We have all seen the results of suicide in those left behind

When someone loses hope, the consequences for them and their friends and family can be disastrous.

How could they have found hope? Who could have reached out to them? Why didn’t I do enough? In retrospect, these are the questions those left behind continue to ask themselves.

It comes down to the dignity of human life. Each life being precious, and made in the “image of God”, according to the opening chapter in the Bible.

Also, the question has to be asked, “Will the trouble and depression really be over?”. What happens after we die? What if there really is life after death? What if the claim of the Bible proves true that we will all face judgement after we die?

So, as you can see from the votes opposite, I disagree with the majority!

What are your thoughts?

It is so common…

How many times a day would you hear it?

Why do people in the West only use God, Jesus, Christ, Hell, Blood (derivative words) for surprise, emphasis or swearing? We never hear “O Mohammad” or “O Buddha”. As well, in countries where those religious leaders are esteemed, such expressions aren’t heard.

Many think that the expression is simply a fashion, and of no negative value.

However, the Bible does say that God’s name is not to be misused.

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
Exodus 20:7 (NIV) (http://www.laridian.com)

The main reason I don’t use the expression is that I want to please God, the God of the Bible. I have been in relationship with him since I was 14, through following Jesus, and I have only found him to be perfect, wonderful and good. Why would I want to say something that makes him seem so ordinary or even less than he is? 

If you don’t believe that God exists, or if you don’t believe the Bible is true, then you wouldn’t be bothered by this challenging question.

However, if you do believe both, then what does the Bible say about this?

The Bible says…

“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Hebrews 10:31 (NIV) (http://www.laridian.com)

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness”

Romans 1:18 (NIV) (http://www.laridian.com)

How can we escape the wrath of God?

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Acts 16:31 (NIV) (http://www.laridian.com)

Help yourself!

By accepting what Jesus has already done for us, to solve our problem. He purposely fitted into God’s plan to reconcile us by going to the cross on our behalf. He voluntarily took that wrath of God against our rebelling. Instead of each one of us being punished, he became our perfect substitute. No punishment, no wrath, remains for those fortunate people who have accepted his sacrifice.  That will hurt our pride, but then there is reconciliation and forgiveness. Such love, such compassion, such empathy, such incredible kindness!

What’s the proof? 

To prove that it was accepted, God brought him back to life again. God presented adequate proof that Jesus had come back to life again by him showing himself to many people over 40 days. God must have thought that was enough proof for any reasonable person to believe that it had really happened.

However, those who don’t accept this free gift of the ‘get out of jail card’, well, that will be another Post.

What do you think?

A reasonable question – ‘What will we be judged on?’ 

When I look at the Bible, the most reasonable place to look for this, it’s not supposed to be based on

-are you religious, or not?

-do you go to church or not?

-have you had an abortion, or not?

-do you give money to charity, or not, or how much?

But rather,

-are you forgiven by God for your wrongs against him and other people, or not?

Forgiven, or Not Forgiven? 

Only two categories of people… Not based on smartness, degrees, colour, finances, or race.

I went for that forgiveness with an open mind when I was 14. Never have I regretted it!

What is your experience? 

We all make choices about this

It probably comes down to “who do I want to please?”

Mostly, it will be ourselves. To some extent, that is reasonable, isn’t it?

However, who else?

It could be our best friend, our partner, our god, or God. It could even be the government, but that may not be at that level…

Personally, I like to try to do what Jesus said:

He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Luke 10:27 (NIV) (http://www.laridian.com)

Not very popular, but that is me nowadays.

What are your thoughts?

We make choices

We all make choices from day to day and year to year as to how we will live our individual lives.

Also, we all have personal standards that we have set for how we live our lives, be they from our parents, family, school, Facebook, Instagram, or some ‘social construct’.

Do I actually live up to my own standards?

We may say we do that about 80% of the time or whatever.

When it comes to God’s standards, we may get more tense about the realistic percentage…

The Sexolution

The sexual revolution has been going for many years now. Over the years, that has included free sex, multiple sexual partners, freedom to do whatever, but also increased chance of STIs, less marriage, less commitment to long-term faithfulness.

What are the results overall? Victory or defeat? That’s how you usually measure a revolution’s effect.

Are people more sexually fulfilled? 

What do you think? How do you measure those results? Happy lives or the opposite? Contented, fulfilled, satisfied lives, happy to live faithfully with their partner/spouse?  Less cheating and more faithfulness? What do we call the opposite of that – frustrated, unfulfilled, dissatisfied…?

Results

In my opinion, those last words could be applied to many today as far as their perceptions of the end results of their sex lives are concerned. Many would say they are shattered – their dreams, their being disillusioned with the opposite sex, as well as their loss of self-respect and inner peace. This could be combined with having no long-term companionship, living alone, no lasting happy marriage to their best friend, as well as no children to celebrate life and achievements with.