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Posts Tagged ‘Matthew 5:48’

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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“THIS IS NOT A FULFILLING LIFE”

Posted in In The News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 19, 2025| 3 Comments »

I’m not a huge golf fan but this headline, in Canada’s National Post, grabbed my attention because in our culture, professional athletes are supposed to obsess over their careers.

So what gives with American golfer Scott Scheffler, who’s currently the top-ranked player in the world?

“I’m not here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what’s the point?,” he told reporters, who must have been thoroughly gobsmacked at hearing this heresy. “This is not a fulfilling life.”

What?? How can this be? Did Scheffler get hit in the head with a golf ball? Did someone whack him with a putter? There must be some explanation for this wonky, ridiculous thinking.

And there is. Consider Scheffler’s answer to a question about his reading habits: “I have a devotional book on my iPad. I have another book which I’m reading that’s definitely not a golf book. It’s another spiritual book. My Bible is pretty much it.”

Ah. There it is. Scheffler is some kind or religious nut, right? And yet you’re reading this blog because somewhere in your mind and heart, you’re open to spirituality – and maybe even to Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God.

Despite Scheffler’s astounding success — the article says the 29-year-old Texan “has taken over the sport as the most dominant player since Tiger Woods” — he has found himself grounded in a way most of us can only dream about.

Among the many things Jesus told anyone willing to listen is this: “What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?”

Scheffler appears to understand this very well. And maybe this understanding has contributed to his success.

There’s something for me and you to learn from this. Whatever we’re pursuing, is it worth damaging our health, our emotional well-being or our relationships? NO. Especially when it’s all temporary. Our 70 or 80 years on this planet are nothing but a blip compared to what’s coming next.

Scheffler seems to comprehend what’s coming next. That’s why he’s placed his faith and trust in Jesus, because anyone who does so will spend a glorious eternity in the presence of their creator.

This is how it works: Jesus told his listeners, “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.

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.

Are you interested? Yes or no, post your 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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PAYING THE COST

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 15, 2025| 4 Comments »

Anyone familiar with Jesus of Nazareth – who many people believe is the Son of God – will be confounded, perplexed and, often, offended by the truth advanced in the atheist meme that kicked off this blog.

So stick with me while I do my very imperfect best to explain it and, hopefully, give you a life-giving new perspective on what it means to be a Jesus follower.

First, a little history. In ancient Jewish culture (when He was physically on Earth, Jesus was a Jew), a goat was selected annually to symbolically bear the weight of all the wrong things people did that year and all the right things they failed to do.

That goat, called the scapegoat, was sent into the wilderness to die. It sounds bizarre to us, but it was a pillar of ancient Jewish thought. Please note, however, that the scapegoat forgiveness was only symbolic and it only lasted a year.

Now, you may be thinking that this kind of thing is absolutely unnecessary today, but consider these two facts:

  1. God’s standard for spending eternity in Heaven with Him is perfection. The proof? Jesus told anyone willing to listen that “you must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”

2. No one can achieve God’s standard on their own. I can’t, you can’t and even the most saintly person on this planet can’t. God knew that so He did something about it. He sent His perfect Son to Earth to live a humble life, bring incredible miracles and teaching to people in desperate need, then die on a cross.

That death was life-changing because for His followers, it permanently forgives ALL the wrong things we’ve done and ALL the right things we’ve failed to do. No exceptions. In this way, Jesus did what the ancient Jewish scapegoat could never do.

Three days later, Jesus fulfilled His own predication by rising from the dead and, according to one of His most accomplished followers (a guy named Paul of Tarsus), appeared to more than 500 people. Through this, He proved His claim to be the divine Son of God.

So why can’t God just snap His fingers and forgive us all? Good question. Because just as a forgiven thief still has to serve jail time, so our “sins” still have to be paid for; there’s nothing unreasonable about that. And Jesus pays the cost of forgiveness for all His followers.

I regard this as very good news. And there’s more. When you say yes to following Jesus – when you sincerely declare Him your Lord, Saviour and best friend – He comes into your life and starts making you more of the person you were created to be. And that process won’t end until this life ends and you meet Jesus face to face.

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

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WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 11, 2025| 3 Comments »

The title of this album, recorded almost 50 years ago by actor/singer David Soul (famous for co-starring in TV’s Starsky & Hutch) has always stuck with me. At the time, I recall a particularly unpleasant reviewer declaring that after being forced to hear the album, it now had an audience of none. 😦

From my perspective as a retired 60-something, almost all of us spend our lives playing to audiences. During my working life, I played for an audience of co-workers and supervisors. These days, I play for an audience of my wife, stepkids and grandchildren.

Audiences watch, listen and ultimately (whether they know it or not) judge the “performer”. And for performers, the key to success is knowing their audience and providing what they want. In my life, that includes dealing with the garbage/recycling/compost for my wife and picking up our grandchildren from school.

In the spiritual realm — and I assume you’re open to spirituality — there’s much, much more to this idea. In that world, all of us play to an audience of exactly one. (And no nasty music reviewer can change that).

That audience is the master of time, space and the universe. And the creator of you & me. Unlike our human audiences, we can’t hide anything from God.

“Because His knowledge is infinite and perfect, He never has to figure anything out,” says Canadian pastor Henry Shore. “He’s never surprised, confused or shocked. God knows everything there is to know about you and me.”

Kinda unnerving, isn’t it?

This isn’t just Henry’s opinion. An ancient writer and prophet noted “I’m an open book to You [God]; even from a distance, You know what I’m thinking. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence.”

So how do we deal with this audience? To start with, understand that your creator loves YOU. No matter what you’ve done or not done, no matter what kind of success or failure you’ve experienced, no matter what anyone thinks of you (including mean-spirited music reviewers). NOTHING changes God’s love for YOU.

This explains why that same ancient writer/prophet could state, “This is too much, too wonderful — I can’t take it all in!”

All this is wonderful, but it’s important to understand this: the wrong things we do and right things we fail to do put a barrier between us and our loving creator. Consider these words that Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is God’s Son) said to anyone willing to listen: “you must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”

Oh boy. This makes the barrier I mentioned seem impossible to breach. And it is, on our own. But Jesus–His extraordinary life and teachings, His death and resurrection–is God’s gift to ANYONE willing to accept it. If you accept it, if you declare Jesus Lord, Saviour and your best friend, God no longer sees your “sins”. He only sees His Son’s perfection. So when this life ends, you’ll be welcomed to spend eternity in His presence.

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

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WHERE HE KNOWS YOUR NAME

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 3, 2024| 3 Comments »

“There’s something missing from my life. Sure, I have a nice wife, a career and a house; I guess I’m talking about that spiritual something to give it all meaning and enable me to be at peace with myself and the world.”

This was a monologue from Norm, the barfly played so expertly by actor George Wendt on the dearly loved American comedy Cheers. I happened to see it while skimming videos on Facebook and it stopped me in my tracks.

While the “speech” ended with a silly joke that was typical of the show, I saved the video because I believe if many of us gave it any consideration, what Norm said would accurately describe our lives.

It was certainly the case for me. In 2004, I had:

  • A career in print journalism that was going nicely
  • Experience with several satisfying romantic relationships
  • A home in surburbia

To any outsider, I had all that things that would make me a success. But something was missing.

So, at a certain point, I came to recognize that my life accomplishments didn’t mean much and they would disappear the moment my soul left my body. Maybe the fact that you’re reading this means you’re at, or near, this point in your life.

So here’s what I did: Because of attending church services as a child, I had a vague idea about Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God. So, with an open mind, I started connecting with Jesus followers who were capable of having spiritual discussions with non-believers.

Over time, I came to understand two vital things: who Jesus is and who I am. Some folks think Jesus was just a cool guy with some great ideas worth following. Others believe He was nothing more than a made-up character.

If you give any credibility to the primary-source accounts of His physical life on earth, then you’ll know that Jesus didn’t allow us the option of figuring He was just a great thinker and good person. You either have to believe He is who He said He is (the Son of God who came to came to live, die and return to life for our benefit) or a lunatic with a god complex.

As for being a fictional character, who would do this and carry it through? And why? To get money, sex and power? Really?

As for us, most people in the world today figure they’re good and, if there’s any kind of creator and any kind of Heaven, then we’re good enough to get in on our own merits.

But that’s opposite to what Jesus said. He told anyone willing to listen that “you must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” Once I understood that, I realized that being “good” was absolutely NOT good enough. I had to trust and follow Jesus, who claimed to be “the way, the truth and the life.”

Once I finally did that, my career changed (to telling others about Jesus), the women I dated changed (I married a Jesus follower) and I came to understand that the things this world values are meaningless in the grand scheme of things. My meaning and JOY comes from following Jesus and telling people like you about Him.

Are you missing something in your life? Then look into Jesus. I think He’s what you need. Agree? Disagree? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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CONSIDERING A PURE HEART & GOOD INTENTIONS

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 10, 2024| 7 Comments »

Ah, peace. We all want it and most of us think we don’t have nearly enough of it.

When I discovered this internet meme, three things immediately set my “spidey sense” tingling.

1. The creator of this meme believes the way to peace is good intentions and a pure heart. While lots of us have similar ideas about what makes up “good intentions”, I’m sure there are many points of divergence.

The ancient saying “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” is still around today because it’s true. Here’s just one sad, unfortunate example:

Dr. Spock, the author of a famous handbook on child rearing, recognized that babies throw up a lot and therefore recommended newborns be laid on their stomachs to sleep. Unknowingly, this would result in thousands of accidental smothering deaths. We now know that newborns should sleep on their backs until they can roll over for themselves.

An internet search will provide many more examples of good intentions gone horribly wrong. So I need to ask: Who defines what is good? And how good is good enough?

Let me offer a very radical, very out-of-the-box answer: the creator of time, space the universe and YOU defines what is good AND how good is good enough.

ChristianWeek.com suggests achieving goodness means being kind and decent, compassionate and generous, resourceful and studious, curious and concerned with addressing injustice.

As a follower of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), I’m delighted that these characteristics can be agreed on by pretty much everyone.

Here’s the controversial part: Jesus followers like me believe being good is absolutely NOT good enough. In one of the original-source biographies of His physical time on Earth, Jesus said “you must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” Oh boy. This isn’t looking good for me, you or anyone else on this planet.

2. What is a pure heart? Ideapod.com has this definition: It doesn’t mean having any faults, but rather without any hidden intentions. It’s not about always being right or perfect, but rather doing your best to do the right thing.

This is all very, very laudable. I’m just not ready to say that me, you or anyone else has achieved it.

No matter how hard I work at it, there are times when I do NOT try my best to do the right thing. Despite my best efforts, there are occasions when I absolutely DO have hidden intentions. This means I fall short of Jesus’s standard for this life and the life to come. Can you, with complete honesty, claim you are pure-hearted?

3. What is the “end of the day”? The tone of the meme suggests it’s the end of life. If you believe there’s something beyond 70+ years on this planet, then the meme is ignoring that. Given the words of Jesus about Heaven and what’s required to get there, is that a good idea?

There’s a lot to ponder here. I suggest the best way to start is to investigate the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. If He’s right and your eternal life is at stake, then nothing is more important than checking Him out.

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COMPETITION? WHAT COMPETITION?

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 11, 2023| 5 Comments »

Has this ever occurred to you – that “religion” (a nasty term I want nothing to do with) and science are in some sort of wrestling cage match – and science has religion in a choke-hold?

That’s certainly the point of this meme, helpfully provided by an internet atheism community, and it suggests that “religion” doesn’t work. Guess what? I’m a man of faith and I absolutely agree.

Religion is all about what Stephen Hawking called “authority,” along with following rules, looking good in front of others and judging people who don’t appear to have it all together. Yech. Sounds awful, doesn’t it?

So let’s talk about faith/spirituality instead. And let’s wonder why on earth anyone would believe faith and science are competing. They absolutely are not because, as Hawking noted “there is a fundamental difference” between them.

Consider this: science deals only with the natural world, while faith/spirituality overlaps significantly into the supernatural. So they have almost nothing in common. That’s why there are many spiritual thinkers in the fields of engineering, physics and astronomy, chemistry and biomedical sciences.

(In fact, Wikipedia lists more than 60 scientific thinkers that follow Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God. I wrote about some of them here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-e9)

I hope that by now, you are willing to consider that science and faith can and do get along quite nicely. That means YOU can still be science-oriented while exploring a life of faith. That’s certainly the case for me; I like science because it shows me how God does stuff. 🙂

Like those 60 thinkers mentioned earlier, I follow Jesus because it makes the most sense and it helps me to understand this world and what I believe is the life to come. Now here’s the thing: Jesus told anyone willing to listen that in order to get the best of this life and the next life, “You must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”

Oh, man. I’m absolutely nowhere near perfect (just ask my wife) and I can safely write that you aren’t either. So what’s the solution? It’s simple: follow Jesus. Declare Him, with serious sincerity, to be your Lord, your Saviour and your best friend. Then start reading about Him (there are four original-source biographies available that detail His physical time on earth) and connecting with other Jesus followers.

If you do that, Jesus will come into your world and start the life-long process of making you more like the person God created you to be. And when this life ends, God will see you like He sees Jesus: perfect in every way. That means you’ll spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Do you agree? Yes or no, click/tap the ‘share’ button below and let’s have a conversation.

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FROM MARGARITAVILLE TO HEAVEN

Posted in In The News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 23, 2023| 5 Comments »

I’ve been pondering the life of beloved singer/songwriter/entertainer/business mogul Jimmy Buffett, who died in September 2023 of skin cancer.

Did you know he was a billionaire? Buffett parlayed his 30 albums and hit song “Margaritaville” into hotels, casinos, retirement communities, bestselling books and even his own brand of beer. He sold more than 20 million CDs and had legions of “parrothead” fans who loved the escapist beach life he espoused.

As I appreciate his business saavy, and the pleasure Jimmy brought to millions of fans, two things occur to me:

  1. Did all that money make Buffett happier than the rest of us? That is the goal of our culture, right? And mountains of cash is supposed to be the way to achieve it, correct?
    His wealth and public approval certainly didn’t extend his life; Jimmy lived just a year longer than the average American male (76 versus the average of 75) and four years less than the average Canadian man.
  2. Did Buffett ever move beyond the lifestyle his songs, personal brand and concerts promoted? While it’s wonderful to find escapist pleasure listening to his songs or hanging out with other Parrotheads, all that is, in the end, temporary and superficial. Jimmy’s Wikipedia profile indicated who he supported politically and all his excellent charity work, but it also stated he did not participate in any faith.

So what do you think? I believe there should come a time when we set aside temporary things and consider important, life-changing questions.

Why am I here? What is the point of life? What happens when this life ends? Our culture discourages these subjects but, in the end, they matter far more than becoming rich or getting drunk at a concert.

I explored those questions a few years ago. After much reading and many conversations with brave people, I decided to follow a guy named Jesus of Nazareth. Many people, including me, believe Jesus is the Son of God who came to this planet to show us how to live, then sacrifice His life to make up for all the wrong things we’ve done and all the right things we’ve failed to do.

This is important because Jesus told anyone willing to listen that “You must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” In other words, if you believe there’s a Heaven after this life ends, then your record MUST be unblemished, from start to finish, in order to get in and spend eternity with your creator.

Since none of us can ever come close to that standard, the solution is to follow Jesus. Declare Him your Lord, your Saviour and your best friend. Then, when you’ve breathed your last, God will see you just like He sees Jesus: perfect in every way. Equally important, when you say yes to Jesus, He comes into your life RIGHT NOW and starts to make you more of the person God created you to be.

Sound like a good deal? Yes or no, post your comment below and let’s have a conversation.

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LEARNING AND UNLEARNING

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 5, 2023| 1 Comment »

Well. This atheist meme certainly paints “religion” in a very bad light. And I get it. As a follower of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), I want nothing to do with the negative, judgemental attitudes that infest religion like a cancer.

So, from a Jesus-following perspective, what about the points made in the meme? Give me a few minutes to go over them and, hopefully, give you something substantial to think about.

  1. Am I “nothing” without God? From one viewpoint, absolutely. You, me, this planet and this universe would not exist without its creator. But my faith tells me all human beings are loved by God. No exceptions. He so much thinks YOU are “something” that He sent His Son to show us a new way to live, and then die to make up for ALL the wrong things His followers have done and ALL the right things we’ve failed to do. In that way, we are *everything* to God.
  2. Some of our desires are, indeed, sinful. My desire to always look good means I’ll sometimes lie or hold back information or avoid difficult situations. That’s sinful. Are you OK with all your desires? What actions have you done — or not done — because of your desires? Got any regrets?
  3. Our spiritual selves are of vital importance. Would anyone other than atheists (who claim we have no souls) think otherwise? But our physical selves matter just as much and I don’t know of any Jesus followers who disagree with me. That’s why so many Jesus followers support Samaritan’s Purse, LifeWater, International Justice Mission and other organizations that help people physically and spiritually.
  4. When this meme was created, I’m assuming “saving others” meant spiritually. Well, from my perspective, that’s false. I am not responsible for spiritually saving anyone. Jesus told His followers to “Go everywhere in the world. Tell the Good News to everyone.” See the difference? In words and deeds, I’m supposed to *tell* them about Jesus. It’s GOD who does the saving.
  5. Just one way to live? That’s ridiculously vague. People, including Jesus followers, live all sorts of lives. That said, Jesus told anyone willing to listen that “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Anyone who doesn’t like that has a problem with Jesus, not His followers. And if He is the Son of God, then he has the right to make this statement. (If you’re not sure who Jesus is, check out the ‘Links to other sites’ tab.)
  6. Are all people “broken”? You won’t like the answer, because all people older than toddlers, who have even a slight ability to discern right from wrong, are broken. All of us have done wrong and failed to do right. That includes you and it certainly includes me. Just ask my patient and forgiving wife. Now here’s the thing: Jesus told anyone open to hearing that “You must be perfect, just as my father in Heaven in perfect.” So, that’s what it takes to get to Heaven. Since we ALL fall short of this standard, we ALL need saving.
  7. Sometimes I can trust myself. Sometimes. Other times I miss the target more often than a drunk darts player. So in the end, I cannot trust myself to make the right decisions, to understand who I am and who God is. That’s just one reason why I follow Jesus. Because I CAN trust Him.

So, do my explanations help you better understand a life of faith? Does following Jesus (and avoiding “religion”) make more sense? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation. 🙂

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