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ROPE ENOUGH TO HANG YOURSELF

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The Rope of Free Will

By Ken Blue

I am confident that there are many angry and ignorant souls out there who can’t wait to tell God what they think, or to ask Him questions they know no one but themselves can answer. Rest assured you will have your day, but you won’t get to ask the question. The questions have already been answered.

Every person on earth has been given the same thing, and that one thing is that with which we hang ourselves. It’s a rope called a free will. You see, without a free will to choose, life, love and hate would have no meaning. None of us want to be programed robots or clones without personal freedom of choice. God has made you with the ability to choose. That is what gives meaning to life, and what you use to be saved or lost.

You see, we spend our time blaming others for our unhappiness, but the truth is we do exactly what we want. We make the choices, and we reap the harvest. So, if you are inclined to blame God for your plight, now is the time. You have a free will. You can call Him anything you like, blame Him for everything, and get it off your chest. Now is your day. Use all the rope you like, it will only get tighter.

You could choose to trust and believe God if you wanted to. You could trust Jesus as your Savior if you were so inclined. God made a choice at Calvary. Because He loves you, He chooses to die for you. I pray you will use your free will and accept Christ today. You can, it’s your choice.

WOULD I USE OTHER BIBLE VERSIONS

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Under what conditions would I use other Bible versions?

By Ken Blue

Recently I was asked if I would use any Bible other than the King James Version if it meant reaching someone for Christ. My response was that I would not. However, my answer was in the context of my pulpit ministry.

As pastor of Open Door, I always believed and used the King James Bible only. However, I never insisted that others agree with me to be my friend, or for fellowship.

Under what conditions would I use other versions? Let me give some hypothetical situations. Let’s suppose I was in the home of a Catholic and was given permission to present the gospel to them. However, they had a large Catholic Bible on the coffee table, and ask if I would use it. In that situation, I would have no problem showing the gospel to them in their Bible. It is there.

If I was a missionary in another country and they did not have a Bible in their language true to the King James, I would present the gospel from their Bible and attempt to win them to Christ. Where their version deviated, I would correct it as needed. “ For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;” 1 Corinthians 9:19-20.

Many, who will not bend to win a soul to Christ, think nothing about quoting or singing songs written by those who taught you can lose your salvation, sprinkled babies, and did not embrace the infallibility of the King James Bible themselves. Since we cannot be consistent, let’s hope God will cut us a little slack when trying to keep a lost person from going to hell.

THE POISON PEN

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THE POWER OF THE PEN

PEN

By Ken Blue
The pen is a powerful tool, and it expresses the thoughts, disposition, attitude, and intent through its point. When the communist conquered China, they placed a printing press in the back of a truck with a sign which read, “With this we conquered.” One cannot underestimate the power of the pen.

This is why young pastors should use discretion when selecting reading materials. Jerry Falwell said, “Every one of us will be the same in five years, as we are today, with the exception of the people we meet, and the books we read.” Now, to show how some of you have been corrupted; you would have said “amen” to that quote had Falwell’s name not been mentioned. Instead, you went into convulsions. That ought to tell you something about yourself.

When we are young, we seldom have convictions of our own. We adopt those of our parents, our pastor, or our religious hero. These convictions may be correct, and if they are, they should become ours. However, in time we should be able to say as the Samaritans did, “…Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” John 4:42. I am confident that many fundamental pastors are on the “pill.” They haven’t given birth to a new idea in years.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]One cannot underestimate the power of the pen.[/perfectpullquote]

It takes about two minutes to discern who a pastor is reading or listening to. He can’t help but pick up the attitude and demeanor of others. You should balance your reading materials. If all you have are books and pamphlets that spew out negative sewage, you are going to take the stench to the pulpit with you. Only those who live in a sewer will feel at home with you.

Preach on hell when the text calls for it. Preach against all forms of immorality when it is in the passage. Preach against gossip and division, when necessary. But, for God’s sake, don’t allow someone’s pen to poison your attitude, disposition, or manners.

Paul never mentioned hell in any of his writings, yet we know he believed it existed. No one questions Dr. Jack Hyles commitment to truth, but listen to what he said, “This will surprise you. I am going to preach on a subject that you have never heard me preach on Sunday morning probably in the almost a quarter of a century that I have been Pastor of this church. … Also, it is a subject about which I do not like to preach!- Sermon ―Why Hell?” It is a sign of insanity to attack men for what you have not heard him say.

Not all poison is sweet; some is bitter. The trouble with many pastors is that they have been taught that anything sweet is poison and anything bitter is good. Both approaches are wrong. Some pastors live on the poison pen. Dear brother, it will be decided at the judgment seat of Christ how pure our motives and works were. You will have enough to answer for. So, avoid the poison pen ministry.

ROADBLOCKS ON THE ROAD TO HELL

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ROADBLOCKS ON THE ROAD TO HELL
hellBy Ken Blue

“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…” Luke 16:23.

1. You will have to step over the church.
Certainly, not every church in America preaches a clear saving gospel. But, there are enough who do, in every city, where a person can find out how to be saved. Even the steeple points toward heaven. To go to hell, you would need to ignore all the churches that preach the gospel; regardless of their denomination.

2. You will have to step over the prayers of those who have prayed for you.
Many will be in hell because they have trampled on the prayers of their mother or father. Some of you have a saved friend or relative who is and has been praying for you for years. If you go to hell, you must ignore the prayers offered on your behalf.

3. You will have to step over the Bible.
The Bible is found in practically every hotel and motel room. It can be seen and purchased in practically every store in America. Check Wall-Mart next time you are there. If you are unsaved, you have been stepping over the Bible on your way to hell.

4. You will have to step over those who have witnessed to you.
Perhaps someone at work or school has witnessed to you. You may have received a gospel tract from a friend or a stranger. This is one of God’s methods to keep you out of hell. But, many will ignore God’s message and step over it on their way into hell.

5. You will have to step over the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit shows your conscience that you are a sinner and that you deserve God’s wrath. If you have a conscience, the Spirit of God has told you that you need a savior. Many push Him away and deaden their conscience through alcohol, drugs, music, entertainment, and pleasure. He stands between you and hell. Don’t push Him away.

6. You will have to step over the cross.
Emblems of the cross are everywhere. They are God’s roadblock to getting you to think for a moment. Someone died on that cross for you and paid your sin debt. The Innocent died for you; the guilty. He was your substitute.

7. You will have to trample on the blood of Christ.
Not only did Jesus die on the cross for you; His blood was perfect and was required as payment for sin. “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22. To go to hell, you must reject the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for your sins.

Don’t ignore your eternal destiny by ignoring these seven roadblocks God has placed between you and hell. Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior today! If you will, let me know.