Not only did I aid in her public nudity (changing into the dress behind Hillsdale Tool in their abandoned parking lot), but I also got to see her all dressed up (the way it should be . . . ).
I went to church today with my mom and sister where we had a guest preacher, the superintendent of the southern Michigan conference, Thomas Ramundo. Not only was he conveniently Italian (I wonder if he spoke it, I didn't stick around long enough to find out), but he was a fantastic speaker. He began by speaking about death and it's unavoidable appointment. He told how death is the best statistic in the book and that when it happens, that's it. There is no turning back to explain yourself, or to try and "redo" something over. When death strikes, you are left vulnerable and open for any judgement, and that you shall receive. On that note, he spoke from Luke 16 today and about a rich man who died the same day as Lazarus, the leper. The rich man who was powerful, loaded, and had everything he had ever wanted in his life, was doomed to Hell while Lazarus who had lived in poverty and disease, was blessed and sent to Heaven. The rich man saw Abraham with Lazarus beside him and he spoke to Abraham, asking if Lazarus would please simply touch his sore-covered fingers to cold water to simply cool the tongue of the rich man. Abraham replied saying that the rich man lived a life full of material things while Lazarus lived a life of despair and now that they had both died, Lazarus was to be blessed with an eternal life of comfort while the rich man lived an eternal life of agony and distress in Hell. He also said that there was a gap between Lazarus and the rich man and that no one could ever cross it.
At this, the rich man begged Abraham to tell his family back on earth to live a life unlike his own so that they could avoid the fiery depths of Hell and all of its anguish.
Pastor Ramundo stressed his importance and key thoughts for the message from this exact passage. He told us that the people of Hell are begging us to tell families and friends to do whatever they can to avoid Hell.
I have never thought of this . . . that the people burning in Hell do want to get out but that they are doomed to forever linger in its caves of fire and singeing lakes. And I never put together that they probably do beg and wish that they could actually warn others of its unforgiving rage and scorching eternity. It makes me so sad to think that there are people who will live in eternal discomfort and they are people who could have been saved and living a life next to Jesus Christ, our Saviour. So I have to believe that they really want us to "save" others.
I understand the stereotype of a Christian . . . we're "obsessed with numbers" and want to do anything to save people, lead them to Christ, bring them through the gates of Heaven. But after reading this passage and hearing Pastor Ramundo speak on the subject, isn't that what any person who has a bit of heart want? Who would ever want to condemn people to this wretched eternity of constant pain, fire, and suffering? I do want to save people but I am not doing it for my own sake, not for the sake of other Christians and numbers and churches. I am doing it for their own good so that they can escape these chains that would bind them forever to the depths of Hell. I am doing it for Christ, the man who died for me, and you, and you and you and you, on the cross, to save US from plummeting to the deepest and most miserable depths of Hell. Is that not enough reason? Is that not any motivation?
1 comment:
I have trouble paying attention to his sermons because of all of the alliteration. It's distracting to me.
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