Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
then Sarah S_ stepped forward with these words:
"Oh God, I see you up on high above the mountains,
stretching out the heavens.
Stretching out the stars as you name each of them
You are magnificent God
You are so wonderful God
How fortunate we are that you came down
You came down for us
To restore our way to the Father"
"Holy we cry because you care for us.
You are never far from me
We worship you Jesus, holy one, we worship you"
Christina shared the following:
"I had a picture in my mind of a huge house, like a town house and the following verses from the Gospel (John 1:1-3):
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
and Christina offered the reassurance:
"If you feel there is no place for you - there is a room for every one of you in our Father's house".
Margaret B_: "We've been singing of seeing God in His glory ...
(Revelation 1:12-18):
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
We welcomed Dan and Izzy into membership, and Izzy told us her story of becoming a Christian.
Mark preached on Ecclesiastes 3:
What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.
Mark spoke about actions having consequences: consequences of sex might include a baby - an abortion - STD - damaged relationships - damaged hearts; consequences of cumulative borrowing might be debt that brings institutions crumbling down; consequences of decades of the motor car and decades of abuse of this planet might be pollutants in the atmosphere and in the sea. We may be living for instant gratification, but God has 'placed eternity in the hearts of men'. Mark suggested it is part of our job as Christians to put people in touch with eternity in their hearts, that they might find the peace of God. He quoted Blaise Pascal, who said:
'Those who live as if there is no afterlife will gain nothing if they are proved to be right and will lose everything if they are proved to be wrong. Those who live as if the present influences the next world, have lost nothing if they are proved to be wrong and will have gained everything if they are to be proved right'.
Mark went on to quote various scriptures relating to judgment and eternal punishment for those who refuse to accept Christ's atonement, and to preach against the idea pervading what one might term ‘the liberal church’ that the concept of eternal punishment is not consistent with a belief in a loving God.
What follows is my response to the doctrine of eternal punishment:
So as Christians we're supposed to be all right with that are we? All right with the idea that some people will suffer ‘eternal fire’ in the afterlife? Surely the yardstick for Christians is “What would Jesus say/think/do?” Do you think the idea of some people suffering eternal punishment is alright with Jesus? I don’t think so, else why did he pray from the cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do”? His forgiveness completes the perfection of his sinlessness.
Elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus promises that if we ask in faith, our requests will be granted (Matthew 7:7 – 12):
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
John 14:12 – 14):
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
Recently we have received several calls to intercede on behalf of individuals, our community, our town, our nation, and all nations. Seems to me the promise is there that if we ask the Father, then there will be no question of anyone suffering eternal punishment.
No comments:
Post a Comment