The Bible doesn't explicitly give us the answer to this question. If a man dies at 95, he won't enter heaven as a 95 year old man because the effects of aging and time bringing us closer to death are all from sin, something that heaven is free of. In the same way, an aborted baby won't enter heaven as an 8 pound cutie crying "goo goo gah gah." We'll be made perfect, flawless and Christ-like without any trace of sin or its effects on us.
Some people say the age is around 30. Others say 33, since that's about the age Jesus was when He died. Personally, I don't really think age will be a concept in heaven like it is here. No sin means no aging toward death and full comprehension of God, so if we had to translate it into an apparent age for our minds to grasp, it'd probably be between 20-40. I think everybody will be in what athletes call their "prime," meaning their ideal age, which would vary from person to person.
1 John 2:26
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
5 points on demons
1. When Satan fell from heaven, he took one-third of the angels with him (Revelation 12:4)
2. They're pesky, pretend to be good, and can appear in physical forms (2nd Corinthians 11:14-15)
3. Demons are described as evil spirits (Matthew 10:1)
4. Demons decieve us and attack us (2nd Corinthians 4:4, 2nd Corinthians 12:7)
5. Demons fight against holy angels (Revelation 12:4-9)
Watch your back.
2. They're pesky, pretend to be good, and can appear in physical forms (2nd Corinthians 11:14-15)
3. Demons are described as evil spirits (Matthew 10:1)
4. Demons decieve us and attack us (2nd Corinthians 4:4, 2nd Corinthians 12:7)
5. Demons fight against holy angels (Revelation 12:4-9)
Watch your back.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Prosperity Gospel
There is something dangerous going around that's becoming popular, and it's called the prosperity gospel. This belief system teaches that Christians will be blessed with health and wealth if they are in favor with God. You may have heard of a preacher named Joel Osteen. He is a main advocate of this theology, and he preaches to over 7 million viewers weekly through his media on and offline (source). He's crazy popular, but unfortunately, not crazy biblical.
The Bible nowhere promises believers prosperity by terms of this world, or health and wealth. In fact, Paul warns Timothy against this very thing in 1 Timothy 6:5. He says godliness is not a means of gain. Prosperity gospel teaches that the favors you demand of God are to be stated positively and confidently, and that those words have creative power. See, God's ability to bless us doesn't hang on our faith. Who do we think we are making demands of God? I'm not saying it's wrong to pray for a prosperous life, but it becomes dangerous when your faith is dependent on that. If you're wealthy, healthy and living a good life with a strong faith, what happens when bumps in the road come along, or all that is stripped away? Where is God then? Your faith vanishes.
Getting sick, sin, and failing are all the result of a lack of faith according to this belief. This place is fallen, which means our lives are going to include suffering. This life and suffering go together. Jesus was homeless for periods of time, poor, betrayed, abused, mocked, and beaten up. So according to this gospel, if we have enough faith in Jesus, we won't be like Him?
The emphasis of this gospel on gaining money and possessions in this life is not biblical. Check out Matthew 6:19. Jesus is saying, why would you store up all this expensive stuff here on earth where it can just be taken from you, rust away, or be eaten up? It's pointless.
If you've heard of this issue, please post your thoughts.
The Bible nowhere promises believers prosperity by terms of this world, or health and wealth. In fact, Paul warns Timothy against this very thing in 1 Timothy 6:5. He says godliness is not a means of gain. Prosperity gospel teaches that the favors you demand of God are to be stated positively and confidently, and that those words have creative power. See, God's ability to bless us doesn't hang on our faith. Who do we think we are making demands of God? I'm not saying it's wrong to pray for a prosperous life, but it becomes dangerous when your faith is dependent on that. If you're wealthy, healthy and living a good life with a strong faith, what happens when bumps in the road come along, or all that is stripped away? Where is God then? Your faith vanishes.
Getting sick, sin, and failing are all the result of a lack of faith according to this belief. This place is fallen, which means our lives are going to include suffering. This life and suffering go together. Jesus was homeless for periods of time, poor, betrayed, abused, mocked, and beaten up. So according to this gospel, if we have enough faith in Jesus, we won't be like Him?
The emphasis of this gospel on gaining money and possessions in this life is not biblical. Check out Matthew 6:19. Jesus is saying, why would you store up all this expensive stuff here on earth where it can just be taken from you, rust away, or be eaten up? It's pointless.
If you've heard of this issue, please post your thoughts.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Prayer Requests
Here are some prayer requests from Mr. Perez's 6th grade Sunday school class. Please pray for these children! I am typing these as they are written :)
"God help me in the problem my sister and I are in. Amen"
"Let Jesus go into my heart and my lit brother"
"That you can be with my grandma because she is going through tough times"
"For my nina Joyce that her marrige will go fine"
"For my tio he is in jail. I hope he is well."
"Take away my sickness"
"For my mom's side of her family to execpt Christ in their lives and for my Uncle Alex to know Jesus and for my Uncle Robert who is fighting in Iraq."
"I pray for my cousins Jasmine & Alexas because their in the walkin the Lord expect for their mom she wants Jasmine & Alexas to be cathlic instead of christan"
"I pray for my friend Stephanie so she can come to pioneer club to learn more about Jesus"
"God help me in the problem my sister and I are in. Amen"
"Let Jesus go into my heart and my lit brother"
"That you can be with my grandma because she is going through tough times"
"For my nina Joyce that her marrige will go fine"
"For my tio he is in jail. I hope he is well."
"Take away my sickness"
"For my mom's side of her family to execpt Christ in their lives and for my Uncle Alex to know Jesus and for my Uncle Robert who is fighting in Iraq."
"I pray for my cousins Jasmine & Alexas because their in the walkin the Lord expect for their mom she wants Jasmine & Alexas to be cathlic instead of christan"
"I pray for my friend Stephanie so she can come to pioneer club to learn more about Jesus"
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Proverbs 25:21-22
"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you." - Proverbs 25:21-22
Any of us can think of a situation where we have wronged somebody. In the heat of the moment, we did or said something to them that was messed up. And most of the time, our action provoked an even stronger reaction by the other person. But imagine if instead of reacting like that person did, they simply gave you a hug and apologized? Although many times we don't want to "feed our enemies" so to speak, doing so shows God's love within us. This "heaps burning coals" on them, and as one bible commentary says, it melts them into repentance and love. Romans 12:20 in the New Testament also quotes this Proverb.
Try to think of a time when you have helped your enemy. I am trying to think of a time when I have "fed my enemy," and I'm drawing a blank. If you're like me and can't remember doing this, we really need to make a conscious effort to not only restrain ourselves from our enemy, but HELP them. I have restrained myself many times from taking revenge or saying something back to people. But to restrain yourself and actually help them, that's even more of a challenge.
Any of us can think of a situation where we have wronged somebody. In the heat of the moment, we did or said something to them that was messed up. And most of the time, our action provoked an even stronger reaction by the other person. But imagine if instead of reacting like that person did, they simply gave you a hug and apologized? Although many times we don't want to "feed our enemies" so to speak, doing so shows God's love within us. This "heaps burning coals" on them, and as one bible commentary says, it melts them into repentance and love. Romans 12:20 in the New Testament also quotes this Proverb.
Try to think of a time when you have helped your enemy. I am trying to think of a time when I have "fed my enemy," and I'm drawing a blank. If you're like me and can't remember doing this, we really need to make a conscious effort to not only restrain ourselves from our enemy, but HELP them. I have restrained myself many times from taking revenge or saying something back to people. But to restrain yourself and actually help them, that's even more of a challenge.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Suggestions?
If you have any ideas about what I should talk about, feel free to suggest something.. Just add a comment to this post.
One idea I have is that I'll post a list of prayer requests from the 6th grade kids from Mr. Perez's class at church. This way we can all pray for them. Sometimes they have some really important prayer requests.
One idea I have is that I'll post a list of prayer requests from the 6th grade kids from Mr. Perez's class at church. This way we can all pray for them. Sometimes they have some really important prayer requests.
Different Bible Versions
First, let me start by saying the original inspired manuscripts in Greek and Hebrew are the best "versions" of the Bible. Since most of us know nothing about either language, it's essential to know what some of the popular Bible versions say and what their translation method is like. For example, King James Version (KJV) takes the Hebrew and Greek words and translates them into the best-fitting English word possible, word-for-word. NIV (New International Version) and NLT (New Living Translation) take the original idea that was in Hebrew and Greek and translate that idea in English. NKJV takes the KJV but tries to update the English to fit with more modern terms.
Personally I have 1 KJV, 1 NLT and 1 NIV bible. If I am confused by a verse in one, I might consult another, and so on. However, I'd say about 90% of all the verses I have read in my life have been from my NIV bible. I find that it's a solid translation that isn't too confusing, and at the same time isn't oversimplified. I would recommend KJV to anybody that doesn't have trouble reading it because I think most people agree it's closest to the original manuscripts as you can get. I can handle KJV when I'm checking up on a verse but I have a little difficulty reading entire chapters in it.
Sooner or later somebody will quote a verse from the Bible to try to defend a point to you, and it may sound fishy, so a good idea is to have a method of verifying a Bible version that you have never heard of. Try this: Check common verses that mention Jesus as God. John 1:1, John 10:30, Titus 2:13, etc. You know if a version twists these passages as to deny the deity of Christ, you can ditch it. For example, the New World Translation (used by Jehovah's Witnesses) slightly changes a lot of key verses to fit their beliefs. Be careful when somebody quotes a verse and it triggers an alarm inside your head.
"For the word of God is living and powerful.." - Hebrews 4:12
Personally I have 1 KJV, 1 NLT and 1 NIV bible. If I am confused by a verse in one, I might consult another, and so on. However, I'd say about 90% of all the verses I have read in my life have been from my NIV bible. I find that it's a solid translation that isn't too confusing, and at the same time isn't oversimplified. I would recommend KJV to anybody that doesn't have trouble reading it because I think most people agree it's closest to the original manuscripts as you can get. I can handle KJV when I'm checking up on a verse but I have a little difficulty reading entire chapters in it.
Sooner or later somebody will quote a verse from the Bible to try to defend a point to you, and it may sound fishy, so a good idea is to have a method of verifying a Bible version that you have never heard of. Try this: Check common verses that mention Jesus as God. John 1:1, John 10:30, Titus 2:13, etc. You know if a version twists these passages as to deny the deity of Christ, you can ditch it. For example, the New World Translation (used by Jehovah's Witnesses) slightly changes a lot of key verses to fit their beliefs. Be careful when somebody quotes a verse and it triggers an alarm inside your head.
"For the word of God is living and powerful.." - Hebrews 4:12
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