05/20/13
Q23: Why do people die of cancer, AIDS etc?
Thanks for the question.
This writer’s four year old son died of cancer and nobody could tell me why. This is much like question 2,3 and 7. There is no specific answer that I can give.
I have to say that many of our modern sicknesses are self inflicted. To eat too much and get too fat is dangerous and smoking is too. I only recently learnt that smoking can eventually cause you to lose a foot or a leg or make you blind. It squeezes blood vessels smaller and cuts circulation of blood.
Chemicals in our food = I avoid. Fruit, to me 60 years ago, was wonderful and tasty. Now it seems to me mostly tasteless. The soil is depleted and chemical fertiliser does not help earthworms and bacteria that make the soil good.
The Bible tells us to only have sex with your wife or husband. But, we think we know better, and pay a heavy price in six or eight diseases, some of which can make you sterile.
05/20/13
Q24: How was God born if he did not have a wife?
I guess you meant - if He did not have a Mother!
Many folk think of this - but God is a Supernatural being.
He is not like us - although some could say correctly, "We are made in his image and likeness" (Gen.1:26). Yes, we are made in his likeness but we cannot do the things that God has done - He is different.
We could not dream of creating worlds and universes, trees, flowers, butterflies and so on.
He does not have, or need a wife.
05/20/13
Q25: If God only wants good, nice people and a nice world with no wars, how come there still is?
This is a question we all ask.
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Part of The Lord’s prayer as it has become says; “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Read it slowly and digest every word. “Thy (God’s) kingdom come.”
How many do you know who are working to bring God’s kingdom to earth? “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
How many people go against God’s will in daily life. I am thinking more of grown-ups in government and industry, more than children.
How many people make drugs, bombs, alcohol and land mines and machines of war.
As a civilisation I think we seem to love going to war of some sort or another pretty often.
The greed of ‘Banksters’, money people and the staggering money losses in 2008 shows how people love money too much.
I think that our society loves ‘things’ far too much - but they do not make us happy.
What do you think?
05/20/13
Q26: Why did Jesus have to die?
The death of Jesus was the central ‘core’ of God’s plan to enable us to get into heaven.
When Jesus left His home in heaven, He knew that He was going to later die, for us all.
In all His time on earth, He knew that crucifixion lay ahead. Wow!
His death and suffering are prophesied in Isaiah chapter 53.
Right through the Bible is what is called A Crimson Thread that starts in Paradise with Adam and Eve and ends in the triumph of good over evil in Revelation. (God counts a thousand years as a day and a day as a thousand years.)
The ‘Crimson Thread’ is shed blood.
First, it was animals’ blood to cover our sins and later, the blood of Jesus to ‘wash away’ our sins.
The ‘Christian cross’ is the most universally recognised symbol of Jesus, the Christian message of ‘Good news’ that God loves us. Further, that Jesus paid the price of our sin, in blood, to invite us into heaven. Jesus was willing to do it for us. That is ‘Good news’ indeed.
This hymn sums it up very well:
There is a green hill far away
Outside a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified
Who died to save us all.
We may not know, we cannot tell
What pains He had to bear.
But we believe it was for us,
He hung and suffered there.
He died that we might be forgiven
He died to make us good.
That we might go at last to heaven,
Saved by His precious blood.
There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin.
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven and let us in.
Oh dearly, dearly has He loved,
And we must love Him too.
And trust in His redeeming blood.
And try His works to do.
Cecil Alexander. 1848.
William Horsley has put a lovely melody to sing it to.
‘Religion’ where you cannot pay for, work for, do good deeds for or pay for later. Your heart (& mind & spirit) is what Jesus asks for. You want to please, and work for Him, after you learn to know Him. Once you understand what it is all about…you want to give your all! Your talents, skills, money and in many cases the best years of your life helping others in your work as doctors, nurses, teachers, health care, farming, etc.
It is a life-changing event, but not all Christians discover this and that is sad.
05/20/13
Q27: What was Jesus thinking on the cross?
Thank you. You children never cease to thrill me with your ideas and questions. I have never thought on this.
The Bible says that He was like us in every way. He got tired, weary, frustrated, angry, hungry and thirsty.
I sort of cringe at writing what the Son of God was thinking while He hung there, naked, humiliated, thirsty and - oh the pain! To the Romans, who controlled the country at the time of Jesus, crucifixion was the most painful way they could think of to kill people. It sort of put you off doing wrong to them. You die slowly and painfully of asphyxiation - because you cannot breathe much at all.
He thought of His Mum (Mary) and told John to take care of her (John 19:26-27). He thought very kindly of the criminal who knew that he deserved to die. Jesus gave him a solemn promise that: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43). Jesus did not answer the mocking insults of evil men. And lastly, God turned away from Him and left Him alone to suffer.
Jesus knew God had turned away and cried out: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." Then said "It is finished." And He then died for you. (Matthew 27:45-58)
Maybe He was thinking forward to this time when you read this and found out what He did and that He did it for YOU?
Finally, I guess his last thought could have been: “I have fulfilled Scripture and done all that my Father (God) required me to do to get humans into heaven.”
