The Voice in the Wilderness Missionary to the World

Mark 1:3 "The Voice of one crying in the Wilderness. . . ."


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From Vatican City, Reuters (probably the most reliable news source available) on a July 29, 1999 news dispatch reported the following in essence: “Forget the flames and the devil with a pitchfork.” A week after telling the Roman Catholic faithful that heaven was not up in the clouds, Pope John Paul said yesterday that hell was not a physical place either. Lest sinners think they can get off lightly, the Pope said hell was for real; and rather than being inflicted by God, it is something that sinners bring on themselves.
The Pope described hell instead as “The pain, frustration and emptiness of life without God.” The Pope’s totally erroneous idea is somewhat like Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science Religion. She thought that hell is just our bad attitudes, thoughts, aspirations, etc., while heaven is just a pure state of mind floating around on an ether wave somewhere.
Reuters goes on to say, “The Pope last week said ‘heaven is not a physical place in the clouds but a living and personal relationship of union with the Holy Trinity.’ It is to be remembered that the Pope claims that by apostolic succession from the Apostle Peter on down to this day, he represents God on earth; and when he speaks ex-cathedra (on all religious matters) he speaks as God and is infallible.”
The Case With Billy Graham:
In an interview with a Time magazine reporter, as published by Time, November 15, 1993, page 74, the evangelist said on the subject of hell: “The only thing I could say for sure is that hell means separation from God. We are separated from his light, from his fellowship. That is going to be hell. When it comes to a literal fire, I don’t preach it because I’m not sure about it.” Graham is pictured in the article and the caption underneath says: “At home with the book he staked his life on: A heaven of powerful spirits, a hell that may be fire-free.”
The Church of England Speaks: The July issue of The Sunday Telegraph reported: “The Church of England (Episcopalian) recently produced a document in which hell was effectively abolished because the bishops concluded that a good God could not allow anyone to suffer eternal torment. Instead, people who rejected God face ‘Non-being’.” I have quoted perhaps the three most influential churchmen in the world, but their opinions and skepticism do not correspond even closely to what God’s Word has to say about it. Let us get it directly from the very mouth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
No Hell in the Beginning: When God created this terra firma, on which we walk and breathe, there was no need of a hell to deal with Adam and Eve as they were created sinless. Then, when was hell created and for whom? Maybe in eternity before Adam and Eve, when one of God’s archangels named Lucifer had a throne of his own and an unknown number of angels under his guidance. Personally, I believe his kingdom was on this earth, eternity past before the Garden of Eden and the beginning of creation as we know it. His kingdom was not in heaven. When given a free moral agency, as you and I possess, the power to choose or not to choose whom we will serve, Lucifer said: “... I will, ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isa.14:13,14)
He drew a great company of angels who joined him in his rebellion. His contemplated invasion of heaven was aborted; and his angels were cast down into the atmospheric heavens where he became the “...Prince of the powers of the air.” (Eph.2:2) It must have been then and there that hell was created, for we are told: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt.25:41) As a result of the fall, the devil and his angel-followers became disembodied spirits. The angels’ spirits became demons. Whatever kind of bodies they had in their original state was reserved in chains of darkness to await the judgment. “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” (Jude 1:6)

The Family Relationship; Inheritance:
The Scriptures depict Christians as a family of God and heirs of all he possesses. He speaks of us as “His children” and of Himself as “Our Father”. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear: but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Rom. 8:14-17). All that heaven and its glory afford is ours through inheritance and we will possess it throughout all eternity. On the other hand, those who reject God are heirs of the devil. Jesus told one crowd: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...” (St. John 8:44). Thus, if those who are of their Father God inherit all things with Him, it stands to reason that those whose father and master is the devil are likewise heirs of hell and its torments, and possessors of that which they have chosen. 
Does God Send People to Hell?
Those religious leaders (blind leading the blind) which claim that a just God would never allow a soul to suffer the torments of hell are preaching a dangerous doctrine. No, God sends nobody there! Every man goes on his own ticket and goes as an heir of his or her father the devil. There are only two places to go; and where that is, we alone must choose. Jesus Christ ordained Judas as one of his own. Judas through transgression fell: “That he might take part of the ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell that he might GO TO HIS OWN PLACE.” (Acts 1:25). Every soul that goes to hell goes in final rejection of a loving God who sent His Son to offer salvation to all of Adam’s lost race, and they trample, as it were, the blood of a crucified Lord as they go to their own place. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:9).
Is There Fire in Hell?
The first time Jesus mentioned hell was in Matt. 5:22. He says: “...but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” The word “Hell” here in Greek is Gehenna, the place in the valley of Hinnom where human sacrifices were once offered. (II Chr. 33:6, Jer.7:31) The word occurs in all the following places: Matt. 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23: 15,33; Mk.9:43,45,47 ; Lk.l2:5; Jas.3:6 (Please look these up). In every case, except the last, the word comes from the lips of Jesus Christ, in most solemn warning of the consequences of sin. He describes hell as a place “where their worm (conscience) dieth not and the fire is not quenched.”(Mk 9:44)
Lake of Fire:
The word, “hell”, as outlined in all the above mentioned Scriptures, is not identical in meaning with “Lake of fire.” (Rev. 19:20; 20:10,14, 15). There is a difference in “the lake of fire” and “hell.” All the souls that have died unsaved are in hell tonight. The lake of fire and brimstone has no occupants as yet. When a person is arrested for some cause, (if the charges warrant a sentence) he goes into the city or county jail to await trial. At the trial, his case is heard; and if serious enough, he goes to the state penitentiary where he begins serving out his term. So it is with hell. Those there are in temporary detainment awaiting a trial to determine the extent of their punishment. One day, with a mighty roar, the gates of hell will burst open; and all that are there will go to the Great White Throne Judgment. Here, the Judge of the universe will make a search of the books and issue the degree of punishment that will endure for eternity.
First Occupants of the
Lake of Fire:
The first occupants of the lake of fire and brimstone will be the anti-Christ and the One-World Church Dictator, the false prophet. Then the devil himself will follow them into the place prepared for him and his angels and all the deceived ones of the human race. Let us see what it says about that: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast (symbolic of the anti-Christ) and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Rev.20:10).
A Witness Directly From Hell:
In Luke, chapter 16, we have the case of a rich man who died without Christ: “and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”(v.23). You will note that he testified to being in “torments,” and he was in a physical place as verse 28 points out. In verse 24, he begs for mercy and says he is “tormented” in this “flame”-the torment and flame that the liberals say do not exist. You will note also that he realizes why he is there and the thing that will keep his five brothers from the torments of hell that he is suffering is repentance. He chose not to repent and he knows that unless his brothers repent and get saved, they will suffer his same fate. Oh my brother and my sister, Jesus said “...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”(Luke 13:3).
The Lake of Fire is Forever:
In speaking of the doom of all who worship the beast (anti-Christ) or his image in the last days, those who receive the mark of the beast “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb; And the smoke of their torments ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”(Rev. l4:10, 11). Though the earth will one day be refined by fire, and Jesus will come to reign on His throne and turn the earth into its original eidetic state, still in that one spot (possibly over the lake of fire) the smoke of the torments of the doomed will rise “For ever and ever.” Oh Christian, hear the admonition straight from the lips of Jesus Christ, “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev.2:10) Sinner friends, hear his admonition: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, And I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30). Prepare to meet thy God.
When one reads and studies Scripture, it is so very clear what God says about Hell fire and the eternal lake of Fire. Obviously the Pope, Billy Graham, and The Church of England choose not to believe God’s Word.