for many months were completely healed without any medical treatment. I had a back problem for quite some time in 2005, but it was healed without treatment. In my fifties I had what I thought might become crippling back problems. A surgeon in Toronto said that the only relief would come from a spinal fusion. I rejected this as I had read that a person is never the same after it. I decided to pray about it which led me to a series of exercises, mild at first but progressively more strenuous. I continue to do these today and my back is very strong.
Painful soreness on the left underside of my tongue plagued me for almost a year. Two doctors that I consulted had no explanation. After prayer, without any treatment it went away. I have often been reluctant to pray for myself, but when all else fails, I do.
I had progressive arthritis that seemed to be getting worse. Now there is no sign of it other than several slightly crooked fingers and one toe. No medical treatment was taken although I was on the verge of it.
In January 1995 I was told I had Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Blood tests confirmed that there were a large excess of white blood cells. Two doctors told me that generally it progressively gets worse. No treatment was prescribed but I got monthly, then quarterly blood tests. It did not progress but remained a threat for many years. In late 2006 my blood became normal. I have no explanation for this other than God healing me.
For over a year I have had itchiness in many places on my body. A doctor said it was just dry skin, but I had not changed my environment or habits and cannot account for this. I tried various lotions and salves with only very temporary relief. I decided just to tough it out and try to ignore it. However, it became so severe that it interrupted my sleep several times each night. Finally I prayed for relief, and received not complete cure but enough relief that I can ignore it now.
[written in 2006] Before coming to true faith in Jesus, I was concerned about how fast the days were going by. I knew that every passing day brought me closer to the end of life. Although I am not afraid of death, life has been sweet and I hated to see the end approaching. Most of the time now I feel peace and contentment and just try to take each day as it comes, not worrying about the rapid passing of time. I know that life in Heaven will be far sweeter that life on earth. I now know that I will make it. This is not because I deserve it, I do not, but believing that Jesus died for our sins and loving Him as our Lord and Savior assures eternal life with Him.
Forgiving people that may have wronged me has not been a problem as I have never harbored a grudge. However, occasionally I have had a thought or a dream in which a person from the past was involved in something that bothered me. But now I have gone back over as many issues as I can think of where someone did something not pleasing. Whenever such is remembered, I stop and tell God that I forgive that person and wish them well. Thus as far as I know at this moment, everything even in the remotest part of my memory that was causing me to fret, even unconsciously, has been brought out into the open and is no longer even in my dreams. [After this was written, while reading the Bible I uncovered other things that bothered me such as the actions of public figures. I considered each one and forgave the person.]
The Bible tells that no matter how you have sinned, your sins will be forgiven if you repent and ask for forgiveness and believe that Jesus is our Redeemer. Jesus even forgave murderers and forgave adultery when the person confessed their sin and repented. I thought that I had never sinned, certainly nothing serious. However I went back in my memory and listed all the sins that I can recall. Of course everyone has sinned so often that it is impossible to recall them all. I continue to ask God for forgiveness. I try to catch myself when doing something that I realize will not be pleasing to God, and alter this behavior. Now I realize that the act of loving anything or anybody more than loving Jesus is a terrible sin.
About 25 years ago, after hearing a lecture by Dr. Wayne Dyer, I adopted his philosophy that if you are angry at someone, that person controls you. Since then except for brief moments that I cannot seem to eliminate, anger toward someone has not been a part of my life. Now I try to go further. Anyone that possibly deserves my anger, I simply try to love them instead. “Love your neighbor as yourself” is a biblical commandment that we all need to observe.
A kinder and gentler George has been my goal, especially since coming to know Jesus as the Messiah. I don’t think I was ever abusive or had a bad temper, but I do remember being somewhat overbearing towards Anita at times. Although I have always truly loved her, I am not sure how our marriage endured all these years because of my behavior. She accused me of always being “right”, and that was often true. I didn’t consciously take this stand, but it was part of my nature to never let my guard down. I learned this in business as I always had to act as the leader that I was paid to be. I am also trying to apply the same gentler manner with the other members of our family.
I am trying very hard to not fret over the things that used to bother me, especially things over which I have no control. An example is getting driving help from the passenger side. When someone cannot be in the car without trying to be helpful with turns and directions, it has bothered me. I thought I knew how to drive, and the best route. Now I just pass it off and don’t let it upset me, at least not as much. I try to laugh at it rather than get angry.
Another thing that bothered me while driving was impatience with red lights. I seldom feel impatient, as I can always use the time for conversation, listening to the radio, or just thoughts. It disturbed me that someone starts fussing if the light seems to be longer than usual, or if the cars in the line ahead don’t make a galloping start the moment the light changes. I feel that we are exactly where God wants us to be and there is no need or use in trying to rush things. Now I am trying not to fret about this. These are only two examples that are symptomatic of my past behavior.
Most of the time I am at peace with myself, knowing that I am doing, or at least trying to do what Jesus wants me to do. A lifetime habit of keeping pressure on myself, to cram more into every waking hour is hard to break. Momentarily and often during every day, I think that things aren’t getting done as fast as I want. Whenever this happens, I am trying to get it out of my mind, usually by asking for help from the Holy Spirit. I know that if I am working on the most important things, it doesn’t really matter if my planned schedule for the day isn’t completed. Sometimes getting side-tracked leads to something that I hadn’t thought of that proves to be useful. I believe that Jesus, through The Holy Spirit is behind these happenings. I often get some kind of sign pointing me to His way, and in helping me with many tasks.
The main thing I do have concern about is the best use of my time. I still have hobbies and interests and really want to spend some time on them. When I am working on some of these, I think that Satan often tries to muddle things up so that it takes longer to do something than I think it should. This takes time from the things I believe Jesus wants me to do. This does bother me, and I keep casting the devil out of my life in Jesus’ name. I hope to come to a better accommodation and balance between what I know I must do and what I would like to do for enjoyment of hobbies and earthly interests. I tell myself each day that it is most important to do the work of God, while not neglecting family and chores. It is becoming easier as time passes to put Christ as priority one, as I am losing or have lost interest in many hobbies I used to enjoy. This does not bother me as I am living my life as I really want to.
I am really trying to be more helpful with chores and yard maintenance. Anita works very hard all the time and chides me that I don’t have more interest in the garden. I may not be able to enjoy gardening as she does, but I can show more interest and do more. I have always done the grunt work, but she is so meticulous about her garden that whenever I have tried to do something on my own, she micro-manages me. This has turned me off so I have avoided gardening as much as possible. Now I think I understand her concerns. She has put tremendous effort into the plants and flowers, and doesn’t want any of them bruised by a heavy foot. So I am trying to think more from her viewpoint and enjoy the garden. I do love looking at the garden and the yard; nature is beautiful beyond description.
Also we differ about housekeeping. She is meticulous, and I feel that she overdoes it and works too hard. She must think I am blind as I don’t notice dust and dirt in my areas of the house to the extent that she does. Unless it gets messy, it is good enough for me. I do keep everything orderly in my areas, but I don’t worry if my desk and the floor are not spotless. I am trying to accommodate her more on this, and also trying not to fret when I see her doing more work than I think is necessary. I know that I can’t change her. She is a great person, and I am so fortunate to be with her.
These new ways of living were not easy for me, and they will never be achieved to the complete satisfaction of either of us. I am trying though, and thinking about what I can do to make life easier and happier for both of us. I am sure that I will slip at times, perhaps often, but my goal is to improve in all the things mentioned above.
I have greatly reduced the time spent on some things that used to be of keen interest. They just aren’t important to me anymore. Examples are watching our stock investments. I used to spend many hours each week analyzing for good buys and in checking performance. I turned all of this over to brokers whom I trust completely and who are doing a fine job. Now I only watch investments enough to see the general trends. The only records that will be kept will be those needed for tax purposes, and even for these I will depend more on the brokers.
Although I was never a great golfer, for years it held keen interest for me. During the last three years, less than six rounds have been played. It doesn’t interest me like it did. I know I would have to devote many hours of practice to keep a reasonably low handicap. This and actual play takes up too much time, time that I want to devote to Anita, our family, friends, and other things. I may play golf occasionally with friends; that is all I want. Anita’s only interested in golf is watching the tournaments on TV. She can’t play anymore due to her surgeries. I still play some tennis as it is great exercise, but only once a week. I want us to spend more time in the outdoors, but in enjoying nature, not in sports. When Anita is able, we will go bike riding as much as possible. I also will continue with walks, and swimming daily as weather permits. I hope she will be able to join me in these.
My reading is far different now. Because of little interest in following investments, magazines that I used to read such as Forbes are no longer read. My first choice is reading everything that I believe will help in my understanding and education about faith. I still keep up with the happenings of the world by reading magazines, scanning the morning newspaper and checking the Internet from time to time. I enjoy reading about nature, especially animals and their antics. History is of interest as it always has been. Yes I will also read something just for the fun of it. I am going to make an effort to read more humorous material as I believe laughter is good for our health. Fortunately Anita has always been a happy person and laughs easily so I hope to catch more of this from her.
Money and physical things are of far less interest now. I know we must husband our resources and manage our finances well. This will be done, but I have no interest in acquiring a larger and newer home, really expensive automobiles, finer clothes, or any of the things that used to seem important. Yes I still like gadgets, but now most of the interest is in items that can help in our life, our home, and the work that I want to do. While at times in the past I might have had a smidgen of envy for something a friend had that was obviously more rich and expensive than my possession, I no longer feel this at all. I am just glad for them. Actually no one really owns anything, in the sense that it will always be theirs. When we leave this earthly life, we will take nothing with us, and we had nothing when we came into it. Everything belongs to God, we are only permitted to use it while we are here. Since God really owns everything, we need to share our good fortune as much as we can with others who are less fortunate.
I no longer care in the least about getting credit for something that I do. Whether it is helping others, giving of time and money to the church and worthy causes, or just picking up someone’s garbage can from the street, I don’t really want anyone to know about it. The only one that I hope will take notice of some of the things is God. Naturally it is pleasing when someone mentions that they appreciate something done or said that helps them, but I do not seek this.
Of course my number one interest besides my family is in trying to bring the message of Christ to everyone who will listen. I realize that I am relatively new in faith, and that many of the people met at church and outside have been of faith for many years. While many may be infinitely more qualified to spread the Word, this doesn’t bother me. I am trying to do it my way with Jesus’ help, in every way I can. One of my concerns is that I am not concentrating as much on it as I think I should, but I feel that something useful is being done each week. I hope to improve my effectiveness with time, using all the God-given talents and experience that I have. I am driven, in that I want anyone that I can influence to be saved. I feel that if I can bring just one person to faith each month, this will be a great reward, and I don’t want anyone but God to know about it.
I have discovered many friends who are strong believers in Christ, whom I did not even suspect before I mentioned my faith to them in one way or another. I learned about most of them, outside of those in our church, by offering to give them the book “Heaven Is So Real”. Those who were of faith told me of their beliefs, usually in a low-key way. This has been a wonderful experience in that I feel a strong kinship for these souls. It is a great privilege to be able to discuss beliefs with someone that knows much more about it than I do. I know that it will only get better with time. While I love being with these people, I am looking for ways to help those who do not believe, and especially those who are unfortunate in any manner.
The bottom line is that coming to faith really has changed me, and I believe for the better. I feel happier and more at ease with everything. I am trying each day to be a little more like Jesus and hope that at least some progress is being made.
What does it mean to say we love everyone? Nothing in this indicates that we desire them in any way except to feel goodwill and love. I am not shy about telling someone I love them, either male or female. This means that I really do feel God’s love tor the person.
Here is what Jesus said about this in Matthew 22 and Matthew 5.
Teacher, which is the Greatest Commandment in the Law?
Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”
We must adopt a continual attitude of love for our fellow man (our brother and sister), even strangers, but especially those we know. This should be central in our life. We gain nothing by harboring a grudge; it hurts us, not the other person. There is no gain, only loss, it just creates problems for ourselves.
If there is an issue that bothers us, we should talk it out with the other person, not accuse them behind their back. It is far better to feel and express love, than to keep thinking we are being harmed or taken advantage of.
If we feel even the tiniest bit of animosity toward another person, we must ask the Lord for forgiveness of this sin. We should pray about it together.
I write this because of my love for you. I felt that I must bring this up, as lack of love for anyone we know and speaking against them is terrible in the eyes of Christ. This is one of the worst sins and can keep a person from a loving relationship with the Lord which is an absolute necessity if we are to be with Him forever.
But Satan wants none of this. Here is another example of Satan working in our lives. Satan is very clever and he will do anything to keep us from showing love to others. Also he wants to cause problems in our marriage, and keep us out of Heaven. When we argue about something, most of the time it is caused by Satan. Nothing is so important that we should not talk it out and then forget about it, not harbor it.
It is a very serious thing to Jesus to accuse someone of doing a bad thing. Whether you think you are justified or not isn’t the issue. Even thinking these thoughts is sinful. We are taught to love everyone, not run them down or accuse them, or even feel annoyance. We must forgive everyone for anything that bothers us, and as evidence, then show them our love. I have been guilty of this in my life but now am doing my best to avoid any semblance of it.
Here are the steps to redemption through Jesus Christ: It is really so simple to do, but profoundly rewarding.
Isaiah 53:5-6
Read the Bible, at least a chapter each day 1 Peter 2:2;
Daily prayer, spend time each day talking to God. Philippians 4:6.
Regularly attend a church that honors Jesus Christ and teaches the Bible. John 4:23-24.
More comforting passages from the Bible: Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 46:1; Isaiah 41:10.
Then we have the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” –
Fear not, I am with thee,
O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will
still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee,
and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteousness,
omnipotent hand.
If you are not interested in Jesus Christ, or knowing more about Heaven or hell, please ignore this message. Not knowing Jesus, though will rob you of your future life in Paradise. It is only knowing Jesus and accepting His offer of eternal life that will keep you from an eternity of torture in hell.
You don’t believe any of this? Not believing will not change anything. Some think that after they die, that is all there is, but this lie is promoted by Satan. Your real self is your soul and spirit. Your spirit is now in your earthly body but lives on forever. If you choose to have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you, with a new body will live forever with Him.
Don’t take my word for this. It is clearly laid out in the Holy Bible, the Word of God. The Bible was written by God using dedicated men to write it. God gave them visions and revelations and commanded them to write. We are so fortunate to have this wonderful text to guide our lives. Everything you need to know to live as the Lord envisioned when you were created is right in this book.
God has given more information over the ages. Tens of thousands of books and articles have been written encouraging us to repent our sins and follow God. Don’t think that you sinned? Anything that you love or respect more than the Lord is a sin.
In very recent times Lord Jesus raised up a modern-day prophet, trained her and took her to Heaven and hell. He commanded her to write a book on everything she was shown. This book is a final appeal to get ready for His coming. The book “Heaven Is So Real”, quickly became a world-wide best seller. Information can be found on the author’s website http://www.choothomas.com/. Choo has become a wonderful friend and I talk to her frequently. Jesus continues to talk to her about His soon coming. My own testimony on salvation is found by clicking on “How to be saved” in the heading.
A vast amount of additional information is referenced on http://www.spiritlessons.com/, a website that also shows sources for Choo’s book in other languages. It also shows how to burn your own audio CDs of this material. I urge you to look at these websites and select sections to read. The eternal life you save will be your own. Tell your family and friends also.
To read the book in English online, I originally downloaded the entire book “Heaven Is So Real” from the China Media Outlet. I separated it into paragraphs for easier reading, and created a table of contents. You can Ctrl-Click on any part to read the material in that section. If you send an email request, I will send it to you. My email is glhagen@verizon.net.
I know that I am nobody special, just a servant of the Lord. Don’t wait another day because no one knows when their last day will come.
The strongest confirmation of Jesus’ soon coming that I have is based on many conversations with Choo Thomas, the author of “Heaven Is So Real” whom I love more than an earthly sister. She told me in late 2007 that Jesus had shown her visions of the Rapture over 50 times. It was often followed by a vision of those left behind and their terrible plight. In 2008 she said that the vision had come to her 70 times. After that Jesus visited her, and Choo said that He told her that He would not show it again because His coming is very soon and that there has been enough warning.
Also a lady named Shelby Corbett wrote and published a book called “2007”. She said she received a call from God in a dream to write the book. It predicts that He will come that year and probably that summer. I had lunch with her as she lives not too far away and found her to be an extremely dedicated and sincere lady. She published and distributed thousands of the books at her own expense she said. I believe that she had the vision but misinterpreted the timing.
Then there were the seven youths from Central America who were taken to both Heaven and hell, giving their accounts and warning about his soon coming. Their stories are on Choo’s website http://www.choothomas.com/ under the heading along the top titled “Urgent Message” Select “Revelations of Heaven and Hell by 7 Youths”. Other people from all over the world are saying that they have had visions of His coming and it will be soon. I didn’t try to keep track of all of these as Choo’s statements are enough for me.
I have no pipeline directly to God that tells me when He will come, but I have been urged by Him to do all I can to bring the message of Salvation to as many as possible as soon as I can. I know that many others feel the same way. My feeling of His very soon return is strong in my heart, to the point that I have given resources to charities and to pay for the distribution of the book “Heaven Is So Real”. I know that God will care for us and we won’t need our money much longer.
I have put end-time instructions in the personal folder for each of our kids and also given it to them, with the prayer that they will never need the instructions. I pray that they will be with us. .
I look forward to seeing you in Heaven. With the love of Jesus Christ to you.
We need to be aware of what God requires from us while granting His untold number of blessings in our life. We should know the reason we were put on this earth.
Our Lord Jesus, who is God the same as God our Father, wants us to have a happy life, but He also wants us to worship Him. If we simply go through life reaping His blessings without acknowledging the source, He will not be pleased. We must please the Lord if we are to spend eternity with Him.
Our life on earth is only as a blink of an eye in contrast to our time in eternity. Eternity is forever. Even if we live to be 100, a long earth life, this is nothing compared to the time we will spend as living beings after our earthly bodies die and for life in Heaven we are given new bodies. Also no matter how great our life has been, our life in Heaven will be infinitely more beautiful. If we have sufferings, they will all be taken away.
What is our real self that lives forever? Our soul or spirit is our real self. Our bodies are merely a home for our soul while we are on earth. Our soul existed before we were born on earth and will continue to exist after we leave earth, it will exist forever. Therefore we should be far more interested is what happens to our soul than in life’s pleasures, important to us as they are.
The Bible tells us and Jesus made it quite clear while He was on earth that He absolutely requires us to worship Him. Yes we pray to God the Father, but we do it in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus is quoted in John 14:6 – “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This simply means that unless we acknowledge Christ as our Lord and Savior, confess our sins (everyone sins), ask forgiveness and pledge our lives to Him, we will never be in Heaven with Him and His Father. Don’t be afraid to take this step, there is no downside, just a wonderful blessing.
Why is prayer important? This is the way we talk to God. Before Jesus came to earth and died for our sins, people could only communicate with God through priests. Jesus opened the channel for everyone to talk directly to God the Father. He wants us to tell Him all of our concerns and seek His help and guidance. He is always listening for us to come to Him. No request or plea is too trivial, and none too difficult for Him. No, He does not grant requests instantly like a genie, and He doesn’t grant our every plea. We may never understand how He chooses to respond to our prayers. But He is a loving God and will always help us bear any affliction if we ask for His help. All requests to God the Father should be made in the name of Jesus Christ at the end of the prayer. Jesus is our emissary and will petition our Father in our behalf.
What else do we need to do to endear ourselves to our Lord Jesus and to our Father? God is love, that is one of the definitions of who God is. In Heaven there is only love, no hate, grudges or fear, just love. For that reason we must demonstrate our love while we are on earth in order to be admitted to Heaven.
When Jesus was asked what we must do to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, he answered "'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.” Luke 10:27. Jesus went on to explain in other passages that this means that we are to love Him above everything and above everybody else. We are also required to love our family and our neighbors. To Jesus, ‘neighbors’ means everyone who crosses our path in life, or whom we know or know of in one way or another.
When we come to realize the wonderful benefits that God has bestowed on us, we will want to tell everybody about it. Jesus commanded that we spread the message of salvation. This is an important way to let others know that we love them.
How do we get to know our God? Fortunately we have the modern Bible that tells the story of Jesus while He was walking on this earth. The gospels of Jesus were written by men who knew Him. In the Old Testament we learn about God our Father in so many ways. It also has references to the future coming of Jesus as Messiah foretold thousands of years before Jesus’ birth on earth. Daily Bible reading is important if we are to know our God. The Bible is very interesting, not boring. Many of the books tell intriguing stories, the adventures of real people. The Bible also tells us what is ahead for us on earth and in Heaven.
Why were we put on this earth? Our journey here is merely a training ground for Heaven. Our conduct will prepare us to be with Him forever, or not. If we waste this wonderful opportunity, we will be forever sorry. When Christians meet our Savior in Heaven, we will be asked to justify what we have done while on earth. Records of everything we have done or said, even our thoughts are kept by angels. This record will be reviewed. However, our Lord knows all of this so He does not have to refer to it personally. Can we justify what we have done, how we have lived, what has been most important to us in our lives? If we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our past sins are forgiven and forgotten. But we still have to justify ourselves to our Lord. Have we really given our life to Him? Do we worship Him and communicate with Him in prayer and how often? Do we really love Him with all our heart as He commanded?
If today He came to take His chosen ones to Heaven, would we be ready for Him?
For our own salvation we should keep these things in mind all the time.
The idea to write about this came to me in the usual way, out of the blue. Just before getting into bed one night, this thought came, and soon -- other thoughts.
I am an ‘expert’ on this subject as much of my life was without Jesus, and part of it even without God, or so I thought.
There was a period of a few years in my 40’s that I didn’t believe there was a God in Heaven. I have written about this, but what was a mystery is now clearer. I know now that although I thought God was not in my life, God was not separated from me. He was there all the time and waiting for me to know Him. And that was when I realized that there just had to be a God who created such in a well ordered-universe, and populated our perfect world with beings of incredible complexity. I concluded that it would not be just unlikely, but impossible for this without God. Then prayers were begun thanking God for our good life and good health. Seldom did I utter any other prayer, or ask for His help. I did not know that friends were praying for me. I did believe that my mother was praying from Heaven though.
It took another thirty years to ‘discover’ Jesus. Again He was waiting for recognition, but that didn’t stop Him from being a part of my life. I know now that Christ was there helping me all the time. You can possibly imagine how ashamed I was when this realization finally came to me. I was sad that I had failed to credit Him for all the great happenings in my life. But I got past this with much prayer, and became overjoyed that I was finally feeling that I belonged to Him.
Those who have no room in their life for God do not realize what a life-changing event it might be to worship God and come to Jesus as their Savior.
Some say humans feel emptiness in their lives without Jesus, without God. I cannot attest to this as my life went on during the period when I did not know God. I was happy, had a great family and a successful career. The only thing I know now is that I made some mistakes that would not have happened if I had prayed about them beforehand. More importantly, we may not have lost our first son. Otherwise my life went on just fine without God. So I did not feel the emptiness that Christian writers mention.
Now, I cannot imagine my life without Christ. I now know what would have been my ultimate fate though. Thanks to a loving Christian lady, a revelation, and the book “Heaven Is So Real” I found Jesus. It has been a great trip in the spiritual sense. But it has not always been easy in a physical sense. The Bible says that Christians must suffer for their faith. I wondered about this as until the last several years, my life was idyllic in most ways. What is the suffering we must endure, and when does it start, I wondered? The loss of our first son didn’t affect our lives too much as we thought he would return someday. After being influenced by some bad people, he simply went on his own way after graduating with honors from McGill University, and being well liked in his first job. Could this have been altered if I had known Jesus and called on Him for help?
During the last several years my wife Anita has had some severe medical problems. This has materially affected our lives. Her infirmities might be beyond my endurance if I had them, but she remains cheerful. Are these the ‘sufferings’ we must endure? I simply do not know. Personally I have had a number of serious physical problems, but with each one, they have been healed by prayer and doing what was indicated to help myself. One was a completely blocked main artery. My body simply grew a replacement main artery. The cardiologist said that my good physical condition and exercise helped. I believe that the Lord intervened to help without me even knowing. Many other physical problems healed miraculously. The latest example was about eight weeks ago when I twisted my hip while working in the yard. This nearly laid me up, as for weeks it was painful to walk and painful to try to sleep. I had prayed about it, but finally told the Lord that I believed He would cure it, and soon…and He did. I exercised to help, but since the pain had gone on for weeks even with exercise, and then suddenly stopped, it had to be when I really believed He would help.
Where does this lead us? My conclusion is that when we know God and truly have Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have the ‘peace beyond understanding’ that Jesus promised. We may not have peace in this earthly life though, as God does not promise this. But He does give us the strength to bear whatever occurs. We do have peace in knowing where we will spend eternity, and that is certainly the most important peace we could ever have.
But for those who don’t have God in their lives, I believe that most of them do not miss Him in a sense that would cause them to suddenly believe. It is up to us as Christians to spread the Word of Salvation. But only God can bring Himself into their lives so that they worship Him. Short of meeting in Heaven those who we have tried to introduce to the Lord, we may never know what influence we have had. And that is OK; we don’t need earthly rewards or recognition for doing this. We just need the warm feeling inside that we have tried, and this comes automatically from God.
There is no reason for anyone not to worship God. Every human was born with an innate need for worshiping a higher being and for knowing about their purpose in life. Millions though do not even acknowledge that the God of the Bible exists. The world population does worship a god of some kind, it is in their nature. The pagans had their idols, and most societies still worship idols in some form including the worship of money and power. Anything that is placed as more important than worshiping God is really worshiping idols.
It is understandable that the worship of Jesus Christ is far less prominent than the worship of god in some form. Perhaps no one told them about Him. Probably very few people are actually asking one another about Jesus or His Word the Gospel. Christians are trying to remedy this by spreading His Word throughout the world. Anyone who seriously reads the Bible cannot help but know who Jesus is. The trick is to have them read it. I was one of those who read parts of the Bible as a young person but didn’t continue. Thus I did not know much about Jesus although I was happy to celebrate Christmas, and knew the story of His birth. However once I learned that the only route to see the Father in Heaven after death is by becoming a follower of Jesus, I took up the study of Jesus and God the Father in earnest.
Anyone who does not now know Jesus as their Lord and Savior should not wait a day longer. This is too important to put off. Our life on this earth is but a fleeting moment compared with the eternity that our soul, our real self, will spend in Heaven or hell. Our bodies are only the shell that contains our soul which is our real self that will live forever. This is made clear in the Bible.
No matter what sins a person has committed, and all are sinful, our sins will be forgiven if we confess them and ask for forgiveness. We must pray and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and pledge our lives to him. Some may think they cannot do this; they don’t want to give up the life style they are living. This is not painful, and the gifts gained by following Christ go far beyond whatever we think we might lose. We can continue to live as we want; just try to cut out what we know is clearly sinful and ask for forgiveness. Put the Lord first above material things. Make Him the most important part of our lives. The Lord wants us to lead happy lives and by following Him, our lives can be infinitely happier. He doesn’t promise that we won’t have trials and problems, but He does promise to be with us and strengthen us so these situations can be managed.
Christians, even some who have become followers of Jesus Christ, do not fully comprehend the afterlife. A few who haven’t really studied the Bible may even think that when they die, this is the end. Many may not realize the horrors of hell where those who are not with Jesus will live in torture forever. Thus they may not think it important to follow Jesus nor to tell the world about Him. It is not just important, it is vital and all Christians are charged with the responsibility of spreading His word. Yes some of their so-called friends may ridicule this, or even decide they don’t want to associate any longer. But if even one person comes to Jesus because of such messages, the efforts will be well rewarded.
Notes for presentation before a group -
We are not here to discover your beliefs, but to tell you what I have learned.
Jesus will help you if you ask. He would even help you study for exams. More later.
Having true faith gives you a wonderfully warm feeling, nothing like it.
1. Let us first deal with important, vital concepts about beliefs
Your real self is your soul. Your body is its temporary house. Your soul lives forever.
[Egyptians believed that they would return and use their body. Cryonics believe that if your body is frozen and kept frozen after you die, life can be restored someday when science advances enough. Both ideas are false.]
2. The Bible IS the Word of God. Those who don’t believe probably haven’t read it.
3. The Bible says: You are not saved by just being good. You must love Jesus as our savior.
4. There are no non-sinners, never were except Jesus. I thought I was OK.
To be saved you must repent your sins. Lust is really adultery.
Accept Jesus’ crucifixion and decent into Hell as penalty for removing your sins.
Unless you accept Jesus, you won’t be saved no matter how good you are
You must worship and love Jesus and Heavenly Father, pray often and sincerely, read the Bible
Live by what the Bible tells you!
Try to do what you believe Jesus wants you to do
Show your love to everyone, even your enemies, forgive them! Help the less fortunate.
5. Keep it up, it is not easy to get into Heaven. The door is narrow.
Jesus said: “No one will see the Father except through me”. “I am the way”.
6. Attending church is a real help.
Gives fellowship and a way to share your beliefs, and have them reinforced.
Regular tithing is important, and you will gain back more than you contribute.
You can’t take it with you, but you can take the rewards of your good deeds.
7. The alternative to being saved is eternal hell. Hell is even worse than the old-time ministers depicted.
Satan is alive and well and working continually to try to have you come to his home.
Tell him to get out of your life - in Jesus’ name. Do this whenever you don’t sense Jesus’ presence.
8. Heaven is glorious
9. How do I know these things? How did I get to be a believer?
I have never seen Jesus but feel his presence.
I ask him for something (non-physical) and get immediate response.
This meeting is an example – asked Jesus about helping hurricane victims
10. Turning point - Choo Thomas’ book “Heaven Is So Real”, my story of vision after starting the book
The author is a present-day disciple of Jesus. Wonderful experience meeting with her.
11. Verified by reading the Bible. The Bible is interesting, and versions have modern language.
NIV writing was researched by noted scholars using all available texts, languages and modern tools
12. The time to be saved is now! We don’t know how long we will be here, years, or days?
Need to consider eternal life for your soul, not present day pleasures.
13. My mission - How else would anyone really know about Jesus unless someone tells them?
14. Shall we pray about this?
Summary to be saved:
Accept Jesus as our savior, love him for his sacrifices. His Father also made sacrifices.
Repent your sins
Show love to everyone! Forgive anyone who you think has wronged you.
Pray often and pray sincerely to Heavenly Father in Jesus’ name, not for frivolous things
Ask Jesus for help in your everyday life
Try to do what you believe He wants you to do
Attend church and tithe
Be an example to others and they will recognize it. Some of course will try to tear you down.
Keep Satan from influencing your life; cast him out in Jesus’ name!
Associate with people who have similar faith. For life mate, pick one who shares your faith. Do not assume that you can change the person after marriage.
My life has been mostly a joy, and at times I have wondered why. I knew I didn’t deserve it but it was accepted with thanks to God. Even in the corporate world where I was responsible for the fortunes of over 2000 people, their families and our shareholders, I found joy and excitement in my job. We made our company a “fun place to work”, while seriously pursuing business. Of course it was not fun when on rare occasions I had to tell someone that the company would be better without them. Even then though, except for one man who took it badly, all parted as friends. I saw some of them later and we could talk on a friendly basis.
After retiring from the public company, I had time to reflect and plan my future. Also I gave some thought to my whole life. I began to wonder why I did not feel a strong emotion when a tragedy happened to a person I knew. I remembered Ray, a grade school chum who suddenly died and I couldn’t bring myself to be sad about it. I knew I would miss him, but there were other friends. At that time in life, I had no perception of life after death.
The only person I felt the pain of his passing was my half-brother Melvin. I loved him and we were close. He was a generation older, but a great relationship was still enjoyed. We were two thousand miles apart when he died during the night. Somehow I knew the moment, as half-awake I heard him say “Goodbye Lee”. That was the name used until going into the Navy when it became “George”. I waited the next day for a phone call from his family, but it didn’t come. I concluded that it was my imagination and decided to give him a call in a few days. But two days later there was a call with an apology for not calling sooner. I asked about the time of his death and it was just when I heard his goodbye.
I did mourn for him, and it took a while for it to sink in that I would never see him again. Aside from this though, the tragedies in no other life really touched me. I loved my Mom and Dad but when each died, I knew it was inevitable at their ages. My parents and I always had a loving relationship and I still think of them fondly, but I didn’t mourn for them. After my mother died, I knew that she was watching over me from Heaven, just as she prayed for me while she was alive. When our first son who appeared to have everything for success, suddenly left our lives, I wasn’t too fazed. I thought he would come back. But as the months and then years passed, I concluded that he was living the life he had chosen.
While these losses were unhappy events, my life was still a joy. My real regret now is that I didn’t then know about the saving Grace of Christ, nor until 2004. I would have prayed for salvation for my Dad, my brother, our son, other relatives and dear friends who had passed away. I also might have paid more attention to nurturing faith in our kid’s lives. We cannot go back and relive life, but this is the only reason I would want to.
I guess I was too hard core to be concerned about anyone other than those in my life. When I heard about some bad happening in another area or another country, I may not even have said to myself “that is too bad”. If I even thought about them at all, it was that perhaps they deserved this, that they were lesser people, or that dying was just part of living. Now I hate this thought of my callousness, and lack of belief that everyone is equal in God’s eyes.
But after I found Christ, I began to think about others, and to feel some of what they were going though. Anita and I started to support ministries that were offering help in tragic situations. I even volunteered to travel and help poor people learn to plant potatoes, but perhaps fortunately the trip never materialized. Anyway, although I did not immediately realize it, the way I viewed the lives of others had changed. I now began to think how I would feel --”if I were walking in their sandals”. People and their lives began to mean more to me. But I cannot say that I am affected by every misfortune in the world as there are just too many to comprehend.
You might think that this changed my perspective of joy, and it did somewhat. Although I might feel sadness for another, my life was and still is a joy. But now my wife Anita is going through difficult times. She has many health problems, and it does affect my life as well as hers. She worries that she is hindering me from the fun we used to have in travel and adventure. But I told her and I really mean this, we had so many great trips and experiences that I don’t need any more. Also we have our wonderful memories. Anytime we want to visit London, Paris, the Great Smoky Mountains, all we have to do is call up the memory or look at some photos. I truly care little for anything in this world except the people. I love Anita more today than ever, and she still is a joy even with her health problems. We have achieved our worldly goals and are content. We now look forward to life forever in a better place.
Why Do Some Find Joy in Living and Others Do Not?
The Bible tells us that life is not supposed to be trouble free and that there will be trials. But our Lord promises that He will be with us to give strength to bear them. Most if not all of the great people of the Bible went through more than you would think they could stand. The fact that they did not lose faith made them great. God wants us to be happy but He does not promise uninterrupted happiness. With all the evil in the world, there will be happenings that are not joyful, and some people will have more tragedy than others. Why, we don’t know, but we do know that Christ said we will all be tested.
Then there is the rest of the world, especially in some of the third world countries. The only joy in their lives is what they make for themselves. We are fortunate to live in our wonderful country, giving much reason for joy. But we should not be satisfied with the direction it seems to be headed. We should pray that America will return to the precepts under which it was founded – One Nation, Under God. Taking God out of the schools and public places is a real concern.
Joy and sadness and sorrow are often linked. Recently a dear friend we have known for over forty-five years died of cancer. His death came only a few days after he and his family knew he had the disease. Instead of mourning over this sad turn, and though they will miss him so much, they celebrated his life with a memorial party. He was a man of Christ so they know that he will live in Heaven.
Should we feel joy when a truly bad person is arrested, suffers, or dies? How about when a public figure we didn’t appreciate is disgraced? Being human it is hard not to feel at least a little satisfaction about this. We may think “Good, this gets rid of this person”. But when/if our Christian love kicks in, it isn’t joy we feel. It might be concern for the person or the family. We may even feel like praying that s/he will know the Lord. Only an evil person will have glee at the misfortune of another in most situations. But I could not help feeling satisfaction when reading that a Taliban leader was killed. These people are totally dedicated to killing those who don’t share their extreme beliefs. Notwithstanding, I have prayed that as many as possible in all the world will finally accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This includes these bad people.
Can those of other faiths, or those of no faith experience joy in living? My answer is yes, as I went through periods in my life this way. In my forties, for reasons I thought valid, I suddenly no longer believed there was a god of Heaven. For a few years it seemed better for me to believe that everything had evolved in some way without God. Later, just as suddenly, I began anew to look at our wonderful world and the universe as too perfect to have been created by chance. Prayer and thanks to God for my great life started anew.
Did I have joy during the period void of God? I kept enjoying life all the while. My parents taught me to care for others, to be honest with others, and to respect the lives of all creatures (except mosquitoes). So I was indeed happy most of the time and content with my life. Even after I returned to worshiping God, I did not realize the big picture that was missing.
In 2004 I came to Jesus as my Lord and Savior after reading the book “Heaven Is So Real”. Then I thought about the risk taken all my life in not knowing Him, I shuddered and thanked God for not taking my life. So while there was joy in my life, it was through ignorance of the penalty that could have been.
It seems that many people are never happy as they envy what others have. I never envied anyone with great wealth or great power, or even great talent. Well maybe just a little for talent. What I think about now is this question: “Do they know Jesus?” To me that is the crucial question, but sadly, most to the world knows nothing about him. Their great wealth or power will not help them after they leave this earth. I applaud when learning that a celebrity has made a generous gift to alleviate human suffering. But I ask myself the question – does s/he know Christ? When hearing one of Elvis songs that I still love, I think of this. I hope he was saved, and he may have had more chance than Sinatra, another favorite who seemed to live on the edge of bad stuff. I have even prayed for them. I do not envy a celebrity or a powerful person, I just wonder if they will achieve real success which is a life with our precious Lord.
Another requirement to experience joy is contentment. This is an opposite of envy. The Apostle Paul had troubles and trials almost beyond comprehension, but he said he was always content with whatever was his lot. In his letter to the Philippians Paul wrote, asking God:
Give me faith to meet (disappointments) bravely. Trials I do not understand. To let God work His will in me – To trust His guiding hand. Help me to shine, a clear bright light. And not to live in vain – Help me hold forth the Word of life, in triumph over pain.
Contentment does not mean lack of ambition for betterment; it means that along the way we will be satisfied with our life as it rolls along. Anita and I often sought better things in life, but we were very happy with what we had at each stage, even as we started married life with little. Yes I did work hard for more and more wealth and spent much time on investing. When we finally achieved wealth, more was wanted. Finally, though, I felt that this is enough, and that my time and our money should be used for others.
At that point we could have acquired a fabulous home almost anywhere, but we were happy with the one we had built in 1978 for all of $65,000, where we still live. I took to heart Jesus’ saying that “it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter Heaven”. So we are no longer rich in money but we are rich in the knowledge that we used our wealth for the benefit of the Kingdom. The last thing I want is to appear to boast about achievement or benevolence. This is only intended as a humble person’s statement about contentment. I now know that it was God that made this happen. Finally I realized that this is why God helped with our life, and he certainly did. Without His help in all ways, my life could have been nothing. Now I know that He planned that we would help with His Ministry on earth with both money and time. The more I learn of how God works in people’s lives, the more I am awed at His power and love.
So joy does not come with wealth, power, or achievement. It comes as a byproduct of contentment. I know that joy or sadness is also a state of mind. Some are never happy no matter what. Others just love their life for no visible reason. Finally joy comes with knowledge that this earth is just a training ground for eternal life with our Lord. One author said that when he looks up at the sky he thinks of Heaven. When he looks at the ground, he realizes what a small and insignificant space he will occupy after he dies. He then knows that our main job on earth is to get to Heaven. How could we ever have more genuine joy than to know where we will spend eternity? So our purpose is to praise the Lord as our Savior, and to help others know Him. With this we have real joy. Of course there may still be hardship, suffering or sadness over the loss of loved ones, but we will have peace in knowing our ultimate future.
I have had a happy life and a fairly successful one. But thinking back, I wonder how much was enjoying the ride versus really living. What do I mean by ‘really living’? I guess I wouldn’t have known how to answer this a few years ago, or even suspect that it was something that needed consideration. After I accepted our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, my life changed markedly. Not a crashing change at first, but the change gained momentum day by day. It sort of crept up on me. I knew this would happen after beginning serious study of the Bible, but still, it was an experience that I could not have described ahead of time.
Today when I feel the presence of our Lord in my life after arising in the morning, and then from time to time throughout the day, I do stop and marvel that He takes the time to let me know in some way. I realize I am not any more special to Him than others, and His love is there for the taking by anyone. What a wonderful feeling! It cannot be compared to anything, but if we can remember back when something exciting and wonderful happened in our life, there could be some similarity. It is like the enjoyment of cold water when we have been perspiring outside on a hot day. It is like the first taste of our favorite ice cream or delicious food. But these lovely minor happenings only touch on the indescribable swelling up of the feeling of love for our Lord.
Those who have not come to really know our Lord likely have no idea of what I am talking about. And as I said, I wouldn’t have known either. Often we mistake entertainment and fun for real living. I have continued to enjoy many of these happenings but they take a backseat to the thrill I get in just praying to our Lord and thinking about Him. Perhaps it about time for non-believers to scoff and laugh at such silly ideas. Just remember the old advice - “Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it!”
Perhaps the sad part in my life was that I didn’t even know what I was missing. Although I thanked God most every night for our good life and good health, that was the extent of my devotional. A shock was required to make me realize that my life had to change. This event has been written about before. Until then I just went along doing the best I could and living for enjoyment while at times helping others when their needs were thrust in my face. Mainly I was a preview of the “ME Generation”. My aspirations were all about what would be good for me. Of course I thought seriously about my family, but they often came second. I was on a long course of building a career leading to wealth.
This was fulfilling, but whenever there was a temporary impediment, I didn’t think I had anywhere to turn except to scramble on my own. My wife and family always offered support in every way, and I appreciated and needed this. Where was God? I found much later that He was there all the time and overcame hurdles for me that could have killed future plans. If not for Him, I would have been a miserable failure. Mind you, I did not realize this until long after so now that is one of the important things for which I regularly thank our loving Lord.
From what I read and have learned, many people feel much like I did before really discovering Jesus in my life. So if you happen to be one of these, I urge you to take a shot at seeing what our Lord can do in your life. I guarantee you will be amazed and almost overwhelmed by His power and desire to help you. As the song “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling” goes, ‘Jesus is waiting and watching for you, watching for you and for me. Come home, come home, you who are sinners, come home.’
Again I have to stop and consider what some may be thinking. “I am not sinning; I am doing good, and perhaps even going to church.” Yes you are sinning, if it is only that you regard anyone or anything as more important than your love for our Lord. Also we, myself included, continue to commit little acts that are not pleasing to God. Jesus was the only person who has never sinned. Until we become as pure as Christ, we will continue to sin in some way. And of course becoming this pure is impossible for us. But we can be purified and be acceptable to Christ by simply committing to Him as our Lord and Savior. An incredibly simple step, but Oh so important! This will bring you to a life forever with Him. Nothing else will do this.
Even the most enjoyable trip we ever had was a letdown as it ended. Then we would look forward to being home. The adventures with Christ never end, and there is never a letdown. He continues to bring enjoyment day by day and year by year. Of course not everything that happens in our lives is pure joy. In this world of evil there is bound to be occurrences that interfere with this pure happiness. But our precious Lord helps us cope and bear these situations, no matter how bad they get.
If I had been one of Jesus’ friends, would I have abandoned Him? I don’t know. Certainly the disciples were frightened for their lives. But some of his friends, both women and men stood by Him to the end. Since I don’t know how I would have reacted, I can only consider how I would stand up for Him today. If I were persecuted for my faith as so many are in this evil world, how would I fare?
In my adult life I have never been afraid of anything except momentarily. I have faced dangers in my airplane over unfriendly terrain and at night never giving it a thought. But have I ever been challenged by an overpowering force that gave me a choice of living or dying? No I haven’t and hope I never will. People in other parts of the world have been given this choice – give up your faith and live, or die a martyr. How would I react?
It is easy to say, as the disciples did before Jesus was sentenced to be crucified that I would never abandon our Lord. Over the centuries, we know that many were made martyrs by sticking to their faith -- and me?. I now know the choices -- either be with the Lord or be with Satan -- Forever! Knowing that, certainly I will endure whatever comes and choose Heaven over hell.
But the world has largely chosen hell, often without knowing it. If a person has never heard of Jesus, how can they choose Him? Although the Bible is clear that the only way to Heaven is by declaring allegiance to Christ, most people either do not know or believe this. Even if they have been told about Jesus, they still cannot bring themselves to accept Him. They believe they will have to give up too many worldly pleasures; or they aren’t even concerned about Him. To them, life after earthly existence or the fate of their soul is not a worry or anything to even think about.
I could have been one of these if I had not found Jesus in 2004 after reading the book ‘Heaven Is So Real’. What a momentous discovery for me at age 79! To think that before then I only thought about Jesus at Christmas, and soon He was forgotten again. Now I cannot imagine life without Christ being important. I have had a wonderful life and unknowingly was guided and helped by God all through my life. Would He have continued to help me if I had not finally turned to Christ? Maybe, but He may not have helped me into Heaven.
Sometimes we have some rain in our lives, and it would be hard to bear without Jesus being there for comfort and help. The troubles on one day seemed unsolvable. But after prayer at the end of the day I realized that there is nothing beyond help from Christ. This can be compared to having a fifty pound weight lifted from my shoulders except it is far more important.
In my ‘down’ moments I felt that the problems were too much for me and I was diverted from doing anything except to stew about them. I didn’t have the incentive to do much of anything including writing. Good, you say? But I turned to our wonderful Lord who quieted my fears. After that I knew that He is willing and able to help with all situations. I wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything this world offers. Yes, I know I will defend my faith in the Lord no matter what.
James L. Christiansen wrote: “The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life.”
This year, 2009, a year when I have felt closer to God than ever, yet I felt little of the spirit of Christmas. Most years of my life, this was the time I would go around singing or humming Christmas carols to myself. I did play carols on the organ and sang the words to some, but somehow the wonderful feeling of Yuletide was not there. Was this due to knowing that less joy was being experienced by others in our tumultuous world?
What it could also have been is my limited exposure to the ‘tinsel’ effect in the stores and on the streets. Not much shopping was done as Anita didn’t feel like wa