SNOWBALL IN HELL
The hot days of summer is an appropriate time to touch on the subject of Hell, especially for Christians. The oft used phrase, "not a snowball's chance in Hell" or similar declaration of impending doom describes absolute defeat. Christians, especially preachers, spend considerable time warning us about the peril of sin and the eventual final resting place for unsaved people. Reading scripture tends to confuse Christians. The customary references to Hell and its proprietor, the Devil, we hear about or see illustrated is deceiving.
If you read scripture you should know Satan is not evil looking, and in fact was the most beautiful creature before his fall. To know the details of Satan's origin requires some extensive reading, as there are many references of him in the bible. He is so powerful and ominous he is called by three names, the above two plus Lucifer. You can learn about him in seven Old Testament books (Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Job 12 times, Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. He is in 19 New Testament books, and is mentioned by every New Testament writer. Christ spoke about him 15 times, including Matt. 4:10, "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."
All Christians should have no doubt that this being exists and has
tremendous power. But, we have been led to believe he is ugly, all in the color red, with horns and a wicked looking tail. He is shown with a type of fork to poke victims. This does not coincide with any description in the bible. He is depicted as having a wicked laugh and being a totally undesirable character. All this is false and leads us away from the truth as given in scripture. It is actually the Devil at work attempting to deceive us.
The misconception of Hell is also widely accepted by Christians who need to study scripture better to understand Hell as explained in the New Testament. There are accounts by people who have said they were taken to or towards Hell, but came back. The Catholics have a different concept of Hell and Purgatory, a sort of holding cell for souls awaiting judgment. I don't claim to know the complete story, but I will quote scripture to describe Hell, or Purgatory, if you wish to accept that supposition.
From scripture, we learn our spirit leaves the body and goes to a
The hot days of summer is an appropriate time to touch on the subject of Hell, especially for Christians. The oft used phrase, "not a snowball's chance in Hell" or similar declaration of impending doom describes absolute defeat. Christians, especially preachers, spend considerable time warning us about the peril of sin and the eventual final resting place for unsaved people. Reading scripture tends to confuse Christians. The customary references to Hell and its proprietor, the Devil, we hear about or see illustrated is deceiving.
If you read scripture you should know Satan is not evil looking, and in fact was the most beautiful creature before his fall. To know the details of Satan's origin requires some extensive reading, as there are many references of him in the bible. He is so powerful and ominous he is called by three names, the above two plus Lucifer. You can learn about him in seven Old Testament books (Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Job 12 times, Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. He is in 19 New Testament books, and is mentioned by every New Testament writer. Christ spoke about him 15 times, including Matt. 4:10, "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."
All Christians should have no doubt that this being exists and has
tremendous power. But, we have been led to believe he is ugly, all in the color red, with horns and a wicked looking tail. He is shown with a type of fork to poke victims. This does not coincide with any description in the bible. He is depicted as having a wicked laugh and being a totally undesirable character. All this is false and leads us away from the truth as given in scripture. It is actually the Devil at work attempting to deceive us.
The misconception of Hell is also widely accepted by Christians who need to study scripture better to understand Hell as explained in the New Testament. There are accounts by people who have said they were taken to or towards Hell, but came back. The Catholics have a different concept of Hell and Purgatory, a sort of holding cell for souls awaiting judgment. I don't claim to know the complete story, but I will quote scripture to describe Hell, or Purgatory, if you wish to accept that supposition.
From scripture, we learn our spirit leaves the body and goes to a
specific place, or, in some unusual instances is delayed. Sticking strictly to the bible, we go to Luke 16:19-31. This is the description of Hades, another name for Hell. Note there is no description of fire or red attendants with pitch forks. According to the deceased rich man confined there, it is very unpleasant. Where do we get the idea about Hell being a fire? Probably from Rev. 20:10, "And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
Revelation 20:11-15 tells us the dead will be judged from the Book of Life at the Great White Throne judgment. Those whose names are not written in the book will be cast into the lake of fire. Those who appear at this judgment seat will not include committed Christians. The acceptance of Christ's offer of salvation AND obedience to His teaching exempts them from this judgment. Their resurrected bodies will be with Christ in heaven. If you THINK you are a Christian, you'd better re-read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Are you following His directions?
Both Christians and non Christians usually have a strong sense of right and wrong. The Devil knows we are weak, and frequently fall to
Revelation 20:11-15 tells us the dead will be judged from the Book of Life at the Great White Throne judgment. Those whose names are not written in the book will be cast into the lake of fire. Those who appear at this judgment seat will not include committed Christians. The acceptance of Christ's offer of salvation AND obedience to His teaching exempts them from this judgment. Their resurrected bodies will be with Christ in heaven. If you THINK you are a Christian, you'd better re-read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Are you following His directions?
Both Christians and non Christians usually have a strong sense of right and wrong. The Devil knows we are weak, and frequently fall to
"delicious" temptations. If you are a committed Christian, you have a bulls eye on your back, and the Devil takes immediate note that here is a convert that can be easily discouraged. If you think accepting Christ's offer of salvation means smooth sailing in life, you are likely in for big disappointments. Read scripture. Look at what happened to Christ, the disciples, and leaders of The Way. For that matter, look at the experiences of the prophets in the Old Testament. There is a price to pay for eternal life.
When a Christian begins to face life's problems, the Devil, or one of his army, moves in to discourage the person. Eph. 6:11 warns us to put on the whole armor of God. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil." We can easily understand what armor is, but in spiritual matters, we are not dealing in worldly material substances. Eph. 6:12 tells us, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." This battle is nothing like our worldly battles and wars. The word "spiritual" should make that clear. Remember Isaiah 6:9-10, and Matt. 13:10-17, where Christ tells the disciples the purpose of the parables.
To illustrate how easy it is to misunderstand parables, you need to
When a Christian begins to face life's problems, the Devil, or one of his army, moves in to discourage the person. Eph. 6:11 warns us to put on the whole armor of God. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil." We can easily understand what armor is, but in spiritual matters, we are not dealing in worldly material substances. Eph. 6:12 tells us, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." This battle is nothing like our worldly battles and wars. The word "spiritual" should make that clear. Remember Isaiah 6:9-10, and Matt. 13:10-17, where Christ tells the disciples the purpose of the parables.
To illustrate how easy it is to misunderstand parables, you need to
make a comparison of two instructions from Christ to see the failure of
Christian teachers to understand some parables. Look at Matt. 13:12, and compare it with Matt. 25:29. In Matt. 13:12, Christ is speaking about the spiritual gifts and understanding. With almost the same words in Matt. 25:29, Christ is speaking about abundance, but we are easily led to believe this time He is speaking about money. It's easy to teach this way because everybody's ears are at attention when we talk about money. If you back up to Matt. 25:24, you see this servant knew the wealthy man secured his wealth by crooked means. In verse 26, the wealthy man admitted he gained his money through crooked dealings. Why do so many teachers tell us this parable is about money when it's about honesty and gifts of the spirit?
The Devil delights when he sees us fall victim to parables such as this. He knows money is one of the primary ways to lead Christians astray. We are warned in Matt. 6:1-4 that money or material things we give to the Lord should not be broadcast to others. We are to give to the church and alms in secret, because public notice brings us the reward of men, not God. I see, and hear on the radio, donations given to ministries or churches with the donor's name attached. This is a "feel good" donation whose value is now, not worthy for any reward in heaven. Read the verses I listed above and you should realize the Devil is cheating you out of heavenly rewards, if indeed you are saved. It's glory to men OR God. You can't have it both ways.
Because God gave us free choice, we'll have lots of difficulties in our life resulting in poor choices. Unless we are truly saved, the Devil doesn't need to spend much time on us. Our characteristics tend to lead us to all kinds of sin. Without the Holy Spirit, we are not capable of fending off the Devil. There is no substitute for reading or hearing the gospel. For Americans, the core of obedience is given in just four books---the gospels. Much of the Epistles deal with problem solving in newly established churches of that time period. These instructions were to correct certain culture practices that conflicted with or hindered The Way. Many of today's Protestant denominations include some of these Epistle teachings in their worship, and this only causes confusion and conflicts that is promoted gleefully by Satan. He knows when churches disagree, the people will spend more time trying to prove their way is superior. That will short change gospel study. A prime example of this is repeated baptism.
Many denominations will not consider a baptism from any other
denomination to be valid. All Christian churches should recognize that
baptism is an act of assurance of commitment. It is between the person and God. The officiating person is simply performing a service, and has no other duty or function. The denomination of the officiating person has no bearing on the person's public declaration. A Christian denomination not recognizing a baptism from other Christian denomination is dividing believers. It is an egotistical effort to prove their denomination is more important than others. The Devil is always sneaking in to divide and weaken people.
Recent acts of fires at black Christian churches obviously cannot be lightening strikes, as some pretending Christians claim. You will see
many such acts encouraged by Satan because he knows our egos are
much like his. If we have to hurt other believers to prove we are better,
our egos are difficult to control. We confuse our attempt to be a better
person with our attempt to be a better Christian. There are no better
Christians, friends. We are all sinners, needing the cleansing blood of
Christ to qualify for eternal life. Most of us secretly believe we're better
than others. I'm certain of that from some of the smug looks I see on
the faces of some church goers when they exit the church or parade
down the street.
We understand how humans grade classes and categories, ranging from grades in school, college degrees and professional skills. When you become a genuine Christian, you should expect to begin a very long period of instruction to prepare you for your final destination. Eternal life is forever, and I don't believe God just wants a bunch of reconstituted "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) laying around behaving like rich or lazy humans. Eternal life requires Christians follow the directive in 2 Tim. 2:15, "rightly dividing the word of truth." You need to work (study) the word of God to succeed as a Christian just as you need to be successful on earth. There is no shortcut.
Rev. Walbear
Christian teachers to understand some parables. Look at Matt. 13:12, and compare it with Matt. 25:29. In Matt. 13:12, Christ is speaking about the spiritual gifts and understanding. With almost the same words in Matt. 25:29, Christ is speaking about abundance, but we are easily led to believe this time He is speaking about money. It's easy to teach this way because everybody's ears are at attention when we talk about money. If you back up to Matt. 25:24, you see this servant knew the wealthy man secured his wealth by crooked means. In verse 26, the wealthy man admitted he gained his money through crooked dealings. Why do so many teachers tell us this parable is about money when it's about honesty and gifts of the spirit?
The Devil delights when he sees us fall victim to parables such as this. He knows money is one of the primary ways to lead Christians astray. We are warned in Matt. 6:1-4 that money or material things we give to the Lord should not be broadcast to others. We are to give to the church and alms in secret, because public notice brings us the reward of men, not God. I see, and hear on the radio, donations given to ministries or churches with the donor's name attached. This is a "feel good" donation whose value is now, not worthy for any reward in heaven. Read the verses I listed above and you should realize the Devil is cheating you out of heavenly rewards, if indeed you are saved. It's glory to men OR God. You can't have it both ways.
Because God gave us free choice, we'll have lots of difficulties in our life resulting in poor choices. Unless we are truly saved, the Devil doesn't need to spend much time on us. Our characteristics tend to lead us to all kinds of sin. Without the Holy Spirit, we are not capable of fending off the Devil. There is no substitute for reading or hearing the gospel. For Americans, the core of obedience is given in just four books---the gospels. Much of the Epistles deal with problem solving in newly established churches of that time period. These instructions were to correct certain culture practices that conflicted with or hindered The Way. Many of today's Protestant denominations include some of these Epistle teachings in their worship, and this only causes confusion and conflicts that is promoted gleefully by Satan. He knows when churches disagree, the people will spend more time trying to prove their way is superior. That will short change gospel study. A prime example of this is repeated baptism.
Many denominations will not consider a baptism from any other
denomination to be valid. All Christian churches should recognize that
baptism is an act of assurance of commitment. It is between the person and God. The officiating person is simply performing a service, and has no other duty or function. The denomination of the officiating person has no bearing on the person's public declaration. A Christian denomination not recognizing a baptism from other Christian denomination is dividing believers. It is an egotistical effort to prove their denomination is more important than others. The Devil is always sneaking in to divide and weaken people.
Recent acts of fires at black Christian churches obviously cannot be lightening strikes, as some pretending Christians claim. You will see
many such acts encouraged by Satan because he knows our egos are
much like his. If we have to hurt other believers to prove we are better,
our egos are difficult to control. We confuse our attempt to be a better
person with our attempt to be a better Christian. There are no better
Christians, friends. We are all sinners, needing the cleansing blood of
Christ to qualify for eternal life. Most of us secretly believe we're better
than others. I'm certain of that from some of the smug looks I see on
the faces of some church goers when they exit the church or parade
down the street.
We understand how humans grade classes and categories, ranging from grades in school, college degrees and professional skills. When you become a genuine Christian, you should expect to begin a very long period of instruction to prepare you for your final destination. Eternal life is forever, and I don't believe God just wants a bunch of reconstituted "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) laying around behaving like rich or lazy humans. Eternal life requires Christians follow the directive in 2 Tim. 2:15, "rightly dividing the word of truth." You need to work (study) the word of God to succeed as a Christian just as you need to be successful on earth. There is no shortcut.
Rev. Walbear
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