Humans were not created to die. They were created to live forever. Death is not a normal part of the human psychological make-up. So anyone who wants to die or to kill himself is acting contrary to his God-given human nature.
Death entered the world through sin. When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion over the earth. They were to control every creature and every plant on the earth. They were not, however, to control their fellow human beings.
But Adam and Eve disobeyed God and, in so doing, gave up their control over the earth to Satan. This is the reason the world is full of tragedy, suffering, and death. Satan is now in control of this world. He is evil in his essence, and whenever he controls anything or anyone, evil is the only result.
Scripture calls Satan a "thief" and says that he comes for one purpose only: "to steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10). It is no wonder, then, that Satan will prey on vulnerable people to get them to commit suicide. Satan knows that God has a great destiny for each person, and Satan will do whatever he can to thwart that destiny.
Suicide has become an epidemic. Young people by the thousands are killing themselves. Increasing numbers of older people are killing themselves. Why? Because they have lost all hope. And why have they lost all hope? Because they have believed Satan's lie.
Satan speaks to the human mind in the form of thoughts. This is the reason that Jesus warns us to monitor our thoughts to see if they agree with His thoughts about us as found in His Word. If our thoughts do not agree with God's thoughts about us, then we must renounce our thoughts and choose to align our thinking with God's thinking.
For example, God says this about you in Jeremiah 29:11: "My plans for you are for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Satan whispers this thought: "You have no future. You are hopeless. Nothing will work out for you. You are a loser. No one will ever love you. You may as well kill yourself."
Satan's words are the exact opposite of God's words. Whom will you believe? Will you believe Satan whom the Bible calls "the father of lies" (John 8:44)? Or will you believe God Whom the Bible describes as the only one "who cannot lie"(Titus 1:2)?
Logic demands that we believe the One Who cannot lie.
Is Satan lying to you today? Is he tempting you to kill yourself? Please do not listen to his lies. Please believe that God loves you and that He created you for a very important purpose in this earth. You are not here by accident. You are here intentionally. You have a song to sing that no one else can sing. You have a job to do that no one else can do. You were created with a unique destiny that only you can fulfill.
Awaken to this truth and be set free. Embrace God's love for you. Run to His open arms and let Him heal you of the hurt that has driven you to the edge of suicide. Turn around and behold your Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ.
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Copyright 2014 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, DMin, MFA. All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
What Must I Do To Be Saved?
Have you ever wondered what happens to a person when he dies? Some people believe that death is the end of everything, that there is no life beyond this life. Others believe that there is something after this life but that we cannot know what it is. Still others don't care.
But what about you? Do you wonder what happens after a person dies? Do you wonder what will happen to you after you die?
The answer to this most important question is found in the Bible. The Bible teaches that a human being is made up of three parts: spirit, soul, and body (I Thessalonians 5:23). Your spirit is who you really are at the core of your being. Your soul consists of your mind, your emotions, and your will. Your body is your earth suit, the earthly housing for your soul and your spirit.
When a person dies, his soul and spirit leave his body. As a result, the body becomes lifeless and is buried or disposed of in some way. But the soul and spirit go to one of two places: Heaven or Hell.
According to the Bible, Heaven and Hell are real places. Heaven is where God and His angels dwell. Hell is where Satan and his demons dwell. Where your spirit and soul go after you die is up to you. But you must make that choice while you are still alive on this earth.
How do you make this choice? How do you decide where your spirit and soul will go after you die? The answer is very simple. You do so by an act of your will.
To be saved simply means to be rescued from eternal damnation. But who rescues us? Only Jesus Christ can rescue us from eternal damnation. This is the reason He is called our Savior. We cannot save ourselves. We need someone to save us. That Someone is Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ came to earth as a man in order to pay the price for our sin. Because He is both God and man, He was able both to stand before God as a man and to stand before God as God. In other words, His human nature represented all of humanity while His divine nature fulfilled the perfect price of righteousness required to satisfy the wrath of God. Jesus did this because of His love for us. He knew we could never pay the price for sin on our own. So He paid it for us by giving His very life for us.
Salvation is a gift that Jesus offers to every human being. In order to experience salvation, we must accept Christ's gift. When we accept His gift of salvation, we receive the assurance that we will go to Heaven when we die. But more than that, we begin a relationship of ever increasing intimacy with the God Who created us.
Please accept God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. He is the answer to your every need. In the 44 years since I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord, He has never failed me. He has only loved me.
To receive Christ's gift of salvation, pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I thank You for accepting me just as I am. You do not condemn me. You only love me. I choose to receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Accomplish Your purpose in me and through me. In Your mighty Name I pray and receive. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, please let me know. You can reach me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com
I will be happy to offer you further help in growing in your relationship with the God Who loves you.
For more information on salvation, click here.
But what about you? Do you wonder what happens after a person dies? Do you wonder what will happen to you after you die?
The answer to this most important question is found in the Bible. The Bible teaches that a human being is made up of three parts: spirit, soul, and body (I Thessalonians 5:23). Your spirit is who you really are at the core of your being. Your soul consists of your mind, your emotions, and your will. Your body is your earth suit, the earthly housing for your soul and your spirit.
When a person dies, his soul and spirit leave his body. As a result, the body becomes lifeless and is buried or disposed of in some way. But the soul and spirit go to one of two places: Heaven or Hell.
According to the Bible, Heaven and Hell are real places. Heaven is where God and His angels dwell. Hell is where Satan and his demons dwell. Where your spirit and soul go after you die is up to you. But you must make that choice while you are still alive on this earth.
How do you make this choice? How do you decide where your spirit and soul will go after you die? The answer is very simple. You do so by an act of your will.
To be saved simply means to be rescued from eternal damnation. But who rescues us? Only Jesus Christ can rescue us from eternal damnation. This is the reason He is called our Savior. We cannot save ourselves. We need someone to save us. That Someone is Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ came to earth as a man in order to pay the price for our sin. Because He is both God and man, He was able both to stand before God as a man and to stand before God as God. In other words, His human nature represented all of humanity while His divine nature fulfilled the perfect price of righteousness required to satisfy the wrath of God. Jesus did this because of His love for us. He knew we could never pay the price for sin on our own. So He paid it for us by giving His very life for us.
Salvation is a gift that Jesus offers to every human being. In order to experience salvation, we must accept Christ's gift. When we accept His gift of salvation, we receive the assurance that we will go to Heaven when we die. But more than that, we begin a relationship of ever increasing intimacy with the God Who created us.
Please accept God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. He is the answer to your every need. In the 44 years since I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord, He has never failed me. He has only loved me.
To receive Christ's gift of salvation, pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I thank You for accepting me just as I am. You do not condemn me. You only love me. I choose to receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Accomplish Your purpose in me and through me. In Your mighty Name I pray and receive. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, please let me know. You can reach me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com
I will be happy to offer you further help in growing in your relationship with the God Who loves you.
For more information on salvation, click here.
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