Truth really can be stranger than fiction.
First Page - Now launched! All the stories are true, or based on real events. Unlimited reading for $4.99 / month. No downloads. Read on your phone, tablet or computer.
La verdad puede ser más extraña que la ficción.
First Page - ¡Ya está en marcha! Todas las historias son verídicas, o están basadas en hechos reales. Lectura ilimitada por $4.99 / mes. No hay que descargar nada. Lea en su teléfono, tableta u ordenador.
Manna Minutes Podcast: Eye-opening Bible study in less than five minutes! Access all episodes here.
Manna Minutes en español:
Estudio bíblico que nos hace abrir los ojos en menos de cinco minutos! Acceda a todos los episodios aquí.
Manna Minutes Podcast auf Deutsch:
Augenöffnendes Bibelstudium in weniger als fünf Minuten! Alle Episoden finden Sie hier.
Was There A Curse On Helen's Romantic Life?
The Third Man by Angela Sheffield is based on a true story. Read chapter one now!
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¿Qué tiene que ver conmigo? por Teófila Gottfried
Lo que leemos en la Biblia tiene que ver con todos los seres humanos, sean cristianos o judíos, ateos o agnósticos, budistas, musulmanes o adherentes a alguna de las filosofías o nuevas religiones que surgen en el mundo. ¿Por qué? Ver mayor información sobre este interesante libro.
Scripture of The Day - 1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world
Escritura del día - 1 Juan 4,1
Amados, no creáis a todo espíritu, sino probad los espíritus si son de Dios; porque muchos falsos profetas han salido por el mundo.
Bibelstelle des Tages - 1 Johannes 4,1
Geliebte, glaubet nicht jedem Geist, sondern prüfet die Geister, ob sie von Gott sind! Denn es sind viele falsche Propheten hinausgegangen in die Welt.
Is God Unfair to Visit the Iniquity of the Fathers on the Children?
Does Exodus 20:3-5 Reveal that God Is Unfair?
The biblical passage of Exodus 20:3-5 reads, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me."
These Scriptures plainly show us that God will punish those who commit the sin of making and worshiping images, which is having gods before Him. The interesting--and disturbing--fact for many people is that the Lord says He will visit the iniquities of forefathers who worship idols upon their children unto the third and fourth generation. Does that mean God will punish the innocent descendants for the sins of their ancestors? Does that sound fair? No, it does not sound fair. What's more is God never said that He does that. He never said He punishes people simply because of what their ancestors did. What the Word of God says is, "The fathers shall NOT be put to death for the children, NEITHER shall the children be put to death for the fathers. Every man shall be put to death for his OWN sin." (Deuteronomy 24:16)
Now that we know God does not punish people for what their ancestors or descendants did, let us return to the Exodus 20:3-5 passage. In the last part of verse five of that passage, God says, "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation OF THEM THAT HATE ME." That is our answer: "Of them that hate me." The Lord visits the iniquity of the fathers who made and worshiped images on their descendants ONLY when those descendants hate Him. Because remember, we've just learned that descendants do not die for what their ancestors did, nor do fathers die for the sins their children commit.
Now then, we might honestly believe we have every reason in the world to hate God. Nevertheless, the fact remains that we are not innocent until we come to love Him. First Corinthians 16:22 says, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema." "Anathema" means cursed. So you see, independent of what images your forefathers made and worshiped, you are in iniquity if you, as an individual, do not love Jesus. Again, we understand that many people have a serious problem with believing that God loves them for various "justifiable" reasons. Most importantly, God understands why you might be angry with Him. And He wants you to approach Him with everything that's wrong. Of course the Lord sees your anger against Him. He still wants you to approach Him, because He wants to fix what's wrong. Never forget that He is a merciful God who shows pity to those who fear Him. Therefore, in reverence and proper fear, approach God with all your problems and baggage. You don't need fancy words. The Lord understands the most awkward speech, because He knows all our thoughts, no matter how twisted or muddled they might be.
Let's get back to the passage of Exodus 20:3-5 with a question: Why does God visit the iniquity of idolatrous forefathers only upon their descendants who hate Him? The answer is a very simple one. Think about it. If you hate God, you have a god before Him, because there is no such thing as serving neither the Lord nor the devil. You serve one or the other. By simply NOT serving the Lord Jesus, you serve the devil. This is precisely why Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me." (Matthew 12:30) You're either with Jesus, or you're against Him. It can't get any plainer than that. If you're against Him, you have a god before Him. So you see, in essence, when you hate God, you are guilty of what your forefathers did. They had gods before the Lord. And when you hate God, you also have gods before the Lord. No, God is not unfair in the passage of Exodus 20:3-5. God is holding both ancestor and descendant to a very strict standard that, when broken, carries grave consequences.
Now then, if you love Jesus, God will not visit the iniquity of your forefathers or that of anyone else upon you. Why? What's so important about loving Jesus? The truth is that when you love Jesus, the Son of God, something very special happens to you on a spiritual plane. Loving Jesus invites the Holy Spirit to carry out a spiritual adoption. The Holy Spirit causes us to cry "Abba" to the Lord. Do you know what "Abba" means? It means Father! The Bible says to all true followers of Jesus, "Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." (Romans 8:15-16).
When you receive Christ as Lord, and love Him, you cease to be the descendant of idol worshipers. You are now the son or daughter of the Lord Himself. You now have a new Father...a heavenly one in whom there is no iniquity. You are now a part of a holy generation...a generation whose Father is the God we were all created to love, obey and worship unto the prize of eternal life in the hereafter.
Recommended Christian Reading:
The Bible On Destiny And Fate
God Said: Jacob Have I love and Esau have I Hated: The Mystery of Predestination in Romans
Written in the Stars: Are Fate and Destingy Real?
Based on true events, The Third Man by Angela Sheffield, brings the Bible up close and personal as the characters face real issues of life: Betrayal, deceit, romance, bitterness, anger against God, hopelessness, will power, perplexity, triumph, unforgiveness, mental illness, and the "Alcohol made me do it" excuse. Read chapter one FREE now.
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