Surreal Amplification
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The Good News
Heaven and hell
- Heaven is real! Hell is real! The fact of the matter is this;
The Bible has been talking about other dimensions for thousands of years. Only in the latter part of the last century has the theory of other dimension been basically accepted as fact.
Heaven, as Paul states, is so beautiful that it would be a crime to try to put it into human terminologies. Hell, is equally opposite. A man named Lazarus begged for a drop of water.
When Jesus was talking to some doubting Jews in John chapter 8 verse 23 he says "You are from beneath, I am from above; you are of this world; I am not of this world." Later in that same chapter verse 58 and 59
Jesus says "before Abraham was, I am." They tried to kill him right then and there but he disappeared right between them.
He went back into the dimension of Heaven, the dimension of the Father, and of the Spirit, and of God himself. It's interesting we have accounts of someone walking between these dimensions thousands of years before it could even be thought of as possible.
Who?
- Jesus is God in the flesh. The God of the Old Testament and the God of the New, Jesus, are the same entity.
Take look at Joshua chapter 5 verses 13 thru 15. That passage is so radical. Just as Moses saw God in the form of a burning Joshua tree, possibly a Joshua tree, God chose this time to reveal himself in the form of man. Not as God the father as described to Moses because God said you cannot see my face and live, but a form of God, an image that we would understand.
If Jacob and Joshua could have spoke to each other about their encounters, I bet they would have described the exact same guy. The Old Testament describes Jesus' crucifixion exactly the way it happened in Psalm 22.
In Proverbs chapter 30 this guy named Agur, in a moment of exaltation says rhetorically, "who is he that has ascended up into Heaven or descended? Who has gathered the winds in his fist? ...What is his name and what is his son's name if thou can tell?"
This is approximately 1000 years before Jesus. Philippians 2-7 says, "But God made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men."
- Why?
God is looking for a special group of people to spend eternity with.
Titus 2-14 "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
It won't be everyone. Life is a practice run. A homework project from God so to speak. Those who preach that all of us will go to Heaven if we are good are leading people astray. Mathew 7-13, 14 makes it all perfectly clear.
"Enter ye in at the straight gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat. Because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
- Why does God allow suffering?
Many ask this question. If there were nothing evil then how would anyone know what good is? Originally, there was no evil but a decision was made, exercising a very important attribute that God himself gave, free will that is, and now evil has entered the world.
Satan is the ruler of this age. Even Jesus acknowledged Satans' power when he was tempted in the desert. God allows suffering to find out which of us are people after Gods own heart.
Once again, the peculiar people thing in Titus. If something is weighing heavy on your heart, then perhaps your the one he wants to use to cure a certain suffering. It's the helper, the Holy Spirit of God that makes a persons heart ache for someone in need.
If evolution were true, you would have absolutely no desire to help anyone but yourself. C.S. Lewis made a great analogy in Mere Christianity when he tried to describe an encounter with the Holy Spirit.
Lets say a house is on fire and you hear a child crying for help. Common sense and the so called theory of self preservation dictates that you don't go in there because you most certainly would die. But you charge in there and rescue a child with total disregard for your own safety. That is the Holy Spirit.
I am familiar with the theory of species preservation as well but the point is, there is an outside force at work here that overpowers any so called self or species preservation actions.
The Truth
- Denominations
It's perfectly fine to be a member of a Lutheran or Methodist or any other type of church. Just be certain you are a Christian first. The word Christian appears in the early part of Acts. Check it out for yourself.
Doctrine? There is only one doctrine; The Bible, and this place teaches it.
How do I become saved?
Jesus said you must be born again. John 3-3, "Most assuredly I say to you except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus, the local equivalent of an orthodox Jew asks him further, and Jesus repeats. " Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
"That which is born of the flesh is of the flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit" Some ask well what does that mean, what do I do? It's simple, ask to be born of the spirit. It's perfectly o k to simply pray,.. God, I have no idea who you are or what you want from me but I know you are there and I ask to be born again of the spirit.
Hebrew 11-3 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. He just wants you to take a little leap and he will give you the ability to take big leaps in the future.
Romans 10-9, If you confess with your mouth and beleive in your heart that Jesus is God in the flesh, and was raised form the dead, you shall be saved.
Romans 10-10 says that with the heart one believes and with the mouth one confesses what he believes. (Slight paraphrase for simplification purposes).Going back to the Hebrews quote, you have to take the initial step. God puts a very high priority on free will. He doesn't want to spend eternity with a bunch of people who didn't choose him of their own free will.
We are all born with the knowledge of God. Act on it before it's too late. Time is almost up.