Dear Friend:
My message for this issue is not a pleasant one, but it is one that I feel is needed in this day of so much liberal thinking and sweet and soothing sermons. Jesus preached this message as well as other Bible writers.
HELL–Lost
If you believe the Bible (and I do), there is a place where people who have died rejecting Jesus Christ, are—now! Read Luke 16-19-31. Listen to the cry of the rich man as he cries and begs for a sip of water, for ‘I am tormented in this flame’ he cries It was JESUS CHRIST who taught this.
A person may be an upstanding member of the community and highly regarded, but if that person rejects Jesus Christ, he/she will ‘go to hell.’ The thought of this terrifies me. Too often we think only the drunkard, the dope addict, the murderer, (by the way, ABORTION is murder) and such persons will be lost in hell. The one sin that cannot and will not be forgiven—is to reject Jesus Christ. When a person rejects the Holy Spirit’s drawing power (old fashioned conviction) there is no hope left.
Ignorance of this fact does not change the terrible results. Many who choose not to go to Church and listen to God’s Man preach God’s Word (The Bible), ignore the Church, the Minister, The Bible, are committing the most terrible mistake of their life. It is terrible because you are going to die and there is an ETERNITY either in Heaven or Hell.
The great American Statesman, DANIEL WEBSTER, was asked, ‘what is the most serious thought that ever crossed your mind?’ His reply, “ My facing God and my responsibility to face Him.’
It seems as though many feel they are too smart, too independent, too rich or too important, to be bothered by Preachers. Many live in wealthy sub-divisions, $500.000.00 homes, belong to the Country Club, therefore, they don’t feel any need of God whatsoever. The sad thing is that they will die and another thing (according to Our Bible) in the end—The Grave can claim none. There will be no one in any grave, any place on earth. You see, THERE IS A RESURRECTION AHEAD! A Resurrection of ALL! We all must face God—every person.
Dr. C.M Ward (deceased as far as I know) was the speaker for the Assembly of God’s ‘Revival Time.’ I have traveled with him. In his sermons he would say, ‘Mr.’ at the end of the road you WILL face and meet God.’ There will be no infidels, agnostics, or atheists, in eternity. ALL WILL KNOW THERE IS A GOD—-because they have faced Him.
Men, today, may ignore Him, curse Him, reject Him, but the eternity is coming when they will wish (eternally) that they had sought Him while they were on earth. Again, read Luke 16-19-31.
A story of a one-star General who would not listen. It was in the spring of 1945 and it looked certain that Germany was about to be defeated. The Germans were fighting a last ditch action. We moved into an area that was supposed to be clear of Germans. IT WAS NOT. They were there, on the hillsides and the valleys. I had driven out to look at some of our guards and talk to them. While stopped at a crossroad, it was a beautiful spring day, and all looked so peaceful and serene, a Jeep pulled up beside my jeep.
In that Jeep was a one-star General. We talked a couple of minutes and they started down the road. I said, ‘Sir, I would not drive down that road,’ there are Germans in the area. He said, ‘My papers say that the area is clear.’ I said, ‘Sir, that is not right, there are many Germans in the area.’ He turned and said, ‘Sgt., when does a Sgt. tell a general what to do?’ What could I say? He drove on and in less than a mile he encountered them. They killed him and allowed the driver to bring his body back. I thought as the Jeep passed me, ‘ The General was too smart to listen to a Sgt.’—but his life depended on listening to that Sgt.
Friend, you are either saved or lost. There is not middle ground. John 3-18, ‘He who believes in Him is not condemned; but HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE is condemned already, because, he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.’
As you read the New Testament there are 3 words used for Hell. Look in your Strong’s Concordance for the word. Hell, #1067, Greek, Geenna, Gehenna., # 86—Hades, and 5020—Tartaroo or Tartarus. Geenna,
Geenna, Gehenna, Jesus used this term several times. Gehenna is the name of a valley on the S. and E. of Jerusalem. It was so called from the cries of little children who were thrown into the fiery arms of Moloch, an idol having the form of a bull. The Jews hated the place. After King Josiah (2 Kings 23-10) abolished it, to show their disgust they would cast all manner of refuse, dead bodies of animals, and all kinds of other garbage. The result it became a place where the ‘worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.’
If my understanding of Greek Words is right, Hades, #86, is not an eternal state. According to Rev.20-13-14, Hades will give up those in there and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Verse 15, And whosoever was not found in the book of life was CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. A CAREFUL STUDY OF Revelation 20-10-15 will show you that the sea as well as land delivers its dead, all kinds of dead, good and bad. Accidental deaths or suicide will not prevent the dead from facing God and being cast into a lake of fire. ‘The Inseparable pair’ death and hell (hades) will be cast into the lake of fire. In Matthew 16-18, Jesus said ‘the gates of hell (hades) shall not prevail against it. The Devil and the False Prophet and The AntiChrist are already in the Lake of fire. Unsaved friend—what a company will be in hell. After this there is no more death. DEATH IS NO MORE—ONLY ETERNITY! Verse 15, if—condition of first class, anyone whose name has not been written in the Book of Life—-in this short sentence the doom is told of all who are out of Christ. Gehenna is the counterpart of the lake of fire.
The Devil was cast down from heaven, 12-9, then imprisoned, 20-2, and now he received his final doom—cast alive into the lake of fire—20-10.
Verse 14. Death as sin’s ally (study this word) must be destroyed along with Sin, while Hades the grim receptacle of Death’s prey naturally ceases to have any function.
Verse 13; Let us not imagine that the grave is an asylum. The earth (and the sea) shall restore those that sleep in her, and so shall the dust of those that dwell therein in silence, and the secret chambers shall deliver up those that were committed to them. Do you remember—Paul said, I Corinthians 15- 55, ‘O grave, where is thy victory?’ All graves of all time and all places will give up those who slept with them. All the grave gets is the tired, the worn, the diseased, the bodies that have been spent. NO GRAVE EVER HAD THE PERSON HIMSELF. The Soul and Spirit has gone. My Dad and Mon’s bodies lie in a Cemetery in Tulsa—but they are not there. THEY ARE WITH JESUS.
John shows no pity for the doomed nor does he exhibit any callous scorn for their fate. John simply tells it LIKE IT IS!
Chapter 21 we see this truth; ‘the earthly Jerusalem is good enough for the Millennium BUT NOT FOR THE FINAL BLISS; THE NEW ORDER.’ The world is to end as it begins, with a creation; only it is a new creation, with a perfect paradise and NO EVIL.
J. Vernon McGee says: ‘And the sea gave up the dead there were in it.’ Multitudes who have gone to a watery grave in which the chemicals of their bodies have been dissolved in the waters of the sea will be raised. God will have no problem with that. After all, they are only atoms. He just has to put them together. He did it once; He can do it again.
It eternity, heaven, no longer will it be said, ’In Adam all die.’ ‘Hades’ the prison of lost souls is cast into the lake of fire. The lost are no longer in ‘hades’ but IN THE LAKE OF FIRE. If a person does not accept Jesus and His blood, that person must accept the only other alternative; eternal association with Satan and all the lost—forever and ever, in the lake of fire.
The very thought of this breaks the heart. Isn’t it sad, so very sad, that some of America’s most popular preachers will not preach on this subject! Other church groups say it is not ETERNAL, then there are so many, so many, who just believe they die like an animal and that is all. Friend that is not all. It is either eternity in Heaven or Hell. Your decision about Jesus Christ determines where you are—forever.
The bottomless pit of 20-l is to be distinguished from the lake of fire.
Verse 12, And I saw the dead small and great, stand before God. No sinner will escape. All who reject Jesus Christ will stand before Him. We are told that there will be books. It is my belief that one of the Books will be the Bible. You see, all of this is told in your Bible! Their personal rejection of Jesus Christ has already determined their destiny.
There are degrees on punishment in the lake of fire. Matt. 11-20-24.
One of the most terrible scenes in time or eternity is to see the Lost called out of Hades and face God and then be cast into THE LAKE OF FIRE.
The Lake of Fire is a witness to the righteous character of God. (Wiersbe). He is Holy and He must judge sin, also the Lake of Fire is a witness to man’s responsibility. He is not a helpless victim, but a person who can make choices—and here he made the wrong choice. The Lake of fire is also a witness to the awfulness of sin. If we could see sin as God sees it, we would understand why there is such a place. In the light of Calvary, no lost sinner can condemn God casting him into this place. Click here to find out how to avoid this fate.
Before God can usher in His new heavens and earth, He must finally deal with sin; and this He will do at the Great White Throne.
Walter Scott—Revelation 20-10, for the first time in the history of the race (from Genesis 3 to Revelation 20) we have an earth without a sinner upon its surface. As the dragon he is shut up, as Satan he is loosed, and as the devil he is cast into the lake of fire. In the lake of fire MENTAL AGONY and CORPOREAL SUFFERING are united and endured in degree proportioned to the guilt of those who have sinned. The punishment is in exact measure to the sin, BUT ALL IS EVERLASTING or eternal. The throne is not set on earth, nor in relation to its dispensations and times. WE HAVE PASSED OUT OF TIME INTO ETERNITY. The judgment therefore of the throne IS FINAL. We are in God’s eternity.
The SEA—‘ the sepulcher of buried nations’ shall have to yield up its dead. WHAT A THOGHT! The lowest depths of the deepest sea, and the angry billows and waves shall answer to the voice of their Creator (did The Sea of Galilee not do so in Mark 4?) and yield up their dead, every one.
The emperor and peasant, the high and low, the rich and poor—all come forth at the voice of irresistible power and majesty, and each one is judged. The lake of fire is THE ETERNAL DEPOSITORY of all contrary to God. The bodies of the wicked will be constituted to last through eternal ages; they will never die, but eternally exist. It is not extinction of existence, not annihilation, but it is torment during the lifetime of the Almighty and Eternal God.
Such is the eternal doom of the wicked. The Dragon, the Antichrist, the false Prophet, and NOW all the unbelieving from the days of Cain find themselves in one HORROR OF HORRORS, in one place where memory will give point and sting to the agony of eternal separation from God, from light and happiness. May God solemnize our spirits and souls as we ponder these realities soon to be the awful lot and portion of many who reject our Lord Jesus Christ.
I really did not intend to write this much but as I studied and waited before God I could not seem to stop. My heart and soul is stirred. I hurt on the inside as I ponder this subject.
This whole and terrible subject has such a large place in the Bible we love so much.
Without a doubt the Rapture is nearer than many of us think. It is difficult for most of us to realize the thought of the Rapture. When all Christians, living–as well as those who have died, shall suddenly and powerfully be called to meet Him in The Air. This idea is taught so plainly in our Bible. There is far too much ‘FUN, PROSPERITY, ENTERTAINMENT, and feel good’ emphasis in our Churches and preaching today
I pray that God will lay this burden on my heart in a greater way than ever before, because I believe it is nearer than many of us, including me—-realize. I ask myself, ‘Gene, do you really believe that He could come today? Or perhaps, do we really believe that such an event will happen?
The question is often asked, ‘ Will the earth be destroyed by nuclear power? (Atomic Bomb)’ As I read the Bible I do not think so. God has a plan for the earth and heavens. Read 2 Peter 3-10-13, and Revelation 21-1. I think the key in Revelation 21-1 is the Greek word for new, ‘kainon.’ We must remember that this earth and universe is ‘GOD’S UNIVERSE AND EARTH.’ He is the ultimate power and ruler. Some renegade rebel, or any man will not and cannot decide what will happen to the earth and universe. A careful study of Psalms 2 would be very helpful at this time.
Another thing I want to share with you. We read all of the latest books and movies of what will happen at the Rapture and The Great Tribulation—I don’t think we know. We read our Bible and read of events that are to happen but God does not give us the details. Perhaps we should read Daniel, chapter 12. Daniel did not understand all that he wrote. Read verse 8,9, 13.
Our Schedule
May 14, 36th Annual College and Seminary Graduation, Antioch Baptist Bible College.
Dr. Don Richards; Speaker. I started the School in 1968.
June 6-9, Gospel Preachers Association Meeting, Galilean B/C. Dr. Tolbert Moore, Pastor
June 12-17, Annual Bible Conference, Peachtree Road B/C, Dr. Preston Moore, Pastor
June 18, I am to conduct the Wedding of Seth Ford, MD. The Wedding will be in Lexington, VA
June 22 and 26, I am to be with Dr. Gary Moore, Pastor, of The Nottingham B/C, Nottingham, PA
July 24-28, Dr. Dennis Petty and I will be in Revival in the Anchor B/C, High Point, N.C.
Dr. Jerry Key, Pastor. We were with Dr. Key last year.
August 21, I am to preach for Rev. Ted Crotts, Blackwater Commnity Church. a.m. & p.m
August 22-26. Camp Meeting, Ararat, N.C. Rev. Bill Watson, Pastor, Rev. Rayton Puckett is the
Moderator. Little Mountain B/C.
August 28, a.m., p.m. I am to preach for Rev. Ted Crotts’—son.
September 11, I am preach in two Churches, Bristol, VA
September 12—15, Appalachian Baptist Fellowship Meeting, Antioch B/C, Bristol, VA.
Dr. Brad Davis, Pastor. Dr. Tolbert Moore, Moderator.
November 6—11, Camp Meeting and Jubilee with Rev. Leonard Fletcher, Pastor of the
Dyson Grove, B/C, Mountain City, TN. This is one meeting you must not miss.
June 5-9, 2006, Camp Meeting, Mt. Airy, N.C. Rev. Tommy Nichols, Moderator.
Wana and I sure appreciate the Pastor’s who invite us to their Churches and Camp Meetings.
Glen Haven B/C, McDonough, GA, Dr. Ralph Easterwood, Pastor, has had more than 500 additions since they moved to McDonough. Their new building will not hold the people that are coming. They have decided to start their Sunday School at 10:45 a.m. What a difference it makes to start at that time instead of 11:00. It gives time for THE MESSAGE. During the 55 years I served as a Pastor—we always started the Morning Worship Service at 10:45.
Deaths: Dr. Billy James Hargis, MR. DOUGLAS SAMPLES (Doug and Faye were two of our dearest friends). Dr. Gary Hedrick, President of The Christian Jew Foundation, and I conducted the funeral. Mr Gene McFerrin, Kellerman, AL. Gene and I were in the Army together, WWII. He was saved a year or more before he died.
Recently Wana and I were in Mt. Airy, N.C. I preached for Rev. Tommy Nichols. We stayed at the Hampton Inn. They have a ‘NO PET’ policy. We like that.
March 13-16, God gave us a good Revival with Rev. David Burrell, Pastor of Harbor Light B/C, Elizabethton, TN. We enjoyed a good meal with James & Pat Mahaffey one night
What a great meeting we had at Antioch Baptist Church, Bristol, VA. Dr. Brad Davis, Pastor. We had many preachers but three really stood out. Dr. Tolbert Moore, Dr. Ed Moore and Dr. Tom Hayes. It was a great Jubilee, Feb. 6-10-2005.
Saturday, February 26, we had a birthday party for DR. WILLIAM MELLOR. Dr. Mellor and his wife, Edith, love God and are two of the most godly people you will ever meet. Two of this nation’s finest. Dr. Mellor turned 98 on Feb. 17. Mrs. Edith is 94. Present for the party: Betty Gibby, Mary Poole, Dr. Macon Hunt, Dr. Brad and Sandra Davis—and their daughter, Rebecca, Dr. Ronnie and Phyliss Healan, and Wana and I. It was a blessed after noon.
The Winfrey Evangelistic Association helps in the support of 19 Missionaries, Mission Causes, and other Mission works. Your gifts can be deducted from your Income Tax. Miss Sandy Edwards, is President of the Carver Tax Company. They do all our work. She is located in Marietta, Georgia.
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