Chapter 3: THE PLACEBO TIME

One Sunday an itinerant preacher came to our church and preached a sermon on Hell. This preacher preached about those flames and made them so real to me that I could almost feel the heat. I could almost smell the flesh as it was burning and, suddenly, something that a preacher was talking about related to me. He talked about punishment, burning for an eternity, and receiving everlasting condemnation. I could relate to that and, therefore, Hell became real to me. Paying attention to every word that the preacher said as he continued to preach about Hell, I became more and more convinced that whatever it was and wherever it was, one thing was for certain: I did not want any part of it! I was determined on that day, at that very moment, to never place myself in the position of ever having to go to Hell. Here was one little boy who really paid attention to a preacher who preached that day when he made something become very real to me. It was on that day that I decided to join that church and do whatever was necessary to escape the everlasting punishment of Hell.

As a returning veteran in the Korean War at the age of twenty-two, I decided that God had called me to preach. I entered college in preparation for that ministry and after two years of struggle, I decided that this was about all of a sacrifice that I could possibly enjoy. I dropped out of school and made my way to the city of New Orleans where I entered the law-enforcement field starting a career that would last over twenty-five years. During those years in law enforcement, I was able to work all phases of this profession.

Starting as a uniform patrolman on the beat, I was able to work as a plain-clothes investigator, canine trainer, instructor in the academy, supervisor, unit commander, and member of the superintendent's staff. During those twenty-five years, I served five months full-time duty with the Louisiana State police and three months fulltime duty on detached service with the Baltimore, Maryland Police Department.

Over the years I was able to arrange it so that I could continue my education.

Criminology was included in my course of study, but theology continued to be my main interest. I was able to attend the seminary and at one point while I was in the seminary, I pastored a church for one full year.

During my career in law enforcement, I practiced my Christian faith as I believed it. On occasions, when I was off-duty with the department, I would stand on street corners and hand out tracts. I preached to those in jails, visited those in the hospitals, and even traveled about to little towns in the surrounding area to preach in court squares. Doing all this and much more, I even tried to share what little material things I had with those less blessed.

While acting in my official capacity as a law enforcement officer, I practiced the "golden rule." Even while working as a uniformed officer in the motorcycle division and enforcing the traffic regulations, I tried my very best to abide by the "golden rule." Before getting off my machine and walking up to the vehicle of a stopped violator, I would say to myself, "Suppose the shoe were on the other foot?

How would I want to be treated?" Then I tried my best to treat each one the way I would want to be treated.

I tried to love my neighbor and I really tried to do all the Bible says a Christian should do, and then one day I died. As I stood before God, He called my life an abomination. What I want to tell you about is why that life of service was called an abomination by Him.