Rescue ME!

Your Eternal Destination

Luke 16:19-26

All of us are eternal beings because we were made in God's image (Gen. 1:26). After physical death, our spirits will live forever. Where we reside--heaven or hell--will depend on whether we have accepted or rejected Jesus Christ as the Savior.

Scripture teaches that all have sinned and owe a penalty (Rom. 3:23; 6:23)
Have you ever lied, white lies, tall tales, half truths, etc..... stolen something, paper clips from work, pens, stolen someones answer on a test.... looked with lust, Jesus said it is the same as adultery of the heart.... and it doesnt matter how long ago it happened, justice must be served. Because God is Good he must be just and care about injustice.

There isn't anything we can do to earn God's forgiveness. Knowing this, our heavenly Father sent His Son Jesus to take our sins upon Himself and experience punishment in our place. (have you ever seen the Passion fo the Christ... he did that for us)

In that way, we become part of God's family and look forward to spending eternity with Him in heaven. His only requirement for this amazing blessing is that we acknowledge we're sinners who are in need of a Savior and believe that Jesus died to save us (Rom. 10:9-10). Those who reject Christ will spend life after death in hell. But those who believe will live with Him forever.

Every person will ultimately dwell in heaven or hell, both of which are real places described in the Bible. In heaven, we'll never again know pain, sorrow, or tears (Rev. 21:4). But Hell is the opposite. A place of punishment, it will be the scene of everlasting agony and torment. Today's passage illustrates this hard fact.

Eternal punishment and the reality of hell are never easy topics to consider, but they are vitally important because they will really happen. Don't let your emotions turn you away from the truths recorded in Scripture. Instead, take heed of the warnings, and be certain you are heaven-bound.

What must you do? Repent... which means to turn from sin (look at 10 commandments, and see where you have broken them). Put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ... It is like putting on a parachute... does no good to just believe in it, you must put it on....
Still unsure? look to the right hand column and take the good person test.

Saturday 10/18/08

Atlanta, GA
Just returned from trip to Atlanta, GA.
A conference called Deeper (link on the side)
it lived up to everything it said it would... it took you deeper in your walk... and understanding.
Was then asked to help lead a group of 500 evangelists hit the streets open-air preaching, one2one witnessing and passing out tracts...
I was lucky enough the help with a group hitting the subway. Will give an update later but a quick summary:
Kim passed out tracts again.
about 10 to 20 in the group witnessed for first time.
Spoke with:
A man (Chris) he didn't believe in hell, and everyone goes to heaven.
Gregory, claimed to be good and was going to heaven because he was good, even after admitting to be a liar, thief, adulterer, and blasphemer.
Jean who just came back from burying her mother

There were other conversations, but will elaborate on these later.
Details from the above to come.
Paul Washer (an itinerant minister) brought the house down... He Pointed out the problems with 'Christianity' today and did not hold back... and brought many to tears as he humbly walked off the stage afterward. [to see someone speak so thoroughly about God and the Bible and Jesus, with such fire in his voice, and then walk off the stage with a humble demeanor].



Ken Ham spoke on Genesis and gave scientific history and evidence...

will update later... tired from staying out late witnessing

People never crumble in a day

People never crumble in a day…
The point at which an occurrence as happened to someone and appears to be so devastating, it is… But if we are honest with ourselves we can see a course that lead us to the point at which we are now reaping…
The Bible speaks of this…

Galatians 6:7-9 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap. (8) For he sowing to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh. But he sowing to the Spirit will reap life everlasting from the Spirit. (9) But we should not lose heart in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not faint.

For I stood proud of my decisions, having exalted myself over others in the deeds I have done… For my life was one of achievements, having achieved many things I thought myself great, and boasted of a thing and held it high for all to see. But my kingdom was set upon sand and was giving way around me and was set to engulf me. So it came to pass one fate filled night standing in shame of what I had wrought myself, and all I had gathered was scattered, I cried out, and a hand reached down and pulled me out from where I stood, in the muck and the mire.
Where are you standing? Is it shifting sand…

Check out this video from Casting Crowns (slow fade)

God's Encouragement in Tough Times
Judges 7:8-26

Let's look at the following: God has shrunk Gideon's army down from 32,000 men to just 300, immediately before an important battle. Let's see what happened next.

Gideon was undoubtedly feeling anxious. He was about to attack an enemy camp of more than 130,000 trained soldiers, and he was going to do it with just a handful of men. In this terrifying moment, God gave Gideon what he needed most: encouragement.

Judges 7:8-25 And the people took provisions in their hand, and their ram's horns. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, each man to his tent, and kept those three hundred men. And the army of Midian was below him in the valley. And it happened on that night, Jehovah said to him, Arise, go down to the army, for I have delivered it into your hand. But if you fear to go down, go with Phurah your servant down to the army. And you shall hear what they shall say. And afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down to the army. Then he went down with Phurah his servant to the edge of the ranks in the army. And the Midianites and the Amalekites, and all the sons of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude, and their camels without number, like the sand by the seaside for multitude. And when Gideon had come, behold, a man told a dream to his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came to a tent, and struck it so that it fell, and overturned it, so that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else except the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. For into his hand God has delivered Midian and all the army. And it happened, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the meaning of it, he worshiped. And he returned to the army of Israel, and said, Arise! For Jehovah has delivered the host of Midian into your hand. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies. And he put a ram's horn in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise. And, behold, when I come to the edge of the camp, it shall be, as I do, so you shall do. When I blow with a ram's horn, I and all who are with me, then you blow the ram's horns also on every side of all the camp, and shout, For Jehovah and for Gideon! So Gideon and the hundred men with him came to the edge of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch. And they had but newly set the watch. And they blew the ram's horns and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the ram's horns and broke the pitchers and held the torches in their left hands and the ram's horns in their right hands to blow. And they cried, A sword for Jehovah and for Gideon! And they stood, each man in his place, all around the camp. And all the army ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the ram's horns. And Jehovah set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the army. And the army fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, to the border of Abel-meholah, to Tabbath. And the men of Israel were called out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and ran after the Midianites. And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take the waters to Beth-barah and Jordan before them. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves. And they captured the waters to Beth-barah and Jordan. Then they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb. And they killed Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

God woke Gideon at night and strategically positioned him to overhear an enemy soldier recounting a frightful dream--a vision of Israelite victory! This unlikely circumstance assured Gideon that the Lord was at work in his daunting situation. God graciously used that incident to demonstrate His sensitivity to one man's faintheartedness. And He still does so today.

Consider the power of a friend's encouraging words. Think about how meaningful it is when an unexpected blessing seems to fall from heaven right at your darkest moment. These are not "happy accidents"; rather, they are precious confidence builders from God.

Our challenge is simply to remember times in the past when our loving heavenly Father has encouraged us. Standing on the evidence of His faithfulness, we can boldly face the future, knowing that we're not alone.

As inhabitants of a fallen world, we will at times face heartache, intimidation, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But as children of God, saved and secure in Christ Jesus, we are never beyond reach of the Lord's encouragement.