(unmarked journal entry)

step to the left. step to the right.

goats…sheep.

dishonored…honorable.

unrighteous…righteous.

damned…forgiven.

once the day of the Lord dawns, there is no more making amends. there will be no more second chances. judgment will drop like a hammer, and the flow of grace will find its end. there will be a sound like the horror of the great flood. screaming, clawing, pleading…lives abandoned to lust, pride and selfishness will come to their conclusion. lives that were resigned to sin will find their doom in judgment.

but for those whose hands are placed firmly in the hand of God, those who walked along side Him, following His lead…they will find fulfillment. they will receive their reward. they will find their rest.

this will not be a day of spite. this will not be a day that comes and goes easily. justice will come to its fruition. mercy’s tide will be stemmed.

what a wonderful day for those who fear God. whose lives have answered the call of grace. what an unending joy when their debts are finally written off, and they reap the rewards of their lives of faith.

but my heart breaks for those who have denied His call.

forgive me, Father. i am a wretched and lazy man.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

(sidebar)

when watching the finale of ‘lost’ last night, it was obvious that the stained glass window in the ‘church’ contained all the symbols of the faiths of those who were on the island. these faiths, in the show, all joined together and led to the same place. it was a smarmy dreamland of bad theology. i know that it was a secular show, and that they weren’t pushing any one faith, but you cannot have that grouping of beliefs if you pay any attention to what they actually say.

the real end is not going to be some sappy, everybody wins scenario. and while we all know that ‘lost’ was a tv show, and had a really interesting storyline, we must admit that for many people, their ideas on the afterlife are influenced by things like that. i know that someone sitting at home watched that last night and said to themselves ‘yes. this is how it will really be…everyone, all faiths will join together in the end. all roads lead to one place.’ and it’s just not true. jews do not believe that muslims will go to paradise. muslims don’t believe that Christians will be rewarded as they believe, and when Jesus said ‘I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life. no one comes to the Father except by Me.’ that was definitive, and final.

some people don’t want their faith and entertainment to meet, but we must admit that people are influenced by whatever they surround themselves with…in this case 6 years of influence, and for some, a pretty heavy devotion. i know it was just a tv show, but it also a part of our culture, and we must be aware of the influences our culture has on us in respect to our own decisions and beliefs…turning a blind eye does no one any good. we should always choose to think about these sort of things and acknowledge their influence. willful ignorance is no one’s friend.

i didn’t pick this journal entry for today, it was simply the next page to be entered here…