Why We are Living in the LAST DAYS!

by David J. Stewart

1st John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”

       The Bible tells us WHY we are living in the Last Days in 1st John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” How do we know that it is the Last Days? Because there are MANY ANTICHRISTS!

The Apostle Paul believed that he was living in the Last Days because of the preponderance of Christ-rejecters in his day. This Scriptural principle still applies today. As the world becomes more apostate, so do the number of Christ-rejecters increase. There are over 1,000,000,000 Islamic Muslims in the world who all deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. There are hundreds-of-millions of Buddhists and Hindus that also deny the Lord. Jews who follow Judaism deny that Jesus is the Christ. Over 1,000,000,000 Romans Catholics errantly think that devotion to Mary will get them into Heaven. It is tragic!

Jesus warned that the End Times would be once again as it was in Noah's time, when people only lived to enjoy the cares, riches and pleasures of this life (Matthew 24:37-39; Luke 8:14). Only 8 people survived the flood. I dare say that even one-percent of the world's population are truly born-again Christians (Matthew 7:13-14). Few people will enter into Heaven. 

Many religious cults distort the Person, character and nature of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul warned about false prophets who would introduce to us ANOTHER Jesus, ANOTHER Gospel, and ANOTHER spirit (2nd Corinthians 11:4). Galatians 1:9 proclaims a CURSE upon them all, for corrupting the Gospel. These are signs of the Last Days. Everywhere we turn nowadays, we are having false doctrines, false religions, false Christs, false Gospels and false Bibles introduced to us. Satan is working relentlessly to corrupt churches with New Age teachings, diminishing being born-again from a miracle of God (John 1:12) into a mere feeling, experience or commitment to serve God. 

Just as God parted the Red Sea to save the Israelites from the wrath of Pharaoh and Egypt's armies; so is salvation only of the Lord. God parted the Red Sea. The Israelites had absolutely nothing to do with parting the sea. Their only requirement was to walk through, and they did, on dry ground. Likewise, God saves a sinner who repents toward God in faith to be forgiven through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. 

This Scripture is NOT speaking about THE Antichrist, who is coming soon to rule the world as an evil thug dictator (2nd Thessalonians 1:1-10). Rather, the term antichrists (plural) refers to religious fakes (Modernists) and false prophets. A “Modernist” is someone who talks about spiritual matters, but is not a genuine born-again Christian. Some popular Modernists are: The Pope, Oprah Winfrey, John MacArthur, Carter Heyward, John Edward, Benny Hinn, Ellen G. White, Ron Hubbard, Joseph Smith, Charles Russell, Mary Baker Eddy, and thousands more. 1st John 2:19 teaches that many of them began in the Church... “They went out from us, but they were not of us.” 

2nd Timothy 3:5 describes these people as, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” That “power” is the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to him that believeth (Romans 1:16). To those who don't believe, it is worthless. Many of the Israelites who wandered in the Wilderness for 40-years, died and went to Hell in their sins, because they heard the Gospel; but it wasn't “mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2). 

Others add self-righteous works to their faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), which is no faith at all in the Lord (Romans 11:6). Dr. John MacArthur requires sinners to try really hard to stop sinning in order to be saved (which he wrongly defines as repentance). MacArthur has it all backwards. You get saved first, and then God makes the changes; You don't make the changes, and then God saves you. Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron and John MacArthur wrongly teach that a person must REFORM as part of being REGENERATED by the Holy Spirit of God; but the Bible teaches that a person cannot REFORM until they've been REGENERATED. 

2nd Corinthians 5:17 says that IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST he is a new creature. Notice that this is after-the-fact. A man cannot be a new creature until he is already in Christ. In other words, a changed life is the FRUIT of genuine repentance unto salvation; and not a part of the ROOT of saving-faith to be saved (Romans 4:5). 

A sure sign according to the Bible of living in the LAST DAYS is the preponderance of false prophets, Christ-rejecters, and religious phonies in the churches. 2nd Timothy 3:1, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” The word “perilous” is the Greek chalepos and means, “hard to endure, difficult, dangerous; through the idea of losing strength.” We are certainly living in trying times of our Christian faith. 2nd Timothy 3:12 teaches that all those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall (not possibly or maybe, but shall) suffer persecution. This lost and dying sinful world hates Jesus, hates the Bible, hates Christianity and hates all genuine Christians (John 15:19). You can display anything that is Islamic, Buddhist or Jewish and no one cares; but if you dare display anything Christian, such as a manger at Christmas, all the hordes of Hell will come after you, and everyone has a heart-attack. 

There have never been as many religious fakes in churches as today. There have never been as many false prophets as today. There have never been as many Christ-rejecters as today. There have never been as many false Bible as today. There have never been as many corrupted Gospel as today. All around the world, people are turning to a Luciferian type of one-size-fits-all religion, that puts forth the teaching that sincerity is all that matters, and that there are many paths to the light and reincarnation. These New Age philosophies are rooted in demonic Buddhist, Hindu and ancient Egyptian and Babylonian mysticism. 

Whether it be the occultist Alice Ann Bailey (1880-1949), Pat Robertson's CBN which promotes New Age psychologists, or the Satanic Pope who says people with no Biblical faith can go to Heaven... New Age is the Luciferian religion of the End Times. Christ-rejecters, Gospel corrupters, Bible perverters, church-infiltrators, and Bible-deniers are everywhere today. 

1st John 2:18 proclaims that we are living in the LAST DAYS. And the Bible tells us how we know this truth... because there are many antichrists in the world today. Never before have we seen so many people attacking the Bible, the precious name of Jesus, and Christianity. Every Hollywood movie blasphemes God by cursing in His holy name. Every Hollywood movie uses the precious name of “Jesus” as a curse word. The word “wicked” has been redefined by evil people to mean something good; thus eliminating one of the few words available to describe the awfulness of sin. The King James Bible mentions the word “wicked” 421 times in the Old Testament. Yet Hollywood mocks God, attacks the Bible, and commits a grave sin by misapplying the word “wicked.”

If Jesus didn't really exist, or was not truly the Son of God as the Bible teaches, then why would every nation on the face of the earth be so hateful against Him? If the Bible is not true, then why are so many of the world's leaders, music and movie producers, and Hollywood celebrities, hostile toward the cause of Christ and the Word of God? 

Christianity is unique! You can belong to any religion and people don't care; but born-again Christians are hated the world over. This is because all false religions are owned by Satan. 1st John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” It is Jesus Christ Who is within the believer (Romans 8:9). Satan is the god of this evil world (2nd Corinthians 4:4).

It is so obvious that we are living in the Last Days. 1st John 2:18 plainly states that antichrists would abound in the Last Days, and we see them everywhere today. From Christ-rejecting Hollywood celebrities, to lewd Country music singers, to degenerate Rock 'N' Roll singers, to criminal Federal Reserve Banksters, to rebellious feminists, to murdering abortionists, to lying evolutionists, to arrogant humanists, to foolish atheists, to the rotten lying newsmedia who mislead the public concerning the truth—they are all antichrists who are the enemies of God (James 4:4). 

2nd Peter 3:9 teaches that the only reason the Lord hasn't returned yet is because He is waiting for people to repent. God is long-suffering and patient, not willing for any to perish. When the Gospel is no longer being preached because of Communist Police State oppression, perverted Bibles, corrupted churches and worldwide apostasy; then I think the Lord will return, because that is when the fewest people will be getting saved. There are more people against Jesus Christ today than ever before. Most of the people who claim the name of Jesus today are false prophets, following a works-based false gospel, which is exactly what Catholics follow. Manmade traditions are a road to Hell beneath.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

8 Kings | Last Days

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Bible Prophecy

Where Will You Be After the Rapture?

by Dr. Raymond W. Barber

(Loyal Pastor for 35 Years of the Worth Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas) 

"And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: "For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. "And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. "And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. "And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."—Rev. 19:1–10.

       Nothing will be the same after the sound of the trumpet, after the descent of the Lord, after the voice of the archangel, after the resurrection of the dead, after the translation of the living—everything will be changed.   God is working out His plan. We are now living in what is commonly called the church age or the dispensation of the church or the age of grace.  But one day ere long, the day of opportunity will end. When the last Gentile believer is saved and the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, then comes the rapture. It will be the end of the church age and the onslaught of tribulation. Following the Tribulation, all of His saints will come with Christ to establish His kingdom upon the earth.

He will fight the battle of Armageddon. John says:

"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."—Rev. 19:15,16.

Then comes the great millennium, the period of righteousness and peace when the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas, and into eternity the ages will roll.

God has a plan.  God has a program.  God has a purpose.  God has a prescription.

You are not an accident nor an incident. God has a plan and purpose for your life: It is either counting for Christ or a bad example to the world. I hope each of you can say, "I’m ready for the coming of Christ. I know where I’ll be after the rapture." 

AT THE RAPTURE

Can you imagine the consternation that will be going on here on earth! Can you imagine the headlines in the newspapers all over the world the day after the rapture: "Millions Missing From Every Continent!"  Someone asks, "How are we going to solve the employment problem?" God is going to solve that.   Another asks, "How are we going to solve the food problem?" God is going to solve that.  When Jesus comes, every believer will be taken out of this world. Planes will be flying through the air at seven hundred miles an hour; suddenly the saved pilots will be taken out. What about those left who are unsaved?  Cars will be speeding across the highways; the saved drivers will be caught up, but their unsaved passengers will be left. What then?   Ships will be sailing through the ocean; Christian captains will be taken out at the rapture. Then what happens to the ships as they sail unmanned through rough seas?  Trains will be going across the rails; Christian engineers are caught up. What is going to happen to those trains and their passengers who are not saved?  What an awesome day that will be! I’m glad that Christians will not go through that awesome period. God said He is going to spare us of it.

"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [that’s the hour of tribulation], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."—Rev. 3:10.

TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE

There are two classes of people—saved and unsaved. Whatever else they are—their status in life, their nationality, their color or creed—they are either saved or lost. There is no middle ground.

Jesus tells us about two ways, two roads, two destinations, and two groups of people. I hope that you find yourself in the right company.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."—Matthew 7:13,14.

Notice the contrast of many and few. Most people tonight are not saved. The world is heavily populated with people who have never been born again, dear and precious people who have never trusted the Saviour. What a harvest field! What an opportunity! What a great time to reach out and bring the lost to Jesus, ere the trumpet sounds and time as we know it will be no more! When night settles in, the opportunity to win the lost will be gone. It will be too late when the day of God’s wrath comes!

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. "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 which 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."—Matt. 7:15–23.

Not everyone whose name is on a church roll is saved. Some are going into Hell from a church pew. They are depending on their good works or their baptism or their reformation or their turning over a new leaf or signing a card or shaking a preacher’s hand or going into a baptistery. But Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." You must have a new birth, a new life. You must be born all over from above. All who experience the new birth will be raptured when Jesus comes. All who have not experienced the new birth will be left upon the earth to go through the horrors of that awesome period called the Tribulation. The saved will be in Heaven after the rapture; the unsaved will be left on the earth! 

Are You Ready to Meet God?

By David J. Stewart

       There was a very sad accident which happened in Colorado Springs this week. An 18-year old woman, Whitney Hendrickson, was slowly burned to death in a fiery accident, which involved an out-of-control vehicle. The poor girl was pinned between the gas pump and the burning minivan. As she saw the flames moving toward her, she cried out for help, saying “Help me! Help me! I'm going to die.” Sadly, there was no one to save her. Life is so short. She had no idea when she woke up that morning that it would be her last day on earth. My deepest sympathies goes out to that young woman's family.

Spencer Eden/KDVR-TV | March 17, 2009

March 17: A Colorado Springs convenience store gasoline pump caught fire and exploded, killing a woman.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. —  A convenience store gasoline pump caught fire and exploded Tuesday, killing a woman and injuring at least one other person, police said.

Witnesses told The Gazette newspaper the pump caught fire after hit was hit by a pickup that had in turn been struck by an SUV. Police said the incident was under investigation.

The woman was pumping gas when the fire erupted, and she was trapped between the pump and a minivan, witnesses said.

"She was standing there screaming 'Help me! Help me! I'm going to die,"' Greg Alderman told The Gazette.

Police Lt. Dave Whitlock identified the woman who was killed as 18-year-old Whitney Hendrickson of Colorado Springs.

The SUV driver, 29-year-old Kelli Renae McKay of Colorado Springs, was treated at Memorial Hospital for bruises. She was cited for suspicion of careless driving involving a death, a misdemeanor, Whitlock said.

A passenger in the minivan was unharmed as was the driver of the pickup.

Alderman, who works across the street from the 7-Eleven store where the explosion occurred, said he tried to get to the woman but the heat was too intense.

Michael Horvat, who also works across the street, said he ran to the store with a fire extinguisher but an off-duty firefighter yelled at him to back off. Just then the pump exploded.

"She was frozen in there, between the gas pumps and her car," Horvat said. "She was holding her face. Flames were all around her. She never got out."

SOURCE

I wrote this article because this accident is a clear reminder to all of us that life is predictably UNPREDICTABLE. We have a tendency to take so many things for granted in this life, including life itself.

Consider this poor woman who lost her life. Any hope of having a future husband or children or grandchildren, any hope of ever hearing those first words “Mama” or “I wuv you mommy,” any hope of watching her children graduate from school, or of receiving a big hug from one of her own children, is now gone forever. How sad. How tragic!

This is why I get so peeved at our government leaders for needlessly sending our children to die on foreign soil for agendas that have absolutely nothing to do with America's freedom. Alan Greenspan, who headed the Federal Reserve Board for 19 years, stated that the Iraqi War is mostly about stealing their oil. That's not a good enough reason to forfeit our children's lives. Many parents will never be grandparents, because their child died in Iraqi for the New World Order. And if that's not bad enough, President Bush Jokes about War In Iraq! It is all so evil. Just remember, Obama, Bush and the Clintons will all spend this coming Christmas with their children. If your pastor supports the War in Iraq, pray for him that God will open his eyes.

May we keep in mind the untimely death of this unfortunate young woman, and numerous others we read about every day in the news, so that we may redeem the time, preparing to meet our God and Creator. Life is what happens to us while we're making big plans. Life has its disappointments, heartaches and times of sorrow for everyone—some more than others—but God is still on His throne in Heaven and now is the time to get right with God. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? 
 

The Reality of Sin, Judgment and Hell

After I read this tragic story, I couldn't help but think of the Scriptures and the BILLIONS of unbelievers that are headed for the Lake of Fire in their sins. Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” And again in 2nd Thessalonians 1:8 we are warned, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I don't know if this young woman was saved or unsaved, and I make no statement concerning that. I certainly hope with all my heart that she's enjoying Heaven now with the saints.

What caught my attention mostly was the fact that this young women saw death approaching. She saw the fires moving closer and closer. Fear overwhelmed her, as it would anyone. How tragic that multitudes of people in the world today refuse to see the fires closing in around them! They are blind to the reality of sin, judgment and Hell fire! Oh, that men would hear and believe the Word of God, repenting toward God for salvation.

Jesus taught in Matthew 24:37-38 that the people before the flood were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage (partying). Jesus said that it would be the same way in the Last Days. We are living in those times. People today are not listening to God. This is why we have a city nicknamed “Sin City”; and abortion is legal, and Salem, Massachusetts prides themselves as the “City of Witches”; and pornography is legal; and homosexuals are getting married and adopting children; and America's legal system is extremely corrupt and oppressive; and idolatry is commonplace in America's churches. Woe unto America.

Jesus said that when the flood finally came, THEY KNEW NOT what had happened until it was too late. Not one person heeded Noah's preaching of the righteousness that is in Jesus Christ. Only Noah and his immediate family got on the ark. Noah preached for 120 long years, but not one person obeyed the Gospel, not one person got saved, not one person escaped God's wrath when judgment came. And after perishing in the flood, they went to Hell to burn (Psalm 9:17).

Tragically, preachers no longer cry aloud against sin, no longer warn men of the coming judgment of an angry God, and no longer stress the awfulness of eternal punishment for all Christ-rejecters in the fires of Hell. Every mainstream so-called “Christian author,” such as Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Max Lucado, et cetera, spend 99% of the time AVOIDING the unpleasant and offensive topics of sin, judgment, God's wrath, hellfire and eternal punishment. Yet, the great need of our day is to hear these topics preached loud and long so that men may fear God and come to repentance.

All of the popular televangelists today are a bunch of greedy fakes! Beware of the minister who focuses on health, wealth and prosperity. Beware of any professed “Christian” who wants to sell you something; but never warns of the coming judgment in hellfire, never exposes the awfulness of sin, never talks about winning souls to Jesus Christ and never talks about God's wrath upon the wicked. America's great need of the hour is preaching preachers!

The tragic accident in Colorado Springs could have happened to anyone. It was horrific to say the least. Burned alive! Proverb 27:1, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” The importance question is, are you ready to meet God? Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Luke 13:5, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” —Jesus Christ

The Holy Spirit and the End Time

by Pastor Jack Hyles

(Chapter 34 from Dr. Hyle's excellent book, Meet The Holy Spirit)

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II Thessalonians 2:1-12, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by work nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is vacated God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity both already work: only He Who now letteth will let, until He be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: even Him, Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." There are three main comings of our Lord to the earth. He came TO His own. John 1:11, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."
He is coming FOR His own in the air. I Thessalonians 4:13-18, "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: an so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
He is coming WITH His own at the end of the seven-year tribulation period to put down the Antichrist and establish His kingdom. II Thessalonians 2:8, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.'
To understand the Holy Spirit's part in the end time, one must understand the purposes behind the writing of the books of I and II Thessalonians. The apostle Paul had started the church in Thessalonica. He especially imparted to this church the truths concerning the coming of the Lord. They had become excited about the rapture and our Lord's returning FOR them. However, something unforeseen happened. One of their members passed away. They were not prepared for this, so they wrote the Apostle asking what would happen to there departed member when Jesus came for His own. The book of I Thessalonians is a letter from the Apostle to the church at Thessalonica explaining to them what would happen to the dead when Jesus comes.
Soon trials came to the church, trials that were so great that the members began to wonder if they were already in the tribulation period. They wrote to the Apostle inquiring concerning this matter. This book of II Thessalonians is a letter from Paul to the church at Thessalonica reminding them that they were not in the tribulation period and teaching them that they must transpire before the tribulation could come and teaching them in general concerning the order of events of the end time. 
Following is that order: 

1. The mystery of iniquity (that is, sin) will continue. That is, sin will continue to abound. II Thessalonians 2:7a, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work." 

2. The rapture of the saints must take place.  2nd Thessalonians 2:7b, "Only He Who now letteth will let, until He be taken out of the way."  The work "let" here means "to hinder."  There seems to be someone hindering the mystery of iniquity.  This someone, of course, is the Holy Spirit.  He does this hindering to His people who are the salt of the earth.  Now notice the words inverse 7, "until He be taken out of the way."  This means the Holy Spirit will continue to hinder the mystery of iniquity until that day comes when He is taken out of the way.  This is the rapture when God's people are caught up to meet the Lord in the air; the dead will raise first, followed by those of us who are alive and remain.  Now notice in II Thessalonians 2:1 the words, "by our gathering together unto Him," which speak of the same event-the rapture.  Read further in 2nd Thessalonians 2:2, 3.  The Apostle says that that day, that is, the tribulation period, cannot come "except there be a falling away first." The term "falling away" is also translated "departure." This, no doubt, speaks of the rapture. 

3. The Antichrist will then be revealed. II Thessalonians 2:8, "And then shall that Wicked (wicked one) be revealed." Also note in verse 3, "and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." In other words, the tribulation period will not come until the rapture has taken place and the man of sin is on the scene. This man is the Antichrist, who will be the main character of the tribulation period. 

4. The tribulation itself will take place.  This is that seven-year period when the saints are in the air with Jesus enjoying the marriage of the Lamb, the marriage supper, and appearing before the judgment seat of Christ. The tribulation period is divided into two parts. During the first 3 1/2 years the Antichrist is a peaceable person, deceiving the world by his flatteries. In the middle of the tribulation period the Antichrist becomes Satan incarnate, just as Jesus was God incarnate during his earthly ministry. The last half of the tribulation period, hence, will be the working of Satan incarnate for a period of time about the same as the period of time when our Lord ministered as God incarnate (3 1/2 years). 

5. Then we have the coming of Christ WITH His own.  II Thessalonians 2:8, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, WHOM THE LORD SHALL CONSUME WITH THE SPIRIT OF HIS MOUTH, AND SHALL DESTROY WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING." This is the time when Jesus comes back to earth with His saints to establish His kingdom of righteousness which shall last for 1,000 years. This is the time when the wolf shall lie down with the lamb, the little child shall lead the wild animals and play at the hole of the cockatrice den. This is the time when men shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. This is the time when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. This is the time when God's people shall be kings and priests of God and shall rule and reign with Him for 1,000 years.
6. The millennium itself will take place. This is the aforementioned 1,000-year reign of Christ upon the earth.

Now let us trace the activities of the Holy Spirit during this time:
1. He is taken out of the way at the rapture.  II Thessalonians 2:7, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He Who now letteth will let, until He be taken out of the way." This does ton mean that he will not work at all on the earth. This does mean the end of His ministry as the church age has known it. 

2. He will still convict sinners, and people will be saved during the tribulation period.  Revelation 7:9, 14, "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." These people are those who received Christ during the tribulation period. There will be multitudes of them. Of course, they must be convicted by the Holy Spirit in order to be saved. These concerts are probably those who had never before heard the message of salvation. The Bible seems to teach that those who have heard the message of salvation and refused it shall be sent delusions during the tribulation period and will not be saved. II Thessalonians 2:9-12, "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 

3. The Holy Spirit will work in mighty power during the millennium.  Isaiah, 11:1,2, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." Here we have a summary of the work the Holy Spirit shall do during the kingdom age. It is He Who will lead us as we rule and reign on the earth. It will be His wisdom by which we rule and His power through which we rule.
Before this discussion is concluded, mention should be made of the counterfeit work that shall be done by Satan in the end time. This work will be manifested by the workings of miracles. When the Antichrist and the false prophet shall come, they shall come performing miracles. See Revelation 13.  Satan, you see, has a trinity. Satan himself is the opposite of God the Father.  The Antichrist, who shall head the political end-time confederation, is the opposite of God the Son.  The false prophet, who will head up the ecclesiastical confederation in the end time is the opposite of God the Holy Spirit.  Hence, in these three we have Satan's trinity.  Revelation 13:1, 11, "And I stood unto the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon."
Notice also that this second beast (false prophet) will do great wonders and even call fire from the heavens. Revelation 13:13, "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men."
Also notice that he will do miracles and by them will deceive the nations.  Revelation 13:14, "And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power on earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by the sword, and did live."  Now notice that he even makes an image, that is, a man-made replica of the first beast (Antichrist) and actually gives to that image life and the ability to speak! Revelation 13:15, "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."
Be not deceived, beloved, when those who are in error concerning the get doctrines of the faith suddenly perform miracles, for in the end time the performance of these miracles will not at all confirm that God is working. If a man comes to town and you see tumors disappear before your very eyes, this does not necessarily mean that is of God. There are people today who no doubt are seeing physical miracles take place who do not believe in the virgin birth, who pray to the virgin Mary, and who do not believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible and other foundational truths. This doing of miracles is in no way an evidence of being genuine. Christians should not be deceived; there is a supernatural which is not of God. There are miracles which are not of God. There are miracles of the Antichrist and false prophet will intensify as we see the day approaching. Many will be deceived; do not be among them!

The Danger of Delay

By Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934–1995)

"And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place: for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. "And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. "And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city." —Genesis 19:14–16. "And while he lingered…." Lot was a citizen of Sodom and Gomorrah. He had received a message from God that judgment was coming and those cities were going to be destroyed. Lot not only received the message; Lot believed the message. He believed it so strongly that he even shared the message with others. He said to his sons-in-law, "Get you out of this place: for the Lord will destroy this city." But the sad thing was, after Lot heard and believed the message of coming judgment, "…he lingered."
If we could call people out of Hell this morning and ask them one at a time, "Sir, why are you in Hell? Did you not know how to be saved?" I am sure that some might say, "I did not know how to be saved"; but I believe literally thousands would say, "Yes, I knew how to be saved."
"Did you not have a desire to go to Heaven?"
"Oh yes. As a matter of fact, I even had plans of going to Heaven. I thought that someday I would trust Christ as my Saviour."
"Well, what are you doing in Hell?"
"I kept putting it off, and one day I died suddenly in an automobile accident, and here I am."
I don’t think you would find one person in Hell who deliberately planned to go there, but each waited too late and died without the Saviour.
A fable illustrates what I am saying.
It is said that many centuries ago the Devil called all the demons of Hell together. He asked for suggestions as to how to damn the souls of men.
One demon gave one suggestion; another gave another; another gave another. Then a brilliant demon came forward and said, "I’ll tell you what let’s do. Let’s tell men there is a Bible; that the Bible is God’s Word. Let’s tell men that there are a real Hell and a real Heaven; that people who die without the Saviour go to Hell; and that those who believe in Christ, when they die, go to Heaven. Let’s tell men that God loves them and has provided a way whereby they can be saved. Let’s tell men they ought to be saved, but let’s tell them they don’t need to be saved now. Let’s tell them to wait awhile."
It is said that all the demons of Hell, and even Satan himself, applauded the brilliant demon and said, "That’s it! That’s what we will do! Men will fall for that! That’s the best way to damn the souls of men!"
Of course, no meeting like that took place; but judging by my own experience as a pastor and soul winner, I believe Satan’s chief instrument is getting men to put it off and to die without the Saviour.
Nobody plans to go to Hell.
Someone has said, "The road to ‘By and By’ leads to the house of ‘Never.’"
R. A. Torrey said that a wise man, when he sees a thing ought to be done, does it immediately. A fool, when he sees a thing ought to be done, says, "Yes, it ought to be done, but I won’t do it now."
Torrey goes on to say that there is no surer way to success in this life, let alone the life to come, than when a man sees that he ought to do something and then does it immediately; and the surest way to failure or defeat in life is when he sees a thing ought to be done, and says, "Yes, it ought to be done, but I’ll wait and do it later."
Hell is populated because men have waited and finally died without the Saviour.
The Bible has examples of men like this.
When Paul reasoned with Felix "of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee" (Acts 24:25).
So far as the Bible records and early history go, Felix never called for Paul. Felix is suffering the torments of Hell, not because he wanted to go there, but because he waited for "a convenient season."
You here who have not yet received Christ as Saviour, if I would ask you one by one, "Do you want to go to Hell when you die?" not a one would say yes. "Do you want to go to Heaven when you die?" Everyone would say yes.
If I would ask you to receive Jesus Christ today, many of you would say, "Not today." And before I could ask, "Why not today?" Satan would have already given you a frivolous excuse, like "I don’t want to be a hypocrite" or "I am afraid I can’t live it" or "I don’t have the right feeling."
The truth is, no man has an excuse to go on without the Saviour. If you are not yet saved and are of sound mind, you ought to receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour before you leave the building this morning.
Let me give you several reasons why it is dangerous to delay.
The man who knows he is a sinner, knows there is a real Heaven, knows Jesus died for sinners, knows that he can be saved, and yet delays, faces . . .

The Danger of a Hardened Heart Isn’t it strange that one of the things Satan tells people who are not saved is, "Wait until you feel more like it." The Devil told me that many times before I trusted Christ. He knew I felt more like it then than I would ever feel.
The truth is, every time the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart and you say no and refuse to accept Christ, your heart becomes harder and harder, until, after awhile, when God speaks, you don’t even hear His voice. The Devil knows that. That is why he says, "Wait until you feel more like it."
I have had people say to me, "I don’t have the feeling; when I get the feeling, I will go."
There is, in delay, the danger of a hardened heart. Let me give you an illustration:
Suppose you had never owned an alarm clock. You get one, set it to go off at 5:00 in the morning. The first time that alarm clock goes off, you nearly jump out of your skin. It wakes you with a start!
The next morning it takes a little more than one ring to wake you.
The next morning it rings a little longer before you shut it off.
Soon you pull the pillow over your head and sleep on while it rings on and on.
I am saying, the first time you hear it, your ears are sensitive; it wakes you immediately! But by listening to it over and over, you get to the place where you will sleep right on, as if it had never rung.
That is what happens to the man who says no to Christ. After awhile, when the Holy Spirit speaks and pleads, his heart is so hard, he has no desire to trust Jesus Christ as Saviour.
Tell me why it is that in this congregation some of you who are forty or fifty years old come here Sunday after Sunday, yet you walk out of this building LOST! You know that if you die, you will go to Hell. You know that! Yet you walk out of here without trusting Christ as Saviour. What has happened to you?
I’ll tell you what happened. Your heart has become hardened to the place where it is no longer sensitive, and you don’t even want to go forward.
What has happened to people like that? They have heard the Gospel over and over and delayed and delayed until their hearts are hard!
There is danger in delay; there is the danger of a hardened heart.
Someone made a survey of one thousand Christians. Out of the survey, 776 of those people were saved before they were twelve years old. Think of that! People sometimes laugh at child conversion, but the truth is, the majority of this crowd here were saved when you were kids. I was saved when I was eleven years old.
Do you know what that means? It means that seventy-five percent were saved before they were twelve. That means if you are over twelve years of age, your chances of being saved are only twenty-five percent.
I am not saying that God does not love you, that God won’t save you after age twelve. I am saying that your chances of being saved are only twenty-five percent.
There is danger in delay; there is a danger of a hardened heart.
That doesn’t mean God doesn’t want to save you. But if you have put it off a long time, your heart is possibly already hardened to the point where it will take something awfully strong to move you toward Christ.
I am thrilled when the kids come in on the buses—and thousands come in. I am thrilled to see them accept Christ when their hearts are tender.
I have preached to congregations of older people and had them raise their hands if they were not saved. I couldn’t get them to budge for anything. I have stood at the platform and cried and pled. I have walked down the aisle and taken them by the hand and said, "Please, sir." But they have said, with a hard, stern face, "No!"
Are they mean people? No. Then what has happened to them? Their hearts are hardened. They have said no to the Gospel all those years.
If God speaks to your heart in any measure at all, if the Holy Spirit tugs a little bit, then thank God that you can still detect that, and don’t put it off another second.
Every time you hear the Gospel and have an opportunity to be saved, one more chance to Heaven has gone by for you. The next Sunday you hear it again; another chance has gone by. You read a Bible tract, and the Holy Spirit tugs at year heart; another chance has gone by. After awhile, you will get your final call from God.
You say, "I won’t get like that." Everybody says that. But how can you explain people who come to church and listen and know if they die they will go to Hell, yet go out unsaved? They didn’t think they would get like that either, but they did. They put off salvation until their hearts were hardened. "And while he lingered…."
There not only is the danger of the hardened heart, but there is . . .

The Danger of Losing Your Soul Man is a living soul, and Jesus said, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36).
I wish I could preach that as if Jesus were standing here preaching it. "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" If you gain the whole world—become a billionaire, own real estate and cattle and automobiles and everything under Heaven—and lose your soul, you have made an idiotic bargain.
A man had a great fortune. He put it all into one large diamond. Everywhere he went, he took that diamond with him.
One day he was on board a ship traveling from one country to the other. Walking up and down the deck, he kept tossing that diamond into the air. A fellow-passenger said to him, "Man, don’t do that. The ship may bob, hit a wave, and you will lose it."
He said, "I haven’t missed it yet," and kept tossing the diamond into the air. Closer to the edge he tossed it. The sun shining on the diamond blinded him momentarily. As he reached out this time to grab it, he missed, and the diamond—his fortune—fell into the sea. As it fell, the man exclaimed, "Lost! Lost! Lost!"
You say that man was a fool. I agree, but he wasn’t as big a fool as men who gamble with their salvation, gamble with their souls and say no to Jesus day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, and then die without Christ!

Not only is there the danger of the loss of the soul, there is . . .

 

The Danger of Going to Hell

You may not like to hear about it, but there is a real, literal, burning Hell, and when a man dies without Christ, he goes there. "The rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments" (Luke 16:22,23). It’s a place of torment, a place of unending punishment, a place of hopelessness. There is no way out. We must stay out.

Isn’t it strange? When a sinner has been in Hell for one thousand years, the Bible will still say that "the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). The sinner has been in Hell ten thousand years, yet the wrath of God is still abiding on him. When a sinner has been in Hell ten thousand years and cries back, "How long? How long must I stay in Hell?" the demon choir of Hell will sing back the anthem of the doomed and damned, "Forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever!"
Suppose I said to you, "There is a time bomb planted in this building. It may go off in two minutes or five minutes. But it may not go off for a year or for fifteen or twenty years. Still, it may go off at any minute." If I made that announcement, how many of you would stay to hear the end of my sermon? Not a one! And I wouldn’t stay to preach it.
Many times you have read in the newspaper where the police in some city got a call that a bomb had been planted in a certain school. What did they do? Immediately they rushed over—sirens sounding, red lights flashing—grabbed the kids, opened the doors, rushed them out and evacuated the school! Why? A bomb is in there. It is going to blow up, and somebody may get killed! They can’t afford to take a chance. Why? It may go off at any minute!
A man knows he may die at any minute, and if he dies without Christ, he is going straight to Hell. Yet the man is willing to take the chance. "I may have ten more years. Or I may have fifty or more years."
One who does that shows where his values are. You place more value on your physical life than on your immortal soul.
If I knew when I was a child what I know now, no preacher would ever have finished his sermon. I would have stood up in the middle of his sermon, come down the aisle and said, "Sir, stop! Jesus may come before you finish. I may die, sir. Wait a minute, sir! Show me how to be saved now, then finish your sermon!"
You are living on a time bomb. Jesus may come at any moment. Death may be soon. Then where will you be?
Not only is there a danger of going to Hell, but in delay there is . . .

The Danger of Missing Heaven "Oh," you say, "you are old-fashioned." Yes, I am! I believe there is a literal Heaven just like there is a literal Hell. Heaven is not a state of the mind, but a real place. Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you [not a state of the mind]. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2,3).
I have missed an awful lot down here; I don’t mean to miss Heaven. The last two chapters in the Bible graphically describe the Holy City, the eternal Home of the saved. This city is fifteen hundred miles square. It has streets of pure gold. There is a river of life running out of that city. This river of life cures everything. It is the Fountain of Youth Ponce de Leon looked for for many years but never found.
An atheist was a friend of a good Christian. When the Christian took sick and was in the hospital at the point of death, many people wanted to see him. Since he felt so bad, he wouldn’t see anyone. But when his atheist friend came, he let him in.
After a short time, the atheist asked this Christian man, "I know a lot of good Christian people from your church have come to see you, but you wouldn’t let them in. I’m an atheist. Why did you let me in?"
The friend said from his deathbed, "Sir, I will see all my Christian friends again. We will have an eternity to spend together in Heaven; but since I will never see you again after I die, I wanted to see you for the last time."
The atheist wept. Then the Christian led him to Christ.
If you are a sinner and delay getting saved, you face the danger of missing Heaven. If you die tonight, a Christian, you will go to Heaven.
"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."—II Cor. 5:8.
"For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better."—Phil. 1:23.
I wish I had time to preach in detail on Heaven and tell you more about it and what kind of place it is. The Bible describes it. Oh, don’t miss Heaven!
Let me say that there is also . . .

The Danger of Not Participating in the Rapture The man who knows the Gospel, who has heard how to be saved, who has had an opportunity to be saved—if that man dies without Jesus Christ, or if Jesus Christ comes while that man is still alive, his opportunity for salvation will be closed. The one who knows how to be saved and rejects the Saviour cannot be saved once the Saviour comes.
In II Thessalonians 2 we read:

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."—Vss. 7,8. "…because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."—Vss. 10–12. Putting it in laymen’s terms: "You heard the truth, but you would not accept Jesus Christ as Saviour. You went on having pleasure in your unrighteousness or sin, and you did not want the Saviour, though you knew how to be saved. When Jesus comes, He will send you a strong delusion, so that you might believe a lie and might be damned." When Jesus comes and the saints are caught away to be with Him, the unsaved man who has already heard the Gospel and is left behind couldn’t be saved if he wanted to be. The coming of Christ is a danger to the unsaved because it seals the destiny and doom of those who heard the Gospel but did not heed the Gospel.
That is not all; there is . . .

The Danger of Sudden Death Nobody knows when he is going to die. You may say, "I don’t like to hear talk about death." Well, when people quit dying, I will quit talking about death. You don’t like to hear about death because you know you are not right with God. If you want to hear a little, quiet sermonette on Sunday morning, you are in the wrong place.
If you say, "I don’t like all this hellfire preaching," you too are in the wrong place.
Billy Sunday said, "If we had more preaching on Hell from the pulpit, we would have less Hell in the congregation."
There is more in the Bible about Hell than there is about Heaven. Jesus preached more on Hell than any preacher who has ever lived! He just kept on saying, "You will go to Hell! The worm never dies! The fire is not quenched! It is a real place!" He continually warned men to stay out of Hell.
In this congregation sits a young man. I led him to Christ; I led his wife to Christ; I led his daughter to Christ. I spoke to him about two Sunday mornings ago at the door in the back, and I heard him tell this story.
He was so burdened about his brother, in his twenties, that he took off from work and went to Florida to try to lead him to Christ. He said to his brother, "I’m saved, and I want you to be saved. I want to tell you how to get saved."
They prayed. As he tried to show his brother how to get saved, his brother laughed at him! "I’m young. I have plenty of time to get saved later on. Leave me alone! I am just in my twenties!"
This man came back to Atlanta brokenhearted because his brother wouldn’t accept Christ.
A week later his brother picked up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker picked up a revolver and unloaded six shots into him and dumped him out in the desert in Florida.
He was found a few weeks later and brought back here. I conducted his funeral. When I stood over that casket, I could almost hear him say, "Leave me alone! I’m young! I am just in my twenties! I have plenty of time to get saved later on!"
So far as we know, he is now in Hell!
There is the danger of sudden death; you don’t know when you will die.
President Coolidge’s son went out and played tennis. A blister came on his heel, and in a few hours’ time he was dead with blood poison. You don’t know when death may strike you.
Dr. George Truett was saved as a child. When he was a young man, they were having a revival. He invited a school chum to go to the revival with him. The chum went.
George Truett said to him after the preacher had preached, "Now, will you trust Christ as your Saviour?"
The boy said, "Let me alone, George. Leave me alone, George. Not tonight, George. I’ll go tomorrow."
George said, "Will you come back tomorrow?"
"Yes, I’ll come back tomorrow. But leave me alone tonight, George. Not tonight; tomorrow."
George Truett said he went back to the meeting the next night, but the young fellow wasn’t there; the fourth night he wasn’t there.
George went to check on him. He knocked on the door. The boy’s mother came to the door, and George said, "Where is So-and-so?"
"He took sick that night after he left the service. He has pneumonia. The doctor says he may not pull through. Nobody has been let in to see him. But you and he were very close friends, George, and I think it is all right for you to see him."
George Truett said, "I walked in. I saw his lips moving. I wanted to hear what he was saying. He had a very high fever and was almost out of his mind. I leaned my ear over to his mouth to hear what he was saying, and it was, ‘Not tonight, George. Not to-night, George. Leave me alone, George. I will go some other time, but not tonight, George.’"
This young man died and went to Hell!
There is the danger of sudden death.
The Royal Charter, that great ship, had been around the world. She had touched every important port, and the message had been received that she would reach her dock in Liverpool the next morning. But during the night she went down between Queensport and Liverpool.
The wife of the first mate was a member of Dr. William Taylor’s church, so they went to Dr. Taylor and said, "Would you go tell the wife of the first mate that the ship went down and her husband went down with it?"
Dr. Taylor went early that morning to give the message. When he arrived at the door, the anxious wife greeted him, thinking it was her husband.
Dr. Taylor noticed that breakfast was on the table and the table neatly arrayed and the food piping hot. He knew that she was expecting her husband.
Dr. Taylor said, "I am sorry to tell you, but the Royal Charter went down between Queens-port and Liverpool."
She screamed, "O my God! O my God! So near home…and lost! So near home…and lost!"
That is a true story. The ship had been around the world and touched at every important port. It got nearly home and went down.
I hope I will never know, but I am wondering how many people are in Hell who got so near and were lost. I wonder how many people have heard me preach and have felt the Holy Spirit pull at their hearts when I have given invitations, but have said, "No, no, not me! I am going to wait awhile!"
To continue to wait is to continue in the worst kind of sin that you can commit. The only sin that will send you to Hell is unbelief. "He that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). To continue not to trust Jesus nor believe that He died for you nor put your faith in Him is to continue in unbelief.
Unbelief is the one sin for which Jesus did not die. If He had died for unbelief, everybody would be saved, because the only folks who are going to Hell are the ones who won’t believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
You can be saved. Don’t put it off any longer.

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT HEAVEN?

You must accept that you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). No one is exempt from this indictment. Everyone has sinned. Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." No one is perfect and no one can live up to God's perfect standard. We are sinners by nature. You must accept that as a sinner you owe a penalty. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). Because of our sin we owe a debt. This debt is a spiritual death or separation from God in the lake of fire known as Hell. Hell is not a figment of someone's imagination or only a figurative term. Hell is very real. It is a literal burning place. It's not a place where you go because your friends will be there and you want to have a good time. It is a dark, lonely, seething, burning place, and it never ends. It continues to burn for all time. The worst part is, there is nothing you or I can do on our own to avoid it. Outside of Jesus, it is our final destination. If you are depending on your church membership to get you to Heaven, beware; it's not enough. If you pray a lot hoping to get to Heaven, don't depend on that; it's not enough either. Even if you give a lot of money to a church, it's not enough to gain Heaven. Many people think if they are good enough, they will be able to slip in through the gate when no one is looking or find a hole in the gate somewhere. Please, my friend, don't depend on something so shaky. It can't happen that way. There is only one way to get to Heaven. How?

You must accept that Jesus Christ has already paid our sin debt. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Christ was not a sinner, and the Bible teaches that God took all of our sin and placed it on Christ. While Christ was bearing all our sins in His own body, God punished Him in our place to pay the debt we owe. This is not something God promised to do. It is something He has already done. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). It is a fact: Jesus Christ has already paid your sin debt. You must accept by faith what Jesus Christ did for you. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). In this verse, the world is divided into two groups: those who are believing and those who are not believing on the Son. Those who believe have everlasting life, and those who don't believe shall not see life. The word "believe" means to trust, to depend on, to rely on. To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ means that you accept the fact that you are a sinner, that as a sinner you owe the sin penalty, and that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and arose again on the third day to pay the debt you owe. But it means going one step further: it means that you will completely trust Christ to get you to Heaven, that you will place the matter of your salvation in His hands and depend on Him alone for everlasting life.

Souls are Dying

Souls are Dying

By David J. Stewart

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." —Proverb 11:30

       There's a wonderful poem written by Evangelist John R. Rice, founder of The Sword of the Lord, titled,

                              SOULS ARE DYING...

One lost sheep, the Shepherd sought me, leaving ninety-nine
Safe and shelter'd, but He yearned for this poor soul of mine.
Oh, He found me, then He laid me on His shoulders strong,
Now He grieves o'er all the straying, dying throne.
Souls are dying, millions dying, dying one by one;
Aliens, strangers, blinded, sinning, without Christ the Son.
Sons of Adam, born of woman, born with hearts of sin.
Only Jesus' blood can save them, trusting Him.
Once I had a friend and loved him, hoped to see him saved,
Waiting long, alas I waited till he slipped away.
Death had claimed him, unforgiven, while I vainly sought
A convenient time to win him, Christ had bought.
Souls are dying, brother, do you care?
Souls undone, away from God, my brother, do you care?
Souls are dying, brother, do you care?
Souls are dying.
SOURCE: 742 Heart-Warming Poems by Dr. John R. Rice, poem # 670.

You'd never hear it in the news; but on average, over 200,000 people die every day in this world.  Do the math.  There's an estimated 6 billion people in the world.  If the average person lives to be 70-years old, that means 6 billion people will all die within the next 70-years (on average).  If we divide 6 billion by 70, and then divide that result again by 365 days in a year, we get 234,834 people dying every single day.  Of course, on some days more people die, and on others less.  My point is that 6,000,000,000 people living today will all be dead within 150 years from today.  It's either Heaven or Hellfire.
How tragic that the average Christian today has been choked by the cares and riches of this carnal world... "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection" (Luke 8:14).  Oh, how the tears will flow in Heaven, from the eyes of believers who lived for the pleasures of this temporal life, who selfishly did their own thing, who worked all the overtime they could get; but hardly ever, if ever, told lost souls how to be saved through Jesus Christ. 
Souls are dying, brother, do you care?  Souls are dying, sister, do you care?