What does the Bible Say?

 Question: "What does the Bible say about Purgatory?"

Answer: According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Purgatory is “a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God’s grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” To summarize, in Catholic theology Purgatory is a place that a Christian’s soul goes to after death to be cleansed of the sins that had not been fully satisfied during life. Is this doctrine of Purgatory in agreement with the Bible? Absolutely not!

Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins (Romans 5:8). Isaiah 53:5 declares, “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Jesus suffered for our sins so that we could be delivered from suffering. To say that we must also suffer for our sins is to say that Jesus’ suffering was insufficient. To say that we must atone for our sins by cleansing in Purgatory is to deny the sufficiency of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus (1 John 2:2). The idea that those who are saved by grace through faith have to suffer for their sins after death is contrary to everything the Bible says about salvation.

The primary Scriptural passage Catholics point to for evidence of Purgatory is 1 Corinthians 3:15, which says, “If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” The passage (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) is using an illustration of things going through fire as a description of believers’ works being judged. If our works are of good quality “gold, silver, costly stones,” they will pass through the fire unharmed, and we will be rewarded for them. If our works are of poor quality “wood, hay, and straw,” they will be consumed by the fire, and there will be no reward. The passage does not say that believers pass through the fire, but rather that a believer’s works pass through the fire. 1 Corinthians 3:15 refers to the believer “escaping through the flames,” not “being cleansed by the flames.”

Purgatory, like many other Catholic dogmas, is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of Christ’s sacrifice. Catholics view the Mass / Eucharist as a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice because they fail to understand that Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice was absolutely and perfectly sufficient (Hebrews 7:27). Catholics view meritorious works as contributing to salvation due to a failure to recognize that Jesus’ sacrificial payment has no need of additional “contribution” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Similarly, Purgatory is understood by Catholics as a place of cleansing in preparation for heaven because they do not recognize that because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are already cleansed, declared righteous, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, and sanctified.

The very idea of Purgatory and the doctrines that are often attached to it (prayer for the dead, indulgences, meritorious works on behalf of the dead, etc.) fail to recognize that Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay the penalty for ALL of our sins. Jesus, who was God incarnate (John 1:1, 14), paid an infinite price for our sin. Jesus died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2). To limit Jesus’ sacrifice to atoning for original sin or sins committed before salvation is an attack on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. If we must, in order to be saved, pay for, atone for, or suffer because of our sins, then Jesus’ death was not a perfect, complete, and sufficient sacrifice.

For believers, after death is to be "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). Notice that this does not say "away from the body, in Purgatory with the cleansing fire." No, because of the perfection, completion, and sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are immediately in the Lord’s presence after death, fully cleansed, free from sin, glorified, perfected, and ultimately sanctified.

Recommended Resource: Heaven by Randy Alcorn

More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

Source: Gotquestions.org                                     

Finding Peace

Living in Peace With Others

It’s a challenge we each face regularly: How can we live in peace with other people and restore peace when conflict erupts?

The fact is, God desires for us to live in peace with others. He also knows that we’ll not always be at peace with others. Conflicts occur. At times, conflicts aren’t easily resolved. In fact, there are occasions when conflicts cannot be resolved. However, God wants us to do all we can to be at peace with everyone.

We who are followers of Christ know full well that when God isn’t in full control of our lives, we can act just as despicably as an unbeliever. Our salvation doesn’t automatically keep us from being mean, jealous, hateful, or angry. It’s only as we ask the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us, only as we yield our nature to His nature, only as we seek to be His representatives on this earth in every relationship we have that we’re going to move beyond pride into the behaviors that establish peace.

So how do we deal with conflict when it arises and establish a peaceful outcome?

First, determine the value of the relationship. If you’re going to live in peace with another person, you have to decide, “Is this relationship valuable enough to me to preserve it? Am I willing to compromise on some things to make the relationship work?” I firmly believe that those who are saved by grace and indwelled by the Holy Spirit can find genuine peace in their relationship when both value the maintenance of the relationship.

Second, start talking … and keep talking. When two people are talking—and willing to keep talking and listening to each other—they’re much more likely to quickly find resolution to their conflicts and live in peace with each other.

Third, be transparent. You can’t have a hidden agenda or a manipulative scheme at work in the back of your mind and hope for a peaceful relationship. Being open and honest with others when conflicts arise helps you to reach peaceful solutions in your relationships.

Finally, get to the core of the problem. As you communicate openly with others, taking an honest look at what is at the root of the conflict, you’ll be better able to work through any difficulty and establish peace.

As you strive to live at peace with others, standing on the truth of God’s Word, know that God stands with you. He will turn any conflict or persecution you experience to your eternal benefit. He’ll bring about spiritual growth, greater faith, and stronger enduring power within you.

Source: Finding Peace by Dr Charles Stanley

Bible Study Plans in YouVersion

                                                              

Archbishop Viganò’s powerful letter to President Trump: Eternal struggle between good and evil playing out right now

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò warns the president that the current crises over the coronavirus pandemic and the George Floyd riots are a part of the eternal spiritual struggle between the forces of good and evil.

Mr. President,

            In recent months we have been witnessing the formation of two opposing sides that I would call Biblical: the children of light and the children of darkness. The children of light constitute the most conspicuous part of humanity, while the children of darkness represent an absolute minority. And yet the former are the object of a sort of discrimination which places them in a situation of moral inferiority with respect to their adversaries, who often hold strategic positions in government, in politics, in the economy and in the media. In an apparently inexplicable way, the good are held hostage by the wicked and by those who help them either out of self-interest or fearfulness.

These two sides, which have a Biblical nature, follow the clear separation between the offspring of the Woman and the offspring of the Serpent. On the one hand there are those who, although they have a thousand defects and weaknesses, are motivated by the desire to do good, to be honest, to raise a family, to engage in work, to give prosperity to their homeland, to help the needy, and, in obedience to the Law of God, to merit the Kingdom of Heaven. On the other hand, there are those who serve themselves, who do not hold any moral principles, who want to demolish the family and the nation, exploit workers to make themselves unduly wealthy, foment internal divisions and wars, and accumulate power and money: for them the fallacious illusion of temporal well-being will one day – if they do not repent – yield to the terrible fate that awaits them, far from God, in eternal damnation.

 In society, Mr. President, these two opposing realities co-exist as eternal enemies, just as God and Satan are eternal enemies. And it appears that the children of darkness – whom we may easily identify with the deep state which you wisely oppose and which is fiercely waging war against you in these days – have decided to show their cards, so to speak, by now revealing their plans. They seem to be so certain of already having everything under control that they have laid aside that circumspection that until now had at least partially concealed their true intentions. The investigations already under way will reveal the true responsibility of those who managed the Covid emergency not only in the area of health care but also in politics, the economy, and the media. We will probably find that in this colossal operation of social engineering there are people who have decided the fate of humanity, arrogating to themselves the right to act against the will of citizens and their representatives in the governments of nations.

Continued

Heartwarming Stories

Most of the stories presented here have come to me by way of e-mail from friends and readers.  Therefore, I am not in a position to speak with certainty about their authenticity.  My decision to include them here is based on the fact that I believe that they will touch you in a special way like they did with me when I first read them. Enjoy!!! Also, don't forget to check out my Table of Contents for my real experiences and observations in my walk with the Lord. Continued

Death Tolls Mounts in Nigeria ‘Jihad’

Orpington, England (ANS) – A new report from Nigeria claims the latest attacks by Fulani militants have killed 620 Christians in the first five months of 2020, according to a Release International press release.

The charity goes on to says that a recent attack on a Baptist village killed 17, including an entire family.

Mass grave at Gonan Rogo, Nigeria, where Fulani militants killed 17 villagers.

A report, by the International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (ISCLRL), follows an attack on the Christian village of Gonan Rogo, which claimed 17 lives, including a father, mother and their three young children.

The report supports claims by partners of UK-based Release International that the attacks are growing and have the characteristics of an undeclared jihad against Christians.

The ISCLRL, an NGO, claims 32,000 Christians have been killed by Islamist militants since 2009. The United Nation puts the figure killed in the conflict in northern Nigeria at 27,000.

And Release partner, the Stefanos Foundation estimates 30,000 have died in the continuing violence.

Mark Lipdo of Stefanos says: ‘Attackers have claimed more than 30,000 lives. We are seeing a systematic strategy that enforces what the ethnic minorities believe is a jihad. Christians in northern Nigeria are being annihilated. It is heading towards a genocide.’ .......

Source: Death Tolls Mounts in Nigeria ‘Jihad’

Fairness and Equality, from God’s Kingdom Perspective

HOUSTON, TX (ANS) – There is a lot of talk these days about inequality and the need for more fairness and equality. People often get the idea that their worth or value is based on their salary, possessions, title or position in an organization or society. However, God’s Kingdom principles are very different. Some of the most notable, high profile, and esteemed individuals in modern society may not be making a positive impact on the world, or for the Kingdom of God.  Perhaps the greatest rewards in heaven will be received by the least known and most unlikely individuals here on earth.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Over the years of conducting Orality Training in various parts of the world, we have observed how some of the least educated and less privileged people become fruitful and productive followers of Jesus and agents of change. While there is an amazing among of inequality in the world today, it is comforting to realize that God is an equal opportunity employer. God is no respecter of persons, and He is willing to use anyone who comes to Him, believes and trusts Him. In fact, Jesus has promised that those who come to Him and believe in Him, out of their hearts, (innermost beings) will flow rivers of Living Water. Of course, He is referring to the work of the Holy Spirit and His redemptive activity........

Source: Fairness and Equality, from God’s Kingdom Perspective

Growing in Our Faith Through Anxiety

 

 

Deep Questions Lead to Deep People

Do you want to be a deep person? We have a very shallow society that is imploding. We are self-destructing before our eyes. We don’t need any more rich or smart people. We don’t need any more singers, preachers, or whatever talent you want to throw out there. This world needs more deep people. People that walk deep roads, ask deep questions and answer profoundly. No more superficiality. Deep questions develop deep people.

We have the opportunity for growth. The author of the book of Hebrews says that we have an anchor of the soul that is firm and secure. Anchors go deep to the places we don’t see. There’s a bridge that you pass as you go to the Niagara River that has a big sign. The sign on the bridge asks two questions: Do you have an anchor? Do you know how to use it?

Do you have an anchor of depth in your life? The answer is Jesus Christ. He came from Heaven to die for your sins. It’s not your will power, money, talent, or knowledge. It is the good news of the Gospel. He lives inside of you and can save your soul. You can place your sin on Him and in return, He gives you righteousness and forgiveness. You can walk and live in greater depth through Him.

A lot of believers have Jesus as their anchor, but do not know how to use it. Let’s learn to see anxiety and fear as a place for deep, spiritual growth.

Three things on this place of depth

1. Pour out your heart to Him. There’s a Psalm David wrote that says to pour out our hearts and trust Him at all times. Be honest with God. His Word says He is our refuge. Morning will come.


2. Feel the feelings. The book of Psalms is all about feelings. David in times of fear would write down his feelings. You don’t have to think others are worse than you to be grateful for the food on the table, or the roof over your head. It’s okay to feel the emotions you’re feeling.  


3. Process Forward. Don’t just worry about something over and over again. Take a step with it. Ask yourself what is stressing you, and how can you move forward. Journal your thoughts. Journaling can help process forward. Just like David would cry out to God in his Psalms. Write down your prayers. Tell God you need Him. There are songs that have the exact lyrics you need to hear to process forward. There are problems that will require total surrender to God to move forward.

The above excerpt is from a Bible study  in YouVersion with the same title.

Where is God? - Louie Giglio

Hillsong - Turn your eyes upon Jesus (HD with lyrics) (Best Worship Song...

Putting an "X" Through Anxiety

God’s Got Your Back

By Louie Giglio

The problem for those who battle anxiety is there isn’t a physical weapon big enough to defend us from every fear we face in life. But, thankfully, we have a Shepherd who has pledged to defend us.

Every shepherd in the time of David had a rod, a formidable staff carved out of the center of the lower part of a tree trunk. With that rod the shepherd could fight off the lion, the cougar, the wolf, or the bear. With the staff it would guide the sheep, but with the rod it would pulverize anything that tried to snatch one away.

To put an “X” through your anxiety you are going to have to see Jesus as your defender. So often when we feel under attack, vulnerable or stressed we look for someone who will take up our cause no matter what. Someone, as we say, who has our back!

Some time ago when I was coming through a challenging season I traveled to speak at a conference in another country. Before the session started a large group of leaders and conference organizers gathered for prayer in an upstairs room behind the stage.

Afterward, a woman approached me with a word of encouragement. I had never met her before and she knew nothing about my personal life. But her words shot through me that night. She said, “I just wanted to encourage you...I sense someone’s trying to trip you up, but God’s got your back.”

What she didn’t know was that I was spending a lot of sleepless nights trying to watch my back.

I don’t need to know your situation to pass that encouragement on to you. I don’t know for sure what you’re afraid of right now, but I want to remind you, God’s got your back.

As a child of God in Christ, God Almighty has your back.

No evil plan, attack, or fear can stand up to your Shepherd, Jesus. And even while you are sleeping, He watches over you. He doesn’t just send you into the dark valley, he leads you through it with a rod in one hand and a staff in the other.

Call out to Jesus right now and thank him for promising to protect your life. Tell Him you are depending on Him to guard your life and those you care about. Because He is with you, you can close your eyes at night and know that He is watching every side, every angle. In fact, He sees your circumstances coming before you do. He protects you in ways you don't even realize. 

Jesus is for you. He loves you. And He’s got your back.

                                                

Are You Ready to Accept the Atoning Death of Christ?

What do we have to do?

The New Testament makes it clear that we have to do something to accept the gift that God offers. This is an act of faith. John writes that ‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16).

Believing involves an act of faith, based on all that we know about Jesus. It is not blind faith. It is putting our trust in a Person. In some ways, it is like the step of faith taken by a bride or a bridegroom when they say, ‘I will’ on their wedding day.

The way people take this step of faith varies enormously, but I want to describe one way in which you can take this step of faith right now. It can be summarized by three very simple words:

‘Sorry’

You have to ask God to forgive you for all the things you have done wrong and turn from everything which you know is wrong in your life. This is what the Bible means by ‘repentance.’

‘Thank you’

We believe that Jesus died for us on the cross. You need to thank him for dying for you and for the offer of his free gift of forgiveness, freedom and his Spirit.

‘Please’

God never forces his way into our lives. You need to accept his gift and invite him to come and live within you by his Spirit.

If you would like to have a relationship with God and you are ready to say these three things, then here is a very simple prayer which you can pray and which will be the start of that relationship:

Lord Jesus Christ,

I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life (take a few moments to ask his forgiveness for anything particular that is on your conscience). Please forgive me. I now turn from everything which I know is wrong.

Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.

Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Spirit. I now receive that gift.

Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me forever.

Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Are You Willing to Be Unseen in Quarantine to Realize God Sees You?

Alyssa Roat

I’ve received more phone calls from friends these past two weeks than in the past two months. My extroverted friends are, quite frankly, not okay.

All over the world, people are quarantined in their homes. Suddenly, it has become painfully obvious just how many people we interact with on an average day—and how few people that many of us get to interact with now.

Some are forced to keep working even through the pandemic: doctors, nurses, emergency response, grocery store workers, stockers, those in the food industry. These “essential” workers show their bravery every day.

However, for the rest of us, most of us are stuck working—or not working—at home.

For those of us at home, we may feel isolated, unseen, lonely. Especially for those already dealing with anxiety or depression, this loneliness can feel overwhelming.

However, perhaps there is something we can learn. When you are alone, with no one to see you, there is One who is always there.

God Always Sees You

In the Bible, shepherds are used for many parables and illustrations. The life of a shepherd could be lonely. Shepherds took the sheep wherever they needed to graze and were often gone for long stretches alone in the hills, keeping an eye out for threatening predators or dangers for the not-particularly-bright sheep.

David, before he was a king, was a shepherd. Many of the psalms reflect this. While Saul, the current king, was worrying about his own popularity, David was pondering the things of the Lord.

Psalm 139, though probably written after David was a shepherd, demonstrates David’s grasp of God’s faithfulness. Consider Psalm 139:7-12:

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For years, David knew that he was destined to be king. But because of the wrath of King Saul, he was forced to hide in hills and caves like an outlaw. David knew what it was like to be unseen by man, to feel unappreciated.

But he knew God was with Him.

Whether shepherd or king, CEO or unemployed...God sees and values you, even if it seems like no one else does.

Continued, here.

25 Resurrection Scriptures to Celebrate: He Has Risen, He IS Risen!

The very purpose of this Easter weekend reminds us, no matter what we face today, what we’ve been through, or what uncertainties tomorrow may hold, Christ is risen and is our Hope. He conquered death, He makes all things new.

He has risen!

He has risen indeed!

He breathes new life, so that we can live…free.

You can try to bury Power, but it won’t stay there. You can try to bury Truth, but it is not dead. You can try to bury Love, but it cannot be contained.

God’s not dead. And we’re not alone. Not ever.

He lives!

May we allow that truth to soak in deep as we read these reminders from God’s Word…

25 Resurrection Scriptures to Celebrate: He is Risen!

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples…'” Mark 16:5-7

“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'” Luke 24:6-7

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Matt. 28:6

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” John 11:25

“And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.”  1 Cor. 6:14

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Romans 6:4-5

Continued, here.

In the Name of Jesus

QUESTION: What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus?

ANSWER:

Praying in the name of Jesus is not just a magical incantation that is tacked on to the end of prayers. People end their prayers with "in the name of Jesus" without understanding all that it entails. The word "in" is a preposition of position and it carries with it a doctrinal truth that all believers need to know. The book of Ephesians could be called the "position book" and the word "in" brings our position into focus. This doctrinal truth is called our "ascension privilege" and it is our position in Jesus Christ. Therefore, our standing before God rests in Jesus Christ and praying in the name of Jesus is the way our prayers are heard.

In the name of Jesus, is an acknowledgment of the believer's position in Jesus Christ and an understanding that our prayers are heard as we approach the throne of grace. It is in obedience to the command of Jesus, for we cannot pray in our own standing but we pray in His. “God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Praying in Jesus' name means praying according to God’s will, "And we can be confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for" (1 John 5:14-15). Praying in Jesus’ name is praying for things that will honor and glorify Jesus.

“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:13-14).

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony” (John 17:20).

“For ‘Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13).

“We are writing to the church of God in Corinth, you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did all Christians everywhere--whoever calls upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and theirs” (1 Corinthians 1:2).

“And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

“And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17).

“Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14).

“I am writing to you, my dear children, because your sins have been forgiven because of Jesus” (1 John 2:12).

“Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Source

What if Jesus never came to Earth?

Do you ever wonder what it would be like if God never chose to be incarnated in the person of Jesus?

What if He came with power and glory and made Himself visible to every human being on the planet?

Would He be more accepted as the Savior of the world? Would each one of us get down on our knees and worship Him? Would our worship be genuine and out of love or out of fear and compulsion?

Many have had similar thoughts and many have wondered why out of all peoples God chose the Jews to be the physical progenitors of His Son and not some other well known race. After all, the Israelites were known as a stubborn or stiff-necked people and not as “cultured” as some of the Gentile nations.

Why would God choose to enter our dimension in a low key, humble fashion? The answer is hidden in the story of man’s creation and the subsequent fall.

When God created us and placed us in the Garden of Eden, He created mankind in His own image and likeness and with a free will. We were the pinnacle of His creation, beings capable of living in a loving relationship with their Creator. Even though we were made a little lower than the angels, we were also made to have a relationship with God and to love and respect Him with no compulsion and out of choice.

Our disobedience and lack of trust in our Creator led to the Fall of Man and our expulsion from the Garden. Also, we lost our immortality and were thrown into a rough environment and had to work in harsh conditions living as enemies and not as friends of God.

Thankfully, God had a plan. As sin entered our plane of existence through the disobedience of Adam, restoration of our broken relationship with our Creator was to be accomplished through a more perfect Adam through a none other than Jesus Christ the Man.

God’s Son became a man and lived among us as one of us.  He felt our pain and our happiness, our fatigue and our energy, our struggles and our victories but with one exception that he did not break any of God’s laws, he remained sinless.

As a result of this, when Jesus voluntarily sacrificed himself on the cross, he became the new Adam who would settle the score by satisfying God’s Justice through his death thereby providing the whole Adamic race the opportunity to live life abundantly and eternally.

The wages of sin are death and Jesus as the Perfect and Spotless Lamb of God through His own death restored our broken relationship with God. He paid the price so that we can live again; He became our Lord and Savior.

Therefore, God who created us to be loving beings in a relationship with Him, reached out to us to mend our state of brokenness due to our disobedience and in His Son He became the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb and took away the sins of the world.

God had to make a choice regarding the incarnation of His Son and the Jews were the “lucky ones”. However, Jesus showed us how to live in communication with God through the Holy Spirit and died for humanity as a whole and not for any particular race.

Today, if you are thirsty and heavy laden, Jesus is offering His living water so that you may never thirst again and His love and peace which surpass all understanding. Please, make the decision to invite Him into your world as your Lord and Savior and you will not regret it!

John Costouros

Journeying with Jesus

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Even as the nails were being driven into his hands and feet, Jesus was saying these words. With every blow of the hammer pounding into his fists.

Were the Roman soldiers sorry? Did the Pharisees express any remorse? Did they offer an apology?

No.

Yet, Jesus offers forgiveness. Unilateral forgiveness or one-sided forgiveness. He didn’t need them to be sorry or ask for forgiveness. 

He showed us what it means to give up your rights. Even your right for retaliation. 

In doing so, he dies free from resentment. He said the words aloud to show us what it means to release people from a hold of anger and, in turn, release ourselves from the pressure cooker of bitterness.

Bringing It Home

Whom do I need to release in forgiveness just as Christ has forgiven me? Am I willing to let go of my right to retaliation? Am I trusting God to vindicate me and my cause?

Lean In

Father God, I don’t deserve the forgiveness that you offer so freely through your Son. I pray that you will help me give up my right of being right, and my right to retaliation. Help me know that when I release people in forgiveness, I am, in fact, releasing myself to live a fuller, freer life. Amen.

Source

3 Encouraging Truths to Remember When Life Gets Hard…

Think about the disciples hanging out with Jesus on a boat when a life-threatening storm erupts on the water. They’re unprepared to face it and, panicking, realize they might die. The entire time this is happening, Jesus is sleeping peacefully.

Instead of looking at Jesus’ reaction to their situation, the disciples allowed their situation to dictate their reactions.

After begging Jesus to do something, He calms the storm… But not before asking them, “Why are you afraid?”

Continued

Imitate Jesus

You hear it often: follow Jesus and life will be better.
Is this the real reason of wanting to become like Him? To have a better life?

In order to answer this question satisfactorily, we need to study His life in the Gospels and discover the type of a man He was.

In the Gospels, it is made very clear that Jesus is the Son of God who pre-existed with the Father before the beginning of the world and everything that was created "was for Him and by Him". ( John 1: 1-3)

Jesus humbled Himself by becoming a man with the intention of reconciling man to God thereby restoring the broken relationship between Creator and Creature that was initiated in the Garden of Eden through disobedience and the consequent Fall of Man. ( Colossians 1: 15-20)

Bottom line of His story is that He lowered Himself to become a Man to live a human life like you and I live with the exception that His life was sinless and He gave it up for our salvation and the remission of our sins.

Throughout His short life, Jesus showed us how to live as a man and not as a God. He grew up learning to obey His earthly parents, He laughed and He cried, He showed love and compassion and at times He exhibited anger in the face of evil, He became lonely, hungry and thirsty and tempted like us but with the exception that He did not commit any sin.

And this is what makes His life a great example to follow. It was possible for Him to live without sinning because He stayed in communication with the Father through prayer and relied on the power of the Holy Spirit to perform His many miracles of healing,  love and compassion.

It was not God who died on the cross but Jesus the man. The nails were real. The pain from torture, the spilled blood, the agony and feelings of despair when the sins of the world were all falling on Him when God the Father turned His face away from His Son, were all too real.

Yes, Jesus felt the ultimate abandonment when He shouted "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27: 46). But despite this He knew His mission was completed when He cried out , Tetelestai, It is Finished !

Therefore, to follow Jesus means to do the type of things that He did. We need to love one another, show compassion, help the needy, fight for justice and be prepared to die if necessary to protect the weak and downtrodden and do the things that are pleasing to God by staying in constant communication through prayer and delving into His Holy Scriptures for guidance and inspiration.

Is life going to be better because of this? Not necessarily. One thing is certain: It will be right and our actions will be pleasing to our Creator and that is good enough for me. Praise the Lord!

John Costouros,
In His Service

Divine Direction by Craig Groeschel ( YouVersion )

Stop

One of the best decisions you can make when you’re feeling an impulse or facing a high-stakes dilemma is the decision to stop. Take a time-out. Pray for guidance. Sleep on it.  Get some godly wisdom from people you trust and picture the possible outcomes. Then, ask yourself, “Is this something I should stop completely?”

Most of us have good intentions or at least some kind of justification for the things we do. And yet so many of us seem surprised when we find ourselves a long way from the direction we want to go. The big changes in our lives—both negative and positive—rarely happen without a series of decisions piling on top of each other like never-ending dominoes.

Do you see how stopping can be one of the most productive things we do? When you stop to take stock of where you are and where you want to go, then you can decide how to move toward your destination.

What can you stop in order to move you closer to God’s divine direction?

Are you doing anything that’s taking you in a direction you don’t want to go (or that God doesn’t want you to go)? What do you need to stop completely? An addiction to social media, alcohol, porn, approval, or work? An unhealthy relationship? A judgmental attitude? What can you stop in order to move you closer to God’s divine direction? Treat each choice like it’s the next stepping-stone toward your destination.

When a behavior or relationship takes us in a direction we know is moving farther away from the story we want to tell, we need to pause not only to consider the consequences but also to choose to stop traveling in the wrong direction. You’ve probably heard the word “repent.” One of its literal meanings is to turn around. When you repent, you stop heading in one direction and return to God and His path for you.

In this sense, stopping actually means stepping in a new direction. You might need to step toward accountability, forgiveness, the right friends, or a new place to live.

Ask yourself:

1. If I make the choice I’m considering, where could it take me?

2. What can I stop in order to move closer to God’s divine direction?

Atheist Professor’s Near-Death Experience in Hell Left him Changed

By Mark Ellis —

In some near-death experiences, people report they were drawn toward “the light.” But in this horrifying near-death experience for an atheist art professor, he was drawn into the darkness of hell, which dramatically altered the course of his life.

“I was a double atheist,” says Howard Storm, who became a tenured art professor at Northern Kentucky University by age 27.  “I was a know-it-all college professor, and universities are some of the most closed-minded places there are,” he notes.

On the last day of a three-week European art tour he led, his group had returned to their hotel in Paris after a visit to the artist Delacroix’s home and studio. As Howard stood in his room with his wife and another student, suddenly he screamed and dropped to the floor in agony.

“I had a perforation of the small stomach, known as the duodenum,” he recalls. At first, Howard thought he was shot, and he glanced around the room to see if he could spot a smoking gun. As he writhed in pain on the ground, kicking and screaming, his wife called for a doctor.

“They said I needed surgery immediately,” Howard says. “It’s like having a burst appendix. I was told that if they don’t get to it within five hours, you’re probably going to die.”

Howard had the misfortune of a falling ill on a Saturday in a country with socialized medicine, and no doctor could be found. “French doctors do seven surgeries a week, and after they do the seven surgeries, they take the weekend off,” he discovered.

Continued, here.

God Protected Future Pastor from Bullets Fired at Point Blank Range

By Sarah Montez —

Todd White joined the Marines to prove to his stepdad he was a man, but on break after boot camp he partied so much with drugs he forgot to report for duty.

“I went home and I stole a bunch of money in a drug deal, went out West and hid in the Rocky Mountains,” Todd says on a YouTube video. “A little while later I got busted and put in jail, extradited across the United States and put into the military prison.”

Today Todd White is a pastor helping myriads of people tripped up by Satan’s snares. But his past was beset with foundering and failure.

He was born out of a hookup when his father came back “messed up” following service in the Vietnam War. Two other siblings arrived from that union and his parents eventually married. It was perhaps inevitable that what started wrong wouldn’t end well, and his parents divorced when Todd was 11.

He was thrown into the foster care system and raised by Free Masons. Frustrated by the breakup of his family, Todd turned to drugs.

“I was rebellious, angry, bitter, so mad,” he says. “I was fully addicted to anything I could get my hands on. It started with weed and it just escalated more and more.”On a dare from his step dad, he joined the Marines to become a man — and to straighten up his life. Boot camp saw him drop 83 pounds and transform into a lean, mean, fighting machine.

Continued

Why Can't We See God - A Scientific Explanation By Frank Lee

Physicists have discovered the mechanism that prevents us from seeing the Kingdom of God by electromagnetic waves.

When I was a graduate student majoring in physics, I was an atheist. To me, God was a product of ignorance, due to lack of scientific knowledge. If people understood natural laws as well as physicists, they would not believe the existence of God. At that time, I did not know that most great physicists were God's believers, such as Newton, Kepler, Planck, Heisenberg and Einstein.

Ten years after I received a Ph.D in physics, I became a Christian - not because I found any hard scientific evidence about God. Like most believers, I felt that there must be a God who had been guiding me, otherwise some events that had happened to me would not be so coincidental.

The existence of God was so real that I had been wondering: where could God be? why couldn't we see Him? how come modern technology could not detect God? Since I was trained in physics, I believed that all natural phenomena should have a physical explanation. If God really exists, these questions can be answered in terms of physical laws. However, I did not know where or how to find the scientific answer. It might be impossible to know the answer at all.

Continued, here.