Today stands as the birthday of a gentleman who was a grade ahead of me in high school. He participated in football, basketball, and track ...and excelled in all of them. But, where he really excelled was in being a Dad.

I don't know if I recall the story correctly, but this is the way I remember it.

Jim was on vacation with his daughter, McKenzie, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.  His daughter was swimming, and she was in trouble ...the rip current was not to be trifled with, and the sea was particularly ominous.

The way I heard it, Jim swam out to his daughter, was able to help her out ...but, he did not survive.  He gave his life, while saving his daughter.

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In the Bible, Daniel's friends ...Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace. 

The men were ordered to bind them and throw them into the furnace, and they did so ...but, the fire was so hot that the men who threw Daniel's friends into the furnace were killed by the flames and intense heat.

But, four men were loose, seen walking in the midst of the fire ...and the king mentioned that the Son of God appeared to be walking with the three whose death he had ordered.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were saved from sure death.

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In the Book of Job, the man, Job, had seven sons and three daughters.   In that 1st Chapter, verses 18 & 19, it tell how his sons and daughters were all eating and drinking wine at the eldest's house, when a great wind came and flattened the house.  The servant who had witnessed it, said they all died.  

Now, imagine you are one of Job's ten adult children ...and a tornado hits the house.  Do you think you will be saved??

I know of a person who felt he had a certain hedge of protection around his life, and when he experienced something he would never have expected to happen ...well, sadly he then professed to be an atheist.  Maybe he felt it was too difficult being mad at God day after day, so it may have been easier for him to cope by not believing in God.  And one cannot feel the pain of what someone else is going through, or has gone through. The only thing that can be done is for one's heart to go out to the person, and not really talk about it like Job's supposed friends did, offering all their wisdom.  Time and loving silent prayers seem like the course to take, and everything else just seems coarse.

Perhaps not expected, but coping takes many forms, and this time the emotions drew together many who frequently attended atheist groups.  A good friend of mine was on business across the state, and saw that this person was one of the speakers at an Atheist Convention (or some gathering of sorts), so he decided to attend.  My friend said the atheists were talking more about God than those at most Christian events he has attended. So, I don't quite get it, but maybe most of the atheists had decided they wanted to be mad at God again. 

But, I digress ...

Sorry, that wasn't my point.  

Now, getting back to the question of whether you feel you would be personally spared, or saved, if a tornado totally demolished the building you were in??

I'm using this question only to clarify definitions, as the question can be taken more than one way.  If a tornado hits, a person can be saved from death, or a person can die ...yet, their family can be consoled by the statement that their loved one was saved. 

So the definition we are using from this point forward refers to eternal salvation.  And to be more specific, the word salvation from this point on ...means the person is going to Heaven, if you'd rather state it that way.

Yet, now I'm remembering how complicated many beliefs are ...so, I guess this should also be added.  Do you believe that there is going to be another place, which most people refer to as Hell??

If you don't believe in Hell, or the equivalent word you use for it, then it seems you don't really have much to say about my definition of salvation, as there would be nothing really that one would need to be saved from, unless you feel I'm missing something with my limited understanding ...and you, on the other hand, understand it perfectly well. 

And I guess, my definition requires a belief in God ...as that is His residence that I am referring to (and it is my sincere desire that we'd both share such a pleasant hope) ...again, speaking of Heaven.  Anyone who wants nothing to do with God, and would rather choose to be outside of God's residence ...well, that way of looking at it would not garner very pleasant thoughts to me.  Our earth can be a very bad place at times, and there is a degree of restraint here, so if no restraint existed ...I don't even want to imagine it.

But, I do want to imagine how wonderful it will be in eternity with God ...and salvation is being saved from the place where God doesn't reside, however unimaginably horrific a thought that may be.

If you believe there is Heaven, but there is no Hell ...then why would it be called 'saved' or 'salvation'. Most of us are knowledgeable of what the apostles had to go through on earth, and they weren't saved from their many horrific deaths ...so why wasn't it called 'reward' instead of 'salvation', if that were true??

So, now it's your turn ---considering that God exists, eternal life exists, & Heaven and Hell both exist ---what do you feel is the qualification for being saved, or if you prefer, what does it take to get into Heaven??

November 8th 2017, Twitter doubled their allotted characters to 280 ...but, we are going to do this both old school, and the new way.  But first, we are going to use the old Twitter standard to answer the question I asked in the paragraph above this one, with 140 characters (including spaces).  Example of why I believe the Buffalo Bills will win the Superbowl in 2023:   Tied for 2nd best record in league & 4th highest scoring with over twice as many points as those allowed on defense. Top notch quarterback!!  ...(140 characters)  

But, don't answer me with your Superbowl pick, answer the question in the paragraph previous to this one ...about salvation, and with 140 characters or less, the length of the sentence in red above. (And shows how much I know, it is now February 2023, and the Buffalo Bills are not in the Superbowl, but I am no prophet and I trust the Bible, not my predictions, yet my two sentences above still show how long it is to construct a comment 140 characters in length.)

Now that you've answered with 140 characters or less, & turned in your answer, perhaps there's something else that you thought about after you turned your answer in, or that you wanted to add, but didn't have enough characters ...so, now you have 280 characters, this length here!  (280 characters)

Now that you've had two chances at it, let me say that if you ramble on to someone who doesn't believe in God, you may not make your point.  Keep it simple!! 

If it's the truth, and it's simple ...they may get your point.

If you haven't already noticed, I go on & on ...and I don't like it to be confusing, so I clarify my points, though I sometimes even lose myself.  I try to clarify multiple points, then lose my main point ...and have to go back to what the main point is.

But, let me say ...it was clearly shown that sin, or disobeying God leads to death.  Now to answer to what leads to life ...eternal life, in Heaven.

You have two starting points ...and take all the time you need to fit it into first the 140 characters, and then the 280 characters.  If you can't easily answer the question of salvation by those guidelines, then you likely lessen your chances of simply telling others what it is.  It may even appear that you are uncertain about what you believe, or know ...and though I may know that is not a fair assessment of your beliefs, they may not know that.

Yes, I am very wordy ...but I can answer the question of salvation adequately in less than 100 characters.  But, I don't want to do your work for you ...it is your turn.

My name is Stephen (SFM). I attend a non-denominational Christian church: (my answer to what salvation means, or what the qualification is for each of us to make it to Heaven would be entered here) ...but, not yet, you first!!

*****(Follow-up with all the answers would be great, & preferably and ideally meeting together personally would be greater, with permission to video-tape the session for educational purposes and for the benefit of potential growth of individual believers in our community.)*****

I have had conversations with many faith groups, but that was mostly some years ago, so I am mostly not updated on some of the expressed beliefs ...so, though other faith groups are welcome to give me their statements, I would very much appreciate updates on these 'faith groups': Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Latter Day Saints (Mormons), Jehovah Witnesses. (And at this time, please just begin with the 140 characters for Heaven-bound qualifications, and you may also then work on the 280 character explanation ...as I will eventually compare the two. That would be so helpful and I will be greatly appreciative of you for that.  And along with your answer, if you could be so kind to list your first name & three initials, as well as the faith group you attend, for identification purposes in grouping your answers together. Thank you again so much!!) 

I'm not sure Facebook is the best format for this, and I'd prefer a video-taped roundtable discussion ...but, I guess I was going nowhere with this, and this is at least a start.

If I was going to start again, and I often do (I'm a work in progress) ...well, where I'd start is here:  (https://thoughwearenotthereyetbepatient.blogspot.com/), then I'd refer back here ...as I've already created a link for.

Thanks again & God bless!!!