To Hell With God's Word?

There's nothing Satan would love to do more than hide the Bible in Hell or at least a discussion about Hell.  After all, if the Bible is hidden, people will never know God's plan and the gospel that frees them from Hell's grip.  And so, we find ourselves in a very serious discussion over the past weeks as to whether or not Hell is really the final destination for those who reject God.  In essence, Satan is trying to hide the Bible in the discussion of Hell and whether or not a loving God would really allow people to suffer there forever.  Satan is trying to hide God's word by teaching us to step outside of God's Word to understand God.  (P.S. Satan has been doing this for a long time!)  The problem is, that's never worked historically and it won't work now.  But many seem to be saying:  To Hell with God's Word.   

Really?

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Here is what God's Word has to say about Hell, eternity, and Itself:

The Rich Man and Lazarus


19 "There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.t The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. '25 But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—28 for I have five brotherst—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them. '30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. '31 He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'" -Luke 16:19-31 ESV


Judgment Before the Great White Throne


11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. -Revelation 20:11-15 ESV


18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. -Revelation 22:18-19 ESV




8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever. -Isaiah 40:8 ESV

So how can one be saved from Hell?  By recognizing our need for a savior because of our sinfulness.  We can't save ourselves from Hell only God can save us!  That is the hope of the gospel!  We don't have to experience Hell when we put our faith and trust in the only Savior—Jesus.  And according to God's word, there is no better (or other) time to make that decision than right here, right now. 

By Grace Through Faith


1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  -Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV

Why Am I Here and What Should I Do?

Do you ever find yourself asking "Why am I here?"  I used to ask that question, often.  Probably more often than people think a Pastor should.  Pastors are the ones who are supposed to be leading and teaching people why they are here and what to do with their lives while they are here, right?  Actually, Jesus is the one who teaches ALL of us why we're here and what we should do while we're here.  Recently, God used a book to help me find a FINAL answer to these questions.  It's not magical or mystical.  In fact, it's something many of us already know and others of us are just discovering for the first time.

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The answer is simple but radical.

We're here to enjoy God's grace and extend His glory.

David Platt, the author of the book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream, lays out a simple and complete answer to the question: Why are we here?  Of course, Rick Warren has also written a best-selling book about why we're here and what to do while we're here (The Purpose Driven Life), but Platt's simple and direct answer helped me understand that our purpose isn't as complex as many people assume.  In fact, knowing the will of God for your life is as easy as picking up your Bible.

Jesus said this:   My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. -John 10:10 NLT  We're here to know God and enjoy His grace through His son Jesus.  Jesus came to this earth to give us life now and forever.  He came because we were stuck in sin without hope of salvation.  Have you ever felt that way?  Like you are just stuck and can't move on?  Jesus came to set you free!  He came that we may have a rich and satisfying life.  In other words, He came so we could believe in Him, receive salvation and enjoy God's grace!

Jesus also said this:  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. -Matthew 28:19 NLT  While we're here, we're to GO and lead other people to enjoy God's grace through Jesus!  We're here to help those like we once were—lost in darkness—to help them find the light, Jesus, and enjoy God's grace now and forever.  We can't save ourselves or anyone else from darkness (sin). Only God can.  When we lead people to Jesus and they put their faith in Him, it's not our power that saves them, it's God's.  It's His glory, not ours.  That's what it means to extend God's glory!

It's not rocket science.  If it were, only a few would understand what it takes to enjoy God's grace.  But God didn't want a few to enjoy Him, He wants all of us to enjoy His grace and extend His glory by leading others to enjoy His grace!  It's like a circle.  Once one of us is saved and enjoys God's grace, we're to extend His glory everywhere we go by leading those around us to enjoy His grace through faith in Jesus.  No matter where you live, work, or play we are to enjoy God's grace and extend His glory and lead others to do the same.

So if you find yourself asking the question: Why am I here and what should I do while I'm here?  The answer is: We're here to enjoy God's grace and extend His glory.  

Feeling Abandoned by God?

Have you ever felt abandoned by someone?  What about God?  If you're feeling abandoned by God, it's time to look inside your heart.

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Certainly, people abandon each other all the time.  Unfortunately, that's human nature.  We'd like to think people are dedicated to relationships but our culture makes clear that relational abandonment is not only common but expected.  So what about God?  Does God abandon us?

The answer is no, God doesn't abandon us.  God is not like us.  However, there are two factors that can make us feel abandoned by God.  Both of which are heart issues:

1. We have not, truly, believed in Jesus and have not received the Holy Spirit.
2. God hasn't abandoned us, we've abandoned Him.

God makes this promise to those who call upon Him: For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."-Romans 10:13 ESV  If you call on the name of Jesus and put your faith and trust in Him, you will be saved!  It really is that easy.  Living it is a different story.  That is why God gives us His Holy Spirit: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." -Acts 1:8  So when we believe in Jesus, God gives us His Spirit to lead us into understanding the ways of God.  We surrender our will to His will.  It's all about Him, not us!  Understanding this truth is the first step to healing the abandoned heart.

If Jesus is your Savior and you still feel abandoned, it's time to look deeper into your heart.  Look at this verse from 2 Chronicles 30

10 So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. 11 However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord. -2 Chronicles 30:10-12 ESV

In this short snippet of a larger story, King Hezekiah  sent messengers (couriers) out to all the cities in the Kingdom.  His purpose was to bring people back to Jerusalem that they might celebrate the passover. (A party remembering God's grace that saved them from slavery in Egypt.)  As you read in the story, only a few humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.  The rest mocked, laughed and scorned them.

Notice, though, what God does for those who listen to His message.  God put His hand on His people and gave them one heart. (Blessing and unity.)  In other words, God aligned the people with His heart because it was done according to His word.  So, if you're a believer and find yourself feeling abandoned by God, humble yourself and pray because God never abandons us, we abandon, laugh, scorn, and sometimes mock Him.  (This happens, a lot, when He calls us to do something we really don't want to do or when something tragic happens that we have no control over...)  He is still God and He is still in control.

Be encouraged because whether you're a believer or not: He is actually not far from each one of us and, once found, will never leave us forsake us! (Acts 17:27b and Hebrews 13:5b)  We must make sure, if we put our faith in Him, we don't forsake Him even when we don't understand!  Even if we have abandoned God, He is still near to us.  All we have to do is call on His powerful name! (Acts 1:8)


If we feel abandoned by God, it's because our hearts aren't aligned with His.

God never abandons us! 

Speak Up! Living Together Before Marriage

In our world, silence implies agreement.  In this series we're discussing issues about which many Christians are silent.  Often times, we're confused as to what Jesus actually stated regarding these important spiritual issues. Since many Christians are silent, the world assumes we agree with its ideas and actions.  However,  the name Christian means believer in (or follower of) Jesus Christ and His teachings, so we must ask the question: Was Jesus silent about living together before marriage?

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Though Jesus never formally addresses "living together", He does make clear that we are not to be led into temptation.  In the Lord's prayer Jesus teaches us to pray these words: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."  The simple point is this:  Living together before marriage leads to lustful temptation.  Some people say they are stronger than "the temptation" but look what Jesus has to say about lust:

29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. -Matthew 5:29-30 NLT

Lust is just as addictive as cocaine, maybe even more so (because it can remain hidden)!  Jesus knows when we're tempted to lust, we are more likely to give in because it's so easy to hide.  That's why He makes it clear to pray for God's strength against temptation and not put ourselves in situations where we'll be tempted in this way.

Living together before marriage automatically puts people into a tempting situation.  No matter how hard you try, most people can't live together and not give into the temptation of lust.  So why put ourselves in those situations?  (The need to save money is not a valid option.)

The writer of Hebrews makes this point:

4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. -Hebrews 13:4 NLT

Giving horor to marriage means staying pure for your spouse and honoring that person before and during marriage.  Before marriage means honoring God and your future spouse by not leading them into temptation.  During marriage means not committing adultery, which Jesus says happens when we give in to the lustful thoughts in our mind.

Since the beginning God made men and women so they could be joined together as one in Him.

24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. -Genesis 2:24 NLT

God created sex.  He created sex to be enjoyed between a husband and a wife.  He did not create it for couples who don't want to commit to each other in case they find "something better."

Living together automatically invites temptation to fulfill lustful desires. Jesus was clear about not being led into temptation and not giving in to lust.  Honor your marriage bed by keeping it pure before and during marriage.  In our culture, it's becoming rare for people to not live together before marriage.

There is forgiveness, grace, and power to walk out of a tempting situation in the name of Jesus!  If you find yourself in this position right now, consider the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy: 22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. -2 Timothy 2:22

If you're a follower of Jesus and your reading this and stuck in a "living together" situation, consider what Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16: 16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you. People are watching us.  People, young in their faith, may see us do things Jesus told us not to do and think it's permissible leading them to a path that ends in spiritual destruction. Also, remember, the world is watching.  If we remain silent about living together before marriage the world will assume we agree with its premise that living together is OK.  Jesus didn't and we don't.