For those of you who weren’t here last week I’m going to repeat the prayer I prayed when I ended my sermon. “Father, please take those thoughts of my mind and words of my mouth and make them a blessing to everyone who just heard them and others who may read them later. Please constantly remind each of us that all of the Scriptures have been inspired by you and are therefore without contradiction or error. Please strongly incline us to sincerely want to love those non-Christians you bring into our lives, so much so, that we will do everything we possibly can to lead them to the Cross of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please also incline us to make the time to diligently search the Bible and utilize all available resources looking for answers to those difficult questions which are bound to arise in the minds of those non-Christians who are sincerely searching for spiritual truth so that we may be able to intelligently answer questions such as were raised in this morning’s message, and forgive us for sinning against you all those times we didn’t seize past opportunities. We ask you this in His name.” Amen!

I’ve been preaching the latest Charlie and the Angel series because I truly believe the Lord our God wants me to. For the past several years I’ve been becoming increasingly concerned about the eternal dwelling place of the immortal souls of folks I love and care about dearly; folks such as members of my family and those at our church and Harvest Time and all their loved ones. In fact, there are many others He has caused to cross paths with me during my lifetime, and whenever I think of one of them I also lift them up before the “Throne of Grace.” When I think of the possibility of even one of those special people in my life being separated from God and His children forever, I could cry. And I sometimes do! It wouldn’t be so burdensome if their grave was the end of these folks and they ceased to exist except as an increasingly distant memory lodged somewhere in my mind, but I know that isn’t true.

I sometimes offer you folk’s spiritual nourishment by way of fictitious characters because I believe it’s a good way to realistically describe the obstacles we will encounter when we are trying to save a fellow human being’s immortal soul from experiencing unimaginable eternal torment. It goes without saying that we must possess a Christ-like love for all people and take our responsibility seriously, and do our very best to lead the poor lost soul to the Risen Savior.

When we left here last Sunday none of us had any way of knowing that, according the account in the Burlington Free Press, “at about 4:30 p. m.”, “…a car carrying three men in their 20s”,”…went off the road and crashed into a telephone pole. All three were transported to Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. The driver and one passenger were released the same day; the second passenger died Monday.” The driver of the car is one of our upstairs tenants, a likable young man with a drug dependency whom I have attempted to share the Gospel with on several occasions. He was never interested. If he was I certainly would have included something such as is in the following excerpts from Grace Gems, a daily Puritan devotional our friend Guy recommended. I received it early yesterday morning in my inbox. It was written by James Smith in 1849 and it’s called “CONSIDER!”

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: Consider your ways!” Haggai 1:7

“God commands you and me to consider–and we cannot neglect to do so, except by sinning. Our circumstances require it of us–and we cannot neglect to do so, without being losers thereby. God complains, “My people do not consider!”

“Inconsideration has ruined thousands–and will ruin thousands more. But will it ruin you and me? It will–if we give way to it. Allow me implore each of us to do so no longer. Consider that we are immortal–and must live forever. Our BODY will die–and perhaps soon. But not so our SOUL–it never dies. Death changes its place–but not its nature. It leaves earth for Heaven–or for Hell! It lives as much when the body is dead–as it did before. It is conscious–and capable of enjoying the highest pleasures–or of enduring the most dreadful torments! And one or the other will be its lot.”

“Heaven–or Hell, happiness–or misery, always follows our death! Surely an immortal being ought to consider: Where shall I be after death?  What shall I be? Among whom shall I have my eternal portion? Is it rational to confine our attention to the present time, and the present world–when time bears no comparison to eternity; and our stay in this present world must be brief?”

“Consider that you and I are sinners. You and I have broken God’s law. You and I have incurred God’s displeasure. You and I are condemned by God’s Word. You and I deserve God’s wrath. Our hearts are alienated from God. You and I act in opposition to God. You and I lie completely at God’s mercy–and at any moment He could cut you and I down, and send you and I to Hell. You and I have no right to expect anything but justice at His hands! And if He dealt with you and I after our sins, and rewarded us according to our iniquities–our doom would be indescribably dreadful!”

“Consider your ways!” Consider that you and I are immortal–and that we must live somewhere forever! Consider that you and I are sinners –and that we cannot live in Heaven as such! Consider that you and may be saved–because the Lord Jesus Christ is both able and willing to save sinners!”

“Consider that you and I can only be saved by sincere faith in Christ! Consider that you and I must denounce our own righteousness, and rely solely on His finished work! Consider that if you or I are saved by Christ–we will live for Christ. He will be our Lord–as well as our Savior. He will be our example–as well as our atoning sacrifice! Consider that faith is the root of holiness, and a holy life alone proves our faith to be genuine. “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Consider your ways!”

As I mentioned earlier that whenever I think of the possibility of someone I love and care about being separated from God and His children forever, I could cry. And I sometimes do and I’m sure some of you folks do, too. We’re not the first and I’m certain we won’t be the last.

Jeremiah 9:1 (ESV)
¹ Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

Acts 20:31 (ESV)
³¹ Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.

This past week I received something which was a huge blessing to me because the person who wrote it obviously cares deeply for the lost. It was a posting in my guest book that I purposely didn’t activate until I shared this woman’s thoughts with you folks this morning. It concerned last week sermon in this series. “Yet another cliffhanger!” “To be honest I have never thought about contrasting the particular passages quoted by Marvin. I’m not sure I would have a proper answer for him. If you’d know just what to say to him would you kindly tell us (or, better yet, please tell just me; I’m afraid I’m the only one whose heart is sure that both of Marvin’s two “possibilities” are wrong, but would not know how to set him right based on the bits of Scripture he quoted.” Our friend Agnes was referring to an assertion my fictitious character Marvin made at last week’s Bible Study. If you folks were at that study and you heard Marvin say that: “Either the Bible is full of massive contradictions or else the Christian God is indeed an evil fiend,” how would you respond? And then immediately before the study ended he asked you: to explain these and similar Bible passages he previously quoted; passages which are seething with hatred and vengeance in one place and contradictory elsewhere, especially since “all scripture is supposed to be God breathed?”

The Bible Study ended at that point and now we hear a man’s voice say: “I can’t get over that Marvin guy, Pal.” He’s a real goof-ball. Can you imagine he thinks the Bible ain’t true and God is a fiend? Come on now! Be real!” “How would you respond to the man’s questions, Charlie?” “That’s easy, Pal. God wrote the Bible and He don’t make mistakes, that’s how.” “May I ask how you know that, Charlie?” “I just know it, that’s how.” Is that the best you can come up with, Charlie? Are you able to go into greater detail? Do you even have an interest in attempting to provide Marvin with a more substantial answer, one which will satisfy his desire to know spiritual truth?” “What’s good enough for me ought to be good enough for ole Marvin, Pal. If he wants to know more tell him to read the Bible. That’s the Holy Spirits job to lead the guy into all truth, not mine. You should know that, Pal. Jesus said it Himself, (John 16:13 ) in case you forgot. I hope the group don’t waste their time knocking themselves out looking for an answer to his questions. If God wants to explain all that stuff to him He will in His own sweet time. Case closed!” “I must say I’m not at all surprised to hear you say that, Charlie. It’s time to return and observe what’s transpiring.” “It is? We just left there, Pal!” It seems like only yesterday.” “Charlieeee!” “Oh I forgot. Were living in the everlasting present and they’re still living in time.” “As you’re so fond of saying, “You got that right.”

The study starts with the teacher welcoming everyone back. After their time of sharing praises and prayer requests, the teacher throws the ball back to Marvin and asks him to pick up where he left off the previous week. Marvin asks: “Have you folks ever read the following disgusting Bible passages? Please turn in your Bible to:

Psalm 83:1-18 (NIV)  O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. ² See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. ³ With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. ⁴ “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.” ⁵ With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you– ⁶ the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, ⁷ Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre.

⁸ Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. Selah ⁹ Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, ¹⁰ who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground. ¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, ¹² who said, “Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.” ¹³ Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind.

¹⁴ As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, ¹⁵ so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. ¹⁶ Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O Lord. ¹⁷ May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. ¹⁸ Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord– that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 140:9-11 (ESV) ⁹ As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them! ¹⁰ Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise! ¹¹ Let not the slanderer be established in the land; let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

Psalm 143:11-12 (ESV) ¹¹ For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! ¹² And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant.

Psalm 137:8-9 (ESV)
⁸ O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! ⁹ Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!

But elsewhere in the Bible the Prince of Peace says:

Luke 6:35 (NIV)
³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Matthew 5:44 (NIV)
⁴⁴ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Sometimes I wonder if Christians are aware of everything that is written in the Bible. Some of the ones I’m acquainted with don’t believe everything the Bible contains. I must say that in the eyes of people such as me these Christians are diminishing the faith they profess, and the credibility of a book they claim to be the Word of God? Members of Christian churches often do the same thing whenever they tell me they don’t believe certain official doctrines of the one they belong to or attend. I know Protestants who brush aside the kind of passages I just brought to your attention. If they only believe some of the Bible is true and other parts aren’t; how can people such as me take anything in the Bible seriously? For example, why should anyone believe God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life and that they must be born again, but not passages such as” blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock?”  I must say I find it to be extremely confusing whenever I discover the following quotes on the internet from highly respected Christian sources. For example, Halley’s Bible Handbook says that “these kinds of Psalms are not God’s pronouncements of His wrath on the wicked; but are the prayers of a man for vengeance on his enemies, just the opposite of Jesus’ teaching that we should love our enemies.” “In Old Testament times God, in measure, for expedience sake, accommodated Himself to Men’s Ideas. In New Testament times God began to deal with men according to His Own Ideas.” How do you good folks defend the veracity of the Bible when you read something such as that? And, I might add, there’s much more from where that came from. For example, consider: Psalm 137:8-9 again.

⁸ O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! ⁹ Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!

“What do you good folks have to offer by way of rebuttal of the musings of one of a very highly esteemed Christian author who wrote: “Of the cursing Psalms, I suppose most of us make our own moral allegories…. We know the proper object of utter hostility—-wickedness, especially our own….From this point of view I can use even the horrible passage in Psalm 137 about dashing the Babylonian babies against the stones. I know things in the inner world which are like babies; the infantile beginnings of small indulgences, small resentments, which may one day become dipsomania or settled hatred, but which woo us and wheedle us with special pleadings and seem so tiny, so helpless that in resisting them we feel we are being cruel to animals. They begin whimpering to us “I don’t ask much, but”, or “I had at least hoped”, or “you owe yourself some consideration.” Against all such pretty infants (the dears have such winning ways) the advice of the Psalm is the best. Knock the little bastards’ brains out. And blessed is he who can, for it is easier said than done.”

“That’s all I have to share this morning, teacher. Thank you for allowing me to.” “You’re most welcome, Marvin.” “Teacher, you’ve been doing a lot of listening,” said Martha. “We all have. Surely you must have something to say.” “I do, Martha. Lord willing, next week….” Boy am I glad that’s over, Pal. That Marvin guy is making me crazy.