A Moment In My Life 40 Years Ago.

 40 years ago this August, the 28th, my life was changed. How do I know this? 

Today as started studying the Bible - old school- with a real Bible in hand not an electronic one, I opened my old Bible from - you guessed it - almost 40 years ago.  When I was looking at the old tattered and very worn Bible, there I saw the inscription my Great Aunt Alberta wrote. The Bible was not intended for me. The inscription read-  'To: Floyd and Shirley Pope From: Your Niece, Alberta.' Yeah, she got the niece part wrong, she was Shirley's (my mother) aunt, my great aunt. My Aunt Alberta was quite old at the time of writing the inscription.  The date inscribed- August 28th, 1982.  

How did the Bible end up in my possession?  After my Aunt Alberta returned home (she came to visit  from Rhode Island to New York for a family reunion) she left a lot of various Biblical material around and it piqued my curiosity. I wasn't in a very good place in my life (19 years old) and desperately needing some guidance. I picked up the book, 'Steps to Christ' and therein began my journey. I wanted to look up Bible references and having no Bible of my own I asked my mom if I could have that Bible, and she said I could. 

Almost 40 years ago, the length of time the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, I first opened that Bible. A generation of time. So much has happened since I began that journey. 

Today's following excerpt is about witnessing the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ as He comes to redeem His people, living and dead and take them to heaven-- 40 years ago I believed it was happening any moment, and guess what? I still do. 

I'm not prophet, and I know there are things in the Bible I don't have full comprehension of. I do know my Savior told me to watch and pray as I wait for His return. My Savior gave me signs to look for. My Savior is going to return for me, I believe this as much now as I did 40 years ago. By His grace I will be redeemed, not because I'm worthy, but because He is worthy and He forgives me my sins, He creates in me a new heart, He makes my life here worth living, He gives me hope that there is so much more, a real life, a life how it was originally intended, all waiting for me, for you, for all of us! This awful world we live in was not Jesus' home, not the home of any of those who are Christ's- we are just pilgrims here, strangers passing through as we wait for our real home, our heavenly home and our eventual new heaven and earth home. None of the agonies of this life, and none of the supposed superficial treasures of this life are what matter, they will pass, they will all disappear and what will remain is our heavenly treasure, our Savior and the life He longs for us to have with Him. This is truth, not fantasy, all facts. The historical prophetic word of our God, the Bible proves this to be so beyond any doubt whatsoever! 

40 years in August…perhaps it ended up being September when I actually took possession of that Bible- I don’t know the exact day, but it was that year. The next year, January 1983, I was baptized. I still remember, I'd asked my dad to come to my baptism and he said he'd try, but wasn't sure he could make it. When I saw him in the congregation I was thrilled! At the small reception after the baptism I can still remember hugging him tightly and thanking him, telling him if I never get married that this was that special of an occasion for me and I'm so glad he was there for it. Such a wonderful memory. Two short years later my dad passed away into death's sleep and never did get to see me get married, but he was there when I gave my life to Christ as I symbolically died and rose in that baptismal water up into a new life in my Lord Jesus- the most important day of my life. 

I praise God for salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord, all glory, honor, praise and honor to Him always! Come, Lord Jesus, come! I long to see Your return! I long to meet You! I long to be with You and never part from You again! I love You, Lord! Thank you for loving me first!

******* (Excerpt continued)

AND, EVEN SO, WE WOULD INDEED SEE JESUS

"We shall see Him as He is; 

Sweeter promise is there none

Than is given us in this,

For Christ's friends to think upon.

Though we walk in darkness here,

With the fogs about our face,

All the mists will disappear

When we gain our resting-place."

The Scriptural Foundation for This Blessed Hope

Christ has been here on earth once, and He has promised to come again. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Heb. 9:28.

"Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-3.

"And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11.  

The second advent of Christ is clearly foretold in the Old Testament, as follows -

(a) Enoch prophesied of Christ's coming in glory. "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints." Jude 14.

(b) Job believed in the coming of Christ at the last day. "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not a stranger [mar-gin] ; though my reins be consumed within me." Job 19 :25-27.

(c) David spoke of Christ's coming to gather His saints. "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."  Ps. 50:3-5.

(d) Isaiah prophesied of Jesus' coming to save His people and to destroy the wicked. "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall he said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isa. 25:8, 9.

"For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be many." Isa. 66:15, 16.

Christ's coming will be personal, in the clouds of heaven, and every eye shall see Him. 

"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:11.

"And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." Luke 21:27. 

"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen." Rev. 1:7. 

"Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth; behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. 24:26, 27.

"Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said; nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Matt. 26:64; Mark 14:62. 

"And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." Mark 13:26.  

"For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy  angels." Luke 9:26.

He will come with all the holy angels, and will then gather the saints. "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory." Matt. 25:31. 

 

"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matt. 24:30, 31. 

(Excerpt "We Would See Jesus"  A. T. Jones) To be continued…

I'm Not Going to Heaven...

 

Happiness is For Heaven, An Unpopular Belief.

 Condemnation. This is a word we do not like to entertain. We want to believe that Jesus condemned no one because we've been taught condemnation is not of love. Did Jesus offer forgiveness to all? Yes. Jesus associated with all manner of sinners, and the sinners He saved from their sins, He did not save the in their sins. More than once He told them to go and sin no more- didn't He mean what He said? He did not forgive them and encourage them to keep sinning, not ever. He forgave over and over, but never to condone the sin saying the sin was okay to commit. He knew our frailty and even said to forgive seventy times seven times, but He did not say to sin. We are to turn from sin, strive against sin, not embrace it, not call it good just because we are too weak to keep from sinning. We don't want to feel the weight of guilt which can be heavy, so very heavy, so we in turn try to make our sins acceptable. Sin can never be acceptable, never. We are corrupted beings, sinful beings filled with lusts without number, and Christ would have us be His, not filled with self. He was NOT filled with self, and we are not to be filled with self. He did NOT please Himself, and we are NOT to please ourselves yet for some reason we think that's ALL we are to do, live to be happy, live to be pleased, live to enjoy ourselves, live to feel good about ourselves. We feel slighted and robbed when we aren't happy. Our happiness is to be found in CHRIST! Our treasures are to be in HEAVEN, yet we want our treasures now and we want them right here on earth. The treasures of happiness, pleasure, self-satisfaction, self-indulgence, self-everything, we want it now. We want to feel GOOD about ourselves, not self-loathing and when we loath ourselves we despise that loathing thinking we should be happy with ourselves. We've made it ALL about ourselves! When we think of Christ even then we think in terms of - are we pleasing Christ, are we failing Christ, that WE is SELF! LOVE CHRIST in spite of EVERYTHING - good, bad and all in between! 

Rom 15:3  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 

Christ did NOT live a life of selfish pleasure in lusts, nowhere in the word of our God will we find any selfish lust being fulfilled by Jesus, nowhere! So WHY WHY WHY do we believe we are to live to be self-serving, why? Why? Because Satan has corrupted us into believing that we deserve to be happy here and now in ways that our personal lusts whatever they may be, will be fulfilled and give us happiness and pleasure as if this is what our happiness should be found in… self-pursuits. These are ALL UNPOPULAR truths! So unpopular they have been discarded by the vast majority of people. And those who uphold the truths are UNPOPULAR as well. We are called liars, haters, Christ-less- because Christ is all about LOVE not hate and people say we hate when we don't condone their choices. 

Christ was unpopular… the rich young ruler left unhappy… not ALL who encountered Jesus accepted His truths especially when they were contrary to the self-serving, pleasure seeking, parts of them. God help us ALL to live for HIM and not for ourselves as we are prone to do. 

CHRIST first, not SELF first, TRUTH first… Christ is the WAY, the TRUTH, the LIFE.

All through our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRSIT NOW AND FOREVER!!!!!!! Amen!

*******

"We Would See Jesus"  A. T. Jones

"And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast; the same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus."

The desire of these Greeks was certainly a very natural one. They had come up to Jerusalem to worship, and had found the name of Jesus upon everybody's lips. From the highest to the lowest, from the proud and courted Pharisee to the outcast leper, from the high priest and the chief priests, supposed to be the purest in the nation, to the abandoned sinner, all, all were talking about Jesus.

Of course, all were not praising Him; all were not glorifying Him; the chief priests and the Pharisees were most bitterly opposed to Him, and were only waiting impatiently for an opportunity to kill Him, while the common people were anxious to make Him a king. But whether it was to praise or to condemn, whether it was to kill or to make a king, the sole subject of it all was Jesus, and it was the most natural thing in the world that these Greeks should want to see the Person about whom so much was said.

The Name of Jesus

From that day to this the name that has been used most in this world is the name of Jesus. The one Person about whom more has been said, and of whom more has been made, than of any other person this world ever saw, is the Man Christ Jesus. True, as at the first, some have praised Him, and some have cursed Him; some have worshiped Him, while others

have sought to kill Him, and often He has been wounded in the house of His friends; still the name more than all others that is used in the wide world to-day is the name of Jesus. And with those Greeks of old we now say, "We would see Jesus;" not, however, as they, simply because much is said of Him, either for or against Him; not because there are even now those who would kill at least His name out of the earth; nor yet because there are those, as the religio-political reformers, who would take Him by force and make Him king of earthly governments. Not because of any of these things would we see Him. But we

would see Him as He is.

We Would See Him, for We Love Him

For even as saith the Scripture, having not seen Him, we love Him (1 Peter 1:8); and, because we love Him, we would see Him. Having not seen Him, we love Him, because He first loved us. We love Him because He loved us and gave Himself for us. We love Him for His gentle pity for sinners such as we are. We love Him for His cheerful mercy to men so fearfully undeserving as are we. We love Him because, in "the great love wherewith He loved us," He "His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness." We love Him for His lofty humanity. We love Him for His "profound reverence for infinite goodness and truth." We love Him for the moral

force and the benign influence of His mighty character. We love Him for His perfect goodness. For this cause would we see Him. We would see Him because of the character He bears, And all the forms of love He wears." 

Yet We Would Not Now See Him as He Was 

We would not now see His visage so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men. We would not now see Him a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We would not now see Him oppressed and afflicted. We would not now see Him taken as a lamb to the slaughter. We would not now see Him in His travail of soul. We would not now see Him in His dreadful agony on the cruel tree.

No; We Would See Him as He Is 

We would see Him "that liveth," though once dead, yet now "alive forevermore, Amen," and who has "the keys of hell and of death." We would see Him as the disciples saw Him, "His face did shine as the sun," "and His raiment became shining," "white as the light," "exceeding white as snow, so that no fuller on earth can white them." We would see Him as Stephen saw Him, "in glory, standing on the right hand of God." We would see Him as Paul saw Him, shining in light "above the brightness of the sun." We would see Him as John saw Him "His head and His hairs white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes as

a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace;  and His voice as the sound of many waters;" "and His countenance as the sun shineth in his strength." We would see Him as Isaiah saw Him, "sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up," and the train of His glory filling the heavenly temple, about Him standing the bright seraphim shading their glorious faces from His ineffable glory, and crying one unto another, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." Isa. 6:1-4 with John 12:41.

We Would See Him Coming in the Clouds

...in heaven with power and great glory, and would hear His mighty voice saying to His angels, "Gather My saints together unto Me, those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice." And then and there, in the midst of the church, would we see Him and hear His glorious voice singing that song of promised praise to the Father. Heb. 2:12. Oh, 'tis thus that "we would see Jesus"! 

And we thank God, not only for the hope that we shall see Him as He is, but also that the signs are abundant all about us that soon this "blessed hope" shall be fulfilled.

And We Shall Be Like Him

And the blessed promise is that we shall not only "see Him as He is," but "we shall be like Him." "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." We would see Jesus. In this hope we live. For its fruition we wait. But, while so living and waiting, we would never for a moment forget that he "that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." 1 John 3:2, 3.

Which Will you Believe?

 Immortal Soul or Eternal Life? Do You Know the Difference? 

Hopefully you're curious enough to learn because they are not the same thing. One is truth, the other is a lie.  If you believe God then you only want to believe truth. WHICH WILL YOU BELIEVE?

(Excerpt- The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?) 

VII. WHICH WILL WE BELIEVE?

Nor is that all; for when the Lord is thus removed from his throne, Satan is put into his place. 

See here: In the event of man's sinning,-

GOD SAID,

"Thou shalt surely die."

SATAN SAID,

"Ye shall not surely die."

Which of these told the truth? It is impossible for both to be true. The doctrine of

the immortality of the soul teaches that the devil told the truth, for that doctrine

teaches that there is no death, and if there be no death, then every man has life,

independent of belief in Christ, which, as we have read from the word, makes

God a liar. Therefore, the doctrine of the immortality of the soul sets God aside as

a liar, and exalts Satan as the one who tells the truth, and as the one who is to be

believed.

Here we close our investigation of this subject. These evidences certainly show that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is subversive of the truth of God. 

We have proved by logical deduction from sound SCRIPTURE premises-

1) that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is subversive of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead; 

2) that it is subversive of the doctrine of the COMING OF THE LORD; 

3) that it is subversive of the doctrine of the JUDGMENT; 

4) that it is subversive of the MISSION OF CHRIST; 

5) that it supplants Christ in the honor of opening the way from this world to another, and bestows that honor upon Satan; 

6) and finally, that it puts God aside as a liar, and exalts Satan to his place as the one who tells the truth.

The logical summary of all this is contained in one word-Spiritualism. 

The immortality of the soul is the foundation of Spiritualism; and through the already prevalent belief of that doctrine, Spiritualism will yet lead the world to the active acceptance of every point which we have charged. Therefore, we pray all to flee this thing, and believe "the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (End Article) 

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(Written 131 years ago) 

The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?

BY A. T. JONES.

[Pacific Press Publishing Association] [Oakland, Calif.] [September 1890]

[Bible Students' Library No. 70] 

These are the Biblical Verses used during this study. Previous to today's study there are 11 other parts to this entire article. 

Phil. 3:10,11

Acts 24:15

Job 14:14,15;17:13-15;19:23-27

Ps. 17:15

John 6:39-54

Luke 14:13,14

1 Corinthians 15:16-18

Hebrews 9:27

Acts 17:31

1 Corinthians 15:32

1 Corinthians 15:36

1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Luke 14:13,14

Revelation 22:12

1 Thess. 4:16,17

1 Corinthians 15:51-55

Genesis 2:17

Genesis 3:4

Rev. 20:2

Rev. 1:18

1 Peter 1:3

Col. 3:4

John 13:33

John 14:3

Matthew 12:36

Luke 11:31,32

Matthew 22:1-14

Matthew 25:14-30

Matthew 25:31-46

Eccl. 12:13,14

Dan. 7:9,10

Jude 14

Heb. 9:27

Acts 24:25

Acts 17:31

Rom. 2:12,16

2 Cor. 5:10

Jer. 17:10

Rev. 11:15,18

Jude 14

Rev. 22:12

2 Tim. 4:1,2

2 Pet. 2:9

John 5:27-29

Ps. 8:5

Heb. 2:7

Heb. 2:8

Romans 8:1

Gal. 3:13

2 Cor. 5:21

Rom. 8:3,4

Heb. 9:26

1 John 3:8

Ro. 6:23

Eze. 18:4

Rev. 5:13

Rev. 21:4

1 Cor. 15:26

Hos. 13:14

Heb. 2:14

John 14:6

John 10:9

Ro. 6:23

John 10:10

Luke 16:10-12

Matt. 25:29

Acts 10:34,35

Ro. 3:22,23

Heb. 5:9

John 3:16

Ps. 37:10

Isa. 41:11,12

Ps. 37:11, 28, 29

John 6:53

1 John 5:10-12

Eternal Life - Of Punishment?

 Eternal Life.  What do you think of when you hear those words- eternal life?  Do your thoughts automatically envision a life in heaven with Christ? Or does eternal life of punishment come to mind? 

Eternal life. Do you agree that life is the opposite of death? If you agree then death cannot be life.

Adam and Eve sinned but up until that point they had eternal life. Only after they sinned did they bring death into humanity. And death meant the end of their living.  Because God wanted the human race to continue to exist- a way was made for humanity to have the opportunity of life again in the future. The penalty of death for sinning was stayed temporarily for humans beings as Jesus enacted the plan of salvation. Man could live now with death overshadowing his existence, live with the opportunity to use their lives for God and God's purposes. The choice man would make would determine if they would ultimately be given eternal life when Jesus Christ our Lord would return in the very last day, when the trumpet would sound and… the DEAD IN CHRIST would rise, and the LIVING IN CHRIST would be taken to meet Christ in the air- both the risen dead and the living in Christ would be given immortality, they would be changed by Christ Jesus.

Those who do not choose to live for God and God's purposes in accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior are choosing not to live eternally.  The dead who are not dead in Christ- will not rise to meet Christ in the air. The living who are not Christ's will not be taken to meet Christ in the air either. Death is the opposite of life,  punishment is not the opposite of life. You need to be living to be punished. You don't punish something that is dead. To have eternal punishment would mean an eternal life in punishment and this eternal life in punishment doesn't exist in God's word.  Death exists in God's word and in death everything about man ceases. It can't be any plainer than allowing a dead thing to decay, to witness the death process from newly dead to long dead from flesh to bone, to no living action whatsoever, it's all over, all of it and it stays all over until our Savior calls us to life once more- to rise from the grave, from the state of being dead to being alive once more.  If we need to be called from our graves to be given eternal life, why do so many imagine we are given it instantaneously upon death. Death would be no punishment at all if it was just continued life. Death should have been termed second life, but it wasn't because death is the end of life.  

God did not say that in the day you sin you shall surely be given second life, He said you shall surely die.  

Believe it or not, believe Christ Jesus or not, but what you believe does matter, it matters eternally. 

May we comprehend ONLY truth! May we believe ONLY truth! May we LIVE ONLY truth! All through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD AND SAVIOR NOW AND FOREVER AMEN!

*******

(Excerpt) The Judgment.

(The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?) 

VI. CHRIST OUR LIFE

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus

Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23. "Sin entered into the world, and death by sin," and "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." But when man had sinned, and thus brought himself under the doom of death, then Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, presented himself, and was accepted of God, in man's behalf. God had before pronounced the penalty of death against transgression. And Adam would have died the day he sinned had not the Son of God interceded in his behalf, and presented himself in satisfaction of the demands of the broken law of God. But by the love of Christ and the mercy of God, man was given a second probation, a second opportunity to attain to righteousness. Only for the mediation of Christ, the race of man would have ceased the day that Adam sinned. Only for Christ there never would have lived a man after Adam. So that every man who has ever lived, or who shall ever live, from the sin of Adam to the end of the world, owes that life to the fact that Christ, the Son of God, offered himself when Adam sinned.

This is shown in the words of Christ: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10.

Christ offering himself in behalf of Adam is the only means by which men have life at all,-"I am come that they might have life." But this life is only temporal. It is only extended as an opportunity for man to approve himself worthy of eternal life, that he may show himself worthy of having life more abundantly; for as Christ said, he is come that they might have life, "and that they might have it more abundantly." The way in which men use the life which is already given, will decide whether they shall have life more abundantly, or whether they shall have life at all. The man who shows himself abusive of the trust of God, and ungrateful for his favor shown in granting this life, only shows himself unworthy of that which he already has, and much less can he be entrusted "more abundantly" with anything pertaining to life.

In this view is contained the very basic principle of the lesson inculcated in the parable of the unjust steward: "He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous riches, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" Luke 16:10-12. And also in the lesson of the parable of the talents: "Unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." Matt. 25:29. If men will turn to purposes of iniquity, and transgression, and sin, a life which is committed to them for a time, how can the Lord commit to them this gift for eternity? If this life, which is not their own, they will devote simply as an instrument of unrighteousness unto sin, to rebellion, and unfaithfulness to Him who giveth it, how shall He give to such immortal life-a life which, not being subject to cessation, may properly be called their own? To do so would be only to subvert His own authority and the principles of His government. Such a thing He will never do. But such as devote this life to the honor of Him  who giveth it, and to righteousness before Him, to them will be given life "more abundantly," even eternal life, in which to honor and glorify Him; while from all who do not so shall be taken away even that which they have. "Of a truth . . . God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Acts 10:34, 35.

The righteousness which is acceptable with God is the righteousness "which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:22, 23. "He became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." Heb. 5:9. And "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Christ's coming to this world was not in vain. He came for a purpose, and that purpose is that those who will believe in him may not perish, but have eternal life; and as surely as those who believe in him shall have eternal life, just so surely those who do not believe in him shall perish. If not, if those who do not believe in him do not perish, then this record which he has given cannot be true. If, by virtue of the immortality of the soul, those who do not believe in Christ live as long as those who do, then where is there any point in these scriptures? 

We know full well the meaning that is put upon the word "perish" by those who believe in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul; that is, that it means eternal life in misery. But no such idea is contained in the Scripture. Eternal life is the heritage of those who believe in Christ, and of those alone. Nor will language allow any such meaning to be put upon the word "perish." That word is defined thus: "To be destroyed; to go to destruction; to pass away; to come to nothing; to be blotted from existence; to die; to lose life." This is Webster's definition of perish; and every part of it can be duplicated time and again from the Scriptures. But no part of this definition can be true if the soul be immortal.

In Ps. 37:10 we read: "For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be." Again, in Isa. 41:11, 12, we read a promise of what the Lord will do with those who contend with the "seed of Abraham," "the friend of God:" "Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded; they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee; they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught." But to the meek, to those who learn of Christ, it is promised: "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." "The seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever." Ps. 37:11, 28, 29. 

All is summed up by the Lord Jesus in one sentence, as follows: "He that

believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life." John 3:36. And again: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." John 6:53.

If these scriptures, from the first to the last, do not show that future life is obtained only in Christ, then it would be impossible for the Lord himself to put words together that would show such a thing. If the Lord wanted to tell men that without believing in Christ they could have no life; that without believing in him they should perish; if he wanted to tell them that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, how would it be possible to tell them so more plainly than he has already told, in the words quoted? Yet in defiance of these plain, positive scriptures, and in direct subversion of them, the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, which gives to all men immortal life irrespective of Christ, is held by the majority of professed Christians as a veritable article of Christian faith. Why is it that men will not believe the record that God has given on this subject? Why is it that they will not believe that future life is given alone through Christ? It is no light thing to disbelieve this. Many seem to think, and will even so express themselves, that it makes no difference particularly whether this be believed or not. But it does make a difference. We state it as the simple truth that not to believe that eternal life for man is in Christ alone, is one of the greatest insults that can be offered to the God of heaven.

Please read carefully the following scripture, and see whether we have stated more than the exact truth:- 

"He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:10-12.

Here is the plain statement that to believe not a certain "record" is to make God a liar. That record is just as plainly stated to be that the eternal life that is given us "is in the Son" of God, and that "he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." Now the doctrine of the immortality of the soul causes men not to believe that record. They who believe the doctrine of the immortality of the soul do not believe that they who have not the Son of God have not life. Therefore the doctrine of the immortality of the soul "hath made God a liar," because it causes men to "believe not the rec ord that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." Therefore we say that not to believe that future life is given us in Christ alone, is to insult the God of heaven by making him "a liar." It does make a difference how we believe on this question; for when God is made a liar, he ceases to be Jehovah, he ceases to be God. 

Purpose

 Existence is a purpose. There are some people who from the day they were born have been reliant upon others for everything that happens to them- unable to feed themselves, relieve themselves, dress themselves, speak, see, hear, or walk. What would you say their purpose is? They live but their life isn't one we'd say had any real quality to it. We believe that because we can feed ourselves, walk, talk, etc we have purpose. Yet, they exist and their purpose is in existing. We are all a part of God's plan, I believe this. Every human being born is born with the opportunity for eternal existence through Christ. Our purpose is to live, and in living to use the capabilities given to us for God. If we have no capabilities, that is what we've been given and God will use us in that capacity as well, as long as we submit ourselves to Him. 

We are not all the servant given ten talents (money) who goes on to double those talents for Christ. We can all be the servant who hid the one talent, rather than used it in any capacity- but if we hide any talent (any ability) that God has given us are turning our backs on God. Your talent, your ability that God has given you whatever it may be- and it could be something we believe is completely insignificant- is glorified by God. If your ability is to let God's will be done in You as He chooses and you are someone who has no clue what ability they have to use for God so you're not the one who hid the money and subsequently was forsaken for doing so, realize that a life lived for God unashamedly is not a hidden talent. 

We need to yield to God and allow Him to lead us, believing He leads us. All lives have a purpose in existing- and it may not be that your purpose is a grand one, but a single tiny purpose in man's sight that is everything in God's.

*

We are called to compassion.

We are called to serve.

We are called to turn the other cheek.

We are called to be spitefully used… Christ was spitefully treated, we are His servants and can expect the same.

I say these things because we have placed ourselves on pedestals believing we need the kindness of others, we need respect, we need appreciation. We are so caught up in believing our lives of hardship are undeserved and make us martyrs and people to be lauded for perseverance in light of heavy burdens. We grumble, grumble, and grumble some more as our personal plans are thwarted by the seeming selfishness, bossiness, compassionless people that fill our existence. The truth is… if we are to serve unreservedly- how can anyone be selfish? If we live to serve- the more another needs the more our purpose is being fulfilled in serving, yes? I hear you saying that you could be taken advantage of… but if you are to serve without restraint, serve endlessly, serve abundantly, if your joy is to serve then you are overjoyed with being able to serve so much.  Crazy thinking? Most would think so. We've been raised in a society that thinks so. We pat ourselves on the back when we do good deeds and bask in the compliments. We grumble when what we do goes unrecognized. We are SO self-serving, self-absorbed that how we feel is so important and how we do so much in spite of how we feel is to be applauded - by someone, or lots of someones if possible. We bemoan our wretched existence in so many ways and we do so because we are the center of our lives, not God.

We exist this is our purpose, to be used of our God with HIM being first and glorified before everything, before every part of our lives. Our abilities whatever they may be, let them be used of God. If we find ourselves in the situation of the one needing instead of the one aiding, you are serving the purpose of God's by being someone another can aid. You have purpose, we all have purpose and we should not ever think that we have the right to believe our life now is not purposeful in ways we cannot begin to comprehend.

Our lives here and now serve God's purpose wondrously in ways we are unable to comprehend fully, we have the hope of heaven, the hope of salvation from all the horrors of our lives, and that hope will be fulfilled only when our Savior returns for us. 

Ecc_9:10  Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

We live now, sleep death's sleep when God determines, and live again when Christ returns for us.

All glory to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, all honor, praise and majesty to our Father God in heaven, all by the Holy Spirit we pray!  And give thanks to all! Now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!

 

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(Excerpt) The Judgment.

(The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?) 

V. THE MISSION OF CHRIST

Once more: The doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul makes the body

only worthless clay, formed into a prison that binds, and fetters, and clogs the

free action of the soul, while death is the friendly messenger that bursts the

prison bars, and sets free the aspiring soul to seek its native sphere. One of the 

most influential of American preachers said lately, of one who had died, that that person "is living, and more thoroughly living to-day than any of us who are clogged and hampered and chained down by earthly impediment." This is simply the expression of the common belief of those who hold to the idea that the soul is immortal. Embodied in meter so that it can be sung, it runs on this wise:-

"Why should we start and fear to die?

What timorous worms we mortals are!

Death is the gate to endless joy;

And yet we dread to enter there."

Now we read in the word of God as follows: 

"O death, I will be thy plagues." Hos. 13:14. And again we read that "death" "shall be destroyed." 1 Cor. 15:26.

Can it be that God is going to visit with plagues, and destroy, the gate to endless joy? Is he so displeased to have his creatures entering into endless joy that he is determined to destroy the very means by which they enter that blissful state? If the words of this preacher, the language of this hymn, and the doctrine upon which they are founded, be the truth, then the Lord is going to do just the thing that is here pointed out, that is, he is going to visit with plagues. and destroy, the gate to endless joy.

But this is not all. We read further of Christ: 

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Heb. 2:14. 

Granting the claim that death is the gate to endless joy, then from this scripture it follows, just as absolutely as logic can demonstrate, that the devil, having the power of death, is the gate-keeper. And so the Lord is not only going to destroy this "gate to endless joy," but he is going to destroy him that keeps it. Nor yet is this all. Granting not only the claim based upon the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, that death is the gate to endless joy, but also that the soul is clogged, and hampered, and imprisoned by its confinement in the body, and that it is released by death, it follows that if there had never been any death in the world, no soul could have ever been set free, and there never would have been any gate to endless joy. And as it was the devil who brought death into the world, therefore, under that doctrine, to him must be accorded the honor of setting men free from this world, and of creating and opening to men the gate of endless joy. But this is the very thing that Christ says that he himself came to do.

He says: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." John 14:6. 

"I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." John 10:9. 

Therefore when the doctrine of the immortality of the soul makes death the gate to endless joy, and the friendly messenger that releases men from this world, it supplants the Saviour of the world, and bestows upon Satan the honor that is due to Christ.

And by all this we lay against the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul the legitimate and logical charge that it frustrates the purpose of God, that it nullifies the mission of Christ, and supplants the Saviour of the world. And if anything more is needed to show that between that doctrine and the truth of God there is a difference wide as eternity, it will be found in the following pages.

To be continued…

Painless.

 No more pain.  When the Bible tells us there will come a day when there is no more pain (Rev 21:4  .. neither shall there be any more pain…) do you believe this to be true?   

Is this only for the God-fearing, or is there no more pain in the world period, no more pain for anyone at all, ever? We believe the later, don't we? There is going to come a time when pain won't exist at all- this is God's word, God's truth.

If pain is wiped out of existence entirely that would mean no one would ever feel pain again, right? Right. 

Of course, right now we find it impossible to believe. We live with daily pain. Most of the people I know (adults) live with some kind of pain. Chronic pain is so very common. We have pain management clinics everywhere. Relieving pain is so common an opioid problem occurred. People would take pain relievers for real pain and then find it impossible to go without them, addiction would occur and from there it turned into a nightmare for many people. Pain.

To realize that one day pain won't exist, not physical, not mental, not emotional, not spiritual… no pain at all- truly this is a miracle we all look forward to experiencing. 

If you believe in the immortality of the soul and immediate judgment, and sentencing from that judgment at the time of your death, or a loved one's death then you cannot believe that there will ever be a day where pain is no longer in existence.  It's true.  Why do I say that? Because if you are judged at death and your sentence is not to go to heaven but to a place of what you believe to be eternal punishment, then that punishment would include pain. Pain will still be in existence, and our God tells us there will be no more pain.  He doesn't add notes to that, saying… 'except for…'  Just that there will be no more pain. 

There is no eternal punishment going to take place for an immortal being who has not made it to heaven. God's plan is so much more of God- of love, than man's Satan led delusions. God's ultimate plan is the complete and utter end to all pain for all time, for all. The evil will be consumed by fire until they are nothing but ash that disappears into nothingness- this is Biblical truth, God's truth.  We have to keep studying God's word and pray to be able see through all of Satan's deceptions! 

May God bless us all as we seek ONLY TRUTH, for HE IS TRUTH!

All through Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, now and forever!!!!!!!

Amen.

(Excerpt) The Judgment.

(The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?) 

IV. A CLEAN UNIVERSE

To put away sin and plant righteousness in its stead, is the mission of Christ to this world. 

That he might accomplish this, he had to make the awful sacrifice of himself, the Creator of the universe. "Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Heb. 9:26. 

By the greatness of the sacrifice we may judge of the enormity of sin, and how abhorrent it is in the sight of God, and also how widely contrary it is to every principle of the government of the King of eternity. To deliver man from its thralldom he spared not his own Son. Rather than to see the blight and stain of sin upon the fair face of his universe, God gave up the "Son of his love" to die the cruel death of the accursed tree. John says: "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8. The work of the devil is sin; for he says, "He that committeth sin is of the devil." Therefore when it is said that the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil, it is simply expressing, in other words, that which we quoted from Paul, that Christ appeared to put away sin.

As therefore Christ's mission is to destroy the works of the devil-to put away sin-it follows that as long as there is a vestige of sin remaining, his mission is not accomplished. Whatever, therefore, tends to perpetuate sin, tends just so far to delay the accomplishment of the mission of Christ. And if by any means sin were made eternal, the inevitable result would be to nullify and subvert the mission of Christ.

 Now that is exactly what is done by the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. 

The very meaning of the word immortal being "not subject to death," it follows that if the soul be immortal, it must live eternally, whatever its condition may be; and from this again it follows that when the awful sentence is pronounced, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still," whatsoever soul it be that shall then be unjust must live so to all eternity; which is simply to make sin eternal, and so to subvert the mission of Christ. 

That sin is to be eternal is strenuously maintained by those who believe that the soul is immortal. This is shown positively in the doctrine of the eternal torment of the wicked. In fact, the belief in the eternal torment of the wicked is simply the necessary consequence of the belief in the immortality of the soul. 

We know, for the word of God says it, that the wicked will be punished. We know likewise, by the same authority, that they will be punished as long as they live (aion-a lifetime). Now if they live eternally, it is evident that they will be in pain eternally. But the word of God says just as plainly that the wicked shall die as it says anything at all about them. "The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Eze. 18:4. 

That word tells us of a time when "every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them," shall be heard saying, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." Rev. 5:13. This scripture can never be fulfilled if the doctrine of eternal suffering be true, or, in other words, if the doctrine of the immortality of the soul be true; for every living intelligence joins in the song of joy and praise. Again, we read of a time when "there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." Rev. 21:4.

 If the doctrine of eternal suffering be the truth, it is literally impossible that there can ever come a time when there shall be "no more pain."

But there stands that faithful word, that there is coming a time when there shall be no more pain; there is coming a time when every voice in the universe will ascribe "honor, and glory, and power," "unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." This is the truth of God; he has given his only-begotten Son that it might be accomplished; and we have seen that the mission of the Son is declared to be "to put away sin," to "destroy the works of the devil." And the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, in making sin eternal, and in immortalizing the works of the devil, frustrates the purpose of God and subverts the mission of Christ.

To be continued…