IS THE CHURCH DEAD?

… repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. (Revelation 2:5)

This is a correct statement that even the churches and congregations are responsible before God and are commanded to remain faithful. We can see the evidence today of many (not every one) churches which have put aside the teachings of Scripture and have adopted the teachings of skewed theologians, signs, wonders, dreams, visions, prophecies, women preachers, and anything else they can possibly think of that goes against Scripture. It has become very hard to find a church which still teaches the true Gospel.

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God…(1 Peter 4:17)

(1 Pet 4:17 KJV) For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Many people believe that this verse is speaking about God’s judgment on the local church when that is an absolute misrepresentation of this verse. This verse refers specifically to the redeemed body of believers. What trips everyone up on this verse is the phrase, “must begin,” which makes it look like some future event. The truth is that the phrase should really be translated “to have begun.” The word is “arxasqai” (arxasthai) which is derived from the word “arcw” (archo) which means to “rule, reign, or begin.” Our word is not in the present tense but is in the Aorist tense. The Aorist Tense denotes an action without any reference to duration, repetition, or completeness.

This same word is used in Acts 11:15: (Acts 11:15 KJV) And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. As you see, this verse is not saying that the Holy Ghost began to fall, it states He fell. It is interesting to note that the only two times we see this word used in the New Testament is when Peter is using it.

Now let us return to 1 Peter 4:17. We read a little bit more clearer that judgment had already begun on the House of God in Peter’s time. It is believed the two Books of Peter were written between 64 & 68 AD. So now let us ask the question, when did judgment previously happen on the body of believers? It was at the cross when the body of believers was judged. Christ became the atonement for all the Elect He planned to save.

This is the meaning of the Household of God being judged. We were judged and found not guilty because the Lord Jesus Christ took our sins on Him and removed them. God judged the Lord Jesus Christ as He became sin for us. As we think in the Aorist tense about the judgment, we realize that the completeness of Christ’s atonement for the entire body of Christ will be complete on the last day, when the last one is saved.

As we continue to look at 1 Peter 4:17, we see the next part of that verse deals with judgment of the unsaved. Peter is making a comparison between the judgment of the body of Christ and the judgment of the unsaved. He was posing a rhetorical question in that what will happen to those who do not obey the gospel AKA the unbelievers? He goes on in verse 18:

(1 Pet 4:18 KJV) And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

The section in this paragraph where they completely go astray is to make the dogmatic assumption that EVERY congregation is dead and not teaching truth. This is a very arrogant statement to make and a very fallacious one. But for the Depart Out Teachings to make an impact on naïve Christians, they must do a manipulation of fact. They must use a worldly marketing technique to make this point stick. They must create a market and fill the need for that market. So to make sure that the Depart Out Teachings take root, they have to proclaim that every church in the world is dead. They have no proof of this nor is there any extant evidence. The sneaky way that Camping and his followers proliferate this teaching is when some people call in on his open forum and tell him what error is being taught in their church. So based on a few callers, the teaching of world-wide dead churches is exacerbated by the dwelling on of a few wrong doctrines. If these people were in marketing, they would make a mint! Keep in mind this entire Depart out belief system is predicated on the teaching of Harold Camping that the tribulation period started May 21, 1988 and that the end of the church age commenced in September 1994, but he did not discover this “new truth” until 2001. When God sent His prophets to Israel and Judah, He told them what they were to say. There is no precedent in Scripture for God sending a prophet and then waiting for years for that prophet to discover the message in available written Scripture at that time. If God truly wanted people to depart out of the churches, would He not have made it plain in Scripture so all His children would be obedient to the command? The answer is yes! He made teachings on certain doctrines very plain such as Virgin Birth, Deity of Christ, God, Angels, Church, etc. Why would He hide this important teaching in the Bible and then reveal it to only one man in the entire world? The truth is that God did not reveal this teaching because there is no such teaching in Scripture.

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:3)

And it was given him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. (Revelation 13:7)

One truth in this hypothesis is that there is going to come a time when Satan will be loosed and will begin his program of increased attacks of deceit against the church and individual Christians. That time will come right before the return of Christ.

These two verses are specifically speaking of the Saints, which are the redeemed of God. The Saints are being killed and overcome which basically mean the same thing. Their ministries and their truth dissemination are being quenched, not only in churches but everywhere including homes (especially if they are the only ones saved), their jobs, friends, etc. Laws are being passed to stop proselytizing people with the Gospel. The idea that these two verses speak of the corporate church is ludicrous since people only spend about 2 hours per week in church. What about the millions of Christians who do not belong to churches, like those in foreign countries where it is illegal to have a church, like China or Islamic Countries? Satan is coming against those Saints and are overcoming them. Many are in prison and many are martyred for the cause of Christ. The corporate church has never been martyred for the cause of Christ, only true believers. An unbeliever is not going to die a martyr’s death. Another way that Satan attacks the body of Christ is through the false teachers on radio and TV. When was the last time you heard a solid, biblical message on TV or radio. It is all being geared toward tickling the ears. The true believer must avoid those teachers at all costs, as some have already been caught up in the false teachings.

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After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude which no man could number…these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9a, 14b)

2 Thessalonians

Now we come to the section of Scripture which the Depart Out Teachings claim as their primary proof texts that the Holy Spirit has been removed from the local church and Satan has taken over command of all the churches in the world. In my section “Does God judge the Local Church?,” I have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that God indeed judges congregations but He does this judgment by individual congregation and not as a blanket judgment. Each of the churches in Revelation had a different problem except Philadelphia. Did God say He was going to judge Thyatira for the sin of Sardis? No, He planned on dealing with each individual congregation according to their faithfulness or faithlessness. Did God judge the Northern Kingdom and Judah together? No He didn’t! He judged them individually as shown openly by the 135 year period between the captivity of Judah and Israel. The blanket theory does not even exist in the Old Testament, let alone the new. How can the Depart Out people continue to teach the blanket theory, when the “type” they are basing it all on does not even exist? It is called intentional avoidance of facts!!!! All verses from the King James Version.

2 Thessalonians 2:1

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,”

The chapter opens with Paul setting the theme for the following set of verses. We read that Paul is speaking of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the rapture of the believers which is our gathering unto Him. Paul sets the theme as the events which will happen just prior to the return of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:2

“That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.”

Paul was assuring the Thessalonian church that the day of the Lord has not happened and they did not miss the gathering of the saints. There must have been false teachers bellowing forth false teachings at Thessalonica and scaring all the Christians that the Lord returned and they were left behind or that the final days of earth’s existence were upon them. There may have been someone faking Paul’s signature and this is why these Christians were upset and confused. 2 Thessalonians was written about 10-15 years before the first major persecution of Christians began under Nero. There would have been no outside evidence to conclude that the day of the Lord had come. It was just convincing letters and arguments which confused these Christians.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; {4} Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

 Before the Lord Jesus Christ will return and gather all His Saints to be with him, some things must take place first which give a sign that the coming of the Lord is near. In these two verses, we are made aware of them.

Falling Away

What does this mean? The word in the Greek for “falling away” is one that is extremely applicable to our day. It is the word “apostasy.” Now the word “apostasy” means “departure or rebellion.” It basically means that one has departed from the long-established proper teachings of Scripture. Paul says that in the days prior to Christ’s return there will be a departure from the teachings of Scripture. Walk into any Christian book store and you will find departure written on almost every book. False Bible versions have departure written on them. Many churches have departure written on them. Many radio, TV, and Internet ministries have departure written on them. Every cult has departure written on them. In the day we live, it is hard to find a faithful church but they are out there because the Lord said: (Mat 24:35 KJV) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. His words are found in a true church and the true Bible, the King James Version. So we see that prior to the Lord’s return, there will be a great departure from biblical truth.

 

Man of Sin, Son of Perdition

In the Scriptures, “Son of Perdition” is mentioned twice. Once here to describe Satan and the other to describe Judas. (John 17:12 KJV) While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. Now we see in Verse 3 that the son of perdition will be revealed or disclosed. Who will he be disclosed to and how will we know it is Satan? The key is the progression of this verse. First, there must come apostasy in the Christian community and the only ones who are going to know when there is a departure are those who are truly saved. Even Jesus said the Elect cannot be deceived. Didn’t the Holy Spirit come into the world to guide the true believers into truth? Satan as the false teacher will be revealed to Christians through the false teachings he brings. We cannot physically see him but through his evil works, we know he is there. A church that teaches truth in 1992 and then in 2002, does not teach truth, has slowly succumbed to the teachings of Antichrist. The term “perdition” may also be understood as “destruction, ruin, or waste.” Is not this a proper description of the works of Satan?

(2 Th 2:4 KJV) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

(Isa 14:13-14 KJV) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: {14} I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

In these verses in Isaiah we have almost an exact parallel to 2^nd Thessalonians 2:4, of Satan’s desire to be like the Most High or God Himself. Satan said he is going to exalt his throne above all the stars of God. I doubt that he is speaking of stars in space, he is obviously speaking of the believers since the next phrase is that he going to sit upon the mount or above the congregation. Satan has a lust to be worshipped. What better place to assault for that worship than the local church? Now, am I agreeing with Depart Out that Satan is ruling in all the churches simultaneously?

The problem with that teaching is that it makes Satan “omnipresent.” This is a characteristic of God. Only God can be everywhere at once but not Satan. So then how does Satan get to control the church? He does it through the false teachings which are prevalent in many churches. Go to some main line churches and you will hear more sympathy for a whale than a soul. Why should the question even come up as to whether homosexuals should be ordained? What about signs and wonders churches? The abomination which makes desolate are the works of Satan in the churches. When Satan’s minions have been successful to destroy truth in a congregation, they go on to the next one.

Satan receives worship by means of the acceptance of his false gospels both in and out of the church. In the last days, Satan and his ministers come as an angel of light to deceive. That is the method Satan uses to gain worship or adoration. There will never be a time, even in a dead church, when Satan will get direct worship. It will always come through deceit. This is how he shows himself to be God. He takes over congregations and diverts them from the truth, then the Lord Jesus removes the candlesticks of truth, and there you have a desolate congregation.

In verse 4, the word “so” means, “for this reason or in order that.” This is the conjunction which gives us the key to this verse. Satan opposes and exalts himself in order that he may sit in the temple or the local church. His reason for opposing God is to gain the adulation of his people. True believers will not accept false teachings and therefore will not give Satan worship. So the true believers leave the dead church and go to another one which has not been adulterated with false teachings. While Satan has his emissaries in every congregation, he will not be ruling in every congregation. For not every congregation is dead.

2 Thessalonians 2:5

“Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”

Obviously when Paul was with them there may have been much discussion concerning the return of the Lord. This is probably owing to the fact that he mentions the rapture of the Saints.

2 Thessalonians 2:6

“And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.”

Paul resumes his teaching on the subject of Satan. Paul now introduces the reason that Satan will never have absolute power on earth or in the churches. This is because he is being restrained. Since there is no human being which can restrain or withhold Satan, this is definitely speaking of the Holy Spirit who is eternal God Himself. Now there is another aspect which must be considered although minor in comparison to the work of the Holy Spirit Himself. Whenever the truth is proclaimed, then Satan is being restrained. Whenever a true believer brings the gospel to someone and they become saved, Satan has been restrained. Now Pre-tribulationalism believes that the Holy Spirit will be removed when all true believers will be raptured before the great tribulation begins. This theory falls flat also because they also claim there will be some who will be saved during the final tribulation period. How can a person become saved unless the Holy Spirit will be present to apply the word to one of God’s chosen?

I am not speaking of this type of situation. I am saying that if a false teaching is rampant in a church and then someone comes in and teaches the truth and displaces the false teaching, then Satan has been restrained, but not by human effort. It was done through the power of the Holy Spirit confirming the work of the word of truth in that place. We can safely conclude that only the Holy Spirit is powerful enough to restrain Satan.

2 Thessalonians 2:7

“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”

This is the pivotal verse which is used by the DOT to prove that the Holy Spirit has been removed. The word for “the way” is the Greek word “mesou."    This word may easily be translated “midst” and this is how the proponents use it. In translating it this way, does it hurt the case for true interpretation? The answer is no! For the Bible is speaking here that there is going to be a time when the ministry of the Holy Spirit will be at an end. Now, the DOT folks claim that the Holy Spirit has been removed from the churches at present. They believe that the death of the church and the removal of the Holy Spirit happened in 1994. The word “work” in this verse is a present tense verb which means the mystery of iniquity was already working in the churches in Paul’s time. So that means that the mystery of iniquity is going to work simultaneously with the work of the Holy Spirit until an appointed end. (Wheat and Tares) The question then, is when is the end? Is it the present? Or is it something else? The answer to our question is found in the next verse. If we stopped here, then a case could be made for the removal of the Holy Spirit from the churches and this is what is done. But the context will not allow that.

2 Thessalonians 2:8

“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”

Notice this verse starts with “and” just like chapters 4-22 in Revelation. This is a continuing thought not a separate one. The Holy Spirit will be active in all the world, including the churches, saving all the elect until the last one is saved. Then the Holy Spirit will be removed from the midst because His salvation work is done. Verses 7 & 8 are speaking of the last day when Satan will be destroyed upon the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us look at the following verses which puts a confirming edge to this.

Here Satan is spoken of as a man as in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. He will be revealed as the man of sin upon his destruction. The Bible speaks that he has already been judged so his sentence is now being carried out. In comparison to the might of the Lord Jesus, Satan will be looked on as a defeated, weak foe. When the last one of God’s elect is saved, this will usher in the last day. The Christians will be taken to Heaven, Satan will be taken to Hell, the unbelievers judged, and the Universe will be remade by God. This is when the Holy Spirit will be removed, simultaneously with the removal of every last Christian on earth. Remember how Paul started the chapter, with speaking of “our gathering to the Lord Jesus Christ?” Well that is the context of these verses. Let us go back to the John verses. What was the Holy Spirit’s two-fold mission? To convict the unbeliever and convince the believer by bringing them into all truth. Once the last one is saved, these two ministries will have ended.

Summary

We have openly seen that these eight verses in 2 Thessalonians are dealing with the end of the world, namely the last day. The Depart Out Teaching has pulled Verse 7 out of context and made it say what it does not. We have seen how the context flows uniformly concerning the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and we did not even allegorize or over-spiritualize one verse. This is the danger of the DOT as they pull verses out of context and make them say what they do not. This is abusing the Word of God and not interpreting it. That is a very dangerous thing to do and quite frankly, I am scared to do that because in essence you are saying, “Thus saith the Lord,” when He hasn’t. We have safely concluded that the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the midst of the world on the last day and not before. If God’s elect, which haven’t been summoned yet, are still in the world, in false religions, in cults, in dead churches and other places. Why would God save an elect person out of a cult or life of drugs, but He wouldn’t save one out of a local dead church? The rationale of DOT is preposterous.

Revelation 7:9a, 14b - Their use of these verses to prove that people will only be saved outside of the church lacks any foundation whatsoever. In Verse 14 it says these people came out of “great tribulation” not “THE great tribulation.” Christians have been facing great tribulation since the inception of the church. These verses speak of Christians coming from all over the world and to try to plug in the concept that churches are exempt is putting into Scripture what is not there. These Campingites should contact the many smaller churches in Africa, especially those in small villages, and they will come to see how potent the church is in different parts of the world.

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)

Here is another major falsehood of the Depart Out Teachings. There is not one shred of direct evidence endorsing this idea. Revelation 13:8 speaks about the whole world and not the corporate church. Unbelievers from all walks of life will be judged on the last day. Those unbelievers will include those who are in the church but have never become regenerated and those outside the church. Any unbeliever will be judged for their sins, why now do they focus in on the corporate church alone. What they do to arrive at these conclusions is first to make up a belief and then find a Scripture verse which seemingly supports that belief, then they publish it among their group, and by time it makes its rounds, it is doctrine! I can do the same thing if I wanted to be a deceiver. Note below!

In Judges 11, Jephthah sacrificed his only daughter. This is a picture of the corporate church where Jephthah, a type of God the Father, is allowing his daughter to die. Now Christ is the Son of God and the Church is His Wife which makes it God’s daughter-in-Law. So we see plainly that Jephthah’s daughter represents the corporate church. And then in the last verse, we see the daughters of Israel lamenting Jephthah’s daughter and this is a picture of the people lamenting the death of the church. For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the Comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed. (Lamentations 1:16) (I can make their choice of verses fit my deception too!) Let’s try another one.

The parable of the ten virgins. The five wise ones were the ones who left the church but the five foolish ones were the ones who stayed in the church and when the bridegroom appeared they were left out of heaven. Then the passage goes on to say that we do not know when the Lord is going to come back. Yes, we do, the Campingites are saying either 2005 or 2011!

I can look at almost any verse in the Bible and make it say anything I want about the corporate church. Dangerous isn’t it!

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…that man of sin…the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3b,4)

Notice how they refuse to answer this question and want you to figure it out? Harold Camping has said repeatedly on the Open Forum and his daily Bible study program, in my hearing, that people that are going to church believe they are worshipping God but they are really worshipping Satan because the Holy Spirit is no longer in the churches. On March 1, 2002, on the Open Forum, Harold Camping made that statement that “The king in the churches is Satan.”

We already covered 2 Thessalonians. The abomination which maketh desolate is the false teachings coming into the church. What can desolate a church better than false teachings? It is not Satan sitting in the churches. Are they now proclaiming the omnipotence of Satan? Do they believe that Satan can be everywhere at once as God is? To believe that Satan is ruling in all the congregations, you must believe in the omnipotence and omnipresence of Satan! Without it, Satan cannot be everywhere at once. He does not possess that ability.

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The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. (Lamentations 4:4)

Again there is not one shred of evidence that God the Holy Spirit has left the Church and that Christ abandoned what He died for! The Amos 8:11 passage is a general prophecy that in these last days, there is going to be a famine for the true teachings of Scripture. We can see this principle applied not only to false churches, but also to those who are in media ministry. Family Radio’s entire ministry is centered on the Depart Out Teachings of Harold Camping, which means that there is a famine of true teaching on Family Radio.

They speak about children being brought up in the churches. This would be a pity, since most of the children’s time should be spent at home under their parent’s authority and teaching. The local gathering on Sunday is when Christians get together to worship and fellowship and learn. The Sunday gathering is when we come out of the world for a while and to be able to focus on the things of the Lord without any interruptions.

To also espouse that anyone associated with the church is in dangerous spiritual situation. Are they telling us that if we believers stay in a church we are in danger of losing our salvation? This would constitute a works gospel, for any person to leave a church for salvation, means that the Depart Out Teaching is one big works gospel. The problem is that the works you must do are based upon what Harold Camping comes up with every day. This is why the Campingites are glued to their radio to find out what Camping has for them today and to find more ways to denigrate the church and call it biblical.

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And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. (Genesis 19:17)

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As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about His people from henceforth even for ever. (Psalm 125:2)

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Revelation 18:4)

Revelation 18:4 is not a command to come out of the true church, it is God commanding His children to come out of the Kingdom of Satan. Rev. 18:4 is a salvation verse where a person becomes saved and then they are taken out of Babylon, which is the Kingdom of Satan, and placed into the kingdom of Christ. Even if a true believer stayed in a false church, they would not receive of her plagues which is a picture of damnation. A true believer cannot lose their salvation, under any circumstances. This is another verse taken out of context as a proof text for the Depart Out Theory.

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Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)

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But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (Daniel 12:4)

This is not the first time this heresy has raised its head. In 1844, Ellen White claimed that Christ was going to return to earth in October of that year. That did not happen so to save face, she then switched her story that Christ was not going to judge the world but rather went into another apartment and started judging the church? Sound familiar? In September 1992, Harold Camping stated that the Lord was going to return some time between September 15 and 27^th of 1994. That did not happen, so to save face 7 years later, he realized that his book 1994 was not really speaking about the return of Christ, but it was the beginning of the judgment of the local churches. 100% parallel between two cults, so that tells you who is behind both teachings. Maybe Satan is ruling Family Radio? Camping has also stated to a Family Radio staff member that the same books that were closed to Daniel are now open to him!!! That is a warning flag to every Christian. In Revelation 5, the Bible says that there were books which were sealed and no one was found worthy to open the books, except Christ. Is Camping claiming the same authority as Christ? That since the books are open to him, this would mean he would have the same knowledge as Christ. It is scary, the possibilities are endless since his disciples have compared him to all the major prophets. It is a very dangerous thing when someone comes up with “never before known” teachings because this is a sure mark of a cult leader and a sign of a dangerous person.

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Thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. (Amos 4:12)

There are no more prophetic signs to be fulfilled. The next thing we hear will be the shout from Glory. There is no judgment on the corporate church that will usher in the last day. The last day will come when the last person becomes saved. Both of the above verses point to the captivity of Judah and not the death of the church. Camping uses allegory to create scenarios that are not there. It is no great secret in Scripture that God is going to judge all the unsaved on the last day, simply because they have no savior to remove their sins. There is no special judgment in scripture on the local church bodies. There are only two judgment days: The first was Calvary for the believers when we were judged in Christ and found not guilty; the second is on the last day when the unbeliever stands guilty for their sins.

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And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)

This is a true statement that all unbelievers, whether they are church members or not will be judged and found guilty and cast into eternal damnation.

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And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:43,44)

This is also a true statement that many churches have neglected the teaching on Hell and have replaced it with prosperity teachings. The feel good gospel of the Willow Creek type has become the norm in all many churches. It is these we must flee.

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Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven… And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21,23)

This verse does not specifically mention churchgoers as going to hell. As I stated before, every unsaved person, whether in the church or out of the church will be judged and cast into eternal hell. I do not doubt for one minute that there will be a multitude of those who went to church thinking church membership was a free pass to heaven. It is true the church has never been able to save anyone and neither has Family Radio. If Family Radio preached the gospel to a person for 40 years and they were not of God’s Elect, then they will not be saved, no matter what. People are saved through the blood of Christ, not any type of medium. Christians in the church and on the radio bring the message of salvation, the medium is neutral, like the church. It is only a building and remains neutral until a message is preached in it.

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… behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2b)

This is a true statement but there is no “possibility” of salvation. Either you are of God’s Elect or you are not. The idea of possibility sounds like a free will tenet. But then that would be a “High Place.”

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And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephesians 2:1)

This is also a true saying that a person cannot accept Christ since they are spiritually dead. The word “dead” means lifeless or useless. A lifeless person cannot regenerate themselves, it must be done from the outside by Christ.

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No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: (John 6:44)

This statement is true as is.

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For He saith unto Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (Romans 9:15)

This statement is fine the way it is.

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But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not? (Jonah 3:8,9)

This statement needs clarification. If I cannot accept Christ because I am unable to know my spiritual pre-salvific condition, then how could I possibly cry out to God for mercy being in a state of spiritual death? I can’t! The only way I will know of my sins is when God has already begun the work of salvation in me and that is when my spiritual eyes are open to my wretched condition. Camping continues to decry the free will gospel, yet he teaches the very same thing, you can’t accept Christ but you can cry out for mercy. It sounds like the same principle in action to me.

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…He retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy. (Micah 7:18)

A person only becomes uneasy about their sins when God is beginning to open their eyes. The unbelievers couldn’t care less about our “religion.” The unbeliever may exhibit an emotional scare but that emotional scare will not amount to anything if they are not God’s Elect. The Bible teaches that there is none that seeks after God. The above is a contradiction to that verse when it tells us to approach God and then wait. It like going to a restaurant and giving our order and then waiting for the waiter to bring the food. God does not operate like that, He takes us and places us in the restaurant and then we eat.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)

God’s timing is never our timing. He applies salvation to the Elect at His will and time.

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Summary