The Christian's Hope

 1 John 3:1-3

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." What is our hope as Christians dependent on? If the things we can see are only temporary, why do we spend so much time focusing on them? Resources:

The Person is the Way livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/audio_files/gospel_of_john_075_14_1_6_the_person_is_the_way_ext.mp3

Love versus Pride

 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails.

2 Timothy 3:1-8

3 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 6 They are the kind who work their way into people's homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. 7 (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) 8 These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses.

They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith.

What is the opposite of the agape love of God?

How do the fruits of love differ from the fruits of pride?

Resources:

Pride

https://96tolife.blogspot.com/search?q=Pride&m=1

If Jesus isn't God, you have the wrong Jesus (and the wrong God)

Hello everyone,

I haven't shared anything in writing in a long time. Therefore, I thought I would share an interaction I had recently on my YouTube channel (96tolife) with a viewer who disagreed with a short video I made where I concluded that if Jesus isn't God, you have the wrong Jesus (and the wrong God). The viewer who disagreed with me replied with the following:

"If you think Jesus is God the YOU have the wrong God.

If Jesus is God then why did he say "I am going back to MY GOD and MY FATHER ? WHO is the God of Jesus, and what is his name, when you find the answer to that question then you will see the TRUTH behind WHO God is ! Jesus backed up that belief when in prayer to his heavenly father said, "This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ. John 17: 3. Notice how he calls his father the ONLY TRUE GOD! The first century Christians taught the same when they preached for example 1 Cor 15: 24-28 where we see in Vs 24 that Jesus has a GOD AND FATHER and that in Vs 28 he SUBJECTS himself to his God & Father! SOME do say however, that Jesus does address God as his God and his father because he was A MAN however one of the clearest scripture which shows that Jesus is NOT God is Rev 3:12 where we see Jesus as NOT a man but back in heaven: "The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. New International Version So, please read Rev 1:1 which says: "a revelation from Jesus which GOD GAVE HIM" So WHO is the God Of Jesus, and what is his name ?"

MY RESPONSE IS BELOW

@96tolife 

 

Let's see: In Revelation 1:17-18, Jesus is speaking to John. What does He say to John? 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Jesus says, "I am the First and the Last." The first and the last is God. Jesus goes on to say, "I was dead." When did the First and the Last (God) die? On the cross. Jesus finishes by saying, "I am alive for ever and ever." How could God die and be alive forever? Because of the resurrection. In John 10:32-33, it says, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” The life of Jesus is threatened because they said that He, "a mere man, claim to be God." But Jesus never said they were wrong for their claim. If Jesus is not God, what better time was there to correct this idea that He was God than when He was being threatened with death for claiming to be God? In John 20:28-29, it reads, "28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!" 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Thomas calls Jesus God. Did Jesus correct Him and say He was not God? No, rather, He affirms Thomas' claim by saying, "Because you have seen, you have believed..." Seen what? The once dead Jesus is now alive. Believed what? That Jesus is God. Jesus goes on to say, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Who are those who have not seen? People like me and all the Christians who came after this point in history. What do we believe? The same thing as Thomas, that Jesus is our Lord and God! In Matthew 1:22-23, he wrote, "22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)." If Jesus wasn't God, why did Matthew say Jesus would be called Immanuel, which means God with us? Nowhere do we read where this statement is refuted. In Isaiah 9:6, it says, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Who is the child that would be born? Jesus. Who is the son that would be given? Jesus. What will Jesus be called? Mighty God and Everlasting Father! Was Isaiah lying? In Hebrews 1:5, 8, it says, "For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?... But about the Son, he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom." We see clearly that God the Father is talking about His Son. What does God the Father say about Jesus in verse 8? He says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever..." God the Father calls Jesus God, whose throne will last forever. In John 2:18-22, it says, "18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken." What sign did Jesus tell the people that He would give them in verse 19? He says, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." What temple was He referring to? Verse 21 says, "But the temple he had spoken of was His body." If Jesus is not God, how could he have promised that He would raise Himself from the grave? Mere men cannot resurrect themselves. Only God can bring life to the dead! In Philippians 2:6-7, it says, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." What does verse 6 say about the nature of Jesus? It says He, "being in very nature God..." How can Jesus have the same nature as God if He is not God? And, if that isn't clear enough, the verse continues by saying that Jesus "did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage..." It says that Jesus was equal to God! Who is equal to God? It's God! There is only one God, and Jesus is equal to Him; that makes Jesus God! Then in verse 7, it says that Jesus "made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." If Jesus is just a man and not God, why does the verse say that Jesus "made Himself nothing" by "being made in human likeness"? Does a man make himself a man? Does a man need to be made in human likeness? No. That wouldn't make sense. Jesus had to be something else to make Himself human. He was God made flesh! That is why John 1:1, 14 says, "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." If in the beginning the "Word was God" and the "Word became flesh," that means God became flesh! When did God become flesh? When Jesus was born! i.e., Immanuel, which means "God with us." 2 Peter 1:1 says, "Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ ..." Peter knew Jesus personally and called Jesus "our God and Savior." Am I to say Peter was mistaken? No, I'm not. Titus 2:13 says, "Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ..." Was Paul mistaken when he said he was waiting for "the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ"? You don't accidentally refer to Jesus as your God. Colossians 1:15-16 says, "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him." In verse 15, Jesus is described as the "image of the invisible God." So, Jesus is the physical version of God, which means He is God. The verse says that Jesus is the "firstborn over all creation," which speaks to His preexistence and the authority He has as God. Some say this is evidence that Jesus was created. However, verse 16 says that in Christ "all things were created..." IfJesus was created, then you have to say that God the Father created Jesus through Jesus. That doesn't make any sense. Furthermore, if Jesus is just a man and not God, why would Paul say that "things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him"? Again, that doesn't make sense if Jesus is not God. Romans 9:5 says, "To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen." Who does Paul say is "God over all"? Christ. Who is Christ? Jesus! I could go on and on, but I don't believe it will make a difference. Once people make up their minds on subjects like this, only God can change it. This will be the end of this. I'm not going back and forth endlessly with these enormous posts that only end in more division. P.S. As for who the God of Jesus is, maybe this will help. Does Jesus have a God?

John 9:13-16 A Man Born Blind

 John 9:13-16

13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." 16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not [a]keep the Sabbath" Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them.

What were the Pharisees concerned about when the healed blind man was brought to them?

Were the Pharisees more concerned about who Jesus was or when Jesus healed the blind man?

Resources:

The Healing of the Man Born Blind 2 of 6

https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/audio_files/gospel_of_john_043_9_8_17_blind_man_2_ext.mp3

Matthew 7:15-20 What Is The Truth About Fruit Inspecting Christians?

 

Matthew 7:15-20 [15] “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. [16] You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? [17] So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. [18] A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] So then, you will know them by their fruits. Who does Jesus say we will know by their fruits? Where does fruit inspecting of other Christians come from? What does fruit inspecting lead to? Resources: The Sermon on the Mount https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/sermon_on_mount.htm Fruit Inspection https://96tolife.blogspot.com/search?q=Fruit+inspection+&m=1

Will Jesus Deny You Before The Father In Heaven?

 Matthew 10:32-33

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

Will Jesus deny you before God the Father if you buckle under the pressure of being persecuted?

What does the New Covenant tell us about God's faithfulness?

learn something about denying Jesus from Peter?

Resources:

Faithfulness 

https://96tolife.blogspot.com/search/label/Faithfulness?m=1

Once Saved Always Saved 1 of 12

https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/audio_files/always_saved_1.mp3

Was Jesus Black

 "The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance." Revelation 1:14-16

Does the skin color of Jesus matter? 

What color is a Jew? 

Resources: 

https://96tolife.blogspot.com/2014/02/was-jesus-black.html?m=1

https://biblehub.com/revelation/1-14.htm#commentary

Only Begotten Son

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"Jesus is not God! He is the only begotten son of God! The trinity is a man made theory and does not appear any where in the Bible!" (sic) Have you ever ran across someone who says something like this? Perhaps, this is something you would say. Regardless, the usual response from Christians to this type of comment is to dismiss it as the heresy it is. But, what always gets me when I read a comment like this is wonder why so many people think that their understanding of what they read is always the correct understanding. They see the words, "only begotten son" and automatically assume that God created Jesus. Therefore, Jesus can't be God. But, do they ever ask, "What does it mean to be the only begotten son?" How often do we hear this word used in modern conversation? If you're like me, and I bet you are, the answer is never. The Bible warns against getting involved with people like this who have an "unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions ... ( 1 Timothy 6:4)" and reminds us "not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers (2 Timothy 2:14)." Usually, the outcome of such "quarrels about words" is just endless back and forth or a mud slinging contest as those involved hurl insults at each other. Nobody wins and God is not edified. The meaning of words is important and can help us resolve a disagreement. However, the real issue is whether or not the parties involved are willing to learn the truth when it comes to disputes about the meanings of words. I am one that understands that knowing the meanings of words is helpful, but is not always necessary to solve problems like this. I don't think God requires people, especially His children, to be scholars in the Greek and Hebrew language in order to fully understand the Bible. In fact, the occupations of the 12 Apostles were things like fishermen, tax collector, tent maker, and thief, if you want to include the behavior of Judas. These men were not necessarily the scholars of their time, much less schooled in the understanding of multiple languages. This is not a put down to them or their occupations, it is just to reflect how God used common men to deliver an uncommon message. But, for those that enjoy the discovery of the meaning of words, here is a short description of what begotten means as described by one Christian website. "The phrase "only begotten" translates the Greek word monogenes ... The second definition is "pertaining to being the only one of its kind or class, unique in kind." This is the meaning that is implied in John 3:16 (see also John 1:14, 18; 3:18; 1 John 4:9). John was primarily concerned with demonstrating that Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31), and he uses monogenes to highlight Jesus as uniquely God's Son—sharing the same divine nature as God—as opposed to believers who are God's sons and daughters by adoption (Ephesians 1:5). Jesus is God’s “one and only” Son." In short, the phrase is used to describe the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as having the same divine nature as God; Jesus is God.

It is a blessing that these explanations are available to support and defend a Christian's faith in Jesus Christ. Although for me, I gravitate towards other evidence to help me support and defend Jesus Christ as being God. If Jesus isn't God, then why didn't He correct Thomas when after the resurrection Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God (John 20:28)”? You would think Jesus' reaction would have been, "Whoa, Thomas, I am not God, just His only begotten Son!" But, He didn't. Jesus accepted Thomas' testimony as true. If Jesus isn't God, then why did He say, "I and the Father are one (John 10:30)"? You can't be one with God if you are a separate creation of God! Immediately after Jesus said this, the Jews picked up stones to stone Him. When Jesus asked them what work He had done that made them want to stone Him, they responded, "It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God (John 10:33).” Again, Jesus didn't say, "Hold up! Put your stones down. There is a mistake. I am not God, just his only begotten Son!" In Revelation 1, John is describing his encounter with the Lord God (v8). During this encounter, God said the following, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades (Revelation 1:17-18)." The question must be answered, "When did God die?" God died when Jesus Christ died on the Cross! What did the writers of the New Testament have to say about Jesus Christ being God? In Acts 20:28, while speaking to the church leaders in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul tells them "to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." Again, when did God shed blood? He did it on the Cross when Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world! In Titus 2:13, Paul speaks of our blessed hope, which is "the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ ..."   Peter, at the beginning of his second letter, writes, "To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1)." In two separate places, written by to different authors, we see the same, five simple words; "God and Savior Jesus Christ." And last, but not least, is Isaiah 9:6. It reads, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." In one verse we Isaiah prophesy about a son being born who will be called Mighty God and Everlasting Father. This can only be Jesus Christ! And before I forget, it also puts to rest the whole Trinity is a "man-made theory" argument as well. In the verse, we have the (Everlasting) Father, the son and the Wonderful Counselor (Holy Spirit). There is your Trinity right there. There is also a fourth layer if you want to add in the Prince of Peace. But, I digress. Jesus is the "only begotten son" of God, but that doesn't make Him lower than God. It is just another way of saying He is equal with Him. In our finite minds, there is only so many ways God can communicate with us. Let us not deny who He is and Whom He became because we don't understand the words He uses.

Walking in Our Shoes

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." Philippians 2:6-7

Imagine you have a relationship with another person. It could be a spouse, a co-worker, a family member, business partner, mail carrier, you name it. Now, imagine this person had the ability to know every one of your thoughts, words spoken, behaviors and even knew your future. How much of a relationship could you really have with this person? If they knew every word you would speak, there would be little use of having a conversation with them. If they knew all of your thoughts you would probably feel uncomfortable around them and maybe even feel violated by them. If they knew all your behaviors before you did then you may even start to get annoyed. You may try and take advantage of them knowing your future for your own personal benefit; maybe knowing where you would live, work and play could be of some use, or not. And we haven't touched on if they knew your past. Imagine the secrets they could uncover?  This person would almost be like a god. After all, when it comes to God, He is omnipotent (having unlimited power), omniscient (having unlimited knowledge) and is the Alpha and the Omega (the beginning and the end). When it comes to our relationship with God, how often do we treat it as if God is always operating within the capacities described above? He quickly becomes that person described earlier that knows everything about us. The relationship, if you can call it that, is awkward at best, nonexistent at worst. Our interactions with Him become ones where we are just trying to get things from Him in order to maximize the pleasure and minimize the pain of life because we feel knowing Him on a personal level is impossible. How can a God who has unlimited power, unlimited knowledge and knows everything from beginning to end be able to understand me, much less I understand Him? He is also described as a God who lives in unapproachable light according to 1 Timothy 6:16. The Christian life is often described as a "relationship instead of a religion." If we truly believe this, how can we have a relationship with an all-powerful God who lives in unapproachable light? By definition, if He moves towards us, we have to back away. And we can't move towards Him because of the light! But, one thing we forget is that God is a living God.  Just because He has all this ability does not mean that He always uses it; especially when He is trying to have a relationship with us.

In Genesis 2:19, it says, "Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name." God brought the animals He created to Adam "to see" what he would name them. God, in an effort to include Adam in the Creation process and have a relationship with him, chose not to use His omniscient powers when it came to naming the animals. I am confident He could have figured it out or even have given Adam the names to use, but He didn't. This allowed Him to get to know Adam on a personal level through a shared experience. Later on, in Genesis, God is speaking with Abraham and says, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know (Genesis 18:20-21).” The text says God was going to Sodom and Gomorrah "and see" if their sin was as great as He had heard. It also says, "If not, I will know." Here again, we see a moment where God apparently chose not to know everything and was traveling to investigate when He stopped and spent some time with Abraham. He went on to share His plans with Abraham. These are only two examples where God, in order to cultivate a relationship with the people of His creation, chose not to exercise all His power so as to be able to present Himself to them. The ultimate example of God doing this is found in the Person of Jesus Christ. The scripture describes God coming to earth as Jesus as Him becoming "nothing." To become a man, God became nothing. We are nothing in comparison to God. How humbling is that? But, it shows the depths of God's love for us to do what He did. He came out of the unapproachable light and became one of us. In doing so, there were times when He lived solely as a man and didn't exercise all the powers available to Him as God. He discovered what it was like to live, love, experience joy, sadness, and pain. If He didn't do this, how could the scriptures encourage us by saying, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin (Hebrews 4:15)"? In order to have a relationship with us, God became one of us. He experienced what it was like not to have unlimited power, knowledge or to know the beginning and the end. It has been said, "You can't understand someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes." Well, God, in Christ, did more than walk a mile in our shoes, He walked a lifetime in them. Now, because of Him doing that, God can have a relationship with us and us with Him, through faith in Jesus Christ.

Rock Bottom

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

Never give up! Never quit! If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. If you fall off that horse, get back on. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. If you stumble, get back up! When you are going through Hell, keep going! When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on! These and many other "motivational" sayings are all based around the idea that failing or quitting is the enemy. However, when it comes to spiritual matters I would like to share a quote that flies in the face of all of this, yet may be one of the best things you ever hear. "If you have reached the end of your rope, grease that sucker and let go!" This is unconventional thinking. Everyone and everything around us tells us that if we give up we are somehow a failure or less of a person. We even see drugs advertised on television for depression as if being in a constant state of bliss and happiness is the norm. When life gets you down, when you fail at something, when circumstances don't go your way, or whatever it may be, there is nothing wrong with giving up and you certainly don't necessarily need a drug to mask your feelings of hurt and pain from the negative events that have taken place. A testimony is described as a, "public profession of a religious experience." To a Christian it simply means, "This is the story of how I came to faith in Jesus Christ." How often have you heard a Christian give their testimony and it was filled with nothing,but good times and great experiences? Me neither. My testimony certainly wasn't that way. Yet, all we get from the world, and sometimes from the pulpit, is a message of keep going, keep striving and so on. Have you ever known someone who is struggling with something, perhaps like an addiction, and all you wondered to yourself is, "When will they hit rock bottom?" Your hope is that a person will get so sick of their circumstances that they will finally start to turn their life around. That is why many Christian testimonies are so powerful. They are full of people testifying of how they hit rock bottom and found Jesus waiting for them.

Loss of loved ones. Narrowly escaping death. Addictions. Overdoses. Financial Ruin. Criminal Behavior. Broken hearts. Violent encounters. Tragic events. Lies. Cheating. Deception. Secrets. Secret lives. The list is endless. These are the types things you hear in your average testimony. In many cases, in the attempt to try and heed the advice given by all these motivational sayings, it leads people into all manner of destruction in their private and public lives. In Matthew 7, Jesus talks about a "wise builder" as one who builds his house on a rock. Why? Because when the rain came, the stream rose and the wind blew and beat against the house, it did not fall because it was built on the rock. What can falling rain, rising water and destructive winds be compared to if not the sufferings of life. Jesus also talked about the "foolish builder" as the one who built his home on the sand. When the rain, rising water and blowing wind came, his house was destroyed because the sand could not withstand the pounding of the elements. The sand is putting your hope, faith and trust in anything, but Jesus, and constantly relying on your own self-effort to get you through those storms in life. However, when those storms blow your house down the blessing is not in trying to rebuild your home on the sand, but to turn to God and let him build your house on the rock. Sometimes giving up and letting go is the only way you can hit rock bottom. Then you will be like me and thousands of other Christians who have learned the greatest truth in life; When your life hits rock bottom, you discover that the rock is Jesus! Then maybe you will be like David when he said, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;  my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me (2 Samuel 22:2-3)." Hitting rock bottom may be the best thing that ever happens to you.

Blessed Art Thou Amongst Women

A novena is an act of religious pious devotion originating in ancient Christianity, often consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days in belief of obtaining special intercessory graces. I was recently made aware of a religious tradition called, "The Novena of the Virgin Mary of Fatima." Apparently, one is to pray a "Hail Mary" and upon completion of this make a request. Now, I am well aware of making our requests to God, but have never heard of making requests to Mary. But, when one understands the words of the "Hail Mary," you can see why this is done. Within the words of the "Hail Mary" you will find these words; "Holy Mary, Mother of God." Yes, Mary is considered to be the Mother of God! Therefore, why wouldn't somebody who believes this make requests to her? However, anybody who understands the Bible knows that this idea that Mary is the mother of God is pure blasphemy. Of course, the argument would go, "Well, Jesus is God and Mary is His mother, hence she is the Mother of God." However, there are more than a few things wrong with this. First of all Mary was a regular human being just like the rest of us. In fact, it was Mary, herself, that recognized her need for a savior. "And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant (Luke 1:46-48)."" Mary says her spirit rejoiced in God her Savior! If she is the mother of God, then why does she need a savior? Next, she refers to herself as God's servant. If she is the "mother of God" wouldn't the roles be reversed; wouldn't God be her servant? In fact, she would be a god if she could give birth to one! However, scripture is clear; God has no beginning and no end. "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God (Psalm 90:2)." Also, "God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see (1 Timothy 6:15-16)." Everlasting means that which endures forever; either that which has no beginning and will have no end. Furthermore, to say something is immortal means that something is literally incorruptible. Therefore, something that has no beginning, no end, endures forever and is incorruptible can only be attributed to God and definitely does not need saving. Mary is neither God nor His mother.

The second Person of the Trinity, Jesus, did have a beginning to His earthly ministry when he was conceived in Mary’s womb and was born, but from eternity past He had always been the Son of God. So what happened when Jesus decided to leave heaven and become a man? "Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being (Philippians 2:6-7)." Some translations say that Jesus "became nothing" when he became a human being. This gives us more insight as to why Mary was humbled by the task God had blessed her with. We are nothing compared to God, yet He chose to become like one of us and used Mary as His earthly vessel. Mary was the mother of Jesus, not the mother of God. As one author puts it, "A mother by definition precedes her child and at some point is more powerful than her child. So to call Mary the “mother of God” gives the misleading implication that Mary preceded and at one time was more powerful than the Lord God Almighty." It is well within reason to believe that an almighty God could become a human and go through the process necessary to be born from a woman, enter this world as a baby and grow up in this world. His ability to do that does not make the woman He chooses to be His vessel for that process His mother much less someone to pray to in order to get our requests granted. It is interesting that God seems to have already answered the question about who we make our requests to; we make our requests known to Him and Him alone, not Mary or any other created being. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6)." It is not biblical to say that Mary was the Mother of God or to make requests to her. The sad and scary part about all of this is the thought of what else does someone believe about God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation and the Christian life who thinks Mary is God's mother and someone to pray to? Are they even Christian? After all, this novena is a tradition and it was Jesus who said to the Pharisees, "Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that (Mark 7:13)." I believe it is safe to say that many of the Pharisees missed out on an eternity with God because they chose their traditions over their Messiah. Do not be guilty of the same eternal mistake just to hold on to your traditions.