The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. Proverbs 21:6.
The great original lie which he [Satan] told to Eve in Eden, “Ye shall not surely die,” was the first sermon ever preached on the immortality of the soul. That sermon was crowned with success, and terrible results followed. He has brought minds to receive that sermon as truth, and ministers preach it, sing it, and pray it.
After the Fall, Satan bade his angels make a special effort to inculcate the belief in man’s natural immortality; and having induced the people to receive this error, they were to lead them on to conclude that the sinner would live in eternal misery. Now the prince of darkness, working through his agents, represents God as a revengeful tyrant, declaring that He plunges into hell all those who do not please Him, and causes them ever to feel His wrath….
A large class to whom the doctrine of eternal torment is revolting, are driven to the opposite error. They see that the Scriptures represent God as a being of love and compassion, and they cannot believe that He will consign His creatures to the fires of an eternally burning hell. But holding that the soul is naturally immortal, they see no alternative but to conclude that all mankind will finally be saved. Many regard the threatenings of the Bible as designed merely to frighten men into obedience, and not to be literally fulfilled. Thus the sinner can live in selfish pleasure, disregarding the requirements of God, and yet expect to be finally received into His favor….
God has given to men a declaration of His character, and of His method of dealing with sin…. “All the wicked will he destroy.” Psalm 145:20…. Yet all the manifestations of retributive justice will be perfectly consistent with the character of God as a merciful, long-suffering, benevolent being….
And all who have a just conception of these qualities will love Him because they are drawn toward Him in admiration of His attributes.
The Faith I Live By p. 178
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Prayer Requests
—-I often wake up with palpitations and trying to catch my breath in the night but for some reason I’ve been having them today for the last few hours or so and a little short of breath. I wore a 30 day heart monitor during which time I pretty much had no issues so the test came back inconclusive to my frustration only to have them start up again. I don’t know what the deal is but I’d like to request prayers for my heart and my breathing. David
—-Please pray for Shera and her son who has leukemia. Janice
—-Please pray that I can reach a suicidal friend with the love of God. Heidi
—-Please pray for Jordan who is in the hospital with kidney stones and a 103 degree fever. Rose
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Dear Friends,
God’s Holy Word is filled with promises from our loving Creator. From the first promise of a Saviour to come given to Adam and Eve when they first sinned, to the last promise in Revelation 22:20 “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly,” we are given love, grace, and assurance from our Redeemer. The ninth psalm is filled with these promises: “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death: That I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation. The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight. Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men.”
How often we are dealt with unfairly by those around us. They misjudge us and gossip behind our back. With the telling the rift grows wider and we find ourselves isolated. We have no one to turn to. Yet we have the assurance that we have a Friend “that sticketh closer than a brother.” Prov 18:24 We have Someone Who “forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Ps 103:3-5 God says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jer 29:11-13
When ridiculed and misused, we can remember that there is One Who sees it all. There is One Who judges righteously. God has promised, “I will contend with him that contendeth with thee,” Isa 49:25 We can know that in some way, our Dear Father in Heaven will cause those who do us harm to go through an experience that will entrap them in their own snare. And ultimately, if those who are against us continue in their sin, they will be destroyed. “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Mal 4:1 “What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time….they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.” Nahum 1:9
In view of this, how much we should pray for our enemies. Jesus bids us, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matt 5:44 How carefully we should try to bring about reconciliation. “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matt 5:23,24 This is important to our Dear Saviour Who wants “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Tim 2:4
May we bring all our cares, all our trials, to our Loving Saviour. May we rely on our Righteous Judge to make things right. May we pray for those who injure us, is my prayer.
Rose
Natural Immortality A Lie