The Road To Hell
Part 3

    As we continue our study of verses 21 and following of the 1^st chapter of the Book of Romans we would like to reread verse 21. It states, “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”  We have considered the signs and or steps, which indicated the path of destruction some will travel.  First of all, not glorifying God as God, followed by, not being thankful and now, becoming futile in their thoughts.

 The Third Step

    Becoming futile in our thoughts is the direct effect of turning down the road to hell.  Once we, as God’s children, stop acknowledging God as our Creator and stop thanking Him for all the wonderful blessings we receive from his bountiful hand, we lose our sense of purpose and stability.  It must be replaced by turning back to God.  However, many chose to continue down the wrong path and replace this lost sense purpose with something of their own choosing.

   No longer do they turn to God for their answers. They turn to their own inward thoughts, deliberations and meditations of their heart about life and all other things. This path is one of futility and foolishness. God watches as people spiral out of control beginning with a lack of acknowledgment of Him, then not being thankful and now their thought process has been so dulled that there is no truth in it.  There is no value to their deliberations and as a result their foolish hearts were darkened.

   Why people with intelligence reject the true God, and withhold their gratitude is beyond me, yet it happens over and over again.  Once people start down this road a hideous thing has occured: their hearts become dark.

   Everything becomes dark for these people.  Light is absent in their hearts. The ability to reason and think clearly leaves them. Once people leave the road to heaven and its’ influences they bring upon themselves swift destruction.

 Practical Application

    We may be asking ourselves how this would happen.  One of the most obvious answers comes from an observance of people.  We, as a nation, have gotten to the point where abortion is a form of birth control.  When people stop acknowledging God and stop being thankful, they become futile in their thoughts and life is not really life anymore.  It is a “non-viable tissue mass.”  Let me ask you this:  If we trace life backwards do we not use words to describe stages of life?  Do we not call someone 60+ years an older person, do we not refer to people in their 40’s to 50’s middle age, do we not call people in their 30’s adults, people in their 20’s young adults, on and on we refer to groups of people as teen-agers, adolescents, children, toddlers, infants, and yes even babies in the womb?  How can a non-viable tissue mass if nurtured, and fed for 9 months become alive?  A fetus is merely the youngest form of life. Reasonable people can see that, but when you travel down the road to hell your reasoning ability becomes futile and your heart is darkened.

   Another example would be evolution.  Once this road is taken people no longer look to God for answers to their origin.  Instead they begin to fill what is left empty.  Thus we have countless speculations about the origin of life, human beings, the earth, the universe, etc.  If only people would search the Scriptures for answers to their questions?  But it is not easy for light to enter a darkened heart.

   We could illustrate this in many ways, but the purpose of the article is to cause people to turn from the road to hell to the road to heaven. It is easy to become lazy in our approach toward religion and our service toward God.  In fact the Hebrew writer asks, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation” Heb 2:3.  He says this because the people he was writing to were in danger of apostasy. They were in grave danger of turning away from God.  He tells them to “give a more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drifty away” Heb 2:1, because, “…every transgression and disobedience receives a just reward” Heb 2:2.  In other words, you reap what you sow.  It is very easy to assume you are serving God when in reality you are far from it. 

   Many people will readily admit their love for God and a sense of security concerning their soul because of that love.  That is all well and good but what if these same people refuse to acknowledge or glorify God as God.  One does that by not reading His word and gleaning the truth from it that is necessary for salvation.  True love for God is demonstrated by an obedience of His will.  Consider the words of the apostle John, “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it” 2 Jn 1:6, see also 1 Jn 5:3.  When our thinking becomes futile we won’t see this truism. Instead we place our confidence upon our own truths fabricated from a darkened heart. Heed the warnings!  Turn back to Jehovah!               

Carlos Aguilar

1. Never part for a day without loving words.

2. Never meet without a loving welcome.

3. Neglect the whole world rather than each other.

4. Never both be angry at once.

5. Never talk AT one another, either alone or in company.

6. Never make a remark at the expense of the other. It is meanness, not love.

7. Never speak loud to each other unless the house is on fire.

8. Never taunt with a past mistake.

9. Never sigh over what might have been, but make the best of what is.

10. Never find fault, unless it is perfectly certain that a fault has been committed; and always speak lovingly.

11. Never let any fault or grievance go by until you have frankly confessed it, and in sincere repentance asked for forgiveness.

12. Let each one strive to yield most often to the wishes of the other.

13. Let self-denial be the daily aim and practice of each one.

14. Never forget the happy hours of early love.

15. Never forget that marriage is of God, and that His blessing alone can make it what it should be.

16. Never be contented until you know you are both walking in the way of God.

17. Never let your hopes stop short of the Eternal Home.

Assuring you that if you make these the rules of your marriage, peace and happiness shall follow you all the days of your life.

~by: Grover Stevens

Daddy, Can I Have A Drink Of Water

   Let me tell you about little boys. They are like camels. They can play all day and never think about a drink of water. They can run around out in the hot sun, and a drink of water never enters their little minds. But at night, as soon as their head hits the pillow, "Can I have a drink of water?"

   One night my three-year-old and I went through our regular bedtime routine. I read him a story, listened to his prayers, gave him a good-night hug, answered a dozen questions and finally, after the fourth or fifth "good-night," I slipped out of the room. Finally, after a long hard day, I could sit down and relax.

   It was nice and quiet for all of five minutes, when suddenly, "Daddy, can I have a drink of water?" I knew he was not thirsty and was just wanting a little more attention before going to sleep, so I said, "Son, get quiet and go to sleep!" It was silent for a couple of minutes, then just a little louder than before, "Daddy, can I please have a drink of water?" "Son, hush up in there and go to sleep!"

   He was quiet again, but it did not last any longer than before. "Daddy, please can I have a drink of water?" "Son, if I hear one more sound out of that room, I am going to spank you!" You could hear a pin drop. The silence was thick. But suddenly he called out, "Daddy, when you come in here to spank me, would you bring me a drink of water?" Now I knew he was thirsty.

   How did I know? Because he was consistent and persistent. This is what Christ teaches us concerning prayer. In Luke 18:1-7, through a parable, Christ tells us to be consistent and persistent when we pray. In this parable the judge refused to grant the woman's petition, but she was consistent and persistent, until finally the judge gave her what she wanted. Why? "Lest by her continual coming she weary me!" Some of the modern translations say, "Lest she wear me out." She was consistent and persistent.

   Jesus goes on to tell His disciples God will grant the petitions of those who "cry out day and night unto Him" - those who are persistent in their prayers. Maybe you have a prayer in your heart, and you have petitioned the Lord time and again on this particular request, but you have not received your answer: do not give up! Christ tells us to be persistent. Why? Because like the little boy and the drink of water, He wants to make sure we are really "thirsty." Not for His sake, but our own! God hears our prayers; He knows our needs. Do not give up! Be consistent and persistent.  

~Jim Forrest

Defining Success

   THE GOD OF THIS WORLD with his entrapments of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, confuses many as to what success is. The confusion is not about what the word means. But there is confusion. It has to do with the fact success applies to specific areas, and it is possible to be a success in one area and a failure in another.

   The successful athlete may be a business failure. The successful executive may be a failure as a husband or father. The successful family man may be a failure as a musician or artist.

Everybody has known success and failure (somewhere, sometime, at something). Now, when all is said and done, what does it take to make a successful life?

   The fact that one makes a lot of money, or is a great success in some field of endeavor, is by no means the equivalent of a successful life. Al Capone was a successful crook (at least he was for a long time) and made lots and lots of money. But at the pinnacle of that success, he was even then a failure. Adolph Hitler wanted to kill Jews and conquer neighboring countries, but in his hour of greatest success in carrying out his ambitions, who would say he—as a man, his life—was a success?

   If one succeeds in satisfying and gratifying the lusts of the flesh and eye, and the pride of life, that is not true success. Oh, sure, he succeeded at what he was trying to do, but what he was trying to do was so opposed to his own best interests that his is a legacy of foolishness and failure. It is like a man wanting to commit suicide, and succeeding at it. The more successful a fool is, the worse off he is.

You need a clear view of what makes life itself a success.

Here it is:

  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole ____ of man Ecclesiastes 12:13.

   That last phrase, without the word duty in the blank space, is what the passage literally says — "the whole of man." The whole; whole suggests the fullness, the completeness or, if you please, the success and blessedness of man, is in fearing God and keeping his commandments.

Do that, and no matter what else of good or ill befalls you, you will be a success.

   Your life, dear reader, is a success to the extent that you obtain the approval of your God. Love God with all your heart, and your fellow man as you love yourself. Submission to God and kindness to man are more important than hitting "home runs" in business or earthly enterprises.

   What is success? It is Jesus saying, "Well done" and "enter in."

 ~Author Unknown - from www.freebibletracts.com