Born Once, Die Twice; Born Twice, Die Once

  Born once, die twice; born twice, die once. What does that mean?
 
  When you were born, you had a physical birthday. You were born to a mother who gave physical birth to you. That is the first birth.

   Jesus said to a man named Nicodemus, 'You must be born again.' What does it mean to be born again? Nicodemus wanted to know too.

   Being born again doesn't mean coming out of your mother's womb a second time. It is talking about a spiritual birth.

   Every living person has a physical birth, but not every person has a spiritual birth. Being born a second time is called, being 'born again'. It is a spiritual birth.

   Every living person will die one day. If the person is not 'born again' he will face God's judgment. He will go to a place called 'hell' to live forever. This is called the 'second death'. The physical death is the first death. That is why a person who is born once (only the physical birth) will die twice. Once a physical death, and then the second death.

   Every living person will die and meet God. If the person has been 'born again', he will enter heaven and live with God forever. He will not face the 'second death'. His only death will be physical. He will only die one time.

  Born once, die twice pertains to those who have rejected the salvation that was provided by God through the death of His Son on the cross, around 2,000 years ago. They have one physical birth, yet two deaths; one physical, and the other spiritual.

  Born twice, die once pertains to those who have come to Christ and who have turned from their sins and trusted in Jesus Christ to save them from sin. They have both a physical and spiritual birth, and they will only die a physical death.

  Have you trusted in God's Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for your sins? If not, you can repent right now, and turn to Him. You can trust in Jesus Christ as the One who took the punishment or payment for your sins. Either you will have to pay the price for your sins in hell, forever, or, you can turn to God and trust in His provision for the forgiveness of your sins, by trusting in Jesus Christ as the One who can save you from sin. There are only 2 choices. The response is up to you. Please send an email to RUgood@mail.com  or leave a comment in the comment box if you have questions or want more information.

Bad News, Good News

Don't give up when you hear the Bad News. Keep reading to find the Good News.

Here's the bad news: " Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
But here's the good news (if you are in Christ) " And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11 ESV  If you are not in Christ yet, you can be. If God is working in your heart, He will help you turn from your sins and trust in Him! Let God work in your heart today. For more help see http://test4gp.wordpress.com
If you have questions, please send an email to RUgood@mail.com
We will be glad to help you!

Are you good enough for heaven?
How good do you have to be?
Go to www.thegoodtest.net
and take the test to see!

Remember that any score less than 100% means failure. That's bad news! But the good news is that we don't have to get into heaven on our own score. We can get in on Somebody else's score. Someone did score 100%. You won't get in on your score. You have to have a perfect score to get in!

The Devil's Two Lies

   In the Bible, Jesus has a lot to say about the devil. He describes the devil as a thief and murderer. Another description of the devil is the 'Father of Lies'. "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's ... When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44 NIV). But why is this important to know? 
  There are times in the Bible where we can see the devil lying, such as the time he tricked Eve into disobeying God by eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God had instructed Adam and Eve about what they could eat in the Garden of Eden. Eve was by herself when the devil came up to her and asked her, "Did God really say that you should not eat of any tree of the Garden?" Eve told him that they could eat of any tree, but not of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. If they did, she continued to tell him, they would die. The devil came in and said "You won't die. You will be like God...." Eve considered and fell for the lie. Sad. Ever since that time, people have had hardship and difficulty in life. That was when sin entered the world. Eve took the fruit. Adam came along and joined in and ate as well. The first murder that took place was with their children! A couple of generations down the road, the Bible says that man was so wicked, that he was inventing ways of being evil! Then came the great flood that destroyed the world, except 8 people. You can read about this event starting in Genesis chapter 6 in your Bible.
  What are the two big lies that the devil tells people today? He has told people these same lies down through the centuries, ever since Adam and Eve sinned against God that day in the Garden. 
   The first lie is this; "You are basically a good person." Or another way of looking at this lie is, "You are not a bad person". A lie that the devil also tells that goes along with these two lies (which are both sides of the same coin) is that, "God loves you and He doesn't send people to hell that He loves. Therefore, you won't go to hell because He loves you." 
   One thing that is interesting about the devil's lies is that it is almost always mixed with half-truths. It is true that God loves us. But that doesn't mean that people won't be punished in hell! God's love made a way for us to not have to go to hell, but we have to respond to that. 
   The second lie is this; "You are so bad that God can't forgive you." Or, "You are so bad that God won't forgive you." This lie is directed toward people who understand that they have sinned against a holy God. They know that God will punish sin, but they don't understand the power of the Cross. What is the power of the Cross? 
   During the days of the Old Testament time period, God instructed His people to offer the blood of animals to cover over their sin (this is called 'atonement'). The animal was usually a lamb. The offering was called a sacrifice. People would slaughter a lamb and offer the lamb's blood as a covering for their sins. Lambs were continually being offered because people were always sinning. Acts of sin are committed when we break the 10 Commandments. We break the Commandments because we are born with selfish, sinful hearts. Ever since Eve listened to the devil in the Garden, and took the forbidden fruit, people have been born with sinful, self-centered hearts that don't love God. Because we don't love God, we are always breaking the 10 Commandments. We need our sins atoned for (covered).
   The blood of the Lambs could only cover our sins, but God did something amazing. Two thousand years ago, God sent His Son to live on earth. He lived in the Middle East and He never sinned. He had a cousin named John the Baptist who one day exclaimed, "Look! There is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!" That would be an interesting way to talk about your cousin! But this was a situation like no other one. Jesus lived for about 33 years, and never sinned. He went about doing good and helping people. He healed people who were sick and raised up people who had died. He fed people with a lot of food that multiplied from just a couple of fish and loaves of bread! But one thing He did that no other person could do, was to die a terrible death in order to take the place of people who were sinners. Cruel people brought Him to court and told lies about Him. Many people wanted Him dead. He could have been acquitted, but He died in your place and my place for our sins. 
  When He was dying on the Cross (crucifixion), God the Father put His punishment for us, on His Son. All of our sins were placed on Jesus. He died a terrible death. He did this so that we wouldn't have to spend eternity in hell. That is why He is called, "The Lamb of God". But now it is different. You and I do not have to kill lambs when we sin. Jesus died once for all. He doesn't have to die again for our sins! That action provided the power of God to forgive all our sins. 
    After Jesus died that terrible death, He was buried. But this death was different than any other one. You see, He didn't stay dead! He arose from the dead. He walked around with some of the disciples during this time and gave them more instructions. Then He went back up to heaven, while the disciples stood there watching! He is going to come back to earth for those who belong to Him, and He will judge the people who don't know Him. Those people will spend eternity in hell. But those who know Him will be in heaven.
   Don't let the devil lie to you. Every person has sinned against God. Sin is serious and God will punish sinners. On the other hand, your sin is not so great that God cannot forgive you of your debt. I encourage you to consider what I have written here. Before you put your head on your pillow tonight, please make things right between you and God. Turn away from your sin and selfishness, and turn to God. Trust in what Jesus did on the Cross for you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Send an email to RUgood@mail.com  or if you have any comments please write them below. 

Only Two Places to Go

What happens after a person dies? Can we know what happens? Is there anything we can do to prepare for the place we will go? How long is eternity?

    If you have observed History for any length of time, one thing you will have noticed. 10 out of 10 people die. The statistic has always been the same. Every person who has been born has to face death, whether it be only a few minutes after birth, or 95+ years later. No person has a guarantee of when this date with death comes. The Bible says that it is appointed once for man to die, then after that the judgment. But what happens after we die?
  In the book of Luke in the Bible, Jesus tells a story about 2 men. One was poor and lived a very depleted life. The other was rich and selfish. Both men died. The poor one ended up in Abraham's bosom, but the rich man ended up in hell. There was a great gulf between the two places so someone in hell could not cross over to get to Abraham's bosom (place of comfort). The poor man was now being comforted. The rich man was being tormented. He was in the flames of God's wrath. He couldn't get out and will live there for eternity.
   The rich man was selfish and didn't love God, nor did he love people. He loved himself. That is what the Bible describes as our sin. We were created to love God, even more than anything else. But instead, we love ourselves and put our own wants and needs before God. We are more important to ourselves than God is to us. The activities of our lives show what is in our hearts. We lie, steal, cheat, gossip, have snobby attitudes, manipulate, flatter, boast, put others down, lust after people sexually, live for pleasure, etc. You can look at the 10 Commandments and see how well you are keeping them! No one can do it. There is one person who did keep the Commandments perfectly. God's Son, Jesus, lived on earth 2,000 years ago. He lived a perfect life, never sinning. He died a horrible death that He didn't deserve, but you and I did. When He died He took all your sin (and everyone else's sins) on Himself. He also came back to life from the dead and ascended up to heaven and will come back to judge the world one day.
   Every person deserved to go to hell, not because God is mean or strict. It is only because God is holy, and He has to punish sin. Every sin committed has to be punished. All the sins you have committed throughout your life will have to be punished. Either you will pay for your sins eternally in hell, or Jesus paid for your sins when He died on the Cross. You can turn to God in repentance and faith. Trust in God. Turn from sin and living for self. God will give you a new heart with new desires and a love for God and others. Trust in what Jesus did on the Cross for your sins. He paid for them. But you have to turn to Him and trust in Him.
    The Bible talks about heaven as being in God's presence. Jesus says that he is going to prepare a place for those who know Him. God is building a new city with streets of gold. It will have nothing impure in it. In heaven, no one will get sick. There will be no bills to pay. This is where God and His people will live together forever.
   The Bible also talks of another place people go to after they die. It is the Lake of Fire. The Bible says that liars, unbelievers, whoremongers, sorcerers, and the abominable will go there. Satan will be there too, along with the angels that sinned. There is no remedy for the sins of the angels. God did not provide an atonement for them.
   So consider these facts. Knowing about Jesus is not enough though. You have to respond to Him and trust in Him to rescue you from your sins. If you have any questions on this. please send an email at RUgood@mail.com

What's Your Score?

Are you familiar with the 10 Commandments? If so, what kind of score would you give yourself on keeping them? On a scale of 1-10, what would be your score?
  Here is an interesting fact: If you break one of the Commandments, it is like breaking all of them. The Bible says that the 10 Commandments are based the the 2 Great Commandments. The Great Commandments are: 1. Love the Lord your God with all your strength, soul, and mind.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
The bottom line has to do with our selfishness. Who do we love more; God our ourselves? How is our relationship with God? Is He more important than anything else in our lives? Are we listening and doing what He tells us (do we even know what He is saying to us, and do we really care?). What does our calendar tell us about how we spend our time? Are we spending it on our pleasures or on serving others? What about our check books? What do we spend our money on? Things that we think will make us happy? What if we knew that God was going to inspect our hearts next week. What would change?
   Here is a brief list of the Commandments:
1. Nothing has a higher priority than God.
2. No making idols or creating a god to serve that will make us happy
3. No taking God's name in vain. (using His name in a careless way)
4. Keeping a day holy each week for rest.
5. Honoring our parents
6. Murder is not allowed (this could also involve being angry with someone)
7. No committing adultery ( this includes actively using lust on a person you aren't married to)
8. No stealing (even small things.)
9. No lying ( white lies, dishonesty)
10. No coveting (strongly desiring something that you don't have)
As you can see, there are a lot of details in breaking these commandments. For example, you might not have murdered someone physically, but you may have murdered someone in your heart by being angry with him or her. When another person gets in the way of what we want, we are committing idolatry (see Commandment 1 and 2). You might not be married, and thinking that you can't commit adultery because you aren't married. But, Jesus said, that if a man lusts after a woman, that man is committing adultery in his heart. You probably never robbed a bank, but you possibly may have stolen something from someone else on a smaller scale. Perhaps you have downloaded music from the Internet that wasn't free. Maybe you stole an idea from someone else, and are taking the credit for it now that it has been implemented. Or maybe a towel or salt shaker set from the motel.
   Here is a question you might ask yourself; If there were a microchip planted in your brain that recorded all your thoughts for about a week, would you want that microchip to be taken out and have all your thoughts projected on a screen for everyone to see? Think about that next time you have a questionable thought!
  It is easy for us to break a Commandment. Breaking the Commandments is called 'sin'. The reason we sin so easily is because we are sinners. The reason we are sinners has to do with the fact that Adam and Eve, the first people God created, chose to disobey God. When that happened, they placed the whole human race under sin. Everyone born to them, and to their children, and to all their descendants (which includes all people) are born in sin. Now we are in trouble with God. He must punish all sin. We will be punished for sin after we die. We can't be good enough for heaven. Our good works will not erase our sins. But there is a person who did not sin, and kept all the Commandments perfectly, His entire life. He took God's punishment for our sins. When He was dying, God put all our sin on Him. Every sin that you and I will ever commit or have committed already was placed on the Son of God, when He was dying on the cross. He didn't deserve to die for sin, because He was without sin. But He took our place and died in our place. We don't have to be punished for our sins now. Also, three days later, Jesus rose from the grave. After He died, he came back to life and ascended back to heaven. One day, He will return to earth again and take those people who belong to Him. Those people have repented of their sins, and trusted in Him. Are you ready for when He will come back? We don't know when this will be, but it could be any time. We must be ready, or we will not ever be with Him in heaven.
   How can a person be ready for heaven, or, the return of Christ? By repenting of sin (turning from living for self and violating the Commandments) and trusting in what Jesus did on the Cross.
   Before your head hits the pillow tonight, will you consider what you will do with Jesus Christ? Your eternity depends on it. Will you turn to God and trust in Him? Or will you continue to live for yourself and your own desires, and then die in your sins? You can turn to God right now, and trust in what He did for you 2000 years ago. If you have any questions about this, or would like help, please send an email to: RUgood@mail.com

Where Will You Be in the Year 3333?

When I was young, a song was out called, 'In the Year 2525'. I had an eerie feeling when I heard this song. The song went on to describe life in the year 2525, 3535, and so on. If time continues, then someday, the year 2525 will be here. Neither you nor I will still be living in our physical bodies though. The Bible is clear in that it says "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment". Every person that has been born is appointed to die. Every person will face God and give an account of his or her life. The Bible talks about books being opened. There is a book with all our deeds recorded. Everything in your life and my life is being recorded. The Bible also talks about the 'Book of Life' . Everyone whose name is written in this 'Book of Life' will go to heaven. If a person's name is not in the Book of Life, he or she will spend eternity in hell.
   What determines where a person goes when he or she dies? Can a person be good enough for heaven? Is there anyone who has perfectly kept the 10 Commandments their entire life? Yes, there is only One person who did this. The Bible says that everyone has sinned. When we die and are before God, everything will be there for Him to see. All our unrighteous deeds will be there. Even our good works will be there, but they can't erase or cancel out the bad things we have done.
   There is a person who did live a perfect, sinless life. He lived a good life that was acceptable to God. We can get into heaven on His score. We can't get into heaven on our score, because we have sinned, and sin requires an eternal payment. 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son to come to earth, live a perfect, sinless life, die a horrible, torturous death, so that we could go to heaven. Not only that, but we can be delivered from all our sins. We don't have to live sinful, self-centered lives any more. Jesus died so you and I can be free from sin, as well as forgiven of our debt from sin.
   We have to repent of sin. We have to let go of our 'rights to ourselves'. You see, we love ourselves. We love ourselves more than we love God. We are more important to ourselves than God is to us. God wants us to love Him more than anything else. He wants to have a relationship with us. We can't have a relationship with God until we are born into His family (born again). When we repent of our sin and trust in Him, we are born again. We now have the power to say 'no' to sin, and 'yes' to righteousness. We also get a new heart that wants to love God and people. We don't have to live selfishly anymore. Plus, Jesus rose from the grave three days after He died for our sin. Today, He lives in Heaven and is praying for those who belong to Him.
   So, where will you be in the year 3333? There are only two options; heaven, for people who know God. Jesus is their Savior from sin. They are 'born again' and their names are written in the 'Book of Life', and the second option is, hell. Hell is for people who live for their own glory and desires. It is for people who do not trust in Jesus for their salvation. It is a place for people to pay for their sins.
   Every time a person breaks a Commandment, it is sin. Sin is breaking God's law. God says that we should not lie. If we lie, we have broken one of His Commandments. We need to have an atonement made for that sin. Jesus provided the atonement for our sins, but it is not enough for us to just know about this. We have to apply this to our own lives. If we steal, or commit adultery, we have sinned. Even just one time, or even just one Commandment, we are guilty of sin.
   Life in eternity doesn't end either. People who end up in hell will never be able to get out. People who end up in heaven will never have to worry about going to hell. Today, you can be 100% sure that you will be in heaven one day. You can have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me". There is no other way to heaven. Jesus provides the only way. Will you trust Him today? Please turn from your sin and trust in Him. You can talk to God right now and tell Him you want to be saved from His wrath. You can ask God to forgive you of all your sin. Thank God for sending Jesus to die in your place, so you don't have to spend eternity in hell.
    If you would like more help or have questions, or even a prayer request, please email me at: RUgood@mail.com

If Jesus Came to Your House

What would you do if you knew that in five minutes, Jesus would be knocking on your front door? Would you hurry around the house and put things in closets or turn the TV off? What about the magazines that are on your desk or end table? What about the towels in your bathroom that you stole from Holiday Inn? Here is a poem that asks that question:

If Jesus Came to Your House

by Red Sovine

If Jesus came to your house, I wonder what you'd do.

Yes, if Jesus came to your house, to spend a day or two,
If He came unexpected, just dropped in on you.
I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored guest,
And all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best.
And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have Him there,
That serving Him in your home is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard?
And wish you hadn't uttered that last loud hasty word?
And would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus just walk right in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder if the Savior spend a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?
And would your family conversation keep up it's usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read,
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?

And would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go?
Or maybe would you change your plans for just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends,
Or hope that they would stay away until His visit ends?
And would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?

Oh, it might be interesting to know the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you.


Quite thought provoking, isn't it?