Have you ever just been so overwhelmed with life’s events that this is all you can pray?
This has been my prayer for many days now. I lay down at night and this is all that comes out.
Yet, somehow, I feel this is enough. I don’t feel like anything else need be said.
God knows my heart. He knows my thoughts. He knows where I’m at right now in life’s journey.
And sometimes simple is better.
I’m wondering this myself. I always thought born again meant those who accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior because they had done something terrible and for some reason I had a visual image of the fringes of society. Shame on me!
I’m born-again. I’m a born-again Christian. All Christians and those who accept Jesus as their Savior and have been baptized are born again.
Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” John 3:3
“…unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” John 3:5
Society paints born again Christians as somehow fallen and a bit freaky. It’s been given a derogatory connotation. If someone says, “I’m a born-again Christian,” it’s an immediate reaction and for me it is usually negative. Like somehow you weren’t worthy enough to just be a plain Christian.
We are all born again if we accept Jesus and have been baptized. As Jesus explains in John 3, you were born once of woman and second of the Spirit. We are not automatically born saved. That comes later as an act of free will.
In essence, to be born again is to be born of the Spirit and of water.
I’m wondering if you take this passage literally, born again means you have been baptized AND received the gift of the Holy Spirit. My understanding of being saved is you only have to accept Jesus as your Savior. John 3:16 “…whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This act gives you the Holy Spirit inside.
I feel ashamed I bought into society’s view of born-again Christians however it came about. We should just be Christians, understood to be born again. Unless the term is meant to differentiate those who have been baptized from those who haven’t? Even so, I think the term has been grossly misunderstood and misused.
I’m counting on you all to put in your two-cents and offer up some clarification.
I’m reading in Luke the account of Jesus’s trial and death. No one wanted to be responsible for killing Jesus it seems–none of the leaders anyways. But due to the crowd screaming for Jesus’s death, Pilate gave in.
Jesus therefore died due to the power of crowd mentality. These same people who were praising Jesus when he entered Jerusalem almost in the same breath were now calling for his death. Why?
Because people went along with the crowd. And people behave differently when in a crowd. We have probably all experienced some form of this in our own lives.
Otherwise known as Mob Mentality, Crowd Hysteria, or Herd Behavior, man’s imbedded desire to be liked arises and makes him do things he otherwise would not.
I’m wondering if Pilate himself was afraid of this mob. We’re not for sure how large the crowd was around Jesus but I’m imagining it must have been considerable in order for Pilate (arguably one of the most powerful men in the Roman Empire at that time) to give in. Crowds can in one instant change the focus of their anger.
I find this fascinating. Jesus who had come to save man was ultimately done in by man’s character flaws (of which God had created). He died by the hands of the people He had come to save.
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the whole concept of God having planned everything, including the Fall and Jesus. It seems like man is the cause of a lot of heartache in this world. Yet God created us, who we are deep inside, which leads to this heartache.
Why would God create such a flawed creation (when He is perfect) and put up with us? Why not either: 1) not create us at all or 2) create us differently to avoid all this?
Maybe God has hope one day we will overcome our innate iniquities and tendencies.
The reasoning is beyond me. Another twist on yesterday’s question about the Fall.
Note to self: ASK GOD when get to heaven.
I was thinking of this the other day in church. If God is omniscient (all-knowing), then He must have known Adam and Eve would be beguiled by the Devil. Yet, He asks in Genesis, “Hey Adam, where are you? Who told you you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (Genesis 3: 9,11)
This must be a rhetorical question. God knew what had happened. God know what would happen.
So why create all this in the first place? Why would God create man, know we would fail Him, God suffer heartache because of it, God have to send His son to redeem us (more heartache for God), all so we piddly humans could be with Him?
Why bother? Why would God even bother to do all of this? It seems like a lot of work on His part and I’m not sure His reward. Us? From my perspective, we don’t seem worth it.
Logically, it’s because of God’s immense love for us. But I can’t comprehend this. I can’t comprehend God’s love because I believe God loves differently than we love. We are motivated by fear, insecurity, and every other human emotion and circumstance. God isn’t. God’s love is pure.
This is definitely going on my “ASK GOD” list when I get to Heaven. I’ve noticed a lot of these lately are “Why” questions.
Did you hear me???!!!
You HAVE to read this book! I feel like I’m re-living the Isaiah study through the eyes of a child.
Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo tells the true story of a 3 1/2 year old kid who says he went to heaven when he almost died in emergency apendectomy surgery. There is so many life lessons in here I’m not for sure I can summarize it all here but I’ll try.
Lesson #1: Always trust your gut and get second opinions when it comes to doctors.
The home town doctor of the Burpos told them their son didn’t have appendicitis, which is ultimately what he did have. His appendix poisoned his body for 5 days before the Burpos sought out a second opinion as they watched their son deteriorate before their eyes.
Lesson #2: God does answer prayers.
Colton, the son, says Jesus sent him back specifically in answer to his father’s prayers. Powerful stuff!
Lesson #3: God gives gifts to be used for His kingdom.
P. 64 Quote: “We’d been given a gift and our job now was to unwrap it…and see what’s inside.”
We all have gifts to which it is our RESPONSIBILITY to use for His kingdom.
Lesson #4: Our relatives and pets are in heaven, waiting for us eagerly to be with them.
Colton tells the heart-wrenching story of meeting his unborn sister whom his mother had miscarried. These people are in God’s hands and will be there to hug us when we arrive.
Lesson #5: The Holy Spirit “shoots down power” for us. P.126
I liked this one. To know God gives me strength and energy to make it.
This story is heart-wrenching yet the good that comes out of the bad is extraordinary. I can guarantee you this child will never doubt the existence of God even as life takes it toll when he ages.
What I like about this story is Colton confirms everything in the Bible. As humans, we always questions things we can’t see. The Bible is all about faith, especially in terms of the prophecies and the future. Colton speaks about such things and the accuracy is amazing.
God gives us these stories to encourage us in our walk with Him. Colton encourages his family and all those who read his story. The End Time stories Colton tells from the book of Revelation are elegant. God wins in the end and therefore we win.
I can see Colton in my kids. My kids’ faith is very strong. They believe and love Jesus with all their hearts, minds, and souls. They never doubt. I want the child-like faith in Jesus.
Quick read. Great, uplifting book. Sure to have you shouting at the end, “Yeah, God!”
I just attended my last BSF class/lecture for the year. I’ve finished Lesson 30 questions but am still left kicking things around in my head.
The Lesson focused on what we all got out of it. As I’m thinking on this, I know but I don’t know. I know it’s impacted me but I’m not for sure how much. I would be curious to see what those closest to me think. I think I’m going to ask my husband some of these questions when he gets back home.
This also leaves me wondering what God has gotten out of this. Did He gain some new followers? Did some accept Jesus and thus earn eternal rewards through BSF’s study? Did God cheer us on during the woes and during the promises? Did God get some chuckles from listening to us stumble our way through this at times?
What about me? What has God gotten out of this in terms of me? How has He used this in me? Am I a better person, stronger believer, more Christ-like?
I would like to say yes, but in truth I’m unsure. I look at things from, well, my perspective. I can’t see myself like others can and definitely not like God can.
There is something churning in my heart I just can’t pinpoint. BSF ended. But God never ends. I carry Him with me wherever I go. He keeps knocking even when I’ve shut the door.
Somehow saying, “I learned…..blank….” isn’t quite cutting it for me.
How about you?
The Very First Easter by Paul L Maier is a great kids book that explains the story behind Easter. It’s written in the form of a father reading the story to his son but the son breaks in periodically with questions. It uses quotes from the Bible that the father then explains to his son.
Great illustrations. Might be a bit long for younger kids (my son didn’t make it through it and he’s 3) but highly recommended.
I’m reading a kids book I got for my kids for Easter and in it is this statement that stopped me in my tracks: “Before Jesus died, no one could go to Heaven. Jesus changed all of that on the first Easter.” From The Miracle of Easter by Jean M. Malone.
I immediately thought, That’s just not true! You can’t tell me all those people are in Hell? Abraham, Sarah, David, Solomon, etc. What about Isaiah? You can’t tell me he’s not in Heaven!
Or are they?
So I set my mind to find out. But this wasn’t as easy as you might think. There are a lot of websites out there who “answer” this question but they are really just forums or people guessing the answer. Most had no scripture to back it up.
Here’s the summation of my thought process based on what I found and I will need your help on this because I am still unsure.
People before Jesus had faith. They believed in God who dwelled in Heaven and they believed they would be there. They atoned for their sins through various sacrifices and offerings ordained by God. Those who lived after the prophets knew of a Messiah to come and they believed in the Messiah before He walked the Earth.
If people (before Jesus, during Jesus, after Jesus) believed in the One, True God and accepted everything God did for them with all of their hearts, then God had a place for them in Heaven. But only after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven himself would these people rise and take their spots. Jesus had to be first. Jesus atoned for those before, during, and after Him, providing the cleansing needed to be with God. Jesus died for everyone before and since so we could all go to Heaven and be pure enough to be with our God.
Jesus himself in speaking to Nicodemus says, “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven–the Son of Man…the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:13-14
Where did these people go then while waiting for Jesus to rise from the dead? Several websites said there was a special place they went kind of like purgatory as they awaited to be fully atoned for. To me, this isn’t as important as their final destination: the fact they are in Heaven now.
Like my post yesterday, it all comes down to faith: faith to be saved, faith you’ll go to Heaven because you have faith in Jesus and accept His sacrifice, faith in God’s promises, and faith in God’s words (through the prophets before the written Bible).
God knew He’d send His son BEFORE He even created the Earth. You have to have faith He had a plan for those before Jesus. God is just. He wouldn’t create a system of atonement that didn’t apply to all of His Creation (all of mankind). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
Hebrews 9, 10, and 11 are fascinating with regards to the Old and New Covenant, Christ’s sacrifice for all, and faith.
Here are my favorite sites on this matter. I’m still not 100 % sure about this with so many different view points out there so I’m hoping all you BSF’ers out there know about this and where to find it in the Bible!!!
This website has a whole lay out on the question with many Biblical quotes. It’s very hard to read though due to the bright colors:
http://www.biblebell.org/otsaints.html
This site is a forum that starts out on the question but as usual wanders off but I’m including it because the beginning is good and it has Biblical references as well:
Finally, I like the simplicity of this answer. It draws logical conclusions without heavy thoughts:
http://felidazone.blogspot.com/2010/04/did-everyone-before-jesus-go-to-hell.html
So, the kid’s book had been right. The key word was could. No one could go to Heaven. That doesn’t mean they didn’t go to Heaven after Jesus. This was definitely not explained and only confused my kids (and me!).
I never would have thought about this if this book hadn’t of brought it up. Aren’t books wonderful?
“Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.'” Luke 18:42
“Then he (Jesus) said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.'” Luke 17:19
“Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'” Luke 7:50
“Then he (Jesus) said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.'” Luke 8:48
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.'” Luke 5:20
As I was reading my Bible yesterday, all these jumped out at me and the common word: faith. People were healed by Jesus because of their faith. People’s sins were forgiven because of their faith.
This is only a sampling of the amount of time Jesus talked about faith. We all believe in God based on faith alone. We can’t see Him. We can’t physically touch Him. We can feel and hear Him but not like we can feel and hear our spouse or our dog. His presence is spiritual only.
I think our lesson for our time is the same as in Jesus’s: faith is paramount to knowing and accepting Jesus. It’s the key to everything else.
Even when Jesus was present on Earth some believed and some didn’t–because of faith.
This is what we teach our kids, right? If you believe you can do something, you can. If you believe anything is possible, it is. I think some forget the crucial element: “All things are possible with God, Jesus said.” Mark 10:27
We must keep the faith even when it’s the last thing we want to do. Faith alone must remain when everything else is gone all around you.
“They should always pray and not give up…cry out to Him day and night.” Luke 18 1 & 7
BSF’s study of Isaiah talked a lot about how God is faithful. But what about us? We must be faithful to God as well. It has to go both ways as in any relationship. We must be faithful as God is faithful.
If we pray and believe and have faith, God will be there; He will accomplish His will; He will answer.
The Unicorn and the Lake by Marianna Mayer is a fantastic book about a unicorn pitted against a serpent. Symbolically, it can be said that the Unicorn is God and the Serpent is the Devil.
A unicorn roams the lands until chased away into the mountains by man’s greed to possess his magical horn. He stays hidden many years and as a result a drought dries up the land. The other animals are weakened and are no longer able to defend themselves against the serpent. The animals call out and the unicorn hears them. The unicorn causes rain to fall, filling the once-dry lakes and ponds.
The serpent, furious, poisons the newly-formed waters. The animals again call out and this time the unicorn answers in person. He ventures down the mountain, only to meet the Serpent who attacks him. The ensuing fight ends in the Serpent slithering away, spared, the unicorn purifying the water and returning back to his home in the mountains.
Great picture of God, isn’t it? God answers when we cry out as we are being thwarted by the devil and in the end vanquishes and restores. Lovely.