The Most UNPREACHED Message in the Church

The Severity of God

"To not major on the same truths that Jesus and His Apostles emphasized, is to preach a completely different Gospel altogether..." 

Today, many Christians are majoring in the minors.  What I mean by that is they are taking selective aspects of Jesus' life and expounding upon that, but ignore what they do not like.  They are forsaking the weightier matters of what Jesus taught in order to depict an idol called Jesus who will tickle their ears with smooth things.  Today's contemporary Christians rejoice that God loves us unconditionally in spite of our sin (which I have never found supported anywhere in Scripture), yet they never stop to think whether such "love" is enough to keep them from eternal damnation.

In the following video, Dr. Michal Brown touches on what could be the most unpreached topic in the Church.  A subject many professing Christians don't want to hear.  Yet, if we do not have faith in the full Gospel message, then we cannot say we truly have faith in Christ.  Do we really believe what Jesus taught?  May He give us ears to hear.

A Heavenly Vision

Oftentimes, it is not our circumstances which limit us, but our perspectives.  It has really been on my heart lately how much God's people need a Heavenly vision.  In these days, it is critical for us to see things from God's perspective and not man's.

In a recent conversation, someone said, "I question how such a beautiful God could have created so many enemies that will end up in Hell."

I responded, "God doesn't create enemies. He creates individuals whom He takes time to uniquely design & bestow with talents. Perhaps a better question is how such a beautiful God can continue to selflessly give & sustain life - and even have given His own life - for the benefit of those who continually and will ultimately reject His love in ingratitude."

Do you see how the wrong perspective can pervert the image of God...even for those who seek to serve Him?  From an earthly view (man's vision), it seems unloving and cruel for God to send people to Hell.  Yet from a Heavenly view (God's vision), He is the author and sustainer of of life, even for those who despise Him and curse His name.  He gives air to breathe and allows the sun to shine even on His enemies, for whom He suffered a tortuous death just to offer them the hope of eternal life.  Who would make such sacrifices??  Only our God.

It just makes sense that man's view looking up at God from the earth would be different than what God sees as He looks down at the earth from the Heavenlies.  God's view is expansive; He sees the broad picture as He looks across the ages in one glance.  He knows the end from the beginning.  How could the one snapshot in time we perceive in our glance at Him ever convey the totality of who He is or what He is doing?  If we try to judge His eternal works from such a view we will never understand Him.  We need a Heavenly vision.

The view from man's perspective might say, "My sin is too big.  It is too late for me."  The view from God's perspective says, "My grace is sufficient for you so repent and trust me to deliver you."

Man says, "This situation is impossible."  God says, "There is nothing impossible for Me."

Man fears, "God has forgotten me.  He has turned His face from me."  God says, "I will never leave you or forsake you.  Sanctify yourself and submit to my purging.  From the fiery trial I am bringing forth pure gold."

Man claims, "It is okay if I appease my flesh just a little bit, as long as I keep my "secular" life separate from my "spiritual" life. It is natural to still like some things in the world. God understands; after all, nobody is perfect." God says, "I want all of you and will prove you to see if all of your heart and soul is dedicated to me. Do not be found wanting when you are weighed in the balances. Be perfect. Be ye holy, for I am holy."

A Heavenly vision will give you peace in the midst of a storm, because you can rest trusting that God not only knows the end of the matter, but He has already provided for it.

A Heavenly vision will prevent you from questioning God's righteousness or doubting His character because you can perceive His longsuffering with man and the selfless sacrifices He has made from the beginning.

A Heavenly vision will keep you humble as you consider that we are but a small speck in the scope of His great plan.

A Heavenly vision will not allow you to get caught up or ensnared by the cares of this life for you know that the things of this world are temporal and will pass away.

A Heavenly vision will give you patience with others instead of getting offended or angry for it keeps you mindful how much we have offended our God, and yet been forgiven.

A Heavenly vision will get your eyes off of yourself so that God can give you a heart for the lost.

In the days to come, it will be important more than ever to see as God sees.  Jesus told us that deception would be exceptionally strong and many will fall away as they forget their first love.  May God give us a Heavenly vision to equip, empower, and encourage us in these days. Consume us Oh Lord as we make you our heart's desire.



Be Thou My Vision, by Catherine Lovett from Daniel & Catherine Lovett on Vimeo.

Ishmael Shall Be Cast Out

While in high school (many years ago, LOL), I was assigned to do a paper on the Middle East crisis.  As an ardent researcher, I enjoyed examining the history of the region and was intrigued.  Why was the whole world in an uproar about this little piece of land?  I even visited a few embassies in order to interview Middle East officials and get their perspective.

As a result of my studies, I concluded that Israel had no legitimate claim to that land.  The Palestinians had every much a right as the Jewish people to reside there.  After all, the Jewish justification that God gave them that land was absurd.  Did God favor one people over another?  Of course not!  Further, Arabs also pointed to their own religious beliefs as a justification for the land and claimed an inheritance from the same patriarch as the Jewish people (Abraham).  Should we favor the beliefs of one religious system over another?  Even if accepted as fact, that promise of land to the Jewish people was made thousands of years ago.  Surely such was no longer relevant.

To that extent, I found the very existence of the nation of Israel to be nothing short of amazing. Although Israel had been an ancient homeland for the Jewish people as early as 1300 BC, it had ceased to be around 636 AD when Arabs took over the land.  Then in 1948, the United Nations determined to once again set aside that land as a Jewish state.  My question was, "Why?"

Surely the world - which had just sat quietly by as millions of Jews were killed in the Holocaust - wasn't motivated by a new found compassion for the Jewish people?  Was it that the nations of the world recognized the supremacy of this God above all others?  Indeed, at the time of my school report, the U.S. was giving more monies annually in support of Israel than it gave to all other nations combined.  What was so special about this one section of land and this one people which would warrant such extraordinary support?  It just didn't make any sense...to the natural man.

What I did not understand was that what God decrees is not up for human debate or input.  This was not simply some world event, but the fulfillment of biblical prophecy (Exodus 32:13; Matthew 24:32-34).  God is not concerned with humanistic perspectives of "fairness".  He does exactly what He wants to do, for He is sovereign.  Further, even His enemies can only do what He allows and likewise serve to fulfill His purposes.

I did not understand the historical reality of what had created this "crisis"; a rivalry between two brothers: Ishmael (the son of disbelief) and Isaac (the son of promise).

"And he [Ishmael] will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." Genesis 16:12

Ishmael - along with Abraham's subsequent children by concubine - became a father of the Arab peoples (Genesis 25:1-18) while Isaac - through Jacob - became a father of the Jewish people (Isaiah 51:2).  God promised to make of both great nations, but Isaac (not Ishmael) was the son God had promised and was the one with whom He would make His covenant (Genesis 17:15-21).  And here we have the crux of the issue.

It is an affront to many that God has a "chosen people".  How dare one assert that there are some God chooses and others He does not?  Such flies in the face of the all-inclusive image of God presented by society, yet it is true nonetheless.

The problem at the heart of the Israeli-Arab conflict is that one son was accepted and the other rejected. This is also the problem people have with the Church.

"And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian [Ishmael], which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac." Genesis 21:9-10

"Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." Galatians 4:28-31

We are told that the same animosity natural Israel suffers from the children of bondage, believers in Christ (spiritual Israel) should expect.  As we see persecution increase against natural Israel by those encamped around her, be sure that this is an indication of what is happening to the Church spiritually.  Notice also that Ishmael & Isaac were brothers.  So, this is not primarily an indictment against the world, but against those who falsely claim to be sons of God.  This persecution will come from those who call you, "Brother."; those "bastards" (pardon me, but it is the word of the Lord, Hebrews 12:8) who refuse to crucify the lusts of the flesh so that they may live after the Spirit (Romans 8:1-17).

Yet and still, Ishmael shall be cast out.  Even though Israel's brothers surround her today seeking her destruction, the Lord stands with her and the plans of the enemy will be thwarted.  So shall it be as well with the Church, who has been engrafted into the same tree (Romans 11:13-21).

This is not to say that the Jewish people are righteous and the Arab peoples are not.  Both need to come to faith in Jesus Christ in order to experience the salvation of the Lord.  This is not about the righteousness of man, but the righteousness of God.  God stands with Israel not because she is worthy, but because He abides faithful.  Even in their blindness (given for our benefit) He works among them to bring them to repentance.

"Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual." I Corinthians 15:46

There is also another type of "Ishmael" which we need to be aware and that is the "old man".   Although he was first, it is the "new man" who is the son of promise and the only one God whom will receive (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10).  Just like the natural Ishmael, this "wild man" must be "put off".  If we are not born again of the Spirit to crucify the lusts of this old man, then we will live after the flesh and too experience the rejection of God.

As we consider what is currently underway in the Middle East, I would urge you to redeem the times.  Prepare for the coming of our Lord.  Make sure that any trace of "Ishmael" in your own soul has been cast out so that you may walk in the promise of being sons of God.

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." Revelation 19:7-8

The following article is from Min. Henry Law entitled, "Ishmael Cast Out."


ISHMAEL CAST OUT
by Henry Law

But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac." Genesis 21:9-10

Sinners may revel, but their day is very brief. Thorns crackle with high blaze, and quickly subside in ashes. The godless laughter is the prelude of long wailing. The morn soon fades--the evening shadows fall--the night comes on apace--the night which knows no dawn. The Spirit sounds the knell of short-lived evil--"Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be--yes, you shall diligently consider his place, and it shall not be." Ps. 37:10.

Thus Ishmael's malicious sport soon ends. Sarah's watchful eye detects. The persecutor may not tarry. The sneer--the taunt--the petty tyranny must cease. Isaac shall no more dread the banter or the blow. The teasings, which were pain to the meek child, shall no more trouble. The mother demands immediate expulsion, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son." The patriarch hears God's confirming voice. He instantly complies. The young oppressor is driven far away.

Thus speaks the narrative. It is an outer bark--when it peels off, the rings of inner meaning are discerned. These rings are many. Each is a wealth of thought. But the intermediate fulfillments of the type are but as lesser lights before a final blaze. Through, then, the long perspective, let us at once approach the close. Let the eye rest alone on the ultimate conclusion. The consummation is an eternal gulf between the children of the covenant of works and heirs of grace. This consummation comes--it surely comes--it quickly comes. Angels are ready to sound the final blast. Listening ears are waiting for the trumpet's clang. At any moment it may shake the universe. Then all, who have breathed life's breath, must take their place. Each must hear, "Come," or "Depart." Each must have a blessed welcome or be cast out.

Reader! Be wise. Anticipate the dread result. Live, as did Jerome, with this trumpet's echo always in your ears. In envisioning thought, then, let the white throne be set--let the all-righteous Judge be seated--let the recording books be opened--let all, who ever lived, stand at the bar--let him who writes--let all who lead, face the account, and meet the last day's scene.

Now sovereign Justice reins. Truth spreads revealing light. All masks now fall. Deception vanishes. Hypocrisy can no more deceive. The worse can no more seem the better cause.

The sons of the Sinaitic code expect eternal life. On what plea? They have no plea but their own merits--their fulfillment of the law's demands. But the record of their days is continuous sin. Are these doings a portion of obedience? What are these passions--lusts--rebellious acts? What is the evil, which has soiled each hour, and stained each thought, and stamped transgression on the whole life's course! Guilt cannot be denied. Excuse there can be none. The law's reward has not been earned--what is the inevitable outcome? The curse must fall. Justice condemns. There is vast debt. No payment can be made. Then what can stop the sentence, "Bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness." Matt. 22:12-13.

The executioners are ready. The cell is prepared. The chains are forged. The jailer receives his convicted prisoners. Transgressors are cast out. This is faint outline of the end. Scripture portrays it in these dreadful colors, that men may ponder and take heed. Reader! You can never say that clearest warning is not given.

CAST OUT FROM WHAT? There is now a long farewell to earth, and all that earth contains. Through life's short day unnumbered mercies strewed each path. The sun shone sweetly. The fanning breezes wafted delight. The groves re-echoed with the warbler's melody. The verdant meadows spread their soft carpet. Flowers charmed with fragrance. Fruits regaled with varied lusciousness. The outcasts no more taste these pleasures. The cup has fallen from their hand. Earth is forever gone.

There was much happiness in communion with fellow-man. The lively talk--the mirth of social hours--the friendly interchange of thought enchanted the vacant time. No friend will now be seen. The last smile has been smiled. The last enlivening word has died away.

Ordinances of religion brought some tranquil hours, although no saving profit. These privileges come no more. No chimes invite to worship. No sacred Scriptures tell of God's gracious will. No preacher proclaims Christ. No pulpit declares His dying love--His precious blood--His rising power--His willingness to save--His promise to receive all seekers of His grace. The Gospel's last note has sunk in silence. No returning Sabbaths bring repose. No sacred song gives solace. "Come to me" will never more be heard.

O my soul, see to it, that you are not cast out.

Hope, also, at last is fled. It often came and whispered soothing things. It showed a glimmering prospect of penitence--amendment--pardon. It flattered, 'all may yet be well.' Where is hope now? It vanished with the yell, "Too late--too late!" It is transformed into despair.

Need I say, there is the absence of those lovely sights which cheer the mansions of the saved. No angels spread their sparkling wings around. No white-robed multitudes glitter with their crowns. No Christ is seen. No God reveals His glory. There is "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power." 2 Thess. 1:9.

O my soul, see to it, that you are not cast out.

All this is doleful gloom. But this is only negative. Absence of joy may not be agonizing pain. But a dreadful veil must be drawn back. Scripture sounds a more frightful note. It speaks in tender compassion--to warn, that we may flee--to urge, that we may escape the wrath to come. Reader! Look yet again, and may the look be your salvation.

Is darkness dismal--cheerless--disconsolate--a fit emblem of ignorance, misery, and filth? Over these realms an impenetrable pall of blackness, of darkness forever hangs. The darkness is so black, that blackness cannot be blacker.

Is weeping a sign of wretchedness and woe? Here is weeping never ceasing to shed tears. Is wailing the bitter utterance of irrepressible distress? Here wailing is an ever-echoing wail.

Does gnashing of teeth betray the upbraidings of remorse? Is it the sign of self-hating reproach? Here gnashing of teeth is unremitting. Is there keen torture in the worm, that ever gnaws and never leaves its prey? Here the worm dies not. Does fire indicate extremest agony? is it pain in most excruciating form? This fire is never quenched. The lost writhe terribly on beds of flame. They float in lakes of fire. Do they crave one drop of water to cool tongues parched in agony? It may not be. A portion is presented to them--who can read and tremble not! "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation, and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb." Rev. 14:10.

What must that misery be, which the omnipotence of God puts forth all its might to intensify! No thought can imagine. No tongue can utter. But such the misery which groans in these dreadful dwellings. It is an dreadful word, "He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." Rev. 19:15. If this were solitary anguish, it still would be anguish in the extreme. But the misery is multiplied by the wide fellowship of partners. On all sides there is companionship of woe. The eye can only rest on others in like torments. The ear can only hear the wails of fellow-sufferers.

Shall it be said that these descriptions are shadowed out in figurative terms? Let it be granted. But what is gained by such concession? The Spirit cannot exaggerate or overpaint. The reality will not be fainter than the picture scene. No, rather language fails to show the total truth. No painting can depict the fire's touch, or show the serpent's deadly sting, or indicate the lion's rage. So no word-painting can fully show the misery of the lost.

O my soul, see to it, that you are not cast out!

But pains may patiently be born if reprieve gilds the horizon, or ease be seen in the distance. But there the tide ever flows at fullest height, and cessation never comes. Millions of years bring no end nearer, and millions succeeding millions is but commencement of interminable woe. There is one constant present, and that present is overflowing cup of torment.

O my soul, see to it, that you are not cast out!

But when Ishmael is cast, out, the true heir remains. To this woe there is bright contrast. Look to the right hand of the Judge. The sheep of His pasture are there folded. The children of the covenant of grace await the outcome. Their cruel adversary exhibits all their sins. He establishes their guilt. He demands their full punishment. They deny no charge. But they present a plea for acceptance. It is simple, but unanswerable. Their plea is Christ. Their lives show that by the Spirit's power faith became the inhabitant of their hearts. This faith united them to Christ. It made them very members of Him their glorious Head. Thus, all His sufferings were their sufferings. All His work was their work. In Him they died. In Him they paid the law's extremest penalty. In Him they wrought out complete obedience. None can lay anything to their charge. Christ's death is full acquittal. Christ's life is a spotless robe concealing every sin. They ask no mitigation of the law's just claims. But they ask life and heaven on the sure grounds that Jesus is the law-fulfiller. They prevail. "God is just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus." Rom. 3:26. They have full right to all which Jesus earned and purchased. They receive it. The accuser is silenced. They hear the welcome, "Come you blessed children of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt. 25:34. Theirs are the "new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwells righteousness." 2 Pet. 3:13.

Reader! In thought behold them in their blest abode. Holy Spirit! In tender love illumine the picture which Your Word presents! The realms are bright in one expanse of light. Are the sun's rays lovely? But these rays are darkness to this light. "The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." Rev. 21:23. On earth their eyes were ofttimes charmed with scenes of beauty. But what is the best beauty of a sin-soiled world compared to the charms which now invest their homes! How glorious are the abodes which infinite love and power have prepared! "I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:2.

To believers earth is the home of many griefs. The body often droops in languor. Racking pains harass the frame. Hunger and thirst afflict. Tears furrow the cheek. Sighs cause the breast to heave. But the whole mass of sorrow is now abolished. They hunger no more. They thirst no more. "The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick." Is. 33:24. "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." Rev. 21:4.

O my soul, see to it, that you inherit the kingdom.

On earth, temptation makes days bitter. There are constant groans from "the body of this death." "The law of the members wars against the law of the mind." "The flesh lusts against the spirit." Inbred corruptions soil every act, and banish peace and awaken self-abhorrence. Now there is freedom from all the presence--all the touch--and all the sense of evil. The Spirit can never be more vexed. Ingratitude and unbelief are totally extinct. The redeemed are as holy as God is holy. They are as pure as Jesus is pure. They are as far from sin as heaven is from hell.

The travelers along the narrow way are often desolate. Their friends are few. They rarely enjoy holy fellowship. Their dwellings are in loneliness. But now what multitudes surround them! All rejoicing in the same joy--all clothed in the same robes--all singing the same song--all breathing the same love--all washed in the same blood--all ascribing their full salvation to God and to the Lamb. Blessed company! They sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, apostles, evangelists, and the noble army of martyrs, and the valiant body of reformers, and all who ever loved, and served, and gloried in the blessed Jesus!

O my soul, see to it, that you inherit the kingdom!

The greatest solace in life is the felt presence of Jesus. It is the joy of joys to hear His voice in the Word, and to catch a glimpse of His smile. But mists intervene. The bride seeks Him, but she finds Him not. In heaven there never can be separation. Eternity is uninterrupted access to Him. There is no eclipse to the sight of the King in His beauty. The redeemed follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They walk with Him in white. They eat and drink at His table in His kingdom. They are forever with the Lord. The thought is too much for earth. What must the consummation be!

Preparation for Damnation

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" Numbers 23:13

I am still working on the book, but wanted to share the following video from The Ministry Is His.  It features an excerpt from Pastor Gary Price entitled "Preparation for Damnation" which discusses how people deceive themselves about the judgement of God.

• God's judgment is sure and His word promises that judgment will be executed in righteousness
• The Bible is not given to debate or quibble about, but to obey
• Religious dogma or data is not salvation
• Colleges & Universities try to indoctrinate you with the humanities so that you will have a mind that is the antithesis of God
• Anything you obtain in life is just an avenue to save souls, a tool to accomplish God's purposes
• Two things people do not like hear about: 1). The finality of death and 2). Eternal damnation in Hell
• God has an out-stretched hand to save, but who will come?
• It is important to truly know the voice of Jesus Christ and not just assume that the voices which tickle their ears are the Lord.  The serpent is subtle and able to deceive if we are not careful.  Man is able to deceive himself about God; we must examine ourselves.
• No one can save themselves.  We need to each be purged and cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ

The entire message can be heard here:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

The following article may also be helpful for those who watch the video: Does God Love Those He Sends to Hell?

The Zeal of Thine House

One of my favorite scenes from Little House on the Prairie is captured below.  In this episode, bullies come to town and begin to accost the townspeople while playing on "Christian" sympathies such as turn the other cheek, forgive others, and love your enemy.  While those principles are good and true, there also comes a time when you have got to treat the devil like the devil that he is.

In pictures, sermons, and song, Jesus is often portrayed as a long-haired, hippie-looking wisp of a man who would barely raise His voice or hurt a fly.  Yet the Jesus I serve - while being a magnate of love & hope to repentant sinners - was also one who didn't kowtow to the devil.  He went through the temple with a whip, turning over the tables of moneychangers in His fury.  He often suffered not demons to even speak, but cast them out in power.  He turned religious hypocrites on their heads by shooting down deceitful questions with the straightforward truths of God.  He addressed Satan directly when needed, taking authority over him and commanding him to get behind Him.

What if the Body of Christ would take such a stand against Satan and his demonic hordes?  Instead of complaining about what "da devil" is doing in our lives, what if we determined not to take it a day longer but to exercise the spiritual authority God has given us?  What if we didn't try to define Christianity by worldly standards of tolerance & love so that we can be accepted by the masses, but truly sought to be led by the Spirit?  If we really follow Christ then some folks are not going to like us and we are going to have to deal with some devils...just like Jesus.

God desires a people who reflect His character and the nature of His Son; who seeks to do what the Father commands as faithful soldiers.  Are we really eaten up with the zeal of God's house, of His righteousness, and of the glory of His name?  Jesus was.

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." I John 3:8

Does God Love Those He Sends to Hell?

Since the CD player in our car is broken, we have been listening to Christian radio stations.  As I did so today, it dawned on me how many songs are about God's love for us.

Song after song spoke of how God loves us anyway in spite of our sin.  How God's love lifts me up when I am down.  How God's love catches me when I fall.  How God's love carries me when I am weak...

Don't get me wrong, God's love is an absolutely wonderful thing!  It is beyond comprehension and I am ever grateful for it.  And while I noted the recurring theme of the songs, I sang right along with most of them.

Yet, how many realize that God's love is not the problem with mankind?  The issue is not whether God loves us, but whether we love Him.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." John 3:16-19

We can sing about and bask in the fact that God loves us, but if we in turn never love Him then we will still be damned to Hell.

Some might say, "Oh, here they go again."  However, I am serious.  So many times, when people are doing what they know they should not or when they have become complacent in their walk with God, they start speaking of how God loves them.  Yet, does God love those He sends to Hell?

If you answer, "Yes", then God's love alone will not keep you from Hell unless you respond to that love.

If you answer, "No", then there must be some criteria or condition to receiving God's love and it would behoove us to understand what that is.

The point of this post is not to get into some theological or philisophical debate.  It is to remind us that God has already proven His love for all mankind by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die as a payment for our sins so that we could be reconciled to Him and experience His love in our lives.

However, He also has the expectation that we will respond to His love as demonstrated by obedience to His words (John 14:15-23, 15:10; I John 2:5, 5:2-3).

In an effort to prove that God gives us eternal, unconditional security, a Christian once asked me, "Name just one thing in the New Testament that God says obedience is a requirement to receive?"  So, I pointed Him to Acts 5:32:

"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him."

I also pointed out that only those led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God (Romans 8:14).

An atheist once asked me, "How can a loving God send people to Hell?"  And I stated, "Because after all of His wooing and warning, He loves you enough to give you exactly what you insist upon having: an eternity apart from Him."

God's love is not a protection against Him being a Just & Righteous Judge when we stand before Him, giving an accounting of our lives.  The next time you contemplate the greatness of God's love for us, consider as well your love for Him.

Are you able to confess to Him with a pure heart that you love Him or have you in all honesty departed from your first love due to the cares of this life (Revelation 2:4)?  I am not speaking of being without sin or even no longer struggling against sin.  I am asking are you seeking to have your consciences purged so that you can stand before Him in sincerity (Hebrews 10:2)?

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." I John 3:18-24

How can we assure our hearts before God?  How can we know that we are of the truth?  It is not with our many words and verbal professions.  It is by being sincere with God (Psalm 51:6).  "Is there anything in my life displeasing to God?  Any part of my life I am trying to keep from Him?  Any area that I know He has out His finger on, but that I have not yet submitted to Him?" 

sincere: free of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness; earnest: genuine; real:pure; unmixed; unadulterated; frank, candid, honest, open, guileless; unaffected. 

Every day God gives us is an opportunity to grow in Him and love Him more.  Don't take it for granted or let it pass idly by.  Tomorrow is not promised to anyone.  Let's be real with God.  If we truly love Him, then we will seek to obey Him and not find excuses about why we have not done so.

I pray that God gives us an appreciation for His love that is coupled with proper reverence of Him.  While glorying in His love, let's also understand the transformative work His love aims to accomplish in our lives by making us reflections of that love in a dying world.

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." II Corinthians 5:14-15

Hell

Artwork by William Thomas Thompson

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." A Proverb

In the following message of the "Life After Death" series, Min. David Pawson addresses the topic of Hell.

Before summarizing this message below, I want to provide a little more info on the doctrine of Universalism which Min. Pawson also addresses.  Some believe that - although it is a place of punishment - Hell is primarily a place of purging, enabling those who don't receive Christ in this life to be reconciled to Him at a later time.  Those holding to this belief therefore claim that eventually, all mankind will be saved.  An article which goes into the errors of this doctrine in more detail may be found here: Hell Bent. 

In Min. Pawson's sermon below, he addresses:

• Deep down in human nature is an instinctive belief that after we die, there is some kind of distinguishing between good and bad.
• Hell is a place of conscious torment where the wicked are punished forever.
• The majority of people in modern society have rejected belief about Hell, including much of the churchworld.
• Some simply don't like the idea of it.
• Some assume it must be wrong since the concept induces fear, which they deem unhealthy.
• We have departed in society from the idea of punishment for its own sake (retribution).  Instead, punishment is seen as only for deterrent or reformatory reasons; and Hell can do neither. 
• Some also believe Hell is not fair; that eternal punishment is not an equitable punishment for a few sins in a short life.
• Some believe that if there is a Hell, then God has failed to deal with and remove evil.
• Others question that, if God is a God of love, then how could He send a person to Hell forever?
• Nearly every one of the cults in Christianity have attacked & dismissed the Biblical idea of Hell.
• Alternative ideas have been proposed to the existence of Hell
• Hell is self-imposed suffering in this life. Yet the Scriptures are clear that Hell is to be experienced in the next life and is a place made by God, not man.
• Universalism, which says that although Hell exists after this life, God will ultimately save everyone and reconcile them to Himself.  Such is impossible to believe in light of the clear teachings of our Lord that an eternal Hell is a certainty.
• Conditional Immortality or Annihilation suggests that the wicked will be removed from existence completely at some point after judgement.  While some texts may seem to support this, such is not consistent with all of Jesus' teachings on the matter which states that the suffering of those within it will be without end.
• For the Christian, we should want to know what the Bible actually says.
• While there is info about Sheol or Hades in the Old Testament, there is hardly any information about Hell.
• There is also hardly anything about Hell in the Epistles.
• It is Jesus Christ who spoke the most about Hell than any other in Scripture.  It is as if God decided that the one who would be seen as more loving, kind, and merciful than any other should be the one to bear this message so that the seriousness of it will be believed.
• So he decisive issue for Hell boils down to one question, "Is Jesus the Truth?"
• If you only accept the words of Scripture when your mind agrees with them, then YOU are lord of your life and not Christ.  The only way to truth is to submit to the One who said, "I am the Truth."
• "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." Matthew 10:28  
• The word for "hell" was the word Gehenna. This is a valley which eventually became so defiled that people would burn & sacrifice their children to pagan gods here.  Once this idolatry was ended by King Josiah, it became the trash dump of Jerusalem where worms & maggots fed on the refuse and bonfires burned to destroy the rest.  By Jesus' day, this was also the place where the bodies of executed criminals were disposed.  When Jesus spoke of hell, He always used this word.
• The word "destroy" does not mean annihilation, but refers to something ruined, useless, or wasted.  The same word is used to reference the lost sheep in the parable of the lost sheep; of the withered wine skin when new wine is put into it; of the alabaster box ointment the woman wasted according to Judas on Jesus. There is nothing one can do with that which is utterly useless other than put it in the garbage bin.  Jesus Christ has the power to mend broken lives, but the thing He spoke about with the utmost horror was not lives that were broken, but lives that were perishing.
• If it is bad for us to "fear" hell, then why does Jesus tell us to? 
  
• "...into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:43b-44
• Unlike the earthly Gehenna, in Hell the worms never die and the fire never ceases.  Why would the worm & fire continue forever if in fact the people in it cease to exist?
• Even if viewed metaphorically, the reality behind this depiction of the worm and the fire is that there will be personal horror experienced here.
  
• "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels...And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Matthew 25:41, 46
  
• For those who say that "eternal" cannot mean endless, they faced with the difficulty that almost every time it is used in the New Testament it does mean endless - including as it relates to the "eternal life" received by the saints.  God is eternal, Christ is eternal, His salvation is eternal, Heaven is eternal... 
  
• "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out." Luke 13:28
  
• Jesus taught that from Hell, you could see Heaven.
  
• Either our thinking is going to be brought in line with the word of Jesus (because He is our lord) or we are our own gods.  
• If what Jesus said about Hell is true, then the reality of Hell is a legitimate part of the message to non-believers about the importance of the Gospel.
• Most people believe that everyone is good the moment they die. Yet, the best intentions will never get you free from Hell.  If ever God speaks to you and you know that you are headed to Hell, do not put it off; turn in repentance to Jesus while you have the chance.
• According to God's word, things which can send people to hell include: Jealousy, Envy, Anger, Drunkenness, Filthy Talking, Hypocrisy, Cowardice, Covetousness, Lying, & Fornicating.
• If there is anything you are looking at, anything you are doing with your hands, anywhere your feet take you that is leading you to Hell, then cut it right out.  Better to be called narrow than to let such take you to Hell.
• It is at the cross that Hell becomes most real. 
• What awful necessity required that Jesus die before God could forgive me?
• What awful experience did Jesus go through for me?
• Considering then the reality of Hell, the priority of every Christian therefore should be to win others to Christ.

Hell Bent

On Razing Hell

"Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Luke 13:23-24

We have discussed how Babylon exploits man's sinful nature by using it to ensnare him in a life of religious performance while he is inwardly still bound in sin and hating the God he claims to serve.  Since man must remain bound to sin to be susceptible to Babylon's sorcery, the issue of sin - and specifically God's judgment for it - must be dismissed in order to deceive.

This is why many doctrines of Babylon teach that one can still be saved in spite of continual sin in our lives.  One way that this is done is through the "gospel of inclusion" (promoted by Carlton Pearson) and others like it such as: Universalism, Ultimate Reconciliation, or Comprehensive Grace.  While there are minor differences among them, central to each of these doctrines is a belief that all humanity will be saved and none will suffer eternal damnation.  Of course, to teach this, one has to destroy the very notion that there is such a place as the Hell described in the Scriptures.

In the first article which started these series of posts, we discussed an interview given by Carlton Pearson where he speaks of Hell.  Summing up Pearson's perspective, Keith Morrison (NBC) states, "Clear as a bell, says Carlton, he heard God telling him to preach this new message.  That hell is a place in life and that after death, everybody is redeemed....everybody!"  When asked by Morrison whether this means that Adolph Hitler is in Heaven, Carlton's response was:

"Yes! You think Hitler is more powerful than the blood of Jesus?  I mean I got a Hell to put a lot of people in; I'd send Hitler and every slave driver straight to hell and a few deacons in my church if you want to know the truth. I'd send people to Hell, but I'm not God.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not ours only, but the sins of the whole world."

This is the stroke of genius, the masterpiece which allows sin to abound in Babylon unfettered, effectively putting a muzzle on anyone who would talk about sin.  I don't want anyone pointing out my sin, so in turn, I cannot say anything about their sin.  There is an unspoken bond of silence for those in Babylon, whereby they agree not to judge that which is sinful.  Instead of keeping the Biblical mandate to expose deeds of darkness and have no fellowship with them (Romans 16:17; I Corinthians 5:9-11; II Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 5:11; II Thessalonians 3:6-14; I Timothy 5:20, 6:3-5), they instinctively move to cover sin, keep it hidden, and stay in fellowship with it!  They actually fight against the very thing which would bring them liberty; repentance from sin.

It is from this vantage point that you will hear phrases like, "Well, we have all sinned and fallen short.  Judge not lest you be judged.  Touch not God's anointed.  There's no one perfect but Jesus.  Let he who is without sin throw the first stone."  Have you ever seen how many professing Christians react when an issue of sin comes up?  Their enemy becomes the one exposing the sin and calling for repentance while their comrade is the sinner they rush to defend.  While it is true that these people have been yoked to the personalities of men as part of the Babylonian captivity, there is also a very personal reason why they justify the sinner: they are in the same boat!  Babylon gives them a cloak for sin and they cannot expose one part of it without exposing it all.  So not only must they deny how God commands us to deal with sin, they must also deny how God Himself judges sin.

"For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved , what will become of the godless man and the sinner?" I Peter 4:17-18

The heart of the question about the existence of Hell and the fate of sinners is, "What is God's judgment for sin?"  What will be the outcome for the godless and the sinner?  Are they also saved, but just with more difficulty?  Clearly the above verses set forth that there is a contrast between the outcome for the righteous versus the unrighteous.  Yet, according to supporters of this doctrine, the outcome for both is the same because all will wind up saved.  To find the truth, we must examine the Scriptures to see if the assertions used to support this doctrine are true:

• Hell is Not Real
• The Lake of Fire is Not Eternal Punishment
• The Character of God Precludes Eternal Punishment
• All are "Summed Up" in Christ
• Many in the Early Church held this position

Hell is Not Real

One of the claims used to support a doctrine of all men being redeemed is that Hell - as commonly taught in the churchworld - does not exist.  They will say that our time now on earth is really Hell (as does Carlton Pearson) or they may deny its existence altogether.

Often such arguments hinge on whether the word "Hell" seen in Scripture has been properly translated (shĕ'owl, hadēs, geenna, tartaroō).  However, there is a much simpler way to examine this issue.  Simply look at what God says is the destiny of those who die in rebellion to Him.  Regardless of what you want to call it, there is a fate that all sinners can look forward to (or not).

There is an "eternal destruction" awaiting those outside of Christ after they have died (Matthew 10:28; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:4-5; II Thessalonians 1:8-9).

There is an "everlasting fire" prepared for Satan and his angels where there is torment day and night, and those who serve Satan will also be thrown into that same fire after death (Isaiah 33:14; Matthew 8:8-9, 13:41-42, 18:8, 25:41; Jude 1:7; Revelation 20:10).  This is described by Jesus as an "everlasting punishment" (Matthew 25:46).

Those whose names are not in the Book of Life are cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the "second death" (Revelation 20:15, 21:8).

The fate of sinners in the Lake of Fire will stand as an eternal testimony against them as the smoke of their torment and the carcasses of their bodies continue to be visible to all (Isaiah 66:24; Revelation 14:11). 

Some of the dead will be raised to face God's "everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2). 

Without getting into semantics, Scripture is replete with references to a fate for sinners well past their natural death on this earth.  Life on earth doesn't end our existence; but there is an eternal reality to be faced even after death for every individual.

The Lake of Fire is Not Eternal Punishment

Aiōn Means "Age"

Some say that the Greek word aiōn (or its derivative aiōnios) - often translated "eternal" in the New Testament - is a mistranslation since it really means an "age" or a "time period".   However, this is the same Greek word is used to define our life with God after death.

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Matthew 24:46

The Greek word aionios is used above for both the words "everlasting" and "eternal".  In other words, we can know from this text that the "life" given to the righteous will last the same length of time as the "punishment" given to the wicked.  Therefore, there is nothing in the definition of an "age" which requires that it has to come to an end.  In speaking of the Lake of Fire, Scripture says:

“It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.” Isaiah 34:10

The first “for ever” in this passage is the Hebrew word owlam, which is similar in meaning to aiōn. However, the last “for ever and ever” is the Hebrew word netsach literally meaning "into perpetuity" or never ending.  The smoke from the Lake of Fire will not be quenched, but shall be never ending (Revelation 14:10-11).

The language of the Gospel is in simplicity (II Corinthians 11:3).  It doesn't take a lot of Hebrew & Greek knowledge to gain the understanding of God's word.  While I am not dismissing the value of study, the true revelation of Scripture comes by His Spirit.  We can always trust that He means what He says, and says what He means.  It is when we are trying to explain away the plain meaning of the text that we often run into trouble.

Death Shall Be Destroyed

It is also said that since death itself will be destroyed (I Corinthians 15:26), the Lake of Fire - called the “second death” (Revelation 20:14) - must also be destroyed.  However this is not what the text says, nor is it implied.  For death to be destroyed, the cause of death, sin (Romans 6:23), has to be eliminated.  The context of death's destruction in I Corinthians 15 is as it relates to all things (even God's enemies) being put under Christ's feet and brought into subjection to Him. Remember, the sting of death is sin (I Corinthians 15:56).

Sin is rebellion against the righteousness of God (I John 5:17), but once all rebellion has been addressed, there is no more sin...and henceforth, no more death.  Those in Christ have overcome sin and been made righteous in Him.  His enemies are under His righteous judgment and powerless to rebel against it. All indeed are submitted to God and subdued under His authority, whether willingly (through God’s free gift) or by compulsion (God’s judgment). 

Salvation Through the Lake of Fire

Since brimstone has historically been a purifying agent, it is claimed that the Lake of Fire doesn't illustrate a time of punishment, but of cleansing.  Similar to the Catholic extra-biblical doctrine of purgatory, they teach that people will stay in the Lake of Fire only long enough to burn off their sin before being reconciled to God.

The first problem with this is that the foundation for salvation is repentance unto faith in Jesus Christ. There is nothing in Scripture which says that those in the Lake of Fire at any time repent or come to faith in Jesus Christ, nor that they are even given the chance to.

Further, the depiction of brimstone in Scripture does not reveal something purified for the purposes of being brought back to life.  When God rained down fire & brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, that judgment was not a means to re-impart life to the area.  In fact, it was part of God's judgment that the area be left barren and laid waste (Deuteronomy 28:23).  This is also the description of the Lake of Fire (Isaiah 34:8-10).

Some assert that I Corinthians 3:15 references this purification because it says that some will be "saved as by fire".  While we address the actual meaning of this text in another post, it should be noted that Paul is speaking in Chapter 3 only of the brethren who are "in Christ" (verse 1).  In no way does this text make accommodations for the lost to attain to salvation by going through fire. 

There is no indication from Scripture that those in the Lake of Fire are ever re-born or renewed unto life.  On the contrary, we are told about such persons, "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night" (Revelation 14:11).  Is there a day when they will get rest from this torment?  No. There will forever be evidence of their torment and this fire shall not be quenched (Ezekiel 20:48; Revelation 20:10).

The Character of God Precludes Eternal Punishment

God's character is not one-sided.  He is a merciful Father and a righteous Judge.  He is longsuffering, but also jealous.  He is a High Priest and a Governor.  He is a God of peace and a man of war.  He is a lion as well as a lamb.  He is a Rewarder and a Punisher.  He is the Rock of salvation and a Rock of offense.  He is man's hope, but also man's dread & fear.

We cannot simply hold on to one of God's attributes to the exclusion of others without coming away with a warped perception of who God is.  How we interact with Him (and Him with us) is dependent upon our relationship to Him.

There is a misconception often promoted with these doctrines that all people are God's children.  Yet Scripture says that the only ones who are God's children are those led by His Spirit in Christ (Galatians 3:26, 4:4-7; Romans 8:9-14; Ephesians 1:5; II Corinthians 6:17-18).

Neither is the Lake of Fire described by God's word as a "chastening" of sons as we see in Hebrews Chapter 12, which refers to “the whole training of children which aims at increasing virtue”.  Rather, the Lake of Fire is described as an expression of God's wrath,  indignation, punishment, curse, vengeance, everlasting destruction, penalty, and condemnation (Matthew 25:41; II Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 14:10-11). This is not an interaction of a Father dealing with sons, but of an angry God meting out righteous judgment.

All is "Summed Up" in Christ 

Another Scripture used to support the position that all humanity will be saved is Ephesians 1:10:

"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."

The assertion is that all things being are gathered together in Christ necessitates that all is joined in reconciliation with Him.  After some time spent burning off sin in the Lake of Fire, these would also be added to Christ and saved.  Yet, reconciliation does not mean that all things are just added together, but that all things are balanced out.

One of the roots of the phrase “gather together in one” is the Greek word kephalaion which means “the pecuniary sum total of a reckoning”.  A reckoning is a settling of accounts, a judgment, a retribution or a summing up. In the process of reconciliation, those things which should be added are added, and that which should be removed are taken away. The result is that all has been “reconciled”.

"Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD...Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good." Proverbs 20:10, 23

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord (Leviticus 19:35-36; Deuteronomy 25:13-16; Job 31:6; Proverbs 11:1, 16:11; Micah 6:11).  God doesn't have one standard of righteousness for some folks and a different standard for others.  The rod of measurement is the same for all, and it is Christ Jesus (Isaiah 11:1-4).  The only propitiation for man's sin is the sinless offering of Christ; no amount of burning in a Lake of Fire could ever pay that debt...and no Scripture ever says that it could.

One example to consider in this assertion is the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.  When the rich man made a simple request for Lazarus to bring him a cool taste of water, this was Abraham's response:

"But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."  Luke 16:25-26

Beyond the justification that the rich man is getting the just rewards for what he has done in his life, there was another reason why this request could not be accommodated.  There is a "great gulf" between them.  So great in fact that it is not possible for them to come to him nor for him to come to them.  No man can pass across that gulf!  If the rich man only had to wait until his inevitable reconciliation in the Lord, then why didn't Abraham tell him to wait until the day when he would pass over to where they were?  The answer is because there is no such day; that is a false doctrine.

Many in the Early Church held this position

Some point to a number of early church historians and theologians who supported this doctrine as proof that it represents true Christianity.  However, just as it is not sufficient for us to base truth on man's understanding now, the same holds true for back then.  We cannot claim that something is true simply because certain men have believed it to be so. 

One thing we do know.  Even in the time when the Scriptures were penned, the mystery of iniquity was already at work.  So, it would be no surprise that heresy and error was creeping into the churches from the beginning...in fact, we know that it was based on God's word.

While it may be interesting to consider the writings of men, our basis for truth must be grounded in the Scriptures.

There is a judgment awaiting all mankind; an eternal destiny we all face based on whether we have truly belonged to Jesus Christ or have been deceived by the sorceries of Babylon.  Those who have joined themselves to this harlot will do whatever is needed to keep you in bondage to sin, and through that, in bondage to them. 

It is written that the last days will feature a great falling away from the truth for men have become lovers of their own selves.  Whom will you serve in this hour?  God or man?  The consequences (or rewards) are very real and eternal.

Hell Hath No Fury

Like a Woman Scorned

"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." Revelation 18:2-8

In the previous post, we examined how the Whore of Babylon is inwardly filled with animosity against God - even while outwardly claiming to serve & represent Him.  Churches all across this world are full of smiling preachers/congregants performing in the pulpits/pews to hide the fact that they really hate God for His condemnation of sin (John 15:22-25).  Being the habitation of devils and every unclean thing, she secretly rages against God like a woman scorned, knowing that His judgment is looming.

The harlot does everything possible to make it seem as if there will be no judgment.  She spins a web of deceit so that the world will get drunk by the wine of the "wrath" her fornication.  This is why the amusement park atmosphere in Babylon exists.  She glorifies and exalts herself to be bigger than life; she lives deliciously in a life of luxury and excess so that the people will not see her as she really is.  She has to continually pump artificial life into the people so that they will believe: she sits a queen, she is no widow, and she shall see no sorrow.

"Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments." Isaiah 47:8-9

Yet we know that she does NOT sit a queen, she IS a widow, and she SHALL see sorrow.  So why is it important for her to assert these things? To whom is she claiming to belong as a queen, wife, and mother?  It is the "old man"; the fallen Adamic nature.  Many understand that the systems of Babylon shown as the Beast and the Whore in Revelation are symbolic of world government and the harlot church.  However, these entities have their roots in the Garden of Eden.  

"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast..." Revelation 17:3a

The woman represents the nature of Eve after the fall, and the beast represents the nature of Adam.  The Hebrew word "'adam" literally means red, for God made man from the clay of the earth.

God gave Adam dominion over the earth, representative of His government.  Eve was the help meet for God's government, reflective of the church.  When they sinned, they became a fallen creation no longer guided by the Spirit of God, but by their own carnal desires.  This in essence brought to life the "old man", who is a spiritual sodomite.

Now driven by the fallen sodomite nature, that which was created to be the helper rides over that which was created to reflect God's government.  Therefore we see women being exalted in positions of leadership over men and the harlot church continually exalting itself over the authority of God.  And this will remain for a season, until the beast's horns turn on her, for he has hated her all along (Revelation 17:16).  As with Adam in the Garden, the beast resents the woman and blames her for his fall. With the "old man" in prominence, men and women can only hate each other - even while considering themselves heterosexuals - because that is the nature of a sodomite: selfishness.  They simply use each other while it is to their own advantage.  Likewise, the world government system will tolerate the Harlot Church for a moment, using her to accomplish its purposes, before turning to destroy her.

People read the Book of Revelation and are looking for world systems, powers, & institutions, but the real beast and the real whore live inside of you...if you are not born again.  It is not about sexuality, it is about the nature you possess.  Is it the nature of selfishness (a sodomite) or selflessness (a saint)?  If you are still driven by your own carnal lusts instead of the Spirit of God, if your whole world revolves around you, then you are in Babylon, even while sitting in the first row at church each week, singing in the choir, and preaching in the pulpit. This is why we see such a broad push globally to accept homosexuality as normal.  Such is merely an outward reflection of what has already occurred in the hearts of men.

Down through time, this nature has grown to envelop entire world systems as it reigns over man to enslave him in a life of sin.  But then came the "last Adam" (I Corinthians 15:45).  When Jesus died on the cross, He dealt a deathblow to the Adamic nature.  Now we can say that our old man is crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6).  Set free from the enslavement of sin, we are made new and thereby able to walk in newness of life.  No longer self-centered (a sodomite), we can finally love God and love others.

This is the truth that Babylon does not want you to understand: You can be free from sin!  And she will fight against this truth with everything in her.  She will protest that she is still a queen, she is not a widow, she will not lose her children; in other words, the old man must be kept alive!  She will make you jump, scream, clap, and cry to keep you from noticing that you are spiritually dead.  She will create grandiose church empires that keep you running around in "good works" so that you won't realize that the old man has been dethroned.

This is a beast that "was, and is not, and yet is." (Revelation 17:8).  The Adamic nature did exist, it is crucified, but yet still exists.  How is this possible?  Because the whole world has drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication.   Remember, the linchpin to Babylon's control over man is that he be bound to sin.  In order for Babylon to reign, she must keep man carnal and soulish; she must feed the old man and keep him alive...even artificially.

Hence, Carlton Pearson's gospel of inclusion (and others like it) must eradicate any notion of a punishment for sin.  There can be no Hell, there can be no judgment, no condemnation.  If there are no consequences for sin, then one need not worry about being bound to it.  The one threat to Babylon's existence is that people would come to know Christ for real and thereby be set free.

God's answer is that you be born again so that the old man can be crucified and the body of sin destroyed.  Babylon's answer is to feed your flesh and placate your sin with promises that you will still be saved in spite of it.  So the whore continues singing a deceptive lullaby to those who would wonder after her through "the multitude of her sorceries" and "the great abundance of her enchantments".

Yet, do the Scriptures really support a doctrine of inclusion where everyone is saved?  In the next post we will compare the assertions of this doctrine with the words of God.

The Road to Hell

Is Paved With Spiritual Sodomy

In a previous series, we addressed what it is to be a spiritual sodomite. This is a very real spiritual condition about which many in the churchworld are blinded...even while being affected by it.

Simply put, a spiritual sodomite is someone bound by the fallen nature or what the Scriptures call the "old man".  Just as physical sodomy perverts the physical nature of man, spiritual sodomy perverts the spiritual nature of man.

Man was created so that his spirit would take input from the Spirit of God, which in turn would dictate to his soul (mind, thoughts, emotions) as the body carries out those directives.  However in spiritual sodomy, this natural order is reversed.  Man's spirit is held captive by his soul, which prevents him from hearing God and makes him soulish as the body carries out the desires of the flesh (Romans 8:5-9).  This is the reason people go to Hell; because they are led by their own five, carnal senses instead of by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14).

The foundation of Babylon is built upon spiritual sodomy.  The life-changing force of God is replaced with a pseudo imitation which mimics life via stimulation of the flesh.  Being powerless to actually impart new life to its followers, expansive "amusement parks" of religious systems & structures are created to keep the flesh entertained and the people blinded to the reality of their true spiritual condition. Since they cannot reproduce the life of God or manifest the fruit of the Spirit in its followers, this harlot hides behind an array of "good works" so that it can appear (self-)righteous before men. 

As I watched a news interview with Carlton Pearson, it struck me how his life mirrors the tragedy of one who has been stuck in Babylon and never really known God.  "How can you say that?", some might ask.  He was a power preacher who had thousands of followers and headed some of the most popular Christian conferences in the nation.  I would suggest that you listen to his own words.  Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.  While you can see the entire interview for yourself here, I have referenced a number of his words (in green text below) which illustrate how he has been raised in, and deceived by, that great amusement park called Babylon.

This article is not about Carlton Pearson the man, but is a glimpse into the mind and soul of those who are being tormented in this unrighteous system to which Pearson's testimony speaks.

Fear of Man More Than Fear of God

"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." Matthew 10:28

"I was afraid of their [his former parishioners] disfavor."

"I had introduced her [his wife] to all these wonderful, stellar human beings who preached, who commanded ministry in church, and I had convinced her that we were bosom, covenant brothers and sisters, that these people really loved me and loved her.  And when they turned either away or against us so violently, it stunned her, and I was embarrassed.  I was embarrassed because I had told her that my world was solid, and my friends were solid."

"I was hurting.  Everyone I knew had thrown me away."

One of the primary attributes of Babylon is that your identity comes from man and not God.  As a result, you find yourself constantly seeking man's approval; having to live up or down to someone else's standards.  You are never able to be made whole in Christ, but you become a slave to the opinions of others.  Through a fear of rejection, they are able to manipulate and deceive you...even while promising to set you free (II Peter 2:18-19).  Pearson's whole world was based upon the acceptance of men, and when that was no longer there, he felt he had nothing.

This is why God says that the fear of man brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25).  We cannot trust in the arm of flesh because doing so is the evidence that your heart has departed from the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5).  The truly born again believer has been made accepted in the Beloved because Jesus Christ is our Justifier (Acts 13:39; Romans 3:24, 5:1-9; I Corinthians 6:11; Galatians 2:16-17; Titus 3:7).  We have our source, identity, and purpose in Him alone (Acts 17:28).

Seeking God's Hand and Not His Face

"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek." Psalm 27:8

"We didn't come here [to his former church] just to worship God.  We came here to avoid His Hell."

"If we don't come here and bow at those altars, light these candles, do what people do to appease the presumed angry God, you go to Hell.  That is the only alternative."

The hand of God is often symbolic of His power, including His supernatural provision. Seeking God for what He can do for us (His hand) versus for who He is (His face) is not experiencing true communion with Him.  It is a selfish and self-centered attitude where we expect God to do for us with no regard for Him personally. Even in the natural, this type of relationship is described as one being used.  When this is our motivation we become like the men at Mars' hill; overly religious, worshiping a God we neither know nor understand while offering Him sacrifices in the hopes that He will grant us His favor and spare us His wrath (Acts 17:22-31).

My friends, this is not what it means to be in relationship with God.  Whether we are attempting to get prosperity, healing, a spouse, or even protection from Hell, true fellowship with God can only come when we seek His face and nothing else. We must come to Him for who He is, our Savior and Lord.

Sodomizing Church Members

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." I Corinthians 2:4-5

"You have to get the people happy.  You have to sweat, shout, spit and get emotional.  You had to deliver.  And in my tradition, it wasn't just a good sermon.  You had to get them jumping, screaming, clapping, saying Amen and crying.  If you don't perform in that pulpit, you're a dead man. I am good.  I am one of the best of them."

Pearson describes himself as a master performer in the pulpit.

perform: to act (a play, part, etc.), as on the stage, in movies, or on television. 

In his church experience, from his teaching and discipleship (in Babylon), Pearson learned that being a minister of the Gospel was not about demonstrating the Spirit and power of God, but the theatrics of man. You have to put on a good show.  You have to entertain the flesh.  You have to sodomize the people in the church.

"But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." Job 32:8

God's words are spiritual seed and they are life (Luke 8:11; John 6:63).  He inspires us by having His Spirit communicate to our spirit so that our soul and body may in turn be conformed to His will.  That is how we get understanding.  Spirit calls out to spirit, and deep unto deep (I Corinthians 2:10-11).  Like in the natural, as that seed is planted on fertile ground, it germinates, grows, and brings forth life (Luke 8:5-15)

God does not lead us through the realm of our soul; such is unnatural and contrary to the way He has designed for us to commune with Him.  This is, however, how Satan operates and it is spiritual sodomy because he is gaining access to our souls illegally.  Since the old man is carnal (I Corinthians 2:14), those influencing the old man must appeal to his soul.  Instead of spiritual seed being planted to enlighten our minds with knowledge of the truth, the 'master performer' must manipulate the soul in order to bypass the mind so that the masses will become susceptible to his control, his influence, and his sorcery.  As a musician plucking the strings on a guitar, he directs your soul like a ventriloquist with a puppet to make you jump, cry, laugh, and shout...all at his prompts.  When preachers start putting on a show to entertain your flesh, just know that you are being sodomized; you are being bewitched.  They are sowing to your flesh and you will in turn reap from the flesh corruption (Galatians 6:8).

Building Earthly Kingdoms

"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world." John 18:36a

"Collection income [at Pearson's church] was up to $60,000 a week." Keith Morrison, NBC

"This [his church empire] was Heaven."

"All this together is 30 acres.  And we added that 41,000 sq. ft. building called the Destiny Center...$1.6 million just that." [Pearson describing his church expansion plans].

"Now I am a stranger in my own house [the church building]." [Pearson speaking after the church property was foreclosed upon].

"You're there at the invitation of the President of the United States.  That was pretty big stuff."  [Pearson describing being invited to the White House during his campaign for President Bush in 2000.]

Babylon loves the earthly kingdoms it erects.  Just as the Jews attempted to get Jesus to marvel at the temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1; Mark 13:1; Luke 21:5), the unregenerated man views these structures as extensions of themselves; of their earthly power & influence.  As in the days of old, they idolize the work of their own hands.  Remember, like an amusement park, it has to be bigger than life, grandiose, in order to keep the soul enthralled and entranced.  If there is no pomp and circumstance, no bells and whistles, you might just see how dead it really is.

It may be claimed that all of this is done "for the Lord", but look at Pearson's reflections on his church empire.  It was "Heaven" to him; it was "his" house, not God's house.  Yet this idolatry of self is not only seen in church structures.  Whether it is political influence or other secular affiliations, their actions become less about promoting the kingdom of God and more about sustaining their own worldly empires.  They have to keep their earthly presence billowing in order to sustain the illusion that this is a great move of God.

Questioning the Word of God

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." I Thessalonians 2:13

"The Bible is an idol."

"[My personal studies in Hebrew and Greek] made me question the term that the Bible is inerrant and infallible...To say that the Bible is not the word of God, but is the word of man about God - as best as man has perceived God - is troubling, even for me to say it."

"I respect the Bible.  I take it very seriously, I just don't take it literally."

Rooted in Babylonian's control and sorcery over the people is the attempt discredit the Scriptures.  From the beginning, Satan has used this tactic starting with when he asked Eve, "Hath God said?"  A primary defense God has given to protect us from deception is His word (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Isaiah 8:20; Galatians 1:8-9).  By denying the authority of Scripture, you can effectively blind the people as God's will becomes grounded in the personality and wisdom of men.

Deep Down Inside, You Really Hate God

"If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause." John 15:22-25

"I resented God.  If you fear God the way we are taught to fear Him, you'll serve Him, you'll believe in Him, you'll worship Him, but you probably will never really love Him."

"When I was able to convince my father that day that his parents were not in Hell, he literally lit up...I think he forgave God that day, if you can do such a thing.  And I think I have forgiven Him, cause He was killing too many of my people and sending them to Hell."

"Religion is all about control...Now I consider myself a freedom fighter, trying to get people free from the paranoia and the penalty of following people who say, 'It is our way or the highway.'"

Please take note of this.  The reason that people hate the Lord is because He removes any cover for their sin.  In order for Babylon to flourish, it must keep the people carnal and bound to sin; that is the basis of its control.  If you are not through with sin, if you have not repented of your sin, then Jesus Christ will be an offense to you...and He is to Carlton Pearson.

Carlton Pearson resented God and never really loved Him!  While he was studying at Oral Roberts University and serving on their Board of Regents, while he was preaching in pulpits, while he was singing with choirs, while he was leading others in prayer...he harbored continual resentment against the Lord.

resentment: the feeling of displeasure or indignation; animosity, bitterness, wrath

Why did Pearson hold animosity against God?  Because God was sending too many of "his people" to Hell.  Instead of identifying with believers in Christ as "his people", he feels more affinity with those who have rejected God.  Pearson has more of a sense of kinship for "the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars" than he does for God.

Further, Pearson judges God as unrighteous by presenting himself as being more loving and compassionate for humanity than God.  Instead of standing in need of God's forgiveness, Pearson presents a God in need of his forgiveness and that of his father.  In this type of assessment, who is divine and who is in need of redemption?   

The truth of what Pearson describes is the torment of man trying to serve God through religious performance (soulish activity) apart from being born again.  No matter how much you try to constrain the sinful nature, no matter how much you try to be spiritual, you grow to resent God for demanding a holy life that you cannot produce.  Is God trying to frustrate you?  YES!!!  God doesn't enjoy your turmoil, but He wants you to finally stop performing and come into true relationship with Him. It is His hope that you will see the futility of existing in the witchcraft of Babylon and begin to yearn for true revival and renewal in your hearts. 

People don't go to Hell because they aren't a Christian.  They go to Hell because they are a sinner.  You can claim to be a Christian all you want, but if you are still bound by sin and carnal, you will be damned to Hell.  Every other man ever born is a sinner, but Jesus Christ is the only sinless offering made as a propitiation for the sin of man.  As Jesus stated above, Pearson's resentment against the Lord bore down to one issue: God's condemnation of sin. 

A New Gospel

"For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." II Corinthians 11:4

"God, I can't save this whole world."  And that's when I heard this voice say, "Precisely!  That's what we did.  And if you tell them [all people] that they are redeemed, you won't create those types of problems."

"If He [Jesus] came to save the world, then the world is saved unless He is a failure."

"For the first time in all my life as Christian, I really not only loved God, but I started liking God."

"There is a great shifting coming now, I feel it.  There's a great anointing coming...We are turning this thing [Christianity] around."

To get around the issue of sin, Carlton Pearson had to come up with a new gospel message.  Under this "Gospel of Inclusion", all people are redeemed.  And having done away with that pesky little issue of sin - the one precursor to hating God - Pearson can finally love and even like God for the first time in his "Christian" life.  This is why he had to be a master performer in the pulpit.  It was all a charade, a masquerade to live up to a caricature of what he thought Christianity was supposed to be...and what the people expected him to be.

Yet, Carlton Pearson is not alone.  In many a church - indeed, in many a pulpit - there are people who hate God, even while calling themselves Christians and ministers of the Gospel.  Why? Because they have joined themselves to a Harlot Church.  As a result, they are ensnared into a life of religious performance defined by the acceptance of man where they are never really able to gain the victory over sin.  Instead, they struggle to live out by the flesh the new life which can only come by the Spirit of God.  In the end, they will either finally repent and submit to God to be born again or erect a new god with a new gospel that will accommodate their sin.

Pearson says that his plan is to turn Christianity around with this message of inclusion so that there will no longer be simply one Way to God.  He calls this a great shift; God calls it a great falling away.

In the next post, we will examine the roots of Babylon and why a doctrine of inclusion is needed to empower this entity and deceive the masses.

UPDATE:  See Babylon in action in this CNN article entitled "Black Preachers who 'Whoop' Minstrels or Ministers?"