Crucifixion – Page 3 – Media 4 Life Ministries

Hell is for real

Many have raised the question and discussed the existence of a literal place called Hell. Is Hell for real? I believe that it is, in fact Jesus Himself spoke more about the literal existence of Hell than anybody else in the Bible. Another word for Hell is the lake of fire mentioned four times in the book of Revelation. What is that place and where is it?

I don’t think that anyone really knows for sure.

There are some that believe that hell is in the center of the earth, while others believe that it may be far out in the universe i.e. the outer darkness Jesus spoke off. “And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Mat 25:30. This phrase was used by the Lord three times in the gospel of Matthew.

The word Hell appears 32 times in all of the Bible. In the Hebrew the word hell is Sheol. According to the concordance the word Sheol can mean: underworld, grave, hell, pit. The OT designation for the abode of the dead or: 1) place of no return 2) without praise of God. 3) wicked sent there for punishment. 4) righteous not abandoned to it. 5) of the place of exile. 6) of extreme degradation in sin.

In the New Testament which was written in the Greek the word Hell/Sheol is translated as Gehenna. Here is what the concordance list as to what it means: 1) Hell is the place of the future punishment call “Gehenna” or “Gehenna of fire”. This was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction.

The Apostle Peter in his second epistle uses the word tartaroo to describe Hell. Concordance: 1) the name of the subterranean region, doleful and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds; it answers to Gehenna of the Jews. 2) to thrust down to Tartarus, to hold captive in Tartarus.

I believe that Peter used this word because he was writing to a Greek audience and they knew what he meant by the word Tartaroo.

There are many even within Christendom that either flat-out deny the existence of Hell or fail to speak about from the pulpit. Just as many deny the existence of Satan i.e. the Devil. Universalism teaches that there is no Hell and that eventually everybody will be saved. Then there are those that would say, if God is so loving, why does He sent people to Hell?

First of all, God does not send people to Hell, they send themselves there by rejecting His free gift of salvation which is through His Son Christ Jesus. He did not come into the world to send people to Hell, He came to set people free from sin and the white throne judgment of God that all of those who reject Jesus will have to face one day.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” John 3:16-20.

Many people know John 3:16, but many forget to read the other verses to get the full context of what Jesus was saying. God loves us and he demonstrated His love by giving His only begotten Son, but many do not want to believe, do not care or simply reject Him. All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Rom 3:23). All of us have broken God’s divine laws and we deserve punishment.

God by His Mercy and Grace has provided a way to avoid that judgment and that is through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Those who believe by faith will be saved and inherit eternal life. Those who reject will have a different destiny; Hell or eternal separation from God.

Some may say that God does not exist, therefore Hell does not exist. Can they really be sure? Can they be sure hat there is nothing after death? I may not be able to proof the existence of God or Hell to an unbeliever or someone who rejects God completely, but I know that I know that God is for real, heaven is for real and unfortunately Hell is for real.

God does not want anybody to end up in Hell and I believe that He makes every effort to save people from that place. He does this through His word and the witness of others that share the gospel. People have to really harden their hearts before God let’s them go, just as Pharaoh did. It is not God that hardens the hearts of people. God gave Pharaoh many chances to listen to Him, but Pharaoh hardened his heart each time and rejected, until God finally let him go.

I hope that there are many out there that have a soft heart that hear the call and the voice of God. This world as we know it is coming to an end. I don’t know the day or the hour, we are on God’s prophetic time clock. Looking at the world today, it’s a few seconds before midnight.

I’m no expert on Hell either, neither do I want to be, I never wanna see or be at that place wherever it may be. I hope that if you are an unbeliever and read this, not to laugh it off, but to at least think about what Jesus said and what He did. Jesus did for us what we could not do ourselves. He died for you and me, taking our deserved punishment so that we can spend eternity with Him. Eternity is a long time and there are only two destinations; Heaven or Hell. Which one will you choose?

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6.

Sinless Christians?

I have had several people tell me over the years that they are sinless and sin no more. Their argument is that born again believers are a new creation and thus they cannot sin and they have overcome sin through the power of the Holy Spirit. They quote 1 John 3 which says that a believer can no longer sin.

“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 1John 3:9.

Sounds pretty convincing and convicting doesn’t it? Is John saying that a believer cannot sin and if he or she does they are of the Devil?

Let’s go back a few verses: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” 1John 3:3-6.

They following contains a few exerts from commentary by John Stott and David Guzik. I ‘m gonna put some closing thoughts at the end.

Sin is lawlessness: John defines sin at its most basic root. It is a disregard for the law of God, which is inherently a disregard for God Himself.

We often fail in the battle against sin because we won’t call it for what it is: lawlessness, an offense against the Great Law Maker, God. Instead, we say things like “If I’ve done anything wrong . . .” or “Mistakes were made . . .” and so forth. Call it for what it is: sin and lawlessness. “The first step towards holy living is to recognize the true nature and wickedness of sin.” (Stott)

You know that He was manifested to take away our sins: John here defined the mission of Jesus Christ at its most basic root – to take away our sins. The angel Gabriel promised Joseph regarding the ministry of Jesus: “you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sin.” Luke 1:21

Jesus takes away our sin in the sense of taking the penalty of our sin. This is immediately accomplished when one comes by faith to Jesus.

Jesus takes away our sin in the sense of taking the power of sin away. This is an ongoing work in the lives of those who walk after Jesus.

Jesus takes away our sin in the sense of taking the presence of sin away. This is a work that will be completed when we pass into eternity and are glorified with Jesus.

He was manifested to take away our sins: This is the work of Jesus in our life. It is a work we must respond to, but it is His work in us.

We cannot take away the penalty of our own sin. It is impossible to cleanse ourselves in this way. We must instead receive the work of Jesus in taking away our sin.

We cannot take away the power of sin in our lives. This is His work in us, and we respond to that work. Someone who comes to Jesus does not have to clean themselves up first, but they must be willing to have Him take away their sin.

We cannot take away the presence of sin in our lives. This is His work in us, ultimately accomplished when we will be glorified with Him.

In Him there is no sin: Jesus had no sin to take away; therefore He could take away our sin, taking it upon Himself.

Abiding in sin or abiding in God.

Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

Whoever abides in Him does not sin: Since sin is lawlessness, a disregard for God ( 1 John 3:4) and since Jesus came to take away our sins (1 John 3:5), and since in Jesus there is no sin, then to abide in Him means to not sin.

It is very important to understand what the Bible means – and when it does not mean – when it says does not sin. According to the verb tense John uses, does not sin means does not live a life style of habitual sin. John has already told us in 1 John 1:8. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In 1 John 1:8, the grammar indicates John is speaking about occasional acts of sin. The grammar of 1 John 1:6 indicates that John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin. John is not teaching here the possibility of sinless perfection.

“The present tense in the Greek verb implied habit, continuity, unbroken sequence” (Stott); the NIV has the right idea when it translates these verbs with phrases such as keeps on sinning, continues to sin, and he cannot go on sinning.

Whoever abides in Him does not sin: John’s message is plain and consistent with the rest of the Scriptures. It tells us that a life style of habitual sin is inconsistent with a life of abiding in Jesus Christ. A true Christian can only be temporarily in a life style of sin.

Paul’s teaching in Romans 6 is a great example of this principle. He shows us that when a person comes to Jesus, when their sins are forgiven and God’s grace is extended to them, they are radically changed – the old man is dead, and the new man lives. So it is utterly incompatible for a new creation in Christ to be comfortable in habitual sin; such a place can only be temporary for the Christian.

In some ways, the question is not “do you sin or not?” We all sin. The question is, “How do you react when you sin? Do you give into the pattern of sin, and let it dominate your lifestyle? Or do you humbly confess your sin, and do battle against it with the power Jesus can give?”

This is why it is so grieving to see Christians make excuses for their sin, and not humbly confess them. Unless the sin is dealt with squarely, it will contribute to a pattern of sin that may soon become their lifestyle – perhaps a secret lifestyle, but a lifestyle nonetheless.

What is important is that we never sign a “peace treaty” with sin. We never wink at its presence or excuse it by saying, “Everybody has their own sinful areas, and this is mine. Jesus understands.” This completely goes against everything we are in Jesus, and the work He has done in our life.

Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him: To live a lifestyle of habitual sin is to demonstrate that you have not seen Him (in a present sense of the ultimate “seeing Him mentioned in 1 John 3:2), and that you have not known Him. There are some people so great and so wonderful that seeing them or knowing them will change your life forever. Jesus is that kind of person. (David Guzik)

So, if some claim that they are sinless, are they deceiving themselves? I strongly believe so. As long as we live on this earth in our earthly bodies we cannot and will not be perfect. They only sinless and perfect One is our Lord Jesus Christ. If people could be perfect and sinless on their own, than Christ did in vain. Why do we pray the Lord’s prayer where it says “forgive us our trespasses?” Why did Jesus in His letters to the seven churches ask them to repent? What about the passage in Revelation?

“Then “I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” Rev 12:10.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” 1 John 1:8-10.

The Grace of God

I believe that many believers have never really fully comprehended what grace truly means for the believer. We hear the word grace many times, we hear about justice and mercy. Let me first say that mercy and justice are very much different from grace. Justice is something that we all deserve for we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23.

Mercy is not receiving what we deserve. We are all guilty before God and because God is a just God, He has to punish the sinners. He cannot compromise His perfect law and justice. If any of us committed a crime in this world and we had to appear before a judge and the judge would say, “you know what, I feel great today, I let you go.” That judge would not be a just judge. Crimes require a penalty, either with a fine or jail time.

The same thing is true with God our heavenly judge, He cannot just say, “don’t worry I let you off the hook.” A just judge will give a sentence that fit’s the crime committed, but he cannot let the person go free without any kind of penalty. That is justice according to the laws of the land. The judge hands down the punishment, a fine of $50.000 for the crime committed. The person say’s “I don’t have that kind of money.” The judge decides because the person can’t pay the fine, to impose a jail sentence instead. Just as the officers begins to handcuff the person someone comes in and pays the fine for the convicted criminal. The man is free to go, someone paid his fine for him. Not only that, when the men goes to his bank, he finds out that there is a deposit on his account for one million dollars.

That is what God did for us, Jesus paid the penalty for the sinners. He took all the punishment that we deserved upon Him at the cross. He is our propitiation i.e appeasement. It is by God’s grace that those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are pardoned from their sins. The sinner is justified before God because Jesus paid it all. We were all deserving of the judgment and the punishment is eternal separation from God. But because God in His mercy and Grace gave His only Son so that we may live. Grace is a free gift. We cannot earn it or improve on it.

All believers are declared justified before God and that is just like we never ever sinned. God sees us through the blood of Jesus and He sees His righteousness. It is not by our righteousness or good works, it is the righteousness of Christ that was imputed onto the believers.God has bestowed His grace upon the believer and His grace is sufficient and will never wear out.

Many believers are trying so hard to please God, either by good works or some acts of righteousness. They live a legalistic life with commandments and ordinances and the result is that they have placed themselves into a life of bondage. They live under constant condemnation because they never feel that they are good enough. They are working so hard that they have forgotten the grace of God that they are trying to please God in the flesh which is impossible. No one can please God by the works of the flesh. One of the last words of Jesus on the cross were, Tetelstai or, it is finished. Relax, Jesus did it all for us. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.

I believe that we need to remind ourselves sometimes that it is by God’s grace that we are saved and that there is nothing we can do to change that. He will never leave us nor forsake us. None of us is perfect and if we could be perfect on our own, Christ died in vain. We all stumble from time to time or mess up, but God’s grace covers it all.

The believer is justified the moment they believe in Jesus, that is unchangeable and irreversible. There is sanctification and that is a life long process. Everyday we are conformed more and more into the image of Christ. As we let go of the things of this world we draw nearer to Christ until the day arrives that we will be glorified with Him.

In the meantime listen to the still small voice and abide in Christ and He will finish our faith. He is the author and finisher of our faith. To me that sounds like that Jesus is writing my book and with every chapter written, I’m one step closer to heaven.

I thank God for His grace and His love and mercy towards me. Without the gift of grace and the sacrifice of Jesus, I would be hopeless and lost. Thank you Lord for revealing Yourself to me when I needed You most. You are the way the truth and the life. Thank you Father for your grace and I pray that many will come to realize that you love them and that they would turn from the world and embrace you and you promise of everlasting life.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast”Eph 2:8,9.

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1, 2.

Can we really know God?

There are many religions in the world and all of them have some kind of a god. Muslims worship Allah for example and Hindus have 330 million different gods. Can anybody really know 330 million gods?

Muslims say that they know Allah and that he is the true god, yet they have no personal relationship with Allah. A Muslim can never be sure if Allah is pleased with them. Muslims have no assurance of Allah’s love for them. They weight out their good and bad deeds and hope that the goods deeds will outweigh their bad deeds. They hope that Allah will be merciful to them. They also have no assurance to make it to heaven i.e paradise. All religions are either based on a works based or man centered relationship with their god(s). That is what religion is, man trying in vain to reach God on their own merit.

How about Christianity? Can a Christian truly know God? When I talk about God, I am referring to the God of the Bible, the Creator of all things. The only true and living God. In all reality, there is only one true God, all others are man-made and do not exist. I know that will offend many religions and religious people, but it is the simple truth. There is only One true and living God and it doesn’t matter how many different gods people worship. Ultimately they will all face the true God, at the day of judgment.

Many people believe that it is impossible to know God. They say that God is incomprehensible, which He is. How can one know Almighty God that spoke the universe into existence, simply by His Word? It is way beyond our finite minds. When God spoke, His word traveled in the speed of light which is about 186.000 miles per second. Awesome, incredible and incomprehensible. God in the OT was know by Abraham as YHWH and to Moses God revealed Himself as the “I AM that I AM” in the burning bush. God revealed Himself and His awesome powers through various ways to the OT Saints. Adam and Eve before the fall, walked with God in the cool of the evening. How can somebody walk with God Who is Spirit? Moses wanted to see God and ask Him to show His Glory. “And Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory.” But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” Ex33:18, 20.

God did show Moses some of His Glory, by passing by, covering the eyes of Moses and Moses saw the back or afterglow of God. The result of that was that the face of Moses was glowing when he came down from the mountain. The children of Israel saw the presence of God as a flame of fire at night and a cloud during the day after the Exodus from Egypt. God is so Holy that we as fallen human beings could not stand in His presence and live.

How than can Christians claim to know God personally and have a loving relationship with Him? A Christian knows God because of Jesus Christ. He has revealed God to them. Jesus, the second person of the triune Godhead became flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14). Jesus is the exact image of God, His character, nature and all attributes. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Col 1:15-17.

In the OT times God appeared to man as the Angel of the LORD. He appeared and spoke to Abraham in Genesis 18. Whenever God appeared to men in human form, it was through the person of Jesus i.e.the pre-incarnate Christ.

He was the Angel of the LORD that spoke to Haggar after leaving Abraham with Ishmael. The Angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Ex 3:2). The Angel of the LORD appeared before Balaam riding his donkey in Numbers 22. He appeared to Gideon (Jdg 6). Manoah, Elijah and many others throughout the OT.

Whenever God communicated with men in human form, it was the person of Jesus. In the gospel of John in chapter 8 the Pharisees once again attack Jesus accusing Him of having a demon. Jesus is making one of the most profound statements to them: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Jhn 8: 56-58. Jesus took the very name that the Angel of the Lord revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush. “I AM.” The Jews understood perfectly well that He said that He is God. That’s the reason they picked up stones to kill Him. Jesus is the great “I AM” or the becoming One.

Christians can know God the Father because Jesus declared Him and we know God because we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Jesus left heaven to dwell with man, He humbled Himself and became one of us. He willfully came to the earth dwelled among us and gave His life on the cross. He came to die for those that would believe in Him through faith. Believers in Christ Jesus are forgiven of their sins. The scriptures are very clear, only God can forgive sins. “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Mark 2:7. They were right, only God can forgive sins and Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. They called Jesus a blasphemer. What they failed to see is that Jesus is God. The Apostle John makes it very clear who Jesus is: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-3.

Christians believe in the trinity or the triune nature of God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Co-equal, Co-existent, Co-eternal. One God in three distinct Persons but of One Essence. (please see my article on the trinity).

Jesus showed us God. If we know and learn from Jesus we can know God and have a meaningful and personal relationship with Him by abiding in Christ. “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mat 11:27-30.

As true biblical Christians we can boldly claim to know God, because we know and believe in Jesus who is like the Father and He has shown us the Father. One of His own disciples was asking Jesus: “Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Philip wanted to see God, not realizing that God was in their midst. Jesus said: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” John 14: 9,10.

As Christians we can have assurance of forgiveness and eternal life because of our Lord and Savior. We can also come boldly before the throne of God because Jesus opened the way to the Father, He opened the veil to the Holy of Holiest.

The answer to the question in the beginning is a big YES. True believers in Jesus can know God, His Character, attributes, His kindness, His love, mercy and grace towards those who receive the Son. There is only one way to know God and there is only one way to God.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6.

Jesus or Muhammad? (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)
Christianity; the oldest “religion” in the World. (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)
The Muslim Dilemma (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)

The business of Christianity

In my opinion, mainstream Christianity has turned into a multi – billion dollar business. There are Christian bookstores with all kinds of merchandise, clothing, jewelry and of course many books by hundreds of authors who write about the Christian lifestyle and how to live a better life. People are buying all kinds of artwork like pictures for example with scripture verses or biblical sceneries to decorate their homes. They buy jewelry, they wear Christian merchandise and put bumper stickers on their cars. (I have a couple on my car). I have to admit that I also have a pretty extensive library of books myself, commentaries, concordances and of course several Bibles. To be honest, I have not read most of them thoroughly. They sit on my shelf and I might pick up one from time to time and glance through one.

I still prefer to just read the Bible. The best commentary on the Bible, is the Bible itself. There are so many commentaries out there and sometimes it’s hard to know which one is a good one. Commentaries always infuse to one degree or another the authors opinions and viewpoints. I use a study Bible, mine is the John MacArthur Study Bible and the Chuck Smith Word for today study Bible. Sorry, I’m getting of track here. Big business in Christianity, lot’s of money to be made. I see so many Pastors of larger churches that write books, release DVD’s and sell, them for a hefty price. I know that many good books have been written and I have enjoyed some of them of course, but I’m looking at the big picture, I’m sure that most authors are kingdom oriented, but there is number of authors that are looking to make a profit. They use Christianity as a lucrative business. Christianity sells. They visit various churches for a speaking engagement and these guys are getting paid for by the church to speak and promote their book(s).

I realize that it cost money to keep the lights on at church and that requires money. I also believe that people should give to the church that they attend and call their home church. Unfortunately there are some out there that want to make what the Bible calls sordid gain. Just like those who made a profit of the people who came to the temple in the days of our Lord. Jesus got pretty angry about them making profit and scamming the people, He threw them out.

Whatever happened to “freely you have received, freely you give?” The Lord never sold anything or made a profit of anyone, contrary, He paid a heavy price to purchase and redeem us: His blood.

Then of course we have the churches themselves, many are focusing on the appearance of the sanctuary, big sound systems, light shows and bands that perform rather than worshiping the Lord. Loud music, a performance to please the audiences, but do they necessarily please the Lord? Some pastors dress up in modern fashion (ripped jeans, trendy shirts) to look hip, they wanna relate to the new generation and look and act just like them. All of these things are just outward appearances.

What is the purpose of the church? The purpose of the church is for the equipping of the saints for ministry. To teach and study the Bible and to send out those who are called to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ….” Eph 4:11, 12.

That is the purpose of the church. In order to that, do we need to have a stages with light shows and special effects? Do we need to dress a certain “Christian way”? Do we need to look Christian or should be Christian i.e Christ like? The Apostles and the early church didn’t need or use any kind of dramatic demonstrations or clothing. They came to the people as they were in honesty and truth. The preached Christ and Him crucified and risen. They didn’t need anything else, except the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” 1Cr 2:1-5.

Paul and the others preached the gospel i.e the good news and nothing else. They came humbly and in love to the people who had not heard the gospel. How did the people received faith, by outward appearances or by the word of God? It was by the word of God that many came to faith in Christ. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Rom 10:17.

In conclusion, we may have many churches that want to be contemporary, relevant and hip today. I’m not condemning that, I think some of it is needed to reach a younger generation to Christ. But I do sometimes question the motives behind some of these above mentioned things. Is the church trying to increase the number of people attending church and drawing them by apparel? I still believe and I always will believe that if the church teaches the word of God, people will come.

The word of God should bring the people to church, not light shows and performing bands. Simply teach the Bible simply. “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23, 24.

No matter what kind of clothing I might wear or how the church conducts their services or how many books I might read, if I don’t worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, all is in vain. It is not the outside, it’s a matter of the heart.

The Christian Dilemma (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)

To be absent from the body…

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” 2Cr 5:8.

This is one of the verses that many use to explain that as soon as a person dies that they will be with the Lord in an instant. Are they? I was thinking about that the other day and it is only a theory of mine and I am not dogmatic about it. Maybe some of you have a different view and I love your feedback on this. I was just thinking, a person that has died a thousand years ago, has that person been with Jesus for a thousand years by the time I get there? I don’t think so for several reasons.

I believe that once a person dies, they are no longer bound in a time continuum like we are. I was looking at it in this way, if a person goes to sleep at 8pm and awakes at 8am, those 12 hours went by in an instant for the person sleeping. They fell to sleep and woke up. If I would have sat next to the bed awake for 12 hours, time would pass slowly because I was in real-time. I wake up sometimes during the night and to be honest, I could not tell what hour it is. Is it 3am or 5am? I lost all sense of time and how many hours I might have slept before I woke up. What I believe is that we as believers will arrive at the same time to meet the Lord, no matter what century a person may have died.

We will all be there for the marriage supper of the lamb, dressed in white linen. What about the thief on the cross you might ask. Well, Jesus did say to him that today he will be with Him in paradise. The thief died on the cross and time ceased to exist for him. I think he will be there with us at the same time. I’m not sure about the OT Saints, like Abraham, Moses and Elijah for example that died before Christ went to the cross. Most of us know the passage when Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain and they saw Him transformed before them and Him standing there with Moses an Elijah.

Maybe God worked differently with His chosen people in the OT times. I don’t have all the answers, but it is something to think about and as I said, I cannot be dogmatic about any of this. It just makes not a lot sense to me that some have been with the Lord for many centuries, and when I get there, I’m the newcomer, the new kid on the block. Well, however it may be, it will be glorious to be with the Lord and spend eternity with Him. Let me know what you think, or if you have something to add.

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”John 11:25, 26.

The Atheist Dilemma

Atheists or Anti-theists love to make the statement, “there is no God!” I had numerous conversations with anti-theists which lead nowhere except around and around in circles. An Atheist strongly believes that there is no God, just as I strongly believe God exist. Sometimes I wonder why atheists are so outspoken against something they claim does not exist. They even have their own symbol and hold conventions, and meetings of “Free Thinkers”. Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, who recently expired, and many others have written numerous books on their belief’s.

Before I was a believer, I never thought of going around mocking Christians and their faith and belief’s in God. Atheists, however, go out of their way pushing their godless agenda. Atheists can get pretty upset when I call atheism a religion. Their statement of “there is no God” is an empty statement, because they cannot for a fact disprove God. Neither can I necessarily prove the existence of God. In my view an atheist has thoroughly examined all the evidence and has come to the conclusion in his or her mind that God does not exist.

Since the atheists can not disprove God for a fact, their belief that God does not exist is by faith. As a believer I know with an absolute certainty that God exist and that God is the creator of all things. I have not seen God, but I believe by faith just as the atheist believes by faith. When I say God, I mean the God of the Bible, YHWH, the only true and living God. God is only a title and there are many god’s. It can get confusing sometimes because people have made so many of their own god’s in the past and present. The Bible speaks very clearly about the natural man, which in this case, the atheist is, a natural man without any kind of true spiritual understanding. “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 2Cr 2:14.

It is a fact that unbelievers and rejecters of God have no spiritual understanding or relationship in any way to the true and living God. The dilemma for the atheists is that they can not be sure that there is no God. One thing believers and unbelievers share is that, at one point in our life, we will have to face death. One out of one dies and that is reality. The question for the atheist is, what happens at the moment of passing? Blackness, darkness, nothingness? The light switch just get’s turned off? What if you are wrong, my dear atheist? What if there is something that happens at the moment of death? The writer of Hebrews wrote this: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..” Heb 9:27.

What if he is right, my atheist friend? Can you stand before God on your Day of Judgment having rejected Him? The only unpardonable sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I would not want to be in your shoes on that day. Are you 100% sure that God does not exist? Because if not, I would really take some time to learn about Jesus. Meet the real Jesus, not the one portrayed on the History Channel or Discovery channel. Start with the gospel of John. Jesus said, “seek and you shall find,” Matthew 7:7. I think that the atheist community is in a dilemma because, if their theory proofs to be wrong, there is much to fear: Eternal separation from God. Even the unbelievers are still getting blessed by God, which will end one day, either when they die or on Judgment Day, at the end of the age.

The Bible teaches that today is the day of salvation. Seek God before it is too late. I hope and pray that any proclaiming atheist reads this to at least investigate who Jesus is, why He came and died on the cross for the sin of the world. The glorious promise of eternal life He gave to all of those who believe in Him by faith. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Mat 7:13, 14. Jesus does not want anyone to perish but to have everlasting life. Are you sure that when you die there is nothing? Think about it.

“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.” Psalm 14:1

Believers in Jesus are not any better than anybody else. We are sinners just like everybody else. We are fallen creatures that were forgiven by Jesus Christ through His sacrifice on the cross. Heaven is not full of good people, but of forgiven sinners.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

Revised by Tikvas Garden.

Faith a gift from God (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)
Looking unto to Jesus… (media4lifeministries.com)
Good without God? (media4lifeministries.com)
I Was an Atheist Like You Before I Found Jesus (fallenfromgrace.net)

“It is written….”

Have you ever felt like you are not worthy or deserving of God’s love? Is the enemy whispering in you ears sayings like, “look at you, you messed up again” or “for sure, God does not love you after this one.” Do you feel condemned and live a life of uncertainty? He loves me, He loves me not. He loves me, He loves me not?

That is exactly what the enemy namely Satan wants for the believers in Christ Jesus; a live of condemnation and fear. Satan is the accuser and he accuses us all day and night before the throne of God. That is what he does best. He is a liar and a murderer. Are we as finite human beings perfect? If we could be perfect on our own, Jesus died in vain. As believers we do stumble from time to time, we do things that are not pleasing to God. Does that mean that we have lost favor with God? We have three enemies, Satan, the world and the flesh. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Eph 6:12.

These three are powerful enemies. Satan tempted Jesus three times in the wilderness. Satan tempted Jesus with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. We face those same temptations today. Things have not changed much from 2000 years ago, the enemy is still the same. His tactics and maneuvers are the same. We are in a spiritual battle, just as Jesus was. Jesus did not give in to those temptations presented by the deceiver. He answered all three temptations with, “It is written.” Jesus was quoting the scriptures from the book of Deuteronomy.

He answered with the word of God, which is sharper than a two-edged sword. The word of God is powerful and living and we as believers can overcome every temptation the enemy throws at us. We can be confident because of the word of God. Here are some scriptures that can give us the confidence and strength we need to overcome all things. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom 8:38, 39. ” But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom 5:8.

That would be on to throw back against Satan if he makes you doubt God’s love for you. If we stumble or commit a sin ( nobody is sinless) we have this scripture to stand on: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” 1John 1:9, 10.

Satan was defeated at the cross, everything that he does is only because God allows it for His divine purposes. Jesus came to set us free from condemnation and to give us eternal life. Satan tries to hinder us from fully realizing this freedom. So many Christians live a life of self-condemnation and a feeling of worthlessness. They fear God because in my opinion they have never really understood the true grace of God.

There is a very good book written by Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa entitled “Why Grace changes everything.” He once lived as many of us a life of condemnation and had a legalistic relationship with God. This book and the understanding of the true Grace of God can change a person’s relationship with the Lord. A life of love, forgiveness and freedom that can only be found in Christ. He came to set us free, not back into bondage. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.

Who is the thief? It is Satan, the world and the flesh. Satan condemns, the legalistic people put you under bondage and the flesh wants to bring you back to Egypt. We as Christians can all enjoy a live of freedom through the power of the Holy Spirit, if we just step out of His way and let Him do His work. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27. We can relax in Christ, He is the author and finisher of our faith. God wants us all to walk in victory over Satan our accuser.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 118. Victory without fear, trusting in the Lord and Him alone. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3.

The Lord promised us to come back and that we will spend eternity with Him. That is a comforting thought and our hope, to be with the Lord forever. In the meantime we need to stay strong and run the race to finish it. Satan may throw some stumbling blocks our way, but we will overcome, we are free. If Satan ever whispers in your ears, “God does not love you”, tell him, “It is written” and point him to the cross: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

We are the once that will spend eternity with Him because He loves us. Satan’s fate doesn’t look all that great to me. “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10.

A 2000 + year old desert religion; still relevant for us today? (media4lifeministries.com)
Free in Christ (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)

A 2000 + year old desert religion; still relevant for us today?

Christianity cannot be considered a philosophy as some have you believe. Christians believe and know that Jesus is the promised Messiah of the OT. He is the One that would come to be the Savior of the world through the shedding of His blood on the cross.

God made this promise way back in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit and sin entered the world. Sin brought forth spiritual death (separation from God). Satan the adversary tempted Eve by lying to her. God had told them not to eat of a specific tree or else they would die. They chose not to obey God’s word and gave into the temptation of Satan. He told Eve that they would not die if they ate of the fruit, contradicting God’s word.

What was that fruit? Nobody really knows, I ‘m sure it was not an apple. Because of this the fall occurred. Did they die after eating the fruit? No, they did not die physically but they died spiritually. Satan did lie to them. Jesus said in the gospel of John: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John 8:44.

There is no truth in Satan at all. He lied to Adam and Eve and he is lying to the world. He has deceived many over all those centuries and they died spiritually spending time separated from God for eternity. One of his biggest lie is that he does not exist and that God does not exist. Many haven fallen into that trap, including me for many years. They either don’t think much about God or flat-out deny Him. They serve Satan and don’t even know it. Bob Dylan once wrote in one of his songs, “you gotta serve someone”.

The unrepentant world serves Satan and his agenda, willingly or unwillingly. The disobedience of Adam and Eve which caused sin to enter in to the once perfect world resulted in them being cast out of the garden. Adam and Eve saw the consequences of their disobedience, when one of their son Cain murdering Abel. God had created everything perfect but Lucifer a high ranked Cherubim had a pride issue and rebelled against God (Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28). By tempting Adam and Eve, the first recorded murder took place and things got worse after that. Sin was in the world and Satan was then and is now the ruler of this world because Adam and Eve forfeited the earth over to Satan. In the beginning was light but now Satan brought in darkness. The Bible which Christians believe is God’s written word to mankind, and is really a book of redemption. From Genesis to Revelation the book outlines God’s redemptive work, the promised Savior to mankind as promised shortly after the fall. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15.

This is the first messianic prophecy found in the Bible. The Bible is historically accurate and we have the creation account, the fall, the flood in the days of Noah and the multiplying of people and the origin of nations. The Bible tells us that Noah had three sons, Japheth, Ham and Shem. Japheth and Ham are the fathers of the African, Middle Eastern, Northern European and Asian nations. Through the line of Shem came Abraham, Moses, King David and Jesus. Jesus is the promised Messiah from back in Genesis. He came to the nation of Israel to reconcile them to God as promised. The OT speaks of the suffering Messiah in Isaiah 53. Jesus was that suffering servant who came and was despised and hated by own. He shed his blood on the cross for the remission of sins. The religious leadership rejected Him as the Messiah and because of that, God punished them by dispersing them throughout the world by the Romans in AD 70.

As foretold in the OT the gospel i.e. the good news, would come to all the Gentile nations because of Israels rejection. The Gentiles were grafted into the olive tree. The early Church started in Jerusalem and later went out and it was in Antioch that they were first called Christians or Christ-like. From there the gospel went throughout the whole world. The gospel is really simple and it is as important today as it was yesterday and no other religion or philosophy can save us from our sins. Forgiveness and salvation is only through Jesus Christ and His redemptive and finished work on the cross. The cross was the fulfillment from Genesis. Here is the gospel message in a very simple and easy way to understand:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. What could be more simpler? Jesus purchased back the title-deed to the earth that was forfeited by Adam. God paid a very high price for it, the blood of His Son. Jesus was the the lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. He was the unblemished passover lamb. The blood of the animals could only cover the sins of ancient Israel. The blood of Jesus the lamb takes away sins and God will not remember them anymore. They are forgotten as far as the east is from the west. Why is this “desert religion” still relevant 2000 years later? Because people are still sinners today and in need of forgiveness by God through His Son. The meaning of the word sin is simply “to miss the mark” and all of us have missed the mark. Many people say that they are “good people” and compassionate etc. In the eyes of a Holy God however we all fall short of His glory. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. Sin is death and God can not allow sin in His presence because He is Holy and just and cannot approve of sin. There is a punishment for sin: eternal separation from God i.e. Hell. The Bible teaches that we all will die once and then judgement.

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Hebrews 9:27, 28

A believer in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will not be judged as the unbelievers and those who reject Jesus and God’s plan of salvation. No religion or philosophy, good behavior and good deeds will get a person into heaven and eternal life. There is only one way and Jesus said so Himself:

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Personally I think that this “desert religion” is very relevant today. Considering that there will be a judgment of God and realizing that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No one can stand before God and defend themselves on that day. The punishment for sin is eternal separation from God which is also called the lake a fire where the fire is never quenched. I am not sure how exactly that looks like, but I’m sure I don’t want to be there. Thanks to God because of His love and mercy towards us, He has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. Jesus Christ the righteous and by believing in Him by faith, His righteousness is imputed onto every believer. It is His righteousness God the Father looks at, not our righteousness which does not exist. All sins past, present and future are forgiven and there will be no eternal judgment but eternal life with Him. That’s the good news and I hope that you have thought of your life and where you will be spending eternity. Jesus is real and He is alive and He will come again to take the believers home. The Bible says today is the day of your salvation. Tomorrow may never come. Should you die tomorrow, do you know where you will be going?

Jesus can give you that assurance by receiving Him as your Lord and Savior. He can forgive you of all your sins and you will be a new creation in Him. Don’t just believe me, read the Bible. Start with the gospel of John and learn about Jesus who He is and how you can know Him personally. Learn about Him, seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him. May the Lord Jesus Christ reveal His love to you.

Christianity; the oldest “religion” in the World. (media4lifeministries.com)
You reap what you sow… (media4lifeministries.com)
Simply teach the word Simply (media4lifeministries.com)
For unto us a Child is born… (media4lifeministries.wordpress.com)

Sojourners

As I was driving on the freeway looking at all that traffic, the noise and the chaos, I thought to myself, man this is unreal. There are cars everywhere, in front of me, behind me and on both sides.

The freeways in San Diego can get pretty crazy at times, not as bad as Los Angeles but bad enough. Some people drive so fast that they zip in and out of lanes, passing cars at over 90 mph. Everybody seems to be in such a hurry all the time. Just looking at all this craziness made me think of times when things were different.

I grew up in a small town in Germany and things were pretty slow there. When I moved to San Diego in the early 80’s although San Diego was a larger city, there was still a more relaxed a more peaceful atmosphere. Things have changed quite a bit in the last 30 years. Sometimes I wonder, why? Why are people so stressed out, so unhappy? Are they still chasing the American dream or are they so stressed out and unhappy just to make ends meat?

Whatever it is, it gets me frustrated and I have to admit that sometimes I get angry about the busyness around me. It’s easy to get caught up in this world from time to time. Seeing this craziness everyday around San Diego, made me think of Father Abraham. Here is a man who lived about 4000 years ago in the land which is now known as Israel. I’m sure that in his time the world wasn’t as stressful or filled with so many distractions as we see them today, but even Abraham had to deal with many things. Like for example the pagan nations and hostile enemies that came after him and his descendants.

He lived in a world that was fallen and extremely hostile towards the people of the true and living God. It made me think of Hebrews chapter 11, the Hall of Faith. It talks about several people who were before us like Abel, Enoch, Noah and Abraham. They all walked by faith and believing that the were just sojourners on this earth. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Heb 11:3.

They all believed in a creator, and an eternal future by faith. “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Heb 11 :9, 10.

Abraham and his descendants lived as a “sojourner” in the land God had promised him, never owning any of it except the plots that he purchased for him and Sarah. He “dwelled”, the Greek word is paroikos. In today’s terms he would have been like a “Resident Alien” living in the land but without permanent residency. I need to remember that when I get frustrated about the world with its busyness, hectic and stress. I am only a sojourner passing through this temporary world. This world is full of many different things, violence, hate and wars to name a few. It is not always easy as a believer to live in this fallen world with all its problems.

But we can overcome this world, Jesus even told us that it will not be easy: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. While we sojourning here, we will face many challenges and trials in our life’s. The world around us is getting crazier by the minute and people are desperate and struck with complexities. For many there seems to be no hope, the economy, geopolitical events and no certain future for them or the children. Those of us who speak out about God and His plan of salvation are getting mocked and ridiculed because of our faith in Him. They seek peace but can’t find it. They seek satisfaction, but nothing satisfies.

Real peace and satisfaction can only come through knowing Jesus Christ. He gives the believers comfort, a hope and a future that is eternal. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27. The world will always be in conflict with the believers. The world has nothing to offer, all things will fade over time. We as believers are not of this world. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:19.

Jesus left us with a promise and a great hope, a hope that the world does not give: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2, 3.

In the meantime we live in this world and Satan is on our tails day and night, trying to entice us and get our focus of the Lord. Abide in Him and we are kept by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:15-17.

God’s word is the truth, Jesus is the way the truth and the life. If we abide in Him, we will see Him face to face one day and our joy will be complete. All things will be forgotten. Thank you Jesus for your finished work on the cross. Thank you for dying in my pace. Maranatha Lord Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jhn 3:16.