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Posts Tagged ‘Do I need Jesus to get to Heaven?’

THE ENDLESS SUPPLY OF LOVE

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 6, 2025| 3 Comments »

So, is renowned atheist philosopher Friedrich Nietzche (who famously first declared “God is dead”) correct? Is there only a finite amount of love and goodness in this troubled world? Are they a resource doomed to eventually disappear?

I’m pretty sure that like me, you’ve never considered such questions, especially when considering the existence of a creator who (1) cares about His creation and (2) is involved in the affairs of humanity.

I showed this meme to my wise pastor friend Ross Carkner. His response:

“Love in the world is not a resource. From a Christian perspective, love is an outward expression of an individual’s or a community’s inward experience of the true and living God. As such love is not finite … it cannot be exhausted … it is completely renewable.

“Love is uncontainable – it emerges in the very times and places where we would expect it to not exist. We see it in wake of famines and natural disasters. We discover it the midst of wars and tragedies.

“While love on occasion can be directed as if in a garden hose, it seems to work best when it emerges from within and reproduces seemingly on its is own. Love does have a source. The greater the acknowledgement of God’s presence, the stronger it is experienced, for as the Bible says, God is love!”

There’s an unspoken viewpoint behind the words of Nietzsche (1844-1900) and it’s this: don’t waste your time bothering with anything you consider to be a creator.

I understand his position, given his atheist beliefs. But consider how loving God and Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) has changed this world:

  • Dozens of non-profit organizations, such as Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, Mission Aviation Fellowship, Compassion Canada and Lifewater, are providing vital physical, spiritual and emotional help to millions of suffering people around the world. All of them are driven by the love of God.
  • Some of the world’s most renowned universities, such as Oxford and Princeton, were started by people inspired by their love of God. (Read more about this, in a blog called ‘Higher Learning & The Higher Power,’ here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-9O)
  • Saint Basil (330-379), A Turkish Jesus follower, establishing the first comprehensive hospitals in the 4th century. This charitable tradition continued through the Middle Ages with institutions such as the Hotel-Dieu (in English, ‘Hotel of God’) in Paris. Would this have happened so early on without God-loving people?

This is why I can write, with great confidence, that becoming a Jesus follower can not only transform your life — giving you a new purpose, a new sense of joy and a worldview that doesn’t shift with every new trend — it also opens the door to eternity in the presence of your creator. And I guarantee you, that will go far, far beyond anything you can possibly imagine.

Sound interesting? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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THE BOOK OF REALITY

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 16, 2025| 7 Comments »

Perhaps you’ve never read a Bible and, based on what you’ve heard from others, never want to even touch one.

You’ve lived with the satisfyingly vague notion that there’s some kind of creator out there and, if you manage to do more good than bad, you’ll get entry to whatever coming’s next.

And yet, here you are, reading a blog examining a book that apparently still leaves you curious. So give me a few moments to do my imperfect best to explain the Bible and encourage you to give it some consideration.

First of all, it’s absolutely NOT a novel. While the Bible contains narrative sections, it also has historical accounts, poetry, legal codes, letters and prophetic writings.

Plus, novels are usually written by one or two people; the Bible is written by dozens of people in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic — the language of Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God — and Greek) over thousands of years.

Despite all these authors and all that time, the Bible has consistent themes:

  • The universe, this planet and everything on it are God’s creation
  • Humanity is the crowning touch of God’s creation because we were made aware of ourselves and aware of our creator.
  • Through the bad things we’ve done and the good things we’ve failed to do, humanity has walked away from the love and care of our creator.
  • God ceaselessly invites us back to Him — first through passionate men (called prophets) endowed with unique knowledge/experience of God, then through the life, teachings, miracles, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

The last point is critical, because Jesus told anyone willing to listen: “You must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” So there it is; when this life ends, you’ll need to be perfect to get past the bouncer at the ‘pearly gates’.

Well, that’s a problem, isn’t it? Since no one can ever get close to perfection, how can even one of us get to Heaven?

The answer is Jesus. When He allowed Himself to be arrested on false charges, convicted and put to death, Jesus paid the penalty for every wrong thing done by His followers, and every right thing we’ve failed to do.

After that, God saw — and continues to see — His Son’s followers just as He sees Jesus: perfect in every way. The result is when Jesus followers end this life, the bouncer ushers them into a joyous eternity with God.

Just as important, when people like YOU invite Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour, He comes into your heart IMMEDIATELY and begins making you more like the person God created you to be.

All this is in the Bible for you to discover. What about the “murder, corruption, homophobia, bestiality, incest and cruelty”? Well, the bible absolutely isn’t “full” of that stuff as the meme creator suggests, but they are there. Why? Because the Bible is about REALITY.

It doesn’t sugar-coat the often horrific behaviour of humanity. The Bible lays it all out so it’s plain to see why we are in a bad way and why/how Jesus can and does fix that for everyone who follows Him.

So how about you? Are you willing to at least read a few Bible chapters now and then? Yes or no, post your comments below and let’s have a conversation.

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OUR HEART PROBLEM

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 17, 2025| 3 Comments »

Do you share the opinion of famed Indian actor and atheist Kamal Hassan? It wouldn’t surprise me. There was a time when I thought this way, too. So stick with me as I do my imperfect best to unpack this statement and, hopefully, persuade you to rethink your position.

First of all, The U.S.-based World Food Program says this: “There is no global food shortage because we produce more than enough food to feed everyone in the world.” The problem, according to the United Nations, is:

  • 14 percent of the world’s food (valued at $400 billion per year) continues to be lost after it is harvested and before it reaches retail.
  • a further 17 percent of our food ends up being wasted in retail and by consumers, particularly in households. That lost and wasted food could feed 1.26 billion hungry people every year.

This is why, when I showed my pastor friend Ross Carkner the meme above, he noted “the problem is not with what God has provided us, but with the hearts of humanity. God provided food for every hungry child, but it has been kept from them by greed, indifference and selfishness. We can’t blame God for our injustice!“

In other words, all of us, including ME and YOU, have a heart problem. Said Ross: “This is hard for us because we feel like we don’t have enough … we always want more. To live more simply so others can simply live is beyond too many of us.”

Again, it’s a heart problem. That problem manifests itself in labelling so many of our selfish, indulgent wants as needs. And I’m as guilty as the next person.

Meanwhile, there are many charitable organizations that follow Jesus of Nazareth — who many people believe is the Son of God — and are committed to being the hands and feet of Jesus to people imprisoned in generational cycles of poverty. I recently retired from one of them, Samaritan’s Purse. Others include Lifewater, Compassion Canada, Salvation Army and the Mustard Seed.

As you digest this, consider your heart problem and how to fix it. Are you frustrated that so often, your efforts to improve yourself have failed? That’s often been my frustration, until I realized that I simply cannot do it on my own. I don’t have the willpower, the endurance, the strength of character.

So I trust God to improve me. Years ago, after much reading and discussion with thoughtful Jesus followers, I decided to trust my present (and future) to Jesus. I asked Him to forgive me of all the wrongs things I’ve done and all the right things I’ve failed to do.

That opened the door for Jesus to come into my heart and soul and start the life-long process of making me more like the person God created me to be. And when that journey finishes, I’ll spend eternity with my creator.

Does this sound interesting to you? Yes or no, drop a comment below and let’s have a conversation.

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WHO KNOWS IT ALL?

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 12, 2025| 4 Comments »

Maybe you’ve encountered some “religious” Christians who left you with a bad taste in your mouth because they insisted all they need to know can be found in the Bible.

I’m with you on this. In fact, this is just one more reason why I want nothing to do with “religion” (a few more reasons can be found here: https://frankscottage.blog/2018/06/30/the-unniceness-of-religion/).

I’m a man of faith who follows Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), but I absolutely DO NOT know everything. In fact, since deciding to follow Jesus more than 20 years ago, I’ve yet to meet a single person who fits the stereotype of the atheist meme that sparked this blog.

So let’s clear up the misconceptions. For a start, I have approximately 1,000 fiction, non-fiction, photography, humour, history and spirituality books. Now I’d never claim that other Jesus followers are similar reading enthusiasts, but a majority read at least a few books now and then. Just like most other North Americans.

What about Jesus-following scientists (I wrote about a few of them here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-e9)? I feel quite safe in writing that most of these folks have entire walls of books. And I can’t imagine even one of them claiming to “know everything” from the Bible.

So what do we know? Based on philosophy, archaeology, science and ancient documents that have never been disproven, we know this:

  • There’s a creator behind the universe, this planet, the air you’re breathing and YOU.
  • This creator is without fault, blemish or stain. I know this because Jesus said His Father is absolutely holy.
  • This creator knows ALL of His creations, including YOU. In fact, He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows we fall far, far short of being holy.
  • This creator promises us that there’s much more to life that just 75 years of eating, sleeping, working and watching bad reality TV. This life is just the opening page to the book of all eternity.
  • This creator’s standard for spending that eternity with Him is perfection. I know this because Jesus told anyone willing to listen that “You must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”
  • Since no one has any hope of reaching that standard on their own, God provided a way: His Son’s undeserved death and extraordinary resurrection three days later. Jesus himself said He “came to serve others and to give [my] life to save many people“.

Why not to save ALL people? Because being saved — to qualify for eternity in Heaven — requires declaring Jesus to be Lord, Saviour and best friend. When this happens, God no longer sees all the wrong things we’ve done and the right things we’ve failed to do. He only sees His Son’s perfection.

If all that seems far away and, therefore, irrelevant, consider this: Jesus told His followers that He would leave them a spiritual guide to help them become the people God created them to be. In other words, trusting in Jesus can make a positive, life-changing difference NOW.

Interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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CON MAN? SAVIOUR? LUNATIC?

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 14, 2024| 2 Comments »

Oh boy. Where to start?

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re open to spirituality and have probably not considered Jesus of Nazareth – who many people believe is the Son of God – to be any sort of con man. Apparently, the creator of this atheist meme believes these American megachurch pastors to be less than honourable.

Just for fun, I asked Google if Jesus is a con man. The responses are all over the place, but I particularly like this one from American entrepreneur Robert Kimmons:

If Jesus was a con man, he was a pretty terrible one.
He lived a life of poverty, didn’t get much sex (and maybe didn’t get any at all), and died an ignominious death.
Sure, his teaching created a belief system that has dominated the world for over a millennium, but what con man would be willing to give his life to accomplish that?
As a con man, Jesus was an unmitigated failure.

This has the ring of truth to me. Consider just a few challenging things that Jesus told anyone willing to listen:

  • If a man looks at a woman and wants to sin sexually with her, he has already committed that sin with her in his mind.
  • Don’t fight back against someone who wants to do harm to you. If they hit you on the right cheek, let them hit the other cheek too.
  • You have heard people say, “Love the people who are your friends. But hate those who want to hurt you.” What I tell you is this: love the people who want to hurt you. If people want to cause you pain, pray for them.

Would a con man ever make these (and many more) difficult statements? Unless he wanted to drive away his potential victims, then certainly not.

At times, Jesus makes it hard to follow Him. That’s because He’s not interested in “fans”. He’s interested in committed disciples who will be His ambassadors in a world that even the most optimistic of us will admit isn’t doing very well.

Jesus ambassadors have opened hospitals and universities, risked their lives by treating African ebola patients and Syrian war victims, and started vital charities like Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision and LifeWater.

While I’m a long, LONG way from being a poster child for Jesus ambassadors, He has empowered me to write more than 200 blogs like this one to tell YOU about Him and how your life can be enriched – starting right now – by declaring Jesus to be your lord, saviour and best friend.

When you do that, God no longer sees all the wrong things you’ve done and the right things you’ve failed to do. He only sees His Son’s perfection. As a result, when this life ends, you’ll spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven – a place with no suffering, no loss and no death.

Sound interesting? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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DO WE HAVE 12 HOURS MORE?

Posted in In The News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 26, 2022| 2 Comments »

The headline – “Bob Saget’s Last Twitter Post Will Break Your Heart” – compelled me to read the online story. And as I did, it was clear a vital and eternal truth was being laid before me.

Just 12 hours before the 65-year-old actor (Full House and Fuller House), TV host (America’s Funniest Home Videos) and comedian was found dead Jan. 9 in his Florida hotel room, he went on Twitter and posted this:

“Loved tonight’s show in Jacksonville. Appreciative audience. I had no idea I did a 2-[hour] set. I’m happily addicted again to this s***. Check BobSaget.com for my dates in 2022.”

Clearly, Saget was looking ahead to his comedy tour and had no idea it would never happen for the most final of reasons: he would soon be gone from this earth.

It struck me that the same could be applied to anyone. In my case, I could have easily died before this blog appeared online. Pastor and author Rick Warren put it so well: “When I’m tempted to be prideful, I just remind myself that I cannot even guarantee my next breath.”

Did Bob Saget ever think about his demise and what might come after? We may never know. But this is a good motivation for us to set aside our culture’s trivial obsessions and give serious thought to the BIG question.

I did that a few years ago. After considerable reading, thinking and debating with people of faith, I decided to follow Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God.

If you believe in the existence of Heaven, then consider what Jesus told anyone willing to listen: “You must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” So there it is; when this life ends, you’ll need to be perfect to get past the bouncer at the ‘pearly gates’.

Well, that’s a problem, isn’t it? Since no one can ever get close to perfection, how can even one of us get to Heaven?

The answer is Jesus. One of His earliest followers noted “When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned.”

So Jesus has what it takes. And when He allowed Himself to be arrested on false charges, convicted and put to death, Jesus paid the penalty for every wrong thing done by His followers, and every right thing we’ve failed to do.

After that, God saw — and continues to see — His Son’s followers just as He sees Jesus: perfect in every way. The result is when Jesus followers end this life, the bouncer ushers them into a joyous eternity with God.

Just as important, when people like YOU invite Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour, He comes into your heart IMMEDIATELY and begins making you more like the person God created you to be.

We’ll probably never know if Bob Saget did that. But you can make that decision TODAY. Interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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