Let's assume that I have a very long 'main' section. I could include a missional statement for the church,
or possibly one of many, many other things. In reality, it doesn't matter, as long as the section is filled. I could talk
about the TIBF Youth, where we're going, or I could talk about why we believe that our God is such an awesome God. It doesn't
really matter what I put in here. Anyhow, that's this section for you. Have a great day.
Life isn't fair. There is nothing you can say to convince me or anyone else otherwise. As a matter of fact, you can't even convince yourself otherwise, because you know that life truly isn't fair. You miss things that you should have gotten, that job you worked so hard for is given to someone else. Your friends betray you, your family turns against you, and nothing goes the way that it should.
Why are we here? Do we have a purpose? Are we meant to be? Are we really just a mistake as the textbooks put it? Are we an accident? Was our whole existence created by an explosion long ago? Did we really evolve from life forms not so different from the very bacteria that caused the bubonic plague?
Why is someone even writing about this? Why does this person even care about someone that they will probably never meet? My friend, you may not know me, and the chances are greatly in favor that you never will. You will probably never meet me, and I will never get the privilege of knowing you. So why am I writing this?
If you really want to know, I have the answers. Life isn't fair, and it never was. We do have a purpose; we are meant to be. We are not a mistake; textbooks are wrong. According to the second law of thermodynamics, it is impossible for evolution to occur, at least not without outside influence. For such influence to exist would mean that there would have had to have been something greater....something more powerful. A force strong enough to cause us to become who we are. There is a name for that force; people refer to that force as God.
Many people believe that there is a God, but they don't know where or how or when, or if there is still a God at all. Instead we use science to try to explain our lives. Science is a premise which is flawed, and cannot even measure a thought, let alone understand it.
And so the questions go deeper. Why do we have thoughts? Why are we still here? The whole universe is carefully arranged; as a matter of fact, if one little thing, such as the Earth's distance from the Sun, was changed life would not be able to exist. Consider an Earth where we are constantly in a global winter, with temperatures rarely rising above -40°F. Consider a world where the temperatures never fall below 180°F. In either instance, life would be greatly hindered, if at all possible.
"Ok, so you got your point across. There is a greater being, or a god, that made us. So what?"
God didn't just make this world with us in it. He made this world for us. He created the birds, the beast, the trees, the flowers, and they sky just for us. He created the oceans for us. Every little detail of nature in all its beauty was created for us. That's how much He loves us.
"If God loves us so much, then why is the world the way it is?"
If God is really a loving God, then why is there suffering, death, pain, evil, destruction? Why is this world so terrible if God is real?
God didn't create the world the way it is. He created is as a paradise for us. When He created night and day for us, He saw that it was GOOD (Gen. 1:18). When He created the animals of the sea, He saw to it that it was GOOD (Gen 1:21). When He created the animals of the earth, He made sure it was GOOD (Gen 1:25). When He made us, He made us in His own image (Gen 1:27). After creating us, He BLESSED us (Gen. 1:28). God wasn't done yet. After creating the whole universe, He double checked everything, and made sure that it was GOOD (Gen 1:31).
"Ok, nice story. If that's true, then why is the world so terrible? I thought you said God created it GOOD?!"
God DID create the world, and every thing in it that exists. He created everything down to the very wind. However, before understanding why the world is evil, you must ask yourself why evil got here. The fact is, we let it in. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, we lost paradise because of sin (Gen 2:24).
If God's so loving, why couldn't He forgive us for what SOMEONE ELSE did? Why are we suffering? Actually, we ourselves are not punished for Adam and Eve's sin. We are sinners ourselves. "For all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23). Everybody is a sinner, and we all fall short of God's glory (Rom. 3:23). Furthermore, "the wages for sin is death" (Rom 6:23). WE did it. We deserve the pain that is in the world.
Furthermore, who's to even say that God created evil? Consider: we have heat, and we say we have cold. But do we really? In scientific terms, heat is a form of energy....cold is just the absence of heat....just as dark is the absence of light, injustice the lack of justice, pain the lack of comfort, etc. Along those lines, isn't evil just the absence of good? So in reality, isn't evil in itself not?
Consider the following: life isn't fair. Thing happen that we don't deserve. We don't get promotions we worked so hard for. We don't get the raise we deserve. Now consider the following: life isn't fair. Most of us meet that special person that we could never deserve. We couldn't earn their love, and we definitely don't deserve them. God isn't fair. If you are the best person in all of history, but have sinned (and all have, refer back to Romans 3:23) then we deserve death. Not just death, but eternal death, namely, Hell.
God didn't want that for us though. He knows that we all deserve to go to Hell, but that isn't what He made us for. He made us to have life, to have peace, strength, hope, faith, joy, happiness. He created paradise for us when we were first made. Due to sin, we lost that paradise. God wasn't going to just let us go without it though. He turned around and sent His only son to DIE for us, so we could get paradise back. How much more love could one have than to die so someone else could live? The Bible says that "God so loved the world He gave His ONLY begotten son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). It continues by stating that "God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be SAVED through Him" (John 3:17). Jesus Himself affirmed that by stating about us "I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). He never intended for us to suffer. He knew that all have sinned, and He knew the wages of sin are death. However, "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
"Ok, big deal. God came to save the world, but why me? I've done so many things wrong, how could He accept me?"
Consider the following: (don't you love it when I say that) If I were to hold up a fifty dollar bill, most people would very much like to have it. That could be a symbol for when God first created us. Now, I throw that fifty dollar bill in the dirt, stomp on it, spit on it, and hold it up. Surprisingly, those same people who wanted it before I messed with it STILL want it! That's because no matter what I may to do shake it up or dirty it, it's still worth fifty dollars. You're the same way. God created you and considered you worth a LOT, enough for Jesus to die for you. Even if you're shaken up or dirtied, you're still worth that same amount.
God wanted heaven to be free. It's a gift, of grace. Those who accept Christ "have been saved by grace through faith" (Eph. 2:8). Who's grace is it? The grace is "not of yourselves" (Eph. 2:8). The Bible says that "if anyone should confess with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that He rose from the dead, he shall be saved" (Rom. 10:9). This is because "it is by your heart that you believe and are justified, and by your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Rom. 10:10).
God has this interesting quality about Himself: He wants you to tell Him things He already knows! For example, He knows that you have sinned, all the way down to the exact second of the minute of the hour of the day. He knows all the way down to the very thoughts you were thinking! But He wants you to tell Him, "Lord I know that I've done this or that." He wants you to apologize. He wants you to repent. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Not only does God forgive your sins, He removes them! They no longer exist! As a matter of fact, you're not even the same person you were before! "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come" (2 Cor. 5:17).
God is sitting there waiting for you. Jesus says "behold! I stand at the door and knock" (Rev. 3:20). All you have to do is ask Him into your life, ask Him to take control, to free you, forgive you, cleanse you, and make you new. All that you need is to ask Him to show you.
If you're not sure how to say it, how to ask God in, you can use the following prayer as an example:
God, I believe that You are. I believe that You created me not to suffer, but to enjoy life with You. Lord, I am a sinner. I have wronged You so many times, and I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Jesus, I believe that You died on the cross for me. I believe that You lived a blameless, perfect life, and then sacrificed Yourself so I could live. Please, come into my heart, and change me. Please, fill me up with Your Holy Spirit, and guide me along Your path. Lord, I ask for You to have Your will in my life, because I know that mine has failed me before. I ask for these things in the name of Your son, Jesus Christ. Amen
News 22 June 2005
It's been a long long time since I've updated this site, and a lot has changed. Be posted soon for more updates,
as they will be on the way in the very near future! If any sections are down, they will be updated soon enough, so keep posted!
News 16 March 2003
Everything is being prepared(man, its a lot of work just to get this stuff up).
Anyhow, I'm adding links to the two older sites, so they can be seen as what was, and this one will be up soon,
in more power than ever before! This time I didn't add much...just a song in the
Poems/Songs section(yes now it has songs too) and a short memo about the poets/songwriters
(who only include me and one other person), but it will all be together SOON!
News 5 March 2003
There are still some things that are waiting to be updated, and
everything will likely be up(hopefully) within the next couple
weeks.
News 28 February 2003
The site has been relocated again, back to Yahoo. The layout is changing completely.
Not only will some stuff be removed, but other stuff is being added. The next update
willprobably be around Mar.5, if I can get it done by then. For those who know me, I
am goingback to school on Monday(the 3rd). For those of you who don't, I have a story
to tell you and what a story it is!
Directions to the church will go here.
