Forget Religion...it's bigger than that...

Forget Religion…it's bigger than that...

Forget everything you’ve ever believed or been taught about religion for just a moment. I’m not saying being “religious” is a bad thing...but so many people have given it a bad name that for many it conjures up judgemental, hateful, holier-than-thou type behavior. So, put it down for a minute...walk away from it and come with me to a time before anything else existed. Scientists say that our universe began with a big bang millions of years ago. Science also says that something cannot be created from nothing. You can’t one day have nothing and then it suddenly become something. That is not possible.

Look at the words on this page, even just these few you’ve read so far, and tell me...can they suddenly, accidentally, from out of nowhere, come together out of nothing and arrange themselves onto this page, in the correct order to make these exact sentences, every letter, every space, every punctuation mark, every word...and create this blog post out of nothing with no computer, no program, no keyboard, no mouse, no internet connection, no intelligent force to bring them forth? Of course not! That’s impossible, even for just these very few words on this page thus far.

Here’s another example I heard once. Gather together all the parts that make up a clock. Ever looked inside a clock? There are hundreds of tiny pieces, gears, springs, levers, etc. Take those hundreds of tiny pieces and put them in a brown paper bag. Now, stand there and shake that bag until all those parts come together and create that perfect, working clock. What? You can’t? The chances of that actually being possible are zero. Not gonna happen unless some intelligent person takes all those parts and puts them together in just the right way to make that clockwork. It cannot happen by itself.

So, I am supposed to believe that all those tiny particles that first of all, didn’t exist, exploded into something and gave birth to our universe out of nothing. That a planet like Earth that is the perfect distance from the sun and moon to sustain life, in a solar system with just the right amount of planets to keep it in the perfect orbit just happened by accident. That this planet that contains plant life perfectly made to sustain life just sprang up and created itself. That all the animals and humans came from some slimy bug that crawled out of the water. Water which is by the way the perfect substance to sustain that life. That these living things, whose DNA is so complicated that if all the DNA in all your cells was stretched out and laid end to end would encircle the solar system TWICE just accidentally came into being and arranged themselves into the perfect order to form each, unique living thing. Did you know that according to a Harvard study, one gram of DNA can store 700 terabytes of data. That’s 14,000 50-gigabyte Blu-ray discs… in a droplet of DNA that would fit on the tip of your pinky and I’m supposed to believe that there was no intelligent design behind that. I’m supposed to believe that it all just evolved on it’s own….and you think believing in an intelligent, creator God is crazy??

Listen, what you’ve learned about religion from the secular world, even from people who claim to believe in God, who claim to be Christians, is not what this is all about. I told you, put it down and walk away for a minute. The only thing you need to know is this. The God who created the universe and everything in it, wants a relationship with you, and it’s your choice. You’ve been given free will. You know as well as I do that you cannot force someone to care about you. You can’t demand it and it be true. There is nothing more wonderful than knowing someone else loves you. Whether it’s your children, your spouse, your parents, your friends...when someone loves you of their own free will...it fills you up! God loves you that way and He desires that kind of relationship with you too. And even though He could force you, He doesn’t. He leaves it up to you to choose. You can choose to ignore Him, insist He doesn’t exist. You can even choose to hate Him, but that won’t change His love for you.

Why should you love Him you ask? He created the universe. He created the Earth and every good thing on the Earth, including us. Even though we turned against Him and became sinful, He still loved us. He loved us so much that He gave up His only son, whom He loved. His son, Jesus, took on all the sin of the world that ever was and would ever be, and He paid the price for it so we wouldn’t have to. He was completely innocent, sinless, and yet He was crucified for you.

Even if you’re a really good person, you still cannot say with any honesty that you’ve never done anything wrong. You cannot claim to be perfect. You cannot be good enough. It’s not humanly possible to be perfect. We deserved the punishment of death and hell. But God loves us and so we were given a way out. Jesus would take our punishment and we’d walk away free from the consequences. The only thing required of us is to believe that God is who the Bible says He is. Believe that Jesus, the son of God, stood in our place and took our punishment, receive that gift of salvation that He offers so that when we leave this Earth our souls will be pure before God and we can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, and live forever as His children. Children of the King of the Universe.

I know a lot of people who believe there is an afterlife. What I want to ask you is...what do you believe happens to you when you die? If you believe that you just die and that’s the end, then I hope for your sake you’re right. Eternity is obviously forever...I’m not telling you something you don’t know. The mere thought of being separated from anything good in a place where there is absolutely no hope, where there is constant pain, is terrifying to me. The truth of the matter is that hell is the complete absence of God. The complete absence of anything good. It would be terrifying for anyone to consider.

If when I die I am just dead and my consciousness no longer exists, then it really doesn’t matter I suppose but...but...what if...what if the bible is true? What if God really does exist and He created this universe, this world, and He loves me and He really did send Jesus who was horrifically crucified to save me? How then can I turn my back on that kind of love? How can I take a chance on my eternity?

Now, I have many, many reasons why I know that I know that I know that God exists. That Jesus is real and that He loves me and cares about what happens in my life. That He listens to and answers my prayers, even when those answers are not the ones I wanted, because I have a lifetime of experiences with Him.  But for you, if you don’t believe, what else can I say to you? I know a man who claims he’s an atheist. He says, “There is no God! If God existed my mother wouldn’t have died an agonizing death! If God existed there would be no evil in this world! If God is loving why did He create hell? If He is real then why does He allow bad things to happen?” My answer is this...Evil is the absence of all Good. God is pure goodness, there is no evil in Him. When you take God completely out of something, there is nothing left but evil. We were created with a free will. We are free to either do what is right, or choose what is wrong. We have free will to follow God, or follow our own path.  This world is full of sin and as a consequence of living in a sinful world, we suffer the effects of that sin. God never promised us that bad things would never happen to us. He does promise He will be there with us through it all.

Your body is not made to last an eternity, but your soul is. That essence inside of you, that makes you who you are is very real. When you leave this body behind where will you go? Hell is the total, utter, complete absence of God and it is a choice. Your choice. If you wind up in hell, it is because you chose not to believe what God said in the Bible and rejected His son’s sacrificial gift of salvation. If I’m wrong and there is nothing after this life, I’ve lost nothing...but if I’m right, I’ve gained eternity with God in a place so wonderful, so beautiful it cannot be adequately described.

Look, You owe it to yourself and to the ones you love to study about this, to read what the bible has to say (all of it, not just the parts you like) ask questions, make certain you understand it, and make a decision. This is not about being religious. It’s about having a genuine relationship with God and being a follower of Jesus. What if, because you chose not to believe, you end up separated from God for all eternity and what if because you chose not to believe you caused your loved ones, the people you cherish, your wife, your husband, your children, your grandchildren to suffer the same fate...eternal, hopeless, separation from anything good. That my friends, would truly be hell.

*I simply want to make you think...make you really study the subject and make a decision. I truly hope you will choose to believe. You can choose to respectfully disagree with anything in this post. You can choose to not believe anything written in the bible and you can choose not to believe in God. You have free will after all. This is not a debate forum and so if you have questions about this subject I encourage you to seek out someone you trust, perhaps a pastor or friend who is a Christian and ask them to speak with you about it in person. I have found that the best way to communicate and learn is in person and not a faceless internet connection.  I have prayed for each person that reads this post and I truly wish each one of you happiness, joy, peace and most of all love.

Wisdom from the "Top of the Hill"....

Today is my 50th birthday. The big 5-0. The "top of the hill". I've heard it said it's all downhill from here...well, I disagree. It is at this time in your life when you begin to realize that what you always thought was important is not really that important after all. As the saying goes, The most important things in life are not things. At this point in my life I have learned quite a few important lessons. I can look back on a lot of things I've said and done and experienced and use those things to make better decisions from this point on. Truth is, I probably won't always take my own advice. I do, on occasion, do things the hard way and worry over things that aren't really that important in the long run, for no apparent reason. But I like to think I have acquired at least a modicum of wisdom that I can share with those younger than me. So here are some things I feel are important to remember. You can decide for yourself.

Be Kind - it rubs off on other people and makes people happy to see you. You never know when one kind word could even save a person's life. "Treat everyone with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you, not because they are nice, but because YOU are."

Be Patient - the world will not end if you are late, nor will it end if you have to wait in a line, or in traffic or wait your turn. Pay attention when you have to stop and wait. It may be God trying to get your attention. Perhaps the person in line next to you needs a kind word, or just a smile. Perhaps God is protecting you from something, or placing you in just the right place at just the right time. Think of this interruption to your schedule as an opportunity to be kind, to be the hands of Christ. I promise it will change your whole perspective.

Be Brave -
Thirteen years ago I faced a giant. I had two mini-strokes within three days after taking some newly prescribed medication. I was 37 years old. I was told that 90% of people who have a mini-stroke will have a massive stroke within one year. I'm happy to say I've beat those odds. The after-effects of the mini-strokes lasted about a year. I had seizures, short term memory loss and depression. I still have problems remembering dates. I did not feel brave. I felt weak and terrified. The only thing that got me out of that terrible hole I was in, were the promises of God. He promised to never leave me, nor forsake me. He tells us in the bible 365 times to "Fear Not". That's a fear not for every single day of the year my friends. It is something I often struggle with and it is also the inspiration for the tattoo I got on my wrist for my 50th birthday. It reminds me every single day to be brave. He's got my back.

Use the Talents God Gave You -
It bugs me when people let a God-given talent or gift go to waste. He gave it to you for a reason and it wasn't to ignore it. 1 Peter 4:10 says, As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace... It wasn't meant to be hidden away or ignored. You are to use it to serve one another, whether that be teaching, speaking, singing, playing an instrument, cooking, sewing, encouraging, writing, visiting, cleaning....whatever it is that you do very well...use it to serve one another. Stop making excuses and use it for His glory!

Be Passionate about Life -
You've only got one life to live and it's not that long! Fifty years has flown by! I doubt I live another fifty. What can I do in the years I have left to leave an impact for Christ on this world? What are the things I always wanted to do that I've not done? I want to write a book. I have no idea what it will be about but I really want to do it. I want to go back to school, but I'm struggling with what I want to be when I "grow up". I want to be a Grandma and hold that little piece of my heart in my arms. I want to be passionate about being the best me God created me to be, using every last bit of gifts and talents He gave me to show the world how much He loves them. I want to be passionate about sharing the undeserved, unconditional, FREE gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Because one day I will leave this Earth and my friends, I know, that I know, that I know, that I will be ushered into the  presence of Almighty God. I will walk into my Savior's arms and step into heaven for all eternity. There is more than this life. This one is so short, but the next is for all eternity. Why would anyone gamble with that? Do you know?

Make Sure to say I Love You -
I promise you, telling the ones you love that you love them will never be something you regret. None of us, no matter our age, are promised tomorrow. Make certain they know you love them and that God's love for them in unconditional and everlasting. It's important.

You Can't Always Have it Your Way - 
In other words. Suck it up buttercup. Life's not fair. You aren't always going to get a participation trophy. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes you fall down. Sometimes you fail. Sometimes bad things happen. Sometimes things don't make sense. You don't need a "safe space". You need a little bit of backbone and a whole lot of Jesus. Get back up, dust yourself off, take hold of Jesus and keep on showing and sharing the kindness, the patience, the boldness, the gifts, the passion, the love and the perseverance that God has given you. Let you light shine and leave no doubt when you leave this Earth whom you did it all for. Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works , and glorify your Father in heaven. 


1 Corinthians 13:1-8

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.