Are floods, tornados, tsunamis, the economy, terrorism, political corruption, etc. sings of the end?
YES, there is no doubt we have seen an increase in these things occurring. In Matthew 24:3-31 Jesus warned that there will be an increase in these events as his Second Coming draws near. Luke 17 also gives some details about this as well. Luke 17:20 "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:" and verse 26-30 "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."
What we can know from these passages is that we are in the last days; the number and intensity of are floods, tornados, tsunamis, the economy, terrorism, political corruption, etc.; will continue until Jesus Christ returns as prophesized.
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Is homosexuality ok?
NO, The Bible is very clear that homosexuality is not ok, never was ok, and will never be approved of God. In Genesis 1:27-28 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." God explains his original plan in creating man and woman was to have a intimate relationship with each other and to procreate the earth. He also stated that this relationship between a man and a woman was to be reserved for marriage. Genesis 2:24 "therefore doth a man leave his father and his mother, and hath cleaved unto his wife, and they have become one flesh."
To enter into a relationship other than what God designed is sin; God's word repeatedly condemns same-sex behavior, either between two men or two women. It delivers a consistent message from Genesis to Jude. Romans 1:26-27: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." 1 Timothy 1:9-10 "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." 1 Corithians 6:9-11 "have ye not known that the unrighteous the reign of God shall not inherit? be not led astray; neither whoremongers, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, the reign of God shall inherit. And certain of you were these! but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were declared righteous, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God." There is hope for the homosexual and that hope is in Christ alone!
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Can marriages be fixed?
YES, most couples who choose to divorce have lost hope in the viability of their union. Or, at least one of the partners feels profoundly discouraged. However, only for few couples the termination of the marriage is inevitable. For most unhappy marriages, with time and some help, the prospects are bright. Ephesians 5:20-25 "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"
God’s Word describes the marriage as a picture of Christ’s relationship to the church. If you marriage is not good please first examine yourself. Are you saved? In order to fulfill the roles of marriage the way God intended for us to we must first understand God’s love our self.
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What about kids that are out of control?
Such disgraceful behavior in young children predicts serious problems later in life. As adolescents they are more likely to drop out of school, use drugs, engage in delinquency and be clinically depressed. And when I read newspaper articles about road rage, commuter rage and office rage it seems to me that many out-of-control children are growing up to be out-of-control adults.
Why are there so many out-of-control children today? Many explanations have been proposed: high-sugar diets, environmental toxins, allergies, television, psychiatric disorders. In considering these theories, it is useful to note that the rise in outrageous child behavior is largely an American phenomenon.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
The Bible warns us that one of the markers of the last days will be Children being disobedient to Parents. Romans 1:30 "Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,"
God takes disobedient children very seriously; under the Old Testament law a disobedient child could be executed. Colossians 3:20 "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord."
The Bible tells Children to obey their parents. Parents play an important role in this process as well. God uses the family until to teach children obedience so when they are adults they will have the right attitude towards authority and not turn into a disobedient adult.
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Is Hell real?
YES, the answer to this question rests in the authority of the Scripture, because the Bible certainly teaches us of a very real and very terrible place created for the Devil and his Angels. The fact of the reality of Hell is taught throughout the Bible in innumerable passages. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself probably had more to say about it than anyone else. He was a teacher with the most impressive credentials--a sinless life, a miraculous ministry, and an empty tomb that could not hold Him. Christ is often spoken of as "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild," but that label hardly fits with the language we find in Mark chapter nine as He affirms the fact and reality of Hell. We read these strong statements:
Mark 9:43-48 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
In another passage Christ calls the Scribes and Pharisees a "generation of vipers," and warns them, Matt. 23:33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Those are pretty strong words from the Lord Jesus. He laid it on the line. He told it like it is.
When someone questions the fact and reality of Hell, he's actually questioning the authority of the Bible, and the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Christian faith is all tied up together, and when it is attacked at one point, it becomes vulnerable at all. It holds together beautifully.
If Christ is the Son of God, and if He came into time from eternity, and came into the world from Heaven and died and rose again from the dead, then anything He ever said on any subject is worth hearing and ought to be heeded. And is really to be received without question. So people who have problems with the fact and reality of Hell sometimes do not realize that their real problem is with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and who He is and why He came to the world.
There have arisen some among evangelical Christians who argue that these traditional views are founded on early Greek philosophy and that the biblical texts are capable of an alternative interpretation.
There are two texts of Scripture that suggest to me that Hell involves everlasting punishment. Matthew 25:46 "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." sums up the judgment on the "sheep and goats" with the words. Whatever we say about the duration of "eternal" life for believers must be said about "eternal" punishment for unbelievers. Since "life" for believers is everlasting John 10:28 "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.", so must be the punishment for unbelievers.
In a second text, Revelation 20:10, John describes those in the "lake of fire" being "tormented day and night forever and ever." The expression day and night is used in Revelation to express the concept of "forever." The lake of fire is described in Revelation 19:20 as a place that "burns with brimstone." In the saddest verse in the Bible, John declares that anyone whose name is not written in the book of life is "thrown into the lake of fire" Revelation 20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
The doctrine of eternal punishment for those who have rejected Christ appears to be thoroughly biblical. This is not an easy teaching or one that brings us joy. But the unpleasantness of a doctrine should not cause us to deny biblical truth.
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Am I good enough to go to heaven?
NO, of all the questions you will ask yourself in life, probably the most important is, "Am I good enough to go to Heaven?" No one is good enough to warrant going to heaven. The Bible makes this very clear. Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." This means that all the good works we could possibly do would be only filthy rags in God’s Sight. Consider Psalms 39:5-6 "Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them."
This is why Jesus Christ had to die for our sins. Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Because God is holy sin must be judged, Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." So Jesus who was sinless died in your place. So you can be saved from eternal damnation in hell through the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ! Please pray and ask Jesus to save you today Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." But if we ask Jesus to come live inside of us and live His life through us then we get to go to heaven and be with him for all eternity.
If you have not asked Jesus to save you from you sins please consider the following prayer:
"Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
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