I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO TO HELL
I believe there is a Hell. Jesus said there was. And I believe everything He said. In Luke 16 is recorded His description of that place. It's not a pretty picture. It's not a pleasant place. It is not a place that I want my friends to populate. You who receive and read this paper are my friends. That's why I say I don't want you to go to Hell.
I can't bear to think of my friends and relatives ending up in this place of torment prepared for the Devil and his angels. That's one reason I felt compelled to publish this paper. Since Jesus assures us there is such a place, it behooves us who know and believe Him to warn others. Jesus had more to say about Hell than He did of Heaven. I would be something less than a friend if I did not tell you the truth about it, and do my best to keep you out of it.
God doesn't want you to go to Hell. He is not willing that any should perish. He wants you to come unto the knowledge of the Truth. But if you refuse His only way of salvation, what can He do but consign you to its borders?
He has made a way of escape. You must escape that way, or not at all. Jesus said in no uncertain terms: "I AM THE WAY . . . no man cometh unto the Father, but by me!" God says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
You need to be saved. We all do. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. If we fall short of Heaven, there is nothing left but Hell. We can't live as we are here on earth forever. We are all moving toward our departure. Where do we go from here? Either Heaven or Hell! No middle ground.
No sin or anything that defiles can ever enter into God's presence in Heaven. Those who want their sin shall die in their sin and find themselves in the place of torment, sin's proper place. But those who are fed-up with their sin and long for deliverance and turn to Christ shall be saved. "Christ died for our sins." His blood cleanses us from all sin. God forgives and accepts us on His merits, on the basis of His sacrificial work on the cross, and promises we shall abide with Him forever in Glory.
You don't have to go to Hell. I don't want you to go to Hell. I am praying that God will use this paper (or some means) to convince you of your need and to reveal Christ to you so that you might receive Him and be saved.
-- Editor
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"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 3:26
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SALVATION ON THE STREET
By Dr. Dana M. Pankey
"I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth . . . " (Romans 1:16). "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so . . . (Psalm 107:2).
I am happy to have this opportunity to give a word of testimony for my wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is easy for me to give a testimony for Christ, either in writing or orally, for He did something for me, 39 years ago, that I could never have done for myself and that no other could do for me. He came into my heart and life the moment I asked Him to, and changed my whole life completely, and I have been happy and rejoicing in Him and serving Him, ever since. I found what I wanted when I found Jesus Christ sweet to my own soul.
I began serving Him and preaching His word immediately, and although I knew almost nothing about the Scriptures then, I did know that something had taken place in my soul.
I had been raised on a cattle ranch in New Mexico, right among the real, old-time, genuine, rough and rustic, dyed-in-the-wool cowboys, and worked with them for years, but I had never seen anything from them that sounded the least bit Christian. Years later, in Casa Grande, Arizona, God sent a real, genuine, converted and saved elderly cowpuncher street preacher there, and I was won to Christ. Right out on the sidewalk on the main street, the night of January 7th, 1927, I saw the Gospel light, and in simple faith and trust, I reached up and took hold of the Hand that reaches down to save, and Christ has been holding my hand ever since. God had used this elderly converted and saved cowpoke street preacher to present the Gospel to me in his own cowpuncher, ranch-like style, and in a way and in terms that I understood. I got off alone and got down on my prayer bones and asked the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come into my heart and life and to save my never-dying soul and make me His child right then and there, and forever. The answer came while I was right there on my knees.
I can truthfully say that I wouldn't give five minutes of my Christian life for all the years wasted before I came to know the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour.
It was on my birthday in 1927. It turned out to be my birthday in two different ways, for I was born again that evening. I had gone to town to get a loaf of bread. Well, I got the bread all right, but I god the Bread of Life, too.
Very soon I got down on my prayer bones again, and I looked up into the azure blue of Heaven, under the great canopy of God's eternal Home, and I promised God in these very exact and verbatim words: "Lord Jesus, if you will just take out of my heart the desire for the things of the world, I'll give you the rest of my life." I was sincere in all this transaction with the Lord, and meant business with all my heart; and have kept that promise and have served Him ever since.
I am glad and happy still today to know that I am numbered among the children of God, and if I had my life to live over again, the very first thing I would do would be to accept and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. He found me, washed me, saved me by His merciful grace and atoning blood, and changed my life completely, and has been my constant and abiding Friend and Companion ever since.
My friend, don't you want to trust Christ as your Saviour, too? Do it now. Put your name on the line below and tell others that you have trusted Christ as your personal Saviour and that you are now a Bible-believing Christian.
I _____________________ am turning from my sins to Christ as my Saviour and Lord. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He arose from the dead, and that He now lives to deliver me from the power of sin and to give me eternal life. By His grace and power I intend to live for Him who died for me.
Triumph February 1966.
Date __________________
(If you prayed this prayer, copy the last paragraph, and paste it into an email. Enter your name and date and send it to MTTMinistries@aol.com
Dr. Pankey was physically handicapped as a result of four paralyzing strokes many years ago. Having thus been forced to retire from the ministry as an evangelist and pastor, Dr. Pankey then served the Lord in a ministry to shut-ins and afflicted.)
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THE REAL REASON FOR
ANTI-SEMITISM
Why is there so much anti-Semitism in the world? What makes a Hitler murder 6 million Jews? Why the extreme hatred by Arabs? Reasons are given, apparently obvious reasons, depending upon who you are talking to. The real reason is not so obvious.
A war is on -- a spiritual war involving principalities, powers, world-rulers of darkness, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenlies. The Scriptures affirm, "There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels" (Revelation 12:7).
The dragon is none other than "that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). The war is over the birth of a child. "There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman . . . being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
"And behold a great red dragon . . . stood before the woman . . . to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne" (Revelation 12:1-5).
"The dragon . . . persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child . . . The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed" (Revelation 12:13, 17).
Jesus Christ (the man child) was born of the Jewish race (the woman). At His birth all the forces of hell were concentrated on His destruction. King Herod viciously slew all children in and around Bethlehem, two years old and under. But God intervened, the holy Child was delivered.
This was not Satan's first attack on the Heir-apparent. On numerous occasions he tried to sever the royal line. Ever since the first couple occupied the beautiful garden, Satan had tried to prevent the coming of the Holy One promised to Israel.
Nevertheless, He was born. He lived and died and was raised from the grave. He was caught up unto God, and to His throne. He shall yet rule over all.
Satan is wroth. He wants to rule. He would be like the Most High; his throne above God's throne. He wants man's obeisance. He is wroth with the "woman" which brought forth the "man child" and persecutes her and makes war with the remnant of her seed.
Here is the real reason for anti-Semitism. It is Satanically inspired. The Devil has planted this malice in the hearts of men against the nation which brought forth the Lord of lords and King of kings.
Show me a heart that hates the Jew, and I will show you a heart that is controlled by Satan. Show me a heart that has been touched with the love of Jesus, and I will show you one that is filled with compassion for the Jewish people and, like Paul, desires and prays to God "that they may be saved."
Christ has broken down the wall separating the Jew and Gentile, "having abolished in his flesh the enmity . . . for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby . . . For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Ephesians 2:14-18).
This Christ waits with open heart and arms to receive you unto Himself and eternal consolation, whoever you are. "Come unto me, all ye . . . and I will give you rest . . . rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:28, 29). "There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek (or non-Jew): for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him" (Romans 10:12).
Let not Satan deceive you and steal from you these riches. He hates the Christ of God, and would have you hate Him too. He would drag you with himself into eternal and infernal rebellion against the Saviour. But whether you are a descendent of Shem, Ham, or Japheth, I want you to know that "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord (Jesus Christ) shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).
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GRACE -- SOLA GRATIA
By John Bolten, Sr.
One meaning of the word grace is "unmerited favor." But grace in the New Testament means much more. It is a power that blots out and does away with our guilt. But it is even bigger than that! It surrounds our whole being. It is the instrument that redirects and reconstructs the life of the Christian. It takes his life, all of it, under its leadership and brings him safely home to his Father's house.
Jesus Christ Himself is the personification of grace. He thinks of every need and takes care of all our troubles and problems. I am still surprised at the loving care my Lord shows as He leads me through the trying circumstances of life. There is nothing more wonderful or exciting than to know that He "already knows," and then to trust Him. From His high position He overlooks our lives from the beginning to the end. He sees our troubles, our difficulties, and our problems before we have to face them. Certainly they are no surprise to Him. If we let Him conduct our lives, the problems we encounter will never overwhelm us. He wants to lead us with His eyes, but our own eyes must be upon Him, not on the mountainous waves as were Peter's.
There is no religion or philosophy that promises such care and leadership -- only Jesus Christ. He is living. He is with us. He is living in us!
But He is not only the power that plans, directs, and accompanies us on our life's journey. He is the power that can bring His plans to fruition! With infinite patience He corrects us, if we have not understood Him, or have gone astray. With unbelievable, forgiving love He brings us back to His fold. He never leaves one of His children prostrate at the wayside. With tender care He watches over every one. He knows when and how to help. The power of His grace surrounds us not only on obedient days, but also when we have gone our own way.
Our Lord has promised that He will refashion us to be like him. This is the goal to which the power of His grace will bring us. Not our power! We would never reach the goal ourselves. The power of grace has a secret method of making us part of His plan and letting us carry our own responsibility. This responsibility is not a heavy yoke. In the final analysis, it belongs to Jesus Himself, for it is His grace that carries us Home.
Grace can be experienced only in the secret walk with God, in reading His Word, and in fellowship with other Christians. These are three channels that transmit His grace into our lives. When He takes us into His service, He will supply rivers of living water, of whose existence we had not even dreamed.
Grace always remains grace. Grace made our new life in Christ possible, blotting out all our sins. But grace also gives us endurance. And grace never ends.
Justification by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ gives us free access by faith into His grace "wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
Sola Fide, "alone by faith," the foundation on which the reformers built, is the beginning of the new life in Christ.
Sola Gratia, "alone by grace," is a step closer to the heart of God. In all testings His grace is sufficient. And it will be until we see the Lord in Glory.
(Copyright 1965 by The Sunday School Times Foundation, Philadelphia, PA 19105. Reprinted by permission.)
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PART TWO
THE TRANSFIGURATION OF TROUBLE
By Dr. G. R. Paterson
"I was in the isle that is called Patmos." Revelation 1:9.
To begin with, it is helpful to know that trouble can be transfigured, but it is not enough to know, or even believe that this can be, we must know how. John says he is our companion in tribulation . . . but he goes on to show us how trouble can be glorified and transfigured. He says: "I was . . . I heard . . . I saw." These words suggest a wealth of meaning, and put us on the track of some of the most precious secrets of a joyful and triumphant life, even though sorrows surge around.
1. A Right Condition of Heart Transfigures Trouble. -- "I was in the Spirit."
We may not leave the Isle to be in the Spirit, but we should never be in the Isle without being "in the Spirit." The Lord Jesus promises us rest and peace, not from trouble, but in it. We cannot get out of the Isle perhaps, but if that is our only environment, how sad our loss must be. But such an affliction is self-imposed . . . for provision has been made for us in "the Spirit" . . . so that we may live in both environments at once, and always joyfully in the trouble, if consciously in the Spirit.
Such an experience will make a desert as the Garden of Eden and a prison house as Paradise. In such a state we may be able to say as old Lovelace did:
"Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage,
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for a heritage."
But surely it is a man's mental and spiritual attitude and outlook which give significance to all that befalls and affects him. The same trouble may have diverse effects on different individuals: embittering one and sweetening another, marring one and making another, degrading one and enabling another, to one a savor of life . . . to another a savor of death.
The difference is not in the trouble, but in the individual. In the one case there is just the "Isle of Patmos," but in the other, it is being "in the Spirit." Trouble is trouble always, but it should never be collapse or defeat. The Spirit and not circumstances should rule our lives. To be "in the Spirit" means to be in sympathy and touch with the Divine . . . to be in contact with the Infinite God . . . and such a condition cannot but transfigure any and every trouble.
2. A Consciousness of the Nearness of God Transfigures Trouble -- "I heard a voice."
What would most of us have heard if we had been where John was? The curses of the criminals, the complaints of our own heart and the moaning of the waves? John heard the voice of God. Out of touch with the fellowship of God's people, he might have said as he listened to the waves of the Mediterranean, and thought of the past days of fellowship and joy in God's work:
"Break, break, break,
On thy cold grey stones, O sea,
But the tender grace of a day that is dead
Will never come back to me."
But in sympathy with the Divine, and fellowship with Christ, he had an ear for only the Divine . . . so that above the noise of all around he could say, "His voice sounded as the sound of many waters."
There lies the difference between what, too often, is true of us in time of trouble, and what may be true of us. Our attitude towards God and life and circumstances is what matters. To hear and to heed the Voice Divine whenever, wherever and however it comes to us is to mean the transfiguring of our trouble, and the sanctifying of our pain and grief.
3. A Vision of the Glorified Christ Transfigures Trouble -- "I saw."
Think of what John saw as revealed in this Book. It was not the barren isle, and its sordid crowd which he saw, but the ineffable glory of the enthroned Lamb . .. not the pitiful sin and shame, "though they were not lost to view," but the sinless City and triumphant Christ. He saw the conflict . . . but also the victory. He saw the malice of men . . . saw also the merits of Christ. He saw the faithful persecuted . . . saw the Church triumphant.
This banished man and saint had visions of Grace, Government, and Glory break upon his earth-bound soul . . . and what he saw transfigured his fleeting trouble.
Your Patmos may become the very House of God to your soul. How dark our trouble is today . . . but let it come home to our hearts with comforting power, that it is not too dark to be transfigured. Saints down through the ages, whose troubles have been great and deep, have been, and are being transfigured . . . and in consequence have enriched the world.
Think of Joseph . . . of the dark cloud he lived under for 30 years . . . also the hatred and jealousy of his brothers . . . banished from home . . . shut up in a dungeon (strange reward for purity and integrity). What was his attitude? Submitted and rejoicing in the will of God, he believed that God would vindicate him and that He had a purpose in all his trials. "As for you, ye thought evil unto me, but God meant it unto good."
Think of David . . . of the hymns he wrote when fleeing from Absalom and Saul . . . hymns which, because they were born out of trouble, have been an unspeakable comfort to thousands who have been in trouble.
Think of Daniel . . . away in Babylon . . . who in spite of threats remained true to God . . . through his trouble he triumphed gloriously . . . and the people of God in every age have been enriched by his faith, courage, and visions.
Think of Ezekiel . . . planted by the side of the river Chebar . . . through his trouble this fearful man was made courageous . . . and during his trouble the heavens were opened . . . his grief and sorrow were transfigured by visions given to him.
Think of the saintly Job. The whole problem of pain and suffering is dealt with in this great Book, and through the life of this man . . . stricken in body . . . relations and property all gone . . . at first bewildered and then resentful . . . but came to acknowledge the wisdom and goodness of God. He emerged from his troubles stronger, wiser, and richer . . . more so than if he had escaped the furnace of affliction.
Think also of the mighty Apostle Paul . . . in many ways no man suffered more . . . his hardships . . . his trials . . . imprisonments . . . beatings . . . physical pains and thorns. Yet, it was to this he was called, "I will show thee how great things thou must suffer for my sake." Yet, think of the inestimable blessings which have flowed from his sufferings. If he had not had his imprisonments we should never have had such priceless letters as Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians . . . the loss would have been incalculable.
But think quietly of the trouble of Another . . . the banishment of the Son of God to this "island" to suffer, to die, and redeem. Our fame as a planet comes from Christ having been born here. He made this Patmos the favorite isle on the ocean of space . . . and the sunniest, sweetest spot in the unmeasured universe of God. By His captivity and crucifixion here, the transfiguration of trouble has been made possible. There is healing from His wounds . . . life from His death . . . joy from His sorrows . . . strength from His weakness . . . victory from His death. So friend with the broken heart, behold your Patmos bathed in the light of Heaven, so that your trouble will be transfigured.
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