Post by Rick Redner on Feb 21, 2014 23:08:38 GMT -5
Recently I had the opportunity to hear the head of the Freedom From Religion Foundation speak about the reasons she found God offensive. I was shocked at her view of who God is. I don't know what you've heard or believe, the Bible is very clear about God's nature. God is first and foremost a God of love. These are some of the verses in the Bible that confirm this:
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (NKJV)
1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (NKJV)
Here's the best definition of love I've ever read. This is how God loves you and it's how we are called to love others:
1 Cor 13:4-8
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.Love never fails. (NKJV)
Sin separates us from this loving God. People get stuck with this idea. Many don't believe they start out in life as sinners. Ask yourself have you ever lied? Have you ever cheated in any way? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever acted in any way that hurt or harmed another person? There is no way around this, everyone sins.
The Bible says this:
Rom 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NKJV) and this:
Rom 5:8-10
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. NKJV
I've often heard many people object to the idea of a loving God "because how could a loving God place anyone in hell?" The answer to this question comes from the Bible:
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (NKJV)
It's God's desire and will than no one should perish. He wants everyone, which included you, to come to Him to receive forgiveness. When we accept His solution to the problem of sin, the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross, pays our sin debt in full. You are forgiven for very past, present, and future sin. Then something amazing and wonderful happens:
2 Cor 5:17-20
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. (NKJV)
Our old self loses it's grip on us and we become a new creation in Christ. We become sealed by God's Spirit, referred to as the Holy Spirit.
Eph 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.(NKJV) This spirit empowers us to live differently:
Gal 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-controlNKJV
For those who are eminently facing death, this is one of the most requested and comforting verses in the Bible. The promises and comfort found in these verses become promises to you:
Ps 23:1-6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.(NKJV)
Death no longer becomes our enemy. For we know what will happen to us after we die.
2 Cor 5:7-8
For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.(NKJV)
The instant death causes our eyes to close, we have this promise from Jesus:
Luke 23:43
"Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."(NKJV)
With Paul we can say this to death:
1 Cor 15:55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory"?(NKJV)
It's my belief the #1 regret in the world is to live and die without a Savior. If you want to know more visit this thread:
The Case For Christ Video
I realize this thread may offend many people, but for those facing a potentially life threatening disease, I believe what I've shared here is far better news than receiving the word you've been cured from cancer. Why? Because you and I are still terminal. One day an illness, injury, accident or disease will take all of our lives. I wouldn't want to live or die separated from God. It's God's desire to be part your life now and throughout eternity.
I wouldn't want to cope with prostate cancer without God. At some point in my journey it became very clear that I was being prepared through all my experiences to help others. If this forum has helped you in any way, that's been a gift from God to you.
My book, Facebook page, blog website, pre & post surgery forums were not my ideas. They came from God, so I say:
2 Cor 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.(NKJV)
There is a judgment day coming and there are two possible outcomes.
Outcome #1 Leads to never ending joy:
Matt 25:32-35
All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world....
Outcome #2 leads to never ending regret & sorrow:
Matt 25:41
Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:(NKJV)
The purpose of this thread was to deal with what will become the post powerful regret you'll face in this life and in the next. Will you live this life and next with God or without God? The decision is yours to make. So choose wisely.
Warning, this is humorous read at your own risk:
My daughter recently showed me a comic where an elderly man was reading an article about the regrets of the terminally ill. He read the following to his wife:
According to this article the #1 regret of those who were terminally ill was the failure to say "I Love You" In the next picture the wife after hearing this says: " I love you" Of course you assume she was talking to her husband, BUT you are wrong!
The next frame show her turning to her cat as she said "I Love You"
Humor is a wonderful gift.
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (NKJV)
1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (NKJV)
Here's the best definition of love I've ever read. This is how God loves you and it's how we are called to love others:
1 Cor 13:4-8
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.Love never fails. (NKJV)
Sin separates us from this loving God. People get stuck with this idea. Many don't believe they start out in life as sinners. Ask yourself have you ever lied? Have you ever cheated in any way? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever acted in any way that hurt or harmed another person? There is no way around this, everyone sins.
The Bible says this:
Rom 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NKJV) and this:
Rom 5:8-10
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. NKJV
I've often heard many people object to the idea of a loving God "because how could a loving God place anyone in hell?" The answer to this question comes from the Bible:
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (NKJV)
It's God's desire and will than no one should perish. He wants everyone, which included you, to come to Him to receive forgiveness. When we accept His solution to the problem of sin, the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross, pays our sin debt in full. You are forgiven for very past, present, and future sin. Then something amazing and wonderful happens:
2 Cor 5:17-20
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. (NKJV)
Our old self loses it's grip on us and we become a new creation in Christ. We become sealed by God's Spirit, referred to as the Holy Spirit.
Eph 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.(NKJV) This spirit empowers us to live differently:
Gal 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-controlNKJV
For those who are eminently facing death, this is one of the most requested and comforting verses in the Bible. The promises and comfort found in these verses become promises to you:
Ps 23:1-6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.(NKJV)
Death no longer becomes our enemy. For we know what will happen to us after we die.
2 Cor 5:7-8
For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.(NKJV)
The instant death causes our eyes to close, we have this promise from Jesus:
Luke 23:43
"Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."(NKJV)
With Paul we can say this to death:
1 Cor 15:55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory"?(NKJV)
It's my belief the #1 regret in the world is to live and die without a Savior. If you want to know more visit this thread:
The Case For Christ Video
I realize this thread may offend many people, but for those facing a potentially life threatening disease, I believe what I've shared here is far better news than receiving the word you've been cured from cancer. Why? Because you and I are still terminal. One day an illness, injury, accident or disease will take all of our lives. I wouldn't want to live or die separated from God. It's God's desire to be part your life now and throughout eternity.
I wouldn't want to cope with prostate cancer without God. At some point in my journey it became very clear that I was being prepared through all my experiences to help others. If this forum has helped you in any way, that's been a gift from God to you.
My book, Facebook page, blog website, pre & post surgery forums were not my ideas. They came from God, so I say:
2 Cor 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.(NKJV)
There is a judgment day coming and there are two possible outcomes.
Outcome #1 Leads to never ending joy:
Matt 25:32-35
All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world....
Outcome #2 leads to never ending regret & sorrow:
Matt 25:41
Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:(NKJV)
The purpose of this thread was to deal with what will become the post powerful regret you'll face in this life and in the next. Will you live this life and next with God or without God? The decision is yours to make. So choose wisely.
Warning, this is humorous read at your own risk:
My daughter recently showed me a comic where an elderly man was reading an article about the regrets of the terminally ill. He read the following to his wife:
According to this article the #1 regret of those who were terminally ill was the failure to say "I Love You" In the next picture the wife after hearing this says: " I love you" Of course you assume she was talking to her husband, BUT you are wrong!
The next frame show her turning to her cat as she said "I Love You"
Humor is a wonderful gift.