Where Did I come From? Why Am I Here? And Where Am I Going?

We will all live forever at some place and some point in time; count on it! With that in mind, lets then consider the 3 most important questions of all time:

1. Where did I come from?
2. Why am I here?
3. Where am I going?

We are going to give you authoritative and compelling answers from the Bible. But first, if you have any doubts about the Bible you need to consider the following question and additional information about this amazing and timeless book: Is the Bible Credible?

According to Webster's Dictionary, one meaning of the word Bible is "any book regarded as authoritative or official." The Bible is composed of 66 books penned by 40 different authors over a span of 1,500 years. Its authors come from every walk of life. It was written on at least three different continents in three different languages - Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek - yet there is a thread of continuity from the first book of Genesis to the last book of Revelation. What does this book, the Bible, say about itself?

All Scripture is from the "New International Version" Translation.

2 Timothy 3: 15-17 says: (15) "And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (16) All scripture is God - breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, (17) so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

2 Peter 1: 19-21: (19) "and we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as a light shinning in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (20) Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. (21) For prophecy never had its origin in the will of the man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

This means that in the Bible, we have a reliable record of God's revelation because God himself inspired "Holy men of old" to put it down, although we see no evidence that he violated their freedom as persons when he moved them to do so.

Proverbs 4: 20-22: "My son pay attention to what I say, listen closely to my words, do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body."
Hebrews 12:13: "The word of God is living and active sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates to dividing even to dividing soul and spirit, Joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

William Lyon Phelps, called the most beloved professor in America and one time President of Yale University, made the oft quoted statement, "I thoroughly believe in a University education for both men and women but I believe a knowledge of the Bible without a college course is more valuable than a college course without the Bible." The Bible, the greatest document available for the human race, needs to be opened, read and believed.

Remember that in God's word the foundation of Christianity is laid in the revelation of the one and only true God. God chose a people (the children of Israel) to show forth this truth and to preserve a record of himself through the Bible. The Bible is one book, and you cannot take it in texts and expect to comprehend the magnificence of divine revelation. You must see it in its completeness. God has taken pains to give a progressive revelation and we should take pains to read it from beginning to end. Don't suppose reading little scraps can ever be compensation for doing deep and consecutive work on the Bible itself. We must get back to the Book and then we will not tolerate such work. One would scorn to read any other book, even the lightest novel, in this fashion. G. Campbell Morgan (1863 - 1945), the well respected Bible teacher once stated, "The Bible can be read from Genesis I to Revelation 22 at pulpit rate in 78 hours." A lawyer challenged him on that. Morgan told him to go on and try it before he challenged. The lawyer went home and read the Bible in less than 80 hours. Do you want to read through the Bible? Allocate 80 hours for it. Schedule that time. How much time can you give each day? How many days a week? This is a highly practical proposition and should be seized by the very busiest. We are all busy and must take time for it. If we are going to know the Bible, we must give time to it and arrange for it. Unless we do, we shall never come into any worthy knowledge of the word, for it is impossible from pulpit ministry to acquire that needful knowledge of the word. The Bible reveals the will of God so as to lead us into it, each book has a direct teaching. Find out what it is and conform to it.

The Old Testament is the account of a nation (The Jewish Nation). The New Testament is an account of a man (the son of man). The nation of Israel was founded and nurtured by God in order to bring man into the world (Genesis 12: 1-3).

God himself became a man so that we might know what to think of when we think of God (John 1-14; 14-9). His appearance on the earth is the central event of all history. The Old Testament sets the stage for it. The New Testament describes it. As a man, Jesus Christ lived the most perfect life ever known. He was kind, gentle, patient and sympathetic. He loved people. He worked marvelous miracles to feed the hungry. Multitudes - weary, pain ridden and heartsick - came to him, and he gave them rest (Matthew 11: 28-30). It is said that if all the deeds of kindness that he did were written, the world could not contain the book (John 21:25). Then he died - to take away the sins of the world, and to become the savior of men. Then he rose from the dead. He is alive today. He is not merely a historical character, but a living person - the most important fact of history and the most vital force in the world today. He promises eternal life to all who come to him. The whole Bible is built around the story of Christ and his promise of everlasting life to all. It was written only that we might believe and understand, know and love, and follow him.

Accept the book as we have then in our Bible as units, study them to know their contents. You will find a unity of thought that indicates that one mind inspired the writing of the whole series of books; that it bears on its face the stamp of its author; that it is in every sense the WORD OF GOD. Now here are the answers to the three most important questions of all time from God's Holy word, "The Bible."

WHERE DID I COME FROM?

Genesis I:1. "In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth." Genesis 1: 25-28: (25) "God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds and God saw that it was good. (26) Then, God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God, he created him, male and female, he created them. (28) God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Psalm 110:3: "Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture."

I am a spiritual being who temporarily has a physical body. I was created in the image of the infinite God to live in a similar way that God does with the ability to think, to will, and to choose. This gives me great dignity.

Genesis 1:27: "So God created man in his image."

God's Creation! Click Here to download file about God's Creation.

WHY AM I HERE?

For some people, life is a monotonous routine with no joy and much disappointment - and tomorrow holds nothing better. For others, living is a constant round of never satisfying pleasures. Both of these have missed God's plan and are questioning as the days go by "Why am I here? - Why was I born?" Dear friend, discover and partake of God's plan for you. The Lord Jesus Christ said in John 10:10: " I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." Ecclesiastes 12:1, "Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them'." Ecclesiastes 12:13, "Now all has been heard, here is the conclusion of the matter; Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man."

So, you see, God has a purpose for me. The ultimate purpose is that I glorify God. God is honored when I do his will, when I promote his kingdom, and when I enjoy with gratitude the good things of his world. Life is very meaningful when I am in harmony with God's plan. It is great comfort to know that he controls everything. Revelation 4:11, "You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will, they were created and have their being."

WHERE AM I GOING?

After this Life, what then? Hebrews 9:27: "Just as man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment." Romans 14:11-12: (11) "It is written as surely as I live says the Lord every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God. (12) So then each of us will give an account of himself to God." Where will you spend eternity? Your final destiny will be one of two places!

IN HEAVEN OR HELL

ABOUT HELL FIRST

You may say, "I do not believe in Hell," but two minutes in Hell amid the weeping and gnashing of teeth, will change your mind. When you realize then, as every one in Hell realizes today, that the Bible is the word of God that you are a sinner, that Christ died for you, and that you could have been saved had you believed and accepted him as your personal savior. You will cry aloud in agony as you weep and wail and gnash your teeth. "Fool that I was too late, too late." There are no unbelievers in Hell, but they believed - too late. There is no escape - they would give all they ever had to again have your opportunity to believe - but it is too late. You may say you do not believe all this but the mere fact that you do not believe it does not alter the facts. The Bible is True. Who are thou that replies against God? The Bible describes the place of future punishment for sinners and unbelievers to be: A lake of fire (Revelation 20: 10-15), a place of torment in (Luke 16: 22-31), a place where lost souls never die and the fire is never quenched (Mark 9: 43-48). A place of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30). Are most people going to Hell? Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it, but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it. Jesus preached more about Hell than did Moses, David, Isaiah, Paul, Peter, John or anybody else in the Bible. To him, Hell was a fact, a horrible fact. With Holy indignation he preached against sin, and with most solemn warnings he urged, men to flee from the wrath of God to come.

HOW DO I GO TO HELL?

Do nothing - refuse to believe God's word, the Bible, refuse to confess your sins and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of all your sins, refuse the Holy Spirit when he speaks to your heart and convicts you and draws you to repent and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior and Lord of your life. Put it off - procrastinate don't do it - ignore it. Hebrews 2:3, "How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?" Behold now is the day of Salvation. We are only one breath away from eternity.

NOW ABOUT HEAVEN

The Bible refers to the third Heaven in Paul's writing to the believers in Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 12: 2-4: (2) "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body, I do not know - God knows, (3) and I know that this man - whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know but God knows, (4) was caught up to Paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." Here the apostle Paul is telling of a man who was caught up to the "third heaven" whether in the body or out of the body, he did not know. That is, Paul did not know if the man was alive or dead. What was known was that while in the third Heaven, that man heard unspeakable words that were so glorious they were not permitted to be uttered on earth. That man was Paul himself. Years before, he was stoned at Lystra and left for dead. In Acts 14:19-20: "Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city thinking he was dead. (20) But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe." The third Heaven is the domain of God, far above the atmospheric and stellar heavens, where the redeemed of all ages will know peace and joy unspeakable with God who is the source of all life. Paul also describes the permanency of heaven in 2 Corinthians 5:1: "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." Paul is saying that when the physical mortal body returns to the dust from which it came, the believer has a spiritual, immortal body (house) that will never know pain, decay or death. It is eternal in the Heavens. Paul preferred Heaven as he said in Philippians 1:21-23, "(21) For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. (22) If I am to go on living in the body this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know. I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far." The beloved apostle John describes the perfection of Heaven in Revelation 21:3-4, "(3) and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Now the dwelling of God is with man and he will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God. (4) He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." I Corinthians 2:9-10, "However, as it is written no eye has seen, no ear heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by his spirit." The Lord Jesus Christ comforted his disciples in John 14:1-2, "Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God; trust also in me. In my father's house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you."

HOW DO I GO TO HEAVEN?

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