Off With Their Heads! In the movie, that is. While I have to confess that I don't really remember the exact circumstances, I do remember that this was the case.
(If you're wondering why this is funny: The reason we're talking about it in this context is because someone sent me a link to a hilarious "gag" picture on the Internet in which people are "off with their heads".)
Anyway, if the above "gag" picture doesn't bother you, there is no way it's going to bother me. After all, they're just pictures. Right?
No matter what I may think about you or about your family, I will pray for you. At the same time, I will also pray for you to be delivered from your sins. The Bible teaches us to live holy lives in a world of unrighteousness. However, I will also pray that you continue to sin as much as you want! (see Prov 6:17-19) After all, I need your evil so that I can do good.
In these posts, I often talk about how I have sinned in the past. I have also, more than once, come to the conclusion that if you want to be happy, you have to learn to sin. That's right: When you see a lot of happiness in this world, it's most likely because people have a lot of problems. God has provided some pretty strong arguments for why sinning is in fact necessary for happiness:
Jesus taught us to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt 22:37-38) Jesus told us that he would give us new hearts that would allow us to love God: "For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:31) Jesus was telling us that our hearts were hardened, so that we don't fully love God. He was telling us that our new hearts must be given to us by the Holy Spirit. This means that to fully love God, we must have his Spirit. How do we get this Spirit? We commit certain sins! (See Gal 5:24) Our happiness and holiness are both dependent on having the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
It seems that the Bible is one big contradiction. Why else would our Lord tell us that we should seek to be holy? (see Matt 5:48; 1 Cor 7:19; 14:20) As it says in Proverbs 23:7-8, we can either receive instruction, or we can receive destruction. To some people, this might seem like a contradiction. However, I can explain what the Bible is saying.
I will teach you to keep yourself from idols. (1 John 5:21) I will be merciful and compassionate to those who sin and repent. (Ps 25:9)
While this may sound like a contradiction at first, if you read verse 2 in 1 John 5, you will notice that God is not really making a statement about other people. It's not saying that we shouldn't treat each other as God would. Instead, it's saying that we should not worship idols, as idols themselves are demons and we should not worship them. What this is telling us is that we have to keep ourselves from idols, as idols are demons. So, instead of saying that we shouldn't worship idols, we are saying that we shouldn't worship the true God, who is God.
The Bible is against us, and against sin, not because God is against us and against sin, but because of us and sin. We need a holy God in our lives, and we can only be holy by having him as the source of our happiness and the happiness of our lives. (see Isa 64:6; Jer 9:24; Rom 8:9)
So, instead of living in sin and denying God's holiness, I will now live in joy and celebration in the new life I now have in Christ! (see Isa 61:3-4; Eph 1:3-14) I will not live in shame, but instead, will continue to be blameless, holy and forgiven. (Eph 5:1)
I know that there are some questions that will arise when you read this post: Who is God? How can we prove him? What about all these religions? and others. Before I answer those questions, I have to ask you to please read the following Bible passages:
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." (Rom 1:18-25)
The above Bible passage explains who God is. God exists, He is the creator, and He is not just a spirit. He also has a body that is glorified (even though he is still glorified). And the Bible makes it clear that God is a spirit of wrath and anger, for He sends this wrath on every ungodly nation and people that he created. God isn't loving to us, he's angry with us because of our sin and ungodliness. And the best that we can say is, that He sent us down here to "work it out" (see Romans 8:19).
God then created Adam and Eve, and Adam's fall led to our fall. As you can see, when Adam and Eve decided to be independent and start their own lives on their own terms, they were very quickly thrown out of paradise. This leads to the sin of all mankind and God's judgment on our sin. (Gen 3) So, I believe that there is a very clear explanation for why there is a world without God. And I believe that this world's purpose is to lead us to the eternal salvation of God.
I will explain some things that may lead to a bit of confusion, however: God hasn't left us without any evidence, and he has provided some great proofs of his existence. But, these proofs, when looked at individually, are not enough to prove his existence. I believe that the combination of these proofs (without the addition of some things that the Bible does not reveal to us) is enough to prove that God exists. (see Rev 19:6-9)
Let's start by looking at the miracles of Jesus. The miracles that Jesus performed were in fact, physical events. The Bible explains these miracles as the work of God, and not just as the work of a mere man. (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:20; Acts 5:3-4; 11:24; Matthew 11:4; Luke 4:41; etc) Also, Jesus did these miracles while he was alive. He also did things after his death and resurrection. Even though these events were performed by God's power, they are proof that God is still present and active today. Even in the days of Jesus' earthly ministry, there were false Christs. Jesus answered this by performing miracles and telling everyone who was skeptical that he was the one and only Lord of the world. (Acts 2:22) Therefore, it is clear that Jesus was not just a man, but the Son of God, and our only hope for salvation.
Then, I believe that it is proof that God is real and exists, that his Word and his ways are true and accurate. (Hebrews 11:6; Ps 103:1-5) Without God's Word, we would have no way to know who God is, and what His will is.
Then, I believe that the existence of evil itself should convince us that God does exist and that he loves us, even when we sin. (Gen 6:5; Psalms 146:3; Isa 53:6; Amos 3:6-7; etc) God allows evil, because God has created evil. And He allows it because He knows what the end result of that will be. We cannot explain why evil exists, but God knows why, and that should make us trust God. And we can know that He is God.
Another thing that is not explained by chance is that God has revealed Himself to many people in many ways. The miracles that Jesus performed led to the followers of Jesus being blessed and the people around him being healed of their various diseases. (Mark 1:27) The resurrection of Jesus demonstrated to His followers and to the world that He was God's Son. The miracles that God performed through the
