Why can’t I stop choosing to rebel and run away from God?

Do you ever feel as though no matter how hard that you try, you just can’t seem to do things right. Paul says in Romans 7, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Are you the person that Paul is describing in this passage? If we really ask ourselves, we all fit into this description at some point in time or another.

This question is one that has been debated through out history. The conclusion is that we are a sinful people, and we need God’s redemption. From the very beginning, we as a people have chosen to rebel against God. Jeremiah tells us the heart is deceitful, and full of evil, how can anyone know it? Most every time, our hearts would choose what is sinful over God.

Unfortunately, we do not have a choice; we were born into sin. Our parents Adam and Eve handed down sin to us in our DNA. When Adam and Eve took a bite of the fruit that God had commanded them not to eat, sin was born into their hearts. It was in that moment, that rebellion against God was born into the human race. Their immediate response was to hide from God because they knew that they had done wrong. God, knowing already what they had done, asked Adam, “What have you done.” He wanted Adam to own up to the sin that he and his wife had committed

So what then is the antidote to the evil within our hearts? The opposite of darkness is light. God is light. John tells us that when the light was created, Jesus was present and an active part of the miraculous creation of light. Jesus is the light to our broken, sinful, evil, dark hearts. It is the recognition of His supremacy in our lives that allows the Spirit of God to enter in and change our hearts forever. Though we were born into sin, we can reborn in the Spirit, altering the consequences for our sin for all eternity

Paul tells us, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Even though it is our natural desire to choose sin and rebellion, we have been given the opportunity of redemption through Jesus Christ and the renewing of our minds and spirits in Him.

Why doesn't God Always Heal?

Q: How do you know why a healing won’t come whether it is because of a lack of faith, a sin or because it is a faith and wisdom building circumstance?

A: This is a great question. We often pray for healing of loved ones, friends, and ourselves. These prayers may be offered because of physical, emotional or spiritual difficulties. Often times we wonder, “Why hasn’t God answered our prayers?” Or, “Why is this person sick in the first place?”

This question is really two-fold. The first deals with how God answers prayers, and the second deals with sickness as a result of sin.

Let’s try and unpack the second question, which I think, leads us to the answer of the first: “Why is this person sick in the first place?”

The disciples asked Jesus this same question in John 9:1-5:

“1As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."”

Jesus told the disciples that this man was blind not because of a sin, but “that the works of God might be displayed.” There are some people who are quick to blame sickness and disease on sin, and that is not always the case. Can sin cause sickness? Yes, indeed. There are many physical affects of sin. For instance, cirrhosis of the liver can be caused by alcoholism. A sexually transmitted disease is the result of sexual promiscuity.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God is faithful to forgive us of our sins, and to make us spiritually clean, however, He is also just. He may not choose to remove the physical affects of our sin even though we have been forgiven.

Sickness isn’t always the result of sin, however, there may be times when sickness or disease may be a result of sin. But why, when we pray for healing, does it not always come?

Can a lack of healing come from a lack of faith? There are many who say that God doesn’t answer prayers for healing because either the person praying for healing, or the person who is to receive the healing doesn’t have enough faith. If everything that God did depended on my faith, we would be in a world of trouble.

Romans 3:3 says, “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?” There are over 1,800 promises in the Bible. You can be assured that God intends to keep each and every one! Isn’t it great to know that God is still faithful even when we are not? Our lack of faith may not be the ultimate reason for a lack of healing. Remember what Jesus told the disciples? “But that the work of God might be displayed in him.”

Sometimes, it seems as though God doesn’t hear our prayers, or that He doesn’t answer our prayers. In reality, it may be an opportunity to show His greatness. I know a young lady whose brother died of cancer. At first, she was really upset that God didn’t answer her prayers to heal her brother. After a period of time, she became convinced that God chose her brother to have the cancer, because he was strong enough to handle the difficulties. God used her brother’s cancer to bring the family closer to each other, and to grow her faith in Him.

Lack of faith? God is faithful whether we are or not!

James 1:2-4 says:

“2Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

To conclude, we must always consider what we are going through as a faith building circumstance, always a wisdom building circumstance, and always an opportunity for God to show himself great!

How do I know the Bible is accurate since it was written by man?

Throughout history, God has chosen to use man to accomplish his purpose and plan on earth. When it comes to delivering His Word to His people, He did not make an exception. He chose to use man to deliver His message. Think about Moses, he went up to Mount Sinai to meet with and hear from God and he came down with tablets and instructions for the people. God spoke His words through the man, Moses.

* Deuteronomy 18:18 says this, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from
among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth.”
* Jeremiah says, “Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth: and the
Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have my words in your mouth’ ”
* Deuteronomy 31 says that Moses wrote down these words, the law, and gave it to the
people.

God’s words spoken through human lips are considered to be just as authoritative and just as true as God’s actual spoken words. As the matter of fact, by faith, we believe that Scripture is the written down, verbally spoken words of God.

The books of the Bible were physically penned by man, but we use the word Inspiration to describe God’s role in the writing. 2 Timothy 3 says that all scripture is God-breathed, which is the same type of language that is used in Genesis where God breathed life into man. Just as God breathed life into us, He breathed His words into the hearts of men, who by the power of the Holy Spirit wrote it down for us to have thousands of years after the fact.

So, we say that scripture is inspired, and we also say that scripture is alive. For example, often when I read Scripture, I glean new insights in passages that I’ve read a hundred times. It’s alive, it’s used by the Holy Spirit to instruct me in specific areas of my life. It’s used by God to give me direction in speaking truth into the lives of others. It is continually revealing more to me about God’s character and purposes.

Finally, we say that Scripture is Inerrant. Inerrancy means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. Throughout history people have tried to prove the Bible inaccurate, yet it remains fully in tact as it was written. Skeptics such as Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel, and C.S. Lewis and many others have set out to prove Scripture inaccurate, but after intense study, these men didn’t find the errors they were looking for, and consequently they chose to believe the words they had studied and became followers of Christ.

As is true with everything in Christianity, by faith we believe in Scripture. My challenge would be to put it to the test. Read it, study it, apply it, live it, surround yourself with other people who are doing the same thing, and see if you can prove with your life that Scripture is accurate or inaccurate. I’m not a great fortune teller, but I know how it’s going to work out for you, the same as it has for many others.

By the grace of God, Scripture continues to be the inspired, living breathing, active, inerrant word of God. History has proven this, and you living according to the teachings of Scripture is the best evidence for accuracy there could ever be.

What's Heaven Like?

What does heaven look like?

Heaven has become a very general term that means something different to different religions. What they refer to is that the destination in the afterlife for those faithful to their religion. Last week we talked about the reliability of Scripture, so as Christ-followers, our responsibility is to look again at Scripture to answer the question, “What does heaven look like?”

First of all, heaven is the place where God dwells. It is the place where God most fully makes known his presence. It is above all a place of worship where there is no hindrance in our communion with God. It is a place of continual worship and contentment with God. In His presence, we have no desire for anything else. So, heaven looks like a place of worship.

Next, heaven is actually a physical place, and not just a state of mind. Outside evangelical circles, the idea of heaven as a place is often denied, but Scripture refers to heaven as an actual place. When Jesus ascended, the angel said he was taken into heaven. When Stephen was stoned, he looked into heaven and saw the Son of Man at the right hand of God. Also, when Jesus rose from the dead, he rose in a physical body. Scripture teaches that we will become like Jesus one day – perfected in our physical bodies, not just spiritual ones. A Physical body suggests a physical destination. Jesus said in John that he was going to heaven to prepare a place for us. He said where he is, we will be with him Heaven is a real, physical place for our perfected, resurrection bodies which will never grow old or become weak or ill. The description of heaven includes walls and gates of precious stones and metals, and there’s no reason to think this is merely symbolic.

Heaven will also look like a place of great beauty and abundance and joy in the presence of God. Revelation says that it is a holy city, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore. There we can drink from the fountain of the water of life. It is a city that has the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It is a city of immense size. Parts of the city are constructed of immense precious jewels of various colors. The street is made of solid, transparent, gold. It will be free from evil, for nothing unclean shall enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood.

But more importantly than all the physical beauty of the heavenly city, we will enjoy eternity with all God’s people from all nations and periods in history. We will live in the presence of God with unhindered fellowship with him. As we gaze into the face of our Lord, we will know more fully than ever that in His presence there is fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore. When we finally see the Lord in heaven, we will want nothing else.

It’s quite difficult to describe eternity in five minutes, but that gives us a glimpse at what heaven will look like.

The Answer is Grace, What's the Question

In brainstorming for our Easter Celebration this year, we began talking about Grace from 1 Corinthians 15, and we concluded that Grace is the answer. Grace is the answer to the questions that our culture is asking. Grace is the answer to eternity. Grace is the answer to faith. Grace invites us to know God and live for Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. Grace is the reason that our lives can change. Grace is the answer.

However, the questions are still out there. We decided that we wanted to take on the questions that people in our church and community are asking. We collect these questions in our Worship Gatherings and from our website. We hope that these answers are helpful for you in your pursuit of the fullness of God.

Jason