A follow-up to my post on Rev. Hagee...

Since writing my post on Sunday about Vice-President Pence meeting with the controversial Reverend John Hagee, I've read several things about his beliefs that make me think twice about him.

The most relevant for my particular field of interest, eschatology, is his belief that there are multiple ways to salvation, in particular for the Jews.

His belief that while Christians need to come through Jesus Christ to be saved (true - "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me," John 14:6), those of Jewish heritage are already God's chosen people and should come to God through their own practices (false - "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through Me," John 14:6). 

The implication of this is that when there are exceptions to the rule, there may be others as well, and it seems logical to assume that the "spiritual buffet" is in order in Rev. Hagee's mega-church: write your own ticket to Heaven! Believe what you want to believe, and God will take you in!

Let us be clear about this, friends:

There is only one group of people allowed into Heaven, and that group consists of people who have accepted the boarding pass who is Jesus Christ. He IS "the way, the truth, and the life," and "NO ONE comes to the Father" in Heaven except by accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Heaven is NOT for "good" people, any more than Hell is for "bad" ones. Heaven is simply for those who have chosen to accept a loving and obedient relationship with the Trinity that is God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit that lives within every Believer. You might be the nicest person in the world - without a relationship with God, you would probably hate Heaven. (Not as much as you'll hate Hell, but that's another issue.) And nobody bound for Heaven can claim to get there because of their own upstanding citizenry on earth - we ALL sin, every day, and no human being (save Jesus) can be sinless enough (that is, PERFECT enough) to meet God's exacting standards. We are invited to go to Heaven through the grace of God given to those who serve Him.

So, I don't expect to see Reverend Hagee in Heaven when I get there, frankly, because it sounds like he's not clear on the whole concept of Christianity. Being a Christian is NOT a buffet - you only get one God, and that is Yahweh, Jehovah, the Lord God of Israel. You only get one route to God, and that is through the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, Who is called the Christ, the Son of Man. 

Sorry. That's just how it is.  

One potato, two potato...

I need to follow up on something I said earlier today in the previous blog post, Pew Potatoes.

There was a riff of one-liners in the middle of the post that I was very proud of. That should have been my first sign that it was wrong. Pride goeth before the fall.

Here's the entire sequence:

Being a Christian isn’t like being a bowler. It’s not something you do to pass the time; it’s not a hobby, it’s not an avocation, it’s not a social club.

If your Bible isn’t open on any day besides Sunday, you’re not really a Christian; you’re just here for the potato salad.

If prayer is something you never do outside the church building you attend, you’re not really a Christian; you’re just a person trying to keep from feeling guilty on Sundays.

If your behavior during the week would make your pastor cringe, you’re not really a Christian; you’re just acting the role on Sunday mornings.

If you can’t describe what it is that Jesus wants you to do and be as a follower of His,you’re not really a Christian; you’re more like a blind man trying to pass a driving test.

If you miss church on Sunday because of what you chose to do on Saturday night…you’re not really a Christian; you’re whatever you were on Saturday night.

If you go to church but you’re not really a Christian… you’re a hypocrite. You’re better off not lying about it anymore and just tell the truth about not being a Christian.

But if you are a Christian…then you have a job to do. One job.

The Great Commission.

I stand by the general point, which is that you're not a Christian just because you go to church on Sundays, or whatever. If you're really a Christian, then you pray more than just on Sunday...you pray wherever you are all week long...your behavior matches what the Lord told us in the "good book" to do...you know what the Lord expects us to do and be,,,all of that is valid.

But if you go to church and you're not really a Christian, that doesn't make you a hypocrite! The church is a hospital for sinners, not a sanctuary for saints. If a church is worth anything, it welcomes ALL parishioners into its services. If you are new to the faith, or even an agnostic or atheist, any church that claims to be Christian should welcome you with open arms. If you are dressed to the nines, or dressed from the 99-cent store, they should welcome you like a lost brother or sister. If there is an odor wafting from your body that signifies a possible allergic reaction to showers? All right, you may have to apologize to whomever you end up sitting next to, but come on in!

The point is this: The people who need to be at church the MOST are usually the ones who COME to church the LEAST. They're the ones we should be welcoming with open arms! 

However...

If you ARE a Christian, and if you aren't living like a Christian, then you need to find the Holy Spirit in your soul and let Him guide you. And if you can't find Him in there, it's time to get on your knees and pray for Him to make Himself heard in your soul. 

Then...hush....