Scott said:
Sad day.. we aren't puppets. In the most technical sense of the word there are no strings attached. But we all are held in the clutches of destiny... whatever that may be both good or bad. We are manipulated and coerced by our surroundings & life experiences to fulfill our roles on this giant chessboard. We all have a role to play.
The Kinds of People God Wants
You and I had nothing to say about our coming into this world, BUT....how and where we spend eternity is entirely in our hands, and depends wholly upon our own choice.
If you choose to spend eternity in God's everlasting Kingdom, then you must bring your life into harmony with God's ways, with his ideals and standards, with His Laws ...and pattern of living.
For He will not change His Kingdom to suit your convenience or comform to your ideas.
His is a Kingdom of Righteousness (Right-doing) and Peace and Joy.
If you want to live in God's Kingdom, you must be Righteous (Yourself), at peace with God and man.
The Prophet Isaiah states the matter very clearly and leaves no one in doubt regarding who will make the change.
He says: "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near...let the wicked forsake his way, and the UNrighteous man his thoughts.....FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS, NEITHER ARE YOUR WAYS MY WAYS, SAYS THE LORD.
FOR AS THE HEAVENS ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO ARE MY WAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS, AND MY THOUGHTS HIGHER THAN YOUR THOUGHTS", (Isaiah 55:8,9)
Such is the difference between God's eternal Knigdom and the Kingdoms of this world.
Here on this earth man's ideas and ways prevail, BUT over there God's thoughts and standards hold absolute sway.
If you don't like them, then you will not be there.
For God does not want you there in His everlasting Kingdom UNLESS you want to be thereand are willing to conform your life in EVERY detail to His ways and wishes, to His pattern of noble living.
That is it, as far as His Kingdom is concerned, and he says in effect: Take it or leave it !
There will be no compulsion, no coercion, no undue persuasion, no force of any kind.
There will be no more compromising, or coddling.
It is this or else. God is through with sin and sinners.
He has set a day when sin and those who hang onto their sins will be eradicated and destroyed wherever it may be found.
WHY ?
God has, for thousands of years, felt the pain and sufferings of people, who have been effected by sin and its consequences.
He has felt the starvation of little children....
He has felt the pain and suffering of those people who died under the terrible diseases, such as cancer, Black Plague, etc.
He has felt the pain of people, who have lost loved ones, through wars...accidents....etc.
God knows the kinds of people He wants with him throughout all eternity in His Kingdom of Peace and Joy, where no more sin, sickness or sorrow will be found.
As God looks down upon this world of ours, He does not see may different religions or faiths by which men live. He does not see even one of them.....Christianity divided as it is into many different sects, groups, or denominations.
This division among the Christian people did not originate with God. It is not recognized in the scriptures.
For if we read in Psalms 14:....we come to the conclusion that in God's sight there are in the world but 2 classes of people.
Verse 2 says....."The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God".
"Here is the patience of the saints...here are they that keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus", (Revelation 14:12)
