This past weekend in Jud Wilhite’s message he reminded us of Billy Graham’s four universal needs.  Regardless of who you are or where you live in this world there will be a time when you will feel a spiritual emptiness, a sense of loneliness, a sense of guilt and a fear of death.  My reaction was that this is exactly why God sent His Son that through Him we might overcome these conditions.  Yet, many refuse to believe that they were created by God and that He, through Scripture, has given the answers to overcoming each of these human needs.

It seems we have a choice.  We can live a life complete with being content, having joy, peace of mind, love living somewhat fearlessly and happy as positive Christian people.  Or, we can live, to a degree, becoming paralyzed with anxiety and a sort of hopeless existence, fearing every painful existence that life has to offer.

The Bible teaches that we were created in the image of God.  We have a spirit, a conscience that distinguishes the difference between right and wrong and a mind capable of making decisions.  God gives us free moral agency with the ability to choose what is good or evil.  When we choose evil over good it can bring on guilt and numerous fears.  Studies show that the affects of guilt and fear can damage one’s emotions and may cause deteriorating physical conditions.

God loves each of us and wants us to have a happy and peaceful existence with all of our basic needs being met.  He sent Christ that He might teach us how to deal with each of these basic needs with which we struggle.  We are taught that our separation from God can be fulfilled by accepting Christ as our Savior and our mediator with God and encourages us to enter into God’s presence to worship Him.  For those of us who have accepted these terms realize that that spiritual void, the separation from God can and is made complete.  That spiritual emptiness can be overcome through Christ.

Can God actually forgive us our sins and take away our guilt?  How does one become convinced we can be forgiven?  It is by accepting God’s grace.  We must thoroughly understand the meaning of “grace” because it is major in comprehending what the New Testament is based upon and how God is different from the Old Testament.   It may take reaching a certain spiritual maturity.  But once we fathom the meaning of grace and can accept it, Christ then wants to show His unlimited power, through the Holy Spirit that can change our lives by meeting these needs.   One of the purposes of Christ’s forgiveness of  our sins was to eliminate our guilt and allow us to feel worthy as a child of God and our advantages and benefits as heirs.

We must realize we cannot rid guilt on our own.  So we may need to give up trying and allow the Holy Spirit to progressively help us accept grace, total forgiveness which can eradicate guilt and free us to live the life God had intended—to be healthy and positive.

But that can only be done by faith in Christ that God truly loves us regardless of our past, present or future or what we have done or will do.  However, our part is to become obedient and accountable to the teaching of the Gospel.    If we do not know what the Gospel teaches it makes it most difficult to feel accepted by God and feel worthy.  We do not earn being forgiven and worthy.  We are made worthy and guilt free by God’s grace through His Spirit.  It is His gift and it is “free” to us.  Do you have the faith to accept it?

Let me use these illustrations again.  My aunt, age 60, was a godly woman who was in a serious car accident.  She was hanging onto life.  Her son, a minister, told her that hundreds were praying for her.  She told her son to tell them that I am praying that God will take me home.  Her prayers were answered.  In 1984 I had heart bypass surgery.  In 2005 I had a massive heart attack and my family was told there was little hope.  Five years later I met the surgeon who did my last bypass.  I asked him if he was surprised to see me alive.  He said, to be truthful I am, you were in very bad shape.  At no time did I fear death.

Am I looking forward to heaven and eternal life?  Not really!  If I could I would like to live another 100 years.  Am I prepared to die—yes!  Hosea 4:6 – “my people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge.”  Isaiah 5:13a – “Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding;”   I have learned that my actions are a result of how I think.  How I think is based on my knowledge.  Scripture teaches that Christ came to teach us how we can overcome guilt and take away the fear of death.  What I think is based on my having studied the Bible, in depth.  If God says these needs can be met, accept His promise! Don’t let your mind put up with anything less.

Romans 8:6 – “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”  I Corinthians 15:55 – “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”   II Corinthians 7:10 – “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Biblical knowledge and its promises can give you hope; whereas, a lack of knowledge could cause despair and fear.   I live knowing that Heaven is my final home and for years I have lived preparing and anticipating what it might be like.  Let all of us hope we can put off death for a while longer yet we need not fear it.

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Matthew 24:30 – 35 – “’And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.   And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.”   

 Matthew 25:31 – 33 – “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.   All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.   He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.”  Once they are separated, Matthew 25:26 tells us those on the left will go to eternal punishment but the righteous will go to eternal life. 

Revelation 20:6 – 8 – “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.    When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.”

Once the war of Armageddon is over and Satan is sent to the Abyss for 1000 years along with all others whose names were not in the Book of Life.  Jerusalem becomes the world capital.  Poverty is unknown and prosperity is evident everywhere.  Most people will have every need met.  There will be no prisons, no hospitals, no mental institutions and few graveyards for some may live to be as old as Methuselah.   The earth will be filled with the knowledge of God.  Jesus is Lord and rules with an iron rod.  His reign is righteous and the nations obey His directions. 

We believe generation after generation will be born and the earth flourishes as it did in the Garden of Eden before man’s sin.  To live longer lives we have been told we will have a new body.  A body that is not as lustful and carnal as our present ones.  We will have a different mind-set and most likely stress and fear may not be a factor.  If Christ chose one of us to do a job, would we question whether we could do it or not?  Would Christ ask us if He knew we couldn’t do it?  What would it be like with everyone having a positive attitude? 

God cursed creation because of the sins of Adam & Eve.  It is believed that once Christ returns the earth’s ecology and environment will be as it was prior to the flood.  No one knows how this will happen but the Apostle Peter said, “If God promised it, then He knows how to do it.”  

History tells us that the early church leaders believed without exception that Christ would return after the Tribulation to reign.  In A.D. 375 Augustine taught that the 1000 year Millennium began with the birth of Christ.  Many continue to believe that it is between the resurrection and when Christ returns the second time.  They believe the reign of Christ is in the hearts of Christians until Jesus’ return.  They also believe the Tribulation occurs throughout history and that we have been going through it since Christ’s death.  They do not believe that Christ will rule on this earth for 1000 years.  I continue to believe that when Christ returns believers will be raptured and those saved in the Tribulation period and the Old Testament saints will live to rule with Jesus.  

The Jews expected their Messiah would come as a world leader.  This is why they could not accept a spiritual Jesus as their Messiah.  Therefore, we believe the Old Testament and the New Testament agree that there will be 1000 years when Christ actually rules as a benevolent dictator on earth and it hasn’t happened yet. 

Once the 1000 years are over, Satan, non-believers and this earth will be destroyed by fire.  There then will be a new heaven and a new earth that we will live within, a paradise greater than anything man could ever imagine.  It will have the capacity to accommodate over one billion people.  What on this earth could be more important that living God’s ways planning for eternity?

If you have been taught that being a Christian when Jesus returns you are going to receive a reward and everything will be great from then on you may want to study the Bible further. Matthew 7:21 – 23 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.”

Have you not been taught: all you have to do to become a Christian and go to heaven is accept Christ as your Lord and you will be saved? My intent is not to frighten anyone but to point out that much is expected. Christianity is not just about making a commitment and then living life the same as you may have always lived as the world lives. It requires repentance, a change in one’s heart and attitude, a lifetime of service and living by the teachings that Christ came to share what God’s Will was for each of us. If you believe that we can set our own standards to live by you have not studied your Bible.

Revelation 20:11 – 15 – “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

II Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

It talks about books. Most know that if your name is not in the “Book of Life” you will be thrown into the lake of fire at the time of judgment. There is a second book called the “Book of Deeds”. Scripture says your deeds are being kept tract of and there is continual writing taking place. As we are being judged the “Book of Deeds” will be opened. Every one whose name is in the Book of Life will receive their just reward from out of the Book of Deeds. We know that works will not save us but it indicates our relationship with Jesus Christ. We will be rewarded by how we handled our gifts, opportunities, responsibilities and were we accountable to God’s standards and rules?

If you believe that God’s gracious gift of salvation frees us from faithful service and obedience we may be mistaken. We must live each day realizing that what we say and do is being eternally recorded. Rev. 20:13b says: “each person was judged according to what he had done.”

We all have different temperaments and personalities. Some have gifts of preaching, teaching and healing. Many of us do not have these gifts. We will not be judged on something we do not have. If our background and temperament leaves us shy, fearful with little confidence we will be judged on what we have. God is loving and just. He expects nothing more than our best. Not all of us are seven feet tall and capable of being a professional basketball player. I would assume that our relationship with Christ and a humble, servant’s heart will get us adequate rewards. What Christ requires of me is probably different from what He will require of you. However, if you know, (and you can) that the Holy Spirit is in you, God promises us that our name is in the “Book of Life” and there is a recorder going on keeping an account of our actions. Not to condemn us but to reward us. When Christ told us our sins would be forgiven, those are deleted from the recording. I believe that just the good we do as Christians is what will be played at the Day of Judgment. If Christ recognizes us as one of His family we will hear nothing but the good. Let’s make sure that there are not an extreme number of deletions, of our sins, from that recorder.

We have two deferring theological beliefs. Can you lose your salvation or once saved, you will always be saved. These two beliefs are probably the most contested disagreements and can separate Christians and cause division in the church. Another may be: is it necessary to speak in tongues when receiving the Holy Spirit?

Could we be misleading people when we state that if they will say this prayer: I accept Jesus Christ as Lord, I ask for forgiveness, repent of my sins and I invite the Holy Spirit into my life? It doesn’t take much more than that but is everyone who says these words saved? Let us look at the following parable.

Mark 4:15 – 20 – “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”

It is my belief that in three of the above illustrations in the above parable, if they received salvation, they lost it. I base that on a number of different Scriptures, especially: James 4:14 & 17 – “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Matthew 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

April, approximately 900 went up to the front of our church and confessed that they had received salvation. Were they all saved and did they receive the Holy Spirit? Only God knows! Of the four options in the above parable the first quickly lost it or never received salvation. The person who received salvation with joy, when trouble came they gave up. The third may have been living a Christian life for years when lust and temptation came along, they gave up their salvation. The last group was Christ followers to the end. Some believe once saved they may do most anything and still be saved. I believe this is going to the edge and is really questionable.

Matthew 7:21 tells me it isn’t so much about what I believe but how I live. I have mentioned previously that one of the greatest gifts I have received is contentment. Christ gives to me everything I need. Philippians 4:13 – “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” We must learn to be pleased with what God has allowed us to have. We must not allow what we do not have to be something that we must have. We must not envy what others have that we don’t. We must be careful to give God thanks for everything we have. This does not preclude us from having nice things, a good job, home, cars and others items. However, contentment means these material things are not must haves! I always remember the man given the five talents who made ten and his master said, good and faithful servant. To the man given one talent and buried it made the master angry. He took talent and gave it to the man who had made ten. Contentment does not mean laziness! We must do our very best in every endeavor and material things are only byproducts of our labor.

In the parable of the seed and soils I do not believe the first three ever found salvation or if they did, they gave it up to live as the world lives. The fourth grew and produced through obedience and doing God’s will and was the only one to find contentment in Christ. Now you be the judge. Did everyone in the parable find salvation and are all going to heaven?

I happened to turn on the radio and heard a lady talking about the benefits of having an IGS. I am thinking is this something like you put in your car and it gives you directions. She goes on to tell that it is kind of like having “gut feelings” or sensing something is about to happen before it happens. I have had a number of times feelings that I should do or not do something and it has saved my life or it caused large financial losses. As I keep listening I am wondering if she is talking about one’s conscience”. Or, maybe she is talking about our spirit. She continues to tell a number of stories how a person, using their IGS was able to do things that were very unusual. In most cases it was life saving, financial rewards or improved life-time experiences. Since having missed most of the program I go to my computer and look up Internal Guidance System and this is what I learn:

“The Internal Guidance System or “IGS” is a reliable, sensory based “secondary operating system” – an alternative to being controlled by our mind, our ego and thought patterns, a personal life compass and a trusted companion that can help us attune to divine guidance, be in alignment with our higher purpose and act in the world from a place of personal power, courage and integrity.” Wow! I knew I had a personal life compass but I thought it was the Holy Spirit. Before receiving the Holy Spirit I realized that there was something within that helped me know right from wrong. There were times I had those gut feelings. I just didn’t realize it was called an internal guidance system or a personal life compass.

I was unable to determine if this was a new age religion or a person making a living selling books and giving seminars. I have been outlining I & II Timothy and Titus for my Bible study group and the apostle Paul tells Timothy and the Church at Ephesus to be aware of false teachers. But many of us are very gullible. Scripture says in the last days many believers will become deceived.

I have had opportunities to buy land or invest in companies that had I done so would have made me wealthy. My research and my gut told me not to do so. Others did and became multi-millionaires. What was wrong with my internal guidance system? Did their IGS just work better than mine? Just think, if I had made the right decisions I would not be doing what I am now doing. I would no longer be in business investing for clients and I would not be writing this blog. Chances are I would be visiting different countries and finding new ways of being entertained.

If God planned out my life I wonder why He chose the course that I have followed. If I had made different choices would it have given me more faith, joy and peace than I now have? Maybe if I had taken that seminar and used the IGS rather than the Holy Spirit for guidance I would be much more financially well-off. Well sometimes in life there are times we have to make decisions. Who are we willing to let control our lives: the Holy Spirit or that Internal Guidance System that can make us richer and give us personal power, courage and integrity? Maybe it might be best to use the IGS if you want to live as the world lives. However, if eternity, forever and ever is important, you probably ought to be obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and chose God’s will. You be the judge!

Jeremiah 29:11 – 13 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”