cannyben

Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. This is why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen." 2 Corinthians 4:18 (CEV) Everything you see around you is temporary. It’s what you can’t see that will last forever. And those eternal, spiritual realities are what truly matter. The truth is, spiritual realities are just as real as physical realities. And you need to focus on the spiritual ones because they are part of reality. Here are five spiritual realities you need to understand: God made you to love you. Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (NIV). God created you to love you, and he wants you to learn to love him back. This is the most important reality of life. You were made to last forever. The Bible says, “He has . . . set eternity in the human heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV). The evangelist Billy Graham talked about death this way: “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you ...

“He has planted eternity in the human heart.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) Heaven and hell are real. God wants you to understand this eternal reality and all the realities of life that are found in his Word, the Bible. The first reality of life is that God made you to love you, and he wants you to learn to love him back. The Great Commandment says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 NIV). The second reality of life is this: You were made to last forever. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has planted eternity in the human heart” (NLT). No matter how good things are on this planet, at some point in your life you’ll think, “There’s got to be more than this.” And there is! You’re going to spend far more time on the other side of death than on this side. This life is preparation for your life in eternity. Because of that, you have the third reality of life: God has prepared two eternal places, heaven and hell. God has been preparin...

“I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God’s blessing and God’s curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life.” Deuteronomy 30:19 (GNT) People ask all the time, “How could a loving God send people to hell?” Then someone comes along and says, “Let me help you out. I will take you to my house and help you get cleaned up and give you a new set of clothes and a good meal. And you can live at my house. You can become part of my family. In fact, I’m going to adopt you. You can take my name! I’m going to pay off all your debts. You can even have my credit card and access to the entire resources of my family. You don’t have to earn it or work for it. I’m doing this simply because I love you and want to show you grace. “However, if you live in my house as a part of my family, there are some house rules that you have to follow. We respect each other and help out with responsibilities around the house. You may choose to say, “Thank you, ...

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NKJV) It is eternal reality you need to know: There is no second chance after you die. You get to choose where you’re going to spend eternity. But you have to choose now while you’re alive, not after you’re dead. There is no going back! God gives you an entire lifetime to make the right decision. If you keep putting it off, then there will be no second chance to get it right once you have died. There is no halfway house between heaven and hell. When Jesus was dying on the cross, there was a man next to him who had been a criminal his entire life. In his last seconds, the man surrendered his life to Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42 NKJV). All he knew about salvation was that Jesus could save him. He didn’t know all the doctrines or theology. He didn’t know all the “right” words. He just said “yes” to Jesus. Because o...

“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.” John 3:16 (NIV) Many think that people are basically good and by nature unselfish and that they naturally put the needs of others before their own. The world is filled with broken relationships, broken promises, and sin. Evil is all around you—from world politics to local conflicts you can see hatred, bitterness, and corruption. And because sin and evil exist, hell also exists. What was true in Noah’s day is still true today: “The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness . . . and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart” (Genesis 6:5-6 NLT). When God looks at all the wrong, evil things that are done in the world, it breaks his heart because he loves everyone and wants us to learn to love one another. But God is also holy...

"I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13 (NLT) You probably have a picture that comes to mind when you think about what hell must be like. Your image likely has some red and black tones in it, a lot of fire, and maybe the devil looming over everything. Hell is described in the Bible as a place of torment. Matthew 13:42 says it is a “blazing furnace, where the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain” (NCV). That description sounds terrible, but do you know what the worst part of hell is? Hell is total separation from God, which means hell is the exact opposite of everything God is. The Bible says in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (NIV). The opposite of love is fear. Living without love means you’re scared to death all the time. That’s hell. God is love, so there is no love in hell. God is light, so hell is complete darkness. God is good, so ther...

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21 (NIV) When you’re faced with evil, don’t return it. Overcome it. This is opposite of human nature and what the world condones. When somebody hurts you, you want to hurt them back, right? When somebody hits you, you want to hit them back. But God says that is not the way you’re going to win the battle against evil. Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (NIV). That is God’s way of winning the battle. Jesus Christ came to Earth to show that you don’t destroy evil by retaliating; you destroy it by overcoming it with good. The Bible says, “The Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 NLT). Jesus came to obliterate evil. He came to wipe it out. Evil is going to end one day. It is not going to exist forever. One day God is going to close the books. He’s going to settle the score. He’s going to end history and take his family into eternity with him. If you want...

“Each of us will give a personal account to God." Romans 14:12 (NLT) At the end of your life on Earth, you will stand before God and he’ll evaluate how well you served others with your life. The Bible says, “Each of us will give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:12 NLT). Think about the implications of that. One day God will compare how much time and energy you spent on yourself compared with what you invested in serving others. The Bible warns unbelievers, “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves” (Romans 2:8 NLT). And Christians who live for themselves will lose eternal rewards. The Bible says that you’re only fully alive when you’re helping others. Jesus said it like this: “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 TLB). Then he repeats a similar truth twice in the book of Matthew and twice in L...

“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others." Ephesians 2:10 (TLB) God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on Earth to make a contribution. God designed you to make a difference with your life. You weren’t created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. You were created to add to life on Earth, not just to take from it. God wants you to give something back—to help other people. The Bible says, “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10 TLB). Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the ...

“For the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (TLB) When you’re full of fear and anxiety, you don’t get close to other people. Instead, you back off. You fear being rejected, manipulated, vulnerable, hurt, and these fears cause you to disconnect from the people around you. This fear is as old as humanity. When Adam and Eve sinned, God came looking for them. Then Adam said, “I was afraid . . . and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 ESV). People have been hiding ever since. We pretend to be someone we’re not. This fear leads to three things that will damage our relationships: Fear makes us defensive. You’re afraid to reveal yourself, but people inevitably spot some of your weaknesses. And when they point out those weaknesses, you defend yourself and retaliate. Fear keeps us distant. You’re afraid to be open and honest—to let people get close to you. Instead, you withdraw and pull ...

“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others." Ephesians 2:10 (TLB) God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on Earth to make a contribution. God designed you to make a difference with your life. You weren’t created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. You were created to add to life on Earth, not just to take from it. God wants you to give something back—to help other people. The Bible says, “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10 TLB). Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the ...

“Each of us will give a personal account to God." Romans 14:12 (NLT) At the end of your life on Earth, you will stand before God and he’ll evaluate how well you served others with your life. The Bible says, “Each of us will give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:12 NLT). Think about the implications of that. One day God will compare how much time and energy you spent on yourself compared with what you invested in serving others. The Bible warns unbelievers, “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves” (Romans 2:8 NLT). And Christians who live for themselves will lose eternal rewards. The Bible says that you’re only fully alive when you’re helping others. Jesus said it like this: “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 TLB). Then he repeats a similar truth twice in the book of Matthew and twice in L...

“Each of us will give a personal account to God." Romans 14:12 At the end of your life on Earth, you will stand before God and he’ll evaluate how well you served others with your life. The Bible says, “Each of us will give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:12). Think about the implications of that. One day God will compare how much time and energy you spent on yourself compared with what you invested in serving others. The Bible warns unbelievers, “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves” (Romans 2:8). And Christians who live for themselves will lose eternal rewards. The Bible says that you’re only fully alive when you’re helping others. Jesus said it like this: “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35). Then he repeats a similar truth twice in the book of Matthew and twice in Luke: • “If you cli...

“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others." Ephesians 2:10 God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on Earth to make a contribution. God designed you to make a difference with your life. You weren’t created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. You were created to add to life on Earth, not just to take from it. God wants you to give something back—to help other people. The Bible says, “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10). Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the Lord Chris...

“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for . . . part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." Ephesians 1:11-12 Mark Twain once said the two most important days in your life are the day you’re born and the day you find out why. God has created everything with a purpose. Every plant has a purpose. Every star has a purpose. Every animal has a purpose. If your heart is beating, God has a purpose for your life. The very fact that you’re alive makes your life meaningful. If you want to know your purpose, you won’t find it in a self-help book, on television, or in the movies. You also can’t find it in yourself because you didn’t make yourself. God made you. Only God—the one who created you—can tell you your purpose. The Bible tells you this in Ephesians 1:11-12: “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for . . . part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone” (Ephesians 1:11-12)...

“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure." Ephesians 1:5 The whole reason the universe exists is because God wanted a family. He wanted children. He didn’t need us, but he wanted us so he could show his love. You are so valuable to God that he placed the Earth in just the right spot to sustain your life. He thought you up before he thought up the universe. You were the focus of his love. The Bible says this in Ephesians 1:5: “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure”. God wanted a family and wanted you to be a part of it. God never meant for you to go through life alone. The first thing God told Adam was, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Whether you marry or not is irrelevant to this issue. You’re made to be in a spiritual family that God created to take care of you—so you’...

“The Lord takes pleasure in his people." Psalm 149:4 God created you to love you. The Bible doesn’t say God has love. The Bible says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Love is the essence of his nature. The Bible says, “For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased” (Revelation 4:11). Everything was created because God gets enjoyment out of it. He wanted to love it. As Psalm 149:4 says, “The Lord takes pleasure in his people”. God takes pleasure in you all the time. Why? He created you. He’s your heavenly Father. Some people think God is only smiling at them when they’re doing something “religious.” Nothing could be further from the truth. God gets pleasure in watching you be you because he made you you. God planned you for his pleasure, and he wants you to learn to love him back. Jesus gave the ultimate summary of the Bible when asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (Matthew 22:36). Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with a...

“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.’" Luke 1:46-47 (NIV) When it comes to planning, many Christians act like atheists. They realize Jesus saved them, but they don’t really trust him. They think they can plan their life any way they want to. But the reality is God created everyone, and he made each person for a unique purpose. He has a specific destiny for each individual. About two thousand years ago, God had a plan for a young woman named Mary. He had created her and chosen her to become the mother of the Son of God. What was Mary’s response when an angel told her about God’s plan? She didn’t say, “I’ve got my own plans for my life. I’m too busy. I have to do what’s best for me.” No, she realized God had a purpose for her life, and she was willing to do whatever he wanted. Her response was a song of praise: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47 NIV). Mary recognized that God was her Lor...

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36 (NIV) The world defines freedom as a life without any restraint. It’s an attitude that says, “I can do anything I want to do and say anything I want to say, without anybody telling me what to do.” With that kind of mindset, you get your freedom, but only by being totally selfish. But the Bible says the only way to true freedom is through Jesus: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). God sent Jesus to proclaim and deliver freedom from the sin that keeps you trapped in a cycle of anger, envy, greed, forgiveness, and selfishness. With true freedom, you’re set free from fear, guilt, worry, bitterness, and death. You’re free to quit pretending, because you’re free to be yourself. How do you get rid of fear and find real freedom in Jesus? By letting God love you! John teaches this: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). When you realize how much God loves y...

Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin vineyard… Songs of Solomon 2:15 God wants us to be people of integrity. A person of honor is open and honest and true to her word. He says what he means and means what he says. She doesn’t have any hidden agendas or ulterior motives. He doesn’t need a legal contract to force him to fulfill his word. People of integrity are the same in private as they are in public. They do what’s right whether anybody is watching or not. If you don’t have integrity, you will never reach your best. Integrity is the foundation on which truly successful relationships are built. Every time you compromise, every time you are less than honest, you are causing a slight crack in the foundation. If you continue compromising, that foundation will never be able to hold what God wants to build. On the other hand, God’s blessings will overtake you if you settle for nothing less than living with integrity. There’s no limit to what God will do in you...