Making a Difference in your Life, in the Parts that are for Keeps!
78,000 times the moon has gone through its phases with untouched, unwavering precision, just like the very first full moon “In the beginning [when] God created the heavens (sun, moon, stars) and the earth” (including us, to look at the heavenly bodies).
“When I consider the heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—what is man that You are mindful of him, . . .?”
That is another verse where we do well to read the whole chapter, Psalm 8.
alternate title –
TEMPORARY HEAVEN – – – BIBLICAL ?
There is a plethora of Near Death Experience reports now—more than before.
Why so ?
This world is ripe for spiritual answers and personal spiritual experiences—both Biblical and other.
Lots of attention to NDE’s today–
— Books
— Interviews
— Prominent name endorsements
— Wave, momentum, to accept, to go along with
— Pushbacks quickly set aside *
The testimonies that are written and shared are–
Cheerful.
Uplifting.
Encouraging.
Feel good.
Based on enthusiasm over positive stories of experiences.
Authentication by people with claims of ‘real’ Christianity.
When focus on stories overshadows focus on what’s in the Bible, be aware if your faith starts to lean more on what people say and less on what God has said.
Do not let any of your time and thought spent on others’ Near Death Experiences lead you to spend less time in your Bible.
THAT IS A TANGIBLE, PRACTICAL TEST FOR YOUR OWN WALK ON “THE NARROW ROAD”.
Focus on the Family (7-28-25) closed with reference to “these faith-building” books of Near Death Experience stories.
They don’t build my faith, because I don’t see a connection to the Bible, a precedent in Scripture.
Most people will get caught up in the thrill of realistic stories of heaven, without ever considering if they square with Scripture.
In fact, many stories may indeed be real, but discernment calls into question their source.
Human nature wants to add something to the Bible, for some new excitement.
I was listening throughout the program for the initially promised Bible base to all the testimonies . . . ?
I didn’t hear it.
Minimal, weak Bible references.
More assumptions to truth, validity, than Biblical authentication.
Question—Do we believe the Bible has everything we need for truth and Godliness. ?
*Typical response if you question ‘NDE’s’ ?–
“Are you doubting their faith ?”
(If they say they love Jesus, then what they say about heaven must be true.)
Americans have become accustomed to lots of things being easy.
We have come to expect things becoming easier.
This is so much the case that many believe we deserve easy, and easier.
The American dream has become synonymous with rights to happiness more than “the pursuit of happiness.”
This turns into thinking somebody (some thing) owes us something we didn’t earn.
Even our spiritual perspective is affected—God, make my life easier, fix my problem, make me comfortable.
MAKING IT EASIER =
MAKING US WEAKER
Even our military is affected—today,
we’re counting on power, precision, and performance of weapons and technology, and brave people operating them, to defeat bad guys once again.
The sacrifice of all Americans in past wars is not considered by most Americans now, because we are insulated from such hard denial of our personal comfort.
We must be very thankful for our mighty armed forces, and our leadership to use it wisely and decisively.
Pray for all those involved, and for the effective function of all weapons.
For our country, read HARD IS NOT THE EXCEPTION on this site.
Spiritually, please read GREATEST CHALLENGE on this site.
This article is not joining debate about the doctrine.
It is addressing a principle.
The mistake is labeling with human wording what the Bible ‘says’ (whether it says so or not).
We want to come up with statements that make us comfortable, when some Bible verses make us uncomfortable.
We want to settle questions and debates over passages in the Bible that say one thing while other passages seem to say something different.
Some are compelled to defend the Bible, and try to explain everything and answer every question to our satisfaction.
You might say they could put their name on the Bible, for all they have added to make it clear.
Okay, several well-known Bible teachers have done exactly that.
— Jeremiah Study Bible
— MacArthur Study Bible
I appreciate listening to these two faithful leaders, but I would stop short of putting their name on the Bible.
It would be better to just print “THE BIBLE”—and include personal notes, but not part of the Bible with their name up front.
(It can be said that “Study Bible” is redundant.)
Jesus said, “Because you are neither hot nor cold [about Me], but because you are lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth (vomit).”
Emperor has no clothes because he has no modesty because he’s the emperor.
Theologians have no limits because they have no humility because they are theologians.
— Do you claim to be a Christian ?
— Do you tell others you are a Christian ?
— How has Jesus changed your life ?
— Does anyone say you are different because you are a Christian ?
— If you were in a muslim country, would your life be in danger because you show that you are a Christian ?
What is the greatest challenge in telling Americans about Jesus ?
Failure to explain that following Jesus will be hard.
Most other places in the world, suffering for Jesus is understood.
This is a given, often from the day you become a Christian.
The price quickly goes off the charts for many.
What does it cost to be a Christian in America ?
Check our history—
Others paid a high price to gain our freedom.
Others still pay a high price to keep our freedom.
What price do we pay to keep our freedom ?
What about our spiritual freedom ?
We have lived with religious freedom
— treasured priority from the start
— paid with high price from the start
What about our spiritual freedom ?
— Without spiritual freedom, we would never have religious freedom.
— treasured priority from the start
— paid with high price from the start
What is the price, the cost, of our spiritual freedom ?
Who pays for it ?
NO ONE ELSE CAN PAY THE PRICE FOR OUR FREEDOM IN CHRIST.
What does it cost to be a Christian in America ?
— Not enough now.
— Not as much as it will soon.
Jesus said,
“If anyone decides to come after Me, he must, he will
[ONE]—deny himself
[TWO]—take up his cross
And,
[THREE]—follow Me.”
Just what does it mean to follow Jesus ?
It’s not complicated to answer the question.
It’s another thing altogether to do it.
Not many get it.
Not many live it.
Jesus said so.
“Strait (limited access) is the gate (to enter life), and narrow the way (to live it), . . .”
And then Jesus added this ‘disclaimer’ to the challenging life He offers and calls us to follow,
” . . . and there are few that find it.”
So, what are the challenges that make following Jesus hard ?
Jesus said,
“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (that is, serious, heavy trouble). But take courage; I have overcome the world!”
“You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.”
“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before you.”
“Woe (beware) to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers treated the false prophets in the same way.”
“Strengthen the souls of the believers, and encourage them to continue in the faith—remember,
We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”
Again,
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
–
Americans, welcome to real Christianity—real following Jesus.
–
NOBODY ELSE CAN PAY THE PRICE FOR YOUR FREEDOM IN CHRIST.
What message did Noah preach for a century while he was building the ark ?
“TURN AROUND—DON’T DROWN !”
I listened to the entire program (2-8-26), with this response:
Can we have any influence whatsoever on hell
— by thinking and considering another view (other than what is clear in the Bible)
— by meeting with a few intellectual theologians
— by listening to debate with courtesy and respect
— as though we might settle on new doctrine that the Bible settled when God wrote it ?
The Bible ends up on a par with theologians (past or present) and church ‘fathers’ and revered leaders through church history.
‘We’ think we can get together and discuss any subject with openness to assorted ideas, with respect to those who disagree.
–
“I’m not convinced . . .”—–Kirk Cameron
“. . . It seems to me . . .”—–Kirk Cameron
[summarizing] “I think . . .”—–Kirk Cameron
Some of the most dangerous things Kirk Cameron said—with the most dangerous impact on anyone not well-grounded in the Bible.
“I can’t wrap my mind around a loving God Who . . .”—–Kirk Cameron empathizing, identifying with what college kids say.
–
We see a tsunami upon us of rampant, raging caving to any ‘new’ ways of looking at God’s clear Word.
If we don’t let the Bible speak clearly and settle issues for ourselves, then anyone can come along and sway us from the narrow way with ideas from hell, not from the Bible.
–
“Points on the board”—–Kirk Cameron, responding to a telling point on the other side of the debate.
Friendly conversation, debate, contest to get a winner ???
What ?
What a joke, what a mockery you have made of the Word of God—subservient to your ‘discussion’ with what some people had to say.
“Robust arguments on both sides”—–Kirk Cameron
We can never settle this (and a host of other debates) by “robust arguments”.
It is very dangerous to raise issues, and then debate, and in so doing create doubt about black and white basics in the Bible.
Your panel obviously did not decide or settle this question.
Only the Bible can do that.
–
-X- So, what good did your civil panel discussion accomplish?
-X- So, what good did the civil conversation between Frank Turek and Kirk Cameron accomplish ?
Answer to both questions:
Accomplished nothing good.
Caused extensive damage.
Both give many people the belief that we can invent all kinds of spiritual ideas not in the Bible—and talking about them gives validity and credence.
And,
Manipulating anything in the Bible,
And,
Manufacturing anything not in the Bible,
Can send you to hell (regardless of how long ‘you think’ hell is).
Does it matter how long ‘you think’ hell is ?
Yes, Yes !
It matters !
It is foolish !
It is ridiculous !
It is dangerous !
It is evil, damning !
It is so misleading !
It is a waste of time !
It is a waste of air time !
It is a waste of our thinking !
It elevates intellect to idolatry ! ! !
It is damning, distracting, detracting
to attempt to tamper with the Word of God with our puny minds !
“PREACH THE WORD !”
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