The U.S. Presidential elections are coming up. You might hear the phrase ¨pro-choice¨ when a presidential candidate is speaking about their stand on abortion. Basicly it means this: They don´t necessarily agree with abortion, but they trust mothers and families to make the right decisions. They don´t think it is necessary for the government to get involved. They think that the ¨liberty¨ to have an abortion needs to be protected.
Pro-choice does have a nice ring to it, but I have some statistics to show you.
Statistics just for the United States:
Why women have abortions: 1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).
Likelihood of abortion:An estimated 43% of all women will have at least 1 abortion by the time they are 45 years old. 47% of all abortions are performed on women who have had at least one previous abortion.
One baby is aborted every 26 seconds
137 babies are aborted every hour
3,304 babies are aborted every day
23,196 babies are aborted every week
100,516 babies are aborted every month
Almost 50,000,000 babies have been aborted between 1973 and 2007.
64% of women who experienced one or more abortions “felt pressured by others” to have the abortion.
Statistics from http://www.mccl.org/abortion_statistics.htm and http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html
So a presidential candidate that has a ¨pro-choice¨ stand on abortion thinks the mothers will do the right thing, and the government does not need to get involved. Babies are not being aborted because the mothers life is in serious danger, or also because of rape/incest. The vast majority of babies are being aborted for the simple fact that they are not wanted. The mother, parents, or family do not want their lives to significally change because of a baby. They are selfish. If someone is not able to take care of a baby, then why can´t they put the baby up for adoption?
My wife is pregnant, and I will soon be a father. I have felt the fears that most people feel. When the baby comes, Elianas and my life will significantly change. But never would we have someone kill our baby so that our ¨plans¨ are not interrupted.
Really it is not my opinion that is important, but it is Gods opinion. What does God think when a baby is killed? Does He only care about the babies that have been born, and not about those that haven´t been born yet? I will tell you that God does care. God cares about the babies that are in a mothers womb. The approximately 50,000,000 babies that have been aborted in the United States between 1973 - 2007; God cares about them. The parents may not have cared about the baby, but I know that baby is loved by God. And because God cares, will He not deliver justice for the murder of those babies?
God does not just judge people individually, but He will punish an entire nation. How many times did Israel turn away from God, and God punished that nation? God would allow other nations to invade Israel. Terrible things would happen because Israel decided to turn against God, and do all these evil things. And do we think that God will not do the same to the United States? Has God forgotten about these babies? Of course not! I believe that Gods judgement to our country is just around the corner. I don´t know how He plans to do it, but I know that God will not forever allow the United States to do the things that they are doing without being severely punished. Can Gods judgement be avoided? I know that in the Bible a nation would find out about Gods coming judgement, and they would stop the evil they were doing, and so God would not judge the nation at that time. But when the nation again turned to its evil ways, Gods judgement came. I think that only if our nation turns from its sin, will that deter God from punishing our nation.
Many people think that nothing can bring the United States down. People think ¨we are the strongest country in the world, who can hurt us?¨ But God is who first blessed this nation, and He has the power to take away everything from us. Why has there never been an enemy nation invade the United States? Because God has not allowed it. But if God allows a nation (or group) to cause damage to the United States, it will happen. And the United States will not be able to stop them, because God is using that nation (or group) to punish our nation.
But God does not forget about the people that have turned away from sin, unlike the others in the country. So those people should not be afraid.
It is so important to have a good leader in our country. A president that wishes to please God, and make the right decisions. The United States has certainly been a country that has stood for many good things. When Hitler and the Natzi´s were trying to exterminate all the Jews, millions of young American men were headed overseas to fight, and they did fight, many losing their own lives. But God was with them, and they won the war. God hated what the Natzi´s were doing, and God punished them because of the bad things they were doing. One of the nations that God used was the United States. But now we must turn from our sin, or our nation will also be judged.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Ethiopia: Attack on Church Leaves 4 Dead, 70 Injured
By Michael IrelandChief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service ETHIOPIA (ANS)
-- Last week, Christians gathering at local churches in a southern region in Ethiopia were enjoying singing and worship when, without warning, hundreds of men armed with machetes and clubs leapt through the open windows and indiscriminately began attacking everyone present. The attackers barricaded the doors to try to prevent people from escaping.
Envoy Ministries (www.envoyministries.org ) says that when the carnage was complete, there were three Ethiopian church planters (missionaries) dead, one more person died March 9, and more than 70 were injured, with 40 people sustaining serious injuries. The death toll is expected to rise. Hundreds fled the area and are being cared for by Christians in other towns.
David Hunt, President of Envoy Ministries, says the attack occurred on March 3, when initially three people were killed. One person later died of wounds sustained in the attack, and seven people remain in hospital.
Hunt told ASSIST News: "Three days ago evangelists began flowing into a nearby town and in one day more than 30 evangelists begged to be sent back into exact area. Yesterday we committed to support the first ten with $60 monthly -- today the 10 headed back to the area saying 'We are ready to lay down our lives.'"
The Envoy Ministries website says that why such brutal attacks would take place is hard to understand, except that as the Gospel has flourished in Ethiopia and as people put their faith in Christ, others, violently opposed to the Gospel, do anything they can to stop the proclamation of the Gospel.
The site goes on to state: "However, Jesus said, 'I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.' Truly we are seeing that being borne out in the Church in Ethiopia and in the lives of our brave brothers and sisters in Christ."
Envoy Ministries says: "We have been in communication with the church there, nearly every day with news of the latest developments. As we learned of the devastation and impact on the Christians, we immediately sent $10,000 to help care for all affected. We have committed to cover the medical costs of those injured and to assist the 190 people who fled. Although this is not enough to cover all the costs, we believe we must do what we can and we invite the Christian public to join with us to care for them as long as they need help."
In speaking with the Ethiopian Christian leadership, Envoy Ministries says of the church planters that: "They consider that they have already died and have counted the cost to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. They said they are encouraged by the response to the Gospel in this region and for every one who died; there are 20 more ready to go in their place. They asked us to help provide for at least 50 church planters to return to preach the Gospel. They said, simply, 'We are inspired to go and work more.'"
The church leaders also asked if the ministry could help re-build the churches that were attacked.
Envoy Ministries says: "Our response was, 'You pray and we will share with our friends.' It now costs around $1,000 per church as they supply the land, the labor and the lumber. Our goal now has been elevated, as more churches have been destroyed and now we have 17 churches to rebuild."
The ministry asks believers in the United States "to first pray for the church in Ethiopia, for all those who are suffering and lost loved ones, and to join us in provision as we endeavor to care for all those affected. Thank you and God bless you."
Envoy Ministries says it is Christ’s messengers of hope to the lost and His emissaries of encouragement to the persecuted.
"We are called to serve in His name... and we are commanded to share His Gospel. "
¨Our ministry impacts lives, communities and nations through Bible distribution, church planting and providing practical helps to suffering and persecuted believers."
Envoy Ministries International is "called to be God’s trustworthy envoys of hope to those who are lost and hurting."
-- Last week, Christians gathering at local churches in a southern region in Ethiopia were enjoying singing and worship when, without warning, hundreds of men armed with machetes and clubs leapt through the open windows and indiscriminately began attacking everyone present. The attackers barricaded the doors to try to prevent people from escaping.
Envoy Ministries (www.envoyministries.org ) says that when the carnage was complete, there were three Ethiopian church planters (missionaries) dead, one more person died March 9, and more than 70 were injured, with 40 people sustaining serious injuries. The death toll is expected to rise. Hundreds fled the area and are being cared for by Christians in other towns.
David Hunt, President of Envoy Ministries, says the attack occurred on March 3, when initially three people were killed. One person later died of wounds sustained in the attack, and seven people remain in hospital.
Hunt told ASSIST News: "Three days ago evangelists began flowing into a nearby town and in one day more than 30 evangelists begged to be sent back into exact area. Yesterday we committed to support the first ten with $60 monthly -- today the 10 headed back to the area saying 'We are ready to lay down our lives.'"
The Envoy Ministries website says that why such brutal attacks would take place is hard to understand, except that as the Gospel has flourished in Ethiopia and as people put their faith in Christ, others, violently opposed to the Gospel, do anything they can to stop the proclamation of the Gospel.
The site goes on to state: "However, Jesus said, 'I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.' Truly we are seeing that being borne out in the Church in Ethiopia and in the lives of our brave brothers and sisters in Christ."
Envoy Ministries says: "We have been in communication with the church there, nearly every day with news of the latest developments. As we learned of the devastation and impact on the Christians, we immediately sent $10,000 to help care for all affected. We have committed to cover the medical costs of those injured and to assist the 190 people who fled. Although this is not enough to cover all the costs, we believe we must do what we can and we invite the Christian public to join with us to care for them as long as they need help."
In speaking with the Ethiopian Christian leadership, Envoy Ministries says of the church planters that: "They consider that they have already died and have counted the cost to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. They said they are encouraged by the response to the Gospel in this region and for every one who died; there are 20 more ready to go in their place. They asked us to help provide for at least 50 church planters to return to preach the Gospel. They said, simply, 'We are inspired to go and work more.'"
The church leaders also asked if the ministry could help re-build the churches that were attacked.
Envoy Ministries says: "Our response was, 'You pray and we will share with our friends.' It now costs around $1,000 per church as they supply the land, the labor and the lumber. Our goal now has been elevated, as more churches have been destroyed and now we have 17 churches to rebuild."
The ministry asks believers in the United States "to first pray for the church in Ethiopia, for all those who are suffering and lost loved ones, and to join us in provision as we endeavor to care for all those affected. Thank you and God bless you."
Envoy Ministries says it is Christ’s messengers of hope to the lost and His emissaries of encouragement to the persecuted.
"We are called to serve in His name... and we are commanded to share His Gospel. "
¨Our ministry impacts lives, communities and nations through Bible distribution, church planting and providing practical helps to suffering and persecuted believers."
Envoy Ministries International is "called to be God’s trustworthy envoys of hope to those who are lost and hurting."
Monday, April 21, 2008
Elianas parents are away on another mission trip, and I will be taking care of the animals, which are in the backyard. That includes about 80 guinea pigs, 13 rabbits (includes 7 babies), and 3 chickens (including a rooster, which doesn´t just crow when the sun comes up). The food is alfalfa, a special pellet feed, and corn. The rabbit babies are just about a month old, and are already eating solid food. Elianas mother sells the guinea pigs, and I imagine will sell the rabbits. She enjoys having them, and does a good job taking care of them. That is all the news I have for now. Any news from the United States?
Lima
Here is a picture taken yesterday
from a house that overlooks some of Lima. A lot of people live on the mountains. Although there are roads that go up into the mountains, most people do not have cars. So there are lots of stairs, and so people climb those stairs everyday. For some people, they probably climb 150 stairs or more to get to their home. Our church is just a 6-7 minute walk from here.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Today
Today Eliana and I went and visited a family we know to see how they were doing. One of the daughters recently had surgery, and so she is recovering from it now. I am not sure what kind of surgery she had (my spanish is not that good, so I miss a lot of things), although we watched the video. The doctor used one of those video scope things, and so got to see the surgery from the inside, which actually was interesting. I think that takes a confident doctor to tape the surgery, and give it to the patient, because then they could see any mistakes that were made. We don´t really know all that family, just the mother and one of the daughters. They really are very nice people.
Other than that, we spent a little time in the church. They had a supper in the church, and so we ate potatoes with a special cream, which is delicious. Eliana did a lot of things today, and so she is tired. So I am glad that she is going to rest this evening. Have a good night.
p.s., That family has 2 little dogs, and here is a photo of me with one of them.
Other than that, we spent a little time in the church. They had a supper in the church, and so we ate potatoes with a special cream, which is delicious. Eliana did a lot of things today, and so she is tired. So I am glad that she is going to rest this evening. Have a good night.
p.s., That family has 2 little dogs, and here is a photo of me with one of them.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Tonight
Tonight Eliana and I went to another church. The pastor is the father of one of Elianas friends. Actually it is the friend that made Elianas wedding dress. She does that for a living. Anyways, the pastor actually came and picked us up in his car, so we did not have to take a bus. So that was nice. Before we left, Eliana spoke to the youth. She passed out pieces of paper, and had them write questions on them that they would like answers to. And then the papers were collected, and Eliana went through them one by one, and answered all the questions. I thought that was a good idea. They had some good questions, and hopefully Elianas answers helped them out. Well it is almost midnight, so I am headed to bed. Good night.
Long time no see
Eliana and I are doing well. She is almost 2 months pregnant. This second month has been pretty hard for her, because of all the changes her body is going through. So hopefully at the 3 or 4 month mark, that will change, and she will feel a lot better. She was taking some prenatal vitamins, but a doctor said not to take those until the 3 month mark, but to only take Folic Acid for now. That is one thing that all doctors agree on: to take Folic Acid.
It has cooled off some here. The summers here get hot. But the homes here are made out of cement and brick, and that seems to keep things cooler inside. We recently were able to buy a new bed. The one we were sleeping on wasn´t very nice. But this one is a nice one, I think it is full size, and its comfortable. And it has a 10 year warranty, so thats good. Eliana is taking a nap in it as I am writing.
Eliana and I have been working to plastic wrap a lot of books that their company has. The books collect dust, and so they need to be wrapped in plastic wrap. And I think today there is 100 more books coming from Argentina. They like to order books from Argentina because most Peruvians think they are better quality books. By the way, the books they sell are legal books, and they sell them to lawyers, universities, etc. They would like to be able to get books from Spain, but for some reason it is hard to get books from there, possibly because they are more expensive.
Yesterday Eliana and I were at Ace Hardware (they have 7 stores in Lima). I bought some cucumber seeds, and so today I planted them in Elianas mothers garden. I remember the cucumbers in my parents garden, and they grew so fast, and covered a lot of ground. So I am hoping that these will do the same. There is not much greenery here, because we hardly have any rain, so even cucumber vine would be nice to look at.
The other day Eliana made a potato cream. She told me how she made it, but I forgot. Her family doesn´t really like it, but I thought it was really delicious. I think most Peruvians eat rice everyday, but I am not a big fan of white rice. But eating the rice with the potato cream was delicious. If you want to know how to make it, I´m sure she would tell you.
I hope everyone is doing well, although I know that many in my family are going through tough times. But just so you know, you´re not a lone. Many people you see with smiles on their faces are going through real difficult times, but they just don´t want others to know about it. But our God is good, and He cares about the details of our lives. You know I saw some photos of distant galaxies, and the diameter of those galaxies are 65,000 light years or more. Our God made all those! And not only that, He made us, and has not left us a lone. Although we may not see him, and sometimes we see no trace of Him... He is near. The video I posted on the last post, I really like the part when the guy portraying God is acting like he is pulling on a rope, and pulling the lost girl to Him. I think that is good, because it shows how God is involved in our lives, and how much He wants us to know Him, and to be with Him. The temptations and the evil things in the world were keeping the girl from coming to Him. Isn´t that how it is in all our lives? Money, sex, pride, unforgiveness, etc,; all these things fight against us. The girl was trying to get free from all those things, but wasn´t able. And that is when God jumped in, and took her place, and she was freed. That is what Jesus Christ did for us. He died for all of us, the sinners. He took our place, so that we could be free, and be forgiven, and able to be friends with God.
It has cooled off some here. The summers here get hot. But the homes here are made out of cement and brick, and that seems to keep things cooler inside. We recently were able to buy a new bed. The one we were sleeping on wasn´t very nice. But this one is a nice one, I think it is full size, and its comfortable. And it has a 10 year warranty, so thats good. Eliana is taking a nap in it as I am writing.
Eliana and I have been working to plastic wrap a lot of books that their company has. The books collect dust, and so they need to be wrapped in plastic wrap. And I think today there is 100 more books coming from Argentina. They like to order books from Argentina because most Peruvians think they are better quality books. By the way, the books they sell are legal books, and they sell them to lawyers, universities, etc. They would like to be able to get books from Spain, but for some reason it is hard to get books from there, possibly because they are more expensive.
Yesterday Eliana and I were at Ace Hardware (they have 7 stores in Lima). I bought some cucumber seeds, and so today I planted them in Elianas mothers garden. I remember the cucumbers in my parents garden, and they grew so fast, and covered a lot of ground. So I am hoping that these will do the same. There is not much greenery here, because we hardly have any rain, so even cucumber vine would be nice to look at.
The other day Eliana made a potato cream. She told me how she made it, but I forgot. Her family doesn´t really like it, but I thought it was really delicious. I think most Peruvians eat rice everyday, but I am not a big fan of white rice. But eating the rice with the potato cream was delicious. If you want to know how to make it, I´m sure she would tell you.
I hope everyone is doing well, although I know that many in my family are going through tough times. But just so you know, you´re not a lone. Many people you see with smiles on their faces are going through real difficult times, but they just don´t want others to know about it. But our God is good, and He cares about the details of our lives. You know I saw some photos of distant galaxies, and the diameter of those galaxies are 65,000 light years or more. Our God made all those! And not only that, He made us, and has not left us a lone. Although we may not see him, and sometimes we see no trace of Him... He is near. The video I posted on the last post, I really like the part when the guy portraying God is acting like he is pulling on a rope, and pulling the lost girl to Him. I think that is good, because it shows how God is involved in our lives, and how much He wants us to know Him, and to be with Him. The temptations and the evil things in the world were keeping the girl from coming to Him. Isn´t that how it is in all our lives? Money, sex, pride, unforgiveness, etc,; all these things fight against us. The girl was trying to get free from all those things, but wasn´t able. And that is when God jumped in, and took her place, and she was freed. That is what Jesus Christ did for us. He died for all of us, the sinners. He took our place, so that we could be free, and be forgiven, and able to be friends with God.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Drama Skit
I saw this skit posted on another persons website, and wanted to also put it on mine. It is a skit performed to the song ¨Everything¨ by Lighthouse. The man in the purple and white robe is portraying God. It is such a wonderful skit, and I hope that you like it too. Might not be suitable for children.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Family, please get ready to welcome a new member.
For all the family who are reading this, Eliana and I have some special news. Eliana is pregnant, and we are expecting a baby in approximately 8 1/2 months. Eliana and I are both happy, and wish very much to have our little baby in our arms. I told Eliana that when my family see´s our baby, we should give the baby a kiss, because might not see him/her for a while. She said it is the same with her family, and how everyone is so excited to have a baby in the family. I want very much to be a good father. I know Eliana will be a good mother. Please pray for the health of the baby, and also for Eliana as she goes through this pregnancy. Thank you so much :)
what could a little lie hurt?
I wanted to write about something, and hope that it is of help. I want to write about lying, but I don´t want to just say that it´s a sin, and that is all. I think a lot of times we lie, because we underestimate God or simply do not trust that He will come through for us. Or we lie to gain the approval of others. I have done all those things. But God has also taught me a lot. There have been times that I told the truth when it meant that it might cost me a lot. But there have also been times when I let God down, and caved in under the pressure, and lied. I think that God allows satan to test us to see if we will tell the truth. And I think that satan tells us lies to scare us, and sets us up, and then the time comes when we have to tell the truth or lie, and the decision is ours. satan can only lie to and try to scare Christians, he cannot actually make them sin. The Bible says that God gives us a way to escape all temptations.
I think satan likes to tell us things like ¨its such a small lie (or exaggeration), it doesn´t really matter¨, or will get us to justify it in other ways.
In the Bible, after Jesus was arrested, one of his disciples, Peter, had went unnoticed to where Jesus was, and was waiting to see what would happen to Jesus. But some people noticed that Peter was a follower of Jesus, and when they asked him, he said ¨No, I do not know Jesus¨. When the pressure was on, Peter lied. I am sure all sorts of things were going through Peters mind. He had just seen Jesus get arrested, and possibly seen Him get beaten. Jesus Himself had told his disciples that He would be killed. I imagine that Peter was worried about being arrested, and possibly also being beaten or killed. And also Peter made the decision to lie, and not once, but 3 times. And Jesus was in eyesight of Peter, because when Peter lied for the third time, it says that Jesus looked straight at Him. And then Peter felt horrible.
You might say, ¨well that is different, Peter was denying Christ, and that is worst than any lie¨. But I think when the pressure was on, and Peter had to make the choice between telling the truth and lying, I don´t think he realized that the lie would actually be denying Christ. Peter was trying to protect himself, and did not realize the magnitude of what He was doing. And after he had lied 3 times, he realized what He had done, and he felt horrible.
What I want to say is that I don´t think we realize the consequences that can come from even what we consider a small lie. And in Gods eyes, I don´t know if a ¨small¨ lie even exists. I imagine that no lies are small to God. Peter lied, and realized that what he had done was a huge mistake, and regretted it very much. But how many times do we lie, and then never regret it?
The reason I am writing about this is I think that lying can cause us to miss out on a lot of things. When we are faced with a decision to tell the entire truth, or to tell part truth/part lie, or to completely lie, I think a person needs to have their faith in God, because then they know they can tell the truth, and that God is in control, and the outcome will be in Gods hands.
I will use an example from my own life. Although I have lied more times than I can count, here is a time that I did not give in to satans lies and temptation. When I was in Iowa before our wedding, there was lots of stuff to do to get ready to come to Peru, including getting some documents ready. Something that was always in the back of my mind was ¨maybe I need a special document or visa to be able to enter Peru to get married¨. I know in the United States that a foreigner cannot enter the United States on a visitors visa to get married. So I thought the same might be in Peru. And so I tried to read about it on the internet, and didn´t find anything. I emailed a Peru consulate in the United States, but got no reply. So I never got an answer to my question, and I think that is what God wanted. On the plane to Peru, we have to fill out paperwork to have ready for the Peru immigrations. And one of the questions is ¨why do you want to enter Peru¨. The truth is that my fiance is in Peru, and we are getting married, and we wish to then live in Peru together. But the visa that I am entering the country with is a tourist visa, and to me it doesn´t seem like marriage and living in Peru falls under the category ¨tourist¨. Anyways, I had a choice to make. I could either be honest and write ¨marriage¨, or lie and write something else. All sorts of things went through my mind. I pictured myself in front of the immigrations office, and what would he do when he finds out that I want to get married on a tourist visa? I thought about Eliana waiting at the airport, and wishing so much to see me, but I am detained by immigrations until I am eventually sent back to the United States, and how hard that would be on Eliana and I. All that might sound strange, but those were my fears, and it was very real to me. I had to make a choice to take things into my own hands, and sin, and in my own mind I would then have a better chance of getting through immigrations to Eliana. Or I could write ¨marriage¨, and put everything in Gods hands, and know that He is in control. And that is what I did, I wrote ¨marriage¨ in the line. And while standing in line for immigrations, I was really nervous, but you know what happened? The immigrations officer asked no questions, but stamped my visa, and sent me through. It turned out that I never needed a special document or visa, and that I could get married on a tourist visa.
All the times I have lied, those were opportunities that God gave me, but I failed. Those were opportunities to trust God, but I chose to take things into my own hands. But this time was different, and I did not give in to the temptation, even when the stakes were so high. God does not allow us to be tempted with more that we can handle. God gives us a way out of all temptations. And my way out of this tempation was to write ¨marriage¨, and let God have control. And because I trusted God, my faith became greater, because I saw how God helped me. God is trustworthy. Although He may allow us to go through difficult situations, He will not forsake us. Although we may see no trace of Him, He is there, and in control.
p.s. Jesus Christ was obedient even to the cross. He knew that God wanted him to die for peoples sin, and so Jesus went willingly to the cross to be executed. I wonder how many times satan whispered in his ear ¨you know, you don´t have to do this¨. Jesus Christ experienced temptation, and I imagine so much more than we will ever experience. But Jesus always stood strong in the face of temptation, and never sinned. People made fun of Jesus because He said He was the Son of God, but when He was hanging on the cross, He did not use His power to bring Himself down. Jesus said that there were armies of Angels ready to fight for Him. I think that when the Angels saw the King of Kings crucified on a cross, they were dressed for battle. But Jesus never gave the order to fight. If Jesus had not died on the cross, we could not be forgiven, because our punishment would not have been taken. But Jesus died on the cross. He was obedient all the way to the end, and accomplished what He came to accomplish.
I think satan likes to tell us things like ¨its such a small lie (or exaggeration), it doesn´t really matter¨, or will get us to justify it in other ways.
In the Bible, after Jesus was arrested, one of his disciples, Peter, had went unnoticed to where Jesus was, and was waiting to see what would happen to Jesus. But some people noticed that Peter was a follower of Jesus, and when they asked him, he said ¨No, I do not know Jesus¨. When the pressure was on, Peter lied. I am sure all sorts of things were going through Peters mind. He had just seen Jesus get arrested, and possibly seen Him get beaten. Jesus Himself had told his disciples that He would be killed. I imagine that Peter was worried about being arrested, and possibly also being beaten or killed. And also Peter made the decision to lie, and not once, but 3 times. And Jesus was in eyesight of Peter, because when Peter lied for the third time, it says that Jesus looked straight at Him. And then Peter felt horrible.
You might say, ¨well that is different, Peter was denying Christ, and that is worst than any lie¨. But I think when the pressure was on, and Peter had to make the choice between telling the truth and lying, I don´t think he realized that the lie would actually be denying Christ. Peter was trying to protect himself, and did not realize the magnitude of what He was doing. And after he had lied 3 times, he realized what He had done, and he felt horrible.
What I want to say is that I don´t think we realize the consequences that can come from even what we consider a small lie. And in Gods eyes, I don´t know if a ¨small¨ lie even exists. I imagine that no lies are small to God. Peter lied, and realized that what he had done was a huge mistake, and regretted it very much. But how many times do we lie, and then never regret it?
The reason I am writing about this is I think that lying can cause us to miss out on a lot of things. When we are faced with a decision to tell the entire truth, or to tell part truth/part lie, or to completely lie, I think a person needs to have their faith in God, because then they know they can tell the truth, and that God is in control, and the outcome will be in Gods hands.
I will use an example from my own life. Although I have lied more times than I can count, here is a time that I did not give in to satans lies and temptation. When I was in Iowa before our wedding, there was lots of stuff to do to get ready to come to Peru, including getting some documents ready. Something that was always in the back of my mind was ¨maybe I need a special document or visa to be able to enter Peru to get married¨. I know in the United States that a foreigner cannot enter the United States on a visitors visa to get married. So I thought the same might be in Peru. And so I tried to read about it on the internet, and didn´t find anything. I emailed a Peru consulate in the United States, but got no reply. So I never got an answer to my question, and I think that is what God wanted. On the plane to Peru, we have to fill out paperwork to have ready for the Peru immigrations. And one of the questions is ¨why do you want to enter Peru¨. The truth is that my fiance is in Peru, and we are getting married, and we wish to then live in Peru together. But the visa that I am entering the country with is a tourist visa, and to me it doesn´t seem like marriage and living in Peru falls under the category ¨tourist¨. Anyways, I had a choice to make. I could either be honest and write ¨marriage¨, or lie and write something else. All sorts of things went through my mind. I pictured myself in front of the immigrations office, and what would he do when he finds out that I want to get married on a tourist visa? I thought about Eliana waiting at the airport, and wishing so much to see me, but I am detained by immigrations until I am eventually sent back to the United States, and how hard that would be on Eliana and I. All that might sound strange, but those were my fears, and it was very real to me. I had to make a choice to take things into my own hands, and sin, and in my own mind I would then have a better chance of getting through immigrations to Eliana. Or I could write ¨marriage¨, and put everything in Gods hands, and know that He is in control. And that is what I did, I wrote ¨marriage¨ in the line. And while standing in line for immigrations, I was really nervous, but you know what happened? The immigrations officer asked no questions, but stamped my visa, and sent me through. It turned out that I never needed a special document or visa, and that I could get married on a tourist visa.
All the times I have lied, those were opportunities that God gave me, but I failed. Those were opportunities to trust God, but I chose to take things into my own hands. But this time was different, and I did not give in to the temptation, even when the stakes were so high. God does not allow us to be tempted with more that we can handle. God gives us a way out of all temptations. And my way out of this tempation was to write ¨marriage¨, and let God have control. And because I trusted God, my faith became greater, because I saw how God helped me. God is trustworthy. Although He may allow us to go through difficult situations, He will not forsake us. Although we may see no trace of Him, He is there, and in control.
p.s. Jesus Christ was obedient even to the cross. He knew that God wanted him to die for peoples sin, and so Jesus went willingly to the cross to be executed. I wonder how many times satan whispered in his ear ¨you know, you don´t have to do this¨. Jesus Christ experienced temptation, and I imagine so much more than we will ever experience. But Jesus always stood strong in the face of temptation, and never sinned. People made fun of Jesus because He said He was the Son of God, but when He was hanging on the cross, He did not use His power to bring Himself down. Jesus said that there were armies of Angels ready to fight for Him. I think that when the Angels saw the King of Kings crucified on a cross, they were dressed for battle. But Jesus never gave the order to fight. If Jesus had not died on the cross, we could not be forgiven, because our punishment would not have been taken. But Jesus died on the cross. He was obedient all the way to the end, and accomplished what He came to accomplish.
Monday, March 24, 2008
We´re back
This game is used with sheets, and a team has to use the sheet to throw a water balloon over the net, and the other team has to catch it with their sheet. We were playing the youngest team, and we had launched some balloons so far that they couldn´t catch them, so we were happy about that. But then we launched one that didn´t even get over the net, and that is why we were laughing.
Eliana speaking to the youth.
I don´t know how many games of volleyball I played.
Playing goalie. I´m not good at it. We lost.
A relay foot race.
This race looks too difficult for me.
Kayla in the river. She is a very sweet girl.
Me with nephew Gabriel.
Eliana speaking to the youth.
We are back from the campout. Although we had a good time, we are glad to be back, and be able to sleep in a bed again. Between 60 and 70 people were there from various churches, but most were from our church. Every morning we were up at 6:00 a.m., except most slept in a little longer on the last day. There was a river nearby, and so that is where we could swim or bath. That area gets a lot of rain, and the river kept getting more and more water. It was only probably 3 feet deep, but the current was so strong, I didn´t want to try to cross it. We stayed in the calmer spots. We played a lot of games. We played soccer, volleyball, had foot races, etc. And also everyday there was time set up for Bible study, and prayer and worship. Also everyday there was new Bible verses to memorize. There was 4 different age groups, and usually everyone broke up into those groups for Bible studies. One of the things that the groups studied was the life of Jacob, and then there was a competition between the groups, and they were asked questions, and the youngest group won.
There were all sorts of different people at the campout. Some people that were really interested in growing spiritually, and others who were not interested. There is a group of 3 girls between the ages of 15 and 16, and to me they really stood out. For their age, they seem to have such a hunger to grow spiritually, and to know God more. And I think their lives are a witness to that. I think they help each other, and encourage each other, and that is one of the reasons how God has worked so much in their lives.
There were all sorts of different people at the campout. Some people that were really interested in growing spiritually, and others who were not interested. There is a group of 3 girls between the ages of 15 and 16, and to me they really stood out. For their age, they seem to have such a hunger to grow spiritually, and to know God more. And I think their lives are a witness to that. I think they help each other, and encourage each other, and that is one of the reasons how God has worked so much in their lives.
One thing I have realized is that it is not easy to search for truth, and to know God more. Not only in my own life, but I believe that to be true in everyones life who is truly wanting to grow spiritually and to please God. Although in cartoons, satan is shown as a creature that really is not so bad. But satan really exists, and he is against God, and against any person, especially those that wish to know God, because those people are a threat to him. satan wishes that as many people as possible go to Hell, and so he is always working to harden peoples hearts so that they are not willing to accept the gift of salvation. He wants people to love sin, and to never turn away from it. He does not want anyone to ask God for help, but wants everyone to live independant lives, and have no need for God. I believe God is able to help those who truly want His help. Anyways, I want to say that those who are truly seeking God; satan is there to fight against them. And that is why I say it is not easy to seek God, and to search for truth. A person that wants a heart that is pure and good, that is exactly what satan is against, and he will fight against you with the hope that you will give up. But God is greater than satan, and with His help, we can have victory over satans attacks and lies. Another thing I want to say is that all Christians struggle with temptation, and I want you to know that what you are struggling with is not something that only you struggle with. But it is something that is common in the lives of Christians. satan likes to tempt Christians to sin, but we are no longer slaves to sin. Sin no longer has control over us, but the Bible says that when we are tempted, God always gives us a way out. God is always there, and gives us an opportunity to have victory of the temptation. But I know how hard it is to have victory over many temptations, and to fall in them time and again. And I am glad for Gods grace, because He forgives me. But because He forgives me, that does not give me freedom to sin. The truth is that God has changed me so that I do not like sin. And I think that the sin in my life is becoming less and less because God continues to change me. And God is able to work in my life because I want Him to do it, and I ask Him to do it.
I read something about the apostle Paul in the Bible. It was about the book of 2 Timothy, which was a letter that Paul wrote to another Christian named Timothy. Paul wrote that letter when He was in prison in Rome, and is possibly the last letter that Paul wrote before he was killed. It does not say in the Bible how Paul was killed, but other writings say He was executed in Rome. One of the things that Paul wrote was that he has fought the good fight, and he has kept the faith. What a wonderful thing to be able to say at the end of your life. ¨I have kept the faith¨. What is more important in this life? Paul wanted to please God, and his faith brought him through any difficulties that came his way. Ship wrecks, being whipped various times, almost stoned to death, cursed by God knows how many people. But Paul kept going, and it cost him everything. Imprisoned in Rome, it cost him his freedom. He could no longer visit the churches that he started and loved so much. It cost him his possessions. He didn´t even have a shawl to keep him warm. And in the end, it seems it even cost him his life.
Paul had courage, and he was not ashamed of Jesus Christ. After his conversion, he spent his life telling people about Jesus Christ. I read a tshirt that said ¨courage is being one step ahead of fear¨. I don´t know if I believe that. I think that true courage comes from faith, and knowing that God is in control, and whatever happens, God is there with us. Knowing that even if we die, it is ok because we have eternal life with God.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Great Lemon
Your probably wondering what is in the picture. The small one is a lemon that is sold in Lima. That is what we always buy, and I am not sure if they have bigger ones here. Its about the size of a golfball. Elianas parents just got back from visiting some churches in the Amazon jungle. They got some lemons from a tree there, and that is what is shown in the picture. A huge lemon from the jungle.
In other news, Eliana and I are doing well. Tomorrow we are going camping with about 50 or more people from our church, and another church. We visited the campsite about a week ago, and its really beautiful there. Here is the big city of Lima, its really dry, and theres not really anything green unless it is watered. But we are camping by a village that sits in a valley between mountains, and a river runs through there, and its really beautiful. We will all be sleeping in tents, about 100 yards from a river. We will be there for 4 nights. I am really excited to get away from the city. After growing up in Kansas and being able to see for miles, and then 2 years in Alaska, and then some time with my parents in Iowa, I really miss that kind of country. But it took me moving to a big city to realize that it really was a blessing to grow up in those types of places. I remember running around the neighborhood with my friends, or playing football in a nearby lot, or riding my dirtbike to so many places. I´ve hiked a lot of mountains in Alaska, and seen so many beautiful things there. I´ve experienced so much that the kids here have never experienced, and will probably never experience. I have been very blessed. I can´t wait to take Eliana to the United States, and show her my country, and where I am from.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Isaiah 53
I want to write some things about this chapter in the Bible. I had been thinking about one of the verses (verse 10), but then I read the entire chapter, and so I wanted to write about most of the chapter. This is from the book of Isaiah. Isaiah was one of Gods prophets, and basicly that means that God spoke through him to the people. But what may surprise you is this book was written approximately 700 years before Christ. But these words prophesized about what would happen in the future when the Christ (Jesus) was there. So now we not only have those words, but we live in a time when Christ has already came and gone, and we now see that this prophesy came true. This is one of the many prophecies in the Old Testament which spoke about the coming ¨Messiah¨, which when translated means ¨God with us¨. And Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Anyways, I wish to speak about these verses in Isaiah. My words are in blue. The verses are from the New International Version Bible.
1 Who would have believed what we heard?
Who saw the Lord's power in this?
2 He grew up like a small plant before the Lord,
like a root growing in a dry land.
He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him;
there was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him.
It says that he had no special beautiful, and nothing in his appearance to make us desire him. When people saw Jesus (his body) they did not see anything different, or anything that made him stand out from others. But I know from reading in the New Testament (the part of the Bible written after Jesus was here) that when Jesus spoke, people saw something different. When Jesus spoke, even those who were against him saw that there was something special in him. They would say, ¨he speaks with such authority!¨. He never spoke with any doubt, or twisted his words so that he would be more liked by the people. He spoke what His Father in Heaven told him to speak.
3 He was hated and rejected by people.
He had much pain and suffering.
People would not even look at him.
He was hated, and we didn't even notice him.
Jesus knows how it is to be hated. Many people hated him because of the healings and miracles that he performed, and because of the message that He spoke. When He spoke, He put himself on the same level with God. And that angered many people, especially the Pharisee´s who were proud persons who liked to look religious in peoples eyes, but their hearts were rotten. These ¨religious¨people wanted to kill Jesus for a long time, and finally Jesus was arrested, and crucified. But it was our sins that put him on the cross. I would like to say, it was those evil people who told lies about Jesus, and spoke to the leaders in the government, and got him tortured and executed. But Jesus knew all along that he was going to be killed, and he told that to his followers. Jesus went to the cross willingly because it was Gods will for him, and to die for our sins.
4 But he took our suffering on him
and felt our pain for us.
We saw his suffering
and thought God was punishing him.
He took our suffering on him. Our suffering is what we all deserve, because we have all sinned. But he took our suffering, and felt our pain. He felt the pain for us. He felt the pain that we deserved. Jesus did not die because he did something wrong. Jesus died because we did something wrong. And that continues in the next verse where it says that he was wounded for the wrong we did, and crushed for the evil we did.
5 But he was wounded for the wrong we did;
he was crushed for the evil we did.
The punishment, which made us well, was given to him,
and we are healed because of his wounds.
The punishment that made us well was given to him, and we are healed because of his wounds. The only reason that anyone is saved is because of what Christ did. His death was our gain. Because he died for our sins, we now have a way of having our sins forgiven. We are healed because he took our punishment and received the pain that otherwise would have been given to us.
6 We all have wandered away like sheep;
each of us has gone his own way.
But the Lord has put on him the punishment
for all the evil we have done.
Everyone has done evil and wandered away, God put the punishment on His Son, Jesus Christ.
All of us, like sheep, have wandered away. God is our shepherd, but we have wandered away from Him. And because we have done evil and wandered away, God put the punishment on His Son, Jesus Christ.
7 He was beaten down and punished,
but he didn't say a word.
He was like a lamb being led to be killed.
He was quiet, as a sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut;
he never opened his mouth.
After Jesus was arrested, he stood before different leaders, both government leaders and religious leaders. And He never asked to be released because He knew His death would allow people to be forgiven.
8 Men took him away roughly and unfairly.
He died without children to continue his family.
He was put to death;
he was punished for the sins of my people.
9 He was buried with wicked men,
and he died with the rich.
He had done nothing wrong,
and he had never lied.
10 But it was the Lord who decided
to crush him and make him suffer.
The Lord made his life a penalty offering,
but he will still see his descendants and live a long life.
He will complete the things the Lord wants him to do.
But it was the Lord who decided to crush him and make him suffer. Well first of all, why would crushing his only Son be in Gods plan? Well I want to answer that question, but to start somewhere before Christs execution. It is when Jesus is in a place with his disciples (not all his disciples, because one was betraying him at that very moment, and leading those that hated Jesus to that place to arrest him). Jesus is praying. He is asking God, ¨Please take this cup from me, but only if it is Your will¨. (Matthew chapter 26) But here is the question, what is in the cup? I don´t think Christ was actually holding a cup, so what was he talking about? And here is what I think was in the cup. It was the wrath of God, and it was Gods will that His Son drank it all. Thats a pretty hard statement, but I believe it to be completely true. Jesus Christ prayed that if God would do it and if it was His will, that he would not have to drink that cup. But Christ said ¨but take it away only it you will¨. I think that Jesus Christ experienced something on the cross more than being tortured by men, or the pain of nails in his hands and feet, and more than the pain of humiliation and being cursed. To be honest I do not think that Jesus was afraid of all that. The same time he was asking God to take the cup away from him if He willed, Jesus also told some of his disciples that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. I think he was so sad (even to the point of death) because he was thinking about the cup that he must drink. Christ would soon carry the sin of the world, and die for it. God would take his wrath out on Jesus, His Son! Christ, the one who was without sin, would be punished for the sins of others. When Jesus Christ was on the cross, He said ¨Father, why do you forsake me?¨. I believe that caused Jesus more hurt than the physical pain of a thousand crucificixions. His Father, whom he had always been in communion with, whom he had always been connected to. That communion and connection was cut off. Jesus Christ did not just feel that he was being forsaken or abandoned by God, but that actually happened when He was on the cross. Jesus Christ was carrying our sin! My sin! Your sin! And when I say ¨your sin¨ I hope you stop and think about that. But God is a holy God, and wants nothing to do with sin. And when God sees that Jesus is carrying our sin, He must turn his back to His Son. He forsakes him. Wow. You know, I do not think we will ever understand the pain and suffering that Christ went through for us. Not in this world, or for all eternity. I do not think we will ever comprehend it.
11 "After his soul suffers many things,
he will see life and be satisfied.
My good servant will make many people right with God;
he will carry away their sins.
After Christ suffered and died, he rose again after 3 days, and soon returned to His Father in Heaven. This good servant (Christ is also called the suffering servant) will make many people right with God, and that is exactly what Jesus does. He makes people right with God. People do not make themselves right with God by living a good life, or having less sin than others. People are made right with God by what Jesus did on the cross. There is a path that leads to God, and in that path there is a gate, and that gate is Jesus Christ. He stands in the way of the Father, and you must go through him. Why? Because it is under no other name that a person is saved. Because there is only one that carries away sins, and that is Jesus Christ.
12 For this reason I will make him a great man among people,
and he will share in all things with those who are strong.
He willingly gave his life
and was treated like a criminal.
But he carried away the sins of many people
and asked forgiveness for those who sinned."
Christ died willingly. He was not forced to do it. He was treated like a criminal. Jesus Christ was crucified with two criminals. He asked forgiveness for those who sinned. While on the cross, Jesus Christ asked His Father to forgive these people, because they do not know what they do. And what were they doing? They were killing Gods Holy Son, although they did not actually believe that He was the Son of God. They thought of Him as a criminal, and that he was a lier.
I did not speak about every verse because I would be repeating myself, or for some of the verses, I do not completely understand them, and so I do not want to speak about what I don´t understand. The words of the Bible are revealed to a Christian over a lifetime, and God will be teaching me more about things in the future.
But I want to say a few more things. A person that is not forgiven by God, there punishment is for all eternity. Whether you go to hell or heaven, you will always exist. And if you do not receive Gods forgiveness, than that place is hell. You know, I think about that, and all the people in Hell who are suffering, and that suffering will continue forever and ever. In the Bible, Hell is described is the placed of ¨weeping and gnashing of teeth¨. I know a person is separated from God there, and for all eternity.
The Bible says that great is the path that leads to destruction but narrow is the path that leads to eternal life. That means that the path is big that leads to hell and many follow that path, and narrow is the path that leads to God in Heaven, and it is traveled by few. Christ has died for our sins, but I know that not everyone will be forgiven. But I am not going to now tell you to repeat a prayer, and then say that if you repeat that prayer, you will be saved. Because God knows your heart, and that is what matters. God knows if your words are not from the heart. Here is what I hope you are feeling right now. I hope that you feel convicted of your sin. And if you are feeling convicted, then that is from God. And I hope you are tired of the life you are living, and you want a change. I hope you are wanting to turn away from sin, and have a new life with God. But here is what I would like for you to do. I urge you to go to a place where you are a lone, and speak to God there, because He is listening. But remember that salvation can only come from God because His Son Jesus Christ died for you. It takes a humbled heart to know that we can´t save ourselves. Please go speak to God about this, about your sin, and about HIS salvation.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 Who would have believed what we heard?
Who saw the Lord's power in this?
2 He grew up like a small plant before the Lord,
like a root growing in a dry land.
He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him;
there was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him.
It says that he had no special beautiful, and nothing in his appearance to make us desire him. When people saw Jesus (his body) they did not see anything different, or anything that made him stand out from others. But I know from reading in the New Testament (the part of the Bible written after Jesus was here) that when Jesus spoke, people saw something different. When Jesus spoke, even those who were against him saw that there was something special in him. They would say, ¨he speaks with such authority!¨. He never spoke with any doubt, or twisted his words so that he would be more liked by the people. He spoke what His Father in Heaven told him to speak.
3 He was hated and rejected by people.
He had much pain and suffering.
People would not even look at him.
He was hated, and we didn't even notice him.
Jesus knows how it is to be hated. Many people hated him because of the healings and miracles that he performed, and because of the message that He spoke. When He spoke, He put himself on the same level with God. And that angered many people, especially the Pharisee´s who were proud persons who liked to look religious in peoples eyes, but their hearts were rotten. These ¨religious¨people wanted to kill Jesus for a long time, and finally Jesus was arrested, and crucified. But it was our sins that put him on the cross. I would like to say, it was those evil people who told lies about Jesus, and spoke to the leaders in the government, and got him tortured and executed. But Jesus knew all along that he was going to be killed, and he told that to his followers. Jesus went to the cross willingly because it was Gods will for him, and to die for our sins.
4 But he took our suffering on him
and felt our pain for us.
We saw his suffering
and thought God was punishing him.
He took our suffering on him. Our suffering is what we all deserve, because we have all sinned. But he took our suffering, and felt our pain. He felt the pain for us. He felt the pain that we deserved. Jesus did not die because he did something wrong. Jesus died because we did something wrong. And that continues in the next verse where it says that he was wounded for the wrong we did, and crushed for the evil we did.
5 But he was wounded for the wrong we did;
he was crushed for the evil we did.
The punishment, which made us well, was given to him,
and we are healed because of his wounds.
The punishment that made us well was given to him, and we are healed because of his wounds. The only reason that anyone is saved is because of what Christ did. His death was our gain. Because he died for our sins, we now have a way of having our sins forgiven. We are healed because he took our punishment and received the pain that otherwise would have been given to us.
6 We all have wandered away like sheep;
each of us has gone his own way.
But the Lord has put on him the punishment
for all the evil we have done.
Everyone has done evil and wandered away, God put the punishment on His Son, Jesus Christ.
All of us, like sheep, have wandered away. God is our shepherd, but we have wandered away from Him. And because we have done evil and wandered away, God put the punishment on His Son, Jesus Christ.
7 He was beaten down and punished,
but he didn't say a word.
He was like a lamb being led to be killed.
He was quiet, as a sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut;
he never opened his mouth.
After Jesus was arrested, he stood before different leaders, both government leaders and religious leaders. And He never asked to be released because He knew His death would allow people to be forgiven.
8 Men took him away roughly and unfairly.
He died without children to continue his family.
He was put to death;
he was punished for the sins of my people.
9 He was buried with wicked men,
and he died with the rich.
He had done nothing wrong,
and he had never lied.
10 But it was the Lord who decided
to crush him and make him suffer.
The Lord made his life a penalty offering,
but he will still see his descendants and live a long life.
He will complete the things the Lord wants him to do.
But it was the Lord who decided to crush him and make him suffer. Well first of all, why would crushing his only Son be in Gods plan? Well I want to answer that question, but to start somewhere before Christs execution. It is when Jesus is in a place with his disciples (not all his disciples, because one was betraying him at that very moment, and leading those that hated Jesus to that place to arrest him). Jesus is praying. He is asking God, ¨Please take this cup from me, but only if it is Your will¨. (Matthew chapter 26) But here is the question, what is in the cup? I don´t think Christ was actually holding a cup, so what was he talking about? And here is what I think was in the cup. It was the wrath of God, and it was Gods will that His Son drank it all. Thats a pretty hard statement, but I believe it to be completely true. Jesus Christ prayed that if God would do it and if it was His will, that he would not have to drink that cup. But Christ said ¨but take it away only it you will¨. I think that Jesus Christ experienced something on the cross more than being tortured by men, or the pain of nails in his hands and feet, and more than the pain of humiliation and being cursed. To be honest I do not think that Jesus was afraid of all that. The same time he was asking God to take the cup away from him if He willed, Jesus also told some of his disciples that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. I think he was so sad (even to the point of death) because he was thinking about the cup that he must drink. Christ would soon carry the sin of the world, and die for it. God would take his wrath out on Jesus, His Son! Christ, the one who was without sin, would be punished for the sins of others. When Jesus Christ was on the cross, He said ¨Father, why do you forsake me?¨. I believe that caused Jesus more hurt than the physical pain of a thousand crucificixions. His Father, whom he had always been in communion with, whom he had always been connected to. That communion and connection was cut off. Jesus Christ did not just feel that he was being forsaken or abandoned by God, but that actually happened when He was on the cross. Jesus Christ was carrying our sin! My sin! Your sin! And when I say ¨your sin¨ I hope you stop and think about that. But God is a holy God, and wants nothing to do with sin. And when God sees that Jesus is carrying our sin, He must turn his back to His Son. He forsakes him. Wow. You know, I do not think we will ever understand the pain and suffering that Christ went through for us. Not in this world, or for all eternity. I do not think we will ever comprehend it.
11 "After his soul suffers many things,
he will see life and be satisfied.
My good servant will make many people right with God;
he will carry away their sins.
After Christ suffered and died, he rose again after 3 days, and soon returned to His Father in Heaven. This good servant (Christ is also called the suffering servant) will make many people right with God, and that is exactly what Jesus does. He makes people right with God. People do not make themselves right with God by living a good life, or having less sin than others. People are made right with God by what Jesus did on the cross. There is a path that leads to God, and in that path there is a gate, and that gate is Jesus Christ. He stands in the way of the Father, and you must go through him. Why? Because it is under no other name that a person is saved. Because there is only one that carries away sins, and that is Jesus Christ.
12 For this reason I will make him a great man among people,
and he will share in all things with those who are strong.
He willingly gave his life
and was treated like a criminal.
But he carried away the sins of many people
and asked forgiveness for those who sinned."
Christ died willingly. He was not forced to do it. He was treated like a criminal. Jesus Christ was crucified with two criminals. He asked forgiveness for those who sinned. While on the cross, Jesus Christ asked His Father to forgive these people, because they do not know what they do. And what were they doing? They were killing Gods Holy Son, although they did not actually believe that He was the Son of God. They thought of Him as a criminal, and that he was a lier.
I did not speak about every verse because I would be repeating myself, or for some of the verses, I do not completely understand them, and so I do not want to speak about what I don´t understand. The words of the Bible are revealed to a Christian over a lifetime, and God will be teaching me more about things in the future.
But I want to say a few more things. A person that is not forgiven by God, there punishment is for all eternity. Whether you go to hell or heaven, you will always exist. And if you do not receive Gods forgiveness, than that place is hell. You know, I think about that, and all the people in Hell who are suffering, and that suffering will continue forever and ever. In the Bible, Hell is described is the placed of ¨weeping and gnashing of teeth¨. I know a person is separated from God there, and for all eternity.
The Bible says that great is the path that leads to destruction but narrow is the path that leads to eternal life. That means that the path is big that leads to hell and many follow that path, and narrow is the path that leads to God in Heaven, and it is traveled by few. Christ has died for our sins, but I know that not everyone will be forgiven. But I am not going to now tell you to repeat a prayer, and then say that if you repeat that prayer, you will be saved. Because God knows your heart, and that is what matters. God knows if your words are not from the heart. Here is what I hope you are feeling right now. I hope that you feel convicted of your sin. And if you are feeling convicted, then that is from God. And I hope you are tired of the life you are living, and you want a change. I hope you are wanting to turn away from sin, and have a new life with God. But here is what I would like for you to do. I urge you to go to a place where you are a lone, and speak to God there, because He is listening. But remember that salvation can only come from God because His Son Jesus Christ died for you. It takes a humbled heart to know that we can´t save ourselves. Please go speak to God about this, about your sin, and about HIS salvation.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
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