Eternity is a Long Time

  There are times during the day when the news about this corrupt election gets almost overwhelming. We are treated to taunts from leftists and bitter Republicans dancing on the grave of MAGA folks. Lists are being made of Trump supporters so we can be hunted and oppressed for our views. It can seem very dark sometimes. In these dark times it is good to remember that God is always, and has always been, in control. No matter what mankind does, we will never be able to stop God’s perfect plan. His plan has always been for everyone to have the opportunity to open their hearts to His spirit and love Him. Jesus said: “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength” (Luke 10:27). Not everyone will. Most will take the wide path that leads to destruction rather than the narrow path that leads to life. The point is, God ensures we get a choice. But what about the part of the Lord’s prayer where Jesus said to say: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, o

  Oh, praise the name of Jesus forever. Praise His name in good times and bad, when the sun shines and when it storms. For He is the Rock we can build upon; He is the strength we need. People will always disappoint you no matter how much they love you, but Jesus is ever faithful and will never forsake you. Satan will try to tell you Jesus does not care, that Jesus has turned from you, that Jesus never loved you. Those are lies from the father of lies. Jesus came to save mankind through His sacrifice on the cross because He loves us. Why would He do that and then turn His back on those He loved so much? Jesus continues to shower His grace, mercy and love every second of every day to those who lift up their faces and soften their hearts to Him. Miracles do happen and will continue to happen, but often the biggest miracle is the comfort and serenity of a contented heart. Find your rest in the Good Shepherd. Find your peace in Jesus. Praise His name!

  How a God, if there is a God, can allow evil or, at the very least, bad things, to exist has been a sticking point for some people for centuries. In many cultures, this issue was dealt with through a pantheon of gods who were very similar to humans – just with greater powers. But with the advent of Judaism and, eventually, Christianity, people were being presented with an omnipotent and omniscient God, who created the cosmos as well as life on Earth yet, at the same time, allows evil to exist in the world. How could this be? After all, is it not a blatant inconsistency for an all good God to have any evil, anywhere, at all? If the argument is made from the Bible, then its legitimacy, along with the very validity of God, has to be established. This essay will describe some of the philosophical issues of evil vis-à-vis God as well as dealing with whether God is and if the Bible is to be relied upon. Evil can be broken down into two parts, as John Hick explains, moral evil or wickedness

  Jesus tells us to build our homes on the rock and not on the sand. The rock, of course, is Jesus Himself.  This is confirmed in a later conversation Jesus had with Simon Peter. In answer to Jesus's question of who do you say I am, Peter says: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus then blesses Peter for speaking what His Father in Heaven has impressed him with (taken from Matthew 16:15-18 ). Then Jesus says something that has been misunderstood by so many people. " And I also say to you that you are  Peter, and upon this  rock I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18) Many people look at this quickly and think that Jesus is saying Peter is his heir apparent and Peter will be responsible for building the church. As we can see in the Book of Acts, Peter is very important in the early church, he is not the leader. That honor falls to James, a brother of Jesus, as we can see from Acts 15.  In Matthew 16:18 there are two distinct points here and the E