do you worry over the "unsaved"?

I am a Christian man. I believe in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. He is the only Savior of the world. Other religions may have helpful insights into human behavior or cultivate compassion and other human virtues. But they cannot save you. Jesus claimed to be God. He either is who He claims to be or he is a liar or a madman. Those are the only 3 possibilities. Some people attempt to find some middle ground by saying "Jesus was a prophet" or "He was a good man". Good men do not lie. He never claimed to be a prophet. His claim to be God allows for no middle ground. He was put to death by the religious leaders of his day for that claim. If He was confused or a deceiver, He could not be God. I believe He is God. There is only one, true God.

So how do I share this with the people I love - family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. ?

I share my faith freely, trying to express why I have the hope of being saved and go to heaven after I die. Most of the people I know who "reject" Christianity are not truly rejecting Christ. They reject a caricature of the faith (not the real thing) or they have been wounded by someone who professes to be a Christian. The behavior of Christ's followers is one of the biggest arguments against the faith. Sadly, every Christian fails to live up the demands of the Gospels at some time. Even the first followers of Jesus were weak, selfish, jealous, angry, proud, etc. Jesus Himself "lost it" when He cried out in frustration over his disciples behavior : "How much longer am I to put up with you?" Most of us have to get over being scandalized at how bad and how weak we human beings can be. This realization applies to myself and every person. Who has the arrogance to proclaim they have always done the right thing? Pity the person who believes they are always right and never make mistakes! Christians are duty-bound to share the gospel. We are commanded to do so, but we must be wise about that. Wisdom comes from repeated failure and the courage and humility to try again. I have been at this for 40 years. I would like to believe I have learned from my mistakes in the past.

Besides speaking up for my faith and defending it, I pray for everyone. God wants every person to be saved. Who should go to hell? Why would I wish that for anyone? Even for the ones who have hurt me the most? Has God not been merciful to me? Should I not be merciful as He is? Should I not be patient with others?

That being said we must never dilute the Gospels. There is a place called Hell and some people will go there - a place of torment that has no end. To deny that is to deny Christ because He clearly taught this Himself. We should be fearful of rejecting Christ because He alone can keep us from that place. To deny the possibility of Hell is to deny our freedom to choose other than Christ. If we can't reject Jesus, then our choice FOR Him is not a choice at all. There has to be a place for those who do not want to submit to God. Hell is a place we freely choose. God will ratify our choice in the end unless we repent while there is still time to do that.

How many "hard cases" are saved in the end? God alone knows, but I pray for those who I love because I believe in the power of prayer, even with stubborn hold outs. Often approaching death brings a clarity we often lack in this confusing world. In the last year, one of my "rebellious" relatives lay dying and he asked for prayer, shocking his loved ones - for the first time in his life. John Wayne and Gary Cooper were baptized on their death beds. One should never lose hope. Suicides are always painful to live with, but who in their right mind chooses to die that way? I believe those people were not really "free" in that desperate act. I have great hope for the ones I love who die "outside the faith" because we have a merciful God. He does not ignore our prayers and I have prayed for all my relatives and loved ones for 40 years. Surely, this counts for something!

When people asked Jesus "Will many be saved?", he did not answer by giving a number like 10% or 50%. Instead He tells a story about a shepherd with 100 sheep. He leaves his flock of 99 who are safe "with him" and goes out in search of the one who is lost. God wants to save us more than we want to be saved! He goes to great lengths to save all of us as we know from reading the Bible. But He will not drag the unwilling into heaven. They must either change heart or they will seal their own damnation forever. Those who follow Christ faithfully are not only assured of salvation in the end. They live happier lives now on earth because they know they are loved. God allows these believers to share in God's mission to save all men and women. Is this not a fulfilling, thrilling life to live? Tell me anyone who has it better than a believer in Christ!

Gary

the loss of my brother Tom

The essence of my reflection below is taken from some notes scribbled down hastily on a notepad at my mother's place last week, the day after my brother Tom's "Memorial Luncheon".

Warning : this reflection of mine, inspired by my personal grief over Tom's death and my own religious convictions, may contain statements of faith not "culturally sensitive" or in fashion these days. I make no apologies for telling the Truth.

gg

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Grief has its own logic and time line. It is not something that can be scheduled or "manufactured", although when it is present, it may be suppressed or denied for a time. If grief is ignored, it will manifest itself in strange, unpredictable ways as it leaks out sideways. As any human being who has reached my age knows, there are many things to grieve over in 60 years and in these final decades of life, I know there will be even more losses ahead - as well as my own health and vigor. "The grass withers, the flower fades" as we are reminded in the psalms. But for we Christians, death and sorrow do not have the last word - oh no! We have the truth, concerning our own restoration - in spirit AND in body - from God Himself. Jesus came to save us all. He died and rose from death, robbing death of its power and finality. That was the turning point in human history.

Death remains the very worst thing that happens to a human being in this world, but it is not the End for any of us. There is life after this life and that reality changes everything. Regardless of what we suffer here, it means nothing in comparison to the overwhelming victory Christ has won for us. The life we are destined for is far, far greater than any joy we may hope for or imagine. Even those people who suffer greatly in life and lose everything will say "What does it matter if God has prepared such a wonderful place for me with Him? It was all well worth the pain and loss! I would die a thousand times to reach this place!"

I cannot and will not put a happy face on the loss of my brother Tom. My heart is heavy with grief and there will be many tears to cry, whenever they may come. Death is ugly and painful to bear. No one should ever deny the hurt and sorrow it brings. My brother should not have died this way! He should not have suffered the hellish torment of addiction that plagued his mind and body. My hope for Tom is tied to my faith and trust in God. Without that, his life is a meaningless loss, a waste.

Some well intentioned people have suggested that Tom's body will decompose and become part of the "circle of life". I love Tom, not some blind impersonal force called "Life". The joy for a Christian is our vision of the person we love fully restored, with a new power and vitality that will never be lost. If there is no resurrection of the dead, we Christians are fools and the biggest losers in the history of our planet. For me, there is no doubt about our coming resurrection. None! I have staked my life of the promises of Christ. Jesus made a bold claim to be God, not a part of God, but fully God in the flesh. He is either who He said He is or a liar or a lunatic. There are no other options.

Life has only two destinations - heaven with God or hell without Him. We were made for God alone and to live on without Him IS the worst thing that can befall a human being. That is the failure we should fear. It is critical to find the one true way home. The consequences are eternal. Other religions may offer valuable insights into human nature or moral guidelines, but there is only one sure Way to the True Home we all crave and desire. Nothing else will satisfy us. As St Augustine said "Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord". I exhort all of you, myself included, to spare no effort in seeking the Truth. Our time is short in life. Death may come at any time. I pray for you all, each and everyone I know, to find God and to surrender to the One who created us for eternal joy. I want everyone I know (even my enemies) to be with me in heaven. Who would I ever want to exclude when we have a Father so good and so full of love for each one of us? All hatred, envy, petty strife, and evil will disappear in the coming kingdom of God. Just be sure you get there! How? "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" says our God. Ask Him to show you how in all sincerity. It's a request He cannot refuse because it is His will for each of us, the reason we were created.

Gary

more gems from the book "He and I"

I read from the journals of the French writer & mystic Gabrielle Bossis every day. These writings were compiled into a single book called "He and I". They inspire, motivate, challenge, and ground me. Here are some brief words from God to Gabrielle.

"By ... carrying your cross you will find that your cross is carrying you." - Nov 6, 1944

"It is with thoughts of our oneness that you will discover your duty to give happiness to those I have placed around you." - Mar 30, 1949

"Keep going blindly. Take delight in knowing nothing of the future . . .". - Feb 3, 1949

"Pray for sinners and know that you save them because My merits are infinite." - Dec 3, 1942

"Find a sweeter name for death. Call it 'the Meeting' ." - Oct 8, 1942

"Make use of your sensitivity. It was given to you so that you might merit from it." - Apr 22, 1939

"Be in me. Don't be in yourself." - Apr 4, 1938

"Don't believe in chance, but learn to see the hand of your Father, your Friend - the One who never leaves you - in everything that happens." - Mar 30, 1949

"Don't be afraid of Me. Be afraid to be afraid." - Nov 23, 1944

"What do you need more than God?" - Feb 26, 1947

"Remember that nothing happens without My permission, and be very serene. There is nothing like serenity for convincing people of the Good." - Mar 6, 1947

The Four Factors of Alcoholism

I have been attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings for more than a year now. I had my last drink of alcohol on 10-31-2009. It has been a great relief for me to simply remove alcohol (mostly beer) from my life. I was spending great amounts of energy to control my desire for more beer; it was much easier to just give it up altogether. One thing that puzzled me for the last year is this: why now? Why did I suddenly find myself wanting to drink everyday? Why did my tolerance for booze go up? After drinking modestly for almost 40 years, something changed.

The one striking thing I've discovered over this last year is this: there are many faces to this disease. I always knew I could become an alcoholic someday, given my family history. But the theoretical possibility and the actual reality of it happening, in the way that it did happen, was surprising, even shocking to me. The manifestation of this crippling disease in me did not look like the alcoholism of my Dad or my siblings. In fact, the desire to drink and to drink more & more crept in gradually into my life over 3 or 4 years. I've been wondering how this happened and what triggered the change in me. I heard a fascinating AA talk recorded in 1957 by a man named Inor Hansen in Monterey, California on "The Four Factors of Alcoholism". He lists these factors as 1) Absorption, 2) Distribution, 3) Combustion, and 4) Body Chemistry.

Before describing each factor, he asks the question : what is an alcoholic ? He answers "a person whose body processes do not give him the protections that enable him to maintain sensible control of himself when he drinks alcohol". We do not make ourselves an alcoholic even if we drink excessively. Alcoholism is a real disease. You cannot change the way your body works by willpower, morals, good judgment, character, etc. This disease is not really a compulsion but an obsession of the mind, that is an idea that comes to me with a power of its own. Your childhood and upbringing make no difference to the body processes you have. The alcoholic reaches for a drink to get relief from powerful negative emotions. This is not really "stinking thinking" as much as it is the "squealing feelings" of fear, guilt, and shame. Alcoholics "over respond" to their feelings. We drink to suppress our internal pain, not to escape reality.

1. Absorption A slow rate of absorption is one of the body's defenses against alcoholism. Two men at a bar drink 4 beers in an hour. Both have promised the wives they would be home by 6 pm. One man's body absorbs alcohol rapidly into the bloodstream; the other has a slow rate of absorption. The man with this normal, slower rate has most of the alcohol still in his stomach and at 5:55 recalls he must leave now to get home but the other man is already impaired by the amount of alcohol in his bloodstream, which has hit the brain's higher functions (like judgment). The impaired man is not morally inferior; his body has "betrayed" him by absorbing alcohol's anesthetic power more rapidly. He cannot "see" what is happening to him. This man is in the "unlucky 10%" that lack one of the body's normal protections against consuming too much alcohol.

2. Distribution For some people, 10% to 50% of consumed alcohol is deposited in the heavy, fleshy parts of the body, resulting in less alcohol reaching the brain. That means the higher levels of brain function (like good judgment) remain active. This is considered "favorable distribution". People with this natural protection against overconsumption of alcohol find that their muscles and respiration relax and they have less energy to do stupid things, including more drinking; often they simply go to sleep. (note: going to sleep is not the same thing as having an alcoholic "black out" when the person remains conscious but is not recording his actions or activities). Poor distribution allows more alcohol to reach the brain and to effect the higher brain functions. Changes in weight may affect the body's ability to handle alcohol.

3. Combustion This breaks down the alcohol and converts it to energy, which is part of the body's metabolism. Most people have a high rate of combustion : 75%, 85%, or even 100%. This is the social drinker with a natural protection against overdoing the drinks. These people recover from too much alcohol more quickly than alcoholics because the booze is burned off. They may suffer from a hangover the next day but still remain able to function well and go to work. A small minority of alcohol consumers have a combustion rate of 25%, 15% or lower. These people remain under the anesthetic influence of alcohol for a longer period of time, often waking up the next day with high levels of alcohol still in the blood stream. He is unable to care about his work or other responsibilities because the brain is still compromised.

4. Body Chemistry For most social drinkers, the consumption of alcohol causes the body to release adrenalin, which can actually stimulate the higher functions of the brain, which makes the individual more cautious and wary than he was before drinking. This adrenalin is another defense against drinking too much. Alcohol is not a stimulant itself, but the release of adrenalin acts like an internal "fire department" to keep one from danger. Do not let the social drinker tell you that they possess superior morals than you; they only have a different body reaction to alcohol.

Every person has feelings of inferiority or of not being wanted to some degree. We all have feelings of fear, shame, guilt, etc. The alcoholic is influenced by these powerful emotions to a much greater degree. This is why they are so vulnerable to "anesthetic excess". They are seeking relief! They find relief rather immediately with drugs and / or alcohol. But at what price?