Tag: marriage-problems

How Good is Good Enough?

A man arrives at the pearly gates and sees St. Peter, who is looking over a very long ledger.

“You just barely made the cut,” St. Peter says. “Your good and bad deeds were about 50/50. Can you describe one truly selfless act?”

The man thinks, then says, “One time, a group of big, mean-looking bikers were harassing a poor girl on the street. The man got out of his car, walked up to the biggest biker, and said, ‘Leave her alone, you big bully, or you’ll have to deal with me!'”

St. Peter is impressed. “That was incredibly brave,” he says. “When did this happen?”

The man looks at his watch and replies, “About five minutes ago”.

Haha! Right? We throw these funny jokes around, but in reality, there are some major theological issues with these types of jokes. I know…I know, it’s just a joke. I laughed when I read it as well, but sometimes I wonder if even some of our humor has more negative influence than what we realize.

We all have values in life, don’t we? Some of us glean our values from our parents and how we were raised. Others from our education, or vocation. But in today’s modern world, most of life’s values are driven by media. It’s sad, but true. It is the power of influence.

For example, we all have you heard—either in person, movies, social media, or jokes—that 1) When a person dies there is a meeting at the “pearly gate” with St. Peter. And 2) At this meeting an entrance decision is made based upon a review of the individual’s good and bad deeds in life.

In reality, many people have adapted to this belief. They think, “I’m a pretty good person. I mean, I haven’t robbed a bank or killed anybody. As long as I’m more good than bad, right?”  And so life goes on, fingers crossed that St. Peter’s scale will tip in their favor.  Yet, the Bible is very clear that this type of qualification is completely false. WHAT!?

I’ll debunk that fallacy with Scripture, but first I want to focus on the predominant issue of following the social norm. Following the social norm is not something most would admit to doing, yet it is a major player that can have a huge impact on our lives. In fact, by following these norms, it can seductively rule the way so many otherwise “good people” think. The good verses bad scale scenario is just one example.

What is acceptable from a social perspective seems to be the compass by which many people live. Think about that for a minute. It may be a hard pill for many to swallow, but sadly it’s true. Additionally, many of these social followers do believe in God but sadly do not take the time to read His manual for life—The Bible. Their reasoning—which is also a social perspective—is that the Bible is too controversial and is no longer relevant for today. A percentage of these people may have actually had negative experiences with Christian people or churches. And although I cannot speak to those specific situations, the common result or reaction to these perceptions is that it’s simply easier to go with the flow and follow the norms of society.

What does the Bible say about gaining access to heaven?

When we die the Bible says that there will be a meeting, but not with St. Peter. Every person will come face to face with the one and only Jesus Christ. At this particular meeting, one’s good or bad deeds in life will not be the question. No, a book will be opened which is called The Lambs Book of Life. Jesus (being The Lamb of God), will open this book where He will find only those names recorded of the individuals who had chosen to accept Jesus into their hearts prior to their death. At this holy moment there are no excuses, no second chances. It’s either recorded in the book or not. (see 2 Cor 5:8, Revelation 20:12, 21:7)

Those recorded in the book are saved and given access to God’s eternal kingdom. Those who are not recorded must face eternal consequences forever separated from the joys of heaven and the presence of God Rev 20:5, states that they ultimately will be cast into the Lake of Fire, which translates to eternal punishment.

Two distinct judgment seats are mentioned in the Bible: The Judgement Seat of Christ (Bema Seat), exclusive to the followers of Christ where their lives are evaluated. The results of which are rewards, not condemnation. (see 2 Cor. 5:10). The other Judgment Seat is called The Great White Throne Judgement, where the unsaved are judged according to their works. The results of which are entirely condemnation (see Rev. 20:11-15)

Matthew 16:19 says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” It’s important to note that binding and loosing is translated to mean, what you allow and what you don’t allow in your life.

Most would agree that there are both good and evil influences on this earth and that we and the friends we choose should all esteem to be good. That’s what we teach our children, right? For example, all little children will one day ask, “Mommy, Daddy, what happens when people die?” By in large, most parents will answer in the same way…”Well, little Johnny, if you are really good, you will go to heaven.”  Instantly, this mind picture pops into little Johnny’s head that is further supported by society for the rest of Johnny’s life. And at Johnny’s funeral people will be internalizing in the very same way.

Please understand, I’m not saying that we should not strive to be good people; we absolutely should. But, if we expect to be accepted into heaven based upon our goodness, we have bought into a lie. Who’s lie? Satan, the great deceiver—the god of this world. He will do whatever deceptive technique possible (See 2 Corinthians 11:14). I know people don’t like to talk about him…satan (I refuse to even capitalize his name), but reality is reality, and we must face the fact that we all have the same arch enemy. Pride is the devil’s best tool (it’s what got him kicked out of heaven), and we are all subjected to his influences.

Pride-It comes in many forms, but ultimately from only one source.

Believing that one’s own goodness is sufficient for access to heaven is nothing more than a form of pride that prevents people from recognizing their need for a Savior. Jesus taught that good people don’t go to heaven because their pride keeps them from admitting their need for a Savior. The hard truth is that only those who do go to heaven are those who see their sinfulness before a holy God and cry out to Him for mercy. When we stand before Him, holding onto the hope that our goodness will save us is futile.

So, I know at this very moment there are some who are welling up with defensive thoughts towards me. I can understand that. But for whatever reason, you logged onto my website. You are free to disagree. Just hear me out—my motivation is not merely to voice my opinion or to gain xxx followers. I truly want to help and encourage people. I’m not pointing a finger; in fact, we all deal with various forms of pride.

That said, I do diligently study Gods Word and have spent a lifetime gleaning from respected teachers and authors. I have also had countless conversations over decades of time in the workplace, rubbing shoulders with some very smart and degreed people (Dr’s, Chemists, Engineers and qualified Technicians). It is my experience, that many say that the Bible is controversial and is not relevant for today. Have they read or studied the Bible? No, their opinions have merely been dictated by society. These are good people. They are dedicated citizens and strive to be good parents. But again, how good is good enough? Will the scale tip in their favor? Will they be rewarded somehow based upon a measure of goodness?

So, if the proverbial scale and St. Peter at the pearly gate is a fallacy, what does the Bible actually say about how to obtain the joys of heaven? I’m glad you asked. 😊

The Bible clearly states that salvation (eternal life in heaven) is a gift from God. But as with any gift, it must be received. That’s basically it. The Apostle Paul explains it perfectly in the book of Ephesians.

“You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.” – Ephesians 2:8-9 CEV (Emphasis mine)

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus also said, “Without me, no one can go to the Father.” – John 14:6. Sounds exclusive, doesn’t it. Well, it is. It’s not through Muhamad, Allah, Buddha, or by goodness/self. It’s only through Jesus.

The fact is that we all fall short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23)

There is a standard of goodness and that alone is Jesus Christ. He is our standard.

The Bible teaches that a person’s inherent goodness is insufficient for salvation (see Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:20, Luke 18:18-19, Galatians 2:16, and Titus 3:5), meaning you can’t earn it. Simply being religious won’t get you there either (see Isaiah 29:13 and Galatians 3:10-14). Probably the most compelling story is found in John 3:1-21, where Jesus was speaking with a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish authority who insisted on strict adherence to the books of Moses and its traditions).

Nicodemus was so drawn to Jesus and his teachings that he arranged a secret meeting with Jesus. Here Jesus told him that his earthly obedience and goodness was worthless, unless he was born of the Spirit and accepted the gift of God’s Son into his heart. This was a hard concept for Nico to grasp, since his very livelihood was so ingrained in performance and obedience, but his heart was tender, and he knew in his heart that Jesus was from God. Nicodemus continued to follow Jesus’ teachings and eventually was the one who purchased the burial spices and assisted in the burial of Jesus after the crucifixion.

This is also why scripture teaches us that we must acknowledge our sinfulness before a holy and righteous God (1 John 1:8-10) and continually depend on Christ as our flesh continually wars or battles against our spiritual nature.

Friends, God loves you. Regardless of who you are or what you have done—He still loves you. The god (little g) of this earth is spewing out all forms of lies, deception and instilling self-pride in people in order to keep their hearts from God. Who will you follow?

A simple prayer to God is all you need to do to assure your salvation and begin an exciting life of following Jesus. Just pray and believe (even in your own words) this prayer from your heart…

Dear Jesus. I am sorry for trying to live my life without you. Thank you for loving me enough to be crucified while paying the price as a sacrifice for my sins. I accept your love and forgiveness today as you freely give it to me. I give you my heart today and want to follow you for the rest of my life.  Amen!

If you prayed that friend, you are on your way to heaven. That’s so awesome! But hold on, it doesn’t stop there…you are now in for the ride of your life…Jesus take the wheel 😊

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

If you have questions, pray and ask God to reveal truth to you as you read the Bible and study Gods Word. Attend a solid Bible based, spirit filled church. Find friends that love Jesus. The Christian life is so absolutely amazing! I hope to see you in the river.

I’d love to hear from you. Just click on the “Contact” tab on the Home Page.

The God Who Sees You

Tracy and I live in a rural township just North of Minneapolis, MN. My morning commute to work starts around 5 am. Many of you are thinking 5 am, yuck! But I love my morning time. The coffee maker grinds beans for a fresh cup of java at 3 am (non-workdays it’s a little later 😊). But even on days off, I enjoy my morning time with God and then devotions and prayer with Tracy. Mornings are awesome! I also love experiencing nature come alive as the night turns into day. Watching the vast solar system slowly fade into a glorious sunrise never gets old. It does something incredibly refreshing to my soul.

On my morning commute, I drive East for a few miles before heading South towards the city. This typically gives me great views of the night sky just prior to sunrise. This August there have been amazing views of the two brightest stars of our solar system, the planets Venus and Jupiter. From our vantage point on Earth, early August revealed these two (Venus and Jupiter) farther apart, but each new day they appeared closer and closer. On August 11th or 12th, they appeared only 1 degree apart, as if they were grazing each other. Following days revealed them drifting apart again. They were joined by a very vivid crescent moon on the mornings of the 19th and 20th, and then an amazing alignment of 6 planets occurred on August 21st. It was an incredible display of which Tracy also enjoyed popping out into our front yard a couple of mornings.

What was most interesting to me was the day-to-day distance change of Venus and Jupiter. Its incredible that even when these two planets appeared to be almost touching, they are still millions of miles away from each other. Isn’t that amazing? Still millions of miles apart.

Scientists estimate estimated that there are at least 10 sextillion (10²²) stars in the observable universe, a number so vast that it cannot be counted by humans. Our solar system alone is estimated to be at least 18.6 trillion miles in diameter.

So, here is a question for you, and one that I’m sure many of us have pondered at one time or another. Have you ever felt that in the big scheme of Gods massive creation, that your life is very small? That your life, in view of God’s creation and plans for the entire world…you and your life are less than significant to Him? Thinking, “Surly the God of the universe has bigger and more important people and situations to attend to than me and my life?” Perhaps you have even cried out to God at some point of your life and said… 

“God, do you even see me…”

Feeling as though you and God are millions of miles apart?

In Genesis Chapter 16 we are told of a woman named Hagar. It is a powerful story of a young woman who finds herself in a very misfortunate situation and of how God meets her in the midst of what she is going through.

We often pay more attention to the story of Abraham and Sarah and the fulfillment of God’s promise to make Abraham the father of many nations. But within Abraham and Sarah’s story, we discover the faith and perseverance of Hagar, a woman who was pulled in and then cast out into the wilderness due to an impatient and jealous woman and her husband. Two imperfect God-fearing people, who temporarily got off track.  

Abraham was an Israelite who had heard from the Lord that he was to become the father of many nations. He and His wife Sarah journeyed to Canaan as God had promised them, and somewhere along the way picked up an Egyptian servant girl named Hagar.

Abraham was focused on fulfilling Gods promise, which he eventually did. But not without a time of great turmoil, tension and long-lasting consequences. As the story unfolds, they were desperately trying for Sarah to get pregnant. After all, how do you become a father of many nations without children, right? Ater 10 years of trying, Sarah became very impatient.

In desperation Sarah constructed her own plan. She convinced Abraham to sleep with their servant girl Hagar in hopes she would bear Abraham a son. But after Hagar conceives, Sarah’s jealousy swells, and she bitterly mistreats Hagar.

The pregnant Hagar runs away to the wilderness. She runs from humiliation and oppression into almost certain death. But she encounters angel of the Lord that tells her to return and submit to Sarah. God assures her that she, too, will be the mother of a great nation. In response, Hagar gave this name to the Lord: El Roi, which means, “You are the God who sees me,” (Gen 16:13 NIV).

Fast forward in the story to Genesis 21, and Hagar is sent away a second time to die in the wilderness, this time with her young child, Ishmael. Though she is met and saved by an angel again, this time her exile is permanent.

Hagar shows us that even when we wander in wilderness places, even when life’s circumstances and situations push us into a corner, God is near to us and listening for our cry for help. Hagar was in a very difficult situation, and what did she do?  She fled.  Isn’t that often our natural tendency?  “Get me out of here, this is too painful, too hard.”  But still, God found her, right there in her hurt and in her need. He saw her; saw right into her situation, into her heart.

Friends, you are not invisible. You are not unseen by God, God sees you. You are seen and known and loved by the very God who hung the stars in the sky and formed you when you were in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-14 and Jeremiah 1:5).

Listen, it does not matter what you have done or have not done. God sees you right where you are and His arms are wide open to you (1 Cor. 16:23-24). Jesus said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)

He is God, El Roi.  He does not have a seeing problem; we do.  His vision is perfect: ours impaired by the disease of sin, of weakness. But God says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8) 

This is all good news for those of us who are less than perfect 😊We all may go through times when we may wonder “God, where are you?” Here’s what I’ve realized: When I feel unseen, chances are my eyes are not truly focused on Jesus, I’m focused on myself. I may feel invisible, but that’s on me. If I’m perfectly honest with myself, I can start to justify my poor eyesight by my works for God. “But God, I did this for you…I followed what you wanted me to do…and now, where are you?” My focus is on me—not Him—and what I have accomplished to somehow gain favor points with God, which is actually legalism.

This is what we need to do more than anything else: Set our eyes upon Jesus and truly worship Him. I have found that the best path in any situation in life is to raise my eyes to heaven and set my mind “on the things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). Just like the old hymn says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

So, remember, if and when you ever feel unseen by God.

  • God is not the one with the vision problem—you are. Right now, you only see in part, while He sees the entire picture.
  • He is El Roi—the God who sees me. He sees all wounds and worries. He sees your heart. Look to Him and trust Him.
  • God is no respecter of persons. Hagar was a non-Israelite, a woman with no power or status.
  • Turn your eyes upon Jesus—praise Him, worship Him, and trust Him.

May God bless you richly today as you put your trust in Him. Until next time…

Blessed by the Best,

Mark