Gospel Explained

Genesis Chapter 3 A criminal mastermind: “The Serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field.” Verse 1 A robbery target: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said “ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Verse 3 Agreeing with the criminal and carrying out his plan: “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Verse 5 Committing the crime: “She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Verse 6 Feeling of Guilt and trying to hide: “ I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself” Verse 10 Being Discovered: “Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? ” Verse 11 Blaming someone else: “…she gave me of the tree and I did eat” Verse 12 That person blaming another: “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” Verse 13 Sentence Passed: The ...

We are often hearing the point of view of those who despise so-called Fundamentalist Christians, after all they assume that Christians do not think as deeply as they do. We often hear the worn phrases like intolerant Fundos who take the Bible literally, who don't believe in Evolution, and who hate the sin but love the sinner. Very rarely do we hear the phrase Rampant Atheist or Runaway Agnostic used by Christians. Atheists and Agnostics are actually the most interfering people on earth, they think they have a mission to endlessly debate with Christians who they think have blindly believed in Creation. What business is it of theirs? They might spend their time more profitably dealing with their own hypocrisies than what other people believe. Their one desire is to drag Christians down to their level, little wonder the Saviour whom the Christian believes in is described as: "Despised and rejected of men" Isaiah 53 verse 3. Yet "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity ...

When pressed on this point many say there’s a little bit of truth in every religion and there are as many paths to God as there are people. If this is so we are all free to follow any religion we like and even make one of our own if that appeals to us. Perfect freedom to express and do what we like as long as we are not hurting other people. It sounds like a good principle after all it’s always other people that are in the wrong and the world would be a better place if everybody was like us. There is a way which seemeth right to unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 14:12. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 16:25. The Lord Jesus Christ speaks of Himself as the Way, the Truth and the Life. John 14:6. The warning is repeated in the book of Proverbs. There are many ways that lead to death but only one Way that leads to Eternal Life. So the answer is not found in religion and an endless search for “m...

You’re lucky to be alive. You’d better buy a lottery ticket. To examine the reasoning behind such statements would require a lot of discussion. The concept of luck is believed on in many cultures and has the idea of fate or that life is some sort of gambling issue. The other school of reasoning is that the more you own the more you have been blessed and the more important that you are. The beggar dies and so does the wealthy and powerful. Some live in huge houses, drive expensive cars, eat the finest food, wear the finest clothes and enjoy the best of health. Others are starving, have no homes, no clean water and contaminated food, cannot wash themselves properly through lack of water and are constantly plagued by disease. The vail is drawn back on the eternal state of two men by the Lord Jesus Christ as he taught on this scene of time nearly 2000 years ago. One a rich man one a beggar. It is found in Luke's Gospel towards the end of chapter 16. The beggar could only be laid at th...

Many people fear being involved in a cult. Cults are often characterised by having a "powerful" leader although they may be insecure within themselves. Certain rules are made and members often appear brainwashed and never see the obvious faults of their leader. Many cult leaders have taken advantage of people at a time of emotional weakness and have lived lives of luxury at the expense of those that have become brainwashed. A cult can often take on a religious character with a leader being able to quote from the Bible and seek a blind obedience from their followers using quotations from the Bible to rule through fear. The Bible clearly demonstrates the flaws and weaknesses in humanity. Its pages direct all of us Heavenward and warn us of the correct path and enjoin the reader, or hearer through preaching, to take the course that God Himself has provided. For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have e...

In business life the word accountability is often used. Ultimately it seems that accountability, once it has passed through the various ranks of control, is to the shareholders. Shareholders could be a group of people ranging from the casual investor to the hardened professional who has a "nose" for the market. When accountability is required often excuses such as "the market was in a slump", "there is a slowing in consumer spending", "the bottom has dropped out of the market", "we're in a negative growth phase" and even "the increase in oil prices has slowed demand" are used. Fuzzy language is often used to avoid the responsibility for lack of "performance". "The demographics are moving against us" was a phrase used by a candidate to explain his election loss. It might surprise the reader to find that in the sphere of dealings with the Creator the God of Heaven there is an unmistakably clear system rel...

On more than one occasion Luke’s Gospel talks about finding something or someone that is lost. The ‘prodigal’ son is one of the best known examples of one that was lost and ‘now is found’. Chapter 10 of Luke’s Gospel from verse 30 to verse 37 contains the story of a man who was set upon by thieves and left in a half dead condition but was later attended to by a Samaritan who restored all that he had lost. The same Gospel also tells of a thief who is dying on a cross yet knows enough to call upon the Blessed One on the cross next to Him. Surely he recognizes his soul’s Saviour as the Son of God. He calls Him Lord. “Lord, remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom.” Luke 23 verse 42. Although he is a thief being punished by death for his crimes he is not concerned with the harshness of his penalty or social justice, but he is more concerned that he is soon to meet his maker and he does not wish to miss out on being among the elect of God. He is physically close to the Saviour and als...

Medical research concentrates heavily on a cure for cancer. One of the existing methods is to destroy the bad cells and to try to destroy as few good cells as possible in the process. It seems that the progress of the disease can on occasions be halted but it can never be guaranteed not to return, always an uncertainty. The experience of many who are diagnosed with this illness is a continual hope that a cure will be found or that the disease can be treated successfully. Yet a possibility also exists that the disease may be what ends their life. In remission. A phrase often used for relief from the symptoms of the disease or a reduction in its severity- it is there but no longer felt. The principle of sin in our lives is often keenly felt, but at other times our reaction to it is absent so that we, like the leper who has no sense of feeling, can commit sin without feeling grieved and may even be unaware that we have sinned. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, ...

It is not a question of whether God exists that is in people’s minds more than the thought that secretly lies in our hearts- why doesn’t He do things the way I would like Him to do them? Almost the first objection to the existence of God is the question why is there so much suffering in the world? If he existed he would stop it. Balanced with this question is what happens when God does intervene. Wickedness existed before the flood and God intervened. The ark was built as a testimony against this wickedness: “And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted His way upon the earth.” Genesis 6:12. The very reason why there are so many languages upon the earth was because men had imagined that they could build a tower that reached into heaven “…let us go down and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” Genesis 11:7, man’s interests again conflicted with the God of Heaven. Again “the Lord rained upon Sodom and...

Sport In the land of Australia we love our sport and our sportsmen and women. They receive the highest praise for their achievements. No one would deny the hard work and dedication that is needed as well as exceptional skill displayed. In the book of Judges the Scriptures of Truth mention the word sport in relation to ridicule. The strongest man ever was named Samson. His enemies the Philistines brought about his downfall through the woman Delilah. It seemed that he was defeated when they had performed the unspeakably cruel act of “putting out his eyes” as the Authorised or King James Version of the Bible tells us. In the sixteenth chapter of Judges and verse 25 the Scriptures say “call for Samson that he may make us sport”. So great was his sorrow that he wanted to “die with the Philistines” and this he did. “So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life”. The Philistines died enjoying their “sport”. It seems dear reader that we, like the Phili...

The Right Way With so many religions in the world the casual observer wonders what is right or whether to avoid religion altogether, after all religion has caused so many wars. But is this true? World War 2 was territorial, the German dictator was not trying to further his religion unless it was a secret plot by the catholic church, Vietnam was territorial, WW1 was also a territorial dispute. The Korean war was political, the Gulf War one and two were for reasons which may never be truthfully revealed. Arab Israeli wars are territorial. Northern Ireland’s problems may stem from the desire to rid their country of the British but outwardly seems to be a Catholic-Protestant Conflict. Crowd violence among Celtic-Rangers soccer matches were claimed to be caused by Catholic Protestant rivalries. So nearly all wars are caused by territorial disputes. But look at the way religious people behave, public executions of adulterous women in soccer stadiums, people blowing themselves up believing th...