Is Covid-19 A Plague Sent By God?

Was Covid-19 a plague sent by God? That’s a question worth pondering. Yes I know it started in China, but was God orchestrating it all? Could it be a possibility? Could God do that? Would God do that? And if He did, why? It’s certainly worth looking into.

One thing is for sure — we are in a worldwide pandemic. I call it a plague. What’s the Bible say about plagues? As I was looking through the Bible, I found that there were dozens of plagues from the first book to the last. And guess what? In most cases, if not all, God originated them! And He did so for specific reasons — usually for disobedience — for people not conforming to His will — for people turning away from Him and worshiping other things or other gods. 

The most famous series of God-induced plagues are the 10 plagues that God worked through Moses in an attempt to convince Pharaoh to release the nation of Israel out of Egyptian slavery. They were terrible plagues, but it took 10, with the last plague being the worst. Let’s take a quick look at these 10. These are found in the book of Exodus, starting in chapter 7.

PLAGUE #1: BLOOD 

This was a plague of blood! The Can you imagine this? The great Nile river was turned to blood. The fish died, the Egyptians couldn’t drink the water — even the ponds and canals were changed to blood. Even all the water vessels.

PLAGUE #2: FROGS

When the blood didn’t convince Pharoah, the plague of frogs came. I think frogs are kind of creepy and to have this many overrun your house would be frightening. The Bible says the Nile swarmed with frogs.They came into the houses, the bedrooms, own the bed, into the ovens and bowls. After they all died, they piled them in rotting heaps.

PLAGUE #3 GNATS

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. The gnats were on people and animals everywhere. 

   I know one thing - I can go on the beach and although it might be a perfect, beautiful day, if there are gnats it will drive you off the beach in no time.

PLAGUE #4: FLIES 

God sent swarms of flies on all the Egyptian people and into their houses. Even the ground was covered with them. And you know the results of flies on any food — maggots.

PLAGUE #5: LIVESTOCK DEATH 

God sent a plague that killed all the Egyptian livestock — all the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. It still didn’t convince Pharoah.

PLAGUE #6: BOILS

Here’s a nasty one. God caused all the Egyptian people to break out with sores — not just the people, but all the animals as well.

PLAGUE #7: HAIL

The hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, both man and animal; the hail also struck every plant of the field and get this — shattered every tree of the field. Still Pharaoh didn’t give in.

PLAGUE #8: LOCUSTS

There had never been so many locusts. They covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Thus nothing green was left on trees or plants.

PLAGUE #9: DARKNESS

God caused it to be dark for 3 days.

PLAGUE #10: DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN

This one convinced Pharaoh to let them go because it was the worst and it struck home. At about midnight, God struck down every firstborn — from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, to the firstborn of all the livestock as well. 

  However, it didn’t affect the firstborn of the Israelites, because they were told to kill an unblemished lamb, spread its blood around the doorframes of their houses, and the curse of death would passover them. Get it? — Passover? From then on, the Israelites celebrated the Passover feast in acknowledgment of how God saved them. 

  What is amazing is that hundreds of years later, on the very feast of Passover, the Lamb of God, Jesus, who was unblemished (sinless) died on the cross. It’s His blood that saves us. Wow.

But back to plagues. I searched for the word “plague” in the NIV Bible and found it listed 109 times! Most of the plagues occur with God striking groups of people with deadly fatal illness. Here are a couple of examples……

After Moses came down the mountain with the 10 Commandments and found them making a golden calf as an idol….

Exodus 32:35 

And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.

After the Israelites demanded meat in the desert instead of relying on God’s manna…….

Numbers 11:33 

But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.

God punished David because of his sin for pridefully taking a census all his army in a boastful way instead of acknowledging God as in control……

1 Chronicles 21:14 

So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell dead.

The question remains, was Covid-19 a God induced plague? Did He purposely make it happen — to spread? If so, what would be the reasons? 

Could it be that we, as a country, as a world, are being disciplined by God? — for man’s sinful ways — for neglecting Him — for not worshiping Him. Could mankind be punished for turning from God? Or could it be that God is trying to get our attention? — that we should not be ignoring Him but be turning to Him. 

Here’s the bottom line………Regarding the question, “was Covid-19 a plague sent by God? — My answer — I don’t know!!!!!  It’s possible though. It could be sent by God or it could just be a virus. What I do know is this…..regardless if God caused it or not — maybe it’s a wake up call. Maybe we are forced to realize that we need God. We need help. We need prayer. We need Him in our lives. 

So maybe because of Covid-19, more people will turn to Him. Who knows? — maybe there will be another spiritual great awakening in our country. And that would be something good.

Being Thankful In Hard Times?

It’s Thanksgiving. You might ask, “What’s there to be thankful for when life is crashing down around us?” We’re in the middle of a pandemic that has killed 100’s of thousands of people in our country alone. Thousands upon thousands have been sick. We’re wearing masks, our normal way of life has been taken away from everyone — people are losing their jobs, businesses are going under -  people are scared they could get the virus and die, many have died — many have lost loved ones to the pandemic. There’s confusion, uncertainty, stress, anxiety, and fear. 

In the past, Thanksgiving was the joyous holiday of a day off of work, parades, football, family gatherings, and turkey dinners. Not this year. How can we have a traditional Thanksgiving this year? Because of the virus, family gatherings are limited, attending football games is restricted, the Macy’s traditional street parade is cancelled and turned into a television stay-at-home event. 

Can we really celebrate Thanksgiving in the middle of a crisis? Maybe Thanksgiving is actually coming at the perfect time!! A time to refocus — to think about what’s really important. 

The pilgrims knew what was really important. They had a thanksgiving feast with the purpose of thanking God for the harvest. The dictionary definition of THANKSGIVING, according to Merriam-Webster, is this…….a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness, the act of giving thanks, a prayer expressing gratitude. YOU SEE, Thanksgiving is supposed to be spiritually focused — our Thanksgiving should be a day of thanking God.

So the question is — how can we be thankful (express thanksgiving) in hard times? — in midst of crisis? Hardship? Even in times of tragedy? How can we be thankful when we’re going through bad times? What should we thank God for????

Well, we can be thankful for the ONE THING that’s really important in any and every situation of life…..we can be thankful for His LOVE. LOVE is what sustains us, what motivates us, what matters the most — regardless of our circumstance. This Thanksgiving, I say let’s focus our thanksgiving on LOVE. Especially for His love for us. Whether we’re going through good times or bad, we can still be thankful for LOVE — the love of God for us, the love of Family, the love of Friends. Isn’t that’s what really is important?

God is the designer, originator, and ultimate example and demonstrator of LOVE. He loved us before we even knew it. He made the first move sending His Son to die for our sins, while we were still sinners!

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8)

This unconditional, underserving love by God for us sinners is called can be looked upon as Grace. Grace is God’s good favor on those who have no reason to receive it. Thank God that we live in the covenant of Grace. Thank God for His Love. Love is what motivated GOD to send His Son. It’s the WHY — what made Him do it.

“For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only Son, the whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus into the world to save us. God’s love is unconditional and underserved.

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. (1 John 4:9)

God’s love is so powerful and faithful, that nothing can ever separate us from it!

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

“What’s there to be thankful for when life is crashing down around us?” God’s Love for us. The Good News is that we are in a perfect, loving Father-Child relationship with God. We are made right with God because, as baptized believers, we know that Jesus willingly died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, we are adopted as children of God, with the promise of eternal life with Him. It’s all because of His LOVE for us. And when we understand His love, we love Him back.

We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Yes, this Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful for what’s really important….Love — the love of God, the love of family, and the love of friends. There’s nothing like being the recipient of love — knowing that someone loves you. One thing for certain -   God loves you. And that’s something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. 

LOVE……….

It’s the strongest force on earth/goes beyond the universe/it's heaven's eternal theme/it's God's main quality.

It can melt the hardened heart/it can tear you all apart/it's the most important thing/it's the greatest offering.

It transcends all time and space/every culture every race/regardless of the miles/it's still there all the while. 

It's what motivated God/to send His only Son/unconditionally given/so believers can be forgiven.

It's the reason we want to obey/to please God in every way /it's the greatest of all commands/love God then your fellow man     

And nothing can separate us/from the love of Christ within us/nothing can take love away/forever it will remain

Love Love Love

Those were the lyrics to a song I wrote as I was contemplating what love is. I put it into a song called, “The Strongest Force On Earth”. There’s nothing stronger than love. Love can motivate people to do anything. Love is powerful. A parent would die in place of their child if put in a threatening situation. In a sense, Jesus did just that — He gave His life to save us.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)

Here’s an idea for a way to offer thanksgiving to God. When you wake up, sit up on the edge of your bed. And start the day saying a prayer of thanksgiving to God for His Love. Don’t ask FOR anything from Him in your prayer. Just say a prayer of thanksgiving TO HIM. Something like this....

“Thank you Father for your love for me. Your unconditional, underserved love that has been shown through Christ who died for me. Thank you for always loving me no matter what — for being the perfect, loving, caring Father who is always for me and always with me. Thank you for LOVE ITSELF - the love of Family, the love of Friends. And most of all, thank you for loving me.”

You say that prayer and I think your day will turn out just fine.

May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. (Ephesians 3:18)

5 Ways To Keep A Positive Point Of View

The Christian author C. S. Lewis has said that one of the things that separates man from any other creature is the ability to imagine the future. All other creatures from the largest whale to the smallest single-cell amoeba, only live in the moment, driven by God-given instinct. In other words, a bear knows when to hibernate, a bird knows when to migrate, and an owl knows when to hunt. But only a human can plan, reason, and make decisions about the future. You cannot foresee what will actually happen in the future, only God can do that. But you can imagine what will or could happen. 

Since humans have the ability to imagine the future, they can have basically just three different views about the future: a positive view, a negative view, and a neutral view. One with a neutral view would be one who is indifferent about their future, and don't really care. The negative view would be the idea that the future is dim, and filled with failure and disappointment. However, the positive view looks to the future with expectation that good things will happen in the future. This positive view is called HOPE.

So, what is HOPE? A non-believer's definition of hope is much different than Christian's definition of hope. A non-believer will see hope as a positive outcome of some future situation, either by chance, by effort, or by personal skill. For example, winning a card game, or buying a newer car, or getting a better test score would be their hope. 

A Christian's definition of hope differs greatly from a non-believer's definition in the fact that it involves faith in God. So, for a Christian, hope can be defined as a confident expectation that some future situation or condition will turn out favorably based on FAITH in God's providence, promises, and intervention. 

For a Christian, we trust that God is actively involved in our future days. And because of this faith in God, we have CONFIDENT HOPE.

"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance."  (Ephesians 1:18)

Since a Christian's confident hope is founded in FAITH in Jesus, and if we are in Christ and He is in us, our hope can never be taken away. 

It's hope that gives us a positive point of view. Here are 5 ways keep our hope strong -- to keep a positive point of view. 

1— Realize that our current circumstance will pass. 

One of my mother’s favorite sayings was, “This too shall pass.” This saying represents a positive perspective. It doesn't mean we deny reality; it just means we acknowledge that, even in the toughest circumstances, we have a way through them -- a light at the end of the tunnel. 

2— Realize that God is with us through this. 

God will never abandon us. No matter what we go through, the good, the bad, He is with us always.

3 — Realize that God is constantly working for us.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

God, as a perfect, loving Father, wants the best for us, His children, and He always works in our favor. 

4 — Realize that God can do the impossible

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)

5 — Realize God hears our prayers

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

So — to summarize

1 — Realize that our current circumstance will pass.

2 — Realize that God is with us through this.

3 — Realize that God is constantly working for us 

4 — Realize that God can do the impossible

5 — Realize God hears our prayers

The bottom line is this…..

as Christians, we have HOPE — CONFIDENT HOPE. And it’s all because of FAITH.

And this hope goes beyond this world - the promise of heaven - eternal life.

ONE MORE THING —REMEMBER…………….

CONFIDENT HOPE results in PEACE. -  and who doesn’t want that??????

"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance."  (Ephesians 1:18)

Life After The Plague: 5 Ways It Could Change Us For The Better

After practicing "social distancing" for months, wearing masks in public, and waiting for everything to open again at 100% capacity, it makes me wonder what it will be like when it all finally gets back to normal. The question is, will it ever be the same again? Or more importantly, will we personally ever be the same again? I think not. We will be changed.

But will we be changed for the better? That may be up to you to make that determination. Change will be either detrimental, damaging, and hurtful; or change can be beneficial, positive, and advantageous. It's really up to you. And a lot of it depends on individual attitude and motivation.

Certainly good things can come out of bad situations. And we are surely in a bad situation. We have the virus, we have racism issues, and we have riots. Sometimes it's hard to see in the moment how good can be achievable in the environment we are in. Can it really be possible to overcome this mess anytime soon? It all remains to be seen.

Perhaps each of us needs to look deep inside ourselves first. Maybe it's time to self evaluate our hearts and our minds. And maybe it's time to change our hearts and minds for the better.

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 119:23-24)

What route, what path, will you decide to take in your journey forward? Below are five ways that these turbulent times could change you for the better, if you allow it to.

1) See Other People In A Different Light

God calls us to love one another. This kind of love is unconditional, regardless of race or circumstance. Will you come out of this crisis we are in as one who listens and tries to understand people? A lot of people are hurting, will you have a compassionate heart? Will you be an encourager?

2) Appreciate Our Freedom

Nothing seems to make us appreciate things more than simply missing having them available to us. Being under stay-at-home requirements makes us miss more than ever going out whenever and wherever. Let's move forward, appreciating the personal freedom we have in this country, and not taking it for granted.

3) Value Family and Friends

Man was not created to be alone. We are social creatures. We like to do things together, to talk and communicate, and to interact. This is especially true of family. Maybe being concerned with our own family's health and safety in these times will increase our love and appreciation for each other. This holds true for friends as well. For Christians, we miss our Christian brothers and sisters -- those who are like-minded in our beliefs and passions. Will we appreciate more than ever our times together?

4) Practice Good Health Habits

One way this virus could change us for the better is by making us more conscientious in our health practices from here on out, including better hygiene. And taking preventative steps to maintain our health. 

5) Draw Closer To The Lord

Hopefully, during this crisis, you have turned to the Lord more than ever. May that continue forward. Praying more, acknowledging God more, understanding Him more through Bible reading, and developing a relationship with Him are great positive steps forward. Sometimes we all need a shake up to realize how important God is in our life, and how much we need Him. 

So remember, you can choose which path to take in the days ahead. May we all be wise in our actions and decisions as we go forward. 

The 5 Strangest Events On The Day Jesus Resurrected

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is astounding. That one Sunday was the most incredible day in history -- filled with excitement, emotion, miracles, and drama. Because of His resurrection, there was a domino effect of several incredible supernatural events that occurred on that very same day. I'm going to list 5 of them.

1) ANGELS APPEAR!

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? (Matthew 28:1-5)

Because Jesus had to be buried before the Sabbath began at 6pm Friday (He died at 3pm), they didn't have time to finish anointing him with spices. That's why they were headed to the tomb Sunday morning with spices. Inside the tomb, the women saw two angels who talked to them.

2)  JESUS APPEARS FOR THE FIRST TIME - BUT NOT EASILY RECOGNIZED!

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”  “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:14-17)

Why didn't Mary recognize Jesus? Somehow, to Mary, He looked different. Either He was physically changed, or God make her see Him differently. One thing is for sure -- Jesus didn't resurrect from the dead to simply resume His former life on earth and go back to His normal routine! He was different in the sense that He just conquered the grave, fulfilled His mission, and would be ascending from earth into Heaven soon, exalted as the King of kings and Lord of lords. 

3) JESUS SUDDENLY APPEARS TO 2 OF HIS FOLLOWERS, THEN DISAPPEARS!

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him. (Luke 24:13-16)

They were His followers, but didn't recognize Him at first. Later, when they invited Him to eat with them, their eyes were opened, then Jesus disappeared!

As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! (Luke 24:30-31)

4) JESUS SUDDENLY APPEARS BEHIND LOCKED DOORS!

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! (John 20:19-20)

It's almost like the spiritual part of Jesus was becoming more evident or dominant than the physical part. After all, His physical body would be soon translated totally into a spiritual one in 40 days when He ascended from earth into the clouds.

5) OTHER PEOPLE RESURRECTED TOO!

Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. (Matthew 27:50-53)

For me, this is the strangest occurrence that resulted from the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Other people were resurrected too! These previously dead "godly" people walked into the city and were seen by many people. Can you imagine? When Jesus rose from being dead was that resurrection so powerful that it raised up others around Him as well? I wish there was more detail about this but there is none to be found. We can only speculate. Were these people some of His followers that had died? Did they appear to their relatives? Did they remain alive once they resurrected and then die a second time? Or did they not die again, but ascend into Heaven when Jesus did? 

Maybe this last event happened just to give us a picture, a model, of our ultimate destiny as believers and Christ-followers. In other words, as a result of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, our tomb will someday be opened, and we will come alive again, resurrected into eternal life with Jesus forever in Heaven, never to die again. 

No doubt the resurrection of Jesus has huge implications for us. It gives us hope and promise of our own resurrection from the dead, to have eternal life with Him forever.

It's time to praise God!

Was Jesus Created By God?

Was Jesus a created being? Was He just an angel in disguise? Or a special miracle worker? Or just another prophet? Did God decide to create Jesus 2000 years ago in order to give salvation to humans? Various religions define Jesus in many ways. However, the Bible teaches something different. It reveals this: Jesus is actually God taking on the form of a human.

Scripture clearly shows that Jesus is in very nature God, and is equal to God. Jesus is God, found in appearance as a man!

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8 NIV)

Jesus therefore could not be a created being since He existed before anything was created! Check out this passage:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3)

It's important to define who the "Word" is. The answer is found in John 1:14a.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (John 1:14a)

Undoubtably the Word is Jesus. Therefore "Jesus" can be substituted everywhere "Word" is used in John 1:1-3. I'll do that below.

In the beginning was the JESUS, and JESUS was with God, and JESUS was God. JESUS was with God in the beginning. Through JESUS all things were made; without JESUS nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3 NIV)

Only through Jesus were all things made. He couldn't make Himself! Through Him "nothing was made that has been made." That means before even angels were made, before the universe was made, and before anything else was made, Jesus existed.

Other scriptures reinforce the truth that Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. He is God in visible, physical form. And He always was, He always existed.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. (Colossians 1:15-17 NLT)

And check out this amazing passage that further corroborates the truth that Jesus existed prior to the creation of the physical world, and that everything was created through Him:

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV)

The fact that Jesus is God in human form is one of the fundamental truths of Christianity. The only way that this could happen is that God is a 3-in-one entity, and Jesus is part of the God-Head, who some call the Trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Don't try to totally understand this concept since we are not created with brains capable of such spiritual comprehension. And maybe there's a reason we were created without the ability to understand it--it requires faith on our part. The bottom line is that the Bible reveals it, so we believe it.

The good news is this: Jesus, God in the flesh, came down to rescue us sinners, sacrificing Himself on the cross to take our punishment for our sins, even though we don't deserve it. That's grace -- God's offer, through Jesus, of kind favor to those who have no reason to receive it. Why would He do that? What was His motive? Love. His unconditional, sacrificial love for us. And for us who believe in Him, we can be made right with God, and be reconciled to God, because through the cross there is forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life.

Let's be thankful for a compassionate, loving God. 

Will We See Our Pets In Heaven?

I've always been told that animals don't have souls. What is a soul anyway? I suppose it's our eternal, invisible, spiritual being. It's the part of us that lives on after we die. According to most theologians, only humans have souls. And only those with souls have the promise of eternal life - life after death.

It kind of makes sense that only humans have souls, considering God only made man in His image, not animals. 

"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.'" (Genesis 1:26, NIV)

Because of man's sin, Jesus came to die for us, to offer us forgiveness and eternal life, for those who have faith in Christ. I guess animals don't sin....or do they? I've met some pretty nasty dogs and cats over the years. When I was growing up, we definitely had a dog that was filled with a sinful nature. He was just plain mean. I've seen some pretty nasty cats too - mean spirited, selfish, and prideful. 

Maybe some of these types of cats and dogs deserve to be thrown into the lake of burning fire! There certainly cannot be any dogs that bite, or cats that scratch, in Heaven. Does that mean that some dogs and cats will go to Heaven and some will go to hell? Or do they all just die and that's it?

And what about pet snakes? I hate snakes. Surely they are not allowed in Heaven!

What about pet donkeys, horses, and cows? Is there room for them anyway?

And what about the poor, innocent pets? Pets that are innocent based on their sheer stupidity. For example, a fish, or a clam. Of course, who would have a clam for a pet? You never know. 

Dogs, unlike some pets, do have qualities such as loyalty and faithfulness. They do have affection and a desire to please their master. We can learn a lot from dogs. I'm not sure about learning anything from cats, except they do teach us, by example, the importance of sleep, as well as sleeping posture.

But what if, to our delight, we really do see our favorite pets in Heaven when we arrive! What if God, just to prove we don't know it all and to give us a surprise, reunites us with our favorite pets. Ha. That's what I like to think.

Yes, I'm hoping that all pets will be united with their masters in Heaven. 

Or should I say, all the loyal, loving, and friendly pets!