“Yes” and “No”! 

How does that work? Surely one or the other, or the most popular choice, “No God”!

Well, it depends on whether we try to get forgiveness for our wrongs from the ‘system’ God himself has put in place, or the way we think it is, or should be.

Pretty much everyone today admitted they had done something wrong. 

The difference came with what God’s ‘system’ was for forgiving. The Bible says that God the Father had God the Son come to earth, and as a perfect human, as well as being God, be punished for our wrongs in our place. The ultimate substitute completely!

If one accepts that with all one’s heart and soul, then forgiveness is yours. We do need to change to live according to God’s principles, otherwise we would be big hypocrites!

If we don’t like God’s ‘system’, but just try to be good, then no forgiveness.

The verse with it was:

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness…”
1 Peter 2:24 (NIV) (http://www.laridian.com)

Great news, if we go with it!

Those who wrote something on the 3 pages of opinions had something like “to make mistakes” as the most common.

“To make mistakes…”

It’s hard for us to admit our faults, and the times we have messed up.

However, since it was the most common comment, it shows that we know making mistakes is part of life and part of being human.

It also fits with what the Bible says about us. There is both the good and the bad. Being made in the image of God, but as well having the free choice to do what is wrong and make mistakes intentionally, or unintentionally.

That’s why Jesus came. To bring us to God, and for us to have the opportunity to be forgiven, if we want to accept that greatest of free gifts from God.

Mention of Hell…? 

That word can confront!

We know that some think they are already living in it. Strangely enough, such people seem to live in the comfortable West, from my observation.

What if Hell would be just in this life? What we do has consequences, so “yes”, it would be self-chosen, according to the choices we make. Or it could be due to circumstances outside our control, such as sickness, weather or accidents.

If Hell will be a reality in the life following this brief one, then what?

What could we do now to stop that being a personal horrible reality then?

Jesus rebuked Jewish religious hypocrites in front of him.

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to Hell?

Matthew 23:33 (NIV)(http://www.laridian.com)

Jesus spoke more about Hell in the Bible than anyone else and in a way that shows that he understood it to be a real and specific place of punishment away from God.

Someone told me the following…

Hell – Real, Terrible, Avoidable

Avoidable? By just being “good”, or religious?

Not according to the Bible. The only way is to be forgiven by God for the way we have rejected or ignored him in our lives, as well as rejected or ignored the only way we can be forgiven and brought into happy relationship.

That way is through Jesus, taking our shame, punishment, and God’s wrath against us on our behalf. He did that, rescuing us, but we need to fully accept it and then live it.

What do you think?

“Idols” in the survey was taken to only mean “celebrity idols”

That was a surprise to me! What about “idols” that we make in our lives as being of the greatest importance to us personally, and as a society? Things like money and wealth. Like sex and leisure. Like sport and entertainment. The list would be enormous!

From the answers that were given by those in the market, we see that entertainers were the tops, followed by those who had overcome or done something very special. 

We should ask this…

Where do you stand with the big issue of Climate Change?

We all have an opinion about this! As well, we would all base our individual strong opinion on what we would claim to be strong scientific evidence and reasoning. To be really honest, we should say there is some belief in it too. 

However, when that discussion has cooled down, shouldn’t we also be wondering, “What does God think about what we humans refer to as ‘Climate Change’?”

One problem immediately comes up, as seen in the market yesterday. You can see the results of the opinions. Many voters didn’t even believe in a God. They, therefore, can opt out of answering the question.

Some there thought that it wasn’t even God’s fault, but all a result of the big corporations of the world making massive mischief with the climate for the sake of their profits.

Others seem to be disappointed with God in letting Climate Change happen.

Many consider the solution to be within our human capability. 

This is reflected in the words of a world leader recently when he claimed it was “one minute to midnight” for humanity. Some other leaders declared it was our “last and best chance” to save humanity. I realise that most of the world leaders, elite and media moguls would not consider God to exist at all, let alone having anything to do with this. 

Should we think of God coming into any of this at all? If the God of the Bible exists, does he think there is an issue, diagnosis first, and second, what the treatment would be, if needed? 

We decide such challenges by our beliefs and worldview 

It involves something like, “Not just where you get to, but how you get there.” Also, “Not just what you get, but how you get it.” It includes ethics and morality. Can there be morally wrong actions, for morally right outcomes?

It’s an interesting old saying, apparently famously used by Machiavelli.

This has led to the expression of a ‘Machiavellian personality’, where a person uses whatever compromised ‘means’ to get to their desired ‘end’ or goal. At that end of the spectrum, it used to be thought of as a negative character trait, but maybe not nowadays. Hence the topic!

Knowingly, or not, this seems to be used more and more these days for justifying a hard push to get what is wanted. Maybe that’s related to more people having the worldview of an atheist, or a secularist, a none, or an agnostic? 

Wanting, above all, to please the pure and holy God of the Bible

I have to say that since I want to please the God of the Bible, I should be sure to only use methods pleasing to him to get what I want. That end should also be something that is in line with what is pleasing to him.

Call me out as a hypocrite if needed, or at least let us talk about it…