Seven Pillars of Christianity-Pillar One-Life Everlasting-Part 1

In a dry and dusty land, a lone man dragged a wooden cross while bystanders laughed.  This snapshot from two thousand years ago reminds us of Jesus Christ and how he shed His blood to become the Savior.  The Son of God died here on earth, so a few people might live forever in heaven.  There is no other fact in the history of the world to compare with the deliberate actions taken by God to provide salvation.  As the creator of everything, He has the power to save us from our second death and provide eternal life.  the Bible says "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ." (Ro 6:23)

God has provided everything needed to rid us of our sin problem if we obey His instructions.  To live with God we need a savior because man does not have the ability to save himself.  We all have a natural fear of death but there is peace in Jesus Christ.  No one may be saved until they realize that to continue their life without Jesus will lead them to hell.  If we ask the savior for his help and trust our life to Him, be assured that the Lord will do his part.  God speaks through the Scriptures making it a vehicle to reach us.  We must realize that the words in the book are "about" Jesus Christ the savior for He is the one who speaks life unto us.  Only as we find Him "real" through the pages of the Bible will God consider us worthy in Him.  Hebrews 1:2 says God has "spoken unto us by His son" and we must find a personal relationship with the Savior.  This dependence on Jesus is brought about by the Holy Spirit and it must continue every day for the rest of our lives.

Each person has sin in them from the time of conception.  David said, "in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5)  Our sinful nature has been inherited from Adam because the father of mankind decided to do what he wanted rather than to follow the instructions of God.  In other words, we have been given the birthright of death.  This is made plain in the Scriptures, "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Ro 5:12)  The result of this death is hell forever.  If only we repent of our sins so the Lord can bless with a new life or as Jesus said, "be born again."

Because all people are self-seeking, we are at the same time rejecting our master.  The wrath of God is upon mankind and this will keep people in hell forever.  We need a spiritual awakening to grip people and cause them to fear God and look for a savior.

The Bible tells us repeatedly that a man cannot obtain righteousness on his own and that he must have help.  The people of Israel tried for years to become righteous but they failed every time.  The "Law of Sin" means that every person will sin again and again unless some power intervenes to block the law of sin. 

Our need for help was responded to when Jesus came to earth and accomplished everything that God required for our redemption.

The Christian Life - Love of Wonder

Everyone has at least one person in their past that makes them think about love.  Not the boy/girl kind of love, but the kind of love that God has shed abroad unto all people.  There is a lady from the Ukraine who married a Jew and moved to Israel, who makes my wife and I think of God's love.  For years life has been difficult for Lena.  When we moved to Israel we met Lena who was volunteering to work in the kitchen of the Christian lodge.  God's love radiated from this vivacious Christian.  All Lena's work was done in an attitude of enjoying the wonder of God.  It was obvious that she had cast herself into the complete trust of her Savior no matter what happened.

Lena worked at the lodge in the true meaning of God's love.  She had the ministry of loving others.  Many people benefited from her quiet ministry of wonder.  When people's stress was up she like to say, "God's love is so wonderful."  We were blessed by Lena as she spent many hours saving their sanity.

During the next couple of years, we met and loved Lena's husband and daughter.  There little family worked together to give hospitality to Christians, who, for the most part, are not welcome in Israel.  The real wonder of God's love will never be seen or enjoyed until a Christian learns to reach out and help others.

One day Lena went with us to Joppa for a time of rest.  It was mid-morning and overcast with rain clouds.  We sat down to rest and order coffee at a small cafe.  It was on a bluff about 300 feet above the Mediterranean shore.  It was one of those rare times when everything seemed to be at peace.  As we looked out over the dark blue sea, the power of God seemed absolutely immense.  Going out onto the porch, we felt the slight breeze of God's comfort.  Suddenly, as if turned on, a huge rainbow appeared to cross the Mediterranean Sea.  The feeling of overwhelming love covered us.  The understanding of what Lena had said many times became real to us.  God's love is truly so wonderful!

Be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph 5:1-2)