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 - St. John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Escritura del día - San Juan 14,6
Jesús le dijo: Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida; nadie viene al Padre, sino por mí.
Bibelstelle des Tages - Johannes 14,6
Jesus spricht zu ihm: Ich bin der Weg und die Wahrheit und das Leben; niemand kommt zum Vater, denn durch mich!
God Always Gives Second Chances...Or Does He?
God's grace is often mistaken to mean that the Lord always gives second chances. After all, anyone who has been forgiven by Christ was forgiven by grace. And even Christians devoted to Christ are not one hundred percent sin free one hundred percent of the time. This is one of the reasons why even the believer prays, "forgive us our debts". Such words are part of what's known as the Our Father prayer. The Lord Jesus Himself taught His followers to pray such a prayer.
However, let's not confuse the grace of God--as it's related to salvation--with the grace of God as it's related to life on this present Earth. The Bible makes it very plain that some decisions we make in this life can negatively affect the quality of the rest of our earthly life. God does NOT always give second chances for our life here on earth. "Here on earth" is the key. But, what are some of the decisions we might make that might cause us to have to spend the rest of our life with regret?
The Dangerous Sin of Ingratitude
We read, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights..." (James 1:17).
The above verse in the Paraphrased Bible reads, "Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light..."
"Whatever is good" refers to blessings. And blessings can be things, people, opportunities, talents, and even advantages. The Bible recounts numerous examples of people who didn't appreciate good things or people in their lives. It tells of people who chose to make light of wonderful opportunities. We read of people who neglected God-given talents, and of those who did nothing productive with the advantages with which they were born, or with ones they received. Ungratefulness is a trait that is universal and timeless. We see it in every culture and in every age since the beginning of civilization. Perhaps this is why there's a saying that goes, "You don't miss your water until your well runs dry."
Often we can dig another well, and have a second chance to fully appreciate clean water, which is a very good thing. However, talents, relationships, opportunities and even blessings are not like wells. They cannot always be restored. Not even coming to Christ, and clamoring to God will always provide us with a second chances.
We read, "Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it with tears." (Hebrews 12:16-17).
A birthright was a set of wonderful blessings to which only the eldest son had a right. We know it was a gift from God above, because once Isaac had been deceived into pronouncing the birthright blessing over Jacob (the younger brother), he could not simply repeat it over Esau (the firstborn). This tells us the true power in Isaac's words came from heaven, not from Isaac, the men's father.
Let's not try to confine the message in Esau's selling of his birthright to the Old Testament. Hebrews is a New Testament book in which the apostle addresses and admonishes New Testament believers.
Also notice that the Hebrews passage refers to Esau as "profane", because he sold his birthright "for one morsel of meat", which means for one meal. This man sells a collection of coveted blessings from God for one meal. Incredible. This is why ingratitude is considered profane. But what does profane mean? Irreverent. Unworthy. Contemptible.
To be irreverent to God is to be disrespectful to Him. If we think about the fact that being irreverent to a mortal king in ancient times could mean death by decapitation, we should then be able to understand the seriousness of Esau's sin. To be unworthy is to be undeserving. Translation: Esau did not deserve a second chance. To be contemptible is to be disgusting. All these terms define "profane", which is directly related to Esau's ungratefulness.
Perhaps in man's eyes, Esau deserved a second chance. But, he was unworthy of a second chance in the eyes of God to whom he had been irreverent in his attitude.
Let us not think that we can be profane when it comes to good things and good people God has placed in our life, and expect to always have second chances. We might be rejected, just as Esau was. We might be genuinely sorry. And we can certainly ask God to forgive us. As long as we have not blasphemed His Spirit, He is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9). However, His forgiveness does not always restore the good gifts He gave us that we chose not to appreciate. Yes, to be ungrateful is a choice...a free will choice for which we might pay dearly for the rest of our life on Earth.
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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