Saturday, May 04, 2002
Dear Family:
During the past year especially Sense 9/11 we have seen the devastating results of fire. The heat caused by the fuel of the planes was so great that the metal beams of the twin towers became soft twisted and collapsed. Extreme heat causes the sand and stone in concrete to explode and pulverize back to dust. Some one has said there are three ways of looking at life. There is the pessimist who can never see the possibilities in anything. He can only focus on why a thing will not work or why it can not be done. The children of Israel were pessimist by and large and as a result were lost in the wilderness for forty years.
Pessimism is far more prevalent in the world to day than ever before. "I Can't" has become the heart cry of too many in poverty stricken areas of this country and of others. Pessimism is a result of being too cautious for fear of failure or it could be from a poor self-image or simply a lack of confidence in ones ability. There are those who think they can do anything but fail from lack of knowledge about the subject or task. Then there is the realist. He is the one who says, " Oh I suppose anything is possible but not likely. Or he says, "If this is true then that should be as well." I have to laugh when I hear the spinsters say, "the truth of the mater is."
We criticize those who have an entrepreneurial spirit. And say they are not being realistic. That is probably true but the entrepreneur is ultimate optimist. With out optimism how can we please God. Optimism is much like faith. Faith says I can and I will by the grace and glory of god. The bible is full of stories of men who were pessimist, realist and optimist.
Moses thought of all the reasons why he could not lead the children of Israel but he was the one who had been taken into the home of the Pharos daughter and received the finest schooling and training. He should have been an optimist or realist but not a pessimist. Then there was Thomas and Nicodemus. Both were educated men in responsible positions but pessimist. John 3:9-10 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? (NKJ) John 20:25 "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." (NKJ)
What would we call Noah? He had never seen rain, never heard of a boat, yet he built one and not only did he build it, He sailed it and it floated.
I am an optimist and always want to concentrate on the positive love of God. I like the book of Mark where Christ say, "do it now." The word immediately is found 36 times in Mark. I think Christ must have been an optimist. I like to point to his optimism when I write and speak. He didn't try to walk on water, he did. He didn't try to heal the sick or raise the dead, he did. He didn't try rise from the dead he did. The only problem I have as an optimist is seeing God not only as the God of love, caring, healing, providing and life giving. He demands perfection. He demands obedience. He is jealous and hates disobedience and unbelief. He has set up some rules for our choices. If we obey him we spend eternity with him but if we chose to disobey him and fail to believe him we will spend eternity separated from him. This separation is described in Revelation as death, second death and a place of eternal suffering, a lake of fire.
Rev 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (NKJ) Rev 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (NKJ) Rev 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (NKJ) Rev 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (NKJ)
We need to remind people of the consequences of their choices. Chose Christ and live forever in God's love and care or chose any other and suffer His wrath and separation from everything He is. The absences of breath as he is the breath of life. Consider how long you can hold your breath. Imagine that final feeling forever. Consider suffering and pain of a server burn pain forever with no relief. Hell is a terrible place and forever is a long time. We need to remind people that hell is just as real as heaven and we chose which one will be our home for eternity.
Recently the son of my Christian Brother was seriously burned. The pain for the child was unbearable. The torment that the parents went through just seeing the pain of their son was tormenting. We must not let life slip away for those around us without letting them know what this pain and torment is like. My good friend recently passed away as a result of pulmonary fibroses. It was tormenting to watch him suffer as he struggled for air. We can not let those around us slip away facing this torment for eternity. While preaching the love of God is the optimistic view, there is reality and reality is hell. It is just not worth the risk to be pessimistic when it come to this important decision. We must Choose Christ and urge others to be optimistic and do the same.
In Christ
Dad, Dad2, Mr. T. and Chuck
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