Stands forever

Stands forever
                  Isaiah the prophet wrote,

"A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?" 

"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

because the breath of the LORD blows on them. 

Surely the people are grass. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

but the word of our God stands forever." 

                                                      Isaiah 40:6-8.

An anonymous poet writes,

“Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door,

And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;

Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor

Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

"How many anvils have you had," said I,

"To wear and batter all these hammers so?"

"Just one," said he, and then, with twinkling eye,

The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word,

For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;

Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,

The anvil is unharmed - and hammers gone.”

                                                                           Anonymous.

Over the centuries there have been many men, some, the most powerful on earth, who have said there is no God.
Some countries today even try to wipe out belief in God. They persecute, imprison, and even murder Christians for simply believing in something they say does not exist. Yet despite this believers in Christ, believers in God still continue to believe.
Every one of Christ’ apostles except John suffered a martyrs death. Yet the gospel message continued.
During the early days of Christianity two apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin a Jewish religious court of the day.  Some members of the court wanted to put them to death for what they had said.
A wise man. A Pharisee named Gamaliel standing before the Sanhedrin however said,
“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38,39.
I think the fact that believers in Christ Jesus, Christians are still around today, and are increasing in numbers despite persecution, shows they are from God. And those who would try to wipe Christians out are fighting against God.
As C. S. Lewis said,
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." C.S. Lewis.
Please think about it.

Will you be happy?

Will you be happy?

“All men are like grass, 

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

because the breath of the LORD blows on them. 

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

but the word of our God stands forever.”

                                                    Isaiah 40:6b

Today as part of a photographic art project I’m doing I went to take pictures in a cemetery. It’s big, holding as many residents as the city where I live. Some grave stones go back to the late eighteen hundreds.
When I was young I lived in England near an Abby. At one time the richest in England. The grave stones in its cemetery  went back to the year 1200.
Cemeteries are places we put our loved ones. It’s the place our loved ones will place us one day when we become part of the ultimate statistic. The ultimate statistic being 100% of people die.
Which begs the question dear reader do you know God?
Do you know where you will spend eternity?
For me as a Christian this is how I believe you get to heaven enter heaven.
Jesus speaking about himself said,
1/ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  John 3:16,17.
The apostle John also quotes Jesus as saying,
2 “....I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Jesus is the way to heaven.
 3/  The apostle Paul writing to the Romans said,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23,24.
Sinning is falling short of what God wants for you life. Sin separates us from God. Jesus paid the price for our sins.
4/ The apostle John noting,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:9,10.
5/ The apostle Paul make it clear salvation is not something we can work for. Paul writing to the Ephesians stating,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  

not by works, so that no one can boast.”

                                                        Ephesians 2:8,9

6/ Ultimately salvation is an act of faith, Hebrews stating,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” Hebrews 11:6
Faith defined as by the writer of Hebrews as,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
The American evangelist Tony Campolo made an interesting statement about death, he said,
“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?”Tony Campolo
Please think about it.