Search Questgems: English dictionary

Machine translation can be strange sometimes. However, it should give a general idea of the page.

        In addition to visitors from here in the United States and Canada, this site is accessed by people on every continent. Therefore I try to keep the concepts and language fairly simple so that those of other backgrounds and languages may understand.
        I hope you will find something here that will help make life a little more meaningful or enjoyable and a gem or two to enrich your life.

How Can I Live Forever?
I believe most people would like to avoid death and live forever if they knew it would be an enjoyable existence. Medical advances and health advice to extend living attest to this desire. There are even "immortality rings" for the fingers and toes that are claimed to allow a person to live forever by those who sell them. Don't believe it! Songs, poems and articles often express the fear of death and the desire to live where there is no dieing, no illness, no disabilities.         Some of the thoughts expressed above are reflected in works such as a song by the rock group named "Oasis." The second verse goes like this:     "Mabe I just want to fly     "I want to live I don't want to die     "Maybe I just want to breath     "Maybe I just don't believe"         The song concludes like this:     "Gonna live forever, gonna live forever     "We are gonna live forever     "Gonna live forever, gonna live forever     "We are gonna live forever "         There really is a way you can live forever! You also will have no more sickness, pain or disability and you will never be bored. God has provided a way. But you have to do it His way. First, let's look at the reasons eternal life is not yours now, unless you have already accepted God's way. Your Present Situation         The sin you have committed has separated you from God. Every person has sinned. The Bible, which is God's word to us, says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). Most of us don't have to look very far back to know we have done something wrong. That is sin, not only against others or for our own gratification, but it is sin against God.         Your sins, no matter how few or how many, have separated you from God. God created this whole universe and He created people to have fellowship with Him. You cannot have fellowship with God or experience eternal life with Him in heaven while standing condemned for your sins. Jesus Christ, God's Son, who was God in human form, said in the Bible, "...whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" (John 3:18).         God's word says in Revelation 20:24-15 says, "The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." And that is for eternity. God Loves You and Has provided a Way for You to Enjoy Eternal Life         Jesus Christ said, "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). God's word also says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).         Since everyone has sinned, no one qualified to pay the penalty for another's sin. God solved the dilemma by sending his only Son into the world as a babe, who grew into a man. He lived a perfect life, revealing God more clearly to us, and offered Himself as a sacrifice for people's sins. He was killed by public crucifixion. On the third day he came back alive, conquering death for you, and continued to teach his followers. After 40 days, over 500 people witnessed His ascension to heaven. But you do not automatically receive the benefit of His sacrifice.         The word of God also says, "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took our sins upon Himself so that we may receive His imputed righteousness. In other words our record is wiped clean so that we may stand before God as perfect, receive eternal life, and qualify to enter heaven.	Some people think that if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, they will go to heaven when they die. But that will not take them to heaven. If you trust in that theory you will wind up in the everlasting hell. We cannot qualify on our own merits. We cannot be good enough to be saved (receive God's eternal life) and we cannot be too evil for God to save us. God's word says to those who have been saved, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:8-10).         So, we can see that being "good" does not save us, but God has a plan for every life - your life. And He plans for the ones He saves to do good works. Just as we cannot be saved by good works, we cannot lose our salvation by slipping into sinful acts. Having said that, a lifestyle of sin would give evidence that the person has never trusted Christ as Savior. When we trust Christ, we accept Him as our Master. How Do I Trust Jesus as My Savior & Master?         Jesus Christ Himself said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The preposition "in" is translated from the Greek word "eis" which means "into" (this part of the Bible was written in Greek as the original language). It is not just a matter of believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that He lived a perfect life and died for our sins, that he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. These facts must be accepted; that is head knowledge. But to believe into Jesus is to place your life in His hands.         Let me illustrate: I can look at a well-constructed chair and, after examining it believe it will hold my weight. However, I have not believed into it (trusted it) until I have sat in it and allowed it to bear my weight. It's the same in trusting Jesus with your life. Jesus told a man named Nicodemus that no one will see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. Just as one is born into a physical family, one must be born (a spiritual birth) into the family of God. A relationship with God is established. So, it's not what we do, but our accepting what Jesus Christ has done.         You can receive Jesus Christ as your Savior right now, by confessing your sins to God, turning from self-centered life to Jesus Christ as Lord of your life, and asking Him to take charge of your life. You can talk to God. If you are sincerely ready to make this change, you can word a prayer of your own, or pray something like this:         Dear God, creator of the universe and giver and sustainer of life, I come to you now confessing that I am a sinner. I am turning from my sins and turning to you. Please forgive my sins and save me by the shed blood of your precious Son, Jesus Christ. I ask Jesus to come into my heart. Guide me in Your ways. Thank you for saving me, giving me eternal life with you and providing your presence with me in the here and now. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.         If this was a sincere commitment, God is now your Father and you are His child. Jesus Christ is your Savior. God's Holy Spirit has come to live within you. He will help you to know right from wrong and urge you in the right direction. You should tell someone else about your decision. Also you should find a church - I suggest a Baptist church - that baptizes believers by immersing them in water. Jesus told His followers to be baptized. In this way, you participate in a rite that provides a picture of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. It also pictures your death to the old life and resurrection to walk in the new life he has given you. In addition, baptism pictures your eventual earthly death and resurrection into heaven. It also is a public statement of the decision you have made.         If you do not have a Bible, you can go to the Resource Center on this site and click on "Bible Study & Research." There you will find online Bibles in many languages. Whatever country you are in, you can probably find a missionary who will give you a Bible in your language. Ask at a Baptist church and the pastor will steer you to one or provide you with a Bible.         Become a part of a local church if one is in your area. If Bible study classes are offered, be a part of one. You will meet caring Christian friends and grow in the Lord.         If you need help in your decision or what to do next, feel free to go to the email page and let me know. In fact your informing me of your decision will be an encouragement to me.    Take care. May the Lord bless you and may you bless the Lord.    Don
I'm Saved, Now What?
The Bible tells us that there are three kinds of people, as follows:         Natural Man. This is a person who has not received Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior. The Bible says, "For the natural man is not able to take in the things of the Spirit of God: for they seem foolish to him, and he is not able to have knowledge of them, because such knowledge comes only through the Spirit." (1 Corinthians 2:14 BBE). If this describes you, read the item in this Eternal Gems section entitled "How Can I Live Forever." The word "man" is used as it is in "mankind," referring to any human and does not refer to a gender.         Spiritual Man.The spiritual person received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and obeys the Holy Spirit's directions in his/her personal life. The Holy Spirit, who lives in every believer, convicts the person about what is right and pleasing to God and what is wrong and displeases God. Also, as the Holy Spirit enlightens the person through the Scripture that he/she reads, the spiritual person makes the necessary life adjustments. The Bible says, "But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is judged by no one ... But we have Christ's mind" (1 Corinthians 2:15 WEB).         Carnal Man. This individual has received Christ but lives a defeated life because he/she is depending on his/her own mind for decision making, resistance to temptation and acceptance of what is right. This person needs to become sensitive to and responsive to the direction of the Holy Spirit. The carnal person likely does not read the Bible regularly and apply its teachings, and probably does not have much of a prayer life. The carnal person likely does not share the good news of Christ with others.         In the Bible, the apostle Paul tells some church members, "Brothers, I couldn't speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren't yet ready. Indeed, not even now are you ready, for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren't you fleshly, and don't you walk in the ways of men?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3 WEB).         OK, I have invited Jesus Christ to take charge of my life. I am saved. Now, what do I do? When you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you received eternal life. That is something you now possess and it cannot be taken away from you. When your body dies, you continue to live. The real you that the body housed will go to heaven and live eternally with the Lord and with others whom God has saved! But you have received even more.         Jesus said, "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10 AKJV). Jesus offers you an abundant life. That is a life filled with meaning and purpose. God is always with you. His Holy Spirit lives within you. When trouble comes or difficult decisions must be made, you do not need to face these situations alone. God is ready to hear from you. Talk to Him; seek His direction. We call this prayer.	You can talk to God anywhere. You can whisper a prayer or think a prayer and God receives it. But it will do you good to verbalize your prayers often. When something good happens to you, thank God for it. When you need guidance, ask God. He will impress you to do the right thing. When temptation comes your way, ask God for the strength and faith to overcome it. The Bible says, "Cast all your anxieties on Him [God] because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). The Bible tells us that we no longer belong to the world. Satan (the devil) is active in the world, But the Bible says, "...the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4 NIV). Through God, the heavenly Father who watches over you, you can overcome anything the world throws at you.         After Christ has saved you, you should tell someone. Sharing will strengthen you and Jesus commands us to be His witnesses. You should be baptized by immersion in water. Find a Christian pastor or missionary (It could be a Baptist pastor) who baptizes believers by immersion. This pictures Jesus' death and resurrection and it pictures your death to the old self-centered life and your resurrection to walk in the new life Christ gives.         You now can also partake of the Lord's Supper. Most churches, including Baptist, periodically observe the Lord's Supper. Jesus instituted this with His disciples just before His crucifixion. The bread represents His body, broken for the forgiveness of your sins. The wine (or grape juice -- fruit of the vine) represents his blood, spilled for the forgiveness of your sin. Here is what the Bible says: "And He [Jesus] took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after the supper He took the cup saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you'" (Luke 22:19-20 NIV). The bread and wine represent Jesus' body and blood. They do not change into those elements.         Be sure to get a Bible, especially the New Testament and read it. It is a good habit to read some in the Bible, if only a chapter or two, every day.         The Old Testament is about God developing a people to bless the world and provides prophesies about the coming Savior (Jesus).         About 400 years after the close of the Old Testament, Jesus came. The New Testament provides the teachings and miracles of Jesus, God's Son. These two testaments form the Bible. I suggest your reading to be primarily in the New Testament.         If you don't have a Bible, the Gideon organization is worldwide and will be happy to see that you have one. Also a pastor or missionary will help you have a Bible. Click here and you will find online Bibles on this website.         In the Bible, after being informed that we are saved by God's free gift of grace and not by our good works, we are told that we are "created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Ephesians 2:10). The works do not save us but Christ, as our Master, instructs us to do good works.         Identify with a local congregation of believers where there are Bible study and worship services. You will find that these Christian friends will be a great support in your growth in Christ. They will be a caring group and will pray for you and reach out to you when you are ill, facing trials or have other needs. As you grow in the Lord, you will be able to give encouragement to others.         May you continue to draw strength from the Lord and praise Him,    Don
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