| You Were Asked To Pray For: All of Our Military, Their Family’s & All the Civilian Workers in The Middle East, Zee Mink Fuller and Family, Her son’s Bryan Armstrong and Hunter Hackie, Daughter Shannon, and Brother Philip & Sondra Thornsberry, Virgil & Alice Hoskins, Grandchildren, and his daughters Liz Janis and Debbie Gray, Alecia Clements, Bryndon Thomas, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Helen Maggard, Renee Jackson, Larry Mollette, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kirby Mollette, Kerry Pennington, Kim Butler, Danny & Nita Mollette, Verna Mae Allen, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd, Kevin Henderson, Jim Stagner, Bro. & Mrs. Hammond, Don Hammond, Charles Hammond, Archie & Barbara Griffin & son Daniel, Bro. & Sister Bob Keller, Wanda Fowler, Kathy Rosinbaum, Brenda Galusha and Jewel, Mary Ramsey, Donna Johnson, Fay Johnson, Luann Reynolds, Bro. & Sis. Curtis Pugh, Timothy and Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jim & Linda Meier, Brother David & Sister Anne Shortt, Brother Manuel Seymour & Family, Doris Hammock, Letha Langford, Brother & Sister Kelley Hinson and Kelley Lee, Billy and Jo Hobbs, Jerry Hughes, Sister Nita Bookout and her Niece, Pastor G. L. Burr, Alicia Lightsey, Melody Carr, Betty, Janie Capps, Scott and Gina Syllivan, Katie Norton, An unnamed child, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.
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| A Thought From Pastor Johnson: The Greatness Of God’s Power
Ephesians 1:19 “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,” The first chapter of Ephesians is a sovereign grace believer’s dream chapter because it is so detailed about God’s plan of salvation. Not to the Jewish nation but rather to the entire elect of God. That is to all of them who will ever be saved regardless of nationality, race, or gender. The religious world (as I call them) would like for salvation to be by mans choice and power but they simply could not be more sadly mistaken. God has promised that man would rather serve evil than good, not because we fail to choose good but rather because we cannot choose good in this flesh. Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing…” no good at all, in the third chapter of Romans Paul describes the fleshly nature of man and declares that if man could make a choice it would not be to follow God. Romans 3:11 “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” Therefore without a doubt man cannot choose his own salvation, and if it was up to man to choose he would choose evil rather than God.
Paul says here in our text “…what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward…” To show us-ward according to verse 18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened…” To show us-ward His great power by changing our will to follow Him instead of following Satan. It is Satan that has our eye and mind blinded that we in this flesh on our own will never choose Christ as our Saviour. How is it that some believes in our choice for Christ when salvation comes from the heart (or the spirit) rather than the mind, how can one ever control a dead spirit and force it to believe. But what Paul said is it is God who is showing us His great power by first quickening our dead spirit and then changing our will to trust Christ as our Saviour. It is not just power, lifting a 100 pounds would take a lot of power from us, but making a dead spirit alive and then causing one to change his will to cry our for salvation takes exceeding great power, like creating a man from the dust of the ground or like creating a world out of nothing. But as some would have you to believe that man can do this on his own, that is as silly as believing the bible tells us to choose Christ, it doesn’t exist. Not one single time does God tell the lost to choose Christ for salvation, not one single time does the scripture tell man to pray a prayer to be saved, and if this was true how could God show us His “…exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward…” in salvation.
“…to us-ward who believe… that is to them that have experienced His exceeding great power and are saved. This excludes those who are not saved, how can they see something that they have refused. They refuse because they do not have the power within themselves to believe. This is why it takes the power of God and once that power has come then they have seen how God saves sinners. If you have not experienced this exceeding great power then you are not saved, regardless of how you may believe that you are saved. If you simply made a choice for Christ or if you simply prayed a prayer than regardless of what some preacher or pastor may have told you, you are not saved from eternal damnation. When one is truly saved that means that they “…were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,” Hebrews 6:4 and when that happens then you know something wonderful has just happened and that is called the work of God and His exceeding great power. Have you had that experience? |
| The Infernal Dungeon Of Hell: "Depart from Me, you who are cursed—into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!" Matthew 25:41 Those in the infernal dungeon of hell, will undergo a variety of torments. Those who are most afflicted
upon earth, have seldom any more than one malady at a time. But should they have the plague, the gout,
the stone, and fever all at one time—how miserable would they think themselves! Yet all that is but like the biting of a flea—compared to those intolerable, pungent pains which those in hell endure! There they have all the loathed variety of hell to grapple with—the unquenchable fire to burn them;
a lake of burning brimstone ever choking them;
eternal chains to bind them;
utter darkness to affright them, and
a worm of conscience which gnaws upon them eternally. Any one of these is worse to bear, than all the torments which mankind ever felt on earth.
But the torments in hell are also universal, afflicting each part of the body and soul—which renders what
they suffer, most insufferable. In those illnesses which men are seized with on earth, though some parts are
afflicted, other parts are free. But in hell, each member of the soul and body is continually tormented. The eye is tormented with the sight of the devils, who appear in all the horrid and black shapes which sin can give them! The ear is tormented with the loud yellings and continual outcries of the damned. The nostrils are smothered with sulphurous flames; the tongue is covered with burning blisters; and the whole body is rolled in flames of liquid fire! The imagination is tormented with the thoughts of what a heaven has been lost; the memory is tormented with reflecting on those opportunities they had of being saved. The mind is tormented with considering how vainly precious time has been wasted. The understanding is tormented with the thoughts of of present pains, andfuture sorrows—which are to last for ever! The conscience is tormented with a continual gnawing worm.
Another thing which makes the misery of hell so dreadful, is the extremity of the torments. The fire which burns is so violent that all the water in the sea can never quench it! The pains suffered are so extreme, that it is impossible they should be known by any, but those who feel them.
Another part of hell's misery is the ceaselessness of the torments. As various, as universal, and as extremely violent as they are—they are continual, also. Nor have they the least rest from them. If there were any relaxation—it might be some allay. But what makes this condition so deplorable—is that there is no easing of the torments! "They will goaway into eternal punishment!" Matthew 25:46
The company they have there, is another element of their misery. Tormenting devils and tormented souls areall the company. Dreadful shrieks and howlings, under the fierceness of pain, and fearful blasphemies, is all the conversation.
The place in which they suffer is another thing whichincreases the sufferings. Hell is the epitome of all misery—
a prison,
a dungeon,
a bottomless pit,
a lake of fire and brimstone,
a furnace of fire which burns to eternity,
the blackness of darkness forever!
The cruelty of our tormentors is another thing which adds to the torments. The tormentors are devils, in whom there is no pity. Being tormented themselves, they take pleasure in tormenting others.
But that which makes these sufferings most grievous—is that they shall always be so—these most intolerable sufferings shall last to all eternity. 'Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire!" will perpetually sound in the ears of the damned! The miserable situation they are in, shall be forever!
By: John Bunyan |
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