Scripture: John 3 v 16 - 18: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Isaiah 55 v 7 - 9: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Hello Everybody, it's good to be back after this absence. Thanks for your patience. May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you richly.
The love of God is the power of forgiveness of sin and the opportunity to start over no matter how sinful we have been. The Blood of Jesus is God's atomic power against sin and is, in fact, the only method that cleanses man of sin. There is no other way, no other name but Jesus, that can save us from Hell.
The Roman Catholic Church are having trouble with their current Pope. Pope Francis has a close friend who is an atheist, and he went on air this week and announced that the Pope agrees with him that the human soul is not immortal and there is no such place as Hell. The damage control team were exceedingly dismayed when the only response from the Papacy were, "It was not the Pope speaking those words!"
The damage control team expected a strongly worded rebuke of this atheist friend and a strongly worded statement condemning what he said as blatant lies. Foundational teachings of the RCC are now completely undermined by the Pope's friend.
It brings to mind a testimony I had on a cassette tape (remember them?) in the previous millennium. It was the shocking testimony of a converted Satanist by the name of Pieter Botha who came from Pietermaritzburg, KZN. He was an accountant who studied to become a Satannic high priest for 12 years.
He did the books for this large coven and about 150 churches were part of His accounting duties. The pastors, priests or reverends of these churches received a handsome monthly sum to water down the gospel of Jesus Christ and not preach about salvation, sin, and the power of the love of Jesus.
One day he was on holiday in a coastal resort when a young girl gave him a tract and told him that Jesus loved him. Out of curiosity he read the gospel message and the Holy Spirit penetrated his evil heart and he went to his hotel room to pray and cry out to Jesus to save him.
As he called on Jesus a large hole opened on his bedroom floor and a demon called Veronner appeared and forced him down this dark hole. They walked a long way and Pieter heard the cries of those who were burning in fire on each side of the path he was on.
He knew this demon as one who had power over him from his first steps into Satanism. He was known as 'the keeper'. They came to a dark, dank chamber and for the first time Pieter looked on a being he had worshipped for so long. The spirit spoke and said Kneel before me it is I who am your master!
Bewildered, Pieter did not know how to react. He just knew he did not want to bow to this dark being. At that moment a window opened above him and Jesus spoke through the opening, You do not have to bow to Him, commit your way to Me. Pieter immediately said Jesus I submit to You alone, forgive my sins.
Jesus told the demon to return Pieter to his room. They hurried along that same path and out of the fire Pieter heard four voices he recognised, calling his name. He was so startled that he fell into the flames himself.
The next he knew paramedics were applying salve to third degree burns on his body and his bed seemed to have caught fire. He was taken to hospital and during the long convalesence he thought about the voices and faces of four men he recognised in the fires of Hell. What had caused him to fall was when he knew them they had been Christians who had tried to convert him!
When he was well again Pieter Botha set out to find out why these four Christians were now in Hell. He found out that each one had turned their back on Jesus and embraced a false religion. One had become a Jehovah's Witness and had committed suicide.
Another was a spiritualist communicating with the Spirit realm he was now a sorry part of. The third was a Mormon and the last was part of Scientology. He never told their families why he was enquiring about them.
He determined that the soul lived forever and that there is indeed a place called Hell, but even in that place of darkness the light and love of Jesus had shone on him and strengthened him to withstand Satan himself.
I share this to encourage everyone to be strong in the faith and to grow closer to Jesus our mighty resurrected King, who endured the Cross with joy because it would bring all those who called on His name into the presence of our Father. It turned us from aliens and strangers back into the children of God. Let us worship and exalt Jesus for the miracle of salvation through His perfect love.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, no matter how far we have fallen, You listen for the cry of our heart when we break under the burden of sin. How grateful we are, Father, for the power of Your love to save us for eternity. Thank You for saving Pieter Botha and his testimony that proved Your reality to him even in Hell. Lord we pray for all those who are far from You to hear this testimony and return to You in repentance. In Jesus' name. Amen.
