The False Gospel of the Loophole

In McDonald's this morning I had a very interesting and disturbing conversation with a 20 year old young man, x. He attends church and considers himself a Christian, even thinking of accepting a job as a youth pastor that has been offered him. I agree with him that he is not yet spiritually mature enough for the position.

When we got around to John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

x said that there must be some loophole. God isn't a punishing god. I allowed as how that if we don't believe in Jesus we're going to hell. Yes, he said, but Jesus is always smiling, always giving people the thumbs up.


Read the Bible and believe it.

Yeah, but...

Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem?

Romans 3:23

English Standard Version (ESV)

²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

I weep over my Japanese friends to whom I did not witness, and pray the Lord God to send a better witness to them.PLEASE LORD!

THERE IS NO LOOPHOLE.

TV or not TV?

We haven't owned a working tv in a long time. When I want news coverage, I find it on the net. Then, people I admire talked about netflix tv. I tried it for 18 days. I knit faster in another room with better lighting. I feel feelings I don't want to feel when Paladin charms the ladies. Men who wear black are dangerous, even if they went to West Point and make babies laugh.Netflix doesn't
have the old Perry Mason or Bonanza.

18 days is enough. At 20 it would be a habit.