My name, obviously, is Justin Lessard. I am a devoted father, husband, minister, missionary and servant. My passion is for the serving of youth, both locally and abroad, as well as a specific calling toward the peoples of Kenya, in eastern Africa. I journeyed there on a 2006 mission trip, and returned to the Maasai area in the summer of 2009. More on that can be seen here: (The Mission- What will you do? , Mission- Kenya, August ‘09. (Read this letter.) ) and Facebook pages at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=615757999&ref=profile (Note: If you request me as a friend on myspace or Facebook, let me know that you saw me here, so I accept you.) Please also take time to check out http://kingdomadvancers.wordpress.com for info and tools for teen & youth ministry, mentorship, etc.
I began this blog as a way to not only express myself, but also to bring to light some of the things that don’t quite get enough attention. It is my intention to be as impartial as possible, while maintaining my core beliefs and faith, and being just in such things that are, at times, controversial. I will, of course, lean to the side that is supported by God’s Word, the Bible. Using that as the focal point for what is right and what is just, this blog is open to comments, questions, and conversation. I have given allowance for anyone to comment, even without signing up. I will delete anything I deem as hateful, course, or unnecessarily rude. It is not my intention to promote any specific group or organization, unless I specifically say that they have my backing. With that in mind, I welcome and encourage comments of anyone from any background and of any belief. I thoroughly support the emboldening of comments and thoughts to be expressed here. Now, get reading!
October 6, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Just wanted to let you know that I was here! Love in Christ!
October 15, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Thanks for taking time to comment my blog. I’m actually going to spend two weeks in Kenya at the beginning of December, so keep me in your prayers as well.
October 29, 2008 at 9:26 am
I’m so excited for you Justin. You will be in our prays for safe journey and your love for Jesue will be evident in your ministry to the unbelievers.
God Bless!
June 30, 2009 at 11:45 am
Humans who do not conform to God’s salvation plan
(i.e. unbelievers) are consigned to terrible torment
in hell for eternity. There are many different
graphic descriptions of how terrible hell and the
lake of fire are.
For unbelievers to be separated from God for eternity
is totally understandable, but for God to punished
any human for all of eternity in such a place as hell
is difficult to understand.
The question is: How could a loving God who treaches
us to be loving, merciful, compassionate, forgiving,
etc. send any humans to such a place — especially
when it must be considered that their sinful
condition (natural-born inclination) was inherited?
June 30, 2009 at 12:01 pm
An excellent question! And perhaps the most fought over argument about God’s character. Let me first summarize the question: How can a loving God send people to hell? I appreciate the fact that you recognize the nature of our inherent sinfulness, as well as the fact that hell isn’t just one big party, but is in fact pure torture. Here’s what I will do: Rather than give you a few clichéd responses, I will write an article on this to answer you fully. I will research to give you chapter and verse from the Bible. I would rather you hear what God says on the subject than any church’s formula of an answer or some random sassy retort. Look for it soon; I will try to have it up in the next day or two.
Again, thanks for your question and always feel free to ask more.
July 2, 2009 at 3:34 pm
To continue … do you agree that we have to also consider the passages in John 6 and John 17, which
say that no one can come to Jesus (believing in Him for salvation) unless Father God draws him, and those
who are drawn are never cast out nor lost? So again
we have the age-old problem of trying to reconcile
Calvinism and Armenianism.
April 15, 2010 at 4:10 pm
i been been taugh in the
pre-trip, i don;t see it now
thank you for your input can you send me anythig
that help me
August 5, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Justin, I found you on a Google search in my own study of end times. I have recently started doubting the whole pre-millennial rapture theory but still haven’t decided what I think is the correct theory. That being said, can you direct me to some good resources on debating the pre trib rapture thinking when they site the verses about Israel being God’s chosen people and His covenant with them being everlasting. It seems that by not lining up with pre trib rapture thinking, it means to some, that we are throwing Israel under the bus. I sure would appreciate your thoughts on this.
Thank you.
Judy Nielsen
August 22, 2010 at 4:36 pm
There is a lot of discussion on end times at ihop.org, check these pages out:
http://www.ihop.org/Articles/1000057935/International_House_of/Resources/Documents/Weekend_Teaching_Archive/2009/The_Timing_of.aspx
http://www.ihop.org/Articles/1000042090/International_House_of/Resources/Documents/Weekend_Teaching_Archive/Onething08_Notes/100_Most_Frequently.aspx
Read Points 30, 47-49, 51, 52, 54 & 81.
Check out some of the free downloads from the prophecy club about the subject. Heres a link:
http://www.thegospel.com/clients/the-prophecy-club/html/v006/default.asp?month=June&year=2010
http://www.thegospel.com/clients/the-prophecy-club/html/v006/default.asp?month=May&year=2010
The second one has a lot on the truth about the rapture, the first link here has a couple on the tribulation.
November 27, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Amen!
November 10, 2013 at 10:51 am
GOD bless you!!–I’ve been looking for detailed info on the significance of numbers in scripture for awhile for a class I teach in prison as a volunteer. Very Good !
May I ask in the future for your imput on other scriptural subjects? How would I do that?
DJ