What the hell? Why does destruction, death, and hell exist?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding Proverbs 9:10

This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall bear report of thee,and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee. Deuteronomy 2:25

But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. Luke 12:5 (see Luke 12-13)

Talking with my brother last night about the possibility that he may have received an unBiblical understanding of God and Hell, this came into my inbox: Three Views of Hell in Christian Tradition.

Looking at the fires in LA, we prayed this catastrophe would bring people to repentance. This is my view on why bad things happen, it's God's wake up call that all the good things we enjoy come from Him. 

The Beginning of Wisdom, by Chuck Missler is a good word about the healthy fear of the Lord. He says that our top stewardship responsibility is not our jobs, money or role as father or family member. He says it's our top stewardship responsibility to steward our heart. Because out of our heart flows everything else. 

The book of Proverbs is God's book on "How to wise up and live" beyond keeping laws, it focuses on leading an aggressively dynamic life through. Proverbs is God's book defining proper and improper attitudes, conduct, and characteristics referred to in succinct, penetrating ways. It shows four classes of people who desperately need wisdom (Proverbs 1:22); the Scorner, the fool, and the simple.

• Scorner (mocks God's wisdom, never profit from rebuke, one day will be judged). Proverbs 14:6;21:24;9:7-8;13:1;19:29, Jesus shows God is patience has a limit Luke 13:6-9
• Fools (dense, sluggish and self satisfied, self confident, mocks sins, hates instruction) Proverbs 1:7,22;12:15;29:11;14:9 - Jesus gives the cure in Luke 12:13-21; “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
• Simple (believes everything and lacks discernment and understanding) Proverbs 14:15;7:7;22:3, Jesus shows how evil spirits that have held people in darkness for most of their life can be removed - resulting in praising God Luke 13:10-17.
• Wise, Listen to instruction, obey what they hear, store up what they learn, win others to the Lord, flee from sin, watch their tongue, are diligent in their daily work (Proverbs 1:5;10:8;10:14;11:30;14:16;16:23;10:5), Jesus shows, it's about relationship with Him Luke 13:22-30, see Knowing Jesus, the will of God

Reminds me of People have four dispositions, three are toxic, one is from God

 Ways to meditate on the Bible passage your reading.

What my life will mean 200 years from now (Coram Deo)

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Mystery of Christ's body being revealed (Rev 10:7, Eph 1:9–10, Rom 1:16-17)

 When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets.” Rev 10:7

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God. Romans 15:7

The opened scroll (Rev 10:2), the voice from heaven spoke to me again: “Go and take the open scroll (Rev 10:8), and eat it (taste and see)... I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.” (Rev 10:9-11).

Jesus was given all authority in heaven and heaven and sends us to go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:17-20). This the little scroll was given to us to take to heart (Rev 10:1-10). To taste and see that the Lord is good. 

 - The Lamb conquered; He came; He has taken the roll. He is the wisdom of the Church; among all pre-eminent; all things will be reconciled in Him; the purpose and meaning of all life's mysteries and sorrows will be made plain in Him. (Comp. 1Corinthians 1:24; Ephesians 1:9-10; Colossians 1:18.) From Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

...the spontaneous act of the Lamb in taking the book of his own accord as his right, with the call to St. John to take the little book (Revelation 10:8). Out of the right hand. The position of power and honour. He to whom all power was given in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28.) is the only One who can penetrate the mysteries and dispense the power of God's right hand. Of him that sat upon the throne; of him that sitteth. That is, the Triune God (see on Revelation 4:2). The Son in his human capacity, as indicated by his sacrificial form of the Lamb, can take and reveal the mysteries of the eternal Godhead in which he, as God, has part. From Pulpit Commentary

The gospel is the power of God for everyone who believes, the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith. (Romans 1:16-17)

We who have tasted and seen the Lord is good are the body of Christ and his ambassadors on the earth. What this means is that we bind and lose in a very real sense. What we do and say has material consequences. Jesus taught this in John 13:20, "I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me."

When people work to destroy the church they are fighting God himself: See Acts 9:4-5, 

He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” “Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied.

Jesus highlighted his own authority (before he died for our sins)

• so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. John 5:23
• Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me. And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me. John 12:44-45
• Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me. John 14:24

Jesus highlighted his authority after the resurrection 

• "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” Matthew 28:18
• Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.” John 20:21

Jesus repeatedly taught this message about the Church

• As You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. John 17:18 
• Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19
• He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me. Matthew 10:40
• Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” Luke 10:16

And the apostles of God extended this message to us

• We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. 1 John 4:6
• Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 

The church is like a hospital

• And although my illness was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself. Galatians 4:14 
• The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40

The church is like a school

• And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. Matthew 18:5
• “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.” Mark 9:37

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God. Romans 15:7

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Friendship is God's way of loving us through someone else

My friend shared his concern for a new believer in Christ who lives in the muslim world. He and his family is in crisis, and crisis feels out of control and God can seem far away. My immediate response is that we need to bring the situation to the Lord who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine (Eph 3:20), to cast our cares on Him because he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). To have faith beyond our current world (Heb 11) with eyes on Jesus and God's city (Heb 12).  My life verses when I was new believer was Philippians 4:4-7, with 1 Peter 4:7-11. A life verse is something you meditate on, contemplating it's truth in your life until the peace of God that transcends understanding guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. We stand in understanding, instead of fight or flight. 

BSF has taught me the ABC of Urgent Prayer Care. A: Address the situation, B: Bring God in, C: Communicate Hope. I've been enjoying friendships with a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Jesus. John 13:20 listen to Jesus, "whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." Don't call it friendship evangelism, call it "God's way of loving us through someone else."

A) Pray back the situation and what emotions or perspectives are blocking the peace and calm of the Holy Spirit. In the prayercourse.org we call this part, keep it simple, keep it real, keep it going. A friend once told me if after prayer you still feel stress, anxiety, anger or similar emotions, you haven't prayed but only complained to God. This is why we need to go two steps further - Bring God in and Communicate Hope. 

B) In crisis, the key to lasting calm is the control of the Holy Spirit. (Read Romans 8:6: "So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace."). Bring God in. What do they need in a crisis? God’s attributes and an awareness of His presence. I love Romans 8:1-17, what Good News! We belong to Christ Jesus and the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed us from the power of sin. God declared an end to sin's control by Jesus atoning sacrifice on the cross. We give our lives to Christ and no longer dominated by sinful nature but controlled by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:12 reminds us, we have no obligation to do what our sinful nature urges us to...all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 

C) In crisis, we need a reason to continue. (Read Psalm 31:24). Communicate hope. What truth or promises from God’s Word are needed? Romans 8:15-17, "So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

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We pray to God in the presence of people, not to people (Heb 12:22-25, Matt 6:5-8)

"...you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking..." Heb 12:22-25

"When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!" Matt 6:5-8

How interesting life is. I've just turned 50 and have been thinking about God promises obeying Sabbath and Jubilee years bring blessings. Last year was a personal year of Jubilee (7x7=49) (Days of Elijah) yet I've found my heart has been holding God's decrees with contempt, through arrogant disobedience. Lev 26:14-46, woe to me, Lord forgive me and help me to renounce my pride - help me to see clearly and walk in your ways in spirit and truth. Help me to pray and not give up, knowing you see everything. I surrender my contemptuous attitude toward you, myself, and others. 

Sensing God's pleasure motivates our devotion

Repentance proclaimed, Holy Spirit reveals Jesus the Messiah in baptism (Matthew 3)

Repentance: Turning From Sin and Turning to God

Knowledge of SIN cultivates a conscience and heart for God

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God intends fear and sorrow to bring repentance that leads to salvation, not regret (2 Cor 7:9-10)

"yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." 2 Cor 7:9-10

Sometimes we see a social post from a friend and it stews in our minds like a crockpot. Then we may call that person and it builds a more troubling story. I wish there was something I could do or say but the other persons life is out of my control. I can't fix this person, I need to be still and know (Psalm 46:10)... to come to Jesus with my weariness and learn from his humility (Matthew 11:28-30) to cast my cares upon Him because He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 55:22), to lean not on my own understanding but in complete trust submit my will to the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

Unfortunately "crockpot sorrow" can take two avenues of confession:

1. Superficial, fatalism. Express regret and sorrow but knowing that this is going to happen again, probably this week. Hypocrisy
2. Express guilt and sorrow, but have a hatred for the sin - you have every intention to make war against it. You are going to rob it of its power. Romans 7:16-19

 Genesis 44:33-34;Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10; 2 Peter 3:9

• Fear when God uncovers your guilt (Genesis 44:33-34)
• God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance (Rom 2:4)
• ...your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended...Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret (2 Cor 7:9-10)
• The Lord...is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)

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