Why do I need to be saved?

I have been talking to a few anonymous people who have asked questions such as: I'm a good person why can't I go to heaven? Why do I need to be saved? What is the gospel?

Well I am going to answer this question with as few words as possible. I will let the verses from the Bible speak for themselves as much as I can.

SIN is the start of the problem. Sin does not just cover murder, adultery, theft, rape etc. Sin also covers things such as greed, jealousy, slander etc. We are sinful by nature. If you think you have lived a perfect life, you can stop reading now because you don't need saving but read Romans 3:23 before your stop:

'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'

If you think you classify with the 'all' in the above verse, please read the next one:

Romans 6:23 'For the wages of sin is death.'

God didn't want this to be the end of the story for humanity. He wanted to re-establish our relationship with him. To do that, our sin needed to be pardoned and our lives ransomed. What did he do about it?

John 3:16 '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.'

The book of John says that God became flesh and dwelled with us in the form of Jesus Christ. Jesus' purpose was to ransom humanity. It was always intended for him to lay down his life so we wouldn't have to. He was put to death on a cross for the sin of all men. He paid the price of our sin on our behalf. Jesus payed your debt. He was, however, without sin so death had no hold on him. The wages of a perfect life is eternal life. Three days later he was raised again. Through his resurrection the way between humanity and God had opened once more.
Now what? If you think about all of the above, the next verse is the next step:

Romans 10:9 'If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.'

So in a nutshell, that is the Gospel. That is why you need to be saved and what God did to allow it to happen.

For now don't let anything you dislike about Christianity stop you considering all of the above. This is not about the brutality of the Crusades, The Big Bang theory, evolution, homosexuals, paedophile priests and the bad example of Christians. This isn't about all the differing Christian denominations you see that bicker with each other. THIS IS ABOUT YOU AND YOUR CREATOR. Nothing else matters for now.

Mary MacKillop great lady, not great deity

Mary MacKillop was an awesome lady. She displayed a practical example of Christianity. She gave the disadvantaged an opportunity to have a better future through education. She also cared for the homeless, refugees, ex-prisoners and ex-prostitutes. Quite rightly, her life has the respect and inspiration it deserves. She died in 1909.

When I heard about the miracles she was involved in, I assumed she instigated them while she was alive.

I have subsequently found out that the miracles she performed all occurred after her death.

More recently, she apparently intervened to ensure the successful surgery of the conjoined twins Trishna and Krishna. Muslims and non-Christians also came to the catholic chapel to pray. Sr Bernadine said she believed Blessed Mary answered their prayers to save the twins. The Sister has 'great faith in Mary MacKillop'.

But come again Catholics. Can I get something clarified?

1. Who actually performed these miracles? Mary MacKillop or Jesus Christ?
2. Who is getting worshiped? Mary MacKillop or Jesus Christ?

Mary MacKillop has been given all praise and all power for the miracles. I have seen in the media people kneeling before an image of Mary praying to her. I haven't heard the name of Jesus Christ mentioned once. The media must have cut out all mention of Jesus Christ.

The kingship and power of Christ has been denied. I have seen catholics place their rosaries and other artefacts on the tomb of MacKillop and bend their knees in worship. Out of all the interviews, even the Cardinal Pell does not take the opportunity to glorify Jesus Christ.

Put down your catholic literature and pick up your Bible and read. Where does your precedence of praying to the dead come from?

Acts 14. When the Apostle Paul performed a miracle, the crowd treated them as gods, they brought their religious artefacts and symbols to them (bulls and wreaths) to offer sacrifices to them. Paul and Barnabas responded by saying 'We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God.'
Mary was only human. Worshiping anything other than the living God is worthless.

Romans 8:26, "...the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
There is no precedent in the Bible of calling on the dead to intercede. When we pray it is through the Spirit.

Why go to Mary MacKillop when you can go straight to God?
Hebrews 4 says 'we have a High Priest and that is Jesus the Son of God. We can come boldly unto to throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need'.

You pray to Mary but do you know Jesus Christ?

In Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus says. 'Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

This is in context of people not doing God's Will. That verse is even scary for me. Is God's Will tied to doing good works? Well yes and no. The people Jesus was talking about did good works by performing miracles and driving out demons etc but it wasn't enough. There is something deeper required...a relationship with Jesus Christ.

How does a miracle draw you closer into a relationship with Christ?
It doesn't if you are heaping all the praise on a dead nun. Do you really know your creator and judge?

Heaps of Catholics went to church services to celebrate the mighty works of their dead nun. How many will turn up next week? If you are in a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ you would probably turn up next week as well.


I am a joint heir with Jesus Christ so I am going to end this with a

Yours sincerely

Saint Rob

Summer of Ale

I just brewed a massively awesome Ale.

Coopers Real Ale
Morgans Amber Malt extract
15g fuggles Hop pellets
Safale04 yeast

It's only three weeks old and it is already rockin'.
Summer of Ale, here we come.

Catholics and suicide

So a Catholic priest from a Canberra parish walks into a hospital to 'help' a person who has just attempted suicide due to a history of mental illness. What does he say? He may have thought of one of three options. What would the Catholic church do here?

1. Leave religion aside and simply show compassion for one human being to another. Perhaps he could have thought of 'love one another as I have loved you...By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34). After all, loving one another is religion.

2. Give the poor woman the Good news of Jesus Christ. Tell her that Jesus Christ has the power to heal her. Pray over the woman. I've never witnessed it, but I've heard and read that Jesus is quite fond of the odd miracle from time to time.

3. Accuse the woman of committing an immortal sin and say 'you will have to work extra hard to earn God's forgiveness. You are bordering on the unforgivable.' This would surely giver her motivation to get out of bed and turn her life around.

What does he choose? This man of the cloth chose step 3.
The wrath of God never comes before the Love of God Priest! As a result, she is so traumatised, she engraved 'sinner' on her stomach with a stanley knife. This priest condemned her. She has a mental illness Mr Priest man. She needs love, compassion and help, not condemnation. She is not beyond the touch of God. Even if you thought she was a Christian, how about a bit of 'there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus' (Rom 8:1)

How do Catholics, or any other politically spawned and self-perpetuating form of religion, think that the blood of Jesus Christ is not enough? People don't need to do Penance, Hail Mary's, or any other sacrament to earn, or earn back, their salvation. The Old Testament should have taught you that trying to please God by earning his favour just doesn't cut it. He loves us regardless and the blood of Christ redeems us.

Anway, none of this Christian dogma helps a person lying in a bed with 'sinner' engraved on her body. Show a bit of Compassion! Or do you want her to pay for her forgiveness just like old school catholics?

Matthew 24. Has it already been fulfilled?

If you read Matthew 24:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2024&version=NIV


For all my Christian life I have assumed (probably because I have been told) that Matthew 24 has not yet entirely been fulfilled and these things predicted by Jesus are still to come to pass. These sites are an interesting read.

http://www.catholicapologetics.info/apologetics/judaism/prophetic.htm

http://gospelthemes.com/Mt24.htm

http://www.godrules.net/library/clarke/clarkemat24.htm

I just don't buy this one: http://www.bibleexplained.com/Gospels/Matt/mt21-25/Mt24.htm

I have been in Churches for 35 years and I have never heard once the preaching of the complete destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D and that Jesus prophesied all this in Matthew 24. If you read historical works like Josephus, this was a massive event, not just another conquest by the Roman army. I read Josephus and it looks like he may have unknowingly recorded, down to the exact event, the things Jesus prophesied about.
Is Matthew 24 a prophecy on the destruction of Jerusalem or the Second Coming of Christ? Can it be both? If it is an already fulfilled prophecy about 70 A.D, where does that leave the Second Coming? I believe Jesus hasn't finished with the world yet and that he is the risen Son of God, but if Matthew 24 has already happened, what passage in the Bible refers to the final act of Christ. Is there a scholar out there? Yes, I am a Christian asking a question like this.
Jesus said a couple of times that 'this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened' . I have always accepted that Jesus was referring to a future generation. But read such passages in context! Jesus was referring to the generation he was in. Some people say that Jesus was wrong because of such statements, because 2000 years later we are still here. But in the entire New Testament there is a sense of urgency. Jesus didn't get it wrong. He wasn't lazy, he didn't just forget to mention there will be another 2000 years at least before Matthew 24 is fulfilled. The generation back then saw, as predicted by Jesus, the fulfillment of Matthew 24.
Do yourself a favour and stop skipping over difficult parts of the Bible. Read the Bible. Test it. Ask questions. Ask the difficult questions. Challenge yourself. Only then can you effectively defend the Gospel. Don't be afraid of your pastor not agreeing with you. Throw in the curly one at your Bible Study group. There is an 85 year old man in my small group that enjoys the curly question. It's a good challenge. His standard statment is 'there is no hell'. Try answering that question without knowing the Bible. Stop being a lemming! Yes, you can live the Gospel by example, but your holy life can not be conducted without knowing what God has to say. His main method of communication with us is through the main medium of human communication (the written letter...The Bible) .
Intelligent people will ask you questions like is Christ coming back? Is there a Hell? Why aren't I going to heaven? Why did Jesus die? What is Jesus doing today? Have an answer. Your ability to defend the gospel (along with how you live your life and guidance from the Holy Spirit), will lead people to Christ. Who do you think Christ is? You can't know this by just listening to Sermons and just reading the comfortable bits of the Bible. A lot of what Jesus said is not comfortable. We just can't read the encouraging bits that make us feel good.
What a rant I have just had.

VB commerical. Top add, dodgy theology

If you were like me and watched the Ashes Series, you would have watched the VB add over and over again. http://www.vb.com.au/ The add is about all the drinking tribes of Australia marching under their own banner, but drinking the same beer and going to the same pub. My banner is 'guys built like a brick sh$%house'. Just kidding, I'd be under 'guys who peaked too early...'forgotten but definitely not gone'. Great add, but I'll still be brewing my own beer.

As I watched it over and over again, I began to think of the banners as church banners. The Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, Jehovah's witness', Jews, Buddhists (or manscapers), etc etc. If it was a religious banner add, it would turn into an all-in-brawl.

During the sixth one day game, the narration changed slightly and said 'it doesn't matter what banner you march under, they will all be at the feast'.

I hear the above statement a lot in the form of:

'it doesn't matter what religion you have, as long as you follow something and if you are a good and nice person, you will get to heaven'.

When I hear this theory, I wish the sentiment was true. Wouldn't it be good if all civil, good and nice religions enter the Kingdom of God. However, according to what Jesus said of himself, this admirable theory does not figure on his radar. Jesus says:

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

I often hear the criticism of 'how can you Christians be so arrogant to claim that only you will get to heaven?' I'm not claiming anything. If it were up to me I would say 'sure, all banners can get in'. But Jesus did not make such a claim. He also said:

'I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved' (John 10:9).
When you walk up to the pub you will find Jesus at the gates.

How do you get in?
'If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved' (Romans 10:9).

If you believe you are a Catholic or Protestant but believe that Jesus was just a Prophet or that he wasn't raised from the dead, remember this: When you walk up to the pub, you will find that Jesus is the doorman with the guest list. It is easy to get your name on that list. He has already done the hardwork.

I'm not arrogant (remember I am the guy that peaked too early). I'm just an ambassador to what the King says.

Jesus is NOT religious

I read Matthew 15. It contains an insight to what Jesus thought about religion. The Pharisees asked Jesus why his disciples 'break the tradition of the elders' (by not washing their hands before they eat of all things). Jesus replied:

'and why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?'. He also said 'Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you...they worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men'.

It was not Jesus' intention to enslave us in an endless list of religious practices. We don't have to practice religion to earn God's favour. We are already in favour. We don't have to abstain from meat during Easter (I love my bacon) or go on a pilgrimage etc, BUT:

1.) Being in favour does not mean we are free to abuse God's readiness to forgive.

If we understand what it cost God to bring salvation to mankind, we will not want to abuse his gift. We can not go on sinning knowing God will forgive us (John 14:15 - 'If you love me, you will obey what I command')

2.) Even though we have a level of freedom in Christ and not bound by religious practices, we have to be mindful when exercising our freedom.

All Christians are products of their own culture and time, so it is to be expected that we tend to have differing opinions across time and space on 'peripheral' issues. For example, to drink alcohol or not, to get a tattoo or not, to have the occasional Cuban or not etc.

'Everything is permissible but not necessarily beneficial' (1 Corinthians 6:12).

If we perceive that acting out our freedom may cause a Christian brother to stumble, we should not exercise that freedom. If a brother chooses to eat meat at Easter, that is between him and God.

'Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables...'Who are you to judge someone else's servant?' (Romans 14: 1-4)