Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

A well-meaning Christian said - “Man is still in desperate need of a Savior.” I know he meant well and it may sound right, but think about that statement. It denies that Jesus was and still is the Savior. We do not NEED a Savior, we have one! Jesus came “...to seek and to save those which are lost” and told people that  “if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me”.   After being lifted up on the cross Jesus said  “Father forgive them...it is finished” (Luke 19:10; John 12:32; Luke 23:34; John 19:30) Christianity is “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” claiming salvation for themselves (which is true), but denying it to everyone else....making it simply an offer from God which must be received and accepted.  In reality the salvation of "all people" was "finished" at the cross of Jesus and proved by his resurrection.  The salvation of "ALL" people is the truth that needs to be believed and shared by the church. It is...

“...in Adam all die…it is appointed unto men once to die” (1 Corinthians 15:22; Hebrews 9:27) All people are to die once, not twice. “...and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God… and they were judged, each one according to their works…if anyone was not found written in the scroll of the life, he was cast to the lake of the fire - this is the second death…” (Revelation 20:7-15) Everyone will die and be resurrected where they will be "standing before God" .  The "lake of fire" is the "second death" , not some eternal torture chamber conceived in the mind of religions. In death, people "know nothing" . “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing … For there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 5-10). "if anyone was not found written in the scroll of life, he was cast into the lake of fire."   It does not say there are any who are not written the...

Did you see the movie “The Green Mile”. It was about a man on death row. On death row when the inmate made his final walk to his death they called it the Green Mile and those around him would say as he passed by - “Dead man walking”. Mankind, from the cradle to the grave, are simply dead men walking for the Bible tells us that… “All have sinned...the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 3:23a; 6:23a) But God has given us the good news that after our death… “…the free gift of God is eternal life…” (Romans 6:23b) Baptism is sometimes misunderstood in churches. In the church where I grew up in the Pastor would repeat these words when he baptized someone - “buried with Christ in Baptism, raised to walk in newness of life”.  To many this meant that the one being baptized had been saved, had died to sin of the old life, and when they come up out of the water they were clean from sin and would go live thereafter in newness of life among the church family.  That is not what Bapti...

“May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) Kept blameless, how is this possible? Some say it is because of a choice we make. But I think it is because of a choice God made to send his Son into the world to save it, not just to offer salvation, nor just try to save…but to actually SAVE all “ungodly” “sinners” . “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world…you see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us…Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially those who believe…” (John 1:29; 1 John 4:14; Romans 5:6,...

If heaven is real, if it is the utopia that we hope for, if it is a place of eternal bliss in an immortal, powerful, spiritual body, then experiencing the uncertainty and trials that we face now is in fact a “light affliction” in comparison. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:17) The way our “affliction” is “working for us” is simply that in order for us to get to heaven, we must be born into this “present evil age” and go through some time in this hell of a world in which we live that ends for us all in death.  The path to heaven is through this "evil age" to be rescued AFTER we die to an "eternal weight of glory" . “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…” (Galatians 1:3-5) It is God’s “...

The question of all questions...asked by Job "If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait Until my change comes." (Job 14:14) Jesus gives the simple answer... “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.” (John 11:25-26) The simplicity of those words are overwhelming to me. And the fact that almost all Christians fail to see the simple truth is equally overwhelming. But they read into those simple words the idea that one must believe in Jesus before the resurrection in order to be among those who never die after the resurrection. The Bible says no such thing. “I am the resurrection and the life” Jesus says that the life mankind receives after resurrection is from him. “He who believes in me, though he may die” Jesus says that those who believe in him now will die. “And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die” All that ...

“There will come one day a personal and direct touch from God when every tear and perplexity, every oppression and distress, every suffering and pain, and wrong and injustice will have a complete and ample and overwhelming explanation.” Oswald Chambers That day is known as the resurrection when we all stand before the throne of the Savior of the World and hear him say... "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest...you will find rest for your souls". (Matthew 11:28-29)

“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His REST, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have BELIEVED do enter that REST.” (Hebrews 4:1-3) God has made a promise that when the gospel is “BELIEVED” the believer can have “rest” . This belief has nothing to do with obtaining salvation, that is a "free gift" from God. Believing gives us “REST” and peace. Some, however, “come short of” believing the good news of their salvation and therefore do not experience “His rest” in this life. He is talking about "rest" and peace that we can have NOW, in this present world, while we wait for the gospel (good news) of our salvation to be manifested when Christ Jesus returns to resurrect the dead. It is now our "blessed hope” ... "looking for the blessed hope and ...

"If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32) A friend of mine on Facebook posted a link to an article written by Swami Vivekananda relating to the Vedanta Philosophy and commented that it was “a good read”. He was correct and I enjoyed reading the article. This Vedanta Philosophy reminded me of the above words from Jesus. The truth that will “make you free” remains the truth whether we believe it or not, or however and whenever God allows us to find it. And I am convinced ALL mankind will find it, and it will set them "free" . They are to become one with God, finished in His very image, according to the Bible. I occasionally read the writings of other religions, but I have made the conscious choice to restrict my personal search for truth to the Bible simply because it is the only religious book which categorically claims to be the Word of God. I cannot prove...

”No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) When you look at the Greek words translated “temptation” and “way of escape” above you learn that they could (and should) have been translated “trial” and “sequel”. I personally am convinced this fits the context of the "end of the ages" , as well as my personal experience with life. Verse 11 had said about the experiences of Israel in the wilderness… “...they were written for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages have come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11) Mankind has been tried in past ages and is tried in this present age. All trials show us much evil as well as good. The contrast between good and evil is what we are learning about. The trial brings out the facts about mankind’s failure when left to hi...

“I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heard my voice” (Jonah 2:6 KJV) Jonah was delivered out of “hell” . The Hebrew word translated “hell” in the KJV of the Old Testament means the “grave”. But then what? “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell…there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” (Psalm 16:10; Acts 24:15) So I guess it is not wrong to say that when good or bad people die they both go to hell (“the grave”) until their resurrection…but both will be delivered out of it. "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22)