JACKSON HOLE PREACHER, THIS WORD MAY BE FOR YOU

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"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Mat 23:13

"Jesus saith unto them, "Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."" Mat 21:31

Some weeks ago I sat across a table from a woman I care much about. She is dear to my soul and I have prayed much for her over the years. I have prayed mostly that she would be awakened to the Love of God and dispel her brand of elitist payback religion built on dead works that only brings as it's reward, self righteousness. Over the years I have spent countless hours in prayer that this woman and her children would learn to love their neighbors instead of delegating 95% of them to a mythical Hell where they would be tormented forever and ever by a terroristic God .......... a God, who is more evil than any despot that ever lived. This woman has a few sons that minister the false gospel in the organized church and she also has one son that seems to have quit the church. She was sharing her hope that this son that is free from the church might get right with God.

I so wanted to tell my friend that this son that has fled the church is closer to the Kingdom of God than the son who proudly pastors a church. I'll tell you honestly, I can think of hardly a worse fate than to suffer a son, that every Sunday ministers a gospel of dead works with Hell as the stick and Heaven as the carrot. The shame of it, and should I have such a son I would be on my knees day and night for his soul and the souls of those he binds up in fear and dead works!

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Mat 23:13

"Jesus saith unto them, "Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."" Mat 21:31

It just wasn't the moment to share such with this woman that day and my prayer is that she might even read some of that which I write tonight on the blog. With that said, I will share a word by L. Ray Smith and Brad Edwards (below) for the ministers of Jackson Hole. And please preacher, don't be as, the many that say, "Oh we don't preach Hellfire from the pulpit."
Should that be the case Mr. Pastor, Mr. Teacher, that is to your greater shame because deep down in your heart, you know the absurdity and perversion wrought by the doctrine of Hell ....... a demonic teaching that blasphemes Our True God who is known as Love. Oh Mr Preacher man and any mother of a preacher man, please know our Lord and Saviour will not lose even one of His sheep and all the Father's children shall be rightly restored to His Kingdom, each in his own order and time. You or your sons may not preach a smokin Hellfire message this Sunday, but that "damnable Hellish doctrine" will be the eight hundred pound gorilla standing in the corner of the room and every one knows he's there.

I would seriously rather see a young man or woman in a bar drinking with their friends than to see them in a so called Christian church where a Pagan God, who has in his nature eternal terror and torment, is worshiped. I can only say, thank God, with the present world events, it looks like Jesus may be coming soon to take back His church. Even so come Lord Jesus! Come Dear Jesus especially for our children that there not be more captured and ruined by these false shepherds and wolves masquerading in sheep's clothing.
Lord help us to see Jesus, a shepherd that leaves the ninety nine to gather the last one back into His fold.

And a word for those that sit under the spell of these false shepherds, teachers and preachers that have turned the Truth of the Kingdom of God upside down and inside out with their traditions of men. The Harlot Church System illustrates how we have made idols out of the things we call church and how idolatry is demon-driven and spiritual harlotry. The false church is wed to the world and divorced of Christ. The modern church and the world are become one.

"Show the house to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their iniquities, and let them measure the pattern." Ezekiel 43:10

The trumpet of the Lord is sounding an alarm to God's holy remnant to "come out of her My people, that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18:4

Beloved I pray God open your ears to hear the trump. Jesus is coming for those that are His,

Jack

"You Fools! You Hypocrites! You Snakes!"
[Meet the Real Jesus Many Hate]

The title of this paper is taken from the very words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, spoken to the Scribes and Pharisees in Jerusalem. Let’s take a Scriptural look at a side of Jesus that most Christians will not believe, even when they see Him in their own Bibles.

Who were the Scribes and Pharisees?

The Pharisees were not the priests, but rather people from all walks of life who were very pious and strict keepers of the Law of Moses. They constantly adjusted the Law to fit the changing world according to their traditions and own desires. Among the more educated of the Pharisees were the Scribes and the rulers of the Jews:

"In the modern sense they [the Scribes] were the religious scholars or theologians … sometimes called lawyers … or teachers of the law …could make judicial decisions based on Scriptural exegesis, occupied important positions in the Sanhedrin … played a major role in bringing on the crucifixion of Jesus" and they "mainly belonged to the party of the Pharisees" (WYCLIFFE Bible Dictionary, p. 1536).

Jesus called the Scribes and Pharisees "fools, hypocrites, blind guides, whited sepulchers, murderers, a generation of snakes," and many such epithets. Jesus called them "hypocrites" seven times in one chapter. He spoke with scathing derision to the Scribes and Pharisees throughout His ministry; very few of them received a kind word from Him.

And yet countless Christians write and tell me that Jesus never spoke like this or ever said a cruel or angry word in His life. Therefore when I sometimes write with an edge on my voice I am accused of not following the example of Jesus. Oh but Jesus surely did speak harshly, demeaningly, and with great anger in His voice to the Scribes and Pharisees—the religious Leaders of God’s Church. Jesus was not mild and soft-spoken when it came to the sins and hypocrisy of these church leaders. Too many Christians have read the teachings of Jesus with rose-colored glasses covering both their eyes and their minds.

When the Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why do your disciples…?" Jesus didn’t softly answer their question, rather He retorted back with, "Why do YOU…?" Jesus was never on the defensive, but always on the offensive. Using the vernacular, He was "IN THEIR FACE!"

Do any believe Jesus was referencing farm animals when He said not to cast pearls or give what is holy to "the DOGS and PIGS?"

Jesus referred to the recalcitrant Jewish leaders as, "an EVIL and ADULTEROUS generation," "SERPENTS and SNAKES," and "children of the DEVIL." Why He even told the Scribes and Pharisees regarding the royal and mighty King Herod: "Go ye, and tell that FOX [that JACKAL]…"

JESUS UPBRAIDS THE CHURCH LEADERS

There are many examples of Jesus upbraiding the Church leaders for their gross sins [selections from Matthew 23]:

"But WOE unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES… FOR YOU SHUT UP THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AGAINST MEN…

…THEY BIND HEAVY BURDENS and GRIEVOUS to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but will not move them with ONE OF THEIR FINGERS

WOE unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES… you DEVOUR WIDOW’S HOUSES… you shall receive the greater damnation.

WOE unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES…

WOE unto you, ye BLIND GUIDES…

You FOOLS AND BLIND…

WOE unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES! You… have omitted… JUDGMENT, MERCY, and FAITH…

You BLIND GUIDES, which strain out a gnat, and SWALLOW A CAMEL.

WOE unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES… within they are full of EXTORTION AND EXCESS.

You BLIND PHARISEES…

WOE unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES! You are FULL OF DEAD MEN’S BONES, and ALL UNCLEANESS… and HYPOCRISY and INIQUITY…

WOE unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES!… you are the children of them which KILLED the prophets. FILL YOU UP then the measure of your fathers.

You SERPENTS, you GENERATION OF SNAKES… you KILL AND CRUCIFY… you SCOURGE in your synagogues… Behold your house is left unto you DESOLATE"!!

WOW! Every one of these comments from Matt. 23 were spoken directly to the "Religious Scholars and Theologians" in the Church of God centered at the Temple in Jerusalem. Would Jesus speak in the same manner to the Religious Scholars and Theologians in God’s Church today? Does Jesus "change"? NO. Has the Church changed in the past 2000 years? YES. It has gotten WORSE.

Now I assure you that I have never personally referred to the religious hypocrites of our day with all the descriptive words that Jesus used. Yet I am "cursed" and "condemned to hell" for merely exposing the heresy of religious leaders and teachers. Positively no one in Christendom would ever sanction such a manner of speech from a minister in their denomination. There isn’t a denomination in all Christendom that would hire Jesus as their pastor if He were to return today. Why they would throw him out the door on His ear before He got ten minutes into His first sermon .............

The rest of L Ray Smith's article can be found at this link:
http://bible-truths.com/fools.htm


"Brood of Vipers!"

MT 12:33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

MT 23:33 "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?

Is there any misunderstanding about how Jesus (God) feels about many of the Scribes and Pharisees? John the Baptist was the first to label them snakes because they killed others with their venom of hypocrisy and false teachings. He surely recognized that these religious men took after their father- the serpent of old. In fact, "brood" means OFFSPRING or nest of offspring. You might say that John paved the way for THE WAY! As our Bibles will show, when Jesus spoke to these men he had nothing but rebuking words for them. So while reading the Gospels it should be perfectly clear that these thought by the public to be the "men of God", the Scribes and Pharisees, "missed the mark" big time! In fact, Jesus' (God's) harshest words were ALWAYS to these very religious men. Jesus (God) LOVED the rich man; He FORGAVE the prostitute; He SUPPED with tax collectors; and He came to SAVE sinners- not those who thought they were righteous and felt no need of a Physician.

I suppose that most Christians can understand why Jesus (God) was angry with these men, but can Christians see that this dark nature of the Scribes and Pharisees NEVER left us? The same "nature" that deceived these "men of God" has been working within the Christian religion from day one. Some of the RELIGIOUS of today are no different than those pious men of Jesus' day. We were told that wolves would enter into the fold (Acts 20:29, 2 Tim 3:5). Well my friends, the MODERN DAY SCRIBES AND PHARISEES are alive and well today within Christianity. They are just more subtle in their destructive ways, but the fruit is the same- bad. The modern day VIPERS are still injecting others with venom in the form of pride, hypocrisy, ignorance and condemnation. Not only do these vipers condemn non-Christians to an eternal hell, they may even condemn fellow Believers if they do not believe what they do. What they don't realize is that they are the vipers in hell and sons of it!

It would be hard to refute the MANY atrocities that have been committed in Christendom's history by self-proclaimed Christians with good intentions. History books are full of the "fruit"- the horrors and cruelty done in the name of Christ. One only has to look at our "Christian county" to see the hypocrisy and violence from within the false Christian system and culture. We read that times were "violent" before the Great Flood, yet in this century, one "Christian country" has killed millions of men, women and children. Of course, more deaths came before the 20th century in our "Civil?" War. It has been said that more Americans died in this war than in ALL other wars since combined. I don't have the number, but does it matter? This "Christian country" that God has blessed is still full of violence in our streets, in our homes and in our hearts. But why? This "Christian county" is the ONLY country to ever kill innocent civilians using nuclear weapons! Why? This "Christian county" has the highest murder rate in the "civilized" world! Is this CIVILIZED? Is this the transforming life of Christ working in us? Did Jesus or the early Believers EVER use violence to promote, defend or sustain their faith? No, they had all they needed in Christ. Real Christians were united in God's love for each other and for humanity.

COL 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
This is NOT the behavior of many "Christians" in the Dark Ages or even today. But why are so many in the dark? Is it because they never had the Light in them? Jesus Christ did not come to start a new religion, but to transform the human race. A few centuries after Jesus was resurrected, NEW Scribes and Pharisees of the Christian persuasion were well on their way to positions of power within the religious system of Christianity. These now "Christian" Vipers were coming back with an evil vengeance against the Truth.

The rest of Brad Edward's paper can be found here:
http://www.savioroftheworld.net/vipers.htm


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ELIYAH

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I met Eliyah just a few months ago and she with her family have become fast friends, as only spiritual kinsman can be. She and her husband Kai, love the Lord with all their hearts and have been of great encouragement and support to me as I share the "Real Good News" within a number of venues. Eliyah has shared some writings on our other blog "SONSHINE" and God willing will be a contributor here at JH&Christ. Eliyah and Kai have four children under the age of eight. What a blessing to know there will be four souls taught from an early age that Our Heavenly Father's love and and mercy is extended to all his children and none will be lost. May God enrich your life as you read Eliyah's testimony. She and her husband have visited our valley before and have a real heart for the people of Jackson Hole.

Good morning my brother,

I am going to share how I came to the understanding of "Universal Salvation". Honestly, I do not like using labels such as "Universal Salvation" or "Universal Reconciliationist" or any other "Universal" label....for I have seen how these words are interpreted differently by many people. So instead I would like to use the biblical term of the Law of Jubilee as opposed to the Law of Redemption. In scripture the word 'land' not only represents an actual piece of property but it is a type/shadow that represents a person's life. Leviticus 25:23 states that ALL LAND IS THE LORD's.... just as in Psalms 24:1 states "The earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."

In referring to the Law of Redemption and the Law of Jubilee, Lev. 25:23-28 states... "The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me. Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land. If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold. Or in case a man has no kinsman, but so recovers his means as to find sufficient for its redemption, then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property. But if he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of Jubilee; but at the Jubilee it shall revert, that he may return to his property."

So we see that "The Land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine.." .....as I have stated earlier the usage of the word 'land' is a prophetic type/shadow of humanity.

When Adam sinned the curse of death was given. His 'land' was cursed. He had no power to redeem or buy back what he himself had lost. So God made a way where Adam could be restored back to his ESTATE... (the state of being CLOTHED WITH THE GLORY OF GOD and having FELLOWSHIP RESTORED with God). God sent His son Jesus Christ as the Kinsmen Redeemer to buy back what Adam had lost. What was the price that Jesus paid? He paid with HIS LIFE. He was the substitute that paid the price of the curse of death. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor 15:23.

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That word ALL means ALL. Many throughout the ages have received Jesus Christ as their KINSMAN REDEEMER. They have received by faith the free gift of salvation that was given to them when Jesus died on the cross for their sins. There are others for various reasons that have not received the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Many have never heard the news that their Kinsman Redeemer has set them free from the curse of death, from the curse of being separated from God, that they now have been REDEEMED to enter back into their inheritance. There are also those that have heard the news and through stubbornness and self will have rejected their Kinsman redeemer's free gift. For both of these groups of people the LAW OF JUBILEE is still in effect. Does the Law of Jubilee do away with the price of the Kinsman Redeemer? No! Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of ALL. There is no going around the CROSS. All those that will enter into their inheritance in the JUBILEE of all creation will see that Jesus Christ WAS and IS their Kinsman Redeemer. They will acknowledge that He is Lord. This acknowledgement will take place freely, willingly, and joyfully due to the work that the Saviour and the cross has done in the heart of that once stubborn individual. HalleluYah!

Stephen Jones writes... "The law of Jubilee is the basis of forgiveness and grace. It is the purpose and goal of the law itself. It compels a climax of earth history and a full end of the dominion of darkness and sin.What a glorious promise! The Jubilee is the law of grace. No matter how far a man goes into debt, the Jubilee will set him free. All creation waits in anticipation of this Jubilee. It is the goal of history and the ultimate purpose of God. The law of Jubilee on every level obtains its power by the blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross, as we read in 1 John 2:1 and 2,2 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."

I came to this understanding through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. I have not always had this understanding for I was one to believe that if a person rejected Christ in this life than there was no hope for that person in the next life. The Lord was gracious to me in revealing the truth through scripture. He spoke to me these simple words... "I am now going to take you on a journey INTO MY LOVE'.... and that was almost two years ago. This wonderful journey has opened up my eyes to so many things. I have learned the TRUTH about the origin of the false teaching of 'everlasting torment'. What I have thought to be cornerstones of the 'Christian faith' I have learned are really the carnal teachings of man not based in scripture at all. I was one to celebrate Christmas, Easter, and thought that Hell was of God.....all of these have their origins in Paganism and are not found in scripture at all. What is found in scripture are not man-made holidays but HOLY DAYS that point to the prophetic picture of Jesus Christ and the RESTORATION of ALL THINGS! I also want to make it perfectly clear that NO ONE can come to the FINAL JUBILEE of all creation through another door. There is only one door and that is Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth , and the life and no one can come to the Father but through Him.

So for all you black sheep out there that have felt like you were going crazy because you have never fit in with the 'church crowd' and there were many things that just didn't sit 'right' with you regarding Hell and may other things.....I want you to know that you have a place here at Jackson Hole and Christ. We love you and welcome you. We love you because Christ loves you and WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU. His love doesn't stop on this side of the grave....for nothing can separate you from His love.....life can't and death can't.....He will keep reaching and reaching for you and WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU.
You have a home here. We will do our best to answer any questions you might have and if we don't know the answers we will tell you we don't. We trust that He who started a GOOD WORK in you will FINISH that work. For you are HIS WORKMANSHIP!

May the Lord bless you and Keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace!

His bondslave,
eliyah

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Eliyah is a well versed student of the Old Testament, as you can see. She writes beautifully and shares with a rare clarity the wonderful types and shadows of our Christ Jesus revealed through the Prophets and the Law. Here are a couple of links to her writings from our "SONSHINE" blog.

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http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2008/08/have-you-left-your-heart-too.html

http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2008/08/have-you-left-your-heart-too-cont.html

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FLORIAN

Florian is a wonderful brother I met on a Christian forum years ago. I have always loved his spirit and at one time, because of the wisdom he shared in our many forum discussions, I thought of him as possibly being in his fifties or sixties. Instead he is a young man, who along with his dear wife Clare celebrated, not long ago, the birth of their first child Raphael Eden which I believe means "God restores paradise." This is Florian's testimony which tells of his journey to the understanding, "our Father loses not one of His children." I pray it gives you hope as you contemplate God's great enduring love.

I am Florian Berndt. My wife Clare and I currently live in Germany, where I was born and grew up until I was in my early twenties. I was raised in the roman-catholic church and never came into contact, at first, with people who claimed that they had a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. So when He found me and entered my life when I was still a child I didn't have a clue of what had happened to me at first.

Even though my family was very liberal in practicing their beliefs I actually can't remember ever seriously doubting the existence of our Heavenly Father, even though I didn't know Him until He chose to reveal Himself to me in my children's bedroom so many years ago.

After having been enlightened I began to study the scriptures and read every christian book I could get my hands on, but above all I started to pray a lot and to practice my Father's Presence.

My childhood was not very nice and I suffered all kinds of abuse, leading me, later in my life, down some roads I wouldn't have chosen for myself if I could have. During my late teenage years I got filled with the Holy Spirit, and by this time I had gone through a number of denominations outside the state church in Germany, which I found out about after I started to look for fellowship. So I ended up in an old classical pentecostal church down the road.

Very quickly I started off as a very promising church member, being able to motivate people easily and witness to outsiders. This was also the place where I met my wife Clare who had come over from England with her mum. They both had something I recognised the folks in my church didn't have, so after things got though because Father used me to cast out a demon of somebody in the church, me and my fiance decided to leave and got married by a charismatic-catholic priest.

Because of my abusive background we thought it best to stay away from the area I had grown up for a while and Father led us to England where we worked for a healing and teaching ministry for a few years. While working in the healing ministry I had become very disillusioned and was looking for reality as outlined in 1. Corinthians 13. For even though we saw miracles every day I longed for the love that Paul described in this scripture. The whole charismatic/pentecostal realm had become a circus to us, not able to satisfy our deepest spiritual needs.

Some traumatic experiences that occurred at that time made us realize more and more that our neat charismatic theology didn't fit with the reality of life and did not measure up to scripture nor the longings of man's heart. This was the case until we both had an amazing encounter with Father, Who's Unconditional Love brought immense healing to this wounded and self rightous, German heart. A new area had begun.

Later on we felt called back to Germany to share Father's Love with the people there and experienced incredible miracles of provision, coming back to this country with almost no money. Since then we have also experienced great miracles of restoration and healing, but have also gone through the most troubled times of our lives.

After our decision to return to Germany lots of new revelations unfolded and we withdrew from church leadership in our hometown to spend time alone at Father's feet, listening to His voice and seeking His face. At this time I started to study the scriptures, as well as church history, on a more intense level.

Also I began to read everything I could find on the Fatherheart of God to confirm my experiences through scripture and being better equipped to share the incredible Love I had encountered. Shortly after that I experienced Abba's Love and Heart, not only for myself, but for all creation and for about two or three days I felt like being born again, again, unable to hate anyone.

Through one of the books that had greatly blessed me I became friends with a man who's own experience confirmed my new found understanding of scripture and opened it up to to me in a complete new way.

Suddenly everything fell into place and I understood that my religious upbringing had clouded my eyes from seeing what Father wanted to share with me all along, His perfect plan for the ages and His desire to reconcile all things back to Himself.

Later on we found out that there are many more men and women who have come to see Abba Father's Unfailing Love and who share our new found understanding of the truly Good News. As you can imagine many of them became very good friends to us too. Most of them call me by the name Floyd (now that's a longer story).

Since then we live in what we consider the wilderness and even though its a tough place to be sometimes, I wouldn't choose any other way then the one Father has chosen for us. Furthermore it is the desire of my wife and myself to share the Unfailing Love of our Abba wherever we go and to lead people this way into a vital relationship with our Heavenly Dad and His Son Jesus Christ, without all the religious bondage that we experienced ourselves.

To accomplish this is the purpose of this blog, and I hope that it will bless those who read this with the same comfort that the Father of all Comfort has blessed us with.

Florian has a blog in German which I don't understand a word of. He also has a wonderful blog on "My Church" where he has published a number of great articles in English. Here is the link to his My Church site:

http://www.mychurch.org/abbaschild

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THE GREATEST LIE EVER TOLD

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Exposing the Greatest Lie Ever Told

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by Ken Eckerty

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You have all heard preachers and evangelists speak of the “Greatest Story Ever Told.” It is a story of love, of sacrifice, and of “everlasting mercy.” It is a story that has been told for over two thousand years with great passion and tears, and one that has changed the lives of countless millions all over the world. This story, of course, is none other than the story of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. On this website, you will hear of that story, but you are also going to hear (maybe for the first time) another story. This story, like the other, is told with equal passion—perhaps even more. This story, unlike the other, is a lie. It is the “Greatest Lie Ever Told” to man, and you might be very surprised to find out where this lie comes from. It does not come from those we would consider heathen, nor does it come from atheists, or even those who are violently opposed to God and religion. No, this lie does not come from those we would expect. The greatest lie the world has ever heard comes straight from the very people who love and follow Jesus Christ. It comes from our pulpits, it is taught in our Sunday school classes, it is broadcast all over the world through our television ministries, and it is preached by the missionaries who are in the remotest places of the world.

Have I gotten your attention yet? OK, so what is this lie? It is the lie that says that God will eternally torment most of His creatures; it is the lie that says that Jesus Christ cannot save most men; it is the lie that says that death will continue to exist forever, and it is the lie that says there will come a time when God will never be able to show mercy and love to the majority of those He created. Yes, this is the lie of religion and it is one that has all but consumed evangelical Christianity, so much so that the Church's message has become one of fear rather than one of love and victory. It has taken the beautiful judgments of God and turned them into a sadistic torture chamber, and worse than this, it has made a miserable failure of the work of Jesus Christ in that only a small minority of the billions of people who have ever lived will ever see heaven. This website's purpose is two fold: 1) to proclaim the victory and power of the Cross of our Lord Jesus, and 2) to expose the false doctrine of “eternal” punishment (as it is taught by orthodox Christianity).

Why is it important that we study the issue of the final destiny of man? Some people have told me that this issue is not really pertinent to them because it focuses on future things and our concern should be with the “here and now.” I absolutely agree that our focus should be on the here and now which is why we need to seek out the heart of God on this matter. However, I disagree that our conclusion on this matter in no way affects the way we live. Understanding this issue is extremely important because it will significantly affect how we respond to those around us (both toward Christians and non-Christians alike), and how we deal with adversity in our lives. Also, in order to be able to effectively minister to the world with the gospel, we must know both the beginning and the end of God's plan for man.

In this essay, we are going to ask four very important questions.

1. Do we desire to know what our Heavenly Father is really like?
2. How can we overcome evil with good if God can't do the same?
3. Do we want to be sure that we are portraying God accurately to the world?
4. Do we desire to take the right message to those who are perishing?

My intention in this essay is not to present an exegetical argument against “eternal” punishment. You will find more than enough resources on this website and others that will expose the lie of “eternal torment.” My goal is to simply introduce the importance of this subject and encourage the reader to seek the truth for himself. It's easy for us to take for granted certain doctrines we've believed in our whole lives. Many times we become numb to error because we hear the same thing preached over and over again in our pulpits. But just because the majority believes something to be true, that doesn't necessarily make it so. Men like Martin Luther will attest to that fact. There is always a risk in challenging traditional thinking because it can put us in the uncomfortable position of standing alone—but we need men of God who are willing to stand against tradition—alone if necessary—in order to be a light in the midst of “religious” darkness. My prayer is that God might grant to us the courage to seek after the truth, no matter what the cost!

First of all, it should be our desire to know our Heavenly Father. Jesus said in His glorious prayer in John 17,

And this is life eternal, that they might get to know you, the only real God, and Him whom You did send, Jesus Christ. (V. 3)

The Apostle Paul also expressed this thought, That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, (Phil. 3:10). It should be the desire of every one of God's children to get to know their Father in heaven.

Hannah Whitall Smith in her book, The Unselfishness of God , said,

By the discovery of God, therefore, I do not mean anything mysterious, or mystical, or unattainable. I simply mean becoming acquainted with Him as one becomes acquainted with a human friend; that is, finding out what is His nature, and His character, and coming to understand His ways. I mean in short discovering what sort of a Being He really is—whether good or bad, whether kind or unkind, whether selfish or unselfish, whether strong or weak, whether wise or foolish, whether just or unjust.

There is no better place to find out what God is really like than to look at how He treats His wayward creatures after they pass into the next age. What is God really like in the ages to come? Will He be different then than He is now? Is He really the way most have pictured Him—a God whose love and forgiveness is limited, whose mercy ceases for most of those whom He created? Is it true that in the next age God cannot reach out and extend mercy to the most pitiful of men?

There is a big difference between being thrown into “eternal” torment to suffer endless pain (which serves no purpose for the offender), and being punished for the purpose of “bringing one to an end of himself” so as to lead him back to his Father. Our answer on this matter will determine our views of God, and consequently how we view and treat others around us. Is He cold, unforgiving, and merciless to most of His creatures that reject Him here? Will He only give “eternal” bliss to a small percentage of His offspring?

I'm a father of two little girls. Both of my girls are very different. My oldest daughter is stubborn and has a very strong will. It takes much to break her (she's just like her dad). My youngest is more sensitive and conforms to my will a lot easier. As a father, I can't deal with them in the same way. For my oldest, I must use tough methods to break her of her stubbornness, while the younger, I can get the same result using milder methods. But in either case, my intended result is to get both of them to conform to my will. And I will do whatever it takes to accomplish this. But no matter what either of my children do, I love them both equally the same. Everything I do for them is for the purpose of training them to love and obey God. I have never punished either of them purely to satisfy my own demands of justice. And while my children sin on a daily basis (as all of us do), my goal in punishment has always been to correct their behavior in order to see them mature into productive and responsible adults.

Is God, who is the Father of all (Mal. 2:10; Acts 17:29), any different? If the Bible is true when it says that God is love (1 Jn. 4:8), then can God do anything distinct and separate from His love? We have perverted the love of God by saying that God's punishments are solely a demonstration of His justice. Jonathan Edwards went so far as to say, “Hell is perfect hatred without love.” What a perversion of the marvelous love of the Father! If the majority of the Church is right and punishment will never end, then God cannot love those to whom He torments forever. And if this is the case, then Jonathan Edwards is right, and “eternal” punishment is simply a demonstration of God's justice without His love.

But I am here to argue that God can do nothing apart from His love. Even His punishments serve a purpose to the offender (Is. 4:4; 26:9). God is perfect holiness, and as such, He must deal with sin. But He is also perfect love. So anything God does must demonstrate both. We cannot separate God's justice from His love otherwise we create a schizophrenic god with two very different personalities. Yet this is what most of the Church teaches. If hell is “eternal”, then God has done something apart from His love. Why do I say that? Because for love to really be love, some act must be accomplished toward another person with no thought of itself. In other words, to say someone loves, he must perform some act of love outside of himself, and then, it must have the purpose of bettering that individual. Even punishment must have the goal to better a person otherwise it is not love.

Getting back to my analogy of a parent. If I truly love my children, then every thing I do to (and for) them will be for their betterment, not simply to satisfy my own selfish desire for justice. So if I spank my children, as painful as it is to them, it must be done with a desire to better them in some way. If not, then I cannot say that I have truly loved them. 1 Corinthians 13 is a beautiful description of how we are to manifest love.

Love is patient and kind. Love knows neither envy nor jealousy. Love is not forward and self-assertive, nor boastful and conceited. She does not behave unbecomingly, nor seek to aggrandize herself, nor blaze out in passionate anger, nor brood over wrongs. She finds no pleasure in injustice done to others, but joyfully sides with the truth. She knows how to be silent. She is full of trust, full of hope, full of patient endurance. (1 Cor. 4-7, Weymouth NT)

So let me ask you then, what is the purpose of “eternal” punishment? If God's punishment never ends, then what purpose does it hold for the offender? What betterment to the sinner? The answer is none. And if there is no intent on correcting the behavior of the offender, the only purpose it could serve would be to either satisfy God's own sense of justice or to teach the poor sinner an “eternal” lesson. And in either case, this would be a selfish act because he would be thinking solely of himself. Certainly God would not have the best interest of the sinner at heart if His punishments continued without end. And isn't this what love is—being concerned for the welfare of another? The very essence of love is the idea that it is purely unselfish—it thinks not of itself (1 Cor. 13:8). If God acts in the manner prescribed by orthodox Christianity, how then can this be love? The idea of “eternal” hell shows that we believe in a god who acts simply to satisfy his own need for justice and revenge. Therefore, this is an act that cannot be considered love because it does not result in the betterment of the sinner. And if this is the case, then God is not love, at least to the great majority of those He torments “eternally.”

NOTE: Some in the Church believe in the doctrine of annihilation. In contrast to “eternal” torment, at least this view holds some element of love for the offender. In this case, the poor sinner would be put out of his misery by being totally destroyed. However, we believe it falls short of God's victory of the Cross.

No one would deny that God loves all men. But if the Scripture is true when it says that God is love, then God must love all men, not just in this short lifespan He gives us, but also throughout the age of time and beyond! Didn't Jesus Himself tell us to love our enemies? Didn't Paul teach us that if our enemies hunger and thirst, we should give them food and drink? Does this only apply to a man's short lifespan on the earth? None of us doubt that those thrown into the lake of fire are enemies of the Cross. But does not God love even them? And if this is true, how will He manifest His love to them while in the lake of fire? Or will He stop loving them and “eternally” forsake them?

These are tough questions, but they must be answered.

No matter how bad and rebellious my children act, I could never punish them simply out of anger and vengeance—for to do so would be selfish. And if I did, could it be said that I truly loved my children? If I inflict severe pain on them simply to teach them a lesson without exhorting them to improve, what kind of father would I be? And what kind of Father would God be if He acted in this same manner? Isn't His love for us far greater than the love that earthly parents have for their own children? Does He expect more from us than He Himself is willing to do?

Do we serve a schizophrenic god? Are there two different gods in the Bible—a god of vengeance, and another of love? Which one describes the God you worship? The god of the majority says that he is vengeful and hateful to most of those he created. I say that our God cannot act as the majority says. I say that our God cannot throw people in “eternal” hell and love them at the same time. I say that God's punishments always serve a purpose to those who receive them.

Would you like to know the heart of God as Jesus prayed and as Paul desired? Study to show yourself approved!

Secondly, God has called us to be overcomers in this world. But how are we to do this? The philosophy of the world is to overcome by strength and might—do whatever it takes to get ahead—look out for number one, and if that means hurting people climbing up the ladder of success, then so be it. But is this to be our way? Do Christians overcome by strength and shrewdness? Paul said,

If your enemy is hungry, give him food; if he is thirsty, quench his thirst. For by doing this you will be heaping burning coals upon his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome the evil with goodness. (Rom 13:20, 21)

We are to overcome our enemies by love and goodness. Isn't this exactly how God dealt with us?

Or is it that you think slightingly of His infinite goodness, forbearance and patience, unaware that the goodness of God is gently drawing you to repentance? (Rom 2:4) Doesn't God make his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust? (Matt 5:45) Why does God do this? Why does He return evil with good? He does so because He loves us and wants to bring us to repentance.

The perfect example in Scripture of overcoming evil with good is the Cross. This is God's way. Paul said the Cross is foolishness to the world because it's a symbol of weakness and lowliness (1 Cor. 1). Instead of conquering the world and all its evil through power and vengeance, the Lord chose the most humiliating means anyone could ever imagine. The Cross is the perfect picture of love. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…. This was God's choice for how He would overcome evil. It would not be through the strong arm of vengeance, but through the goodness and love of the Cross. And it is this same path of humiliation that our Lord commands us to trod. We will overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil through the Cross—the perfect expression of God's goodness.

John Milton said, “He who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe.” No one doubts that God can subdue the world by force. Anyone who can speak this world into existence with just a word can certainly wipe out all His enemies with the same. And at the same time, anyone who is powerful enough to turn the hearts of kings and use entire nations to accomplish His will, is also powerful enough to win His entire creation by love. But by which way is God going to reconcile the world? (Col. 1:20; Phil 2:10, 11) Will He accomplish it by force or love? At the end of the day, when all has been reconciled to God, what will we be able to say about the Creator; that He, with great force and vengeance, suffered most of His creation to endless torments, or that He overcame all that was evil in the world with eternal goodness, kindness, and love? Which do you think is the greater work for an all-powerful, sovereign God: forcing most of the world to bow in submission and then tormenting them forever, or through the love of the Cross, win all His lost and wayward children back to Himself again? Which do you think brings more glory to God?

And what does that say about how we are to live on this earth? If our God can't overcome evil with good, how can He expect us to do the same? When we are faced with adversity, why should we respond in love, when our God, in the end, fails to do the same? Why should we forgive seventy times seven when there will come a time when God will not forgive most of those He created for ever and ever? Why should we turn the other cheek and not render evil for evil, when God, who is supposed to be good, renders evil with evil?

Andrew Jukes said,

For our views of God re-act upon ourselves. By an eternal law, we must more or less be changed into the likeness of the God we worship. If we think Him hard, we become hard. If we think Him careless of men's bodies and souls, we shall be careless also. If we think Him love, we shall reflect something of His loving-kindness.

How true this statement is! I have seen this in my own life. If we worship a God who torments most of His creation forever, then why shouldn't we act the same way? Most of the Church is so quick to judge and condemn others, but we are unable to see that we are only acting out the theology we've embraced!

Thirdly, the doctrine of “eternal” torment maligns the character of God, and portrays Him to be a God of limited forgiveness and love.

Some of us have been in the unfortunate situation of having our reputations marred by malicious and untrue statements. Perhaps the most painful of all is being falsely accused by family or friends. There is nothing that hurts more than to be stabbed in the back by someone dear to us. David certainly understood this, as he writes in Psalm 55:12-13,

For it is not an enemy reproaching me; or I could bear it; it is not the one who hates me who is magnifying himself against me; or I would hide myself from him. But it is you, a man of my rank, my friend and my associate.

Our Lord Jesus certainly understood the pain of being forsaken, for it was only John and a few women who stood with Him in His final hours on the Cross.

If you've never experienced the pain of being forsaken by someone you love, or felt the hurt of being falsely accused by a dear friend, you may not be able to fully understand the point I am about to make. While most of us would quickly come to the rescue of a friend who has been on the receiving end of such an injustice, we don't realize that we are guilty of doing the same terrible injustice to our Heavenly Father. The doctrine of “eternal” torment misrepresents the character of God who is pure love and forgiveness. “Eternal” punishment says that God's love will fail for most of His creatures, His forgiveness has an expiration date, and He either can't or won't show mercy beyond the grave. Even if someone in “hell” were to cry out for God to show mercy and beg Him to give them another chance, this hard and calloused god will simply turn away, ignoring their cries as if he'd never heard them.

Most of us have never studied this “tradition” to see if it is indeed taught in the Word of God. However, I would be willing to bet that most of us are uncomfortable with this common teaching believed by most of the Church. And very few stand up and preach this doctrine with enthusiastic fervor. There is good reason for this. How long is “eternal?” L. Ray Smith writes:

Picture yourself being burned and tortured without relief and without any hope for trillions of centuries. Well, of course, we humanly cannot imagine such torture for such a long period of time--our minds and our emotions are incapable of it. If any sane Christian could witness, even for a few hours or a few days, the kind of hideous torture presented by Christian doctrine, I believe he would seriously reconsider whether a loving God is capable of such sadistic punishment. Try to imagine this torture for most of the human race, continuing for trillions upon trillions of centuries. Try this: A grain of sand contains millions and millions of atoms. Imagine that every atom in the known physical universe represents a trillion centuries of torture in Hell. It would thus take billions of trillions of centuries just to complete the atoms in a single grain of sand. Now imagine going to the second grain of sand, the third, the seven hundred and eighty ninth billion grain of sand, then all the atoms in the Earth, our Milky Way Galaxy, the next closest galaxy, the next billion closest galaxies, etc., etc., ONE ATOM (a trillion centuries) AT A TIME! How far into eternity do you suppose such a mind-warping number of centuries would take us? It would take us NOWHERE into eternity! Victims of such a heretical teaching as eternal torment would be NO closer to the end of their ordeal after all these trillions upon trillions of centuries than when they began. They would not be ONE SECOND closer to the end of their suffering.

Oh, how blind and hard-hearted we have become to think that our God could do such a horrible thing! God's judgments that are designed to bring men to an end of themselves are one thing, but “eternal” misery and torture is something quite different. Shame on us for first, not even questioning whether such a doctrine could be true, and secondly, for being lazy and content with accepting what our church leaders have taught us without doing the study required to determine the real truth of God's great love for all men.

How God must be grieved to see His own people telling lies about Him. How we hate when lies are told about us. How much more our Father in heaven must hurt because of the way we portray Him to men. At Golgotha, two thieves were crucified with Jesus, one on each side. One thief mocked Christ, while the other defended Him. The doctrine of “eternal” torment mocks the work of Christ and the love of God. Which “thief” will you be today? Will you continue to mock the character of God by continuing to teach this lie or will you come to the defense of the gospel and proclaim the real truth about God and His Son Jesus.

Lastly, we must ask ourselves, what “gospel” are we taking to the world? What is the good news that Paul tells us to proclaim?

And all things are from God, the One having conciliated us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and having given to us the ministry of conciliation, as, that God was in Christ conciliating the world to Himself, not charging their deviations to them, and having put the Word of conciliation in us. Then on behalf of Christ, we are ambassadors, as God is exhorting through us, we beseech on behalf of Christ, Be conciliated to God. (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

Our message to the world is not that they need to “accept” Jesus Christ or they will suffer the consequences of “eternal” torment. We are to go forth and tell the world that they have been conciliated to God through Christ and that God is not charging their sins to them. We are to exhort them to be conciliated back to God. This is the message of ambassadorship that we are to carry to the world.

Paul spoke to the philosophers at Mars Hill in Acts 17:31 and warns them of a coming judgment. I do believe we would be incomplete in our representation of God if we failed to warn men (including Christians) that there are consequences for sin. Paul's message to these philosophers was that God is strictly commanding all men everywhere to repent. (V. 31) However, there is a big difference between warning men of a coming day when God will judge all men (which He most certainly will), and that the consequence of not accepting Jesus Christ is “eternal” torment in flames of fire. The latter is not the gospel. The gospel of God in Christ is that God has conciliated the world (not just Christians) to Himself through the blood of His Cross. Paul tells us in 1 Tim. 4:10 that Christ is the Savior of all men, especially those who believe. When was the last time you heard an evangelist tell unbelievers that Jesus Christ is their Savior and that God has conciliated them to Himself, and is not charging their sins to their account? When? Our message is to implore them to be conciliated to the Father in Christ—in order that full reconciliation can take place, not so that they will burn in “eternal” flames if they don't accept Christ. This is not the message of an ambassador of the good news. This was not Paul's message to the nations, and it is not to be ours. I believe the doctrine of “eternal” torment has done more harm in turning people off to the gospel than any other false doctrine the Church has embraced. It is a blasphemous lie that maligns the character of God and weakens the work of Christ. It is high time to “study to show ourselves approved” that we may know the truth of the “full” gospel of God in Christ.

In conclusion, I have tried to set forth the reasons why I believe we need to re-think this doctrine of “eternal” punishment. My hope and prayer is that I have helped you to see the necessity of seeking the Lord on this critical issue. There are many study resources available to help you in your search for the truth. (See: links posted in our sidebar)

Today, we have so-called ministers of the “good news” who are spreading false accusations about God and His ways. They are threatening the world with the fear of “eternal” punishment if they don't accept Jesus. Some unbelievers I've talked to are thinkers and have thought through the message we're presenting to them—and you know what—it's not flying with them. I know people who have forsaken Christianity because of this false doctrine of never-ending punishments. I know dear saints who've had nervous breakdowns because they were honest enough to really think through what the Church teaches on this issue. The rest of us (myself included) have simply accepted this “tradition of men” as truth. It was Adolph Hitler who said, “Tell a lie long enough, loud enough, and often enough and people will start to believe you.”

I will close this essay with a short quote by Andrew Jukes in his book The Restitution of All Things .

It is not for me to judge God's saints who have gone before. Their judgment is with the Lord, and their work with their God. But when I think of the words, not of the carnal and profane, but even of some of God's dear children in that long night, when “the beast” which looked “like a lamb, but spake as a dragon,” had dominion; when I find Augustine saying, that “though infants departing from the body without baptism will be in the mildest damnation of all, yet he greatly deceives and is deceived who preaches that they will not be in damnation,” meaning thereby unending punishment; or Thomas Aquinas, that “the bliss of the saved may please them more, and they may render more abundant thanks to God for it, that they are permitted to gaze on the punishment of the wicked;” or Peter Lombard, that “the elect, while they see the unspeakable sufferings of the ungodly, shall not be affected with grief, but rather satiated with joy at the sight, and give thanks to God for their own salvation;” or Luther, that “it is the highest degree of faith to believe that God is merciful, who saves so few and damns so many; to believe Him just, who of His own will makes us necessarily damnable; ”

…When I remember that such men have said such things, and that words like these have been approved by Christians, I can only fall down and pray that such a night may not return, and that where it yet weighs on men's hearts the Lord may scatter it.

“Jesus wept.” (Jn. 11:35)


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WHY PREACH?

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If Everyone is Going to be Saved, Why Preach?

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By J. Preston Eby

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WHY TEACH SALVATION FOR ALL?

There are always those people who object to this truth on the grounds that the preaching of universal salvation will make Christians and unsaved careless. I can hear the unbelieving say, "If I believed that all men were to be saved eventually, I would just go out in the world and enjoy myself. What is the use of going through all these things we have to endure, if we're going to be saved in the end anyway?" Such ridiculous talk only reveals the true inner condition of the one who makes such as assertion. it shows that he has no true love for God, but is serving Him only out of fear of going to hell, as a slave in fear of a tyrant. If such a person had the fear of hell removed from him it is obvious that he would promptly tell God to go to hell and then proceed to drown himself in devilish pleasures and fleshly pursuits. I have no hesitation in saying that any man who says that if all are going to be saved in the end we might as well eat, drink, and be merry, is a devil at heart, and convicts himself by his own words. If the wages of sin were removed, he would immediately go out and begin to live it up in the world, serving both the flesh and the devil. He has no love for God at all, and is the most contemptible of hypocrites.

If your heart is that much inclined to the world and your love for God is no greater, then you better go back into the world. People who want to live careless will always find an excuse to be careless and they will have to suffer the result of their carelessness both now and in the day of judgment. The knowledge of God's gracious purpose does not make true men of God careless. It makes them long to become a part of His will and an instrument in His plan of the ages. We can embrace every travail in understanding, grace, and love, when we clearly see it is working for eternal good according to His purpose which He purposed in Christ before the ages began.

Some press the issue further and raise the question, "If sinners hear that all will be saved eventually, won't that cause them to relax and live more carelessly?" To which I reply, Has the doctrine of eternal torture kept men from backsliding? Has it turned the world to God? Has it made the streets in your city safe to walk at night? Has it kept the Christians from growing spiritually cold, or from committing disgraceful sins? Has it prevented Churches from becoming worldly, or sinking into apostasy? It has not! If anyone thinks to use their service to God as a fire escape, He will not accept it. Our service must be because we love Him. Everything He did for us was because He loved us, and He will accept nothing less from us. "The love of Christ constrains us" (11 Cor. 5:14). He does not want what we have; He wants us; our heart and affection. And sinners need to discover the love of God in Christ, and be brought to truly love Him. Let us consider these things, and cry mightily unto God to deliver our minds from all prejudice and preconceived ideas and distorted notions, for it is possible He still has truth He has not revealed to us!

Some time ago the following questions were presented to me. "Why preach and teach the Gospel if all are to be saved ultimately? There is no need to witness for they will be saved someday, someway, somewhere - right?" W-R-O-N-G! First, the Christian life is so rich and beautiful and worthwhile that it would be the only life to live, even if there were no hereafter. Ask those who have truly known and experienced Christ over a period of years. Was it not Dr. A. J. Gordon who met an old crippled man on the street, and asked him why, with all his handicap, his face was nevertheless so bright and shining? And the old man answered, "The devil has no happy old men!"

Furthermore, God will never save your loved ones, your neighbors, or any other person who has ever lived or who ever shall live apart from a MEANS, an INSTRUMENT THROUGH WHICH TO REACH THEM. And WE are that instrument! God declares to His elect in Isa. 49:6, "I will also GIVE YOU for a light to the nations, that YOU may BE MY SALVATION unto the end of the earth." The method by which God causes men to believe is revealed in Rom. 10:14-15. "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not BELIEVED? and how shall they BELIEVE in Him of whom they have not HEARD? and how shall they HEAR without a PREACHER? and how shall they PREACH except they be SENT?" Does the salvation of all men negate this procedure? NO WAY! It only intensifies it! The simple truth is that God purposes to save all men. The means by which He shall accomplish this is A PEOPLE, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, the SONS OF GOD, who are made ONE with the PRIESTLY MINISTRY OF JESUS the great HIGH PRIEST, to intercede, witness, speak, exhort, warn, entreat, preach, and proclaim the redemptive power of the Christ until this ministry conquers all men for God.

Ah - does the fact that God will have all men to be saved mean that it is meaningless to WITNESS, to PREACH? A thousand times no! "It pleased God by the foolishness of PREACHING to save them that believe" (I Cor. 1:21). So we cannot preach less, we must not witness less, armed now with the hope that the preaching will ultimately BEAR FRUIT we shall preach MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, for this is one of God's MEANS of salvation! Those who should really give up witnessing to their loved ones, and preaching to the lost are those who believe most of them will burn for ever in hell anyway! What on earth could be more worthless, unprofitable, vain, disturbing and disappointing than witnessing and preaching to men when we actually believe that only a small fraction of them will ever be saved? Why bother? To what end all the labor? The devil gets most of them in the end anyhow!

We who know that God will have all men to be saved are really the only people on earth who have REAL PURPOSE in ministering to the lost. Praise God! He has committed unto us the MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION. Now comes the word: "And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given UNTO US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling T-H-E W-O-R-L-D unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has COMMITTED UNTO US THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: WE PRAY YOU IN CHRIST'S STEAD, BE RECONCILED UNTO GOD" (11 Cor. 5:18-20). The apostle shows how it is that God was in Christ reconciling NOT THE CHURCH, NOT THE SAINTS, NOT JUST BELIEVERS, but T-H-E W-O-R-L-D unto Himself, and now has given the MINISTRY BY WHICH THIS RECONCILIATION IS TO BE EFFECTED ... unto us! "We pray you in Christ's stead." Not witness to our loved ones because they will be saved anyway? Not preach to the unconverted because they will be saved in the end? The very idea is absurd, a complete contradiction of terms! Because God has made blessed provision for their salvation IS W-H-Y WE WITNESS! On the contrary, to witness and witness and witness to vast numbers of people who will NEVER BE SAVED would be an effort in futility. If I believed that nonsense, then I really might STOP PREACHING!

Will believing that God is the Saviour of all men do away with evangelistic fervor and zeal? Only in men who hold a carnal knowledge of the doctrine in their intellect, but have no deep revelation of the truth of it in their hearts. It did not affect the apostle Paul in this manner. On the contrary it increased his fervor and zeal. Paul states it clearly and emphatically, "For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men" (I Tim. 4:10). After many years of ministry, being, by the grace of God, an instrument of God to help a great many people in the deep spiritual, psychical, and physical needs of their lives, I testify that I know of no greater joy on earth than the joy of seeing people receive Christ as their own Saviour and Lord. Just ask anyone who has led some person to the Lord, what is the greatest joy he knows. He will not be slow in telling you. Or try it yourself!

The fact that we see and appreciate God's great and wonderful plan for all men leaves no room in us for a dilatory, DON'T CARE spirit. The elect of God are always conscious of their unique calling. We are given the high honor of being "laborers together with God." Some day when the last devil has been subjected, and the last sinner broken in humility and contrition at the lovely feet of Jesus, we shall realize, as we may not now, just how great that honor really is, and how much we have missed if we fail to share in this task to which the Almighty has set His hand.

I must confess that I am deeply grieved in my spirit when I meet these would-be Sons of God who look with contempt upon those who still have a passion for souls and desire to see men delivered from the power of the devil. I am aware of the fact that the hour has not yet arrived when God shall deal with all nations, and multitudes of past generations, to bring forth His salvation in them, but it is my deepest conviction that one of the sure marks of sonship is THE SPIRIT OF RECONCILIATION. Why speak of our great hope of what God shall do in the ages to come if THE SPIRIT OF THAT HOPE is not now alive in our hearts? It is not the doctrine of reconciliation that shall change the world, but the MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION. The ministry of reconciliation springs from the spirit of reconciliation.

If you would not walk across the street to see some poor soul delivered and converted by the redeeming power of Christ, don't waste your time relating to me how you are chosen of God to help in the delivering of the whole creation from the bondage of sin and death. The Spirit of Reconciliation must reign within our hearts. The Ministry of Reconciliation must issue forth from our lives. Rivers of Living Water must, even now, pour forth out of our innermost being, bringing hope and victory and life to all who will come and drink! Amen!

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INTO A DAUGHTER'S HEART

If you have ever laid in bed and wept because of a person you will forever miss or occasions and enjoyments you have been deprived of because of one hard circumstance or another, I pray this story will soften your pain. I wrote this account a couple years ago and even today it is one of my favorite writings ever. It seems even the original emotions, once so deeply felt as I typed this story out, have been made afresh as I read through it once again this evening.


I want to share a most extraordinary experience I had a couple years ago where God for one second took me out side the parameters of this world and deep into the heart of my daughter.

My daughter Erin, upon entering the University of Kansas received a letter from the Athletics Dept. inviting any interested freshmen women to try out for the KU Women's Rowing Team. Having been a recreational runner through out high school and being bold of spirit she decided to give it a try. After many challenging hours and much pain she was accepted onto the Novice Rowing Team. For a year's hard work Erin, was then elevated to the Varsity squad her sophomore year and awarded a full four year athletic scholarship.

It seems almost four years had gone by and because of the distance and my lack of funds I was never able to visit my daughter on campus nor see any of her races. I knew that it was a "must" that I at least attend the last home race of her senior year. This is an event, where besides the race, the KU Athletics Dept. puts on a big BBQ for all the fans and also included is a ceremony honoring the parents of the graduating senior crew members, along with their daughters.

My ex-wife and Erin's mother not being able to attend this event, just raised the stakes higher for me to be there. Three weeks away and after much prayer I still saw no way that I was going to be able to afford a flight to Kansas for the race. I was just heart broken and I was letting God know in prayer how much this hurt, when in the midst of my petitions I received a phone call from my sister offering to fly me out to the race. She, her mate and two of my other sisters were all going to be flying in for Erin's celebratory weekend and they wanted me there for sure.

Lest I take from my dramatic event, I will tell you now that we ended up with about fifteen Erin supporters in our crowd and when we left Lawrence Kansas after that weekend we were the talk of all the girls and their parents as they marveled at the fun and exuberance we had in loving and rooting for our girl. All of us in the group were stone sober during our whole stay but because of our joy we were often asked what we were drinking. LOL

One other exceptional event I want to share that lends undeniable support to God's miraculous ways, concerns an oversight of mine that became apparent at the Kansas airport. I found myself in a terrible dilemma when upon securing my reserved rental car it was noticed my drivers license was expired thus negating any use of a rental car. My daughter's apartment was forty minutes away, and as I was standing out on the curb contemplating how I was going to complete my journey, a woman in a van drove up. She asked me if I had seen some people waiting for a shuttle. I said no and asked her where she was going and she told me Lawrence, which is where my daughter lived and where the university is located. She then told me to hop in when I told her of my destination. Now that's God's curb side service and how did He know I would never once be in need of an automobile the whole time I was there?

I spent five days in my daughter extra bedroom that week and I would accompany her each afternoon to the river for rowing practice. In those five days I was blessed to enjoy all of her day to day activities, meet all her friends and visit all her haunts. It could not have been a more enjoyable and precious time, even without my miraculous experience which was soon to come.

So the big day of the race and celebration has arrived and it is an absolutely stupendous day to spend on the river; warm, still and not a cloud to be seen. We watched all the early races with Erin in our company, while anxiously awaiting the final and most important race of the day. I am weeping right now as I begin my account of what shall take place during this; Erin's last ever home race of her rowing career.

Being an ex-professional photographer I had brought my 35MM camera with all the lenses so I might capture the events of that day. I was set up on the shore about fifty yards in front of the finish markers in anticipation of getting that magic shot where Erin and the girls will absolutely be giving it their all during the final sprint. It was so amazing to feel the heightened anticipation within the crowd and myself as the boats came into site a mile away. The closer they came the louder the crowd cheered and as the boats closed in to where I was standing every one was hollering and clapping as loud and as hard as they could. Just as the Kansas boat, which was in a narrow lead, barely passed where I was standing I readied my camera with it's long telephoto lens on Erin for that perfect shot. Looking through that lens it was hard to comprehend the beauty and perfect rhythm of eight girls rowing together while exerting every last ounce of their energy and strength for the last few meters of the race.

I tightened in my focus and moved from the whole of the boat to where I could just view Erin filling up the frame. I fine focused and as I hit the shutter button it happened! In one single, incredible mind altering second God took me deep into Erin's precious heart and I experienced every moment she had given to rowing in the last four years. I felt every ache and blister she had ever suffered during those years. I gloriously experienced all the joy she had received and also the whole of the disappointment she had ever endured during her four long rowing seasons. I tasted deeply the spirit of camaraderie she shared with her many boat-mates along with the encouragement, sisterhood, and closeness that had grown strong between them. Incredibly I also was given understanding of all the days Erin had gotten up at five in the morning to train in the cold and rain plus all the evenings she dragged herself home after a second evening practice to do piles of homework. Piercing my heart was also the pure pleasure she enjoyed knowing how very proud her Dad and everyone was of her this day. I could truly go on page after page describing what I experienced and saw in that smallest increment of time when my camera shutter opened and closed during that perfect shot.

I believe I was the only parent that day that had tears in their eyes at the finish of that race. My sisters and our group of friends sure gave me hell when they noticed this. If only God would have allowed me tell them the reason. It seemed it was just too precious for Him also.

Until I have left this earth, I shall never forget how God took me beyond time and space that wonderful and amazing day and allowed me to enter into my daughter's heart and experience all that I thought I had missed. I can't help but believe this most precious experience was a foretaste of what we will all know one day when we are made complete in Him. I have been assured many times in payer that I need never feel sad that I have missed anything of this world because it is all being kept in store to be enjoyed throughout eternity.

And people wonder why I cry sometimes when I tell them how much I love Him. Who could ever give you a gift like that!

Jack


PS. There is a rain storm taking place over my key board right now, but I want to also tell you that Erin went from a walk-on, never having seen a rowing shell or an oar to be captain of the team and "Oars Woman of the Year. " She will also, forever be my "little girl".

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THE REAL LAST MOVE OF GOD

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For those that have experienced every kind of revival in a variety of churches and then witnessed the aftermath this short message will encourage you. How few of those that were saved with me in the great Jesus movement of the early seventies still walk with God. There may be but a handful I know of today. The apostate churches with their Pharisaical ministers had nothing but pablum and poison to feed these hungry souls and those that didn't escape the clutches of the harlot church starved and died spiritually. And it saddens me greatly!

Thank God there is however, a tried, true and faithful remnant called by Jesus to meet Him outside the gate and afar from the camp, even bearing His reproach (Heb13:12-14). These are my brothers. These are my sisters. Please read of these precious souls in this anointed writing by Charles Newbold.
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The Real Last Move of God

The real last move of God doesn’t need a man to lead it, doesn’t need a band to hype it, doesn’t need a building to corral it, doesn’t need a billboard to promote it, doesn’t need intercessors to pray it in, doesn’t need a TV show or even a microphone to barker it, doesn’t need a PR program to defend it. Can’t take up an offering for it or seed into it, can’t hype or manipulate it, can’t own it.

It has already begun in the secret places of men’s hearts, men who rarely even know one another. It is already taking place in the hidden corners of David’s cave of Adullam where a few misfits and malcontents have hidden out in Jesus and are being quietly shaped into a might army of glorified sons. A few here and there are being knitted together in love whose light, when they cross paths, becomes greater than the sum of the two, or three, or four, or whatever number they are.

It is the light of life, the very life of God they radiate, exposing the darkness and causing turmoil everywhere they go unspoken, but spoken against; loving, but hated by the world; merciful, but treated unmercifully; strong through brokenness; powerful in weakness; mighty men of valor without guile or malice; strong and powerful in the Lord without gender.

Released one by one, becoming two by two, becoming four by four, then eight by eight on an exponential curve. Yes, a movement to end all revivals.

Can’t start it, can’t stop it, can’t own it, can’t harness it, can’t telecast it, can’t alter it, can’t do anything about it. It is already in motion and is bigger than any man or collection of men. It is the coming forth of Zion, the ushering in of Tabernacles the feast of Ingathering; that is, Jesus gathering into Himself His true assembly of called-out-ones.

These are those who are called, chosen, and will be found faithful. Nevertheless, whosoever will may come. Either way, all were known before the foundation of the world.

Charles Newbold, Jr.

June 21, 2008

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