Psalm 119:129-176
"I opened my mouth and panted, For I longed for Your commandments." - Psalm 119:131
The half-hearted possess very little of what could become great and mighty spiritual riches. Their resulting spiritual poverty, however, can be blamed upon no one other than themselves. For the psalmist, it is clear why he had such a rich result from his experience with God's Word. It was his passion.
He had become completely convinced that the scriptures were a literal goldmine of spiritual riches. His life reflected that conclusion. This is why he panted and longed for God's Word. This is why he searched for the truth within each statement of scripture. For him, meditating on God's Word was the wisest use of his time. He knew that if his daily actions were guided by the light of truth, whatever he put his hands and mind to do would prosper.
For those who earnestly pursue this path of discovery, it soon begins to fuel their passion more and more for God's Word. The fruit we experience calls us to discover more and more of the gold in God's Word.
In our relationships, our finances, our jobs, or our mental well being we will see God's blessing. The same is true in our battle with sin. Sin's grip is progressively loosened as we reshape our values and our mindset to what is true. May we truly see the reasoning behind the psalmist's statement, "I rise before the dawning of morning and cry for help" (v. 147).
And those who have little expectation of God or half-heartedly seek the promises of His Word will reap what they have sown: very little.
No longer blame God, your pastor, your spouse, or anyone else for your own low level of spiritual life. Look to your own heart. Search out where your hope and passions are directed. Then look to the wealth only found in God and His Word. See it, experience it, and then let the passion be fueled as you too experience what alone God can do through the wisdom and truth of His timeless Word.
We pray today, Lord, for hearts like that of this psalmist. Give us a thirst for Your Word, God.
.....Horrors of Hell!
In our present society almost no one trembles at the Word of God or before God Himself. We have become a proud, although broken, generation that is glorying in our self-esteem and positive thinking. Since we do not need to fear Him, we do not respect Him and are therefore slowly replacing Him with an impersonal god that is more on our human level.
Religious educators and leaders have convinced the modern preachers to present a more benign God and gospel to this generation to attract a larger portion of the community to their institutions. Indeed it has, but the level of Christianity in these churches is woefully unbiblical.
America needs a dose of the theology of Hell. A proper presentation of the final judgment and the eternal abode of unsaved and wicked men would help shake our churches back to their senses. Our permissive discipline in the home has destroyed the family and is now destroying the church. Three doctrinal truths must be clearly enunciated before the realities about Hell are taught and preached.
Commitment to the Bible
If you don’t believe the Bible is absolute, you will have trouble believing what it says about the horrors of Hell and the Lake of Fire. I would not dare write what I’m writing about this horrible place if I did not know the Holy Scripture was God-breathed and perfect. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” - II Timothy 3:16. I also believe the reverse is true, that families and society will have a greater respect for Holy Scripture when they clearly understand eternal judgment.
The Holiness of God
Our God is absolutely holy. He is perfect in every aspect of His eternal being and cannot tolerate rebellion in His universe without proper consequences. To think of our Heavenly Father turning murderers and rapists loose to continue the defiling of humankind right into eternity defies the perfect nature of His very person. The flaming sword at the entrance to the Garden of Eden sets the tone for how He treats sin and rebellion. Rebellion could not eat of the Tree of Life lest it exist forever.
The Redemption of Jesus Christ
The cruelest thing you can suggest is that Jesus Christ died for everyone; that He took our sins on Himself as our substitute; and that He experienced the judgment of God against sin at Calvary. Yet, that same God will not send anyone to Hell because a loving God could not possibly do that. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” - John 3:16.
The Biblical Picture of Those Assigned To Eternal Horrors:
Nothing will awaken you to spiritual things like the picture of damned souls separated forever from everything beautiful. According to the Bible, the following is an incomplete list of persons and groups of individuals who will be lost and judged to spend eternity in the “Lake of Fire.”
1) The Children of this World’s Kingdom: “And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” - Matthew 8:11-12
2) The Selfish and Worldly Who Live For Themselves: “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us” - Luke 16:23-26
3) Unprofitable Servants Who Bury Their Talents: “So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” - Matthew 25:28-30, 41, 46
4) Multitudes Who Were Undisciplined As Children: “Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell” - Proverbs 23:13-14
5) Those Who Offend And Do Iniquity: “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn” “The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness” - Matthew 13:30, 38-41
6) Those Who Reject the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” - 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
7) Whosoever Was Not Found Written In The Book Of Life: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” - Revelation 20:10, 15
8) The Fearful, Unbelieving, Abominable, Murderers, Whoremongers, Sorcerers, Idolaters, and All Liars: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” - Revelation 21:8
Difference Between Hell and the Lake Of Fire
Remember, Hell is the abode of the wicked dead, but the Lake of Fire is the place of eternal judgment. The wicked will remain in Hell from the time of their death until the White Throne Judgment. Then Hell will deliver up its dead to be judged. Then, they will be assigned to the Lake of Fire. It’s important to understand the kind of bodies that the wicked will possess for eternity.
Jesus described the resurrection of all men during His earthly ministry. John records His words, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” - John 5:28-29
Notice the difference in the two groups; one is a resurrection of life, while the other is a resurrection of damnation. The children of God will come out of the graves with glorified bodies, endued with life in the fullest sense. It will be life without the limitation of anything human.
The opposite is true for the wicked and unsaved. There is a resurrection of damnation. Even their bodies will be fashioned in the horrors of depleted humanity. Every conceivable limitation and misery of human experience will constitute the design of these eternal creatures. They will dwell forever in a body that is full of death. It will be an eternal death.
The Horrors of the Lake of Fire
The bodies which these damned creatures will inhabit is Hell itself, but that’s just the beginning. Let’s use only the explicit words of Holy Scripture to try and paint a picture of this horrible damnation. God never intended that one living soul would spend eternity in this place. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” - Matthew 25:41
Outer Darkness
“But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” - Matthew 8:12. This term is used three times in Holy Scripture. We are not talking about a moonless midnight or the condition of a dark and foreboding cloud. The term outer darkness would suggest a place completely outside the realm of all light: beyond the very light of creation or a place of uncreated blackness and darkness. In the Book of Genesis the Bible speaks before God created light, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” - Genesis 1:2
In such a place of outer darkness or uncreated darkness, there will never be even a glimmer or ray of light. No beauty of a created sunshine or sunset, a rainbow, or even a moon or stars will ever appear. There will be nothing, as we know life, to brighten or cheer the constantly deepening gloom. We are talking about darkness totally beyond the reach of light.
Weeping and Wailing
“and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” - Matthew 13:42, 49-50. The physical pain that we presently experience has no kin to what a resurrection of damnation suggests.
The mental stress of such an environment will be shattering. I would suggest that these words, “weeping and wailing” is more descriptive of emotion and mental pain than physical. We probably know nothing in this present world of the kind of insanity this suggests. It will be conscious insanity, while present insanity is more likely to be unconscious. A mental hell is the ultimate fact this truth seeks to convey.
Gnashing Of Teeth
“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” - Matthew 22:13. While weeping and wailing is suggestive of emotional pain, gnashing of teeth is probably evidence of both emotional and physical pain. This term certainly means excruciating pain that causes individuals to grind their teeth, but we are talking about more than physical discomfort. The term suggests rage or an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.
It’s one thing to hurt, but it’s another matter to be hopeless of ever experiencing relief. “Gnashing of teeth” certainly implies that these individuals have reached a state when they know pain is beyond their escape. It is a conscious experience of misery - emotionally and physically - that will never end.
Everlasting Punishment and Destruction
Acceptance is a basic need of every individual. Our Creator created the God-shaped vacuum in man and acceptance by Him is the basis of happiness. When the prodigal was away from home, sitting on a pig fence, the Bible says, “He came to himself.” In this renewed, clear state of mental health he wanted to go home. That’s God-given sanity.
The place of everlasting punishment is to be removed from this acceptance forever. Chastisements, as we now know it, are for a moment and we know that even as we suffer. This punishment is for eternity and we will be conscious of that. Please note that this Scripture emphasizes, “Everlasting punishment from the presence of the Lord.” The rankest sinner on earth can still drink in the blessings that fall on the just and unjust alike. While man is in his present state, even though he has rejected God, he still experiences a multitude of things that represent the Creator and His presence.
Where the Worm Dieth Not
“where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched” - Mark 9:44. The reality of eternal destruction reaches an indescribable level at this point. The very words, “where their worm dieth not,” mean exactly what he said. Jesus used a word that means a maggot or grub, which feeds on dead bodies. It is the exact word used in Acts 12:23 which states, “Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died” - Acts 12:23. We are talking about dying bodies being invaded by devouring worms that cannot die. The only words to describe that state are “a living hell.”
Unquenchable Fire
“His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire” - Luke 3:17. Here we see fire that far surpasses what is presently known to man. Fire consumes; therefore, we know only of a fire that is limited to the limitations of our present world. Hell and the Lake of Fire are both unquenchable fires. Very clearly, it does not consume and is unlimited in its Fahrenheit. The Bible then adds the last level to this fiery judgment.
Tormented With Fire and Brimstone
“Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone” - Revelation 19:20. “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” - Revelation 20:15
When you add the idea of being “tormented in fire and brimstone” to the prior elements of eternal damnation, the Lake of Fire becomes an unexplainable horror. Brimstone is burning sulfur. It is both a destructive chemical when burning and is insufferable in its heat and terror. The Encyclopedia Britannica says that .06% of the earth’s surface is sulfur and that it is the 9th most abundant element in the universe. When found in its original form, it is yellow, but turns red and then black as it is heated. It boils at 444.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Volcanoes are made up mostly of boiling hot sulfur. It sounds apocalyptic when you understand the changes of colors that sulfur passes through in becoming brimstone.
The torture of this kind of burning experience defies one’s comprehension. No wonder many modern preachers and students of Scripture have rejected this truth. How can God send men and women to a living hell? The truth is “He does not.” He is absolutely bent on keeping you out of this horrible place.
Don’t ever say, “God will send you to Hell.” Only your denial and rebellion before His marvelous grace can determine such a hopeless eternity. Yes, Hell is a horrible place! Everything the Bible says about Hell or the Lake of Fire is true. It will be a Christ-less and hellish place. Billions will inhabit its misery. Will you be one of them or will you fling yourself on Jesus Christ and His forgiving and cleansing Blood today? “What will wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
Praise Him with all praise!
Religious educators and leaders have convinced the modern preachers to present a more benign God and gospel to this generation to attract a larger portion of the community to their institutions. Indeed it has, but the level of Christianity in these churches is woefully unbiblical.
America needs a dose of the theology of Hell. A proper presentation of the final judgment and the eternal abode of unsaved and wicked men would help shake our churches back to their senses. Our permissive discipline in the home has destroyed the family and is now destroying the church. Three doctrinal truths must be clearly enunciated before the realities about Hell are taught and preached.
Commitment to the Bible
If you don’t believe the Bible is absolute, you will have trouble believing what it says about the horrors of Hell and the Lake of Fire. I would not dare write what I’m writing about this horrible place if I did not know the Holy Scripture was God-breathed and perfect. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” - II Timothy 3:16. I also believe the reverse is true, that families and society will have a greater respect for Holy Scripture when they clearly understand eternal judgment.
The Holiness of God
Our God is absolutely holy. He is perfect in every aspect of His eternal being and cannot tolerate rebellion in His universe without proper consequences. To think of our Heavenly Father turning murderers and rapists loose to continue the defiling of humankind right into eternity defies the perfect nature of His very person. The flaming sword at the entrance to the Garden of Eden sets the tone for how He treats sin and rebellion. Rebellion could not eat of the Tree of Life lest it exist forever.
The Redemption of Jesus Christ
The cruelest thing you can suggest is that Jesus Christ died for everyone; that He took our sins on Himself as our substitute; and that He experienced the judgment of God against sin at Calvary. Yet, that same God will not send anyone to Hell because a loving God could not possibly do that. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” - John 3:16.
The Biblical Picture of Those Assigned To Eternal Horrors:
Nothing will awaken you to spiritual things like the picture of damned souls separated forever from everything beautiful. According to the Bible, the following is an incomplete list of persons and groups of individuals who will be lost and judged to spend eternity in the “Lake of Fire.”
1) The Children of this World’s Kingdom: “And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” - Matthew 8:11-12
2) The Selfish and Worldly Who Live For Themselves: “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us” - Luke 16:23-26
3) Unprofitable Servants Who Bury Their Talents: “So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” - Matthew 25:28-30, 41, 46
4) Multitudes Who Were Undisciplined As Children: “Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell” - Proverbs 23:13-14
5) Those Who Offend And Do Iniquity: “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn” “The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness” - Matthew 13:30, 38-41
6) Those Who Reject the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” - 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
7) Whosoever Was Not Found Written In The Book Of Life: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” - Revelation 20:10, 15
8) The Fearful, Unbelieving, Abominable, Murderers, Whoremongers, Sorcerers, Idolaters, and All Liars: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” - Revelation 21:8
Difference Between Hell and the Lake Of Fire
Remember, Hell is the abode of the wicked dead, but the Lake of Fire is the place of eternal judgment. The wicked will remain in Hell from the time of their death until the White Throne Judgment. Then Hell will deliver up its dead to be judged. Then, they will be assigned to the Lake of Fire. It’s important to understand the kind of bodies that the wicked will possess for eternity.
Jesus described the resurrection of all men during His earthly ministry. John records His words, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” - John 5:28-29
Notice the difference in the two groups; one is a resurrection of life, while the other is a resurrection of damnation. The children of God will come out of the graves with glorified bodies, endued with life in the fullest sense. It will be life without the limitation of anything human.
The opposite is true for the wicked and unsaved. There is a resurrection of damnation. Even their bodies will be fashioned in the horrors of depleted humanity. Every conceivable limitation and misery of human experience will constitute the design of these eternal creatures. They will dwell forever in a body that is full of death. It will be an eternal death.
The Horrors of the Lake of Fire
The bodies which these damned creatures will inhabit is Hell itself, but that’s just the beginning. Let’s use only the explicit words of Holy Scripture to try and paint a picture of this horrible damnation. God never intended that one living soul would spend eternity in this place. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” - Matthew 25:41
Outer Darkness
“But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” - Matthew 8:12. This term is used three times in Holy Scripture. We are not talking about a moonless midnight or the condition of a dark and foreboding cloud. The term outer darkness would suggest a place completely outside the realm of all light: beyond the very light of creation or a place of uncreated blackness and darkness. In the Book of Genesis the Bible speaks before God created light, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” - Genesis 1:2
In such a place of outer darkness or uncreated darkness, there will never be even a glimmer or ray of light. No beauty of a created sunshine or sunset, a rainbow, or even a moon or stars will ever appear. There will be nothing, as we know life, to brighten or cheer the constantly deepening gloom. We are talking about darkness totally beyond the reach of light.
Weeping and Wailing
“and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” - Matthew 13:42, 49-50. The physical pain that we presently experience has no kin to what a resurrection of damnation suggests.
The mental stress of such an environment will be shattering. I would suggest that these words, “weeping and wailing” is more descriptive of emotion and mental pain than physical. We probably know nothing in this present world of the kind of insanity this suggests. It will be conscious insanity, while present insanity is more likely to be unconscious. A mental hell is the ultimate fact this truth seeks to convey.
Gnashing Of Teeth
“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” - Matthew 22:13. While weeping and wailing is suggestive of emotional pain, gnashing of teeth is probably evidence of both emotional and physical pain. This term certainly means excruciating pain that causes individuals to grind their teeth, but we are talking about more than physical discomfort. The term suggests rage or an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.
It’s one thing to hurt, but it’s another matter to be hopeless of ever experiencing relief. “Gnashing of teeth” certainly implies that these individuals have reached a state when they know pain is beyond their escape. It is a conscious experience of misery - emotionally and physically - that will never end.
Everlasting Punishment and Destruction
Acceptance is a basic need of every individual. Our Creator created the God-shaped vacuum in man and acceptance by Him is the basis of happiness. When the prodigal was away from home, sitting on a pig fence, the Bible says, “He came to himself.” In this renewed, clear state of mental health he wanted to go home. That’s God-given sanity.
The place of everlasting punishment is to be removed from this acceptance forever. Chastisements, as we now know it, are for a moment and we know that even as we suffer. This punishment is for eternity and we will be conscious of that. Please note that this Scripture emphasizes, “Everlasting punishment from the presence of the Lord.” The rankest sinner on earth can still drink in the blessings that fall on the just and unjust alike. While man is in his present state, even though he has rejected God, he still experiences a multitude of things that represent the Creator and His presence.
Where the Worm Dieth Not
“where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched” - Mark 9:44. The reality of eternal destruction reaches an indescribable level at this point. The very words, “where their worm dieth not,” mean exactly what he said. Jesus used a word that means a maggot or grub, which feeds on dead bodies. It is the exact word used in Acts 12:23 which states, “Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died” - Acts 12:23. We are talking about dying bodies being invaded by devouring worms that cannot die. The only words to describe that state are “a living hell.”
Unquenchable Fire
“His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire” - Luke 3:17. Here we see fire that far surpasses what is presently known to man. Fire consumes; therefore, we know only of a fire that is limited to the limitations of our present world. Hell and the Lake of Fire are both unquenchable fires. Very clearly, it does not consume and is unlimited in its Fahrenheit. The Bible then adds the last level to this fiery judgment.
Tormented With Fire and Brimstone
“Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone” - Revelation 19:20. “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” - Revelation 20:15
When you add the idea of being “tormented in fire and brimstone” to the prior elements of eternal damnation, the Lake of Fire becomes an unexplainable horror. Brimstone is burning sulfur. It is both a destructive chemical when burning and is insufferable in its heat and terror. The Encyclopedia Britannica says that .06% of the earth’s surface is sulfur and that it is the 9th most abundant element in the universe. When found in its original form, it is yellow, but turns red and then black as it is heated. It boils at 444.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Volcanoes are made up mostly of boiling hot sulfur. It sounds apocalyptic when you understand the changes of colors that sulfur passes through in becoming brimstone.
The torture of this kind of burning experience defies one’s comprehension. No wonder many modern preachers and students of Scripture have rejected this truth. How can God send men and women to a living hell? The truth is “He does not.” He is absolutely bent on keeping you out of this horrible place.
Don’t ever say, “God will send you to Hell.” Only your denial and rebellion before His marvelous grace can determine such a hopeless eternity. Yes, Hell is a horrible place! Everything the Bible says about Hell or the Lake of Fire is true. It will be a Christ-less and hellish place. Billions will inhabit its misery. Will you be one of them or will you fling yourself on Jesus Christ and His forgiving and cleansing Blood today? “What will wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
Praise Him with all praise!
.....Is There A Church In Your House?
".....and to the church in your house" - Philemon 2
Is there a church in this house? Are parents, children, and friends all members of it, or are some still unconverted? Let us pause here and let the question go round: Am I a member of the church in this house?
The father's heart would leap for joy, and the mother's eyes would fill with holy tears if from the eldest to the youngest all were saved! Let us pray for this great mercy until the Lord shall grant it to us.
Probably it had been the dearest object of Philemon's desires to have all his household saved; but it was not at first fully granted to him. He had a wicked servant, Onesimus, who, having wronged him, ran away from his service.
His master's prayers followed him, and at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was led to hear Paul preach; his heart was touched, and he returned to Philemon not only to be a faithful servant, but a beloved brother, adding another member to the church in Philemon's house.
Is there an unconverted family member absent this morning? Make special supplication that they may, upon returning to their home, gladden every heart with good news of what grace has done! Is there an unconverted family member still at home? Ask God to save him also.
If there is such a church in our house, let us order it well, and let everyone conduct themselves as in the sight of God. Let us go about our daily routines with studied holiness, diligence, kindness, and integrity. More is expected of a church than of an ordinary household.
Family worship must, in such a case, be more devout and hearty; internal love must be warmer and unbroken, and external conduct must be more sanctified and Christlike. We need not fear that the smallness of our number will put us out of the list of churches, for the Holy Spirit has enrolled a family-church here in the inspired book of remembrance.
As a church let us now draw near to the great Head of the one Church universal, and let us beseech Him to give us grace to shine before men to the glory of His name.
Praise Him!
Is there a church in this house? Are parents, children, and friends all members of it, or are some still unconverted? Let us pause here and let the question go round: Am I a member of the church in this house?
The father's heart would leap for joy, and the mother's eyes would fill with holy tears if from the eldest to the youngest all were saved! Let us pray for this great mercy until the Lord shall grant it to us.
Probably it had been the dearest object of Philemon's desires to have all his household saved; but it was not at first fully granted to him. He had a wicked servant, Onesimus, who, having wronged him, ran away from his service.
His master's prayers followed him, and at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was led to hear Paul preach; his heart was touched, and he returned to Philemon not only to be a faithful servant, but a beloved brother, adding another member to the church in Philemon's house.
Is there an unconverted family member absent this morning? Make special supplication that they may, upon returning to their home, gladden every heart with good news of what grace has done! Is there an unconverted family member still at home? Ask God to save him also.
If there is such a church in our house, let us order it well, and let everyone conduct themselves as in the sight of God. Let us go about our daily routines with studied holiness, diligence, kindness, and integrity. More is expected of a church than of an ordinary household.
Family worship must, in such a case, be more devout and hearty; internal love must be warmer and unbroken, and external conduct must be more sanctified and Christlike. We need not fear that the smallness of our number will put us out of the list of churches, for the Holy Spirit has enrolled a family-church here in the inspired book of remembrance.
As a church let us now draw near to the great Head of the one Church universal, and let us beseech Him to give us grace to shine before men to the glory of His name.
Praise Him!
.....Christ In Christmas!
I have a question. Whatever happened to Jesus Christ at Christmas time? Along time ago, when I was a child, Christmas was a time of year when we exchanged gifts with family and friends. Oh yes, Santa Claus was also in the picture as well. Jesus Christ at Christmas in our family was the main thing about Christmas. I have been wondering lately what has happened.
Time, of course, has a way of changing everything. What once was, is no more. It looks to me like the “Christ” has been ripped out of Christmas. Now all we hear is “Happy Holidays” with “good old Saint Nick.” Christmas time is the time to “eat, drink and be merry.” Credit cards are maxed out to the limit, people leaving parking lots require anger management counselors, bargain hunters need to wear hard hats or football helmets to survive.
So what is so happy about the “Happy Holidays”?
Further, I have noticed that those who make the laws in various places have also removed Christ from Christmas. Of course it is important to be tolerant and accept all religions. However, does tolerance mean abstinence from Christianity? If so, should the dictionary find a new meaning for the word?
For example, here is what one journalist wrote in an article:
Only weeks after voting for a resolution that "recognizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world," nine Democrats in the U.S. House refused to vote for a Christmas resolution that condemns the worldwide persecution of Christians.
Now think about this. As far as I know it is still legal to think. Why would nine congress members praise one religion and refuse to recognize another? Is that being tolerant? Where were the others who said nothing? Were they afraid? I thought America was the land of the free, not the land of the fearful.
Or how about the following headline: “Nativity Scene Draws Complaint”. Protestors say that “religious” scenes are not welcome on government property. So when did this become the law? I thought governments in the western world upheld religious freedom. What has changed? Is it possible that freedom has been taken captive and we don’t know it? Whatever happened to the laws of the land?
Finally, one further example that shows it is not just North Americans who have gone mad. Consider the following statement taken from an Israeli source:
A rabidly antisemitic "Christian" charity organization in England is selling specially modified nativity scenes in the run-up to Christmas this year. Amos Trust is also spewing a whole lot of slander in a special "Bethlehem Christmas Pack" available from its website. According to a report by CNS News, the nativity model being sold by the Amos Trust is of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth, with a wall running through the town.
Made by Arabs in Bethlehem, it is meant to depict the security fence Israel has been erecting in order to safeguard its citizens from Palestinian terrorists infiltrating from what the world calls the "West Bank.” Amos Trust says that the wall in its nativity scene will ensure that "the wise men won't get to the stable."
So, as you can see, the nativity has been politicized by religions around the world. No longer is Jesus Christ allowed to be the Savior, born in a manger. Bible-believing Christians have been forced to be politically correct because they are considered to be religiously incorrect.
So is there a solution? How should a Christian respond in such a hostile environment?
Christianity In A Post Modern World
It is true that many Christians are dismayed by what is happening all over the world and right at home - perhaps next door, or down the block. Christmas is just not the way it used to be anymore!
Some Christians are modifying their approach to adapt to the times. Some believe it is important to “go with the flow.” This of course can be spiritual suicide if one recapitulates in order to follow the path of least resistance. You can have both, some say. Put up a nativity scene for Christmas along with whatever symbols you want that represent the other religions of the world. Mix everything together and have one happy pagan family. Peace on earth and good will to man involves all men and all religions - what is wrong with that?
Of course, this would re-invent Christianity. When you take Jesus the Savior out of the manger, you have a universal savior. The narrow path that Jesus said leads to heaven is now a wide road that supposedly leads to peace without the “Prince of Peace.”
However, there is another trend that some Christians profess. They say that Christmas is not in the Bible. In fact, these people choose not to celebrate Christmas because it is nothing more than a pagan holiday. Celebrating a day to remember the birth of Jesus near the winter solstice is as bad as celebrating Halloween. They have determined to consider Christmas unbiblical, heretical and even satanic.
Now, at the risk of receiving hostile comments from those who read this commentary, I would like to appeal to common sense and logic. With this in mind, please read carefully and do not read between the lines.
Christmas, when I was a little boy, meant two things to me - Santa Claus and the celebration of the birth of Jesus. My parents were not pagans. They were Christians. When I was old enough to figure out that my dad was Santa Claus, and that he actually ate the cookies that I had left out under the Christmas tree, I have to admit, I cried. However, when I was old enough to separate reality from fiction, I realized that Christmas is really about Jesus Christ.
Now, should I condemn my parents to hell because they deceived me when I was a child? I don’t think so. I was saved when I read John 3:16, written in my dad’s handwriting in the front page of my Bible. I was thirty years old when that happened.
As everyone knows, December 25, is not the day that Jesus was born. However, what is wrong with celebrating a day that remembers the day Jesus was born? If you put Santa Claus above Jesus then I would suggest you do not celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. If you put Jesus above Santa Claus, then celebrate Christmas as a day for celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Is it possible to become so pure and righteous in this world that one can no longer live in this world? The US dollar bill has an all-seeing eye on it. I am sure you have one in your pocket. Will you spend the dollar even though it has a satanic symbol on it? If you take the position you are going to set all things right, you will be considered right off. Unbelievers will think you have lost your mind.
The world is demanding that Christ be taken out of Christmas. When Christians take Jesus Christ out of Christmas, it won't be long before it will be illegal to take Christ to the world throughout the year.
I believe that Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior. So is Easter. So is Halloween or any other pagan day or holiday. Why not celebrate the birth of the Savior every day? Celebrate His death and His resurrection. Tell people that He is coming soon!
Don’t stop celebrating Christmas to make yourself more righteous than others. If you do, forget about telling your lost neighbor about Jesus Christ the rest of the year.
-Roger Oakland
Maranatha!
Time, of course, has a way of changing everything. What once was, is no more. It looks to me like the “Christ” has been ripped out of Christmas. Now all we hear is “Happy Holidays” with “good old Saint Nick.” Christmas time is the time to “eat, drink and be merry.” Credit cards are maxed out to the limit, people leaving parking lots require anger management counselors, bargain hunters need to wear hard hats or football helmets to survive.
So what is so happy about the “Happy Holidays”?
Further, I have noticed that those who make the laws in various places have also removed Christ from Christmas. Of course it is important to be tolerant and accept all religions. However, does tolerance mean abstinence from Christianity? If so, should the dictionary find a new meaning for the word?
For example, here is what one journalist wrote in an article:
Only weeks after voting for a resolution that "recognizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world," nine Democrats in the U.S. House refused to vote for a Christmas resolution that condemns the worldwide persecution of Christians.
Now think about this. As far as I know it is still legal to think. Why would nine congress members praise one religion and refuse to recognize another? Is that being tolerant? Where were the others who said nothing? Were they afraid? I thought America was the land of the free, not the land of the fearful.
Or how about the following headline: “Nativity Scene Draws Complaint”. Protestors say that “religious” scenes are not welcome on government property. So when did this become the law? I thought governments in the western world upheld religious freedom. What has changed? Is it possible that freedom has been taken captive and we don’t know it? Whatever happened to the laws of the land?
Finally, one further example that shows it is not just North Americans who have gone mad. Consider the following statement taken from an Israeli source:
A rabidly antisemitic "Christian" charity organization in England is selling specially modified nativity scenes in the run-up to Christmas this year. Amos Trust is also spewing a whole lot of slander in a special "Bethlehem Christmas Pack" available from its website. According to a report by CNS News, the nativity model being sold by the Amos Trust is of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth, with a wall running through the town.
Made by Arabs in Bethlehem, it is meant to depict the security fence Israel has been erecting in order to safeguard its citizens from Palestinian terrorists infiltrating from what the world calls the "West Bank.” Amos Trust says that the wall in its nativity scene will ensure that "the wise men won't get to the stable."
So, as you can see, the nativity has been politicized by religions around the world. No longer is Jesus Christ allowed to be the Savior, born in a manger. Bible-believing Christians have been forced to be politically correct because they are considered to be religiously incorrect.
So is there a solution? How should a Christian respond in such a hostile environment?
Christianity In A Post Modern World
It is true that many Christians are dismayed by what is happening all over the world and right at home - perhaps next door, or down the block. Christmas is just not the way it used to be anymore!
Some Christians are modifying their approach to adapt to the times. Some believe it is important to “go with the flow.” This of course can be spiritual suicide if one recapitulates in order to follow the path of least resistance. You can have both, some say. Put up a nativity scene for Christmas along with whatever symbols you want that represent the other religions of the world. Mix everything together and have one happy pagan family. Peace on earth and good will to man involves all men and all religions - what is wrong with that?
Of course, this would re-invent Christianity. When you take Jesus the Savior out of the manger, you have a universal savior. The narrow path that Jesus said leads to heaven is now a wide road that supposedly leads to peace without the “Prince of Peace.”
However, there is another trend that some Christians profess. They say that Christmas is not in the Bible. In fact, these people choose not to celebrate Christmas because it is nothing more than a pagan holiday. Celebrating a day to remember the birth of Jesus near the winter solstice is as bad as celebrating Halloween. They have determined to consider Christmas unbiblical, heretical and even satanic.
Now, at the risk of receiving hostile comments from those who read this commentary, I would like to appeal to common sense and logic. With this in mind, please read carefully and do not read between the lines.
Christmas, when I was a little boy, meant two things to me - Santa Claus and the celebration of the birth of Jesus. My parents were not pagans. They were Christians. When I was old enough to figure out that my dad was Santa Claus, and that he actually ate the cookies that I had left out under the Christmas tree, I have to admit, I cried. However, when I was old enough to separate reality from fiction, I realized that Christmas is really about Jesus Christ.
Now, should I condemn my parents to hell because they deceived me when I was a child? I don’t think so. I was saved when I read John 3:16, written in my dad’s handwriting in the front page of my Bible. I was thirty years old when that happened.
As everyone knows, December 25, is not the day that Jesus was born. However, what is wrong with celebrating a day that remembers the day Jesus was born? If you put Santa Claus above Jesus then I would suggest you do not celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. If you put Jesus above Santa Claus, then celebrate Christmas as a day for celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Is it possible to become so pure and righteous in this world that one can no longer live in this world? The US dollar bill has an all-seeing eye on it. I am sure you have one in your pocket. Will you spend the dollar even though it has a satanic symbol on it? If you take the position you are going to set all things right, you will be considered right off. Unbelievers will think you have lost your mind.
The world is demanding that Christ be taken out of Christmas. When Christians take Jesus Christ out of Christmas, it won't be long before it will be illegal to take Christ to the world throughout the year.
I believe that Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior. So is Easter. So is Halloween or any other pagan day or holiday. Why not celebrate the birth of the Savior every day? Celebrate His death and His resurrection. Tell people that He is coming soon!
Don’t stop celebrating Christmas to make yourself more righteous than others. If you do, forget about telling your lost neighbor about Jesus Christ the rest of the year.
-Roger Oakland
Maranatha!
.....Dismantling America!
How much of America would be left if the federal government continued on this path? President Obama has already floated the idea of a national police force. Just one year ago, would you have believed that an unelected government official, not even a Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate but simply one of the many "czars" appointed by the President, could arbitrarily cut the pay of executives in private businesses by 50 percent or 90 percent?
Did you think that another "czar" would be talking about restricting talk radio? That there would be plans afloat to subsidize newspapers -- that is, to create a situation where some newspapers' survival would depend on the government liking what they publish?
Did you imagine that anyone would even be talking about having a panel of so-called "experts" deciding who could and could not get life-saving medical treatments?
Scary as that is from a medical standpoint, it is also chilling from the standpoint of freedom. If you have a mother who needs a heart operation or a child with some dire medical condition, how free would you feel to speak out against an administration that has the power to make life and death decisions about your loved ones?
Does any of this sound like America? How about a federal agency giving school children material to enlist them on the side of the president? Merely being assigned to sing his praises in class is apparently not enough.
We already have local police forces all across the country and military forces for national defense, as well as the FBI for federal crimes and the National Guard for local emergencies. What would be the role of a national police force created by Barack Obama, with all its leaders appointed by him? It would seem more like the brown shirts of dictators than like anything American.
How far the President will go depends, of course, on how much resistance he meets. But the direction in which he is trying to go tells us more than all his rhetoric or media spin.
Barack Obama has not only said that he is out to "change the United States of America," the people he has been associated with for years have expressed in words and deeds their hostility to the values, the principles and the people of this country.
Jeremiah Wright said it with words: "G** D*** America!" Bill Ayers said it with bombs that he planted. Community activist goons have said it with their contempt for the rights of other people.
Among the people appointed as czars by President Obama have been people who have praised enemy dictators like Mao, who have seen the public schools as places to promote sexual practices contrary to the values of most Americans and to a captive audience of children.
Those who say that the Obama administration should have investigated those people more thoroughly before appointing them are missing the point completely. Why should we assume that Barack Obama didn't know what such people were like, when he has been associating with precisely these kinds of people for decades before he reached the White House?
Nothing is more consistent with his lifelong patterns than putting such people in government -- people who reject American values, resent Americans in general and successful Americans in particular, as well as resenting America's influence in the world.
Any miscalculation on his part would be in not thinking that others would discover what these stealth appointees were like. Had it not been for the Fox News Channel, these stealth appointees might have remained unexposed for what they are. Fox News is now high on the administration's enemies list.
Nothing so epitomizes President Obama's own contempt for American values and traditions like trying to ram two bills through Congress in his first year -- each bill more than a thousand pages long -- too fast for either of them to be read, much less discussed. That he succeeded only the first time says that some people are starting to wake up. Whether enough people will wake up in time to keep America from being dismantled, piece by piece, is another question -- and the biggest question for this generation.
-Thomas Sowell
"Continue to pray without ceasing for our great nation and that evil-doers would be brought down." - Jan Markell
Did you think that another "czar" would be talking about restricting talk radio? That there would be plans afloat to subsidize newspapers -- that is, to create a situation where some newspapers' survival would depend on the government liking what they publish?
Did you imagine that anyone would even be talking about having a panel of so-called "experts" deciding who could and could not get life-saving medical treatments?
Scary as that is from a medical standpoint, it is also chilling from the standpoint of freedom. If you have a mother who needs a heart operation or a child with some dire medical condition, how free would you feel to speak out against an administration that has the power to make life and death decisions about your loved ones?
Does any of this sound like America? How about a federal agency giving school children material to enlist them on the side of the president? Merely being assigned to sing his praises in class is apparently not enough.
We already have local police forces all across the country and military forces for national defense, as well as the FBI for federal crimes and the National Guard for local emergencies. What would be the role of a national police force created by Barack Obama, with all its leaders appointed by him? It would seem more like the brown shirts of dictators than like anything American.
How far the President will go depends, of course, on how much resistance he meets. But the direction in which he is trying to go tells us more than all his rhetoric or media spin.
Barack Obama has not only said that he is out to "change the United States of America," the people he has been associated with for years have expressed in words and deeds their hostility to the values, the principles and the people of this country.
Jeremiah Wright said it with words: "G** D*** America!" Bill Ayers said it with bombs that he planted. Community activist goons have said it with their contempt for the rights of other people.
Among the people appointed as czars by President Obama have been people who have praised enemy dictators like Mao, who have seen the public schools as places to promote sexual practices contrary to the values of most Americans and to a captive audience of children.
Those who say that the Obama administration should have investigated those people more thoroughly before appointing them are missing the point completely. Why should we assume that Barack Obama didn't know what such people were like, when he has been associating with precisely these kinds of people for decades before he reached the White House?
Nothing is more consistent with his lifelong patterns than putting such people in government -- people who reject American values, resent Americans in general and successful Americans in particular, as well as resenting America's influence in the world.
Any miscalculation on his part would be in not thinking that others would discover what these stealth appointees were like. Had it not been for the Fox News Channel, these stealth appointees might have remained unexposed for what they are. Fox News is now high on the administration's enemies list.
Nothing so epitomizes President Obama's own contempt for American values and traditions like trying to ram two bills through Congress in his first year -- each bill more than a thousand pages long -- too fast for either of them to be read, much less discussed. That he succeeded only the first time says that some people are starting to wake up. Whether enough people will wake up in time to keep America from being dismantled, piece by piece, is another question -- and the biggest question for this generation.
-Thomas Sowell
"Continue to pray without ceasing for our great nation and that evil-doers would be brought down." - Jan Markell
.....Your Final Final Final Warning!
Get Ready For The Rapture
One area of prophecy that is the most significant for the Christian believer is the expectation of Jesus Christ's return for the Church. The pre-tribulation rapture is the moment when Christ comes in the air to catch away all who are spiritually ready. The rapture is the doorway between two opposite worlds. On earth we have sin, suffering, and strife. In heaven, there is nothing but holiness, happiness, and cries of "hallelujah."
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Because the pre-tribulation rapture is likely to be the next major event on God's calendar, it is all-important to be cognizant of the rapture's nearness. If you should find yourself left behind, you'd suffer a double tragedy of missing out on the splendor of heaven and having to face the various judgments God will be pouring out on the earth.
The rapture is clearly something any person with a logical mind would not want to miss. Unfortunately, most people are unprepared to meet the Lord Jesus. One of the biggest reasons for the lack of readiness has to be the fact we are drowning in a sea of warning signs.
"So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near - at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." - Matthew 24:33-34
Final Warning Incorporated
Authors of prophecy books have a natural tendency to aim for book titles that imply the most dire scenario. I've run across dozens of books and sermons that have the phrase "final warning" in their titles.
I know those words sound catchy, but they imply that you should not expect any more warnings from the author. For the sake of continuity, if not honesty, any subsequent books by the same writer should be given titles such as "Final Warning 2," "Final Warning 3," or "More Final Warnings."
Asahel Nettleton wrote a sermon entitled, "The Final Warning." I was never able to determine when he wrote it, but I do know Nettleleton died in 1844. More than 150 years later, we still have plenty of "final warnings" in publication. Here are a few book titles from the past few years:
-Final Warning
-The Final Warning
-The Final Warning: Your Survival Guide to the New Millennium
-God's Trumpet Call: A Final Warning
-Jesus' Final Warning
-God's Final Warning to America
-666: The Final Warning
-The Last Day: The Final Warning
-Final Warning: Daniel's Prophecies Decoded
-A Final Warning to America
I've talked to some of these authors, and most of them seem to believe that it doesn't matter if the passage of time has thrown doubt upon their "final warning" cries. They assert that their main goal in writing the books was to make people aware of the approaching end times.
In the story of the boy who cried "wolf!" the young lad was certainly active in warning the villagers, but we all know he eventually warned them a little too often. A "final warning" title may increase sales of books, but if the Lord Jesus fails to return on cue, everyone who has read these books will become immune to the end-time message.
"Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." - 2 Peter 3:4
Jesus Did Say He's Coming Back
When I talk to unsaved people about the rapture and world events, 90% of them agree with the validity of Bible prophecy. Most of them even admit that we are headed towards the tribulation hour. If I try to tell them we might be getting near to the end, that's when I get strong opposition from them. "Not in our lifetime," is the average reply I receive. I always try to reason with them by saying, "You agree Jesus is coming back, and the likelihood of His return only increases each year. Because there is nothing to prevent Him from returning, why not at least be open to the possibility?"
A large portion of the population strongly refuses to consider the prospect of prophecy being fulfilled in our generation. In all honesty, many of these people probably have a good reason for not wanting to see the end times: the start of the tribulation would signal their doom.
In most wars in which two main forces are at odds, it's historically common for fighters to realize they're on the losing side and then defect to the side that's winning. This is particularly true in tribal conflicts. If you're not in Jesus' camp, you're on the losing team. For the time being, sinners still have the opportunity to abandon their loyalty to Satan and to realign themselves as soldiers in God's army. Once Jesus returns to earth, it will become too late for someone to change his or her allegiance.
"And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" - Revelation 6:15-17
Seven-Day Warning
I often wondered what would happen if the Lord supernaturally announced to the world that He was coming back in seven days. Of course, the proclamation would obviously have a profound impact on society:
-Global stock markets would close.
-Manufacturing would slow to a halt.
-Stores would freely distribute their goods.
-Livestock would be freed to roam the countryside.
-It would be impossible to get an airline ticket to the Holy Land.
-Prostitutes would become nuns overnight.
-All media outlets would have continuous news coverage from Jerusalem.
-A spirit of piety would sweep over the world.
During the Miller Movement of the 1840s, as people looked forward to the predicted return of Christ, a number of people did things they later regretted. When the date failed to produce the Lord Jesus or doomsday, most folks went right back to their previous sinful lifestyles. The fact that people would make phony commitments immediately before a known rapture date is the most likely reason the Bible says we shouldn't expect a warning.
"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." - Matthew 24:44
The Window Of Opportunity
During the tribulation, people will be able to calculate exactly when Jesus is coming back to earth. From the time the Antichrist declares himself to be God, saints will know that the second coming will take place in 42 months (Revelation 13:5).
An obvious question some folks might ask: Why is the timing of the rapture a big secret, while the timing of the second coming is known? The answer is simple: For the most part, it currently doesn't cost the average person much to live for Christ.
Once the tribulation starts, all believers will be in a whole new ball game, one in which most will have to suffer martyrdom in order to hold on to their Christian faith. Knowing how bad it is going to be for those left behind, I certainly don't envy their benefit of knowing when the tribulation will end.
Some Bible scholars go to the extreme by promoting the idea that it's impossible for people to find salvation after the rapture. Their general attitude is if you're foolish enough to miss the rapture, you should be out of luck.
Once a person is left behind, his flesh might be in a dreadful state of affairs, but his soul still has a chance at redemption. (An article on the main page of Rapture Ready called Second Chance for Salvation refutes the teaching that there will be no tribulation salvation.)
I have a difficult time understanding where these people get the idea that the tribulation is a time when people will be able to blissfully wait for Jesus to come and rescue them. The tribulation is going to be a time of immense persecution. Few people realize we are living with a window of opportunity that will soon close. Most of the saints who will find salvation after the rapture will not physically live to see Jesus' glorious return.
"It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation." - Revelation 13:7
"He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." - Revelation 13:10
There's No Such Thing As A Final Warning
If this is the first time you've visited Rapture Ready, I could say, like other people, that this could be the last time you encounter the Gospel. But that would only be speculation on my part. You might be presented with the salvation message 100 times after you read this article.
Because man has no control over his destiny, it's impossible for him to know when he'll have the final opportunity to turn his life over to Jesus. Because you have no guarantee you will be here tomorrow, it should be obvious that you need to be ready today.
Because of what we know about the aging process, we know that a 20-year-old man has a greater chance of being around a year from now than does a 90-year-old man. However, unless the older gentleman is in declining health, he's not likely to have a deeper focus on his spiritual state than the man who's still a youngster. If someone is 90 years old, he typically expects to live to see age 91. If he makes it to 99, he generally believes he'll make it to 100.
Death is always a surprise. Because there is no certainty you're going to be here tomorrow, you need to accept Jesus as your eternal Savior today. To do this, you first must ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins.
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" - Acts 3:19
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12
After you commit yourself in words to Jesus, you then begin to follow Him with your actions. Committing yourself to faith in Jesus Christ is the easy part. Fulfilling that pledge is where the difficulty comes in.
Once a big-time evangelist visited a large city in central Africa. During one crusade service, more than 10,000 people raised a hand to show that they had accepted Jesus into their life. Several months later, a Christian organization did a follow-up study. They found that less than 1% of those people were still practicing their faith. The other 99% had heard the warning message, but they must have assumed that in the future they would yet be offered a final, final warning or possibly a final, final, final warning.
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." - 2 Corinthians 6:2
May our wonderful God bless you with His grace and love!
One area of prophecy that is the most significant for the Christian believer is the expectation of Jesus Christ's return for the Church. The pre-tribulation rapture is the moment when Christ comes in the air to catch away all who are spiritually ready. The rapture is the doorway between two opposite worlds. On earth we have sin, suffering, and strife. In heaven, there is nothing but holiness, happiness, and cries of "hallelujah."
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Because the pre-tribulation rapture is likely to be the next major event on God's calendar, it is all-important to be cognizant of the rapture's nearness. If you should find yourself left behind, you'd suffer a double tragedy of missing out on the splendor of heaven and having to face the various judgments God will be pouring out on the earth.
The rapture is clearly something any person with a logical mind would not want to miss. Unfortunately, most people are unprepared to meet the Lord Jesus. One of the biggest reasons for the lack of readiness has to be the fact we are drowning in a sea of warning signs.
"So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near - at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." - Matthew 24:33-34
Final Warning Incorporated
Authors of prophecy books have a natural tendency to aim for book titles that imply the most dire scenario. I've run across dozens of books and sermons that have the phrase "final warning" in their titles.
I know those words sound catchy, but they imply that you should not expect any more warnings from the author. For the sake of continuity, if not honesty, any subsequent books by the same writer should be given titles such as "Final Warning 2," "Final Warning 3," or "More Final Warnings."
Asahel Nettleton wrote a sermon entitled, "The Final Warning." I was never able to determine when he wrote it, but I do know Nettleleton died in 1844. More than 150 years later, we still have plenty of "final warnings" in publication. Here are a few book titles from the past few years:
-Final Warning
-The Final Warning
-The Final Warning: Your Survival Guide to the New Millennium
-God's Trumpet Call: A Final Warning
-Jesus' Final Warning
-God's Final Warning to America
-666: The Final Warning
-The Last Day: The Final Warning
-Final Warning: Daniel's Prophecies Decoded
-A Final Warning to America
I've talked to some of these authors, and most of them seem to believe that it doesn't matter if the passage of time has thrown doubt upon their "final warning" cries. They assert that their main goal in writing the books was to make people aware of the approaching end times.
In the story of the boy who cried "wolf!" the young lad was certainly active in warning the villagers, but we all know he eventually warned them a little too often. A "final warning" title may increase sales of books, but if the Lord Jesus fails to return on cue, everyone who has read these books will become immune to the end-time message.
"Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." - 2 Peter 3:4
Jesus Did Say He's Coming Back
When I talk to unsaved people about the rapture and world events, 90% of them agree with the validity of Bible prophecy. Most of them even admit that we are headed towards the tribulation hour. If I try to tell them we might be getting near to the end, that's when I get strong opposition from them. "Not in our lifetime," is the average reply I receive. I always try to reason with them by saying, "You agree Jesus is coming back, and the likelihood of His return only increases each year. Because there is nothing to prevent Him from returning, why not at least be open to the possibility?"
A large portion of the population strongly refuses to consider the prospect of prophecy being fulfilled in our generation. In all honesty, many of these people probably have a good reason for not wanting to see the end times: the start of the tribulation would signal their doom.
In most wars in which two main forces are at odds, it's historically common for fighters to realize they're on the losing side and then defect to the side that's winning. This is particularly true in tribal conflicts. If you're not in Jesus' camp, you're on the losing team. For the time being, sinners still have the opportunity to abandon their loyalty to Satan and to realign themselves as soldiers in God's army. Once Jesus returns to earth, it will become too late for someone to change his or her allegiance.
"And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" - Revelation 6:15-17
Seven-Day Warning
I often wondered what would happen if the Lord supernaturally announced to the world that He was coming back in seven days. Of course, the proclamation would obviously have a profound impact on society:
-Global stock markets would close.
-Manufacturing would slow to a halt.
-Stores would freely distribute their goods.
-Livestock would be freed to roam the countryside.
-It would be impossible to get an airline ticket to the Holy Land.
-Prostitutes would become nuns overnight.
-All media outlets would have continuous news coverage from Jerusalem.
-A spirit of piety would sweep over the world.
During the Miller Movement of the 1840s, as people looked forward to the predicted return of Christ, a number of people did things they later regretted. When the date failed to produce the Lord Jesus or doomsday, most folks went right back to their previous sinful lifestyles. The fact that people would make phony commitments immediately before a known rapture date is the most likely reason the Bible says we shouldn't expect a warning.
"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." - Matthew 24:44
The Window Of Opportunity
During the tribulation, people will be able to calculate exactly when Jesus is coming back to earth. From the time the Antichrist declares himself to be God, saints will know that the second coming will take place in 42 months (Revelation 13:5).
An obvious question some folks might ask: Why is the timing of the rapture a big secret, while the timing of the second coming is known? The answer is simple: For the most part, it currently doesn't cost the average person much to live for Christ.
Once the tribulation starts, all believers will be in a whole new ball game, one in which most will have to suffer martyrdom in order to hold on to their Christian faith. Knowing how bad it is going to be for those left behind, I certainly don't envy their benefit of knowing when the tribulation will end.
Some Bible scholars go to the extreme by promoting the idea that it's impossible for people to find salvation after the rapture. Their general attitude is if you're foolish enough to miss the rapture, you should be out of luck.
Once a person is left behind, his flesh might be in a dreadful state of affairs, but his soul still has a chance at redemption. (An article on the main page of Rapture Ready called Second Chance for Salvation refutes the teaching that there will be no tribulation salvation.)
I have a difficult time understanding where these people get the idea that the tribulation is a time when people will be able to blissfully wait for Jesus to come and rescue them. The tribulation is going to be a time of immense persecution. Few people realize we are living with a window of opportunity that will soon close. Most of the saints who will find salvation after the rapture will not physically live to see Jesus' glorious return.
"It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation." - Revelation 13:7
"He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." - Revelation 13:10
There's No Such Thing As A Final Warning
If this is the first time you've visited Rapture Ready, I could say, like other people, that this could be the last time you encounter the Gospel. But that would only be speculation on my part. You might be presented with the salvation message 100 times after you read this article.
Because man has no control over his destiny, it's impossible for him to know when he'll have the final opportunity to turn his life over to Jesus. Because you have no guarantee you will be here tomorrow, it should be obvious that you need to be ready today.
Because of what we know about the aging process, we know that a 20-year-old man has a greater chance of being around a year from now than does a 90-year-old man. However, unless the older gentleman is in declining health, he's not likely to have a deeper focus on his spiritual state than the man who's still a youngster. If someone is 90 years old, he typically expects to live to see age 91. If he makes it to 99, he generally believes he'll make it to 100.
Death is always a surprise. Because there is no certainty you're going to be here tomorrow, you need to accept Jesus as your eternal Savior today. To do this, you first must ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins.
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" - Acts 3:19
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12
After you commit yourself in words to Jesus, you then begin to follow Him with your actions. Committing yourself to faith in Jesus Christ is the easy part. Fulfilling that pledge is where the difficulty comes in.
Once a big-time evangelist visited a large city in central Africa. During one crusade service, more than 10,000 people raised a hand to show that they had accepted Jesus into their life. Several months later, a Christian organization did a follow-up study. They found that less than 1% of those people were still practicing their faith. The other 99% had heard the warning message, but they must have assumed that in the future they would yet be offered a final, final warning or possibly a final, final, final warning.
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." - 2 Corinthians 6:2
May our wonderful God bless you with His grace and love!
.....Maranatha!
What does ‘Maranatha’ mean?
Maranatha is an Aramaic word that means “the Lord is coming” or “Come, O Lord.”
The early church faced much persecution, and life for a Christian under Roman rule was not easy. The Romans required everyone to declare that Caesar was God. The early Christians knew that there is only one God and one Lord—Jesus Christ—and in all good conscience they could not call Caesar ‘Lord,’ so the Romans looked upon them as traitors, persecuted them, and put them to death.
Living under those adverse conditions, the believers’ morale was lifted by the hope of the coming of the Lord. “Maranatha!” became the common greeting of the oppressed believers, replacing the Jewish greeting Shalom (peace). The followers of Jesus knew there would be no peace because Jesus had told them so (Matthew 10:34); (Luke 12:51). But they also knew the Lord would be returning to set up His kingdom and from that truth they drew great comfort. They were constantly reminding and being reminded that the Lord is coming (Luke 21:28); Revelation (22:12). Jesus taught several parables on this same theme of watching and waiting and being prepared for His return (Matthew 25:1-13); (Luke 12:35-40).
Today believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ live our lives in the light of the knowledge that He can come at any time. We are to be ready when the call comes. Every day we should expect Him to come, and every day we should long for Him to come. Maranatha reminds us to keep our eyes on the eternal things of the Spirit. To dwell on material things is to be in constant mental turmoil. Looking down we see the earth; looking around we see earthly things. But looking up we see the hope of the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. To those who are discouraged today, Maranatha! To those who are worried today, Maranatha! To those who are filled with anxiety over the problems they are facing, Maranatha! Our Lord is coming!
Oh, Lord, Come Soon!
Maranatha is an Aramaic word that means “the Lord is coming” or “Come, O Lord.”
The early church faced much persecution, and life for a Christian under Roman rule was not easy. The Romans required everyone to declare that Caesar was God. The early Christians knew that there is only one God and one Lord—Jesus Christ—and in all good conscience they could not call Caesar ‘Lord,’ so the Romans looked upon them as traitors, persecuted them, and put them to death.
Living under those adverse conditions, the believers’ morale was lifted by the hope of the coming of the Lord. “Maranatha!” became the common greeting of the oppressed believers, replacing the Jewish greeting Shalom (peace). The followers of Jesus knew there would be no peace because Jesus had told them so (Matthew 10:34); (Luke 12:51). But they also knew the Lord would be returning to set up His kingdom and from that truth they drew great comfort. They were constantly reminding and being reminded that the Lord is coming (Luke 21:28); Revelation (22:12). Jesus taught several parables on this same theme of watching and waiting and being prepared for His return (Matthew 25:1-13); (Luke 12:35-40).
Today believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ live our lives in the light of the knowledge that He can come at any time. We are to be ready when the call comes. Every day we should expect Him to come, and every day we should long for Him to come. Maranatha reminds us to keep our eyes on the eternal things of the Spirit. To dwell on material things is to be in constant mental turmoil. Looking down we see the earth; looking around we see earthly things. But looking up we see the hope of the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. To those who are discouraged today, Maranatha! To those who are worried today, Maranatha! To those who are filled with anxiety over the problems they are facing, Maranatha! Our Lord is coming!
Oh, Lord, Come Soon!
