Day 119 "Sticking your head in the sand helps no one, yet it will hurt many–some for an eternity."

Day 119 Matthew 13:36-43 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" As I was watching the national news (at this writing), I was once again reminded of just how far we, as a nation, have fallen away from God, in particular, over the last 40 to 50 years. The news then was all abuzz over the death of the comedian George Carlin, and there were three things in one particular newscast that caught my ear and my mind. The first clip, which every newscast I saw played, touted him as being famous for saying the seven things on television that you can never say on television. The second clip showed him blaspheming God and making fun of all religious people; making us out to be fools and non-thinkers. As the camera came back to the two hosts of the show, one of them was laughing almost uncontrollably and said what he liked best about George Carlin was that he made him laugh at things he knew he should never laugh about. I can honestly say that I didn't know George Carlin, and I don't know if he got saved, or if he is in heaven or hell, but I do know how he is being remembered. (I am not judging George Carlin in any way; this was simply a very timely example.) In this passage, Jesus said that those who practice lawlessness and those things that offend will be gathered up and thrown out of the kingdom, where they will be burned. The seriousness of eternity has become so downplayed and diluted that far too many people are simply avoiding even thinking about it; they would rather make fun of it or simply not go there. I believe that we have gotten too far away from this very pivotal truth that cannot be avoided or discounted. We will all stand before God and be judged. Yes, people are going to go to hell, so what are we really afraid of when we neglect to remind them of it? I'm not suggesting we use the fear of hell to scare people into heaven, but I am questioning why so many are afraid to even mention it. Jesus did; the apostles did; why don't we? Have we become so afraid of offending people that we no longer fear God? I am not suggesting that we return to the dark ages of Christianity; however, if those who practice lawlessness and those who are offensive will be sent to hell, should we laugh at them or speak truth to them? Daily Prayer: Father, I pray that I never unknowingly give the devil any form of glory, admiration, or support. Keep me watchful, I pray, and lead me in your ways. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Sticking your head in the sand helps no one, yet it will hurt many–some for an eternity." Pastor Gene Burroughs