WARNING: Quiet Times Can Lead to Extreme….Quiet.

I became a believer (aka Christian) at the tender age of 21. For me, this was no small thing. In fact, it was a very huge thing for sure. I remember a friend of mine relating to me that he almost wrecked his car when he saw me tooling down the road with a flashy "Know Jesus?" tag decorating the front bumper of my '92 Chevy truck. Needless to say, the change in my life was radical and nothing less than completely miraculous.

Now you should know that my salvation experience was completely God led. In other words, I did not enjoy the fine luxury of having someone say, "Ken, pray this prayer." Nope! It was just Ken and Jesus sitting on the back pew of my granny's church doing "business" while the other 12 people in the church (all 60 and older) were doing what good Pentecostal folks do down front (if you don't know what that is, I won't tell you!) Why am I sharing this? Well, I think it is important that I make it clear that I had no "mentors" as I began this journey with the Lord other than the Lord Himself.

Over the course of the next couple of years, Jesus and I got to be pretty good friends. We went everywhere together and shared our days in wonderful fellowship. Yes, I was the guy that looked like he was talking to himself driving down the road, but YOU know better….don't you. Honestly, it was amazing.

A few years after meeting Jesus, I met the gal that would one day become my wife. It was at a Grove Level (a local church) single adult's dinner/listen to Ken sing his songs "thingy". The group had asked me to come and share and I was glad to do so. That same night, my future bride who was in attendance invited me to join a mission trip she was going on to an Indian reservation in Arizona. Apparently, they needed a guitar player and she figured I'd do nicely. What I did not know at the time was that this seemingly innocent invitation from "my lovey" was actually all part of a devious scheme to rope herself a hunky guitar playing man (yes I know I will pay for that one!)

ANYWAY….

Just a few weeks later I found myself in Chinle, Arizona smack in the middle of the Navajo Indian reservation. The camp itself was made up of several tents, a brush arbor type meeting area, and a small building that was used as a kitchen for preparing meals. All of this was located in a grove of trees which provided some wonderful shade (which is very uncommon in that part of the country). The place was really wonderful!

Unfortunately, it was here that I learned something that would drastically impact my relationship with Christ in a very negative way! Let me explain.

Not long after waking up that first morning, we grabbed some breakfast and then received some very unusual instructions (at least to me). We were told that team members should now find a spot somewhere to have our "quiet time".

I thought, "quiet time"? What the heck is a "quiet time"? Now it is at this point I am sure you're thinking, "Ken, don't be dumb dude! You know what a quiet time is!" Sure I do now, but at that time….not a clue!

As a matter of fact, I recall asking someone (possibly my girl) what a "quiet time" was. Unfortunately, this person was gracious enough to explain this great mystery to me. Why did I say "unfortunately"? Well, "unfortunately" this thing we call a "quiet time" really screwed me up! What had up to this time been a great relationship with Jesus quickly turned into a hoop jumping checklist of religious jargon!

You see all of the sudden I actually began to believe that I had been "doing it" all wrong. Here I had been walking and talking, and sharing my life with Jesus throughout every part of my day when actually I was supposed to be setting aside a "special time" for Jesus! I mean after all, these were seasoned Christians who knew their stuff. I had only been a Christian a few short years. They had sat under real pastors and heard real sermons and stuff. Me? I was going to a wee little Pentecostal church with a handful of elderly people who obviously didn't know jack about "real" Christianity. No, I had not "arrived", but I was definitely on my way….YAY!!!!!

I know it is sad to think that I would be sooooooo clueless, but alas it was so. Thus began my practice of limiting my time spent with Jesus to this all so very blessed "quiet time". Actually, it really made sense! After all, He probably didn't have time to fool with me all day long anyway. There were lots of people out there and He was probably a very busy God! The great part was that this was only the beginning for me! Soon I learned many other valuable "aspects" (aka rules) of living a "real" Christian life such as the importance of never missing "church", tithing a strict ten percent (regardless of my ability to pay up), being devoted to Sunday School, and possibly most important of all, attending Tuesday night visitation!

Yes sir, over time I began to understand why we had a "quiet time". Why with all these other fine activities, who actually had any "extra time" to talk with Jesus? Not me! From there, it got even better! I began teaching classes I wasn't qualified to teach, serving on committees I didn't understand or enjoy, and doing everything the pastor guy guilted.…I mean "encouraged" me to participate in. I even enjoyed the all so special "you can drive the church van" privilege!

Oh yes, I was quickly shaping up to be one heck of a religious guy and to think it all started with learning about the treasure of having a "quiet time". Lucky me!

Oh and by the way, it didn't take me too long to figure out why they're called "quiet times". Whoever said, "silence is golden", needs a good slapping!

(End sarcasm)

My point:

Look, I know lots of you out there participate in these activities and do so with pure intentions. I too set aside special times with God. Please know that I am only relating how having a wrong focus impacted MY own life.

So, is it wrong to set aside a special time with God? Absolutely not! Again, I do so myself. We all live busy lives and I understand we all are doing the best we can, BUT consider this:

Should we really believe that the God of the universe who created us for fellowship and gave us His precious Spirit is content with being a part of just a portion of our lives? Also, do we honestly use that same approach with the other relationships we hold dear in our lives such as those with our spouses, our children, and our friends?

I think not. I can't imagine my wife would be okay with such an "arrangement". My wife wants to share life with me (at least I think she does) not just a portion of it, all of it. And I have to believe God, is no different!

Jesus came that we might have life, His life. Apart from that life, we just exist. To engage in fellowship with Him partially is to only partially live. I don't know about you, but living life as some kind of spiritual zombie (you know sort of alive, but not really) is not my idea of living!

The bottom line is this: No religious activity in the world can do anything to change you or give you life.

Religious activity only has value if it is an expression of the overflow of God's love and presence in our lives. If it is being utilized to give us a sense of significance or even worse as a cheap substitute for a true relationship with God, it is worthless!

It's really the whole "cart before the horse" scenario". For me, setting my focus on the cart (aka the religious stuff) caused me to lose sight of who was really making this whole deal work and move forward in my life. And as you know, carts were never designed to pull horses. They are fully dependent upon the horse before their true value can be realized. Confused yet? Yes, I suppose I'm being wee bit too metaphorical at this point. Still, I hope you get what I'm really saying here. Doing stuff for and in the name of God can never replace having a relationship with Him. We start with Him, let Him lead, and trust that the "stuff" we "do" is the result of our love for Him and more importantly His for us.

So, go ahead and have your "quiet time" with God, just don't ever lose sight of the fact that He is always with you and wants very much

To be a part

Of every part

Of your life!

The First Shall Be First and the Last Shall Be…Who Cares!

As many of you know, I used to be one half of the ministry team known as “Heart’s Desire”. For over nine years Scotty man and I traveled around the southeast singing our little hearts out and performing drama for lots and lots of folks. Throughout those years, I watched God work in amazing ways (despite my involvement) and met some really incredible (and a few not so incredible) people. Most of what we participated in was fairly okay in my book. After all, we did do our best to not bring shame on the name of Jesus or ourselves, and that’s a good thing! So, after it was all said and done, I can honestly say I was happy with what was accomplished. Indeed, I don’t think there were many things we participated in that would cause me to shutter with embarrassment, but there were a few!

Here’s a fine example:

One particularly horrific aspect of big conference youth ministry (for us it was “Super Wow”) occurs at the beginning of the first night. It is the opening “let’s get fired up for Jesus” time! Yes, even now the cold chills of shame and disgust run down my back just thinking about it.
The foul ritual went something like this:

Out walks some member of the conference team (usually some “cool” college kid that was obnoxiously loud, with few inhibitions) arms waving, and jumping up and down. He would then proceed to issue a challenge:

“Alright guys, we’re gonna see who loves Jesus in this place tonight! On the count of three, I’m gonna ask this side of coliseum to SCREAM as loud as you can, WE LOVE JESUS YES WE DO, WE LOVE JESUS HOW BOUT YOU!!! Then, I want the other side to see if you can SCREAM that same phrase LOUDER in return!!! We’ll find out WHO REALLY LOVES JEEEEESSSSUUUUSSSS!!!!”

And then, it would start. Back and forth, louder and louder until the heavens themselves reverberated with the passionate cries of thousands of youth, shouting out their great love and devotion for the Lord.

And I...wanted to puke.

Why? Well you see, it wasn’t so much what the kids were doing that made me “sickly”, but rather it was more about the message we were instilling in the hearts and minds of these kids.

That message of course being, Christianity is in many ways one big competition complete with winners and losers. Who are the winners? Those who can “out do” the “other guys”! Out praise, out sing, out evangelize, out love, etc. The good news is (sarcasm) the spirit of competition isn’t just limited to youth events. Nope, actually it can pretty much be found in every nook and cranny of the modern American church.

The result: We have generations of children (and older folks) being inundated (unintentionally I think) with this, “bigger is better” mentality about serving God. In the end it’s not hard to see why this mindset so permeates the Christian church today. It’s been going on for a long time with no end in sight. Bigger buildings, more programs, better preacher, all of which lead us to believe that we are somehow achieving success. And, if we can show up the guys down the street, even better!

It is at this point I would expect to hear replies (especially from the professionals) such as, “Our church isn’t like that!”, or “Our church is just about Jesus! We don’t play such games!” (One word: bologna!), or even “You can’t say that about us, we’re small!”

My reply: Sure I can!

Ask any “pastor guy” out there what question is asked most often (or close to it) at local and regional “pastor guy” meetings. If they’re honest, they’ll have to admit that it is the question, “So, how many you running?” You know, like cattle. “How many heads you got?” In other words, “Hey, do you have more people warming the pews at your place than I do?”

And just why do they ask this? The answer is simple!

They want to know how they’re doing in comparison with the “other guys”. Are they “winning” or “losing”?

You see, if you’re lucky enough to be “running” the most, YOU are “the man” and your “church is successful! If not, you know it’s time to go back and crack that evangelization whip on the rears of “your” flock. Could be, you need a fancy new building, or you might want to include a flashier "contemporary" service to reach the masses...for Jesus.

"Yeah, then we would look just like the "other guys" and we might take the pole position!"

Now would any of these guys admit to such shenanigans? Probably not, to do so would be completely “unspiritual” and we can’t have that! Don’t like the sound of this? Too bad, because I know it’s true. How you ask? I will reply with eight little words:

Over twenty years of being in “professional” ministry.

When you’ve “ministered” in as many churches and performed at as many “Christian” events as I have, it doesn’t take too many conversations with the good folks you meet to realize the truth. That being, that there is a dark thread of competition that runs deep in almost every “ministry” out there.

I know it’s hard to hear such things, but it’s true. Unfortunately, that is the very nature of competition. It is a fight for first place and bragging rights. The winners get to boast of their victory, or at least want to. While the losers, are left licking their wounds vowing to “get ‘em” next time around!

That may be fine if you’re taking part in some sporting event, but folks it’s not very Christian.

The fact is you just don’t hear that kind of talk in the bible. What you will find are many admonitions for unity. Yep, like it or not we Christian folk all play for the same coach and are on the same team. It’s no wonder the church is so ridiculed by the world. Why would anyone want to be a part of such dysfunction? We can’t even get along with and support each other?

“Not true Ken! We love our fellow Baptists!” “We love and support our denomination and pray for each other without ceasing!”

Really?

Well what about those wild and crazy Pentecostals down the street? Wanna have a joint service with them once a month? Heck no you don’t! Why? Because, they have “questionable” doctrine (at least that is the perception of many Baptists). By the way, the opposite of that would also be true (so don’t get the big head just yet my “charismatic” friends!)

I suppose I should say it would be the same for any other denomination out there. Methodists, “Whiskeypalians”…I mean Episcopalians, etc. We all think the “other guys” have...issues.

You may say you love other churches, but don’t pretend you want to be the church that’s lost all its members to the sister “we’ve got bigger and better stuff” church down the way. In my town that’d be Rock Bridge. I’ve heard more negative talk from more folks about that church than I’d care to admit and mostly from “pastor guys” and “church leaders”. Why? Well I’d say it is because they are perceived as being more “successful” than most other “churches” in our little town, and competitively speaking, that stinks! Now that doesn’t mean I am for them anymore than any other joint out there, but it does prove my point. If you deny such talk goes on in your own congregation, you are either living under a rock, or just enjoy lying to yourself and others!

1 Corinthians 1:10 says it quite plainly.

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

Notice the word doesn’t say, “a little healthy competition never hurts”. No it makes it very clear that the Lord desires that there “be no divisions” in His body. And unfortunately, competition has a way of dividing folks.

“But Ken isn’t that just a little bit unrealistic?” Sure it is! The whole bible is “unrealistic” if you expect “people” to pull this stuff off. It takes the Holy Spirit to do any of this. I suppose that is why the word states, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.” And also, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.”

Heck if you think that’s unrealistic, try these on for size!

Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

Matthew 20:26 “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”

I don’t know about you, but that stuff sounds way unrealistic and quite difficult to me! So how do we accomplish such feats?

We don’t, He does!

Nope, you just don’t hear about “healthy competition” in the book. Again, what you do see is God calling us to do what we can to help our brothers and sisters move ahead even if we are left behind. By the way, that would include those of other denominations and doctrinal beliefs. Loving on people and supporting them does not mean you have to agree with everything they believe. It does mean you rejoice when they are successful and do what you can to support them. Why? Because, we Christian folk are ALL are parts of the same body!

Bottom line: Competition is not healthy for “the body” folks. It is detrimental to the work of God in the world and does squat to show His love at work in our lives.

So, if you find yourself in a big, big room being challenged to shout something louder than your buddy across the way, may I suggest you quietly excuse yourself...

And head to the potty!

Your time will be far better spent!

Church Membership? Your Questions...Now Have Answers!

Spiritual Vomiting and Heart Flavored Popsicles

For the past 18 months, I have lived in the place of "nothingness". And what is that you ask? Well if you didn't catch my post regarding this joyous destination, I will summarize it for you by using an excerpt from that very entry.

 

"Nothingness" is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of isolation and waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities - simple inactivity."

 

Now, just because one finds himself living in "Nothingville" doesn't mean that all activity has ceased. No, I have been busy indeed. Why with glorious activities such as slamming organized religion, and bashing the religious status quo in American churches every chance I can, who could ever perceive me as having idle hands?

Actually, for someone who found much of his own significance and self-worth wrapped up in various ministries and positions, it has been a tough time (more like a slow death...fun). In fact, this time in "the desert" has befuddled my best attempts to understand why I am even here. Honestly, I worked hard for years and did all the right "stuff" only to end up here? Give me a break! Yes, it has been quite perplexing!

That is until yesterday.

I realize that many of you enjoy (or endure, sometimes it's like that) a daily time with God. For me, I like to hang out with Jesus in the late afternoons. This is particularly true during the lazy days of summer. And so was the case yesterday, I decided to go for a long bike ride with Jesus and just hang for a while. Not far into my ride, the Lord began to take me through the various stages of being afflicted with a sick stomach…at least in my mind. At first, I found this to be very strange, and then after a while it hit me. The Holy Spirit wasn't trying to gross me out, but rather he was finally revealing to me why I've been living in this detestable place of "nothingness".

You see, when you've eaten crud you shouldn't, your body begins to do everything in its power to get rid of that which is making it sick. It is only natural because your body desires to be healthy. Part of this indescribable joy typically involves the process of throwing up the goo that is making you sick. You see, you have eaten something that you should not have and your body wants it gone! Sometimes this process is quick, other times not so quick. Still the end goal is the same. The body wants to get rid of that which should not be in your system.

By the way, you should know that you will probably be doing a whole lot of "nothing" while you are recovering. Why? Because, you've been emptied out! You're weak and it takes time for you to be able to accept anything, even the good stuff you need to be strong again. Yes good food is good for you, but unfortunately it takes time for your body to be able handle it. You have to start very slowly with the good. Go to fast and you'll be hugging the porcelain once again!

The "good" news is that soon, you'll be back on your feet, busy as a bee!

Looking back on my own bouts of stomach sickness throughout the years, I can safely say that one of my least favorite parts (other than puking of course) was the terrible boredom of being too weak to have fun. Sure, I'd have loved to have been up and moving, but unfortunately I just didn't have the strength. I had to wait for my strength to return, and that can be a pain.

(Now, back to "nothingness")

In much the same way, it would seem that over the past many years, I have taken in some unhealthy spiritual "goo" that was having a very negative effect on my heart. As a matter of fact, it left me with a very cold, hard heart. Cold and hard is great if you're a "popsicle", but not so much for the human heart. So, in His kindness the Lord brought me to the place of "nothingness". It is in this place of inactivity that God has given me time to vomit up all the crud that has kept me feeling icky for so long. And of course, it is here He will keep me till all the "goo" is out of my system and I am once again able to take in "good food".

You see, just like stomach sickness, heart sickness leaves you weak and messed up. The good news is that God loves us and wants to make us whole. The bad news is we generally don't always enjoy His methods or His time table!

Regardless, out of love the Holy Spirit begins the process of healing us of all the unhealthy junk that's keeping us sick. Sometimes the process is quick, other times…not so quick.

For me, it has been 18 months and counting. Yet even so, I am glad. Better to be here than to spend additional years playing my sad game of pretending I was okay when truly I was not.

So with that, let me end this by sharing the following: If you also have been dropped off in the wonderful (sarcasm) place of "nothingness", fear not. Not only is it part of God's plan for the healing of your poor ole gummed up heart, but you might even find (someday) that it was the very place you found out what it means to be…..His.

Things That Make You Go "hmmmm"

In chapter 5 of the book of Mark, we read about Jesus and his encounter with a demon possessed man. According to the text, Jesus delivers the man from a horde of "nasties", yet refuses to allow this now sane person to follow him.

Go over to chapter 10 of that same book and you'll find the story of Jesus and the rich man. After sharing his commitment to all the commandments, Jesus challenges this fellow to sale all his possessions and then come and follow him.

My question is this: Why did Jesus encourage one to follow him and discourage the other?

What was the determining factor in the mind of our Lord? Obviously one had nothing to lose, but everything to gain. The other seemingly had plenty to lose with the added bonus of an unknown future. One was desperately thankful, the other just despaired. One had his eyes set firmly on Jesus while the other couldn't take them off his stuff.

So, what was it? What was it that prompted our Lord to invite one to join him, yet refuse the other's request?

Got a comment? Leave a comment.

I...am here

This is from an online devotional I have received for many years now. I read the title and immediately thought, "yep, this one's for me!" I found it to be very encouraging, so I'm posting it with the hope that someone else out there might find it helpful.


The Place of Nothingness
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
05-25-2011

"Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) .

Do you find yourself in a place of nothingness? There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of isolation and waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities - simply inactivity.

During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us. It is a place of nothingness designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven workplace believer. Our nature cries out, "You must do something" while God is saying, "Be still and know that I am God." You know the signs that you have been brought into this place when He has removed many things from your life and you can't seem to change anything. Perhaps you are unemployed. Perhaps you are laid up with an illness.

Many people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen. But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot see what God is doing. They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others.

Has God brought you to a place of nothingness? Be still and know that He really is God. When this happens, your nothingness will be turned into something you will value for the rest of your life.

Rob Bell: To Hell, or Not To Hell...That is the Question.

The other day, I viewed a video trailer for Rob Bell’s new book; “Love Wins” (see the trailer at the bottom of this post). In the video, Rob shares with the viewer his struggle with the idea that a loving God would actually “send people to hell for all eternity?” In the book, he suggests that a God who would allow people to go to hell is not a great God. "Love Wins" is his attempt to set the story straight about Heaven, Hell, and man's eternal destination. Unfortunately, while Rob's take on God and Hell may cause many folks to breathe a sigh of relief, it presents a doctrine that not only blurs the lines of biblical truth, but erases them completely. So, with all the “hoopla” going on over this controversial book, I want to share an earlier blog entry of mine in which I try to shed some light on God, his view of sin, and why some people will indeed have to enter this terrible place known as Hell. Here's the post.

Before I begin let me make it clear that I realize I’m certainly no theologian, nor do I care to be. I may not have a “Dr.” decorating the front of my name plate, but amazingly…..I can read the bible for myself! God has given us His Holy Spirit to “bring us into all truth” and that’s good enough for me. I realize that the following post is most likely riddled with gaping holes, but I do feel it is a good opening to what can be a very complex issue. So, if you dare, read on! Hopefully, you will find it of some benefit! The following is an excerpt from an article written by Dr. John H. Gerstner entitled “Does God Love the Sinner and Hate Only His Sin?” “Repent or Perish” forces people to ponder seriously the popular slogan, “God hates the sin and loves the sinner.” Is a necessary repentance consistent with “God loves the sinner?” If God loves the sinner while he is alive, it is strange that God sends him to hell as soon as he dies. God loves the sinner to death? Loves him to everlasting torment? There is something wrong here. Either God loves the sinner and will not send him into the furnace of His eternal wrath; or He sends him into His eternal wrath and does not love him. Either “you are going to hell unless” because God hates you, as you are. Or, God loves you and “you are going to hell unless” is false. Dr. Gerstner goes on to say, “God has no complacent love for the sinner at all. He has a perfect hatred of him”. If what the good doctor says is indeed true, it would seem we would need to blot John 3:16 from the scriptures. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” The word clearly states that God “so loved the world”. Notice it does not say He “so loved the nice people”, or “the religious people”, or even “the God fearing people”. No, it says “the world”. A world chock full of mean, ugly, selfish, sin ridden people. A world that for the most part, didn’t give nor does it now give a rip about God or His son. Yet even so, our gracious God sent His most precious gift to “the world” to save it. Why? Because He “so loved” it. If God truly “hates” people, then why not just do away with us? Don’t send your son. Send a few angels down and torch the place! Why waste your time trying to save what you hate? Yet, we know that is not the case. God loves people, all people. We also know that it doesn’t take a genius to see that the whole “God hates you and wants to smash your dirty sinner face” is just not biblical. All one needs to do is look to Jesus and his treatment of “the lost”. Jesus said, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father”. I’m going to offer an analogy that is far from perfect, but might possibly help to put this whole idea of God’s punishment of sin into perspective. As I understand, American policy dictates that when planes are hijacked with the intent to use them as a weapon of destruction, the president will call upon fighter jets to take the planes down. Such was the case during the 911 tragedy. After coming to grips with the enormity of the situation, President Bush knew he had to act to ensure the safety of innocent civilians. This was certainly no easy decision to make. Yes, these hijacked planes had to be stopped, but what about the innocent people on board the planes? To destroy the plane was certainly a decision to end the lives of many passengers. Unfortunately, the people could not be separated from the plane. The destiny of the plane and the people where inseparably intertwined. Though the president was terribly grieved at having to make such a decision, he knew the plane could not be allowed to continue on possibly endangering even more innocent people. By the way, in the case of the 911 tragedy, the jets were spared their morbid duty due to some very heroic civilians on the plane. As I said, it is a flawed analogy, but it does possibly provide a glimpse of the dilemma faced by God.in dealing with our sin problem. How? Let me explain. As you already know, you and I are born sinners. No fun, but it’s reality. Unfortunately, this goes far beyond just our thoughts and actions. Sin is literally a part of the very fabric of our being even down to the very DNA that is the blueprint of who we are. Trying to separate us from sin would be like trying to separate light from the sun. Humanly, it is an impossible task. Again, sin isn’t just something we do or think, but rather it is an integral part of who and what we are. In short, it is a part of every part of our being, and it’s not easily dealt with. As a matter of fact, nothing short of a miracle could ever do the job. Now we all know the bible teaches us that God hates sin. That is clearly seen throughout the scriptures. Yet, we also see how much He loves mankind. So much in fact, that He indeed sent His only son to free us from sin and its power over our lives. Receiving pardon for one’s sin is a gift. The bible tells us to call on the name of the Lord that we might be saved. I’m not going to get into a huge discussion here on how that whole process takes place due to the various thoughts on the subject. Still, I think most would have to agree that if you want to be saved, you can be, but it is only through Jesus that sin can be forgiven and its power broken. The flip side of that is the fact that you are free to refuse God’s free gift of forgiveness and salvation. I know you’ve probably seen or heard the saying “Know Jesus. Know peace. No Jesus. No peace”. This is true, but may I add to that line of thinking, “No Jesus. No forgiveness, salvation, or separation from sin. “Know Jesus. Know forgiveness, salvation, and separation from sin!” As I stated earlier, the problem of sin can only be rectified through a miracle. The good news is that God has provided that miracle through the great sacrifice of His only begotten son. A decision to refuse that gift is a decision to keep one’s sin and experience the full wrath of God against sin. You see, God has made it clear “No sin shall enter in to Heaven”. Yet, if a person refuses God’s cure for sin (Jesus), that person’s fate is intertwined with that of sin. Sin will be done away with and unfortunately we are one with sin. Are you starting to see the problem? Just like the president could do nothing to separate those passengers from the hijacked plane, so also God can do nothing to separate a person from sin if he or she does not desire to be seperated. The result: death, judgment, and eternal damnation. Why? Is it that God hates these people? Of course not! We know he loves people. The bible says He himself knit us together in our mother’s womb. But, sin must be dealt with and as long as a person is inseparably intertwined with sin, he or she will face the same fate as the sin that clings to their being. God wants “all” to be saved, but he has given us a freedom to choose or refuse His love, grace, and provision. Bottom line: God hates sin and must deal with it, but unfortunately that same fate will include the souls of all that refuse to be separated from their sins. With that said, there is one thought that has always troubled me. It is the idea that a person is doomed to an eternity in Hell. Not just 10, 100, or even 1,000 years, but eternity. For years I have considered the punishment to far exceed the crime. I mean can’t God just at some point say “okay, they get it!” It just seems that “eternal” punishment seems a bit much for 100 years or less of sin. Why would a loving God deem it necessary to leave these souls in such a place “forever”? Again, we have to understand the nature of sin in mankind. Remember, sin isn’t just an act, thought, or a series of bad decisions. It is a part of every part of our being. Once a person enters eternity, the window of opportunity to receive pardon from God through Jesus is shut forever. Is it that God gives up and washes His hands of these “dirty sinners”? No! Unfortunately, these souls have moved beyond their ability to receive pardon. I will offer a very inadequate illustration, but it may help. If a person is diagnosed with a disease, it is important to act quickly and seek out treatment for the disease as soon as possible. Most doctors would agree that in most cases “catching” a disease early in its progression is usually very beneficial in terms of experiencing a full recovery. Such is the case with many types of cancer. To ignore the disease and pretend it’s not there is to doom oneself to a sure death. At some point in the disease process, you will pass the point of no return. It is at this point that no amount of medicine can help. The disease has taken over and the cure is without benefit to the patient. When a person enters eternity, they pass the point of no return. They have entered a realm where sin cannot be “cured”. If “no sin” can enter into Heaven, a person is left with only one destination to spend eternity. That of course being Hell. Sin is of this world and its cure must also be received in this world. That’s why Jesus entered this life as a man and was sacrificed in this life as a man. Sin had to be dealt with in “this life” because it is “this life” in which sin came into being due to man’s rebellion. It is a product of those who dwell in this world and can only be “cured” while in this world. So, does God have a mean streak and seek revenge against those who refuse Him? Not at all, rather He mourns the loss of even one soul to Hell. He has done all He can possibly do to separate the human soul from sin. It is left to us to receive or refuse His cure for sin through His son Jesus. Again, you can check out the video just below this post. If you have trouble, just check it out on "You Tube".