Trust in the Mercy of Jesus

 Jesus loves you as you are. If you are an alcoholic, he does not love your addiction, but he loves you.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Jn 3:16–17 NIV

God created the human race. He loves what he created and he is grieved and angry with what we have done with his creation, but although he is horrified by what we have done, he never stopped loving us.

Some of Hitler’s Nazi leadership group turned to Jesus before they were executed and God forgave them. God will not forgive just because you feel guilty, but you must be willing to change.

So if your life is rotten, do you have to give up all your sins before you be forgiven, before you can receive eternal life. There are sins that you do not even realise are sins. There are sinful addictions that you cannot overcome in your own strength.

Come to Jesus as you are. If you are sincere in trusting Jesus, he will save you first and then set about cleaning you up. Even then Jesus will not force you to stop doing bad things, but he will help you to get free.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Mt 11:28 NRSVue

We all carry heavy burdens. If we don't have a guilty conscience, there are things we should feel guilty about.

But guilt for sin is not the only burden we carry. It may not even be the burden that is distressing you the most. You may be crushed by the sins others have committed against you, domestic violence, sexual abuse, workplace bullying or many other terrible things.

Come to Jesus with your burdens and let Him supernaturally relieve you of the traumas that you cannot deal with yourself.

Talk to Jesus about your burdens. He is listening. Preachers tell you you must have faith. Many people in despair have cried out to Jesus in spite of their doubts. So many have cried out to Jesus, like this.

“Jesus, if you really exist, please change me. If you are real, I want to give you my life!”

God spoke through and Old Testament prophet:

Call to me, and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jer 33:3 NRSVue

A grieving single mother mourned the death of her daughter. She went to church and told the pastor she wanted to invite Jesus into her life so she could see her daughter in heaven.

The pastor said that was not a sufficiently good motive to merit salvation. He sent her away. Only some time later she had a personal encounter with Jesus and received salvation.

Do you believe the pastor was right? I absolutely do not. Jesus wanted to meet her as she was. He is willing to receive you and me where we are. When we take the first step, he will lead us on from there.

God wants to help you.

 Jesus left Judea and returned to Galilee. It was a long walk, and at noon he took a break at a well in Samaria. 

There he found a woman drawing water from the well.

 It was taboo for Jews to talk to Samaritans. Jesus was also a Bible teacher, and no rabbi was allowed to speak to a woman alone. 

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”

Jesus was alone with this woman because his disciples had gone to the nearby town to buy supplies. The woman was surprised that Jesus spoke to her.

So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How do you, being a Jew, ask from me water to drink, since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jn 4:9 LEB

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you had known the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me water to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” Jn 4:10 LEB

Are you a little religious, virtuous and idealistic? That's a good start, but there's more. Many pastors preach humanistic philosophy, and their listeners have nothing more than vague ideas about God and eternal reality.

Are you a Christian? Do you expect an eternal future in heaven? That's good. But if you knew what Jesus wants to give you here on earth, you would pray from the heart and expect miracles.

Are you entangled in drug addiction, prostitution, pornography or the occult?
 
The woman in this story was despised in her society, but she may not have been to blame.

The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband,’ 

for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” Jn 4:17–18 NRSVue

In this society, only the man had the say. Five husbands had rejected her? Why?
Was she unable to bear sons? 
Had she been sexually abused and was unable to satisfy her husband? 
Was she extremely depressed, traumatised and moody?

How could she survive as a woman who had been divorced five times? As a beggar? As a prostitute?

Jesus did not look at her sins, but at her need. He simply loved her.

Jesus died on the cross for you and your sins. He simply loves you.

No matter where you are, Jesus wants to bless you.

When you entrust your life completely to Jesus, God's Spirit comes and dwells in your spirit.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, Eph 3:20 NRSVue

Why do we expect so little from God? What is your problem?
Have you failed? Jesus can give you strength and wisdom to live a new life.

Are you caught up in a colourless, decent religious routine? Jesus freed the decent Jews of his time from their religious treadmill. Jesus gave his disciples a new life filled with joy, freedom and adventure.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Jn 10:10 NRSVue

Are you addicted to pornography? You can never enter God's heaven with pornography, but Jesus can set you free.

Jesus was tortured on the cross. Through his suffering, he took the punishment for all your sins upon himself.

If only you knew how God can and wants to help you, you would cry out for God's help and have a new life.

Christians Bullying Christians.

 So many Christians are bullied by other Christians. 

I was once the victim of bullying. Sadly, victims often also become bullies. As a child I bullied my younger brothers and am sorry to say I became a harsh controlling step-father. I am now friends with my brothers and step-sons.

Jesus spoke very harsh words against the sin of Christian bullying.

But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. Matthew 24:48-49 (NIV)

There are also religious bullies who don't get drunk or indulge in sins of the flesh but is Jesus suggesting that bullying is just as bad as getting drunk and indulging the flesh? or worse?

Religious legalism often leads to bullying.

What is legalism? It is an attempt to prevent or correct sin using human rules and punishments.

You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: "'These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" Matthew 15:7-9 (NIV)

Jesus spoke more strongly against bullying and legalism than any other sin.  

I am not against pastors. There are wonderful pastors and I know some as friends. Pastors too can be victims of bullying. I have seen this several times and it is horrible.

The Apostle Paul was also very strong in condemning bullying. In his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul rebukes the Corinthian believers. Why? Not for sexual sin. That was in his first letter.
He rebukes them for submitting unconditionally to bullying preachers.

You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face. 2 Cor 11:19-20 (NIV)

Any pastor or preacher who demands unconditional and total submission is a false shepherd.

If a pastor responds to criticism or disagreement with threats or intimidation, why not just leave?

If a leader imposes his will on people to the point that his word is law, he is usurping the lordship of Jesus.

There are many Christians who feel uneasy, resentful or secretly angry towards over confident, controlling leaders but they believe they must not resist because that would be the sin of rebellion.
This is a false understanding of scripture.

When King Saul tried to kill David, David fled for his life.

 If you are bullied in church, you are entitled to leave the church. It may even be your duty to leave.

You cannot serve two masters. 

If you submit to a bully, you are submitting to a false spirit, because the Spirit of Jesus is never cruel, but kind and loving.

Supposing you are imprisoned by religious parents or a ruthlessly controlling husband. If you leave the church, you could become homeless or lose your children.  

You can be like Joseph in prison who cultivated a secret relationship with God.  

He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. Ps 147:3 (NIV)

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; Isaiah 61:1 (NKJV)

It is good if you can talk back to bullies and it is not a sin but sometimes a soft answer is better.

In extreme cases, the strongest answer is a stubborn, determined silence, especially if you are expected to agree, express submission or apologise when you believe you are not in the wrong.

When Jesus was on trial for his life, He answered many aggressive questions and accusations with silence. His silence was the strongest answer.

 

Following Jesus with Childlike Trust

 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)  

 Moses was the light of his generation. After forty days alone with God, Moses came down from Mount Sinai a changed man. His face shone. 

The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light ... Matthew 6:22 (ESV) 

When a woman is in love, her eyes shine. Her whole face lights up. If we love Jesus and we are living in His presence, we are like young people in love and the world can see it. This love is not based on achievement or good work. It comes from the revelation that God loves you with all His heart. 

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (ESV) 

CHILDLIKE TRUST
How does a child grow up? By experiencing his parents´ love and trusting in their guidance. 

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. Mark 10:15

In a healthy family, the parents exercise sacrificial love and the children enjoy that love. It is in enjoying the love of God, that we shine like lights in a dark world. Nothing makes a person’s face like up like the enjoyment of loving because you know you are loved. GOD IS LOVE. 

If we focus on our own striving to keep God’s commandments, we lose the childlike enjoyment of God, which is our source of love, joy and power. 

But isn’t obedience also important? 

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. John 15:10 (NKJV) 

Disobedience is not childlike trust in a good Father. Jesus spoke about good works that draw unbelievers to His light. 

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? Matthew 25:37 (ESV) 

And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Matthew 25:40 (ESV) 

When we heal the sick or carry a shopping basket for an old widow, kindness motivated by the love of Jesus shows the goodness of God to the world. 

The obedience that Jesus loves is not based on an obligation to a ministry. Jesus is not impressed when we strive to win approval, escape criticism or please leaders. 

And he said to them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Luke 22:25 

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Matthew 23:8-9  

Preachers who intimidate and control are trying to make people good but they destroy the childlike love, joy and faith which is the real source of Christian goodness.

Fear is the opposite of faith. The fear of man (including church leaders) actually undermines trust in God.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 (ESV) 

Should preachers always be soft and comforting? Jesus was not. Godly ministers lead, teach and challenge but they do not control people with guilt, duty and intimidation. 

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 

Any ministry which is not leading you into an enjoyment of Matthew 11:28-30 is not for me and I hope not for you.
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Be Merciful like Jesus

 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jn 8:12 NIV

Being a Christian means following Jesus. In the NT, Jesus had disciples who literally walked around Israel with him. This is no longer possible, so what does it mean to follow Jesus today?

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Jn 8:31–32 NASB95

Jesus is no longer with us as a man of flesh and blood, but he has given us His word, his truth, his teaching and his promises.

You cannot be a Christian unless you seriously try to base your life on the Bible.

But how can we do this? The Bible is a big book with many confusing details. We need guidance and teaching, but the people who persecuted Jesus were the Bible experts of his day.

There are bible experts today who enslave believers with cruel hierarchy and life destroying religion. If we are protestant Christians, we must not deceive ourselves by thinking these bad religious leaders are only Jews or Roman Catholics.

In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, we see how Jesus applied the Bible.

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. Jn 1:14 NIV

There are Christians who aggressively preach truth to attack and shame sinners, and preachers who rule churches with fear. Jesus was full of truth, but He always approached people with grace, mercy and love.

Jesus always applied Bible truth with love and mercy, and so must we.

Yesterday, our pastor reminded us that Jesus appointed us to be the light of the world. If we live in the light of Jesus, we will ourselves shine as a light from God for others.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Mt 5:14 NIV

This is true, but we can use the light of God’s truth to bless people or condemn them. If you turn on the light in a dark place, people can see where they are going, but if you shine a laser in someone’s eyes, it can destroy his eyesight.

There are aggressive preachers and culture warriors who do just that. They attack people with Bible truth and drive people away from the love of God. We must never do this.

An Atheist Finds God

Perhaps you think you cannot believe. If you want to believe, God will help you to come to faith.

A young atheist felt the emptiness in his soul. He saw a church and went in, where he observed pious worshippers.

He began to speak to God in his own way.

God, if you exist, and I don't believe you do, then I don't think it's my duty to believe in you. On the contrary, it is your duty to reveal your existence to me. If you exist, then let me find you.

In a remote village lived an old man who loved Jesus. He prayed for years that God would help him bring a Jew to faith.

One day, the young atheist, who was Jewish, was going on a journey. He looked for accommodation in the village and the old Christian welcomed him.

He gave him a Bible to read. As the young man read the Testament, he felt the love of God like fire in his heart and he believed.

The young atheist was of Jewish origin, but only when he met Jesus as his Messiah did he find the God of Israel.

Are you Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist? It doesn't matter. Jesus was born a Jew and lived on earth as a Jew, but he died on a cruel cross to suffer the punishment for our sins.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NIV

God is calling Failures. Start again.

 Perhaps you have failed and lost all hope.

Perhaps you have dared to do something for God, but you have failed, or other Christians have betrayed you. Maybe you are disappointed with your marriage or with your children. That really hurts.

But right now, God wants you to know that He still has a purpose for your life.

God wants to restore his disappointed children. God will transform failures in this season to do great things by His grace.

HERMANN ZAISS

Hermann Zaiss (1889 - 1958) was an outstanding German evangelist.

In 1924 he suffered terrible disappointments. His wife suffered a total nervous breakdown and became chronically mentally ill.

His marriage failed and he was misunderstood by Christian congregations and condemned by many.

He was so traumatised that he gave in to despair and told God he wanted nothing more to do with Him. But after 20 years, God would call him again if it would please God.

In the meantime, he remarried and God called his new wife to a living faith.

During the Second World War, they suffered bombing raids from the British and Americans. His wife wanted to start a Bible study group, but he didn't want to.

Then in 1944, exactly 20 years after leaving God, he and his wife knelt together and gave their lives to God's service.

They started a Bible study group that became a church of 120 and then a group of 250 after the war.

People from all over Germany and other countries came and experienced miraculous healings.

A German Jew in the British Army of Occupation came to faith and his hatred of Germany was transformed into a deep love.

A fanatical SS officer was transformed and he became friends with the newly converted Jew.

If you are disappointed with your life, let Jesus take on your disappointments.

He suffered and died on the cross to save you from your disappointment.

Jesus stands by your side now and he calls you as he once called Peter, Peter the failure who became Peter the apostle.

… fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb 12:2–3 NIV

Love Your Neighbour

 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Gal 5:14 NIV

I must love my neighbour, says Jesus.
Who is my neighbour?

• My neighbour is my workmate or my boss.

• My neighbour is the pimp who kidnaps my daughter.

• My neighbour is the homosexual who wants to seduce my son.

• My neighbour is the terrorist who threatens me.

• My neighbour is the prostitute down the street.

A Christian woman had a daughter who went astray. She had a bad boyfriend who led her away from God's ways.

Then the unthinkable happened. The mother heard that the bad boyfriend had murdered her daughter. She was devastated.

On the way home, the Holy Spirit spoke to her heart. She must forgive the murderer. But not only that, she must visit him in prison. Then the challenge became really extreme. She had to accept him into her heart as her own son.

She couldn't do it all. She prayed fervently for the help of the Holy Spirit and received the grace to do the impossible.

As she continued to visit the man in prison and pray for him with God's love, his heart softened and he turned to Jesus.

After many years, he was released from prison. Now the mother and adopted son are a team. They go around sharing their testimony.

Should we pray for our enemies? According to Jesus, yes. But should we seek close friendship with every prostitute and drug dealer? Of course not.

If your husband rapes you, throws you against the wall and brutally hurts you over and over again, should you stay with him? Of course not.

It's about placing your heart in the hands of Jesus so that God can cleanse your soul of resentment.

God is love. You can ask God to help you see difficult people through the eyes of God's love.

Salvation without Repentance?

 A Catholic friend of mine once told me that her husband was having an affair with another woman. He went to confession every week, confessed his sin, went to communion and then did the same thing again. It's not only Catholics who mock God's grace in this way.

There is no salvation without repentance, but is one not saved until one can demonstrate a completely virtuous life?

Some Christians claim that all sins are equally evil. If a man no longer visits the brothel, but he still smokes cigarettes, then he cannot be recognised as a Christian. But is that true?

Only perfect holiness can escape God's judgement. That is why God the Father sacrificed his Son on the cross to take our punishment upon himself.

But if all sins, big or small, are forgiven, do we have to give up everything that is not holy? Some Christians take this idea for granted, but how does God judge?

Are all sins equally evil in God's eyes?

If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.

All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. 1 Jn 5:16–17 NIV

What sins are so terrible that intercession is useless?

God does not explain everything in the Bible. That's why we need mutual communication with the Holy Spirit through prayer. We need a listening heart. Some Christians claim that all problems can only be solved with biblical teachings, but this is not the case.

But one thing is totally clear in this Bible text. Some sins are much worse in God's eyes than others. Even in the Old Testament, the offender had to be executed for some sins, but God would forgive many sins without punishment.

A Christian who visits prostitutes is on the way to hell, but in my opinion God will not condemn anyone for smoking cigarettes.

God will also forgive serious sins, like David's, but not without repentance.

A young woman had Christian parents, but she had not chosen the Christian life. As a teenager she was a party girl. When her father was dying, she visited her parents to say goodbye.

When he died, he was suddenly supernaturally revitalised. He sat upright and shone with the glory of God. His daughter was converted on the spot. From that day on, she loved Jesus with all her heart.

She often sat in the garden, smoked a cigarette and had loving conversations with Jesus. She had not experienced a visible visitation and she did not hear an audible voice, but her spirit was wide awake and she heard God's loving thoughts from Jesus.

One day she heard the voice of Jesus in her heart: ‘You don't need those cigarettes anymore.’ With God's grace, she gave up cigarettes without painful difficulty.

Jesus is holy but also gentle and loving.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Mt 11:28–29 NASB95

Christian Activism

 As a little girl, she firmly believed in Jesus and prayed to God with childlike trust. But then she was sexually abused. As a teenager, she was confused and sought solace in marijuana and boys.

I am thinking of stories of more than one or two women who ended up in a brothel, a clinic or on the street.

I am thinking of a young man who was begging on the street in a German city in winter. He lived from donations and told me that he sometimes spent the night with a client.

I know women in Germany who visited brothels to help prostitutes with friendliness. In one year, they found four victims of human trafficking and helped them to return home.

In one Australian state, the government reported that 15-20% of all mentally ill patients committed suicide within 24 hours of being discharged. After that, no more statistics were published. The scandal was simply hushed up.

Yesterday a Christian political activist rang me. He told me to contact the government and demand that we have religious freedom.

I was not at all impressed and told him in very clear terms what I was thinking

Why do these activists protest against abortion, gender mainstreaming etc. but ignore domestic violence, homelessness and the neglect of the mentally ill and victims of abuse?

I told the Christian on the phone that his organisation should be lobbying governments to provide adequate poverty relief and mental health services. He said he had been a homeless drug addict until someone told him about Jesus, and he was born again. He said we just needed more evangelism.

I answered rather angrily that I minister to Christians who are mentally ill or suicidal because of abuse in Christian families and churches.

I know a Christian woman who needed therapy in a psychiatric clinic. In the clinic, she met Christians she had known in Church.

Of course, freedom of speech is important. I am not in favour of gay marriage or gender mainstreaming, but if we focus on a few moral issues and fail to care for broken people, we are misrepresenting Jesus.

A conservative Christian politician in Australia loudly opposed abortion and post-modern gender policies. He said it is better to have a fence and a warning sign at the top of a cliff than an ambulance at the bottom.

But warning signs will not stop people jumping or falling. It is good to promote Biblical principles for personal morality, but we still need ambulances and rehab services.
 
Jesus sharply rebuked the Pharisees for imposing a narrow religious mindset on others, but they didn't care about poor, sick and suffering people.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; loving kindness and truth go before You. Ps 89:14 NASB95

For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Gal 5:14 NRSV

Friendship with God

 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes his covenant known to them. Ps 25:14 NRSV

There are Christians who do not take God's holiness seriously, but they approach Jesus as if he were their mate who should tolerate all their excesses.

Real friendship with God looks very different. Jesus said we must trust God like little children.

A Jewish girl grew up in a strange family. Her parents were active in a conservative orthodox synagogue. Her father behaved like a devout Jew, but at home he was a dogmatic atheist.

This was difficult for the girl to understand, but God had a plan to reveal his love to this girl. The girl had a secret. Even her parents didn't know about it.

This girl had secret conversations with her invisible friend. She believed her friend was God.

In her adolescence, she experienced traumatic disappointments, and she no longer believed in God.

As a teenager, she loved horses, but she experienced a tragic accident. The horse she was riding fell on top of her and crushed her.

She had a near-death experience and her soul left her body. In the heavenly world, she met Jesus, who spoke to her with love. She recognised him as the secret friend from her childhood. When doctors revived her, she remembered her encounter with Jesus, and she firmly believed.

Jesus wants to be your friend, but not your mate, who is comfortable with the bad stuff in your life.

We all have serious faults. God loves you anyway, but he wants to restore and purify your life. He doesn't want to condemn you, but like a real friend or therapist, he wants to help you so that God's image can shine through in you.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Jn 3:16–17 NIV

Mercy and Judgement

 A man took two dogs for a walk. When both dogs were disobedient, he chastised both dogs. He gave one dog a pretty hard punch on the nose, but he only scolded the other dog in a sharp voice.

A passer-by asked him why he was being so unfair. Surely he should treat both dogs equally. The man with the dogs replied that he loved both dogs, but they had different temperaments.

There are some people who never take God seriously except to hear harsh talk about the flames of hell. There are others who respond humbly when they hear only a gentle message about God's love and holiness.

There are those who have been deeply hurt by bullying from the pulpit. Even though they sometimes need to hear about God's holiness, they cannot endure harsh speech without feeling intimidated by the preacher or by God Himself.

There are Christians who need to hear harsh sermons often, and others who need God's gentle reassurance again and again.

There are Christians who have been so hurt by many harsh sermons that they overreact until they no longer want to endure the clear biblical texts about God's judgement.

Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mk 16:16 NIV

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. Jn 3:18 NIV

They imagine that everyone will end up in God's heaven at some point.

How would the believing Jews feel if they were to face Hitler in heaven one day? How could God be considered just in this case?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. Jn 3:16–18 NIV

God loves us all, without exception and without conditions. We can never earn God's love, but we can accept or reject his grace and forgiveness.

Near Death Experience. God Sent her Back

I filled the sink with cold water, held my left arm in, put the knife to my wrist, sobbed and stammered in tears: ‘Please God, forgive me, but I have no strength left.’

Toscani, Gabriel. And then there was light: 35 people, all of whom were clinically dead, talk about what they saw and experienced ‘on the other side’. Some were in paradise, others in hell. (German Edition) . Kindle Edition.

Instead of leaving all my problems behind me, as I had intended to do with my suicide, my soul was now transformed into a being of fear, pain and total isolation....

The only thing that interested me in my burning agony was that Jesus Christ was born on earth. And here I was, trapped in this world of suffering and torment, and all that mattered to me was my remorse that I had never confessed Jesus in my life, that I had never believed in a Creator.

Toscani, Gabriel. And then there was light: (German Edition) . Kindle Edition.

The miraculous thing about my story is how God's love brought me back to earth. How he heard me when I pleaded with him before I cut my wrist. And that in my anger, despair and pain, he heard my plea for forgiveness and did not send me to this hell.

Toscani, Gabriel. And then there was light: (Und dann war Licht… German Edition) . Kindle Edition.

God's Plan for your Life

Are you in an impossible situation, and you can’t see a way out? In spite of everything, there is a good, all-powerful God who loves you with all his heart.

The 57th Psalm is a prayer by David, who was chosen by God to be the next king of Israel.

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. Ps 57:1 NIV

King Saul was consumed with jealousy and murderous rage. David was surrounded by Saul and his soldiers and took refuge in a cave. David had no help but God.

He cried out with all his heart, but not loudly. He desperately needed help.

If you are being interrogated by the police or a mean boss, you can’t pray out loud but God hears the cry of your heart.

He was crying out for mercy. God's help is always grace, and God's mercy and grace is always there for you because He loves you.

God answered this prayer. David survived and became king.

God had a plan for David to become king.

 You may be overwhelmed with problems right now. God has a good plan for your life. He doesn't just want to help you through this crisis. He has a good future for you.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfil his purpose for me. Ps 57:2 NLT

Reaching Difficult People

 I was in a wonderful church for a few years where all kinds of people were welcome, strange looking people, prostitutes and ex-prisoners.

There was a man in the community who had spent 23 years in prison. He was probably a murderer.

He regularly visited prisons and often brought ex-prisoners to the church meetings..

This man's previous life was undoubtedly terrible, but after his conversion he was like an angel to broken men.

When Jesus was a guest of a Pharisee, a woman came in who was living a sinful life.

As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Lk 7:38 NIV

The religious host was indignant.

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Lk 7:40–43 NIV

The Pharisee was probably shocked when Jesus then explained that the woman's sins had been forgiven.

The religious types said that Jesus was a friend of sinners, but in their eyes that was not a compliment. But God is very different from many religious legalists and perfectionists.

How can we apply this approach of Jesus today?

I know women who visit brothels and help prostitutes with kindness, but not all Christians can do that, and many Christians should not.

I have once visited a pub and had friendly conversations with a New Age mystic. Not all Christians can or should not try this.

A man in our church told of a friend who rented a house where the neighbours made his life a living hell. He prayed regularly for the neighbours and treated them politely. Little by little, bad neighbours became human and friendly.

If you treat all kinds of people with respect and kindness, you will sometimes be amazed at how God can transform evil people.

But we also have to be careful.

There are people who only want to manipulate and exploit you. Beware of narcissists with cold hearts.

There are also self-centred criminals who go to church to find sexual victims, especially children and young women.

Not only men can be dangerous, but also some evil women.

I know a Christian couple who always wanted to be kind and help outsiders. They regularly drove a couple to church services, but it turned out that the woman was a witch who was causing great harm in the church.

Dangerous people can be outsiders who attend church services, but there are also priests or preachers who are really wolves in sheep's clothing.

Beware of preachers who want to dominate and personally control everything and everyone in the church, no matter how holy they may appear.

Back to Basics with Jesus

Jesus was surrounded by conflict and rejection from his birth in Bethlehem to his death on the cross. 

He was born in a barn. Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt to save their baby from assassination. 

When Jesus began his ministry, he was opposed and persecuted by the religious leaders for three years until they had him executed on false charges.

His nation was occupied by brutal Roman soldiers. The Jewish people were divided between religious and political factions, religious legalists, violent freedom fighters, corrupt collaborators who worked for the Roman occupation.

In this chaotic environment Jesus loved people, cared for people, practised and taught forgiveness, loved his enemies.

The world we live in now is catastrophically messy. When I vote in an election, I am painfully aware that which ever way I vote, I am supporting some horrible anti-Christian policy. When I vote, I ask myself which alternative is worse.

There is no really good alternative on offer in most countries, no party which supports the teachings of Jesus in a balanced way. Christian churches are painfully divided by political issues. Both sides appeal to biblical principles to justify their preference.

I find myself engaged in culture wars. My opponents are often fellow Christians. 

Jesus himself had to deal with these kinds of conflicts. We need to get back to basics.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Mt 5:6–7 NIV

If we are committed to personal righteousness and moral virtue, we must also be committed to social justice, because the original bible word for righteousness included both moral virtue and social fairness.

If we are committed to mercy for unborn babies but not equally committed to care for poor single mothers, and for victims of rape and incest, we are not merciful as God wants us to be.

Love Growing Cold

Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. Mt 24:12 CSB

Gang violence, terrorism, domestic violence, corruption in politics and business, brutal racism, gender confusion, chaotic sexual promiscuity, sadistic pornography, human trafficking, brutal dictatorships, aggressive military powers, wars and fear of war, live birth abortions.

Lawlessness is multiplying.

Mass media and the internet are making us more aware than ever of the horrors in the world.

It is so overwhelming, that we often shut off our emotions or seek escape in entertainment. 

On the other hand, we can get emotionally involved in this or that issue and we get tunnel vision. We cannot bare to face more than a narrow range of issues.

What is the result? Some people are enraged about abortion, but they don’t look at some of the problems that often lead to abortion.

Low wages, poverty, domestic violence, real estate speculation, unaffordable housing, homelessness and prostitution all produce unwanted pregnancies and women who can’t cope with more children.

When we are overwhelmed by the horrors in a world out of control, our emotions become numb or unbalanced and our love grows cold. If we care for unborn babies, but don’t care for the suffering of many pregnant women, it shows our love has grown cold.

If we are upset about corrupt trade unions, but ignore corruption in business boardrooms, it shows we have lost our ability to judge justly. When our love grows cold, our wisdom is corrupted. 

We may be aware of the Bible text about the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Ga 5:22–23 CSB

When we become emotionally involved in the culture wars raging around us, it can lead to a loss of tender feelings, the feelings that are the fruit of the Spirit.

Instead, we see the works of the flesh, manifestations of the sinful nature, even in zealous Christians.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity,
idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, … Ga 5:19–20 CSB

We are seeing Christian leaders involved in culture wars but being exposed for secret sexual sins. 

We see zealous Christians engaging in moral self-righteousness, hating cultural, political or theological opponents, Christian factions furiously denouncing each other.

Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. Mt 24:12 CSB

Some American preachers are trying to redirect people to the Sermon on the Mount, to humility, empathy, love of enemies, but they are fighting a losing battle. So many Christians are absorbing culture wars every day on the internet.

When the pastor preaches humility and gentleness, he sometimes gets a hostile response from the culture warriors in his congregation.

Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. Mt 24:12 CSB