Studying God's Word

I’m a Baptist believer and I always looked favorably on Catholics as just another Christian denomination. I was dead wrong. Roman Catholicism is a Satanic cult. I first found that out when I was handing out Christian tracts at a Catholic hospital. I was confronted by a hospital administrator and two security guards who asked me to leave the hospital premises. I was dumbfounded! I told them I was passing out the gospel of Christ and asked what was wrong with that. I got no answer but I was escorted off the property. It wasn’t until I started to study Roman Catholicism that it all became clear why the church is dead set against any witnessing for Christ.

Matthew 15:8-9 – (Jesus speaking) – These people draw near to Me (Catholics) with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

The Catholic church teaches that salvation can come only through membership in their church and not through faith in Jesus alone as the Scriptures say. The Catholic church teaches that the Pope has the keys to heaven and hell. The Catholic church wants you to believe you must participate in mass and all the other doctrines and sacraments in order to go to heaven. The Catholic church wants you to believe the Pope and his priests have the final say on forgiveness of sin and who gets to go to heaven, or not. For that reason the Catholic church cannot allow their flock to read the Bible for themselves or they might realize they don’t need the church to go to heaven. The Catholic church doesn’t allow witnessing for Christ even though Jesus Christ gave the Great Commission to all believers. Have you ever seen a Catholic witnessing for Christ? Neither have I. If they did they would be kicked out of the Catholic church and excommunicated by the Pope. I was kicked out of the Catholic hospital because I was a threat to them and their corrupt church doctrines.

This is not a secret. The proof is out there for anyone taking the time to look at the evidence. If you’re not a Catholic don’t become one or you’ll be worshipping Satan. Don’t join any of the other trendy cults who claim to be Christian but are also Satanic cults. I’m referring to Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness, Scientology, etc. The Catholic church has also been trying to corrupt the word of God by funding new Bible editions that omit certain Scriptures from God’s word. Only trust the King James Bible (NKJV) as the true word of God. As the author of history God knew that Satan would corrupt the Roman Catholic church. As the author of the Bible God put Scriptures in the Bible that speaks directly to Catholic believers trapped in an evil church. If you’re a Catholic you’d be wise to meditate on the following Bible verses.

2 Corinthians 6:14 – Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

We know God is talking about a church containing Christian believers because he talks about fellowship. God is either talking about a Catholic church or a Protestant church. Those are the only two choices available. The fact that God references communion tells you God is talking the Catholic church and telling believers to come out of her so as to not fellowship with unbelievers, which most Catholics are. They just might not know it because they have always depended on the Pope and the Church to save them and not God. Most Catholics will be in total shock on the last day when they find themselves at the Great White Thone judgment of Christ for nonbelievers.

2 Corinthians 6:15 – And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

God is letting us know that the Roman Catholic church belong to Belial. Belial is just another name for Satan, the devil, who is the enemy of all men and the devourer of souls. Satan knows he’s going to hell forever and he wants to take as many men and women with him as possible.

2 Corinthians 6:16 – And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them, I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

God’s first commandment is in Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Catholics are taught to pray to Mary and not Jesus. As the Mother of God she is considered to be co-equal with Jesus in granting salvation to men. The Catholic church dogma declares the “immaculate conception” of Mary which means she was free from original sin. This is unscriptural. Pope Pius IX declared this to be divinely revealed to him in 1854. Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) added another blasphemy when he instituted the dogma of nonsensical daily Rosary prayers to Mary for all Catholics. In Scripture God says not to worship him with vain repetitions like the heathens do. A centerpiece of pagan religions is goddess worship and the Roman Catholic church has adopted this with the elevation of Mary to divine status and worshipping her instead of God. If you’re a Roman Catholic you’re a heathen in the eyes of God. The Catholic church by making Mary equal with God, and praying to her, has placed other gods (Mary) before the Lord in disobedience to God’s first commandment. There is no biblical warrant for revering Mary or worshipping her. This church dogma was created by sinful men and not God. Tell me I’m wrong?

God’s second commandment is in Exodus 20:4-5, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” Idols and statues are an integral part of pagan worship. Look around any Catholic church and what do you see? You see numerous statues of saints and Mary that people can pray to. You see numerous paintings and carved images of Jesus on the cross. The second commandment is very clear and the Catholic church is violating it.

2 Corinthians 6:17 – Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”

God is making it abundantly clear the body of believers is not compatible with the Roman Catholic church and they are to come out of her (leave the Catholic church) in order to return to fellowship with God. Most Catholics are brainwashed from birth and have never personally accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They just believe being a member of the church and believing all the false doctrines and going through all the phony sacraments will get them to heaven. It won’t. Satan is blinding you to the truth of God. In the above verse God makes it clear he’s waiting for you to leave the Roman Catholic church and come to him.

2 Corinthians 6:18 – I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

God made every one of us and he wants to be a Father to us in every sense of the word. We don’t need a corrupt church coming between God and man. We don’t need evil men with their own agenda interfering with the relationship we have with God. This is what Satan has designed the Roman Catholic church to do to us. If you’re Catholic please don’t fall for the lies of Satan any longer. Come out of that evil institution while you still can. You have no excuse because I have told you. Let’s use our common sense here. Do you really think God approves of the Roman Catholic church when it’s obviously disobedient to the first two commandments of God? Not to mention being unscriptural in every single church dogma, doctrine and sacrament.

During the early period church and all the way through the middle ages most of the people didn’t have access to the Bible. The Catholic Bible was written in Latin which only the highly educated could read and the church forbade any Bible translations into the common languages. People had to rely on the church to tell them what the Bible said and about God and that’s the way the Roman Catholic church wanted it. The evil empire wanted to be able to freely create and install unscriptural doctrines and sacraments for the church without any pushback from the faithful. If nobody could read and very few had Bibles then nobody could question what the church was doing. The peasants just accepted that whatever the Pope was doing had the approval of God. Numerous Popes throughout the centuries have attempted to confiscate and burn all Bibles and/or prevent their translation into common languages because they wanted all religious information to come only from the church.

Psalm 119:18 – Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

Psalm 63:1 – O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

As you can see from the above verses God gave the Bible for every believers to read and study and obey. Nowhere in the Bible does it give the right to any church body to withhold the Bible from believers or to spoon feed the faithful with unscriptural doctrine. Catholics are discouraged from reading their Bibles on their own without interpretation of those Scriptures by the church. The Pope interprets Scripture to mean what he wants it to mean and that interpretation has precedence over what God plainly says in his word. In the church it’s a sin to not to accept the Pope’s word over what God says. What blasphemy!

Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.

Psalm 29:2 – Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the lord in the beauty of holiness.

There are dozens of verses in the Bible that command us to honor God with our money and praise him continually with our lips in prayer. God is glorified when we pray to him and that glory is stolen from God when believers are prevented from praying to him. The Roman Catholic church has stolen God’s glory with their unscriptural doctrine on prayer and they will be held accountable on the last day. God talks to us through the Bible and we talk to God through prayer. That two-way communication creates fellowship between man and God. God can’t hear the prayers of Catholics who pray to Mary or other church saints and that’s just what Satan intended.

Psalm 145:19 – He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and save them.

Psalm 6:9 – The Lord had heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

Along comes the Roman Catholic church who decides to change the way we talk to God. They decide God is too busy to hear our prayers so they make their flock pray to Mary instead. Now Mary is the mother of Jesus and is no doubt revered in heaven but she’s not divine like the church claims. Mary is only a human being like us and Scripture confirms she needed salvation just like we all do. Mary can’t hear our prayers and she can’t forgive our sins or take our prayers to Jesus. That’s utter nonsense! The Bible clearly teaches we must make our prayers directly to God the Father and nobody else. I’m sure Mary is mortified that she is the object of prayer here on earth. If God had intended that we make our prayers to Mary he would have said so in the Bible. God would not have omitted something as important as that.

Psalm 112:1 – Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.

Isaiah 33:6 – Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure.

In the Bible I count 129 direct commands from God to the believer. While it’s true many of the commands are redundant, the point is God commands us to do many things which we cannot know unless we read and study the Bible ourselves. The Roman Catholic church, or any church for that matter, will only give you a few of the most important commandments and will tell you only what’s important to them. You can’t expect to be spoon fed your religion. Each of us is responsible for learning all there is to know about God for ourselves; by personally reading and studying the Bible. As believers it’s our duty to read and study God’s word so we know what it is we must do to please God. And the word of God must take precedence over all else. If any church or doctrine is not scriptural you must not follow it. If your church does not follow the teaching of the Bible then leave that church and find one that does.

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

Isaiah 5:20 – Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

The entire Bible is about the revelation of Jesus Christ on the earth and his worship should be the centerpiece of any church. The Roman Catholic church has reduced Jesus to a cookie they pull out only during mass. Every doctrine and sacrament of the Roman Catholic church is 180 degrees from what God wants for his church. Satan and God are both invisible but you can know them by their works. The fact that 100% of the Roman Catholic church dogma, doctrines and sacraments are unscriptural reveals to us that the Roman Catholic is the fruit of Satan. There’s no other logical answer. You shall know them by their fruit and we can that clearly. The pomp and circumstance of a Roman Catholic church service is indeed a stench in the nostrils of God. Have no part in any Roman Catholic pagan worship service.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Hosea 13:4 – Yet I am the LORD your God…there is no Savior besides Me.

The Bible makes it clear that salvation unto eternal life is only through Jesus Christ by faith alone. That means being a member of the Roman Catholic church won’t save you. Following church doctrines and sacraments won’t save you. Praying to Mary and chanting the nonsensical rosary won’t save you. Confessing your sins to an evil man in a box won’t save you either. The Pope and his priests cannot save your eternal soul or send you to hell no matter how much they want you to think they can. The Apostle Peter is not the first Pope and Jesus did not appoint him to be the head of church. When Jesus said, “Upon this Rock I will build My church,” he was referring to himself and not Peter. The Popes claim to be the Vicar of Christ on earth but in reality they are the servants of Satan. There have been 265 Popes and with few exceptions, if any, they will all be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone on the last day for leading their followers away from the truth of God.

The early Christian church was centered in Rome and the Bishop of Rome, as the leader of the church, eventually became known as the Pope. The word Catholic means “universal.” The term Catholic was first used by St. Ignatius of Antioch to refer to Christianity as a whole. Those Christians who recognized the leadership of the Pope were called Roman Catholics. In 285 AD the Emperor Hadrian split the Roman empire into the western Roman empire ruled from Rome and the eastern Roman empire ruled from Constantinople. In 476 AD the western Roman empire was destroyed but the Roman Catholic church survived. There remained only one Christian church, headquartered in Rome, until 1054 when the church split in two.

The Pope in Rome wanted the church in Constantinople to subjugate themselves to the Pope’s leadership in all religious matters. When the church in Constantinople refused to do this the Pope had no other choice but to excommunicate the head of the church in Constantinople. In a tit-for-tat the Pope was excommunicated in return. There was always the possibility of the two churches reuniting until 1204 when the crusaders sacked Constantinople under the orders of the Pope in Rome. The church in Constantinople became known as the Eastern Orthodox Catholic church. The two churches were together for a thousand years so most of their doctrines and sacraments are identical. They are a Satanic cult just like the Roman Catholic church and their leadership is also sold out to Satan.

The main differences between the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox Catholics is that while the Roman Catholics recognize the Pope as the head of the church the Orthodox don’t recognize a supreme leader like the Pope. Roman Catholics think the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son whereas the Orthodox Catholics think the Holy Spirit comes only from the Father. Roman Catholics believe in the immaculate conception of Mary who is called the, “Mother of God.” The Orthodox Catholics, on the other hand, don’t believe in such a thing as “original sin” and therefore they don’t accept the immaculate conception of Mary and they certainly don’t give her the title, “Mother of God.”

The Roman Catholic church teaches that the Pope has authority over all the church and he is infallible. The Pope’s interpretation of the word of God takes precedence over what God himself says. For the Orthodox Catholics, their Pope is honored but his authority is no different than any other Bishop in the church. The Roman Catholics teach that there is a place called purgatory where believers can do penance to cleanse them of their sins after death. The Orthodox Catholics also believe in purgatory but they don’t think sins are cleansed after death.

There are 1.3 million Roman Catholics and 300 million Orthodox Catholics. I see them as essentially the same. They are both Satanic cults and they are Christian in name only. We are told there are 2.4 billion Christians in the world, counting Catholics, but that is misleading because Catholics aren’t Christians. They say they are and they think they are but they’re wrong. Satan has sold them a bill of goods and stolen the truth of God from before their eyes. Some Catholics may be saved by personal faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior but I fear most are mistakenly depending on their priest, the Pope and the doctrines of the Roman Catholic church to save them. Only faith in Jesus Christ can save us unto eternal life!

The Roman and Orthodox Catholic churches are both evil criminal enterprises bent on maintaining their power, wealth and influence over the lives of their followers at all costs. All the doctrines and sacraments established by both of the churches were established by men for their own benefit. None of the Catholic doctrines and sacraments are scriptural in any way. Christianity is Jesus Christ and vice versa. The Catholic churches give lip service to Jesus Christ but have reduced him to a cookie they bring out only during mass. The Catholic faithful are told to pray to Mary, a human being just like us, instead of to God the Father as the Bible commands.

Instead of going directly to God in prayer for forgiveness of sins the flock is told to go confess their sins to another sinner in a box who has no authority to forgive sins. Only God can forgive our sins and the Pope has no authority to say otherwise. Pope’s are the self-appointed Vicars of Christ but they’re reading the Scriptures wrong. The “Rock” upon which Jesus said he would build his church is himself. Jesus was not giving that honor and glory to Peter. In addition, Peter was not the first Pope. The Pope and his priests have no authority over the church of God on this earth through Peter as they claim. The Roman Catholic church has no standing before God; but they do have standing before Satan, whom they serve.

Jesus Christ came down from heaven to establish his church on the earth, which is the body of believers who accept him as Lord and Savior. The temple of God is the body of each believer and not some church building or a particular denomination. After Jesus ascended back to heaven he sent the Holy Spirit back to earth 50 days later, at Pentecost, to indwell all believers from that day forward. If you’re a believer you are the church of God and you carry Jesus Christ inside you as you live your life. All believers are inseparably linked to God for all eternity. Jesus came to earth to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus defeated eternal death by his resurrection. Satan didn’t take this lying down. Satan fought back by inciting men to violent acts against all Christians. Many thousands of Christian believers were persecuted and killed. Many Christians were fed to the lions in the Roman coliseum just for sport. God’s purpose cannot be thwarted so the more the Christians were persecuted the more their numbers grew.

Matthew 20:28 – (Jesus speaking) – Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Matthew 26:28 – (Jesus speaking) – For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Satan realized he couldn’t stamp out Christianity so he changed his tactics. Satan decided if you can’t beat them join them, and destroy them from within. Rome was the largest city in the world and the early Christian church was headquartered there. At the time Rome was also filled with pagan temples worshipping a host of fake religions and false gods, all sponsored by Satan to divert man away from the truth of God. When the Emperor Constantine declared Christianity to be the official faith of the Roman empire in 313 AD all these pagan temples didn’t go away all of a sudden. They just switched to being Christian houses of worship and all the pagan priests simply put on new robes and became Christian priests. You have to understand that because pagan gods aren’t real there was no spiritual truth to be had so their priests had to sell the “sizzle” of religion to fool everyone into thinking they were worshipping a real god.

Matthew 6:7-8 – (Jesus speaking) – And when you pray do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. for your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Matthew 7:22-23 – (Jesus speaking) – Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” and I will then declare to them, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

How did the pagan temples accomplish this? First of all, all pagan temples were very ornate. If it looks good it must be true, right? Wrong. The pagan temples used vain repetitions in their worship services so a god must be impressed, right? Wrong. There were many idols everywhere that people could worship as gods. If statues in the temples looked like a god then they must be a god, right? Wrong. All the pagan priests were dressed lavishly. If they look impressive they must represent a god, right? Wrong. Elaborate music was an integral part of the pagan worship services. If the music sounds good then it must represent a god, right? Wrong. Since pagan worship had no real truth or substance they had to make it look good by coming up with ceremonies and rituals that gave the appearance of worshipping a god. I’m referring to the many sacraments and doctrines that defined a pagan worship service. Busy work before a nonexistent god.

Matthew 10:28 – (Jesus speaking) – And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 7:13-14 – (Jesus speaking) – Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

These pagan priests in Rome were in the business of religion because religion sells and there was money to be made. So when Rome became Christian the priests merely exchanged their pagan robes for Christian ones and then changed the signs on the doors of their temples and then they were open for business as Christian churches. These new Christian priests converted to the faith in name only. They didn’t change their beliefs at all. It was merely a business decision to incorporate their pagan beliefs and rituals into the new Christian church. This early church in Rome grew to become the Catholic church and under the influence of Satan they adopted many of the pagan temple rituals that existed at that time. Satan managed to corrupt the church in Rome over time and as a result the Roman Catholic church eventually became totally Satan’s church from about the time of Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century (590-605AD) and probably long before then.

There’s only one burning question every human being must ask themselves during their lifetime; and the quicker they ask it the better. Is there a God, yes or no? All the things in your life will flow from your answer. You can procrastinate all you want but eventually you’ll have to face the question and find the right answer; or the question will be answered for you. If you say there’s no God and it’s true then all your problems are solved. At death you simply cease to exist. It’ll be as if you never were. But you better be right, because if you’re wrong your eternal soul will burn in the lake of fire and brimstone for a trillion billion years; and that’s just one day in eternity. You better make sure you put in the time to thoroughly investigate all the evidence that exists out there to back up your conclusion. You must get it right. You see, I have put in the time and I know the answer you seek. There is one true God in this world and his name is the Lord. Eternal life in heaven is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ, the son of God. I’ve been studying the Bible for over 20 years and the more I immerse myself in God’s word the more this truth is revealed.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Romans 8:38-39 – For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joint and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

If you say there’s no God I know, and you know, you haven’t put in the time to check God out. You’ve used your own intellect to refute the existence of God because you can’t see him. If you’ll stop assuming you know best and just give God a fair hearing you’ll discover the truth of God. It’ll hit you like a ton of bricks like it did me. Surely you’ve got time to investigate the most important question in your life? If you had, the existence of God would’ve been proven to you because the evidence for our God is overwhelming. What happens is that Satan, the god of this world, has blinded the nonbeliever so that the word of God is foolishness to them. You must get Satan out of your mind long enough to seek out God, which is why you were put here on earth.

2 Corinthians 4:4 – (Nonbelievers) Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

1 John 3:8 – He who sins is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

God put eternity in the hearts of men so they would know there’s a God and seek his face. Satan has used that against man by diverting them from the light of God by creating fake religions and false gods throughout history. Satan is the father of lies and he’s been very successful at turning man away from God. The vast majority of people will either miss God’s grace because they don’t believe in God or they chase after false gods. That means millions of people are dying every day and going to hell. That is astounding to me because there’s no proof to support any of these fake religion or that God doesn’t exist. In fact, it’s just the opposite. All the evidence out there proves the Lord is God and Christianity is his church. It just goes to show you the power Satan has over earth; his domain. Please don’t fall for Satan’s lies.

Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Just knowing who God is won’t help you much. We’re all born in sin from Adam’s fall from grace and our ultimate destination is to spend all eternity in hell for that sin. To escape that fate we must give our sin to Jesus Christ and accept his righteousness in return. That’s the best swap you’ll ever make in your life! We do that by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus becomes sin for us and dies on the cross in our place so we don’t have to receive the wrath of God. The blood of Jesus Christ atones for our sin (washes it away) so that God’s wrath does not fall on us, but on the nonbeliever. A spiritual truth of heaven is that the wages of sin is death. A just God will mete out his justice because God does not change. We were saved from having to die for our sins because Jesus died in our place so we wouldn’t have to. That’s why we call the Lord our Savior. Praise God! All I can do is exhort nonbelievers to read their Bibles daily and study God’s word to find salvation unto eternal life in heaven, which God has prepared for us who believe. As believers, be ready to share the gospel message of Christ with nonbelievers so that they too can find the grace of God. God doesn’t want any of his children going to hell for lack of a witness.

2 Corinthians 4;3 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

2 Corinthians 5:20 – Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God was pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season (to witness). Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

I know a secret I think you should know. Please share it with everyone. I have found that distributing Christian tracts is the best way to fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus Christ gave to his disciples, which is to witness the gospel message to all nations and all peoples. If you’re a believer like me then you’re also a disciple of Jesus Christ. God’s word is alive and Jesus is alive in heaven. As disciples, Jesus is speaking directly to us through the pages of the Bible as if he were having a one on one conversation with us. The Great Commission is not a request; it’s a direct command from Jesus Christ to his servants, which we are. In the dictionary the word lord means master or ruler so when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior it means Jesus is our master and we’re to obey all of his commands if we want to please God and remain in fellowship with our maker. Jesus is God in the flesh. We cannot please God by being disobedient. We’re not in fellowship with God if we’re not obedient to God’s word. To disobey God by failing to witness for Christ is a sin. Your other good works will go up in flames if you don’t first witness for Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20 – (Jesus speaking) – All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

John 14:15 – (Jesus speaking) – If you love Me, you will obey what I command (witness).

Matthew 7:20 – (Jesus speaking) – Therefore by their fruits you will know them (believers).

2 Corinthians 5:11 – Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord (hell), we persuade men.

We know God put us here on earth to seek him out and accept his saving grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Salvation is a one time event that happens in an instant and it can never be reversed. Once saved always saved. But God also has a second reason for our life on earth and it’s ongoing for the rest of our lives. We’re to glorify God by how we live our lives and by our good works. The number one good work we do for God is sharing the gospel message of Christ through personal witnessing. All the other good works we do are meaningless to God if we don’t first share our witness for Christ. Sharing the gospel message is the main thing, everything else is just icing on the cake. If you’ll notice in the Scriptures, every time God talks about our “work” or “works” here on earth it’s usually in the context of our witnessing for Christ and not about good works in general.

Romans 4:4 – Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Galatians 6:9 – And let us not grow weary while doing good (witnessing), for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Titus 2:7 – In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.

1 Corinthians 3:7-9 – So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor (witnessing). For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

Of course, one on one witnessing is always the best way to witness but the problem we have is that personal witnessing opportunities are few and far between. It’s difficult to find nonbelievers who will be receptive to our witness. People who do try to witness eventually start to shy away from the rejection they receive. Rejection wears you down and wears you out after a while. It’s human nature and it takes a very strong person to persevere when they’re continually facing rejection. I’m a positive person and I can speak from personal experience that when I repeatedly face rejection it tends to wear me down. People are easily influenced by peer pressure and most believers either don’t witness at all or when they do witness they quit after a few attempts have been rebuffed. Satan has many effective ways to prevent believers from sharing the gospel with nonbelievers.

John 9:4 – I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work (witness).

John 4:36 – Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

Luke 6:38 – (Jesus speaking) – Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

Hebrews 6:10 – For God is not unjust to forget your work (witnessing) and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister (witness).

God is very creative and over the centuries he’s adapted with the changing times in order to make sure the gospel message of Jesus Christ reaches nonbelievers of every race and creed. People are now sharing their witness for Christ on cable television programs and on Christian radio stations. Christian authors share their witness through the many books they write. That’s fine for Christians called to those ministries but what about the rest of us who don’t have a specific calling from God or who don’t have those resources, gifts, or opportunities? I’ve been studying God’s word for over twenty years now and I haven’t found any better way to share the gospel message of Jesus Christ than by distributing Christian tracts. Christian tracts have been around for over 75 years and we have numerous eyewitness testimonies that tracts have saved tens of thousands of people for the kingdom of God. How can we be sure Christian tracts are approved by God? Let’s look at the evidence. One of the proofs that the Bible is God’s word is its worldwide distribution and effectiveness at changing the lives of millions of people for the better. We can easily see that the Bible is the fruit of God’s labor.

Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Job 22:2 – Can a man be profitable to God, though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?

2 Corinthians 5:9 – Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

Christian tracts have traits similar to the Bible. Well over one billion Christian tracts have been sold worldwide over the last 75 years. What started with Chick Publications has now grown so that there are many companies publishing Christian tracts in just about every language. This proliferation has occurred because Christian tracts work and we have the testimonies of tens of thousands of people to prove it. Jack Chick created Christian tracts and when I read his biography titled, “You don’t know Jack,” it became obvious to me that the Holy Spirit was instrumental in the creation of Christian tracts. We have the fruit to prove it. Christian tracts are cheap, they come in many languages, they have worldwide distribution and they can reach people that can’t be reached any other way. What more proof do we need that God is involved in this ministry?

Matthew 9:37-38 – Then He (Jesus)said to His disciples, “The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Matthew 5:16 – (Jesus speaking) – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

John 15:8 – (Jesus speaking) – By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit (by your witness).

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

The Bible assures us that those who are obedient to God on earth will receive honor, glory and riches in heaven. What exactly are we talking about? God has taught me that for me to profit in heaven (store up treasure) I must be wise here on earth. Numerous Scriptures in the Bible equate being wise with witnessing for Christ; so we know what we have to do during our lifetime. Therefore, the more we sow the gospel seed and reap souls for heaven by our witness for Christ the greater the profit to God and the greater our accumulation of riches in heaven. The honor and glory we receive in heaven will be direct proportion to our witness for Christ. Sharing the gospel message to nonbelievers is the key to all our heavenly dreams and aspirations. Witnessing for Christ is the only way to please God.

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Gentile).

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 – But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

Titus 2:15 – Speak these things (the gospel), exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

If we cut to the chase, that means those believers who continually sow the gospel seed to nonbelievers and who reap souls for the kingdom of God are doing the work of God that he planned for us to do from the foundation of the world. God will reward us generously for our work on behalf of the kingdom of God. Scripture confirms that we’ll receive wages from God for our witnessing. God doesn’t clarify what our heavenly pay will be but we know God is generous to a fault and whatever riches we do receive in heaven will blow our mind. The Bible tells us that the mind of man cannot grasp the riches God has in store for those who love and obey him. I’m guessing no more than 5% of the believers in heaven will have made it a point to share the gospel with the lost. That means 95% of the people who will be in heaven will have disobeyed God on the main thing, the number one command of God, which is witnessing for Jesus Christ.

Make sure you’re in that 5% of believers who will have witnessed for Christ and who will continue to witness for Christ, until your last breath. Leave your last ounce of strength out on the field of battle fighting for lost souls in God’s harvest field. If you help save at least one person to the kingdom of God you can be sure that you’ll have some treasure in heaven waiting for you and you’ll hear Jesus say to you on the last day, “Well done good and faithful servant.” How do I know this? Because it’s common sense. Every human soul was made by God and belongs to God. We’re all priceless in God’s eyes. So if you’re able to save one person to the kingdom of God you’ve done a good thing. How could a loving God do anything other than reward you for that? How could God be other than pleased with you for bringing one of his children back to him? I named my website onemoreforjesus.net for that reason. We need to make it our goal to first save one person from the fires of hell; and then we work up from there with the help of Almighty God. Scripture confirms that we are God’s fellow workers

Romans 3:28 – Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the law.

Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on things above (witnessing), not on things on the earth.

2 Corinthians 4:4 – Whose minds the god of this age (Satan) has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Philippians 2:4 – Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (by witnessing).

Just imagine the millions of people who are dying every day throughout the world and going straight to hell because nobody witnessed the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. It’s criminal! God says his harvest field is great and the worker’s are few. If you want to be great in heaven volunteer your body to God as your reasonable service to the God who made you. Then go work in God’s harvest field. To everyone you meet witness of the glory of God and his salvation unto eternal life through faith in his son Jesus Christ. This is the greatest story ever told so go tell the nonbeliever. Shout it from the rooftops! If you want to receive honor, glory and riches in heaven from God then you must work for it in the harvest field of God here on earth just as he commanded you. To witness for Christ we must have a passion for God that is palpable. We need to come up with a plan to reach nonbelievers that we can follow and execute with perseverance. Passive witnessing for Christ through Christian tracts is just such a plan. It’s inexpensive, it works, and it’s approved by God.

Luke 12:33-34 – (Jesus speaking) – Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves with money bags which do not grow old (by witnessing), a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

John 6:27 – (Jesus speaking) – Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.

Matthew 22:14 – (Jesus speaking) – For many are called, but few are chosen.

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

We’re saved by faith and not by works. We earn treasure in heaven by our work for God and not by our faith. If you’re happy getting to heaven with minimal effort like 95% of believers and witnessing doesn’t interest you, then you don’t need to read the rest of this blog series. You’re done. You’ve already earned everything you’ll ever get in heaven; which is nothing except your birthday suit. At the bema judgment seat of Christ all your good works will be burned with fire, leaving nothing. If you just want to be a mediocre resident of heaven you have that in the bag right now as a believer. Salvation can’t be taken from you. I must warn you though that if you don’t witness for Christ while you can and you settle for mediocrity here on earth you’ll be resigned to mediocrity in heaven forever. A trillion billion years is a long time to be mediocre.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (by witnessing).

1 Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor (witness) is not in vain in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:18 – Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of conciliation (by our witness).

You’re worth more than that. You’re priceless in the eyes of God. Why not choose to invest in yourself by witnessing for Jesus Christ while there’s still time? You can’t take your money with you to heaven but you can pay it forward. Use your time and money to do God’s work here on earth right now. Not realizing the wondrous riches that await those who witness for Christ, can you afford to bypass the chances of receiving them? You can’t take the chance of missing out on the treasure in heaven that was meant for you; what rightfully belongs to you. The trick is you must claim what is yours by working for God down here on earth by witnessing for Christ with all haste and perseverance. Now that you know this you have no excuse when you stand before the Lord on the last day. I have told you what you must do to please God but it’s up to you to actually do it.

Proverbs 8:18 – Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness.

1 Corinthians 2:9 – But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Acts 10:42 – And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify (witness) that it is He who was ordained by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead.

The logical answer to receiving the most out the riches in heaven that are waiting for us is for us to distribute Christian tracts containing the gospel message whenever we can, to everyone we can, and for as long as we can. These small little cartoon booklets contain the gospel message of Christ in 24 pages supported by the Scriptures, with the sinner’s prayer on the last page. People always seem to be busy and most people don’t read as much as they used to; but anyone can spare five minutes to read a Christian tract. Every time I leave the house I take five Christian tracts with me to leave wherever it is I’m going such as at Walmart, the grocery store, the pharmacy, the doctor’s office, etc. In my seven years of retirement I’ve handed out over 3000 Christian tracts this way with minimal effort. If I can do it so can you. When we distribute Christian tracts we’re being obedient to God by fulfilling the Great Commission. On the last day Jesus will ask believers at the bema judgment seat, “What have you done to share the gospel message with nonbelievers?” When it’s your turn to stand before Jesus you can point to your Christian tract ministry, provided you have one. That’s what I plan to do.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 – Fear God, and keep His commandments (to witness); for this is man’s all.

Hebrews 10:31 – It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Isaiah 48:17 – Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.

Daniel 12:2-3 – And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise (who witness) shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness (by witnessing) like the stars forever and ever.

The important thing is we’re obedient to God when we distribute Christian tracts. You may not personally reap that many souls with Christian tracts but you’ll be sowing the gospel seed every single time you hand one out. God will reward the reaper and the sower equally. That’s good news for those of us who sow the gospel seed by distributing Christian tracts. A good analogy for a Christian tract ministry would be the real estate business. If we sign up with a realtor to sell our house he or she has to work really hard for possibly months in order to sell our house. For all that hard work they get half the commission, which is usually 6%. The selling realtor does all the work for 3% of the commission. The real money is made by the listing agent. Realtors who focus their time on finding houses to list can sign up a dozen house to sell in the time it takes a selling realtor to sell one house.

After the work of the listing agent is done they can sit back and receive a commission of 3% when the house sells; and all because of the work of someone else. Providing Christian tracts for others to distribute is like being a listing agent in real estate. Those who provide Christian tracts sow the gospel and they’ll get the same commission from God (blessing) as the reaper when a soul is saved and a Christian tract was a part of that salvation chain leading to eternal life. It’s rare for anyone to be saved the first time they hear the gospel message of Christ. Usually it takes hearing the gospel 15-20 times before a person gives their life to Jesus Christ. Christian tracts are a good way to help push the nonbeliever along the path toward salvation. Christian tracts are a good way to sow the gospel seed so that someone else can later reap that soul for the kingdom of God. We know that God will bless the person handing out the tracts containing the gospel message. Scripture confirms that God will also equally bless those who provide the Christian tracts to be distributed. God is generous! Praise God!

Romans 11:33 – Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

A Christian tract ministry dedicated to purchasing Christian tracts for others to hand out is a vital part of the gospel chain leading to the salvation of many people in world today. Christian tracts are inexpensive and effective. God accepts a Christian tract ministry as fulfilling the Great Commission. Buying and handing out Christian tracts are each to be considered as sowing the gospel seed. God will equally reward those who provide the Christian tracts for others to pass out because God is good, God is great, and God is generous. Whenever I read Daniel 12:2-3, I get a thrill deep down in my soul. God doesn’t lie or exaggerate so when he says believers who help save lost souls will shine like the heavens; I want to be that person. God says believers who save “many” to the kingdom of God through their witness will be like the stars in heaven. I have made it my goal to save many. We can either accept what life and death gives us or we can choose to be proactive and save many to the kingdom of God so that we’ll shine like the stars in heaven. As for me, I want to shine! Come join me in the work of the Lord. What qualifies as “many” to God? I’m not sure but God knows. Our job is simply to obey God by continually witnessing for Christ and leave final judgment as to our rewards to the Lord.

Titus 3:8 – This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works (witnessing). These things are good and profitable to men.

2 Corinthians 5:20 – Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God was pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

John 4:36 – (Jesus speaking) – And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season (to witness). Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

NOTE: I have a nonprofit company called Christian Tract Ministry LLC that is dedicated to providing Christian tracts free of charge to churches, prison ministries, faith-based organizations and missionaries. The web site is christiantractministry.com. If you’re interested in passively witnessing for Christ by donating funds to this worthy ministry please monitor my new web site and follow my blog postings. I will also continue to use this blog site to urge believers to study God’s word and witness for Christ.

As believers we’re all commanded by God to do good works. The number one good work for God is sharing the gospel message of Jesus Christ with nonbelievers. That’s primarily why God left us on this earth after our salvation. Based on our personality and individual makeup we all must decide how we’re going to obey God. Failure to witness for Christ is not an option if we want to please God and earn rewards in heaven. We are accountable to God.

We’ve all seen those people standing on a street corner waving their Bibles at passing cars as they preach the gospel. We all drive by and shake our heads as we chuckle to ourselves. We’ve seen people in public areas sharing the gospel with passers-by and we smile. People tend to think those people are a little crazy. When I see those people witnessing for Christ in obedience to God I’m irresistibly drawn to them. I always have a kind word for them. I admire them for their courage. I see their passion for God. I know I’m a coward for not joining them on the stump. However, we must each please God in our own way.

For me, I decided to share the gospel message of Jesus Christ primarily in two ways. The Holy Spirit prompted me to study God’s word and write about it. That eventually evolved into www.onemoreforjesus.net, my Christian blog site. Christian blogging is simply another name for “passively” witnessing for Christ. I’ve been blogging for two and a half years now and todays blog posting is number 594. As I’ve studied God’s word over time and shared my thoughts my blogs have gotten longer, averaging eight pages now, and each blog now takes me an average of one week to complete. I’ll always continue to blog because it’s a labor of love. Christian blogging for a believer is like giving a glass of cold water to a thirsty man.

The reason for my blog today is to inform my audience my blog rate will decrease on this site because I’m going to split my time going forward between this blog site and my other avenue for sharing the gospel message of Christ, which is distributing Christian tracts. I’ve been handing out Christian tracts for over seven years, which is a lot longer than I’ve been blogging. I’ve handed out well over 3000 Christian tracts but it’s not enough. I want to do more witnessing so I’m starting a new blog site for this purpose. I want to leverage the use of Christian tracts to reach a greater number of nonbelievers. I encourage you to check out christiantractministry.com and follow my blog posts concerning witnessing using Christian tracts. The state of Texas just approved my company, Christian Tract Ministry LLC, as a nonprofit charity. My walk with God continues into a new and expanded ministry; come join me and let’s share the gospel message of Jesus Christ together.

6. Heaven and hell are both real places.

In previous posts we’ve given evidence to prove that there’s a Christian God in heaven and the “Lord” is his name. We’ve also proven beyond any doubt that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he died on the cross for the sins of all men. We’ve shown that our inerrant Holy Bible is the word of God, the truth of God and the wisdom of God. If the existence of God, Jesus, and God’s word are true then it follows that the existence of heaven and hell is also true. Heaven and hell are both real places. You can’t pick and choose what tenets of the Christian faith you want to believer in. Believe it all or believe none of it. God will spit out a lukewarm believer. God wants a believer with a passion for God. Both heaven and hell are either ignored, ridiculed or denied by the world today. Believing Christians should not fall into the snares that trap the nonbeliever. Satan is the god of this world and he has blinded man to the truth of God, including the existence of heaven and hell.

Psalm 46:8 – Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth (emptied out Paradise).

Luke 4:18 – (Jesus speaking) – The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has appointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives (the Old Testament saints in Paradise) and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.

Isaiah 61:1 – The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives (Old Testament saints within the earth), and the opening of the prison to those who are bound (Paradise).

I mention this because, believe it or not, there are many Christians with their heads stuck in the sand when it comes to the existence of hell. They readily believe in God, Jesus Christ, the Bible and heaven, but when it comes to hell they can’t face the possibility that hell may be a real place. They can’t face the prospect that they may go to hell themselves or they can’t accept the fact that a loving God could and would send anyone to a place like hell. Some believers want to see God only as a kind and benevolent figure who gives out goodies with no strings attached. God is a loving, kind, generous and merciful God, but he’s also a just God, which means he’s also a burning fire for those who will feel God’s wrath.

All the cults of Christianity were created by men who had one thing in common, they couldn’t accept the reality of hell. Jehovah’s Witnesses for example teach that fallen man is annihilated. Christian Science dismisses the possibility of hell and they define hell as an error of mortal man. While the Mormons do believe in a literal hell, they don’t see it as an endless existence. According to Mormons a person’s stay in hell will end at some point but they can’t define exactly how long that will be. The Seventh-Day Adventists claim that God will blot out all sinners one day and establish a new universe. All these cults of Christianity distort the truth of God by promoting false doctrine. Their followers are being led down the path to destruction and they will feel the wrath of God on the last day.

2 Peter 2:4 – God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.

Hebrews 10:31 – It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

2 Corinthians 5:11 – Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

I’d like to point out to all believers that one of the core tenets of the Christian faith is that the Holy Bible is God’s word. There are no errors in the Bible. There is not one comma, period, jot or tittle out of place. In the Bible heaven is mentioned 582 times and heavenly 23 times for a total of 605 times our future home is mentioned. Humanists say that heaven is an allegory or spiritualization of the Bible and was not meant to mean a real place. I’m sorry, you can’t spiritualize something 605 times! Most of the Bible is meant to be interpreted literally and God speaks plainly. The Bible mentions hell 54 times so hell is a real place too. Hell is not an allegory or spiritualization either when it’s mentioned that many times in the Bible. We are to interpret the Bible literally unless the context reveals otherwise. The golden rule of Bible interpretation is if the Scripture makes plain sense then seek no other sense. Don’t let Satan confuse you and make you doubt the clear message in the plainly spoken word of God.

Psalm 16:10 – For you will not leave My soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

Psalm 86:13 – For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Revelation 20:13 – The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Humanists disavow the existence of hell for the same reason they deny there’s a heaven. Humanists see man as god so of course they have to deny the very existence of God, Jesus, and God’s word. The humanists have no other choice but to say there is also no heaven or hell if they want to be consistent with their false narrative that man will evolve into a god. Humanists have to go the whole hog once they start to lie. The humanists must deny everything about God or their lie is exposed. The truth is the truth whether you believe it or not. We have to remember that heaven and hell are integral parts of God’s salvation plan for man. You cannot save man if there’s no place to reward him. You cannot condemn man if there’s no place to hold him. You simply cannot have heaven without hell and vice versa.

When a believer says they don’t accept what the Bible has to say about heaven and hell they are, in effect, calling God a liar to his face. A believer is telling God he’s a liar and that hell is not a real place where God will send sinners on the last day. Do we really want to have the pride and arrogance to stand before God on the last day and tell him to his face what’s true and what isn’t? I don’t. Woe unto that person when they stand in judgment before Jesus! The Bible makes it very clear that hell is deep within the earth so we have no excuse for our unbelief.

Numbers 16:31-33 – Now it came to pass, as he (Moses) finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.

Luke 16:19-25 – (Jesus speaking) – There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. The he cried and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

1 Samuel 28:11, 13-14 – Then the woman (the witch of Endor) said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he (Saul) said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” And the king said to her, “What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.” So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel.

In the Old Testament hell is referred to as Sheol. In the New Testament hell is called Hades. Both names refer to the same place. Hell is also sometimes referred to as the pit. We know the Bible story of Korah and his followers who challenged Moses for the leadership of the Israelites in the wilderness. God opened up the earth and Korah along with his 3000 followers fell down alive into the pit and the earth closed over them. No spiritualization there; just the naked truth of God. We also remember the parable about the deaths of the beggar Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man died and went down to Hades within the earth where he was in constant pain and torment. Lazarus also died, but he went down into earth to what is called Paradise or Abraham’s bosom, where the righteous of God are captives waiting for the Savior to come liberate them.

This story in the Bible is very clear about the location of both Hades and Paradise and the Bible must be interpreted literally. There is no way you can point to any type of allegory or spiritualization within the parable. If the humanists can sell us on the entire Bible being nothing but an allegory or full of spiritualization then they are free to make the Bible say whatever they want it to say. That’s part of Satan plans to discredit God’s word. Don’t fall for the lie. Hold onto the truth of God’s word as it is plainly written.

Psalm 9:17 – The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

Psalm 33:15 – The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.

Romans 3:4 – Let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.”

Think of hell as just a temporary holding cell within the earth where the spirits of all the nonbelievers of all ages are held when they die. On the last day they’ll be resurrected bodily and taken before Jesus Christ, the righteous judge of both the living and the dead. Those who died without having their sins forgiven by God go directly to hell upon their death to await their sentencing before God. The final judgment will occur immediately after the one thousand year millennial reign of Jesus Christ on the earth, which will begin at the Second Coming of Christ. Nonbelievers will be resurrected bodily on the last day to stand before the great White Throne judgment of Jesus Christ. They are condemned already. Nonbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone forever. Often when we refer to hell we aren’t being specific. We tend to lump together hell within the earth and the lake of fire in our minds but really they’re two entirely different places made for two different purposes. The Jewish people traditionally refer to Gehenna hell as a place of outer darkness where there will be wailing, weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Psalm 55:15 – Let death seize them; let them go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

Psalm 11:4 – The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.

The lake of fire is also called Gehenna twelve times in the New Testament. It was originally created by God to house Satan and his fallen angels for eternity but unforgiven man will also spend eternity there alongside Satan, the fallen angels, the antichrist and the false prophet. Gehenna is not in the earth but in an unknown location somewhere else in the universe known only to God. The lake of fire is currently empty and awaiting the prisoners on the last day. Gehenna is empty because all unforgiven men are in hell and all the fallen angels are currently demons on earth. The only exceptions are those early angels who came to earth and left their domain to sleep with women. Those angels are an abomination to God which is why they are now chained in the lowest part of pit of hell awaiting their final judgment from God. Woe to anyone who becomes an abomination to God!

Psalm 139:7-8 – Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold You are there.

Psalm 85:11 – Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

In Old Testament times when the righteous died their eternal souls went to Paradise within the earth. They couldn’t go to heaven because their spirits still had the stain of sin from Adam’s fall and God doesn’t allow sin in heaven. After the crucifixion of Jesus, the eternal spirits of all those who die in Christ go directly to heaven to be in the presence of the Lord. That never happened with the Old Testament saints when they died because their spirits were sent to Paradise to await the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the son of God, died on the cross for the sins of all men, past, present and future. This allowed God to wash away the sins of the Old Testament saints being held captive in Paradise.

During his three days in the grave Jesus went down to Paradise and personally freed the captives and escorted the eternal souls of the Old Testament saints to heaven. This is what the Holy Bible is referring to when it talks about Jesus releasing the captives (Luke 4:18, Psalm 46:8, Isaiah 61:1). Paradise has no further use and is now empty after the arrival of Jesus Christ. Paradise has been left desolate. Maybe Paradise will one day become a sort of tourist attraction for believers to visit once we go to heaven and get our glorified bodies. In heaven we’ll be able to teleport anywhere in the universe because our glorified bodies will be exactly like the body Jesus has.

Matthew 7:21 – (Jesus speaking) – Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Revelation 20:1 – Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the keys to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

Matthew 7:12 – (Jesus speaking) – Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he does the will of My Father in heaven.

From God’s description of hell we know that it’s a place of thirst, misery, pain, frustration and anger. People going there will remember forever the chance of heaven they let slip through their fingers and they’ll be very remorseful. People in hell will know what it means to be forever separated from God. People in hell will understand what it means to receive the undiluted wrath of God for all eternity. We know with God there is no injustice at all so everyone will know they got just what they deserved. We know in hell there will be varying degrees of suffering that have a direct relationship to the sinner’s life on earth. A spiritual truth of God is we reap what we sow. I’m sure that mass murderers like Hitler, Stalin and Putin will all receive the maximum suffering in hell. The Bible says Judas Iscariot will also go to his own special place in hell so no doubt his suffering will be great too.

Matthew 13:41-42 – (Jesus speaking) – The Son of Man will send out His angels, so they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Revelation 14:10 – He himself (the nonbeliever) shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

I fear death like everyone else. We all fear death because it’s the unknown. If death meant we’re annihilated that wouldn’t be so bad. That’s not too scary. What’s terrifying is the thought of living forever in hell in constant pain and agony. The human mind simply cannot comprehend the horrors of hell and how long eternity actually is. It’s unimaginable! Think about living a trillion years in hell knowing that length of time is only one day in eternity. Once we know the truth of God and his salvation plan for man our plan of action should be crystal clear. We must avoid hell at all costs! I know I was terrified at the prospect of going to hell and you should be too. Here is what all nonbelievers need to do. Run as swiftly as you can toward God our Father with arms stretched out wide. Don’t worry, God will catch you up into his arms with great joy and he will save you because God promises he will do just that in his word. God cannot lie! Praise God for his love, mercy and grace!

Revelation 21:8 – But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Matthew 25:41 – (Jesus speaking) – Then He will also say to those on the left hand, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

5. Each person becomes an immortal being at conception.

Every person born of a woman has two birthdays, not one. We all tend to celebrate our own birthday based on the day our mothers gave birth to us. Congratulations to all the mothers out there in the world! God bless them. While our physical birthday is important to us it pales in significance to the date of our spiritual birthday, which happens at conception. Our spiritual birthday is when our existence actually begins. We receive our eternal spirit fully formed at conception. There’s no such thing as a baby spirit that grows into an adult spirit. The Bible confirms that it is God himself who is both our spiritual birth mother and father because God alone is our maker. At conception God gives a piece of himself to each person.

John 3:6 – (Jesus) – That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Galatians 4:19 – My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.

Isaiah 44:24 – Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.

1 Peter 1:23 – Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.

Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 – Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust (man) will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

God is an eternal invisible spirit so when God gives us a part of himself he is giving us a small sliver of his divine essence so that we receive an eternal spirit like God has. God has always existed and will never die, which means God is immortal. When God gives us an eternal spirit at conception it means from that moment onward we are immortal beings like God because we have God’s immortal essence inside of us. God doesn’t change his mind so we don’t have to worry about God taking back his immortality from us. Once God gives something he never takes it back because that would indicate God made a mistake and we know God is perfect and doesn’t make any mistakes.

1 Peter 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Romans 8:9 – But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Romans 8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Isaiah 57:16 – For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made.

Atheists don’t believe human beings have an eternal soul and our seventy short years of life is all there is. Atheists believe at death we lose consciousness and our existence simply ends. Atheists believe there is no such thing as right or wrong and people are free to do whatever they want without any need to feel guilty or any fear of being punished for their actions by a nonexistent God. Atheists feel secure in their own intelligence; they consider themselves wise. Atheists have made up their mind there’s no God without even giving God a chance. Oddly enough, atheists never attempt an in depth study of all the available facts about God to see if he is real or not. Atheists simply dismiss even the possibility of God and that stems from Satan blinding them to the truth of God.

2 Corinthians 4:4 – Whose minds the god of this age (Satan) has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Ephesians 2:1-2 – And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.

1 Corinthians 3:19 – For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness.”

Colossians 1:13 – He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

Zechariah 12:1 – The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.

Death is the great equalizer and the fear of all men. While Christian believers fear death like anyone else in their heart they know they’re immortal beings who are at peace with the God who made them. Believers approach death differently than do nonbelievers. Believers have what is called the, “peace of God”, because they know they’ll immediately go to heaven upon their death and into the presence of the Lord. Contrast that faith believers have in God with the nonbeliever (atheist) who is adamant there’s no God. Nonbelievers are confident when death is far away but when death approaches the false bravado of the nonbeliever flees from them. Their confidence and courage will wane, leaving only abject terror at the prospect of dying. That could all have been avoided if only the atheist had taken the time to look at the evidence for God right there in the Holy Bible. Nonbelievers dismiss the Bible as just a book and they walk by it all the days of their life. Nonbelievers have no excuse before God because the existence of God is self-evident.

John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 11:25-26 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.

At the moment of their death the eternal spirit of the nonbeliever has to leave the corpse and immediately go somewhere. An eternal spirit leaving a dead person must go to one of two places, either to heaven or to hell. Believers go to heaven but for the nonbeliever, their eternal spirit will go straight to hell, where they’ll be in constant pain and torment while they wait for the final judgment from Jesus Christ on the last day. Those who go to hell will be resurrected bodily on the last day and thrown into the lake of fire for all eternity. As you can see our eternal destiny is too important an issue to be left to chance. If you’re a nonbeliever now don’t be so smug; be sure you’re right. Evaluate the truth of God contained in the Bible now to ease your mind. The proof of God will bear up under scrutiny. You’d be wise to heed my words while there’s still time for you to find salvation unto eternal life in heaven.

Hebrews 9:27 – And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

2 Corinthians 5:6 – So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.

Matthew 10:28 – (Jesus speaking) – And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

2 Corinthians 5:1 – For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Hebrews 12:9 – Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

Satan is the god of this world and throughout human history he has sponsored numerous fake religions and false gods to hide the truth of God from man. Satan has done a very good job of fooling man because most people don’t believe in the Lord, the one true God of creation. The only possible path to salvation unto eternal life in heaven is through belief in the Lord God and acceptance of his son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Admittedly, all these other believers in religious cults like Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism also think their religion is the true religion and that their god is the right one. All religions claim their god is true and all others gods are false. Since all religions are mutually exclusive it means only one can be true or they’re all false. Common sense should tell us that there aren’t multiple gods or more than one way to heaven. When we look for evidence of God we find the only real proof of God belongs to the Christian God. To prove he is God the Lord has provided us with creation, his personal testimony (the Bible), and his son Jesus Christ; through whom we live and through whom we’re saved unto eternal life in heaven.

Colossians 1:16 – For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Daniel 12:2-3 – And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 – So when this corruption has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

Psalm 8:4-6 – What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

All men have the stain of sin in their body and in their soul. The wages of sin is death. To redeem us from eternal death a just God required the blood sacrifice of a sinless man. Since there was no man on earth without sin God had to set aside his crown in heaven and lower himself by coming to earth as the incarnate Jesus Christ. To qualify as our Savior Jesus had to be human in every way, including how he was conceived and how he was born. Jesus was 100% human and 100% God without mixing the two natures. When the angel Gabriel informed Mary she was to be the mother of Jesus Mary asked, “How can this be since I know no man?” Gabriel responded to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will overshadow you.” That means the Holy Spirit is actually the father of Jesus because he provided the X-chromosomes, normally provided by a male donor, that were necessary to fertilize Mary’s egg and create a new human being.

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 1:7 – In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Romans 5:9 – Much more then, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Hebrews 2:17 – Therefore in all things He (Jesus) had to be made like His brethren (human beings), that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Revelation 4:11 – (Jesus speaking) – Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown (eternal life in heaven).

The Holy Spirit had to give the human Jesus his eternal spirit at his conception the same way it happens for all of us. There was no human father for Jesus and the Holy Spirit never made a follow up visit to Mary or the Bible would have said so. This tells me Jesus received his conception and eternal spirit at the same time. To qualify as being fully man Jesus had to get his eternal spirit the same way we do. To put it another way, because Jesus received his eternal spirit at conception it proves we do to. Another example is John the Baptist. He was another miracle birth orchestrated by God. As the forerunner of Christ, the baby John was filled with the Holy Spirit while still in the womb. You can’t have the indwelt Holy Spirit in a person before they receive their eternal spirit provided by God. You can’t put the cart before the horse; which means the eternal spirit of John the Baptist must also have been given to him at conception. The Holy Spirit indwelt both Jesus and John from conception.

Job 1:21 – Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there (back to God). The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

John 6:40 – (Jesus speaking) – And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Matthew 1:18 – Now the birth of Jesus was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

This means that an unborn child who is aborted naturally or by medical means loses his physical life but their eternal life will live on in the presence of Jesus in heaven. The Bible confirms that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Does this lost baby remain a child in heaven? Do they become adults in heaven? We know the eternal spirit comes fully formed. Will the resurrected bodies of unborn babies look like the adults they would have become had they lived? I don’t know, but God knows. We’ll find out once we get to heaven. Abortion rights is an emotionally charged topic in this country with many passionate believers on both sides of the issue. I know the killing of an unborn child is wrong, not only because the Bible tells me so but also because I feel the sin in my soul. Instead of seeing things how you want them to be go read your Bible and see what God has to say about taking a priceless innocent life that he has made. You have no excuse.

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

John 5:24 – (Jesus speaking) – Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

John 5:28-29 – (Jesus speaking) – For the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of the damned.

Matthew 16:27 – (Jesus speaking) – For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Luke 1:31, 34-35 – And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is born will be called the Son of God.”

The truth is always the truth whether you agree with it or not. As a believer I’m obligated to share the truth of God no matter what the political backlash is. We have to speak truth to power and not give in to political correctness run amok. I believe the inerrant Bible is the truth of God. One of God’s commandments is you shall not kill and Scripture reveals to us that physical life and spiritual life begin at conception. Not only life, but eternal life! From Scripture we know that at conception a person becomes a living human being both physically and spiritually and therefore abortion is murder, infanticide, and the legalized killing of a helpless child so their body parts can be harvested and sold to the highest bidder like cattle. Destroying a human being that God has made is a sin before God and he commands us not to do it. There’s no way to sugar-coat it what I have to say. There is no justification before God for the killing of an innocent unborn child. It’s not just me saying it, but the Lord, who is the righteous God who will judge us all on the last day for our sins. The Bible says there’s a special place in hell for those who harm children.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

John 3:36 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

1 John 5:13 – These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Nehemiah 9:6 – You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.

Luke 1:15 – For he (John the Baptist) will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

4. Each person has been given enough faith to be saved by God.

Before he laid the foundation of the world God knew each believer beforehand and he carefully planned good works for them to do. Most believers will complete very few of the good works God has planned for them to do. God knows this. God is not a one trick pony. God is unfathomable and multiple in all things. If there’s a good work God has planned for us and we don’t do it God has someone else lined up and ready to take our place. Failing to do what God has planned for us to do means we’ll lose the blessing or reward tied to that good work and it’ll go to someone else who was more obedient to God. We see an example of this spiritual truth played out in the book of Ester. God placed the Jewish girl Ester as the wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia so she could save her people from the evil plot of Haman to destroy all Jews. Ester’s uncle Mordecai told Ester that God made her queen so that she could save her people and if she refused to do it then God would raise up another deliverer and she would perish.

Ester 4:13-14 – And Mordecai told them to answer Ester: Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Ecclesiastes – He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

Don’t be discouraged. Just run the individual race God has given you with perseverance while continuing to do all the good works you possibly can. We’re all sinners, we all have a sin nature and we’re all living in a fallen and cursed world. We can do nothing for God until he first saves us and then to accomplish anything after that we must be in obedience to God’s word and work through the power of the indwelt Holy Spirit. When believers stand before the bema judgment seat of Jesus Christ on the last day to receive their rewards for good works done in the body Jesus will indeed let them know the good works they have done. But believers will also be made aware of the good works that God had planned for them that they failed to do, and the rewards they missed out on due to their disobedience.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Hebrews 6:10 – For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Matthew 28:19 – (Jesus speaking) – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

God has never planned any good works for the nonbeliever because what’s the point? The number one good work the believer can do for God is to witness the gospel of Christ to nonbelievers. In addition to witnessing the gospel message of Christ to all nonbelievers we Christians are also commanded to do other good works such as helping the poor and the needy. If the believer isn’t first fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus gave his disciples, which is to share the gospel message of Christ , then all other good works are meaningless to God. Other good works are just icing on the cake but witnessing is the important thing; witnessing is the cake. Without the cake the icing is useless so it gets thrown in the trash.

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

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

Acts 10:42 – And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.

Titus 2:15 – Speak these things (the gospel), exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Nonbelievers, on the other hand, have no good works planned for them because they are not saved unto eternal life by God’s grace. Those who don’t know God certainly can’t witness about something they know nothing about. God is efficient with no wasted motion. God doesn’t waste his time on things that are meaningless. I’m not saying that nonbelievers can’t do good works in this world; they can. I’m just saying anything good done in this world by nonbelievers has no impact on their eternal destination because they will be condemned by God on the last day if they aren’t saved and they cannot do the main thing, which is to witness for Christ. If you’re not a believer you have no personal testimony to give because you don’t know God. Other good works will not be credited to anyone’s account if they don’t first witness the gospel of Christ. You cannot please God if you don’t share Jesus Christ with nonbelievers at every opportunity.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 – For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Colossians 3:25 – But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Titus 3:8 – This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

2 Corinthians 5:20 – Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God was pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Nonbelievers will one day have to stand before the Great White throne for judgment by Jesus Christ while still abiding in their sins, no matter how much they help the poor and needy. We can’t buy our way into heaven; we can only get there through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ will dispense justice fairly to everyone which means he will condemn nonbelievers to the lake of fire forever for their sins. You must understand that God is good but also just. God didn’t make any man with the knowledge and intent of sending them to hell. By his foreknowledge God knew who would accept his saving grace and who wouldn’t. Always remember that God is good, God is great and God is fair to every creature he has made. Every man on earth has equal opportunity to find God, know God and accept God’s salvation unto eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

1 Corinthians 1:9 – God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 – He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Psalm 37:3 – Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

John 4:36 – (Jesus speaking) – And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

I once thought I had an unfair advantage over someone living Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, etc., because I lived in the United States and hearing the gospel message of Christ happens easily and often in a Christian country. I thought I stood a much better chance of being saved than the people of those other countries and I felt sorry for their loss. I saw things only from a human perspective and not how God sees things. The Lord is a God of justice so he made every person with the same small amount of faith on the inside of them so that anyone can find salvation unto eternal life if they sincerely want salvation and ask God for it. There’s no such thing as a person who really wants to be saved but they can’t achieve it. It says in the Bible in Romans 10:13, that we can be saved unto eternal life if we ask it of God. We all have enough faith within us to be saved, no matter how small that faith is, because God made us all with the capacity to be able to accept his saving grace. It’s all part of God’s salvation plan for man.

Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

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

Romans 5:1-2 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 9:6 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

The dictionary defines faith as, “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” For the believer that means complete trust in Jesus and complete confidence that we are saved unto eternal life and will one day be in heaven with the Lord. Nothing compares to our faith in God. It gives us peace with God and the peace of God. There’s a great example in the gospel of Luke of the spiritual truth that it takes only a small amount of faith to be saved. In Luke 23:42-43, Jesus grants salvation to someone who has what I’d say is only a small amount of faith. One of the two thieves that were condemned and crucified on the cross alongside Jesus spoke to the Lord only once. The thief addressed Jesus as Lord and then he asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom. Based on that one brief statement alone Jesus saved the thief then and there and told him he’d be with the Lord in Paradise that day.

Luke 23:42-43 – The he (the thief on the cross) said to Jesus. “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Matthew 22:14 – (Jesus speaking) – For many are called, but few are chosen.

Hebrew 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Romans 11:29 – For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

God calls all men to salvation but few are chosen. Ultimately the Lord alone decides who he will save through the Holy Spirit, what criteria he will use to save them and what amount of faith is needed for their salvation; even among nations and peoples that are unfamiliar with Christianity. It’s not for us to judge the actions of God or the salvation plan that God has in place for man. While it’s true that some Christians will continue to grow their faith as they walk humbly with God, there are many other Christians, in fact most Christians, that never seem to grow the small amount of faith that God has given to all men. Either way, God saves anyone who asks him, whether their faith is large or small.

Romans 10:13 – For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 8:30 – Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called, these He also justified, these He also glorified.

2 Thessalonians 2:14 – To which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 6:39 – (Jesus speaking) – Can the blind (nonbelievers) lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?

I’m sure when the Apostle Paul first met Jesus Christ on the Damascus road he was saved into eternal life by his great faith in the Lord. Seeing the resurrected Christ will do that for you. On the other hand, when an innocent eight year old child stands before the church congregation and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior his or her faith is small yet God saves them too. God cannot lie. God is ever faithful to fulfill his word and save you if you cry out to him no matter whether your faith is large or small; no matter whether you are young or old. God loves us all and his net is wide so that he can harvest as many souls as possible for the kingdom of God. Praise God for his love, mercy and grace!

Romans 4:5 – But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

John 3:36 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

1 John 2:25 – And this is the promise that He has promised us – eternal life.

Romans 3:28 – Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

If anyone recognizes their sinful state before God and asks for God to forgive them of their sins and save them then Scripture says God will do it. The Bible doesn’t say God might save you if you ask him to forgive you of your sins; the Bible says God will save you if you ask him. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it; no qualifiers whatsoever. The Scriptures don’t say God will check your level of faith first and if it’s great enough then God will save you. God makes a promise to forgive you of your sins and save you, period. No questions asked. If you have enough faith to ask for God’s grace you can be sure your sins are forgiven. Always keep in mind that God loves us dearly and he wants us to be in heaven with him forever.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

John 3:18 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Daniel 12:2-3 – And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

John 3:27 – A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.

God is for us and his goal is for all of us to be in heaven with him for eternity. God is inclusive which is why God made his salvation plan so easy for us to understand. God is doing his best to get us into heaven, not keep us out. All we have to do is turn from our sin and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and we can be certain we’re going to heaven. We have God’s solemn promise! Salvation appears so easy some people might think it’s a trick, that their must be a catch. I can tell you there’s no catch; salvation really is that easy. The only caveat is that man must make the free will decision to serve God while they yet live. A person choosing to serve Satan will go to hell forever. Not deciding whom to serve is a default selection for Satan also resulting in eternal damnation.

2 Corinthians 5:11 – Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

Hebrews 10:31 – It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Matthew 10:28 – (Jesus speaking) – And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.