Can a Believer go to Hell??

I have attended a lot of funerals in the last couple years. It becomes much more frequent as we age.  I am coming to a conclusion.  One that I didn't always believe.  One that is harder to sell if you are trying to build a church.  God's grace is much greater than any of our sin, rebellion, apathy, behavior and discouragement.  The imposition of how others should live and still make heaven is OUR standard, not God's.  There is supernatural power in coming to faith in God. Once we do become his son or daughter, HE is not willing to disown us.  Not willing to turn us away.  We are first among those who are those about whom it is said, "Not willing that any should perish".  Once we enter into that place in God, even for a time, we are connected in a Fatherhood.. a supernatural parentage.  His heart is towards us. 

I mention that because as I see friends and relations pass into eternity I see the reality that there is a place at the table.. the wedding feast.. for them.  Even if in later years in pain they seemed to drift,  God didn't. "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23    NEW every morning.   Even the morning when we step from time into eternity.

Can a once saved person go to hell? Sure. A complete rejection of GOD, or never coming to him in any way at all (Romans 1) will condemn a person.  However even if it is possible to claw your way to hell after you have been saved... it is incredibly difficult.  Even if a person THINKS they are faithless, a relationship is not severed by that level of ignorance.  If a person becomes a child of God and yet for whatever reason (offense) never darkens the door of a church for decades they are still an heir.

The road to hell is wide.  People choose it and never find that relationship that can save them.   The narrow way is still narrow...but once you find it... you cannot easily be taken off track... or turned back. And as you travel it gets easier.. seemingly wider.  Entering into his grace is a narrow way but walking in his grace is a 6 lane highway.  New every morning.

So what then of heaven?  If there are various levels of punishment and torment in Hell (and there is good biblical evidence there is) there are levels of a rewarding eternity in Heaven.  Fullness of Joy. "You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever." Psalm 16:11       It will look and feel different to those who knew HIM well in intimacy here and now.  Fullness there will be really full.  Those who were less intimate will have fullness but it will be less.  I'm not sure we will know, but in the fullness there will be joy slums.  In that way, finding intimacy here and how with our Father will be rewarding eternally.  Many people who lived in deep poverty on this earth but who know their God will have fabulous mansions of Joy Unspeakable full of Glory there.  Others who may have lived very well here, but without the depth of intimacy will find themselves in shantytown heaven. Still there... but not all that mansion-like. 

I will not preach a person into heaven, nor out of it.  I will however point to the one who occupies that place and His heart towards us. 

Jesus Was Tempted in 3 Areas - So Are You by Os Hillman

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil" (Matt 4:1).

Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan! After 40 days of fasting, when Jesus was at his weakest physically, Satan came to Him. He tempted Him in 3 areas where you and I are most tempted. Why would the Father require this? Jesus needed to affirm to Satan who He was and from whom He gained His authority and provision.

    1) Our Identity
    "'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: "He shall give His angels charge over you," and, "In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone."' Jesus said to him, 'It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'" Jesus understood His identity and refused to allow Satan to redefine Him. Do not allow Satan to define your identity from anyone or anything other than God.

    2) Our Authority
    "Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.' Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Jesus' authority was rooted in doing only what He saw the Father do. He did not use fleshly authority.

    3) Our Source of Provision
    "And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, 'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.' But He answered and said, 'It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."'"

Today, realize your identify resides in being a son or daughter of your Heavenly Father. Your authority resides in being led by the Holy Spirit. Your provision comes from your Heavenly Father.

When hard times come...in a church... how you react is who you are

I have studied a bit of Psychology in my day. Studied with one of the Greats. Dr James R. Noland. Back in the 70s. I learned some things about human behavior, stress, fear and our reactions to them. It is fascinating to see how it applies to those who lead churches and fellowships. When stress comes, difficulty, financial, membership drifts, stagnation, a fear that things are going downhill.. leaders will react according to their personalities. Most of the time it is going to produce negative results.

1. One is to TRY HARDER. Turn up the volume. Turn up the heat. Hype the deal. They over-promise and under-deliver. The very thing they fear comes true. Down in flames. Noland called this YELLOW

2. Another reaction is to tighten up control. NO ONE Gets the microphone except the anointed leader. Every song is selected. Every move scripted. It tries to have the look of spontaneity but it has the stench of bureaucracy. One that cannot be overcome by any kind of anointing. STUCK! Noland called this RED

3. Another is to roll back the clock. IF it is a church who's roots were liturgical and traditional, when a stumble comes, the reaction is to retreat to tradition. Robes. Sacraments. A sermon series rented from sermon.com. The worst I saw recently was a sermon virtually read from a book the pastor used as a foundation. Regurgitating someones else's manna. Unsanitary and tasteless. When you see a church retreating further and further back into it's roots... chances are you are watching the death rattle beginning. Noland called this GREEN

4. Another is to do nothing. Be free. All unplanned. No organization. No consideration for anything resembling order. The idea is, "We'll just show up and let the Holy Ghost do what he wants to do". That will work once.. maybe twice. BUT there must be some sense of what that looks like. I would refer you to 1 Corinthians 14 for a sense of this. The reason this happens is an overreaction to the fear based actions of leaders who demonstrate one of the other scenarios above. Noland called this BLUE

There is a RIGHT WAY: The fact is, a leader who is fully self aware, self confident and full of the Holy Ghost will not find difficulty threatening. He or She will move ahead with the knowledge that there are some things that will happen in the meeting. How much, how long and how it looks will be somewhat free and flexible. He will allow things to happen without attempts to impose hype, structure or tradition on them. He knows where this is going. He is free enough to let it happen. The basic elements are present. Worship, Prayer, Devotion, a chance to give, Prophecy, A word, ministry time, fellowship and a blessing. All in about 2 hours. That's what happens every Tuesday night (nearly) at Crusaders. It roots in the capacity of the senior leader to have confidence in his Destiny as a leader. He holds it lightly. He doesn't grasp. Yet, he stewards and nurtures those God has put in his way. It works.

I would that all fellowships were such. Most are not. I said the other day that it had been a long time since I came back from a Sunday morning service saying, "That was Awesome". Not so on Wednesday Mornings after a Tuesday Night like we had last night... AWESOME.

When Prophecy Paralyses

Prophets need to consider what they are saying.  Some shoot from the hip without any consideration for the burden they put on the Body of Christ.  For that reason prophets are disdained and many churches no longer hold them in any esteem.

There is a place for warning of impending disaster and cautions as the Spirit of God quickens a prophet.  Sometimes that word shut up in the bones of a prophet has to mature and be delivered to the right person at the right time.  I'm not talking about compromise.  I'm talking about wisdom.

Many people look to the prophets as clues for the conduct of their lives.  In Jeremiah's time he had to bring the exiles the news that all the smooth and happy prophets were wrong.  They kept telling people to get ready, that real soon now they were going to go home.  Escape.  Jeremiah had the task of telling them the truth, they weren't going home for a long time.  That they should marry, build houses, plant crops (even vineyards) and begin to occupy the land.  Change the circumstance rather than look for an easy out or continue to feel trapped and victimized.  He waited until the right time.  Then he told them what God said, "I have a hope and a future for you" ... read ALL of Jeremiah 29 to get this in context

Today, many of the prophetic utterances, particularly those centered around end times events are like the happy prophets of Jeremiah's time.  They point to the evil system around them, but offer people hope that real soon now, a deliverer will come and they will escape this persecution and bondage.  That keeping their head down, pray, and hope... that soon all will be well.  Soon return and rapture.

The problem with that kind of prophetic utterance is it didn't prepare people to deal with the day to day troubles they were facing.  They were instructed by prophecy not to do anything but wait.  Keep their eyes open.  SOON.  SOON. 

Meanwhile the times and seasons came and went without any resolution. A generation lost it's capacity to be influence for good on the culture around them.  They were passive, fearful and cautious when God's real destiny for them was to be aggressive, bold and fearless.  It's just like today.  Much of the prophetic that warns of end times events using  the daily news as a guide are misguided.  YES.. History has cycles and if we know Bible Prophecy well we will recognize them.  Satan has no new schemes.  The news we see is not harbinger, it is revelation of the cycles.

When I hear some prophesies I am reminded of Proverbs 22:13.  "Look, there is a lion in the street, if I go out there I will be killed and eaten".  How did he know there was a lion?  Who told him?  Why is his first reaction to hide?  Where is the prophetic instruction for dealing with rouge lions?  Is there a lion there at all?  Don't they hate being around people?  Did you see the Lion Mr Sluggard?  Is this all a rumor?  What prophet told you this?  Where is your faith?  Why the fear?

In Ecclesiastes 11:4 it says: "Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap".  Right now in the prophetic we have many who are telling people to look out, the wind is about to blow,  Caution, the rain is coming.  Both are true..eventually.  BUT there is a problem.  Prophetic Paralysis.  The Preacher of Ecclesiastes talked of this in Chapter 11.  He said.. time to move forward.  Time to plant.  Time to build. Not time to hide.  Listen to what he says... it's right for these times of wind and clouds with rumors of lions in the street.

Invest in Many Ventures 
Ecclesiastes 11:1 Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. 2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. 3 If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie. 4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. 5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed[a] in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. 6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.

WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD

God needs industry and productivity in His kingdom.  It's been too long that the Body of Christ is trapped in the house fearing lions in the street. (antichrist).  Too long that it has been hesitant to plant or reap (Tribulation).  Hoping rather to be taken out rather than stand and fight (Rapture).  Willing to let the culture go to hell rather than speak out against it as Amos did in his prophetic role. Time to stand in faith to advance the Kingdom.  It's God's purpose.  I can tell you prophetically there has never ever been a time so right for the Hammer of God to encounter evil as directly as it must today on the anvil of judgement.  You are that Hammer.  The truth in God's word is the Anvil. As you suspend a plumb line of right and just against a crooked and perverse generation you will bring back into alignment the very thing you fear.

The antichrist spirit will persecute you. There will be troubling times.  Perhaps great troubling times.  YOUR ability to stand above those days will be a beacon of hope for those who fear.

Stand and deliver.. it's your day.  Don't allow prophecy to paralyze you.

James W. Goll: The Penetrating Power of the Prophetic

The Purpose of the Prophetic

A. Revelation 19:10

1. To have a personal revelation of Jesus Christ.
2. To know Him and to make Him known; to carry a testimony of Christ – this is the primary purpose of the prophetic.
3. To know the future is not the primary focus of the prophetic.

B. Matthew 16:13-17

1. [Jesus] said to them [disciples] "But who do you say that I am?" (v. 15).
2. And Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (v. 16).
3. ..."Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father Who is in Heaven" (v. 17).
4. Peter's bold confession of who Jesus was came by prophetic revelation, not by natural understanding.
5. It takes God to know God!

C. I Corinthians 12:3

1. Paul said, "...No one can say 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit."
2. The true prophetic purpose is to reveal the Lordship of Jesus.

D. The True Prophetic Pierces Defenses

1. Read John 1:35-51 – In this passage, Nathanael's barriers are overcome by piercing revelation of words of knowledge and discerning of spirits through Jesus.
2. John 4:7-26 – In this lesson of the woman at the well, we see demonstrated how the prophetic pierces our defenses and barriers (Photo courtesy: Simon Dewey):

a. She was a woman.
b. She was met by a single man.
c. They were not of the same race.
d. She was a "half-breed" Samaritan.
e. She worshipped false gods.
f. She was an adulteress.
g. She was deceitful, having lied and withheld the truth.
h. True prophetic revelation broke down the defenses and she responded to His message.
i. She acknowledged Him as a Prophet and recognized Him as the Messiah.

3. Revelatory gifts are like anti-tank missiles used to shatter the enemy's schemes, expose darkness, and release freedom to the captives.

The Source of Hostility

As it was in times before, so it is today. The people cry, "...The prophet is a fool, the inspired man is demented..." (Hosea 9:7-8). Snares and hostility await him.
A. Reasons Why Snares and Hostility Abound

1. Because of the sin of man. The original sin of man is rebellion against God's Word. In the heart of man, there is hostility towards the entrance of God's Word. The Holy Spirit does an intrusive work. Note the revelatory word does not compete with the Word of God – i.e. the Scriptures – it compliments it!)
2. Because of the offensive way it is packaged.

a. I Corinthians 1:26-28 – God chooses the foolish things to confound the wise.
b. God's package was often offensive:

i. Moses grew up as an Egyptian prince in Pharaoh's house.
ii. Peter was sent to the Jews,
iii. and Paul, a Jew, was sent to the Gentiles (see Galatians 2:7-8).

c. God offends the mind to reveal the heart.

3. Because of the method God chooses to reveal Himself. Numbers 12:6 tells us that He speaks in veiled ways prophetically through dreams and visions. Stumbling blocks are often placed in the pathway to create a seeking heart and the grace of humility.
4. Because of the lack of appreciation. The three-stage process of revelation, interpretation, and application can equal a three-stage problem.

B. The By-Product of Hostility On the Prophet

1. Now, the risk is not in promoting the prophetic (in a wrong way), but of putting them to death with the sword of the tongue.
2. A prophetic person might react to the hostility and become:

a. Adversarial
b. Outside of the ranks of the Church
c. Judgmental in the words released
d. Isolated and unsubmitted

3. The people then begin to refuse the prophet and his word – often, then, the prophetic person reacts accordingly.
4. God's intention, though, is for the prophetic (as well as for the other ministries) to operate in a team-context of peers and friends, with mutual support being a blessing to one another. The safety net of a caring community and team ministry is a vital and necessary ingredient.

C. Personal Snares

1. There can often be confusion over the issues of personal identity and security.

a. Your identity is who you are. We must cultivate an understanding of who Christ is in us and who we are in Him as our foundation for life and ministry.
b. Your function is what you do. But let us proceed wisely here, as our foundation in life and in the Body of Christ will go through many changes. A measure of significance is found in our placement, but our proper identity must be found in Christ.
c. You are not what you do!
d. You are loved because of grace, not because of how well you perform or how dynamic your gifting may be.

2. As a result of personal internal snares:

a. The prophetic person can become stubborn and dogmatic – not so much because he is so rebellious and wicked but because he is just trying to survive!
b. Extravagant attempts then come forth claiming "God says" everything. These can be said louder, longer, with more emotion.
c. An unteachable spirit can settle in, "I hear from God! I learn from no man!"

3. Misconceptions about the release of the prophetic message:

a. You are going to have a "public ministry" becomes the goal. This is the wrong goal and idea. First you are called to function at home, at work, at school, and then elsewhere according to His will.
b. People often have the misconception that one of the highest forms of prophetic release is the spontaneous and ecstatic word that is spoken. Instead, one of the highest forms of prophetic release is intercession.
c. What is the prophetic presence and gifting for, then? It is first of all for you!
d. Our goal is not to be known by being right or the best. Our goal is that Jesus Christ may be made known! With proper foundations in place, proper ministry may proceed forth.

How We Handle Genuine Prophetic Ministry

A. I John 4:1-3
Test every spirit to see if it is from God. What ideas, concepts, teachings, or information are coming forth? What is the "heart" of the issue? Is the Cross of Jesus presented as the source of life?
B. Don't Be a Prophecy Junkie!
The revelatory word compliments and does not compete with the Word of God. Be a Word-aholic first! Let the revelatory gifting be the icing on the cake – not the main course.
C. Understand the Nature of the Prophetic

1. Most words are invitations to respond to God with conditions that first be met. Few are declarations that something will automatically come into being.
2. Few are immediate, "now" words. Most are words that help us in the process of becoming.
3. Few words get us out of our dilemma. They are used to shed light, comfort, and encouragement to continue on. There are no shortcuts with God!
4. Direct your faith on the God of the Word. Your focus is not on the promise but on the God who promised. When our faith is misplaced, it produces fantasy and unreal expectations.
5. Realize the clarity and cost equation. What God counts as significant will often have great opposition by the enemy. Paul was warned repeatedly of how much he would suffer for Christ's sake. Every promise contains a cost.
6. Give room for "time lapse." As most words are invitations toward an end, there is a duration of time in between while the person is being prepared for the promise.
7. Knowledge is not our primary goal! The prophetic words are tokens or signposts pointing the way to the One Who is the answer.

Don't Throw It Out!

A. I Thessalonians 5:19-20
Do not put out [despise, quench] the Spirit's fire [prophecy, passion, zeal]...with contempt (NIV). Due to errors, failures, and abuses, the temptation can be to despise the whole mess! But hold on! Don't put out the Holy Spirit's fire by overreacting (see I Thessalonians 5:19-20).
B. II Thessalonians 2:2

...that you may be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

1. Do not become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy.
2. There are two ditches to avoid:

a. Discarding, rejecting, and becoming unsettled by the prophetic.
b. Being enamored and captivated by it.

C. Hold Fast To That Which Is Good!
It is worth the journey. Great benefit will come as we cultivate the character needed to carry the gift (see Ephesians 4:1; I Timothy 2:2).
Blessings!
Dr. James W. Goll
Encounters Network • Prayer Storm • Compassion Acts Team
Email: info@encountersnetwork.com
Website: encountersnetwork.com

The ONE THING MORE Powerful than Prayer

First.... so there is no misunderstanding.. I believe in prayer.  I pray. I was there when the house of Prayer in KC was opened.  I was a founding member of the House of Prayer in Bolingbrook IL.  I have been part of and led many prayer meetings.  I want to be where people of prayer are.  Prayer changes things. 

YET.... I know people who's lives are NOT changed by prayer.  People who pray. People who know God. People who for one reason or another are praying empty meaningless prayers.  YES... you can pray and have it fall on the floor like a lump of lead. 

Here's a truth.  I got this early this morning.  Nearly every time Jesus was appealed to by someone, he asked for an action from them.  He held a great promise, but he asked for them to DO something.

He was saying, I will do what you request, but you must do what I tell you to do. YOU ARE PART OF THE ANSWER TO EVERY PRAYER YOU PRAY.  IF you are unwilling to do what God tells you to do, then don't bother to pray.  It's close to taking the name of the Lord in vain.

I can find lots of illustrations of this in the Bible.  I could beat you over the head with them... shooting a Gatling gun of Bible Bullets.  That is not my intent. I assume if you are reading this, you already know what the Word says.

So, IF you pray, and you should, HOW do you KNOW what to do? 

1. It's in the word of God... do what it says.
2. By sound instruction and teaching that moves you to act or react a certain way.
3. By personal revelation that does not conflict with #s 1 and  2.
4. By a Prophet of God confirming or directing you on what you are hearing.
5. By waiting on God long enough to know what He IS saying to you.
6. By asking Father this: "If you are going to answer my prayer, what do I need to do (or stop doing) to make it happen (possible)?"

Note, I did NOT say by wise counsel.  There is too little of that available today.  Not everyone who you consider wise is.  Multitudes of counselors can lead you over a cliff.  YOU need to know in your knower.  There is great peace in praying a prayer that you are in cooperation with.  One that you know will produce much fruit.  Don't go too far trying to ask PEOPLE what to do.  Ask FATHER!

I know this, it is not enough to pray and then remain silent when some enemy rises up against the answer.  We can and must be willing to trust HIM to act in our behalf.  We must be certain we are not acting against our own prayers.

To obey is better than sacrifice...even better than the sacrifice of prayer and praise.

Don't call a prayer meeting that doesn't result in clear direction sought from GOD.  It's like this, HOW would you know if your prayers were answered...?

Pray Trust Obey.... There's no OTHER way

FATHER and father

I read this from Kris Vallotton this morning:


By Kris Vallotton 
KVMinistries.com
 
5 things fathers are Divinely designed to provide for their families:

1- they demonstrate and articulate the felt love of God and set the standard of holy affection in their homes.

2- they meet their families in the field of forgiveness and restore their brokenness with the robe, the ring, and the sandals, when they fail.

3- they create a safe place for their families to leave the boat of mundane living and step out on the high seas of the great adventure of faith in God.

4- they protect their families from predators, complainers, dream robbers, nay-sayers and doubters, while living holy and humble lives.

5- they provide substance, inspire extreme generosity, and demonstrate compassion for the poor.

Happy Father's Day and happy fathers day! May our Heavenly Father teach our earthly fathers how to love well!

WE HAVE THE BEST FATHER IN THE WHOLE WORLD