Eternity is a Long Time

  If you want to talk about the depravity of man (and woman) we can go on for hours, days, weeks. "All have sinned and fallen short of God." “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way." It is amazing how terrible we can be to our fellow human beings. Just when you come across what you think is something unbelievably horrible, you learn of something even worse. If Jesus hadn't died on the cross and rose that third day, we would have no hope at all since humanity cannot save itself.

  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 wicked...

Oh, for a peak into eternity. To see the heavenly hosts who are around us yet not visible. My late mother-in-law told my wife about the angels just before she died. She said they were very nice angels and she wasn't afraid of them at all. My wife regrets not asking more questions about what they looked like and what they were doing. She just wanted to make sure her Mom was comforted - which she was. Angels are around us all the time - both good ones and evil. The more we lean on Jesus, the more the evil angels (devils or demons) are forced to stay away. However, if we indulge in sin, they are right there encouraging us.

  A friend of mine said something I never expected to hear. He said he was very fearful of our current social situation. This is from a man who has always been rock solid. He's also a believer. But he seems to have forgotten that Jesus told us many times that trouble will happen. We are to cling to the rock and we'll be safe. He (Jesus) also said not to fear since He has overcome this world. He said this before He went to the cross. Of course, to God, time isn't the same as it is to us. Evil will seem to be winning and the pace of evil may seem to be increasing as we get closer to the 2nd coming of our Savior. But, as the old saying goes, "It's always darkest before the dawn". Jesus will come. Evil will perish. What is depicted in Revelation chapters 19-22 will happen. Do not let your heart be troubled.