Tag Archive | religion

Christians: What you don’t know can hurt you!

Nov16

Question: Most Americans identify as being Christians. But is it true that many of them are unclear about what they believe?

Answer:  It’s true if you believe the results of the “State of American Theology Study 2016.”  Read about this study in the WND.com article, “American Christians cave on core beliefs.”  http://www.wnd.com/2016/10/american-christians-cave-on-core-beliefs/  Too many Christians lack basic knowledge of their own faith.  In fact, from reading the results of this study, you might wonder why some of these people want to call themselves Christians at all.

Christians should know that the Bible clearly tells us that we are to believe what is written in the Scriptures and that the Scriptures are given by God.  In fact, 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (NKJV)  Therefore, by studying the Bible and praying for God to give them understanding of His Holy Word,  Believers will grow in their knowledge of what they are to believe.

Interestingly, the results of this study would indicate that there are many who lack basic scriptural knowledge. For example, 70% of those in this study agreed the God of the Trinity (God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit) is the one true God.  They agreed that God does not make a mistake and is the author of Scripture.  But fewer than half say the Bible is entirely accurate.  Maybe this would help explain why 64% believe that “God accepts the worship of all religions” and 60% believe that “Heaven is a place where all people will ultimately be reunited with their loved ones.”  Additionally, only 40% believe “hell is an eternal place of judgment where God sends all people who do not personally trust in Jesus Christ.”  Maybe the others forgot what Jesus said to certain evildoers in Matthew 23:33 when He said, “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?”

Sadly, these numbers also suggest that many Christians are confused about their beliefs.  In Exodus 20:3, God says, “You should have no other gods before Me.”  Since most religions worship other gods, their worship can’t be accepted by our Almighty God.  Additionally John 3:16 says, “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.”  And, in John 14: 6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Therefore, God’s Word is clear that only those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will go to Heaven.  Since we know that not everyone accepts Jesus as their Savior, we know that not all people will be reunited with their loved ones in Heaven one day — only those who are Believers.  Believers are those who know that the Bible says we are all sinners.  The wages of our sin is death.  By dying on the cross, Jesus took the punishment we deserved for our sins.  Only by asking God to forgive us of our sins, repenting of our sins, and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, will we go to Heaven and not to hell!

Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…”  In other words, Christians, what you don’t know can hurt you!  So, commit to studying the Bible.  Pray to grow in the knowledge and blessings of God’s Holy Word!

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Beware! You’re being watched!

Jan21

Question:  How do I get over my resentment of church people after witnessing hypocritical behavior by some of them?

Answer:  Unfortunately, many people have blamed the entire church body for bad behavior they’ve seen or experienced from some in the church. Some have even used this reason to explain why they don’t want to attend church. But they need to know that like everybody else, when members of the church do wrong or treat people wrong, they sin against God.  And, like everyone else, they will answer to God for their actions if they don’t ask forgiveness for and repent of their sins. Those Believers who have truly grown in their relationship with God already know this.

But you need to understand that your own relationship with God should not be based on the actions of humans.  Your relationship with God must be based on your acceptance of the actions of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ!  Jesus is the only one God sent to die on the cross and take the punishment we deserved for our sins.  We can be thankful for His sacrificial death and resurrection.  Only by accepting Jesus as our Savior, asking Him to forgive our sins and repenting from our sins, are we saved from eternal damnation. Then, we can look forward to going to heaven.  And we make the first steps needed to develop godly feelings towards other people.

Because God’s Holy Spirit will then be guiding you and helping you to have the correct feelings towards others — whether they are doing the right things or doing the wrong things.  You’ll learn to hate the sins and not the sinner.  You’ll learn that you are to pray for people who are doing wrong instead of resenting them.  Pray that they repent and do right.  Love them because God loves them and wants them to live their lives for Him.

As Christians, we must remember that we are being watched by both fellow Believers as well as unbelievers.  And just as the Pharisees watched Jesus hoping to find something they could use against Him (see Luke 6:6-11),  our actions will also be used for and against us by others.  Our actions can help draw people to Christ or push them away from Christ.  The Bible teaches us in Matthew 5:13-16 that we are to represent the love of Jesus Christ to others by being “salt and light.”  It says in verse 16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (NKJV)

Beware, Christians!  You’re being watched!  So, make sure what others see is the love of Jesus Christ in you!

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Don’t start the New Year believing the devil’s lies!

Dec30

Question: I can believe that God loves other people.  But, with a past like mine, how could God really love somebody like me?

Answer:  First, know that you are not alone in feeling this way.  There are many people with pasts that include everything from using illegal drugs and drunkenness, to stealing, sexual promiscuity, and even murder who think there’s no hope for them to have a true relationship with a Holy God.  But that is simply not true.  These are just lies of the devil!

The Bible gives us many examples of how God has used people with troubled pasts.  Take the prostitute Rahab.  She hid the messengers of God when they needed help.  Joshua 6:25 tells us that as a result of her actions  — despite her background — Rahab and her household were saved by God.  And in another example, look at the life of the Apostle Paul, a well-known persecutor and murderer of Christians, who was later used by God to be a great Christian leader.  In 1st Timothy 1:15, Paul himself says:  “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” (NKJV)

In fact, Satan even tried to get Jesus to believe his lies.  Luke 4: 1 – 13 tells us how Satan encountered Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days trying to tempt Jesus to turn His back on God and worship him instead.  It didn’t work.  Satan failed to tempt Jesus away from God.  In verse 8, Jesus responds by saying, “Get behind Me, Satan!  For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'”  So if Satan tried to get Jesus away from God, you know he is trying to get you.  Don’t fall for his lies!

The truth is that God actually wants to have a relationship with us.  But, as it says in Romans 3:23, “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”  And our sins do separate us from God.  But because God loves us so much He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him and to be able to join Him in Heaven one day.  That one and only way is through Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.  Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment we deserve for our sins.   When we accept Jesus as our Savior and ask Him to forgive us of our sins and repent, we are reconciled to God.  See John 3:16.

So remember, Satan doesn’t want you to have a relationship with God.  He wants you to stay wallowing in your sins and separated from God because of them, and on your way to hell with him.  Jesus says, “The thief  (Satan) 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)   So, while we must realize that Satan wants us to feel unloved by God and defeated, we can stand strong against his lies.  We can go into the new year knowing that we, indeed, have God’s love.  Praise the Lord!

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God’s wrath against a rebellious people

Apr27

Question:  With so much evil being reported in the news today, why don’t we see more people turning to God?

Answer:  More and more people seem to be tolerating or even embracing sinful behavior  today.  We know from scripture that it is sin that separates us from God.  The more a person tolerates sin the more they are likely to move away from being receptive to the Word of God.  Even though we hear plenty of people talking about prayer during times of tragedy, we also know that as soon as the public memorials are over,  many of these same people are continuing to support or tolerate sin.  Instead of living their lives and making decisions based on the Holy Bible, they are supporting ways that go against the teachings of the Bible.  Therefore, they are being rebellious towards God.

A couple of recent articles published on Politico’s website illustrate examples of many people’s apparent tolerance for sinful behavior.  They tell of the political comebacks of two disgraced politicians, Republican Mark Sanford and Democrat Anthony Weiner.   Both of these successful men betrayed their wives.  Sanford publicly admitted to an affair, and Weiner admitted sending sexually revealing pictures of himself to other women.  While many of us still remember these stories being uncovered not that long ago and these men leaving public office — both initially tried to hide what they were doing — we now see their names back in the political headlines.  Weiner came in second  place in a recent poll for New York City mayor (see http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/new-york-city-mayor-poll-anthony-weiner-90174.html?hp=r3).  Sanford just won his party’s nomination to run for a seat in the  US House of Representatives (see http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/anthony-weiner-mark-sanford-90012.html).  Sure, they both apologized for what they did, and yes, if they have sincerely asked God to forgive them, He will.  However, by supporting these men so soon, are people just being forgiving or is it that people just don’t care about sexual sin?

Nevertheless, God knows all our hearts.  He knows if we are being hypocrites by saying we love the Lord while continuing to call right wrong and wrong right.   As Believers, we know that our God will not be mocked.  As written in Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” (NKJV)   Reading on in this chapter of scripture is like reading from events in today’s news headlines.  For we learn in verses 24-32 that  “God  gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and  worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”  Reading this, I think of all those who readily enact laws to protect a tree or baby whale, but not the human child in its mother’s womb from abortion.

The next verses go on to say, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions.  For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving  in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”  This passage reminds us of the increasing number of laws being pushed, now, to advance the acceptance of homosexuality and even so-called “homosexual marriage” in our culture.   Remember that God created sex to be between a man and woman in marriage.  According to His Word, sex outside of marriage is sin!  (And no, being “engaged” doesn’t count.)

The rest of these verses list many types of sins people commit:  from being violent and proud to being unloving, unforgiving, and unmerciful.  It says those committing these sins, “who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”  Reading these words should make us all seek to live our lives to please God.  For the Bible says in Romans 3:23-24, “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…”  We can never do enough good deeds to “earn” our way to heaven, and we will never be perfect in this life.  For we are saved by God’s grace through faith in His Son.

Needless to say, we should all be thankful to our Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins.  He took our punishment upon Himself — the punishment we deserved.  The Word says that by asking Jesus to forgive us our sins and  accepting Him as our one and only Savior, we will have eternal life with God in Heaven.  God provided this way for us to be saved because of His great  love for us.  Read John 3:16.  By the help of God’s Holy Spirit living in us, we should want to live our lives to please our Father in Heaven.  Instead of choosing to be rebellious against Him, we should strive to reflect His love through our daily living and being obedient to His Word.  Praise the Lord!

Helpful Links:

Focus on the Family    http://www.focusonthefamily.com

Crown Financial Ministries   http://www.crown.org

The Christian Broadcasting Network   http://www.cbn.com

World Magazine   www.worldmag.com