They Shall Never……

This post was prompted by an email from a 22 year young man in Ireland who is not sure he is saved for all eternity. I have modified it somewhat for this posting.

Question:

What if a “big bucks” benefactor came to you and made this offer to your family:

“I give to them $100 and they shall never have to worry or work again.”

“I give to them a Kiddie Car and they shall never worry about transportation again.”

“I give them a bowl of rice and they shall never hunger again.”

Obviously your benefactor would be giving a gift but lying about the results. None of his gifts could satisfy the NEVER part of his promise.

Yet, what if the Savior of all mankind were to say to you, “I give to you the gift of Eternal Life and you shall never perish (be eternally separated from Him).”

He cannot lie. Titus 1:2 “In hope [anticipation] of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

Would you believe Him? Would you rest on His promise, trust Him alone and have the peace that passes all understanding?

Jesus Christ Himself said just that, speaking in John 10:28:

“And I give [His Gift] unto them [those who believe in or trust in Him] eternal life; and they shall NEVER perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Let us examine that word NEVER.

God’s Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write the word NEVER in that verse. The full meaning of the word NEVER will amaze you.

The one word NEVER is made up of five Greek words, the phrase “OU ME,” and three individual words EIS, HO and AION.

The two word phrase “Ou Me” means — not at all, by any or no means, never, in no case, no wise, not ever, not at all.

The word “Eis” means, for any place, time, or purpose.

The word “Ho” means – male, female or neuter.

The word “Aion” means – in perpetuity, past, present or future, any age, eternal, forevermore and the World without end.

Let’s repeat that verse emphasizing the full meaning of the word NEVER.

John 10:28, Jesus says: “And I give [His Gift] unto them [who believe in or trust in Him] eternal life; and they shall [not at all, by no means, never, in no case, no wise, not ever, not at all, any place, time, or purpose, male, female or neuter, in perpetuity, past, present or future, any age, eternal, forevermore and the World without end], NEVER perish

WOW! NEVER!!! Put all those Greek/English words together and you can see, when the Lord speaks emphatically and uses the word NEVER, He literally means NEVER, regardless of personal, inside or outside circumstances. You can’t even remove yourself! A believer in Jesus Christ will “NEVER perish.” What Amazing Grace! What eternal assurance we have in Jesus Christ.

Trust Jesus to be your Savior and you will NEVER perish. That is a real reason to rejoice and have joy in your Savior Jesus Christ because of your eternal salvation through Him!!

1 John 1:4 “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”

How to know for sure you are Heaven Bound

War Against Christians

As I have warned in past posts, our blessed country, America, is “circling the drain.” Our secular Mainstream Media, Hollywood, our liberal churches and our recently elected officials are bound and determined to eliminate Fundamental Christianity from the face of America and quietly allow a substitute for it, which is militant Islamofascism.Here is an article in World Net Daily, written by a brave and wise Orthodox Rabbi, Daniel Lapin, who is crying in the wilderness for Christians to wake up. He warns, “You are under attack.” “Without a vibrant and vital Christianity, America is doomed, and without America, the West is doomed.”

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[….]

[A] serious war is being waged against a group of Americans. I am certain that if we lose this war, the consequences for American civilization will be dire.

There is no better term than propaganda blitzkrieg to describe what has been unleashed against Christian conservatives recently.

Consider the long list of anti-Christian books that have been published in recent months. Here are just a few samples of more than 30 similar titles, all from mainstream publishers:

“American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America”

“The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right’s Plans for the Rest of Us”

“The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason”

“Piety & Politics: The Right-wing Assault on Religious Freedom”

“Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person’s Answer to Christian Fundamentalism”

“Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts the Faith and Threatens America”

“Religion Gone Bad: The Hidden Dangers of the Christian Right”

What is truly alarming is that there are more of these books for sale at your local large book store warning against the perils of fervent Christianity than those warning against the perils of fervent Islam. Does anyone seriously think America is more seriously jeopardized by Christian conservatives than by Islamic zealots? I fear that many Americans believe just that in the same way that many pre-World War II Westerners considered Churchill a bigger threat than Hitler.

Some may say that today’s proliferation of anti-Christian print propaganda is nothing to become worried about. To them I ask two questions:

First, would you be so sanguine if the target of this loathsome library were Jewish? Just try changing the titles in some of the books I mention above to reflect anti-Semitism instead of rampant anti-Christianism and you’ll see what I mean.

[….]

…. I would advise you not to underestimate the power of books to alter the behavior of the American public, and I fear for an America influenced to detest Christianity by this hate-filled catalog.

It is not just books but popular entertainment also that beams the most lurid anti-Christian propaganda into the hearts and minds of viewers. ….. The brilliant Jewish moviemaker Sacha Baron Cohen, [Borat]…..has revealed nothing other than the latent anti-Christianism of America’s social, economic and academic secular elites.

Even the recent PBS documentary, “Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence,” managed to do more attacking Christianity than defending Judaism.

Richard Dawkins, an Oxford University professor, is one of the generals in the anti-Christian army of the secular left. ….he asks, “It’s one thing to say people should be free to believe whatever they like, but should they be free to impose their beliefs on their children?” He suggests that the state should intervene to protect children from their parents’ religious beliefs. Needless to say, he means Christian beliefs, of course.

[….]

The war is against those who regard the Bible to be God’s revelation to humanity and the Ten Commandments to be His set of rules for all time. Phase one in this war is to make Christianity, well, sort of socially unacceptable.

[….]

Tyranny comes when citizens are seduced into trading freedom for the promise of safety and security.

Considerably more intellectual energy is being pumped into the propaganda campaign against Christianity than was ever delivered to the anti-smoking or anti-drunk-driving campaigns.

[…]

If they succeed, Christianity will be driven underground, and its benign influence on the character of America will be lost. In its place we shall see a sinister secularism that menaces Bible believers of all faiths. Once the voice of the Bible has been silenced, the war on Western Civilization can begin and we shall see a long night of barbarism descend on the West.

Without a vibrant and vital Christianity, America is doomed, and without America, the West is doomed.

Which is why I, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, devoted to Jewish survival, the Torah and Israel am so terrified of American Christianity caving in.

Many of us Jews are ready to stand with you. But you must lead. You must replace your timidity with nerve and your diffidence with daring and determination. You are under attack. Now is the time to resist it.

 

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How do we Christians resist it? True Bible Believing Christians must begin to learn the importance of sharing their faith effectively and continually. Our fight is not a secular warfare but a spiritual battle, using God’s Word.

If you are interested in sharing your faith in Christ but are not sure how, or if you are not sure of Heaven, please contact me and I will do my best (by God’s Grace and His Word) to help you.

Our Gospel Web Site

Secure Forever! Must Read.

You may have noticed that I never sell anything on this blog. There are no “click” ads and no requests that you send a “tip” to ExPreacherMan.

However, you will also notice I have made one exception to this rule. I am still not selling, but recommending and introducing an excellent new book, Secure Forever! God’s Promise or Our Perseverance?, by Dr. Tom Cucuzza. In the 1970’s, Tom served our church as my Assistant Pastor and Youth Ranch Director.

This easy-to-read book is a must for everyone, especially those who have not yet trusted Christ as Savior, new believers, mature believers and theologians.

The most notable feature, which is missing from most “Christian” books, is an immediate and clear explanation of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ — presented right away in the Introduction, rather than hidden somewhere within the text or at the end. Tom is “not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ” and he shows it clearly and concisely throughout the pages of this book. It is full of Bible verses, quotes, references and endnotes.

The real value of this book is Tom’s explanation, in simple language, how and why “religions” have distorted and perverted the clear meaning of God’s Word.

The very first paragraph of Chapter One illustrates how Tom understands and teaches the Bible:

One of the great characteristics of the Bible and the words of Jesus is the simplicity and yet the depth of the statements we find in Scripture. It is certainly one of the marks of inspiration. Jesus spoke in terms that children could grasp and yet theologians could never exhaust.

We have all heard the many uses and explanations of the word “faith.” Tom’s simple two sentence quote from the book clears the air on Biblical faith.

The Bible knows nothing of “intellectual faith”, “saving faith”, or “genuine faith”. It only knows of the faith every human is capable of exercising, a faith that brings salvation by the grace of God.

You will do well to get this book and read it along with your Bible. Check out his Bible references. You will find that Tom’s writings will enlighten you.

Tom, forgive me for not addressing you as Dr. Cucuzza. You are a friend whom I love and feel as close to as a son.

(Click here or on the book at the top to see it at Amazon.com)

Dr. Cucuzza’s home church web site

Our personal Gospel web site

Who Makes These Errors?

Which four organizations promote these doctrinal errors in their own written statements?

I have highlighted the errors. Notice the amazing similarities.

Answers and links to the organizations are at the bottom of this post. Try guessing first.

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(1) My Comment — Error upon error upon error.

“There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.”

“Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God.”

“Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.”

GUESS WHO?

My Comment: We do not accept Christ as Lord.. We recognize and believe that Christ IS THE Lord God Almighty and trust Christ alone as our Savior. Likewise, salvation is not by turning from sin nor by committing our “entire personality to Him as Lord.”

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(2) My Comment — This one defines their version of Lordship salvation and incorrectly uses the word “repent.” Their statement on How to Become a Christian:

“Here is how you can receive Christ:

” Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).”

“Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)”

GUESS WHO?

My Comment: “Willing to turn from sin” is not a requirement for salvation. A person does not ” invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life” for salvation.

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(3) My Comment — The Statement “repent of our/your sins” for salvation is not in the KJV Bible. However this statement says:

“……….we are all predestined to be saved if we repent of our sins and accept by faith the relationship of love that God offers to us.”

My Comment: No one is “predestined to be saved” under any circumstance and again, “repent of our sins” is not a requirement for salvation in Christ.

GUESS WHO?

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(4) My Comment — Mixing Salvation by faith with Lordship/Discipleship.

“A person might be truly born again without explicitly considering the cost of following Christ, but no one can be saved who counts the cost and is unwilling to pay it.”

“The problem with easy-believism is not that it will keep God’s elect from getting saved, but that it allows people who are not genuine Christians to live comfortably with a false assurance”

GUESS WHO?

My Comment: God’s salvation does not require that we “follow Christ” or “pay the price.” Salvation is God’s FREE Gift. (Ephesians 2:8-9) It is easy to believe in Jesus.

Answers from their own links to web sites and documents:

(1) Southern Baptist Convention Statement of Faith

(2) Billy Graham Crusades

(3) Presbyterian Church USA

(4) John Macarthur – Grace to You

What do you think? Let’s talk about it.

See our web site — honestly how to have eternal life

Unashamed of Grace

Here is a brilliant, intellectually honest Blog for you. I have added it to my Blog Roll.

Antonio da Rosa regularly exposes the lie of Calvinism and the wonders of God’s Grace in His FREE salvation.

For some of us who have been and are exposed to the incessant lie of Calvinism , Antonio’s Blog is a breath of clean, fresh air.

Visit and enjoy: Unashamed of Grace

I would also like to recommend a post on our personal Web Site.

It is a letter written to a friend, George Orick, who was a fellow victim of cancer.  George was a brilliant, retired professional writer who for many years was an assistant to and writer for Peter Jennings, talking head on ABC TV.

George was not a believer in Jesus Christ. He wrote to me asking about faith and prayer. I answered him with a long letter detailing my journey from being raised a Calvinist, to an atheist and finally to a believer in Jesus Christ — by His Grace.

Drop by and enjoy.

http://weaverclan.com/faith.htm