Where I Stand

I want to take this opportunity to reassert my beliefs and I am not backing down or step/ping away because it is way too important to do that. People’s eternal destinies are at stake. I believe that God created the entire universe, all of creation came into existence at God’s command. God created man in His likeness,  desiring us to love and worship Him. ( Gen. 1) The first humans in the Garden sinned against God, and now we all have been separated from Him. (Gen. 3), (Romans 3:23)All humans are inherently sinful, and now we deserve God’s wrath poured out, and an eternity in Hell. Nothing we do can ever atone for our sins. Yet in this helpless and hopeless state, God’s infinite mercy and love and grace provided a way out(.Romans 5:8)

Jesus Christ is the eternal son of God, God incarnate, who came to earth, lived a perfect, sinless life that we are unable to live, and then he was crucified and died, bearing all of our sin, and the full brunt of God’s wrath that we so justly deserved. Then on the third day, he rose again, and showed himself to many before he ascended to heaven (1 Corinthians 15:3-9) where he is seated at the Father’s right hand and he reigns over all powers and authorities and even death. He is the only way to salvation, through forgiveness of sins which comes from repentance of sin and placing our faith in Christ. This can only happen with the Holy Spirit’s leading, the third member of the triune God. When someone repents and places their faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in them and they are eternally secure and can never lose this salvation. (John 10:27-30) Jesus is going to return to make everything right, restoring what was lost, but until that time, this gospel must be preached to all persons and people groups, and that is what Christ commissioned all his followers to accomplish with the leading of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:18-20)

 All of this can be found in the Bible, the inerrant word of God, which is the absolute truth, and final authority on EVERYTHING. This is the very Word that created the universe, that breathed life in us, (John 1:1-4, 14) and the Word that conquered the grave. It is this power over death that gives the Word, Jesus Christ, power and authority over all(Colossians 1:16-19), and only Christ offers salvation and life and is worthy of all praise and honor and glory forever and ever amen.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.^[d] Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17

Raining Grace

A quick thought
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known^[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

This little phrase just amazes me so much. His grace is lavished on those who love Him, trust Him, fear Him. The Creator of the universe graciously and lovingly lavishes. As a verb, lavish means to expend or give in great amounts or without limit. The word lavish comes from a French word lavasse which means a downpour of rain. He pours down grace. This is not a gift grudgingly given out of some obligation to us, (nothing can force His giving) especially since we don’t deserve it. What we deserve is God’s wrath poured out on us, and yet we are given out of His richness. Unmerited grace is worth infinitely more than all the treasures on earth, because what it gives believers lasts eternally, and He pours it out on us freely, pouring it out like rain.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32

Rain down your love on us,
Rain down your love
Rain down your grace and cover me
 Rain Down by David Crowder

Hallelujah, Grace like rain
Falls down on me
  Grace Like Rain by Todd Agnew

P.S. Please tell me if something I write goes against the Bible, let me know. Also, if anybody wants to guest-write for my blog, let me know, I would love it if somebody would want to.

A Reason for Suffering?

Pain, suffering, death, tragedy. Bombs explode at the Boston Marathon, somebody dies in agonizing pain from cancer, a child is killed by a drunk driver, a mass shooting takes place at a movie theater or a school, the list of pain and loss goes on and on ad infinitum. Everybody has at least seen or known somebody who has died, or suffered, or is suffering, if not suffering themselves. Let me make something clear, there is a difference between evil and suffering, because while all evil causes suffering, not all suffering happens due to evil. My focus in this post is on the suffering aspect.

Why do bad things happen to good people? In this fallen and corrupted world, suffering is commonplace. At times, the pain and sorrow is so overwhelming, you don’t know how to go on, and I can absolutely understand. The world has no answer for any of this, and that’s why with the secularizing of the world, especially America, assisted suicide is growing in popularity. When you are told that humans have no purpose, life has no meaning, and there is nothing beyond the here and now, or there is just no reason to continue, you might as well end it. The biblical worldview of the Christian offers hope.

When it comes to disease and loss, God is sovereign and in control of everything. He creates people with diseases and allows them to take place. With Job, God allowed his suffering to test his faithfulness, and how did he respond?

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21

This is one example of why God allows suffering. He uses it to draw people closer to Himself. This is true in my life My suffering is what lead me to Christ.
He causes people to have disease. We see this in Exodus 4:11:

So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?

Why does He do this? Jesus gives an answer in the Gospel of John:
 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. John 9:2-3
Why does God cause, or at least allow pain and suffering and loss? Why would He want us to go through this? We should never forget what happened on Calvary. The terribly great and excruciatingly painful cost of our salvation. Jesus was beaten and tortured and killed for us. When we experience pain, we should consider it as a chance to get a glimpse of what Christ suffered and went through for us, getting to share in His suffering, and we also are able to gain a more personal and deeper perspective of God’s great love for us. And if you are experiencing a death of somebody close to you, just remember that God the Father went through the loss of His dearly beloved Son.

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, Philippians 3:10

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28-29

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13

When we are weak, when we face trials, our true selves come out, and we are forced to lean on Christ, and He is our strength.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:4-5