WAKE UP CHURCH!!!

Others May, I Cannot....

Others may seek after all these things before ever thinking of seeking after God earnestly. They never find what they seek; their flesh is never satisfied with pleasure. But even if they found them, I must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. If I must keep my vision of eternity, maintain God’s holy fire burning in my breast, retain His passion for souls and love for Him, I cannot seek or desire the world or any of the things in the world. Others of my colleagues sought after these things, now their hearts are dulled, their conscience seared, their eyes blinded by the god of this world, theirs, should teach me the lesson, I cannot seek or desire the world though others do. Others may scoff at the sound doctrines of the Bible and allow little sins, but I cannot. The buildings that are demolished were not pulled down by elephants; they were destroyed by termites. Unless I am cleansed from evil thoughts, ill-temper, anger, envy, lust, jealousy, pride, laziness, and idleness, over-eating and backbiting, I won’t count myself as free from sin. Others may testify to being born-again and converted and still be conscious of all these in their lives. But what is that to me? I am called to follow Christ; looking on Him, I lose sight of all other examples. Jesus: my mirror, my pattern, my example.

To be continue 

Others May, I Cannot

Others may lay up for themselves treasures in banks, they must prepare for rainy days. I cannot lay up here for where my treasure is, there, Jesus told me my heart will be. If I am not wise, my heart will be locked up in a safe deposit box and would miss the coming glory. You may do as you please; I cannot serve God and mammon. Others may fret and worry over material things and excuse themselves for so doing. Others may kill themselves in their pursuit for a place or position in life. Others may destroy themselves by anxiety over riches and success in life. “Come, my soul, enter thou into my chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpass.” Yea, why all this madness over dust, dung and dross? Oh, when shall it be when the voice of God shall call me home? I am sick at seeing multitudes of believers remember money and material things more than they remember my glorified Christ. I will soon depart this Chaos to a place of rest. Others may have their hearts and heads on earth; my feet are on earth, my head is up, and my heart is in heaven, Lord, thou knowest.

To be continue... 

Others May, I Cannot...

Others may work seven days in the week, to provide adequately for this life. I have to remember my Lord and Home on the Lord’s Day. Others have no hope beyond this world and it is no wonder they need to do and have their best here, I have a hope beyond today, a home beyond the stars, a life in the great beyond. Eternal things are real enough for me to give a whole day out of seven.

To be continue.... 

Others May, I cannot

Others may serve some other gods – some serve their flesh, some careers, some money, some faithfully serve women, some are loyal servants of men, some bow to the god of fashion. I cannot – my God is in Heaven, these gods are in this passing world. I am born to burn for God. I neither will bend nor bow to any other god no matter how popular with others. Others may call the name of God in vain, call Jesus in such an insulting familiar way, my God is precious to me, and my Jesus is high enough to be worshiped. He is great enough to be a Savior.

To be continue....

Others May, I Cannot......

Others may do as they please, I must not do what my fallen nature suggests lest I be drowned - I must do as He pleases. Why should I call Him Lord, Lord and not do what He wants? Others may deceive to receive a blessing from man; my heart is fixed on receiving from God before whom all liars are cast away into eternal burning. Others may follow multitudes to do evil what is that to me? If I must go to heaven my company has to be few for few there are that find the way of life. Though it’s not always easy to be in the minority, the same God who helped Noah to stand told me “His grace is sufficient for me”. The temptations are there, to eat like others, dress like others, live like others but these others who have no cross to bear are not a pattern for me. We cannot keep the same pace - I have a goal, which they know nothing about.

Bible Doctrine 22: HELL

BIBLE DOCTRINE 22      

                      HELL

God’s Word teaches:

That Hell fire is a place of everlasting punishment where sinners (all who do not have their names in the book of life) will suffer torments for ever and ever. It was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41) but God has decreed that the wicked and those who forget Him and reject Christ will also be cast there because of their sin and neglect of His salvation - Psalm 9:17; Matthew 25:46; Luke 12:4,5; 16:19-31; Matthew 5:22,30; Mark 9:43-47; Revelation 14:10,11; 20:10,12,15.

     The fact and reality of Hell is an important and recurring theme in the Scriptures. It is vividly captured as a place of agonizing torment and everlasting punishment in unquenchable fire for the unconverted (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:23, 28). Owing to its frightful credentials, there are those who merely explain away hell as a biblical truth. Many have even drawn up the broken cisterns of erroneous assertion to rationalize their gross inadequacies. The Bible, however, unambiguously provides ample illuminations of hell, as the indisputable abode of sinners (Psalm 9:17; Proverbs 7:24-27; Proverbs 9:13-18; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:22-28; Revelation 20:13-15; 21:8).

     Hell is a fearsome 'rest place' for transgressors. And the Lord Jesus Christ spent considerable time lending weight to this reality. He told the city of Capernaum for instance, that it would be turned into hell because of its iniquities (Matthew 11:23, 24).

     He warned repeatedly on the danger of hell and the need for His listeners to steer clear of it (Matthew 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:8, 9; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 12:5). He offered vivid explanations of hell as a place of everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:41, 46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:22-28; Revelation 14:10, 11). He revealed that sinners who die unsaved would have their lot in hell (Matthew 7:15-19; Matthew 13:40-42, 50; 23:33; 25:41-4620; Revelation 20:14-15; 21:8).

     The Apostles also followed the same thematic explanations of hell as offered by the Lord (Romans 2:5-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:8,9; Hebrews 10:26,27; James 3:5,6; 2 Peter 2:4,9; 3:7; Jude 7, 23; Matthew 3:7-10). The church today cannot afford to assume a less specific position on the teaching of hell, without subverting the sacredness and completeness of scripture.

     The word 'Hell' is found about fifty-four times in the King James Version of the Bible. Its translation in Hebrew, Sheol, occur thirty-one times, while the Greek interpretations "Gehena", "hades"  and the Latin interpretation "Tartarus" occur twelve, ten times and once respectively. Its regular usage in scriptures, apart from the allusions drawn to it by the Lord and other Bible characters, lend sufficient validity to its reality.

     When a sinner dies, his soul immediately proceeds to hell where, with full consciousness, he tastes the excruciating pain that hell offers. The story of poor Lazarus and the rich man, best exemplifies the eternal punishment awaiting the sinner (Luke 16:23, 24).

     Hell is also a place where the memory of the damned comes alive. The rich man in Luke 16:23, 24 remembered his riotous living while on earth as well as his five brothers yet unsaved. Apart from the acute discomfort of hell, the regret of an error of judgement while on earth on the part of the unsaved, presents an everlasting torment of its own.

     The teaching of the doctrine of hell must scrupulously avoid erroneous and unscriptural views of false teachers. The concept of purgatory, representing a so-called intermediate state between death and appearance before God has no biblical foundation. Neither is the notion of the annihilation of the wicked correct. The future punishment of the wicked is eternal while the sinner at death automatically receives an express translation into hell where "their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44-48; Deuteronomy 32:22; Job 26:6; Isaiah 5:14; Amos 9:2; 2 Peter 2:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). The needless controversy over the reality of hell is not strange as the scriptures clearly allude to this. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (I Corinthians 2:14). Since God is holy, sin must be punished in the person of the sinner or in the person of the sinner's substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ.

          No man believes in Hell because he simply wants to. He believes in Hell because he is compelled to. It is true that eternal punishment is not a pleasant subject for discussion, yet, it is a fearful reality, an awful and tragic fate.