Snatched From The Fire

Awaking the sleeping. Rescuing the lost.

  • Be Fearful when you Speak

    Be Fearful when you Speak

    As I sit here after my morning Bible reading and prayer, I felt the need to write something. The problem is that I have no clear path, no direction from the Holy Spirit, no overwhelming subject to address (no, not even with a war going on in Iran).

    What did come to mind was the title. It is addressed to myself as much as my readers. You see, the secular person is free to speak what he wants and when he wants (as is obvious when we hear comments from politicians, entertainers, talk show hosts, etc.). The Christian, however, understands that he will be held accountable for every word that he utters. Yes, one fine day, shortly after departing this temporary body, I will receive the pleasure of reviewing every single word that ever fell off my tongue. I assure you, this is not something I look forward to.

    That is why, as we mature in our faith, we tend to talk less. Less talk, less frivolous comments. Problem solved.

    Oh, but wait…

    We are also commanded to share the truth in Jesus Christ. We are called to defend our faith with love and respect for our listener. This involves words.

    Let me tell you, these are the scariest words that I speak and write. When confronted with a non-believer or a Christian who has backslidden or fallen into doubt, I know that my words may be the difference between salvation and judgment.

    Okay, what I should say is that “I think” that my words may be the difference between salvation and judgement. I give myself way too much credit when I believe that I have the ability to pluck someone from the flames of hell or be the cause of their fall. Only One has that power. All that I can do is direct my new friend toward the One.

    You and I must use words, and we’re rarely given time to think of those words that will perfectly match the situation. More often than not, we simply have to spout out the first thing that pops into our heads.

    Every Christian loves an analogy (sometimes they’re even good ones). So here’s mine:

    You have a friend who you fear has slipped into the realm of addiction with his alcohol. There are many ways to approach him:

    1. You could tell him straight out that he’s drinking himself to death.
    2. You could cautiously suggest that he cut back.
    3. You could give him a book detailing the hazards of excessive drinking.
    4. You could cut ties with him, hoping that he’ll see he’s driven you away.
    5. You could tell him that it’s no problem as long as it makes him happy.

    I could continue, but by now you should clearly see that some of these are the loving things to do and some not so loving, and certainly unhelpful to your friend. But, between options 1 through 3, there’s probably a good choice in there and, if I were to continue with my list, you would find many more appropriate choices.

    Mind you, you could ingeniously select to perfect solution to addressing your friend’s drinking problem, and he may still choose the bottle. Anyone who’s ever dealt with a heavy drinker understands this completely.

    To sum up what has been said many times, an addict will only quit when he grows weary of himself and finds the solution within his own heart and mind.

    Such is the problem (and the solution) for the Christian. We know that the lost need the Savior. We have a long list of options to offer. We have a massive repository of Bible verses we can quote (but which one?), we have books outside the Bible we can offer. We can tell them our own story and how we came to believe in the Savior. We can tell them to watch The Chosen (I’m ashamed to say I’ve actually done this).

    The point is, we’re trying to point someone to an infinite God using our hopelessly limited brains. We cannot convince someone of the truth with words stemming from what we think is our vast intellect. We’re talking about the great I AM. As one writer stated, “God is not a being, God IS BEING.”

    The most studied, articulate Christian that has ever lived cannot even begin to grasp “what is God?” By the way, an atheist of greater knowledge and command of speech cannot even begin to undermine the eternal God. We simply do not possess the capacity.

    Like the heavy drinker, the non-believer has set in his mind that his way is correct and will easily offer arguments against your case, no matter how perfect your case is. Yes, Peter’s words led two-thousand to salvation on the day of Pentacost, but Acts doesn’t tell us how many walked away still in unbelief. Since the church was heavily persecuted well after that, I think that I can confidently say it was far greater than two-thousand.

    Likewise, remember that most of Jesus’ followers abandoned him even before the cross.

    So, my advice to myself is this: you will never be quick enough or brilliant enough to say the perfect thing to the non-believer, just as you’ve never known the perfect thing to say to the alcoholic friend. But to stay silent is the most unloving thing that you can do, with the exception of telling him that everything is okay, just do what makes you happy.

    That, my friends, is the equivalent of holding the bottle to his lips yourself. Unfortunately, it is the preferred option for the world, so those lost in sin are hearing the “be happy” advice far more than they are hearing the truth that will lead to eternal happiness.

    Hell abounds with those who did what made them happy.

    So speak. Your words may not be eloquent. They may not be the perfect line for the situation. You’ll probably completely bobble that Bible verse. And you’ll be out-shouted by millions of voices countering your advice.

    But speak you must. Truth has a way of cutting through the noise like a two-edged sword.

  • Which World do you love?

    As often happens with writers, especially ones who wish to impart words inspired by the Holy Spirit, I began this post with an entirely different approach than this one. That was yesterday, and our rapidly shifting world has forced me to pause and rethink what it is I wish to say.

    Since yesterday, I have become overwhelmed by the “hot topic” of the day, that of the Super Bowl halftime show. Also, since yesterday, a person in Canada took the lives of ten people, most high-school students.

    This is our world.

    I suspect, because we have become so numb to the never-ceasing violence and injustice on this planet, that the halftime show will, once again, dominate the conversations on Facebook, and the shootings in Canada will be of secondary interest. Even today, a cursory glance at the comments beneath the reports from Canada center on politics, with little grief for the fallen or their families. Yes, I know there is that as well. We are not all monsters. But there should be none of the usual political nonsense to overshadow the grief.

    But this is our world.

    Ironically, the halftime show debate fairly exemplifies the state of affairs in our society. The halftime show has, for decades, been a spectacle of lust, greed, and worldly desires in general. Creating two halftime shows, I suspect, did nothing to reverse this trend.

    And, if I am honest (being a country-western fan), the performers of the alternate show very often sing the same worldly tune as their pop counterparts, though with a bit more twang.

    Now, from a human standpoint I am still quite conservative (which here means I prefer liberty above the perceived security of a bloated central government), but as a Christian whose understanding of heaven is expanding with each passing year, I am prompted to repeat the words of that great visionary, Bill Murray—“It just doesn’t matter.”

    Because it’s all going away soon and it’s just going to be you and I standing before the great I AM, understanding that everything about us is fully revealed and He gets to choose our place of permanent residence (actually, we make the choice ourselves, the Lord simply grants our request). I can almost guarantee that our voting record or secular music preference will not tip the scales one way or another.

    If you wonder what will, see my previous post on Love.

    Despite this quickly approaching day, we still debate over which version of “the world” is superior. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, from a New Testament standpoint, “the world” most often refers to the desires and lusts of humans, which can be further defined as greed, selfishness, lovers of self, lust for both objects and people, pride, and anything else that opposes the “love of God and love of people.”

    Now, I think that I may be overly pessimistic. What we read in the news represents only raw numbers and the opinions of a relatively small percentage of the population. I suspect that most people did not care for either halftime show and were either not watching the game at all or off replenishing the snack tray before the second half. And I suspect that most people know that ten people killed is far more important than a football game and the halftime entertainment.

    These people, who hold a larger majority than we are led to believe, seek answers. Answers that we all know will never be found among human leaders. One would have to be a hopeless optimist to visualize any good coming out of a world that has been consistently violent and unjust despite roughly one-thousand years of one form of “civilized” government or another.

    No, the honest answer-seeker would understand that true justice will only come from somewhere other than this physical, fallen world.

    To get to that place of understanding, though, we’re going to have to divest ourselves of any love of “the world.” Honestly, we will have to, as much as is possible, cut ties with the world. That doesn’t mean becoming a hermit. It means that maybe we turn off all noise that makes it nigh near impossible to hear what God is trying to tell us. It’s hard to forgive your enemies when every secular song and TV show is advertising the wonders of a self-centered life.

    We seek peace first and foremost. Do you expect peace to come from anything or anyone wrapped in human flesh? That kind of peace walked the earth one time. The world He came to save rejected the peace and nailed Him to a cross for His troubles.

    He no longer exists on earth in the flesh. He only exists here in spirit, one that dwells within us if we ask. So why would we ever look outward for peace? Nothing I saw on Sunday night brought about a sense of peace. And certainly nothing that I’ve read in the headlines this week.

    My friend, stop choosing sides in this world. The world is temporary and will one day be wiped out by God’s judgement, which brings true justice. To choose sides in the world is to choose your favorite devil amid a false hope that he will treat you better than the other devil.

    All the devils will burn in hell. Their followers will be right there with them.

    There is only one winning side, and you won’t find it in this world. Look to Christ within and rise above. That is where you will find true peace.

  • It’s all about Love

    I know, after my initial post you probably expected a continual stream of hellfire and brimstone. Don’t worry, there’ll be a bit of that for those who still need to feel the heat before they shift into first gear.

    There is a connection, though.

    Prevalent throughout the teaching of Jesus and the apostles is the word “love.”

    Jesus stated that we should love God and love one another. He even said that ALL of the law and the prophets are summed up into these two basic commands. For those of you who want to point to the 700 some odd requirements of the Old Testament and decry the impossibility of keeping them, the Lord just made it easy for you.

    Now aren’t you glad that you don’t have to worry about your ox escaping and killing someone?

    A quick side note about all those laws. The Ten Commandments are the “non-negotiable.” The other rules and regulations are written primarily for the tribes of Israel at the time. Think of a law in your hometown that is specific to that town (like “no parking on Thursdays” because that’s the day they sweep the streets.

    This is a huge over-simplification, but it meets our needs for the moment. I am not an apologist, nor do I care to get into the details of a 4000 year-old dead language and the unfortunate translations often generated from it.

    Okay, back on track; first we must be saved. Deep diving into Deuteronomy can wait a bit.

    The reason that Jesus stressed the importance of love so much is that we are so very bad at it. You think not?

    Try this: think of the person who has hurt you the most.

    It was easy, wasn’t it? Because, somewhere in your heart, you have not let go. Now, I’m no fool. I know that some hurts are massive and many are trivial. I can honestly say that all of mine have been trivial, like a co-worker who talked behind my back to make me look incompetent (honestly, I probably didn’t need his help).

    Some of you, however, are harboring deep wounds of abuse, betrayal, bullying, and humiliation. I will not insult you by claiming to understand your feelings.

    But this I know: God will forgive any of your sins, trivial or massive. And we are told, over and over throughout the New Testament, that we are expected to forgive others as God has forgiven us.

    I’m sure you’ve heard phrases such as “your anger is a prison which you have built for yourself.” This is probably something I would say when I have nothing better to offer (all of us can learn to shut up and listen).

    I can say, however, that taking that step of faith and believing in Jesus Christ will begin that process of forgiveness within you. You don’t even have to think about it right away. As you make progress in your journey, though, and understand the cost of your salvation—the suffering and bleeding of the only man who has never committed any sin—then your own hurts will fade and forgiveness will become second nature.

    I’ve made this post a priority because, as I understand the words of my Lord, unforgiveness will drag more people into hell than almost any other sin (unbelief being the big one…more on that later, but I assume if you’re here you’re already working that one out).

    I wish nothing more than everyone reading this will greet me in paradise one day. Harboring any anger in your heart and finding yourself in eternal torment because someone is not deserving of your forgiveness is a tragic end for you.

    If you really want to show ‘em, forgive them. If they haven’t changed, that will heap burning coals upon their head. They will either realize that they, too, need to repent of their sins or…well, you know how it ends.

    By the way, part of that forgiveness should be praying for their salvation.

    Man, Ron, what do you want from me? You don’t know what I’ve been through!

    I don’t. But He does. Your sin is on full display in Heaven, as is the sin of everyone you’ve ever known.

    None of us is good. Not one. And God doesn’t work on a “sin scale.” Sin is sin is sin. If He, who is perfect, can forgive you, a horrible sinner, then you can forgive another horrible sinner.

    It may take time. But don’t push it back too long, or your spiritual growth will come to an absolute standstill. Even worse, your salvation may be in question.

    Start with love. Love everyone (they’re all your neighbors). Tell them the truth in love. Show them love through your actions. Pray for them, especially the ones who deserve it the least. Hate is the easy, and cowardly, way. Love is the perfect way.

    Until next time, go in peace.

    Ron

  • Escaping the Flames

    Escaping the Flames

    Hell is real. But so is Heaven.

    I will, no doubt, be accused of frightening the non-believer into repentance. Given that your time (and mine) is short, I’ll take the heat. If I saw my grandchild heading toward an electrical outlet with a butter knife, I would not discuss with him the physics of electrical current and its impact on his person. I would dive, screaming at the top of my lungs, at him and forcibly tackle him away from the outlet.

    So here I am, screaming and tackling you. If I inflict any wound upon your psyche, I will not apologize any more than I would apologize to my grandchild for saving his life. Though, sticking with the analogy, I will offer consolation when I am certain of your salvation.

    This is my purpose:

    1. To reach the unsaved and convince him or her of their need for salvation through a belief in Jesus Christ
    2. Wake up the lukewarm Christian before they find themselves standing before their Savior with the realization that their claims to be “sold out” for Jesus may have been exaggerated.

    Because here’s what I’ve come to understand: both the unsaved and lukewarm are really in the same boat. Harsh, I know. But, like I said, time is short.

    No, I’m not predicting the day of Christ’s return. I am predicting that anyone reading this will face Him sometime within the next 80 years with full knowledge that your time may be reduced drastically by the untimely presence of a drunk driver or icy patch of sidewalk.

    So join me, my friend, on this journey. My intent is for the salvation of your soul. Know that I love you and pray for you before you even read this. Also, I come from a place of experience, both as an unsaved sinner and a lukewarm Christian (also a sinner). If I write a thousand of these posts and only one person is snatched from the fire, then I will rejoice as if I’d reached the entire world.

    Pray, even if you’re uncertain, for God to open your eyes to the truth.

    Until next time, go in peace.