Quick quiz: All who believe there are many ways to Heaven; hell is not real; all religions worship the same God; Jesus is only one way of many; the Bible is not the true word of God but just a bunch of fables, raise your right hand. Now for those with their hands up, slap yourself! (all emphasis mine)

Let’s go to two verses that sum up how we can be assured of Heaven. First, John 14:6; “Jesus said to him [Thomas], I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Next, Acts 4:12; “And there is Salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

What about those who believe in God but not Jesus? John 3:18; “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

Next, 1 John 5:11-12; “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

As for the Bible, we start with 2 Timothy 3:16; “All scripture is breathed out by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof; for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Then 2 Peter 1:20-21; “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of scriptures comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

All true Bible translations are taken from scrolls that have been transcribed and handed down almost from the very beginning of Earth’s history. The first 5 books, known as the Pentateuch, were written by Moses. Just over the past couple decades, discoveries have been made in and around the Holy Land that prove that the existence of Old Testament people are real, including King David. The original dead sea scrolls found in late 1946 to early 1947 contain fragments from every book in the Old Testament except for the book of Esther. This does not mean Esther is false, but whatever story was recorded goes back to the days before Jesus walked on this earth.

To get a true translation, my recommendation would be to go to a trusted Christian Book Store or a trusted website. Sadly, there are “Bibles” today being produced that refer to Our Heavenly Father as “she.” Some are leaving out key components such as the “abominations” as if they suddenly are not a sin. Those who are publishing and promoting these false works will be taken care of at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) My thought on this is there ought to be a Bible printed in pencil and sold with an eraser. Then, whatever people don’t like, they can just erase those parts. Just remember, those who participate in this will have their names “erased” from the Book of Life.

As for hell, Jesus spoke of it and why it exists in Matthew 25:41; “Then He will say to those on His left, depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

His “angels” are mainly those who followed Lucifer when he rebelled against God because of his destructive self-pride, believing he should be equal with his Creator. He and his angels, or demons, have no pathway to forgiveness. They were already in the glory of being in the presence of the Father, and they turned away from Him. All humans from creation to Calvary that did not follow God’s will, and all from Calvary to the end of the Millennial reign of Jesus who refused to receive and accept Him as their Savior will join Satan and his angels in hell.

Some may ask why I repeat a bunch of verses in just about every message. There are several reasons. One, this may be the first time someone sees one of the messages the Father has given to me to publish. I rely on the Holy Spirit to open their hearts to His word. My sincere hope is they will look further into the word the Father has provided.

Next, we learn by repetition. Sometimes it takes several tries before something sinks into my mind as being important. My ministry for the Lord started in church pulpits; however, today, it is in the messages He gives me.

I have truly been blessed by two administrators for sites that are fortunate enough to be viewed by people all over the world. I receive emails from many countries besides the U.S. and Canada, and I give God all the accolades for this “miracle.” The sites are raptureforums.com (articles) and raptureready.com. I especially look forward to giving the site administrators a giant hug right after I am able to stand after falling at the feet of My Savior when we are Home.

Finally, my goal is to have people be assured of their eternal Salvation by knowing the simple ABCs of being saved. There are “religions” that proclaim that their followers must do works or perform certain special “rituals” or pay so much money to earn and buy their form of Salvation. Some don’t even teach about the coming Rapture, as if it doesn’t exist. Please remember who Jesus had the most problems with – the so-called religious leaders of His days on this earth.

The simplest answer to how we are saved is Ephesians 2:8-9; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

As for the two paths, Jesus references them in Matthew 7:13-14. I’ve given this numerous times, but it’s worth repeating; “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

The path to “life” refers to the way to Heaven. The path to “destruction” refers to the way to hell. There are no other options that we are given. The “hard” part about the path leading to life is just what Romans 10:9 says; “because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Satan is right there telling us this is just a myth and couldn’t possibly be believed by “someone with your intellect.” As stated, more will believe Satan’s lies of what this world has to offer than to truly believe the Word of The Lord. That would be the “easy” way, and it leads all who follow it to the lake of fire.

God’s word is true, and He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). If we wish to choose that our eternal soul will be with Him forever, we need to reject what the false prophets and antichrists are proclaiming, and once and for all, tell God we want to choose life through His Son, Jesus the Christ. Go to the Father in prayer and ask that He would give you that ability to understand what He is offering. He will in no way turn you away.

Continuing to Romans 10:10-13; “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth, one confesses and is saved. For the scripture says everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

ABC – admit (confess) you’re a sinner, as all of us are (Romans 3:23); believe and have faith that Jesus died as the only perfect sacrifice for our sins and that God raised Him from the dead to conquer sin and death once and for all; call on Jesus to be your Savior, and you will be saved.

By the “Grace” of Jesus, we are saved; by the “Mercy” of the Father, we are forgiven. Through Jesus, God forgets our sins as if they were as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).

There is a “however” in all of this. If we refuse to receive and accept the gift that Jesus gave us, every sin we will ever commit on this earth will be held against us and revealed at the Great White Throne. It will show everyone there why they are in that long line, and the reason for being condemned to hell forever will be plain to see.

Your choice. God will turn no one away who has His Son as their Savior. That’s a promise that is more valuable than all the treasures this earth holds. There are no special speeches or rituals you must do. One simple example would be, My Jesus, I know that without You, I am lost. Please forgive me and come into my heart and be my Savior forever. If you call out to Him such as this and truly mean it, you will have established a home with Him forever. And as such, may I say, Welcome to the Family!

We don’t know the day or hour He will be calling all His flock up to meet Him in the air, but it won’t matter if you have already called on Him. Please don’t delay, but call today – right now!

Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com

 

Summary: When Eve and Adam listened to the twisted words of the serpent and disobeyed God as a result, they threw away the fellowship they had with Him. Too many lives have been wasted by listening to the lies of the devil.

Back in the 1970s, a television show debuted on one of the major networks that centered around the saga of two families in Texas. The show was entitled “Dallas,” and the premise was based on two men, Jock Ewing and Willard “Digger” Barnes, who had been friends and partners in the booming days of the oil business in the 1930s. Jock was the businessman, while “Digger’ had a sense within him that knew where they should build a rig and drill. Digger’s hunches were almost always correct, and the two men became wealthy as a result. While Jock carefully invested his earnings into new fields, Digger ended up drinking heavily, did a lot of gambling, and lost most of his shares.

Jock did not want his company to fail because of Digger’s excesses, so he put the next set of leases in his name and would release them to Digger if he would get sober, grow up, and assume responsibility for his actions. Digger believed that Jock had stolen the leases and tried to kill him. The two men went their separate ways. Jock continued in the oil business while Digger spun out of control into constant drunkenness and a life-long hatred and bitterness that he never would abandon. Although he had the talent to work with other “wildcatters” and obtain another opportunity to get back on his feet, he never did and wasted his potential on alcohol and passed on the bitterness to his children. To Jock’s credit, he tried to do right by Digger, but to no avail. Both men died within a year of one another, the issue and feud never to be resolved.

The character of “Digger” Barnes can be applied to anyone who possesses gifts, talents, and intelligence to make something of themselves, but either one episode of a bitter encounter with anyone from employers to parents, sibling rivalry, schooling, or other situations tend to stop them in their tracks or hold a grudge that will fester like a cancer. This will prevent them from obtaining those goals and objectives they had planned on but have now chosen to abandon, renounce, or foolishly cast aside for what they think are “better” situations, which end up as a pipe dream and self-imposed waste and oblivion.

They become dead to any ideas or directions and are content to merely “exist” until the day of their death. Cemeteries are full of celebrities and business experts who wasted their gifts on drugs, alcohol, illicit living, excess spending, foolish investments, and all too often without any regard for God’s direction, counsel, or protection. Some may erroneously conclude that “the system” is rigged against them. They end up “poor-mouthing” themselves, wallowing in self-pity, believing that they will never “get ahead,” and end up with a hatred of anyone who succeeds or obtains wealth as a result of a work ethic and self-discipline.

Wasted lives and potentiality are not exclusive to modern times. History is rife with the stories of people and nations that threw away opportunities that could have made them stronger, wiser, wealthier, or more open in their respective understanding of God’s will. The tragedy of “what might have been” began before our creation, as presented in Genesis 1.

Despite what social critics, evolutionists, government bureaucrats, and the media throw at us concerning the reasons or necessity of our existence, the Bible makes it perfectly clear that we are the crown jewel of God’s creation. We were designed by Him for a reason and purpose. No one is an “accident,” or a “mistake,” or “insignificant,” nor are we to be deemed “worthless.” Every human being on this planet is part of the planned history and objectives of a sovereign God. How dare we let anyone tell us that we have no value or that we are “expendable” with no higher value or worth than that of an animal in the wild?

This idea of a low view and purpose for life originated in the mind of a once magnificent being who had been entrusted with great responsibility and potential. He was the archangel Lucifer, who became Satan, or the devil. Look at what he had and then decided to throw away in a fit of pride. He was an extraordinarily beautiful and exquisite being, a special creation, adorned with precious jewels, given musical talent, and was the anointed guardian angel of the throne of God (Ezekiel 28:12-15).

He was deemed perfect until the day came when he began to believe that he was worthy of worship and to rule heaven and creation. He led a revolt against God, along with a third of the angels, and all were cast out as a result by the Lord Jesus (Isaiah 14:12-17; John 12:31). They will be consigned to hell when the final judgment by the Lord Jesus Christ takes place, forever destined to be in torment, along with all who rejected Christ as Lord and Savior (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).

Now read what the Bible says about this fallen being who threw away everything God gave him:

1) He is a defeated foe because of the redemptive work and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead (Genesis 3:15; Luke 4:13; John 12:20, 14:30; 2 Thess. 2:8; Hebrews 2;14; 1John 3:8; Rev. 20:10).

2) He has nothing good or benevolent within him anymore. He now sets his designs on undoing God’s work (Mark 4:15), makes men turn from God (Job 2:4), instigates evil (John 13:2, 27), and tries to secure worship for himself (Luke 4:6-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

3) His character is set as a malevolent irredeemable deceiver (Revelation 12;9), a liar (John 8:44), and the adversary of both God and humanity (1 Peter 5:9).

4) He has already been condemned and judged by God. There is no hope or opportunity on his part to repent, and neither will his demonic horde (Matthew 25:41; John 16:11; Romans 16:20).

Satan knows where he is headed, but his evil and maliciousness is so profound that, having nothing to lose, he plans to take as many of us to hell with him as possible. He has the weapon of words to twist men’s minds and steer them away from God. He began this scheme with Adam and Eve by making them doubt and question the very words and direction of God (Genesis 3:1-5).

The father of lies was saying to the first couple that God was lying to them and keeping a great opportunity away from them – the idea that they could do things better than God, which was the very idea that got Satan thrown out of heaven in the first place. Satan planted the seed of every false, demonic, and self-centered philosophy and religion that would come upon the earth by suggesting that we knew better than God on how to run things.

We know (or should know) what happened afterward:

1) Adam and Eve immediately lost their intimate relationship with God (Genesis 3:7-11).

2) They immediately began assigning blame for the tragedy on each other and the devil, avoiding all responsibility and accountability for their willful disobedience (Genesis 3:12-13). Sin’s effect was already growing within them.

3) They threw away their home, their divinely assigned roles, their authority to govern and maintain the garden, the privilege and joy of uninterrupted fellowship with God, and sinless eternal life.

4) They both neglected to inquire of the LORD concerning the serpent’s argument, planting within themselves and their descendants the idea that they could overcome problems without God’s counsel.

5) Their rebellious nature spread to all their descendants, who ended up loving their sins and hating God (Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-18). Our sins have cut off any hope of redemption on our own terms, thus consigning us to eternal hell for our wickedness and disobedience (Mark 9:43-48; Luke 12:13-21, 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15).

6) God promised us redemption in spite of our sins (Genesis 3:15), which came in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; John 3:16, 14:6, 20:30-31; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:6-11, 6:23). The devil puts in us the abhorrence of this plan of salvation due to pride, hatred of God, rejection of Christ’s exclusivity, and the idea that we don’t need Him. Only the Spirit of God can open our eyes and bring our dead souls back to life (John 6:44; Acts 9:15; Romans 9:11-16; 2 Peter 1:3-4; Ephesians1:1-14, 2:10).

This is why we, as the followers of Jesus Christ, His true church, must remain diligent in spreading the gospel (Matt.28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8) in spite of the growing animosity from the world and its wicked systems. Too many souls have already passed through this life, merely existing, wasting the gifts and talents God gave them, wallowing in sin, and ending up in a place of eternal torment where they did not have to go in the first place. We cannot allow ideologies, causes, false teaching, the cares of this world, or temporary pleasures stop us from the task the Lord Jesus gave to us.

Before you were rescued by Jesus, your own life was heading for the waste bin, a forgotten grave, and a horrendous eternity. Do not let others fall into that misery and agony over a life that could have been used for God but can now do nothing about it.

Friend, if you have read this message and you do not have a relationship with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, I implore you to get that issue settled TODAY (2 Cor. 6:2). You have no guarantee of tomorrow (James 4:13-17). Call on Him, ask Him to forgive you of your sin, and surrender your life to Him. Only then will you find out that your life does not have to end in an oblivious grave, a forgotten memory of a wasted life.

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com