An Interview With a Man Called Jesus

The teachings of Jesus are all we need to know.

Some people question the teachings of Jesus and want to know if Jesus actually knew everything. The only way to know whether or not Jesus actually knew everything would be to ask him, so we are going to bring Jesus back to earth for just a few minutes and have Scott Pelley interview him on a special edition of "60 Minutes" we will call - "The Man Jesus - Did He Know Everything?"

As the show opens, Scott Pelley and Jesus are sitting in chairs facing each other, in front of a large picture of the earth and the interview begins.

Scott Pelley:

Jesus, when you walked among the people of this earth in human form, were you ever lonely?

Jesus:

My child, just as you have set yourself apart from the rest of the world and have made yourself different, during the time when I walked this earth, I also was different. Many of my disciples left me and I spent a lot of time alone in the desert or in the Mount of Olives where I often prayed to my father. There were many who could not understand my teachings and that often troubled me. So, yes, just like you I spent much time in loneliness.

Why Christians Aren't Perfect

Christians aren't perfect - just like everyone else.

God gave Adam and Eve full reign of the Garden of Eden. They were naked and didn't even realize it or worry about it. They had no worries, had every thing they could want, but Eve blew it. She listened to the serpent and ate a bad apple that God had specifically told her not to eat. Eve eating that piece of fruit changed everything and there was no more perfect world.

Genesis,Chapter 3, Verse 13-14:

"And the LORD God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:"

So, now you know why Christians aren't perfect and as an added bonus, you even know why snakes crawl on their bellies.

Why God Punishes Evil

Exercise of free will determines punishment.

Scripture bears the truth that God does chastise His people for being disobedient to His will and for continuing to live in an unacceptable manner.  God delivers that sort of punishment meant to correct a person, with the hope of teaching them not to repeat the wrongdoing.

When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden everything was perfect.  It was a beautiful paradise with every animal and bird of nature and God had given them everything they would ever need.  Adam was told that he could live forever and be happy forever if he listened to God’s instructions. God told Adam that he could eat the fruit of every tree in the garden, except one.  He clearly outlined the penalty of eating of this one particular tree.

God's View On Abortion

God teaches us about His love for unborn children.

God's view on the abortion issue can be found in the Bible, in the book of Jeremiah, Chapter 1, verse 5:

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."  

In this verse of scripture, we find a reference to an unborn baby being known to God. It should be quite clear that God loved and respected children from the very beginning of their lives, which seems to direct us to the time of conception.

Is The Bible The Truth Or A Lot Of Myths?

The Bible contains all the life lessons we need.

For Christians, believing that the Holy Bible is the inspired word of God and not a grouping of fables and myths is no problem, but to those who have no Christian beliefs and have actually never read the book, believing in the teachings of the Bible could be very difficult.

There are two things we should probably never discuss in any diverse group of people, one is politics and the other is religion. Most people believe in just what they choose to believe and those things that seem to make their lives more comfortable.

The Bible needs no defense. It is not like our Constitution, which must be defended each and every day. We will mention some of the history of the Bible and how thousands of years ago, some people knew about the problems that we all face today and actually presented solutions to these problems.

Should The Bible Be Used As A Textbook In Our Schools?

The Bible can teach children things they need to know.

The question "Is the information in the Bible relevant to today's classroom as a textbook on every subject?" is a very complex question and must be broken down into its separate parts.

First, the answer to the question "Is the information in the Bible relevant to today's classroom?" would be a definite yes. The problem here is in determining just which Bible we are referring to. Just the nature of the question would suggest that we are referring to the Christian Holy Bible, but other faiths have their own version of the Bible and its teachings would be just as relevant to the children of that particular faith.

God's word and the teachings of Jesus are extremely important to any child who must struggle through this world of hatred and greed, where we tolerate just about any kind of behavior or lifestyle.

Should Our Children Know God?

All children should know the love of God.

In my own personal quest to become the ultimate male channel surfer, I paused just for a moment on the 6 o'clock news. The lead story involved a police raid on a high school where numerous weapons had been seized. These weapons included guns, knives, chains, and even axes.

It is very important to understand that these deadly weapons were confiscated from kids ranging in ages from 14 to 17. I couldn't help but ask myself the question - Why would a 14 or 15-year-old kid want to carry a gun or an axe to school?

I was forced to continue in my surfing quest, but I could not get that news story out of my mind. I couldn't come up with any logical answers, but there were many questions and I was immediately reminded of Columbine, the school in Kentucky and all the other schools where kids had been murdered for no obvious reason.

Is Jesus The Only Way Of Salvation?

"Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

In posing the question "Is Jesus the only way of salvation?" one could easily assume that someone has been told there might be another way.

Salvation in common everyday language could mean "the act of protecting something from loss or harm", like insurance in a catastrophic event might be our only "salvation". From a Biblical or Christian point of view, salvation is a deliverance from the power and penalties of sin or redemption.

For Christians whose guiding principles are founded in the Bible, the answer to this question can be found in one single passage of scripture, where we find in 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."

Since I am a Baptist, some might feel that I am just a little biased, so let's take a look at what other religious denominations have to say about salvation.

Is Smoking A Sin?

There is no such thing as "good" sin or "bad" sin.

According to the American Heart Association, in 2004 there were some 25.1 million men and some 20.9 million women smokers in the United States. They go on to say that smokers have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke and I think we already know that.

If you look up statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), you will find some equally alarming statistics:

• Men With High Serum Cholesterol - 16.6% of the population

• Women With High Serum Cholesterol - 16.2% of the population

• Overweight Men - 70.7% of the population

• Overweight Women - 61.4% of the population

Our Relationship With God Today

The relevance of God in today's world is necessary.

The relevance of God in today's world in terms of being "significant" should be without question.  Each time we make a cash purchase, we present the cashier with currency and coin that has "In God We Trust", our national motto, permanently embossed on the face.

In the 1950s, Congress added the words "under God" to our Pledge of Allegiance. In the first session of the 108th Congress a bill to recognize the public need for prayer for all people of the United States and for members of our armed forces was passed by a vote of 346 to 49.

Each time a new President of the United States takes the oath of office, the final words of that oath are normally, "So help me God." There should be no doubt that God is of great significance, not only in our nation's history, but also in the lives we live today.

Noah Was A Man Of Faith And Obedience

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."

If stories are to be told about the faith and obedience of man, the accounts of a man named Noah must be at the top of the list.

In considering Noah’s faith and obedience to God, I am immediately reminded of the 2007 movie “Evan Almighty”.  In this movie Steve Carrell is portrayed as Evan Baxter and Morgan Freeman plays the part of God.  This movie actually sheds a lot of light on the aspects of the Biblical account of Noah and the ark.  Here, Evan Baxter is not a professional boat builder, but rather a professional newscaster who has been elected to Congress.  Noah in the Biblical account wasn’t a carpenter or ship maker either.

How Would Jesus View Homosexuality?

In the beginning, God made them male and female.

Anyone who has studied the Bible to any extent realizes that homosexuality is mentioned many times. Whether it is referenced by the terms "abusers of themselves with mankind", "without natural affection" or some other term, homosexuality is condemned many times in both the Old and New Testaments.

What does the Bible have to say about homosexuality?

 

Romans 1:26-32:

 "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."

Show Me Proof That God Exists

Proof that God exists is all around us.

Skeptics may ask "Is there proof that God exists?" and will demand to be given some type of mathematical formula or biological evidence that will scientifically prove the existence of God and will not accept any religious or moral philosophy.

There are many things in the history of the world which we take as fact but have no scientific proof; the existence of dinosaurs is a perfect example. Sometime in the early 1800s a man found a large bone, called it a dinosaur and the rest is history. So why is it difficult to believe that the world and everything in and upon it was created by God?

In the history of our nation we find the belief in God was the inspiration which allowed us to be free. Today, God has a significant presence in our daily lives by being minted on all of our coins and currency and being a part of every oath of office from the new enlistee in the armed forces to the President of the United States.

We Should Get Inspiration From Bible Heroes

The heroes of the Bible were just ordinary people.

The Bible is filled with stories of inspirational characters whose divine influence changed the lives of many people. Many of these Biblical characters could actually be described as heroes.

We find that some dictionaries define a hero as:

"a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal".

Heroes might be more clearly described as ordinary people who do extraordinary things. In the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, we find the names of several inspirational Biblical heroes, including Abraham, Enoch, Noah, Sara and others. There are many more chapters of the Bible containing the names of those whom we could classify as heroes, but here we will take a closer look at only five.

A Christian View Of Homosexuality

The Christian view of homosexuality is not popular.

The Christian view of a homosexual lifestyle is certainly not a popular view, therefore the Christian opinion on whether or not a Christian can be gay will more than likely be met with the same lack of popularity.

The dictionary defines "Christian" as  "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ".  Being a Christian involves far more than simply attending a church service on Sunday.  Christianity is a way of life for those who realize they are sinners and strive to live a life that is pleasing to their family, their country and their God.  Christians understand that no sin is more serious than another and that God's grace can grant forgiveness of all sins.

Is Hell A Real Place Or Just Imaginary?

Hell is a real place for the condemned.

In answering the question, "Is Hell a real place or a metaphor to deter evil-doers?", the simple quick answer would be "both", but before elaborating on this issue, we must first understand some reasoning behind the question.

First, one must assume that the person asking this question would know the difference between right and wrong and secondly, this person believes there are consequences for doing evil.

If we look up the term "hell" in a Thesaurus, we find that hell is defined as "place of the condemned;  bad situation".  We also find the following synonyms: "Hades, abyss, affliction, agony, anguish, blazes, bottomless pit, everlasting fire, hell-fire, misery, pit, place of torment, purgatory, suffering, torment", among others. The only antonym I can find is "heaven".  I think we would all agree that most of these terms refer to real places.

Evil Is The Nature Of Humanity

Evil thoughts and deeds are changing mankind.

There can be no better example of humanity's nature for evil than the recent mass shootings at an elementary school in Connecticut.  This tragedy ended in the needless, unmerciful murder of 20 totally innocent children.  According to the experts, this heinous crime was not the result of someones temporary insanity, but rather it was a well thought out premeditated plan.  It is the evil thoughts and deeds of this one individual that have forever changed the lives of every parent and grandparent in all areas of the free world.

The Bible teaches us that man is essentially evil by nature in Mark: 7:20-23 (NIV);

 "He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.  All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Was Jesus Really Crucified?

We live by faith and that's what it's all about.

Crucifixion was an ancient method of execution, in which the victim was tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang there until dead.  History tells us that crucifixion probably originated with the ancient Persians.  Captured pirates were crucified at the port of Athens in the 7th century BC.  The Romans adopted this custom in the 1st century BC, and used it during the Roman Civil War and the destruction of Jerusalem.

There is no scientific evidence that Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, but keep in mind, we've never exhumed Abraham Lincoln's body to see if that is really him either.  If we did, we certainly don't have any of Lincoln's DNA to prove scientifically it's him.

Christian beliefs are founded in a book called the Bible and we believe this book to be the inspired word of God. The Bible is filled with accounts of Jesus' birth, his teachings and yes, his death on the cross. We are secure in these beliefs and have no need to ever question the facts of the creation or Jesus' death. We live by faith, and that's what it's all about.

How Should Christians View The Death Penalty?

We must look within ourselves for the answer.

At one point in my life I was very troubled about whether or not a soldier, in time of war, was guilty of "murder" when an enemy soldier was killed in battle. At that particular time I could not make a sound decision in my own mind as to whether this action was actually a "sin". It was not until after I had contacted three ministers of three different religious beliefs that I finally found my own peace on this issue.

I was immediately reminded about the parting of the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Cain and Abel and many other accounts of "murder or killing" mentioned in the Bible and how the circumstances surrounding each of these events were totally different. Some acts of murder were committed out of anger and revenge, while others were necessary to protect a nation or for self-preservation.

Do Christians Judge Others?

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

It is most certainly not against Christian principles to "judge" the actions of others, but we must be very careful of our interpretation of the word and its many uses scattered throughout the Bible. We all "judge" in one form or another. 

Here's a perfect example: Let's suppose we hear a news report on the 6 o'clock news that involves the murder of two small children. The video shows the father, who is in handcuffs, being placed in the back of a police car. I would bet my next paycheck that the following thought (or something similar) is going through the minds of 90% of the people who saw the newscast "They shouldn't even waste the money and time to try that scum, they should just hang him from the public square." The sad thing is that we don't even know whether or not the man has been accused of a crime or not.