FW: Error

Aside from viruses, one of the most annoying things that ever enters an inbox is the email that we receive from somebody designed to bless us. And like most of these emails, they come with the instruction to pass the email on in order to bless others. However, an unintended consequence of these emails is that they can give a misconception about spiritual subjects. Case in point is the following email I received today, called A Poem That Gives You Goosebumps.

A drunk man in an Oldsmobile
They said had run the light
That caused the six-car pileup
On 109 that night.
When broken bodies lay about'
And blood was everywhere,
"The sirens screamed out eulogies,
'For death was in the air.'
A mother, trapped inside her car,'
Was heard above the noise;
Her plaintive plea near split the air:
'Oh, God, please spare my boys!'
She fought to loose her pinned hands;
'She struggled to get free,
'But mangled metal held her fast
In grim captivity.
Her frightened eyes then focused
'On where the back seat once had been,
'But all she saw was broken glass
and Two children's seats crushed in.
Her twins were nowhere to be seen;
'She did not hear them cry,
''And then she prayed they'd been thrown free, '
'Oh, God, don't let them die! '
Then firemen came and cut her loose,
''But when they searched the back,
''They found therein no little boys,
'But the seat belts were intact.
They thought the woman had gone mad
'And was traveling alone,
''But when they turned to question her,
'They discovered she was gone.
Policemen saw her running wild
And screaming above the noise'
In beseeching supplication,
'Please help me find my boys!
They're four years old and wear blue shirts;
'Their jeans are blue to match.'''
One cop spoke up, ''They're in my car,
'And they don't have a scratch.
They said their daddy put them there
'And gave them each a cone,
'Then told them both to wait for Mom
To come and take them home.
'I've searched the area high and low,
'But I can't find their dad.
'He must have fled the scene,
''I guess, and that is very bad.''
The mother hugged the twins and said,
''While wiping at a tear,
''He could not flee the scene, you see,
''For he's been dead a year.''
The cop just looked confused and asked,
''Now, how can that be true?
''The boys said, ''Mommy, Daddy came ''
And left a kiss for you.''
'He told us not to worry'
And that you would be all right,
'And then he put us in this car with'
The pretty, flashing light.
"We wanted him to stay with us,
''Because we miss him so,
''But Mommy, he just hugged us tight '
And said he had to go.
He said someday we'd understand'
And told us not to fuss, '
'And he said to tell you, Mommy,
''He's watching over us.'
The mother knew without a doubt'
That what they spoke was true,
''For she recalled their dad's last words, '
'I will watch over you.'
The firemen's notes could not explain'
The twisted, mangled car, '
And how the three of them escaped
Without a single scar.
'But on the cop's report was scribed,
''In print so very fine,
'An angel walked the beat tonight on Highway 109.

'The 7 Second Prayer, Just repeat this phrase and see how God moves.'Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless myFamily, my home, my friends, and me. Amen. 'Pass this message to 7 people {EXCEPT YOU AND ME}.You will receive a miracle tomorrow.He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare.This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, He saw me, andHe asked: 'My child, what is your greatest wish for today?' I responded:'Lord please, take care of the personwho is reading this message, their family and their special friends.They deserve it and I love them very much.' The love of God is like the ocean, you can see its beginning,but not its end. This message works on the day you receive it.Let us see if it is true.ANGELS EXIST but some times, since they don't all have wings, we call them FRIENDS.

Now, I am sure this poem will bless many people. And I will admit that it is a thought provoking read. However, I couldn't help, but be dismayed by the quote attributed to the dead father that he will "watch over" his family. I don't know if this story is true, but I have heard similar stories that are not much different then this one. The only reason I am dismayed by this poem is because it's central meaning undermines the biblical idea of the afterlife.

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." Matthew 18:10

When my mom was in the last moments of her life I said to her, in an effort to be light-hearted in a difficult moment, to "block some field goals for the Broncos." My family are die-hard fans of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. My mom was one of the biggest fans of the team. In sports, especially in football, many strange things happen during games that fans of the game, on both sides, will attribute to supernatural forces. Routine plays go awry. Spectacular plays happen. Blunders by officials aid a team. The stories are endless. Therefore, I played on this belief and told my mom to help the team out. Of course, I really don't believe that my mother is up in heaven looking down on us, interacting with people down here, much less determining the outcomes of football games, but it brought a smile to the faces of my family. The Bible does talk about angels and even seems to indicate that they interact with people. How, and to what extent, is a mystery. But, what is clear about angels is the fact that they are not dead human beings who come back to earth to interact with the living. Jesus, in Matthew 18, tells us that little children have angels in heaven. One could argue that the father talked about in the poem could have been an angel, disguised as the father, in order to be more accepting to the children. But, then we get into the conversation about angels being able change forms and so on. I will leave room for God to be able to do this, especially when it benefits the lives of little children, but I am not willing to say it is a certainty. We must understand that whatever the children witnessed it was not their actual father coming back from the dead, or down from Heaven. To believe so opens the door for too many independent definitions to be inserted that can contribute to supporting unbiblical beliefs.

"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 9: 27-28

With all the different views of the afterlife I wouldn't be surprised if this poem struck up a conversation about all of them from those who read it. When you add up all the individual beliefs about the afterlife that are out there, it is easy to see how this poem can support almost all of them. Beliefs like reincarnation and Near Death Experiences pop into my mind. The story is just vague enough not to support or deny anything one might want to believe. And, there in lies the problem. Personally, I think that leaves just enough room for Satan to work as he tries to keep people blinded from the truths of scripture. Satan doesn't care what we are focused on so long as it isn't the truths of the Bible and Jesus Christ. When you view everything through the lens of scripture it is easier to put poems like this into there proper perspective. The Bible says that everybody dies once and then faces judgment. When you die, all God is concerned about is if you are dead or alive. Have you remained spiritually dead in your sins or have you come alive to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Plain and simple. There is no limbo, where a dead person is stuck between earth and the afterlife. There is no "looking" down from on high after you pass to assist those left behind. The moment you die you will be faced with an eternity with God or without Him. But, that choice must be made before you die. If someone would come back from Heaven, they may save a child from a car accident, but they would definitely tell those children of the importance of knowing Christ. Because, in the End, He is the only one that will be watching over us.