We all know Joe Biden has a propensity to put his foot in his mouth but it also appears Joe has forgotten the seriousness of Revelation 21:8 that is, all liars will spend eternity in hell. So here is Joe’s whopper last Thursday (Oct.11).
What The Rich Man In Torment Would Have Us To Know
Have you ever stopped to consider what the rich man in torment would say to us if given a chance? Make no mistake about it, he would speak to us if he could, but he can’t (cf. Luke 16:26-31). God gives us all the information we need in His Word and it’s up to each of us to find those facts and apply them to our lives (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3)! But let’s suppose for a minute that it were possible for him to speak to us. What
would he say?
The rich man would tell us that our time on earth is limited and that death is inevitable. He’d fared sumptuously every day. He had it all, and I’d dare say that death and eternity were the furthest things from his mind, as they are with many still today. But despite the comforts and pleasures he’d enjoyed in this life, time ultimately came for him to cross over into eternity. We’re all going to die (cf. Heb. 9:27; Jam. 4:14). Cemeteries are proof that our time is limited. People of all ages and from all walks of life can be found buried therein! Thus, what time we do have in this life should be spent in preparing for that life to come!
The rich man would tell us that hell is real! It’s amazing to hear people talk about there being a heaven, but in the same breath reject the notion of there being a hell. Hell is a prepared place for an unprepared (spiritually) people, make no mistake about it (cf. Mat. 25:41; 2 The. 1:8-9; 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 21:8). Because hell is real we must fear it and use it as motivation to keep us on the straight and narrow (Mat. 7:13-14).
The rich man would tell us that earthly things have no eternal value. What do you suppose his fare and sumptuous life before death meant to him after death? Those things he had enjoyed in this life could not help him, comfort him, or aide him in eternity! It’s what we do in this life that will follow us into eternity, not what we have (cf. Rev. 14:13; 2 Cor. 5:10; Mat. 6:19-20; 2 John 2:15-17; 2 Pet. 3:10-14).
The rich man would tell us to quit making excuses and obey God today! He will spend eternity in torment thinking about the excuses he made and the subsequent opportunities he squandered to obey God’s Word. Opportunities to obey God’s will are quickly passing and will soon cease! Today is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2; Heb. 3:15)!
Where we spend our eternity will be determined by how we spend our time on earth. Let’s not make the same fatal mistake as did the rich man. Let’s spend our time in this life preparing for and looking forward to that life in the hereafter.
Terry R. Townsend (October 9, 2012)
Terry preaches for the Curry Street church of Christ, Jasper, Alabama
http://www.currychurchofchrist.org/
One Place I Don’t Want To End Up In
As we say in New Zealand, gidday, how are ya? Hope you are having a great day.
I’ve been thinking, just as I’m now on the cusp of reaching the age of sixty, that I feel somewhat fortunate to have attained such a mile stone. I mean to say, there have been many instances where I have dodged the proverbial bullet, so to speak. Like the time I was driving home to Wellington forty ton all up and drizzling with rain on the treacherous Desert Road (Central North Island, New Zealand) when around a bend in the road I come across a minor accident scene. I pass cautiously noting the unfortunates mulling over their plight when out of the blue an empty logging truck towing its trailer appears over the brow of the hill in front of me. The driver sees the accident scene in front of him and naturally hits the brake causing the trailer to jack-knife in the slippery conditions. The trailer is coming straight for me. I instinctively pull to the left and all I see is the rear of the logging trailer slide by my right hand mirror then neatly slide down the combing rail of the semi I am 
pulling, cutting half a dozen tarpaulin ropes as it goes by. I stop at the top and pause to reflect upon what was a close call. I was milliseconds from certain death, that I am certain. What then had I died? What would be my destination, Heaven or Hell?
By that stage in my life I had obeyed the gospel call to listen to God’s word, for that is where faith in God is formed (Romans 10:17). I believed in Jesus Christ as my Saviour to set me free from the awful effects of sin of being separated from God for eternity (Isaiah 59:2). Christ set me free because I obeyed His command to repent of my sins (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30), confessing before men that Jesus is Lord; that is, He will rule my life because in my heart I know from many eye witness accounts (I Corinthians 15:6) that He is risen from the dead (Romans 10:9) but not before I was baptised in order for my sins to be remitted; that is, have them washed away by His blood through the act of a watery burial which occurs when one is fully immersed in water (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3-7). As I stand outside the truck and survey the scene of near death, I am in Christ; a son of God; a member of His church, the one and only place to be if one is saved (Acts 4:12; Galatians 3:26-27; I Corinthians 12:13; II Timothy 2:10). I stand confident my eternal home is with God and along with all those faithful to God’s commands throughout the ages.
However, just a little over a year before hand it would have been a different scenario had I died, for as one who was ignorant of God’s word I, like billions of others of accountable age before me, would rue my eternal fate that can be summed up in two sets of passages. The first is Luke 16:19-31 where a certain rich man died and lifted his eyes up in a place called Hades describing his condition as “torments”. Christ uses a Koine Greek word that simply means torture i.e. extreme pain. The man is conscious and alert and is even able to communicate with the father of faith, Abraham expressing his utter grief at what besets him (v.24). He has none to blame but himself for if he had obeyed “Moses and the Prophets” then he would be with his neighbour Lazarus over on the other side.
The second passage is truly frightening, for Paul says there is an expectation “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, and from the glory of his power” (II Thessalonians 1:7-9). That would have been me folks because prior to August 23, 1985 I did not know God and therefore had not obeyed Him. I, too, would have been in the certain man’s predicament had it not been for my listening and consequent obedience to God’s word.
Now, this place of “torments” is one place I do not want to end up in and I am certain you don’t want to end up there, either. Fortunately, you are alive and well because you are now reading this. If you have not already taken the certain man’s advice in Luke 16 that he wanted his brothers to hear i.e. obey God in order to avoid the place of torment he found himself in, then I urge you without delay to seek and find a faithful church of Christ near you. Sit down and hear, believe, repent, confess and then be baptised in order to have your sins “washed away” before it is everlasting too late.
Graham
Watching the O’Reilly Factor last night on a segment regarding the rape and beating of the young woman Ms. Imam in Libya in recent days, I could not believe my ears to hear the ‘No Spin’ guy spout off this ignorant statement;
“I find it hard to believe the prophet Mohammad would preach a doctrine, a religious doctrine where women can be abused at anytime by any Muslim man and be, you know, not held accountable in heaven or hell.”
O’Reilly is as ignorant as the rest of the ‘liberal loons’ he likes to castigate regarding the truth behind the Moon-god worshipers. As Wafa Sultan. MD, the woman he was interviewing said, people need to do some honest research into what this evil religion is all about.
To top it off, O’Reilly said he would welcome on any Muslim on the show who would defend Sharia Law and deny the claims made by Ms Sultan. Yeah, like we are going to take the word of a follower of a raving lunatic who was responsible for the rape and murder of thousands in the 7th Century all in the name of the Moon-god, Allah. Give us a break, mate!
By the way, latest reports are now saying the young woman at the centre of this horrific example of the so-called peaceful religion at work is to charged with defamation against Islam.
It is about time the truth needs to really stand up, O’Reilly and live up to your self-proclaimed slogan.
Graham
Geert Wilders recent speech in Rome at the Magna Carta Foundation should stir you into action or you will eventually face the sword of Allah.
Read that speech here
Many who subscribe to the unscriptural position that Jesus is coming back to earth and will reign on the throne of David in Jerusalem will surely be disappointed according to this outline.
The fact is, the Bible is mans only guide to matters concerning the Kingdom of God and it clearly implies the premillennial doctrine is fantasy.
Graham
Thuggee Cult
I see the “peaceful” religion is at it again. This time a 19 year old girl forced into an arranged marriage runs away and is caught with the one she really wants to cleave to and both are brutally executed.
WARNING! the video is disturbing to say the least. Wake up liberals, this is what to expect if you go along with Islamic sharia law. No wonder Kipling called Islam the “thuggee cult”.
Graham
To cross the Rubicon is a metaphor meaning to deliberately go beyond the point of no return.
An interesting article that may open your eyes can be read here
Think about the consequences before you leap!
Graham
Degrees of Punishment
“But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.” (Matthew 11:22)
The subject of eternal hell is so repugnant to the modern ungodly world that people desperately search for some scientific rationale to justify their rejection of God’s Word. Charles Darwin was an example. He became an apostate from Christianity, not because of his scientific “discovery” of natural selection, but because of Christ’s teachings that unbelievers (including his own father) would end up in hell.
Nevertheless “the fearful, and unbelieving . . . and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). These are words from God Himself!
But is there no difference in the punishment of, say, blaspheming and wicked unbelievers and the mere careless unbeliever? Yes, there is. As Christ said, the idolatrous inhabitants of Tyre would have repented if they had seen His mighty works, but the Galileans of Chorazin and Bethsaida who had seen His miracles and heard Him preach had not. Consequently they will suffer more.
Similarly, He said concerning those who would reject the gospel preaching of His disciples that “it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Matthew 10:15). The wicked populace of Sodom, “giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh,” will suffer “the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 7), but even greater punishment awaits those who willfully reject God’s love in Christ.
There will, indeed, be degrees of punishment in hell, but they will be determined largely in proportion to degrees of “light” rejected. This is an unwanted–but urgently needed–message in these last days!
By Henry Morris (Institute of Creation Research)
The appointment that all men will keep regardless of their status in this world is to die. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement” (Hebrews 9:27). In fact, DNA research has recently uncovered 300 defective genes that will guarantee a breakdown of the DNA strand leading to death. As Richard Durbin, of Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute says, “…none of our genomes is perfect”. The God of heaven and the Bible sure knew what He was meaning when He said, “…by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).
The question is, are you ready for the judgement? Have you received or rejected the word of Christ? (John 12:48) Will you pass or fail the upcoming examination? (II Corinthians 13:5). Is Jesus going to welcome you into heaven as a servant with the words “Well done” or “Depart from Me” to Hell wicked one?(Matthew 25:21, 23; 7:23).
There is only one way in which to find out for you will only be welcomed into heaven if you have done the “will of [God] which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). There is only one will of God and that is Jesus Christ’s word (John 14:6). There is only one that can save you, the Man, Christ Jesus (Acts 4:12). It is no use appealing to the doctrines and traditions of men such as Protestant churches, Roman Catholic church, Holiness movements, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, Seventh Day Adventists cults and such like, for Jesus described such man-made ideology is “vain” (Matthew 15:9). Paul said such shenanigans are worthy of being labelled “accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9).
That can mean only one thing, you need to get with the programme and be “added” to the church (Acts 2:47). You don’t know how? Well, here’s a tip, check out the essential pattern Essential Pattern or click on the icons on the side of this post but make sure you hurry because you just don’t know when Jesus is going to return (Matthew 24:36). It might be tomorrow for all you know and if He returns and you have not obeyed His word by becoming a Christian then you will end up in Hell along with all these poor souls (cf Ezekiel 32:18-32; Mathew 7:13).
Your appointment day is going to come maybe sooner than later, so what are you waiting for? Now is good (II Corinthians 6:2).
Graham
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