WILL I SEE ME IN HEAVEN?

A short while ago, I was reading a survey by George Barna, on 'Born Again' Christian beliefs. View Barna Survey Although the survey was taken in the United States, I would expect to find similar results in most countries.

Yes, it's about me, 'Mr Average', 'born again Christian'! And what I believe!

So I need to run a reality check on 'me', to see if what I believe is going to see me into Heaven!

1. Compared to 60% of all adults, 84% of born again Christians believe “the Bible is totally accurate in all of its teachings.” (2004)

What the Bible says...

"16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2Timothy 3:16-17)

So, just maybe, I have an 84% chance of getting into Heaven?

2. 78% of born again Christians believe they “personally have a responsibility to tell other people their religious beliefs” compared to 52% of all adults. (2004)

"Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”" (Matthew 28:18-20)

Oh dear! Now only a 66% chance (84x78) of getting into Heaven!

3. Nearly all born again Christians (98%) say their religious faith is very important in their life, compared to 52% of all adults. (2004)

"“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”" (Luke 18:29-30)

That's not so bad! Still have a 64% (84x78x98) chance of me seeing me in Heaven.

4. Half of born again Christians (50%) agree that Satan is “not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” (2004)

" 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.” 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”" (Job 1:6)

That's not helping my chances! Now at 32%, of me seeing me in Heaven!

5. About one-third of born agains (38%) believe that if a person is good enough they can earn a place in Heaven. (2004)

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8)

Wow! A 21% chance of me seeing me in Heaven.

6. 31% of born agains agree that “while he lived on earth, Jesus committed sins, like other people,” compared to 44% of all adults. (2004)

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin." (Hebrews 4:14-15)

Another body blow! Down to a 14% chance of me seeing me in Heaven!

7. 5% of born again Christians claim that “after He was crucified and died, Jesus Christ did not return to life physically.” (2000)

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. (1 Corinthians 15:17-18)

That's fortunate! But it's still down one to a 13% chance of me seeing me in Heaven.

8. About one out of four (26%) born again Christians believe that it doesn’t matter what faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons; a belief held by 56% of non-Christians. (2000)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

It keeps reducing! Now just a 10% chance of me seeing me in Heaven.

9. Born again Christians are more likely than non-born again individuals to accept moral absolutes. Specifically, 32% of born agains said they believe in moral absolutes, compared to just half as many (15%) among non-born agains. (2002)

"“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (Matthew 5:17-18)

Dear, dear! Finally, my chances of me seeing me in Heaven have reduced to a miserable 3%!

That's only one chance in 33 of me seeing me in Heaven!

Thank you Lord for your grace. It's the only certainty I truly have.

*** Now, what was that about 84% of 'me's' saying we fully believe ALL the Word?
*** Even though I know 'me' maths logic (randomness dependent) was left behind at 'me' school, my 'me' is still a worry to 'me'!

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FROM THE WORD

See above article for today's Word

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DAVID'S DOODLINGS

THE AGE OF GRACE
35. The biggest impediment for many in delaying a decision for Christ is the mistaken belief that the present ‘Age of Grace’ will never end.

36. God’s nature is finely balanced between love and judgement. As His love has predominated for the past 2000 years, how fearsome then must be the single Day of Judgement that is to come.

37. We know in life, that all good things come to an end. How is it then, that we continue to believe that the current age of God’s grace and mercy will go on forever?

38. Why is it that I continue to walk round and round the mountain when I know when the path to the top goes up?

178. God's gracious gift of grace is the reason to walk in truth, not an excuse to continue in sin.

317. God's graciously given grace gift gallantly galvanises garrulous, grateful gentiles!

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CRANWELL'S CARTOON

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day,
while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens
were opened and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth of the
month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—
3 the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son
of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians.
There the hand of the LORD was upon him. 4 I looked, and I
saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with
flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light.
(Ezekiel 1:1-4a)





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FROM YOU - TO ME - TO YOU

Dear David,
As I recall, brine shrimp live in the Dead Sea. Also relating to Passover, the Orthodox Easter is set so it is always after Passover. I have really noticed this year, as Easter just did not seem the same without celebrating Passover before it. (Our family always celebrates a Messianic Passover.
Shalom B'Yeshua HaMoshiach
Michael Joe Thannisch+, SST, OSL
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David
Thank you for confirming that my understanding of Easter is not just mine. I have believed for a long time that Jesus must have died on Thursday not Friday and your Tuesday teachings on the feasts have been very useful in putting the reasons in order. Please find attached notes on the subject that I brought to my church this year.
Love Phil Cain

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This is an opportunity for you to express your views, which may not be my views. But none of us have a mortgage on all the truth - except for Jesus!

TUESDAY TEACHINGS

THIS WEEK:THE PROPHETIC FEASTS OF THE LORD - Series 1 - THE SPRING FEASTS
Part 7 of 7

This is the study for those who like food! Maybe most of us!

Pentecost, celebration and food go together. As they seem to still do in our churches today!

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LAUGHING AT OURSELVES

***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused***

*** "Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others." ***

357. JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE PASTOR
As nearly everyone knows, the Pastor has practically nothing to do except -

Decide what is to be done;
Tell somebody to do it;
Listen to reasons why it should not be done;
Listen to reasons why it should be done by someone else;
Listen to reasons why it should be done in a different way;
Follow up to see if the thing has been done;
Discover that it has not;
Inquire why;
Listen to excuses from the person who should have done it;
Follow up again to see if the thing has been done, only to
Discover that it has been done incorrectly;
Point out how it should have been done;
Conclude that as long as it has been done, though incorrectly, it may as well be left as it is;
Wonder if it is not time to get rid of the person who cannot do a thing right;
Reflect that certainly any successor would be just as bad, or even maybe worse;
Consider how much simpler and better the thing would have been done if one had done it himself in the first place;
Reflect sadly that one could have done it right in twenty minutes, and as things turned out, one has to spend two days to find out why it has taken three weeks for somebody else to do it wrong.

355. LIGHTBULBS
How many Psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb?
?? Just one - But the bulb has to want to change!
How many Policeman does it take to change a Lightbulb?
?? 4 - One to change, one for "backup" and 2 to buy the donuts!
How many Norwegians does it take?
?? 3 - One to hold the bulb and 2 to spin the ladder!
How many Ecologists?
?? 25 - 1 to change the bulb and 24 to do the environmental impact study! How many theologians?
?? Who can say? - Each has a different interpretation of what "Light" really is!!
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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: What is the most popular month for births in the US?

ANSWER: The most popular month for births in the US is August, followed by October. Statistics indicate that 9.2 percent of births occur in August.

Photo:

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What does it mean "to take pot luck"?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS
690. THE ORIGIN OF EASTER
In the Christian faith, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Christ and is the most sacred of all holy days. Yet it carries the name of an ancient Saxon festival honouring the goddess Eastre. This arose through the work of second century Christian missionaries eager to convert the Teutonic tribes north of Rome to Christianity. The missionaries realised that interfering too much with the pagan tribes' established customs would make it impossible to convert them. Instead, they quietly transformed existing pagan practices into ceremonies that harmonised with Christian doctrine. Also, Christian converts celebrating Christian rites would be the target among non-Christians for persecution. But if the Christian could celebrate his rites on the same day as a major non-Christian festival, he'd be less noticeable and less offensive to those who didn't share his beliefs. Since the Eastre festival to celebrate spring coincided with the time of the Christian observance of the resurrection of Christ, the Eastre festival was altered to make it a Christian one as converts were slowly won over. The early name, Eastre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter. A final indication of the antiquity of the Easter holiday is its date, determined by the ancient lunar calendar system, which places it on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or following the Vernal Spring Equinox. (Really, Easter would more accurately be celebrated at the time of the Jewish Passover, for that is when Jesus died and rose again.)

691. TOO MUCH INSPIRATION?
Beethoven reputably dipped his head in cold water before he composed. (Now we would take a cold shower.)

692. HOT AND DRY?
The term ‘desert’ applies both to hot, dry areas and to inhospitable ice-covered regions. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a desert is a barren or desolate area. This can mean a dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and sparse vegetation, or a region of permanent cold that is largely or entirely devoid of life. Both hot deserts and cold deserts generally have an annual precipitation of less than two inches. (No rain, much pain!)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.

DELETES

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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BE INSPIRED WITH A MESSAGE FROM INSPIRATIONAL TAPES

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BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

By: Bill Subritzky

New Zealand's leading evangelist for many years. Second of a series of 3.

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DO YOU KNOW? (The Death & Resurrection of Jesus)

How long did Jesus appear to the disciples before He finally ascended?

Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.

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SOME BRIEF DEFINITIONS OF 'RELIGIOUS' TERMS

PRIEST - A mediator between man and God. A New Testament Christian is to be a priest. i.e. we must come directly to God ourselves.

RECONCILIATION - Being made friends with God through the death of Jesus on the Cross.

REDEMPTION - To be set free from our sins.

REPENTANCE -
1.Complete acknowledgement of our sin without excuse. Of admitting that Christ is always right and we are always wrong in every matter.
2.To hear, to believe and to obey God.
3.Admitting our wrong. Turning from our wrong and obeying God. A raising up from the dead. In Christianity 3 elements are involved.

RESURRECTION -
1. PAST: The resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. PRESENT: The spiritual resurrection of the believer.
3. FUTURE: The future bodily resurrection of everyone. (not just Christians)

RIGHTEOUSNESS - Right with God, right with man.

SALVATION - The saving of man from the power of sin through the death of Jesus on the cross.

SANCTIFICATION - The process of being made like Christ. (to be made Holy)

SIN - Our refusal to obey God and to reject His gift of salvation in Jesus.

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INTELLIGENT PETS

AT THE AUCTION
One day a man went to an auction. While there, he bid on a parrot. He really wanted this bird, so he got caught up in the bidding. He kept on bidding, but kept getting outbid, so he bid higher and higher and higher. Finally, after he bid way more than he intended, he won the bid - the parrot was his at last!

As he was paying for the parrot, he said to the Auctioneer, "I sure hope this parrot can talk. I would hate to have paid this much for it, only to find out that he can't talk!"

"Don't worry." said the Auctioneer, "He can talk. Who do you think it was who kept bidding against you?"

WESTERN UNION
A German shepherd went to a Western Union office, took out a blank form and wrote, "Woof..woof..woof..woof..woof..woof..woof..woof...woof."

The clerk examined the paper and told the dog, "There are only nine words here. You could send another 'woof' for the same price."

"But," the dog replied, "it would make no sense at all."

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BIBLE BITS

In the times of Jesus Hebrew was still the language spoken at Jewish places of worship. Outside however, people spoke a dialect called Aramaic. But many could also converse in Greek. Not classical Greek, but a dialect called 'Koine', the language in which most of the New Testament was written. Jesus would have spoken all three.

Picture of Jewish Priest

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A REVELATION OF... THE BOOK OF RUTH

In one of the oldest books of the Bible, God reveals His plan for the Church in these end times. Unbelievable! No! For God's plan has been there from the beginning of time. He is now revealing more of it to us. Wondered about the Church and Israel? Read on (in PDF Format) at...

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A DAVID MUSING

As the weather starts to show signs of Autumn cooling here in the Southern Hemisphere, many of you in the Northern Hemisphere will be starting to get a glimpse of the 'new life' of Spring. Maybe the first of the Spring bulbs are coming into bloom, something dear to our hearts as former commercial bulb growers. Only thing is, where we live, these flower in the Winter! Worth more money then though! In fact, compared to much of the world, we don't really experience 'a real Winter', in the more northern districts of New Zealand. We still grizzle about the cold though! It's all relative.

But the seasons follow, one then another, as does life itself. This week, many around the world are grieving the death of Pope John Paul. A high profile 'victim' of the certainty that faces us all, in due time. I just want to be ready when my time comes. You too?

So until next week...

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: STEELED

TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: 40 days. "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:1-3)

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ABOUT US

WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. A ministry dedicated to developing discipleship, fostering unity amongst God’s people to achieve the Great Commission, and in doing so, preparing for Christ’s return. It is securely based upon the foundational principles of the Apostles Creed while recognising the wide and rich diversity of beliefs amongst Christians in other areas. In accordance with the Lord’s direction, materials produced by the ministry are available, free of charge, to genuine enquirers upon request. The ministry is solely funded by donations, as the Lord provides. A list of materials available (plus some fun!) is obtainable and freely downloadable from our website
wwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.

Walking With Jesus Ministries
3 Hetley Crescent
Taradale
Napier 4001
New Zealand

Phone: (06) 8449-377 International (+64) 6 8449-377
Email: enquiries@wwj.org.nz
Web: wwj.org.nz

Our role is to bless and encourage those in ministry while promoting co-operation and unity of direction amongst the body of Christ, as emphasised 3 times by Jesus in His longest prayer, immediately prior to His arrest and crucifixion. "… so that they may be one as we are one." (John 17:12, 21, 23-4) Our website is currently being developed to encourage your participation one with another, to share resources, and to enable you to promote events and items of interest to the body as a whole – and have a smile while doing it!

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