Eternal Destinations

 When we leave this world for what lies ahead, each of us will take our memories and our senses.

In the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), Jesus tells us of the consequences of not believing God (the first man's destination) and of believing God (the second man's destination).
Verse 23: The unbeliever knew pain. He had sight and could recognize other people.
Verse 24: The unbeliever could speak. He knew thirst but he was still selfish.
Verse 25: The unbeliever could hear.
Verse 26: The unbeliever had the memories of his family. And the unbeliever knew he didn't want any of his family in the horrible place he was in. But his desires were limited to those of his own family. He couldn't cross from hell into Paradise after he was dead.

Back up to Verse 23, the unbelieving soul saw the beggar he had despised near Abraham, (whom he recognized though Abraham had died long before either man was born) in Paradise. The believer knew rest, peace, comfort. And while he had all his faculties, the unbelieving soul's wants were not directed at him, though some were about him.

Paradise is where the righteous went before Christ Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. But we know that now, when we die, we will see Jesus immediately. Acts 7:55-56. We will have all of our faculties intact. And we will see Jesus. That's the believer's destination.

BEST OF ROBIN MARK COMPILATION (listened to this while I studied)

A Crucified Life - - Our Eternal View

 

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but is on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4648

Fix Our Eyes: to look at, contemplate

From the Greek word 'skopeó' (skop-eh'-o)): regard attentively, take heed, beware, consider, mark, have regard to.

FIX OUR EYES

Hebrews 11:13 (regarding the people who believed the promises of God before the Promise came in the person of Jesus Christ) "All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." Their faith was counted unto them for righteousness (Romans 4:3-22 [Abraham]; Hebrews 11:39-40 [untold numbers of faithful believers]). 

     2 Corinthians 5:7  For we walk by faith, not by sight. 

    Romans 8:24  For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see?

    Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.

    We should never lose sight of the Promise, for having placed our hope in Christ, we are now bound to Him and look forward to meeting Him face to face. When this fleshly veil is removed from us, and our glorious bodies are revealed, then we shall meet Him as He is. 

WHAT IS UNSEEN

    As the song by MercyMe states, "I can only imagine" what God has in store for us. But we are given glimpses of heaven, peerings into the glories of our eternal destination. 

>Revelation 22:1-5

>Psalm 46:4

>Revelation 4,7,21

>Ezekiel 48:35

    So much wonderfulness to look forward to. Don't you think so, too? But who will we see there? 

>Hebrews 12:1-2 "a great cloud of witnesses" (those martyred for their faith) and "Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith". 

>Revelation 19:1-16 "a great multitude", "the Lamb and His bride", the Rider on the white horse.

>1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 "the dead in Christ" (they who died before His second return) and "they who are alive at His second return".

>1 Corinthians 15:51-54 "we will be raised changed".

ETERNAL

    But all of this wonderfulness is only for the believers of God's Promise. We urge you who do not believe, therefore, to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, to claim Him as your own Lord and Savior. To acknowledge that there is no other God and Savior. To begin to follow Christ and live the Word in the power of God's Holy Spirit. We plead, we beg, we ask that you reconsider your ways and walk faithfully in the path of life which God is setting before you. Eternity is forever. 

    *Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 166

Eternal: age-long, and therefore: practically eternal, unending; partaking of the character of that which lasts for an age, as contrasted with that which is brief and fleeting.

    From the Greek word ' aiónios' (pronounced ahee-o'-nee-os):  "Eternal  life operates simultaneously outside of time, inside of time, and beyond time – i.e. what gives time its everlasting meaning for the believer through faith, yet is also time-independent." 

    (Figuratively) the unique quality (reality) of God's life at work in the believer, i.e. as the Lord manifests His self-existent life (as it is in His sinless abode of heaven). [from Word Studies]

    Eternity is forever. Heaven is forever. The lake of fire into which hell and death and their residents are thrown is forever. 

    In heaven is the glory of God, the King of Kings, the Spirit of God, God's faithful angels and all of God's people.

    In the lake of fire is everyone who turned their hearts against God. This includes Satan/Lucifer/the devil, the angels who followed him out of heaven, and all the people who turned their hearts against the Word of God. 

    We have for our example of this the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus the Beggar, as related in Luke 16:19-31. We know from our reading here that the rich man in hell had all his senses intact. He was hot. He knew thirst. He knew pain. He could see. He could taste. He could hear. He could speak.

    Lazarus in paradise with Abraham was near water. The water the rich man in hell asked for. Even in his agony and torment, the rich man demanded to be served; to be served by a man he ignored in life. 

    But the gap between heaven and hell could not be breached by either. 

    Even now the believers around the world are standing in the gap, praying for the lost and the dying unbelievers to receive Christ and live with Him forever and ever. When we kneel in prayer, we are not only humbling ourselves before our God, we are committing to pray for each other's souls; we are battling the forces of darkness every time we open our mouths and our faith in the Promise of God springs forth. 

FIX OUR EYES 

I Can Only Imagine - MercyMe

Fix My eyes - 4 King & Country

Home - Chris Tomlin

You Say - Lauren Daigle

Hope In Front of Me - Danny Gokey

No Matter What - Ryan Stevenson

Glorious Day - Casting Crowns

There Will Be A Day - Jeremy Camp

His Banner Over Me - Winds of Worship 4 Live From Brighton England

    

Thanks Be To God -- Tell of All His Wonders

 

1 Chronicles 16:8

Give thanks to the LORD: call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 3034

Thanks: to throw, to cast;   

In this verse, the word thanks is rendered from the Hebrew word 'yadah', which is pronounced yaw-daw' and means to confess, to glorify, to give praise while throwing one's hands or arms up. 

This word yadah is used 114 times in the Old Testament. 

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD

Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart by Don Moen

Psalm 105:1

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

Psalm 136:1

O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever.

Gratitude by Brandon Lake 

CALL UPON HIS NAME

I Speak Jesus by Charity Gayle

Call Upon His Name by Darlene Zschech

Joel 2:32

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Acts 2:21

'And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

He Is by Eric Ludy

MAKE KNOWN HIS DEEDS AMONG THE PEOPLE 

Isaiah 12:4

And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted.

Psalm 89:1

Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 96:3

Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people.

Mark 16:15

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

Romans 10:15

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Psalm 145

I will exalt You, my God and King;

I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless You,

and I will praise Your name forever and ever.

Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation will commend Your works to the next,

and will proclaim Your mighty acts—

the glorious splendor of Your majesty.

And I will meditate on Your wondrous works.

They will proclaim the power of Your awesome deeds,

and I will declare Your greatness.

They will extol the fame of Your abundant goodness

and sing joyfully of Your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.

The LORD is good to all;

His compassion rests on all He has made.

All You have made will give You thanks, O LORD,

and Your saints will bless You.

They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom

and speak of Your might,

to make known to men Your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and Your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is faithful in all His words

and kind in all His actions.

The LORD upholds all who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to You,

and You give them their food in season.

You open Your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all His ways

and kind in all His deeds.

The LORD is near to all who call on Him,

to all who call out to Him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;

He hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD preserves all who love Him,

but all the wicked He will destroy.

My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD;

let every creature bless His holy name

forever and ever.

ETERNITY IS FOREVER REGARDLESS OF DESTINATION

Mark 16:16

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

John 3:18

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Revelation 20:11-15

(11) Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.

(12) And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

(13) The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.

(14) Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.

(15) And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

To preach the gospel is to preach the whole gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. Not just the good stuff, but the consequences of not receiving and believing the good stuff. 

Being Wise

 

And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt. then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:2-3

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30

Contemplate this: are we the wise or the shameful? Will we go into everlasting life or everlasting contempt? How can we know now? 

Are we leading people to righteousness, telling people about the saving grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ? That’s being wise. 

Are we saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who died on the cross? Who bore our sins upon Himself? That’s being wise. 

What is wisdom? Listening to and Obeying the Word of God with joy and a merry heart. Not with anger, nor accusative words, but with Love, with Patience, with Mercy. We are to treat one another with Grace and with Peace that passes understanding in this world. 

We must ask ourselves, “Am I being wise?”. Am I honoring God with my words and my works? Am I telling people about my Jesus, testifying what He has done for me? Am I a fruitful servant? Am I even saved in this manner, by the blood of Jesus Christ? And if I am not, how can I know that I am?

Romans 10:8-10

8. But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:

9. that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

Some live on the false hope, false belief that sin is not real and salvation is not necessary. This is foolishness and definitely not wisdom. Wisdom comes from God. True morality and knowing right from wrong is having the wisdom of God.

Romans 3:22-23

22. And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 

23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:10, 18

10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. 

18. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Romans 6:23

23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8

8. But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:13

13. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 8:1

1. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And that’s how you can know you are saved, that’s how you can know now whether or not you are being wise or being shameful. So, again, the question is put forth: are we, are you, am I, being wise? Am I leading my family, my friends, my enemies and the strangers I meet daily to righteousness? Am I telling them, you, about my Jesus? Have I told you lately what Jesus Christ has done for me?

He saved me. He filled me with His precious Holy Spirit. He walks with me daily and all throughout my day. He talks with me, tells me things I need to hear and know. He lives in my heart, cleaning it out and making more room for His glory. My Jesus loves me. My Jesus died for me so I wouldn’t be sent into everlasting contempt. My Jesus feeds me with His daily Bread and quenches my thirst with His Living Water. My Jesus both satisfies me and gives me a hunger to know Him more. 

This I want for you. But only you can make that decision. I can pray for you. But only you can make your choice. Do you want to go to heaven? Or do you want to go to hell? Hell is not a pretty place. It is not a land of endless parties, nor is it a nothingness. Hell is hot. Hell is ugly. Hell is a place where you are never happy, never satisfied.   If you are selfish in this life, your selfish attitude goes with you to Hell. You can’t leave Hell after you die, so praying for this to happen after a person dies without Jesus Christ is foolishness.

Luke 16:19-31 is the parable of the rich man and the beggar.  Here we learn what Hell is.

23. It is a place of torment. 

24. It is hot and fiery.

26. It is separated from Paradise by a great chasm which none can cross, nor can anyone leave Hell. 

We have six senses in this life. Some work like they’re supposed to, some don’t. Whether we are in Heaven or Hell, we will have all six and they will all work.

Sight

Hearing

Touch

Smell

Taste

Knowing

How do we know this? Again, read Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:23

Torment is felt (touch)

Luke 16:23

The rich man could see Lazarus in the distance.  

Luke 16:24

Though he had never seen him, the rich man recognized (knowing) Abraham right away (sight) and in his selfishness begged for the poor man to tend his needs. He was hot (touch) and thirsty (taste) and in agony (touch).

The sense of smell is implied because the man was burning and whatever is on fire smells like it is on fire. It’s not a good smell when it’s a person. 

A person can speak and hear in Hell, for the rich man spoke with Abraham and heard (hearing) Abraham’s response. 

As nasty as it is to choose to go to Hell, Hell will not last forever. But this is not good for those who choose to go there either. 

Revelation 20:14-15

14. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.

15. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

That’s Hell and Hell’s destination. Why would anyone in their right mind choose to disobey God and go to Hell? We can only have a right mind if Christ is in us and we are in Him. This comes through believing on His name, 

Mark 5:9, 15, 18-20

9. "What is your name?" Jesus asked. "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."

15. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

18. As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by the demons begged to go with Him. 

19. But Jesus would not allow him. “Go home to your own people,” He said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has shown you.” 

20. So the man went away and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.

The man who was put in his right mind went back home and began to tell his family and friends about what his Jesus had done for him. He was being wise and fruitful. 

I am in my right mind. Though the world calls me crazy, God calls me His child. Though people call me odd and radical, Jesus calls me friend. I am being wise. And it is my prayer that I continue to be so. I want you to be so, too. I pray Ephesians 3 over your life. I pray the Romans Road to Salvation into your hearts and minds. I pray the Word of God bless you and make known to you the true Love of God and that you come into the knowledge of saving grace. 

 

The Five Senses In Eternity

THE FIVE SENSES IN ETERNITY

When God creates us, He creates us with a body, a soul and a spirit. When we die, His will has ordained that our body, our soul and our spirit be separated from each other. While our physical body remains in the ground, our soul and our spirit are taken into an eternal place. If a person is born-again according to the Word of God, then that person’s soul and spirit are taken into God’s dwelling place, heaven. If a person is not born-again before death, then that person’s soul and spirit are taken to hell. And, in either destination, we take with us many invisible aspects of our lives. 

For example, we know that our soul consists of our thoughts, our emotions and our will. Our spirit is the breath of life that was in us, placed there by God when He created us. In our soul’s mesh of thought +emotion+will is our five senses. We know this because we have in God’s Word the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, who both died, yet ended up in two entirely different places.

It is more than hot in hell, it is horrible: Luke 16:22 “the rich man was tormented”. What do we read in the next verse? The rich man could move (he lift up his head) and see (he saw the beggar in paradise). 

In verse 24, the rich man in hell could speak, feel the heat of the fire and knew thirst. Now, I looked up this chemical fact of fire to see if fire has a smell, which it does; depending on what started the fire, the smell of that fire will differ from other fires. But this is basic: Fire is the result of a chemical reaction called combustion. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are produced. Flames consist primarily of carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen, and nitrogen. (from the thought company). So we know that the rich man in hell could also smell the fire that was around him. 

Verse 25 tells us the rich man could hear “But Abraham answered”. The man to whom Abraham spoke also had the ability to understand Abraham’s statements. His selfish request for the beggar to leave paradise and come to hell to aid him was denied. Not only was this denied but even if a person wished to travel between both destinations after death, it was impossible, for the chasm which separated them was far too wide to traverse (verse 26)

His selfishness (his will) continued in verses 27-31 by begging Abraham to send the beggar back topside to tell his brothers who still lived how to avoid this hell in which he found himself. For surely they would believe a dead man should he rise up out of the grave and speak the truth. Again, his request was not only denied but explained. And here the conversation, as well as the parable, ends. 

  
But it is enough for us to see that hell is real and is not a destination we should look forward to. No, the destination our souls and spirits should want to be in is the eternal dwelling place of God. There our souls are satisfied (Psalm 63:5; Psalm 34:8). There our spirits take rest (Matthew 11:28; Hebrews 4:3). In heaven we can hear, taste, touch, smell, and see. For this knowledge we turn to The Revelation of John, the last Book in our Bibles. 

Revelation 19:1 We can speak in heaven “a great voice of much people”. But not a clamoring: worship to our God. Verse 5 tells us we can hear “And a voice came out of the throne, saying”. Verse 8 we are “arrayed in fine linen”: our sense of touch is intact. Verse 9 tells us that we can taste for we are “called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb”. Every supper can be smelled, too; so we know that our sense of smell works in heaven. 

Eternal means forever, without end. Both destinations are eternal and without end. But the choice must be made now, on this side of eternity. Which destination do you want to make yours? One destination, hell, is eternal separation from God. One destination, heaven,  is eternal dwelling with God. 

While hell’s access door is unbelief (Revelation 21:8), heaven’s access Door is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God (Acts 10:43; Romans 10:9; John 10:9; John 3:16; 1 John 4:9). While there are many more such verses which tell of God’s means of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ, these are the ones the Spirit led me to. 

Now it is your turn. Now you must make a decision and choose which side you are on: there is no middle ground here. The Word says “To day if you will hear His voice” (Psalm 95:7-8; Hebrews 3:7, 15) and again, “Today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). 

“The Spirit and The Bride, they say, Come!” , Revelation 22:17, “Let him that is hears, come. Let him that is thirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely.” 

Five Senses in Hell

When we first make a decision to follow Christ, we are choosing Life over death. We make a career move and put His Will first in our lives. It is out of our realization that we are not good enough, nor will we ever be good enough, to enter heaven without Him.
(It is a shocking thing to realize that. Every argument is offered and rejected by The Truth of God's Word. Our hearts are convicted, yet we try to justify our sinful nature. "Everybody's doing it" is an excuse often proffered by a willful nature. "What's the harm in trying it", whatever it is, is another.)
And we do want to enter heaven. Why? Hell is not the party you think it is. Nor is death the ultimate destination of life. All five senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell), memory and speaking,  are with a person after they die.

Luke 16:23
And in hell he lifted up his eyes (sight), being in torments (touch/smell), and seeing Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luke 16:24
And he cried and said (speaking), Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip his finger in water, and cool my tongue (taste), for I am tormented in this flame (touch).
Luke 16:25
But Abraham said (hearing), Son, remember (memory) that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
Luke 16:26
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there.

Hell was not created for us. Hell was created for the devil and that one-third of the angels who chose to follow him. But for those who choose to listen to, and obey, this liar, hell's mouth is enlarged (Isaiah 5:14) for the many who choose that as their destination.
For to rebel against God is to disobey Him, refuse to hear and follow His Word; nor walk in His Will, His Way. So while you may believe in God and that He exists, it is not enough to get you into His eternal presence. You, and I, need The Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer.
We need to acknowledge our sinful ways and repent (turn our back on) them to God, who will forgive the sin we have confessed to Him and instantly forget it. But even there we need The Holy Spirit of God to help us. For not only does The Spirit of God call us to salvation through God's Son Jesus, but this Spirit also guides us daily in God's Way, God's Will and God's Love.
Don't justify yourself to me: reason with God (Isaiah 1:18)-20 and talk with Him. You don't need someone here to confess your sins to: the sin-forgiving and salvation receiving business are His alone.

I can pray for you to receive salvation, but in order for you to receive it into yourself, you must ask for it.

You must pray to God and it needn't be flowery or eloquent, but it must be sincere, for God can see your heart and knows your thoughts. If your heart is false, your prayer will not be heard. Being right with God is being right according to the standards He has set up, not what we think is alright for our lives.

Who Shall Be Able To Stand?

The Day of The Lord

Isaiah 2:12-Isaiah 3:26

Revelation 6:12-17

Who Shall Be Able To Stand?

Revelation 6:17

“For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

n other words, unless you are protected by the covenant which God has set up with His people, you will not be able to remain standing upright. Your sins have never been forgiven. You are not covered by His grace, nor have you accepted His mercy. You are lost and undone. There is nowhere for you to go to escape from such great wrath, when that horrific day appears.

As previously stated in verses 15, 16 “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens 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 that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of The Lamb”, no one will escape punishment from God for ignoring Him. They who denied His existence will be condemned by their actions and judged for their unbelief.

With God, time has no meaning. Though the days are ordained from Genesis, where we are told He created day and night here on earth, time does not exist in heaven. 2 Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with The Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” From the moment the cries of God's people begin until they reach His ear may seem like hundreds of years to mankind, it is but an instant in God's hearing. Revelation 6:10 “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on them that live on the earth?'”

There are two days you and I should be concerned with: Today and The Day of The Lord. The first, Today, is all you have to get ready for the other. 2 Corinthians 6:2 “For He says, 'I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I helped you: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Today is your day of salvation. Tomorrow is not promised. If tomorrow never comes, how can you say “I will do it tomorrow”?

Many have heard, but not all have heard, of the gospel of salvation, G.R.A.C.E.: God's Riches At Christ's Expense. I'll bet most can recite John 3:16, but how many of you know what that verse really means, or means to you personally? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish, but have ever lasting life.” God loves us so much He did not ask His Son to go, He sent Him to die in our place. He gave Him to us as our sin offering, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world, the whole world, from time begun until time ends. That is an awful lot of sins. And every one of those sins was laid across His back, one whiplash at a time. Jesus was so covered in the sins of the world, that God could neither look at His Son nor be with Him at the time of His crucifixion; for God is holy.

Whosoever means me. Whosoever means you. Whosoever means anyone can believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Water baptism will not save you. Immersion in water after salvation is a public display of our conversion: we are saying to our family and friends and strangers and enemies that once we were sinners but now are we saints because we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of our lives, our souls. Once we lived as the world lives, for self: it's all about me life-style and habits. Now, we live for Jesus: it's all about Him. Today is our day of salvation. “For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:13.

Romans 3:10-18 “As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of The Way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of Peace they do not know: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” This is the unbeliever. This is the unrepentant backslider, one who once accepted Christ and then rejected Christ. This is the sinner who was not saved by grace. This is the false teacher, the false prophet, the fake, the liar, the deceiver.

Jesus says if we even think about doing harm to anyone, we have committed murder in our hearts, and therefore we are just as guilty as the one who literally took a life from another. If we participate in sexual immorality, whether in the physical sense or in our thoughts, there is no difference in God's sight: both actions are condemned and deserve God's wrath. Stealing a grape from the grocer is just as wicked as stealing money from the bank; stealing possessions and stealing trust are equal: a thief is a thief. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” - Proverbs 23:7a. Who you really are and who the world sees could be two different things, and usually is. But God looks only at the heart of mankind. 1 Samuel 16:7 “But The Lord said unto Samuel, 'Look not on his face, or on his stature; because I have refused him: FOR THE LORD SEES NOT AS MAN SEES; for man looks on the outward appearance, BUT THE LORD LOOKS ON THE HEART.” Romans 3:23 “For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:8 “BUT GOD commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” See, God did not wait for us to clean ourselves up and then come to Him. No matter how good we think we are, we will never be good enough to see God and live for ever in His presence. Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” While we may seem 'good enough' in our own eyes, we will never be 'good enough' for God: for God is holy.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” A gift is something that is exchanged between friends, given in love to bring joy to the receiver. This is the salvation of The Lord. Once we have repented of our sins to God and received salvation through Jesus Christ, His death, His blood washes away our sins; His burial and His resurrection is our hope of eternal life in Him. It is a gift from God. Salvation cannot be earned, nor can it be bought. No matter how many little gold plaques your name is engraved on, your salvation depends on your believing in Jesus Christ as Lord.  

Hell was not created to hold people. It is God's will that all be saved, but He does not force us into His plan of salvation. He loves us enough to let us choose. We are all preordained to salvation, but not all of us have chosen salvation. Of the many gifts God has given us, one of these gifts is free will. It is the gift of being able to decide on any idea and bring it into existence. We choose who we will follow. By not choosing God's plan of salvation for our inheritance, we inherit nothing. We are written out of God's will and cast into eternal damnation in hell and the lake of fire. For those who choose not to believe, there will be two deaths: the first is death in hell; the second is hell in the lake of fire.

Yes, I am a fire and brimstone preacher. But I am also a believer who has not only received this grace, this gift of life eternal, from God, but I am a believer who re-gifts. I share God's plan of salvation, God's will, with you. I want you to be saved. I want you to spend eternity with God and with me. I want to see your face, your smile, your spirit in heaven beside me. I have God's heart in me, and I want to see God's salvation in you. But you have to make that decision, that choice. I cannot make it for you. Salvation must be accepted on an individual level, with understanding and knowledge.

Romans 10:9, 10 “That if you shall confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart we believe unto righteousness; and with the mouth (our) confession is made unto salvation.” And now we come back to the heart of the matter. The heart is the seat of emotions, the throne room, if you will, of whichever destination we have chosen. If evil lies in the heart, then evil thoughts invade the mind and evil words come out of the mouth ('I wish you were dead' and 'Idiot driver' are only two of these evil phrases). Gossip, revenge, workplace theft, violence on any level, getting even, pranks, pride, arrogance, and the list goes on of all the evils in the world and in the heart.

When you repent of your sins to God and accept the forgiveness of Him through The Lord Jesus Christ, and you make this statement out loud in the presence of people, witnesses to your conversion, you are confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. You can believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and not say it out loud, but your actions will give you away. But, if you say out loud that you believe and your actions prove otherwise, you are just another liar and not a believer at all. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says unto Me, 'Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father, who is in heaven.”

“He who does the will”. So what is God's will that we must do? 1 Timothy 2:4-6 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” God's will is that we be saved through Jesus Christ. Plain and simple gospel of salvation.

Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.” Man, woman, boy, girl: whosoever means you.

Your only means of escape from The Great and Terrible Day of The Lord is salvation through Jesus Christ. If you repent of your sins and depart from your wicked ways, you shall be saved. If you do not, you will not.

  

Great Is Your Reward

     Only the Overcomer will be rewarded like this. It is more than unfortunate, it is regretfully grievous that a percentage of humanity will not receive this reward. Their reward for their unbelief is hell and the second death: thrown into the lake of fire. I do not want to see anyone there, whether I know them or not. I have a great love for my family and friends and wish only the best for them

     But I cannot make you a Christian. I cannot make you love Jesus. I cannot make you a believer. I have seen 'inspirational' posters which claim that "God believes in you". Pits of hell lie. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God believes in you and that everything is going to be okay. Everything is not going to be okay. God knows our heart, that doesn't mean He believes in you. Why did the prophet Samuel bypass all of David's elder brothers? They were intelligent, handsome, strong men. Their heart was in the wrong place: their hearts were not right with God.

     God rewards the faithful, the souls who overcome the temptation to be like everybody else. They who overcome great trials and tribulations to remain faithful to God in every aspect of their lives. It is not easy to be a Christian. We sacrifice our pleasures for what is pleasing to God. This is not to say that we don't have fun. We just don't disobey God to do it.

     The wages of sin is death. The wages of righteousness is  eternal life. The only righteousness that God cares about is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. When that righteousness is on us, covering us completely, God sees His Son on us. His righteousness far outshines ours. You may think you are 'good enough' to enter heaven; that perhaps God will pat you on the back and say, "You tried your best, come on in." You are wrong. You will never be good enough to enter heaven on your righteousness:

Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

     Without Jesus in your life now, the lake of fires is your destination later. There are no second chances after death. Noone can pray your soul out of hell after you die (Luke 16:26). There is no waiting place, no purgatory, no limbo. Your body will die once; your soul will die twice. You will know and be aware at all times of the qualities of the fire. We read in Luke 16:19-31 that the dead man in hell had all his senses and awareness: vs 23, he could see. vs 24, he can talk, he knows thirst, his soul is tormented in the flame and therefore his touch sensors are in overdrive, he begs for mercy. vs 25, he can hear. vs 26, he is made aware that it is impossible for any person to enter hell from heaven and vice versa. vs 27-31, nor will a person leave the comforts of heaven to warn others of  the coming disaster on unrighteous living. And there will be no relief. Ever.

     I hear your disbelief that I would say such things. I feel your anger and your fear. But you know in your heart, that what I say is true, because the Word of God is Truth and Faithful. God keeps His promises. Every blessing, every reward, for faithfulness God gives to His children. Every curse, every punishment, for unfaithfulness God gives to those who refuse to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord of All, who refuse to believe on the Name of Jesus.

     Only One Person would leave heaven willingly, and that Person is Jesus. He is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16). He is God (John 1:1). He took on the form of a person, and lived among us (John 1:14). This Person, Jesus Christ, came first to the Jews, to deliver the message of repentance and belief on His Name, but was rejected by many of them (Matthew 8:34; 11:20; 12:14; 13:54-58; 22:15-16, 23; 26:3,4, 14-16, 59, 67-68; 27; 28:11-15) There are many more references throughout the other three gospels of Christ being rejected by God's chosen people. Feel free to search the Bible for yourselves.

     Acts 3:12-19 relates Peter's description of how the man he had just healed was healed. (vs12)"And when Peter saw it (how the crowds marvelled), he answered them, 'You men of Israel, why do you wonder at this (healing)? or why do you stare so intensely at us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? (vs13)The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. (vs14) But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; (vs15) And killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

      (vs16) And His Name through faith in His Name has made this man strong, whom you see and know: yes, the faith which is by Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. (vs17) And now, brethren, I know that through ignorance you did it (denied the Christ), as did also your rulers. (vs18) But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He has so fulfilled. (vs19) Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

     Isn't this awesome stuff! we are reading? But see verse 23? Great is your reward if you do not believe on the Name of Jesus Christ. "And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people."

     You see how the few have rule over the many in life. The leaders of that time wanted nothing to do with Jesus and they enforced their decision to deny Him by having Him beaten and viciously crucified.  The people's response then? Matthew 25:27 "His blood be on us, and on our children."

     This blood, the blood which flowed from the beaten, broken, mutilated body of Christ was purchased for thirty pieces of silver. The blood of the Lamb of God, which God provided as an eternal atonement for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Though Satan thought to destroy Jesus through death, it is through life that the works of the devil are destroyed.

     By overcoming temptation in the wilderness through the spoken Word of God, Jesus Christ showed us how to overcome temptation. By overcoming death and the grave, Jesus Christ became The Way for us to have eternal life through Him; thereby enabling the believers to overcome death and the grave. The overcomers will share in the rewards that Jesus Christ will render unto them. Why? Because the blood of Jesus Christ not only covers us so God can see us, but it washes away our sins and makes us clean and whole. We are a new person in Christ.

     Which are you? Overcomer? Or unbeliever? On what do you base your stance for what you believe to be true? Are you willing to bet your life on it? Remember, the unbeliever will always ridicule, torture, imprison and/or kill the believer. I would rather go to jail for my faith in the Name of Jesus Christ, than have no faith and go to hell.

     I am an overcomer. I am a believer. And, though I am anticipating the rewards I will be given, I am greatly anticipating seeing the Reward-Giver even more! I can't hardly wait to see Jesus face to face.

Great is my Reward