The Super Blogosphere of a parallel word.

 It was a shock to hear that my church was closing at the start of COVID. I thought for sure that the second coming of Jesus was going to happen. I remember thinking that the Great Apostasy was happening because churches all over the world were closing their doors, and people of faith were left to fend for themselves. People went online, and are still online, even though some of these people can attend their church. I remember warning people that before COVID-19 that the church would loose something if they would go totally digital. I warned people that they would forget to know how to connect to the real presence of God, if they continued in this way.  I have seen it happen, people losing their faith, and the real sense of God's presence because they prefer technology. In the 1990's I learned how to practise the presence of God, I didn't have internet, it was the olden days, and I was a happy youth. I knew God, and I lived in his presence continually. I didn't have to ...

 A father is first and foremost an example to his children. What kind of person the child eventually becomes is ultimately up to the child, but that doesn't mean that a father doesn't have a real effect on the choices and decisions the child makes. A good father can be a real blessing to a family, but a bad father can be a cause of great harm and stumbling. The bible teaches us not to curse our parents, and it teaches us to honour them, but what happens when a father makes it very difficult for his family to show him the proper respect that God wants for children and their parents. The influence a dad makes on his children will last forever, either for good or for bad, he is to be responsible for the biblical upbringing of his children. While even the best dad is still a sinner, parents still need to repent if they are going to go to Heaven when they die. A father who discourages their children from following Jesus is a bad example of a godly father. Many people have grown up i...

 What does it mean to be a good person? The reason for many religions is to reach God, but can God be found by any other means than faith? I believe faith is the principle way a person has a relationship with God, but I also believe our actions are very important. I do believe our actions have a direct relationship to the universe and the world around us, kind of like when you skip a stone on a pond, our actions have a rippling effect on the world around us. Some religions call this karma, and others say we have real choices to make after we become believers. The debate of the 21st century is do works save you? I don't believe they do, but I do feel that they directly effect the harmony of the earth, our health, our spirituality and others. The second greatest question is "Is the bible enough to save us?" I personally believe it is, however it must be lived out.  There has to be an acceptance in our culture that works matter, in the sense that we are all connected. There ...

 I was re-reading part of an encyclical by Pope Francis about the environment and our roles as Christians in response the the environmental injustices, and how they are attached to many other injustices not related to our environment directly. One thing the Pope says is that we are to be careful how we live out our faith, and how our actions must not compromise the faith and the convictions we hold in our hearts. This to me is a great temptation in my life right now, as I look at my life and how it could be an actual reality that I am trying to avoid. I am a tradition person, but I live in a world that is anti-traditional. My world is chaotic at times and I struggle to match my beliefs to my actions because there are people and circumstances that lead me to believe that if I compromise my faith, I will be happy and accepted! But this is far from the truth, far from the truth Pope Francis was communicating in his encyclical. Why is it important not to compromise your beliefs? Our be...

 While it is true that the gospel teaches that you must be born again to go to Heaven, it also teaches that all Israel will be saved, (Romans 11:26). When God created the new covenant, He made provision for His chosen people to be unconditionally included. Although the new covenant is based on grace not Law, God made provision for all men to be included. The theological question is how is Israel included in the new covenant if their faith is in the Law? The people of Israel were never excluded from the promise given to Abraham, that those would be justified by faith, (Romans 4:16-25). God's first covenant was with the Israelites, so along came Christ and set up a new covenant.  Israel's inclusion in the new covenant is unconditional, although the old covenant was finished, Israel's calling never changed! This is why all Israel will be saved, because they are the original covenant people of God, that is why we are not to boast. Israel is the root of the tree that the Gentile...

Hope is found in the Heart of Jesus.  It's not too difficult to think highly of ourselves,  but the bible calls this pride. The purpose for our lives are found when we humble ourselves and receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. This happened to me when I was 21. I'm sure I knew about Jesus, but I didn't have a personal relationship with him, which happens when we are born again! In this life, God gives each of us a choice today to be right with God. The gospel tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23). That means that there is nothing we can do or ever will do, that can earn us justification with God. Jesus died for our sins, and he rose again, so when we ask him to forgive us through repentance and faith, God gives us a second chance and we become born again. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they were eventually cast out. We live with the doctrine of Original Sin, because it is attributed to Adam in the Garden of Eden....

Does the Gospel Promise Financial Success?  What is the gospel and does it promise financial security? Christians throughout history have experienced times of persecution, but how does the gospel give us the promise of a better life? First the benefits of the Christian gospel promise us hope in this life, and the promise of eternal happiness in the life to come. God doesn't promise us that we will be rich in this life, but he promises the blessings and the grace to succeed spiritually which has a direct effect on the way we see money and material things. We need these things in order to survive, but Jesus told us to seek him first, and then all these things will be added to you, or your life. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew  6:33  | ESV) It's not wrong to want to be taken care of, we all desire to have the things we need in order to survive. The reason why the bible teaches us to seek Jesu...