Why does life hurt so much?

It’s our aim in this article to address some of the questions that people ask in life and to discover what the Word of God (the Bible) has to say about it. We place real confidence in the Bible because we have become convinced that the Bible is God’s communication to men and women and we wish people to benefit from what God has said.

I’m sure that most would agree that life hurts! That hurt can be caused by the normal progression from youth to old age and all the problems that come with ageing. Sickness also brings its heartaches! Natural disasters are devastating and destructive! To say nothing of the dreadful treatment that people endure at the hands of their fellow man. War and acts of terror produce unimaginable horrors. I’m sure that at times we all question why life is such a difficult and a hurtful experience.

Is there an appropriate response to this? The first thing I’d like to say is that “it's not personal”. What I mean is that we are not usually suffering as individuals because of something specific we have done. Before I go any further let me qualify that statement.  There are times in life when we do reap what we sow. There actually are consequences to our actions! But all the awful things that happen in the world are not usually the direct result of our personal actions.

My main thought when I say it’s not personal is this: ;people don’t die as a result of some sinful thing that they have done; old age doesn’t come because you did something wrong. The fact that we die, that we have sickness, that we grow old is explained to us in the Bible. The bible states that all of these conditions and circumstances exist because sin came into the world. As a result of Adam, the first man in the world, disobeying God the floodgates to all that was evil and damaging were opened. The fact that all of this is the result of the first man’s rebellion to God is explained by the biblical statement “by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin”,; Romans 5:12.

The Bible clearly teaches that God gave man a choice:

Obey Him,

Enjoy His presence,

Enjoy all that He created for him….

But, there is a but, God warned him that the day he ate of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that he would die. And that is what happened! Adam didn’t die physically but he died as far as his relationship with God was concerned. He was dead spiritually. Sin, death, pain and suffering became the normal experience of life. He had to work by the sweat of his brow for everything. Childbirth became a painful experience for the woman and the earth was cursed. So life hurts as a result; a fact that we know only too well.

However, what is quite incredible about the biblical story of salvation is that God had already a plan in place. God’s plan to provide forgiveness and to offer salvation to men and women was devised long before time began, 1 Peter 1: 19,20.

God had always planned to send His ‘Son to be the Saviour of the world’. He made sure in the writings of the Old Testament, the first half of the Bible, that we would know Him when he visited earth. In the Old Testament, God told the prophets how to identify His Son. There were specific facts such as what family He would be born into, His distinctive and sinless lifestyle and His mode of death. Normally how people will die is an unknown fact but God was making a point in defining how Jesus would die in advance (see Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10, Luke 2: 34,35 – all of these passages of scripture speak of crucifixion which at the time was unknown and of the piercing of the hands and feet of the Lord Jesus). All of this information was so that when He came we would know Him.

To me the greatest and most amazing thing about this whole thing is that God came to earth in person. He was a real but sinless man. He suffered, He hurt and He endured death to pay for our sin. God wants us to be forgiven therefore the price and the legal penalty for our sin was dealt with by the Lord Jesus Christ when He died upon the cross.

The Bible explains it like this:  “Christ died for our sins.”, 1 Corinthians 15:3, “He was despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”, Isaiah 53:3.

Today God offers us not hurt but forgiveness;

Today God offers us love.

The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”, John 3:16. The greatest proof of the love of God is that, “God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”, Romans 5:8.

I want to point you to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, if you pray to God, today, confessing your sins He will forgive you.

I trust that you will do this.

May God bless you!

This blog is written by Stephen at

Are you going up?

Good Tidings from Heaven

GOING UP?

I was going to visit two Christians who were in hospital. It was a high rise building and the people I wanted to see were on different levels. I went to the area on the ground floor, from which the elevators could be accessed and was soon on my way up. After spending a little while with the first person I made my way back to the area where a number of people were waiting for an elevator. Soon it arrived and we were asked, "Are you going up?" This immediately divided the people because some said, "No we’re going down". I got in and was in the company of people, all of whom were going up; the others we left behind and they were going down.

Troubling Times!

Some people say in anticipation of trouble “the sparks will fly,“ perhaps they are unaware that they are quoting the Bible. Job said in Job 5:7 “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward" and in  Job 14:1 "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble”.

Are you worried about expiry dates?

I watched a lady in a supermarket buying her groceries. She lifted a packet from the front of the display and examined it. She replaced it but then began moving other similar packets so that she had access to those at the back of the shelf. One of these was selected and similarly examined and then placed in her shopping trolley. Being inquisitive I went to that shelf and examined two packets, one from the front and the other from the rear of the shelf and I discovered what she was doing. She wanted a packet that had the longest retention period according to the expiry date. Those at the back of the shelf could be kept for a longer time than those at the front.

The expiry date printed on goods has become most important. In a former generation this was unheard of and people used their common sense to decide if a product was fit for consumption or not. It seems that today we need to have everything pointed out to us, even though much appears to be very obvious.

The most precious commodity that a person possesses is his or her eternal soul. This is the real person that dwells in the body of clay. That body may die and be buried but the soul goes on to eternity and exists in either heaven or hell for evermore. At the dawn of human history sin entered into the world and has affected everyone. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3.23. To have one’s soul saved from God’s judgment is the greatest blessing and comfort any person can know. King Hezekiah said of God, "Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back" Isaiah 38.17.

To permit God to forgive our sins and thus save our souls on a righteous basis, God Himself had to work. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" John 3.16,17. The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, suffered for sins upon the cross of Calvary and all who accept Him as Lord and Saviour will be saved and ready for His return. However, God has put an expiry date on this offer of salvation, a date that is known only to Himself, but we do know the offer will be withdrawn when the Lord Jesus comes again and takes every saved person to heaven. To ensure that we get salvation before the expiry date we need to take heed to the message and prepare for His coming. We do not know when that will take place but we do know that "now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" 2Corinthians 6.2. Dear reader, do not delay and leave the salvation of your soul until it is too late, but "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" Acts 16.31.

Reproduced with permission from the Editors of Assemble Testimony

'God is faithful' (1 Corinthians 1.9 -the Bible)

"TRUTH TO TRUST"

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Apocalyptic!

Our May issue of Echoes of Service Missionary Magazine arrived with a pullout update enclosed. Having read the introduction I contacted the Director who wrote the piece and asked permission to use it this month, to which he agreed. I commend the following extract for you careful consideration. I think it is very good, what do you think?      

                        

‘The current events in the Middle East are bewildering, complex and could potentially be apocalyptic. Iran’s push for nuclear weaponry, Islamic State’s attempt to establish a new caliphate, President Assad’s oppression of the Syrian people and the Sunni versus Shi’ite political infighting all make for a bleak picture.

To date, in Syria alone, 200,000 have died and 11 million people have been displaced. However, God is sovereign and His purpose will prevail.

Many people in the Middle East are questioning Islamic teaching and in their confusion are seeking the Truth.’

The first verse of the last Book of the Bible reads, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”  Verse 9 tells us where John was, he was on the isle of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, and verse 10 says that it was the Lord’s Day, which is Sunday, the first day of the week. The Lord’s Day is a period of 24 hours, whereas the Day of the Lord will be over a thousand years.

The New Testament was written in Greek and the word for Revelation is ‘apokalupsis’ where we get our word ‘apocalypse’, or, ‘revelation’, and carries the thought of unveiling. In this Book, God the Spirit, unveils future events as they relate to the Son of God in His purposes on earth, in Heaven and in eternity. These events comprise the Day of Christ in Heaven, the Day of the Lord on earth and the Day of God in eternity.

Two years ago we were privileged to visit the island of Patmos where the Apostle John was exiled. We stood in the cave, high upon a hill, where John was allegedly incarcerated. An alternative theory is that the island itself was the prison where offenders were taken to; they had no possibility of escaping. 

It is truly a beautiful location but on that Lord’s Day John saw things that were awesome. First he saw the Son of God, not as he had last seen Him, on a cross, or, risen from the dead, then on the Mount of Olives ascending back to Heaven. He saw the Lord in His eternal glory and fell at His feet as dead. Christ said to him “Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” 

There is a hymn that says ‘God holds the key of all unknown, and I am glad; if other hands should hold the key, or if He trusted it to me, I might be sad’ By faith Christians trust in the Man who holds the key to eternity, an eternity with Him. If a soul refuses to accept the salvation that He has provided through His sacrificial death and blood shed upon the cross, then there is no hope for that soul but the certainty of an eternity in Hell. Many years ago I was working in a new build house that was being built for a Doctor. I had a conversation with him about the gospel. He said, “I cannot accept this pernicious doctrine of the blood”. I thought that very strange because as a doctor he would know that all physical life depends upon blood, the scripture says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” (Lev.17:11) so why could he not accept that “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” and that God’s love for sinners meant giving His Son to die for sinners? This intelligent man chose not to believe.

There have been many strange and false teachings about the Book of the Revelation. Two weeks ago I talked to a man who told me that when the volcano exploded in Iceland, the devil was loosed from the bottomless pit and the ash propelled into the atmosphere were demons. Revelation chapter nine tells us about the opening of the bottomless pit, which will occur during the Tribulation. The Day of the Lord cannot begin until the Lord has taken the Church to Heaven, He has delivered all born again believers from "the wrath to come". John the Baptist preached of the wrath to come and exhorted his hearers to repent. Paul encouraged the Thessalonian Christians, “To wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” Jesus will soon return to the air to call away His Church and take them to Heaven. The events that will take place in Heaven, such as the Marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19) are part of the Day of Christ. No unbeliever will be present as they will be experiencing the seven years of Tribulation on earth. What contrasting experiences! For Christians, the joys of Heaven, for Christ rejecters the misery of Apocalyptic judgements.

If you do not read the Bible I would encourage you to obtain one and read the Book of Revelation, particularly from chapter six to nineteen where you will read of the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth. Seven seals are opened and after each seal an outpouring of wrath. Then seven trumpets, one after the other are sounded for more judgements, and after this as it states in chapter sixteen, “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.”  Seven bowls of wrath are poured on the earth. When these judgements are finished Christ Himself will return to earth, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What a hallelujah chorus that will be at the introduction of His Millennial reign, one thousand years of righteous government over all the earth. Who will be present with the Lord in that Kingdom? Only people who are born again, for, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Are you born again? If not, why not?

When the thousand years reign has ended God is going to make a new Heaven and a new earth (wherein righteousness dwells); this will be the commencement of the Day of God. This is something special and something great to look forward to. Will you be there to enjoy eternity with God or will you hear those words at the Great White Throne, “Depart from me I never knew you”

God loves you, Christ has died for you and He is worthy of your trust.  God bless.

Written by a Guest Blogger for LPB

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Radicalisation

I thought that the definition of radicalisation found in Wikipedia  was helpful, it says, ‘Radicalisation is a process by which an individual or group comes to adopt increasingly extreme political, social, or religious ideals and aspirations that (1) reject or undermine the status quo or (2) reject and/or undermine contemporary ideas and expressions of freedom of choice. For example, radicalism can originate from a broad social consensus against progressive changes in society. Radicalization can be both violent and nonviolent, although most academic literature focuses on radicalization into violent extremism There are multiple pathways that constitute the process of radicalization, which can be independent but are usually mutually reinforcing Radicalization that occurs across multiple reinforcing pathways greatly increases a group’s resilience and lethality. Furthermore, by compromising its ability to blend in with non-radical society and participate in a modern economy, radicalization serves as a kind of sociological trap that gives individuals no other place to go to satisfy their material and spiritual needs.’

Much concern is being experienced by some Muslim families because of their sons and daughters radicalised by the extremists of ISIS.  Three teenage Muslim girls recently walked out on their families and flew from London to Turkey where they were smuggled across the border into Syria to join ISIS.  Concern has been voiced in the House of Commons about pupils in some faith schools in the UK being exposed to erroneous teaching causing them to become disillusioned about their present life and promising false hopes for their future life.

Two years ago, a young 24 year old man named Mohammed Emwazi (Jihadi John) left the UK to join ISIL He was born in Kuwait but was brought as a child by his parents to Britain. His teachers said that he was a good student causing no concern about extremism. He went on to University and got a BSc 2.2 degree. How could this young fellow turn into the monster that he became, being responsible for the beheading of a number people who did not share his brand of religion? The USA has put a $10 million reward on his head for his capture to bring him to trial for his actions.

Many other barbaric acts of beheading have taken place throughout the world. Christian parents having to stand and watch their children beheaded by fanatics. Jewish shopkeepers in Paris slaughtered, etc. etc. and so it goes on!

The surviving brother of the two young men that planted bombs at the Boston Marathon, killing three people and maiming many others, is currently being tried for that offence. Also those plotting to place bombs in Manchester shopping centre and the New York subway have been brought to trial in America.

The Hitler Youth movement is another example of young people being radicalised in fascism and hatred towards the Jews, and where did that take them?

Revelation ch.13 tells us of two beasts, one that comes up out of the Sea, and one out of the Land. Bible students tell us that the Sea represents the Nations and the Land is Israel. The Beast out of the Sea is a man who will yield worldwide political power, which he receives, from Satan. It is he who enforces the system of buying and selling for those who have his mark in their hand or forehead. Those who refuse his mark are beheaded.

The end of the Beast is revealed in Revelation 19:20, it says, “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

Chapter 20 begins, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

John the Baptist was beheaded for testifying about Jesus, he said,  “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the World.” He wanted the whole world to look to Christ because it is only in Him that personal sin can be forgiven, all sin taken away and eternal life given. This is wonderful. There are many people in the world who are looking in the wrong direction, they look to pleasure or prosperity, some look to religion to deal with the guilt of their sin and others don’t bother to look at all. It is a wise person that takes John the Baptist’s advice to look to Jesus Christ for salvation. Acts ch.4:12 reads, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” John lost his head but did not lose his soul and no one else who receives Jesus as their Saviour will ever perish. This choice does not trap, it liberates, it does not promote violence it brings a peace that passes all understanding, hate is dispelled and the love of God enjoyed for all eternity. Don’t be radicalised by eroneus doctrine, follow the truth of the Bible and be free.  God bless.

Written by a Guest Blogger

Does God tell lies?

Does God tell lies? - Open Air Preaching in Liverpool City Centre

YouTubeVideo - Does God tell lies?

Getting & Giving

There is a lot of pain and misery in our world today, especially in the Middle East where a power struggle is taking place in Iraq, Syria and Iran, where ISIS is trying to get control to enforce Sharia law and secure the oil revenues of those countries.

Russia is similarly getting control of parts of the Ukraine, the Crimea has yielded to insurgents, and other areas are being targeted to usurp authority and control natural gas supplies through the country. All these acts of war are leaving thousands of people dead, men, women and children falling to military powers of one persuasion or another, but each wanting to get something that they do not have by force. Some refugees will have nothing to go home to, their homes and livelihood has been decimated.

In many countries materialism is affecting many individual lives; this longing to have more possessions is sapping the quality of life in many households. In Western society the god, Mammon, has taken hold and lotteries, bingo and other forms of gambling encourage covetousness. Companies are encouraging their management teams to be more assertive, an aggression that holds no thought for the good of others but rather the promotion of self.

Jesus said in Mark 8.36 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 5:13 “There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?” 

Both texts ask the question what profit? and teach us that we brought nothing into the world and our hands will be empty when we leave the world. What is the point of being the richest man in the cemetery? And where will your soul be then?

Some Charities run television advertisements appealing to people to give two pounds a month to supply water to African villages, or to save children from malnutrition or being cruelly abused. Each appeal might touch the heart but not the pockets of ‘Joe public’. Sceptics say that these problems should not have money thrown at them but be resolved at their source by eliminating corruption, greed and selfishness.

Man’s giving is often measured and looks for something in return, but God’s giving exceeds anything and everything, He "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son", to die on a cross for bankrupt sinners like you and me. 

Romans 8:31 reads like this , “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”  

Many people do not believe that God created this Earth and the systems that sustain life. Even the breath of air that you just took into your lungs was provided by God. You didn’t have to think about it yet there is enough for the billions of lives on this planet, but uniquely the same provision does seem to be in place for other planets. Physical life requires water and sunlight and God gives abundant supplies of each for earth dwellers, but not a drop on other planets, despite the fact that scientists and atheistic governments spend billions of dollars on space research looking for water to prove their doctrine that life evolved from water.

Jesus said in John 10, “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”  

Physical life involves the body, spiritual life relates to the soul and spirit. The spirit of an unbeliever is dead in trespasses and sins and needs to be born again in order to receive eternal life. Five times in the New Testament we read that Christ “gave himself”. The first one in Galatians 1:3 says, “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” God the Father gave His Son, God the Son gave Himself, He died on the cross on account of our sins. 

In the next chapter Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” 

In 2 Corinthians 9:15 he said, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” Paul had great appreciation for being saved and to know his sins forgiven but there was something more, he received Christ Himself and the Holy Spirit.

When the rich man Zacchaeus got saved, Luke ch.19 says, “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” 

Salvation changes lives and this tax collector’s life was changed and his perspective of getting and giving was changed too. He had a new heart and a new outlook on life. What he had, money could not buy, but faith obtained it freely by God’s grace. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  God bless.

This blog was written for FTMP by a Guest Blogger

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