Tony Cutty

The Invisible Listeners

May 7, 2018 by Tony Cutty in Christian Spirituality

This piece is written to those of you who write on the Internet about Grace. People who write about the Love of God. People who write to encourage others; to build them up, not tear them down.

I am a member of several online groups where people of the Spirit voice things from God, things new and old. Old widsom, and new wisdom. (Matt 13:52) Things for the building up of the Saints (Eph 4:12). Jesus Himself said that there was so much more He wanted to tell us (Jn 16:12), and this kind of publishing is part of that.

Much of this stuff is the prophetic Word of God for today, and you can tell by the fruits manifested in their readers that these words are bringing life to those that read them.

But there is also huge discouragement, and often even despair, for those who write. If you are one of these writers, you will know exactly what I’m talking about.

On your public posts, whether blog posts or simple forum comments, you are often torn to shreds by (sometimes well-meaning) religious people who don’t like what they read. The Scripture says that people would be offended by the message of Jesus, and this can happen for several reasons.

Mostly, though, the offense is found in the simplicity of the Gospel message; St. Paul simply preached Christ crucified. However it works, Jesus has accomplished all that is necessary for the way to be open to God, and He invites us into His Presence and to live our lives in the simple joy of walking with Him.

Do Our Pets Go to Heaven?

April 28, 2017 by Tony Cutty in Christian Issues

Do our pets go to Heaven? What about animals in general—will there be any animals in Heaven? The Bible is silent on this issue, but since so many people own pets and, rightly, grieve their passing, we often wonder whether animals will join us in Heaven, especially those who are our animals.

Let me first clarify that I’m not discussing whether Heaven happens now or later, or whether it’s on Earth or “somewhere else.” What I’m referring to is simply the “afterlife.” And if there is an “afterlife” where we go to be with Jesus, do our pets join us there?

Other than a brief mention of “the lion shall lie down with the lamb,” the Bible is quiet on the “eternal fate” of animals. But it does hint that, just as humans are redeemed, so too Creation as a whole is redeemed on the back of our redemption. It’s all a bit mysterious, but the concept can be seen in passages such as Romans 8:19: “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.” It’s as if, once the saints come into their inheritance, Creation follows suit. If Creation is truly redeemed, I think Heaven is going to be full of animals!

I’ve read many websites that downplay the idea of animals in Heaven. They talk about animals not being able to “accept Christ” and not being able to “understand salvation.” Clearly, many of these writers have never known the love and affection of a devoted family pet or the close relationship of a working animal with its master. When… [Read more…] about Do Our Pets Go to Heaven?

Why Doesn't God Answer Life's Big Questions?

February 23, 2017 by Tony Cutty in Christian Spirituality

So often, especially when we are distressed, we cry out to God, “Why is this happening?” So often we ask the big questions: why does suffering happen; why is there pain if God is so good; why did my wife die so young?

And the silence is deafening. You listen for the Voice to explain things, like He does so often, and yet on these questions, when it seems so really important, He doesn’t say anything. You can almost feel Him looking at you with His huge compassion…

I think the reason for this silence is that the answer is so deep, so embedded in God’s purposes, so unable to be put into words, that there’s no way He’d do it justice with a short answer. Such an answer wouldn’t, in fact, answer the question, because the answer is too immense. In some ways it’s almost as if the answer is “Wait and see!” (although there’s a little more to it than that, as we shall see).

Because, only now, after my entire adult lifetime of following Him and learning to hear His voice; learning to hear His heartbeat; learning to feel the gentle breeze of His Spirit’s guidance; living through the very worst thing that could happen to me (Job 3:25); do I begin to get the slightest inkling of understanding, what it’s all about; the answer to “Why?”; the reason for the silence that denies me the quick, easy answer.

And I still can’t tell you “why.”

But I am beginning to discern the slightest shadow of an inkling of an answer–though I can’t put it into words. This kind of answer is only discerned,… [Read more…] about Why Doesn't God Answer Life's Big Questions?