Category Archives: Hell

Is Hell a Laughing Matter

Posted in Heaven, Hell, Hell's Best Kept Secret, Jesus Christ, Salvation by

One of the emails I receive on a regular basis is from One Million Moms, a group that notifies mothers and families when there is immorality, profanity, vulgarity, and violence promoted in the media.  They pass along links so people can contact companies to let them know their concerns.

Today, I received a notification that TGI Friday’s has a new ad campaign in which use profanity in their advertisement to promote appetizers customers can get during their happy hour.

I wasn’t able to send an email communication to Friday’s via their website.  So instead, I left a message on TGI Friday’s Facebook page.  I let Friday’s know that I didn’t appreciate their use of profanity in their commercial.  I asked them to please pull the ad and said that if didn’t we would no longer be customers.

A short time later, a man left a rude response and called me a hypocrite.  He had gone to my blog and found instances in which I had used the word hell.  My first inclination was to leave a comment back with a disparaging remark.  Am I a sinner and a hypocrite…yes I am.  But I’m not a hypocrite about this.

Obviously, the person who left the comment calling me a hypocrite didn’t’ seem to be exercising discernment.  He didn’t acknowledge the difference between a company using profanity to promote their company and someone writing about hell to warn people about the realities of hell.

Am I just being uptight?  Should I just loosen up and not worry when companies use profanity and make a joke out or the word hell?

Well I could do that.  I’m sure there’s been times when I’ve buried my head in the sand and ignored something that wasn’t right.

But on this one…on a company casually using the word hell to promote happy hour…I’m glad I spoke up because I know about the realities of hell.

Hell is a real place.  It’s a place of eternal punishment, suffering and torment for those who refuse to acknowledge and repent of the sins.  Hell is for those who reject Christ Jesus.  Or for those who think they can get into heaven based on their good deeds.  They know they are not perfect…but they are better than the next guy.  Hell will have people who didn’t believe in God.  Those who didn’t realize that they will have to give an account for their lives.

So what does the Bible say about hell?

  • But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Revelation 21:8
  • They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might. 2 Thessalonians 1:9
  • Hell is a place where the fire never goes out. Mark 9:43
  • They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:42
  • ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ Mark 9:8

Hell is a real place.  A place unimaginable suffering that does not end.  I have loved ones who were sinners just like me.  But they died rejecting Christ or didn’t believe in God and recognize they will give an account for their lives.

When you know the realities of hell…it’s not a joke.  It’s not something to take casually.  It’s not a laughing matter.

I’m a sinner…there is nothing good in me that deserves to go heaven.  I don’t deserve forgiveness.  I can’t be good enough to earn my way to heaven.  But through grace of God alone, I have been forgiven of my sin because of Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross.

That promise of forgiveness is available for all who put their faith and trust in Christ Jesus the Lord.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. – John 3:16-18

If you would like to know what the Bible says about hell and about how you can be forgiven of your sin…click on this link and read these Scriptures:

What the Bible says about hell.

 

Ray Comfort – Hell’s Best Kept Secret

 

Solace in the Face of Evil and Questions for Followers of Islam

Posted in Evil, Forgiveness, Hell, Islam, Jesus Christ, Jordanian Pilot, Muslims, Repentance, Salvation by

Yesterday, when I heard the news of the latest atrocity committed by ISIS, aka the Islamic State, I felt a mix of emotions: horror, anger, rage, grief and profound sadness.  How can a rational human being understand the utter depravity of the human heart that would lead them to burn a living human being to death?  A person created in God’s image.

I will not watch these awful, obscene videos that Islamic monsters have put out.  I don’t want the images seared in my mind.  Yet, how can I not ponder and imagine what the Jordanian pilot suffered?

As I tried to sleep the one solace that I found in the face of evil is the promise and assurance from God’s word that He will punish evildoers.  The Jordanian pilot suffered unimaginably in the last moments of his life.  But I am comforted by the thought that the unrepentant evildoers will be punished by God who is sovereign, just and righteous.  Vengeance is God’s and He will repay.  He will do so in His perfect timing.

The unrepentant sinner’s suffering will begin the moment they die.  They will be punished, not for a few years, not for a lifetime, but for eternity.  Forever…it will never stop.  Ever!  He will be in a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.  In a place where the fire is not quenched.  In a fiery furnace he will be burned, but not consumed.  It’s a place of everlasting shame and contempt.  A place of torment, gloom and utter darkness.

I thank You God for the day of justice which will one day come…when the wicked and unrepentant sinners will be punished.

What’s equally hard for me to comprehend is that God’s desire is that sinners repent, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved (even the people who have committed unimaginable atrocities).  Jesus bore their sin on the cross, He paid the penalty in full for the horrific crimes they have committed and the “little sins” that only the God knows about.  And the Father stands ready to embrace and forgive the genuine repentant sinner who comes to Him through Christ.

God’s forgiven all my sin.  While I may not have lobbed off someone’s head, I have sinned greatly against the Father.  There’s not a day that’s gone by when I haven’t sinned in thought, word or deed.  I’ve hated people and in my heart committed murder.  But in Christ Jesus, God the Father has forgiven me and He will do the same for all who repent, confess with their mouth and believe with their heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and they will be saved.

I’m left with a question that I’ve really not heard answered.  What is it going to take for decent Muslims to stand up and speak out against these awful atrocities that these monsters are doing in the name of Islam?  Why aren’t you crying out loudly against them?  Condemning their actions?  Are you afraid, afraid they are going to do the same to you?

Why aren’t you storming the talk shows and condemning ISIS and radical Islamic followers?  Why aren’t you writing to newspaper editorial pages and decrying what these people have done in the name of your religion?  Where is your voice speaking out against these atrocities that have now become an everyday event in the news?  Why aren’t you telling your friends, neighbors and co-workers that these people don’t represent your religion?  I don’t hear too many Muslim voices condemning radical Islam.  Why is that?  Why in the world don’t you loudly and publically condemn such actions?  Why don’t you rise up against them?

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke

I hear a lot of silence!

Don’t let evil triumph.  Speak up and speak loudly, unapologetically and bravely condemn the evil done in the name of Islam.  The time is now.

Five Minute Friday – Together Again

Posted in Five Minute Friday, Gospel Message, Heaven, Hell, The Gypsy Mama by

Recent days and months have had their share of sorrow in the death of precious friends.  I’ll tell you, there is a world of difference when a Christian dies and when an unbeliever dies. 
As a Christian I have confident hope and assurance that I will one day see my believing family and friends again.  It brings joy to think that I will once again see their face, hear their laugh and feel their warm embrace.  We will be together in heaven, a place where there is no more sin, sickness, sorrow or death.  We will be with our Savior and see Him face to face.  A place where worship and praise will never end.  Halleluiah, I long for that day.
But when someone dies who has not received Jesus Christ as their Savior, when they haven’t repented of their sin, when they haven’t cried out to the Lord for forgiveness…it’s not good!  It’s a place of eternal punishment, retribution, unrelenting suffering that will never, ever end. 
It almost feels more tortuous when I don’t know if my loved one is in heaven or hell. 
There’s not a day that goes by I don’t think of my precious friend.  I may hear some whose laugh sounds just like her laugh, or see someone who looks like her and I wonder…where is she today?  Will we ever be together again? 
Lord forgive me please for not being more bold in sharing the Gospel message, for worrying more about offending her rather than being concerned about the place she will spend eternity.  
This post is being linked to 5-Minute Friday courtesy of The Gypsy Mama, where you simply write for 5 minutes without worrying if it’s right or not.  Head on over and take the challenge today.
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Five Minute Friday – Gift of God

Posted in Gospel Message, Hell, Salvation by

For by grace you have been saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9
I’d like to shout it from the roof top, “Salvation is a gift of God”, and have it echo through time.
Daily I pray for those whom the Lord has laid on my heart…that He would move in their heart and mind, bring them to an end of themselves.  That they would recognize that there is a day coming in which they will have to give an account to the God who created them.  That they would recognize that they are a sinner, unable to save themselves before a holy and righteous God.   That they would cry out, confess with their mouth and believe with their heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and they will be saved.  I pray for divine appointments, bold witnesses, hearts to be tendered, eyes to be opened and ears to be inclined to the Lord.
And yet, I need to confess, that while I pray for them, there have been very few that I have had a point blank discussion with about their need for salvation found in Christ alone.  There are times I will look at someone who I know doesn’t believe in God and think if he or she died today, they would be in hell for eternity. 
You want to know the place that I find it the hardest to share my faith?  The workplace.  People know I’m a Christian and I freely talk about my faith with fellow believers and others.  When people are going through difficult times, trials and tribulations, I’ll let them know I’m praying for them. 
But their greatest need, this side of the grave and for eternity is for them to hear the gospel message.  And I remain silent.  I have news about the greatest gift ever and I keep it to myself. 
Lord…I’m afraid at times I fear man more than You.  Lord how can I remain silent when a person’s eternity hangs in the balance?  It’s You that does the convicting and saving, all You are asking me to do is be a witness.

This post is being linked to 5-Minute Friday courtesy of The Gypsy Mama, where you simply write for 5 minutes without worrying if it’s right or not.  Head on over and take the challenge today.

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Little Do They Know

Posted in Gospel, Heaven, Hell, Jesus Christ, Salvation by

My family laid my body to rest today
Little do they know
My soul will never find rest

I spent months fighting this wretched disease
On my death bed
Suffering day and night

They couldn’t take it any longer
Eventually they prayed
That I would suffer no more

They whispered in my ear
It’s okay, you can let go now
You are going to a better place

Little did they know
Where I would spend eternity
Now my soul will never find rest

I was never too religious
Thought that Jesus’ claim as being the only way to salvation
Absurd and narrow minded

Surely all roads lead to heaven, don’t they?
I was a good person, not perfect, but good in comparison to others
Don’t all my good works count for something?

Well, I was wrong, dead wrong
Not that it makes any difference
But I’m a believer now

If only I could send someone to warn them
Repent!  Receive Christ for the forgiveness of your sins
Lest you suffer the same fate as me

Susan Bunts Wachtel
July 18, 2011
I had started this poem on July 16, 2010, but finished it a year later.

How many times have you heard people say when a loved one has died, “Well at least they are not suffering anymore.”  While those words are meant to bring comfort, as Christians we know the truth that when an unbeliever dies their suffering has just begun and will last for eternity. 

May we be unapologetic and bold in sharing the Gospel message so that our family, friends, co-workers and even strangers may have the assurance that their sins have been forgiven and that they will be in heaven for eternity, not suffering in hell.

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Go and Sin No More

Posted in Forgiveness, Go and sin no more, Heaven, Hell, Repentance, Salvation, Sin by

Why is it that it’s so easy to tell people that God loves them and that they should turn to Him so that they can go to heaven, but it’s so very hard to tell them that they are a sinner?  It’s hard to tell people…family, friends and neighbors that they need to repent of their sin and believe in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for their sin and be saved?
 
Jesus loved the sinner, but He wasn’t soft on sin.  He didn’t try to make people feel better in their sin.  He didn’t say that it was all okay because God loved them.  Instead He had the perfect blend of repentance from sin and the message of salvation provided by God and motivated by His perfect love for them.  (John 3:14-18)
 
Think of the woman caught in adultery…after her accusers left one by one…Jesus asked her, “Where are your accusers?  Has no one condemned you?”  (John 8:4-11)  She responded, “There are none.”  The only One who could rightfully condemn her because of her sin, said, “Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.”  The reason Jesus could do that is because He knew that He would bear her sin on Calvary’s cross.  That His blood would be shed to pay the penalty for her sin.  That her sin would be removed as far as the east is from the west.  He came to pay the penalty for her sin and mine.
 
One reasons that I have a hard time telling people that they are a sinner in need of a Savior is because of my own sin.  Not only am I not perfect…there are times when I willfully choose to sin.  I may have a wrong sinful attitude and don’t want to repent.  Or I may have a good faith walk with the Lord these days…but never far from my memory is a past sin…a big fall.  I’m afraid to bring up someone else’s sin because they may call me a hypocrite. 

When I’m focused on my sin, instead of my Savior and the forgiveness that He wrought on the cross, I’m walking in unbelief.  Doubt and unbelief is a sin too.  It’s the sin that kept the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years. 
 
While sin is wrong and horrible it may be something that the Lord can use in my testimony with others.  I can be tender and delicate in helping them remove the spec from their eye because I had to remove a log from my own eye.
 
God is so good at redeeming things…and even using my past to help me gently but directly deal with someone else who is sinning.  To let them know that there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ and they can have peace with God and know with assurance that they have been forgiven and will go to heaven.
 
What a sobering reminder that I need to be a clean vessel.  I must be quick to repent from sin…ready to die to my own self will, directed by my sinful selfish nature. 
 
If I can’t tell people the bad news that of sin and the eternal consequences of hell, how will they understand and appreciate their need for a Savior and the good news of forgiveness and salvation found in Jesus Christ.
 

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Making Merry with the Devil

Posted in devil, Hell, Judgment by

Deception reporting for duty
Greetings most vile and evil one
I have a grand report of success
As I strive to blind men to the realities of hell
I start with their natural sinful tendency
Encourage them to focus on self
Soon they forget about God and that one day
They will give an account to Him
I direct their thoughts
“Eat, drink and be merry”
Blind them to the warning
“For tomorrow you will die”
Before long the devil is innocuous
Someone to be laughed at and make merry with
Nothing but a comical character
Wearing red tights and carrying a pitch fork
The inescapable realities of judgment fade away
Hell is now seen as place of eternal partying with friends

They will never know until it’s too late
The painful, eternal reality of hell
By Susan Bunts Wachtel
August 9, 2010
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Sin

Posted in Death, Hell, Jesus Christ, Sin by

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:22-23

This week I was thinking about sin and the devastating eternal consequences of it.  I hate sin!  I hate that which is within me that motivates me to sin.  I hate sin in other people and the consequences of sin. 

It’s ironic…but when we are tempted to sin…when we choose to go down that wrong path…we don’t think beyond the moment.  We don’t see how it will impact us in the future and harm others too…like our spouses, children, friends, neighbors and co-workers. 

We blame God for sin when we say that He made us that way.  Well…no He didn’t.  Our sinful natures are a consequence of the fall.  God didn’t make us sinful…He paid the penalty for our sin through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.  He paid the price so we don’t have to suffer the eternal consequences. 

  • Sin is motivated by our selfish and prideful nature.
  • We are willfully blinded to the cost of sin and the long term effect.
  • We are no more like Satan than when we purposefully and willfully choose to sin against God and man. 
  • We engage in it.
  • We refuse to repent of it.
  • We applaud others who engage in sin.
  • We laugh at sin.
  • We feel better about our own sin when we see someone who is more sinful. 
  • We ignore it.
  • We are too timid to confront others who are engaged in sin.
  • We turn a blind eye to sin.
  • We fail to recognize it on our own lives.
  • We view sin as entertainment when it comes in the form in movies, books, TV and music. 
  • We make excuses for sin.
  • We call sin something other than what it is.
  • We fail to recognize that sin is more than just the outward actions, but it starts and comes from within.
  • What’s going on in my heart and my thought life is every bit as sinful as the person engaged in blatant outward sin
  • Most people agree that murder, adultery and stealing are sinful.  But what about gossip or spreading a bad report?  What about murmuring or complaining?
  • Unbelief is a sin…just ask the Jews who wandered in the desert for 40 years.  What about an ungrateful heart?
  • We fail to grasp the eternal consequences of sin for those who refuse to accept God’s remedy through Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • We put hell out of our mind and don’t think about eternal suffering and separation from God. 
  • We cooperate with Satan when we sin.
  • Satan delights in seeing a Christian sin because of the reproach it brings upon Jesus Christ. 
  • Satan desires to keep humans created in God’s image out of heaven. 
  • Hell is what we deserve…but if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and His death on the cross as payment in full…we will be given that which we don’t deserve. 
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Divine Appointment

Posted in Death, Divine Appointment, Farrah Fawcett, Hell, Michael Jackson by


Over 150,000 people
Had a divine appointment today
Nameless and faceless to most
But each is known by God
The One to Whom we must give an account

The date of that divine appointment
Was set long before we took our first breath
The One who formed us in our mother’s womb
Measured our days and scheduled the appointment
The day and the hour when we will take our last breath

In the Bible
God counsels us
To number our days
He warns us that it is appointed for man to die once
Then comes judgment

There are no second chances
There are no mulligans to be claimed
Though all will stand before God one day
Not all paths will end in heaven
For some another place has been reserved

For those who have rejected God
All of their days
Those who have worshipped a god
Of their own making
They will spend eternity separated from God’s presence

And such were some of us
Until the Son of Man
Set us free
From the bondage of sin and death
He put us on the narrow path

We found there is but One Way to salvation
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
If you confess with your mouth
And believe with your heart
You will be saved!

Susan Bunts Wachtel
June 26, 2009

When the news came yesterday of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett’s deaths…it was kind of shocking. Both were famous people whose careers were at their heights in my younger days…and today they are dead.

It was interesting hearing and reading people’s comments. Some were shocked by Jackson’s sudden death at a young age. Some were upset that most of the press coverage was devoted to Michael Jackson with nary a word about Farrah Fawcett or Ed McMahon’s deaths.

When I read the words, “Two people died today, not just one” I wanted to shout, “No…thousands and thousands of people died today!”

Most of them…you will never know. But their family and friends will shed tears and grieve their loss. Not because they were famous, rich, beautiful or talented…but because they were loved. How many of them died without accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? How many people had a divine appointment that they didn’t anticipate or plan for? How many will be separated from God for eternity in hell?”

As horrible as cancer is…at least Farrah Fawcett had time to prepare herself, to make peace with God if she so desired. On the other hand…Michael Jackson’s death was sudden and unexpected. I’ll bet he didn’t wake up thinking, “I may be dead before the day is over.” It was probably a day like any other.

But God had a divine appointment in store…as He does for each one of us.

Are you ready for your divine appointment?


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Dead in My Sin

Posted in Blinded, Compromised Gosepl, Dead in my Sins, Deceived, Hell, Jesus Christ, New Age, One Way, Salvation, Satan, Sin by

Once upon a day I was dead in my sin,
Happy and content,
Most certain that all roads lead to God.

Raised in a home
Where the name of Christ,
A curse word uttered by father.

No Bible was found,
No prayers were uttered,
Sunday…time for leisure…no time for church.

Something inside me was stirred,
A longing, a desire,
For faith that others had.

Misguided,
Down wrong path,
Left to my own devises.

Witchcraft seemed so attractive,
So innocently portrayed,
By a sitcom that left me “Bewitched”.

Latchkey and alone,
The world of vampires,
Transported me to “Dark Shadows”.

Unbeknownst to me,
I was firmly on the path,
To hell and eternal separation from God.

Astrology,
So appealing,
Could I really find my way by looking to the stars?

Palm reading,
They promised,
The lines in my hand could reveal my future.

An Ouija board,
Contact with entities,
That could lead me to the other side.

Little did I know,
Of the world,
That would bid me to enter.

Disguised as angel of light,
Satan desired,
That I would share his same fate.

So seemingly innocuous,
A phrase from a movie,
“May the force be with you.”

Oh…but it was more than that.
New age philosophy,
Available at ever turn.

Edgar Casey,
The diaries of Seth,
I even found religion in a “new age church”.

There, no sin was acknowledge,
No Savior was needed,
The cross not necessary to pay the penalty for my sins.

After all, there was reincarnation,
I could advance on my own,
Until I could become one with an all loving god.

But God had a different plan.
From before the foundations of the world,
I was predestined for salvation.

While darkness threatened to overtake me,
Seal my fate for eternity,
God was going to take me from darkness to light.

Surrounded by Christians at every turn,
Forever talking about their Jesus,
Speaking truth from their Holy Bible.

How narrow minded they seemed,
They talked about One Way to salvation,
Through Jesus Christ, their Lord.

Our works could never be good enough,
Our righteousness was as filthy rags,
A sinner, born separated from God.

But Jesus Christ came,
Fully God and fully man,
He bore the penalty for my sin and was nailed to the cross.

He died,
Was buried for three days,
Then…He arose victorious, triumphant from the grave.

God is the One Who was offended,
Set the penalty…a heavy price for my sin,
Death.

He then provided the Way,
Jesus Christ…One with the Father,
Set His glory aside…and He willingly paid the price.

When Scripture was uttered,
The Holy Spirit bore witness,
Enable me, who was dead in my sin, to be alive in Christ.

I must agree with God, repent of my sin,
Believe in my heart, confess with my mouth,
That Jesus Christ is Lord.

At that moment,
I was snatched from hell to heaven,
Eternally secure, kept by my Father.

My salvation is secure,
My fate is certain,
I am saved, by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ my Lord.

By Susan Bunts
February 12, 2008

As one who was dead in my sin…and tried to find my way to God, anyway except through Jesus Christ…I can testify that I was saved by grace, not of my own works, but by God’s grace. He asks that I believe Him and confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

I was on the path to hell. I believed the lies of the enemy for so long. I was ready to follow any path where I could earn my way to heaven, based on my good works. Have God on my own terms…and have Him be my “big genie in the sky” and answer my every wish. I was blinded…self blinded…and deceived by the enemy…the hater of my soul. Make no mistake he is real and he knows his future is certain. He wants to take as many people to hell with him. He’ll give you whatever he can to keep you satisfied where you are at.

I was walking on the edge of hell. A precipice…and if I slipped I would have been there for eternity. A place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth and unimaginable and unending suffering. Do you ever feel alone here on earth? Well that won’t hold candle to the aloneness you will feel in hell…and there will be no end.

There is One Way to salvation…and that’s through faith in Jesus Christ. God’s One and Only Prescription and His acceptable sacrifice for our sins.

That why I get sick and want to vomit when I hear pastors soft sell the Gospel message…or worse say that all roads lead to God. Those pastors who want to entertain and capture the “seekers” rather than build up the body of Christ by teaching the uncompromising Word of God.

The lies of enemy are abounding in this world. Prominent, well respected people are deceived and spreading lies and denying Christ. Oprah Winfrey is promoting “A Course in Miracles” which denies Jesus Christ is God incarnate and the only way to salvation. If the Bible is true…then “A Course in Miracle” is nothing but a lie from the pit of hell. An effective instrument used by Satan to take more people to hell with him.

Which are you going to believe?.

Pastors…are you going to teach the Word of God and equip your people to know the truth of the Word of God so that they can recognize the lies of the enemy even when it’s cleverly and attractively packaged?

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” – 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Beth Moore says that her salvation is scandalous. My salvation…is miraculous.

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