To Hell With Hell

To Hell With Hell

A Short Story by Bob Headrick

Chapter 1

Peter Maxwell was recently promoted to Platoon Sergeant of 1^st Platoon, A Company in the 82^nd Airborne and they were going on their last mission before cycling home.

It was hot and humid as it always seemed to be in Vietnam, everyone in the company was tired and excited to be one week away from leaving this hell hole of a country. And, everyone was scared they would get wounded or killed on this last mission, the anger and resentment of having to do one last sweep and clear mission so close to getting out of danger was frustrating everyone from the Captain down.

It took two days to advance to their forward area of operation from their staging area. Two days for advancing through rice paddies and jungles, it seemed that was all there was in this God forsaken country.

That night as the Company established its base camp and set out its pickets; Max, as he was known within 1^st Platoon; set out five two man rifle teams on their perimeter. Just after midnight as he was making a last check of the pickets there was a flash of light and explosions as grenades went off all around the area followed by wild yelling and the report of AK47s. Bullets were whizzing past Max who was half way between two pickets when he hit the ground. He could hear the shouts and sporadic firing of his men’s M16s, as he lay prone he raised the barrel of his weapon and started firing.

In seconds he knew that they would be overrun and he called out to his pickets to fall back. He knew that they had to get back to their first defensive line or they would be caught between the two fighting forces. Max raised up and turned to fallback when he felt the bullet strike him under his left arm, he knew it was a kill shot, as he fell back he raised his rifle and fired a burst at the advancing Vietcong. As he hit the ground a passing Vietcong shot him again hitting him in the right shoulder.

Everything when black but Max could still hear the screaming, slowly he realized that the pain of his wounds while excruciating was not debilitating and the sounds of yelling and agony were not the sounds of combat. It was pitch black, he could not see anything but he was alive, he could move his arms and legs. As he tried to rollover to get up he felt the oppressive weight of the darkness, his chest and shoulder hurt but he was able to use his arm. “Wow!” he thought, “I’m alive, I thought that first shot hit my heart, I can’t believe that I’m alive.” He tried to push up onto his hands and knees but there was no resistance from the ground.

Max realized that something was seriously wrong, he knew he was lying on the ground but he could not actually feel it any longer. When he tried to push himself up his arms just when straight out and his knees came up toward his upper body but there was nothing under them. He felt like he was floating in a heavy black something that he could not describe.

Then it dawned on him that the sounds of anguish that he heard all around were not just from men but from men and women. But, there were no women in the combat zone, unless they were Vietcong. But they were not the sounds of combat, no guns firing or grenade explosions just moaning and wailing, “Yes, wailing?” he thought, “What the hell?” “YES” “Who’s that?” Max called out, the voice that said “YES” was creepy scary like a really bad nightmare. “Who’s there?” he called out, but no one answered. He realized that he was not hearing with his ears, but was hearing inside his head, that made no sense.

Max could still hear the wailing and moaning of others so he called out, “My name is Pete Maxwell, who else is here, Johnston, Rodriguez, anybody?” There was no answer just the continuous droning of wailing and moaning. As fear began to creep into Max’s mind he called out, “What’s happening where am I?”

Chapter 2

“HELL” the creepy voice said, “What!?” Max said. “HELL, YOU ARE IN HELL.” answered the creepy voice. Max was stunned, “Hell?” he thought, “than I really am dead.” “YES YOU REALLY ARE DEAD AND IN HELL.” Max thought, “How, why, what did I do to deserve to be in hell?” “YOU WERE KILLED AND NOW YOU ARE IN HELL.” “Wh.., who are you?” Max asked; “I AM THE ONE WHOSE PUNISHMENT IT IS TO TORMENT YOU UNTIL THE JUDGMENT.”

“How is it your punishment to torment me, I don’t understand?” “MY PUNISHMENT IS TO BE STUCK HERE WITH YOU AND TORMENT YOU AND LISTEN TO YOUR WAILING AND TEETH NASHING AND MOANING UNTIL THE JUDGMENT.” “But, why am I in hell and being tormented? I believe in God.” “HA! YES, SO DO I, IN FACT I KNEW GOD FACE TO FACE.” “So why are you here?” “THE SAME REASON AS YOU.” “Which is?” “I REJECTED GOD’S WILL FOR MY EXISTANCE.” Every time the voice said God Max could hear its anguish. “Wait I never knew God had a will for my existence so how can I be in hell and tormented for what I did not know?”

“DID YOU NOT KNOW THE SON OF GOD?” “You mean Jesus?” “AWWWWWWWWWWW! I CANNOT STAND TO HEAR THAT NAME!” Suddenly Max was withering in painful agony, the screeching sound in his mind was unbearable and it seemed like it would never end. Then just as suddenly the terrible agony ended and Max found himself panting, “Why am I panting?” he thought I’m dead and I don’t breath.

“CORRECT, YOU ARE DEAD AND YOUR BODY IS STILL ON THE EARTH, BUT YOUR SOUL WILL FEEL WHAT THE BODY FELT UNTIL THE JUDGMENT.” “What is this judgment you keep talking about?” “IT IS THE LAST DAYS JUDGMENT OF ALL CREATURES BEFORE THE ONE TRUE AND ALMIGHTY GOD.” Max could hear the torment in the voice as it said “the one true and almighty God”. “What do I do to get out of here?” “THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO GET OUT OF HELL!”

“Wait a minute, I was a good person! I may have drank, smoked and cussed, but I never murdered anyone or robbed or raped or any serious crime.” “EVEN SO THAT IS NOT WHY YOU ARE HERE. YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE SON OF GOD.” Again Max could hear the agony in the voice when it said “son of God.”

“That can’t be all there is? A person lives and when they die they go to hell for not believing in Jesus.” Suddenly Max was overwhelmed again by the intense screeching in his mind when it subsided and he was panting again, he asked, “So if I call on the name of Jesus now He won’t save me?” “!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” screamed the voice and the screeching agony in Max’s mind returned. But in the midst of the agony of the screeching Max heard another voice say, “YES HE WILL.” “!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” screamed the first voice. “NO! YOU CANNOT TAKE HIM HE IS MINE TO TORMENT UNTIL THE JUDGMENT!” “YOUR LORD AND MASTER WILL DO AS HE WILLS, HE HAS PLANS FOR THIS ONE WHO WAS NOT MEANT TO DIE NOW!”

Chapter 3

Max was suddenly pain free and seeming to float in a cloud of white, he still had no tactile feel for any surface around him he just was floating in comfort. The second voice said, “PETER MAXWELL, YOUR CREATOR AND REDEEMER, THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY HAS CALLED YOU FOR THE PURPOSE OF SERVING HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO EXCEPT THIS CALL, YOU CAN RETURN TO HELL AND WAIT FOR THE DAY OF JUDGMENT OR YOU CAN RETURN TO YOUR BODY AND GIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE SERVICE OF JESUS THE ONE WHO REDEEMS FROM DAMNATION THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM AND CONFESS HIM AS SAVIOR BEFORE MEN.”  

Max was stunned silent he did not know what to think or say, he mulled what had just happened to him and the conversations he had with the two voices, it was incomprehensible that God had a plan for his life and was going to give him another chance to live it. “What about my wounds?” he asked; “THEY WILL HEAL OVER TIME.”  “But, I’ll live?” “YES IF YOU SERVE JESUS WITH ALL YOUR LIFE YOU WILL LIVE A LONG LIFE.”  “Ok, what do I do now?” “TRUST!” “Trust?”

Max was in the dark again, but not the pitch black darkness of hell, he was in tremendous pain in his chest and shoulder, he felt cold and he could hear the sounds of people moving around and talking in low voices. He could not understand what was being said so he didn’t know if they were Americans or Vietcong. He lay there thinking, “Ok God, what happens now?”

Max felt someone kneel down at his side he kept as still as he could, then he heard, “Hey its Sergeant Maxwell, he’s alive! Quick get a medic!” Max opened his eyes and saw the face of a Corporal from 2^nd Platoon, Max smiled through his pain as the relief flowed through him, but he couldn’t say a word.

Chapter 4

Three months later Max was at home with his family still recovering from his wounds. He had received a medical retirement with a 50 percent disability but even more miraculous was what the doctor who treated him at the evac hospital said about his chest wound.

The doctor told him that the bullet must have passed through his heart and lodged in his breastbone, but there was no damage to his heart, it was perfect. The doctor had told him that, “Where the bullet entered under your left arm and its track on both sides of your heart showed that it had to pass through your heart, but your heart is perfect, it was a miracle!” Mac had tried to tell the doctor about his death experience but the doctor had just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Whatever you want to believe, but you should be dead and in the grave.”

So after his three weeks of rehab at Fort Sam Houston he was back home and trying to adjust. Telling his wife, Cindy, had been difficult because she was Jewish by birth but did not practice the religion. Now Max wanted to go to a church to find out about Jesus and she was totally against it. She had been raised to believe that Jesus was not the Messiah but a false prophet and that Christians hated Jews for killing Him. So, Max was now learning how to pray by trial and error as he sought how to find out what God’s will for his life was.

He was going to the local VA Clinic for his outpatient physical rehab of his right shoulder twice a week, where he met a WWII veteran who volunteered at the clinic, who was a Christian, Sam Johnson. Sam was a great help for Max, but he still had so many questions, he was reading the Bible daily and some of it made sense but much of it was still a mystery.

Max was on his way, he started going to the church Sam attended, after six months Cindy and their two children started attending too when they realized that Max was really a better man and was serious about serving God. By the end of the year his whole family was saved and they were all growing in faith and hope in the Lord Jesus. Another victory for the One True GOD and His Son Jesus Christ.

Judging

This evening after my son got home from work we were sitting and talking about different stuff when he asked me if I had heard anything about Billy Graham being a sellout. I kind of chuckled and said, “Remember when Billy Graham went to Russia, this was before the fall of communism, many said he had sold out, but he said ‘I am preaching the Gospel and they are hearing it. I’ll go anywhere and preach the Gospel’ Or something like that. There are many who attack other ministries and say they are sell outs or false teachers even today. There are always those who will criticize others. ”

There are two things that came to me out of this discussion.

Anyone whose ministry is to point out the faults of other ministries does not have a ministry from GOD. With David as an example, he did not attack King Saul verbally or physically even though he had just cause and opportunity. He said he would not touch GOD’s anointed. Jesus did tell us that we will know people and ministries by their fruit, that is a personal understanding and not a ministry for public denunciation.

The other is that for the last two years I have been praying in relation to the Church, “Father, expose the liars, the cheaters, the stealers, those who lack integrity, those who lack morality and those who have their own agenda. Convict them and bring them to repentance and those who refuse to repent remove them from Your Church.”

This has to be our mentality when it comes to other Believers and ministries, Jesus taught us that we will be judged as we judge others. It is not our responsibility to publicly discredit others who are serving GOD, it is GOD’s responsibility and He is jealous of it. That is why in the Sermon on the Mount JESUS said that if we call someone a fool we will be subject to the judgment. Why? Because that is a judgment when you study the Proverbs you will see what GOD has to say about fools and our dealings with them. That is why He reserves the right to call a person a fool. Judging is not a gift or ministry from GOD.

Psalm 138:2

Psalm 138:2

“I bow down toward Your Holy Temple and give thanks to Your name for Your Grace and Truth; for You have made Your Word (even) greater than the whole of Your reputation.” CJB emphasis mine.

So what is David saying here, he gives thanks to GOD to His name for His Grace and Truth; why; because GOD is know by His name or names for He displays everything about Himself by His names; Jehovah, Elohim, Adonai, El Shaddai, El ‘Elyon, JESUS Christ, I Am and many more.

But His one name that He has placed above all His names is JESUS, the one name of GOD that every knee will bow to and every tongue will confess that He is LORD over everything and everyone! “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ JESUS, who, being in the form of GOD did not consider it robbery to be equal with GOD, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even to the death of the cross. Therefore GOD has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that JESUS Christ is LORD, to the glory of GOD the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV emphasis mine.

As amazing as that is that is not even my point, my point is that GOD has made His Word greater than His whole reputation! His Word is second only to the name of JESUS, one of the names of JESUS is the Living Word. In the NKJV in verse 2 the word reputation is translated name. If you have a problem with the Bible, the Word of GOD to all humanity than you have a problem with GOD.

If you reject the name of JESUS you condemn yourself to eternal damnation, it is a choice given to humanity, we must choose! Then when we choose to repent of being a sinner and yield our live to JESUS, He expects us to read, study, meditate, learn and live by His Word the Bible that He gave to us by the inspiration of His Spirit (Holy Spirit) through men who were willing to yield their life to Him and serve Him no matter the cost.

Once Saved Always Saved?

Once Saved Always Saved?

I think most Christians understand the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes as the same thing. Maybe more than I think understand that the Sermon on the Mount includes all of Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7; which includes the Beatitudes.

This is important to understand because JESUS ends His teaching in these three chapters with, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the Rock:…But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand:…” Matthew 7:24-29 NKJV, emphasis mine. If you have been a Believer in JESUS for very long you know the results.

To me the important thing is how this relates to Matthew 7:15-21. Most of you who know me know that I believe that in Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus is talking about those who believe they are serving Jesus but are not. This morning as I was meditating on Hebrews 3 & 4 I thought of this passage and when I turned to it verses 15-20 jumped out to me. I do not know how I did not see that continuing thought until today. Here Jesus changes His teaching from how to live the life of a Believer (5:1-7:14) to a warning about those who are false teachers and prophets and the result of believing their lies and falsehoods (7:15-29).

I have heard the arguments for and against “Once saved always saved.” for the whole 45 years I have been a believer. Like most controversial issues both sides sound reasonable and correct, but being wrong will result in devastating consequences. A few years ago as I repented of my backsliding and started to truly seek JESUS as my LORD Matthew 7:21-23 scared me and I started believing that once saved always saved is not a true doctrine of GOD’s eternal Kingdom.

Today as I was meditating on Hebrews 3 & 4 in the Complete Jewish Bible, I was struck by the inference that the Jewish Messianic teacher was making to his Jewish Messianic audience; he is talking about the rest GOD has for His people and how those who were set free from the bondage of Egypt did not enter into that rest even though it was promised to them. They did not enter into the promised rest in the Promised Land because of their lack of trust (lack of faith) in GOD and His servants Moses and Aaron and their lawlessness (disobedience and complaining).

So they spent 40 years in the wilderness dying and going to Sheol (hell), some went to lower Sheol where there was no redemption; they were not saved just because they were GOD’s chosen people (Luke 16:19-31)!

So the writer of Hebrews is teaching all Messianic Believers that to enter into the Rest of GOD we have to not be like those to whom it was promised but did not get it. This is the same admonition that Paul is giving in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

These three passages tell me that salvation can be lost or never had because the person believing believes false teaching that leave them outside of GOD’s Kingdom. When JESUS is teaching His disciples He repeatedly tells them to be ready, to be watchful for they do not know when He will return and if they are not prepared they will be locked out (like 5 of the 10 virgins Matthew 25:1-13) or in sin they will be cast out (like those in Matthew 25:31-46), Actually the whole chapter of Matthew 25 shows that those who believe can be cast out of His Kingdom.

When JESUS was talking to those who did not believe He taught in parables but when He was teaching His disciples He spoke so that they would understand. In Matthew 12 and Luke 10 Jesus is talking to the disciples and He tells them to not fear what men can do to them, even if they kill them; but rather to fear GOD would can destroy both body and soul in hell! Paul says that he knows that when he dies he will be with the LORD and at other times language that implies that he is still striving for salvation. In Philippians Paul tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling; why if it is a free gift from GOD; because it is not a gift to put in the closet and then display when the giver arrives for a visit.

All the Apostles teach us to rejoice in our sufferings and trials for our faith (which JESUS told us we would have) for the perfecting of our faith (trust and salvation).

I am sad to say and GOD is sad in knowing that many who call themselves Christians are not saved. They are not working out their salvation with fear and trembling, they are not laying down their life for JESUS’ life, they are not walking on the straight and narrow path, they are not taking up their cross daily and following Him, they are not knowing Him in the fellowship of His suffering and being conformed to His death by the Power of His resurrection.

In Colossians and other letters Paul warns us to avoid specious arguments, philosophy, empty deceit, human tradition, elemental spirits, self-mortification and angel worship. How do we do that? By reading, studying and meditating on GOD’s Word (the Bible) to Humanity and asking His Spirit (Holy Spirit) to teach us and remind us of everything that JESUS said.

“In other words, you, who at one time were separated from GOD and had a hostile attitude towards Him because of your wicked deeds, He has now reconciled in the Son’s physical body through His death, in order to present you holy and without defect or reproach before Himself – provided, of course, that you continue in your trusting (faith), grounded and steady, and don’t let your selves be moved away from the hope offered in the Good News you heard. This is the Good News that has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven; and I Sha’ul (Paul), have become a servant of it.” Colossians 1:21-23 CJB emphasis mine.

AMEN!

Matthew 6:24

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve GOD and mammon.” Matthew 6:24 KJV

Oswald Chambers says, “In a conflict of loyalty, obey Jesus Christ at all costs.” My Utmost For His Highest.

Most Believers understand that mammon is money, riches, worldly possessions, etc. but the principle goes beyond finances. This truth is applied to every area of our life; our marriage and family, our job, what we want (desire), what we need, what we are addicted to, our favorite possession, our sexuality, eating, pleasure, rest, etc. Like the unsaved we believers put many things before our relationship with GOD.

Putting GOD before the things that make up our life does not mean that we have to give them up; some we should like those that feed vanity, pride, anger, hatred, lust, sin, etc. The pattern is LSD, Lust leads to Sin which leads to Death, James 1:15.

Jesus told us, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD and His Righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 KJV see the pattern here?

What is the Kingdom of GOD? It is righteousness, peace and joy in GOD’s Spirit; it is eternal life which is knowing the One True GOD and Jesus Christ whom He sent; it is having the same mind that was in Christ; it is peace that passes understanding; it is standing fast in the liberty with which Christ has made us free; it is resisting the devil; it is not having a spirit of fear but having power, love and a sound mind; it is being conformed to the image of Christ through the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death by the power of His resurrection. As Oswald Chambers said, “…obey Jesus Christ at all costs.”

If we cannot lay down our life and take up our cross which is death to self and life in Christ, then we are not serving GOD and if we are not serving GOD, who are we serving? Jesus told us several times to take up our cross and to lay down our life for His; which is loving one another as He loves us, obeying the Father even to death, telling people the gospel truth about the Kingdom of GOD, ministering healing to the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, standing against the progress of the gates of hell, loving our enemies, laying down our life for other believers, etc.

Study and meditate in the Proverbs they are full of what to do and what not to do; like Proverbs 10:1-6, 11:1, 12:1-3, 13:1-4, 14:1-3, 15:1-2, 16:3, 17:3-4, 18:1-2, 19:1-2, 20:1.

Who GOD Is!

Who GOD Is!

We do not understand the Love of GOD because we do not understand GOD. We do not know the height, the breadth, the depth of GOD’s Love because we do not understand the height, the breadth and the depth of GOD. We cannot comprehend the fullness of what GOD is therefore we cannot understand the fullness of who GOD is.

We think of GOD as the Father, The Son and the Spirit (Holy Spirit) and He is; yet He is the One True GOD. We think of ourself as body, soul and spirit and we are; yet everywhere we go we are all there; no part of us is one place and another someplace else unless we are dead; then our body stays where it is we are no longer joined to it.

Wherever GOD is the Father, Son and Spirit are always there! GOD is everywhere and all things are in Him, made by Him and made for Him. We think of GOD as Father GOD sitting on His Throne in Heaven and Jesus Christ His Son as Sitting on His Throne at the right side of the Father; we think of GOD’s Spirit as living in us (every believer) and they all are. So how can the Father and the Son be in one place and yet the Spirit is in every believer? The Bible tells us that when Jesus was on the earth as a man (the Son of GOD, Son of Man) that He was the fullness of the GODhead (Father, Son and Spirit)!

Jesus Christ the Son of GOD, the Son of Man was the fullness of the GODhead while He was alive in the flesh on the earth! So where were the Father and the Spirit? They were with Jesus as one human being AND all three of them were everywhere in creation at the same time.

We are made in the image of GOD but we are not like GOD. Being an image of GOD we should reflect who and what GOD is; He is Love, He is Truth, He is Righteousness, He is Holy and He is triune! BUT we can only do that as one being in the one place where we are!

We have to stop thinking of GOD like we think of ourselves as He Himself said, “You think I Am like you but I Am not. My ways are not your ways, My thoughts are not your thoughts!” Also throughout the Bible we are told “to be holy as He is Holy”, we are His children and the servants of His eternal Kingdom; starting in the natural realm and moving to the spiritual realm. After the Cross, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus we are told to be conformed to the Image of Christ; that does not mean that we become Him but we become like Him a reflection of who and what He is. How do we do this? By the power of His resurrection through the fellowship of His suffering being conformed to His death. Wow!

When we become a believer life stops being about who we are and what we want (the flesh or natural life); it becomes about who GOD created us to be (born again equals new creation) and what He wants us to do, when, where and how!

We have to start thinking and speaking about GOD in the Grandness of Who and What He is and stop limiting our thinking and speaking of Him by our self-mindedness. GOD is greater than anything we can imagine or even dream of so we must honor Him by not limiting what He can do and what He does. He creates everything from nothing and it holds together and works perfectly because He wills it. That is why Jesus told us to, “Seek His Righteousness and His Kingdom first,” and to pray asking for GOD’s “Will to be done in the earth as it is in Heaven.”

This means GOD is not at our beck and call and our timeframe is not His timeframe. GOD created time for humanity and humanity for His own will and purpose. In eternity time as we know it will not exist, GOD’s plan was from before the beginning of time the Bible says that “Christ was crucified before the foundations of the earth were laid.”

As long as we think self-mindedly we will not be able to think of GOD and experience GOD as He is and wants us to.

Read, study and meditate on His Word to the world (the Bible); listen to His Spirit as He does what Jesus said He would do, teach us and remind us of everything Jesus said and did. GOD wants you to know Him and have eternal life. Jesus, in the fullness of the GODhead said that, “Eternal life is to know the One True GOD and Jesus Christ whom He sent.”

We can only do this by seeking Him first and above everything else! GOD does want His best for us, not the world’s best, not what we think is best but His Best. We can only get it by going through the process that He has determined that we must go through, not the process that someone else has gone through but what He knows that we need to process through.

Stop being a self-made Christian and surrender your will to the Father and His Love, Light and Life in and through you will be the result of the process. We must say and obey, “Father, not my will but Yours be done in me.” Amen!

Time to Repent!

Time to repent:

Stop stealing, lying, cheating and all dishonest activity.

Stop getting high even if it is legal!

Start praying for GOD’s will not what you want; start reading your Bible everyday and thinking about what it is saying to you.

Start going to a local Church where the Bible is the focus of teaching and join in the activities there; Sunday School, men’s and women’s group, home group, accountability (discipleship) group.

The point: It’s time to stop thinking that something you did a long time ago is going to save you!

If you are not living in GOD’s Spirit and walking in GOD’s Word then you are not walking in GOD’s salvation.

Study John to understand GOD and salvation; study Matthew to understand how to live your life and salvation; study Revelation to understand the times we live in and salvation; study all of the Old Testament and all of the New Testament to know GOD and His eternal plan for His creation and salvation.

The time of preparation in the wilderness is almost over and the time of warfare is almost upon us! Yes they were attacked in the wilderness and had warfare but mostly they just complained about how much they missed their old life and tried to hold on to it as much as possible.

We are called to resist the devil standing fast in the liberty in which Christ had made us free so that the gates of hell do not prevail against GOD’s Church. This requires us to be conformed to the image of Christ through the fellowship of His suffering having His mind set of obedience to the Father even to the death, by the power of His resurrection.

We will be called to stand in the face of overwhelming odds to deny Jesus Christ and to take the mark of GOD’s enemy. Thus rejecting our salvation for eternity (this is the real warfare of GOD’s Kingdom).

The timing is the Father’s the obedience is ours:

We can be like the Israelites that were led out of bondage in Egypt (salvation experience) and wandered in the wilderness never entering into the promised land because of their desire for comfort and not wanting to personally relate to GOD but letting Moses and Aaron do that for them (not bothering to know the Word of GOD and just letting others tell us what to believe). This resulted in their dying in the wilderness and not entering the Promised Land.

There is a difference between their promised land and ours; they had to attack and capture theirs and we have to stand fast to hold ours!

You do not have the right to do what you want! GOD created you, formed you in your mother’s womb gifting and calling you for His Kingdom, He pursued you to salvation and filled you with His Holy Spirit. He gave you the choice of salvation or damnation. We were born into sin and eternal damnation and He, before He created the earth, planned our salvation but He does not make anyone accept it; His incentives are both pleasant and painful but they lead away from eternal damnation and to eternal life.