Baby Boomers…Deceptions and other Bummers
I’m a “Baby-boomer”from the 1960-70’s “flower child” generation. I am in the group born between 1946 – 1955 who remember where we were the day, or the very hour, that John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Our music went quickly from Elvis Presley to the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Hendrix, Jim Morrison & The Doors, Donavan, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and all the other folkies of the time. It was the age of Aquarius and Hair and white light occultism became the new religion of the hour for many, including me. Perhaps some of you reading this are of that same era and you will attest to the fact that the word “sin” was not in our vocabulary, we simply…“did our own thing” with lots of love and peace thrown in for good measure. The circular “peace” sign defined our generation and if you remember Woodstock…you weren’t there. You became a peace-march groupy, women’s libber or married young. I was the latter and married straight out of high school in 1967.
By 1978, I had kids, a mortgage, a divorce, and finally began to grow up. I questioned the “why’s and wherefores” of life. After the death of my youngest brother, I had become involved in the world of the occult, doing astrological charts and acting as a medium and it looked as though I had all the answers. To the outside world it looked like I was an in charge kind of person and had the world by the tail. Inside I was insecure, hurting, confused by events in my life, I felt like a square peg trying to fit into some kind of round hole and really questioned the point of everything. Had it not been for my two wonderful children, I might have taken my life – just as my brother had done.
My naturally inquiring mind began to seek positive truth. I want to share that Truth with you here on my website. I am not going to spend time giving you evidence for the historicity or validity of the Bible. If you are really looking for truth in your life – check out the book Evidence that Demands a Verdict or More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell or go to his website www.josh.org and click on RESOURCES. Or you can go to www.rzim.org – Ravi Zacharias Ministries and pick up any of the resources or listen online to messages that will lead you to the truth as well. If you are really a truth seeker, you will find lots of documented and historical evidence to prove that the Bible is completely true.
At this point, suffice it to say that, I am asking you to accept, by faith, – even for a couple of minutes – that the Bible IS what it claims to be…“the inerrant Word of God, written for our benefit by men who were inspired by His Holy Spirit. That being the case you must believe that Jesus IS who He claimed to be, “God in the flesh” or as Christians and the Bible also refer to Him “the Son of God.”
When a television preacher told me that I was a sinner I didn’t want to hear it let alone admit that fact. After all, I was a spiritual person…always seeking for a higher power – but certainly not one that would rule my life and spoil my fun. In 1980, I learned from that same TV preacher, that sin is simply doing it “my way and not God’s way” and that one of the actual meanings of the Biblical word “sin” means to miss the mark. If you continue to fall short of the bull’s eye in a game of darts you lose the game. Well, I had been doing plenty of everything just the way I wanted to. I had never asked God what He wanted in my life and to be honest I wasn’t doing such a hot shot job of running things myself in any case and I was really falling short of the “mark”.
The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that all of us “have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” So according to that we have all missed the mark and we lose out on God’s blessings in our lives and more importantly we give up eternal life with God because there is a payment required for that sin…it is spiritual death according to Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death.” That means that when we refuse God’s offer of eternal life we opt for eternal death with the enemy of our soul – Satan. He used to be called Lucifer, and he was one of God’s highest and most loved archangels, in charge of, guess what? The earth! That’s right God put Lucifer in charge of taking care of things here, but he wasn’t happy with just that…he wanted to be higher than God, so he fell from grace and was literally kicked out of heaven. You can read a part of the account in Isaiah 14:12 – 17(NKJ) “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart; I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol (hell) To the lowest depths of the Pit.”
You know the old saying “misery loves company”? Well, Satan’s greatest ambition is to take as many of us human beings down as he can and he does so with the greatest lie of all. If he can convince everyone that there is no God, no hell, not really anyone called Satan, and even that we are really masters of our own destiny by a lie that sounds like… “There’s not really any heaven or hell, there’s really not a God, I am really god of my own life, master of my own destiny” then by default, mankind belongs to him. Do not allow yourself to be lulled to sleep and deceived! It’s all a great big fat lie and it will lead you straight to hell!
God’s Offer:
God loves us so much that He came for us Himself. “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). God knows that none of us can live a holy life…that only He is able to do that. So, His remedy for that was that He would come to earth in the person of Jesus, live a life without sin and then take our punishment by dying a cruel death on the cross. Have you ever asked, “Why is this happening to me God?” Well, you might be interested to know that once in all eternity the God of creation asked the question “why” as well. When he was on that cross dying for you and me, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God WHY have you forsaken me.” He understands the meaning of separation from the Father just as we do and he understands when we hurt so bad that we don’t understand “why”.
But, the “Gospel” (simply means good news) is that after He died and was buried, on the third day He physically arose from the dead. There was no body! Matthew, Mark & John have recorded their “eye witness” accounts of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Dr. Luke recorded the events from interviewing other eyewitnesses. Theories have claimed many reasons for the disappearance, none of which, when one investigates, is even plausible. The body had disappeared, from right under the nose of the Roman guard – not just one man but a six-man fighting machine that was set outside the tomb to stand guard. This was no ordinary tomb. To make sure that Jesus’ disciples didn’t come and steal the body away the authorities had a 2-ton stone rolled in front of it. They even sealed it at the top with the Roman imperial insignia. To lose this body meant severe punishment and even death to the Roman guard. But, on the third day…gone it was, and no one could find it anywhere! The explanation came from an angel that told the people “He has risen!”
Christians have the only savior whose body was never nor can it now be found – because He was physically risen and then after 40 days of actually walking, talking, eating, teaching and socializing with the very people who had seen Him die, He was taken up before their eyes into the heavens to be forever with the Father! No wonder they were willing to be martyred for their faith! Nobody can take away from you what you absolutely know to be true! Jesus promised that one day He will return in the very same way He left…that is coming back from the heavens. He said that “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (NKJ) we will experience physical resurrection on the day of His return and will live forever with Him.
It’s all pretty simple, and I know might even sound like a “fairytale” and that is exactly what Satan wants us to believe. But, if God is God, and Jesus is who He said He is then everything He said is emphatic Truth and we’d better sit up and take note. A God that made the universe can do exactly as He pleases and it pleased Him to save us if we will but accept His way.
The only thing we know when we are born is that we are going to die some day. Where will you end up when you die? If you think that your good deeds will get you to heaven, I encourage you to check out Ephesians 2:8, 9 & 10 where it tells us that is not the case. Jesus said, “I am the way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by me.” If we will admit that we have sinned then repent (simply means to change your mind and direction) confess (just tell God), He is faithful and true to His word and will forgive us and wash us clean from everything wrong that we’ve ever done or will do (see 1 John 1:9).
If you have never invited Jesus to be your Savior (from your sin and from eternal separation from God), and Lord (to take on the burden of your life today and to lead you into the wonderful plan He has for your life) I invite you to do it now. The Bible promises that when you pray a prayer like the one written here from your heart, you will experience a new life in Christ. Simply read it aloud and if you truly mean it from your heart you will be saved:
Father, now that I know you are the creator, the one true God, who loves me personally, I come to You just as I am. There is nothing I can do to earn salvation…I cannot work my way into a right relationship with You. The Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith as a gift from You. I confess that I have sinned against You and others. I’ve been doing it my way for a long time and I really want to do it your way. Please forgive me and wash me clean with the precious, life-giving blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son. I believe that He died for me—He took my sin upon Himself and died on the cross for me. And I believe that He was raised from the dead, giving me power over the enemy. Jesus, I ask You to come live in me, by the power of your Holy Spirit, and teach and guide me. I don’t really understand everything about being a Christian, but I invite You into my life to help me learn daily how I am to live. Thank You for Your gift of restoration and eternal life. I am so grateful for Your love and mercy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
If you have now prayed that prayer and would like to communicate that with me, please do that at whyjesus@celestezugec.com and…welcome to the family of God!
There are so many scriptures that would help you to better understand what I’ve written here but for just a few of them see: John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8,9, 10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9,10; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; 1 John 1:9; 1 John 4:14-16; 1 John 5:1, 10 -13. Find a good, Bible-believing, Truth-preaching church where you will experience personal spiritual growth and I promise you will never be sorry you did.
Joyfully,
Celeste