DOG LIVES IN MY HEART

Skipper was the best dog I ever had. To this day I dream about him. His fuzzy face, his 3 legged walk, how much he loved me. He was a great dog. He died in 1989.

He still lives in my heart. I'll never forget him.

But, Skip was a dog not GOD. I'm not dyslexic.

I say that because of the comments to this post regarding the 7 essentials. One came from a really good man. A pastor. He asked about number 8. Can you believe and embrace all 7 and still go to hell? I thought about that. I think if you are a condemned demon from hell you can and will. You know the truth, that's part of the torment of hell, to know the truth and be able to do nothing about it. Think of the rich man and Lazarus. He came to know the truth only when it was too late. That's why they tremble. I'm not so sure if you are a human still in need of redemption you can know the truth and not be set free from HELL.

I think it is very possible for people to say, "Jesus lives in my heart", mean it, believe it, think they are on the way to heaven and it has no more effect on who they are or how they feel about him than my affection and remembrance of Skip the Dog.

Barna and Gallup tell us that nearly 90% of Americans believe they are going to heaven. 70% say they have been born again and have Jesus living in their heart. Really? How can that be?

You see, I think the Jesus most people have in their hearts is more like my dog Skip. Soft, fuzzy, loving and well remembered. He's some friendly (what a friend we have in Jesus) good guy who died and some say even rose again who hears them if they pray once or twice a year.

Oh, they go thru the religious stuff but no Jesus. Not the real Jesus.

You see, if you really really knew, accepted, believed, embraced the truths about Jesus you will change who YOU are.

If Jesus lived, died, washed all our sins away, rose again, and is now seated on the throne as GOD, How should we then live?

That is the question.

More people believe in a "Dog Jesus" than Jesus the Lord GOD. Even people raised and steeped in Church to say Jesus is Lord God Almighty is hard to accept. Except, he is. Trinitarian teaching has confused them. They don't understand the fullness and equality of the Godhead in it's trinity. The trinity is easier to understand when you put Jesus in focus first.

So, number 8 doesn't really apply if one thru seven isn't there.