I see many interesting things on my drive to work. This morning I saw a van with a vanity license plate. The plate read "DTH N TAX" which is eluding to the Death and Taxes quote by Benjamin Franklin which goes...
"but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
Mr. Franklin got two-thirds of it right. The part that's missing, of course, is Jesus. There is nothing more certain in life than Jesus. He is our guide, our protector, our conscience, our inspiration, and our comfort. That much I'm certain.
When it comes to "Certainty" the entire Book of Revelation is based on certain events that will transpire before, during, and after the final coming of Christ. Since Revelation details these event for us the only unanswered question is when...
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
-Mark 13:32-33
Continuing on with this thought let's say someone records (DVR, Tivo, etc.) a sports game from their television. Before they get to watch the game, they hear who wins. So, the final outcome is already known and whether they choose to watch the game is up to them.
We have an advantage that we know for absolute certainty that Christ will come again. Our DVR is the Bible. It's God's pre-recorded message to us. It gives us the knowledge to follow the path to righteousness. We know how the story is going to end...whether or not we continue to educate ourselves with God's word is up us. But one thing is for certain...Jesus is the only way.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
-John 14:6
This post was inspired by my best friend who always says, "Jesus is the only way."
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Showing posts with label Eternal Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eternal Life. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Pain versus Pleasure
World renown motivational speaker Anthony "Tony" Robbins often talks about a Pain versus Pleasure principle that seems to be ingrained in each and everyone of us. Basically, it goes like this...
If we ask ourselves the question "Why do we do the things we do?", it seems complicated, but actually, it has a very simple answer. The answer is to either avoid pain or gain pleasure. Think about this for a minute.
For example - If the only way that I can go to the gym and workout would be to get up at 4am versus 6am, then the question I will ask myself is "Is it worth it?" But, what I'm really determining is whether or not the pain of getting up two hours earlier is worth the pleasure of working out. Not only that, but do I want to do this on a consistent basis?
If the pain is greater than the pleasure, then I will stay in bed. If the pleasure of working out is greater, then I will force myself to get up. It's really that simple.
The same can hold true in terms of eating. For example, will I get more pleasure from eating a candy bar or a carrot...or would I rather just eat nothing at all?
The Bible talks about how Pain and Pleasure keep us from entering through the narrow gate. Many times this comes into play when people start going outside of the status quo and talking more openly about Jesus. There are many Christians "in this boat" (I should know, I use to be one of them) that don't like talking about Christ and either get embarrassed, angry, or turned off.
20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
Mathew 13:20-21
To elaborate, this verse from Matthew is basically pointing out that many hear the Word, but then tribulation, persecution, isolation, etc. occur on account of the Word and they fall away. This is where the pain versus pleasure principle kicks in. Because we are either thinking short term and trying to please men. Or we are thinking long term - standing firm and carrying forward with God's Word.
28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28
Sometimes we may think that people are driven away from God by pain. I'd argue that more people are lured away by pleasures. Earthly pleasures are very unlikely to push people closer to God. When things are going well, we tend to forget who is pulling the strings and even when things are not going so well, we often lose faith and may not try as hard as we should to rectify our situation through prayer.
There are always going to be perils in life. The temptation to receive praise or acceptance from others will remain a constant challenge. Especially if it means that you have to take sides. It's only through faith and prayer that courage is granted and perseverance will win.
33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
Matt10:33
In my humble opinion, a little bit of pain now is worth an eternity's worth of pleasure. What do you think?
God bless you. And this is for His Glory
If we ask ourselves the question "Why do we do the things we do?", it seems complicated, but actually, it has a very simple answer. The answer is to either avoid pain or gain pleasure. Think about this for a minute.
For example - If the only way that I can go to the gym and workout would be to get up at 4am versus 6am, then the question I will ask myself is "Is it worth it?" But, what I'm really determining is whether or not the pain of getting up two hours earlier is worth the pleasure of working out. Not only that, but do I want to do this on a consistent basis?
If the pain is greater than the pleasure, then I will stay in bed. If the pleasure of working out is greater, then I will force myself to get up. It's really that simple.
The same can hold true in terms of eating. For example, will I get more pleasure from eating a candy bar or a carrot...or would I rather just eat nothing at all?
The Bible talks about how Pain and Pleasure keep us from entering through the narrow gate. Many times this comes into play when people start going outside of the status quo and talking more openly about Jesus. There are many Christians "in this boat" (I should know, I use to be one of them) that don't like talking about Christ and either get embarrassed, angry, or turned off.
20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
Mathew 13:20-21
To elaborate, this verse from Matthew is basically pointing out that many hear the Word, but then tribulation, persecution, isolation, etc. occur on account of the Word and they fall away. This is where the pain versus pleasure principle kicks in. Because we are either thinking short term and trying to please men. Or we are thinking long term - standing firm and carrying forward with God's Word.
28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28
Sometimes we may think that people are driven away from God by pain. I'd argue that more people are lured away by pleasures. Earthly pleasures are very unlikely to push people closer to God. When things are going well, we tend to forget who is pulling the strings and even when things are not going so well, we often lose faith and may not try as hard as we should to rectify our situation through prayer.
There are always going to be perils in life. The temptation to receive praise or acceptance from others will remain a constant challenge. Especially if it means that you have to take sides. It's only through faith and prayer that courage is granted and perseverance will win.
33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
Matt10:33
In my humble opinion, a little bit of pain now is worth an eternity's worth of pleasure. What do you think?
God bless you. And this is for His Glory
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Narrow Gate
As the picture at the top of this blog indicates...the road to Heaven is narrow and the path is treacherous. If you look closely at the picture you'll notice that not many are passing over the lake of fire into eternal life.
It is not always easy to follow and obey the word of the Lord. However, scripture makes it clear that in order to obtain eternal life we must eliminate sin in our lives, ask for forgiveness, serve one another and put God first.
Today, I've include a devotional written by Brent Barnett, who runs the website http://www.relevantbibleteaching.com/
I found it very fitting to add his comments about walking the narrow path to Heaven and how we sometimes put the selfishness and the pleasures of the world first, then ask God for forgiveness later (we often assume it's okay to sin since we can always ask for forgiveness - this seems to be our fallback plan).
If you take the time to read Brent Barnett's devotional, I promise that you will take something very valuable away from it.
Here is Brent's devotional...
The road to heaven is narrow, as Christ said, while the way to destruction is wide (Matthew 7:13).
Many take the wide road to their own peril, knowing all the while that they are breaking the ordinances of God and deserving His wrath for doing so (Romans 1:32). Some haven't joined the narrow road because they haven't yet heard the gospel of Christ. Others are just stubborn, choosing to pursue an agenda that is free from the control of God. They choose to live out an illusion of freedom, thinking they would rather be able to sin as they want to than have to succumb to the ordinances of God. They have been fooled into thinking that they have true freedom, for they are prisoners of the law of sin and death in their members (Romans 8:2).
Rather than deal with the guilt of their sin before a righteous God, they would rather enjoy sin as much as they can until they have to meet God and be forced to bow their knees to Him (Philippians 2:10).
The appeal to be able to live as we want to with no accountability and no remorse is highly attractive to the flesh and the sinful nature. Satan told Eve that God was keeping something good back from her by instituting a rule about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He convinced her that she was a slave of an unfair God Who withheld pleasure from her. She came to believe that true freedom could be found in exercising her free will against the will of God.
Adam and Eve found out the hard way that the freedom that they thought they would gain by eating of the tree was actually a curse that would lead to division, death, destruction, harm, suffering, and a loss of pleasure. When we sin, we will experience the pleasures of sin for a while, but we must understand that its pleasures are passing (Hebrews 11:25).
The curious thing about sin is that it must be indulged more and more deeply in order for it to continue to bring the same level of pleasure. Sin's exploits must grow grander and grander until it eventually consumes us. Its wage is death and the lake of fire. Thus, sin provides us no advantage for the life to come, only misery, pain, and horror.
Its pleasure is most certainly bound to this life on earth, and even this pleasure is nothing compared to the joy of the Lord.
Satan's way is always a way of bondage. It is thievery because God's pleasures are far better, more fulfilling, and longer lasting than the devil's concoctions could ever be. There will be an eternal bondage in hell for those who remain under the control of sin, Satan, and self. True freedom can only be found when we are freed from our sinful ways, propensities, and natures.
Only the Spirit of God can give us rebirth and regeneration that will enable us to finally be who God has created us to be. True freedom is found in submission to the truth, which alone sets us free (John 8:32).
Romans 6:17-18 says, "But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." There are two options for living. The first is to obey sin, and the second is to obey God. Either way we are slaves, though one way leads to the freedom, life, and joy that we have always wanted.
Many people don't want to enter into a relationship with Christ that will require them to follow after His commands. They want to know that their sin is forgiven, but they don't want to truly submit to the will of God for their lives. Yet Christ calls us to surrender to Him as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-10). In that sense, we become His slaves willingly. He doesn't force anyone to live for Him.
He simply tells us that His way brings life, fullness of joy, and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). We must choose to honor Him as our Master if we want Him to honor us in the life to come.
So many think that they have freedom because they have chosen not to become slaves of God. Following Christ might be hard. It might cost us family or friends, but it is well worth it in light of eternity. We can enjoy the pleasures of sin for a lifetime in theory, but we would be much better off forfeiting the passing pleasures of sin in exchange for joy and pleasure forever in Christ. We can't even fathom the riches of the life to come.
Let us remember that God's ways are not cruel, unfair, or stealing something from us. James 1:25 says, "But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."
The fact is that we can't live apart from the eternal law of God and still experience the blessing of God. Freedom is only found within the bounds of sinless living. When we submit to our Lord, we remain free from the grasp of sin. When we disobey our Master, we enslave ourselves. The hope for the believer, however, is that God forgives us immediately when we confess our sins to Him and return to living according to His will and ways.
2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." If we want true freedom and the promise of true pleasures that will endure forever, we have but one choice. We must submit to the will of God and allow the Spirit of God to lead us into all truth. When we give up what we think this world could give us in exchange for what only Christ can give, we will find true pleasure and freedom.
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
It is not always easy to follow and obey the word of the Lord. However, scripture makes it clear that in order to obtain eternal life we must eliminate sin in our lives, ask for forgiveness, serve one another and put God first.
Today, I've include a devotional written by Brent Barnett, who runs the website http://www.relevantbibleteaching.com/
I found it very fitting to add his comments about walking the narrow path to Heaven and how we sometimes put the selfishness and the pleasures of the world first, then ask God for forgiveness later (we often assume it's okay to sin since we can always ask for forgiveness - this seems to be our fallback plan).
If you take the time to read Brent Barnett's devotional, I promise that you will take something very valuable away from it.
Here is Brent's devotional...
The road to heaven is narrow, as Christ said, while the way to destruction is wide (Matthew 7:13).
Many take the wide road to their own peril, knowing all the while that they are breaking the ordinances of God and deserving His wrath for doing so (Romans 1:32). Some haven't joined the narrow road because they haven't yet heard the gospel of Christ. Others are just stubborn, choosing to pursue an agenda that is free from the control of God. They choose to live out an illusion of freedom, thinking they would rather be able to sin as they want to than have to succumb to the ordinances of God. They have been fooled into thinking that they have true freedom, for they are prisoners of the law of sin and death in their members (Romans 8:2).
Rather than deal with the guilt of their sin before a righteous God, they would rather enjoy sin as much as they can until they have to meet God and be forced to bow their knees to Him (Philippians 2:10).
The appeal to be able to live as we want to with no accountability and no remorse is highly attractive to the flesh and the sinful nature. Satan told Eve that God was keeping something good back from her by instituting a rule about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He convinced her that she was a slave of an unfair God Who withheld pleasure from her. She came to believe that true freedom could be found in exercising her free will against the will of God.
Adam and Eve found out the hard way that the freedom that they thought they would gain by eating of the tree was actually a curse that would lead to division, death, destruction, harm, suffering, and a loss of pleasure. When we sin, we will experience the pleasures of sin for a while, but we must understand that its pleasures are passing (Hebrews 11:25).
The curious thing about sin is that it must be indulged more and more deeply in order for it to continue to bring the same level of pleasure. Sin's exploits must grow grander and grander until it eventually consumes us. Its wage is death and the lake of fire. Thus, sin provides us no advantage for the life to come, only misery, pain, and horror.
Its pleasure is most certainly bound to this life on earth, and even this pleasure is nothing compared to the joy of the Lord.
Satan's way is always a way of bondage. It is thievery because God's pleasures are far better, more fulfilling, and longer lasting than the devil's concoctions could ever be. There will be an eternal bondage in hell for those who remain under the control of sin, Satan, and self. True freedom can only be found when we are freed from our sinful ways, propensities, and natures.
Only the Spirit of God can give us rebirth and regeneration that will enable us to finally be who God has created us to be. True freedom is found in submission to the truth, which alone sets us free (John 8:32).
Romans 6:17-18 says, "But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." There are two options for living. The first is to obey sin, and the second is to obey God. Either way we are slaves, though one way leads to the freedom, life, and joy that we have always wanted.
Many people don't want to enter into a relationship with Christ that will require them to follow after His commands. They want to know that their sin is forgiven, but they don't want to truly submit to the will of God for their lives. Yet Christ calls us to surrender to Him as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-10). In that sense, we become His slaves willingly. He doesn't force anyone to live for Him.
He simply tells us that His way brings life, fullness of joy, and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). We must choose to honor Him as our Master if we want Him to honor us in the life to come.
So many think that they have freedom because they have chosen not to become slaves of God. Following Christ might be hard. It might cost us family or friends, but it is well worth it in light of eternity. We can enjoy the pleasures of sin for a lifetime in theory, but we would be much better off forfeiting the passing pleasures of sin in exchange for joy and pleasure forever in Christ. We can't even fathom the riches of the life to come.
Let us remember that God's ways are not cruel, unfair, or stealing something from us. James 1:25 says, "But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."
The fact is that we can't live apart from the eternal law of God and still experience the blessing of God. Freedom is only found within the bounds of sinless living. When we submit to our Lord, we remain free from the grasp of sin. When we disobey our Master, we enslave ourselves. The hope for the believer, however, is that God forgives us immediately when we confess our sins to Him and return to living according to His will and ways.
2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." If we want true freedom and the promise of true pleasures that will endure forever, we have but one choice. We must submit to the will of God and allow the Spirit of God to lead us into all truth. When we give up what we think this world could give us in exchange for what only Christ can give, we will find true pleasure and freedom.
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
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