Together Forever
A Chinese translator told a visiting theologian that her Buddhist parents admired the teachings of Jesus, but they were offended by the idea that someone had to believe in Him to be saved. They worried that their Christian daughter now believed her ancestors were in hell. The translator said, “Revering my ancestors means much to me, and I want to assure my parents that I do not want to dishonor my family heritage. So please tell me what I, as a Christian, can say to my parents about this.”
life and love
Life can be difficult. At times, burdens, disappointments, and uncertainties can seem too difficult to bear. Poet Annie Johnson Flint poignantly captured the struggles of life in her poem “One Day at a Time”:
the day
Recently, our family took a trip to visit my parents in a distant state. Our two boys love their “Grams” and “Pa,” so they were excited to see their grandparents. They were also excited to miss a week of school, to travel by aircraft, and because we had tickets for all of the guys in the family to attend a local university football game. As you can imagine, my boys counted the days leading up to the trip, something that was both excruciating and immensely exciting for them.
time and eternity
I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the cello. But I haven’t found the time to take lessons. Since time is short, I would rather spend my time doing the things that I won’t get to do in heaven—stuff like helping a believer to mature in his or her faith or reaching out to someone who doesn’t believe in Jesus. I say to myself, In heaven, I’ll have the whole of eternity to master that instrument!
you choose Q: after judgment will we go to heaven or the new earth? Also, will aborted babies be judged?
Q: After judgment, will we go to heaven or the new earth? Also, will the aborted babies be judged? —Daniel
A: The Bible speaks of a final judgment where every human person will stand before God’s “great white throne” (Revelation 20:11-12). Those who do not know Jesus, “anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life” will be…
angels watching over me
Jacob was on the run from his brother. Frightened and alone, he walked as far as he could, then grabbed a rock for a pillow. Dreaming that God was standing on the top of a stairway, Jacob heard Him promise, “I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go” (Genesis 28:15). He saw angels ascending and descending the stairway—going out to patrol the world and coming back to report what they had done (Job 1:6, 2:1; Hebrews 1:14).
you choose Q: are demons united in their evil efforts?
Q: I have have this impression/thought that demons are not united even among themselves. It seems like a logical deduction but I would like more certainty if its possible to know what is the stance of the Bible. In Mark 3:23-26, Jesus spoke about a house divided cannot stand. Does that imply in anyway that the demons are united? —Wee…
roadside theology
Traveling south on a highway, I passed a billboard that presented this ominous message: HELL IS REAL. I agreed with the words, but for some reason that roadside theology lesson didn’t linger in my mind. However, returning north on the same route I was jolted out of highway hypnosis by the words on the flipside of the billboard: JESUS IS REAL. These two truths posted back-to-back made me ask myself, Why doesn’t the reality of hell drive me to share Christ more frequently?
with the Lord
Everyone wants to know what heaven will be like, and over the past several years a spate of books have promised to tell them. Don Piper was first with his 90 Minutes in Heaven. Following that bestseller, The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven and Heaven Is for Real were published and enthusiastically received by readers. One book went in the opposite direction—literally—23 Minutes in Hell.
confronting the darkness
“Crazy demons!” Hitting “send” before proofreading, I quickly realized the text my husband received would leave him confused. I had attempted to type out “crazy carline!” to explain my delay in meeting him, but must have hit a few errant letters. Autocorrect on my cell phone took it from there! I have no idea how the text ended up reading “demons” instead of “carline.”
imagine
In 1971, John Lennon wrote a song about heaven and hell. The British public voted ”Imagine” their nation’s favorite song in 1999, and it earned Lennon a Grammy Hall of Fame Award that same year. The song also ranked number 3 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2004). Lennon wrote: “Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the people. Living for today . . .”
you choose Q: "where do people go after they die?"
Q: Where do people go after death? —Hussein
A: What happens to a person after he dies depends on whether that person is a born-again Christian or not.
The Bible tells us that those who have not believed in Jesus Christ as Savior will suffer eternal condemnation and unending punishment and unspeakable torment in hell forever (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10; Hebrews 10:26-27).…
the judgment seat of Christ
Matthew 7:21-23: Not everyone who calls out to Me, “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to Me, “Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.”…
