Lesson no 43 Rain on the just and unjust

This life is a short thing compared to the eternal salvation of the soul. That is to say we must spend eternity somewhere. First let me say the Bible tells us there is a Heaven and there is a Hell.

Matthew 11:23 (B) And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to the heaven, shall be brought down to hell.(MKJV)

Q1/ There is a heaven and no hell. (True or False)

As a Christian we are promised to spend eternity in heaven with God.

Luke 13:29 And they will come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and will recline in the kingdom of God. (MKJV)

The Bible also tells us that non-believers will spend eternity in fire that doesn’t stop and torment doesn’t stop either.

Luke 13:28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves being thrust out. (MKJV)

Q2/ The Christian is promised to spend eternity in heaven with God. (True or False)

Q3/ The non-believer will go to heaven. (True or False)

The question of why, if there is a God, He could allow His people or non-believers to suffer? (Sickness, Wars and Disasters.)

The next question is. Why does God allow evil people to prosper and it appears that His Saints don’t?

I have been asked these questions before. Let me give you my understanding of Gods Word on these subjects.

Matthew 5: 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Q4/ If you are a good person the rain wont fall on your head. (True or False)

Q5/ The rain falls on all. (True or False)

The question I would ask; “where do you want to spend eternity?”

While still on the subject of this Short Life, I don’t know why some evil people have a lot of success and money in this life but one thing is sure they can’t take it with them when they die. They can’t buy their way into Heaven. It may be that some Christians don’t have much money and they appear to be poor but this is in the physical sense. But in actual fact they are rich in God because they are promised to get to heaven.

1 Peter 1:7 Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns. (CEV)  

Q6/ You can take your money to heaven or hell. (True or False)

Q7/ When you are rich in God you will go to heaven. (True or False)

Q8/ Your faith can be like gold. (True or False)

I have spent some time in India, which is much poorer than China. In most cases of meeting Christians they had a smile on their face and they looked like they were prospering more than other people in their village. I would go as far to say if a survey was taken, you might find that Christians do better in life than non-believers and the Bible indicates this.

If you read the scripture below you will see that God wants people to prosper.

Psalms 122: 6 they prosper who love You. (K.JV)  

Joshua 1:8  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (NIV)

Q9/ God wants us to proper. (True or False)

Q10/ When we meditate on the word of we will prosper. (True or False)

The scripture below confirms what I have said above plus as we share about God to all who don’t know Him we will be remembered by God and this will bring an eternal blessing.

Malachi 3: 14 "You have said, `It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty? 15 But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.' " 16 Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. 17 "They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. (NIV)

Q11/ A believer is a treasured possession of God. (True or False)

Sickness

On the matter of sickness Jesus is not the God of sickness, but the God of Healing. The sickness that is in the world is because Man is in the fallen state after eating the fruit of the Garden of Eden. In the perfect conditions of The Garden there was no sickness.

Acts 9: 34 "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. (NIV)

Exodus 15: 26 He said, "If you will listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what he considers right, if you pay attention to his commands and obey all his laws, I will never make you suffer any of the diseases I made the Egyptians suffer, because I am the LORD, who heals you." (GW)  

I have prayed for people who have been sick, blind and couldn’t walk etcetera then I have seen the hand of God move on them, healing them in Jesus name. So I know that God is a God of healing.

Psalms 103: 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, (NIV)

Q12/ Jesus makes you sick. (True or False)

Q13/ God said, I am the LORD, who heals you. (True or False)

War

Wars are brought about by man in his efforts to control and dominate another group of people for greed. Man was told to have dominion over the world but not to rule over other men.

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth.

Q14/ God has given dominion over all but not over other men. (True or False)

Q15/ Man doesn’t want to be control by other people. (True or False)

Judgment

Judgment does come in this life as it also comes at the throne of God at the end of this time. We don’t need to look far; the Bible describes such a judgment, which took place such as at Sodom and Gomorra. It was in this case their sin came up before God and God sent destruction upon them.

Noah had to build an Ark to save life because the sin of man came before God also.

Matthew 11:22 But I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to the heaven, shall be brought down to hell. For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.

Q16/ God has judged sin at the fall of Satan. (True or False)

Q17/ Nations will also be judged on the Day of Judgment. (True or False)

We can look around the world today and we can see destruction taking place in many places. It is interesting to note some of these cities are famous for their Homosexual Mar-Di-gars.  Don’t be mistaken their will come destruction, because of the sin of man. God will not be mocked.

Q18/ Christians can also be struck down when destruction comes on a city or nation. (True or False)

Q19/ The Christians destination is heaven. (True or False)

Finally some things happen for no apparent reason and because we are not God we don’t always understand why. I would rather be a Christian in time of need than not, because we have hope in Jesus. He is the Way the Truth and Life. No one can get to heaven without Him.

1Timothy 6:17  Charge the rich in this world that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, He offering to us richly all things to enjoy, 18  that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to share, to be generous, 19  laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (MKJV)

Q20/ We don’t understand all the things that happen in this life, but we will see and understand His justices in heaven. (True or False)