Many Bible teachers argue that God does not change His mind. Just search the internet and there are many articles on this topic.
I read Luke 11:5-13 and interprets it as a layman, not a bible scholar. This parable convinces me that I can ask for the impossible. If I ask persistently, God will "open the door and answer my prayer".
In this parable, a neighbour came in the middle of the night to ask for some loaves of bread. He persisted boldly, shamelessly. How could anyone deny the request?
I have always prayed for the salvation of my family members. But 2 of them had already passed away without accepting the saving grace of Jesus Christ while they were alive. I will continue to ask God for the salvation of their souls in their afterlife. You may think praying for the salvation of someone who had already died is not biblical. But think about it, why can't the salvation of God be extended beyond the tenure of life on earth?
Anyway, I have no choice but to ask and pray. "Ask and it shall be given to you." Luke 11:9. Amen.
Tuesday 13 August 2013
In the end, 3 things remain -- Faith, Hope, Love
Today I went to the columbarium to pay my respect to my mum who passed away in June 2013. I did it the traditional Chinese way. I brought some food, some drink and laid them on the table and invited her soul to appreciate.
In the same columbarium were the memorial tablets of my ancestors,and my eldest sister who had passed away. There were rows and rows of other memorial tablets too. The thought of all these souls who had left the physical world recently or long time ago, but now separated from God really made me very sad. I prayed for them - that they would all be in Heaven, in the presence of God the loving Father. I prayed that they were not languishing or suffering in Hell, or wandering in fear in the ethereal dimensions.
In 1 Corinthians 13:13, the Bible say: But now abide Faith Hope Love... I had always been puzzled why when I am with God, I still need Hope. I now understand why: Let say I am dead and am now in Heaven. And I look around and find some of my relatives not there. I will always Hope, even in Heaven, that God will change His mind and admit these other relatives/souls into Heaven. I will forever Hope that God will allow all souls to be saved. Even if every soul, except one, was admitted into Heaven, I will still continue to Hope for that single soul to be admitted.
In that sense, till eternity, I will always have something to Hope for. Pray for God's benevolence and mercy.
In the same columbarium were the memorial tablets of my ancestors,and my eldest sister who had passed away. There were rows and rows of other memorial tablets too. The thought of all these souls who had left the physical world recently or long time ago, but now separated from God really made me very sad. I prayed for them - that they would all be in Heaven, in the presence of God the loving Father. I prayed that they were not languishing or suffering in Hell, or wandering in fear in the ethereal dimensions.
In 1 Corinthians 13:13, the Bible say: But now abide Faith Hope Love... I had always been puzzled why when I am with God, I still need Hope. I now understand why: Let say I am dead and am now in Heaven. And I look around and find some of my relatives not there. I will always Hope, even in Heaven, that God will change His mind and admit these other relatives/souls into Heaven. I will forever Hope that God will allow all souls to be saved. Even if every soul, except one, was admitted into Heaven, I will still continue to Hope for that single soul to be admitted.
In that sense, till eternity, I will always have something to Hope for. Pray for God's benevolence and mercy.
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