The Danger of Adding Our Own Thoughts to the Bible

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I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 

Revelation 22:18-19

This passage comes as the very last warning written in the Bible.  Scary, right?

The last thing God tells us is to not add or take away from His word, especially the prophecy of Revelation. If we take away from it, God will take away our place in the holy city, i.e. heaven, and if we add to it, He will add the plagues in the prophecy. Yikes.

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Good and Bad Fruit in the Bible: Which One Are You Eating?

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Good Fruits and Bad Fruits

How often do you eat fruit in a week? Do you have a favorite? As we all know, fruits are healthy and provide important nutrition for our bodies. When you go grocery shopping, I’m sure you take your time when selecting which fruits you’re going to purchase. You look for the ones that are ripe (or soon to be ripe), but stay away from ones that are beginning to spot or are a little too squishy. But sometimes grabbing a rotten fruit is unavoidable and you take it home. 

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What is Sin? Sin and the Purpose of God’s Law

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“Sin” brings up all kinds of different ideas and images to different people. Everyone has their own questions and ideas about what sin is and what it isn’t. “Is this a sin?”, “Is that a sin?”, I’m sure we could go on and on about this to no end. When we get bogged down and only focus on determining what counts as a sin, or even which sins are greater than others, we lose sight of the bigger picture. In order to get a clear answer to this question, we should always look to God’s Word for the answer instead of relying on our own thoughts and understanding since God is the one who originally defined sin in the first place.

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…And God Will Wipe Away Every Tear

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“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

Revelation 21:4

God will wipe away all of our tears. Hopefully this gives you hope and comfort. Especially considering the way the world is now, with wars, death, and suffering at every turn. Is this a world that we want to live in and are content with the way it is? For certain, it’s not for me. I’m pretty sure, none of us are content with the current state of the world. But, although we may be in the midst of endless miseries, please take heart. Because God promised a time when all of those things would come to an end. He made a promise to wipe the tears from our eyes, to create a world where there would be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.

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Why Are There So Many Denominations in Christianity?

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Have you ever wondered why there are so many different denominations of Christianity? And they aren’t just different in name, each denomination has its own understanding of Scripture. They have different traditions, different ways to worship, and various things that each regards as important.

For example, at a Catholic church, communion and confession are vital. At a Pentecostal church, speaking in tongues is emphasized. At other churches with different denominations, baptism, praise, or volunteer work have greater value. 

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One Sin to Rule Them All

If you’ve read the “Lord of the Rings” books or have seen the movies, then you probably know about the “One Ring,” right? 

“One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them.

One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them!”

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

This ring was made by the dark lord, Sauron, to rule and dominate all life on Middle Earth. Through the use of the ring, his influence spread, and all kinds of races – elves, men, dwarves – began to fight with and distrust one another. A result of the evil that was now all over the world. The evil power of that ring allowed Sauron to control others with his will. Anyone who carried that ring began to look more and more like it’s owner – dark, evil, greedy and selfish. It caused wars between kingdoms and peoples. While the Lord of the Rings is just a story, if you look at the world today, don’t you feel the similarities? In our own world, are people more united or more divided? What is the cause of the division and fighting? 

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If Only You Knew…

If only you knew how much God loves you…how much He has worked and fought on your behalf. Like a military general that has been fighting a 6,000 year-long war, planning the most intricate rescue mission to redeem his people from sin and death…from Satan. Did you know?

If only you knew the countless lives that have been sacrificed to get His desperate plea to you: to come back to him. To leave darkness and step into the light. Yes, it’s scary. Everything we’ve ever known has actually been the greatest deception, Satan’s masterpiece. But God is even greater – always ahead of Satan, always working in the background, quietly, naturally, and building his case. And now He is presenting it, to you.

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The Origin of Suffering

Isn’t it an easy habit to think that man’s destiny is to live a mere mortal life? To suffer, to become old, and eventually return to dust? Do you ever wonder if every misfortune, even death, is God’s will?

origin of suffering, pain

In truth, God’s purpose was not for His creation to go through hardships, suffering, or even death. As we can see in Lamentations 3:33, God doesn’t willingly bring affliction or grief upon anyone. Then, where does this suffering really come from? Couldn’t we conclude that death and suffering come because of the absence of God who is life?

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