Monday 18 March 2024

Hot Couture

 


Saturday 16 March 2024

Christian lies and confusion

 

I wrote yesterday about "new wave" Christian teaching aimed at making people feel good and comfortable rather than proclaiming the Word of God.. 

Sermons these days rarely confront modern style living which tends to promote selfishness, greed and anger. There's too much anger in the world today, and very little caring and empathy. Many have lost their way and turn to materialism as a means to soothe their confusions and frustrations.

Preachers seldom talk about sin and the influence of Satan in our lives. He is sidelined and treated as a euphemism for evil, or for being a little naughty. And he prefers it this way because it allows him to do his evil work "under the radar" undetected by most people.

What was once considered wrong and against God's teaching is now viewed in a more positive light as if previous beliefs were archaic and misguided.

God is portrayed as a benevolent all-loving and caring individual that He will not really send anyone to hell for eternity. He will welcome all to Heaven and will eventually forgive everyone; even the devil. 

Such "comfort blanket" Theology soothes lost souls into believing that all behaviour is acceptable as long as it is well intentioned. 

For example, there's the false belief that God loves us all and does not want us to suffer. So if someone is terminally ill with no hope of getting better, or is in a coma, God would wish for an end to their suffering and it is loving and considerate for us to terminate life in order to stop their pain. A similar argument is advanced in support of abortion.

Every thought and action seems motivated by a feel good factor and permanent comfort and happiness.

This kind of thinking has permeated into personal marital relationships. There's a view pushed around that we are not meant to be  monogamous creatures. Married couples are encouraged to have an "open marriage" and to experiment with various partners, of either sex, as long as they both agree to do so. Such "open and honest" relationships would strengthen one's marriage (apparently) and in some cases  threesome intimacies in bed with one's partner are depicted as invigorating a "tired" marriage.

There's even a TV program over here which encourages choosing one's partners on Naked Attraction alone. Contestants are seen in full frontal close-up nakedness with various body parts discussed in details before a choice of partner is made.

All in all, the pursuit of permanent happiness, instant gratification and indulgent greed is acceptable in a society which has lost its moral compass and does not know where to find it.

Christianity seems in retreat and Satan laughs quietly.

Friday 15 March 2024

Sorry you're leaving us

 

Look folks, I feel that this post is likely to lose me some of my readers. I deeply regret if this happens, but what I have to say is too important not to be said.

We are living at a time when people seem to want all the good things in life as an entitlement owed to them by society, the world, the universe or whatever. 

They want instant gratification, permanent joy and happiness, and everything to be well in life as of right. You see it in the adverts, in soap operas and reality shows, and on social media. 

The message is that if you buy a certain product, or do a certain thing, then you will be happy for ever and the sun will always shine in your life. Constant subliminal messages aimed at vulnerable minds are influencing a new way of life, and a new way of death. Enjoy and be merry for tomorrow there's nothing.

This message is also pervading Christianity. There is the belief being preached by some that God loves us all, He created us all and therefore He will not allow any of us to go to hell. We are all welcome to Heaven and are destined to go there.

This is false teaching encouraged by the devil to lead us astray. He exists for sure and is cunningly, patiently, influencing people to peddle false lies to confuse naive minds who have not been taught anything about their divine origins as creations of God. 

Satan is not omnipresent. Unlike God, Satan is not everywhere, but he has his legions of demons all over the world doing his work for him.

The devil exists and tempted Christ. So we should not be much of a challenge to him. He waits for our weakest moment when we are tired, have gone through a difficult time, or we are in ill health and that's when he cunningly puts lies in our minds.

He speaks through people to spread his message. Using influential people, famous people, glamourous people and all those best placed to convey his false teachings in a sweet and gentle fashion to suit our lifestyles. 

There is a concerted effort and a push to push us away from God. Remember, the devil used Peter to tempt Jesus. When Christ foretold His passion and death, Peter, influenced by the devil, took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Far be it from You, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!” To which Jesus replied, "Get behind me, Satan!" Matthew 16:22-23.

Today, the devil is just as busy and in some cases he is working through so called Christians who teach that all is well and that a loving God will not see any of us perish. I repeat that this is false teaching. Life is not a game of Monopoly and we don't all have a "get out of hell card" as an insurance policy to enable us to live as selfishly as we wish.

No ... we are not all destined to go to Heaven. No one goes to Heaven against their will. We are free to go elsewhere and many are sleep-walking their way to that destination.

Thursday 14 March 2024

Confessional Secrets

 

Friday afternoon was Catechism class with the youngsters from the local Catholic school. Father Ignatius duly attended every week to face the eager pupils who expected straight answers.

He knew that at that age he had to satisfy their curiosity as well as answer as honestly as possible their questions on church dogma and the mysteries of Christianity. He was blessed with a great sense of humour and certainly made liberal use of it to press his point home, or to alleviate any tense situation which might arise.

Today’s Catechism discussion was about the act of Confession.

“Did you ever have to hear a really naughty confession Father?” asked an inquisitive youngster.

“You know very well, a priest never tells what he hears in Confession,” replied Father Ignatius.

“Oh … come on Father … tell us … you don’t have to give names,” pleaded another pupil.

“What’s the worst sin you’ve ever heard?” added a third.

“Did anyone ever tell you they murdered somebody?” asked an inventive boy.

Their imaginations were running wild and the priest knew when he was beaten. He had to humour them in order to gain their attention. He gestured with his hands to beckon their silence. He then smiled and said, “When I first came here to St Vincent Church I did not know anybody. I arrived on a Friday evening and the next morning at ten I had to hear Confessions.

“I entered the confessional and said a few prayers whilst waiting for the first people to come in. And sure enough they did, one by one as you know full well.

“One of the many people coming to confession that morning said to me, ‘I am not from this town Father; just passing through.’

‘Really?’ I replied. ‘It doesn’t matter who you are. I don’t have to know your identity.’

‘Yeh … I’m with the travelling circus … we’re only here for a few days,’ said the voice on the other side of the confessional.

‘The circus,’ I said to the man kneeling there, ‘I’ve never been to the circus. Always wanted to as a child. What do you do in the circus?’

‘I’m an acrobat!’

“I was really excited to have an acrobat in my confessional. I’d always wanted to be an acrobat as a child, before becoming a priest, and I’d never seen a real one performing in the circus. So I decided to ask him something unusual.

‘Tell you what.’ I said to him, ‘Would you mind performing some of your act for me? I don’t have time to come and see you at the circus. The church is empty now, and as you’re the last one here, no one would know anyway. Would you mind doing some acrobatics in the side aisle and I’ll hide here behind the curtain and watch you.

“To my surprise and relief the circus performer said, ‘Sure Father, it’ll be a pleasure. A bit unusual, but a pleasure all the same!’

“He then got out of the confessional and started his little show by standing upside down in the middle of the aisle. Then he balanced on one hand and hopped about a bit; and then he hopped on the other hand. He followed this with a few somersaults backward and a few forwards in mid-air. Then he balanced a chair on his nose whilst juggling with a few candles he picked up from a statue nearby. He finished with a few more somersaults and hand-stands on the back of the pews!”

“Gosh …” said a few youngsters in amazement, “That’s fantastic. What happened next?”

“What I didn’t realize,” continued the priest “is that watching from the back pews were two elderly ladies.

“I heard one say to the other ‘Let’s go home; this new priest is out of his mind. I’m not doing any acrobatics as a penance for my sins!’ ”

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Sitting by the pool

JOHN 5:2 ONWARDS
 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralysed. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 

One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

There is so much for us to learn from this short passage in John's Gospel.

I guess it was traditional for people to gather round that pool and await for the water to stir before jumping in. We are not told whether people actually got healed or not; but presumably so since people kept going there. 

Jesus too went there. He obviously did not want healing. But He went there for a purpose.

He saw a lame man and learnt that he had been an invalid for years. He asked him an obvious question: Do you want to get well?

Duh ... of course, otherwise I would not be here!

But the sick man does not answer the question. He says that he cannot get to the pool on time because others more able than him jump in first; and it is only the first one in who gets healed.

So Jesus simply says: Get up! Pick up your mat and walk! 

Note that this happened on the Sabbath. The day when the Jews were not allowed to work. And apparently, according to the Jewish leaders, they decided that carrying one's mat was in fact work.

Jesus could have said: Get up and walk. 

He did not have to mention the mat. But had He done so, the man would have walked away unnoticed and that would have been the end of the story. 

Jesus went to the pool deliberately on the Sabbath. He certainly planned to make a point of healing someone on that day to test the reactions of the people. 

Rather than rejoicing and praising God for another miracle amongst their mist; and celebrating with the man who had been healed after so many years; the Jewish leaders were nit-picking and fussing about the minutiae of the law.

Aren't we like that sometimes? Each interpreting our Christian beliefs our own way and certain that we are right and therefore everyone else is wrong.

Rather than rejoicing in what unites us in faith, we argue about what divides us and sets us apart.

Would we not much rather hear Jesus say: Get up and walk. Your prejudices have been healed.

Friday 8 March 2024

Speedy the tortoise

 

Any animal psychologists out there?

We have a tortoise which the family named Speedy Gonzales. We also have a rabbit, a cat and a dog as well as a number of fishes in the pond in the garden.

Suddenly and quite recently there has been a marked difference in behaviour in Gonzales the tortoise. Usually he sits or sleeps sedately in his box, or chews on a lettuce leaf for ages and does nothing else. But suddenly, perhaps inspired by our dog, his behaviour has changed.

As soon as I get home he comes rushing to me and jumps up high from the ground trying to reach my chest. He runs round in circles and jumps up again and again until I stoop down and pick him up. 

When I do so he licks my face happily and wags his little tail excitedly. It's very unusual behaviour for a tortoise, but you should see his tail wagging left and right as his tiny tongue attempts to kiss me. 

I guess it's his way of showing me his affection. It's like humans I suspect. Have you never been so excited to meet someone you like that you jumped on them and licked their face? No ... perhaps not.

When I'm out in the garden exercising our dog by throwing a ball the tortoise runs as fast as it can to fetch it before the dog does. Of course, the ball is too big for Gonzales' tiny mouth, so the tortoise let's the dog pick up the ball and then he bites the dog's tail gently so he could be dragged all the way back to me so we can start the game all over again.

Gonzales now insists on going out for walks with the dog. I have made a tiny collar which I place round his neck and attach it to a lead and take both creatures out together. I must say, for a tortoise he certainly keeps up the pace with the dog. He even, every now and then, lifts up his back leg like the dog, and pretends to do his business by a tree. The problem here is that sometimes he loses his balance and falls over on his back and is unable to get up again. He rolls backwards and forwards gaining momentum every time in order to finally tip over to his normal upright position. Either that, or the dog rolls him over with his nose.

I don't know how long Gonzales' behaviour will last. The vet had no explanation to offer and suggested it was "acquired transferable behaviour", whatever that means.

I wonder, have any of you readers experienced such unusual behaviour in your pets? Have you for example ever had a parrot trying to learn to swim? Or a guinea pig or hamster clucking like a chicken? Or any other similar uncharacteristic behaviour?

I had a neighbour once who liked to imitate birds. She ate worms. But that's another story!

Wednesday 6 March 2024

Stolen Treasures


St Vincent was the only Catholic Church in town so Father Ignatius’ parish covered a wide area including the countryside around the town.

Because he was such an approachable priest it was not unusual for parishioners to either visit him unannounced to discuss a problem on their minds, or indeed to phone him and expect him to jump at a moment’s notice. As happened last week.

He was about to settle down near the warm fireplace with a nice cup of hot chocolate and to listen to his favourite classical music when the phone rang and interrupted the London Orchestra.

“Who could it be at 10 o’clock at night?” asked Father Donald.

“It’s Mrs Montague …” replied Father Ignatius, “she’s just had a break in … she’s totally distraught and frightened and hasn’t even phoned the police … she phoned us instead …”

Mrs Montague was an elderly widow in her seventies who lived alone in a small cottage in the countryside. As Father Ignatius jumped in his car and rushed to her home, Father Donald phoned the police.

The priest could see the police car parked outside the house as he finally arrived at the scene. They had made a search of the property and the garden and found no one.

Apparently Mrs Montague was asleep in her armchair in the living room and was awakened by the barking of Rupert, her little dog.

Someone had broken into the kitchen and had plenty of time for a quick search and for making quite a mess. The kitchen door was closed so the little dog could not get to him. Eventually, the burglar must have run away, perhaps disturbed by her Guardian Angel. Luckily, he didn’t enter the living room and attacked the old lady, or worse.

“Have they taken anything?” asked the policeman.

Mrs Montague was too confused to even give a coherent answer. She looked around the kitchen, with everything strewn everywhere, and eventually realized that a small metal box was missing.

“They’ve taken the biscuit tin …” she cried, “oh no … not that … I can’t live without it … not the biscuit tin.”

“What biscuit tin?” asked Father Ignatius.

“A metal tin … it was that big … an old biscuit tin I kept here in this drawer … it’s gone … my life is all gone …” she broke down in hysterical tears and was helped to a chair by Father Ignatius.

“Did it contain any money, or jewellery?” asked the policeman.

“No …” she replied as she calmed down a little, “it contained all the love letters my husband wrote to me when we were courting … I read them often to remember him when I’m lonely … and photos taken when we were young … I miss him so much … I’m so frightened and lonely since he died …”

The two police officers made another quick search of the house and eventually left. Father Ignatius managed to hammer a few pieces of wood on the broken window to secure it for the night. As the elderly lady was far too distressed to be left alone, Father Ignatius decided to spend the night nodding off in the armchair, whilst Mrs Davenport, his housekeeper, came over too to provide her with moral support.

The following morning, whilst Mrs Davenport was preparing coffee for the workers who came to fix the window and secure the house, Father Ignatius, prompted by some unexplainable feeling, made another tour of the garden.

There under a rose bush he found the missing biscuit tin. No doubt the intruder found it full of worthless papers and discarded it in his hurry to escape.

Worthless papers to him, but a whole life in a box to an elderly lonely widow.

Monday 4 March 2024

Angel on the move

 

You remember I told you the story of the angel statue that I had moved from the old farmer's place to the cemetery, then back to his place, then back to the cemetery again. See HERE

Well ... the saga continues. But before I tell you about it let me tell you about Ernest.

Ernest is a nice enough member of our church always eager to volunteer to do anything that’s needed, although he doesn’t always get it quite right. 

When an elderly member of our church with no family died, a few of us, including Ernest, got together to arrange his funeral. After we sorted out the Order of Service, hymns, choir, burial and so on, someone suggested that it would be a nice gesture if, as the deceased was lowered into the ground, all those standing around the grave would release white doves into the air as a symbol of peace. I thought it was a stupid idea but said nothing. Did I ever tell you I have a University Degree in cowardice?

Ernest volunteered to obtain the white doves at little expense from a friend of his.

On the day in question, as we all stood around the grave, there stood Ernest with a large box in his hands. At the appropriate time he opened the box and started handing out white gloves to all around him! 

That's Ernest. Eager to help but unable to listen.

OK ... now back to my story. As you recall, we left it with me putting the statue of an angel in its rightful place on the grave of the old farmer's wife.
 
The other day I got home late from work and ... SURPRISE ... the statue of the naked angel was in my front garden!

What the ... How did it get there? I already have a beautiful statue in my front garden of a naked Superman with his hand outstretched towards the sky as he is ready to fly off. Now there's a naked angel next to it. What will the neighbours say? Whatever next? Michelangelo's David and Venus de Milo? 
 
I quickly had to hide the statue somewhere, but it is too heavy to lift into my garage. I can't ring any of my friends to help me as they will start wondering why I keep moving the statue from one place to another. As it is, they have all been complicit in one way or another in the moving of this naked angel. 

As I entered the house to ask the family what they know about the appearance of the statue, the phone rings. It is Ernest. He works as a gardener at the cemetery. He reminds me that we discussed the removal of the statue when he saw me placing it on the grave the first time, so to help me he and his friends removed it to my house as per my wishes ... WHICH ARE NOT MY WISHES AT ALL!!! 
 
Ernest got it wrong again. In trying to help me he is now guilty of removing it and put it on my property. If the police found out because a neighbour complained, seeing they already know of its previous removal when the old farmer reported it, they would now accuse me of stealing it. 

After a few expletive words down the phone I told Ernest that the statue belongs to the old farmer and he is to remove it pronto or else!!! He says he knows the farmer because he buys his vegetables from there! I slammed the phone down on him with a few more swear words ... I find it difficult being a Christian sometimes.

I wish I had not lost my temper. Late that night, Ernest turned up when we were all asleep, and with some friends, he took away the statue and delivered it to the old farmer's front yard.

I only discovered the miss-delivery the next morning when I called on the farmer for vegetables.

" 'Tangel's back!" he said, "Can't understand it! What's it doin' 'ere?"

Well ... what could I say? How can I explain that the idiot Ernest moved it from the cemetery to my house and from my house to the farmer's yard? Simple explanation to you my readers. But not so simple to the farmer as he would ask me why Ernest would move it to my house in the first place. To explain this would implicate me in the previous removals to and fro of the statue.
 
As I said ... I find it difficult being a Christian sometimes. I only started all this in order to be helpful, and now we have a statue that has moved several times to the complete confusion of its owner.

I promised him to get it moved one last time and to get it cemented on the grave of his wife at my own cost.

What would you have done?

Saturday 2 March 2024

Are you angry?

Are you angry about something or someone? Is it righteous anger? Or is it you being your usual self?

Read what Father Francis Maple has to say about it HERE.

Friday 1 March 2024

Missing Angel

 

About a mile or so down the road, just as you leave town, there's a small farm and an old farmer there who sells his produce by the way side. We visit him every so often for a chat and to help him out financially buying his vegetables at far higher prices than the supermarket.

He speaks in staccato monosyllabic mode with a lot of full stops (periods) in amongst his words. I call him "E I E I O" but not to his face, or his back even. Only when he's not there.

The other day whilst visiting his farm I saw a statue of an angel about three feet tall in his yard. I asked him about it. 

"Wife grave," he said, "damn heavy. Can't move it by meeself!"

I felt sorry for him. He lost his wife last year and the poor man is still grieving. He's obviously bought the statue and cannot move it to the cemetery.

That evening I came back with a couple of friends of mine. We planned to take the statue to the cemetery on his wife's grave. He was not there, but the three of us managed to lift the heavy angel and put it on the back of the truck and to the cemetery.

The next day I went to see the old man to tell him what I did. He was furious. 

"Thieving bastards!" he said, "took statue away. Called police. Missing angel!"

I panicked. I am good at it. The last thing I wanted to do is admit my good deed of the previous night. I sympathised and left.

That night I went back to the cemetery with another friend. It was raining heavily. With just two people carrying the heavy stone it slipped and fell to the ground. It got covered with mud. We managed to put it in the back seat of my car. It did not do the suspension any good, nor the back seat. Mud everywhere.

We waited until it was dark and put the statue back in the farmer's front yard and washed it quickly with water from a nearby trough for his cattle. 

The next day I visited the farmer nonchalantly. 

"T'Angel's back!" he said, "all by 'tself. Can't understand it. Meant t'be delivered t'cemtry! Not here. And it's had wash. Dirty it was!"

Well, the coward in me was in super-drive. I said nothing. But I wanted to help. It's pointless being a Christian if you do not help a poor man like him. What would Jesus do? Probably send a real angel not a heavy stone one!

That night I came back with yet another friend in another car. I hope all these friends don't ever meet and exchange stories otherwise they'll doubt my sanity. This time we planned to tell the farmer what we were doing. Taking the statue to his wife's grave.

We banged on the door. No response, Probably asleep. Or gone somewhere. 

Have you noticed I've started talking in staccato mode like E I E I O?

We took the statue and put it on his wife's grave.

Two days later I visited the old man again. Still nonchalantly.

"Can't understand it!" he said, "t'angel gone to cemtry by 'tself. Strange. Very strange I tell thee!"

I said nothing and bought some expensive vegetables we did not need.

Thursday 29 February 2024

Things you wished you knew and now regret knowing

 


A woman stormed up to the front desk of the library and said, "I have a complaint!"  

"Yes, ma'am?"  

"I borrowed a book last week and it was horrible!"  

"What was wrong with it?"   

"It had way too many characters and there was no plot whatsoever!"  

The librarian nodded and said, "Ah. So you must be the person who took our phone book."

======================
The Sunday School teacher asked, "Now, Johnny, tell me, do you say prayers before eating?" "No sir," he replied, "We don't have to. My Mom is a good cook!"   

======================

An 8 year-old girl went to her dad, who was working in the yard. She asked him, "Daddy, what is sex?"    

The father was surprised that she would ask such a question, but decides that if she is old enough to ask the question, then she is old enough to get a straight answer. He proceeded to tell her all about the "birds and the bees." 

When he finished explaining, the little girl was looking at him with her mouth hanging open. The father asked her, "Why did you ask this question?"   

The little girl replied, "Mom told me to tell you that dinner would be ready in just a couple of secs."

======================

A little boy was waiting for his mother to come out of the grocery store.

As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, "Son, can you tell me where the post office is?"   

The little boy replied, "Sure, just go straight down the street a couple of blocks and turn to your right."  

The man thanked the boy kindly and said, "I'm the new pastor in town, and I'd like for you to come to church on Sunday. I'll show you how to get to Heaven."  

The little boy replied with a chuckle, "Awww, come on; you don't even know the way to the post office!"

======================

Children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, "Take only one, God is watching." 

Moving through the line, to the other end of the table, was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A boy wrote a note, "Take all you want, God is watching the apples."

======================   

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, "Why is the bride dressed in white?"   

"Because white is the colour of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life," her mother tried to explain, keeping it simple.   

The child thought about this for a moment, then said, "So why's the groom wearing black?

======================

You know you're getting old when...... you start each morning with snap, crackle, pop, and then you have breakfast.

======================

One day John asks his friend Arty to borrow a Dollar.

Of course, Arty obliged and lent his friend the money without a second thought. 

A few weeks had passed by and every time Arty asked John if he could have his Dollar back he would reply "no worries mate, I'll have it next time I see you."

This went on for some time until one day Arty passed John at the local Supermarket store and thinks to himself for sure he'll have that Dollar on him now he's at the supermarket.

So, he says "John mate you got that Dollar on you?" 

To which John once again replies that he'd have it the next time.

Fed up with John, Arty leapt forward and grabbed John around the throat with both hands strangling the life out of him. 

Another shopper going about his business tried to intervene but Arty jumped up and strangled him too.

The next day the headlines read: Arty chokes two for a Dollar at the Supermarket!

======================

They say you can’t get a decent job without education.

But look at Albert Einstein – he was a school drop-out and still ended up being the first man on the moon!


Wednesday 28 February 2024

The difficult questions

 

Every so often I like to ask myself some difficult questions. Then I answer them to myself. Then I think about my answers and wonder if I answered them correctly.

OK ... do you want to play? Let's share these questions that come to mind every now and then.

If you were to die today are you sure, 100%, that you will go to Heaven?

Why? Why are you sure, or not sure?

If you are sure you'll get to Heaven what makes you so certain? Don't come up with stock phrases like because God loves me, Jesus died for me, because I am a good Christian and so on. If God asks you, and He might, "Why do you want to come into Heaven?" what will you tell Him? No fibbing now; He knows what's on your mind, "Why do you want to come into Heaven?"

Difficult questions don't you think? Why do we want to go to Heaven? Is it because we're afraid of the other place? Saying that "we love God and Jesus" are superfluous meaningless answers. 

Is loving God and Jesus in itself enough to get us into Heaven?

Or should we do something else? How can we be good Christians? Is it by what we do? By good works?

Let's face it. There is nothing we can do that God needs from us. He will not be found wanting or lacking in any way if we do not do certain things. He is omnipotent, has always been in existence as a spirit, and all knowing Creator. He does not need anything from us. No amount of prayers, lit candles, flowers, good works or anything else will make Him greater, better, richer, happier than what He already is. He does not need us in that sense of us giving Him something in order to enter Heaven. 

Good works will not earn us brownie points and a star to get us in Heaven. But ... and this bit is important ...  if we are to live like Christ and to follow His example then we will do good works. Just like He did. Every time He met someone in need He stopped and treated that individual as an important person and spent time with him and responded to his needs.

Can we honestly say we do the same every time? Every time? How about that person you met the other day and did nothing to help?

See the subtle difference? Good works will not make us enter Heaven; but if we are to copy Christ's examples we will do good works. That's what will differentiate us between the sheep and the goats when Christ judges us.

And of course we need Faith. We need to believe because we believe in honest (best we can manage) Faith; not because we're afraid of going to the other place.  

Heaven is open for everyone. But no one goes to Heaven against their will. No one is forced there.

As for the other place, God does not send people there. They choose to go there by their behaviour, attitude, stubbornness, defiance and enmity of God.     

So there you have it. Difficult questions. Why should I be the only one struggling with them? Help me out with some answers because I think being a Christian is very difficult. 

Do you find being a Christian easy going?