Hell is a real place

Why would some go so far as to say, or even think, that Hell is not a real place? The Bible plainly speaks of a place called Hell in 54 different verses. God didn't even spare some of His angels from Hell:

2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

So, with that in mind, why would God just "spare" anyone else who sinned? It's clearly written in Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ALL means ALL! That's all of US!

Praise God for His most awesome gift: Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Just remember, for a gift to be given, it must be received to be a complete gift. Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Just ask, and HE will be faithful.

Sept 11th (NY) Jan 11th (Haiti) and March 11th (Japan) .... Luke 21: 10-11 "Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven." 

Jesus says for "behold I come quickly." So, ask yourself "Am I ready?"

Sorry about the recent absence...

Thanks to those who have been praying for my grandmother. For those who may not know, my uncle found her on 3/11 in the floor incoherent from being off her oxygen for some time, four hours max since he'd left. She was in the hospital for a week, on a ventilator for four days. She came off that and did well and a couple days later was released to a rehab center near home, that was last Friday.

Lindsey and I traveled to see her on Monday. On Tuesday the physical therapist discussed concerns about Grandma's acute pain in one leg during her therapy. We were able to visit with her quite a bit on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, before we returned home Wednesday afternoon. Grandma was x-rayed on Thursday and they discovered that she has a fracture in her pelvic bone. Thankfully it won't require surgery. She'll continue on at rehab, just at a reduced pace. She's maintained her sense of humor, keeping everyone in stitches at the rehab center. Thanks again for the prayers for her and our family.

Update: So far no real news. However, they decided to send Grandma to the hospital for more x-rays and to see the doctor who did her hip surgery. They were there from after lunch some time to after 8:30 tonight. Don't know any more than I did before that. Just hope they saw the doctor. 

Proverb of the Day

(OK, it was yesterday's proverb, but it still works!) 

"The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly." Proverbs 18:8

♪♪Oh, be careful, little mouth, what you say...♪♪

...A Proverb a Day Keeps the Devil at Bay!

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html

This link is to satellite images before and after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. (You'll probably need to cut and paste. It's a New York Times Site Link.

Wow! This puts things into perspective about how massive this was. It's looking like it won't be long now.

Jesus is coming soon...morning or night or noon...

It saddens me that the people I thought were once walking with the Lord now seem so far away from Him. Jesus is coming soon. Just turn on your TV and open your Bible - the KING JAMES BIBLE, not one that has removed the truth and the blood. (Hebrews 9:22b  without shedding of blood is no remission.) God has laid it all out for us to see.

You don't have to turn to Revelations to see current headlines. Three of the Gospels talk about things that are going on right NOW.

Matthew 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Mark 13:8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. 

Luke 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Remember Egypt? God told about that way before it happened as well...

Isaiah 19:2 And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

There's more to come. Read your Bible and you won't be surprised! But, you'd better be ready because there will be no second chances once He returns for His bride. Are you ready?

Thy word have I hid in mine heart

Proverbs 4:20-21 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

We would do good to remember to stay in God's Word daily. It can be so easy to let life get in the way of doing that. When we don't stay in the Word, we starve our soul of food from the Father. (Not many of us miss a trip by the kitchen for a meal during the course of a day!) None of us are an exception, myself included. And, it's like missing church - once you miss, the next time is easier to miss and so on, until you wind up farther away from God than you'd thought you'd be. As you get farther away from God, the way back becomes more difficult, though not impossible.

We should also try to memorize scripture. When we have a situation that comes into our lives, the Lord will give us a verse or verses for the situation to help us through it. If we haven't been in His Word to have read those verses, how can He bring them to our mind?

 Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The difference between ambition and vision is, ambition is centered around yourself, while a God given vision is centered around helping other people and building the kingdom of God!

Discouragement is Hell's greatest weapon. So if you're discouraged, be encouraged that you must be doing something right, and that hell had to use its greatest weapon against you!

There was a time in America when our Hands were Dirty and Calloused but our Hearts were Clean and Soft, our Houses were Small but our Families were Big, our Backs were Sore but our Mind was at Peace, Men were Proud to be Providers and Women were Proud to be Mothers...we have lost some things in this Modern Age.  

- Repost from Facebook Friend

If you have no burden for your neighbor, how will you have one for the world?

Come Spring

One this February day the cold wind blows
Blackbirds sitting on the telephone wires row after row.
It will be like this for a few more days
But in March the bright sun will sharpen her rays.

Just yesterday I saw the first robin
Hoppin' along with his head a bobbin'
Spring is coming he seemed to say
Old man winter will pack up and move away.

How much like life I stopped to consider
That God teaches us lessons from His little critters
We too are passing from winter to spring
Life is fleeting, like a bird on the wing
Soon we will embrace the eternal spring
Isn't the love of God a beautiful thing?

"Gathered Fragments" - Willard Thomas

How much blood is on your hands?

The Bible clearly tells us to spread the Gospel. Matthew 28:19 says Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Many of of know that verse and it comes to mind as soon as we think of missions. I've been in churches that have a sign over the main door stating "You are now entering into the mission field" as you leave. But, do you really know the consequences of NOT telling others?

Ezekiel 3:18 -19 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

God is talking to Ezekiel about the children of Israel. HE knows they are stubborn and hard headed and hard hearted, but He tells Ezekiel to witness to them anyway. (Does that sound familiar?) This passage tells us that if we do not tell others the truth that we have, and that person dies and goes to hell, their blood is on our hands. What a heavy burden! We are commanded to tell others, and this is the punishment of not being obedient.

Happy Valentine's Day

1 John 4:7-13 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

And, my favorite:

John 3:16 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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Foreknowledge of God

The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.  And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.  And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.  And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up. (Isaiah 19:1-5)

This isn't taken from today's headlines, but it could be. Isn't it amazing that so long ago, God fortold of the events of today?

He even knows what we're going to do before we do - he also knows what we intend to do! So keep that in mind when you plan your day! When you say you're going to do something you never do. Even things as simple as reading your Bible, that you don't get around to doing. God knows your INTENTIONS too. But, even though we intend to do something doesn't mean we will ever get around to doing it.

You know, there are other things God has foretold in the Bible. Jesus is coming soon! Watch for the signs, you can find those in the Bible too, they're everywhere!