ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL DEATH YOU CHOOSE

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If God exists and He created all things, it brings incredible responsibility upon the life of every man, woman, and child. Every individual under the sun has the responsibility to not only acknowledge their Creator but to give Him thanks for this magnificent universe. Moreover, they have an obligation to order their life around their Creator’s desires rather than their own—and this is the point where the bristling starts to happen. If God exists and He is the Creator of all things, this needs to inform the whole of one’s life. One must not only acknowledge Him as Creator and give Him thanks but we must live according to His rules. Every aspect of our lives must come under total surrender to the One who is the Author of life—and the one who rejects God surely does so on the basis of their desire to reject His authority.

It is all good and fine if there is a Creator who doesn’t impose His will upon the masses of His creation. However, the Creator has already judged the whole world on one previous occasion with a worldwide flood with only eight survivors. Moreover, His Word warns us that He intends to eventually destroy this fallen world with fire but beforehand there is Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom. He will rule and reign on this earth with resurrected and transformed believers for one thousand years. Check out, http://www.millennialkingdom.net

Atheists and agnostics for that matter stand on borrowed ground. They eat and drink borrowed food. They breathe in borrowed air and ultimately—live on borrowed time. They can no more diminish God’s glory and authority than if they were to try and blot out the light of the sun by standing before it. This is why many tend to go the route of dismissal of God’s existence to conceal their hatred of God, yet in the end, it will prove just as fruitless as an open hatred of God.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me… I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:1,6

Remember our Creator has gone to exceptional lengths to make Himself and the condition of the Cosmos (spiritual and physical) known to mankind and to enable us to get back into a right relationship with Him. Can we ask any more of God than He sends His Son to pay the price for our rebellion against Him and then to send the Holy Spirit to indwell the believer’s spirit to enable us to live the Christian life?

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but He sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.” John 8:42-45

At the end of all days, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord. There is no hope for the one who dies under the consuming wrath of God, but just as there remains no hope for those who do not believe in Christ prior to their death, there will be no lingering skepticism. There will be no doubt. There will be no unbelief. All will believe and will either go away to eternal death or eternal life. Which do you choose?

WAKE UP CHURCH TO WHAT GOD IS DOING

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Love this video: Could the World’s Darkest Hour become the church’s finest hour. It suggests; it’s opportunity time for the church. As church buildings close, Christians are starting to ask questions about how they can be church now. Realisation occurs to some, that the church has never been the building, but the people in the building, and that those people are called to be a blessing to a dying world. Jesus has charged them to bring the good news of Christ to these lost souls destined for judgement by their Creator, punishment and finally a second death.

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6

WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT OF THE DEAD, SMALL AND GREAT.

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The remains of the 2,411 unborn infants found in Illinois following the death of abortionist Ulrich Klopfer have been laid to rest. Klopfer was described by one local newspaper, The Journal Gazette, as “Indiana’s most prolific abortion doctor,” noting his record of performing tens of thousands of abortion procedures over the course of his career.

Seeking to honor the infant lives horrifically lost and unceremoniously maintained, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill held a mass burial service at a cemetery in South Bend on Wednesday.

Their lives were memorialised with a shared headstone:

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Ulrich Klopfer will have to account for his life’s work when he appears before Jesus Christ at the White Throne judgement.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15

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WHY HELL IS NOT ETERNAL TORMENT

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There is no “immortal soul” doctrine in the Bible. Tradition about the fate of the lost (as torment forever) is unbiblical and hermeneutically incorrect.

Jesus and James teach the soul is destructible.

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

“There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.” James 4:12

Paul teaches that immortality is brought through the gospel.

“but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,” 2 Timothy 1:10

Image result for pictures of biblical lake of fire

Hell was prepared for Satan and his angels. They will be tormented forever but not unbelieving humans.

  • “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41
  • Revelation 20:10 says the devil, the beast and the false prophet will be tormented forever.

“The belief in the immortality of the soul came to the Jews from contact with Greek thought and chiefly through the philosophy of Plato, its principal exponent…” (The Jewish Encyclopedia). However, the scriptures teach the soul is destructible and immortality is part of the gospel. As shown, Paul teaches that immortality is brought through the gospel. Paul did not believe the Greek philosophy of his day which taught the immortality of all souls.

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, He will give eternal life.” Romans 2:7

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. (John 6:51)

Why would Jesus Himself make this plain offer to “live forever” if everyone lived forever? Also, why would Jesus say people perish (die) unless they believe the Gospel.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

It is important to note that in Hebrew, the word for “life/soul” (nehphesh) is never used in conjunction with the word “everlasting” in the Old Testament writings

Likewise, in the New Testament writings, the word for “soul” (psukee) is never used in conjunction with the words “eternal” or “everlasting.”

A growing number of well-known Christian leaders, such as Dr. David R. Reagan, John R. Stott, Greg Boyd, Roger Forster (co-founder of the March for Jesus events), Philip Hughes, Michael Green, Stephen Travis, and Clark Pinnock have declared support for part, or all, of the biblical doctrine of Conditional Immortality. Even the British Bible translator, William Tyndale, defended Conditional Immortality during his lifetime. Also, the very well respected scholar F.F. Bruce states, “Eternal conscious torment is incompatible with the revealed character of God” so he chose to write the forward to an excellent evangelical book on this topic called, The Fire that Consumes by Edward Fudge.

SECOND DEATH

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14 

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Revelation 21:8 

Why would God use “second death” if He did not mean death?

The first death is temporary. In the first death, only the body is destroyed in the graveyard. However, there will be a resurrection one day of all humanity, a bodily resurrection.

The second death will never be followed by a resurrection. In the second death, the body and soul are both destroyed (not preserved), (Matthew 10:28) forever.

Paul also tells us exactly what the punishment of the lost is:                                               

“Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction.” 2 Thessalonians 1:9   

Whose end is destruction. Philippians 3:19

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition. (Greek: destruction) Hebrews 10:39 

That raging fire “will consume the enemies of God“ Heb. 10:27

“…it would seem strange … if people who are said to suffer destruction are in fact not destroyed; and … it is difficult to imagine a perpetually inconclusive process of perishing.“(J. Stott and D. Edwards, Essentials: A Liberal-Evangelical Dialogue, London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1988, p. 316)

The future that unbelievers face on judgement day is:

1) Suffering in proportion for their sins. Justice, in its proper amount, will be served.“And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.” (Luke 12: 47-48)

2) Destruction. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23“, “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4),“He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” Revelation 2:11

They (sinners) will be cast into “unquenchable fire prepared for Satan and his minions”. It is an enduring fire which none can extinguish as Satan and his minions will be there forever. Humans who are cast into the fire will eventually BURN UP. This is the Greek word katakaio which means to burn up; consume. Jesus informs us that sinners will NOT be preserved in the fire (like in Moses and the burning bush), but rather will be “burned up“ just the opposite of preservation. “Their destiny is destruction…” Philippians 3:19. “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

Doesn’t Revelation 14 tell us that people will be tormented forever?

They are “in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” This is obviously when they are standing before the Great White Throne of God on Judgement Day and not in hell.

The parable that Jesus tells in Luke 19:27 teaches us that these ones will ultimately be slain in the presence of the King.

But what about the word “forever”; doesn’t the text say torment will go on forever? No. Read it very carefully. It clearly says “the smoke” will rise forever.

Doesn’t Revelation tell us that people who take the mark of the beast will have no rest day or night?

Yes, they will indeed have “no rest,” but when will this happen? It will be during the tribulation period while on this earth. It is in the Greek present tense. John also tells us that painful sores break out on their body. How can anyone “rest day or night” when they have painful such sores on their body and are forced to worship the beast?

Jesus quotes from Isaiah 66:24 “Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.” in Mark 9:44,46,48

The righteous “go out and look” on their enemies” corpses… They look at corpses (Hebrew: pegerim), not living people. They view their destruction, not their misery.  The figure of unquenchable fire is frequent in scripture and signifies a fire that consumes (Ezekiel 20:47, 48), reduces to nothing (Amos 5:5,6) or burns up something (Matt 3:12).

“There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.” Luke 13:28 

He means on that day:

  • There will be many sad people “weeping” at the realization that they have just lost the chance for immortality and will soon be put to death forever.
  • There will be many very angry people gnashing their teeth at God. It is they who will probably be cursing at God (i.e. gnashing their teeth) all the way to their last breath before being destroyed.

What about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16?

The teaching of Conditional Immortality means that the soul of man is finally destroyed on the Day of Judgement at the end of this age. Therefore, technically speaking, this scripture has no bearing on this doctrine.

  • There is sufficient reason for understanding this passage of scripture as a parable.
  • The previous four stories were all parables (Luke 15:4, 15:8, 15:11, 16:1) The parable which He just told them, also began with the exact same words “There was a certain rich man,” (Luke 16:1).
  • These two stories both have to do with “mammon” (money) and the misuse of it. If the first is clearly a parable, why not the second, for it is in the exact same section of scripture?
  • The point of the parable is at the end, “And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:31)
  • The Greek word used in this passage is not Gehenna (hell), but it is Hades (temporary abode of the dead). It is a different Greek word.
  • Hades will be itself emptied and destroyed one day. Revelation 20:14.

Does the one who told us to love our enemies intend to wreak vengeance on his own enemies for all eternity? No! thank God.