June 24th - Vanishing Away - Then What?

“For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14)

The older I get the more this hits home. Good thing I also have read the following...

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep (vanished away) so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope…For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead (those who vanished away) in Christ will rise first…comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

June 23rd - Grace and Judgment

Before the great worldwide flood described in Genesis, God made this statement concerning humanity…

"Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5)

He then made a decision...

"So the LORD said, I will destroy humanity whom I have created from the face of the earth." (Genesis 6:7)

God had told Adam and Eve what the judgment for their sin would be…

“…you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." (Genesis 2:17)

Prior to sending the flood, God introduced humanity to His grace in saving Noah and his family...

"But Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:8)

Humanity has not changed and evil is still a part of our nature. The judgment of God on sin is still death. Yet, His GRACE will save "all humanity".

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life…for the GRACE of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all humanity.” (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Titus 2:11)

Jesus came to save humanity and showed us how it will be done. Just as Jesus died and was raised to life, so will He return and save the rest of us out of death. That is the promise of the Bible.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly…it is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…God our Savior…desires ALL humanity to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for ALL…we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL humanity, especially of believers.” (John 10:10; 1 Timothy 1:15, 2:3-6; 4:9-10)

June 22nd - Better To Be Drowned In The Depths Of The Sea

The disciples of Jesus asked who would be greatest in the Kingdom of the heavens. He told them that "unless you change" you will never enter.

"The disciples came to Jesus and asked who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of the heavens. He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heavens. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heavens. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me..." (Matthew 18:1-5)

Have you ever noticed how a little child reacts to being told about God loving them and Jesus dying for them? It makes them happy and they believe without question - UNTIL - they get into some church that tells them God will eternally punish them in hell unless they repent of their sins and get saved. It is the church doctrine that needs to be changed.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:10)

The church who scares "little ones", or anyone, and causes them "to stumble" from their love for God and Jesus into a phobia of fear needs to become like little children. In fact, it would be better for the leaders if such churches "to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea"...

"If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!" (Matthew 18:6-7)

On another occasion the people of a Samaritan village did not welcome Jesus. His "disciples" asked Jesus if he wanted them to call down fire from heaven to burn them up. Jesus "rebuked" them...

"But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?" (Luke 9:54-55)

I cannot think of anything worse than scaring a child with the heresy of eternal conscious torment in hell. I would rather be "drowned in the depths of the sea". Unfortunately such teaching continues in most churches. Thankfully, Jesus will burn up such false teaching in "the day" humans give account to God.

"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames." (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

All humans, including those in churches causing people to stumble are destined to "become like little children" when God conforms them into the image of His Son Jesus.

"...behold I make all things new..." (Revelation 21:5)

...I will turn their mourning into joy, and give them comfort and joy for their sorrow" (Jeremiah 31:13)

"For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son..." (Romans 8:29)

June 21st - All in All.

"God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19).

The secret to worthwhile faith is figuring out what God has actually said. That is not always easy. Who among us today has actually had a two way conversation with God? What I assume is that God spoke to men of old and they wrote down what God told them into a book we call the Bible - the Scripture.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…for everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.” (2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 15:4)

My hope for humanity is found in the Bible. Paul sums up this “hope” as follows...

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive… so that God may be All in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

God “All in all”.  That is the hope for humanity, a treasure worth guarding!

"I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day...with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you." (2 Timothy 1:12-14)

June 20th - Better Promises

Concerning the history of the unfaithfulness of Israel Paul writes...

“Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11)

The promises to ISRAEL that were dependent on their faithfulness needed to be exchanged for a covenant based on the faithfulness of Jesus, the Son of God,  rather than sinful humans.

"Now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6)

The basic promises of the old covenant Law of Moses can be summarized as "do this, and you will live." The promises under the law were not realized because humanity does not obey the Law of God.

"Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes, and were not careful to observe my judgments, which, if a human does, he shall live by them" (Ezekiel 20:21).

God has promised a new covenant which is immeasurably better than the old one, because it DOES NOT depend upon human performance, but on the GRACE of God. 

"I will make a new covenant… I will put my law in their minds…I will be their God…I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

God has promised to forgive the  sins of humanity and remember our sins no more! Paul was given this good news to tell everyone.

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have ALL humanity to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one MEDIATOR between God and humans, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not ; a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.” (1 Timothy 2:3-7)

June 19th - Myths and Strange Doctrines

“To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord...instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths… It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:1-20)

You can search all you want but you will not find a single verse in the Bible that says the penalty for sin is eternal conscious torment. It is a myth. the Bible clearly says that the penalty for sin is DEATH.

"...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17)

"The wages of sin is death..."  (Romans 6:23)

Salvation is what happens AFTER death. The Bible tells us that Jesus will save OUT OF DEATH - not save FROM it. But for more than 1900 years there have been leaders in the church like “Hymenaeus and Alexander”, who have been shipwrecked in regard to the faith by the strange doctrine and myth of eternal conscious torment.

All of God’s dealings with humanity is with a view to the eventual reconciliation of ALL humans to God.

“…through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven...God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself not counting their sins against them and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...” (Colossians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 5)

Eternal conscious torment was introduced centuries ago by corrupt theology and has been passed down as truth. How incredibly sad! Paul addressed the source of the myths and strange doctrines.

"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness..." (2 Corinthians 11:13-14)

June 18th - Religious, Political and Journalistic Fabricators

“For us, who love God, who are the called according to His purpose, there is an awareness that He is working all together for good.” (Romans 8:28).

God is working everything for the good of humanity. This truth is refreshing to me in a world of religious, political and journalistic fabricators. Truth has become what these institutions perceive it to be, or would like it to be. 

All who have lived on this planet - even the religious, political and journalistic fabricators among us - will discover that humanity will be saved out of death by the grace of God.

“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all humans to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and humans, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all…we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all humans, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 1:15, 18-19; 2:3-8; 4:9-11)

This truth continues to brighten even my most difficult days in this present evil age. It gives me peace and enhances my love for God. Not a fabricated love, but a genuine love flowing from the knowledge of God's grace, love, and goodness.

Religious, political, and journalistic fabricators are obsessed with the idea that those who agree with them are the only ones who will have things work out for good - however, I am confident that they are wrong!