Category: Uncategorized

I was told that most people initially come to God because of His love for them.  I did not.  I came to God because I was afraid of going to hell.  Hell was an instrumental part of the gospel for me to come to Jesus.  I didn’t care about Jesus’ love for me (before I came to know Him, that is).  But I did care about suffering, and being condemned for eternity.  When Bonnie, (who was telling me about hell) heard me say to her, “Something is telling me that this (hell) isn’t true,” she replied, “That’s satan lying to you.”  I then instantly remembered a science fiction short story where someone was controlling everyone’s mind, but made them think it was their own thoughts.

Could satan be deceiving me and I not know it?

This was a pivotal question.

The stakes were too high to dismiss the possibility immediately, I had to think about it.  If satan was real and the master of deceit, would he want me to be aware of him influencing my thoughts?  No, he would want me to be deceived into thinking that he was not controlling me, that my thoughts were my own and that I was free to think and do what I want.  He would not want me to believe in hell and know that that is where I was headed.  He would tell me that hell isn’t true.

I wrestled with this “going to hell” thing for days (at least it seemed like it).  Late at night, I decided to accept Jesus as my Savior.  It couldn’t really be as easy as telling Jesus I was sorry for my sins (and meaning it) and accepting His death on the cross as payment (in full) to God for those sins, could it?  I prayed over and over.  But I didn’t “feel” saved.  Finally, I said to God, “I have done what you have asked, if I’m not saved it’s your fault!”  And I went to bed.  I felt strangely confident that I had done the right thing.  Looking back I didn’t treat God with the respect He deserves, but I did trust Him to save me.  And He honors that.

If you don’t have a growing relationship with Jesus, the Master of the universe, and you would like one, ask Him for one, He is glad to reach out to anyone who calls on Him.  If you do not want a relationship with Jesus you are warned.  You are already on your way to an eternity without Love, without Jesus, without God.  You will be alone (not partying with friends).  And you will wonder over and over, “Why did I reject Him?”  And that is hell.

God created us with a free will.
He respects us so much that He will not force Himself on us.
He is a gentleman and only goes where He is invited.
He created this world in such a way that while we live in it we can choose whether we want a relationship with Him or not.
We can acknowledge Him or deny Him.
Because God loves us and seeks our love He has left a record of who He is, what He is like, and what He wants.
It’s the Bible.
In the Bible He pleads with us to choose Him because He is Life and Love and Peace.
He gives blessing to those who love and follow Him.
He warns us that apart from following Him there is no life, love or peace.
There is momentary pleasure in not obeying God (sin), but the pain that follows can last forever.
He offers complete forgiveness and new life to anyone who asks Him for it.
It is His free gift to us; though it cost Him His life to be able to offer it.
You have a choice to make.
You can ignore what you have just read.
You can post-pone your decision.
Or, you can act on what you’ve read.  
If you ignore what you have read, and die that way, you will stand before Jesus having rejected His offer of His Love and Forgiveness.
You will suddenly realize that what you thought was most important in life (fame, fortune, pleasure and power) now means nothing.
And Loving God and other people will become the glaringly obvious purpose your life was to have.
If you post-pone your decision you have made a false assumption that you will have a second chance to decide.
You know absolutely nothing about the future.
Your life could end before you finish reading this sentence.
So, in reality, no answer is the answer no.
And, because you passively rejected God you will experience the same fate as those who actively reject God.
Or, you can act on what you have read.
You can realize that God made you, loves you, died to forgive you and wants a love relationship with you.
You can humble yourself and ask for His forgiveness and surrender to Him, making Him the One Who Saves you and the One Who Leads you.
God’s Holy Spirit of Jesus will come to live in you and will never leave you.
He will give you a new spirit that is bent toward loving God and other people.
And He will give you tests and trials meant to shape you more and more like His Son Jesus; and also meant to reveal to the world The One living inside you.
I wasted my life until I was 27 years old before accepting Jesus.
And God had to give me mental illness, and take away everything I ever wanted before I would risk surrendering to Him.
Now I would not go back to living apart from Him for anyone or anything.
Jesus is my Life.
And it is a joy filled life.
There is pain, but there is never ending hope.
And I will be forever glad that I chose to follow Jesus.

Back in September I wrote about verses that help me battle satanic thoughts.  I read it recently and realized I never followed up on it.  When Jesus battled satan He quoted the Scriptures.  By trusting His Father and the authority of His Word He defeated the lies of the devil.

I think satan’s favorite pastime is to condemn me.  He makes it sound as if everything I do or say has evil intent.  He twists my words, or the interpretation of those words, to mean something I did not intend for them to mean.  The result is I feel guilty and condemned for something I haven’t done.

Or, satan stirs up guilt over something I have done.  Satan reminds me of a time that I followed him and condemns me for what I did.  The result is I feel guilty and condemned for something I have done.

The following are some of the verses that help me:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.   

Romans 8:1 NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV

…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 

1 Peter 2:24 NKJV

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

 Psalm 103:12, KJV

 Jesus has done it all for us.  He has conquered sin, death and hell and made us His righteousness.  He will fight our battles with satan.  He will bring to mind verses you have read that can make satan’s lies tell the truth.  But we must know His Word the Bible.  We must hide His Word in our hearts (memorize helpful passages of the Bible).  And, we must trust and obey Him.