As I’ve been studying God’s Word, I have found that our English translation seems
inadequate to me to get what the writers of the original text meant to say;
especially the words used where we are to ascertain God’s character and how we
are to meet with Him. The words like wrath, vengeance, hate, anger, fear, etc
used to give us a picture of God; I believe they are sending us the wrong
impression of Him.
Why do you think that when Yeshua (Jesus), God’s Son, was
here on earth with us that He referred to God as Father;
Matthew
23:9 “Do not call
anyone on earth your father; for One is your
Father, He who is in heaven.” In the Gentile “Old Testament” (Jewish or Hebrew
Bible “Torah”), God is also referred to as “Father”
Malachi
2:10 Yeshayahu-
Isaiah 64:7.
There is great confusion also as to who are God’s children and
again, there is reason for us to be confused because of the wording used in our
English translations. Personally, I believe we all are His children because of
scriptures like Malachi 2:10, Isaiah 64:7, and Matthew 23:9. I believe I have
personally verified this in my life. Father God has helped me through many
difficult situations and I feel I can be at peace or rest in His care.
This is something I want to go deeper into my future studies;
go back into the Greek and Hebrew words. I don’t actually know how to read
those two languages but there are good Greek to English and Hebrew to English
books which have helped me tremendously; I use the “Ultimate Bible Study Suite”
on my Kindle a lot but also go on-line too. I have found that a Greek word or
Hebrew word has different meanings too, just as our English words do. When you
think about it, it’s no wonder why we get confused sometimes; when our English
translations came from most often a Greek translation which originally came
from a Hebrew translation. To make matters worse, from what I now understand,
is that in the Hebrew culture, the old manuscripts (very painstakingly) were
re-written onto new scrolls or books and then once verified that the new
matched the old, they would destroy the old.
When I look at God, The Creator of all things visible and invisible, as
being my Father, I believe I get a much clearer picture of Him; He loves all
His children, He’s someone who is kind and gentile, judges justly, and knows
how to punish correctly to bring about a good character. He is someone I want
to honor and respect and not do anything to bring dishonor to His name. But I
know that if I do, I will receive fair and just punishment.
I believe that because we have misconceptions about God, we also see other
things wrongly. One thing in particular is our concept of hell. I have already
talked about this in previous posts but I want to bring this up again because I
believe our false view of it is what’s turning so many people away from our
loving Father.
I believe hell is great grief and sorrow that we experience from shame.
Believe me, I have experienced it and it is not something you want to go
through. This was something that brought about a change in me, just what Father
hoped for (maybe I should say, knew would happen) in punishing His child. Don’t
you think that Father God knows how best to do this; not like our earthly
fathers?
I think it is time to tell you what happened in my past life. It is
something I don’t like to talk about but I think it is needed for you to
understand what I believe hell really is.
I was brought up in the Lutheran faith. My parents brought me to church
regularly. I went through all the requirements of the faith; baptized as an
infant, went through catechism, when I became of age, celebrated communion,
attended church and Sunday school regularly, tithed, did pretty much everything
needed to be a good person; or at least what I thought back then.
I viewed sin as having different degrees of badness, not a good word but you
know what I mean. On a level of 1 to 10 where 1 is not that bad and 10 being
really bad, I thought that steeling a piece of candy was about a 1 but steeling
millions of dollars was a 10. Killing someone of course was a 10. Cursing was
pretty high on my list, about an 8, smoking was about a 5, drinking was maybe a
little higher, about a 6. Anyway, you can see that the badness of sins was all
in how I judged them to be.
In my early years, I didn’t curse, drink, smoke, rob a bank, have physical
sex with anyone, and I was going to say tell big lies but as I said in my post,
“Shame”, I did tell a big lie then which has haunted me until only recently,
when I finally confessed to those I lied to.
I did do a lot of things that I thought just came with the age; call other
people names, tried in the usual ways to get what I wanted, occasionally disobeyed
my parents… One thing I think was and still is my biggest problem is that I
like to see the nakedness of women. Even though I didn’t actually have physical
sex with them until in the military service, I had mental sex with them, I
masturbated. I don’t know if this problem I experience is more or less than any
other boy or man. I wonder if men have this desire, do women also? I understand all
too well why the Bible and the Quran instructs both men and women to dress
modestly. I will steal a look when a woman is not dressed well; although now,
with the help of my Lord, I more quickly turn my eyes away.
When I was about 17 years old, a cousin, who was of a different faith,
invited me to a Campus Crusade for Christ function for young adults. They explained
that we are all sinners and that we needed to repent, and ask Jesus Christ to
be “Lord and Savior”. After the function, my cousin and I talked and I invited
Jesus into my life as “Lord and Savior”; I don’t remember if repentance was
part of this.
Well, the Vietnam War was going on, I was nearing the end of schooling
for computer programming when I got my draft notice. I went down to talk with
an Army recruiter to see what my chances were of getting into computer
programming if I enlisted for 4 years instead of being drafted for 2. After
assuring me that my chances were very good (I forgive you), I went ahead and
enlisted thinking this might keep me from going to
Vietnam.
I finished basic training and went into a room where we had 4 choices to
make for our
AIT(Advanced
Infantry Training.) The guy there to give us our instructions, right away said,
“All you who want computer programming, you can sign up for it but you are not
going to get it.” Well, there went that hope right out the window. I picked 4
things, none of which I got; was actually a good thing as one of them was a
lineman; one who climbs up telephone poles (makes for a pretty easy target). I
ended up becoming a mores code operator and went to
Vietnam for a year. This too was
not as bad as it could have been; I was on a small army base completely
surrounded with barbed wire and landmines. My second tour was
Turkey which I
rather enjoyed.
While in the service, I took up doing just about everything one could;
someone who I would have look down on before accepting Jesus as “Lord and
Savior”. I drank, smoked, cursed, had paid-for-sex with two women (forgive me),
had pin-up calendars, Playboy magazines, watched porn movies, masturbated,
played with Ouija boards…
My service time ended and I quietly returned home and tried to blend into
the working force. I was living in an apartment by myself and was looking for
friendship, from the opposite sex mostly but became a friend with someone of
the same sex; at least I thought he was my friend. He invited me to go with him
to a bar. I thought maybe it would either be a regular bar or a nude bar, like
what I had visited before. It ended up being a gay bar; I didn’t understand this
until going inside. I could have turned right around and gone home but I
didn’t. I was given a few drinks and passed out. When I somewhat came to, we
were entering my apartment where he had his way with me (I forgive you). I
didn't even try to stop him. He left and I cried bitterly (not because of him
leaving) but because of seeing the shameful person I had become (
Matthew
26:75)?
I wondered about when I asked Jesus to be my “Lord and Savior”; did I not
mean it or why didn’t He save me from getting to this point. I didn’t
understand and I kept crying with what could be described as gnashing of teeth I
kept talking with God and asking why.
I sure new then that I was a sinner and even though I didn’t understand what
happened the first time, I decided to ask Jesus Christ back into my life (and
help me become that better person I wanted to become and who I thought would be
more pleasing to God. (After re-reading this, maybe this is where I am going
wrong. This requires more thought and talks with Father.))
After asking Jesus back into my life, because I didn’t know what happened
the first time and if this time was different, I asked God to turn off and turn
back on a lamp that I was sitting next to. At that very moment, the lamp
blinked. It surprised me so much that it took me some time to grasp what just
happened. I started laughing and felt that God was laughing with me. I even
joked with Him saying something like, “I was really wanting You to turn the
light all the way off and then back on again.” Funny, God knew just what I
needed to cheer me up.
My life changed after that point. I started going to a good Christian church
where I became friends with just the right people I needed to grow in Christ.
It was here I met my wonderful wife (I did tell her about my past before
marriage and she accepted me anyway.) We reared two wonderful girls in this
church.
I wished I could say that this good life stayed that way but I can’t. That
wonderful church split apart with most of the people building a new church
elsewhere. My wife and I decided to stay in the same area of the old church and
found a Baptist church we liked and joined.
I was a deacon of the church for a number of years. I was later asked to
become an elder. I accepted, without getting a clear answer from the Lord. As
an elder, I saw the business side of church which I didn't like. After a
majority vote of the elders and a majority vote of the church members we paid a
company to teach us how to raise money to build a bigger sanctuary. This didn’t
seem right to me and I decided to leave. I came up with some other than this reason
for wanting to leave.
By this time, my wife had already stopped going to church. We where now
living close to the church that was created by most of the members of the first
church and I decided to try there. After trying this for a while, I just felt
like this was not the place either for me and I became disillusioned with
church altogether and quit going.
I began seeing myself falling back into my old ways; I was starting to have
sex with make-believe women in my mind; masturbating. At first, I thought that
as long as this make-believe woman was my wife, maybe it would be OK with God.
As time went on, I modified my wife’s body and imagined having sex in
inappropriate ways. Then it didn’t matter what the head looked like; I was just
interested in the other parts. This is a case in point why it is so important to ask Father God to get rid of wrong thoughts as soon as you get them in you mind; what Jesus' model prayer is asking Father God for "...lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil..." Also, do not think you can conceal anything from Father God by hiding it in your heart and mind
Ezekiel 11:5,
Matthew 9:4. Father God sees those thoughts just as fast as they enter your head and He is the only one who can help you get rid of them before they become actions that you will some day feel shame for.
Father God had to discipline me. One day, I was by myself at our weekend
property. My wife had gone out of town on business. It was the perfect
opportunity to masturbate. Latter on that evening, I was trying to go to sleep
when I started having severe chest pains. I was already feeling that I was
doing evil in the sight of the Lord before the chest pains but this culminated
knowing it. I wept bitterly again for becoming this person who I even detested.
I talked with Father God and told Him that He had every right to take me; that
I should die. I don’t remember all our conversation, but I didn’t die and this
was enough to get me back on the right path again.
I knew I needed church so searched for one that I felt I fit into and whose
people could help me stay in Christ. I mentioned a church in one of my earlier
posts where I thought was the right one for me but Father God had other plans
for me.
I told you about the vision or experience I had were I ended up in a kind of
hell and how this has caused me to scour God’s word for answers as to what
happens to all of us who are not chosen.
As I look back on my life, I see that God has prepared me every step of my
life for a work He wishes to accomplish. Some people will say that God does not
use people, and maybe that’s not quite what He does; maybe it’s that He orchestrates
all these things we believe to be bad into something good. I am happy when God
includes me in His work. I never know how it will turn out, but I love watching
Him work. It always amazes me when I get to see some of the things He
accomplishes.
You know how it is in this life when you find a new job and you imagine all
the good things that will come out of it and that you will be a part of it. It
rarely if ever turns out the way you imagined; it’s usually much worse. Well,
when you are involved in God’s work, it too never turns out the way you
imagined; it’s always much better.
Let me get back to hell; why I believe our thoughts about it, because of
what we have always been told, is wrong. I told you my life’s story or at least
the most important parts; hoping you would understand what hell really is on
your own. In case you still can’t see or can’t believe that grief and sorrow
are that hell talked about in the Bible, let me explain.
When you finally see that ugly person (internal condition) you really are when Father God lifts
the veil from all of us, how are you going to feel? When a person is going
through grief, don’t we sometimes say of that person that they are eaten up
with grief; the Bible says, “… where their worm never dies.” Everything that
the Bible describes hell as being, haven’t we also said this about grief and
sorrow? We even say this about Jesus Christ, the Messiah, “A man of sorrows,
and acquainted with grief;”
Isaiah
53:3.
GRIEF:
Synonyms
Related Words
agony, distress, pain, suffering, torment; blue devils, blues, dejection, depression, desolateness,desolation, despair, despondence, despondency, disconsolateness,dispiritedness,distress, doldrums, downheartedness,dreariness, dumps, forlornness, gloom, gloominess, glumness, heartsickness,joylessness,melancholy, miserableness,misery, mopes, oppression, sorrowfulness,unhappiness,woefulness, wretchedness;contrition, guilt, regret, remorse, rue, self-reproach,shame; melancholia, self-pity
SORROW:
Synonyms
Related Words
agony, distress, pain, suffering, torment; blue devils, blues, dejection, depression, desolateness,desolation, despair, despondence, despondency, disconsolateness,dispiritedness,distress, doldrums, downheartedness,dreariness, dumps, forlornness, gloom, gloominess, glumness, heartsickness,joylessness,melancholy, miserableness,misery, mopes, oppression, sorrowfulness,unhappiness,woefulness, wretchedness;contrition, guilt, regret, remorse, rue, self-reproach,shame; melancholia, self-pity
First Known Use of SORROW
before 12th century
Related to SORROW
Synonyms
Related Words
ache, long (for), pine (away), sigh, smart; rack, torment, torture; bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament, rue; bawl, blubber, cry, groan, howl, keen, moan, sob, take on, wail, weep, yammer, yowl; languish; regret
You have to remember that if you have to deal with this grief and sorrow in
the next life, there is no longer death to escape to. I don’t know this for
sure but I somehow believe that Father God and/or Jesus will be helping us in this too. This is the
reason why I believe that all of us will GLADLY bow to Jesus.
Psalm
110:3 Romans
14:11
I came across the following book, Tzefaniah, from the “Torah”, (Zephaniah in
the Old Testament) which I believe says in a Hebrew way, what I’ve been trying
to say:
Tzefaniah - Zephaniah
- Chapter 1
Tzefaniah
- Zephaniah - Chapter 2
Tzefaniah
- Zephaniah - Chapter 3
Now there is the part about hell being everlasting; we’ve all heard this.
There are many references in the Bible of something being everlasting but it
can’t possibly mean what we think of as everlasting; that thing talked about as
being everlasting would still be that way today but it is not. (I was going to
list the many references but I think instead I will point you to a very good
book called “Hope Beyond Hell The Righteous Purpose of God’s Judgment” by D.
Scott Reichard, Gerry Beauchemin. God directed my path to this book a while back, when I most
needed it and even though it has helped me tremendously, I still had to find
out these truths on my own.)
Don’t we have many words in our English language where the same word,
spelled the same, mean two totally different things; for example lie and lie.
One means to recline and the other means to make a false statement. Other languages do too.
I could go on to argue my point but let me just ask you something. Which
hell would you expect comes from our Loving Father; a punishment that we justly deserve
or putting us into some kind of cavernous place for making the wrong choice and
then throw away the key; which brings me to another point? Why is there a key
if you can never get out? What is the need of it?
I think I will just close with this:
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
3 This is what
God, our Deliverer, regards as good; this is what meets his approval.
4 He wants all
humanity to be delivered and come to full knowledge of the truth. 5 For God is one;[a] and there is but one Mediator between God
and humanity, Yeshua the Messiah, himself human, 6 who gave himself as a
ransom on behalf of all, thus providing testimony to God’s purpose at just the
right time.
New Century Version (NCV)
9 let us know his
secret purpose. This was what God wanted, and he planned to do it through
Christ. 10 His
goal was to carry out his plan, when the right time came, that all things in
heaven and on earth would be joined together in Christ as the head.
11 In Christ we
were chosen to be God’s people, because from the very beginning God had decided
this in keeping with his plan. And he is the One who makes everything agree
with what he decides and wants.
I know that God is the only one, who can give understanding, so if you see
now, then praise God!
PS: My command of the English language is not good and I invariably choose
the wrong word. I hope you will understand what I meant to say anyway. Like I
said, English seems inadequate to me, especially using it to translate God's
word and to describe this wonderful loving Father God we have. Thank you, thank
you, thank you, Lord Jesus for making it possible to get to know Father.
