Is experiencing God’s perfect peace conditional?

In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.” In order to experience God’s peace, it’s first necessary to have put our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts and takes refuge in You.” In other words we must do our part by being committed, firm in our belief, and focused in how we think.

Paul says in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don't be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your requests known to God. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns] on Him, for He cares about you.” Surrendering ownership of our lives is our responsibility, as Jesus is guaranteed to be faithful in fulfilling His promises!

God shines through us at the most unlikely of times

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “Because of the surpassing greatness and extraordinary nature of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, to torment and harass me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me; but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you; for [My] power is being perfected in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong.”

It may not make good sense to be ‘well pleased’ amidst seemingly overwhelming circumstances, as we can each fill-in-the-blanks with our own list of current hardships. Yet the Lord always knows best and is strong in us through every storm we face. May we completely trust Him, especially when we’re at our weakest.

Do you think all roads lead to heaven?

Perhaps the better question is, “By what authority do you put your trust in, as it relates to identifying where you will spend eternity after you die?”

If the Bible is true and reliable, here’s what Jesus says in John 14:1-6, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God and trust in Him, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. And where I am going, you know the way.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; so how can we know the way?”Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Ultimately, everyone’s eternal destination is entirely up to them to decide. Our mission is to identify truth from a Biblical frame-of-reference. As you continue to ponder this massive decision, please don’t hesitate to reach out as we would love to share more about what the Bible says surrounding heaven and hell.

How do we respond to pain, suffering, and hardship?

If we evaluate everything in our lives from a Biblical frame-of-reference, becoming discouraged in the face of trials is ultimately a choice as a follower of Christ.

The Apostle Paul experienced more than his fair share of incredibly hard times, yet said this in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.”

So how we choose to evaluate and respond to the troubles we’re currently going through, is everything. I love the word achieving! None of the really hard and challenging times we go through are meaningless.

May we cling to the truth found in God’s Word, knowing that our suffering is achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs our misery.

What Precedes Heaven?

Salvation precedes heaven! Jesus has a very revealing conversation with a Jewish leader of his time named Nicodemus in John chapter 3. Here are some of His responses to questions that could be similar to those that any one of us today could be asking:

Nicodemus’ first question was more of a statement in 3:2 when he said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” I’ve heard many atheists make similar claims that they believe Jesus was undoubtedly a good teacher. In 3:3, “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

As Jesus went on to explain that becoming born again meant being spiritually transformed and renewed (3:5-8), Nicodemus in 3:9 said, “How are these things possible?”

And here’s what’s incredibly relevant to every honest ‘truth seeker’ who has yet to be 100% convinced they will in fact go to heaven after they die, when Jesus said this to him in 3:10-12, “You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have seen; and [still] you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things?”

If we want to spend eternity in heaven, we would be wise to respond to what Jesus told Nicodemus was necessary by accepting the evidence of His testimony, and become born again.

Putting our faith and trust in Jesus is more of an intimate relationship, than it is a religion

Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:16-17, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.”

Most religions are man-centered and works based. Whereas, from a Biblical perspective, Christianity is an eternal relationship available to anyone who chooses to surrender ownership of their lives to Jesus.

Romans 8:1-4 says, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”

My prayer for any ‘truth seeker’ is to challenge the God of the Bible to personally reveal Himself to you. And then, sincerely investigate the truth claims in the gospels by reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to see for yourself if the evidence of Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins is convincing.

Things we’ll do in the eternal heaven

The Bible clearly states that no one can work their way into heaven, as Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

However, we shouldn’t get confused about what the Bible teaches surrounding the importance of how we steward His free gift of salvation, and what the eternal consequences of how we faithfully allow His Spirit to work through us in our lifetime.

Daniel 7:18 says, “But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.”

Jesus said in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.”

Jesus also said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

From a Biblical perspective, there’s absolutely no reason to believe we’ll ever be bored once we relocate to the eternal heaven! In fact, we should be beyond excited in anticipation of when we will forever be entrusted with the responsibilities of ruling with our Lord and Savior based upon how we faithfully lived out our lives here and now.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is currently in heaven interceding for us

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:1-2, “Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

Paul also says in Romans 8:34, “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”

Hebrews 7:24-26 says, “But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.”

Whatever you may be currently going through, I hope you will experience an overwhelming & supernatural sense of peace, confidence, and encouragement from the above Biblical realities!

May you allow the truths found in God’s Word to literally transform your life … as Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

What “Mighty Wind” represents

Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:7-8, “Do not be surprised that I have told you, ‘You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

The invisible, yet always present power of the Holy Spirit is sometimes expressed as wind (or breath) in the scriptures. The evidence of being a true believer in Christ is the presence of the Holy Spirit. Paul says in Ephesians 1:13-14, “In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God]. The Spirit is the guarantee [the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory.”

1 John 5:11-12 says, “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”

The moment you become born again, you have the seal of the Holy Spirit living within you! You have God’s assurance of not only eternal salvation, but also the guarantee of His Spirit 24/7 to help guide you every step of the way throughout your entire life here and now.

Celebrate the reality that God knows everything!

If our baseline for identifying truth comes from a Biblical frame-of-reference, we have every reason to rejoice that our Lord and Savior is omniscient.

Psalm 139:1-4, “O Lord, you have examined my heart, and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say, even before I say it, Lord.”

Job 34:21-22, “For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all His steps. There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.”

Jesus said in Matthew 10:28-31, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”

God loves you so much, and 1 Timothy 1:4 says, “He wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”

If you’re not sure what it means to be saved, please contact me as I would love the opportunity to connect with you and help anyway I can.

Ingratitude is never God’s will for us

Discovering God’s will for our lives is not as complicated as we oftentimes make it. If the Bible is true, and we choose a Biblical frame-of-reference for identifying why gratitude unto the Lord is such an integral aspect of our moment by moment life, then we’ll be better equipped to be grateful more than just on Thanksgiving Day or when we’re experiencing ‘mountain top’ seasons.

James was the half-brother of Jesus (same mom, different dad), and he wrote in James 1:2-4, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

Pastor Charles Stanley used to always say, “Disappointment is a part of every day life, but discouragement is a choice if you’re a Christian.”

The Apostle Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

I believe we all have a choice regarding our perspective and how we handle adversity, trials, and the inevitable storms of life that we will all face in this world as it currently is under the curse of sin.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:14-18, “Knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sake, so that grace, having spread to more and more people, will cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Isn’t it great that we know Who to be grateful to, as well as Who we can trust when He says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” Hebrews 13:5

What’s your response to the gospel message?

Jesus explains the meaning of the ‘parable of the sower’ as He highlights the four different responses to those who heard the gospel, when He said this in Matthew 13:19-23, “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

My prayer is that your response to hearing that Jesus died on the cross for you personally, is that you will truly understand God’s word, and the rest of your life will show the evidence (producing fruit) of literally having God’s Holy Spirit living within you and helping you every step of the way.

A Believer’s Ultimate Home

2 Peter 3:13-14 says, “We are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.”

Is resurrected living in a resurrected world with the resurrected Christ and his resurrected people your daily longing and hope? Is it part of the gospel you share with others? Paul says that the resurrection of the dead is the hope in which we were saved. It will be the glorious climax of God’s saving work that began at our regeneration. It will mark the final end of any and all sin that separates us from God. In liberating us from sin and all its consequences, the resurrection will free us to live with God, gaze on Him, and enjoy His uninterrupted fellowship forever, with no threat that anything will ever again come between us and Him.

On this Thanksgiving Day 2024, we can truly know Who we are thankful to here and now, as well as for and what He has planned for our eternal future!

Every Decision We Make Comes With A Risk vs. Reward Component

Jesus tells a very graphic true story about the realities of heaven and hell here in Luke 16:19-31, “Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’ “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

I sincerely don’t want anyone to live in torment apart from Christ for all eternity. Now is the time to consider or reconsider your eternal destination. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have surrounding the Biblical doctrine of heaven & hell.

How can a loving and all-knowing God allow anyone to spend eternity in hell?

God has clearly revealed His character, His desires, and His promises through the Bible. We all need to decide what our baseline is for identifying truth.

2 Peter 1:20-21 says, “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”

Romans 1:18-21 says, “God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.”

If Scripture is true, it would be wise to choose a Biblical frame-of-reference in all our decision making, especially where we will spend eternity!

We all have the freedom to choose our path

The consequences about what we believe about heaven (and how we get there) will literally last forever, and we would do well to choose wisely.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”

Jesus says in 1 John 5:12-13, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.  I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.”

God will not force anyone to spend eternity with Him in a perfect place, it’s truly our choice to either say “Yes” to Jesus’ free offer of salvation here and now … or, not. He’s expressed His desire in wanting EVERYONE to be saved!

I would love to connect and talk with you if your unsure, concerned, or even fearful about your eternal destination.

So… can we actually prove the existence of God?

Nope … but we can follow the evidence to see where it leads us! For example; can we prove that our spouse (or parents for that matter) truly love us? Nope … but the evidence of how they act towards us should be convincing and reliable. Is there any guarantee that my wife of nearly 33-years wouldn’t decide (for any number of justifiable reasons:) to poison me? You get the picture!

In Matthew 7:18-27 Jesus says, “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Is it possible to be so heavenly minded that you're of no earthly good?

I tend to believe the opposite may very well be the case that our culture has become so earthly minded that we’re of no heavenly good. CS Lewis states in Mere Christianity, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth 'thrown in,' aim at earth and you'll get neither.”

Follow The Evidence

How should we respond as follower’s of Christ to specific questions when they come up? 1 Peter 3:15-16 says, “If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.  But do this in a gentle and respectful way.” According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, truth is defined as, “The body of real things, events, and facts.” The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17-18 “And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” It’s not our responsibility to make people believe that the Bible is true and that Jesus actually rose from the grave. However, we can encourage them to follow the evidence for why we believe Scripture is reliable and worth their time to investigate these truth claims for themselves. 

A Biblical snapshot of our final destination for all who put their trust in Jesus

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:1-9, “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.” For those who reject Christ’s free gift of eternal salvation … I’m curious to hear what you think is going to happen to you after you die?