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Monday 28 November 2011

The God wager .. tis a 50/50 thing.

My American friends have a wonderful saying .. 'this is a come to Jesus talk' .. all it means really is a talk that kicks the other person into gear .. a 'time to sober up mate' talk ..

My younger brother lost his friend, a young man of 31, whole life ahead of him, killed by armed robbers. When I hear stories like that, my heart gets heavy. It gets me thinking about eternity.

I have friends who truly believe that when we die, there's nothing in the here-after. Our energy disperses into the universe or we have no awareness any longer - we enter into a void of nothingness and simply cease to exist. Sometimes for their sakes, I could almost wish it is the case. Why would I wish that?

There is a 50/50 chance that GOD exists or that He doesn't. Let those who think He does and those who think He doesn't, just pause for a moment to consider they might be wrong and the other side might be right.

I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Jesus wasn't a guru, a philosopher, a radical reformist, He is exactly who He claimed to be - the Son of God. He came to save us. He died to pay the price for my sins. He was resurrected 3 days later. If I accept His sacrifice, it makes me right with God. God is not the joyless, fun hating, hard-as-nails-just-waiting-for-you-to-get-it-wrong-so-He-gets-to-crack-the-whip humans paint Him to be. GOD is love. Total unconditional love. He loves you and I right now just as we are and is constantly calling us and wooing us to come to Him. No matter how much you reject Him, sass Him, bad-talk Him, cuss Him out, ignore Him etc He does not reject you.

So what if I am wrong about God existing? Well, if I am wrong, I am in a win-win situation. I would have lived a happy fulfilled life. For those who say God is a crutch? Well, I have the greatest, best, most awesome crutch ever. God fills that void all humans have that we instinctively spend our lives trying to fill. I have the GOD crutch and I am one happy content joyful crutch waving bunny. So I die, and there's nothing in the here-after?? Well, my energy gets dispersed into the universe, I enter into a sleepless void - and I've lost out on absolutely nothing. I would have lived a happy content life, and get to have a blissful nothing hereafter. However, if I am right and there is a heaven, I get to be with God for eternity. Win-win position for me. Heads I win, tails I still win.

But what of the energy-consciousness individual? Well, if they are right, they live the life they want and hereafter, long sleep. All good. But what if they are wrong? Ahhhhh, well, that's the rub. Finding out one has been wrong all along about God after death is a huge 'Oops!'

For those who think of hell as where all the cool peeps have gone, so it's gonna be one long party - well, I got news for ya. If God is real, then all goodness comes from God. That means the ability to feel joy, pleasure, have fun, have a great time, feel hope, love, etc all the good stuff that makes life worth living is a gift from God. Hell is total separation from God - the absence of anything good. It is agony, pain, loneliness, depression, self-hate, torment, horrible thoughts etc. In other words, hell will be all the horrible bad stuff lived through endlessly for an eternity. And we haven't even spoken about the fire yet! LOL

Redemption is not cleaning up your act and becoming a moralistic person. Redemption is NOT living a good life or doing good deeds. No-one can impress God with their goodness. Jesus's death is the ONLY sacrifice acceptable. God is not into good deeds Vs bad deeds. There is no balance sheet. All have sinned. The price of sin is death. Jesus, perfect and sinless paid the price for everyone. The price for sin has been paid. Everyone has the opportunity to be right with God. No-one will go to hell because they are sinners BUT because they rejected Jesus.

Jesus shows us via the thief on the cross that ANYONE who accepts Him is made right with God. The thief did not have any time to clean up his act, he couldn't balance out his bad deeds with good deeds - he met Jesus while they were both being crucified.  After initially mocking Jesus, something about Jesus struck him. He said 'Lord, when you enter into your kingdom, remember me'. His eyes were opened and he 'saw' Jesus. He accepted Jesus was Lord (A King, a Master who possessed a kingdom). The thief believed and asked for mercy. Jesus's reply? 'Today, you will be with me in paradise'. Wow! What total assurance. Read the gospels and you'll realise something quickly - Jesus is either just who He says He is - the Son of God. Or he was one totally bat-shit crazy dude with grandiose ideas and deep-rooted psychiatric issues.

I am not looking to die but I am not afraid of dying either. I'll hate that my loved ones will be hurt  but I know I'll be with God. Don't get me wrong, I am not looking to check out of this side of eternity anytime soon - I wanna see my son get married, parachute jump with my grand-kids, carry their kids, travel the world, get married again etc etc .. BUT if my days are numbered and I don't get all those things, I am okay with that too.

Are you ready to die right at this minute? Are you ready to gamble the dice with your eternity? If you aren't 100% sure of your eternity, then please my friend, consider Jesus.

xx

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