Good plans for a long life

Ezekiel 18:31b-32 (NLT)


31b For why should you die, O people of Israel? 32 I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live!

These are the sovereign words of our righteous and just God who desires a good long life for people. God has good plans and wants to give us an expected end to our lives.



As I wrote above, God wants to provide us with an expected end to our lives, but often our choices interrupt God’s plans for us. God planned a wonderful, eternal life for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but that was interrupted after Adam and Eve made their own sinful choices. God planned the rescue of Lot and his family from Sodom and Gomorrah, but Lot’s wife refused to obey the warning given by the angels not to look back to their former life. She ignored the warning looked back and suffered the consequences of her actions.

Sometimes death comes at unexpected times, not by God’s plan, but as a result of Satan’s work of killing, stealing and destroying. Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” The thief is Satan who desires to take away what God has planned for or given to us. We can look at Job who loved and obeyed God. It was not God who went against Job, but Satan. Satan was the thief who took Job’s family, workers, possessions, and even his health. Job however proved his faith to God and God blessed and restored Job.

We must remember God’s will for us does not mean that His will is always the conclusive end. God’s will is that everyone would be saved through the salvation of Jesus Christ. But will everyone be saved? No, for some choose not to partake of God’s plan of salvation.

So why does God allow those who have placed their faith in Him to be persecuted and even killed for His sake? --- Because God wants to reach out to those who do not know Him. Our souls are already in His hands. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. God wants to reach out in love to those who don’t know Him for their worldly death means an eternal separation from Him. God is willing to sacrifice some of His own children, just as He allowed Christ to be sacrificed, to reach a lost and hurting world. Count our trials and tribulations as a blessing for God is using us to fulfill His purpose.

Word from C.S. Lewis in The Great Divorce

Following are the words of the author C.S. Lewis in the book The Great Divorce. It is a great illustration of how sin speaks into our lives and how difficult sometimes it is to turn loose of that sin. However once we allow the sin removed something wonderful happens. There is a change that becomes something beautiful.

In The Great Divorce, pp. 98-103, C.S. Lewis wrote:

I saw coming towards us a Ghost who carried something on his shoulder. Like all the Ghosts, he was unsubstantial, but they differed from one another as smokes differ. Some had been whitish; this one was dark and oily. What sat on his shoulder was a little red lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear. As we caught sight of him he turned his head to the reptile with a snarl of impatience. "Shut up, I tell you!" he said. It wagged its tail and continued to whisper to him. He ceased snarling, and presently began to smile. Then be turned and started to limp westward, away from the mountains.

"Off so soon?" said a voice.

The speaker was more or less human in shape but larger than a man, and so bright that I could hardly look at him. His presence smote on my eyes and on my body too (for there was heat coming from him as well as light) like the morning sun at the beginning of a tyrannous summer day.

"Yes. I'm off," said the Ghost. "Thanks for all your hospitality. But it's no good, you see. I told this little chap," (here he indicated the lizard), "that he'd have to be quiet if he came -which he insisted on doing. Of course his stuff won't do here: I realise that. But he won't stop. I shall just have to go home."

'Would you like me to make him quiet?" said the flaming Spirit-an angel, as I now understood.

"Of course I would," said the Ghost.

"Then I will kill him," said the Angel, taking a step forward.

"Oh-ah-look out! You're burning me. Keep away," said the Ghost, retreating.

"Don't you want him killed?"

"You didn't say anything about killing him at first. I hardly meant to bother you with anything so drastic as that."

"It's the only way," said the Angel, whose burning hands were now very close to the lizard. "Shall I kill it?"

"Well, that's a further question. I'm quite open to consider it, but it's a new point, isn't it? I mean, for the moment I was only thinking about silencing it because up here-well, it's so damned embarrassing."

"May I kill it?"

"Well, there's time to discuss that later."

"There is no time. May I kill it?"

"Please, I never meant to be such a nuisance. Please-really-don't bother. Look! It's gone to sleep of its own accord. I'm sure it'll be all right now. Thanks ever so much."

"May I kill it?"

"Honestly, I don't think there's the slightest necessity for that. I'm sure I shall be able to keep it in order now. I think the gradual process would be far better than killing it."

"The gradual process is of no use at all."

"Don't you think so? Well, I'll think over what you've said very carefully. I honestly will. In fact I'd let you kill it now, but as a matter of fact I'm not feeling frightfully well to-day. It would be silly to do it now. I'd need to be in good health for the operation. Some other day, perhaps."

"There is no other day. All days are present now."

"Get back! You're burning me. How can I tell you to kill it? You'd kill me if you did."

"It is not so."

"Why, you're hurting me now."

"I never said it wouldn't hurt you. I said it wouldn't kill you."

"Oh, I know. You think I'm a coward. But it isn't that. Really it isn't. I say! Let me run back by tonight's bus and get an opinion from my own doctor. I'll come again the first moment I can."

"This moment contains all moments."

"Why are you torturing me? You are jeering at me. How can I let you tear me to pieces? If you wanted to help me, why didn't you kill the damned thing without asking me--before I knew? It would be all over by now if you had."

"I cannot kill it against your will. It is impossible. Have I your permission?"

The Angel's hands were almost closed on the Lizard, but not quite. Then the Lizard began chattering to the Ghost so loud that even I could hear what it was saying.

"Be careful," it said. "He can do what he says. He can kill me. One fatal word from you and he will! Then you'll be without me for ever and ever. It's not natural. How could you live? You'd be only a sort of ghost, not a real man as you are now. He doesn't understand. He's only a cold, bloodless abstract thing. It may be natural for him, but it isn't for us. Yes, yes. I know there are no real pleasures now, only dreams. But aren't they better than nothing? And I'll be so good. I admit I've sometimes gone too far in the past, but I promise I won't do it again. I'll give you nothing but really nice dreams--all sweet and fresh and almost innocent. You might say, quite innocent .... "

"Have I your permission?" said the Angel to the Ghost.

"I know it will kill me."

"It won't. But supposing it did?"

"You're right. It would be better to be dead than to live with this creature."

"Then I may?"

"d*mn and blast you! Go on can't you? Get it over. Do what you like," bellowed the Ghost: but ended, whimpering, "God help me. God help me."

Next moment the Ghost gave a scream of agony such as I never heard on Earth. The Burning One closed his crimson grip on the reptile: twisted it, while it bit and writhed, and then flung it, broken backed, on the turf.

"Ow! That's done for me," gasped the Ghost, reeling backwards.

For a moment I could make out nothing distinctly. Then I saw, between me and the nearest bush, unmistakably solid but growing every moment solider, the upper arm and the shoulder of a man. Then, brighter still and stronger, the legs and hands. The neck and golden head materialised while I watched, and if my attention had not wavered I should have seen the actual completing of a man--an immense man, naked, not much smaller than the Angel. What distracted me was the fact that at the same moment something seemed to be happening to the Lizard. At first I thought the operation had failed. So far from dying, the creature was still struggling and even growing bigger as it struggled. And as it grew it changed. Its hinder parts grew rounder. The tail, still flickering, became a tail of hair that flickered between huge and glossy buttocks. Suddenly I started back, rubbing my eyes. What stood before me was the greatest stallion I have ever seen, silvery white but with mane and tail of gold. It was smooth and shining, rippled with swells of flesh and muscle, whinneying and stamping with its hoofs. At each stamp the land shook and the trees dindled.

The new-made man turned and clapped the new horse's neck. It nosed his bright body. Horse and master breathed each into the other's nostrils. The man turned from it, flung himself at the feet of the Burning One, and embraced them. When he rose I thought his face shone with tears, but it may have been only the liquid love and brightness (one cannot distinguish them in that country) which flowed from him. I had not long to think about it. In joyous haste the young man leaped upon the horse's back. Turning in his seat he waved a farewell, then nudged the stallion with his heels. They were off before I well knew what was happening. There was riding if you like! I came out as quickly as I could from among the bushes to follow them with my eyes; but already they were only like a shooting star far off on the green plain, and soon among the foothills of the mountains. Then, still like a star, I saw them winding up, scaling what seemed impossible steeps, and quicker every moment, till near the dim brow of the landscape, so high that I must strain my neck to see them, they vanished, bright themselves, into the rose-brightness of that everlasting morning.



Great words by C.S. Lewis. ---

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-29 (NLT)


25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” 27 The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In this passage Jesus is speaking with the religion leaders and one of them tested Jesus with a question about inheriting eternal life. Jesus knew they did not understand His purpose to bring salvation to all men. So Jesus asked the leader what the Mosaic Law said. The man gave a response that said love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said, “Right, do this and you will live”, for Jesus knew man was incapable of always loving God and his fellow man as he should. The religious leader knew it too and wanted to justify his actions by asking who his neighbor was.



It was at this point Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

You can tell Jesus is speaking to the religion leader with this example by using two religious people, one a priest and the other a Temple assistant. Most likely both had gone through a ceremonial cleansing to perform their duties and therefore felt they would be defiled by touching this man. A Jewish man, one of their own laid hurt and they passed him by. In doing so they ignored the Mosaic Law of loving God and loving your neighbor. They failed and mostly likely would continue to fail. Yet a Samaritan who was a neighbor, despised by the Jewish people came to the rescue of this Jewish man.

This story shows how a person despised by the Jewish people felt compassion for a Jewish man who was in serious trouble which his Jewish neighbors passed him by. We are all to love like this man, but we are to also realize eternal life comes through Jesus Christ who gave His life for our sin, because all the good works we try to do will eventually fail.

Justice

Psalm 103:6 (NLT)

6 The LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

This psalm of David gives praise to the Lord. Matthew Henry said of verse 6, “Truly God is good to all: He executes righteousness and judgment, not only for his own people, but for all that are oppressed; for even in common providence he is the patron of wronged innocency, and, one way or other, will plead the cause of those that are injured against their oppressors. It is his honour to humble the proud and help the helpless.




I read the following from a friend I went to high school with concerning an attack on her son. I took it from her Facebook page for others to read so you might pray for her and her son:

”HELP>>> My son Warner was assaulted in 5pts (University of S.C. Campus area) last Thursday April 5/6 around midnight. It required extensive surgery. It has changed his life and he had just qualified for nationals 4 Olympics! PLS PLS help me. Pics b4 or after surgery are too graphic 4 here. He left Beys and crossed the street to Harpers. He was headed to car parked on Green St at Group Therapy. Investigation moving tooooooo friggin slow. THIS is my son...HELP! heartbroken”

Can you hear the urgent plea of a mother who is looking for justice for her son? Can you hear the worry and concern of the opportunities that might be taken away from this young man? Do you see a broken heart pleading for our help?

Recently there has been a lot of news coverage about the Trayvon Martin case. Their family sought justice for their son and rightly so. Had it been my son I would have been sitting in the police station and prosecutors office until some action was taken. When your child is harassed, bullied, harmed, hurt, beaten or murdered justice is demanded. They lost a child and there needs to be an explanation, an investigation and a process of justice to determine the facts.

I read an article from comedian Jon Lovitz who spoke out against the bullying of a friend’s daughter. Lovitz posted a picture of their handiwork, saying, “Swastikas in sh** left on my friend’s front porch were done by three 14-year-old girls, driven to the house by one of the girl’s mother.” Lovitz says the bullied girl’s grandfather was a Holocaust survivor. How can a parent allow this action to take place??

Actor/Comedian D.L. Hughley recently wrote a news post as a letter to Trayvon Martin sayin, “Like your parents, and countless other Americans, I want justice for you and the life that you will never get to live.” We all want justice for Trayvon and we want it done correctly.

Let us pray God will provide justice for all our youth. Let us be united as one people under God to see these issues addressed. Let us work together as friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, as neighbors, family and as a community to put an end to what are senseless attacks against our youth. I ask prayer for my friend Tami and her son Warner. I ask prayer for Trayvon’s family and the girl and her family that was bullied. Let us pray for all the innocent who have been wronged.

Father God we ask your love, mercy and grace to be upon these families. Lord we pray you would take up for our youth and bring about justice. Lord please bring us together as one people seeking to do what is right. Allow us to be your hands, your feet, your eyes and your mouth working for justice. AMEN

The sin on the inside

Mark 7:20-23 (NLT)


20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

In this passage Jesus was spoke to the crowd in response to a question asked by the religious leaders that were present, ““Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.” In response Jesus said, “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” Then Jesus went on to list those things that defile a person that come from one’s own sin nature.




The Pharisees were worried about touching anything that was ceremonially unclean. They had rituals and rules for how everything should be deal with because they thought it might bring sin upon them. This was far from the truth. For Jesus pointed out it was not those things outside of man that defiled man, but instead the sin nature that lurks in the hearts of men. There is no one on this earth who does not have the potential to commit the acts of sin listed above. King Solomon gave us this word of wisdom in Proverbs 4:23, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Just think about the sins listed above the consequences that follow if one of those sins are committed. Each of those sins can have a great impact upon a life and will change the course of one’s life. For the person who murders they may find themselves in prison for a lifetime. For the person who deceives they may never be trusted. For the person who commits adultery they may lose their family and respect of others. Sin can impact your life greatly. Fortunately Jesus frees us from the bondage of sin and provides grace and mercy for what we may or might do. We may face earthly consequences for sin, but Jesus has forgiven us and made our sins right with God. Place your faith in Jesus and know He loves you.

Rescued

Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

The apostle tells us Christ has purchased our freedom and taken us from the darkness of sin and brought us into His Kingdom to be free from sin.



New York Times reporter Nicholas Kristof wrote about where he chose two Cambodian prostitutes and attempted to buy their freedom from their brothel owners in an article “Bargaining for Freedom”. He selected young women who were there against their will, willing to tell their story, and actually wanted to leave prostitution.

The first woman, Srey Neth, was a simple transaction. For $150, Kristof left with the girl and a receipt.

Her Mom’s situation proved more difficult, since the brothel owner demanded more money. Kristof writes: After some grumpy negotiation, the owner accepted $203 as the price for Srey Mom’s freedom. But then Srey Mom told me that she had pawned her cellphone and needed $55 to get it back. "Forget about your cellphone," I said. "We’ve got to get out of here."

Srey Mom started crying. I told her that she had to choose her cellphone or her freedom, and she ran back to her tiny room in the brothel and locked the door. With Srey Mom sobbing in her room and refusing to be freed without her cellphone, the other prostitutes—her closest friends—began pleading with her to be reasonable.

Even the owner of the brothel begged her to "Grab this chance while you can," but Srey Mom hysterically refused to leave. Srey Mom only stopped crying when Kristov agreed to buy back the cellphone too. Then she asked for her pawned jewelry to be part of the deal.

--- So often are we not the same? Christ has purchased our freedom and then we want to turn and run back to our sins. We find reasons, unjustly, to return to that sin. Yet we keep hearing Christ say, “We’ve got to get out of here!” Listen to Christ and flee from the sin holding you captive.

Don't take advantage of grace

Romans 6:1 (NLT)


1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?



The apostle asks an important question to Christians which he gives a reply, “Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” God’s grace is not an excuse to sin, but instead a reason to live.



Switzerland has a toll system that requires you to pay an upfront annual fee. Once you pay your fee a sticker is issued for your windshield that is good for the year. Traditionally, traffic police give motorists the whole month of January to purchase the sticker. There is no penalty for driving without it during that month—it is a month of grace. But when the first days of February come, expect to see the traffic police on the autoroute exit ramps checking for cars without the sticker. No more excuses are accepted; no more time is given. The grace period has ended.



God always provides us a time of grace, but eventually there are consequences for our actions. We should not take advantage of God’s grace for our own selfish purposes. Instead we should take the opportunity to make a correction in our life that aligns us with God’s will.

Jesus our redeemer

Matthew 16:26 (ESV)


26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?



In this verse Jesus is speaking to His disciples. There are two questions asked, 1) what happens if a person gains all the worldly possessions they desire and then loose there life?; and then a question that is the reverse logic of the first question 2) what would you give up to keep your eternal soul?





According to a Gallup poll conducted in May of 2004, 90% of Americans believe in God or a universal spirit; the percentage has remained somewhat constant for the past 60 years. In the survey 81% of Americans said they believe in heaven, 10% are unsure, and 8% do not believe. Prior to 1974 the belief in hell ranged from 56% to 71%. The 2004 study showed overall 70% of Americans believed in hell, 12% were not sure and 17% did not believe in hell. It is apparent from the study that the majority of Americans believe in God and there is an eternal afterlife either in heaven or hell.



For a moment let’s assume you are part of the majority that has come to a point in their life they believe in God and they believe in an afterlife either in heaven or hell. If God asked you, “Why should I let you into heaven?” what would be your response? After searching the internet for answers to that question, here are some of the responses people gave:



-Because all my life I've done the best I can for myself and other people. I've never intentionally hurt anyone. And besides that, I've adopted lots of homeless cats and dogs and given them a home."



- I'm only 15 but I'd say I know I have done bad in my life, but please forgive? I've helped many in need.



- I've never been intentionally cruel and I never told anyone they weren't going to heaven because they held different beliefs.



- I would tell him that I don't deserve to enter heaven because I have sinned too many times to count.



- I would say "What makes you think you're in any position to be gatekeeper? You're the one who created this mess in the first place!"



Those are guesses by people, but what does The Bible say? The Bible says man sinned and brought the punishment of sin upon himself. God did not make the mess we are in; man did by his selfish act of sin. God is the creator of everything and as the creator He has the right to decide to do with what He has created. Because of God’s love and mercy towards us, God provided salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus died on a cross as payment for sin. Jesus rose back to life defeating death to show us there is an eternal life. When a person places their faith in Jesus, Jesus stands before God making them right in God’s sight. The Bible says Jesus is the propitiation for our sins and the sins of the world. It says, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” Because Jesus makes our sin right before God our faith in Jesus allows us into heaven. So if God asks, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” the answer is because I have faith in Jesus who died for my sin. If you are not sure you have ever placed your faith in Jesus tell God right now, “Father God, I know I am a sinner, I desire to change and I turn my life over to Jesus placing my faith in Him as savior and redeemer.” When you place your faith in Jesus know there is nothing that is not forgivable, not one thing. Jesus has redeemed you so you can live eternity in heaven.