A Biblical discussion on Hell
Author’s note. The views expressed by the different men in this story, do not reflect the views of the author, though my current views are most similar to Jack’s, who represents C.S. Lewis. Each man in the bible study represents a real man who holds one of the different positions. The purpose of this article is to compare the views that have been held on hell through out history. Please compare these thoughts with God’s word and make up your own mind on this critical issue
by Jesse Jost
“Welcome to our Discover the Word Bible study. Today we are going to look at this whole critical issue of Hell. This doctrine, which is of the utmost importance to the Christian life, has come under fire in recent years, as more and more Christians are letting their likes and dislikes determine their theology rather than submitting their minds to the authority of Christ and His Word.”
So began Robert Peterson, pastor of the Community Church. He and five other men from the leadership of other churches had been meeting regularly to discuss what God’s Word revealed about reality. All six men agreed on
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Saved
By Jesse Jost
In the middle of the night, I have often had surreal experiences of reality. It seems that during the day I have an ability to block out awareness of certain things. Some of these things include what happens after I die. Sure I think about it, but it is often in a detached, academic way. But there are nights when the reality hits me hard. What would it be like to stand in the presence of the almighty God? My first thought is a review of my life. Have I been good enough? Nope. Will God send me to hell…for forever? This thought used to terrify me. I would have dreams of being before the judgment seat and then sentenced to hell, and would wake up shaken but so grateful to
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To Forgive or Not to Forgive…
By Jesse Jost
Luke 11:25“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
There is a view floating around Christendom that we should not forgive until the offender confesses and repents. Proponents of this view argue that Eph. 4:32 commands us to forgive one another just as God in Christ forgave us. Thus, they say, since God forgives us only after confession and repentance, we also should only forgive after confession and repentance. They claim that God does not hold us
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Dearest Heidi – A Love Letter from God
Verses compiled and combined by Jesse Jost
Dearest Heidi,
I want you to know how much I truly love you. Yes, I have loved you, with an everlasting love; with loving kindness I have drawn you. I have searched you and known you. I know your sitting down and your rising up, I understand your thought afar off. I comprehend your path and your lying down, I am acquainted with all your ways. I have hedged you behind and before, I have laid My hand on you. I know, such knowledge is too wonderful for you, it is so high you can not attain it.
But where can you go from My Spirit, or where can you flee from My presence? If you ascend into
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Grace in the Rearview Mirror
By Jesse Jost
A Peanuts cartoon shows Sally writing an essay entitled “Church History.” Charlie looks over her shoulder to see what she has written so far, “To understand church history, you must go back to the very beginning…our pastor was born in 1930.” Charlie Brown can only roll his eyes.
Sadly, there seems to be an epidemic of historical amnesia in the modern church. To many, it’s as if true Christianity disappeared for 1900 years and has suddenly resurfaced with their denomination. This ignorance of history is dangerous; an old Russian proverb states, “Dwell on the past and you will lose an eye; forget the past and you will lose both eyes.” Is history nothing more than by-gone eras, dusty facts, and long-since-departed souls? Emphatically, no! History is a fascinating study of our
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The Reliability of the New Testament
By Jesse Jost
Many skeptics ask, “How do you know Christianity and its cornerstone, the resurrection, are true?” Many Christians answer, “Because the Bible says so.”
But they stutter when asked how they know the Bible is true. At this point, quoting a Scripture verse defending the Bible’s inspiration won’t convince a skeptic. Even an ignoramus will quickly see the circular reasoning in that. If blind faith is required for believing a sacred text, how do we know which holy book deserves our faith? The Book of Mormon, the Koran, and the Torah all claim to be the voice of God. Blind faith alone is too risky to stake on books that give conflicting messages. How do we discern the truth? Is the New Testament worthy of our adherence – is it a book that truly speaks for God?
The New Testament (hereafter referred to as NT) claims not only to be a
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Captive or Captivated?
By Jesse Jost
Picture in your mind two things: First imagine yourself in a dark and grimy dungeon. Your hands and feet are shackled, and your body aches because of lack of movement. Your eyes long for color and beauty. You have a very small world. Now picture stepping out of that cell into a world ablaze with color. You notice the smells of the fresh air and flowers; the cool breeze feels so good on your cheeks. Your eyes soak up the beauty of the trees and mountains. As your heart starts pumping fresh blood through your veins, you have a sudden urge to run and leap with all your strength!
What a contrast! Every day we have the ability to choose things that will lead to either freedom or
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Trust Me
Jesse Jost
Things were going wonderfully. I had a good job, a comfortable amount in the bank account, a beautiful wife who was seven and a half months pregnant, a library full of delicious books to devour, and a wish/needs list the length of my thumbnail. Did I trust God? Absolutely! I mean, I could lose my job, break a leg, buy a hundred books and still have enough to live on for months. In this position, I was what you call a man of great faith. I had unshakable confidence in God to provide. Right.
But with an ill-timed left turn, a totaled vehicle, a traffic ticket, an insurance mess, and a new
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You Are Not Your Own
By Jesse Jost
“You are not your own, for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor.6:19b-20 NKJV)
What do you own? Do you own anything? If you answered yes, than you have been deceived. God’s word declares that “The earth is the LORD’S, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him.”(Ps. 24: 1 NLT) We are not our own. We do not “own” anything. Everything ultimately belongs to God, including our time, bodies, and earthly goods. God loaned all these things to us for His purposes and for His glory.
We small minded humans somehow get the false idea that
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Mrs. O
By Jesse Jost
I hated it when I started crying! My eyes would get all red and my cheeks would get puffy, or I should say puffier. At twelve, I had yet to have my growth spurt, and was a chubby, white blob with black hair. This was before I blossomed into a tall, muscular, and extremely good-looking adult. Actually, I am 22 and still waiting for these changes to take place. While I have grown a little since then, I still have a “reader’s build”; but, I can honestly say I did it without steroids!
That day I had more justification than usual for my eyes tearing up. Mrs. O had come over to our place to unload one of her patented tirades. Mrs. O was an elderly
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