According to statistics about half of all marriages end up in divorce. That is just part of the picture of marriage: While five out of ten marriages end, three out of ten marriages remain in effect because of the children or finances and not for love. That leaves only two marriages out of ten that have found any semblance of the secret of a lasting love. So what is the secret of a lasting love? It involves:

·        Understanding what love is

·        The source love

·        What makes love work  

What is love?

In the English language,  there is but one word for love. It is used to describe all types of things from sexual love to the love of things and activities, as well as people. The Greek language is now considered a dead language; it was, however, many years ago, the original language of the New Testament of the Bible.  There are three Greek words for love, two of which are used in the New Testament. The word Eros, for sexual love, is not found in the New Testament, but the other two are Agape and phileo. Agape is God’s love; it is, therefore, a supernatural love . . . A perfect love. Phileo is a human love. Human love isn’t perfect, nor does it always last. Only God’s love can be considered a perfect, lasting love.

The source of lasting love

God is the only source of perfect, lasting love. The Bible describes God as love. A union with God is also a union with His love. Human love can sometimes reach considerable depths, but it can never match God’s love in its depth nor its durability as well as its perseverance. The remarkable thing is that God’s perfect, lasting love is available to all who will receive it. God invites you to have a relationship with Him and experience His love in your life. His love in your life will affect every other relationship that you have.  I have prepared a step by step guide to teach you how to have a relationship with God. If you are interested, click here.

How does God’s love work in our life?

Once we have a relationship with God, He and His love take up residence in our spirit. To understand how His love works, you need to understand how God designed you. There is only one God, but he expresses His presence in three distinct personalities: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God also designed His human creation in three distinct entities: body, soul, and spirit. In order for God’s love to be effective in your life, you need to understand how those three entities that makes up your existence, function, as well as how they relate to God’s love.

Needless to say that we must first desire God’s love to reign in our life. The Bible teaches that the way this happens is when we walk in the Spirit, Galatians 5. What that means is that we surrender control of our life over to the Spirit of God who resides within. As a result,  God’s love not only shines into our lives but also shines out to others. That is why that God’s love in your life has a significant impact in the lives of others and your relationship with them.

I said above that it is also necessary to understand how the body, soul and spirit are all involved in effectively expressing God’s love.

Let’s start with the body

The body is our physical existence. The Bible teaches that Jesus showed His love toward us by dying for us, Romans 5:8. Perfect love shows itself to others by physical actions. How we speak to others, how we treat them, and deal with them either shows our love or our disdain. It is crucial to understand that the physical can be limited in its effectiveness to perform. This also includes our effectiveness to love.  If we are stressed, tired or run down, we are far more unlikely to express love. This can be especially damaging to a marriage. Three things can enhance your effectiveness to love:

·        Rest

·        Balanced diet

·        Exercise

Rest is extremely beneficial to the effectiveness of love. God designed the human body to take a day’s rest each week. In the Bible,  this is referred to as The Sabbath.  If you fail to take a day’s rest each week, you are in effect breaking one of the 10 commandments. The importance of the day of rest commandment is that it is listed among those that say: Thy Shalt not kill; Thy shalt not commit adultery; Thy Shalt not steal. The proper rest is extremely valuable. If you are trying to burn the candle at both ends, you may not be as bright as you think you are. You certainly are not going to be at your best at love.

A balanced diet may not seem to be significant to effective love, but, in fact, it is. A body that is weak and sick or suffering from malnutrition isn’t up to reflecting God’s perfect love. An easy way to improve your diet is by including more fruit and vegetables and eating less red meat. Add more super foods to your diet like beans, greens, tomatoes, eggs and salmon. Your diet may still not be perfect, but what I’m suggesting can make some significant improvements with just a little effort and you don’t have to eat bland tasting food; you can eat things that taste terrific. With a little discipline and taking care about eating between meals, you can also reduce your weight and maintain a healthy weight.

Most of us don’t like to exercise, but exercise is essential for strength and vigorous health and enhances our ability to love. When most people think of exercise they think of a regimented session of lifting weights or doing setups or pushups. Those are excellent exercises, but if that’s more than you want to commit to, try walking around the neighborhood. Walking is one of the best exercises we can do, and it can be a pleasant experience. Start walking and design your own pace. If you can only walk a short distance and need rest, then do so. In time,  you will build up your strength and be able to walk further.

The soul

The soul is the center of our awareness and determination. It is made up of three parts also:

·        Mind

·        Will

·        Emotions

It has often been said that our mind becomes what we put into it. If we fill it with negative thoughts, then we become a negative person. We determine what put into our mind. It’s true that negative thoughts sometimes come into our mind uninvited, but we don’t have to allow them to linger. As someone said, “Birds fly over our heads, but we don’t have to allow them to build a nest on our head.” You can strengthen your mind and thinking patterns by what you read and what you see and enhance your ability to love. The Bible gives a formula for building a healthy thought pattern: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these. (Philippians 4:8)

You must  will to do things. There is nothing wrong in having a strong will as long as it is the will to do the right things. It is through the will that we determine to love or to hate. It requires a determination to love and show your love to others. Finding ways to show your love to others and willing to do so is part of the secret of a lasting love.

We all are emotional beings. The emotions are made up of a bunch of God given drives which include the anger drive as well as the hate drive, along with the love drive and many others. All the emotional drives are given for a purpose but are often misused. For example, the sex drive was given to be a needed part of marital love as well as procreation, but it’s misused when it becomes an enticement to commit adultery or live in fornication. Another example is the hunger drive; it is needed to maintain a healthy life, but it can be misused by eating too much of the wrong kinds of food, or by gluttony.  It is the love drive that is our concern here. We possess the drive, and it is up to us as how much we express it. The more we express it the easier it becomes, and the stronger it grows.

The spirit

When we form a union or a relationship with God, He takes up residence within our spirit. We live in a world filled with unrest and violence. But at the center of our being we have a calm cushion awaiting us. The world offers no peace, rest or calm, only God can give those things, and He stands prepared to supply our every need. We who know Him can turn to Him as often as we want. He is within, so near and so available to us. He is our source of love, joy and peace and provides the ongoing strength that we need to face any issue in life. He loves us with an everlasting love, and He is the source and the secret of a lasting love.

Conclusion

I have written to you from my own experience in love, and  from 44 years experience of marriage to the same lovely woman until her death a few years ago, and from what I’ve learned from God’s Word. I know that it works. You also can experience God’s everlasting love in your life if you choose. It will change your entire approach to life. God’s presence in our life is the fulfillment of that which each person strives for and many never find, and that is the longing of the heart. Right within us we have the very source of love, joy and peace, and the strength, to face all that life throws at us, and it comes for the God who created the universe. It is my prayer, and my hope that you too will discover the secret of lasting love. Learn how you can have a relationship with God.

About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a author, motivational speaker, and child of God who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website, Website Contents , in your person growth. If I can help you personally, please send your concerns via: Contact me.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Website DIVISIONS (Over 600 articles to help you to grow in every facet of your life)

To subscribe to blog simply click on the RSS button on the left, and copy and paste the URL of our RSS feed into your RSS reader. ARTICLE INDEX _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ © 2011 Jimmie Burroughs. All rights reserved

The infinite value of eternal life is free to all who will receive it. It’s easy to go through life and avoid the most valuable things, focusing instead on things which are temporal and fleeting away. The apostle Paul said: “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage so that I could gain Christ.”  Philippians 3:8, New Living Translation (©2007)

It is astounding at what lengths people will go to today to make more money, and to get more things hoping that they will satisfy the longings of their soul only to discover that they won’t. So they continue to search for that one thing or things that will fill the void in their heart, many times missing it entirely, and eventually dying with neither satisfaction nor hope. A relationship with God is the only thing that will quench our soul’s longing. Jesus Christ said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Until we come to know God, we are hungry and thirsty in life. We try to “eat” and “drink” all kinds of things to satisfy our hunger and thirst, but yet they remain.-[1]

It isn’t my intention to try and intimidate anyone, but the truth is that dying without Christ is a scary thing anyway you couch it. The most urgent question of all in life is: “If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity.” The Bible is clear that it will be either heaven or hell. I’ve known Jesus as my savior for more than 60 years, and not one time has there been any regret for that decision. There is no peace on earth that compares to knowing that you’re right with God and that you are prepared for eternity.

It literally shakes me to the core to read or hear of someone dying who apparently never made arrangements for the moment they stand face to face with God.  It is so easy to speculate on the reality of God and heaven or hell. Actually, there are only two alternatives: Either there is a God or there isn’t. Eternity is too long to be wrong on which option you choose. There have always been skeptics concerning the reality of an all powerful, all knowing God. In order to explain our existence, the theory of evolution was invented which attempts to explain the existence of everything. May I say that it takes far more faith to believe in evolution than it does to believe in God. Because evolution is so radical  if there was a third alternative, no one would believe in evolution at all. But since there are only two alternatives, you must select one of the two. If you choose God and it turns out there is no God, you have nothing to lose. If you choose evolution and it turns out there is a God, then you are lost for all eternity.

What does it mean to be lost? It means that a person is separated from God. If a person dies in that condition, it means that they are separated from God and His love forever, through all eternity. Why is a person separated from God in the first place? Sin, our sin separates us from God. Sin bears a penalty, which is death, and is eternal separation from God.  But God in His love offers a remedy for sin. He came to earth and died on the cross in the form of Jesus Christ, therefore, paying the penalty for sin, and redeeming all who would accept his offer of redemption. If we choose God’s redemption, we receive the gift of eternal life in heaven. If we reject God’s redemption, it results in eternal separation from God, and  eternity in hell. 

You may think what I’ve said is convincing, and that you will think about it and possibly accept Jesus on another day. Don’t! Today is the only accepted time. What if I wait until tomorrow? Wouldn’t it also be the acceptable time. Yes, but there is no guarantee that tomorrow will ever come, so today is the only acceptable time, right now this instance is the only guarantee that we have to secure our eternal destiny.

What must I do?

How to Know God Personally and have a relationship with Him                         

What must I do to know God? The following will explain to you how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now.

Having a relationship with God is not what some would think. It is not a matter of devoting yourself to some religious dogma. Nor is it by trying to be good so God will accept you. No it isn’t anything we can do of ourselves. God has provided all we need to have a relationship with him; he explains it all in his word the Bible. Just follow each step below and you can have a relationship with God beginning right now.

There is no need to wait, you can begin your relationship with God right now. Jesus is listening for your voice and is ready to come into your life. “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”

If you want to begin a relationship with God now, you can.

The decision is solely yours. There is no coercion. But if you have a desire to have a relationship with God and receive his forgiveness and promise of eternal life, you can do that right now today. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock. He who hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him [or her].”¹⁹ If this is your desire but don’t know how to word your request, this may help:

“Jesus, I believe you died for my sins and rose from the grave. I want to turn from my life of sin and receive your forgiveness. Please come into my life right now and forgive me. Thank you for saving me. Amen.”

When God comes into a person’s life it is permanent. Jesus Christ said, “I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.” -[2]

You have made an extremely wise decision to receive Jesus. Would you like to receive some help in your new found relationship Jesus? If so, click the link below to confirm that you have prayed the prayer above and received Jesus as your savior, and I will send you some material which you will find to be very helpful I believe:

I just asked Jesus into my life (some helpful information follows)…

I may want to ask Jesus into my life, please explain this more fully…

I have a question or comment…

[1] EveryStudent.com

[2] (Gospel presentation from Every Student.com)www.EveryStudent.com  

About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a author, motivational speaker, and child of God who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website, Website Contents , in your person growth. If I can help you personally, please send your concerns via: Contact me.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Website DIVISIONS (Over 600 articles to help you to grow in every facet of your life)

To subscribe to blog simply click on the RSS button on the left, and copy and paste the URL of our RSS feed into your RSS reader. ARTICLE INDEX _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ © 2011 Jimmie Burroughs. All rights reserved

Written by Jimmie Burroughs

Introduction

“Security of the believer” has been called a Baptist doctrine, primarily because the Baptist by far is the largest group who believes and teaches it. Nevertheless, there are many Baptist who don’t believe in once saved always saved. Perhaps, it’s because they have not been thoroughly informed concerning the doctrine. Actually, there should be no doctrines exclusively assigned to a particular denomination; they should be based on the word of God, therefore should be called Bible doctrines. The eternal security of the believer is a Bible doctrine, not a Baptist doctrine, which is the purpose of this paper to prove.

What about the Bible verses which seem to indicate that a person can lose their salvation?

There are a few obscure, ominous verses in the Bible that seem to indicate that a person can lose their salvation; these verses, by the way, can be explained. Nevertheless, there are an enormous amount of Bible verses which plainly teach that a believer can’t lose their salvation. Furthermore, there is not one verse in the entire Bible where God disowns even one of His children.

Basing one’s belief on a few obscure verses of scripture and ignoring the vast majority which are clear on the subject is kind of like a fellow I knew who said that the reason he didn’t believe in using seat belts was because he heard of someone who was killed because he was wearing one. That begs the question: What about the thousands whose lives have been saved because they were wearing seat belts? It is far better basing your belief on the numerous Scriptures that teach you cannot lose your salvation than on a few obscure ones which seem to teach that you might.

 I will mention just one of those references which seem to call into question the security of the believer and explain its meaning. This reference is found in Hebrews chapter six and is, perhaps, the most difficult of all to interpret. ^”For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

Rather than teaching that one can fall from grace, this passage is teaching that it would be impossible to renew them “if” they were to fall. First, of whom is the author speaking? Is he talking about a lost person who has been called and convicted by the Holy Spirit, and who has rejected the call? If that were so, it would mean that a person only has one chance to be saved. We know that isn’t the case because there are those who do not respond to the gospel the first time they hear it, but are saved at a later time. Sowing the gospel is compared in Scripture to sowing seeds which later germinates, and then still later produces a harvest. The best interpretation is that it is a believer that is under consideration in this passage. When a passage of Scripture is ominous as this one, it is best to interpret it in the light of other verses on the same subject which are clearly understandable. Since there are numerous verses which attest to the doctrine of once saved always saved, we can conclude that the author is not indicating that a saved person can lose their salvation; so, what is he saying? I don’t normally like using a paraphrase, but in this instance it seems appropriate. The key to understanding this passage is the little word “if.” Here’s my paraphrase: “If” it were possible for a person to lose their salvation, it would be impossible for them to be saved again since it would require Christ coming to earth and dying again which would put Him to an open shame.

What is clear about this passage is that salvation is a onetime event: “For it is impossible . . . if they fall away to renew them again.” Let it be known that while the critics of “once saved always saved” consider this passage as evidence of falling from grace, they reject the clear teaching that “if” one was to fall from grace they can’t be renewed again. Contrarily, they believe and teach that a person can be saved again, and some say that they have been saved multiple times.

What does it mean to be saved?

First, let us determine what true salvation is before we endeavor to explain why a believer can be assured that once saved they’re always saved. There is a common misconception that the way to heaven is determined by whether one has been good enough and hasn’t sinned too much. If that is true, any amount of sin, from the smallest to the greatest, would condemn a person since God is perfect and can tolerate no sin. Jesus was the first to teach this, and His disciples were amazed, so much in fact that they responded, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus answered, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26). It is very clear from what Jesus taught that salvation is in the hands of God only, and not a combination of the efforts of God and man; one of the reason being that anything man does falls short of God’s perfect standards.

The Bible is abundantly clear that salvation is a work of God entirely, separate from any work that man can do: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8). Of course we understand that a gift isn’t something that we work for; it is freely given. Therefore, salvation is a gift from God, freely given, and freely received plus nothing else.

Another misconception concerning salvation is that anyone who believes in God goes to heaven. Salvation requires more than just an acknowledgement or mental ascent of the existence of God, or Jesus. The vast majority of the world believes there is a God, even Demons believe in God. The difference in believing in God’s existence and actual salvation is lordship. Believers claim the lordship of Jesus. One of the greatest proofs of salvation is following Jesus. Jesus taught that if you believe on Him, to take up your cross and follow Him: ”And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23).

To follow Jesus is to strive to live within His will which includes a lifestyle of righteousness rather than a lifestyle of sin. Some have said that if you believe in the security of the believer, you can sin all you want and still go to heaven. In the first place, the person who desires to live in sin has missed the mark of salvation since salvation brings with it a transformed life where there is no longer desire to live in sin. A true believer doesn’t want to sin; quite to the contrary, there is a desire to please the Master. A person who doesn’t follow Jesus and who lives consistently in sin is not a believer according to Biblical requirements.

What is a true believer? “It begins with the receiving . . . with the opening of one’s heart . . . with the turning away from darkness and to light . . .  with the giving of oneself . . . the committing of one’s life—a vow of love . . . a prayer . . .a  decision . . . a total and committed yes.”[1] It is the result of one who has accepted the good news of Jesus, the gospel, that he died, was buried and arose on the third day in order to redeem lost humanity from the death penalty of sin, and has been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and who is faithfully seeking God’s will for their life. It has been estimated, by what means I know not, that 66% of church attendees have not experienced true salvation, and most of the 66% are church members. Perhaps this explains why the church today has a less than favorable image in the eyes of the world at large.

The Scriptures plainly teach that the believer can know they are saved

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (I John 5:13)

While this indeed is one of the greatest proof verses in the Bible for knowing we are saved, it is undergirded by many other verses as we shall see as we go forward.

Believers are foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and Glorified

According to the following verse, when a person accepts Christ as savior, that person enters an unbroken process that takes them all the way to the time when they are glorified in heaven. It’s like entering a secured pipeline at the beginning and only exiting when the desired results have been accomplished: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Romans 8:29, 30)

This passage indicates that before the creation of the world God foreknew and predestined for salvation those that were His. Don’t let the thought of God’s foreknowledge and predestination trouble you. They are not your concerns, they are God’s. If you must, consider it this way: Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.” God has forever known his sheep and has known they would follow Him even before they were, and secured them through His power of predestination.  His action of predestination is based solely on His omniscience, and has nothing to do with any future action of mankind. Your concern and mine isn’t God’s foreknowledge or predestination, but rather it is a matter of choice. God offers redemption, and we can either choose to receive it or choose to reject it. It is called freedom of choice. We are saved by God’s grace, if we are saved, because we choose His offer of redemption through faith and by nothing more.

It is further to be noted that there is no break in the process whereas God decides to disclaim one of His children, nor is there evidence in all of Scripture of that ever happening. Contrary to that, the Scripture is clear concerning God’s intentions: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6). That reference alone should be enough to convince anyone that once a person is saved that God begins a work in them that is unaltered until Jesus returns to claim His saints.

Defining Eternal life

The Scriptures describe God’s gift of life in the following terms: eternal life; everlasting life and     forever life. The definition of each of those terms is “Something that never ends.” Dr. Adrian Rogers always used to say, “The faith that fizzles before the finish had a flaw from the first.” Life that is eternal never falters and never fizzles by definition and by God’s promises: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever beliveth in Him should never perish but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16). Neither shall the believer ever face condemnation: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24). What if a believer did fall into condemnation? It would make it clear that Jesus was mistaken in the declaration above, that He wasn’t omniscient, but instead just an ordinary man. That of course isn’t the case. Jesus is omniscient and knew precisely what He was saying.

When does eternal life begin?

Most believers agree on the endurance of eternal life, but disagree on when it begins. The once saved always saved critics believe that once they get to heaven and slam the door behind them they are safe. Before they get to heaven, however, it depends on what they do. Why should believers wait until they are in heaven before they can depend on God’s power to keep them? Why not depend on Him from the very beginning of salvation? If you start out depending on your own power to keep you safe, it seems logical that you must forever depend on yourself for safety. After all God kicked the devil and his angels out of heaven. Obviously, we aren’t safe in heaven lest God keeps us safe. It is false logic to believe that one is unsafe on earth from the power of the devil, but once in heaven safe at last. God guarantees His protection both on earth and in heaven. Blessed be the God of heaven who through His own power keeps us safe from the devil now and forever.

Jesus promised to never cast out a believer

Is the promise of Jesus good enough? “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37).

Jesus promises to one day raise all those who come to Him

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, [His death on the cross] which I will give for the life of the world.

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; [In other words whoever believes on the Lord Jesus has eternal life.] and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44; 47; 54; 58)

Jesus promises His children shall never perish nor can they be stolen away

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John10:27-30)

If just one of the redeemed should perish, based on the promise of Jesus above, then Jesus apparently didn’t know what He was talking about. Jesus is God, and would never mislead or falter concerning His promises.

The great intercessory prayer of Jesus for the safety of his disciples and future believers

(John chapter 17, New International Version)

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. ² For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. ³ Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. ⁴ I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. ⁵ And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

⁶ “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ⁸ For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹ I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. ¹⁰ All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. ¹¹ I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. ¹² While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction [Judas who was an unbeliever from the start] so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

¹³ “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴ I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

²⁴ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

²⁵ “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

_________________________________________

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am . . . That is the prayer that Jesus prayed for all believers. There is none I’d rather pray for my safety than Jesus, and I am thoroughly convinced that His prayer is answered and that I along with all true believers shall be with Him in heaven one day . . . Not a one will be lost, no not one because Jesus Himself prayed for every believer’s safety.

Believers are sealed unto the day of redemption

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)

The seal spoken of here is not of the kind commonly used on all supermarket food products. That kind of seal is easily broken. Rather it refers to a seal used by ancient kings to seal a document. It was a seal that could only be broken by a stronger power than that king. If the believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit who is God, it would take a stronger power than God to break that seal which there is none. Notice that the believer is sealed until the day of redemption which comes when a person goes to heaven or when Christ returns for his saints, whichever comes first.

Conclusion

Religious denominations are sometimes established on one man’s theology of the Scripture, therefore, erroneous beliefs are often passed down from generation to generation. People continue to believe false doctrine because they have been taught either by parents or clergy. Furthermore, cults are established on one man’s philosophy to the downfall of untold millions. The Scripture commands us to “Study to show thyself approved before God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15). We are not to take for granted the teachings of man without verifying it by thus saith the Word. That is why I have included the many Scriptural references in this study. It is now up to you to discern wisely what you believe, not based on what I’ve told you, or anyone else, but on what thus saith the Word of God.

[1] Jonathan Cann, author of Harbinger
About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a author, motivational speaker, and child of God who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website, Website Contents , in your person growth. If I can help you personally, please send your concerns via: Contact me.

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Written by Jimmie Burroughs Email to a friend

 Remembering and calling people by their name

There are a lot of people who simply cop out remembering names by saying: “I just can’t remember names.” Do you know why you can’t remember names if you are one of those who say they can’t? It is either you don’t particularly want to, or you’re one of those people who think you have to get to know someone before you feel comfortable calling them by their name, or you don’t know how. The answer for the first two reasons above is that you just need to get over it if you are interested in others, and want a relationship with them. The third one: “You don’t know how” can be remedied if you want to take the time read the rest of the article.

My friend was telling me a funny story about himself. He said that he was talking to someone that he had just met when his son-in-law walked up. Out of courtesy he turned to introduce him when suddenly he realized that couldn’t remember his son-in-laws’s name, although he had been his son-in-law for a number of years. To add some humor to an otherwise embarrassing situation he said to his son-in-law, “What’s your name now?” His son-in-law grinned as he repeated his name, and they all had a laugh.

Most of us have mental blocks from time to time, but usually the reason we can’t remember a person’s name is because we have not done our due diligence to remember it in the first place.

A young man who worked for me, that I was teaching the business, once said. I notice that you always call a person by their name as soon as you meet them. I replied that it was one of the simple rules to grow any business.

The business deals and possible romances that have failed to blossom because a name couldn’t be remembered at the appropriate time are numerous. The information age of today gives little excuse for not knowing something about the people we meet. Not in every case, but many times that person will be on Face book or Twitter. Sometimes you can Google a person’s name and find information about them. In just a few minutes you can know how to spell and pronounce their name, and a little something about them. Being able to address a person using their name the next time you meet them, and pronounce it correctly makes a big impression, and can set you apart as more than just the usual person.

Dale Carnegie in his popular book “How to win friends and influence people” said that a person’s name is the sweetest word in the English language to them. That being true it should give all of us a clue as to how important it is to remember names and to use them without reservation.

Remember that it is also important to remember the person’s face, so study it as you talk with them. Are there unusual features that you can associate with their name; if there are, this will benefit you greatly in assigning the right name to the right face. Also try to associate their name with someone else that you know. I recently met a man whose name was Russ. I immediately told him that my father-in- law’s name was Russ and I then started calling him Russ for the remainder of our conversation. I’ve had no trouble remembering his name since, and I’ve seen him several times, but he is yet to call me by my name.

We all have to work at remembering names, because it doesn’t come natural to most of us. One of the first obstacles to overcome is the tendency not to pay attention when someone tells you their name. Often the reason for that is that our mind is overloaded with the emotional and visual effect of meeting someone that we haven’t seen or known before. There are some simple and easy ways to help you remember the names of those you meet for the first time. Sometime we have to trick the mind into doing what we want, so here are five tricks that you may use that work:

Repeat the person’s name in your mind when you first hear it over and over. Repetition helps the brain to get a solid reference on how the name sounds and how it is pronounced. If you didn’t quite get their name the first time, ask then to say it again . . . People don’t mind at all to repeat their name. It gives them the impression that you are interested in them. Be sure to repeat their name aloud at once; for example: “It is a pleasure to meet you Bill.” No one is going to be offended if you use their name right off. They prefer that you remember their name rather than not remembering it.

Make an association. The best associations are those that have some reference to the person. I met a man once whose name was Mr. Earnest lane. By the way, that was more than 30 years ago and I haven’t seen him in about that long, but I still remember his name. He had been an Olympic runner, so I pictured him, much in earnest, practicing running up and down the rather long lane that led up to his home. Outrageous associations work the best because they are easier for the brain to recall. For instance, if the name is Alice, you can picture Alice skipping down a path made of gold bricks, with tall sunflowers bordering each side, and with her dressed in some outlandish garb associated with Alice in wonderland.

There are many associations you can make, but be sure you distinguish the association from the person’s name. It would be embarrassing to call a person by the association rather than their name.

When you walk away from the person that you just met, write their name down so you can refresh your memory later. The mind has a tendency to forget things in the first few minutes, so if that is the case, you have a hard copy to reclaim the name.

Create a sentence using a person’s name that includes something about them; it can be true, but doesn’t have to be. For instance: Bill is a cashier at the local Kroger; sometimes he totals my grocery bill, and he lives in a brown brick house in Providence sub-division along with his wife and his nine year old son Bill Jr. Picture it vividly in your mind, Bill standing behind the register handing you your grocery bill then jerking it back again. Then picture his house as being and unusually ugly brown brick with the bricks all jumbled together and the mortar is also brown and is running down the face of the bricks rather than being neatly laid brick as ordinary. The crazier your description, the better your mind will remember.

Be sure that before the conversation ends that you still remember the person’s name. If for any reason the person’s name has slipped your memory, don’t be fearful of asking them to repeat their name. Just say, “I apologize, I seemed to have forgotten your name. Would you mind to tell me once more?” They will not mind to repeat it.

Master a few of these tricks and you will be surprised how much easier it becomes to remember that person’s name you just met the next time you see them.

Conclusion

As a word of caution, don’t overuse a person’s name when you first meet them; just use it as you would normally use anyone’s name in a conversation. It is better to try and  remember both  first and last names, but if you don’t feel that you can, then concentrate on their first name; sometimes it’s more appropriate to say Mr. Brown rather than Bill unless they request that you call them by their first name.

Remember, it takes time to learn new techniques, so don’t be discouraged if you aren’t an expert when you first try. If you’re patient, in time you will become an expert, and your ability to remember names will set you apart from most others.

About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a author, motivational speaker, and child of God who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website, Website Contents , in your person growth. If I can help you personally, please send your concerns via: Contact me.

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To subscribe to blog simply click on the RSS button on the left, and copy and paste the URL of our RSS feed into your RSS reader. ARTICLE INDEX _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ © 2011 Jimmie Burroughs. All rights reserved

Written by Jimmie Burroughs Email to a friend

God wants you to abide in His glory. Why? God loves you and wants you to have the best possible life, a life filled with love, joy and peace.

The best way to describe God’s glory is that His Glory is His presence . . . Where ever God is there His glory is also.

It is the purpose of this paper to answer these four questions:

1.      What is God’s glory?

2.      What does it mean to abide in God’s glory?

3.      What are the benefits of abiding in God’s glory?

4.      And how does one abide in God’s glory?

What is God’s glory?  God’s glory is manifested all around us in the beauty of His creation . . . In a sunrise or a sunset, or in the miracle of a new born baby. Because God is omnipresent His glory is everywhere throughout His creation. In the Old Testament God manifested His glory to prophets by speaking to them in an audible voice. His glory was seen by Moses in the burning bush in the desert. God led the Children of Israel through the wilderness for 40 years by his glory, a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. However, the Children of Israel only directly confronted God’s glory primarily once a year on the Day of Atonement when His Shekinah Glory appeared in the Tabernacle, and then it was from a distance. The only other times were when they were moving and the cloud or pillar of fire led them from above. And sometimes God’s glory appeared in the Tabernacle to speak to Moses or Aaron.

In the New Testament the glory of God was witnessed by shepherds tending their flocks by night. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid” Luke 2:8-9. God’s glory appeared on this occasion in the form of a bright light.

 We often take light for granted, but without it we couldn’t live. The earth would cool and everything would freeze, and plants wouldn’t be able to survive. All life would become extinct. Light is necessary for life.

What is light? It may seem to be nothingness, but in fact it is a substance. Einstein’s quantum theory of light states that it is electromagnetic radiation consisting of both wave links and particles called photons, which are packets of energy that move at the rate of 186,000 miles per second. The brightness of light is determined by the number photons. [1]

Where did light come from. The third verse of the Bible, Geneses 1:3, states that God said “Let there be light: and there was light.” Ironically God created light before he created the sun, moon and the stars, which came later in Genesis 1:17. The Bible teaches in the book of Revelation that God will be the light of heaven; there will be no need of the sun, moon and the stars.

In the New Testament light is a prominent way of manifesting God’s glory. When the light of God’s glory resides in a person’s heart, it means that that person has life; the Bible says that they are passed from death unto life, and not just life but life eternal. It is also God’s purpose for that light to shine out to others:^”Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” Matthew 5: 14-16.

It was not always the case that God’s glory was manifested through man as indicated by the verse above. Let’s put it into perspective: Throughout the Old Testament God only indwelt man with His glory on special occasions. This He did to empower then to carry out His will in specific instances, like when Moses led the Children of Israel from Egyptian bondage.

God’s glory was present to guide and protect Israel throughout the early Old Testament, but that changed when Israel rebelled against God and turned to idols instead. God removed the protective powers of His glory. The Assyrians took the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity, and Babylon took Judah, the southern kingdom, into captivity. Ezekiel was with the second group that went to Babylon and God showed him a vision which explained to him concerning what had happened, and the reason that Israel and Judah were judged and then showed him as His glory departed from the temple at Jerusalem and from the Children of Israel.

In the first chapter of Ezekiel, Ezekiel saw a vision when he was at the river Chebar in Babylon.

1: Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2: In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3: The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.
4: And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

In Ezekiel In chapter 8:5-18 the vision is resumed as God shows Ezekiel why He had brought judgment on His people:

5: Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
6: He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.
7: And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
8: Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
9: And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
10: So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
11: And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
12: Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
13: He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
14: Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
15: Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16: And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
17: Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
18: Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

In chapter 10:4; 18-20 God shows Ezekiel how he also removed His glory from their midst as a result of the above wickedness by Judah.

In the vision He takes Ezekiel to Solomon’s Temple at Jerusalem. This is a flashback because literally the Temple had already been destroyed when Babylonia took Judah into bondage.

4: Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, [The mercy seat in the Holy of Holies] and stood over the threshold of the house;[The door to the Temple] and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s glory.

18: Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.
19: And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate  [The entrance to the outer court]of the LORD’s house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
20: This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims

The final phase of the departure is seen in Ezekiel 11: 22-25:

22: Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
23: And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.[Then apparently the glory of God ascended into heaven.]
24: Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
25: Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

Ezekiel watched as God’s glory lifted up from the mercy seat in the holy of holies. Then it stood over the door to the temple, and then over the East Gate, the entrance to outer court of the temple, and finally over the mountain to the east of Jerusalem. God’s glory and protection had departed from His people. For five hundred years they wouldn’t see God’s glory as they had in the past. This is called the inner-testament period. There was no communication from God through written word.

Then in the beginning of the New Testament in the Gospel of Luke, chapter two, an astonishing event takes place . . . The birth of Jesus the savior. But there was also another great event that took place, Luke 2:8-9: The shepherds saw God’s returning glory. After five hundred years God’s glory had returned and would manifest itself for some 30 years through the life Jesus as He walked the earth.

Jesus was crucified and arose from the grave on the third day, and a few days later ascended into heaven. Once again God’s glory had been taken away from the earth, but in a few days on the Day of Pentecost God’s glory returned once again, Acts 2: 1-4. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost . . . “

God’s glory returned; this time permanently indwelling the believers . . . Now His glory would be manifested through man. Instead of a temple built by hands God’s glory would dwell in the temple within man. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

What does it mean to abide in God’s glory? Paul contrasts two opposing positions: Those who abide in God’s glory and those who don’t——So how do you know which position you are abiding in?

Abiding in the Spirit is described in Galatians 5:16:

¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The opposite of walking in the flesh or being controlled by the flesh, and fulfilling the lust of the flesh is walking in the Spirit and being controlled by the Spirit, and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.We can know that we are walking in the Spirit if our lives are showing forth the fruit of the Spirit:

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23

According to verse 25 all believers are required to walk in the Spirit or “Abide in God’s glory.” Not to abide in God’s Spirit is to be in defiance of God just as Israel defied God and chose to walk in the flesh and ultimately served idols instead.

Walking in the flesh is described in Galatians 5: 19-21:

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (Lewd, Lustful Behavior)

²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, (At odds to that which is right. Varying from the truth) emulations, (A desire to put oneself above others.) wrath, (vengeful anger) strife, (A struggle, fight, or quarrel) seditions, (discontent or rebellion) heresies,

²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, (A wild party) and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Even though all believers who walk in the flesh may not walk on the darkest side, they position themselves as ploys for Satan, and are subject to any of the traits mentioned above.

On the other hand those who abide in God’s glory position themselves to the traits of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and they are shielded from the wields of Satan.

What are the benefits of abiding in God’s glory? At the beginning of this paper I said that God loves you and wants you to have the best life possible. Consider these benefits: Those who abide in God’s glory experience the supernatural love of God in their life. Love is the “Summum Bonum,” the highest good. The greatest thing in the world. God’s love in one’s life is the greatest experience of life.

Also Joy is a benefit. The world searches for happiness, but no happiness based on happenstance can compare with God’s joy abiding in the hearts of His children. The world also searches for peace but it cannot be found outside of God. God’s peace passeth all understanding. The Bible defines God as love. To abide in God is to have his love within which is a perfect love. Love is the first mentioned in the list of nine in Galatians 5 which describes the action of the fruit of the Spirit. Actually the fruit of the Spirit is love and the eight following precepts describe how love acts in the person’s life who is abiding in God’s glory. God’s light of glory shines into the heart and what comes out is the spectrum of love, which is joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, and temperance.

The only way any person will ever experience the fullness of life is by abiding in the fullness of God’s glory. Sadly believers often miss God’s perfect plan for their life by abiding in the flesh rather than abiding in God’s glory, and much like Israel their life comes to naught.

How does one abide in God’s glory? Three things are necessary: Firstly, You must know Jesus as savior. Secondly, you must desire to abide in God’s glory. Thirdly, you must surrender 100% to God. God doesn’t want a mediocre, lukewarm kind of surrender; He expects our total commitment to Him. The definition of “surrender:” to yield, give up or over, submit, abandon, relinquish, cede, waive, or capitulate. In some translations, yielding or submitting is used instead of “surrender:”” yielding” (Romans 6:16-19) or submitting (James 4:7). Surrender includes the act of obedience to God’s commandments and to His will. You may think that surrendering 100% to anything is impossible; if it was contingent on our strength, it would be. It is possible toward God by the same power that redeems us from the bondage of sin. Here is a true saying: “Everything that goes to heaven comes from heaven.” Surrendering to God isn’t just a onetime event; it means a continual attitude of surrender. Sanctification is the ongoing act of surrender to God. The presence of God’s Spirit in the believer is in it fullness. However, the surrender of the believer to God allows the Spirit to control, strengthen and to produce the fruit of the Spirit.

[1] Albert Einstein to Heinrich Zangger on Quantum Theory May 20, 1912

About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a author, motivational speaker, and child of God who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website, Website Contents , in your person growth. If I can help you personally, please send your concerns via: Contact me.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Website DIVISIONS (Over 600 articles to help you to grow in every facet of your life)

To subscribe to blog simply click on the RSS button on the left, and copy and paste the URL of our RSS feed into your RSS reader. ARTICLE INDEX _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ © 2011 Jimmie Burroughs. All rights reserved

Written by Jimmie Burroughs Email to a friend

The idea that God verses science in itself is a false supposition since true science comes from God. I suppose a better title would be that God Verses False Science. It is also falsely assumed that all scientists are atheists; that is also untrue. 40 scientists out of a hundred believe in God. There is no need to try and make science look bad any more than there is reason to try and make God to look bad. The truth is that God and science complement each other when each is correctly applied.

Some have said that the following story really happened and assign it to Albert Einstein who did write a book in 1921 entitled Science Verses God. The truth of the matter is that the story is probably fiction. Nevertheless, it does contain the truth and certainly is worth your time to read it. It answers a common question as to where evil came from. The Bible credits God with creating all things. Could he also have created evil? Read the story and you will have the answer.

Here is the story:

“Let me explain the problem science has with religion.”  The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

‘You’re a Christian, aren’t you, son?’

‘Yes sir,’ the student says.

‘So you believe in God?’

‘Absolutely  ‘

‘is God good?’

‘Sure! God’s good.’

‘Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?’

‘Yes’

‘Are you good or evil?’

‘The Bible says I’m evil.’

The professor grins knowingly. ‘Aha! The Bible! He considers for a moment. ‘Here’s one for you.  Let’s say there’s a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it.  Would you help him? Would you try?’

‘Yes sir, I would.’

‘So you’re good…!’

‘I wouldn’t say that.’

‘But why not say that? You’d help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn’t.’

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. ‘He doesn’t, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?’

The student remains silent. ‘No, you can’t, can you?’ the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. ‘Let’s start again, young fella. Is God good?’

‘Er..yes,’ the student says.

‘Is Satan  good?’

The student doesn’t hesitate on  this one.. ‘No.’

‘Then where does Satan come from?’

The student  falters. ‘From God’

‘That’s right. God made Satan, didn’t he? Tell me,  son. Is there evil in this world?’

‘Yes,  sir.’

‘Evil’s everywhere, isn’t it?  And God did make everything, correct?’

‘Yes’

‘So who created evil?’ The  professor continued, ‘If God created everything, then God created evil, since  evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are,  then God is evil.’

Again, the student has no answer. ‘Is there  sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they  exist in this world?’

The student squirms on his feet.  ‘Yes.’

‘So who created them ?’

The student does not answer  again, so the professor repeats his question. ‘Who created them?’ There is  still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the  classroom. The class is mesmerized. ‘Tell me,’ he continues onto another  student. ‘Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?’

The student’s voice betrays him  and cracks. ‘Yes, professor, I do.’

The old man stops pacing. ‘Science  says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around  you. Have you ever seen Jesus?’

‘No sir. I’ve never seen  Him.’

‘Then tell us if you’ve ever heard your Jesus?’

‘No, sir,  I have not.’

‘Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt  your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God  for that matter?’

‘No, sir, I’m afraid I  haven’t.’

‘Yet you still believe in  him?’

‘Yes’

‘According  to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your  God doesn’t exist… What do you say to that, son?’

‘Nothing,’ the  student replies.. ‘I only have my faith.’

‘Yes, faith,’ the professor  repeats. ‘And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence,  only faith.’

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a  question of His own. ‘Professor, is there such thing as heat? ‘

‘  Yes’.

‘And is there such a thing as  cold?’

‘Yes, son, there’s cold too.’

‘No sir, there  isn’t.’

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested.  The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. ‘You can  have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat,  white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don’t have anything called  ‘cold’. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we  can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we  would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Everybody or object  is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what  makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the  total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe  the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal  units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the  absence of it.’

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the  classroom, sounding like a hammer.

‘What about  darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?’

‘Yes,’ the  professor replies without hesitation. ‘What is night if it isn’t  darkness?’

‘You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is  the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light,  flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and its  called darkness, isn’t it? That’s the meaning we use to define the word. In  reality, darkness isn’t. If it were, you would be able to make darkness  darker, wouldn’t you?’

The  professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good  semester. ‘So what point are you making, young man?’

‘Yes, professor.  My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your  conclusion must also be flawed.’

The professor’s face cannot hide his  surprise this time. ‘Flawed? Can you explain how?’

‘You are working on the premise  of duality,’ the student explains. ‘You argue that there is life and then  there’s death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as  something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a  thought.’ ‘It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less  fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be  ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is  not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.’ ‘Now tell me, professor. Do  you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?’

‘If you are  referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I  do.’

‘Have you ever observed  evolution with your own eyes, sir?’

The professor begins to shake his  head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good  semester, indeed.

‘Since no one has ever observed the process of  evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going  endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist,  but a preacher?’

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent  until the commotion has subsided. ‘To continue the point you were making  earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.’ The  student looks around the room. ‘Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen  the professor’s brain?’ The class breaks out into laughter. ‘Is there anyone  here who has ever heard the professor’s brain, felt the professor’s brain,  touched or smelt the professor’s brain? No one appears to have done so… So,  according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable  protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.’ ‘So  if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures,  sir?’

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student,  his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man  answers. ‘I Guess you’ll have to take them on faith.’

‘Now, you accept  that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,’ the student  continues. ‘Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?’ Now uncertain, the  professor responds, ‘Of course, there is. We see it Every day. It is in the  daily example of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in The multitude of crime and  violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but  evil.’

To this the student replied, ‘Evil does not exist sir, or at  least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is  just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the  absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens  when man does not have God’s love present in his heart. It’s like the cold  that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no  light.’

The professor sat  down.

Original author unknown

Conclusion

The discussion as to whether or not there is a God is extremely important to you and your future. If you accept that there is no God, then you must also deny all of Scripture and its warnings of enternity either in heaven or hell. If you’re right by choosing there is no God, then you neither win or lose. However, if you are wrong you have everything to lose. It means eternal separation from God and His love with no hope ever of any redemption from it. Think carefully about the choice you make.Please take time to read “How to have a connection with God.”

About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a motivational speaker and author who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website, Website Contents , in your person growth. If I can help you personally, please send your concerns via: Contact me.

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Written by Jimmie Burroughs Happiness is a choice we make, or rather the result of many choices that we make. Sometimes happiness just happens, but mostly it happens because we made the right choices. No one is exempt from making some bad choices; we all do from time to time. It is only when most of our choices are bad ones that our happiness suffers. How do we avoid making bad choices? At least how do we avoid making bad choices consistently, and therefore spoiling our chances for happiness? The answer is by making some choices that are proven to produce happiness. There are many, but I will list only five here. These are five fundamental happy choices; doing the opposite of these guarantees your unhappiness. So here they are, 5 ways to be happy in 2013: