Beyond Scared Straight

In the month of January, A&E premiered a show called “Beyond Scared Straight”. It highlighted the stories of several teens who’d lost their way in life and was headed down a path that would lead to prison. Counselors and parents decided that they would allow these teen to have a prison “experience” in hopes it would get them back on track. For some it worked, for others it did not.

As a viewer, I sat on my couch and made promises of how I would never do anything that would result in prison time. Being able to witness their experience reinforced my desires to remain on the “straight and narrow”. Though many of us feel that we live life in a manner that would not result in a prison sentence, we fail to acknowledge that the life we lead could result in eternal damnation.

The speaker Sunday at church teachings came from Revelations 21:7. However, I took the liberty of reading beyond that into verse 8.

Rev 21:7-8
Conquerors inherit all this. I'll be God to them, they'll be sons and daughters to me. But for the rest—the feckless and faithless, degenerates and murderers, sex peddlers and sorcerers, idolaters and all liars—for them it's Lake Fire and Brimstone. Second death!"

Verse 8 in this passage is something I’ve been told many many times. I’m sure someone has always mention or said in one way or another “their is a lake of fire waiting on you” (I would hear my grandmother say this to my grandfather and others she didn’t care for). Yet unless you understand exactly what that means, the true impact of the passage means nothing.

First understand just what Lake of Fire is. Imagine burning forever. Its not your body its your soul. FOREVER. There’s no water, no one to save you. You had your chance to get saved and do the right thing and you choose against it. It will be your second death."Brimstone," also referred to as sulfur, evokes the acrid odor of volcanic activity. So to sum it all up, you burn for eternity with the type of substance that erupts volcanoes.

There has been many who say that Lake of Fire and Brimstone is not going to be the literal experience (as if they know), but this particular passage is just describing and comparing the experience. Either way its not something I would want to go through.

I’m not perfect and I can be transparent enough to admit that I am still struggling with the awful sin of lying. However, just the thought of knowing that my fate is burning forever is enough to scare me straight. We probably won’t get that “Lake of Fire and Brimstone” experience like on the “Beyond Scared Straight” series. Nevertheless, the Bible gives a description several times that is enough to remind me to get on the right path.

I admit, I have not been able to make myself read Revelations (the entire chapter). I really don’t believe I’m ready to face that there will be a end to this earth. I don’t think I want to acknowledge that there will be a punishment for my sins if I don’t start doing EVERYTHING God says do. That doesn’t stop me from knowing that a punishment does exist. There will be a rapture. And there is a Lake of Fire and Brimstone waiting for those who didn’t want to do right. The thought alone is enough to scare me straight. I encourage you to have your own reality check. Read Revelations. Do research. Understand that your sins will not go unpunished. For me, I’m beyond scared straight.

2 Women One Man...Rachel and Leah

We hear all the time about the battle between two women over the heart and attention of one man. History will forever repeat itself. Names change, time change, but the script will remain the same and so will God.



by Steven Wickstrom
Published September 29, 2004

In Genesis chapter 27, Jacob had already swindled his brother Esau out of the birthright, and now he had deceitfully taken away the blessing of their father Isaac. Esau, having been double-crossed twice, was so angry that he was preparing to kill Jacob. When their mother, Rebekah, found out about Esau’s plans, she convinced Isaac to send Jacob up to the city of Haran where her brother Laban lived to find a wife. Jacob left home, headed north, found Laban and became employed as one of Laban’s workers.

Laban had two daughters; the older daughter was named Leah, and the younger daughter was named Rachel. Rachel had the body of a goddess and the face of a super-model. Leah is described as having “weak” eyes. Jacob immediately fell head over heels in love with Rachel. He told Laban that he would work seven years for Laban and as payment, he would get to marry Rachel. Both men shook hands on the deal.

At the end of the seven years, Laban swindled Jacob by switching Leah for Rachel towards the end of the marriage ceremony. Jacob thought he was spending the night with Rachel, but Laban had substituted Leah in her place. Jacob was furious. The swindler had been swindled. He didn’t want Leah he wanted Rachel. Jacob and Laban worked out another deal for another seven years of service. When the seven-day marriage ritual with Leah was complete, Jacob immediately married Rachel.

The Bible says in Genesis 29:30 that “Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah.” The words “more than” are not in the original Hebrew text. The interpreters of the Old Testament added those words to the text much later. What the Bible indicates here is that Jacob did not love Leah at all. Jacob had eyes only for Rachel and he didn’t care about Leah. Jacob’s heart was for the super-model, not the homely girl who needed glasses.

Two women; one was loved and the other was unloved. The interesting thing to look at is the personalities of the two women. They were like night and day, complete opposites. Let me show you.


Rachel was for the most part, barren (a sign of God’s displeasure).


Leah bore many children (a sign of God’s favor).


Rachel stole her father’s idols and kept them in her tent.


Leah kept asking God for more sons in the hope that maybe Jacob would love her.


Rachel traded Jacob to Leah (for a night) for some of Leah’s freshly caught geese.


The only thing Rachel had that Leah wanted, was Jacob’s love.


Rachel was always jealous of Leah because Leah could bear children.


The Bible does not say that Leah was jealous of Rachel over anything.


Rachel was unhappy due to God closing her womb.


Leah was happy and rejoiced over her children.


When Rachel died (after giving birth to Benjamin) Jacob buried her near Bethlehem.


When Leah died many years later, Jacob buried her next to Abraham and Sarah, and Isaac and Rebekah.


When Jacob was old and dying, he gave his sons instructions to bury with him with his forefathers, and next to Leah. What happened in the end that caused Leah to be shown so much honor and not Rachel? It was Leah who was buried with Jacob’s forefathers, not Rachel. It was Leah that Jacob wanted to be buried next to, not Rachel. In the end, it was Leah who was loved, not Rachel. What happened?

Perhaps Jacob started seeing things from God’s perspective. Perhaps Jacob saw that the woman God loved was Leah. Perhaps Jacob saw that Leah was focused on God and Rachel was not. Thousands of years later, the messiah would be born through Judah’s lineage. It was Leah who gave birth to Judah, not Rachel. It was Leah who gave birth to Levi, who would become the father of the line of Priests. Leah was not blessed with physical beauty, but she was indeed blessed by God. Unloved by men, she was deeply loved by God.

Perhaps you are a Christian woman who is married to man that does not love you. You and Leah have much in common. Where is your focus? Leah’s focus was on God. God eventually turned Jacob’s heart to Leah and he loved her more than he had ever loved Rachel. While Leah was waiting all those years for God to turn Jacob’s heart to her, she never gave up hope. During all those years that she was unloved, God continued to bless Leah. During all those years that Leah was unloved by her husband, God never stopped loving her.

If you are a woman in Leah’s shoes, there is great hope for you. Are you willing to give God time to answer your prayers? Leah waited, and God answered her prayer. Leah could have become bitter because she was unloved, but she did not, and God rewarded her patience. God will reward your patience if you keep your heart and your life focused on Him. Keep God as your number one priority and he will see you through to the end.

The desire of most women is to be a super-model like Rachel. What woman does not want men to desire her? But God wants women to desire Him. He wants women with weak eyes like Leah, who will focus on Him, and not on the world. You know how painful and tough life really is as you live from day to day. Will you face life and focus your eyes on God like Leah? Or will you focus inward and focus on your problems, like Rachel. It is a tale of two sisters, which one will you choose to be?