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Category: Gospel

  • Hide and Seek – Hiding From God

    Children playing hide and seek at dusk

    When I was growing up, we used to play hide and seek outdoors after dark. It added a new element to the game. Hiding was much easier, and seeking was much harder. The shadows and darkness offered wonderful new places to hide from view.

    One time, we played using flashlights. When the person who was “it” shone their light on you, you were out. That didn’t work as well, because the person who was in it would invariably shine their light everywhere in the hope of catching someone. They didn’t really have to find you, just get lucky with the flashlight.

    After that one time, we went back to simple hide and seek in the dark. Playing in the dark, without a flashlight, it’s much easier to remain hidden from view.

    Sometimes we play hide and seek with God, only we don’t really want to be found. We don’t want to face Him with our sin, so we hide in the darkness. We rationalize that if we stay hidden from Him, we don’t have to deal with our problems.

    The problem (and the blessing) is that there is no place to hide from God.

    Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I lift up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will bruise me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not too dark for You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. Psalm 139:7-12 

    It’s a problem because we can never really hide. We’ll always be accountable for our sins in one way or another, we can only escape His wrath for so long. It’s a blessing for those who love Him, because it means we’re never so far gone that He can’t find us and wash us clean.

    Are you hiding from Him? Turn back; He sees you anyway. 

    Until next time, rejoice that there is no hiding from God.

    Be blessed
    Kev
    in

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  • The Hot Seat – Hell is real

    The Hot Seat – Hell is real

    A burning chair - the hot seat. hotter than hell

    I got a bit of a surprise hot seat this morning. As I drove Kathy to work and turned a corner, her travel mug tipped over and dumped some hot coffee into the driver’s seat. It wasn’t hot enough to burn me, but it was surprising, to say the least.

    Now, of course, the term hot seat is usually applied to being put into an uncomfortable, pressured situation where you are being interrogated or criticized. It was also once a euphemism for the electric chair. My hot seat didn’t compare; it was far more literal.

    There is a very real high-pressure hot seat coming for non-believers. It’s a thread that runs throughout the Bible, here are a couple of examples.

    And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to reproach and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2

    Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John 5:28-29

    There are many more, Revelation 20:11-15, Matthew 35:21-46, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 and so forth.

    Wanting to become a Christian to escape the hot seat of God’s judgment and the fires of hell is a good reason, and it has motivated many people. Yet, if that’s all it is, an escape, are you truly saved?

    Only God can know, but if your relationship doesn’t expand into knowing Him, loving Him, obeying Him and wanting to be with Him, you might want to examine your heart.

    Being a Christian is so much more than just escaping the hot seat and the fires. It’s about a love deeper than any other and a desire to be like the one we love.

    It’s a new birth and a second chance. It’s a new life eternally. It’s blessings beyond measure, although some won’t be realized in this earthly life. 

    Our faith is radical and countercultural. It’s hated by those who don’t believe, just as our Lord was hated. It may bring hardship and persecution. Yet, it’s worth it all.

    It’s your choice, face the hot seat on your own merit (of which you have none) or bypass it with the imputed righteousness of Jesus.

    Choose wisely.

    Be blessed
    Kevin