THE WAY OF BLESSING

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Why should we speak good words to people? “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21. Also, God tells us to “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:14

From the very beginning, God blessed. In the opening verses of Genesis, we hear the voice of the Creator speaking light, life, and love into being. Then we read: ‘God blessed them…’ Genesis 1:28.

Before striving, there was blessing. Before mission, there was communion. Blessing is not an afterthought—it is the first word spoken over creation, covenant, and community.

Throughout Scripture, blessing flows not as a formula but as a way of life. Isaac blessed Jacob, Jacob blessed his sons, Moses blessed the tribes, David blessed the assembly, and Solomon blessed the nations gathered at the temple. The prophets cried out with blessing and promised more to come.

And then, one day, blessing walked among us.

Jesus… blessed children, the poor, the persecuted, the peacemakers. He blessed bread and fish. He blessed the hands of the humble. He lived as a blessing and gave Himself as the ultimate blessing – poured out at the cross, risen in glory.

And now, through His Spirit, through us, that blessing needs to continue.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO DEAL WITH MILLIONS OF YEARS

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Some things should make Christians angry. In this powerful presentation, Ken Ham challenges believers to reclaim righteous anger, stand firm on the authority of Scripture, and boldly confront the lies of modern culture. Genesis 1 to 11 provides the foundation of the true history of this world and answers to the most troubling questions humans can raise, such as why there is death and suffering in the world.

God has raised up two ministries to cope with Satan’s most successful strategy (evolution), so make sure you connect with and support Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org and Creation Ministries International, http://www.creation.com.

ON FRENCH TV AIRWAVES ABORTION CANNOT BE PRESENTED AS A CAUSE OF DEATH

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Modern France traces its ideology back to the violent, anti-Christian French Revolution, when the Jacobins chose as their slogan “liberté, égalité, fraternité” (liberty, equality, and fraternity) — but not vérité (truth). The French government revealed its hostility to vérité recently when it fined a Christian program for saying that abortion causes death.

On February 25, 2024 broadcaster Aymeric Pourbaix of the CNews channel’s Roman Catholic program “En quête d’esprit” (“In search of the Spirit”) posted a slide with a stark and unwelcome truth: Abortion is “the leading cause of death in the world.” The infographic came as the nation of France stood poised to make abortion a constitutional right. The government promptly punished the conservative news outlet for speaking truth to power.

CNews announced on November 14th, 2024 that the government agency in charge of regulating broadcasting, ARCOM (Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique) meted out a fine of €100,000, or $104,000 U.S. for airing that segment. ARCOM also tried to shackle CNews or any other TV show from presenting the human toll of abortion, stating that, on TV airwaves, “abortion cannot be presented as a cause of death.” ARCOM further complained that this “manifest inaccuracy” was “not contradicted by the other people present on the set.”

“Around 73 million induced abortions take place worldwide each year,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Yet in an article posted in August titled “The top 10 causes of death,” WHO claims the “world’s biggest killer is ischemic heart disease … rising by 2.7 million to 9.1 million deaths in 2021.” The number two cause of death, the WHO claimed, was COVID-19.

The French government has kept rolling out fines for speaking truths not approved by the government. The modern-day Jacobins have no greater aversion to using force to crush truth than their murderous, secular ancestors. 

France will reap God’s judgement for this anti-God act. France like so many of the nations will be judged goat nations.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world... Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:32-34, 45

DO WE WELCOME GOD’S REFINING FIRE?

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We’ve lost an understanding of the reality of suffering as a consequence of the fall and neglected to see how God overrules evil for his greater purposes. We need to understand this so our feet land on the solid foundation of God’s Word and the God of that Word—and there find understanding and hope. All other ground is sinking sand.

If you’ve trusted in Christ as the Savior and Lord of your life, you can rest in the truth that your afflictions and sufferings come to you for your ultimate good and his ultimate glory.

Let’s look at four specific biblical reasons why God ordains suffering for His people.

1. To Kill Sin and Grow Godliness

God uses suffering to expose the sin that clings so closely to our hearts. When we suddenly bear an affliction, our pride, impatience, and unbelief will often surface. Pain has a way of cracking open the heart, laying it bare. When I’ve faced suffering, I’ve responded with anger. Though the suffering itself isn’t evil, it illuminates the evil residing within me. Sometimes it reveals my lack of faith in God’s promises. I begin questioning God: How could you let this happen? 

If we’re prone to love something in this world—house, spouse, children, job—more than God, He may sometimes remove the idol. And it will hurt. In doing so, though, we are freed to refocus our primary love on him alone. King David saw a woman bathing, sent for her, slept with her, then had her husband killed. When the prophet Nathan confronted David about his sin, he responded with Psalm 51. Suffering serves as a cleanser, revealing and killing our present sin, and deterring us from greater sin.

2. To Relinquish the Temporal for the Eternal

God also uses suffering to wean us from a love of this world and redirect our thoughts and affections toward that which is eternal: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and give it to the poor. Then, he said, you will have treasure in heaven. The young man went away sorrowful. Sometimes, God will simply remove those treasures for our greater good; it’s better to lose an eye than to face God’s judgement. (Matthew. 5:29).

As Christians, the afflictions we experience in this life should point us to the reality that we’re “sojourners and exiles” (1 Pet. 2:11; Heb. 11:13) here on earth, journeying toward the ultimate city. Our citizenship is in God’s Kingdom (Phil. 3:20). This fallen world is not our home, and the afflictions we experience along the way serve as arrows directing us to release what’s fading and grasp what’s unending.

Paul declares that God “comforts us in all our afflictions,” adding: “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ, we share abundantly in comfort too” (2 Cor. 1:3–5). As the Lord of true comfort, we are to see our pain as “preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).

“Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

3. To Produce a Hypocrisy-Free Faith

God also uses suffering is to refine us, as fire refines gold by burning away the impurities (Jer. 9:7; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:3). Suffering will often distinguish the true believer from the hypocrite by the response of each. In our suffering, we are given the opportunity to discover the sincerity of our love, hope, and faith in God.

Are there areas of dishonesty or insincerity in your heart? A plunge into a season of affliction can reveal these. When suffering falls on a church—whether through illness or persecution—“Christ’s summer friends” flee, as the Puritan John Flavel put it. Affliction causes the believer to cling to God and the unbeliever to forsake him. In this way, it comes as a sort of revealing test to separate sheep from goats and refine his precious people through fire.

4. To Bear Witness to the World

Under the rod of affliction we’re given the unique opportunity to bear witness to the gospel’s power in our lives—which effectively calls others to repent and believe. The believer’s own endurance under trial serves as a shining public witness to the truth of God’s Word.

I’ve known believers who have suffered so well that onlookers have asked about the unshakable hope and peace the sufferer enjoys. God uses the suffering of his people to display his grace in securing their salvation. Our frequent trials prove our hope and faith is not in vain, and serve as a platform to showcase gospel hope.

Our Father in heaven ordains suffering for us because he loves us (Heb. 12:6). He is weaning us from a love of this world, transforming us by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2), and will complete the good work he began in us (Phil. 1:6). May we rest in the surety of his covenant promise that, even amid suffering and trial, he will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).

Editors’ note: This excerpt is adapted from Brian Cosby’s new book, A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Suffering: How God Shapes Us through Pain and Tragedy (Christian Focus, 2015). For a more extensive survey of these five points, see Cosby’s book Suffering and Sovereignty: John Flavel and the Puritans on Afflictive Providence (Reformation Heritage, 2012).

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WE ALL NEED HOPE

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If there was ever a time that our kids needed to hear the message that God created them, loves them, and they have a future, now is the time. We all need hope. Without it, this world is all there is and all I have to look forward to is growing old and death. There is no purpose or meaning to life, after all the world says I am a descendant of apes.

No wonder only 45% of young Americans say they feel in good mental health. At least 10% have thought of suicide in the past year. There has been a 56% increase in suicide rates from 2007 to 2023. 42% have been diagnosed with a mental disorder. (Stress in America: Gen. Z, American Psychology Assoc. Dec 12th, 2023)

If your entire view of self and life is subjective, then it is inherently unstable and uncertain. Is there anything less stable than a teenager’s feelings?

One of my favourite Scriptures is Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

Do you want joy and peace? Do you want to abound in hope? Do you want eternal life? God gives them all to those who accept the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ and are prepared to repent of their rebellion, and past sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Note you have all joy and peace in believing by the power of the Holy Spirit. To all those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour our heavenly Father sends the third person of the Trinity to be their counsellor, teacher, comforter and helper. He will produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life. joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness and self-control. He also provides the gifts of the Spirit for ministry.

Ministry Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31): Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Distinguishing Spirits, Speaking in Tongues, and Interpreting Tongues. These are the tools that the Holy Spirit utilizes for the church’s ongoing ministry.

You need to be aware that when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you become an enemy of Satan who is Prince of this world. You are in spiritual warfare big time so you need to put on the full armour of the Lord daily. Note that the only piece of armour that is not defensive is the Sword of the Spirit.

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

There is only one answer to the identity problem we need the truth and there is only one solid foundation for the truth, our Creator’s revelation of who we are and how we got to where we are now. The Bible provides the true history of this world. Evolution is a failed theory. The discovery of DNA which is complex information that controls all of the functions in living cells rang the death knell for evolution. There is only one source of information and that is an intelligent designer. Also, the electron microscope revealed complex machinery in each cell that manufactures all the molecules needed to fuel and maintain life. It also revealed transport devices taking the chemicals to where they are needed. All of this equipment is controlled by the information on the DNA and needs to be correct on day one. It could not have evolved.

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

ARE YOU DEAD IN YOUR TRESPASSES AND SINS?

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If you could control the moment you died, what would your last words be? As Jesus hung on the cross, He spoke seven times. The first of His final words was a prayer. But not for Himself. 

“Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Really? They didn’t know what they were doing? 
1. The Jewish leaders plotted Jesus’ death for months. They paid Judas to betray Him. They held a mock trial in the middle of the night.
2. The crowd cried out for His crucifixion. They even chose a murderer to be set free rather than Jesus, the One who had healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed thousands.
3. Governor Pilate knew Jesus was only guilty of making the Jewish leaders mad. He tried to set Jesus free, but in the end, he knowingly gave the order for Jesus’ death.
4. The Roman soldiers spit on Jesus, beat Him, jammed a crown of thorns onto His head, and mocked Him. As they led Him to Calvary, they watched Him stumble, battered and bleeding. When they drove the nails through His hands and feet, the soldiers knew exactly what they were doing. Christ’s agony was real.
5. Jesus’ executioners didn’t know what they were doing because sin and “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Yet, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23-34

If they had truly understood who Jesus was and what they were doing to Him—God’s Son, their promised Messiah—do you think they would have never done such evil? The horror of such actions would have overwhelmed them. Instead, they would have fallen down before Jesus and worshiped Him. 

Apart from Christ, we are all spiritually blind—and spiritually deaf. In the rebellion of our sin, we are no different than the people in the days of Ezekiel, Jesus, and Paul, who have ears but do not hear (Ezek. 12:2; Matt. 13:13; Acts 28:27). In our sinful state, we don’t hear, see, or respond to the truth. 

Unless God opens our eyes to see Jesus and our sin, we will stay as blind and deaf as the dead, because that’s exactly what we are—dead in our trespasses and sins.

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Ephesians 2:1-3 

EASTER: THE DEATH OF DEATH

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When Jesus rose again from the dead, He defeated death!

Death died when Christ rose. Easter was the death of death.

Of all events in history, there’s none more significant than the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. When Jesus came to this earth, lived a perfect life, died a perfect death, and rose again from the dead, He changed everything.

This selfless act was for me, for you, for everyone.

Imagine the disappointment the disciples felt when Jesus was murdered and taken away from them. But He promised that He would rise from the dead.

The women who went to the tomb together to anoint His dead body were not expecting to see a risen Lord. But an angel told them, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body” (Mark 16:6 NLT).

Jesus changed everything. That’s the meaning of Easter and the reason for my unshakeable hope.

The resurrection of Jesus teaches us our hope goes beyond the grave.

Jesus took death on and defeated it. When Jesus came back from the dead, hope came with Him. This hope is for everyone, especially the broken.

Jesus rose in an actual body in a physical world in a tangible way.

The Bible tells us, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So, you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man” (1 Corinthians 15:20–21 NLT).

The resurrection of Jesus assures me:

  • I am accepted by God. Romans 4:45 says, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
  • I have all the power I need to live a Christian life. Romans 8:11 says, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
  • I will live forever in Heaven and receive a new body like His. Colossians 3:4 assures us with these words. “When Christ, who is our life, appears, you shall be like Him.”
  • I will have resurrected relationships. “Since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
  • Article extracted from presentation by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Churches California.

WHO CAUSED DEATH, DISEASE, AND SUFFERING IN THIS WORLD?

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For those Christians who believe in millions of years, it is only logical that the world as we see it today with all its groaning has gone on like this for millions of years before man. This then puts the blame on God for death, disease, and suffering. But God’s Word blames our sin!

No, one can’t add millions of years into Scripture. To do so is to attack the character of God and undermine the authority of the Word of God.

When God originally created everything, it was “very good.” There was no death, disease, or suffering. But because we (in Adam) sinned against our holy God (we committed high treason against God by our outright disobedience), God judged that disobedience with death and the curse (Genesis 3:14–19; Romans 5:12).

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned… The good news is ”For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:12, 17

It must be remembered that there was a supernatural entity, Satan, involved in deceiving Eve and Adam into disobeying God. He is a fallen angel who we are told rebelled against God because he wanted to be God.

Satan is called the “prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2. He is the “ruler of this world” in John 12:31. These titles and many more signify Satan’s capabilities. To say, for example, that Satan is the “prince of the power of the air” is to signify that in some way he rules over the world and the people in it. This is not to say that he rules the world completely; God is still sovereign. But it does mean that God, in His infinite wisdom, has allowed Satan to operate in this world within the boundaries God has set for him.

We know from Biblical prophecy that all of the O.T. prophets were told that their Messiah would eventually rule Israel (Acts 3:24), the nation God established for His purposes. Almost 2,000 Biblical prophecies are of Jesus’ return to this Earth first to rescue His Saints and pour out His wrath upon an unrepentant world. Jesus then returns to Earth with the glorified Saints to rule and reign the nations with a rod of iron for 1000 years. Satan has ruled this world for 6,000 years but now he is bound in chains for most of the thousand years. He is released at the end of the thousand years and we are told that he is still able to raise an army of rebellious people to come against Jesus and the Saints. Fire from heaven consumes them and it is at this stage God destroys the old heaven and earth. Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom is a transition period.

It is after the second resurrection and the White Throne judgement that John sees a magnificent new Jerusalem descending from a new Heaven onto a new Earth where there will be no more death, disease, pain, or suffering. It will be a restoration (Acts 3:20–21). If death, disease, and suffering have been here since God created life, then it makes no sense that there will be a restoration to a new heaven and earth with no death and suffering.

CHOOSE LIFE THAT YOU AND YOUR OFFSPRING MAY LIVE

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Just as Moses told the people of Israel to choose life by loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him.

“Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to him, for He is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Jesus has told us that only He is the way the truth and the life.

“Jesus said to him (Thomas), I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.” John 14:6-7

What do you choose, life eternal, by accepting what Jesus has accomplished on your behalf or death? Jesus paid the price for our rebellion against God, how good is our God? Do not be like the Israelites who turned away from God and suffered the consequences of being cast out of the land God gave them.

“But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish.” Deuteronomy 30:17-18 2

If you choose Jesus you will not perish, nor will you be left like orphans. Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity to indwell our Spirit to be our helper, our counsellor, our teacher, and our comforter.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you… But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:18, 26

You can have all you need to live righteously in this life and begin to live in the knowledge that you have eternal life in Jesus through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Start living eternal now ready for Jesus soon coming return. My book is available on Amazon as an ebook or trade paperback edition. I hope you will get a copy and put it into circulation.

REAPING A HARVEST OF DEATH AND MISERY

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By turning our back on God and His Word we are reaping a harvest of death and misery. God is the creator. God is the source of life. Satan works to destroy life (murder/death).

Evidence is clear nations that once honoured God’s ways have abandoned/rejected God: unrestricted abortion, euthanasia, indoctrinating children with gender bending ideology, extremist deep green ideology that sees humans as a plague on the earth. The Bible that the world rejects reveals with startling accuracy exactly what is unfolding in our day. In both the O.T and N.T there are many prophecies of the years leading up to Jesus return to this earth first to take His Saints to heaven before pouring out His wrath upon an unrepentant world with the Trumpet and Bowl judgements of Revelation

Only God can reveal what is truly going on in His world. The discovery of DNA and the electron microscope has revealed that the earth is designed for life. Our planet has all the hallmarks of brilliant systems engineering. No thinking scientist can believe that life and the universe happened by random chance.

God has revealed that just as our original ancestors disobeyed God’s command knowing that death would be the outcome. The Bible reveals that another one of God’s created beings (an angelic being now called Satan) also rebelled against God and it was he that deceived Adam and Eve. Note well what Jesus told us about him and all who follow him. Jesus was speaking to the religious leaders of the day. Whom do you follow even if unwittingly?

“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but He sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

Note what Jesus said about Himself and what He said about Satan.

“Jesus said to him (Thomas), “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7

“The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11

GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Spirit

Read what Jesus promised His disciples and us that He will provide to enable us to live the Christian life. Our Heavenly Father will send the third person of the Trinity to indwell our spirit. Note also that He acknowledges Satan as ruler of this world.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.” John 14:26-31

Article inspired by article in the latest Creation magazine “EXIT GOD, ENTER DEATH CULTURE.” http://www.creation.com