A new did you know post has been added..! Click on "Anthony" in the Contributors section of this page.

 A co-worker and i were having a conversation and the question "What about people that never heard of Jesus?" came up. After a long talk we decided that there are many others out there that have had or still wonder about this same question. Therefore this blog was added to our page.

Question: "What happens to those who have never heard about Jesus?"

Answer: All people are accountable to God whether or not they have “heard about Him.” The Bible tells us that God has clearly revealed Himself in nature (Romans 1:20) and in the hearts of people (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The problem is that the human race is sinful; we all reject this knowledge of God and rebel against Him (Romans 1:21-23). If it were not for God's grace, we would be given over to the sinful desires of our hearts, allowing us to discover how useless and miserable life is apart from Him. He does this for those who continually reject Him (Romans 1:24-32).

In reality, it is not that some people have not heard about God. Rather, the problem is that they have rejected what they have heard and what is readily seen in nature. Deuteronomy 4:29 proclaims, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” This verse teaches an important principle—everyone who truly seeks after God will find Him. If a person truly desires to know God, God will make Himself known.

The problem is “there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:11). People reject the knowledge of God that is present in nature and in their own hearts, and instead decide to worship a “god” of their own creation. It is foolish to debate the fairness of God sending someone to hell who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Christ. People are responsible to God for what God has already revealed to them. The Bible says that people reject this knowledge, and therefore God is just in condemning them to hell.

Instead of debating the fate of those who have never heard, we, as Christians, should be doing our best to make sure they do hear. We are called to spread the gospel throughout the nations (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). We know people reject the knowledge of God revealed in nature, and that must motivate us to proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Only by accepting God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ can people be saved from their sins and rescued from an eternity apart from God.

If we assume that those who never hear the gospel are granted mercy from God, we will run into a terrible problem. If people who never hear the gospel are saved, it is logical that we should make sure no one ever hears the gospel. The worst thing we could do would be to share the gospel with a person and have him or her reject it. If that were to happen, he or she would be condemned. People who do not hear the gospel must be condemned, or else there is no motivation for evangelism. Why run the risk of people possibly rejecting the gospel and condemning themselves when they were previously saved because they had never heard the gospel?

Love Letter

Audrey Assad - Love Letter

This link will take you to a youtube video which is a song sang by Audrey Assad. The video contains versus in the Bible which speaks of how much God loves YOU.

The song she is singing is beautiful too. She is singing of her love for the Keeper of her heart.

don't you hate that?

You know how we all, or most, okay, I will sometimes look at the internet when I should be working?

Talk about being struck through the heart! I was looking through my personal email (yes it is 8:34 am on Friday and I should be working) but I came across this devotional from Family Life:

Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. Psalm 119:2 (NIV)

Time Clock Testimony

Suppose you hired a handyman to complete some home repairs and agreed to pay him by the hour.
At lunchtime, you noticed he took an extra 45 minutes to watch a few game shows, and then he took an afternoon break that morphed into a three-hour session of internet-surfing. You would be enraged, and you probably wouldn't pay him.

Every day, millions of workers do much the same thing to their employers. With Facebook, cybershopping and computer games, wasting time at work is now an epidemic. But if you won't follow the rules of your employer, don't expect your co-workers to be interested in learning about the Lord from you. Keeping God's statutes includes putting in an honest day's labor and doing your very best.
Strengthen your testimony in the workplace by: 

Following company rules, even if others don't.
Praying that your work ethic would point others to Christ.
Today's One Thing

Think over what you accomplished on your last work day and identify one change you can make to be more efficient.

 

Activist atheist finds God after illness, Christian kindness

A noted Texas atheist activist who pushed for the removal of a nativity scene in front of a county courthouse has turned Christian. Patrick Greene's conversion comes after he learned a serious eye condition could make him blind, which in turn led to an outpouring of support among the same Baptist church he threatened to sue. News of Greene's condition prompted Jessica Crye to ask her pastor at Sand Springs Baptist Church in Athens, Texas, if they could help Greene, the Christian Post reported. He agreed and thousands of dollars in donations were raised on Greene's behalf. Greene said it was Crye's compassion that made him see the light, so to speak.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

As we were leaving our study group today I heard some people say that it was a good meeting today. :)

Lesson 6: Discovering How God Directs Me

Ephesians 5:17

Spurgeon (daily devotional)

This is the devotional I read last night and I want to keep this in my heart:

Morning - Day 324

"Avoid foolish questions."

Our days are few, and are far better spent in doing good, than in disputing over matters which are, at best, of minor importance. The old schoolmen did a world of mischief by their incessant discussion of subjects of no practical importance; and our Churches suffer much from petty wars over abstruse points and unimportant questions. After everything has been said that can be said, neither party is any the wiser, and therefore the discussion no more promotes knowledge than love, and it is foolish to sow in so barren a field. Questions upon points wherein Scripture is silent; upon mysteries which belong to God alone; upon prophecies of doubtful interpretation; and upon mere modes of observing human ceremonials, are all foolish, and wise men avoid them. Our business is neither to ask nor answer foolish questions, but to avoid them altogether; and if we observe the apostle's precept (Titus 3:8) to be careful to maintain good works, we shall find ourselves far too much occupied with profitable business to take much interest in unworthy, contentious, and needless strivings.
There are, however, some questions which are the reverse of foolish, which we must not avoid, but fairly and honestly meet, such as these: Do I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind? Am I walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit? Am I growing in grace? Does my conversation adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour? Am I looking for the coming of the Lord, and watching as a servant should do who expects his master? What more can I do for Jesus? Such enquiries as these urgently demand our attention; and if we have been at all given to cavilling, let us now turn our critical abilities to a service so much more profitable. Let us be peace-makers, and endeavour to lead others both by our precept and example, to "avoid foolish questions."

Evening - Day 324
"O that I knew where I might find him!"

In Job's uttermost extremity he cried after the Lord. The longing desire of an afflicted child of God is once more to see his Father's face. His first prayer is not "O that I might be healed of the disease which now festers in every part of my body!" nor even "O that I might see my children restored from the jaws of the grave, and my property once more brought from the hand of the spoiler!" but the first and uppermost cry is, "O that I knew where I might find Him, who is my God! that I might come even to his seat!" God's children run home when the storm comes on. It is the heaven-born instinct of a gracious soul to seek shelter from all ills beneath the wings of Jehovah. "He that hath made his refuge God," might serve as the title of a true believer. A hypocrite, when afflicted by God, resents the infliction, and, like a slave, would run from the Master who has scourged him; but not so the true heir of heaven, he kisses the hand which smote him, and seeks shelter from the rod in the bosom of the God who frowned upon him. Job's desire to commune with God was intensified by the failure of all other sources of consolation. The patriarch turned away from his sorry friends, and looked up to the celestial throne, just as a traveller turns from his empty skin bottle, and betakes himself with all speed to the well. He bids farewell to earth-born hopes, and cries, "O that I knew where I might find my God!" Nothing teaches us so much the preciousness of the Creator, as when we learn the emptiness of all besides. Turning away with bitter scorn from earth's hives, where we find no honey, but many sharp stings, we rejoice in him whose faithful word is sweeter than honey or the honeycomb. In every trouble we should first seek to realize God's presence with us. Only let us enjoy his smile, and we can bear our daily cross with a willing heart for his dear sake.