gfs@uunet.uu.net (01/16/91)
This morning, during prayer, a chain of thought was put together in my mind, recalling things I had read, but making me understand them more clearly for the first time. It has to do with the nature of our path of progress to God, and the nature of the 'punishments' of Hell. In a nutshell, the core is this: The same Fire of the Holy Spirit's love that makes the saints rejoice is exactly the same Fire that is Hellfire to avowed sinners. The Lord God gives us His all-encompassing, all-consuming Love. God never stops Loving us. The action of Gods Love on each one of us, is to consume or burn up that which is not of God, the sin, everything that is anti-God, or apathy-toward-God in us. The believer who moves to love God more and more each day, experiences this Love as the Fire of the Holy Spirit, "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the Fire of Your Love." In this Fire of God's Love I constantly rejoice. Glory to God for it! My love for Him is purified and intensified by It. Thank you forever, Lord! There is absolutely nothing else I would choose over God's Love, and the experience of the Lord is the sweetest, most joyful, most fulfilling and happiest experience of my life. By Almighty God's own Power, He is working his Work in me. I, a poor miserable creature, so small and insignificant, am ever so happy to receive the attention, the tender loving care, of the Almighty God Creator of the Universe, for Him to plunge me into the Fire of his Creation Furnace to further and complete my creation in Him. Oh! that He notices I am broken, to fix me! Oh, as I am healed the joy I can know of our true creation, what we human beings really are born to be in God's Creation. Little do we know today on this earth, of what we are created to become. What does the caterpillar know of the butterfly it can become. The child in the womb does not want to leave the warm comforting safety of the known surroundings for the next stage of life. "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him" (I Corinthians 2:9.) And the Fire of God's Love works in us to bring us to this, He does the work! Bless the Fire. There is fire in Hell. The description of Hell given by our Lord is no accident. The picture of Hell as having burning flames is more true than many give credit to. As real as the action of the Fire of the Love of God is purifying those who love God, this very same Fire the avowed sinner and God-hater finds an eternal torment. The eternal torment that the God they hate responds not with hate in return, but with Love. God's very presence, God's very existence, is torment to them. Those who live in Hell seek to deny the existence of God, in order to try to alleviate the torment they would feel. In this life, on this earth, it may be possible to hide from God for a little while, to sometimes escape the Fire of God's Holy Spirit, that is torment to them, just as it is that there are many who do not yet believe who also do not experience the Fire of God's Holy Spirit. But after the death of the body, when we become more alive in the spiritual realm, there is no such hiding from the existence of God. God is the Sun at the center of Heaven. A Sun, Generator of all energy, power and life, as in our world the physical sun is the generator of energy, power and life. In Heaven, you can constantly feel the warmth of the presence of God on yourself just like you feel the warm sun on your skin when you go outside on a bright sunny day. God does not and will not go away or cease to exist. Yet this is what the avowed sinner wishes. The God-hater constantly wishes for God not to exist and constantly rejects God. God's Light is abhorrent to that one. The self is the god of the God-hater. The God-hater is tormented by the fact that God exists, and he has no peace. The gates of Hell are locked from the inside, I have often read. Those in Hell hide behind this door, for to face the outside of Hell would be to face the ever more intense Fire of God's Love. Hellfire. For those choosing Hell, there is more Hellfire outside of Hell than inside Hell. Inside, those in Hell are left to the evil rewards that their lack of love brings to them. Self centered, egotistical, self indulgent, self gratifying, self serving, full of sick passion, full of anger and hatred, they rage and rant and curse, like horrible wild animals. It truly makes the compassionate heart sick to think about it. "Oh! my Jesus! forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Your Mercy." Oh, my Jesus! forgive us our sins so that your Fire to us is sweet Loving creative caretaking, rather than abhorrent tormenting Hell. You are the leader, we follow. By your Mercy you Love us when we don't deserve it. Pour your Mercy out on those who are far from you and are close to choosing Hell for themselves, don't give up on them. Send us, Your people, to them with a word of kindness and friendship, to plant seeds of love and care, to be a help to them. THis is the meaning of the symbology of the sacrifices in the Old Testament in the Tabernacle, being burned up in fire. That which is sinful is burned up, purifying us, leaving us more Godly, more holy, more loving. As gold is purified in the furnace, the Bible says, we are drawn out and purified by the Fire of the Love of the Holy Spirit. Heaven and Hell are not that hard to understand. The experience of Heaven and Hell begins on this earth, in this life. In the lives of people on earth we can find those who are living a life which is very close to Heaven, and those who are living a life very close to Hell. You can begin to live in Hell now. Ask someone with a bad drug addiction, who has ruined everything beautiful in their life. Note someone who lives by hatred, by sick evil perverted hatred. It is not just a metaphor, you can begin living in Hell on this earth. If you want an example, I am thinking of the character Frank in the movie "Blue Velvet" by David Lynch. I don't recommend this movie to anyone, since I found it one of the most disturbing movies I have ever seen. The memories of 5 years ago haunt me to this day, but I believe it taught me a little bit about the true depravity and ugliness of a person who lives and chooses Hell in this life. Help them. Help them to love. Bring to them the Love of God, the Light of God, the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are the light bearers. We live in a world full of darkness. Share the promise of the Love everywhere, to everyone we meet, without reservation and without exception. Really help one another. If a man needs clothes, give him your shirt. If he needs a meal, buy him a sandwich. If someone is cold, or homeless, share with him some room. If someone is depressed or sad, offer a kind word of true friendship. Share some of yourself with them, your time is often the most valuable thing you have to give. If someone is addicted to drugs, by caring about him/her, have them start caring enough to want to stop. Be their supporting friend through recovery. Take the risk of caring, of loving, and know that you are giving Jesus's love to them. Grow in your own holiness, to be a better channel of God's grace peace, and love into the world. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with God's Love, and kindle in you the Fire of that love. That Holy Fire will transform you and work miracles in you. You will grow in holiness and become a channel for God's grace into the world more and more. Pray, and love God. With all my love to those who need some love today, Sincerely, In Christ Greg Shay