Friday, March 01, 2002           

                                                                                           

  

Dear Family:

 

Someone recently asked me the question. What is hell like? My answer never seems to me to be adequate. While we may describe fire and brimstone as the place and content, few of us can identify with that thought. Most of our images come from past experiences or from our ability to visualize.  We may be able to see flames of hell and think of the body being consumed in them but that doesn't really get the picture across because in hell the body is not consumed in the flame and the flame lasts forever. So there has to be a way to get the idea across to someone who has never been trapped in a burning building without the ability to escape or get away from the heat of the flames or choking from the smoke.

 

The Bible describes hell as a place of torment totally separated from God. That being true, I guess we could describe everything about God and then slowly remove each, then what would remain would be hell.

 

The Bible says that God is love and that this love is perfect, so, if we can visualize life with absences of love then we could get a glimpse but only by association. Think what it would be like to never know the love for or from a mother or father, never to know the love of a child or husband or wife. I think it would be terrible to have never known puppy love.

 

The Bible says God is our comforter. Ever been uncomfortable and just couldn't move to a position where you were comfortable? I recently broke a couple of ribs and finding a comfortable sitting, laying or standing position just seemed to be impossible. The pain at first is almost unbearable but then as healing begins the pain is not so bad but it continually feels like you are about to get a cramp in your side. The cramp doesn't come but the feeling doesn't go away either.

 

Strangely during the last few months the importance of breath has been impressed on my mind. As you all know I lost my good friend and neighbor to pulmonary fibroses. This terrible disease literally destroys the lungs ability to absorb oxygen and steels the breath of life from its victims.

 

The bible says:

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (KJV)

Acts 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; (KJV)

Job 33:4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. (KJV)

 

I can't think of anything worse than not being able to get my breath; yet, that is what those who have respiratory problems experience continually. Doctors can hook oxygen to the patient but they cannot cause the lungs to absorb the life giving oxygen into the blood and the victim simply chooks to death from lack of oxygen even though pure oxygen may be being fed into the lungs.  The breath of life is just about the closest we get to experiencing God.  The absence of this breath is hell for it is truly the absence of God.

 

Ezek 37:1-28

1). The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2). And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3). And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4). Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5). Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6). And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 7). So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8). And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9) Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10).  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11). Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12). Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13). And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14). And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. (KJV)

 

What a marvelous story. I cannot really imagine the sound of all these bones coming together and beginning to stand and walk.  If this God we serve can do this then why would we doubt his ability to cure any illness found in these bodies? I think the answer lies in the verses 11-14. "Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts."

 

This is the condition of every man, woman and child lost without God. Although being lost without God is a spiritual condition it affects every bone and fiber of the body. Real life, regardless of our age, begins only when we come to know that God is God. Notice the order of events here. These bones realize they are dried up, without hope and separated from their parts. Until we understand that we are nothing and unable to cure ourselves and without any hope - only then are we ready for God to perform his miracle on us.  The first part is up to us. We must reach our end. We must acknowledge that we are dead spiritually without the spirit of God and do not have the real breath of life in us. Then God is able to perform and only then will he give us life.

 I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves  And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. (KJV)

 

He takes us out of our death and into life by putting His spirit in us and we shall live. Then we will know he said it and did it.

 

There is much more to this story but I must stop here and continue later. But I must ask the question, are you like the bones dried up without hope, separated from the breath of God? Then it is time you acknowledged him and asked him to bring you out of that grave and breathe the breath of life into your bones. Life will take on a whole new meaning. Just think of the difference between a dried up skeleton on the ground and a living, breathing flesh covered body full of life, able to walk and run.

 

Love you all,

 

Chuck, Dad and Dad2

  

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