When You Don't Have The Real Thing, You Have To Fake It!

This past weekend I traveled over 2,500 miles in just over 74 hours to and from Milwaukee, WI. But it was a true joy to perform the marriage ceremony of one of our alumnus from Hamilton Heights Christian Academy. It was great being with Doug and Chelsey and their families.

However, since I was gone this past Sunday, I did not preach. And since these posts are composed of snippets from the previous Sunday's sermon, I don't have a sermon to snip! So I thought I would use a sermon that I shared during our summer Sunday evening "Heart of Worship" campaign.

The mere mention of Solomon’s name brings incredible pictures to our mind. He was wise, rich, honored, the builder of the temple. 1 Kings 10:14-15 tells us that “The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents (23 metric tons, 2.2 billion dollars at today's market price) , not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land. King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of gold went into each shield.”

Solomon's gold weighted 666 talents, the equivalent of 23 metric tons of gold. And that didn’t include even include revenue from Arabian merchants, traders, kings, & governors.

Verse 15 tells us that King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of gold on each large shield.  This would mean that each shield would have been made with about 7 1/2 pounds of gold. At today’s price, that would be almost $180,000 per shield.  These shields represented splendor, blessings, and a heart turned toward God (or as David is described in another passage...a man after God's own heart).

But only five years after the death of Solomon, another King, Rehoboam, took over. Only four chapters after the description of Solomon's gold and his golden shields, we read in 1 Kings 14:25-27:  “In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.”

Rehoboam was described as an evil king, one who did not follow the commands of the Lord and one who led the people of Israel into idolatry. In the fifth year of his reign, the king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and robbed the beautiful Temple of God of its treasures and riches. Included in the plunder were the 200 golden shields that Solomon had made. 

So what do you do when you don't have the real thing, but you don't want anyone to know you don't have the real thing? You fake it! 

Rehoboam made shields of brass (copper/bronze) to replace the gold ones, & gave them to his commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance of the royal palace. You see, the thing about brass is, if you work at it long enough, if you polish it hard enought, you can make it look like gold. You can pretend it is the real thing.

Shields of brass for shields of gold. This was the last recorded event in the pitiful reign of Rehoboam. At today’s prices, those shield would cost about $33.00 each. 

From $180,000.00 to $33.00. 

From gold to brass. 

From magnificent to ordinary.

From splendid to mundane.

From extraordinary to routine.

From glorious to boring.

What happened? When you don't have the real thing, you have to fake it! But the deal is, brass will never be the same as gold.

And our rituals, routines, and traditions will never take the place of a heart of worship. Could it be that the reason why so many worship services are...to put it bluntly, boring, is because we have become busy polishing the brass instead of taking care of the gold? We have exchanged the splendor of worship for the mundaneness of ritual. We have reduced the magnificent to the ordinary. My prayer each day recently has been, "God help me not to fake it. Help me to not go through the motions. Help me to have a heart of true worship."

Tell Your Story

While speaking in London, evangelist D. L. Moody was approached by a British companion who wanted to know the secret of Moody’s success in leading people to Christ. Moody directed the man to his hotel window and asked, "What do you see?" The man looked down on the square and reported a view of crowded streets. Moody suggested he look again. This time the man mentioned seeing people - men, women, and children. Moody then directed him to look a third time, and the man became frustrated that he was not seeing what Moody wanted him to see. The great evangelist came to the window with watery eyes and said, "I see people going to hell without Jesus. Until you see people like that, you will not lead them to Christ."

For those who experienced the first wave of Pentecost, the experience placed within them a burning zeal to share what God had done in their lives. After all, that is what Jesus said the baptism of the Spirit would do (Acts 1:8).  When they were chastised by the Jewish ruling body and told to quit telling others about this Christ, they said in Acts 4:20, “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." 


Here's the deal...when you have seen, heard, and been touched by the Spirit of God, you can't help but tell it! I know for myself, when it has been a long time since I have experienced His powerful presence in my life, I have very little to tell. When I have become stale in my relationship, there is no compelling passion to tell others about what He has done. But when I am fresh, and have experienced the grace of God abundantly in my life, I am a living example of an old Southern Gospel hymn, "Well, I said I wouldn't tell it to a living soul, How He brought salvation and He made me whole; But I find I couldn't hide such love as Jesus did impart. 'Cause it makes me laugh and it makes me cry, sets my happy soul on fire; When God dipped His love in my heart."

John said, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.... We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us." (1 John 1:1, 3)


Cliff Schimmels once spoke at our church. He challenged us to share our faith. Over and over, he kept saying to us, "Tell your story". After all, isn't that what evangelism is all about...telling your story? Which is really His story!

What If We Took Personal Responsibility?

Personal responsibility...it can be applied to many arenas of our culture and, in my opinion, could vastly improve the quality of our culture. Just think how our world would change if everyone took personal responsibility for their finances, their choices, their actions, and their success. Do you think it would make  a difference?

Now let's talk about personal responsibility when it comes to evangelism. Do you think it would make a difference in the kingdom of God if each of us took personal responsibility to reach our world? Not our world in general (everyone on the planet), but our world in particular (the particular place we find ourselves at any particular moment).

Sure, there are certain believers who are endowed with the gift of evangelism. And you and I may not have that particular gift. But that does not exempt each of us from taking personal responsibility for those around us. God has given us the tremendous opportunity to reach those around us with the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, 20:  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 


Going doesn't necessarily mean a planned, organized, thought-out system of outreach (though it certainly can include it). But it absolutely means that as you are going through your daily life, on your job, at your school, in your neighborhood...make disciples. Acts 5:42 demonstrates the way the early church shared their faith, “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they [the apostles] never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” As we live our lives day to day, we have opportunities every day to proclaim the good news that Jesus is the Christ! I find myself praying every morning, "God, help me, as I go through my day, to proclaim Your good news to someone...with my choices, with my actions, with my attitudes, and with my witness."


In the filming of Ben Hur,  Charleston Heston was having difficulty learning how to drive the chariot for what would become one of the most famous scenes in the movie, the chariot race. It is reported that after an intense time of practice and hard work, Heston went to the director of the play, Cecil B. DeMille, and said, “I think I can drive the chariot, but I’m not sure I can win the race.” DeMille reportedly replied, “You just stay in the race, I’ll make sure you win.”

When it comes to evangelism, that is all that God asks of us...stay in the race. Trust Him for the results.

The Right Message

A survey by the Barna Research Group in 2009 revealed that nearly one-half of the self-defined Christians in the United States believe that “the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual truths” (Barna Group, April 10, 2009). In a pluralistic, syncretic society, in can seem narrow-minded to say the path to a restored relationship with God can only be obtained through Jesus Christ.

While it may be considered narrow-minded, the Bible is very clear about this truth. Acts 4:12 states, when referring to Jesus: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”  Jesus Himself said in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 


While we are focusing on our responsibility to share the Good News of God's amazing grace, the message we must always share is this “...if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).   The jailor asked Paul and Silas in Acts 30:31, 32: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 


So, before we look at the means and the motivation of our evangelistic efforts, let's be certain that we have the message right...Jesus is the way. In the old days, we used to sing it this way...“Jesus is the answer for the world today, Jesus is the way!” 

The way to redemption is not in my opinions or beliefs...it is in Jesus Christ! It is not in my particular church's dogmas or traditions...it is in Jesus Christ! It is not by my good works or goodness...it is in Jesus Christ! Thank God for Jesus!!!

Drowned...Surrounded by Lifeguards

Jesus Christ went to the cross to pay for our sins...that's good news! He was placed in the grave, but on the third day, He arose...that's good news! He is, at this very moment, praying for you and me and the experiences of our lives...that's good news!

And like Paul Harvey used to say, "You know the news...in a minute you're going to hear the rest of the story!" The news is really good, but here's the question everyone one of us must answer, "What are you going to do with the good news." Rick Warren, in his book, The Purpose Drive Church, says this, "The starting point for every church should be the question, 'Why do we exist?'"Answering that question helps us answer the other question.

The August 2, 1985, edition of the New York Times, carried an article that described a celebration that took place in the city of New Orleans. The party took place at one of their municipal pools. The party was to celebrate that, for the first summer in memory, there had not been any drownings that year in their municipal pools. In honor of the occasion, about 100 lifeguards and their guests celebrated the great accomplishment. As the party began to break up, the four lifeguards on duty began to clear the pool. They noticed a fully dressed body in the deep end. Thirty-one year-old, Jerome Moody, drowned that day...surrounded by lifeguards.

What a tragedy. But how many people, who desperately need to experience the love of God in their lives, are surrounded by believers. What are we going to do with the good news? Share it!

The book of Acts is referred to as the "Acts of the Apostles" or the "Acts of the Holy Spirt". But a careful reading of the book of Acts will verify that it is actually the "Acts of Witnessing". Throughout the 28 chapters, over and over again, the early followers of Jesus consistently shared the love of Jesus as they went throughout their daily lives "in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth "(Acts 1:8). May we model their lives as we go through our lives as well.

As You Are Going...

Most of us will not be called to go oversees to share the gospel with people in faraway lands. But that does not mean we are not on a mission field. Just as the missionary is called to their field of service, you are called to yours. And yours is...right where you are right now.

Where ever you find yourself right now it's the same as every other mission field...some people know Jesus, some people don't. And the advantage most of us have over those we normally call missionaries is that we already know the language and the culture. And more times than not, we already know the people we are called to reach.

The first part of the Great Commission says this, “Go therefore and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). The phrase go therefore could literally be translated as you are going. In other words, as you are going about your daily lives, going to your work, going to your school, going to your recreational activities, where ever you are going, go, and make disciples. In fact, The Message actually reads this way, “Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life..."


So let me challenge each of us, as we are going through the events of our lives, let's be sensitive to the needs of others around us. Let me encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to help you to be watching for opportunities to share God's great love to those you meet everyday in your daily activities. I am convinced the issue is not that we don't have opportunities to share God's love. I also believe most of want to share God's love with others. I think that, for many us, the problem is, we simply don't recognize the opportunities we have every day. May His Spirit open my eyes to see the opportunities I have everyday to make an eternal difference in someone's life.

Why We Should Be Concerned About People

It seems as though most American Christians are not really concerned about reaching those who are outside God's family. I know we all say we are, but my observation is that when we have church members who have gone decades without leading someone to Christ, we are really not that concerned. When I can go months without sharing the good news of Jesus' love to someone who needs, I am not really that concerned.  Somehow, that has to change!

I believe there are at least three reasons why we should be concerned about evangelism. First, of all, God (who we love with an unwavering devotion) loves people (with an unwavering devotion). “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9) If people are important to God, they must be important to us! God doesn't want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to come to repentance. God loves people and wants to see everyone saved. That’s the good news! He loves your neighbors, your family, and your friends. He loves your enemies and He loves those you don't know. God loves people!

Secondly, Jesus commanded us to reach out to others. "Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.” (Luke 14:23) I'm not exactly sure how we make them come in, but He wants His house to be full. The Great Commission is not a suggestion, it is a commandment. In fact, when we fail to go out and compel them to come to His love, we are failing His command (in other words, we are sinning).

Finally, it is God's will for us to reach others.  God has a vision. God intends His church to grow. He has a plan, a strategy for church growth. Here it is again: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) God intends for His people to be involved in evangelism. How large will His church grow? God alone knows...our job is to tell people about the love of Jesus.

Evangelism Is What We Do

Pastor Tom Shepard remarks that purple martins fly from South America to North America every year. They spend the summer here in North America and fly back South before winter hits. They have been doing this for centuries. They come north for one reason...to build a family. They fly thousands of miles each year to ensure the health and growth of the family unit. To the martins, the health and growth of the next generation is a matter of life or death of the species.

I believe that is why Jesus gave the Great Commission to us: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) I personally believe that the Great Commission is a matter of life and death.

My vision for the Hickory Valley Community Church is for us to provide an environment where every one, no matter where they are on the spiritual continuum, from atheist, to seeker, to mature Christian, can grow in their relationship with God. Secondly, I hope that we can provide an environment where people can grow through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, Bible study, and fellowship. Finally, I hope that we can provide an environment that will enable people to use their giftedness, abilities, and talents to impact the world around them; to be able to impart eternal significance into the lives of others. Like the martins, I believe the health and development of the next spiritual generation is so important, we should be willing to risk everything in order to perpetuate our species.

This past Sunday, we focused on the importance on outreach. I read a sermon by a minister where he gave the following statistics (while I cannot verify the validity of his statistics, I think it is pretty obvious in most American churches his statistics are pretty accurate). He indicated that 89% of American church members said that the number one purpose of the church is to “take care of my needs and those of my family.” Only 11% said, “The purpose of the church is to win the world for Jesus Christ.”

Jesus Himself gave us the Great Commission as a command for us to be intentional in developing relationships with people so that we can introduce them to Him. If our local church is going to survive, we must help people understand the grace that is offered them through Jesus Christ. Here's what I firmly believe. Hickory Valley is not vitally important to the survival of the Kingdom of God or the Church of God. We have a tremendous opportunity to participate in the growth of His Kingdom and His Church. But if we don't participate, His Kingdom and His Church will grow! However, we will die. The options are very simple. We can either enjoy the thrill of participating in His ever-expanding Kingdom or we can be self-centered and self-focused...and die. Not a very hard decision if you ask me!

I am attaching a short, two-minute video that I showed Sunday morning to challenge our thinking about discipleship. I would love to hear what you think as you watch the video.

What If "Left Behind" Is Wrong???

I don't want to sound critical or come across as being judgmental, but I think this is a really important question to ask when it comes to a question about the rapture is, "What if 'Left Behind' has it wrong?" I don't mean about the rapture. I'm talking about the portrayal of thousands of Gentile non-believers accepting Christ after the rapture.

Let me re-interate. I am not a prophecy expert, nor have I spend a lot of my time studying and exploring the end times. So I am not saying the portrayal is wrong. In fact, I will confess, I enjoyed reading the novels and have watched most of the videos. I'm just asking "What if it is wrong?"

Let's look at three different reasons to ask the question. First of all, whether you believe the rapture takes place in Revelation 4:1 or Revelation 7, three times after either of those verses, John, when talking about the people who are left behind, says, "they repented not" (Revelation 9:20; Revelation 16:9; Revelation 16:11). There can be no salvation without repentance.


Secondly, when talking about the tribulation period, Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:7: “For the secret power of lawlessness [the rebelliousness of the Anti-Christ] is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.” Most of my readings indicate that "the one who now holds it back" refers to presence of the Spirit of God working in the world today. But during the Tribulation Period, the Spirit of God will no longer restrain the evil of the enemy, so that it appears God's Spirit is "taken out of the way".  There can be no salvation without Holy Spirit conviction.


Finally, Jesus Himself, in His analogy of the end times refers to the days of Noah and the days of Lot. In Luke 17:26-29, He said, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.”  After Noah entered the ark, and after Lot left Sodom (both representative of the saints leaving the world through the rapture), no one else was saved. Everyone, except those who entered the ark were lost. Everyone in Sodom, except those who left with Lot, was lost. There can be no salvation once the door of opportunity is closed.


So again, I ask the question, "What if 'Left Behind' is wrong?" Wouldn't it be better to make sure you are ready when He comes? That is the message of hope that Christ offers to each of us. We can be ready!

Signs of the Times and the Six Seals

I actually believe that Christians agree on most things in the Bible. I don't have any proof and have certainly not done the research, but my guess is the percentage of things we disagree about would be in the single digits. So today, I want to explore one of the areas where we disagree. While most of us agree that there will be a rapture, we disagree as to the timing. Most Christians who believe in a rapture fall into one of three categories: 1) Pre-Tribulationalists (the belief that Jesus will come at the beginning of the seven-year period of turmoil on earth); 2) Mid-Tribulationalists (half-way through the seven-year tribulation period); 3) and the Post-Tribulationalists (after the seven-year period of turmoil on earth). The Pre-, Mid-, and Post- (nobody ever said we were the most creative when it comes to labels).

The rapture is best described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 where Paul said, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

Read Matthew 24:30, 31, and notice the similarities: At that time (THEN IN THE KJV) the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Now read Matthew 24:21: “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.”

A careful reading of Matthew 24 reveals that Jesus used chronological words as he progressed through the events we commonly refer to as the signs of the times. As you read the passage, notice Jesus' use of the words then, when, immediately after, and at that time. It is as if he went to great lengths to show that the events of Matthew 24 are sequential. So the events of Matthew 24:21 occur before the events of Matthew 24:30, 31.

Why is that important? I believe it helps us understand the timing of the rapture in relationship to the seven-year period know as the Great Tribulation. In Revelations, the pre-tribulationalists believe the rapture occurs in Revelation 4:1: “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Then they believe there is a group in Revelation 7 who represent those who are left behind, but become followers of Jesus after the rapture.

I personally believe it is a real stretch to compare John’s call to “come up here" as being the rapture of all the saints, both living and dead, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

A comparison of the opening of the six seals in Revelation 6 with the Matthew 24 signs of the times will help us understand why I believe Revelation 4:1 is not the rapture. To save time and space, I am just going to give the Scriptural references and and you can study them on your own.

1st Seal (Revelation 6:2): a rider went forth conquering, a description of One who will conquer or rule the world. While this is not specifically mentioned in Matthew 24, verse 5 does talk about deception and in 2 Timothy talks about the anti-Christ ruling the world through deception.

2nd Seal (Revelation 6:4): a rider went forth causing war. Matthew 24:6

3rd and 4th Seal (Revelation 6:6-8): Pestilence and famine. Matthew 24:7b

5th seal (Revelation 6:9-11): Persecution. Matthew 24:9, 10

6th Seal (Revelation 6:12-17): Heavenly Wonders. Matthew 24:29, 30

Then the 7th Seal is opened in Revelation 8:1-5, which appears to mark a shift in the turmoil of the Great Tribulations from natural or man-made phenomenons to the supernatural turmoil of the wrath of God. However, between the shift, Revelation 7:14 describes an important event: "Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Much like the descriptions of the rapture in Matthew 24:31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17, Revelation 7:14 describes those who have come out of the great tribulation. If the events of Revelation 6 and 7 are chronological, then it appears that the saints of God are still here for the opening of the first six seals. The opening of the sixth seal marks the coming of the Son of Man, Revelation 7 describes those who have come out of Great Tribulation, and is before the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8 where God's wrath is poured out on those who rejected Christ.

Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (KJV): "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ..." If we could consider the 1st part of the seven year period as the Tribulation time and the 2nd part as the Wrath of God, Paul says that we are not appointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation.

Why is this important? If the rapture occurs in Revelation 7, there is no indication after Revelation 7 that anyone else would repent and be saved. This is important groundwork for a question I want us to explore in my next blog? What if the Pre-Tribulationalists are wrong? What if no one can be saved after the rapture?

What If This Would Be The Day...

It has been an extremely busy week as I have been working with the faculty of Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in preparation for the first day of school tomorrow. We are really excited about the upcoming year. We have a great group of kids from the greater Chattanooga area who will be attending our high school, along with 12 international students from Venezuela, Brazil, South Korea, Serbia, and Lithuania. I am so grateful for the opportunity God has given me to work with our faculty, the families, and these students. To think that He gives me the opportunity to interact with 60 teenagers every weekday of the school year...that is an amazing blessing. They keep me young! But I am behind on my posts because of the preparations for school's first day.

This past week, we completed our sermon series entitled Looking At Eternity. I will have to say, it has been one of the most talked about sermon series I have ever preached. I have received more comments and questions about this series than any series I have every preached. This week's sermon was entitled What If This Would Be The Day... Like the sermon on Hell, the rapture is a subject that I have very seldom shared. For those of you who don't know me, I tend to be more of a practical living preacher than an apologetical preacher, so this was a tough series for me because it stretched my preparation and studies.

A few years ago, I was watching a pastor on television. I have great respect for the minister and usually enjoy his ministry. But the sermon to his congregation that day was really interesting. I can't remember the exact title of the sermon, but it was something like What To Do If You Miss The Rapture. I thought that was an interesting subject for a pastor to preach to his church members, but what was really fascinating to me was there were many, many people in the congregation taking notes as the pastor shared things like "hide your Bible", "move to the country", and "save drinking water for the Tribulation Period". I remember thinking, that is one sermon in which I would not be taking notes.

Why? I don't plan on being here! I have strong confidence that the God of great grace provides us with strong assurance of our redemption. Peter encourages us to "make our calling and election sure..." (2 Peter 1:10), while Paul asserts "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." (2 Timothy 1:12)

It is my conviction that we do not have to "wonder" about our relationship with God. Not because of our perfection or obedience, but because of His great grace in our lives. I believe we can know beyond all doubt that we are ready if this would be the day.... And I pray that you are just as secure in your relationship with Him as well! Because one day it will be the day!

An Absence of God's Presence

As I conclude writing about this subject for the week, I have to say, this topic has created a lot of stimulating dialogue for me from a variety of sources, from Facebook posts, e-mails, and even phone calls. I have had different discussions from some amazing people who have stimulated some exciting dialogue for me. For that I am thankful. I think it is always healthy to have open and honest dialogue on any Biblical subject, and rather than becoming defensive and argumentative, I feel it provides me with new opportunities to explore and examine my own beliefs and worldview.

As I conclude my writings this week on the topic of hell,  I want to spend a few moments discussing what I feel will be the greatest tragedy for those who reject Christ's offer of life eternal. While most people zero in on the "lake of fire", "wailing and gnashing of teeth", etc. I will freely admit, I can't wrap my brain around those concepts. I really do understand the struggle that people have with the idea of a loving God allowing someone to experience that for eternity. Not that I'm saying those things are not real...they are just so beyond my comprehension.

For me, those things are not the major torment of hell anyway. For me, the fiercest flame of hell will be the the absence of the goodness of God's presence.

The greatest gift that Jesus offers all of us is reconciliation to God, not through our works or our personal righteousness, but through the amazing grace that He offers. Even before we accept His gift of grace, God's tremendous, all-encompassing presence provides a compelling source of comfort, peace, and love in our lives.

But imagine an absence of God's goodness! For me, that's hell...whether in this life, the afterlife, or no life (How's that for covering the differing views of eternity?). I never want to be at a place where I am not able to experience the Source of everything good, the One whose persona is pure love, pure mercy, pure justice, and pure holiness. How do you describe One whose glory is so beyond our comprehension? But more importantly, can we truly appreciate His presence in our lives each day? To be void of His presence...you know what that is!

Three Things Jesus Taught About Our Eternal Destination

Someone asked me yesterday why I preached on the subject of hell this past Sunday and why I was writing about it in my blog. Did I expect to have a church filled with people who were not followers of Jesus? No, like most Sundays at Hickory Valley Community Church, the vast majority of people who were listening to me were already believers in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Did several people accept Christ that morning as a result of the sermon? Again, no.

The purpose of my addressing this subject was the fact that I personally believe that far too many of us are complacent about the fact that the Bible has some very strong things to say about who will spend eternity in hell.

First of all, the Bible says that while some people will chose to go to heaven because of their acceptance of Christ; others will chose to spend eternity separated from God because of their rejection of Christ. Revelation 20:15 clearly says, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” This doesn't mean those who go to heaven are better people or are more loved by God...they are saved!

Secondly, Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 that more people will go to hell that will go to heaven. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”


 And finally, Jesus warned in Matthew 7:21-23, that many who think they are going to heaven, aren't going to make it. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” The implication is clear. Our confession of faith must have an impact on our lifestyle. Evildoers will be turned away, regardless of the things they did or said in the name of Jesus.

And so, as I prepared for this sermon on the subject of hell, my hopes and prayers were that I could somehow, challenge and inspire us to be more responsible to share with people the truth that God has provided a way for us to spend eternity with Him with, not separated from Him.

Is Hell Real?

According to the Pew Forum’s U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, 41% of Americans do not believe in the existence of hell, and 30% of mainline Christians do not believe in hell.

Jesus said in Luke 16:10-21: "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores." He begins this story by saying, “There was a rich man....at his gate was a beggar named Lazarus.” I personally do not believe that the account of the rich man and Lazarus is a parable like other stories Jesus told. In this story, Jesus said, “There was a rich man”  and he named the beggar by name...Lazarus. In no other parable did Jesus use the actual name of an individual. When Jesus said, “There was a beggar named Lazarus...”, perhaps some of the people in the crowd turned to one another and said, “Yeah, I remember him...”

To deny the existence of hell means that you have to deny the preaching of Jesus. Jesus spoke of hell almost three times more than he spoke of heaven. To deny the existence of hell forces us to question why Jesus came to the earth. He came to die on a cross. Why? To save lost man from his sins and the consequences of those sins.

I agree with Francis Chan, who says in the promo for his upcoming book Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity and the Things We Make Up, "We can't afford to be wrong on this issue...So when we begin with an argument with, ‘I wouldn’t believe in a God who would …’ Who would what? Do something that you wouldn’t do? Or think in a way that is different than the way you think? Do you ever even consider the possibility that maybe the Creator’s sense of justice is actually more developed than yours? And that maybe His love and His mercy are perfect. And that you could be the one that is flawed?”

So what if hell is real? As Christians, we must somehow renew our passion to warn people of the impending consequences that await them if they reject a true relationship with Jesus Christ.

From The Edge of the Chasm

It was a foggy, raining morning on May 9, 1980. A span of the  Sunshine Bridge over Tampa Bay collapsed after being hit by the freighter Summit Venture. Thirty-five people, including 26 who died when the Greyhound bus they were riding in toppled into the bay 150 feet below. Richard Hornbuckle was driving his car and saw the open span. He was able to slide to a stop 14 inches from topping over into the waters. Can you imagine the horror he, and his three passengers, must have experienced as they realized that other cars would plummet into the chasm and no warnings he could give would prevent the tragedy.

This week, as we continue Looking at Eternity, we explored the subject of hell. It is been a much debated topic recently with the release of Pastor Rob Bell's book Love Wins. Bell explores the question, "Is God too loving and gracious to allow people to go to hell?" While Bell doesn't necessarily expressly state the doctrine of Universalism (the belief that all individuals will ultimately be reconciled to God; therefore everyone will go to heaven), he does raise the strong possibility of its truth. 

As we explored the concept of hell in our study this Sunday, I tried to answer three questions: 1) What did Jesus have to say about hell; 2) Who will go to hell; and, 3) what will the consequences of eternity in hell mean. 

It is my hope that as we explore the concept of hell; it will stir our hearts to lead people to the Christ who will free them from a future in hell.