Concerned Citizens Coalition of North Alabama

Saturday, September 16, 2006

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Friday, July 28, 2006

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
Enfield, Connecticut
July 8, 1741

--Their foot shall slide in due time.--
Deuteronomy 32:35

In this verse is threatened the vengeance of God on the wicked unbelieving Israelites, who were God's visible people, and who lived under the means of grace; but who, notwithstanding all God's wonderful works towards them, remained (as vers 28.) void of counsel, having no understanding in them. Under all the cultivations of heaven, they brought forth bitter and poisonous fruit; as in the two verses next preceding the text. -- The expression I have chosen for my text, their foot shall slide in due time, seems to imply the following things, relating to the punishment and destruction to which these wicked Israelites were exposed.
That they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall. This is implied in the manner of their destruction coming upon them, being represented by their foot sliding. The same is expressed, Psalm 72:18. "Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction."

It implies, that they were always exposed to sudden unexpected destruction. As he that walks in slippery places is every moment liable to fall, he cannot foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once without warning: Which is also expressed in Psalm 73:18,19. "Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction: How are they brought into desolation as in a moment!"

Another thing implied is, that they are liable to fall of themselves, without being thrown down by the hand of another; as he that stands or walks on slippery ground needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down.

That the reason why they are not fallen already and do not fall now is only that God's appointed time is not come. For it is said, that when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide. Then they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall into destruction; as he that stands on such slippery declining ground, on the edge of a pit, he cannot stand alone, when he is let go he immediately falls and is lost.
The observation from the words that I would now insist upon is this. -- "There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God." -- By the mere pleasure of God, I mean his sovereign pleasure, his arbitrary will, restrained by no obligation, hindered by no manner of difficulty, any more than if nothing else but God's mere will had in the least degree, or in any respect whatsoever, any hand in the preservation of wicked men one moment. -- The truth of this observation may appear by the following considerations.
There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men's hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands. -- He is not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but he can most easily do it. Sometimes an earthly prince meets with a great deal of difficulty to subdue a rebel, who has found means to fortify himself, and has made himself strong by the numbers of his followers. But it is not so with God. There is no fortress that is any defence from the power of God. Though hand join in hand, and vast multitudes of God's enemies combine and associate themselves, they are easily broken in pieces. They are as great heaps of light chaff before the whirlwind; or large quantities of dry stubble before devouring flames. We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth; so it is easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by: thus easy is it for God, when he pleases, to cast his enemies down to hell. What are we, that we should think to stand before him, at whose rebuke the earth trembles, and before whom the rocks are thrown down?

They deserve to be cast into hell; so that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God's using his power at any moment to destroy them. Yea, on the contrary, justice calls aloud for an infinite punishment of their sins. Divine justice says of the tree that brings forth such grapes of Sodom, "Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?" Luke 13:7. The sword of divine justice is every moment brandished over their heads, and it is nothing but the hand of arbitrary mercy, and God's mere will, that holds it back.

They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. They do not only justly deserve to be cast down thither, but the sentence of the law of God, that eternal and immutable rule of righteousness that God has fixed between him and mankind, is gone out against them, and stands against them; so that they are bound over already to hell. John 3:18. "He that believeth not is condemned already." So that every unconverted man properly belongs to hell; that is his place; from thence he is, John 8:23. "Ye are from beneath:" And thither he is bound; it is the place that justice, and God's word, and the sentence of his unchangeable law assign to him.

They are now the objects of that very same anger and wrath of God, that is expressed in the torments of hell. And the reason why they do not go down to hell at each moment, is not because God, in whose power they are, is not then very angry with them; as he is with many miserable creatures now tormented in hell, who there feel and bear the fierceness of his wrath. Yea, God is a great deal more angry with great numbers that are now on earth: yea, doubtless, with many that are now in this congregation, who it may be are at ease, than he is with many of those who are now in the flames of hell.
So that it is not because God is unmindful of their wickedness, and does not resent it, that he does not let loose his hand and cut them off. God is not altogether such an one as themselves, though they may imagine him to be so. The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow. The glittering sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath opened its mouth under them.

The devil stands ready to fall upon them, and seize them as his own, at what moment God shall permit him. They belong to him; he has their souls in his possession, and under his dominion. The scripture represents them as his goods, Luke 11:12. The devils watch them; they are ever by them at their right hand; they stand waiting for them, like greedy hungry lions that see their prey, and expect to have it, but are for the present kept back. If God should withdraw his hand, by which they are restrained, they would in one moment fly upon their poor souls. The old serpent is gaping for them; hell opens its mouth wide to receive them; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost.

There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would presently kindle and flame out into hell fire, if it were not for God's restraints. There is laid in the very nature of carnal men, a foundation for the torments of hell. There are those corrupt principles, in reigning power in them, and in full possession of them, that are seeds of hell fire. These principles are active and powerful, exceeding violent in their nature, and if it were not for the restraining hand of God upon them, they would soon break out, they would flame out after the same manner as the same corruptions, the same enmity does in the hearts of damned souls, and would beget the same torments as they do in them. The souls of the wicked are in scripture compared to the troubled sea, Isa. 57:20. For the present, God restrains their wickedness by his mighty power, as he does the raging waves of the troubled sea, saying, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further;" but if God should withdraw that restraining power, it would soon carry all before it. Sin is the ruin and misery of the soul; it is destructive in its nature; and if God should leave it without restraint, there would need nothing else to make the soul perfectly miserable. The corruption of the heart of man is immoderate and boundless in its fury; and while wicked men live here, it is like fire pent up by God's restraints, whereas if it were let loose, it would set on fire the course of nature; and as the heart is now a sink of sin, so if sin was not restrained, it would immediately turn the soul into fiery oven, or a furnace of fire and brimstone.

It is no security to wicked men for one moment, that there are no visible means of death at hand. It is no security to a natural man, that he is now in health, and that he does not see which way he should now immediately go out of the world by any accident, and that there is no visible danger in any respect in his circumstances. The manifold and continual experience of the world in all ages, shows this is no evidence, that a man is not on the very brink of eternity, and that the next step will not be into another world. The unseen, unthought-of ways and means of persons going suddenly out of the world are innumerable and inconceivable. Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering, and there are innumerable places in this covering so weak that they will not bear their weight, and these places are not seen. The arrows of death fly unseen at noon-day; the sharpest sight cannot discern them. God has so many different unsearchable ways of taking wicked men out of the world and sending them to hell, that there is nothing to make it appear, that God had need to be at the expense of a miracle, or go out of the ordinary course of his providence, to destroy any wicked man, at any moment. All the means that there are of sinners going out of the world, are so in God's hands, and so universally and absolutely subject to his power and determination, that it does not depend at all the less on the mere will of God, whether sinners shall at any moment go to hell, than if means were never made use of, or at all concerned in the case.

Natural men's prudence and care to preserve their own lives, or the care of others to preserve them, do not secure them a moment. To this, divine providence and universal experience do also bear testimony. There is this clear evidence that men's own wisdom is no security to them from death; that if it were otherwise we should see some difference between the wise and politic men of the world, and others, with regard to their liableness to early and unexpected death: but how is it in fact? Eccles. 2:16. "How dieth the wise man? even as the fool."

All wicked men's pains and contrivance which they use to escape hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, do not secure them from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do. Every one lays out matters in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters himself that he contrives well for himself, and that his schemes will not fail. They hear indeed that there are but few saved, and that the greater part of men that have died heretofore are gone to hell; but each one imagines that he lays out matters better for his own escape than others have done. He does not intend to come to that place of torment; he says within himself, that he intends to take effectual care, and to order matters so for himself as not to fail.
But the foolish children of men miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow. The greater part of those who heretofore have lived under the same means of grace, and are now dead, are undoubtedly gone to hell; and it was not because they were not as wise as those who are now alive: it was not because they did not lay out matters as well for themselves to secure their own escape. If we could speak with them, and inquire of them, one by one, whether they expected, when alive, and when they used to hear about hell, ever to be the subjects of misery: we doubtless, should hear one and another reply, "No, I never intended to come here: I had laid out matters otherwise in my mind; I thought I should contrive well for myself -- I thought my scheme good. I intended to take effectual care; but it came upon me unexpected; I did not look for it at that time, and in that manner; it came as a thief -- Death outwitted me: God's wrath was too quick for me. Oh, my cursed foolishness! I was flattering myself, and pleasing myself with vain dreams of what I would do hereafter; and when I was saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction came upon me."

God has laid himself under no obligation, by any promise to keep any natural man out of hell one moment. God certainly has made no promises either of eternal life, or of any deliverance or preservation from eternal death, but what are contained in the covenant of grace, the promises that are given in Christ, in whom all the promises are yea and amen. But surely they have no interest in the promises of the covenant of grace who are not the children of the covenant, who do not believe in any of the promises, and have no interest in the Mediator of the covenant.
So that, whatever some have imagined and pretended about promises made to natural men's earnest seeking and knocking, it is plain and manifest, that whatever pains a natural man takes in religion, whatever prayers he makes, till he believes in Christ, God is under no manner of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction.
So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked, his anger is as great towards them as to those that are actually suffering the executions of the fierceness of his wrath in hell, and they have done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger, neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold them up one moment; the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up; the fire pent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out: and they have no interest in any Mediator, there are no means within reach that can be any security to them. In short, they have no refuge, nothing to take hold of; all that preserves them every moment is the mere arbitrary will, and uncovenanted, unobliged forbearance of an incensed God.

Application
The use of this awful subject may be for awakening unconverted persons in this congregation. This that you have heard is the case of every one of you that are out of Christ. -- That world of misery, that take of burning brimstone, is extended abroad under you. There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell's wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor any thing to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.
You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but do not see the hand of God in it; but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation. But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling, than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it.

Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a falling rock. Were it not for the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it; the creation groans with you; the creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption, not willingly; the sun does not willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth does not willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon; the air does not willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God's enemies. God's creatures are good, and were made for men to serve God with, and do not willingly subserve to any other purpose, and groan when they are abused to purposes so directly contrary to their nature and end. And the world would spew you out, were it not for the sovereign hand of him who hath subjected it in hope. There are the black clouds of God's wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you. The sovereign pleasure of God, for the present, stays his rough wind; otherwise it would come with fury, and your destruction would come like a whirlwind, and you would be like the chaff on the summer threshing floor.

The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course, when once it is let loose. It is true, that judgment against your evil works has not been executed hitherto; the floods of God's vengeance have been withheld; but your guilt in the mean time is constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath; the waters are constantly rising, and waxing more and more mighty; and there is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, that holds the waters back, that are unwilling to be stopped, and press hard to go forward. If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it.

The bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God. However you may have reformed your life in many things, and may have had religious affections, and may keep up a form of religion in your families and closets, and in the house of God, it is nothing but his mere pleasure that keeps you from being this moment swallowed up in everlasting destruction. However unconvinced you may now be of the truth of what you hear, by and by you will be fully convinced of it. Those that are gone from being in the like circumstances with you, see that it was so with them; for destruction came suddenly upon most of them; when they expected nothing of it, and while they were saying, Peace and safety: now they see, that those things on which they depended for peace and safety, were nothing but thin air and empty shadows.

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. It is to be ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last night; that you was suffered to awake again in this world, after you closed your eyes to sleep. And there is no other reason to be given, why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God's hand has held you up. There is no other reason to be given why you have not gone to hell, since you have sat here in the house of God, provoking his pure eyes by your sinful wicked manner of attending his solemn worship. Yea, there is nothing else that is to be given as a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell.

O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder; and you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment. -- And consider here more particularly,

Whose wrath it is: it is the wrath of the infinite God. If it were only the wrath of man, though it were of the most potent prince, it would be comparatively little to be regarded. The wrath of kings is very much dreaded, especially of absolute monarchs, who have the possessions and lives of their subjects wholly in their power, to be disposed of at their mere will. Prov. 20:2. "The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: Whoso provoketh him to anger, sinneth against his own soul." The subject that very much enrages an arbitrary prince, is liable to suffer the most extreme torments that human art can invent, or human power can inflict. But the greatest earthly potentates in their greatest majesty and strength, and when clothed in their greatest terrors, are but feeble, despicable worms of the dust, in comparison of the great and almighty Creator and King of heaven and earth. It is but little that they can do, when most enraged, and when they have exerted the utmost of their fury. All the kings of the earth, before God, are as grasshoppers; they are nothing, and less than nothing: both their love and their hatred is to be despised. The wrath of the great King of kings, is as much more terrible than theirs, as his majesty is greater. Luke 12:4,5. "And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that, have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say unto you, Fear him."

It is the fierceness of his wrath that you are exposed to. We often read of the fury of God; as in Isa. 59:18. "According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay fury to his adversaries." So Isa. 66:15. "For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire." And in many other places. So, Rev. 19:15, we read of "the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." The words are exceeding terrible. If it had only been said, "the wrath of God," the words would have implied that which is infinitely dreadful: but it is "the fierceness and wrath of God." The fury of God! the fierceness of Jehovah! Oh, how dreadful that must be! Who can utter or conceive what such expressions carry in them! But it is also "the fierceness and wrath of almighty God." As though there would be a very great manifestation of his almighty power in what the fierceness of his wrath should inflict, as though omnipotence should be as it were enraged, and exerted, as men are wont to exert their strength in the fierceness of their wrath. Oh! then, what will be the consequence! What will become of the poor worms that shall suffer it! Whose hands can be strong? And whose heart can endure? To what a dreadful, inexpressible, inconceivable depth of misery must the poor creature be sunk who shall be the subject of this!
Consider this, you that are here present, that yet remain in an unregenerate state. That God will execute the fierceness of his anger, implies, that he will inflict wrath without any pity. When God beholds the ineffable extremity of your case, and sees your torment to be so vastly disproportioned to your strength, and sees how your poor soul is crushed, and sinks down, as it were, into an infinite gloom; he will have no compassion upon you, he will not forbear the executions of his wrath, or in the least lighten his hand; there shall be no moderation or mercy, nor will God then at all stay his rough wind; he will have no regard to your welfare, nor be at all careful lest you should suffer too much in any other sense, than only that you shall not suffer beyond what strict justice requires. Nothing shall be withheld, because it is so hard for you to bear. Ezek. 8:18. "Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them." Now God stands ready to pity you; this is a day of mercy; you may cry now with some encouragement of obtaining mercy. But when once the day of mercy is past, your most lamentable and dolorous cries and shrieks will be in vain; you will be wholly lost and thrown away of God, as to any regard to your welfare. God will have no other use to put you to, but to suffer misery; you shall be continued in being to no other end; for you will be a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction; and there will be no other use of this vessel, but to be filled full of wrath. God will be so far from pitying you when you cry to him, that it is said he will only "laugh and mock," Prov. 1:25,26,&c.

How awful are those words, Isa. 63:3, which are the words of the great God. "I will tread them in mine anger, and will trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment." It is perhaps impossible to conceive of words that carry in them greater manifestations of these three things, viz. contempt, and hatred, and fierceness of indignation. If you cry to God to pity you, he will be so far from pitying you in your doleful case, or showing you the least regard or favour, that instead of that, he will only tread you under foot. And though he will know that you cannot bear the weight of omnipotence treading upon you, yet he will not regard that, but he will crush you under his feet without mercy; he will crush out your blood, and make it fly, and it shall be sprinkled on his garments, so as to stain all his raiment. He will not only hate you, but he will have you in the utmost contempt: no place shall be thought fit for you, but under his feet to be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

The misery you are exposed to is that which God will inflict to that end, that he might show what that wrath of Jehovah is. God hath had it on his heart to show to angels and men, both how excellent his love is, and also how terrible his wrath is. Sometimes earthly kings have a mind to show how terrible their wrath is, by the extreme punishments they would execute on those that would provoke them. Nebuchadnezzar, that mighty and haughty monarch of the Chaldean empire, was willing to show his wrath when enraged with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and accordingly gave orders that the burning fiery furnace should be heated seven times hotter than it was before; doubtless, it was raised to the utmost degree of fierceness that human art could raise it. But the great God is also willing to show his wrath, and magnify his awful majesty and mighty power in the extreme sufferings of his enemies. Rom. 9:22. "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?" And seeing this is his design, and what he has determined, even to show how terrible the unrestrained wrath, the fury and fierceness of Jehovah is, he will do it to effect. There will be something accomplished and brought to pass that will be dreadful with a witness. When the great and angry God hath risen up and executed his awful vengeance on the poor sinner, and the wretch is actually suffering the infinite weight and power of his indignation, then will God call upon the whole universe to behold that awful majesty and mighty power that is to be seen in it. Isa. 33:12-14. "And the people shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire. Hear ye that are far off, what I have done; and ye that are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites," &c.
Thus it will be with you that are in an unconverted state, if you continue in it; the infinite might, and majesty, and terribleness of the omnipotent God shall be magnified upon you, in the ineffable strength of your torments. You shall be tormented in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and when you shall be in this state of suffering, the glorious inhabitants of heaven shall go forth and look on the awful spectacle, that they may see what the wrath and fierceness of the Almighty is; and when they have seen it, they will fall down and adore that great power and majesty. Isa. 66:23,24. "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh."

It is everlasting wrath. It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God one moment; but you must suffer it to all eternity. There will be no end to this exquisite horrible misery. When you look forward, you shall see a long for ever, a boundless duration before you, which will swallow up your thoughts, and amaze your soul; and you will absolutely despair of ever having any deliverance, any end, any mitigation, any rest at all. You will know certainly that you must wear out long ages, millions of millions of ages, in wrestling and conflicting with this almighty merciless vengeance; and then when you have so done, when so many ages have actually been spent by you in this manner, you will know that all is but a point to what remains. So that your punishment will indeed be infinite. Oh, who can express what the state of a soul in such circumstances is! All that we can possibly say about it, gives but a very feeble, faint representation of it; it is inexpressible and inconceivable: For "who knows the power of God's anger?"
How dreadful is the state of those that are daily and hourly in the danger of this great wrath and infinite misery! But this is the dismal case of every soul in this congregation that has not been born again, however moral and strict, sober and religious, they may otherwise be. Oh that you would consider it, whether you be young or old! There is reason to think, that there are many in this congregation now hearing this discourse, that will actually be the subjects of this very misery to all eternity. We know not who they are, or in what seats they sit, or what thoughts they now have. It may be they are now at ease, and hear all these things without much disturbance, and are now flattering themselves that they are not the persons, promising themselves that they shall escape. If we knew that there was one person, and but one, in the whole congregation, that was to be the subject of this misery, what an awful thing would it be to think of! If we knew who it was, what an awful sight would it be to see such a person! How might all the rest of the congregation lift up a lamentable and bitter cry over him! But, alas! instead of one, how many is it likely will remember this discourse in hell? And it would be a wonder, if some that are now present should not be in hell in a very short time, even before this year is out. And it would be no wonder if some persons, that now sit here, in some seats of this meeting-house, in health, quiet and secure, should be there before tomorrow morning. Those of you that finally continue in a natural condition, that shall keep out of hell longest will be there in a little time! your damnation does not slumber; it will come swiftly, and, in all probability, very suddenly upon many of you. You have reason to wonder that you are not already in hell. It is doubtless the case of some whom you have seen and known, that never deserved hell more than you, and that heretofore appeared as likely to have been now alive as you. Their case is past all hope; they are crying in extreme misery and perfect despair; but here you are in the land of the living and in the house of God, and have an opportunity to obtain salvation. What would not those poor damned hopeless souls give for one day's opportunity such as you now enjoy!
And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing into the kingdom of God. Many are daily coming from the east, west, north and south; many that were very lately in the same miserable condition that you are in, are now in a happy state, with their hearts filled with love to him who has loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. How awful is it to be left behind at such a day! To see so many others feasting, while you are pining and perishing! To see so many rejoicing and singing for joy of heart, while you have cause to mourn for sorrow of heart, and howl for vexation of spirit! How can you rest one moment in such a condition? Are not your souls as precious as the souls of the people at Suffield, where they are flocking from day to day to Christ?

Are there not many here who have lived long in the world, and are not to this day born again? and so are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and have done nothing ever since they have lived, but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath? Oh, sirs, your case, in an especial manner, is extremely dangerous. Your guilt and hardness of heart is extremely great. Do you not see how generality persons of your years are passed over and left, in the present remarkable and wonderful dispensation of God's mercy? You had need to consider yourselves, and awake thoroughly out of sleep. You cannot bear the fierceness and wrath of the infinite God. -- And you, young men, and young women, will you neglect this precious season which you now enjoy, when so many others of your age are renouncing all youthful vanities, and flocking to Christ? You especially have now an extraordinary opportunity; but if you neglect it, it will soon be with you as with those persons who spent all the precious days of youth in sin, and are now come to such a dreadful pass in blindness and hardness. -- And you, children, who are unconverted, do not you know that you are going down to hell, to bear the dreadful wrath of that God, who is now angry with you every day and every night? Will you be content to be the children of the devil, when so many other children in the land are converted, and are become the holy and happy children of the King of kings?

And let every one that is yet out of Christ, and hanging over the pit of hell, whether they be old men and women, or middle aged, or young people, or little children, now hearken to the loud calls of God's word and providence. This acceptable year of the Lord, a day of such great favour to some, will doubtless be a day of as remarkable vengeance to others. Men's hearts harden, and their guilt increases apace at such a day as this, if they neglect their souls; and never was there so great danger of such persons being given up to hardness of heart and blindness of mind. God seems now to be hastily gathering in his elect in all parts of the land; and probably the greater part of adult persons that ever shall be saved, will be brought in now in a little time, and that it will be as it was on the great out-pouring of the Spirit upon the Jews in the apostles' days; the election will obtain, and the rest will be blinded. If this should be the case with you, you will eternally curse this day, and will curse the day that ever you was born, to see such a season of the pouring out of God's Spirit, and will wish that you had died and gone to hell before you had seen it. Now undoubtedly it is, as it was in the days of John the Baptist, the axe is in an extraordinary manner laid at the root of the trees, that every tree which brings not forth good fruit, may be hewn down and cast into the fire.

Therefore, let every one that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over a great part of this congregation. Let every one fly out of Sodom: "Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed."

// posted by simdog99 @ 12:19 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Was Jesus Married?

http://alabamastoptheaclucoalition.blogspot.com/2006/05/was-jesus-married.html

// posted by simdog99 @ 8:37 AM 1 comments

Monday, February 27, 2006

What if you died Today?

Imagine that you died today,

That you stood before God

And God asked you,

"Why should I let you into heaven?"

What would you say?

This is an important question, isn't it?

If You Want to Answer it Correctly Then You Must Think About Several Things

Be sure that you know what God is like. God created you and is your rightful owner. God is loving, merciful, and kind. But we often do not think about the fact that God is holy. The Bible says that "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5) This means that God is perfectly holy. God always does what is right, and His laws are perfect. God never makes a mistake. God never approves of or ignores evil. Because God is holy, He hates all sin. (Psalm 5:5) Anything that is sinful or wrong cannot even come near God -- it would be burned away by His holiness. The Bible says that God is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." (Habakkuk 1:13; "iniquity" is another word for "sin"). God is so holy that the Bible compares Him to a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29)

God's holiness is an awesome thing. The Bible says, "who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For thou only art holy." (Revelation 15:4) This pure, holy God who hates sin is your Judge. The Bible says, "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?" (1 Samuel 6:20)

God's holiness is the opposite of our sinfulness.

Everybody admits that they are not perfect. We all know that we have done some bad things in our lifetime. But most people do not understand what the Bible teaches about sin.

What is sin?

The Bible says that "Sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4). In other words, sin is rejecting or disobeying God's laws. We sin any time we do not do what God wants us to do. If we disobey God's laws, then we sin. If we fail to do the good things God commands us to do, then we sin. Some people think sin is only really horrible things like murder, adultery, getting drunk, or robbing a store. These are sins, but the Bible says that we sin when we disobey any of God's laws. The Bible also says that our attitudes and thoughts can be sinful -- so things like pride, lust, selfishness, greed, and hatred are sins, too.

Here are a Few of God's Laws Have You Broken Any of Them?

"Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Matthew 22:37) This means that God must be the most important thing in your life.

"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matthew 22:39) This means that it is not enough to put up with other people. God commands us to love them.

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." (Exodus 20:7) This means that we cannot use God's name in a joking way or to curse with.

"Thou shalt not steal." (Exodus 20:15) Even stealing little things is a sin.

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." (Exodus 20:16) Telling lies and deceiving people are sins.

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill will be in danger of judgment; but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment." (Matthew 5:21-22) This means that feeling hatred or strong anger toward someone is usually a sin.

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, Thou shalt not commit adultery; but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28) This means that lust is a sin.

If you did one sin every day, in ten years that would add up to 3,650 sins. In forty years, you would be guilty of 14,600 sins. And this is if you did only one sin a day!

This is why the Bible says that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) The Bible also says "there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20) Is there such a thing as a righteous man who never sins? The Bible says, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar." (1 John 1:10) It is true that no one is perfect. But the Bible teaches that we are not even close to being perfect! All of us have broken God's laws many, many times. All of us are guilty sinners.

Stop and think for a moment. How many sins have you done in your lifetime so far? 100? 1,000? 10,000? More than that?

WHY DO WE SIN SO MUCH?

The Bible says we sin over and over again because we have a sinful heart (or, as some people call it, a sinful nature).

Just like it is the nature of a fish to swim and it is the nature of a bird to fly, it is the nature of a human to disobey God and reject His laws. This is the source of our sin problem. Deep down inside our heart, we really want to sin. We like to sin. That is why we do it so much. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Have you ever noticed that you do not have to teach a child how to lie or how to be selfish? They will do that on their own! That is because we are all born with a sinful heart. The Bible says that our sins (things like evil thoughts, lying, stealing, cursing, greed, lust, and pride) come "from within, out of the heart of men." (Mark 7:21-22)

Because we have a sinful heart, we refuse to let God be the Boss of our lives. We do not want anyone -- including God -- telling us what to do. We want to live our life the way we want to. We want to be the boss of our lives. We might believe in God, and we might even go to church or get baptized or sing songs about God, but we do not want Him to run our life. Either we do not want to obey God, or we will only obey God when it is easy. We do not care about God. We all have this attitude, and it comes from our sinful heart.

God created us and is our rightful owner. He demands that we love Him, obey Him, and live the way that He wants us to live. It is a serious sin if we will not let God be the Boss of our lives and if we insist on running our lives the way we want to. If we say, "God, You won't be my Boss! You won't tell me what to do! I'll do whatever I want to with my life, and I'll live my life the way I please!", isn't this just as serious as slapping God in His face?

Do you have a sinful heart? Is God the boss of your life?

Because God is Holy He Must Judge All Sin

God cannot ignore our sins or pretend like our sins never happened. Because we have broken God's laws, we deserve God's punishment. Look at these Bible verses:

"The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord." (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)

"God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." (Psalm 7:11)

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:4)

"The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23)

A holy God must judge sin. If God allowed our sin to go unpunished, He would be saying that sin is okay. God will punish all sin because He is a God of justice.

We all know that this is fair. What if a murderer stood before a human judge and the judge knew that the murderer was guilty. What would you think if the judge just let the murderer go free? He would not be a very good judge, would he? He would be a bad judge! A good judge must punish people who are guilty -- he cannot just forget or ignore their crimes. In the same way, a holy God must judge all sin. When God punishes people for their sins, He is only giving them what they deserve.

The Bible says "it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) You will stand before God one day. You have broken God's laws many times. You deserve God's punishment. The Bible uses the word "wrath" (which means "anger") to describe God's punishment. "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." (Romans 1:18) "The day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He shall destroy the sinners out of it." (Isaiah 13:9) When you disobey God and reject His laws, the Bible says you "treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." (Romans 2:5)

If God judged you for your sins, what would you deserve?

Here Are Some Common Mistakes That People Make About Heaven

Some think, "Yes, I have sinned, but I've done many good things in my life. My good deeds will make up for my bad deeds. I'm good enough to get into Heaven." This kind of thinking is wrong. The Bible never says that good deeds can pay for sins. Only the shedding of blood takes away sins. (Hebrews 9:22) The Bible says "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6) This means that our good deeds are not very good when we compare them to God's holiness. Our good deeds still come out of a sinful heart that refuses to let God be our Boss. That is why they are not better than "filthy rags." When the Bible says "a man is not justified by the works of the law," (Galatians 2:16) it means that our good deeds or good works can never take away our sins and get us into Heaven.

Some think, "I'm not really bad. I'm not as bad as some people. So God won't judge me too hard. I'm good enough to get into Heaven." But God does not judge based on how we compare to other people. He judges by how we compare to His perfect standards of holiness. Maybe you are more kind or more honest or more religious than most people, but that does not matter. God will punish all sin. You need to ask yourself: Have I broken God's laws? Have I refused to let God be the Boss of my life? What do my sins and disobedience deserve?

Some think, "I'm doing the best I can. God will let me into Heaven because I'm doing my very best. And I'm going to try harder." The Bible never says that God will let you into Heaven if you do the best you can or if you try harder. Doing your best and trying harder can never take away sins. But have you really done the best you can? Do you always love God with all your heart? Do you serve God as much as you should? Do you do all the good things that you know you should do? None of us have done our very best!

Many think they are saved because they belong to a certain church, because they were baptized, because they attend church regularly, because they pray, or because they have had religious feelings. The Bible does not teach this. Things that we do, like joining a church or getting baptized can never take away our sins. Only God can take away sins!

You understand sin and God's holiness correctly when you realize that you can never be good enough to deserve to get into Heaven.

King David was a man in the Bible that God was pleased with. David knew that he was a sinful man. (See Psalm 51) David also knew that God is a holy Judge who hates sin. David prayed, "Enter not into judgment with Thy servant; for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified." (Psalm 143:2) David knew that he would be in big trouble if God judged him for his sins and gave him what he deserved. "If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" (Psalm 130:3)

Your sins are so many, and God is so holy, that you could never be good enough to get into Heaven. You can never earn or deserve God's forgiveness. There is nothing you can do to get into Heaven because you cannot erase or get rid of your sins. You have broken God's laws many times. You have refused to let God be the Boss of your life. Because of your sins, God's wrath is upon you. You are in big trouble! If you ever stand before God and He judges you for your sins, you will get what you deserve: everlasting punishment in Hell.

Has the fact that you have disobeyed God many times ever really bothered you?

These are important questions because you can only come to the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness if you know that you are a guilty sinner. Jesus said, "They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." (Luke 5:31-32; see also Luke 18:9-14) Jesus is saying that you must realize how serious your sin problem is before you can be forgiven. If you are not convinced that you are a guilty, lost sinner, then Jesus will not forgive you.

GOOD NEWS

God Himself Made a Way For Our Sins to be Forgiven

God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, came to earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus was both God and man at the same time. Jesus did many miracles while on earth. He taught us how God expects us to live. Jesus never sinned and always obeyed all God's laws perfectly. Most importantly, Jesus came to earth to die for our sins.

Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross and crucified. As the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, the sins of all God's people were put on Him. Jesus Christ bore or carried our sins in His body. The Bible says that "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities ... and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:5-6; "iniquity" means "sin") The Lord Jesus "His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree." (1 Peter 2:24, Galatians 1:3-4)

As Jesus hung on that cross, God poured out His holy punishment for sin on Him. Jesus did not deserve that punishment because He never broke God's laws. But He was carrying our sins, and God gave Jesus Christ the punishment that we deserved. He became our Substitute who died in our place. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for all the sins ever committed by God's people. "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." (1 Peter 3:18)

This proves how much God loves us. The Bible says, "God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8; "commendeth" means "demonstrates" or "proves")

Jesus's death was a sacrifice for our sins. Because Jesus is God, His sacrifice was big enough to fully pay for all those sins. Jesus did not just pay for some sins -- He paid for all the sins of God's people. Jesus Christ satisfied the demands of God's holiness and justice. That is why the Bible says that Jesus "taketh away the sin of the world," that Jesus "shall save His people from their sins," and that Jesus is "able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." (John 1:29, Matthew 1:21, Hebrews 7:25)

Jesus did not stay dead. God raised Him back to life, proving that Jesus fully paid for all the sins of God's pelple. He then returned to Heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ will come back to earth some day to judge the world. Though we cannot see Him, Jesus Christ is alive today. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:16) The Lord Jesus Christ today has all power in Heaven and earth. (Matthew 28:18) The Bible says that "Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." (Romans 14:9) Lord means Master, Boss, or Owner. Jesus Christ is our Savior, but He is also our Lord. "God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) People today who disobey, ignore, or reject Jesus Christ are rebelling against the Lord and Ruler of the Universe! You must bow before Jesus and give Him your whole life!

Do you remember the two parts to our sin problem? First, we have done many sinful things. Second, we have a sinful heart or nature that causes us to keep on sinning. The Lord Jesus Christ takes care of both parts of our sin problem. This is what the Bible means by "being saved" or "salvation." It is true that God saves people from Hell, but being saved also means being freed or rescued from living a life of sin.

First, all your sins can be forgiven. Because God fully punished sin when He poured out His punishment on Jesus Christ, there is no need to punish sin again. That is a debt or a bill that is already paid. "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) Second, the Lord Jesus can change your sinful heart. This change makes you want to live a holy life -- you do not want to sin and you want to please God in everything you do. Jesus can make you into a new person! This is why the Bible says the "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Coming to Jesus Christ to be rescued from your sins produces big changes. All your sins are forgiven. You receive a new heart. God accepts you as a child in his family and becomes a Father to you. You are justified, or declared righteous, in God's sight. It is like starting your life all over again -- or, as the Bible says, being born again. Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." (John 3:7)

Has your sin problem been taken care of by the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you know that you are totally forgiven of all your sins?

There is nothing that you can do to have your sins forgiven and to receive a new heart. You do not earn God's forgiveness by being good. The Bible teaches that God gives this as a gift to guilty, undeserving sinners like you and me. Being saved or rescued from your sins requires God's grace. Grace means "blessing or gifts that someone does not deserve." The Bible says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) It also says that through Jesus Christ "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." (Ephesians 1:7) The Bible also says that we are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24; "justified" means "declared right with God") How does someone become a Christian? Only through God's grace.

The Bible says there are two conditions we must meet to receive this grace.

We Must REPENT of Our Sins

God "now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30) The Lord Jesus Christ said, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3,5) "Repent" means to be so sorry for your sins that you stop doing them. When you repent, you realize that your sins are evil and you feel bad about them. (2 Corinthians 7:10-11) Someone who repents hates their sins; they do not keep on doing them! When you repent, you must make two turns: you must turn away from your sins and you must turn to the Lord Jesus Christ to obey Him. Our biggest sin is that we do not want God to be the Boss of our life. To repent means to turn around and go the opposite way: we now make the Lord Jesus the Boss of our life and we live the way He wants us to.

Is there some sin in your life that you will not give up? Repenting is a matter of ALL or NOTHING. If you will not stop doing your sins, then you cannot be forgiven. God only saves people who really repent.

Jesus said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24) This is what repentance is: we say "no" to our old way of living and our sins, and we follow Jesus Christ. Our old life of disobeying God is over.

Do you feel so sorry for your sins that you will stop doing them?

We Must Have FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ

"Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1) You must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to rescue people from their sins, and that His death on the cross completely pays for sin. You must believe that Jesus Christ has the power to save you from your sins. You must trust the Lord Jesus Christ to take away your sins and change your heart.

When you sit in a chair, you trust that chair to hold you up. You prove you have that trust when you put your full weight on the chair. If you sit on the chair but hold on to something else, then you prove that you do not really trust the chair. In the same way, you must trust or put your full weight on the Lord Jesus Christ. You must rely on Him and Him alone for the forgiveness of your sins. If you think that God will let you into Heaven because you were baptized, or because you belong to a certain church, or because you are living a good life, then you are not really trusting Jesus Christ. All your hope must be in Him. You cannot hold on to anything else.

It is not enough to believe the facts about Jesus Christ. The devil believes all the facts about Jesus Christ, but he is not forgiven. (James 2:19) What is the difference between the Devil's faith and the faith that results in salvation? Real faith is always mixed with repentance Real faith means you surrender to Jesus Christ. If you have real faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you will love Him, you will obey Him, and you will live the way He wants you to live.

Some years ago, a preacher talked with a young girl about giving her life to the Lord Jesus Christ. The girl admitted that she was not a Christian but said that she wanted to become one. The man asked her, "Why do you want to be saved?" The girl answered, "Please, sir, I don't want to live a life of sin." That girl had the attitude of a person who is ready to be saved: they do not want to disobey God any longer.

If you have ever had a checking account, you know what a "blank check" is. Signing a "blank check" is dangerous, isn't it? If you sign a check but do not fill in the amount, someone else can fill in any amount they want to (and it might be all the money you have!) Repenting of your sins and having faith in Jesus Christ is like giving God a "blank check" with your life. You say, "God, You take my whole life. I will do whatever You want me to do. You are my Boss from now on." That is what real faith is!

God's forgiveness is a free gift. If you repent and have faith in Christ, however, you will have to change many things. The first thing the Apostle Paul said after God saved him was "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6) If God saves you, that will be your attitude. You will have to give up things you have done all your life and begin doing things that you have never done. You must live your life the way God wants you to, which means you must live according to His rules. (Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 1:15-16) You must find a church where the Bible is taught and be a faithful part of that church. (Hebrews 10:25, 1 John 3:14) Friends and family members may laugh at you. Being a real Christian is not easy. Jesus Christ said that coming to Him will cost a great deal. He said, "Whosoever he is of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be My disciple." Before you come to Christ, you must "count the cost" -- be sure you are willing to stick it out! (Luke 14:25-33) This is what true faith includes. But it is worth it because the Lord Jesus Christ is worth it. Jesus is worthy of all you could ever give Him. Jesus Christ deserves your whole life.

Will you repent of your sins?

Will you have faith in Jesus Christ?

Will you give God a "blank check" with your life?

Being saved from your sin is something between you and the Lord Jesus Christ. No church or preacher can save you. You will have to talk to Jesus Christ yourself. There are no "magic words" or special prayers that you should pray. You must seriously, honestly cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot see Him, but he is alive today and hears you. Jesus Christ has all power in Heaven and earth; He (and He alone) has the power to save you from your sins!

If you are serious, you can be sure that the Lord Jesus Christ will hear you. The Bible says "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13) The Lord Jesus Christ said, "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37; "in no wise" means "by no means" or "never")

If You Reject Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Then You Will One Day Face Him as your Judge

We will all die one day and stand before God. The Bible says that God's wrath or anger is upon those people who refuse to obey the Lord Jesus Christ and refuse to trust Him for the forgiveness of sins. (John 3:36) Those people will face an everlasting punishment in Hell. (Revelation 20:11-15, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) God's people -- those who repent of their sins and trust the Lord Jesus Christ -- will live forever with God in His holy Heaven. (Revelation 21:1-22) But everyone will live forever in either Heaven or Hell.

What would happen if you died tonight and stood before God for Judgment?

If God judged you for your sins, where would you spend eternity?

Nearly 3,000 years ago, God said, "Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13) That is a great promise! If we really search for the Lord with all our heart -- if we are really serious -- then we will find Him. But if we do not search for Him with all our heart -- if we are not serious -- then we will not find Him.

Isn't it time you really got serious about God?

If you believe that God is real, then shouldn't He be the most important thing in your life?

Few things in this world are really a matter of life and death. Your relationship with God is that serious. Today is the day that you need to repent of your sins and trust Christ to save you. You may not have tomorrow.

How Can I Know if I am a Christian Already?

Religious feelings and miraculous experiences are not enough. Walking the aisle and shaking the pastor's hand does not make someone a Christian. Many people who have been baptized are not real Christians. Membership in the best church in the world does not make someone a Christian. "Praying through" on a mourner's bench does not necessarily mean that you are saved. You can know many things about the Bible and not be a Christian.

The Bible tells us how we can know whether or not we are really saved. The book of 1 John contains several "tests" that show whether God has truly saved someone or not.

Here are a few of the Bible's tests:

"By this we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, "I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:3-4)

Real Christians keep the Lord's commandments. Of course, Christians do sin. But real Christians are determined to obey God in all areas of their life. People who are not Christians frequently disobey God. They often do not care about God's commandments.

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3; "grievous" means "burdensome" or "difficult")

Real Christians want to obey God. They enjoy obeying God. People who are not saved find it very difficult to obey the Lord's commands.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15)

Real Christians live for the future world, not this one. They reject many things that this world does. People who are not Christians find it very hard to give up the joys and pleasures of this world. When given a choice, non-Christians choose the world instead of the things that God approves of.

"He that doeth the will of God abideth forever." (1 John 2:17)

Real Christians do or obey God's will, which means that God is the Boss of their life. People who are not Christians are their own bosses and they run their own lives. People who are lost often disobey God's will or simply do not care about God's will.

"He that doeth righteousness is righteous .... He that committeth sin is of the devil ... whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin .. whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God." (1 John 3:7-10)

Real Christians do righteous things over and over again. The pattern of his life is one of holiness. Someone who is not a Christian does wrong things over and over again. The pattern of his life is one of disobedience to God's laws.

"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." (1 John 3:14)

Real Christians love other Christians. That is why real Christians are always faithful members of their local church. Christians enjoy being with other Christians, so they see going to church as a privilege and not a duty. Non-Christians either do not attend church or go to church only once in a while.

"By this we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit whom He hath given us." (1 John 3:24)

Real Christians have the Holy Spirit living in them. This is why they find spiritual things interesting and they enjoy studying the Bible. People who are not saved do not have the Holy Spirit. The Bible is often boring to them and hard to understand.

"Whatever is born of God overcommeth the World." (1 John 5:4)

Real Christians have victory over sin. They can break bad habits and see real change in their life as they pursue holiness. People who are not Christians often cannot break bad habits.

Do You Pass These Tests?

Be honest. If you do not pass these Bible tests, then you probably are not a Christian and have never been saved. Jesus said there will be many on the Day of Judgment who think they are Christians but are not. He said, "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father, Who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23) What is the mark of someone who is really saved? Jesus said that he "doeth the will of My Father , who is in Heaven." In other words, he obeys God and lives a life that is pleasing to God.

Make sure that you really are a Christian!

// posted by simdog99 @ 3:59 AM 0 comments

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Sheffield businesses applaud bid to pursue Sunday Alcohol Sales

Ready to serve

Sheffield businesses applaud bid to pursue Sunday alcohol sales

By Tom SmithSenior Staff Writer

SHEFFIELD -- Local restaurants and hotel officials believe Sunday liquor sales could be a potential boost for their businesses.“We have lost business because we don’t serve alcohol on Sunday,’’ said Mark Smith, managing partner of Outback Steakhouse.“I’d say 95 percent of the people who are coming into our market are coming from an area that serves alcohol on Sunday now,’’ said Linda Whitaker, manager of the Holiday Inn.

“We’ve had people laugh when they sit down to each dinner and ask for a drink and we’d say we didn’t sell alcohol on Sunday. They couldn’t understand that because where they come from they sell on Sundays.’’

On Monday, the Sheffield City Council took a step toward allowing Sunday liquor sales for restaurants and hotels in the city. The council approved a resolution to local legislators asking that a bill be introduced that would allow the council to have approval over the measure.“We’ve had people come in on Sunday evening and then turn around and leave when they find out we can’t serve liquor,’’ Smith said

.If the bill passes the Alabama Legislature, it would affect nine businesses in Sheffield.

Jim McDivett, general manager of Webster Hotel and Suites, said Sunday alcohol sales would put Sheffield businesses on a level playing field. Florence voters approved Sunday alcohol sales in restaurants and hotels in May.

“I’ve had several groups who were really bothered by this issue and ... chose not to stay with us,’’ McDivett said. “It may be something as simple as having a champagne toast at an event on Sunday evening, but because we couldn’t sell alcohol on Sundays, we lost the business.”Some of the Sheffield businesses that could be affected by the bill if it’s approved are not open on Sundays.“I don’t think it would help us that much, so we probably wouldn’t open just for that, but when special occasions fall on a Sunday, we might want to look at it,’’ said Frank Vafinis, owner of George’s Steakhouse.Randal Perkins, owner of Cajun’s Seafood Restaurant and Sports Lounge, said he could see where Sunday sales could be beneficial.“We’re not open on Sundays right now, but if this happens, it’s something we might want to look at,’’ Perkins said.Whitaker said she believes the city has lost some convention business by the lack of Sunday alcohol sales

.“And what happened in Florence really put us on a different playing field,’’ she said. “But I think there is a window of opportunity here for getting more revenue here.’’Smith said that normally, Sunday evenings are very slow at Outback.“But this, if it passes, I could see it helping increase sales,’’ he said. “And more people means more revenue and it would allow us to keep some of the revenue here in Sheffield and not go other places.’’Vafinis said he believes the council’s action could be a plus for the city and help bring in more commercial establishments.

// posted by simdog99 @ 3:59 AM 0 comments

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Response from Local NBC Station on airing "Book of Daniel"

The following is from Lee Meredith, Vice President and General Manager of WAFF 48. Thank you for taking the time to write us about your concerns regarding the new NBC show, "The Book of Daniel."

We appreciate your position on this and we will also be providing a copy of your email to the NBC Television Network. After careful consideration of the pros and cons of airing "The Book of Daniel," I have decided that it will air on WAFF 48 this Friday as scheduled.

Obviously, this is a program that is not for everyone, but I am very uncomfortable acting in the role of censor. In this situation, I believe it is better to err on the side of letting viewers make their own choices about whether the show is offensive. If you believe this program will offend you, I encourage you to vote with your remote control and not watch it. If enough of your neighbors feel as you do about this show, it will be canceled due to poor ratings.

I understand that you may be disappointed with my decision on this. I do want you to know that I did carefully consider the opinions of those opposed to this program. While we did not agree on this specific matter, your comments will help guide our future programming decisions. Thanks again for taking the time to write.

Sincerely,
Lee Meredith
Vice President and General Manager
Leigh Michal
WAFF 48 Programming
1414 N. Memorial ParkwayHuntsville, AL 35801
phone 256-564-5649
fax 334-223-1826

Chip's Comment:

I believe that if this series was about say Muslims and making a mockery of the Muslim religion as programs do the Christian faith they would take a different approach. They have the power to not air this program but they choose not to. It's ok to offend the Christians in this country but let a show that would be totally Christian that calls sin, sin and tell everyone that Jesus is the Only Way be airing this Friday then my friend it would be censured.

// posted by simdog99 @ 12:59 PM 0 comments

NBC Series"Book of Daniel" Mocks Jesus

"The Book of Daniel," debuting Friday, depicts an Episcopal priest and his dysfunctional family and is raising concern among Christians who fear the false depiction of Jesus and his teaching could mislead viewers.
"The Book of Daniel," a new NBC series premiering Friday, tells the story of an Episcopal priest who regularly communes with a white-robed Jesus to get advice about the many problems he faces within his congregation and within his own family.

That doesn't sound so bad, until you hear the answers provided by the show's "Jesus."
Take, for example, the advice "Jesus" gives to the Rev. Daniel Webster (played by Aidan Quinn) about his teen-age daughter's involvement in using and selling marijuana. "She'll be fine; she's a good kid," he says.
Webster's 16-year-old son is depicted as promiscuous, regularly engaging in pre-marital sex. The "Jesus" character's advice? "He's a kid; let him be a kid."

Not to mention the fact that Webster's father, also a priest, is involved in an adulterous relationship. Webster's secretary, a lesbian, is sleeping with his sister-in-law. His oldest son is gay. And Webster, himself, is hooked on prescription painkillers.

Steve Isaac, online editor of Plugged In at Focus on the Family, said "The Book of Daniel" is television's latest attempt to cash in on controversy.

"It's not the first time TV has taken Christian clergy and rolled it around in the mud," he said. "This show is 'Desperate Housewives' in the sanctuary."
The show's writer Jack Kenny, who is openly gay, said much of his inspiration for the show came from watching his partner's family.

"I recognize there are going to be people who have an issue with a gay man writing about Jesus," he said. "I'm not making fun of Jesus. I never want to poke fun at religion or at Jesus."
Kenny may very well believe his show is harmless fun, Isaac said, but the reality is it and others like it erode truth.

"These kinds of portrayals, gradually, cumulatively, over time, subtly change the way all of us in the culture think about Christ," he said. "Shows like this continue to change the mainstream's opinion."
"It's just a fallen person's attempt at comedy—the residual affect of not having a moral compass."
While Kenny claims that his characters are spiritual people—"They believe in God, they believe in Christ as their savior, and I think that's wonderful," he said—Isaac worries about the representation of Jesus and the impact on the culture.

"They have Jesus portrayed as less than milquetoast. He's not interested in sin at all. Sin is irrelevant to this particular Jesus," Isaac said. "He's interested in hangin' out and being a consoling companion to Daniel."
Just how much will the show influence viewers?

"People have become so accustomed to getting their information from entertainment," Isaac said, "it's reasonable to assume that in a person's heart who doesn't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, that—while it may not completely form their opinion of Jesus—it does tug at their perceptions of Jesus."

TAKE ACTION

Please take a moment to let NBC officials know of your disgust over "The Book of Daniel." You can do this in two ways:

1) Call and e-mail NBC Entertainment President Jeffrey Zucker.

2) Contact your local NBC affiliate via phone and e-mail and encourage management not to air "The Book of Daniel." You can find contact information by visiting the CitizenLink Action Center and typing your ZIP code into the space provided.

// posted by simdog99 @ 10:00 AM 0 comments

Friday, December 09, 2005

How to Witness to family and friends during Christmas

http://www.angelfire.com/al4/cornerstone/frontlineevangelism/index.blog?entry_id=1127626

// posted by simdog99 @ 4:46 AM 0 comments