All are not Welcome There

“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or produces an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”  Revelation 21:27

 

“There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end of it is the ways of death.”  Proverbs 14:12

 

Now there is a lot of going back and forth battles in this country and around the world that are being fought on the basis of what is called traditional conservative values verses liberalism.  However, as we will see, our opinions in all reality matter nothing compared to what our Creator has declared to be the actual Truth of the matter.

 

What we are seeing is the fulfilling of the prophecy regarding the whole world being led astray by Satan (Revelation 12:9), a war that is truly being fought against Almighty God, one that the world will lose (Revelation 19:11-21).

 

Just how much time will I spend debating these issues that are already judged?  How much time should anyone spend online going back and forth with tweets and comments throughout the internet, ‘fighting’ ideas.  At what point do we just stand on the firm foundation of the Bible (2 Timothy 2:19) doing His great work, ensuring that our families are properly taught the Word of God, that our children are raised in the Lord, that we participate in spreading the Gospel, that we are active in our local churches, ensuring that they are pleasing to God, as they belong to Christ?

 

If we were to spend countless hours debating nonsense, those things which we can already know for sure, for they are not our opinions, but are actually established fact, for God has established those facts, then why spend countless hours, often wasting time in mindless debates, in which case many are not studying their Bibles are most often even Saved, but they debate these things on the premise of simply traditional values, most knowing that the Bible backs them up, but not even certain where to find such a passage of the Holy Scriptures to prove, not based on their own opinion, but from the Word of God, that which they proclaim!  (How about that for a run-on 😉 )

 

You see, indeed most who fight these battles themselves are losing the battle for they are not truly in Christ, but are still ‘of the devil’ (John 8:44) therefore the following is true for them:

 

“But He answered and said, Every plant which My Heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch.”  Matthew 15:13-14

 

The world has strange standards on who goes to Hell, out of those who even believe that Hell exists (Revelation 20:15), yet God has standards and His standards are the only standards that matter. 

 

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”  Mark 8:35-37

 

What is the far vast majority of both sides of the debate were indeed not welcomed in Heaven?  For all are not welcome there.

 

“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”  2nd Corinthians 11:3

 

Well this article (radio show) started off with viewing a sign in a building that simply stated ‘All Are Welcome Here’.  You see these signs here and there in businesses throughout the country.  This is not a discussion about the way people treat each other or those who might or might not deny someone business based upon their behavioral attributes.  That could be for another article, one that will probably not be done.

 

Rather to simply get to the point of the matter, what about drunks?

 

How about adulterers?

 

How about liars?

 

What about murderers?

 

How about thieves?

 

What about foul, filthy language?

 

What about drug users?

 

“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.  Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; not even to eat with such a person.  For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?  But those who are outside God judges. Therefore put away from among yourselves the evil person.”  1st Corinthians 5:9-13

 

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, sexual perversion, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  Galatians 5:19-21

 

“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: sexual perversion, uncleanness, passion, evil lusts, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience; in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.  But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his practices, and have put on the new man who is renewed in full true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all things and in all.  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.  And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, even the Father, through Him.”  Colossians 3:5-17

 

You see God has standards and His standards are this…  “The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness, but is longsuffering toward us, not purposing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  2nd Peter 3:9

 

The reality could be said, what about those who are on the conservative, traditional stand point?  Is there not also beer-drinking and drunken debauchery often mixed with the God and guns talk?  I’ve been to such meetings and one meeting I was at with those who went along with a super patriot leader were using God’s name in vain, without even blinking at this meeting, this after church.

 

“You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain, for Jehovah will not leave unpunished one who takes His name in vain.”  Exodus 20:7

 

You see God has standards and a sign could be placed outside the gates of Heaven that states ‘All Are Not Welcome Here’ and this wouldn’t just include one particular sinner over the other (Romans 3:23; 6:23).  This would be for all sinners who have not repented towards God and by faith believed into Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (Acts 20:21).

 

Jesus said, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3

 

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has established a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has appointed. He has given assurance of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

 

When All Will Stand goes out to do a local street ministry in Rapid City, South Dakota, we run across all sorts of people.  A Gospel tract booklet is handed out to anyone who will take it.  (Available for download in a PDF format on the website.)  We have handed them out to those who are drugged out, drunk, in business attire, tourists, proclaimed Christians, atheists (who actually are curious), rich, poor, transgender, gang bangers, old, high school kids and anyone else who is willing to take them.  There is no discrimination against who to hand them out to, if they are received, they are given. 

 

There is no reason to fear what TM thinks or the other who is with me, on a street ministry day.  You won’t stand before me, you will stand before God Almighty at the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).  Him you should fear:

 

“But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into Gehenna; yes, I say to you, Fear Him!”  Luke 12:5

 

Now let’s take a look at a simple test:

 

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know, yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you; unless indeed you are ones failing the test?”  2nd Corinthians 13:5

 

Some qualities of Believers:

 

“But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”  1st Timothy 6:11

 

Are you sure you are Saved?  Have you repented towards God?  Have you truly believed into Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

 

“You believe that God is One. You do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder.”  James 2:19

 

There will be many, many people who proclaim the name of Christ, who believe in Jesus, who do works for God, but in reality they are not Saved.  Consider the following:

 

“Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many works of power in Your name?  And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who work out lawlessness!”  Matthew 7:21-23

 

As I was asked at the fair a couple of weeks ago, are you 100% sure? 

 

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.  He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”  1st John 2:3-6

 

Amen!