Terrorist?s blew up a church in Sri Lanki, killing about 300 and wounding around 500. Why? Because that church didn?t believe in the doctrine of Islam. Jesus Christ had a similar situation where a village refused housing for Him and the disciples after learning they were in route to Jerusalem. Luke 9:51-56 Two of His disciples, James and John, rashly asked the Lord. ?Shall we command fire to fall from heaven and burn these people up?? Jesus said no! His rebuke to the disciples was; ?you know not what manner of spirit you are of?. By calling for the murder of those people; they endorsed evil. Those who do such, aren?t doing the work of God; but the work of Satan. John 8:44-45. Jesus and His disciples went on to stay in another city. People must do the same. If others don?t believe your doctrine, leave them alone. Never devise a plan to murder. Matt 19:18.
The lesson we can take from the heat of summer is "uncomfortable." The sun torches the skin, the thick air makes us sweat. All is still and there is no breeze to cool us off, etc. Yes, the hot heat of summer is very mean and really unfriendly toward us. So, what are we getting at with all this?
We are getting to the subject of Hell fire. Mk 9:43-48. Many claim they don?t believe in Hell. I have no ideal how they came about believing that; and they couldn't prove it to you either. But despite all that, we can be assured there is a Hell just as there is a Heaven, because there is God. Psa 90:1-2. But what I want to focus upon is Hell's misery. Matt 13:40-43. Hell is no joke, nor a few minutes in a frying pan; Hell is forever, it is not nice and it is punishment for what we have done in life. Matt 25:41. If we cannot stand the summer; how will we be able to stand the eternal punishment of everlasting Hell? Matt 25:46. Matt 3:12. 1 Thess 1:7-10. Sometimes people will ask about a loved one who has died; they want to know if that person is in heaven. I don't say anything about one who has passed on other then they are in the hands of God who who judge them according to His word. Rev 20:12. Acts 17:30-31. And that the Bible teaches those who obey the word of God will be saved. Matt 7:21 and those who don't obey the word of God will be lost. 2 Thess 1:6-10.
Even at funerals some preachers will get up and pronoun the person in the coffin "is walking the streets of heaven with Jesus." Now they don't know that for sure, all they are doing is talking a good game trying to make the grieving family feel better. It certainly is our hope that the departed is safe in the arms of Jesus, but we here on earth don?t know that and we need to keep our mouths shut when it comes such and leave that up to the Lord. Matt 25: 34: 41 We can talk about the good things we remember about the person, comfort and aid the living and also warn the living by the teaching of the gospel, but leave it at that. Heb 4:9-13. "Thou shalt not murder" is a command God gave man during the Patriarch age. Gen 4:8-15. Gen 9:1-6. No person has the right to premeditate and take lives because all souls belong to the Lord. Ezk 18:4. Dealing with murder is to be solved in two ways. By the courts and by God Himself at the Judgment Day. Eccl 12:14. 2 Cor 5:10. Acts 25:11. Rom 13:1-5. 1 Peter 2:13-15. John 19:1-16. Murderers need to die, but when the court fails to use the power the Lord has ordained to it; killers become bolder. Eccl 8:11.
If a murderer name Jack is executed; he is deterred. Jack will never kill again. The death penalty is a deterrence to the one who is guilty and if another person named Tom didn't learn from the execution of Jack and he becomes a killer. Tom must suffer the same fate and he too won?t be able to kill a second person and both Tom and Jack are deterred. If a robber named Ben is sentenced to ten years in prison for robbing a bank. Ben is deterred! For Ben won?t be able to rob a bank while in jail. And if a person name Fred didn't learn from what happen to Ben and goes out and robs a bank as well; let the same fate be imposed on Fred and he too will be deterred for ten years. Matt 5:26. |