Church Sign

[dboutwell]

I passed by a church in our little home town yesterday. The church sign caught my attention, it said:

"The Gospel Is Good News Only If It Gets There In Time"

   :-[

[Jacob1207]

Some church signs can be really clever, but I don't particularly like that one.  It's basically saying that the good news is only good for a short time, after that it becomes bad news.

[lovetruth]

that's bizarre, debbie.  are they trying to proclaim that God fails if we don't get our butts in gear?  :'(

[97531]

"The Gospel Is Good News Only If It Gets There In Time"

Actually there is truth in this.  Think about Lazerus, Jesus tarried, but when He got there He was still in time.

Heard something lke that on a song the other day, "when God's 4 days late, He's still just on time."

Rev 3:2-5  Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. For I have not found your works being fulfilled before God. 3  Remember then how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4  You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments. And they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5  The one who overcomes, this one will be clothed in white clothing. And I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Blessings

[LaurieJo]

Rev 3:2-5  Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. For I have not found your works being fulfilled before God. 3  Remember then how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4  You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments. And they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5  The one who overcomes, this one will be clothed in white clothing. And I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

The verse you underlined, Seeker, reminded me of a sign I saw a while back, in front of a Baptist church:

Jesus is Coming
Tonight at 7:30

 :hello2:

[dboutwell]

that's bizarre, debbie.  are they trying to proclaim that God fails if we don't get our butts in gear?  :'(

Tinka,Knowing the way they think, I think that's really what they are trying to do....motivate people to share the gospel.  It hasn't been that long ago that I thought the same way...

I know it never crosses their minds to think of it the way we do.

Just found it interesting     :)

Debbie

[martincisneros]

If people were genuinely falling into Hell every minute, inspite of the best laid plans of priests and church mice, then how many Christians would genuinely FREEZE in a moment of panic?  Even IF ET were true - which I'm not for a moment implying it is, or that I'm even thinking about it.  But even IF ET were true, UR would still be the best doctrine to preach from the practical side of making things at least LOOK hopeful to Christians [and as if we were "winning"] so that they'd be more ready/eager to share their faith.  It's always easier to act from a position of strength and assurance than dread and thinning out hopes...

[dboutwell]

many Christians would genuinely FREEZE in a moment of panic?

Well, they say they believe it! So how many are feezing in a moment of panic? None. When they do, that's when their journey into UR starts? Or at least that's how it happened with me.  Thank God!

Debbie 

[AbbasChild]

If people were genuinely falling into Hell every minute, inspite of the best laid plans of priests and church mice, then how many Christians would genuinely FREEZE in a moment of panic?  Even IF ET were true - which I'm not for a moment implying it is, or that I'm even thinking about it.  But even IF ET were true, UR would still be the best doctrine to preach from the practical side of making things at least LOOK hopeful to Christians [and as if we were "winning"] so that they'd be more ready/eager to share their faith.  It's always easier to act from a position of strength and assurance than dread and thinning out hopes...

  That's exactly it. And that's what should really motivate us to go out there and share the good news. After I began to see the true Gospel my wittnessing started to increase and I recogniced that I was subconciencly embaraced about the ET doctrine. I think it was Ravi Holy who said:"its like being a salesman who knows his product isn't really the best".

[Jacob1207]

... I recogniced that I was subconciencly embaraced about the ET doctrine. I think it was Ravi Holy who said:"its like being a salesman who knows his product isn't really the best".

What an excellent analogy.  I think that's exactly what it's like trying to spread a gospel that includes endless torment for so many people.

[fire walker]

I know Et preaching Reverend Jim Jones sure had many people hornsweageled and caught up in his deceptive religious clutches in the peoples temple, one of his old church signs I heard about and also heard it was advertised on radio years ago was "This Church Cares"

Peace
Fire Walker

[Redkora]

Jesus is Coming
Tonight at 7:30

 :hello2:

 

[arup]

When they do, that's when their journey into UR starts? Or at least that's how it happened with me. 

That makes two of us, Debbie.

Andrew

[Michael Dankoski]

I once passed a church called, literally, "First United Fire-Baptized Pentecostal Holiness Church in Jesus Name, Inc."

My wife made the comment that she hopes there's not a second! And I said you don't even have to go in the door, just drive past on Sunday and read the sign, and you got the whole thing!

[rockclimber]

When i was of the et belief. i felt it was my absolute duty and responsability to get as many people saved as possible and by any means possible, wether it be through fear or love. one time i went to New Orleans to Marti graw just for the purpose of spreading the "GOOD NEWS". i was carrying a large poster sign on a tall pole that read "TURN OR BURN" and the other side read "FLIP OR FRY". i really thought i was working for the Lord spreading the "GOOD NEWS". 
 

[fire walker]

There was this organized church institution
with all traditional design, stained glass windows and even had lamps along the walkway to the front entrance into the church building that I drove by almost every week, and for how long I can't say but I noticed that the same sign had been there for at least 2 months, the following week there was a for sale sign on the church and property, that week the church sign read God has gone out of business for lack of tithes. It appears to me God is still in control, it was the church leaders who seeing there was no more profit or excess
funds just walked out with no words of  appreciation or goodbyes, to me this was a very easy self explaining situation, there was no more profits in it so they quit.

As soon as I read that sign I already knew what the problem was without talking to anyone,(although I did ask someone questions after seeing the sign) this church had been marketing the Gospel, pumping and pressuring the members to tithe and donate for profits, the congregation had dwindled so much in size that all the pews were emptied of all but a few old members who were left  and the church could not be maintained financially any longer, the preacher never even said a word of appreciation, thankyou or goodbye to those remaining but just walked out the door one Sunday morning and never came back, his other church staff, deacons and such had already walked off and left a few days before that after their last financial meeting in the churches conference room.
These very situations are what God often uses, things that wake folks up to Babylon so their eyes have been opened and they come on out of her.

Peace,
Fire Walker

[fire walker]

This is an old thread, but the other day I had to laugh and then I remembered this thread. I passed by a church and the sign
read:    "paint your way to heaven before it's
too late! sign up, volunteer now for restoration work on our church"

Peace,
Fire Walker

[martincisneros]

"its like being a salesman who knows his product isn't really the best".

Before I understood regarding the Universal Restoration, I was generally too ashamed of the "turn or burn" Gospel that I'd inherited to ever share it with people.  If I'd share the Word, it would be all of this Word of Faith doctrine about how to pray effectively, how to this, how to that, or perhaps the latest thing from a Bible prophecy expatriate expert that would have additional reasons for why the world was completely going to hell before his next broadcast!  I never talked about the Lord Himself, or if I tried to get into this "plan that He has for your life," I wouldn't get into very many of the particulars before I'd get back to teaching on John 15:7, Mark 11:22-26, Colossians 3:12-17, John 16:23, etc. that's about fruitfulness and not about the particulars of God's plan for all of humanity.  But just simply to make the work of the Cross the most unconditionally loving thing that anyone could have ever done for anyone -- I couldn't do it.  I was always at a loss for how the most unconditional act of love in the history of humanity had the most conditions of any act of love you could think of.  I was conscious of the inherent spiritual rape going on in my paradigm, but it was a mystery to me as to why on a certain level the Gospel, as I understood it, was God's declaration of "Love Me or else!"  We put guys in prison, in this country, for making a declaration like that to a woman and then trying to act on it!

"paint your way to heaven before it's too late! sign up, voluteer now for restoration work on our church"

It used to be "turn or burn."  Now it's "paint or burn?"  I know I've heard the "tithe or burn" schtick before.  What's next?  Vacation Bible School for all of your little ones before they have to endure a Christless eternity?  Makes me want to attend their Bible School and their Christian Horror House in October!!  If they really believed what they claimed to believe, then they wouldn't have a single devil in their Christian Horror Houses.  They'd simply have a depiction of the Lord smelling all of the beautiful aromas coming out of Hell forever and ever.

Is this the reality of eternity?

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.

Christ:  Ah...that one's Hitler.  Smells just like Chicken today.  Ahh!!!  Not quite done yet.  Turn up the fire, Father.  He's acclimating to the fire, which will never do!  You should have seen his eyes bulging, St. Peter.  It was like a scene out of the movie Darkman.

St. Peter:  Thank You for showing the beauty of salvation in the contrast with all that You've damned.  Thank You for such amazing grace!  Thank You for such a complete salvation.

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.

Angels singing around the throne: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.

Father sitting on the throne looking at the torment of sinners and the eternal smugness of believers: I am well pleased!

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.

Christ beholding the torment and taking satisfaction because of His own unclosing wounds: Oooo!  That one's a pastor's son that's screaming!  I told him repeatedly that if he didn't love Me that I'd show him what real misery was, but he didn't believe Me.  So, he's getting what he eternally deserves, [even though I paid for his sins,] because he failed to appropriate My free gift before it was forever and ever too late.

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.

Father sitting on the throne looking at the torment of sinners and the eternal smugness of believers: I am well pleased!

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.


Is this the reality of the Cross?  Is this really what Jesus paid for??  Is this the eternity that God's opted for???  Is this really the future built on an old rugged Cross????

[Average_Bear]

"Nothing's too hard for God" outside an AG church. Great message. But you get a different one inside. One of the pastors said something like "If you go off into eternity without Christ, there is nothing God can do about it"  Seriously, he really said that.

[martincisneros]

"Nothing's too hard for God" outside an AG church. Great message. But you get a different one inside. One of the pastors said something like "If you go off into eternity without Christ, there is nothing God can do about it"  Seriously, he really said that.

Your greatest scientists will say that the geocentric and the heliocentric perspectives on the movements of the cosmos are 100% equivalents because of how all of the universe is expanding and in constant movement.  Yet the heliocentric view of the solar system is probably still thought to be in opposition to how God created the heavens and earth by some.  Others probably naively think that the geocentric view has been totally disproven forever.  There's still a flat earth society.  Seriously.  I could sooner believe in a flat earth than to ever go back and believe in all of the limitations of eternal punishment, eternal separation, or eternal death.  I can't believe that I used to believe in and impose so many limitations on God.  The KJV was creating a god in the image of fallen man: vengeful; unrelenting in destruction, misery, and pain; so easily foiled in his redemptive plans; so easily kept away from the objects of his desire; so easily competed with by sin and the will of man, etc.  No wonder I could never FULLY worship Him prior to seeing and embracing UR.  I embraced the Lordship of Jesus Christ on January 1st, 1990 at midnight, but my new birth wasn't until 2001 'cause it wasn't until then that I started seeing and entering the Kingdom in fullness.

[Our Wings are Burning]

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.

Christ:  Ah...that one's Hitler.  Smells just like Chicken today.  Ahh!!!  Not quite done yet.  Turn up the fire, Father.  He's acclimating to the fire, which will never do!  You should have seen his eyes bulging, St. Peter.  It was like a scene out of the movie Darkman.

St. Peter:  Thank You for showing the beauty of salvation in the contrast with all that You've damned.  Thank You for such amazing grace!  Thank You for such a complete salvation.

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.

Angels singing around the throne: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.

Father sitting on the throne looking at the torment of sinners and the eternal smugness of believers: I am well pleased!

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.

Christ beholding the torment and taking satisfaction because of His own unclosing wounds: Oooo!  That one's a pastor's son that's screaming!  I told him repeatedly that if he didn't love Me that I'd show him what real misery was, but he didn't believe Me.  So, he's getting what he eternally deserves, [even though I paid for his sins,] because he failed to appropriate My free gift before it was forever and ever too late.

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.

Father sitting on the throne looking at the torment of sinners and the eternal smugness of believers: I am well pleased!

Sinner being engulfed in additional flames:  *screams, shrieks, moans, grunts, groans, sighs* as a new layer of skin supernaturally comes off and is sacrificed to the flames.


Is this the reality of the Cross?  Is this really what Jesus paid for??  Is this the eternity that God's opted for???  Is this really the future built on an old rugged Cross????

Wow, that is probably the most hilarious thing I've read in a while.  I nearly burst out into hysterical fits in the middle of the college library.  I have the same problem when I'm at a Christian event and the speaker says something like, "It's either Heaven or thisplacethatIdon'treallywanttomentionbutitexistssoI'dbetter called Hell, which is eternal separation from God."

Seriously, every time I hear Hell mentioned in a church or something, a smile immediately comes to my face.  It's a mixture of joy from being free from that fear, incredulousness (is that a word?) at the fact that people actually believe this stuff, and a little arrogance that I know better.  I'm trying to get rid of the last two attitudes :).