When discussing hardship people will say, “I’ve been though hell.” But guess what? That statement is false—they haven’t been though Hell. At the close of this life, they may end up in Hell, but they sure haven’t faced anything like Hell. You see, Hell is the final punishment for the devil and his angels, and since people love to do the devil’s work, they will join Satan there (Matthew 25:41,46).
Hell is a special punishment devised by God for that special Day which is the Judgment (Hebrews 9:27; 1 Corinthians 4:5; John 5:28-29). I understand that men can suffer badly in life, but that is just suffering, and we cannot compare it to the horrors that await the wicked at the end of time. Hell is a place of everlasting darkness, fire that won’t go out, pain explained to us in earthly terms like “weeping and gnashing of teeth”. etc. (Matt. 3:12, 13:38-43; Mark 9:43-50; Luke 16:22-25; Romans 3:4-9, 14:10-12; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. A preacher is a man who proclaims the irrefutable gospel of Christ (Romans 10:13-21; 1 Corinthians 1:17-31, 2:1-5, 3:1-10). And with so many lost souls in the world, a preacher has no time to be using the pulpit to talk about the campaigns of people running for public office (2 Timothy 2:1-4; Luke 9:60). And neither should a church open its pulpit for politicians to come and seek votes because the church is the pillar and ground of the truth and not a place for men to come and talk about Democrats and Republicans (1 Tim. 3:15). So a sound preacher realizes he has the commission to preach the gospel and woe be upon him if he doesn’t (1 Cor. 9:14-18; Acts 20:19-21:27; Ezekiel 3:16-19).
In church, you must demand that the preacher proclaims the word of God only, giving book, chapter, and verse for his teaching (Titus 2:1; 1 Peter 4:11). You must also demand that the preacher uses the word of God in the correct way (2 Cor. 4:1-6). If the preacher goes off on some kind of rambling speech about politics, or someone who is running for public office, demand that he get back to preaching the gospel or be fired (1 Tim. 6:3-5; Romans 16:17; 1 Tim. 1:3-4). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. When visitors come to a church, the members should make them feel welcome. There are people who would visit the church, but they might not know anything about church doctrine, or the people, so they feel apprehensive.
But the members of the church must realize that it is their duty to walk over and introduce themselves and make the visitor feel relaxed because no visitor should ever have to introduce himself. The church members shouldn’t smother the visitor with too many questions, nor should church members pressure visitors for phone numbers or addresses. The church may mention that visitors cards are available, but a visitor cannot be pressured nor made to feel obligated to fill out one. If a visitor wishes to become a member of the church, he should continue to visit in order to get to know the church members, and find out what is taught. So yes, there is no need to be afraid to visit, just come on in, and you will find potential friends (Micah 4:1-2; Psalm 122:1; 1 Corinthians 14:23-25; Genesis 28:16-17). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. As people continue to depart from the Lord and get comfortable in things that are wrong, they then have no concept of what is right (Proverbs 14:12, 21:2). And when people are living according to what the Lord requires, there will be a clash of cultures (Amos 3:3; 2 Corinthians 6:14-15). In one corner will be people who are crying for a return to the way which God has given for man to live, and in the other corner will be those who cry: “it’s my life and I will live it as I want, and I don’t care what others think”(Jeremiah 7:1-34).
If this kind of mentality continues in a nation and the majority leans in the direction which is wrong, it could lead to persecution of the Christians within that land (Matthew 10:16-23). This same kind of stuff happened in ancient times when Rome immersed itself in heathenism and the Christians attempted to get Rome back on track. Instead of listening to their teaching of the gospel, the government arrested the Christians and threw many to the lions (John 16:2). America shouldn’t accept this shameful way of life where a Christian is attacked or sued for speaking out for what he knows is the truth. Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. When visitors come to a church, the members should make them feel welcome. There are people who would visit the church, but they might not know anything about church doctrine, or the people, so they feel apprehensive. But the members of the church must realize that it is their duty to walk over and introduce themselves and make the visitor feel relaxed because no visitor should ever have to introduce himself. The church members shouldn’t smother the visitor with too many questions, nor should church members pressure visitors for phone numbers or addresses.
The church may mention that visitors cards are available, but a visitor cannot be pressured nor made to feel obligated to fill out one. If a visitor wishes to become a member of the church, he should continue to visit in order to get to know the church members, and find out what is taught. So yes, there is no need to be afraid to visit, just come on in, and you will find potential friends (Micah 4:1-2; Psalm 122:1; 1 Corinthians 14:23-25; Genesis 28:16-17). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and some Christians had miraculous powers by which they healed sickness and injuries. They picked up snakes, struck men dead, blind, cast out demons, and healed with handkerchiefs and their shadows (Matthew 8:1-17, 9:1-35, 12:9-13, 14:15-36, 15:21-39; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 2:43-44, 3:1-16, 4:7-22, 5:1-16, 6:8, 7:55-56, 8:5-25, 9:6-43, 13:9-12, 14:8-12, 16:16-18, 19:11-12, 20:9-12, 28:1-10).
Ever wonder why you don’t see such from people who claim to have the power of the Holy Spirit? Ever wonder why these people never go in a hospital to heal or a graveyard to raise the dead? Ever wonder why neighbors who live next door to such people, don’t even know they claim Holy Spirit power? That is because these lying people know they can’t heal (Revelation 2:2). Thats right! They can’t heal a broken hair on a dog’s tail! If a person has the power of the Holy Spirit, he will be busy using that power and everyone would know about it. People suffering from gunshot wounds, car accidents, stabbing, etc, would all be healed (1 Corinthians 2:4). So beware! Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. Increasing murders throughout world cities have proven that life in the eyes of many is cheap. People will kill over here, rape over there, and steal down the road. Back before God sent the flood upon the earth, He observed the evil that men were dishing out on each other, and it saddened Him to see this kind of behavior (Genesis 6:5-7). The evil of man still sickens the Creator, and just because it may seem that He isn’t around, you can be assured that He is (Proverbs 15:3).
There is no magic stick to wave and make evil go away. Evil is stopped when a person comes to his or her senses and realizes that a wicked life isn’t right (Luke 13:3, 15:17-19; Acts 2:28). The way of God isn’t popular, but it is the only way which men can make evil go away (John 14:6; Matthew 24:35; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. When man is born, he is helpless and needs 24-hour care (Exodus 2:1-10). As man grows into his teens and adulthood, he will not be ashamed to say that he doesn’t need anyone, and he will do what he pleases (Genesis 6:1-7). Yes, the middle of life looks nothing like that cute, little humble bundle of joy, which was rocked to sleep in a crib. What is seen in the middle of life is a “know it all” “I don’t need you” “don’t you mess with me” person. Sound like anyone you know?
At the end of life, man returns to a helpless soul who again needs help and care. It comes to that because the body ages and cannot remain healthy anymore (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8; 1 Kings 1:1-4). All the living are going that way some day, so let us not be mean and ugly in the middle of life. Be good to those around you and especially if they are younger because they are the ones who will probably have to take care of you (Proverbs 23:22). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services Gossip is something people do very well. As one walks past others on the street, it is easy to overhear them yapping about the business of others. But why tell a third person about the situation of someone else? If you have something to say to another person, you should go to that person and talk about it. Who knows, you just might win him over and not have to blab his situation to others.
But if you have tried and got no where with the person in question, then you might need to talk to a third party, so that he and you can approach the person with goodintentions in mind (Matthew 18:15-17). But some are just like the Athenians of old, they live to hear and speak something new (Acts 17:21). But let us not be tale bearers (Leveticus 19:16; Proverbs 11:13, 18:8, 26:20:22; 2 Thessalonians 3:11; 1 Peter 4:15; 1 Timothy 5:13). Do your own work and mind your own business and leave the affairs of others alone (1 Thess. 4:11-12). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. Marriage is a divine union, formed by the Lord Himself in the garden of Eden and within this union God placed male and female and gave His blessings and told them to populate the earth (Genesis 1:26-31, 2:18-25, 3:13-24).
Marriage is like the death, it is beyond man’s reach and he cannot change it. The purpose of it, the persons within it, the ’till death commitment, the in sickness and in health commitment. And though man may tinker around and convince himself that he can change it, man will be surprised when standing before Jesus Christ on the Day of Judgment (Proverbs 14:12). The word of God clearly said, “What God has joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:4-6). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. |