Why Didn't They Believe?

Doesn't it seem strange to you that those who saw Jesus do his miracles and heard his teaching still didn't believe? I certainly am amazed, though I know the answer.

Only Jesus of Nazareth could fulfill the more than 109 Bible prophecies about him in the Old Testament. Only he could raise Lazarus who was dead for four days. Only he could have grown missing fingers and other body parts on lepers. And only Christ could rise from the dead after such a brutal crucifixion.

Jesus knew who and what he was. Matthew 12:41 (KJV) reads, "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."

Worst of all, the Pharisees knew their scriptures and yet they couldn't believe that Jesus was the long-awaited messiah. The Lord's harshest words weren't against sinners such as tax collectors and prostitutes but the religious leaders of Israel.

The reason most people then, as well as today, refuse to believe in Christ is because they don't want to. Look at what he said to the Pharisees, supposedly the representatives of God Almighty, in John 8:44 )KJV.) "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Sad to say, that's the position in which all who won't surrender to Christ are in. This is also why I'm writing a book, warning people who think they're Christians but haven't given their very lives to the Lord. Watch this space for more Bible-based teaching.

Is God Hiding From Us?

 In light of my previous post, I'm sure somebody will ask me why God seems to be so hard to hear from. After all, he doesn't speak audibly to people as he did in the Old Testament days. Neither can we speak to his son in person as the first century people in Israel did.

Did you know that God communicates with us through the Bible? He did this for an excellent reason too. Since personal experiences are subjective, God had his words written down by dedicated and trustworthy believers. These words were meticulously copied and fragments of unearthed parchments were compared for commonalities by scholars. This prevents misunderstandings and embellishments of his message by us fallible humans.

Jesus himself said in John 5:46 (KJV), "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me." And so did other Old Testament scribes write about Christ. But I'll write more about this another time.

God, through his prophets and kings, wrote that he can be found if, and only if, people seek him with pure motives. Proverbs 8:17 (KJV) says, "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." By the way, the last part of this verse doesn't mean that whoever sleeps in won't find him. It means that our prime directive is to seek him first.

I could point out many more scripture verses regarding seeking the Lord but this blog would become too long. Suffice it to say that God wants people to seek him rather than them searching for reasons to deny his existence.

There was a time in my life when I rejected the Lord. Eventually, I realized that the malarkey I learned at an errant house church was wrong. Now I know God for who he really is. I wrote about this joyous discovery in my How I Was Razed book which is available through Amazon.

Is God Hiding From Us?

In light of my previous post, I'm sure somebody will ask me why God seems to be so hard to hear from. After all, he doesn't speak audibly to people as he did in the Old Testament days. Neither can we speak to his son in person as the first century people in Israel did.

Did you know that God communicates with us through the Bible? He did this for an excellent reason too. Since personal experiences are subjective, God had his words written down by dedicated and trustworthy believers. These words were meticulously copied and fragments of unearthed parchments were compared for commonalities by scholars. This prevents misunderstandings and embellishments of his message by us fallible humans.

Jesus himself said in John 5:46 (KJV), "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me." And so did other Old Testament scribes write about Christ. But I'll write more about this another time.

God, through his prophets and kings, wrote that he can be found if, and only if, people seek him with pure motives. Proverbs 8:17 (KJV) says, "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." By the way, the last part of this verse doesn't mean that whoever sleeps in won't find him. It means that our prime directive is to seek him first.

I could point out many more scripture verses regarding seeking the Lord but this blog would become too long. Suffice it to say that God wants people to seek him rather than them searching for reasons to deny his existence.

There was a time in my life when I rejected the Lord. Eventually, I realized that the malarkey I learned at an errant house church was wrong. Now I know God for who he really is. I wrote about this joyous discovery in How I Was Razed, my book which is available through Amazon.com.

What About Those Who Never Heard of Christ?

I wrote previously regarding Old Testament saints and how they were saved by placing their trust in God. But what of those people groups in distant lands who never heard of Jesus or even the Old Testament patriarchs? Isn't it unfair for God to expect that they place their faith in some one they never heard of?

The Apostle Paul made it quite clear to the Epicureans and Stoics that every group of people had enough information to know that God exists. One proof of this is humanity's propensity to worship. The Athenians even had an altar to an unknown god, just in case they missed a deity who would be offended by being overlooked.

Read what Luke recorded in Acts 17:26-27 (Bible in Basic English). "And he has made of one blood all the nations of men living on all the face of the earth, ordering their times and the limits of their lands, So that they might make search for God, in order, if possible, to get knowledge of him and make discovery of him, though he is not far from every one of us:"

Since this is so, everybody has the light of conscience. Creation also demonstrates that it was designed by an astonishingly wise creator.  Psalm 19:1-3 declares, ""The heavens are sounding the glory of God; the arch of the sky makes clear the work of his hands. Day after day it sends out its word, and night after night it gives knowledge. There are no words or language; their voice makes no sound."

Therefore, people are without an excuse.  As Paul noted in Acts 17:30-31, "Those times when men had no knowledge were overlooked by God; but now he gives orders to all men in every place to undergo a change of heart: Because a day has been fixed in which all the world will be judged in righteousness by the man who has been marked out by him for this work; of which he has given a sign to all men by giving him back from the dead. By "know knowledge," Paul meant scriptural revelation.

In light of what these verses teach, I'm writing a book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? This is THEE most important question facing humanity and there's no going back after death to do life over again. I'm currently writing chapter two and hope to get it finished soon.

What Should Be Our Attitude Toward Persecution.

Those who haven't followed my posts might say that persecution is only a terrible thing. I agree that it is for now but it has tremendous blessings for today and eternity.

The Apostles understood how to deal with persecution. When persecuted, they asked for boldness rather than a way to escape it. As it says in Acts 4:29-30 (KJV), "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus."

And what was God's reply? The place where they met was shaken and they went out boldly to preach the gospel.

Though we have had two-thousand years of persecution, it's only increasing in intensity. Why? Scripture says in 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV), "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the  devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may  devour:"

Satan wants to tempt people to stop believing in Christ. That's why he uses his minions to persecute us. But we won't be overly tempted. Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV), "There hath no temptation taken you but such as  is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be  tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also  make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

In my next book, I'll outline the way the Devil tries to dissuade us from following the narrow way to heaven. Stay tuned for updates.

Why Must We Suffer Persecution?

 It might be an obvious question to ask but the answer isn't often understood. To put it simply, we become targets when we oppose Satan and his forces.

As I've noted before, Hebrews chapter eleven shows that the followers of God suffered for their steadfast faith in him. Since Satan can't beat the Lord, he attacks his servants. God lets some persecution come our way to strengthen us. When we die, or when Christ returns, we have graduated from Earth's school of hard knocks and need no more training.

The Apostle Paul knew not only how to suffer for Christ but why. He reminded the churches often about the surpassing glory awaiting those who endured to the end. In Colossians 1:24 (KJV)he wrote of himself, "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill  up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his  body's sake, which is the church:"

So all of us who suffer mockings or even violence can comfort ourselves that we will reap a much better reward in heaven when Christ returns. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:18 (KJV) "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present  time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be  revealed in us."

Though it upsets and grieves me that millions of Christians are suffering and dying around the world, I console myself with the truth that we are bound for far greater things than this world can provide.

In my next book, I hope to show how much more wonderful heaven will be to us who will be there. Watch this space for updates and further Bible teaching.

How May We cope With Persecution?

 In view of the previous post, some readers might suggest that we're just expected to "tough it out" when we're persecuted for our faith. The Father knows what we'll face and won't let us be tempted above what we're able to endure but he'll make a way of escape for us. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

My friend Kay Belantoni reminded me recently that the Holy Spirit has another job beside teaching us. He is also our comforter. Not only does he comfort by consoling us but he also gives us the strength we need when we need it.

The Holy Spirit helps us in prayer as well. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:26 (KJV), "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

The next verse shows that He also intercedes for us. (Romans 8:27 KJV)  "And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

How wonderful it is that when we don't know what to say, the Holy Spirit does. He also is our "go between" so that we are guided to pray according to God's will. Prayer is made all the more joyful as a result.

In my next book, I'll explain in detail about the role of the Holy Spirit in evangelism. This is important to know since so much misinformation is being preached by false teachers.