Last night when I read of the apparent suicide of Robin Williams my heart sank.  He had been dealing with depression and I almost felt that it would have been easy for me to go there while grieving for such a phenomenal talent.  My mind quickly went to his role as a teacher in Dead Poets Society where he was absolutely awesome!  What an irony that in that film his student committed suicide and apparently in another film he did (name unknown to me) his wife committed suicide.  

I am sorry that Robin Williams was hurting that badly.  Not just because he was a mega star, but for anyone who deals with the demon of depression, sadness, hopelessness, or anything that would make you want to end it all...I am sorry that we/I can't get to you and tell you that there is a hope that is greater than life itself.  That hope is Jesus!  "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness..."  Jesus loves us unconditionally despite all of our baggage...why won't we all put our hope in Him?  The money, fame, cars, homes, multiple marriages...all of those things will never satisfy.  Haven't we figured that out yet?  I am not sure why this event has stirred me so much, but it just hit me close to my  heart.  Robin Williams was funny, talented, lived a rich life his entire life, but he lost HOPE!  I am now going to make an effort to look around in my sphere of influence and take note of those who don't have hope.  I need to find you and tell you to "trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3.5-6)."  I went through a depression once over money and I swore I would never do that again and never go there again.  God took that pain from me and He can do it for you as well.  In spite of what we see on the outside, we need to question what is going on on the inside.  Bless you and HOPE in the only true HOPE there is: JESUS!  

I just finished watching the movie Heaven is for Real for the second time.  I felt strongly in my spirit to pen the following words.  I pray they minister to you.
I agreed with almost everything in the movie except one scene where Rev. Todd is talking to the mean lady who attacked him in the meeting, while they are at the gravesite of her son.  She asks Rev. Todd if he thought her son was in Heaven.  He replies by asking questions about her love, his love, and God's love for both their sons.  These questions lead to an implication that God did not love his son (Colton-the star of the movie and one who went to Heaven) more than God loved her son, and therefore this reference implied that her son was indeed in Heaven, or it made her feel better to think that her son was in Heaven.  God is the very essence of love, and yes, He loves us all.  He would not have come down and taken on human flesh in the form of Jesus and died for us if He did not love us.  However, this does not mean that we ALL go to Heaven.  That would be universalism, right?  I am not saying that the lady's son did not go to Heaven, because I don't know him nor do I send people to Heaven or Hell.  We go where we want to go...if we trust God and surrender to Him and have a relationship with Him then Heaven will be our eternal home.  I don't serve Him just to go to Heaven, but I serve Him because I love Him and want to further His Kingdom right here on earth.  I have eternal life now because I know Him!  
After watching the movie the first time, it seemed to me that people want to accept the mystery of Heaven and Hell without accepting the reality of both places.  We would just rather allegorize (please let that be a real word!) Heaven and Hell and let them make us feel better or feel hope rather than believing that they are real places.  This is a very scary thought.  Heaven and Hell are real places! We as preachers don't preach about Heaven and Hell anymore do we?  Is that because we are afraid run people off?  Choose ye this day whom ye will serve!  The choice is up to us, and where we go to spend eternity is up to us as well.  God loves us enough to give us that choice.  I choose Heaven!  Will you choose Heaven today with me?