Mail Bag: How Do I Speak with Sensitivity about Hell?

I received the following email from Alexandre, who lives in Quebec.

Dear Mr. Miano, in Christ Jesus our only Lord,

My question had to do with the proper use of the doctrine of hell in evangelism.

What if we encounter in our preaching, let's say, a man whose precious children were just murdered, and he asks us: where are my children now? Then we answer him, "It is too late for them and that they are in hell for all eternity," that he should repent lest he joins them in eternal punishment. Then that man, being horrified beyond measure by our "cruel" answer and taking it very personally, thinks and says (unjustly) the God we are preaching is worse then the murderer who killed his children, that he feels doubly victimized now. And that the preachers are psychologically abusive. Well, you see the picture. It is the question of how we should answer in our preaching to people inquiring about dead relatives, a dead spouse, dead parents, dead children, dead friends, etc., confessing the truth in love, without compromising the Gospel and being ready to suffer for it, and making a right use of the doctrine of hell.

How shall we handle that doctrine with care, to honor the Lord and suffer for the truth? How shall we exhort people not to sinfully attach themselves to dead relatives instead of returning to their Maker in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone? This is very emotional and sensitive. What says Scripture? And what is your experience about this?

Thank you very much for your time, blessings in Christ Jesus our only Lord.

Alexandre, you ask a great question, and I appreciate the spirit with which you ask the question. I also find some of what you wrote most troubling, indeed, which I will address. Ultimately, I understand your question to be this. How do we honestly, uncompromisingly, directly, and lovingly communicate the reality of Hell.

Hell-Fire Preachers

There are some open-air preachers who give the biblical discipline of open-air preaching a bad name. Their disdain for the lost, while touting their own self-righteousness is deplorable and a sinful misrepresentation of Jesus Christ. Some street preachers of the same ilk insist they are not sinners and deny the God of the Bible by denying His attributes such as His omniscience. Yes, "hell-fire" preachers like these are a blight on the open-air preaching community.

Let's not give unwarranted power to "hell-fire" preachers. Let's not assign to them any unbiblical and unreal authority. God is sovereign. The "hell-fire" preachers are not. Their lack of love for the lost, their use of God's Law as a sledge hammer instead of a mirror (1 Timothy 1:8-11), their attempts to veil their self-righteousness under the guise of serving as Christ's "humble" ambassadors will not snatch a single soul from God's hand (John 10:28-29).

No man can thwart God's plan for the Universe, for the world, or for the individual person. Nothing can separate a person from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus the Lord, if God has eternally predetermined to save that person (Romans 8:38-39). Bad preaching might serve to bolster the unbeliever's false assertion that there is no God--an assertion no unbeliever really believes (Romans 1:18)--but bad preaching will not push anyone away from God. Bad preaching may serve to provide unbelievers with excuses for their unbelief, even though they are utterly without excuse (Romans 1:20), but it will not push them into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). Apart from faith in Jesus Christ, the unbeliever is condemned already (John 3:18) and the wrath of God abides on them (John 3:36).

The fact that some professing Christians communicate the Doctrine of Hell to unbelievers in unbiblical ways is no excuse for genuine followers of Christ to give up such important communicative ground to false teachers, false preachers, and false prophets. If you really want people to go to Heaven, then you will warn them about Hell (Jude 1:20-23).

The Doctrine of Hell Must be Preached

Bad preachers and bad preaching aside, the Doctrine of Hell must be communicated when sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost--whether in an open-air setting, in a one-to-one conversation, or in the writing and distribution of gospel tracts. No other reason, no other justification is necessary to talk about Hell and warn people about Hell than this. Jesus did it. Jesus talked about Hell. Jesus warned people about Hell (Matthew 5:22; Matthew 5:29-30; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 18:9; Matthew 23:13; Matthew 23:33).

Charles Spurgeon wrote:

"Our dear Redeemer, whose lips are as lilies dropping sweet-smelling myrrh, in great tenderness of heart warned men of the sure result of their sins; and none used stronger or more alarming language than he did concerning the future of ungodly men. He knew nothing of that pretended sympathy which will rather let men perish than warn them against perishing. Such tenderness is merely selfishness excusing itself from a distasteful duty." 1914.433

Since the days of God the Son's preaching on earth the apostles, church fathers, great heralds of old, and today's generation of faithful open-air preachers have spoken the truth in love--all of God's truth. They did not and they do not shy away from warning people of God's eternal prison of torment--Hell. For example, John Wesley posited these words regarding the reality of Hell. Wesley was not a man who shied away from preaching this important and terrifying doctrine.

"Fierce and poisonous animals were created for terrifying man, in order that he might be made aware of the final judgment in hell."

The Doctrine of Hell must be preached. Any Christian who denies the Doctrine of Hell denies the truth of God's Word and therefore should examine themselves to see if they are really in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). And any Christian who believes Christians should not talk to and warn lost people about Hell put themselves at odds with the Lord and Savior they profess to adore.

A Concern

Alexandre, you wrote:

"What if we encounter in our preaching, let's say, a man whose precious children were just murdered, and he asks us: where are my children now? Then we answer him, 'It is too late for them and that they are in hell for all eternity,' that he should repent lest he joins them in eternal punishment."

Alexandre, I hope this "what if" scenario is purely hypothetical. If you know of anyone out on the streets making statements like this, then the first order of the business is repentance--not the repentance of the unbeliever whose children were murdered, but rather the repentance of whoever said or would say the above to anyone, let alone the father of murdered children.

Nowhere in the Word of God are Christians commanded or even encouraged to dogmatically assert, with any level of personal certainty, where an individual is going to spend eternity or where a deceased individual is spending eternity. Christians are to warn people of God's impending wrath and the just punishment for sin, call people to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, inspect the visible fruit in the lives of professing Christians, and call the same to repentance when they are caught in sin. The Christian should never say, "I know so-and-so is in Heaven." Or, "I know so-and-so is in Hell." There is only one Lawgiver and Judge; there is only One who is able to save and destroy (James 4:12).

While Jesus knows the minds and hearts of every human being, no mere human being possesses such omniscience. While a Christian can look at the preponderance of the physical and spiritual evidence in a person's life and say, "I believe that person is a Christian," or say, "I don't believe that person is saved," no one but God can declare with infallible certainty that a person is either saved or unsaved. Salvation is a monergistic work of God, and not a synergistic work between God and man. My point, of course, has no bearing on the assurance of salvation God promises to those who are truly saved. What I'm addressing here is how Christians consider the salvation of other people, and not whether or not a person can be assured of their own salvation. Christians can and should be assured of their salvation--a salvation not wrought by the will or work of man, but preordained, given, and secured by God alone.

Words of Comfort

To declare to the father of murdered, young children (and again I pray, Alexandre, what you shared was merely a bad hypothetical situation and not something that actually happened) that his children are in Hell is unbiblical, unloving, uncharitable, and arrogant.

Let's change the scenario just a bit. How should an open-air preacher answer a man who angrily approaches him and says, "My two children were murdered last year. Where do you say my kids are, today? Are they in Heaven or Hell?"

The first words out of the open-air preacher's mouth should be: "I'm so very sorry for your loss, sir." The next words out of the open-air preacher's mouth should be: "Sir, I don't know where your children are. My hope, a hope I'm sure you share, is that your children are in Heaven."

People will ask questions like this for several reasons:

1. They're lying to the open-air preacher and simply want to try to back the preacher into a corner in an effort to lure him into making a definitive statement about where the dead children are. Note: Always be very careful about drawing this conclusion. Err on the side of caution and give the person the benefit of the doubt until such time (a time that may not present itself) the person makes it clear they are not telling the truth.

2. They are telling the truth, are brokenhearted, and are desperately trying to find solace in the aftermath of tragedy and in the midst of mourning.

3. They are telling the truth, are angry with God, and are hoping the open-air preacher will say something seemingly offensive that will help him to justify his sinful anger toward God.

In any case, the answer "I don't know" is appropriate. But it's not appropriate to leave it at that.

In the scenario given, I would say...

"Sir, I don't know where your children are, today. My hope is that they are in Heaven. But sir, what about you? You are alive and standing in front of me. What about you? Where will you spend eternity? While I don't know where your children are today, I can be certain of this. If they could say anything to you right now it would be, "Daddy, don't miss Heaven."

Whether the children are in Heaven or in Hell, I believe the children would want someone to plead with their father, just as the rich man pleaded with Abraham (Luke 16:19-31). In a situation like this, the goal should be to take the attention off of the deceased children and focus the attention on the living sinner standing in front of the preacher. By putting it this way, you are not crushing the man's spirits by wrongly assigning his deceased children to Hell, and you are not giving false hope by assuring him his deceased children are in Heaven. Again, you are taking the attention off the deceased and putting it on the living person who needs Christ.

Hard Truth with a Soft Heart

Even in a situation like the one you describe, Alexandre, the Doctrine of Hell should not and cannot be avoided. No matter how broken the man's heart might be at the loss of his children, he's still bound for Hell, apart from repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He still needs to hear the truth--all of it.

If you listen to/watch my open-airs, you will often hear me saying something after I've talked about sin, righteousness, and the coming judgment (John 16:18).

"I don't want that for you. I don't want you to perish in your sin."

If you listen to some so-called "hell-fire" preachers, they often sound like the Pharisee in Jesus's parable, The Pharisee and the Tax-Collector. Some of them, in sin for ascribing to and teaching the Pelagian heresy, insist they are not sinners. If one can delude themselves into thinking they are perfect, such hypocritical self-righteousness won't take long to manifest itself in the form of talking to people in such a way as to communicate that they see themselves not simply as "better off" because of salvation through Jesus Christ, but as "better than" the people with whom they are communicating.

Like the Pharisee in Jesus's parable, the rhetoric and tone of voice of some "hell-fire" preachers doesn't communicate love for the lost, but a distinctly different message. "The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector'" (Luke 18:11). Since some "hell-fire" preachers see themselves as righteous, the difference they see between themselves and the lost is not the grace of God in their lives, but their perceived ability to obey God. The Pharisees did the exact same thing to the people.

"So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, 'Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.' He answered, 'Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.' They said to him, 'What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?' He answered them, 'I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?' And they reviled him, saying, 'You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.' The man answered, 'Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.' They answered him, 'You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?' And they cast him out" (John 9:24-34).

Some "hell-fire" preachers have a seemingly easy time calling people sinners and telling them they are going to Hell. The reason: they don't see themselves as sinners saved by grace. Some see themselves as righteous people who don't need the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, provided through His vicarious, penal, subsitutionary atonement on the cross. For them, Jesus is little more than a spiritual doorman who simply holds the door to Heaven open to them, as they walk into Heaven, powered by their own will and righteousness.

Open-air preachers who love the lost will communicate the reality of eternal torment in Hell, as the just punishment for any and all sin against God, with tears in their eyes and love in their voices. No, I'm not making a call for emotionalism. The call is a biblical call for compassion. "When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). "And when he [Jesus] drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, 'Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes'" (Luke 19:41-42).

Open-air preachers, as well as any Christian who desires to communicate the gospel with the lost, must communicate the terrifying reality of the Doctrine of Hell. But such a hard truth must be communicated with a soft heart. After all, the open-air preacher is no better than the Hell-bound sinner. He is only better off. But for God's grace (and not his own righteousness), the open-air preacher would still be a child of wrath, like the rest of mankind (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Soup Du Jour (5-13-13)

Sye Ten Bruggencate on Cross Encounters Radio. - If you missed last night's broadcast, you missed a lot. But fear not. Listening to the podcast will be just as edifying.

"Rocky" video now over 26K views. - Thanks to the wisdom of my friend, Richard Story, the "Rocky" video (and all videos I post from this point forward) will include a full gospel presentation in the description.

Length of jury deliberation not a good sign. - Gosnell could and should face the death penalty.

The "poster child" for UNrepentance. - O.J. still doesn't get it.

Persecution. - "A Police Constable from the Glasgow police just told us that if we say homosexuality is wrong or if Islam is wrong then we will be arrested." And the United States is not that far behind Great Britain.

Roman and Jorge. - My friends Greg Elsasser and Dru Morgan, two of the funniest men I know, have been working hard to get this television series off the ground. If the Lord allows it to happen, it will be one of the best things to happen to television (Christian or secular) in a VERY long time.

Tweet o' Irony. - The oxymoron IS "Gay Christian."

Pic of the Day. - Another wonderful moment from the recent Kentucky Derby Outreach.

Soup Du Jour (5/12/13)

Mother's Day shopping. - Some men shouldn't be allowed to shop alone. Wait. He wasn't alone.

Charles Hodge: For Whom Did Christ Die? - "This is a question between Augustinians and Anti-Augustinians. The former believing that God from all eternity having elected some to everlasting life, had a special reference to their salvation in the mission and work of his Son. The latter, denying that there has been any such election of a part of the human family to salvation, maintain that the mission and work of Christ had an equal reference to all mankind."

ESPN's Jason Stark reminds us all why baseball is the best...game...ever!

Not A Victim. - For anyone who believes women who have abortions are victims, you must watch this video by my friend, Allen Peek.

Sometimes human depravity is, well, just stupid. - "It's an unfortunate lack of wisdom in this particular judgment that hopefully will never occur again," Shoemaker said.

"We don't have monster in our blood." - The words of the daughter of Ariel Castro. While I understand what she means, the reality is that every human being has "monster" in their blood. It's called a sinful nature.

"Church": Gangnam Style. - Oh, this isn't Psy's fault. These are simply examples of "churches" loving the world more than Christ. These "Christians" are responsible for their own behavior before God. Psy is not responsible for their blaspheme of Christ.

Pic of the Day: My friend, John Howard's, puppy "Mattox."

Soup Du Jour (5/11/13)

Don is now Dawn and donning a dress. "Back to you Dawn or, um, Don". "Dawn Stacey Ennis, formerly known as Don, surprised her colleagues at ABC News head quarters in Manhattan when she arrived in brown locks and a dress to declare her new identity. The 49-year-old journalist is leaving her wife of 17-years and their three children to make the complete transition into living as a woman."

The brilliance of the Creator. "The ubiquitous greater wax moth is ordinary in every way but one: It has the ability to hear the highest-known sound frequency. The greater wax moth's hearing goes up to about 300 kilohertz, nearly 100 kHz higher than the hearing of some bats."

Giving thanks from whom all blessings flow. "Canepa said the men prayed in the ship’s chapel for an hour after being picked up from their 14-foot aluminum skiff, and his crew gave them new clothes and toiletries."

Sye Ten Bruggencate on this week's edition of Cross Encounters Radio. Sye will be on for the full two hours to talk about his new film, "How To Answer The Fool."

Students fight back to save Ten Commandments. "Hundreds of Christians in a small Oklahoma town have decided to draw a line in the sand and fight back against a national association of atheist and agnostics who want displays of the Ten Commandments removed from local schools."

Future Punishment: The Universalist Refuted by Archibald Alexander. "No benevolent being delights in the suffering of others—for its own sake. But it is one of the clearest dictates of reason, that sin should be visited with punishment."

Pic of the Day.

Harvard: From Ivy League to Weedy Soil

I saw a Tweet that caught my attention. "AP VIDEO: South Korean rapper Psy speaks to students at Harvard University." Here's the video:



Notice where the event was held: The Memorial Church, which is on the Harvard campus. The one-hit, international sensation spoke of his inability to drag himself out of bed to go to class and his need to be humble in light of the fame and fortune he presently has. University students crammed into the pews, not to worship Christ, but to hear from a man whose popular song and video, which appeals to simple, sinful minds by way of lyrics that probably took all of 30 seconds to write and a dance that interprets the song as one might expect, has taken the world by storm.

Psy's influence has even effected worship in what are loosely referred to as "churches." In this video, the "pastor" plays Psy. And another "church" decided to make the song and dance their youth group's performance for the church's annual Christmas program. Oh, this isn't Psy's fault. These are simply examples of "churches" loving the world more than Christ. These "Christians" are responsible for their own behavior before God. Psy is not responsible for their blaspheme of Christ.

Harvard, where George Whitefield preached during the Great Awakening, long ago went from the Ivy League to nothing more than weedy soil. By the time Whitefield preached to a crowd of 7,000 on Harvard Yard, the school had been fully liberalized and had turned to the broad road of apostasy. When Whitefield returned to the once hallowed ground of Christian Puritanism and the residence of higher learning based on the Christian worldview, he was publicly excoriated in print by the faculty, in a letter filled with vitriol, innuendo, malicious subjectivity, and ad hominems.

While the AP tweet caught my eye, its content did not surprise me. America's intentional and profane drift from godliness and holiness began a generation before our nation, led in a significant way by theistic rationalists, sought its independence by way of rebellion. And the drift--a drift from which America has never recovered and, I believe, will never recover--began in places like Harvard, which became a producer and harbinger of theistic rationalism in 18th century colonial America.

No, Psy is not the Antichrist. He's a lost man trying to make a buck. This article, as I hope you can see, isn't really about him. It is about an Ivy League school that is now little more than weedy soil. It's about a nation that once had aspirations of being the reality behind the metaphor of amber waves of grain, only to become a country where the tare is now the primary crop.

Mail Bag: Worried About My Adult Children Going to Hell

Mail Bag

I received the following email from Diana, in Nebraska:

Mr. Miano:

Your ministry is very inspirational - I enjoy watching your YouTube videos. The Lord has definitely called and equipped you for evangelism.

My question: my adult children are living what I consider a carnal lifestyle. I have guilt for not giving them proper biblical instruction. The fear is that one of them will pass on prematurely and I would have to reconcile that my own child may be burning for eternity. Surely other mothers and fathers have faced this - how can one "deal" with this?

As far as I can tell, King David's son [Amnon] did not appear to be following The Lord, seeing as he raped his half sister, left her in disgrace and was murdered while he was drunk. No mention is made that David freaked out because he knew his son was apart from God for eternity.

Your thought and insight would be deeply appreciated and respected!

God Bless -

D.

Diana, I can't begin to count how many parents I know and how many parents I've met or have been contacted by with whom I've discussed this very issue. For the Christian parent, I would be hard-pressed to think of a more important life issue than where their children will spend eternity. The concern of a loving, Christian parent regarding the salvation of their children intensifies with each passing year.

Once a child reaches adulthood, it seems that many Christian parents resign themselves to occasional hopes and prayers for their lost, grown children, believing it would take a "miracle" for their adult son or daughter to be saved. A "miracle." Every instance of God taking an unregenerate sinner, taking their heart of stone and giving them are heart of flesh, and literally causing them to be born from above ("born again") is a miracle. It is a miracle because it is a supernatural work performed by God upon the pinnacle of His creation--mankind. And God performs these kinds of miracles every day, around the world.

First, Diana, I would like to address your "guilt" for not giving your children proper biblical instruction.

Yes, the Bible is clear. Parents should raise their children to fear, follow, and love the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:6-8; Deuteronomy 11:18-21; Psalm 34:11). Parents should also avoid exasperating their children (Ephesians 6:4). I've already made this mistake, today, with one of my girls and I had to seek her forgiveness.

While their are promises from God corresponding to the obedience of these commands, there are no promises of salvation their children if parents keep these commands. In other words, the salvation of children is not contingent upon the behavior of their parents, or the godly skill with which their parents seek to raise them.

Diana, if you believe you failed to give your children "proper biblical instruction" when you were raising them, then repent of that sin. But something tells me you already have done that. Something tells me the issue regarding the guilt you are feeling has less to do with repentance and more to do with faith. Diana, the issue regarding your guilty feelings is that maybe you have not fully trusted in God's ability and promise to forgive you. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). If you are in Christ, if you belong to Him, if He has caused you to be born again, then your sins are forgiven. Look to the cross for your forgiveness, not in the mirror.

The Tragedy of King David's Children

Diana, you mention one of many tragic stories in the Word of God--a story of deceit, betrayal, violence of the most depraved kind, and murder. And it all took place within the family of a great King--a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:13-14; Acts 13:22). For those unfamiliar with the story, here it is in its entirety, as it appears in the English Standard Version of the Bible.

Amnon and Tamar

13 Now Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her. 2 And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. 4 And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.” 5 Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 12 She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate[a] me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing. 13 As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!” 16 But she said to him, “No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.”[b] But he would not listen to her. 17 He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.” 18 Now she was wearing a long robe[c] with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

20 And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom's house. 21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.[d] 22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.

Absalom Murders Amnon

23 After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. 24 And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” 25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. 26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. 28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.

30 While they were on the way, news came to David, “Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of them is left.” 31 Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments. 32 But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore let not my lord the king so take it to heart as to suppose that all the king's sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead.”

Absalom Flees to Geshur

34 But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him[e] by the side of the mountain. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about.” 36 And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. 38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And the spirit of the king[f] longed to go out[g] to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.

Diana, King David was crushed by the death of his son, Amnon. David was consumed with grief about the moral collapse of his family. What father wouldn't be! But there is a difference between your grief and King David's grief. David grieved for what had happened to his son and his family. You are grieving for what has not yet happened to your children. You are fearing the unknown. David was mourning what he had already lost.

God Has Not Given You a Spirit of Fear

Diana, if you are in Christ then God has not given you a spirit of fear. "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:6-7; emphasis added). God has not given you an enslaving spirit that would allow you to fall back toward fearing the consequences of sin. "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father'” (Romans 8:15; emphasis added)!

Trust God

Diana, as God the Father encouraged Israel with these words, may you who has been made alive by Christ also be encouraged.

"But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior'" (Isaiah 43:1-3).

Diana, in addition to setting aside your fears for your adult children, you must also trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:5-8).

Diana, don't make assumptions about what God may or may not do to, through, and/or for your unsaved adult Children. Do not lean on your own understanding. Trust the Lord!

God is Sovereign

Diana, God is sovereign over everything, including your unsaved children. There is nothing, absolutely nothing you have done, are doing, or will do that can circumvent God's eternally-predetermined will for your unsaved children. You cannot save your children. You cannot keep them from being saved if God has chosen to save them. Salvation is of the Lord (Psalm 37:39; Lamentations 3:26; Jonah 2:9)!

Find comfort in the sovereignty of God, Diana. The responsibility of your children's salvation is not yours. It is God's alone. The ultimate decision regarding where your children will spend eternity is neither yours nor theirs. It is the Lord's (John 1:12-13; Romans 9:14-18). Only God can cause your children to be born again (1 Peter 1:3).

Your Responsibility

Diana, your spiritual responsibility in the lives of your adult children is simply this: continue to love God and continue to love your children.

"And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?' And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets'" (Matthew 22:35-40)

Love God and love people: God's two greatest commandments. And Jesus made it clear that if we love Him we will keep His commands (John 14:15; John 15:10).And that's what you must do for your children, Diana: love God by loving them. Love them by continuing to pray for them. Love them by taking advantage of every opportunity to share the gospel with them--not with a spirit of fear or a palpable sense of panic, but with joy in your heart. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Speak the truth in love to them (Ephesians 4:15), trusting in the sovereignty of God to do what He will with your children's souls.

Soup Du Jour (5/10/13)

Cleveland Kidnapper Could Face Murder Charges for Forced Abortions. - Yet another situation that shows the idiocy and depravity of a culture that calls evil good and good evil. If a woman decides to murder her baby, it's called "choice." If someone else decides to murder her baby, it's called "murder." What is the common denominator in both situations? A human being is being killed. To choose to kill someone, no matter how small, is to murder.

Lawless Law. - A great article from R.C. Sproul, Jr. Here's an excerpt: "The purported value of ethical relativism, the idea that there are no transcendent, binding rules for right and wrong that all humans are morally required to submit to, is that it allows us to live in peace. That is, if you have your ethics, and I have my ethics, well then there is no real need for us to fight over whose ethic wins. (So long, as, of course, our lives never actually cross.) The real value is far more sinister. We find ethical relativism appealing because we find our own guilt unappealing. Though we seek to suppress such knowledge, we all know that God is, that He is holy, that we are not, and that we are in trouble. Not the kind of pleasant thoughts one wants to go to sleep thinking on, so we suppress that truth. Do away with ethics and we do away with His holiness, our guilt, and therefore our trouble."

Strange Fire Conference. - Charles Spurgeon wrote: “Seek not, therefore, after visions, fancies, miracles, signs, and wonders, but believe when God speaks to your heart, according to all the statutes and testimonies, the precepts and promises, which are contained in the sure word of revelation.” John MacArthur is hosting a very important conference in October, which will focus on the "strange fire" of the charismatic movement. Although the conference is all ready "sold out," I'm sure they will live stream it off the website. You won't want to miss this conference.

Photo Gallery: Earth from Space. Start your day with some amazing photos of earth from the International Space Station. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).

Tweet o' Irony. Free to choose, but not free to choose.

Pic of the Day. Prince Harry of Wales laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery. With it, he left the following note. Well played, Harry. Well played.

Soup Du Jour (5/9/13)

These eggs aren't as "old" as scientists would like to believe. - "To creationists, the egg-containing rock layer represents evidence of a wave-like pulse that occurred earlier during the same Flood year that inundated other equally well-designed sauropods whose egg fossils occur in higher strata."

We deserve a break today FROM McDonalds. - McDonalds jumps at the opportunity to exploit of the three women in Cleveland who were held captive for ten years.

Jodi Arias found guilty of murder. - She said in a post-verdict interview she would prefer the death penalty to life in prison.

Breaking the sound barrier. - Tyler Story (17) of Mississippi does something most Christians will never do.

John MacArthur's favorite books. - Pastor MacArthur also shares his reading habits.

Six Marks of Fellowship with God. - A good read, written by Joey Newton, pastor of Newtown Bible Church, in Newtown (CT).

Tweet o' Irony - When will Osteen learn this?

Pic of the Day - Minions! They're everywhere!

FPAMG Mission Hills Abortion Clinic: We KNOW You Hear Us

The most difficult aspect of my ministry is pleading with men and women bent on murdering their unborn children. I never look forward to going to the Family Planning Associates Medical Group (FPAMG) abortuary in Mission Hills, CA. There, I see the depths of mankind's depravity.

There, I see people who would likely claim to vehemently oppose slavery and the wholesale slaughter of human beings (i.e. Hitler, Stalin, Khmer Rouge, Rwanda, Darfur, etc.), while they walk into the building to murder their unborn child whom they see as less than human or a piece of property to do with as they will.

There, I see men who are the worst of cowards--men who either convince or coerce women to murder their children, or men who not only lack the requisite intestinal fortitude to stop the killing, but who drop women off at the abortuary and speed away in their cars, like scared dogs with their tails tucked between their legs.

There I see members of the medical community, people who if they stopped working in the abortion industry would be hard-pressed to find legitimate work in the medical profession, who gloat over murdering as many as 50 babies in a day.

There I see business owners who share the building with the abortuary who, with depraved indifference, go about their days as if nothing is happening, as innocent blood is being shed on the other side of their office walls.

There I see many reasons why I believe God's wrath of abandonment is upon this nation (Romans 1:18-32).

Yes, I rejoice, sometimes with leaps and shouts, when a woman decides not to murder her baby. I praise God and ask Him to do it again every time it happens. But these instances, while they help to keep me coming back to this place of death, are rare.

Today, my friend Chris Yarzab found an interesting "review" on the FPAMG-Mission Hills abortuary's website. Another friend, Chris Hohnholz, took a picture of the page (see above photo). While it may be difficult to make out, one woman posted a review that was both heartbreaking and encouraging. Her name is AmberC. She is from Simi Valley. And she posted the following on April 17, 2013:

"This was my 2nd time there and i think i was more nervious this time around. But the staff made me feel comfortable and let me know everything was going to be ok. Only bad part i would say is thouse freakin people standing out front, could hear them all the way up in the lobby. So bring ear plugs for when ur sitting in the lobby. There sooo rude to be yelling stuff when its hard enough for someone to go have something like this done. The clinic its self is wonderful!!!"

While the murderous callousness of this woman is heartbreaking (she was there to murder her SECOND child), I find solace in knowing she and others in the lobby of the clinic could (and can) hear me and my friend Saad preaching.

Saad an I cannot use amplification outside the Mission Hills Abortuary. The building in which the abortuary operates is large and serves as the location for 20 other businesses. So, we rejoice that the men and women there to kill their babies, the "doctor" (not in the true sense of the word), the "nurse" (not in the true sense of the word), and the technicians can hear us as we preach the law and the gospel. We rejoice in the confirmation that other people operating in the same building as the murder mill can hear us preach.

So, while it's heartbreaking to know "Amber" has murdered not one, but two of her own children, her "review" motivates me all-the-more to return to the Mission Hills murder mill and preach.

Oh. One more thing. I did post a review of my own on the abortuary's website. I seriously doubt it will see the light of day. But I wrote thanking Amber for letting me know she could hear me. And I assured her that if she repents of her sin and receives Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, she will receive forgiveness for murdering her children and will receive the free gift of eternal life.

Soup Du Jour (5/8/13)

There is a well-known idiom that says, "Imitation in the sincerest form of flattery." So, giving credit where credit is due, I'm going to try to follow in the footsteps of prolific Christian blogger, Tim Challies. Each day Tim shares a post titled "A La Carte," in which he provides links to books, articles, videos, and other interesting online tidbits. Well, while I am no Tim Challies, I'm going to try to follow his lead and imitate his "A La Carte" posts with my own daily posts titled "Soup Du Jour" ("Soup of the Day").

Here's today's Soup du Jour...

Who has their finger on the trigger? - The Air Force recently stripped 17 officers of their qualification to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles. "'We are, in fact, in a crisis right now,' the commander, Lt. Col. Jay Folds, wrote in an internal email obtained by The Associated Press and confirmed by the Air Force."

They make millions of dollars, but they are still "boys of summer." - Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher J.A. Happ was hit in the head by a line drive during Tuesday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

A biblical answer to "Christian" Mysticism. - Tim Challies has written a good article regarding the importance of Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide in discerning the mysticism that has infiltrated American Evangelicalism.

Today's Tweet o' Irony. - Rick Warren contamination of the mind.

Fast runner, slow learner. - NFL "free" agent arrested twice in 15 hours. When I worked the streets as a deputy sheriff, I always referred to people like this as "job security."

Pic of the Day - This is a photo taken by missionary, evangelist, and open-air preacher Christopher Sippley. Sippley is the Canada representative for JeremiahCry Ministries. The photo is of Sippley's son. Some have titled the photo "Biblical Boyhood." That title work for me.