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| − | == [[File:Page.png]] AUGUST featured article<span style="font-size:85%; font-weight:normal;"></span> ==
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| − | ==Hell is a Christian Hoax==
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| − | '''IS THE PUNISHMENT OF THIS HELL EVERLASTING-ETERNAL?'''
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| − | Many Christians have a very strong opinion of things that they know virtually nothing about. Hundreds of times I have been told that "hell" is a literal place of literal fire which is everlasting or eternal. They have no proof of any such thing. Time and again I am told: "The Bible is LITERAL, Ray. You have to take it literally." Oh really, and do they even believe their own words?
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| − | Let's see if you believe the Bible teaches a literal hell of literal fire that lasts literally for eternity.
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| − | If there are Scriptures that clearly show that "hell fire" is not literal nor eternal, then how can there also be contradicting Scriptures which would suggest that "hell fire" is literal and is eternal? Hell fire cannot be both literal and eternal at one place in the Scriptures, but then it is also figurative and temporary at another place in the Scriptures. It is either one or the other, it cannot be both.
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| − | Let's look at a few examples from no less an authority on this subject than Jesus Christ Himself (Note: All quotations of Jesus in this paper will appear in red type).
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| − | "You have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shall not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
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| − | And if your right eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.
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| − | And if your right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell" (Matt. 5:27-30).
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| − | Mark's account adds these words:
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| − | "...into hell fire...where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. For EVERY ONE shall be salted with fire..." (Mark 9:48-49).
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| − | And this includes you and me, (Matt. 3:11 & I Pet. 4:12).
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| − | From just this one teaching of Jesus we can know absolutely whether "hell fire" is literal and whether it is everlasting or eternal.
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| − | Let's pay close attention to just one statement from Jesus that should help everyone to see that this is figurative language that teaches us a great spiritual truth. Jesus did not say what most Christians think He said.
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| − | Jesus did not say: "And if your eye offends you, repent of your lust or God will cast you into an hell of immortal worms and everlasting fire which will never stop burning."
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| − | But that is what most Christians think Jesus meant even if He didn't actually say it.
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| − | Nonsense.
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| − | "And if your eye offend you..."
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| − | This word "offend" means: "to entice you to sin" (Strong's Greek Dictionary).
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| − | Now then, is it even "literally" possible for a physical organ of the body to be the cause of a moral or spiritual sin? No, it is not possible. Lusting after a woman does not have its origin in the eyes but rather in the heart.
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| − | "...whosoever looks ( with the eyes) on a woman to lust ( in his heart, not in his eyes) after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart."
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| − | The lust of the eyes is itself a "figure of speech." We "look" with our eyes, but we "lust" with our heart. And the "heart" in Scripture virtually never means the organ of the body which pumps blood. The "heart" in Scripture is the inner most man, the seat of emotions and passions, conscience, and moral character. No physical organ of the body has even one of these spiritual attributes. More proof:
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| − | "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders" (Mark 7:21).
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| − | Did you notice that "looking on a woman to lust after her" IS adultery, and it comes not from the eyes, but from the heart. So then, is this teaching in Matt. 5:27-30, literal, or figurative? It is figurative. More proof...
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| − | Here's what Jesus said to do if one finds himself looking at a woman to lust after her:
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| − | "...if your right eye offend you ( entices you to sin) pluck it out ... if your right hand offend you cut it off..."
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| − | What? "Pluck it out ... cut it off?"
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| − | And lying two-faced hypocritical theologians tell us that the Bible must be taken "literally?" That both hell and hell fire are "literal?" That we are to pluck out our eyes and cut off our hands and feet, literally? Are they crazy?
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| − | If this teaching on hell by Jesus Christ is to be taken literally, how come you don't see millions and millions of Christians around the world having NO EYES, AND NO FEET, AND NO HANDS? Is there even one Christian in a billion that takes these Scriptures literally when it comes to putting their money where their mouth is? No, their failure to "literally" follow Jesus' command belies their assertion that virtually all of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus are "literal."
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| − | But what about the "worms that don't die," and the "fire never quenched?" Simple: Jesus never used the words "hell fire."
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| − | Two things we should never find in a Bible: ( 1) The old Anglo Saxon word "hell," and ( 2) any word denoting "endless time," as in "for ever AND ever," "everlasting," or "eternal." There is no such equivalent in any Hebrew or Greek manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures.
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| − | Furthermore, if "for ever" means an eternity, what pray tell does "for ever AND EVER" mean? Multiple eternities? How many eternities are there?
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| − | The first place that "hell fire" appears in the Greek New Testament is in Matt. 5:22. Virtually all Bibles with a center reference will refer you to the marginal note on "hell" where it says, "Greek: Gehenna." And Gehenna is Greek for the Hebrew word "Hinnom" or "Valley of Hinnom," which is found outside the city walls of Jerusalem on the south side.
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| − | You can, if you wish, take a stroll through hell in Jerusalem - it is now part of a city park. In the time of Christ's ministry this valley was the Jerusalem city garbage dump, and for centuries, as long as garbage was thrown into it, the fires kept burning and the worms which ate the garbage didn't die out - they kept reproducing, year after year after year.
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| − | The only way ... the ONLY WAY, that any Christian can claim that hell, hell fire, immortal worms, never-ending fire, eternal torture, etc., can be literal is if we take everything literally that Jesus said regarding hell (Gehenna fire). You cannot separate what Jesus says MUST be done to avoid having, "...your whole body cast into hell ( Gehenna) , from what Christians say hell is. In other words, you cannot avoid a LITERAL HELL by performing a FIGURATIVE action.
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| − | Jesus did not say: "If your right literal eye literally offends you, FIGURATIVELY pluck your literal eye out..." But that's the kind of insane theological poppycock that is peddled from the pulpits.
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| − | How is it possible to "figuratively" pluck out one's eyes, and cut off one's hands and feet to avoid a "literal" eternal hell fire, and then insist that the words of Jesus and most of the Bible must be taken literally?
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| − | Why do you stand for such utter and unscriptural nonsense? Why would you want to continue defending such illogical ignorant enemies of God's Word? You would never stand for such a travesty, such a miscarriage, such a violation of sound scholarship in any other area of your life, save when it comes to religion.
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| − | '''To Continue [[Hell is a Christian Hoax|Click Here]]'''
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| − | == [[File:Smallinfo.png]] Our Pin Board ==
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| − | ! colspan="6" | [[File:Pin.png]]'''Do you have a ministry or a business'''
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| − | Do you have a called of God ministry where your whole purpose is to '''"feed the sheep"''', and God '''supplies your needs''', or do you have books, tapes, videos, etc. that you '''SELL''' for a "donation", or just outright '''SELL''', and your buyers supply your needs?
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| − | There is nothing wrong with being in business and selling things. However, if you are a church or any kind of "ministry", you may want to check your motive for how you are conducting the work of the Lord.
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| − | '''Remember the money changers in the temple where JESUS turned over the tables and threw them out. They were selling things in the "CHURCH"'''. '''(God made it quite clear to us that we were not to charge for anything, that HE was our source.)'''
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| − | ! colspan="6" | [[File:Pin.png]]'''We feature articles by Words of Righteousness, check out the below to find out more.'''
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| − | [[File:Robertthompson.gif|frame|150px|Robertthompson.gif]] Articles of Trumpet Ministries WOR
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| − | Sermons on the Paster's page www.wor.org
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| − | *[[Sermons WOR]]
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| − | *[[A STUDY GUIDE FOR THE REMNANT]]
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| − | *[[Study the Book of Second Corinthians]]
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| − | *[[Study the Book of First Corinthians]]
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| − | *[[Study for the book Romans]]
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| − | *[[Study the Book of Philippians]]
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| − | *[[Study the Book of Hebrews]]
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| − | *[[Study the Book of Ephesians]]
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| − | *[[Study the Book of Galatians]]
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| − | |}
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| − | ! colspan="6" | [[File:Pin.png]]'''We also feature articles '''By David C. Pack''' see below to find out more.'''
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| − | '''[[By David C. Pack]]'''
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| − | [[File:Logo public dcp.jpg|frame|Logo public dcp.jpg]]"As Pastor General of The Restored Church of God, David C. Pack oversees the world’s most extensive biblically based websites. He has established over 50 congregations, authored more than 20 books, and has written hundreds of booklets and articles. As Editor-in-Chief of The Real Truth magazine and voice of The World to Come program, he has reached millions around the globe with the most powerful truths of the Bible, unknown to almost all".
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| − | '''WHY Coming World Punishment! (Part 1)'''
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| − | *[http://www.worldtocome.org/player.html#!Item=560338 http://www.worldtocome.org/player.html#!Item=560338]
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| − | '''20 Verses Christianity Ignores! (Part 1)'''
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| − | *[http://www.worldtocome.org/player.html#!Item=560674
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| − | http://www.worldtocome.org/player.html#!Item=560674]
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| − | '''The Trinity—Does the Bible Teach It?'''
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| − | Does the Bible teach that God is a “Trinity”—three persons in one being? Most professing Christians answer “yes.” Although long the litmus test of traditional
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| − | *[http://www.worldtocome.org/player.html#!Item=561007,1
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| − | http://www.worldtocome.org/player.html#!Item=561008,1]
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| − | presented by David C. Pack
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| − | '''You Can Prove the Bible’s Authority'''
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| − | *[http://www.worldtocome.org/player.html#!Item=560678 http://www.worldtocome.org/player.html#!Item=560678]
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| − | Many accept the Bible’s divine authority on faith, thinking it cannot be proven. Is what is often called the Book of books the Word of God? Or is it mere superstition—an uninspired work of men?
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| − | ! colspan="6" | [[File:Pin.png]]'''Christians are left with real questions in reference to Islam:'''
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| − | What role if any did the teachings of the Qur'an play in the 9/11 attacks? What does Islam really teach? What about Jihad? Should Christians try to befriend our Muslim neighbors and share the gospel? If so, how? The title is Understanding Islam: A Christian Perspective. I would like you to watch it for free. Please forward this to all your friends!
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| − | Your free video: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5fzeexxJno http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5fzeexxJno]
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