Many who read this post doubtless are familiar with the song, "Jesus Loves the Little Children." Even a good number of folks who weren't brought up in church know it. Perhaps you were brought up in a Christian home, as I was, and like myself, you sang that warm and assuring little chorus in Sunday School nearly every Sunday.

Sad to say, many of us were taught far better songs than the messages we heard thundered from the pulpit all too often. We learned about God's "eternal love" and His "Grace that is greater than all our sin" in the songs we sang. Yet we learned about the---'DARK SIDE'---of our "Father of Tender Mercies" (??) in the SPOKEN messages we heard.

And we learned to listen "reverently" while we were told that children reach the "age of accountability" by age 12 or so, and that all teenagers who died in this world "unconverted" would burn "forever and ever" in a "Christless eternity." (This includes all young people who have never heard the message of Christ (or Moses) throughout the world, from the dawn of human history until Jesus returns.)

We learned that our Good Shepherd is tenderhearted and kind and loving beyond all description. Yet we were also told He subjected the soft skin of all children who had reached the "age of accountability" to fiery agony for all "the ceaseless ages of eternity."

And in my upbringing we kids were taught that we must love Him and trust Him with---ALL---our heart, even though He might "allow" us or our loved ones to wander sinfully astray, die in an accident, and be banished from Him "forever and ever." In kid's camps and youth camps we were urged to "praise Him" and "worship" Him (often until midnight) so He would "bless us."

Then in those same camps (often in the very SAME "service") we were told that "NO sin will enter heaven" and if the Lord comes while you're fouling up---sorry, but you're lost. It's over. Forever! Don't say I didn't warn you! Then at the conclusion of the meetings after all the abuse of this "gospel", somebody on the platform would step to the mike and shout,

"Isn't JEEEzus wonderful? Don't you FEEL His Presence? Come on, everybody, let's shout the victory and tell the Lord how much we love Him!!!"

Then we would be encouraged to sing songs of "praise and worship" celebrating the "matchless grace of Jesus", etc.

But why was it we never sang what was preached, but only sang songs that sounded as if the Lord were far better than He actually WAS? (As the sermons represented Him.)

Haunting question, isn't it?

It's not in my heart to be caustic or to make people angry. But wouldn't it be more---HONEST---if those who believe God is "Eternal Love/Everlasting Vindictiveness would SING---ALL---they adamantly claim to believe?

Wouldn't it be more honest to do this so visitors who drop into the churches would know UPFRONT what is---actually---believed, and not be left with a false or muddled impression? Especially these days in our "grace oriented" churches where they might not find out for months until stumbled across it in a convert class. that could be devastating when those folks previously had come to Christ because the church left them under impression God loves EVERYONE >

It's time to get real.

Let's not only teach and preach "God is Love/Hate." If we truly appreciate and are willing to DEFEND all we say we believe about Him, let's sing it too. Does not Scripture tell us that "The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart?" The Psalmist David could sing of God's judgments, and hope in them, as well. With this in mind, I now submit the following revisions:

JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN (Arminian version)

"Jesus loves the world's wee children,
Until they reach the age of twelve,
Red and yellow, black and white,
Most all are doomed for darkest night,
For they will die in sin and burn in hell."

JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN (Calvinist Version)

"Jesus loves some little children,
That he's destined to know Him in this world,
Red and yellow, back and white,
Some few are precious in his sight,
All others He has doomed for endless hell."

If these songs sound offensive to you, good! That means you have a conscience that has not been seared with a hot iron. Doctrines of demons have not yet produced the spiritual schizophrenia---double-mindedness!---that has afflicted much of the church. Many find the idea "offensive" of singing all they believe, yet they STILL choose to propagate what does not impart "spirit and life." Why is this?

They are bound to tradition and fear of man. Chiefest of sinners talking, here! I was bound in the same way for years---until---the Lord got me to the end of myself. You may "say" you "believe" our heavenly Father has planned in advance to lose most people to the devil "forever and ever", but thank God---your HEART---has not yet acquiesced to that hope-destroying dogma. The fact that the very thought of singing about it nauseates you---reveals---this reality.

Thus never-ending hell exposes itself for what it is---propaganda of a double-speak "Christ." (Antichrist) It is NOT a statute of the Lord that either yourself (or the prophet David) can sing about. It is not a judgment that inspires hope or worship. It does not meet the criteria of being our Lord's actual words (as He should be understood) for they do not impart "spirit and life."

Is it possible that God may love you---far more---than you think?