God’s Trump Card

All her life she had heard that homosexuals could not be saved and were destined for hell unless they repented and allowed God to change them. She had heard such a message from preachers, tv evangelists, friends, and other Christians. And it broke her heart to think that the grandson she so loved was burning in hell because he was gay. Continue reading

Heaven or Hell? (Part Three)

(This is the third article in the series entitled “Heaven or Hell?” based on the contemporary parable/metaphor found at the beginning of the first article. In the second article in this series, I presented an application of this parable to the hells we create in this life. In this article,… Continue reading

Heaven or Hell? (Part Two)

(This article is the second in a series entitled “Heaven or Hell?” Readers may want to read the first article to find the parable/metaphor referred to in this second article. In that first article I related the parable to the unfortunate and perpetual practice of many poor, working-class, and middle-class… Continue reading

Heaven or Hell? (Part One)

In the vast repertoire of sermon illustrations and stories can be found the following illustration/parable/metaphor. The essential truth differentiating heaven and hell was revealed to a man through a vision. Both heaven and hell contained banquet tables in beautifully decorated settings. The tables overflowed with the most delicious and desirable… Continue reading

The Last Judgment (Part Two)

Evil will not have the last word. There is no place in the New Heaven and the New Earth for those whose lives are defined by greed, violence, and idolatry. But God’s judgment is not for the purpose of punishing forever. God’s judgment is designed to set things right and to bring reconciliation and healing. Continue reading