Revelation 20:11-15, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Not all of God's promises are positive. In our text passage God promises to cast all Christ-rejecters who die in their sins into the Lake of Fire. This is the “second death.” The first death is when our body can no longer survive due to age, disease or accident. The first death is separation of our soul and spirit from our body. The second death is separation of our body, soul and spirit from God forever in Hell.
Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” We ought to FEAR GOD, Who can destroy BOTH body and soul in Hell. Obviously God will have to provide some type of body to lost sinners who are cast into Hell, because the old fleshly body is gone at death. This new body from God must be able to withstand the incredibly high temperatures and horrifying conditions of Hell, that a normal human body couldn't not tolerate.
There is considerable debate over the temperature of Hell. Revelation 21:8 reveals that Hell burns with brimstone. The primary component of brimstone (lava) is sulfur, which starts to melt at 527° Fahrenheit and remains in a flowing liquid state down to temperatures as low as 248° Fahrenheit. The temperature of lava flow is usually about 1,300° to 2,300° Fahrenheit. Deep inside the earth, usually at about 95 miles, the temperature is hot enough that some small part of the rocks begins to melt. Once that happens, the magma (molten rock) will rise toward the surface (it floats). Scientists have yet to directly measure the temperature of the Earth's inner core (because they cannot get testing equipment down that far), but most estimates put it at somewhere between 9,000 and 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,000 and 6,000 degrees Celsius). That's pretty hot—hot enough, in fact, to equal the temperature of the sun's surface!
There is an abundance of Scriptural evidence to support the claim that Hell resides in the inside of the earth. Ezekiel 31:17, “They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.” Matthew 12:40, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Acts 2:27 and 31, “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. ... He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.” By cross referencing these helpful Scripture passages, we learn that when Jesus died on the cross, His soul went to Hell. The Bible says that Jesus went INTO THE HEART OF THE EARTH!!! This is further strong evidence that Hell is inside the earth.
We are also told in Luke 23:43 that Jesus promised the repentant thief on the cross that they would both in in PARADISE that very day. So how did Jesus go to Hell and Paradise? The only logical conclusion is that Hades (Hell) is compartmentalized, with the place of Paradise on onw side and the place of Torment on the other side. We see this truth well explained in Luke 16:19-32 in the true account of the rich man and Lazarus. Jesus did not call this story a parable, nor did He afterwards explain what it meant (as the Lord always did when He told a parable). So we must take this account as being 100% true and literal. If you are interested in learning all about this topic, Pastor Max Younce has authored a helpful book (which you can read and download for free in .pdf format) titled: “A Biblical Examination Of Hell.” Dr. Younce gave me permission to type out his books in HTML format. I greatly encourage you to read Pastor Younce's book, and also visit his ministry website where dozens more books and writings can be found to freely read and download.
Dear reader, Hell is a real place. I don't want to go there and I'm pretty sure that you don't either. Most people don't believe that Hell exists, but just because somebody refuses to believe something doesn't mean that it is not true! I read in the news today that Star Trek legendary actor, William Shatner (who starred as Captain James T. Kirk) flew into outer space above the earth. Shatner, at age 90, is the oldest person to ever enter into outer space. I think that is so cool! The flight ascended 350,000 feet above the earth:
Back on Earth, William Shatner grew emotional describing his experience launching into space...
"I'm so filled with emotion about what just happened. It's extraordinary, extraordinary. I hope I can maintain what I feel now. I don't want to lose it. It's so much larger than me and life."
Speaking to Jeff Bezos after the Blue Origin flight, the 90-year-old actor told him: "What you have given me is the most profound experience I can imagine."
He continued: "It hasn't got anything to do with the little green men and the blue orb. It has to do with the enormity and the quickness and the suddenness of life and death." —William Shatner, 'William Shatner goes to space on Blue Origin mission'
Tragically, William Shatner is an avowed lifetime atheist:
In a March 9, 2006 Associated Press story by David Germain headlined "Shatner Explores World of 'Trek' Tech," Shatner says:
"I've always had sort of an ironic view of life," the 75-year-old Shatner said. "My belief system is that when this is over, it's over. That you don't look down from heaven and wait for your loved ones to join you. There may be some soul activity, but I'm not sure about that. But what I am sure about is that your molecules continue and in due time become something else. That's science."
In a 1968 interview, Shatner said, in response to a question about whether he has religious beliefs or believes in an afterlife:
"No. I don't. Emotionally I would like to believe there is a life after death. Intellectually . . . . I cannot accept the idea. . . . as for myself, I have finally come to the conclusion that life is here and now . . . and nothing more." —Celebrity Atheists, William Shatner
Mr. Shatner claims to be a member of Judaism, which essentially is the same as being an atheist, since either way they deny the deity of Jesus Christ. It is sad that at age 90 William Shatner is so close to eternity and yet after 90 years he is still walking in darkness without the Lord Jesus Christ!
Dear friend, our blessed Savior warned the world in John 3:3b, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 14:6,“ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Just because William Shatner doesn't believe in an afterlife doesn't make it so!
1st Corinthians 1:18-21, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
The PREACHING OF THE CROSS (i.e., the Gospel) is foolishness to William Shatner's intellect because he is ready to PERISH as a lost man. To “perish” means to go to Hell forever!
Hebrews 4:1-3, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
I love that passage of Scripture! We who have BELIEVED on Christ have entered into REST!This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” There is no peace of mind like RESTING in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Dear reader, that is how you get saved—you simply CEASE from all your own works (human effort) and completely REST in Jesus Christ because of what He did through Calvary's cross to pay for our sins, believing that He is risen from the dead (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). If you are saved, then your name is recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life in Heaven!!! Luke 10:20b, “rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
But if you have never come to a place in your life where you realized that you are a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God (Romans 3:19-23), and that there is a penalty for your sins, which is death (including a second death in Hell forever - Revelation 20:11-15), and you TRUSTED (BELIEVED) on Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior, then you cannot enter into God's Kingdom and Hell is the only other place left for you to go. Is the preaching of the cross foolishness to you dear reader? Or is the Gospel the POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION to you? Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” I BELIEVE! Do you dear friend?
The news reported today that William Shatner was overwhelmed emotionally when he exited the space shuttle. The 350,000 feet high flight only took 11 minutes from takeoff to landing! For 3 minutes they had experienced Zero Gravity. That is so cool! Shatner was humbled with awe at the sights and things he had just experienced. I would love to take such a flight into outer space!!! But oh how it saddens my heart to know that Shatner (born in 1931) is so close to splitting Hell wide open! Jesus plainly warned in John 3:3b, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The Devil's greatest desire is to blind men so that they will never be saved, so they will spend eternity burning in Hell with him in the everlasting Lake of Fire. The Devil is no one's friend!!!
Apart from childlike faith alone in Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God, no one can go to Heaven (John 20:31). John 14:6,“ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” 2nd Timothy 2:13, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” Oh how good is our beautiful God and Savior!!! Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, knowing that we owed a debt we could not pay. JESUS PAID IT ALL! Christ died for the ungodly the Bible says in Romans 5:6, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
The Bible says that the lost world BY WISDOM KNEW NOT GOD. This speaks of the secular wisdom of the sinful world. 1st Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” One of my favorite sermons is by Pastor Max Younce titled, 'The Wisdom Of The World Versus Divine Wisdom.' I encourage you to listen to this. Here's Part Two.
If God allows suffering and torment in this world, you had better believe that God allows it in the next for lost sinners who knowingly reject God's free gift of eternal life and forgiveness of sin through His only begotten Son. Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” The choice is yours alone to make oh sinner! I am so glad that I'm a part of the family of God. Oh it is wonderful to be a Christian! It is wonderful to be God's child! Jesus, please don't leave earth without Him!!!
Galatians 3:1-3, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Galatians 6:7-8, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Their damnation slumbereth not! The demonic Bob Jones University (BJU) camp in Greenville, South Carolina and their thousands of complicit graduates are of the Devil. They are guilty in God's sight of preaching another gospel of Calvinism (aka, Lordship Salvation). BJU are guilty of preaching a misunderstanding of repentance, requiring people to forsake a lifestyle of sinning to get saved and prove that they are saved. That is NOT the free grace Gospel taught in the inspired Word of God. Bob Jones University is guilty in God's sight of promoting, selling and using the Devil's corrupt Bible revisions.
The Bible promises in Galatians 6:7 that GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED!!! Whatsoever man soweth, that shall HE ALSO REAP!!! There is a woeful evil happening all across the United States and the world today, which is professed Christians bidding Godspeed to false teachers!!! This is why Jesus warned in Luke 16:13 that NO MAN can serve God and mammon, for he will love the one and hate the other. There are no exceptions! The Bob Jones University camp are all about making money and careers. BJU advertises that their college trains nurses, businessmen, accounting, engineering and other secular careers to make money. BJU has deteriorated into a den of thieves, a cesspool of iniquity, a Satanic religious cult that prioritizes making money over preaching THE TRUTH and preserving right doctrine.
Bob Jones University is evil to the core!!! I am saddened that shameful pastors from the Pensacola Christian College (PCC) camp (e.g., Sean Quinlan and Jeff Redlin) chose to scold me for exposing the Bob Jones camp, rather than commend and join me to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). Instead, those sorry devils hobnob with false teachers, bidding them Godspeed, going along to get along because they are all in the stinking dirty business of making money, parasiting off of Christendom!!!
I long and pray for the day of judgment to see infidels' Marty Herron, Steve Pettit, Sam Horn, Joe Hansen, Jared Baldwin, Gary Walton, the rotten Harvest Baptist Church cult on Guam, Bob Jones University cult headquarters and Pastor John F. MacArthur cast into the fires of Hell. I do not rejoice that anyone would go to Hell to be tormented forever. I do not rejoice in the fall of my enemies. I do not find happiness in seeing evildoers cast into the Lake of Fire. Even God Himself has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:32). God is not willing for any to perish, but that all men should come to repentance (i.e., believe the Gospel to be saved from one's sins).
But as God does, I also do rejoice to see THE TRUTH avenged (). I look forward to seeing my Bible preaching avenged. At the Great White Throne of Judgment, I will be weeping as Marty Herron, Steve Pettit, Gary Walton and John MacArthur are cast by the angels into everlasting darkness, into the lake of Fire to be tormented in fire and brimstone without rest for ever and ever. I will weep, as joy floods my soul that my preaching of THE TRUTH has finally been vindicated by God's Word. Daily I feel frustrated and let down by God, wondering WHEN the righteous Lord is going to punish Marty Herron and the rest of the rotten Bob Jones University (BJU) cult!!!
Justly so, I want Marty Herron to suffer and pay for all the lives he has ruined, including mine and all the lies he continually defends of spreads!!! God's curse is upon Pastor Herron and his day of reckoning is coming for rejecting THE TRUTH and hurting me for telling THE TRUTH at Harvest Baptist Church on Guam (Hosea 4:6; Romans 12:19-21; Galatians 6:7; Titus 1:10-13). Sadly, Harvest is caught in the clutches of a deadly octopus of BJU's damnable heresies and arrogant pride!!!
What saith the Scripture? Revelation 6:9-10, “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” These dear saints who will be slaughtered during the coming Tribulation period, will be frustrated waiting for God to avenge them, just as I am daily frustrated. How long O Lord will the ungodly Bob Jones University crowd be allowed to continue preaching their damnable heresies and lead people into an eternal burning horrific Hell?
The time will come when God will encourage the saints to REJOICE to see that we have been avenged. Revelation 18:20, “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.” I long to be avenged of Marty Herron and Gary Walton, BJU alumni who despise truth-tellers like me who tell THE TRUTH!!! Psalms 58:10-11, “The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.” For every Bible truth, there is often a paradox, a seeming contradiction. Bible ignoramuses will cherry pick only what they want to see in the Scriptures, to support their false doctrine.
To rightly divide the inspired Word of God, we must be careful to find the balance in doctrine. For example: In Mark 9:40 Jesus said whoever is not with us is against us. But in Matthew 12:30 that Lord said whoever is not against us is for us. This seems to be a major contradiction. Unbelievers and skeptics often prey upon such alleged discrepancies in the Scriptures, mishandling the Word of God in their unlearned ignorance. The wise Bible student studies the Holy Bible to find THE TRUTH.
In Mark 9:40 Jesus is referring to Christians who serve God in their own way, which may be different than how we serve Him. If you've ever been to a black church, they often get wild in their meetings and worship God with much zeal. We need some of that in all of our churches today. God never intended for the church to resemble a funeral home. Is your church dead? Also, please don't mistake zeal for the Holy Spirit. If the Gospel is being preached correctly, and the world is rejected by the church, and the truth is being preached, and the congregation is full of true born-again believers, then you know that the blessed Holy Spirit is present.
Zeal itself is not a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit. TRUTH is a sign of the Holy Spirit's presence, for in John 16:13 He is called “the Spirit of truth.” Sometimes it is carnal zeal, such as in Charismatic churches when they speak in tongues. The Apostle Paul commended the Jews for having zeal in Romans 10:3-4, but Paul rebuked them because their zeal was false, not according to knowledge! Speaking in tongues as done in Pentecostal churches, Assemblies of God and Charismatic churches today has its origin in witchcraft! Charismatics have much zeal, but it is not according to Bible knowledge.
In Luke 9:50 and the surrounding context Jesus is referring to “the Unpardonable Sin.” If anyone rejects the Holy Spirit of God concerning salvation, then they are against Christ. This is what the context teaches us. So although these two passages in Matthew 12:30 and mark 9:40 seem to contradict each other, they do not. By simply studying the surrounding context in which these statements were made by the Lord, we see their accurate meaning. The biggest cause of false doctrine is lifting text out of context, which creates a new pretext (heresy).
So although we are warned against rejoicing in the calamity of our enemies, it depends on why they are our enemies. There are many people who have hurt me throughout my life, but I have forgiven them all. Yet, there are wicked religious people like Pastor Marty Herron, who destroyed my life and discouraged the woman who was going to marry me, because of his hatred and contempt for me as a truth-teller. Herron falls into a different category, because I am justified in my preaching against him. Romans 3:4, “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”
I pray that Marty Herron could lose his wife and see how loneliness feels, and to be thrown under the bus by a senior pastor (as he did me) when I pleaded for his help in 2014 and 2017. Pastor Herron wickedly told me verbatim to “Go elsewhere!” on Guam. I had nowhere else to go and didn't attend church for seven painful years between 2014 and 2021. John 8:26, “I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.” Someone said to me that I need to let Harvest go, but I don't want to because of the underlying principle of the whole matter.
My critics will foolishly try to diminish the issue to say that I am holding a grudge, but the issue is oh so much more important dear friend! Regarding the religious false teachers of His day, Jesus said in John 8:26, “I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.” Only Jesus is the Judge Who standeth at the door (James 4:12), but I do have MUCH TO SAY against Marty Herron, Gary Walton and the Bob Jones University crowd. But I won't have to say anything. God does not need a jury in His eternal court, because God knows all (omniscient). God doesn't have to figure out the truth, HE KNOWS THE TRUTH!!! What matters is that I am preaching THE TRUTH, which is exactly what Romans 3:4 teaches. If what I preach aligns with the inspired King James Bible, then my sayings with be justified at the Judgment Seat Of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11). The Bible Jones camp are preaching manmade traditions (Calvinism) and the fables of wicked men (Mark 7:9-13; Titus 1:10-13; 2nd Timothy 4:1-5).
When He was suffering on the cross, Jesus prayed for His heavenly Feather to forgive the men who had just crucified Him. But when Jesus dealt with the wicked religious crowd, He never asked the Father to forgive them? Why? It is because the religious crowd knew the truth, but they rejected it. That is why they rejected Jesus, because He told THE TRUTH (as I did at the arrogant Harvest Baptist Church cult on Guam. John
John 8:40 and 45, “But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham... And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” Wow! These statements from Jesus are mind-blowing! They Jews tried to murder Jesus because He told them THE TRUTH! The Lord said the reason why they wouldn't believe Him is because He told THE TRUTH. Likewise, when I humbled attended the Harvest Baptist Church on Guam for one year in 2013-14, I loved them and wanted to help them, so I did what a true friend does, I TOLD THE TRUTH!!!
I saw dozens of different Bible revisions circulating in the pews at Harvest. I knew that is very bad!!! Friend, God only authored ONE BOOK, not hundreds. According to the American Bible Society there are approximately 900 English Bible versions in part or whole. That is the Devil folks, who is the author of confusion, not God (1st Corinthians 14:33). Satan knows that by publishing hundreds of different Bible versions, he can confuse everybody and render the Word of God ineffective. By changing the Holy Bible every 6 months, people no longer adhere to EVERY WORD. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. If I am to live by EVERY WORD of God, then I need an EVERY WORD Bible!!! That is why I have only used and promoted the inspired KING JAMES BIBLE since I was saved at age 13 from it! All of the modern Bible revisions are horribly corrupt and doctrinally flawed. I could give you literally thousands of examples!!! Nothing in this universe is more important than the Word of God, nothing!!!
Jesus asked His Father to forgive the magistrates and soldiers who abused and crucified Him, but the Lord never showed such empathy for the rotten self-righteous religious crowd! Jesus loved the heretical religious crowd, as He loves all woeful sinners (Romans 5:6-9). CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY!!! That means you, me and everybody!!! But the ungodly Pharisees and scribes fully knew what they were doing, rejecting THE TRUTH. The Lord said that He had MUCH to say and to judge of the ungodly Pharisees!!! The Bible teaches that to whom much is given, of the same much shall be required (Luke 12:48). I handed THE TRUTH directly into the hands of the pastors of Harvest Baptist Church on Guam. Here are the books that I gave them:
Martin Luther: Master Of Deceit (an awesome book by Pastor Max D. Younce; free to read online, freely download as .pdf or purchase)
I was called into the church office the next time I came to church, harshly rebuked by the church pastors for sharing these books at church. Pastor Herron was a coward, listening to the entire conversation, but making his associate pastor Joe Hansen do the dirty work of rebuking me. For well over an hour I earnestly contended for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). When I stood my ground and told him how corrupted the modern Bible perversions they are using are, Joe Hansen threw it in my face that he is a Greek teacher. If his life depended on it, Pastor Hansen couldn't order a pizza in Greece!
God deliver us from so-called “Greek scholars”!!! Hansen knows enough Greek to be dangerous! I rebuked him kindly by sternly, saying that any Bible which removes the word “begotten”from John 3:16 is going into my garbage pail. All of the Devil's modern Bibles completely remove the word “begotten,” attacking the deity of Jesus. According to John 1:12 and Romans 8:15, every child of God is an adopted son of God; but Jesus is the only “begotten” (biological) Son of God. So by removing the word “begotten,” the modern Bible revisions are corrupt, perverse and diminish the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a blatant attack against Christ's deity in all of the modern Bible revisions!!!
I would never fault a pastor for being imperfect or weak. We are all imperfect, sinful and weak. In fact, God wants us to relish in our weaknesses. 2nd Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” When we are weak, we need God's strength through His only begotten Son Jesus (Galatians 2:20). Jesus lives the Christian life through us by faith!!! I love that!
God knows that I do not hate anybody. I hate evil as Psalms 97:10 commands every Christian to do. I hate every false way because I love THE TRUTH of God's Word. Psalms 119:104, “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” If you listen to today's ungodly TV preachers, 99% of what they teach is not based upon the Holy Bible. Increasingly, as we delve further into the Devil's New World Order, churches and TV preachers are propagating the life's character lessons of Jesus, and are teaching secular humanism and psychology instead of Bible theology. You'll be hard pressed to find a TV preacher nowadays who teaches Bible theology (i.e.. the deity of Jesus, the Godhead, a literal burning Heaven and Hell, the necessity of Jesus' blood being sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in Heaven, Jesus' bodily resurrection, His sinless life and virgin birth, et cetera).
Pastor Joel Osteen preaches mostly motivational speeches, self-help junk, secular psychology and building better relationships. What makes Joel Osteen so dangerous is not what he preaches, but WHAT HE DOESN'T PREACH!!! Hell is a literal place of fire and brimstone, where all Christ-rejecters and religious people who add the the gospel go. Sadly, Joel Osteen pollutes the simplicity that is in Christ, perverting the grace of God.
Every child of God ought to care about right doctrine! Adding water baptism to faith seems so trifle. Would a loving almighty God really cast someone into Hell for all eternity to suffer in torment and fire, just because they trusting in water baptism in addition to faith in Jesus Christ? Yes, absolutely! God will NOT allow any sinner into Heaven who tries to enter in some other way, than through FAITH ALONE in Jesus. John 10:1, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” Jesus plainly warned that anyone who attempts to climb up and enter into Heaven “SOME OTHER WAY” is a dirty THIEF and a LIAR!!! Please take heed dear reader to Christ's stern warning. There are approximately 4,400 different religions in the world, all of which cannot save you!!! Salvation is not found in any religion, but ONLY in a person—the Lord Jesus Christ!!!John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
Why oh why is it so difficult for the Bob Jones University camp to leave the simplicity of Christ be! Why cannot they simply LET IT BE!!! The Beatles had it right in their iconic song: “LET IT BE.” Dear reader, LET IT BE!!! Let the Gospel be! The primary reason why most people will burn in the fires of Hell someday is because they were trusting TOO MUCH to get to Heaven! The Lord Himself simply said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” That is how you get saved oh sinner! You simply come to God in your sinful ungodly state, BELIEVING the Good News (the Gospel) that Christ DIED on the cross to pay for your sins, and He was BURIED, and three days later the precious Savior RESURRECTED from the dead:
1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
“You can't just speak about getting saved, and you accepted Christ, and then that's it! There is a justification; There is a sanctification; There's ultimately a glorification, and though there are three parts, they are all part of the whole, and you cannot separate them. In order for you to qualify for the award, you have to get into the race, you have to stay in the race, and you have to finish the race. If you want to win, you have to run to the end; and winning in the Christian life is everything, because if you lose—if you don't finish—you lose everything—you lose your SOUL. And so, the Christian race is the life of faith that begins, is run, and is finished when we cross over into Heaven!” —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?,” BJU chapel - January 26th, 2015)
BLASPHEMY!!! Dear reader, what you just read by false teacher Steve Pettit is the Devil's lie of Calvinism. It is high time for all Christians everywhere to “REBUKE THEM SHARPLY” (Titus 1:10-13) who teach things contrary to the inspired King James Bible!!! I was unjustly criticized by Pastor Sean Quinlan at the Lighthouse Baptist Church on Guam in 2018. Pastor Quinlan sarcastically said to me in rebuke: “You are obsessed with the Bible debate!” I took that insult as a badge of honor, because I have stood for THE TRUTH!!!
What saith the Scripture? 1st Kings 18:21, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” I cannot think of a more applicable passage of Scripture to describe the Bob Jones (BJU) crowd, and sadly the Pensacola Christian College (PCC) camp, and hundreds more increasingly apostate institutions and churches today, who are INDIFFERENT toward doctrine and truth. The prophet Elijah gave an invitation to the people of Israel. Elijah put them on the spot, asking the Jews to make a decision, but THE PEOPLE ANSWERED HIM NOT A WORD!!!
That is so tragic and sad. That perfectly describes the PCC camp today, who refuse to take a Biblical stand against the damnable heresies being taught at Bob Jones University, and in the infidel churches of BJU alumni worldwide. How you live has nothing to do with your final destination!!! The Bob Jones University crowd are utterly confused on sanctification and justification concerning salvation. I love what Evangelist John Bunyan wisely said:
“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)
Amen, amen and amen!!! What a great statement! BJU are corrupting the Word of God and casting stumblingblocks before the people. It is not hard to discern why when we consider that the BJU camp uses umpteen different Bible revisions, which contradict one another! For example: Look how the modern Bible revisions pervert God's simple free grace plan of salvation. According to the Easy-To-Read Version (ESV), you must change your heart and your life to get to Heaven. Folks, that is NOT what Jesus said in John 10:9. The blessed Savior said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” That is so simple! Jesus is THE DOOR by Whom we enter by faith into Heaven. Do not add anything to that!
The only requirement to be saved is to know that you are a guilty sinner (Romans 3:19-20; Galatians 3:24-26). You need to know what you are being saved from! Jesus came into the world and died on the cross to save us from our sins (John 3:16-17). It is the false religion of Cain (who ignorantly tried to impress God by the works of his own hands as a farmer), which works God vehemently rejected!!! Dear friend, there are only two plans of salvation: DO and DONE! You either think that you must DO something to be saved, or else you think that it is DONE. JESUS PAID IT ALL on the cross!!! Jesus Christ paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt of sin that we could not pay.
I could say so much more. Dear reader, my heart yearns for you to become hungry for THE TRUTH. So few churchgoers are truly born-again today. So few of those who are genuinely saved care about RIGHT DOCTRINE!!! Truth matters. There is a dull spirit of indifference over the churches today. The Pensacola Christian College (PCC) camp don't care. PCC merely goes along with the apostate BJU camp, sinfully bidding Godspeed to them!
Dear reader, every believer is called to join the battle. The inspired Word of God teaches that we do not battle (fight) against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces in an unseen angelic world. Ephesians 6:12-13, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” I marvel that most believers have never been properly taught by their church leaders, and have never studied it for their self in the Holy Bible, that we are all in an ongoing spiritual war in this world.
2nd Timothy 2:3-4, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” Young Timothy was a called minister. Not all believers will be leaders in the church. Some Christian men are called by God to preach as an evangelist. Others are called to become missionaries. But dear friend, EVERY believer is a missionary!!! I think every church should have a big banner posted over the inner church door which reads: “YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE MISSION FIELD!,” because that is so true dear friend. We are all missionaries in this dark and dreary world of sin in which we all live.2nd Corinthians 5:20, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
Having said that, each and every born-again saint of God is involved in this spiritual war between light and darkness! During World War II in the United States, mothers left their kitchens and went to work in factories to manufacture bombs, tanks and ammunition for the war cause. They became nurses and served as cooks in the kitchen to prepare food for the soldiers on and off the battle field. Likewise, we are at war dear reader. Each and every saint of God has a part in the war, a role to play. I encourage you friend to pray and ask God to show you your place of service in the battle for the Lord.
Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
I get frustrated when I hear Baptist preachers boasting about the hundreds or thousands of people they have led to Christ. I like to name names. I literally heard Missionary Steve Heidenreich claim to have won 200,000 people to Christ throughout his ministry. That frustrates me to read, because The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 is not just to get people saved, but to water baptize and then indoctrinate (mentor) them with all things concerning Christ. Praise God for souls saved! I would rather hear a guy bragging of having led thousands of souls to Christ, than to hear nothing from the apostate Bob Jones University camp today. Even worse, the Bob Jones camp are wrong on the Gospel, which means they are not even saved. BJU are reprobates and infidels of the faith!!!
Dear reader, RIGHT DOCTINE MATTERS!!! There is something very wrong today with the multitudes of churches, pastors, evangelists and missionaries who are eerily silent about damnable heresies creeping into the churches and Bible colleges. The reason why few saints are exposing the Devil's religious crowd is simply because we are thinking about the wrong things. The average believer is choked by the cares, riches and pleasures of this life (Luke 8:14), never maturing in their faith, never becoming a witness for Jesus Christ.
Most Christians think about their favorite upcoming TV show or football game, but couldn't care less about RIGHT DOCTRINE!!! Truth is important. I spend my time thinking about the Holy Bible. ...
Psalms 1:1-3, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
I have suffered much hardships in my personal broken life over the decades. I have suffered constant chronic neck pain since 2004, from getting hit by a bus in 1992 and a fall at work in 2004 which worsened my condition. The only thing that saw me through was the precious promises of our great and wonderful Savior!!! Thank you Lord for loving and dying on the cross for a dirty undeserving sinner like me!!! JESUS IS PRECIOUS!!!!!!! I never could have made it, being all alone since 2006 when my wife divorced me, if it weren't for God's grace and faithful abiding of the blessed Holy Spirit to comfort and guide me with the Scriptures.
God is more than amazing!!! To be honest, I get angry and frustrated at Go sometimes. I get down and depressed sometimes, wondering why God has abandoned me. But the inspired Holy Bible teaches that the trial of my faith is worth more than gold that perisheth (1st Peter 1:7-9). Unshakable faith comes from having our faith shaken! Faith is like film, it develops in the dark. The most discouraging thing to me as a child of God over the past several years has been seeing the abhorrent indifference and woeful lack of compassion among Bob Jones University graduates; namely, the apostate Harvest Baptist Church on Guam. SHAME ON HARVEST BAPTIST CHURCH AND PASTORS' GARY WALTON MARTY HERRON!!!
Those heartless monsters and cowards threw me under the bus and left me for dead, selfishly serving their own bellies and not the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 16:17-18). God will avenge me, but my hand shall not be upon them. I have faithfully taken a stand for THE TRUTH in the ongoing battle of the ages over the inspiration and purity of God's Word. Friend, if you don't have a King James Bible in the English language, you DON'T have an inspired Holy Bible! All of the modern Bible revisions are corrupted by Satan, with the intent to destroy the churches and blind unsaved sinners from seeing the glorious light of the truth of the Gospel (2nd Corinthians 4:3-4). I have been faithful, they have lied and sold their souls for money!!! Proverbs 12:17, “He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.”
Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
The most amazing truth that I have ever learned is that GOD LOVES ME. We all hear that, but so few of us really believe that God loves us. Our text Bible verse from Galatians 2:20 says that the Son of God LOVED ME and gave Himself FOR ME. The ultimate expression of someone's love is to lay down one's life for them. One of my favorite Bible passages in found in Romans...
Romans 5:6-10, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
I love that! Many men would lay down their life for a righteous man. Some might even lay down their life for a good man. But who who lay down their life for a criminal? No one except Jesus!!! Jesus laid down His life for scumbags like you and me! That is what we just read in the Bible. What an awesome God and Savior!!! Galatians 2:20 says that Jesus LOVES ME, which He proved by dying on the cross to pay my debt of sin.
When I go to any store, I always keep my eyes open for opportunities to help people. I love when somebody's credit card doesn't work, or they are short money to pay for their goods. I love to step up and kindly ask if I could please pay instead. It is my joy to do that in Jesus' name. Jesus Christ is God's LOVE GIFT to the world, and believers are the Father's LOVE GIFT to Jesus Christ.
“Human beings just want to be loved... just love the hell out of them!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr.
I fully agree with something beautiful that Pastor Jack Hyles said:
“I believe any man in this world, can love any other man in this world, if he thinks right! The reason you hate is because you think hate. The reason you love is because you think love.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “What The Law Could Not Do”
God loves you dear reader, and so do I! One of the reasons why so many people are down and depressed is because they do not believe God loves them. I know that God loves me! He proved it on Calvary's cross. ...
“The Gospel, if you understand it, can cause you to love one another.” –Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold, a quote from the sermon titled: “To Believe, Receive, Accept or Trust???”
One of my favorite preachers is Pastor Jeff Owens, who made the following great quotes:
“You are special made by God... A designer model. ...You're not an accident. ... God wanted someone who looks just like you.” —Dr. Jeff Owens, from the awesome MP3 sermon, “Fearfully And Wonderfully Made.”
“Listening sometimes is a way to express that you care.” —Pastor Jeff Owens, “Who Cares Anyhow?”
“Do you want some advice about depression—if you're depressed, love your way out of it! Love your way out of it!—You say, 'What do you mean?' LOVE GOD! And if you'll love God, then you'll do what God commands, and you'll do what God wants, and you'll do what is best for God; and staying in that state is not best for God. Love your way out of it!” —Pastor Jeff Owens, a beautiful quote from the sermon titled, “God Knows The Truth About Your Love.”
“Those of you who are down, love will get you up!” —Pastor Jeff Owens, an awesome quote from the sermon titled, “God Knows The Truth About Your Love.”
Another favorite preacher of mine is Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr., who made these wonderful quotes:
“Human beings just want to be loved... just love the hell out of them!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr.
“We don't love people because of what they do, or don't do; we love them because God loves them, and God cares about them, and He wants us to help win them to the Lord!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. (a beautiful quote from the sermon titled: “Developing A Process of Evangelism To Reach The Lost With The Gospel”
From reading the quotes of these wise men we see a common theme of God's love. It is Christ's love which He proved through the Gospel that enables us to love everyone unconditionally.
“I cannot love you as I love myself until I love God as I ought to love Him.” —Dr. Jack Hyles
“Love is thinking.” —Dr. Jack Hyles
“It is tragic for our God, Who gave us His Son to die on the cross, to beg us to love Him.” —Pastor Jack Hyles
Love is taking the time to think about the needs of OTHERS. Jesus looked upon the needs and things of OTHERS, continually thinking of ways He could be a servant to help them:
Philippians 2:3-8, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
What a precious passage of Scripture! Jesus was God almighty in the flesh (John 1:1-3, 14; 1st Timothy 3:16; Revelation 1:8). Jesus didn't think it robbery to profess His deity because Christ is God. Jesus is equal with God, because as God the Son, He is God!!! Yet Jesus humbled Himself as a suffering servant, as a mere mortal man, choosing not to use His powers as God. I've heard some preachers say that Jesus set aside His Godhood when He came to earth, but that is not true! Jesus was 100% God in the flesh, and He could have used all the power of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit if He had chosen to. Jesus took on human form upon the earth. The Word of God became incarnate (John 1:1-13, 14). The eternal Godhead became human flesh. Jesus was perfect and sinless (Hebrews 4:15).
“Did you know that God uses hurtin' people? That's part of the reason why we have to hurt in this world, so we can help other people who hurt.” —Pastor Danny Castle; from the life-changing sermon, KEEP ON PRAYING (MP3)
I have heard people say that Jesus gives us peace, but that is not accurate. JESUS IS OUR PEACE!!! Ephesians 2:14, “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;” Likewise, 1st Corinthians 1:30-31, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” Jesus is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Look what 1st John 5:20 says,“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” JESUS is GOD and ETERNAL LIFE. If you have Jesus as your Savior, then you have eternal life because JESUS IS ETERNAL LIFE AND GOD!!!
Psalms 18:1, “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.”
1st Corinthians 16:24, “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
1st Thessalonians 4:9, “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
I cannot live without LOVE! God is love. The greatest hallmark of being a child of God is LOVE. If you are saved, then you have God's Holy Spirit living inside you and there is love.
1st John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
God gives us a promise in the Bible that we can overcome this horrible world. 1st Corinthians 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” 1st Thessalonians 4:13, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” The lost and dying world are just that... LOST AND DYING! They have no hope of a better afterlife. If all there is in life is what we see today, and we merely die and cease to exist, then we are hopeless. I would hate to think that after this miserable and troublesome life, after seeing all the suffering and pain and killing and destruction, that everything ceases to exist.
Thankfully there is an afterlife. John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jesus told us (those who trust in Him) to BE OF GOOD CHEER because Christ has overcome the world. Why would that cause us to BE OF GOOD CHEER? Why dear friend, it is because when Jesus triumphantly raised up from the dead, He overcame sin and death and made a way of escape for you and me. Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” What a precious promise from God! Friend, if you have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God in your body, then you too will be resurrected just as Jesus Himself was resurrected.
Faith is the victory! 1st John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” If you will simply take God at His Word as recorded in the Holy Bible, and put your trust in the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen from the dead, then you will have eternal life! You have God's promise of it! John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” Simply receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins—believing that He was buried, and that He physically raised up from the dead three days later—and you too will have eternal life friend. It is that easy, free and simple to go to Heaven!
Revelation 20:4-6, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”
This is an amazing passage of Scripture rich in doctrine. The apostle is taken in a virtual Time Machine of sorts you could say, and sees a heavenly future glimpse of thrones. Do you know who he sees sitting upon those thrones dear reader? Why, if you are a child of God, it is you and me friend! The hair stands up on back of my neck just thinking about it. I hear so many believers moan and groan about their miserable life here on earth, down in the mouth and depressed. Dear saint of God, don't you know that we are going to be made princes and kings of God, to help Jesus reign throughout the 1,000 year Millennium?
But you say, “I don't know anything about being a leader. In high school I was the guy that always missed catching the ball, the pimple-faced nerd that no girl ever wanted to date, the misfit in the school class.” That was me! Friend, if that is you like I was, you have a bright future in Christ! There are no losers in God's family!!! What does the Bible mean by the “first resurrection” and the “second resurrection”? ...
1st Corinthians 15:19-23, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”
I love how simple the Word of God is.
How Can Jesus Be The “Firstfruits” If Saints Raised Up Before Him?
Let us examine this passage again please:
1st Corinthians 15:19-23, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”
Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He was buried in a tomb. Three days later He bodily resurrected miraculously from the dead! CHRIST IS FOREVER RISEN!!! The Bible calls Jesus' resurrection the “firstfruits” of all who will be resurrected, because He was the very first to be resurrected. 1st Corinthians 23 teaches that “AFTERWARD they that are Christ's” will be bodily resurrected AT HIS COMING (i.e., at the Rapture). You can read the details about this terrific future event in 1st Corinthians 15:52-58.
Now the following is my speculation, but I think it is reasonable. We read in the Bible that when Christ died on the cross, the graves were opened and some of the bodies of dead saints ressurected and walked into the city of Jerusalem, freaking out the people...
Matthew 27:50-53, “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
Now this appears to be a contradiction doesn't it? How can Christ be the “firstfruits” of all who will be resurrected if these dead saints raised up BEFORE He did? I will tell you what I think, but keep in mind that I cannot prove this Scripturally. Do you remember when Jesus raised up Lazarus from the dead? How then could Jesus be the “firstfruits” of all who will be resurrected if Lazarus was raised up first? The answer is very simple dear friend, Lazarus was brought back to life but he did not receive his glorified resurrected body fashioned like unto the Lord's resurrected body (Philippians 3:21).
Likewise, I believe these dead saints in Matthew whose bodies were raised up from the dead still had their earthly bodies, which eventually had to die again. I think this is the only plausible answer. Several dead people were resurrected throughout the Bible. Elijah raised up a mother's dead son (2nd Kings 4:16-37). The apostle Paul raised a boy from the dead who fell asleep and fell from a second story window (Acts 20:9-12). These people all had to die again. None of them received their glorified bodies. So Christ in fact is the first and only One in history so far Who has raised up in a glorified immortal body. What a great truth!
How do we know that these martyred saints during the Tribulation are not the only believers who will reign as princes and kings with the Lord? What saith the Scripture? ...
Revelation 1:5-6, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Every born-again child of God will be made a prince and a king in the Lord's Kingdom. We shall help reign with Jesus during the 1,000 year Tribulation. We will ALL have our resurrected glorified body after the Rapture. The humans whom we will reign over will still be in their vulnerable and weakened fleshly state. We will have immortal bodies, but they mortal.
Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Every redeemed child of God will reign with Christ as kings, princes and priests. We will have different duties and functions without the Kingdom of God, all working together as servants of the Great King. The Bible teaches that he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Matthew 23:11, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” to the “flesh” who survived thehorrorifying Tribulation period. Matthew 24:22, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” The redeemed humans “flesh” that endure to the end of the 7-year Tribulation will be saved from death.
All of the lost (unbelievers) will perish into Hell. Only born-again believers who survive the Tribulation will go into the Millennium in their mortal human body. We as the Raptured saints (the Church), and those saints killed during the Tribulation who will be resurrected at Christ's Second Coming, will reign with Christ in our immortal new bodies. We will gladly serve in humility with Christ, making the daily lives of people better and serving their communities. We will be servants of the most high King. Revelation 19:15, “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”
Literally friend, Jesus is going to reign supreme over this world and He wants us as His friends to help Him to do it! The reason why is stated in Scripture. 1st Corinthians 2:15-16, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” As God's children and Jesus' sheep, we have the MIND OF CHRIST. Every believer has the blessed indwelling Holy Spirit to teach and guide us into all truth. John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” Christ's sheep know His VOICE and follow Him. Who else would Jesus choose to reign with Him?
The angels serve God the Father, but we as believers serve the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall reign with Him for 1,000 years. After that there will no longer be a need to reign, because mortal humans will be gone forever. After the Great White Throne of Judgment there won't be any more unsaved people (Revelation 20:11-15). Revelation 21:4-5 beautifully teaches that of the saved (redeemed) that remain, God will wipe away every tear, the former things shall pass away, death and sorrow will be no more, and God will MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. We will ALL have immortal bodies after the Millennium is over. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Jesus is precious!!!
Romans 10:9-13, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
This is one of the most debated passages of Scripture. I have heard much heresy taught by unlearned preachers from this passage. I love something that Pastor Curtis Hutson said: “A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one.” That is one of the best quotes I have ever heard.
Without argument, Romans 10:9-10 is definitely an obscure passage of Scripture. Many Christians debate over the meaning of “confess with thy mouth.” The cult of Church of Christ is one example of those who corrupt the meaning of this passage, mandating that a person publicly confess Christ to be saved. Nothing could be further from the truth! We have a very clear passage in the Bible, the entire Gospel of John, which simply teaches to BELIEVE on Jesus Christ to be saved. John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” This is a very clear passage. Yet, the Church of Christ and other false teachers will use one obscure passage of Scripture from Romans 10:9-10 to add a requirement to the Gospel which God does not require.
In the Gospel of John the word “believe” is mentioned 88 times, but there is no mention of confessing Christ with your mouth to be saved. We have a precious promise from God in Romans 10:9-13 that God will save anyone who believes. The Bible elaborates on this truth, to ensure that there is no misunderstanding. Romans 10:12, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” Here we plainly learn that God is not a respecter of persons, promising to save ANYONE who places their faith (trust, reliance) in Christ alone.
Romans 10:10-11
Romans 10:11 is often misinterpreted. I have heard numerous Bible teachers and radio preachers get this Bible verse wrong, teaching that you are not saved if you are ashamed of Jesus. That is not what this passage means. Romans 10:10-11, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” At a glance it does seem, from reading verse 10, that verse 11 is teaching that a person won't be embarrassed if they truly believe. This is the errant interpretation of the Church of Christ cult.
We know this is not the correct interpretation for a few reasons:
First, Romans 10:11 is a quote from the Old Testament. Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” The correct meaning based upon Isaiah 28:16 is that someone who believes on Christ will never be let down. Jesus will not fail you! That is what Romans 10:11 really means. You can count on God's promise to save them that believe!!! This is a good example of why we must“Study to shew thyself approved unto God” as the Bible exhorts in 2nd Timothy 2:15a.
Second, as mentioned earlier, the Gospel of John plainly teaches that all God requires to be saved is to “BELIEVE ON HIM” (John 6:40). John chapters 19 and 20 tell the story of Christ's brutal crucifixion, burial and His bodily resurrection. This is the Good News (the Gospel) according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4.
Third, we learn in John 12:42-43 that many of the chief rulers “believed” on Christ, but “THEY DID NOT CONFESS HIM.” John 12:42-43, “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” The Bible is clear that these chief rulers did get saved, but they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. This evidences that confession is NOT necessary to be saved.
Fourth, the Apostle Paul defines the Gospel in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” Paul makes no mention of confessing, repenting, water baptism or anything else. If turning away from a lifestyle of sin, or publicly confessing Christ, or anything else were necessary to be saved, then Paul would have mentioned it.
The written Word of God promises salvation to anyone who trusts in Christ.
Romans 10:13
Another commonly misunderstood Bible verse is Romans 10:13. Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Carefully notice what the next verse says. Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” This is another obscure passage of Scripture. I have heard some preachers errantly teach that praying to be saved is the Bible method. That is not true friend. It would be foolish to base a doctrine upon one Bible verse, when there is a clear passage of Scripture that contradicts that strange doctrine.
As I mentioned earlier, the word “believe” is mentioned 88 times in the Gospel of John. There is no mention in John about “calling” upon the Lord. Romans 10:14 plainly teaches that a person cannot “call” until they first “believe.” This plainly shows us that Romans 10:13 is an exception to the rule. There is nothing wrong with praying when you receive Christ as your Savior. However, it is not necessary. Praying is a natural tendency when a person believes. Many soulwinners lead people to pray a Sinner's Prayer to receive Christ, but the truth is that the only reason they want to pray such a prayer is because THEY ALREADY BELIEVE. That is exactly what Romans 10:14a says, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?” The Bible teaches that before a person ever prays to be saved, they were already saved the very moment that they believed. Isn't that wonderful?!
Oftentimes in churches an invitation is given for people who want to be saved to come forward to the altar in front. The truth is that those people were saved before they even left their pew, when they believed. I don't like altar calls for salvation. Why cannot those people be told how to be saved right in their pew? They certainly can. Why do they need to come forward? They don't need to. Many people, like myself, are shy and won't walk down to be made a spectacle in front of the whole church.
Other people may not feel well in their body. In every church I have seen, where altar calls are given to come forward, people are asked to get down on their hands and knees. That is not always a modest thing to do for women, depending on their attire. It is also a dramatic new experience for someone who has never been to an altar before. It is a shame that so many pastors woefully lack understanding, wisdom and respect for people. Most churches want people to come forward, so they can make a spectacle out of them and boast of their numbers saved.
Every preacher should ALWAYS tell people how to be saved right from their pew, without asking them to walk an isle to go up front. By requiring people to come forward those foolish pastors have ADDED an unnecessary step to the Gospel, corrupting it. Heaven only knows how many millions of people have died in their sins and gone to an eternal Hell, all because preachers never told them how to be saved from their pew. Pastor Max Younce has authored a wonderful book about this very topic called: 'Salvation And The Public Invitation.'
So in this blog we have learned that Romans 10:9-13 is often misunderstood in a few ways. You don't have to confess Christ with your mouth to be saved. Believing is enough! Just because you are ashamed of Jesus doesn't mean you don't believe. Even the Apostle Peter was ashamed of Jesus, denying knowing Him three times due to fear. God promises to “SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE” (1st Corinthians 1:21b). Beware of anyone who requires more than believing to be saved. The Bible teaches that faith is enough. Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” You don't need to pray to be saved. I love this helpful quote from Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968):
Amen and amen! Dr. Bob Jones Sr. is absolutely correct! Anybody who says that you need to pray to be saved is a liar. The Bible gives us the simple way of salvation. Acts 16:30-32, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Revelation 21:3-5, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”
I love this promise from the Word of God. Every saint is promised that after the 1,000 year Millennial reign of Christ as King over the earth, God the Father will descend His throne upon the earth, and dwell with men, and be their God. What a blessed truth!
We are promised in Revelation 21:4 that God shall wipe away all tears. What a comforting promise to those who have shed so many tears hear on earth. I don't know about you, but I have shed my share of tears in life. I have wept uncontrollably more times than I can remember because of inexplicable pain in my soul, incalculable loss and loneliness. Very few people know what it really means to suffer. I don't mean for days, weeks, months or even years, but for decades, for an entire lifetime! Only then can you truly fathom the depth of God's grace. If it weren't for God's Holy Spirit Who comforts my grieving soul, I wouldn't have made it through the raging storms and dark valleys of life.
God promises in Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more death. I don't know about you, but I hare when people and animals die. I have had many dear pets during my lifetime. I know that they are just animals, but I loved them dearly. My cat Colby was my best buddy as a child, but he died. And then my cats Cucumber, and Porkchop, and Sammy, and NumYum and my dog Snooky all died. Darn them animals! They just keep dying on me! I am being silly of course. But they all died and made me sad. Thankfully, they all gave me great joy while they were alive. I don't like death.
It hurts even more when our parents die. Both of my parents are in Heaven. I rejoice that they were both saved, and died in the Lord (Revelation 14:13). My younger sister died in 2016 of a drug overdose in Chicago. I am sad that my loved ones are dying, but death is a part of life (Hebrews 9:27). My life has been full of pain, turmoil and loneliness. When things go wrong in life, sometimes we don't know how to respond properly to things, and we make foolish decisions which cause more pain. I hate that about life. But we all eventually must die. The important thing is to make sure that we are ready to die. Do you have eternal life friend. God offers eternal life freely as a gift to anyone who desires it. What saith the Scripture? John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
The Bible promises us in Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more death, neither physical death nor the second death in Hell. There will be no more sorrow nor pain. What a day that will be! There will be no more crying! That is an amazing promise. I cannot even imagine a life without crying, sorrow or pain, but I welcome it. The reason why we won't cry anymore is because there won't be any reason to be sad anymore. God will make ALL THINGS NEW according to Revelation 21:5. That sounds good to me.
I just moved last month from Guam to Pensacola, Florida. Everything is new for me. But it doesn't matter whether you live on Guam, in Florida, Colorado, California, Europe, Asia or anywhere on earth, most things are still the same. Moving here on earth may change our circumstances, weather, laws and cultural changes, but people are still people. You cannot escape the world. When the Bible says that God will make ALL THINGS NEW, you can be assured that things will be so new that we won't be able to imagine it now. I cannot imagine a world without night, death, sorrow, pain, crime, tears and misery. But God will take away all these things when he makes ALL THINGS NEW!!! I cannot wait, but I have to...lol.
The Lord Himself told the Apostle John to write these promises down, saying that they are TRUE and FAITHFUL. When God says something, you can count on it. I am just a man. The words that I speak are mortal, flawed and uninspired. I always tell my web visitors to verify everything I teach with the Scriptures. If more people would do this, these con artist televangelists like Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, Joseph Prince, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen and Rick Warren would go out of business. They all preach heresy! Thankfully, in eternity God will get rid of all false prophets! If there is to be no sorrow, pain, sickness or tears, then TV preachers must disappear!
Dear saint of God, we have a bright future. For now we must endure weeping for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. For now we must endure the burdens of this hard life, but the Bible promises in Romans 8:28 that ALL THINGS will work together for good. For now we must swim upstream, but one day we'll be able to swim downstream. God is more than good!
I learned something helpful several years ago. When I feel sorrow, pain and grief in this life, I think about God's promise in Revelation 21:4. Since I know that one day the former things shall pass away, and God will make all things new, why should I fret and worry now? I already know that the timer is ticking. I already know that every day on earth brings me one day closer to God's promises in Revelation 21:3-5. That helps me not to worry. May we live today like we have eternal life. I won't one day have eternal life, I already possess eternal life. John 10:28, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” In order that a believer never perish, that can only mean that we already have everlasting life now. Our days of suffering are numbered oh Christian!
