What about those who haven’t heard about Jesus or the Gospel? Can they be saved?

In the gospel message, we are told to believe Jesus, and to respond to his promise to save us from punishment for our sins.  We are told that failure to respond to Jesus, and refusing to believe him results in our being separated from God .  However, that is kind of inside out.  We are all separated from God and on our way to eternal death and eternal separation from God, until we respond to Jesus in belief and repentance from our sin.  In other words, on the spiritual Titanic, some of us are offered a lifeboat.  Some refuse the lifeboat because they disbelieve the danger or don’t want to leave the cushy cruise ship.  They will perish.  Then, there are those who aren’t offered a lifeboat at all–I guess those are the ones you would say “haven’t heard”.  What happens?  We simply aren’t told.  We do know God and Jesus never condemn those who are ignorant, only those who willfully refuse to believe Jesus or respond to him.  Jesus knows the condition of every heart.  Look at the book of Romans chapter3:21-31, and all of chapter 4.  We are saved through faith.  It means we believe what God reveals to us, even if it isn’t the whole picture.  Abraham believed God and it saved him–even though Abraham had never heard of the gospel or of Jesus Christ.  Those who never heard the gospel, yet respond in faith to the light they are given have that faith in God credited to them as righteousness.  Who knows what God reveals to hearts in the last moments of life?  Who knows how God does anything that has not been revealed to us?  What has been revealed is that salvation comes from responding to God/Jesus in faith.  Perhaps the biggest worry is for those who have heard the gospel and know about Jesus yet push it away as unimportant to their own plans.  I hope this helps you, and helps those who ask you this question about “those who haven’t heard.”

Who is Jesus for you?  Where are you on your journey with him?  Faith is more than a one time decision to believe.  It is a lifelong trust in his guidance, and willingness to follow where he leads.

Am I forgiven by Jesus

My dear friend, it is never too late.  From what you are telling me, you are truly repentant of your past, and you have no intention of going back to your old way of doing things.  You believe Jesus died for your sins, and you believe all he said.  You are forgiven.  No matter how long you were away from Jesus and his ways, and no matter what you did–it is forgiven.  It may be very hard to feel worthy of that forgiveness–but the good news is, we don’t have to feel worthy.  None of us are every worthy of this great gift of salvation which Jesus earned for us.  When Satan puts doubt into your mind about whether Jesus has forgiven you and whether you are saved, just remember it isn’t your worthiness, but Jesus love and promises you can stand on.  When you have these doubts and fears, picture Jesus at your front door.  Picture yourself opening the door and inviting him in.  You can picture yourself saying “Jesus I am not worthy that you should come under my roof, but Jesus, I want you and I want to love you as you deserve.”   When you invite Jesus in, he comes in forever.  He doesn’t leave because you sin again.  He says”  Behold I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and have fellowship with him and he with me.”  (Revelation 3:20)  In the original language it meant “I will come in and we will share a meal and share our thoughts as dear friends do”.  Imagine Jesus as the dearest friend you can imagine–because he is.  Rejoice that he has chosen you.  It isn’t because we are wonderful that he chooses us–it is because He is wonderful.  Just rejoice.  It makes him happy when you do.

Is Wealth a blessing

• Dear friend, Thank you for your questions about why God hasn’t answered your prayers for wealth, when others around you seem to be given money in answer to their prayers. You are wondering what is wrong.   I feel for you, because you must be feeling that God doesn’t care for you as much as He cares for some of these other people.  I agree, it is hard to be poor.  I have been poor at times in my life, and I may be poor again.  But Jesus never promised wealth to his followers.  It seems he criticized the rich.  He said:  “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)  Perhaps this is because wealth carries its own temptations, like depending on your riches instead of depending on God. Jesus never promised we would have all we want, but he did promise we would have what we need.  It is we humans who get those things confused.  Jesus said:  “So, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? or ‘What shall we drink?’ or What shall we wear?’.  For the Pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matt 6:31-33)I have to say that during the hard years, God always came through.  Our children never starved, and they always had something appropriate to wear in each season.  We always had somewhere to shelter.  God is good.   He gives us what we need, and if something like wealth would cause us to move further away from him, he will not allow it.  But how much we have is never, ever an indication of his love or blessing. You are dearly loved because you were bought with such a high price–the blood of Jesus.  God bless you dear, and I hope to hear from you again in the future,Nonni

How to Have Peace

Peace is found in a relationship with Jesus. Jesus wants that relationship with us. He says: “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and have fellowship with him and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

The word “fellowship” in the original language meant sharing a meal with a dear friend. Jesus wants us to consider him a dear friend. Even so, we may hesitate at the dirty, messy house inside our soul. He already knows all about it. If we ask his forgiveness, he not only forgives our mess, but cleans it up. It is what only he can do. And from that moment on, he will help us keep it clean. We surrender it to our new “roommate”.

When Jesus comes into the house of our soul, we need to remember our guest and not go through the day ignoring him as we go about our daily work with all its stress and clamor. He would like to accompany us on our rounds. It means (since he hears our thoughts) we can talk to him in our minds all day long about everything we are doing, thinking and caring about. We can ask his help, ask help for those we love, ask forgiveness when we fail, and thank him for each little pleasure and joy we experience throughout our day–our health, the warmth of the sun, our food, the beauty around us, those who love us, our home and bed and so on, for the list goes on and on.

Jesus is still fully human today. It is not that he was once human, he still is. Living within us, he experiences our life along with us, in real time, and with real humanity. No one can understand us as he can. Nowhere else will we find such compassion, for he feels with us all that we feel. The other great truth is that Jesus is fully God. Because of that, he has unimaginable power to help us. He knows all things, including our future, and he is able to protect us, keeping us safe until he takes us to his house.

We can grow in love for Jesus by appreciating him. We can tell him often why we love him. And just as we want to know our loved ones–what they are thinking and how they feel–we want to get to know Jesus better. We can get to know him best by reading about him. The New Testament of the bible is all about him, and we can talk to him about what we are reading. It deepens our trust in him.

Trusting in Jesus, believing in him, living with him, and surrendering to him is the secret to real peace–the peace that passes understanding.

How Can I Connect with God

I can only tell you my own story about wanting a connection with God.  I looked for God through books.  I wanted to see what other people thought about him and whether there was “anything there” worth my pursuing.  I was sort of holding back and the reason why is I was afraid of what God might ask of me.  I guess I was afraid he might ask something of me like going to Africa as a missionary and being in danger of wild animals—or something equally frightening.  Of course, that is Satan who makes us afraid of God.  Its his favorite way of keeping us distant from God.   Eventually circumstances in my life drove me to seek God without reservation…I was desperate for him.  Then he came into my life with much love and it changed everything.  I’ve been following Jesus for many years now, and I have to say I’ve never been to Africa, nor asked to do anything I wasn’t gifted for and suited for emotionally.  Jesus truly loves his own, and our loving Father God (I call him Papa, and that is biblical) always prepares us for what is next. 

Reasons for Rioting

When we look at protestors and know their reasons from their signs, we don’t question why they protest, even if we don’t agree. When we look at people who progress to rioting, looting, arson, vandalism and assault, we wonder where this is coming from. The rioters appear extremely angry. They will tell you they are angry because of inequality and poverty, yet a majority of the rioters are neither poor nor minority.

If we settle on anger as the reason for the rioting, it leaves the question, why the anger? Many people, for many reasons have an empty feeling inside that nothing seems to fill, many have a prevailing sadness, many are hurt, lonely, or fearful. All these emotions leave a person feeling weak and helpless. Anger, however, helps a person feel stronger and more in control, even if they are not. Anger, therefore, is a shield covering other emotions. What does one do with anger? Tearing up things, setting fires, vandalizing and the like make a person feel temporarily powerful. And the justification if needed? Blame. Humans have been blaming others since the beginning of time. It takes any question of responsibility away from me and places it elsewhere. I don’t have to change anything in my life because everything wrong is someone else’s fault.

Under it all are the original feelings of fear, sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness that never get addressed. When a person resolves the issues of worth, belonging, meaning, purpose and life after death, the negative feelings leave. As others have said: if I have a longing for the ultimate relationship and the ultimate home for my person and my heart, it must be because I was made for an ultimate relationship and an ultimate home.

Prayer When Growing Older

 

“Dear Jesus, please help us stay close to you as we age and our lives change.  Help us bring you glory at every stage of our lives, in every day and year you give us.  Help us not live in the past–either with regrets or with longing nostalgia.  Help us live today, watching and listening for ways you show us to share your wisdom and your love.  Please point out people and places where you want us involved, if we ask and are willing to be used.  There’s much the old bodies can no longer do, but that gives us  more time to focus on things you still have for us…so much we still can do. Help us face the future with confidence, knowing you, who have brought us safely to this point, will safely carry us home.  We love you Jesus.  We thank you.  We ask these things in your beautiful name…Jesus.   Amen.

How Do I Know God is Speaking to Me

It would be nice if we could say God always does certain things, and if you see those things you will know.  However, God works in many ways, and different ways with different people.

Some people hear God speak in an audible voice.  However that is pretty rare.  Some people see a vision of Jesus.  That is also rare.  Most of us have thoughts come into our minds that we know didn’t originate with us.  And this is how God usually speaks to us.

If a thought is from God it will have certain characteristics:

It will always involve doing something good

It will be a thought that keeps coming back

It will always agree with what the bible says

It often will involve some giving on your part

It won’t be about building you up

It won’t be about gain for you

It will stand up when you discuss it with mature believers.

You may find favorable circumstances for the thing you are to do.

I would add that when you begin to do the thing you believe God has asked of you, you  may face some obstacles.  That doesn’t mean you heard God wrong.  It more likely means He wants you to depend on Him.  Talk to Jesus and ask Him what He is showing you.

No matter what happens, if you step out in good faith, God will use whatever happens for your good.  In that sense, you can’t make an honest mistake.

Too often, what we are hearing is our own desire, not God, but you can tell because there will be an element of pride and selfishness in it.  You won’t want to give up the idea even if other mature believers tell you it seems unwise.  You will have a possessiveness about the idea, instead of holding it loosely waiting for confirmation it is what God wants.

The other thing that often happens is the idea is from God, but it seems too hard or too far out of our comfort zone, and we want it not to be from God.  If the idea is from God it will persist.  If you persist in putting it off, God will stop asking, but you may one day regret the opportunity you declined.

I hope these thoughts give you some sense of when God is speaking.  If you think God is speaking to you and you’re pretty sure about it, take it to other mature Christians and see if they agree.

Feeling Overwhelmed

We all have seasons in our lives when our problems seem overwhelming, and more than we can bear.  That is when our faith is tested most, and as several writers of the New Testament say, our faith has to be exercised to be strong.

What can you do?  First, get as many good believing friends as possible to pray for you.  If you can only share certain problems with certain people, thats ok.  Just try to share all the problems with other believers.  Prayer is powerful.

Then cast the problems on Jesus.  He has told us to cast our burdens on him and take his yoke on ourselves.  What that means is getting into the harness next to Jesus.  Because He is strong, He will bear what we cannot.  And when you cast your problems on Jesus, be sure to let him work on them.  Only do what he shows you to do, but don’t keep worrying.  That’s like giving him something to fix, and then constantly taking it back because you can’t trust him to do it right.  That’s kind of insulting when you think about it (although all of us do it)  Really work at not taking back the problems.

Lets pray:  “Dear Lord, I am feeling overwhelmed right now and at the end of my rope.  I know if I run out of rope and fall, you will catch me.  You are so strong and so all knowing, you can do incredible things if I truly let you do them.  You can change people and  many circumstances when I ask you, and so I am asking you to change all the things that are out of my control because I can’t change them.  Then, Lord, show me things I don’t know,  show me things I wouldn’t know I can do, and give me strength to do them even if they are out of my comfort zone.  You will help me.  I ask these things in the powerful name of Jesus, the name by which prayers are answered and miracles happen.  Amen.”

 

Finding My Purpose

God made each of us unique, and that pleased HIm greatly.  He gave each of us our own special abilities, and our own special personality.  He also put us in the particular place and time where we live.  If we are sincere in wanting to please him, we have to first know him.  Jesus taught us  most clearly what God is like, and of course, Jesus is God himself.  By reading the New Testament and learning what Jesus taught and said, we get a good general idea about what he wants his loved ones to be doing.  Then look at the people and situations all around you.  What do you see that Jesus might want you to do?  What are you good at?  What are you passionate about?  What can you do that is pleasing to Jesus and that not everybody else can do?  We tend to think of one great overarching purpose for ourselves, some singular calling.  But Jesus often calls us to very different things at different times in our lives.  It will often be something we are talented at doing, and something we are passionate about.  Often it is something that comes out of our own life experience.  For instance, people who have been through a particular kind of trouble and have been helped often are passionate about helping someone going through the same thing.

I hope these ideas help get you started in your prayerful search.  Don’t worry about it.  Jesus loves you too much to let you  miss out on something He knows is right for you.  He’ll make sure you find it.