Going to Hell in a Handbarrow
Jesus said,
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Matthew 7:21-23.
In his book "Essentials in Christian Faith" John B. Harrington, published in 1958, there is a quote that could have been written yesterday.
It's from Paul Gallico in Esquire Magazine in 1948. Harrington quotes Gallico as saying,
"A writer in a popular magazine has written the following words; 'We are all, if you will pardon the expression, Headed for Hell in a handbarrow. If, ever the people of the world stood in need of a spiritual revival, it is now. We are beginning to poison the face of the earth with our miserable presence. The brakes are off. The cart of the world is sliding down the way greased with hatred, ambition, lies, self-seeking and avarice toward the pit.'"
Harrington notes that Gallico makes no pretense of being "a religious man" noting that "...for him it is precisely religion in its organized forms which has in part caused the situation he deplores. He is careful to state that it is not "religion" for which he is looking. For in his opinion, religion throughout the history of our culture has advanced its control over human beings by the investment of bigotry and persecution.
Yet, out of despair over the current human situation he says; ‘The voice for which my heavy spirit is yearning must reach us all... For if it is not heard, we are lost. Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position, some rewards founded on good will, selflessness, and the innate dignity of the human spirit...honour, humility, decency courage."
What Gallico is speaking about is what the apostle Paul predicted.
Looking at the face of what passes for Christianity in the media here in North America we see men and women claiming to be Christians, who are preaching things that are clearly false.
While there are many honest men and women of God who make mistakes when preaching the word of God.
There are men and women who sadly have very high profiles in the media that are twisting the word of God for personal gain. These I believe are the men and women Paul Gallico is referring to. They are religious men and women who offer most of the time nothing more than secular ideas wrapped up in a Christian package.
They have for lack of a better term made Christianity look religious without any substance
The apostle Paul writes,
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."Timothy 3:1-5.
“...having a form of godliness but denying its power...” states Paul.
The world is looking for more than a “secular ideas in a Christian box” It is looking for the very thing that Christ Jesus has to offer.
The call of Jesus is,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
This is the message we as Christians should be offering the world. For it is the only way individuals can get out of that handbarrow heading for Hell and go to heaven.
Please think about it.
Jesus said,
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Matthew 7:21-23.
In his book "Essentials in Christian Faith" John B. Harrington, published in 1958, there is a quote that could have been written yesterday.
It's from Paul Gallico in Esquire Magazine in 1948. Harrington quotes Gallico as saying,
"A writer in a popular magazine has written the following words; 'We are all, if you will pardon the expression, Headed for Hell in a handbarrow. If, ever the people of the world stood in need of a spiritual revival, it is now. We are beginning to poison the face of the earth with our miserable presence. The brakes are off. The cart of the world is sliding down the way greased with hatred, ambition, lies, self-seeking and avarice toward the pit.'"
Harrington notes that Gallico makes no pretense of being "a religious man" noting that "...for him it is precisely religion in its organized forms which has in part caused the situation he deplores. He is careful to state that it is not "religion" for which he is looking. For in his opinion, religion throughout the history of our culture has advanced its control over human beings by the investment of bigotry and persecution.
Yet, out of despair over the current human situation he says; ‘The voice for which my heavy spirit is yearning must reach us all... For if it is not heard, we are lost. Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position, some rewards founded on good will, selflessness, and the innate dignity of the human spirit...honour, humility, decency courage."
What Gallico is speaking about is what the apostle Paul predicted.
Looking at the face of what passes for Christianity in the media here in North America we see men and women claiming to be Christians, who are preaching things that are clearly false.
While there are many honest men and women of God who make mistakes when preaching the word of God.
There are men and women who sadly have very high profiles in the media that are twisting the word of God for personal gain. These I believe are the men and women Paul Gallico is referring to. They are religious men and women who offer most of the time nothing more than secular ideas wrapped up in a Christian package.
They have for lack of a better term made Christianity look religious without any substance
The apostle Paul writes,
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."Timothy 3:1-5.
“...having a form of godliness but denying its power...” states Paul.
The world is looking for more than a “secular ideas in a Christian box” It is looking for the very thing that Christ Jesus has to offer.
The call of Jesus is,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
This is the message we as Christians should be offering the world. For it is the only way individuals can get out of that handbarrow heading for Hell and go to heaven.
Please think about it.
