You don't really believe in Hell, and I can prove it

Recently a brother of a brother's friend passed away. I did not know this kid. But clues and conversations lead me to believe that this kid wasn't a Christian. And that is the single most depressing thing in the universe.

Even before this incident, God has been putting the idea of Hell in my mind. The reality of Hell. The pain of Hell. The eternity of Hell. I believe in a literal, existing Hell. And that frightens me beyond anything; not for my sake, but for my friends who I know to be unbelievers. I find it confusing and, quite frankly, irritating, when people will dance around the idea of Hell or a person's fate. "Don't worry about me, I don't have a strong relationship with God, but I'm not going to Hell". "Oh, he did some things before he died, but he can't be in Hell". These words are like an alarm clock when I hear them, as if God's saying, "You hear that? This person's confused. That's your cue to due something."

As Christians, we believe in Hell. Jesus talks about Hell more than anyone else in the Bible. And let's assume that we're not sugar-coating our friends' attitudes and behaviors, and know without a doubt that we have non-believer friends. Shouldn't we be compelled more than anything to beg and plea for that friend to accept Christ? Are we really so concerned over offending people, when we should really be concerned about offending God? Here's my big idea: if you're avoiding spiritual confrontation because of the risk of losing a friend, your friendship is based on a self-indulgent, self-serving grounds, because what that person offers in your friendship together is more important than that person's soul. 

If actions speak louder than words, than my fear is that our failure to act proves that we don't really believe in Hell.

I was talking to a non-Christian friend who believed in God, but didn't want to give his life to Jesus. And when we got to this topic of Hell and afterlife, It literally brought tears to my eyes. Because I can't bear to see him, and all my friends and family who don't trust their lives to Christ perish forever in an eternal Hell. The only thing that would make that worse is if I knew that there was something I could have done with my words to prevent their suffering.

If you believe in Hell, and you have friends who you know to be unbelievers, what are you waiting for?

"The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" -Matthew 13:41-43

In Christ,
Peter

"Give and give and give. Just don't give to the needy. That's irresponsible."

Today I met a homeless man. Well, I didn't really meet him for the first time- I've come across this man a couple times these past few years. But today I learned his name, Lucky. And Lucky wanted to eat grits and eggs at a nearby IHOP. As for me, I had just gotten done eating at a burger joint called Pawley's Front Porch (great burgers, by the way) with my brothers and friends, and arrived at Starbucks to enjoy each others' fellowship. So against some of my friends' wishes, I decided to come back after I buy this brother some eats.

And often times, this is the response I get from my Christian friends:

• "It's not safe to drive him alone, you could get hurt"
• "If you're too kind they'll start taking advantage of you!"
• "If you keep buying them food, they'll never learn their lesson!"
• "He just wants your money, don't bother with him"

My response is this- when has that ever stopped Jesus? (Who, by the way, touched a leper. With his hands. And we're terrified to shake a homeless man's hand of gratitude.)

Should we Christians, who are called to be imitators of Christ, be so concerned for our safety, let alone our wallets, when we help a brother in need? Imagine if Christ had done that. Suppose Christ was more concerned for his safety than ours; would he have even gone to the cross? And let's say we do lose something in the process. Weren't we promised a greater reward for what we suffer for the sake of the Kingdom? 

My biggest peeve is this, especially in churches: that if we keep giving to homeless people, then they'll keep coming back. Well that's interesting. It's as if we don't want them to come back TO CHURCH. Church, a place where the broken and lost are meant to gather. Church, a place where we have the opportunity to offer the Gospel of Christ to those who are hopeless (not a typo). Church, a place to lovingly invite people, not reject them with disdain and self-righteous judgment at the sight of them.

Does it hurt when you give? Because it should. A former youth pastor used to tell me, "You're not giving until it hurts." Give abundantly. Give freely. Give without regards to your own well-being. Because that's what Christ did. 

Before I left Lucky, I asked him if he had a Bible. He said yes, and I told him that if he's grateful, to go and read the Bible. Because I know this fact- no amount of giving or charity will do him any good if he has not Jesus. And that hurt. A lot. Charity without compassion for the soul is not love. 

"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers." -1 John 3:16

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." -John 15:13

In Christ,

Peter

An Introduction

In college I had a roommate named Thomas Brings, a brother in Christ who was ambitious for holiness. He often challenged me, "So Peter, whats the Good Lord been teaching you lately?" And it's not that the Good Lord hadn't been teaching me anything throughout the week, but often times I would compartmentalize any spiritual things I've learned, and would forget to apply it to my daily life. During my devotions and personal time with the Lord, I would become excited and full of joy at the moment, but when the question arose, "What has God been teaching me this week?" for some reason I couldn't tap into that side of my brain to give an answer.

And I think I found the solution.

This blog is for me to journal what God teaches me throughout the course of however long this blog survives. I believe that when you write something down, you remember it better. And when you have available a means to return to and reflect on past thoughts, you internalize even better. This is that. Not to sound selfish, but this blog is mainly for me. I created it with my benefit in mind. But I decided to journal via Internet as opposed to private documents because if my thoughts and God's teachings have the potential to help others who stumble across this humble page, it would bring me even greater joy. 

So there's a lot on my mind right now. But for the sake of having something to write in the future, I end here. I hope you're encouraged to reflect, "What's the Good Lord been teaching you lately?"

"May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord" -2 Peter 1:2

In Christ,

Peter