More Questions about Heaven and Hell

Hey y’all-

My friend responded with more questions. Here they are with my answers:

Now, for the new questions.

1. Has heaven been created yet? Yes. Heaven has been created.

The Bible talks about people going there already. Heaven is not the final destination of God’s children. The New Heaven and New Earth will be created as seen in Revelation 20. That is the final destination of those who believe and trust in Jesus. So, the heaven you are speaking of (and where those who are believers in Jesus and have died currently are) is real, is created, and is populated….for now. It will be emptied when Jesus returns, Satan is finally defeated, the final Judgment happens, and all those who are God’s children will live forever in the New Jerusalem.

2. The idea that all people will be redeemed in the end is a nice idea.

I like it. I wish it were true, but it’s not. That’s a sad fact that is refuted time and again in the Bible by Jesus Himself. There will be those who live eternally with Jesus and those who will be eternally damned to Hell. It is just true. So, instead of hoping for a better outcome, Christians need to be honest with those outside of the family of God and tell them to repent of their sin, trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and follow and worship Him alone.

3. Who is in the family of God? No one is born into the family of God.

Those who are in the family of God have been adopted through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ. Now, is the blood of Jesus good enough to adopt the whole world? Yes. But, God Himself makes it a conditional love. In John 3:16, God says that “whoever believes in Him” (meaning Jesus) will be saved and not perish. Not everyone, but the ones who believe in Jesus. There is no waiting period for salvation. God knows the heart of man and his true intentions, so He knows if someone makes a deathbed plea for salvation and truly “means it.” This is not something we, as humans, can see. We must trust God in this area.

4. Are there ghosts? I think the spiritual world is much more vast than we realize or give it credit for being.

There are angels and demons. The angels are with God. The demons are with Satan. I think the demons have a lot of ability to present themselves in many ways. I would not discount the power of Satan to make people think they are seeing ghosts (or to even appear in such a manner). I do not fear ghosts. God is greater than any demonic force. So, I know that the Holy Spirit in me can defeat any power that tries to harm me. Jesus said, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36). That’s how I try to live. Hope this helps.

Great questions. Thoughts?

Uncle Jeff

Is there a Hell?

Hey y’all-

A friend sent me an email on Facebook asking some questions about hell. I responded quickly (due to a lack of time this morning), but I wanted to post on here, as well. These are good questions that come up a lot. I didn’t throw in a ton of Bible references, but I think I can back it all up with Scripture. Well, anyone can back it up if they look around a little bit…

Here is my response to her:

Hey ____ – Good question. It is interesting how events in the news can bring up such important questions. Glad you asked… I’ll just take the questions in order and give you my reasons:

1. Is there a hell? Yes. I believe there is. Why? Jesus talked about Hell quite a bit in the New Testament. I believe Jesus was a real person. I believe Jesus is God. I believe what he said about Hell.

2. Who goes to Hell? Anyone who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Simple answer. It would be offered on any Sunday morning in many Sunday school classes. A relationship that is easy to get but harder to live than to say.

3. Are all the commandments equal? I don’t know exactly what you mean by this question, but I’ll try and answer. I’m assuming you’re asking if “Thou shall not kill” and “Honor your Father and Mother” are equal? Is there one commandment that is worse than the rest? I believe all the commandments are equal. In other words, lying and killing are equally bad in the eyes of God.

Now, lying and killing are not equally bad in the eyes of man and are punished differently, as they should be. But, the commandments outline sins against God. Any sin against God separates us from God. Anything that separates us from God is bad whether it is killing one of his creations made in His image (another human) or lying to someone. It is a sin against God and that is never good.

4. Can bad people go to heaven? I think there are only bad people in heaven. Why? Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are all “bad.” But, God wants a relationship and that is why He sent Jesus to live a perfect life and die for our sins (John 3:16). But, we must believe in Him, trust Him, and worship only Him to have that relationship with Jesus and God the Father.

You can see that in the first two commandments and in the Greatest Commandment that Jesus gives in Matthew 22:37-40. So, there are “bad” people in heaven who have been forgiven of their sin by God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. What did they do to deserve it? Nothing. But they trusted Christ as their Savior and worship only Him.

5. So, in summary. I think there is a hell. I do think people go there if they live and die without a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The only people who go to heaven are those who have trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Tell me what you think. It’s a long one….Jeff

Thoughts? Convictions? Want to know how to be in right relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ?

I live to tell others about Jesus. Ask me.

Uncle Jeff

Solitude and Silence – Part VII (The End)

Hey y’all-

Thought I would post really quick on the end of the book Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence. The final chapter is called “For the Sake of Others” and it makes sense to include such a chapter. Why? Because solitude and silence is not about yourself. (Matter of fact, the Christian life is not about you, either.)

Solitude and silence are practiced to help you relate to God, to others, and then to yourself. It is an opportunity to be in God’s presence, learn from that time in God’s presence, and carry that into your daily life and interactions with others. It is not about you….trust me on this one.

So, we need to think about how does solitude and silence relate to life with others? In describing a party her daughter had at their home, Barton talks about her annoyed disposition in being interrupted constantly by teenagers needing something–food, drinks, directions, permission, etc. This get-together was an impromptu gathering that was conflicting with writing deadlines and work preparation for her. How would she respond? Barton writes,

If my experiences in solitude and silence don’t make a difference in this real-life moment, then I’m not sure any of this is worth much (130).

Good point. If we spend a lit of time in prayer, Bible reading, study, silence, solitude, or any other spiritual discipline and it does not affect the way we live and interact in our daily lives, then it is not worth it. At all. It is a waste of time, energy, effort, money, and a whole lot of other things….

So, what do we do? We take the time that God has given us to learn from Him and use it in our daily lives. We learn. We grow. We apply. We change. It is the Christian life. Transformation.

Thoughts?

Uncle Jeff

Randomness on a Saturday morning

Hey y’all-

I just wanted to post a few thoughts today.

1. 38-year-old dudes should watch out playing too much volleyball. Soreness will follow.

The sight of the pain at Chihlee School in BanCiao

2. Add in a few extra calories everyday and you will have to add in a few inches to your waist size.

Sweet-n-sour pork at Shacks in Taichung

3. Roger Miller was a songwriting genius.

4. I miss hanging with my family and friends on a fairly regular basis.

Me and my Grandpa back in the early 90s. Family reunion.

5. I like grilled-cheese sandwiches. (See #2 above).

6. My guitar is not getting enough attention from me these days.

7. I may own a dog someday. I may not. It’s open…

8. I do not like fake people who act like they love Jesus but really just use Him as a cover to love theirself (is that even a word?).

9. I like a good laugh.

10. I like to trust the people in my life. Trust is huge with me.

Why the thoughts? Not sure….just thinking in a typing, blog sort-of-way….

Thoughts?

Uncle Jeff

Favorite Things in Taiwan – Cool Drinks

Hey y’all-

In Taiwan, they do some crazy things with fruit, ice, and a blender. Let me show you…

Pineapple and Passion Fruit Ice Drink

This is super-delicious and cost about $1 US. Next…

Banana and happiness in a cup....

Same place and same price. Both of these cups of joy were purchased from a roadside stand. Here’s a picture:

Don't try to read the Chinese....just order.....

This leady has fresh fruit, ice, a blender and a good grasp of English. If you are ever in Taichung, go there. You will not regret it.

Thirsty?

Uncle Jeff

Favorite things in Taiwan – Crazy Sue’s

Hey y’all-

I promised a few shots of Crazy Sue’s. Here it is…..

The sign of happiness...

Crazy Sue's Mom and Dad whippin' up a black pearl milk tea...

Some soon-to-be satisfied customers...

The joy flows through the straw...

Let me make a few comments here:

1. These folks take great pride in delivering an superior product. They taste test everything before it crosses the counter.

2. The recipe is a closely guarded secret.

3. The large black pearl milk tea costs $30 NT (30 New Taiwanese dollars). That is just under $1 U.S. Awesome.

I love me some Crazy Sue’s!

Be jealous,

Uncle Jeff

Favorite Things in Taiwan – Black Pearl Milk Tea

Hey y’all-

Thought I’d share with you one of my favorite things in Taiwan. I have been exposed to the glory of a Black Pearl Milk Tea (In Chinese, it is called a Jun Joo Nye Chah). This is a great, great drink. Here’s a picture:

Black Pearl Milk Tea from Crazy Sue's

This milk tea is from a place called Crazy Sue’s in Taichung, Taiwan. Here’s the deal. There is black tea. There is milk. And black pearls….oh, and sugar. the black pearls are starch-based, tapioca balls. They’re kind of chewy and have a licorice flavor. I love those things….

Crazy Sue’s puts some serious sugar in the milk tea and this is considered the best on the island. (Notice the really cool plastic top.) I would love to have the machine that puts the plastic top on the cup. It’s like an adult sippy cup. (I hate the term “sippy cup” but it fits here.)

So, how does one drink such a thing?

Here’s a photo tutorial….

Firmly grasp milk tea in hand....

Grasp pointed straw in hand. It must be pointed to penetrate plastic top...

Thrust pointed straw through the plastic...

Getting closer...

Enjoy!

I’ll write about places in Taichung and I’ll have a shot or two of Crazy Sue’s….

Don’t you want one?

Uncle Jeff

Favorite Things in Taiwan – Squatty Potties

Hey y’all-

I’m not a big fan of using the term “potty” in reference to anything having to do with the bathroom. There are way more fun and colorful words one can use to write about dropping a deuce than saying, “I’m going to the potty.”

However, this term just seems to fit one of my favorite things in Taiwan. The squatty potty.

Here it is....

I love these things. They take out one of the biggest issues I have with public restrooms. Skin on seat. Well, skin on anything. This is a no-touching system that lets you do the bid-ness and get on down the road.

Here’s another:

Nice tile work.

So, I love the squatty potty. If I ever build a pad, my guest bathroom will probably have one of these with some sort of bar to let unbalanced people (like me) hold on. It does take some getting used to. Be careful or you might just hit your shoe inadvertently…..

Now, get your “squat on” my brothers and sisters….

Uncle Jeff

Solitude and Silence – Part VI

This picture was sent to me by my good friend, Travis. It is in Washington State.

Hey y’all-

I’m typing this while listening to some cool ’80s tunes on YouTube. Is that a little odd? To be writing about solitude and silence as Kajagoogoo and Men at Work play in the background?

I’ve been working through this book by Ruth Haley Barton and really enjoying it. She said something that I read a few days ago and re-read a few more times that really hit home. Thought y’all might enjoy it. Here goes.

She is talking about resting the mind and opening one’s heart to God’s prompting, God’s voice, God’s desire for the heart. This is hard to do (especially with “Land Down Under” playing in the background…), but it is necessary. We are so used to telling, to speaking, to using words to tell God what we want, what we need, what hurts, what feels good, whatever…maybe we need to let the words stop so we can hear God.

How to do this? Good question that I cannot fully answer. However, I can help you get a bit closer with Ruth’s help. She says,

In silence we give in to the fact that our words can never contain God or adequately describe our experiences with God. . . . Eventually there is a strength born of quietness and confidence, because time and time again we have found there everything we need for our sustenance. This is a very deep kind of rest indeed (75).

Now, that is kind of loosey-goosey, touchy-feely stuff that many rational Americans don’t like. We want solid answers. If I do ten push-ups a day, then I will be stronger in two weeks. If I work forty hours, then I get this much money. Etc. Well, sometimes you just gotta have faith, people. Just have faith.

Ruth gives us a little help with this in practice. Here it is,

If you notice yourself becoming impatient, ask, “Am I willing to be patient with this thing that is unsolved in my heart? What would it look like for me to stop working so hard on this and trust God to work in his way and his time?” (76).

Good question.

Thoughts?

Uncle Jeff

Good sermons – Matt Chandler

Hey y’all-

I like to take walks. I like to walk with an iPod in my ears. I like the exercise and I like the chance to get away. I also like to listen to sermons when I walk. So, I’m walking and listening to these sermons and they are great! Thought I would share the link with you and let you check them out for yourself.

The preacher is Matt Chandler.

The sermon series is titled “The Role Of Men” and has three parts. The sermon titles are: Defining Masculinity, Men as Husbands, Men as Fathers. All three are well-worth hearing. You can find them in the August 2007 grouping.

Ladies, get these to the man you love, live with, or want to love and live with…..married, of course.

Dudes, listen up, man up, and get ‘er done.

Thoughts?

Uncle Jeff