“BULLETIN! God was wrong! Everyone may now relax, the pressure is off. The votes are in. God was wrong. It has been confirmed by every sector in our society that man is the master of his own destiny. Don’t run off now, consider the following facts:

Education: Our lone crusader, Madaline Murray O’hare, was right all along. God rest her soul, she laid the ground work in freeing our schools from a deception that has had such an overwhelming influence upon all children before 1963. Now we are free from the bondage laid upon us by all that religious stuff. God is out! The Bible is out! Yes, our schools have become war zones armed by drug-induced, satanic inspired heathen, but is that the fault of enlightened thinkers like Ms. O’hare? Well, of course not! The village will eventually bring them around.

Science: We live in the most enlightened age our earth has ever seen. We now know for sure that Charles Darwin was right. We have all come from some minute particle of star dust in the galaxies that created the universe with a bang and began a succession of evolution that is still in progress today. Millions of years ago, we crawled out of the waters’ depths upon the muddy shores, and eventually over much time, we walked upright into the pages of the future.

Morality: The “shalt not’s” of the Bible have held man back from showing true love for all. Our love for those of the same sex is just the way we’re wired and why should we be confined by the requirement of marriage between two people of the opposite sex? As long as there is love, isn’t that what matters? Sex with many partners is just showing our love to as many as possible. We should share this love with our children also.

Religion: The majority of our well known and respected citizenry all concur that there are many ways to God. There is good in all, and a God of love would never reject our good deeds. He would never send anyone to hell, if there really is such a place. Our Hollywood celebrities, politicians, professors, scientists, business people, even religious leaders, all agree that if there really is a heaven, God will accept us all with open arms. How could this be wrong when so many agree?

Consider that the 43rd President of the United States said there are many ways to God. Even the most well-known evangelist of our time has said the same. Our current President, the 44th, has reiterated the same philosophy. These, and many other leaders of our society, all agree. We don’t need God. As for that matter, one of our most well-known scientists says there is no God, and our political leaders and many of our celebrities agree wholeheartedly. We don’t need archaic beliefs bestowed upon us. This is the 21st century for crying out loud!”

So go the ravings of a lunatic, and they’re crawling around us like parasites, sucking the life from all they can feed upon!

Now let’s talk some sense. All this vitriolic ordure is what the world says, and the world is in for a rude awakening.

In a Dear Abby column recently, I noticed that a woman wrote in saying that her son had “come out of the closet last year.” She and her husband accept it, but are worried about how God might view gays and lesbians and that “to listen to some religious people, my son will go to hell.” Dear Abby responded, “I believe that entrance to heaven is based upon a person’s character, not his or her sexual orientation. Today, because of modern scientific studies, we know more about homosexuality than was known when the Bible was written, and that sexual orientation is not a “choice”.”

Dear Abby’s first mistake was “I believe.” It doesn’t matter what “I believe” unless I believe God. What does matter is what “God says.”

What is the one reason that so many people will wind up in hell? That would be the rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior; i.e. depending upon one’s own “goodness” for eternal security instead of Jesus Christ. From the very beginning, man has thought his good acts would save him. For example, when Adam and Eve sinned and realized they were naked, what did they do? They made coverings from fig leaves. What did God do? He slew an innocent animal and clothed them with the hide of the animal.

Mankind has always strained at the bit to do it “my way.”

“History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NLT)

Will we ever learn that it has all been said before? It has all been done before. We think we are the most intelligent generation that has ever existed upon the face of earth with our “new” thoughts, but they are not new. All we have accomplished is to become the most decadent generation since Noah’s day. We haven’t learned a thing. We are simply a people of abundant knowledge and no wisdom. With history to guide us and an abundant earthly knowledge possessed by no other generation before us, we should even more so recognize and follow God. We are more blessed than any generation before us, and this is what makes us even viler than they.

To properly answer the question posed to Dear Abby; will the son who “came out of the closet” go to hell? Yes, if he doesn’t repent. Why? He has not accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. How do I know that? God is adamant about His Word. If we choose our way over God’s way, salvation through Jesus Christ, there is no other way to be saved. Will a Christian sin? Yes, but they will not remain in the pig pen. They will come back to the Father for forgiveness and restoration of fellowship.

Jesus said, “… Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s…,” but have we forgotten that He went on to say, “and unto God the things which be God’s.” (Luke 20:25) Sin, of any kind, is not “the things which be God’s.” If we choose the sin over God, then we are free to “render therefore unto Caesar,” but we have no part with God.

When it comes to sin, a true Christian will be repulsed by anything that his/her Savior and Lord would not approve. Therefore, when we do sin against God, and we will, we are miserable. Our primary urge is to go to the Father for cleansing.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

From the 1984 Ghostbusters movie, “who ya gonna call?” Are you going to write Dear Abby to get the Truth? What about the President? Maybe you should contact your favorite movie star? I know, let’s call our Congressman. You know they wouldn’t lie about anything. This sounds silly, and it is, but sadly, it is the people of society that we choose to listen to for the Truth as opposed to God.

Can you trust your pastor for the Truth? It depends on your pastor’s standing with Almighty God. Isn’t the only logical thing to do is to just ask God? How, you say? He wrote it all out in His book we call the Bible. He doesn’t cut any corners. Everything is quite clear. If you are His child, He will guide you. If you would like to be His child, He will guide you. It’s all spelled out in the Bible, and there will be no excuses on judgment day.

Our generation has pushed God so far out of our lives we are doomed for judgment. We have listened to the syrupy tongued spiritually blind of society who are just leading others to hell along with them.

“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matthew 15:14)

Where has our self-righteous rebellion against God gotten us?

·        Our schools are battlegrounds, sex shops and drug stops.

·        Our prisons are overflowing and breeding more of the same.

·        The political halls are lying bastions of greed and corruptness of all kind.

·        Businesses are managed by unscrupulous crooks and thieves.

·        Families are broken up and scattered about by divorce, free sex and homosexuality.

·        Immorality is skyrocketing.

·        The economy is ready to implode.

·        We are being overrun and slowly taken over by our enemies.

·        Churches are entertainment centers to assuage our sins.

·        Religious leaders are sexually perverted, money-hungry, power hungry proselytes of hell.

·        Government is a growing monster with an aim to total control of its citizenry.

·        At least one half of the population sits on their butt while they feed off the earnings of the other half.

·        Crime is exploding.

·        Life is considered meaningless with the murder of millions of unborn babies. The elderly are next.

·        Gangs control the streets of large cities.

·        Every vile act and word is publicly displayed to one and all.

·        God is mocked and every offensive act against Him is shoved in His face.

·        Our enemies are streaming in our back door and setting up shop. Thank you Washington.

·        Our bridges, roads and other necessary structures are disintegrating and we don’t have the money to repair them.

·        We are in so much debt, hope of solvency is gone.

·        Persecution of Christians in a country that was founded as a Christian nation has already begun and gaining rapidly.

·        Nature has gone awry in the animal kingdom, volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, droughts, etc.

·        Our country is being led to destruction by one who is not qualified for that high office, and is in bed with our enemies.

·        Many churches have turned against God’s chosen, the apple of His eye, Israel.

·        Our country is betraying its best friend, Israel.

·        Anything that is good is mocked, while anything that is anti-God is applauded.

All of this manure has come down on our head for one reason and one only. We have been listening to everybody but the one we should be listening to … God.

“But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23)

Folks our sin has found us out. We as a society have turned into educated, extremely knowledgeable raving lunatics. Momma said don’t touch that fire, it will burn you. Well we not only touched it, we have grabbed it with both hands and we are now starting to pay for it, and pay for it we will. The only salvation in this whole maniacal insanity is that we who belong to Jesus will soon be removed before real judgment arrives. Since we don’t know when that will be, what do we do in the mean time? Let us tell others about Jesus and take as many with us as possible, for judgment is coming.

Grant Phillips

Jesus gives a comparison in Matthew 20:1-16 that I think is really telling. It’s fairly long, but I have chosen to include the entire passage for convenience.

“1For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

2And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

4And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

5Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

6And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

7They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

8So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

9And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

10But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

11And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

12Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

13But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

14Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

15Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

16So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”

Notice that Jesus said in Matthew 19:30, the verse just previous to our passage,

“But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”

Then in the last verse of our passage He says,

“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”

Now just consider how that would fly today. Even at the time when Jesus said these words, they would have been hard to swallow. If someone tried that today however, they would have the labor boards and unions crawling through every file in their offices. But here’s the kicker. Jesus isn’t talking about how much one person works as opposed to another, or how much each is paid by the hours they may or may not work. He is talking about “grace.”

Even though we now see that Jesus is referring to grace, we still can’t help but let our minds wander back to our works.

For the unbeliever, he/she thinks they must have works to be saved, if they’re interested at all in being born again in Christ. Even some Christians mistakenly think they were saved by their works and must keep their Christianity by works, failing to recall,

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) and,

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Could it be that some Christians think that because they have been saved for many years, they are more worthy in God’s eyes? I can assure you from personal experience that it is not only possible, it is definitely true. I have met many of them.

As a Christian, I am no more worthy and no more loved in God’s eyes than someone who got saved two minutes ago. I am no more worthy and no more loved in God’s eyes in my service to Him than someone who was saved on their death bed and had no time for Christian service. It isn’t about me. It’s about the grace of God.

Every child of God is loved just as much as any other. That is grace. Every child of God will be welcomed in Heaven with opened arms and just as exuberantly as another. That is grace. Every child of God will be just as much an heir as another. That is grace.

So why are there peacock Christians who walk around like they’ve got a two-by-four stuck up their keister? It’s called pride.

Jesus was letting the disciples know that even though they were with Him from the beginning and would reign in Heaven upon twelve thrones, they were no more important than the blind man Jesus healed, or the woman with an issue of blood that He healed, or anyone else that comes to Him.

Let me make this real clear. No one can be saved apart from God’s grace. No one can keep their position as a Christian apart from God’s grace. Works cannot save, and works cannot keep. God has promised that if we come to Him through His Son Jesus Christ, He will save. He has promised by the seal of His Holy Spirit that He will keep. Period. Anything other than that is an attempt to make God a liar.

For those of you who have been beaten in the dust from self-righteous snobs, think GRACE. There will be no one in Heaven by their own merit. It will be all grace. There will be no one in Heaven who ever even once lost their promised new birth in Christ becauseTHEY couldn’t “hold on.” GOD HELD ON! GRACE!

Let us take the opening passage and praise God that He provides everything by His grace. Never feel inferior to another for any reason. You are a child of God and you are just as important to Him as any other brother or sister in Christ.

There will always be immature Christians who think they are better because they have been saved longer, or served Christ longer, or are serving Him more “prestigiously” (by their estimation), or are wealthier, or whatever. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “I wish I could buy him for what he’s worth and sell him for what he thinks he’s worth.” Well, apart from the grace of God, we all fall short.

I’m sure at this point someone is thinking about rewards that Christ will give to Christians per 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. There will be rewards, but not based upon OUR guidelines. They will be administered, again, by God’s grace for faithfulness that HErewards, not on what WE think we should be rewarded for. Many of us will be rewarded and surprised. Also, many of us will lose rewards, and I’m sure, surprised, but our position as a loved heir intact.

So put your shoulders back and stand erect, not through pride, but through thanksgiving. You are a child of the King of Kings! You are a child of God!

Grant Phillips