juswannaserve

Amen to that!

I grew up Catholic in the 1960's...we were always talking about hell and praying for indulges from our holy cards. I look back at what a desperate act that was for me because I wasn't yet born again and in a personal relationship with Christ. I know the focus on hell instead of the Love and Salvation of Christ didn't do much for me. I saw God as an angry and punitive being that I never thought I'd be close to.

I guess I like to go back to how Christ use to preach how loving God first and then one another was what was the most important. We want to fear (respect and have awe for) our loving Father God but not run to Him only out of fear of punishment....that's my interpretation and belief.

I do know that pastors are being more sensitive to folks like me who were 'burned' by the hell thing as a kid. I want to serve God out of love and not fear. It was the love of my Christian friends in college that drew me to becoming born again in the first place. They will know us by our love, the Bible says. I know in my life, fear of hell lead me to legalism more than service to God in love. I would never have become born again without those persistent and loving Christian friends in college, but that's what I needed.

We can't choose God, He chooses us. I trust that those He brings to Himself will hear what they need to hear, when they need to hear it, wherever they need to hear it. There may be a need to preach hell for some folks....but for some of us who have lived abused lives, a message of hellfire will not draw us to the Living God. I believe God will give us the message we need when we need it to draw us near to Him.

My thanks for the sharing here--jws

smellycat

very good answer,i feel the same.to do things for the right reasons is good.

lostandfound

right, and now I'm asking myself why I argued with you, because you say that the simple reality of hell (the fact that hell is there) is enough... well if someone knows that than it is ok, right?
Why should everyone preach about it?
read carefully, I did not say, that they dont have to mention it.

well now you may give me a name of a preacher who know the whole bible and know what everything means...
if you can not, then there shouldn't be preachers, because they don't know all...

PT I don't want to have a fight, but I want your understandings for people who don't preach about hell. Why should they? If other people can do it better, let them do it. Preachers have got the gift to preach, and some preachers have got the gift to preach about hell, and an other about heaven. Simply as that. Off course preachers may not deny hell, but preachers can not teach everything, therefor there are many preachers.

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