Did Christ Die for all Men or Only His elect?

Did Christ Die for all Men or Only His elect?

The following is a written response to a brother with the following question about limited atonement (that Christ died only for the elect):
Could you please clarify the extent of the atonement, limited versus unlimited? Isn't limited atonement wrong and doesn't the Bible plainly teach unlimited atonement (that Christ died for the sins of all people in the world)?

This is a very good question and has remained an issue between believers through many centuries.
Many people popularly call themselves "four-point" Calvinists because they find the idea of a limited atonement loathsome, or believe somehow that the Bible does not teach it. What is meant by a four-point Calvinist? It is generally understood to mean that an individual claims to believe in total depravity, unconditional election, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints but not limited atonement (dropping the "L" in limited atonement) in TULIP (TU-IP). What is interesting about this, however, is that everyone involved actually believes in a limited atonement since we can all agree that Christ did not actually redeem everyone who ever lived. There will be some who end up in the lake of fire according to both positions. The question, therefore, is not whether there is a "limit" to the extent of the atonement, but rather, what is the nature of the limit and who limits it? Is it limited by God's choice and design or by free human choices? Did God, from eternity, sovereignly determine to whom He would apply the benefits of the atonement, or did God leave it to man's will? This is why I generally like to call my position "particular redemption" rather than limited atonement since both sides ultimately limit the application of the atonement.
If you ask one of these brothers or sisters, "for whom did Christ die?" they will generally answer something like this: "the Bible plainly teaches that Christ's death and His work of redemption was not only sufficient for the entire world, but that He actually died for the sins of all the world." They will back their position with this verse from 1 John 2:2 - "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." ...as well as John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (And leave it there as if this settles the argument).
Unfortunately this view leaves an island of righteousness in man to be able to believe the Gospel without the aid of the regenerating grace which Christ purchased on the cross. It follows that those who hold to an general atonement believe the one sin for which Christ did not die is rejection of His person and work (they will cite John 3:18,36). [Some readers have claimed that I am setting up a straw man here but this is actually the position (word for word) currently being taught by such institutions as Dallas Theological Seminary. Anyone wishing to take issue with me here I have evidence of this and will gladly provide it upon request.] So if, as they claim, that Christ did not die for our unbelief, then who did?
What many are, in fact, teaching is that Christ did not die for ALL THE SINS of the whole world, since they have excluded the sin of unbelief. In other words they claim that Christ died for our breaking of the 2nd through 10th commandments in the decalogue but not the first commandment. So, the obvious question to answer here is "who, then, dies for our sin of unbelief?" Do we atone for it ourselves? Does God overlook our former unbelief because the sincerity of our newly found faith makes up for our previous unbelief? Does the atonement for sins of unbelief kick in only after we unlock the door by "accepting Jesus into our hearts?" It is my contention that Christ died for all our sins including the sin of unbelief. If you agree with me yet believe in a universal atonement then why are there still people in hell? If all men's unbelief has been paid for then then all sin has been forgiven - there is nothing left to forgive and we would then have universalism. But 1 John 3:23 teaches "And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ." To disobey this command is a sin, and the greatest sin of all I might add. A question to ask yourself is did Christ pay for this sin or not?
It is not quite apparent to me why the text of John 3:16 should be an argument against limited atonement. The passage does not say Jesus died for everyone, but only that the Father gave his Son for ALL THOSE WHO WOULD BELIEVE. It says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES in HIM shall not perish but have eternal life." Right? Don't we all believe this? That is why the consistent biblical Calvinists, when presenting the gospel to unbelievers, simply teach that Christ died for "all who would believe", which is actually closer to the meaning of this text than the erroneous position that He died for all in a general kind of way, and yet for no individual in particular. Instead, we believe that the benefits of the atonement will apply only to who will be believers, so he did not die for any person who would remain steadfast in their unbelief. So I would argue that John 3:16 actually supports the definite atonement position better than the indefinite position. They are reading into the text that Christ's death only potentially will save someone if they believe without the help and grace of the cross to do so. So in actuality, Christ died for no one in particular this scheme. His affection was only cast forth in a general impersonal kind of way rather then actually coming for His people who He set his affection on from eternity.
In fact, this teaching comes full circle and devastates all of the other doctrines of grace. Although claiming to believe in Total Depravity, the teaching of the so-called four-point Calvinists is really that man still has the moral ability to turn to God on his own without regenerating grace (a grace purchased on the cross) effectively destroying total depravity, even though the Bible plainly teaches that no one seeks God unless first born again (1 John 5:1; John 6:37, 39, 44, 63-65; Rom 3:11. 1 Cor 2:14, John 1:13; John 3). That is to say, natural fallen man has the ability and desire (in some cases) to believe in Christ without regenerating grace. It is teaching a "conditional" election since it depends completely on God's foreknowledge of whether or not we will have faith, even though the Bible plainly teaches that election is not conditioned on something God sees in us and that faith is a divine gift (Eph 2:5-8). So in effect WE end up choosing God with our autonomous free will in this scheme, not the other way around. Those who deny limited atonement are also surreptitiously semi-pelagian in all the other doctrines of grace as well. Salvation becomes the work of man, rather than a monergistic divine work of grace. Some may argue that God's grace works together with man, but the problem with this is that it still leaves the final decision for salvation in the hands of man. Faith, apart from Christ's work on the cross, precedes saving grace in this view, contrary to everything the Bible teaches (ROM 9:16; John 1:13). God's grace would take us part of the way to salvation leaving man's will to make the final decision. So, according to those who claim that the atonement is unlimited (indefinite) there is no divine election in the final analysis, but only humans electing God even though we all know that it is God that chooses us (John 15:16).
The biblical teaching is that God, before the foundation of the world in His eternal counsels, knew and determined to whom He would apply the benefits of the atonement? (2 Timothy 1 9, Titus 1:2; Eph 1:4,5)
"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day." John 6:39 (emphasis mine)
What does "that of all He has given Me I lose nothing" mean except that God, in His eternal councils had already determined who would be written in the book of life and that Jesus Christ came to earth in time to carry out their eternal redemption. Is Jesus' purpose not in sync with God the Fathers' and God the Holy Spirits'? God the Father elects certain individuals and the Holy Spirit regenerates them. Does the Son have a different redemptive agenda? No, the three Persons of the Trinity are always consistent with one another. If you believe in election, which you do unless you have torn out almost every page of your Bible, then you must believe that that Christ came to redeem His elect, and the Holy Spirit applied the benefits of the atonement only on those the Father had "given" Christ. It means that He will infallibly bring His own into His eternal kingdom. I hear someone say "but that's not fair" ... does God owe you anything my friend? Is He your debtor? The only debt He owes you is His just wrath. His choosing of you is an act of His mercy, an act of His divine good pleasure (Eph 1:4,5).
Before we get to 1 John 2:2 lets familiarize ourselves with some other biblical texts on this crucial issue:
First Take a look at these passages of Scripture:

"Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." Revelation 5:9 (emphasis mine)
my comment: did Christ redeem everybody by His blood in this passage? the entire world or a limited number? Doesn't it say that He purchased men FROM every tribe???
"...and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." Heb 9:12
my comment: was everybody's redemption eternal? through His blood He obtained eternal redemption - for whom? all men? then why aren't they all saved? If all men's redemption is eternal then we must become universalists.
"...who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." Titus 2:14
My question: IN this passage did Christ redeem all men from iniquity or just some? the second half of the verse also narrows the redemption to a particular people, not all people.
v.5 "...But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.... v. 8 He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? v.11... By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. v.12 ...Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:5,8,11-12
my comment: Are the sins of the whole world "healed" by Christ's scourging in this passage? If they are, then why isn't everyone saved? What meaning does healing have then if it is unlimited? Are the words "my people" referring to all mankind or the many whom He would justify that the Father had "given" Him? (see John 17:9) Since He "bore the sin of many" this certainly is not including the reprobate but a particular people purchased out of the world.
Now we come to the famous text that our "four-point" brothers put all their weight upon as teaching an unlimited atonement:
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2

At first glance I must admit that this appears to be a pretty good text to back up their argument but upon closer examination, it falls apart. The problem is that if the four-pointers read this verse the way they intend to then we must also conclude that the whole world's sins have already been atoned for (believers and unbelievers) and thus all will be saved (universalism). If Christ is a propitiation or atonement for all men's sins, paying for all sins ever committed, then why isn't everyone in the whole world saved???? So the verse actually proves to much. The verse simply means, (and there is no doubt this is what Paul meant), Christ did not die for every person without exception but every person without distinction. . All kinds of people everywhere, is what is meant. We see this elsewhere when the Scriptures say, Christ "purchased for God with [His] blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." (Revelation 5:9). Many will argue that He didn't die for our unbelief, which I believe I thoroughly discredited in my argument above. John is speaking, rather, of sins for people throughout the whole world, not each and every person's sins. There are too many problems with saying that the text includes all men (believers and unbelievers) and, as I have shown, this leads to an unbiblical universalism. Saying Christ died for the sins of the whole world is similar in the use of language in many other passages in Scripture such as Mark 1:5 which says, "And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem." If you think the "all in this passage means every single person without exception, you have missed the point, it means large numbers of people; all persons without distinction, but not all persons without exception.
Christ died for all of the sins of His elect, including their previous sin of unbelief. Belief in the Gospel does not make up for our previous sin of unbelief. Belief (faith) is the witness that God has already wrought grace in our hearts, the inevitable response to His work of regeneration in our souls. (John 3:21) Christ clearly came to lay down His life for His sheep (John 10:11) and some people are not his sheep: "...but you do not believe because you are not my sheep." (John 10:26) Jesus prayed for His own but he would not pray for those the Father had NOT given him: "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours." Emphasis mine (John 17:9).
This teaching does have great practical value; specifically that our prayers for the lost will be effectual. As we go out to do missions, to reach the lost, we can have confidence that we go not in vain but that we carry with us the Word of God which has the power to raise the dead to life. We don't just go in the hope that maybe someone will be saved; or that Christ died for no one in particular. But rather that He died for a particular people to make them His own. If my hope was based solely on whether someone would respond to the Gospel message by their own free will then I would despair because no one would respond (ROM 3:11. 1 Cor 2:14)... but because God has an eternal plan, a bride he has chosen for His Son, I can rejoice in the knowledge that God's word proclaimed will effectually bring home those whom he delivers the inward call. (ROM 8:28-30)
Finally, remember that it is not a question of whether or not Christ's redemption was able to cleanse the sins of all men, as we know it clearly could have if this is what He so desired. The question is what does the Bible teach about the divine intent with regard to the atonement, which I hope this short paper has answered.
Soli Deo Gloria
John Hendryx
P.S. Historically many of the greatest minds the church has produced were 5 pointers, not four. Some of the more well known ones were Jonathan Edwards, C.H. Spurgeon, A.A. Hodge, Charles Hodge, John Owen, John Calvin, George Whitfield, Thomas Goodwin and more recently, J.I. Packer, R.C Sproul, John Piper, Iain Murray, Michael Horton, James Boice and John Murray

Further Studies:
A QUEST FOR GODLINESS The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J. I. Packer
2 Peter 2:1 and Universal Redemption By Simon Escobedo III Must Read!
Definite Atonement by R. Scott Clark
Limited Atonement by Loraine Boettner
12 Examples from Spurgeon on Particular Redemption compiled by Colin Maxwell
Christ's Limited Atonement by Charles Spurgeon
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen (Book)

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Our Identity

In the end, our identity is so much richer than just what we do for eight hours a day. We all have significant relationships, things we're passionate about and unique personality traits that can't be encompassed by a job. More than that, whether we're picking up garbage or sitting in a cubicle, our identity is found in Christ. - Relevant Magazine

What do you think about free will?

Contributors Erik Raymond 
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FREE-WILL?
March 3, 2015
1 Comments599
We have all endured those awkward, uncomfortable moments of a Bible study or small group where no one was willing to talk—except perhaps the leader. It is tough isn't it? Here is a suggestion next time to get things rolling: ask, "What does you guys think about free-will?" This is pretty much a guarantee to get things moving.

I recently walked through Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther. Its logic is only superseded by its sarcasm. Luther is flat-out giving it to Erasmus for his view of the freedom of the will. In the midst of the interaction with his position Luther states that he does not like the term "free-will" very much. In fact, he notes, it is misleading. Instead, Luther suggests that we replace the term with "love".

Think with me for a second. Since God is the greatest good then the greatest good we could do, or the greatest response to him is to love him. Of course, this is the right response to God. When we talk about our wills choosing God then we have to be talking about loving him (obviously, when someone is said to choose God by their free-will they are not saying they are hating him). In short then, the fullest and most pure exercise of our wills would be to choose to love God.

Now, what is the summary of the Law?

""Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:36-37)

I am sure that you can see the rub here. If you hold to the free-will of man in salvation then you are saying that you hold to free-love of man. And what is this love but the fulfillment of the great commandment of the law? One may say that they have the free-will to choose God and are then justified by faith. However, it appears what they are actually saying is that they have the free-will to love God and at some level their law-keeping (loving God) plays a part in their conversion. Now, I don't think that most people who believe in free-will mean this when they say it. However, the path of free will is not a path that is wholly paved by grace; there, at some point is some working on the part of man. He stands on an island of self-soveriegnty, an embassy of anthropological freedom where he has the first and final call on who and what he chooses. God, the gracious God, stands by, looking on as he is freely chosen by man. Man either has free will and is not utterly dependent upon the grace and mercy of God or he is depraved and wholly dependent upon such grace and mercy. It is either or; it cannot be both.

This deduction got Luther, and others, quite exercised. There is not one speck of God's creation that he is not sovereign over. Further, there is not one ounce of our humanity that is not radically affected by sin (Rom. 3:9-18, 23; Eph. 2:1-4; Col 1:21; Titus 3:3; etc). Far from being free our wills are bound by sin. We are enslaved to it and unable to liberate ourselves from this state.

But God in Christ sets the captives free. He arrests us by grace, opens eyes to see his beauty, behold his grace, and even love him. But note, the one who initiates this is not the sinner, it is the Savior (Eph. 2:4-10; 1 Pet. 1:3-5). God is the one who acts upon the unregenerate man or woman to make them alive. They neither come kicking and screaming to the kingdom of God nor pounding on the doors of heaven, they come by grace and all of grace, chosen by God and for God (Jn. 1:10-13).

This life-giving grace is also liberating grace! And this will also get your small group talking.

Copyright ©2015 The Gospel Coalition, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Great Commission

"Wonder why your church may not be prospering?  Maybe because you haven't followed the directions.  Fulfill the Great Commission.  Go and make disciples.  Sure, you have to evangelize to do that.  Go and evangelize, then bring them into the church and train them to be disciples that can go out and do evangelizing better.  Fulfill the Great Commission.  Don't change your church service into a seeker service so everyone can come in and feel comfortable.  Frankly, non-Christians shouldn't feel comfortable in a church because they aren't right with God yet; and if they are, it's probably because we've changed the message." 

Loving God

What does it mean to love God?
Jesus, who was God in the flesh, said If you love me you will keep my commandments.

Thoughts taken from Soul Keeping by John Ortberg

I was thinking recently about Psalm 23 and restoring of the soul. Have you ever been so tired and worn out that all you can think if is rest? I think we all have and I can tell you that only the peace of God can cure,a restless soul. We are like sheep in many ways. We need still waters, green pastures,and to lie down as it states in Psalm 23. Paul Simon in his song American Tune says it better, 'Im just weary in my bones.', The kind of tired and restlessness that only the peace of God can cure. Only the peace that passes all understanding can cure the restless soul.  And we dont want to rest most of the time even though it is the very thing that we need. God knows what we need before we even ask. . In America today it is too easy to get too busy in life and forget to rest and take care of the most important part of you. There are so many distractions, social media, entertainment, that are crying out for our attention.  There are a lot of souls out there needing rest. A lot of damaged souls that need healing.  We who have been redeemed and have been promised this peace need to share it with others.  We need to do what we can to help others.  Let the grace that we have been given flow through us into others

Thoughts on Life

Did you ever wonder when you really want something to happen and you pray about it and put a lot of time and energy into it and then it doesen't happen? How did you feel? Disapointed, frustrated, and upset? Did you stop to wonder maybe God has something else planned for you? Something better and far beyond you could even imagine.  You may be saying no to a good thing to say yes to the best thing. But you wouldn't know that if you are still clinging onto that old dream or idea.  Selfishly saying my way is best or bragging that you know more than the creator of the universe.  The truth is, God is still sovereign and on the throne regardless of how you are feeling at this point in time. If you are truly seeking His will and not your own desires you can "Be still and know that I am God." Our finite and fallen minds can not comprehend beyond the human limits of time and space. God exists without these limits. He is the great I AM.  Trusting Him for my future is the best choice to make. Regardless of feelings and circumstances God is still sovereign and in control. We will still feel disappointment and discouragement? Yes, even as followers of Christ in this fallen world with our limited, myopic vision we will feel these things. But, as Gods word says "Take heart, I have overcome the world."

Out of the comfort zone

How many times have we got used to a routine, a way of doing things, a comfort zone, that we do things without even thinking?  God has been working on me lately to tell me to drop the facade and get real, which is way out of my comfort zone.  I would encourage you to lay down your pride and get real with others.  They may need your help just as much or more than you need them. Strike up a conversation with a stranger, ask what's on someone's mind, ask what can I do to help?  Often times it's just showing up that matters, or just to know that someone even cares to ask.  Many people are hurt, suspicious, and tentative when someone wants to help.  They may have been hurt or taken advantage of in the past. You have to look through the pain to see what the real need is, and help.  That's what Jesus did in serving others. And if we are going to follow Him, we need to do what He did. He saw past the pain in other's eyes and got to the heart of the matter, which actually is the heart.  The heart that is desperately wicked and in need of Jesus.

Thoughts on Fear

These are some of my thoughts on hopefully an upcoming ebook about fear. 

I would welcome any comments or suggestions.  

I am considering this an ongoing evolving and changing project.
If you stop back you will hopefully see that there are additions, edits, and changes made.
Slowly this blog post is growing into something much bigger than itself.  I am humbled and honored to share my thoughts with you. Formating and organizing my thoughts.
Thank you for reading.

NIV - New International Version
CJB - Complete Jewish Bible 

What would it look like to lead a fearless life? I am not talking about jumping out of airplanes or climbing mountains, unless that is what you are called to do, but living your life everyday without fear crippling your decisions and holding you back? -I am talking about going through your day without being held back by fear. What would it look like to totally trust God to take away any fear you may have while going through your daily life?

I have written this book not only for my readers, but for myself as well.  I need to be reminded of God's promises everyday.

One of the first incidents of fear in the Bible is Adam, who said "I hid because I was afraid." Why was he afraid?
He had sinned and the guilt from his sin he knew God would be angry. God asks "Where are you?" Of course God knew where he was physically, but I think He was asking where are you in your thinking? Why did you do this? God already knew what Adam and Eve had done. This is the typical response in the fallen human about sin, we try to hid and are afraid of being found out.


Chapters
Unhealthy fears
Many people have unhealthy fears often called phobias.  There are an unlimited number of items that people can have, including insects, dust, and any other item known to man.  These can be limiting and if you suffer from any of these I would suggest getting professional help.  There is no shame in getting good Christian counseling and support when needed.
Fear of other peoples opinions
Fear of the future
Fear of Gods judgement
Fear of trusting others
Healthy fears
Fear of God
Respect of natural consequences such as gravity
Justice or weather (rain,falls on,the just and the unjust) There are consequences even from confessed sin.
God will forgive us of any sin, but we still may need to live with the consequences in this world. A person who jumps from the roof of a 20 story building will most likely die, whether a believer or not, unless God intervenes. This is the law of gravity.  It may rain on a day you have a scheduled outside activity.

Fear of other peoples opinions
In his book Never Go Back Dr. Henry Cloud talks about this issue. In the chapter titled " Never again believe that you can please everyone he states -
"The Bible states we are to have one Master and one Master only." He imagines a conversation with God in which He asks why you didn't take a certain opportunity. And the person will say because ________ would have been upset.  Not a good reason.
Sometimes decisions you make will upset other people.  We must please God and not man.  We are not here to serve two masters.
Luke 6:26a " Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you."
Matthew 5:11 in the NIV says "How blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow Me."
If people are saying bad things about you because of your faith, God says you are blessed.  I don't know about you, but I would rather have Gad call me blessed than get a compliment from anyone else.

 Fear of finding God
There is another fear that I call the Fear of finding God
There is an episode in the TV  series Monk, who is if you don't know a highly frightened and obsessive-compulsive detective,  where he meets his brother. Their father had abandoned them as children, and his brother asks the question, 

"You are a detective. Why didn't you ever look for him?

Monk's response, "I'm afraid I might find him."

I believe this fear is keeping many away from seeking God.  Because if they find Him, they will have to admit they are sinful creatures in need of a Savior. They will have to deal with Him.  Some insist God does not exist for this reason.  They don't even want to begin to seek Him.   Many people would rather remain blissfully ignorant and not face the emptiness in their life, feeling it might limit their freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth.   What they don't realize that they are rejecting the very Person that can give then that freedom from the bondage they are in?
Why do we let these fears control us? Especially.when we have the freedom that Christ came to this earth to give us?
Are we really trusting God when we don't move ahead because of some unmerited fear?
Fear of the Future

John Macarthur in his sermon on worry states "You don't see birds carrying around little briefcases of food. God provides for them."  And the Bible says He will provide what we need.  In his book A Beautiful Defeat, Richard Malarkey says " God knows what we need and who we need." He will put people in our path that will help us, and that we can help on our journey in this life.   

And what about trust? Psalm  Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on our own understanding.
This is a verse many of us have heard since we were children.  What does it really mean?
Not to trust in anything in this world.  Our careers, possessions, status, or anything else.  If you have a fear of these things going away, then maybe you need to check what is really first in your life.
Do not fear man but fear God. 

When fear enters our mind we need to put on the full armor of God and resist the source of fear and worry, which is the devil. God has not given us a spirit of fear but freedom.
Richard Malarkey in his book A Beautiful Defeat says "Don't enter the battle without your armor."
You will fighting a battle every day of your time on this earth.  Fighting against the flesh, and you will need to be prepared.  Fighting against the evil one who wants to keep you in fear and bondage.  

When fear turns to worry
When we fear something it controls our mind and we dwell on it. That leads to worry. And what does the Bible say about worry? "Do not worry about what you will eat or drink."
NKJV says God does not give us an "anxious mind."

Fear of God
We should have a healthy fear of God, not in being afraid, but a respect and honor of Him. Many people think a fear of God is being afraid of what He might do to us.  And if you are an un-repented sinner, then I would be afraid of God's wrath in a real sense of His judgement. God is a loving God, but He is also a  just God, and sin will be punished." Vengance is mine"  He will punish un-repentant sinners.
But, this is different than the other fears I am speaking about, another definition of the word.

The fullness of His grace 
I John -  The fullness of His grace has been revealed it is all we need, all satisfaction, all that we need has been revealed in His son to us through His word.  And His grace and forgiveness can relieve the suffering of bondage to sin. You don't have to be a slave anymore. 

Steps to take to stay grounded

Prayer
God wants us to communicate with Him. Even after the fall He wanted to be with Adam and Eve, wanting to fellowship with them. Even asking Adam where he was, but being omnipresent he already knew where he was. Praying to God will help calm any fear.  He promises to give us peace. Be honest about what is going on in your life and how you are feeling.  Are you overwhelmed, tired, frustrated, or needing peace? Prayer is the best place to be.  In God's presence and communicating to Him about your circumstance.  He already knows you better than you know yourself.  He is omnipotent and omniscient.

Read the Bible 
Another way God does speak to us is through His word.  He has given us this written record of what He wants us to know and the history of how He has worked through others. Many people want God to speak to them through some "special revelations." They look for God to speak through signs and wonders. Yet they don't want to read what He has already spoken and given to us as His word.

Fellowship
The evil one, the devil, would like nothing more than to isolate us, just at our most vulnerable time.  He may put thoughts in your mind like," no one else will understand what  you are going through", or" you will appear weak to others."  There are other brothers and sisters in Christ who are willing and able to help.  If you don't know of any, find some.  They are out there, and may be closer than you think. Isolation at this time,  can be a tool for the devil.  I can understand the need to be alone for a time to process thoughts and work through some fears, but only for a time, then seek out good Christian fellowship.

 

Rest
For some reason God created the human body with a need for rest and sleep.  If you are not getting proper sleep it can lead to what psychologists call ( look it up ) I have found that things look different after a good nights sleep and Joy comes in the morning and His blessings are new every morning(.Bible ref.) Sometimes all we need is a new perspective. A simple fix. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to sleep, if I am working on something that I really get involved in, it seems that sleep is an interuption.  Then I have to remind myself that being human requires that I sleep at some point.
Sometimes all we need is a fresh, new perspective.

We shouldn't worry about what other people think
We should be more concerned about what God thinks
Bible verse about fearing man or fearing God
Rest for God's people is very important. "Joy comes in the morning." Things may take on a new perspective in the light of a new day.

Food
God also created the human body with the need for food.  Eating healthy meals and limiting fatty foods is a good step.  A hungry person is easily distracted. Moslow was right about his heirachy of needs, the basic ones being food and shelter.  But when basic needs are taken care of, us humans can get on with the real reason we are here.  To serve God and others.

Fellow Christians
There may be someone in your life that you can talk to, and you may be helping them just as much as they are helping you.  Counseling and just plain communicating can do a world of good, Just knowing there is someone else on this planet that cares is so important.  Also, someone to pray with and for you is important.  "Wherever two or three are gathered in my name." This is more that just fellowship and beyond the "have a good week" conversation that we may have in church.  I mean getting to know someone with all their faults and weakness.
Proverbs ref
God will put others in our path on this earth to help. Never underestimate a listening ear, or a helpful elder Christian who can offer advice. Sometimes even formal counseling, but it may not have to be.  Just a person to come to with questions.

Fear of God's judgement
Let's look at a common fear that a lot of people have.  A fear of God's judgement.  If you are not a follower of Jesus, I can understand why you would be afraid of the Creator of the earth and His judgement.  You are lost in your sins, and have no hope apart from Jesus.  This subject is not very popular in today's churches.  A lot of churches today just have a good moral message with no scripture for a text.  Without Christ we would all be lost and Paul says "miserable men."  If you have questions about this, then I would urge you to contact a local pastor or friend and talk to them.
If you are a Christian, there is no need for a fear of God's judgement.  There are many verses in the Bible that talk about forgiveness of sins. One in the Psalm 103:12 says "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."  And as we all know east and west never meet.  That's pretty far.  That's
true forgiveness.
We used to be "slaves to sin," but we are "no longer slaves to sin." We have freedom in Christ's forgiveness.
Another one of my favorites is Romans 8:37 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."  In the Complete Jewish Bible it is translated as "superconquerors" I like that word because it brings to mind having super powers to defeat sin.  Later on in verses 38 and 39 Paul states several things that can not separate us from the love of Christ. And in fact covers everything when he says in verse 39 "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
We are conquerors over anything that we fear.  Nothing can keep us from that perfect love that casts out fear.

Verses about fear

Matt 11:28  Come to me I will give you rest

This rest also is the absence of fear. You can not rest when you are fearful

II Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. NIV
CJB - not timidity, but of power and self-discipline

Romans 8:15 - For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out "Abba, Father." - NIV   (Adonai, my Lord)

I John 4:18 No fear in love, perfect love casts out fear, fear involves torment, he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  NIV

Luke 12:32 - Do not fear, little flock for it's your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom  - NIV

Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.  NIV
CJB says "everything I feared"

John 14:1 - Let not your heart be troubled.  You believe in God, believe also in me."
Jesus words to His disciples. He would be arrested and crucified, and I'm sure they were frightened and confused.  They needed comfort and peace, and release from fear. Imagine being one of them knowing they would soon be alone in the world, not knowing what would happen.


Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me: He delivered me from all my fears."
 This is a Psalm of David when he was fearing for his life.  He delivered David and the same God will  do the same for us. He understands and has lived on this earth as a human, with all the temptations and emotions that we all feel.
These are the promises of God.

Phillipians 4:7 And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus NKJV We cant understand this peace and we weren't meant to. Its beyond us. Far above us. We just need to accept that fact. And then,in vs. 11 Paul talks about "being content in all circumstances." To be content, satisfied , enough, no matter what is happening in this world. Or in your world. That's what most people are searching for. That is easy to say, but very difficult to live out. Still, God will give us the strength. Even the beatles in there own misguided way said give peace a chance. They wrote songs about it. It was not the same type of peace, but it is an example how everyone is searching for peace.  I JOHN "The fullness of his grace" it's enough . What peace can they have who are not at peace with God ~ Matthew Henry True peace can only come by trusting in God. Many will search for it by many.other paths. Intro Definition of fear Afraid of the dark Fear of the devil  Main problem is either they take the devil too seriously or not serious enough find quote The devil is not a horned red being with a pitchfork. He can be a roaring lion looking to devour Bible ref. Or sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.or Ortberg says in his book Soul Search broken car story Satan is a powerful being but he has already been defeated and he knows his ultimate destination. It has been his goal since the deception in the garden of Eden to take as many people as he can with him. So how do we deal with this evil force? James Resist the devil and he will flee from you.Bible REF. Remember if you are a Christian the Holy Spirit lives inside of you and if we resist the devil he will flee. Its not like the.old Flip Wilson routine the devil made me do it. The devil cant.make you do anything . He can and will tempt you like he tempted Jesus. Bible ref. Its not a matter of if you are tempted but when. If you are alive you will be tempted. But be encouraged Jesus said I have overcome the world Bible ref. The devil has been defeated. Matthew 10:28 Fear God and not man. Fear not I.have overcome the world Bible ref. Chapter on fearing God

Fear can lead to bondage( Romans 8:15) Bondage is slavery that can lead to inaction and worry.  Jesus came to free us from this bondage.  He came with His perfect love to cast out fear (I John 4:18)  Fear involves torment.
Have you met a fearful person or experienced this yourself?  They are a tormented person, It is pervasive.  Everything is a problem to be feared. They are miserable, negative, and you can see it in their face.  It must be a terrible way to go through life, a tormented life.  I don't believe Jesus wants us to live in fear.  That is bondage to sin, and He came to break those bonds.
We dont have to be a slave to sin. Romans 8

What do we really want in life? What are most people searching for? Peace. Peace for a restless soul.  The restless soul can only be calmed by forgiveness from the living God.
These are the promises of God, through the Old and New Testament, the infalble Word of God throughout the ages.  It is dependable, reliable, unchanging, trustworthy, secure and beautiful.
I can rely on God's word and promises because everyone of them is true, and so can you. 
 I rely on God to give me peace and save me from all my fears, and so can you.
I urge you to "taste and see that the Lord is good"( Psalm 34:8)

Trust God

Trust God. That is all. Just Trust God.

Heaven is For Real because of a movie?

I don't doubt it's a good, inspiring movie.  I will
try to explain my issues with this type of book/movie.
I believe the Bible is the infallible, inspired Word of God.
(2 Timothy 3:16)"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."
Everything in life, for me, must be held up to it, to determine
truth. (1 John 4:1) "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

We are commanded not to add or subtract from anything
in the Bible. (Deuteronomy 12:32, Revelation 22:18-19) Proverbs 30:6-
"Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar."
I agree with John Macarthur when he says, "By insisting God is still giving new revelation to Christians today, the Continuationist Movement opens the gates to
confusion and error."  I don't think we need to believe every account of  "visions of heaven" that is told to us, even though they may be sincere.
If this movie had been one child's opinion of heaven without insisting that it actually happened, I would not have the same reaction.  My skepticism is raised because this is presented as
a factual account of heaven.

 Of those few raised from the dead by Jesus, none gave
an account of their experience. If we were to know what had
happened in their experience, it would surely have been
told and written.  1 Cor. 2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
After this statement, John was
given a vision of Heaven, and again told to never change what's been written, so
everything God want us to know about heaven is already there. The Bible is no longer being
written, and it stands complete as is.  Because the Bible is the inspired
word and must not be added to, or subtracted from, we cannot
take the word of every person who now says they saw something
that in any way differs from what God has told us.  Satan is the
great imitator.  We're told throughout scripture to be wary of those
who come in His name, and look genuine, although they are not.
The problem this movie presents, is that it claims to prove that
heaven is real, when the only proof we need is that the Bible says
it's real.  God doesn't need confirmation from an outside source to
be proven right.  From all accounts and reviews, this movie doesn't
present the Gospel, or mention that repentance of sin and belief in Jesus
is the only way to heaven.  Many who seek proof of heaven's existence are
now clamoring to the movies and bookstores to study a someone's account, and
instead of seeking God directly through His Word. The Bible says we are sinners
from birth.   Anything from sinners, therefore is clouded by that sin.  If we
want to know the unclouded truth of Heaven, we need only to seek Him
through is word, and not the added words of a sinner that don't quite
measure up to the inspired word of God.  But don't take my word for it
either, for I am also a sinner.  Hold everything up to the Scriptures to determine truth.

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Billy Graham Turns 95

Billy Graham will be 95 years old in a few days.  Most everyone alive today has heard the name.  Some will say "Isn't he that preacher?" and some will say "I remember seeing him in the 60's or 70's or 80's" and some will say "I don't care."I have never met Mr.
Graham personally, but from everything I have heard and read about him and his organization, I have never heard a hint of scandal or negativity from anyone.  That is probably because he has lived his life to such a standard, no one can even make things up about him. No one that I have heard has ever even hinted of a marriage infidelity.  That is probably because he has made a pact not to even be alone with another woman besides his wife.
I personally have the utmost respect for someone such as Billy Graham, who has devoted his life to serving others, and preaching the salvation message clearly and without apology.  So, Happy 95th Birthday, Billy Graham, and God bless you.

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