For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 38-39)
Perhaps it is difficult for people to understand and believe that God is love, especially when we see so much evil in this world: so much death and violence, bloodshed, disease, starvation, wars and rumors of wars, difficulties, disagreements, destruction, unemployment, and for the total lack of peace on earth.
Where is God, we may say, in the midst of the storms of life? Or, why would a loving God allow so many innocent children to die?
It is easy for us to blame God for everything that goes wrong, and it is also easy for us to give ourselves the credit when things go well.
For the record, however, we can know that when God looks at people, He sees people. The Lord does not look at us as a statistic. The Lord does not see us with black skin, white skin, or brown skin. Neither does He see us as American, or Russian, or German, or any other nationality. The Lord does not favor us according to our family position, nor by the amount of money we have in our pockets.
The problems we face in this world were not created by God, for God created us with a brain that is superior to the brains of animals. He created us to live and act as humans, not like animals, wild and untamed.
The problems we face in this world have been created by people who have chosen to live and act like animals, and, today, many people treat animals better than they treat humans.
If you were God, what would you think about people bowing to rocks, sculptors, paintings, portraits, and photographs? Do animals do that?
If you were God, what would you think about people believing that certain people are gods on earth? Do animals do that?
If you were God, what would you think about people worshiping the sun, moon, stars, and planets as if they have life and are gods of the universe? Do animals do that?
If you were God, what would you think about people who sacrifice humans on altars of make-believe gods? Do animals do that?
If you were God, what would you think about the leaders of governments and religions who order mass executions of people because they are considered to be infidels and worthy of death?
If you were God, what would you think about people praying to the souls of dead people, as if they are alive and can answer prayers, while never once praying to you?
If you were God, what would you think about the pedophiles who hide behind the cloak of religion and the marble palaces of kings and kingdoms?
If you were God, what would you think about people who ignore you all the days of their lives, yet when they die, they expect to waltz into your heaven, footloose and fancy free, while expecting to receive rewards for their good behavior---while they never once loved their neighbors, or never once spoke a word on your behalf?
Are we not better than the animals?
God loves us, and God also desires that we will love Him.
In order to love God, however, we must come to know God, for God has demonstrated His love toward us in His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And when we desire Christ, the Lord will meet us, one on one and face to face. All that is required of us is a step of faith. Let go of the things that hold us back. Let go of misconceptions and the opinions of others. And, yes, let go of religion: for it is Christ who died for sin, not religion; as it is also Christ who forgives sin, and not men of religion.
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2: 9)
Perhaps it is difficult for people to understand and believe that God is love, especially when we see so much evil in this world: so much death and violence, bloodshed, disease, starvation, wars and rumors of wars, difficulties, disagreements, destruction, unemployment, and for the total lack of peace on earth.
Where is God, we may say, in the midst of the storms of life? Or, why would a loving God allow so many innocent children to die?
It is easy for us to blame God for everything that goes wrong, and it is also easy for us to give ourselves the credit when things go well.
For the record, however, we can know that when God looks at people, He sees people. The Lord does not look at us as a statistic. The Lord does not see us with black skin, white skin, or brown skin. Neither does He see us as American, or Russian, or German, or any other nationality. The Lord does not favor us according to our family position, nor by the amount of money we have in our pockets.
The problems we face in this world were not created by God, for God created us with a brain that is superior to the brains of animals. He created us to live and act as humans, not like animals, wild and untamed.
The problems we face in this world have been created by people who have chosen to live and act like animals, and, today, many people treat animals better than they treat humans.
If you were God, what would you think about people bowing to rocks, sculptors, paintings, portraits, and photographs? Do animals do that?
If you were God, what would you think about people believing that certain people are gods on earth? Do animals do that?
If you were God, what would you think about people worshiping the sun, moon, stars, and planets as if they have life and are gods of the universe? Do animals do that?
If you were God, what would you think about people who sacrifice humans on altars of make-believe gods? Do animals do that?
If you were God, what would you think about the leaders of governments and religions who order mass executions of people because they are considered to be infidels and worthy of death?
If you were God, what would you think about people praying to the souls of dead people, as if they are alive and can answer prayers, while never once praying to you?
If you were God, what would you think about the pedophiles who hide behind the cloak of religion and the marble palaces of kings and kingdoms?
If you were God, what would you think about people who ignore you all the days of their lives, yet when they die, they expect to waltz into your heaven, footloose and fancy free, while expecting to receive rewards for their good behavior---while they never once loved their neighbors, or never once spoke a word on your behalf?
Are we not better than the animals?
God loves us, and God also desires that we will love Him.
In order to love God, however, we must come to know God, for God has demonstrated His love toward us in His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And when we desire Christ, the Lord will meet us, one on one and face to face. All that is required of us is a step of faith. Let go of the things that hold us back. Let go of misconceptions and the opinions of others. And, yes, let go of religion: for it is Christ who died for sin, not religion; as it is also Christ who forgives sin, and not men of religion.
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2: 9)
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