Showing posts with label sin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sin. Show all posts

Monday, March 9, 2015

Hell Hath Enlarged Itself

Yesterday on Sunday, March 8, 2015, I had read two articles by David W. Daniels on Chick Tracts called "Gehenna is not hell, is it?" and "Who Needs Hell?"  Daniels was responding to a skeptical reader who had sent him a question about "gehenna," the Greek word that is translated into "hell" in English. This reader sought to prove that gehenna does not mean hell, but Daniels did an excellent job of proving that gehenna most certainly does mean hell.

The skeptic tried to make the false claim that all Bible translations prior to 1400 AD did not contain the English word "hell."  However, Daniels proved that the Wycliffe Bible of 1380 did in fact contain the word "hell" for the Greek word "gehenna." And all the versions after that one until the late 1800's contained the word hell.

"No Hell" Bibles
So I did some research on "no hell" Bibles, and found that Young's Literal Translation (1863) was the first Bible translation that did not contain the word "hell" at all. In fact, there is an observable trend whereby modern Bible translators since that time have been moving away from using the word "hell." The "Authorized" King James Version (1611) contained the word "hell" 31 times in the Old Testament and 23 times in the New Testament for a total of 54 times in the Bible. The New King James Version only contains "hell" 19 times in the Old Testament and 13 times in the New Testament for a total of 32 times. The New International Version (best-selling English Bible) contains the word "hell" only 14 times in the entire Bible, and all of those are found in the New Testament. The New American Standard Bible is about the same, except the number of times is 13 and they are all in the New Testament.  There are now 28 "no hell" Bibles in existence that do not contain the word hell one single time!

Hell Hath Enlarged Itself
Very early this morning, Monday, March 9, 2015, I arose before dawn. During my morning devotions, I had been reading the verses in the Geneva Bible of 1599 containing the word "hell." One of those verses was Isaiah 5:14. It says in that version:

"Therefore hell hath enlarged itself, and hath opened his mouth without measure, and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth among them, shall descend into it."

I was led by the Holy Spirit to study about hell this morning, and just happened to be reading the verse from Isaiah 5:14, in which it says that hell has enlarged itself and opened its mouth all the way.  I was specifically observing that in this verse, the Hebrew word "sheol" was translated using the English word "hell" in the 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV).

This verse literally means that hell has enlarged itself and opened its mouth completely.  I have also heard a sister from Hungary testify of this, whom the Lord took to hell.  She said, "Then we started to go down through the hole, and this hole was enormous. And the Lord said that there was a stairway leading down, but they don’t use it anymore because so many souls are going down that it became this wide."

It is also important to note that in that verse in the Greek Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament composed in the third century BC), the Jewish translators used the Greek word "hades" for the Hebrew word "sheol," thus making them synonymous. "Hades" is the Greek word translated as "hell" in the GNV and KJV versions of the New Testament (e.g., Lk 16:23; Mat. 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; Acts 2:27,31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13,14). On the other hand, most modern versions transliterate the term, "hades," which is a meaningless term to most readers.  By transliterating a word, the letters of that word in the original alphabet in which it was written are simply changed to their equivalent English letters, and the word is left untranslated!  This is what the enemy has systematically done to "sanitize" the Bible and delete the word "hell" from it.

Lastly, "hell is never satisfied," according to the Bible says in Proverbs 30:15-17. Although the Hebrew word "sheol" and its Greek synonym "hades" are used in that verse, most English versions translate these words as "grave."  But the Scripture says that hell is one of three things that are never satisfied and four that never say "enough."

Silly Talk, Course Joking, and Gossiping
Two days ago, on Saturday, March 7, 2015, I was sharing with my family this little study below about silly talk.

You see, the joy of the Lord is our strength. It is a fruit of the Spirit, and there is no law against it. The Lord has a great sense of humor. But His smiles and joy are so loving, kind, gentle, gracious, and always pure. He doesn't get laughs at other people's expense, for example.

We need the Lord to help us not to open our mouths so easily, and to avoid idle words or chatter.

The word for silly talk in Eph 5:4 is the Greek word mōrologia, meaning "silly talk, that is, buffoonery: - foolish talking". (Strongs).

Morologia comes from two root words. The first word is moro, meaning literally "dull or stupid (as if shut up), that is, heedless, (morally) blockhead, (apparently) absurd: - fool (-ish, -ishness)." (Strongs).

The second of the two root words for morologia is lego, meaning "ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say (-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter." (Strongs)

Buffoonery means "The arts and practices of a buffoon; low jests; ridiculous pranks; vulgar tricks and postures."  One commonly used type of low jest is sarcasm.

When I shared all of this with my family on Saturday, I also mentioned "course joking."  I told them that includes dirty jokes.  It also includes vulgar wittiness or gestures that are meant to be funny but are actually obscene. These things are sins and we as Christians must avoid them.

And one more thing that happened recently was that only five days ago on March 4, 2015, someone left a comment on one of my blogs.  The reader asked me to give a definition of gossip.  Here is what I responded with:

Gossip in 2 Cor 12:20 comes from the Greek word "psithurismos" meaning (a whisper; by implication a slander; whispering, that is, secret detraction: - whispering. (Strongs). In 1 Tim 3:11, "gossips" comes from the Greek word "diabolos" meaning a traducer; specifically Satan; false accuser, devil, slanderer. (Strongs).

Webster's dictionary says gossip can mean "To run about and tattle; to tell idle tales." It can also mean "To prate; to chat; to talk much." It can mean "Mere tattle; idle talk." Also a gossip can be the person who does the gossiping. In other words, "One who runs from house to house, tattling and telling news; an idle tattler."

Slander is "A false tale or report maliciously uttered. and tending to injure the reputation of another by lessening him in the esteem of his fellow citizens..." (Webster). It can also mean "To defame; to injure by maliciously uttering a false report respecting one; to tarnish or impair the reputation of one by false tales, maliciously told or propagated." (Webster). I hope that helps. [End comment].

That was the content of my response to the reader asking about gossip. I think it is not just a coincidence that Rachael said in her email today, "The Lord showed me the punishment for gossipers, liars, people who tell dirty jokes, dirty stories, and use their tongues in sin."

The Scriptures say, "The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out." (Pr 10:31, NKJV).

"Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked." (Pr 10:6, NKJV).

"Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction." (Pr 10:14, NKJV).

"May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, And the tongue that speaks proud things." (Ps 12:3, NKJV).

Often times people fail to realize that these Scriptures literally mean what they say.  In hell the demons will cut out perverse tongues and tongues that speak proud things. They will cut off flattering lips, cover the mouth of the wicked with violence and destroy their mouths. The problem is not that God has failed to warn us in His Word, it is that we have failed to believe it.

Putting it All Together
May the Lord help each one of us to take this message seriously and repent while we still have the chance to do so.  Repent of your sin and turn to God. Unbelievers, cowards, murderers, the immoral, idolaters, liars, gossipers, slanderers, witches, homosexuals, perverts, fornicators, adulterers, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, smokers, addicts, and all who are pursuing the world will find themselves in hell. Jesus died to save you from that place. Today is the day of salvation. Mercy is only available on earth.  Let's prepare in holiness for the Lord's soon return.

Author's note: This article originally stated incorrectly that John Wesley's New Testament (1755) did not contain the word "hell".  That was a mistake on the part of the source I was quoting, for which I apologize. Wesley's translation was merely an update or revision of the King James Version of the New Testament, and it certainly contained the word "hell", which you can verify for yourself. As Wesley himself said in his preface, the changes he made to the Authorized Version were relatively minor.

I also want to mention that the Geneva Bible was once the most popular English Bible among Protestants, and it continued to be for decades after the first release of the King James Version in 1611! It is known as the “Bible of the Protestant Reformation.”  The Geneva was also the first Bible taken to America, and the Bible of the Puritans and Pilgrims. I encourage you to read it with it's accompanying notes. I also encourage you to read the prayers found in the Geneva Bible as well.

You are invited to read or listen to more amazing testimonies of the supernatural like this below.  You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations Ask for the Ancient Paths Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven
Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies Forty Days in Heaven and Hell
Lynn Veasley's Revelation of Hell Nigerian Pastor Raised from the Dead Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Is Contraception a Sin?

In this post I'd like to explore the topic of contraception and seek to answer the question whether or not it is a sin. Of course, Scripture is our sole rule of faith, so we will need to examine what the Bible says on this topic in a moment. But let me preface that by giving you five points to consider like the five cute little toes on the healthy, newborn baby's foot pictured to the left.  So snuggle up on the couch with your spouse, perhaps by the fireplace, and read this together prayerfully.

Five Points to Consider
First of all, up until 1930, no Protestant denomination accepted birth control.  It was not until the Anglican Church at that time compromised and endorsed contraceptive use among married couples that this began to slip into the church.  And the Anglicans have also led the charge in numerous other compromises that have led to great sin in the church, such as blessing homosexual couples, and even ordaining homosexual bishops!  So we should beware of following the lead of the Anglican church on any matter, lest we end up way off course like they have become.

There are still perhaps tens of thousands of non-Catholic Christians who firmly believe it is a sin against Almighty Creator God to use contraception. There are even some anti-contraception movements, one of which is called the Quiverfull movement, which derives its name from the words of Ps 127:3-5, where a blessed man's many children are figuratively spoken of as arrows in a full quiver. Therefore, some Quiverfull people prefer to view what they are doing as a return to an old, biblical ideal, rather than a modern movement. Evidence of its ancient Judeo-Christian roots may still be found in modern Orthodox Judaism, in which abstinence is the only permissible birth control method, except for limited circumstances where contraceptive use may be permitted for health reasons (danger to the mother or to the potential child). Even so, the couple must be committed to eventually fulfilling mitzvah to be fruitful and multiply, since they have an obligation to procreate.

Secondly, you can read an excellent, non-biased article about this on Wikipedia, which is a secular-based online encyclopedia in which anyone can write an article and multiple users can contribute to the same article. The article, entitled Protestant Views on Contraception, presents both sides of the matter.  Rather than quote large sections of the article, I strongly recommend reading it. But here are a few brief quotes:

"In general, most liberal Protestants and Anglicans hold relatively settled views that accept [the] use of contraception, while debate is ongoing among conservative Evangelicals, especially as to which types are and are not acceptable...all major early Protestant Reformers, and indeed Protestants in general until the twentieth century, condemned birth control as a contravention of God's procreative purpose for marriage...As scientists advanced birth control methods during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some Protestants continued to reject them...During the 30 years [after the Anglican Church's first statement permitting birth control], Protestant acceptance of birth control steadily increased."

In fact by 1960 the National Council of Churches declared a liberal policy on the use of contraceptives, which they said should be left up to each couple to decide for themselves.  The article further states:

"Highly conservative Protestants such as Mary Pride, Charles D. Provan, Hess and Hess, and Rachel Scott, argue that Protestants should not have moved away from traditional Protestant views of contraception such as given by Martin Luther and John Calvin. Such modern authors contrast the views of early Reformers who rejected contraception with modern Christians who accept it, and point to primarily feminist, secular, or Satanic influences as causative to the change."

Thirdly, there is also an article called Arrows for War by Kathryn Joyce that presents the views of the people who believe contraception is a sin, including some of the unhealthy extremes found within the movement.

Fourthly, there are also books written on this topic. The gold standard seems to be Rick and Jan Hess's 1989 book, A Full Quiver: Family Planning and the Lordship of Christ, which formed the basis for the establishment of the Quiverfull movement.  According to Kathryn Joyce, the book "argues that God, as the 'Great Physician' and sole 'Birth Controller,' opens and closes the womb on a case-by-case basis. Women's attempts to control their own bodies--the Lord's temple--are a seizure of divine power." (Kathryn Joyce, Arrows for War).

Fifthly, my friend, Yves Nahishakiye in Dublin created a three-and-a-half minute video about this topic, called "God Hates Contraception," which he posted in June 2012, and which is no longer available on the internet since Youtube shut down his account.  The video relies heavily on the passage about Onan, in Genesis 38:9-10, in which he refused to provide offspring for his brother, and instead spilled his seed (semen) on the ground during intercourse with his brother's widow Tamar. He is the only person ever recorded in the Bible to have committed this sin.

Scriptural Basis
The adherents to these viewpoints are seemingly intelligent people who sincerely believe the Bible teaches us that contraception is a sin.  They have based their beliefs on three Scripture passages: Gen 1:28; Gen 38:9-10 (Onan), and Ps 127.

Be Fruitful and Multiply
In the account of Creation, God commanded man to be fruitful and multiply.  The Scripture says, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"  (Gen 1:27-28). That commandment has never been revoked by God and is still in force today, and it applies to more than just reproduction of babies. It also applies to making disciples, as I have written about it in my article called Multiplication. You can be sure of this: the devil worries when he sees the disciples of Christ multiplying.

The Great Wickedness of Onan
Then there is the controversial account of Er and Onan in Genesis 38.  I realize there are many views about this passage.  And in the past, I have perhaps always viewed the sin of Onan to be that he refused to fulfill his God-given duty to provide offspring for his brother.  At that time, they did not yet have the Law of Moses to teach them this commandment, yet Judah the patriarch knew this was one of the commandments of God since the Creation, and he commanded his son Onan to enable his brother's widow to multiply.

I have always felt that this refusal to procreate for his deceased brother was the great wickedness for which God put him to death, rather than that he simply used a primitive form of contraception.  Tamar had no children at all, and he refused to give her any. To me that seemed to be different from the broader issue of using a method of controlling child birth with one's wife, if other children had been born already or were planned in the future.  So it seemed like a weak Scriptural basis for prohibiting all forms of birth control under any circumstance. But on the other hand, at the most basic level, it is a clear case of man refusing to obey God's command to be fruitful and multiply, which would have been handed down to Judah from Adam with respect to God's original command to be fruitful and multiply. He apparently engaged in sex for purely selfish reasons to satisfy his own physical desire for pleasure.

Children Are Gifts from God
In Psalm 127, it says that children are a gift of the Lord given as a reward to parents.  They are a blessing from the Lord, like arrows in a man's quiver.

"Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate. (Psa 127:1-5)

So children are a gift from God. And it is well known that in any culture it is usually considered rude to refuse a gift from someone.  So it seems the same would apply to refusing a gift from God.  It presents another angle from which to see this from God's viewpoint.  It is not just disobedience to His command (Ge 1:28), but refusal to receive His gifts, precious human beings, which are made in His own image (Ge 1:27).

There are also other Scriptural bases for the position that birth control is sin. Here are some examples.

God Knows, Calls, and Appoints Pre-born Children
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jer 1:5).

God told Jeremiah that He knew him before He formed him in the womb.  This means that God knows us and calls us to His service before we are even born.  He has had a plan and a purpose for each of our lives from before the foundation of the world, which has the potential to change nations. People are foreordained just as Jeremiah was. As Sharon White wrote about her father in The Man Who Talked with Angels, "God has included you in His great unfolding plan, but He will not violate your will. You can choose to experience the joy and excitement of being in partnership with Him." Therefore, if we abort a fetus, we terminate a human life that God knows and has plans for, and if we prevent the conception of that human being, then we change God's perfect plan.

Let the Little Children Come
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Mt 19:14, NIV). The Lord commanded that we should let little children come to Him without hindering them, and that should include unborn babies, too. The Lord loves little children!  They are the very essence of heaven!

To Welcome a Child is to Welcome Jesus
"Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me." (Mar 9:37)

Your Body is Not Your Own
The apostle Paul also said, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" (1 Cor 6:19).  Since your body is not your own, and it belongs to God, then it is up to Him to do with it what He pleases. He should be in control of our bodies and their reproductive process, not us.

Present Your Bodies A Living And Holy Sacrifice
Paul also wrote, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Rom 12:1). Since we are to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice, then we surrender our will to His will and allow Him to do with our bodies whatever He pleases whenever He pleases.

Multiplication is Good Stewardship
In the parable of the talents (Mt 25:14-30), the Master commended as "good and faithful servants" the ones who multiplied the talents they received from Him. However, He condemned as a “wicked, lazy servant” the one who buried his talent in the ground.  While this passage is not specifically about reproduction, it applies to anything God has given us, including money, talents, abilities, gifts, and reproductive seed. The ways of God are the same, regardless of the specific area of life.  Hence, those who multiply their God-given, reproductive seed are considered good and faithful servants, while those who bury their seed are considered wicked and lazy.

The Marriage Bed Must Be Kept Pure
Paul also wrote, "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." (Heb 13:4).  We must avoid bringing anything into the marriage bed or doing anything in it that would defile it, which I explained in A Warning for Married Christian Couples.

A Man’s Blessed Fountain Must Be Kept Pure
The Scripture refers to a man’s reproductive organ, and that which flows from it, as a fountain. “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.” (Prov 5:18). It is God's will to bless a man's fountain, but there are certain conditions that must be met in order for Him to do so. For example, he must keep it pure by avoiding all forms of sexual immorality and other acts that defile it.

Women's Child-Bearing Role 
Paul wrote to Timothy, "But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety." (1Ti 2:15, NIV).  The King James Version has it, "she shall be saved in childbearing." Either way you translate it, you have a clear definition of the woman's role being one of bearing children, while continuing in faith, love, and holiness with propriety.  Since that is her God-given role in marriage, then the modern concept of a woman's role as defined by the liberal, secular feminist movement stands in stark contrast to the biblical one. They view prohibitions on birth control as a means to control female sexuality and independence.

God Opens and Closes the Womb
In the Scriptures, we find that just as children are a blessing from the Lord, barrenness is a curse.  And we learn that it is only God who opens and closes the womb.

“He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD!” (Psa 113:9)

“Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb.” (Gen 30:22)

"Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous Than the sons of the married woman," says the LORD. Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords And strengthen your pegs. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations And will resettle the desolate cities. (Isa 54:1-3)

“Sarai was barren; she had no child.” (Gen 11:30)

"Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." (Gen 18:14)

The Scripture says of Hannah that “The LORD had closed her womb. Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.” (1Sa 1:5b-6,10)

“Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren…Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, ‘Give me children, or else I die.’" (Gen 29:31; 30:1)

“Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.” (Gen 25:21)

"There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.” (Exo 23:26)

"You shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle.” (Deu 7:14)

Also see my articles about the Miraculous Birth of Jesus and The Ways of Life.

Forms of Contraception
There are many forms of birth control today. I will highlight just a few:

Abortion is not actually a form of contraception, or method of preventing conception, but the murder of an unborn baby after it has been conceived in the womb.  This is clearly a sin, since the Lord commands us "You shall not murder." (Ex 20:13). It is estimated that one in four pre-born babies are aborted, and there are approximately 1.21 million abortions in America each year.  The many forms of abortion that are used are horrible and detestable in God's sight. If you have ever committed this sin, then repent and as the Lord to forgive you in the name of Jesus.

Some people also murder babies right after they are born, which is called infanticide and is from the devil.  One type of infanticide is the ancient practice of exposing babies to the elements until they die, which was practiced widely in Greece.  The Israelites also followed the pagan practice of sacrificing their children to Baal, by burning them in the fire on the altar.

The Lord said, "You slaughtered My children and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire." (Eze 16:21)

"And the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim." (2Ki 17:31)

Another form of infanticide is drowning, as Pharaoh of Egypt once commanded the people to do (Exo 1:22).  Likewise King Herod ordered the slaughter of innocent babies in first-century Palestine around the time of Christ's birth (Mat 2:16).  One thing that both the Lord Jesus and Moses had in common is that God supernaturally rescued them both as babies from attempted infanticide.

God hates the shedding of innocent blood, whether it is in the womb or outside the womb (Proverbs 6:16-19; Deuteronomy 19:10; 2 Kings 24:2-4; Genesis 4:10; Psalm 72:12-14; Ezekiel 35:6)!  If you have ever committed this sin, then repent and as the Lord to forgive you in the name of Jesus.

“Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 18:21)

“The LORD said...‘Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him. . . . by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. . . . If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech . . . I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him...” (Leviticus 20:1-5)

Barrier methods are ones which form a barrier that blocks the sperm from reaching the womb, where they would otherwise be able to fertilize the woman's egg.  They include such things as condoms, female condoms (femidoms), intrauterine devices (i.e., IUD, coil), and diaphragms (a cervical cap shaped like a dome that covers the female cervix), which typically also involve a spermicidal gel that inhibits sperm from traveling to the uterus where they could otherwise fertilize an egg. When barriers are used, the semen is captured in the condom or diaphragm and either thrown in the trash can or washed down the drain.  This ultimately has the same net result as spilling a man's seed on the ground as Onan did (Gen 38:9-10).  Incidentally, in Judaism, it is well-established that methods that destroy the seed or block its passage are not permitted, thus condoms are not permitted for birth control.

My wife did some research on the IUD, also known as a coil, which is a device placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy. She discovered that this device can cause an abortion, and probably does so more than we realize. While it is not clear how the IUD prevents pregnancy, some articles state that it either prevents ovulation or simply destroys the sperm by means of the copper or hormones contained in it (depending on which type is used). However, what some of these articles do not even mention is that the copper or hormones inside of it cause the thinning in the uterus lining, which prevents an already fertilized egg (which is a living human being) from implanting into the uterus wall so that it can begin to grow and develop.  This is abortion. This device has also been used to abort a fertilized egg after conception, as it is inserted by a physician after intercourse.

Something else to consider about all of these various barriers is that they are artificial, man-made implements that you are putting in your body. In fact, the side effects of using a diaphragm (also called occlusive pessary) include risks of increased vaginal discharge, vaginal irritation, ulceration, bleeding, and dyspareunia (painful intercourse for the male or female).  Likewise, spermicides used with these cervical domes can cause painful irritation during intercourse. You have to pray and ask God whether all these artificial things are the property of satan, in which case you would be defiling the marriage bed by using them. If you have sinned, then repent.

There are also birth control pills, which are hormone-based drugs that prevent a woman from ovulating, or producing an egg. These chemicals keep her from experiencing the normal phases of fertility, so she is unable to conceive a child. But as with all forms of birth control, it is not one hundred percent effective.  It can also result in abortion of a baby within the womb (Ex 20:13), as well as birth defects in the event that a child is born while using the pill or after stopping its use.  It has adverse side-effects on a woman's mind, relationships, and body, and may even lead to breast cancer in women.

Coitus interruptus is also known as the withdrawal or pull-out method, which Onan used to spill his seed on the ground, and for which God struck him dead (Gen 38:9-10). It is understood that this method involves masturbation in order to complete the act. This is also a sin, even if done to you by your spouse, as I wrote about in A Warning for Married Christian Couples.

There are also morning-after pills, which is an emergency form of contraception that causes a spontaneous abortion of the newly conceived child in the womb, when taken the morning after sexual intercourse.  This is also murder, whenever an unborn baby is killed by this chemical.

Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure on a woman's fallopian tubes that renders her infertile, so that her eggs can no longer pass from her ovaries each month into her womb. 

Vasectomy is a surgery that renders a man sterile by cutting his vas deferens, so that his semen no longer contains sperm.  In Kathryn Joyce's article, Arrows for War, she tells of a man named Christopher Scott, who was concerned about finances after his wife Rachel gave birth to their fourth child. His pastor was urging him to get a vasectomy.  Christopher saw a warrior angel in his dream. A "large...warrior angel" with a flaming sword that he pointed at Christopher's genitals, telling him, "Do not change God's plan." Afterward I assume he cancelled the surgery, because his wife became a Quiverfull activist.

Natural Family Planning
Natural Family Planning (NFP) involves a woman daily tracking on a chart throughout each month her signs and symptoms, such as basal body temperature, mucous secretions, and number of days since her last menstruation, in order to determine when she is fertile. There is a rhythm of sterility and fertility, and women only ovulate once per menstrual cycle. So the couple can determine to either avoid sexual relations when she is fertile, or else target those fertile days, if they are trying to get pregnant. 

This method is based on abstinence and self-control, against which there is no law. Even the apostle Paul said that there are times where a married couple may agree to abstain from sexual relations for a period of time for the purpose of devotion to prayer (1 Cor 7:5).

I personally don't really see anything wrong with this method, as long as it is not used to completely prevent having any children, and is rather used to wisely plan the timing of when they are conceived, as well as the size of the family. We have used this method ourselves. 

My Own Journey and Opinion
Len Lacroix as a baby in 1966
I have been married for twenty-one years to my lovely wife Jennifer, and we have five precious children, who are all gifts from God.  We are so thankful for each one of them, and they are truly blessings to us. They glorify the Lord in so many ways both privately and publicly, such as their lovely artwork and poems posted on A Brush with Life and Verses to the King. In fact, I am writing this article on the sixth birthday of our fifth child, and on my twenty-ninth spiritual birthday.

I myself am the youngest of nine children. When I was a teenager, I once wished I had never been born. But when I later came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, The Truth Set Me Free! I was filled with love, joy, and thanks to God for giving me life! Sometimes in our moments of spiritual blindness, we question God's wisdom in creating us or other human beings, but when we enter into His presence we see His perfect wisdom in it all.

I very clearly recall the day in the summer of 2008 when Jennifer informed me that she was pregnant with our fifth child, which was a surprise due to contraceptive failure.  We had sold our home and most of our other property in 2006 in preparation to go overseas as missionaries.  We had moved into a two-bedroom apartment with all four of our children in one room and my own office squeezed into our bedroom.  I had left the lucrative corporate world, and we were living on savings, as well as a meager income from a new self-employed marketing job I was doing from home. In the two years since we began preparing to go to the mission field, we had been unable to raise more than a small percentage of our necessary financial support.

Now we were at the point where we had to make a decision to go or not to go to the mission field of Eastern Europe, which we knew God had called us to.  And I was already worried we wouldn't be able to go due to our terrible financial situation.  So when Jennifer shared the news of her fifth pregnancy with me, I battled with intense spiritual warfare.  The devil tried to bind me with fear, doubt, and unbelief.  I suddenly felt so depressed! The battle lasted about two hours, during which time I was mostly silent. But in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord made me victorious that day!

I overcame those temptations with the Lord's help as I began to do what I knew the Scripture commanded me to do. It says to give thanks in all things and praise the Lord at all times. So I repented for giving place to the enemy and not being joyful when Jennifer told me the good news of her pregnancy.  Then I told her that we needed to just begin to thank God and praise Him with all our hearts for everything we could think of, including this child in her womb.  As we did, the Lord lifted me out of the pit and set my feet on the rock to stay.  Hallelujah! I found strength in the Lord my God! The darkness lifted as the demons departed from me. 

As it was, we later prayed and fasted about whether to go to the mission field, and the Lord clearly told us He would support us, and that we should just go.  So when our board heard that, they unanimously approved us to go, which we did in October 2008 (without having the necessary financial support).  The baby was born in Hungary in 2009, and the Lord provided for the entire childbirth.  We lacked nothing and He has continued to provide for us since then.  We are so thankful for that child and he brings so much joy to our lives.  I hope that testimony encourages someone who may be worried that they cannot afford to have children.  God always provides.

Therefore, I humbly submit to you that even if someone does not share this point of view, they should not say it is of the devil simply because they don't believe it.  They should understand that it is a sincerely held belief of tens of thousands of Christians, just as they hold their own sincere belief that contraception is not a sin.  And we will all have to give an account to God for our actions.

In fact, the belief that contraception is a sin was the original view of the Church, based on the divine revelation of God's inspired Word, and the acceptance of birth control only came within the past hundred years, during the twentieth century. The acceptance of birth control within the Church all began with a compromise by the liberal, Anglican Church. And if the Church had not followed their lead, it would not have ever gone astray from its historical viewpoint on birth control. 

The Bible as a whole speaks of contraception and infertility in negative terms. So if contraception is not good, why do it? If infertility is not good, why induce it artificially? Usually it is because we see some immediate or long-term advantage, or because of fear, doubt, and unbelief. Yet we fail to remember that the Lord is our Helper and the One who sustains us.  He is our Provider. He gently leads those with young.  Contraception and infertility are not gifts from God, but rather children are gifts from Him. He has commanded us to be fruitful and multiply.

So this anti-contraception message should not be viewed as new, eccentric, heretical, demonic, or what have you, but as another point of view that may in fact be the truth. And it may be that the false view from satan is the one that allows contraception and says it is not a sin. He is the sly devil who always tells people that what God says is sin is not a sin.  So it is the ones who are claiming that artificial contraception is not a sin who should be viewed as defending the devil. They are actually the real newcomers on the block.

Since this is a very serious matter that could have eternal consequences for your soul and that of your spouse, you owe it to yourself to take this to the Lord in prayer and be sure you hear from Him on it. Pray that the Holy Spirit will expose anything hidden in your life that must go. Repent and believe, for the kingdom of heaven is near. Jesus Christ is coming right away, but He is only coming for the holy ones, so we need to prepare ourselves. Any changes you make should be out of total love for Jesus, understanding Who He is and who you are in Him. Your attitude should be that because you love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will do whatever pleases Him by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. "Jesus Loves the Little Children," "Little Precious Ones," and "All God's Children" © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. The images of the baby's foot in Daddy's hand and the baby on Daddy's rocking chair are property of Leonard Lacroix and may not be used without permission. The image of the baby's hand is from an unknown source found online. If you know the source, or if it is yours, please notify me so I may give proper credit.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like God's Amazing Plan for Your Life, A Warning for Married Christian Couples, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Multiplication, The Ways of Life, The Rise of Antichrists, Ibrahim's Experience in Hell, The Judgment Seat of Christ, Miraculous Birth of Jesus, A Trip to Hell, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell, Is Obedience Optional?, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian, An Open Mind that Loves the Truth, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Restored Truth, Pleasing the Lord, Testing the Spirits of False Prophets, A Warning to the Nay Sayers, and the other posts on the home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Nine Divine Revelations

In my previous articles, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness and Holy Living in a Perverted World, I have exposed the broad path of worldliness that so many have taken, which leads to destruction. I have also called the Church back to the narrow path of holiness that our Lord Jesus requires of all who follow Him, which leads to life.  It seems as though so much of the world has gotten into the Church that we no longer recognize the worldly things in our lives. We simply don't realize the extent to which we have compromised. In this present post, I would like to highlight two of those things in particular that are very commonly accepted among Christian believers, which are drunkenness and smoking cigarettes.

First of all, the Scripture is very clear about this. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, the apostle Paul wrote: “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

The natural tendency when we hear this is to debate about what it means to be drunk or to come up with our own definition of drunkenness, so that it will allow us to continue with our habit.  But let's look at what the Lord has shown several different individuals through divine revelations of hell that were given to them.

Adelaida De Carrillo
Adelaida De Carrillo
A sister named Adelaida De Carrillo from Bolivia was taken to heaven and cleansed of defilement.  She said:

"Then my nose went through the same process, a black liquid came out of my nose and later a white one. My nose was anointed, but the whole process was very painful. I said, 'Lord please tell me the things I did with my nose that didn't please you.'"

"The Lord said to me, 'Some of your clients smoke cigarettes and you breathe in that smoke through your nostrils because you were once a smoker and you still feel comfortable sitting with them while they are smoking.'  I said, 'Lord, I know, forgive me, have mercy on me.'”

"The Lord said, 'You are the same with all those smoking cigarettes and all that drink alcohol whenever you stay there with them breathing in the smell of the cigarette or alcoholic drinks.'  . . . 'This is my reason for cleansing you, so from today whenever you see anyone smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol you won't be comfortable among them any more, it will rather disgust you.'”

In hell she saw the souls of the alcoholics.  She said:

"The Lord took me to another place in Hell that appeared like a big club. I heard the souls there shouting and crying for mercy. I asked, 'What is going on here?'

"Jesus said, 'Take this message to all those drinking alcoholic drinks, to all those drinking alcohol day and night, to all those drinking into their body things that don't edify them, to all those using even their children's money for alcoholic drinks, take this message to all those women that drink alcohol, for them to amend their ways through this message.'"

"I saw a table placed before these lost souls.  On the table were drinks, and the souls were forced to drink against their will. They were engulfed in flames, and in the bottles they were drinking from was just acid.  I saw how their souls exploded and cried, 'Lord nooo! I can't take this anymore.'”

"I saw a man in Hell.  While on Earth the Lord had sent an Evangelist to him while He was drinking in a bar. The Evangelist told him to give his life to Jesus Christ, because the Evangelist felt he was going to die soon. This man insulted the Evangelist; calling her a mad woman. That same day, he came out of the bar drunk, he had an accident and now he is in Hell.  He was being forced to drink in Hell, he tries to escape the torment, but the demons would not let him, he will be tormented Hell forever."

Adelaida also saw cigarette smokers in hell! She said:

"Cigarette smokers also have a place in Hell!  All those smoking marijuana have their place in Hell, they are tormented forever."

You may read more at Adelaida De Carillo's testimony of heaven and hell.

Emmanuel Agyarko
Brother Emmanuel Agyarko from Ghana was taken to hell in a vision and said: "I was later shown two people who were in hell for smoking. So people have to know that smoking would take them to hell."

You may read more in the Vision of Hell by Emmanuel Agyarko.

Ayodelle Sawyer
Sister Ayodelle Sawyer from Sierra Leone was taken to hell, where she saw her father, and one reason he was there was that he had been a drunkard.

You may read more in Sister Ayo - a Revelation of Heaven and Hell.

Angelica Zambrano
Angelica Zambrano
A sister from Ecuador named Angelica Zambrano was taken to heaven and hell.  In hell she saw a young man in torment, who had used drugs and alcohol. She testified:

"The Lord said to me, 'Are you ready to see what I am going to show you?'  'Yes, Lord,' I said.  He took me to a cell where I could see a young man being tormented among the flames.  I noticed that the cell was enumerated, though I couldn't understand the numbers, they seemed to be backward.  There was a huge plaque in that cell, and the young man had the number '666' on his forehead.  He also had a big metallic plate that was encrusted into his skin.  The worms that were eating him, were unable to damage that plate; neither did the flames burn it.  He screamed, 'Lord, have mercy on me.  Take me out of this place.  Forgive me, Lord!'  But Jesus would respond, 'It's late, too late: I gave you opportunities and you would not repent.'"

"I asked Jesus, 'Lord, why is he here?' Then I recognized him. On Earth, this young man knew the Word of God, but abruptly he walked away from the Lord, preferring alcohol, drugs and walking on the wrong path.  He did not want to follow the way of the Lord.  Jesus warned him many times on what could happen to him.  Jesus said, 'Daughter, he is in this place because anyone who rejects My word already has a judge: The Word that I have spoken will judge him in that last day,' (John 12:48) and then Jesus wept." 

You can read more at Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven.

Seven Colombian Youth
The Seven Colombian Youth
A brother from Columbia named Lupe testified in the Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths of seeing a man named Luis, who had once been a Christian and died when he was drinking alcohol in a bar. Lupe testified:

"We moved closer to a large flame that was ahead of us. It was huge and burning intensely.  I continued to slowly descend as I watched multitudes of flames and heard millions of souls crying with one voice."

"Then I saw a wooden table that was not being consumed by the fire.  It had what appeared to be beer bottles on it.  They looked refreshing, but they were full of fire.  While I was looking, a man suddenly appeared.  His flesh was almost completely destroyed and what was left of his clothes were muddy and burning.  He had lost his eyes, mouth and all of his hair in the fire.  He could see me, even though he had no eyes.  I tell you, it is a person’s soul that thinks, reasons and truly sees, not their natural body."

"The man extended his skinny hand toward the Lord and started to cry out, saying, 'Lord, have mercy on me!  Lord, have mercy on me!  I am in pain!  I am burning!  Please have mercy and take me out of here!'  The Lord looked at him with compassion, and I started to feel something warm in my hand.  I looked and found that it was blood...the blood of Jesus!  The Lord's blood came from His hand as He watched the man suffering in the flames."

"Then the man turned his gaze in the direction of the table and walked toward the bottles.  He grabbed a bottle, and as he was about to drink from it, fire and smoke shot out of it.  He put his head back and screamed like I had never heard anyone scream before.  He cried with great pain and sorrow, and then started to drink what was in the bottle.  The bottle was full of acid; it totally destroyed his throat.  You could see the acid passing through his stomach and hurting him."

"The number 666 was engraved on the man’s forehead.  On his chest was a plate made of some unknown metal that couldn't be destroyed, not even by the heat or the worms.  It had some letters written on it that we could not understand.  The Lord, in His great mercy, gave us the translation of what was written: 'I am here because I am a drunkard.'  He begged the Lord for mercy, but the Word of God is very clear when it tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:10, 'Thieves, greedy people, drunks, slanderers, and robbers will not inherit the kingdom of God.'"

"The Lord showed me the man's last moments on earth as if I was watching a movie or film.  Something like a large television screen showed me his last seconds before his death.  The man's name was Luis and he was drinking in a bar.  I saw the same table and the same bottles in the bar.  His friends were around the table.  (I can tell you this now, there is only ONE TRUE FRIEND, and His name is JESUS CHRIST.  He is the Faithful Friend.)  Luis was drinking and his friends were already drunk.  His best friend took a bottle, broke it and started stabbing Luis.  When he saw Luis lying on the floor he ran away, and Luis bled to death on the floor.  The saddest thing was that he died without the Lord."

"In the middle of all this, as all those souls in hell were crying out, I asked the Lord, 'Oh Lord, please tell me, did this man know about you?  Did he know about your salvation?'  The Lord sadly replied, 'Yes Lupe, he knew about Me.  He accepted Me as his personal Savior, but he did not serve Me.'  Then I felt even more fear.  Luis cried louder and shouted, 'Lord it hurts!  It hurts!  Please have mercy on me!'  He extended his hand again toward the Lord, but Jesus took my hand instead and we walked away from the flames.  The flames consuming Luis became more intense, and he cried louder, 'Have mercy on me!  Have mercy on me!!'  He then disappeared in the flames."  

You may read more in Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths or read the full testimony here.

The Lord's Church
Len with brother Yong-Doo Kim & his wife, Mrs. Kang, Hyun-ja
A sister named Baek Bong-Nyo from The Lord's Church in South Korea was taken to hell.  There she saw the father of brother Yong-Doo Kim in torment.  She testified:

"Later, I saw our pastor's father in hell.  An evil creature was about to throw him into some type of large pot, that had dark, rotten liquor boiling inside.  I asked the Lord, why he was here.  Jesus replied, 'He sinned very much and was abusive to his wife.  He loved to drink.  Alcohol was his idol.  His alcoholism affected his work, and he neglected his children.  His children had a difficult life.  As a result, he will taste and be tormented in this rotten liquor forever.'  The pastor's father began to shout, 'Oh, I have done many terrible things.  I wished my wife had accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord.  She could then enter Heaven.  When I was on Earth I gambled and drank all day.  I never took care of my family.  I did not take care of their basic necessities.  My wife labored all day to feed our children.  I am responsible for her difficult life.  The sins I had committed are being paid back.  I deserved to be cursed.  Please, when you go back to the world, tell my youngest son to continue to attend church.  Tell him to be faithful to the Lord and believe.' He also asked me to tell his sons not to attend church in vain.  They should keep the Sundays holy, repent sincerely, and walk with the Lord faithfully as a Christian.  He continued, 'I am in hell and tormented.  Hell is the final end, an endless torment.  It is hopeless.  Please evangelize to your brothers, sisters, and relatives so that they may have a chance to go to Heaven.'"

A brother named Lee, Haak-Sung from the same church as Baek, Bong-Nyo testified of his experience seeing hell:

"Later Jesus took me to hell.  I was shown a place where multitudes of people were screaming and shouting in pain, inside an enormous heated black pot.  Outside of the pot, there were countless evil spirits walking and flying in all directions.  Jesus said, 'Haak-Sung, do not be afraid.  The numerous evil spirits cannot harm you as long as I am here to protect you.  This is a place called the torment of the boiling pot.  It is a place for alcoholics and people addicted to smoking.' As the people entered the boiling liquid, their flesh disintegrated.  Strangely, there was fire inside the boiling liquid.  After showing me this, Jesus took me back to the church."

Brother Yong-Doo Kim's son Joseph Kim also saw hell.  He testified in the book called Baptized by Blazing Fire:

"Since my eyes are opened spiritually, I am most often very surprised with the spiritual state of other people. At any time, I am able to see their spiritual state. I am able to see when I walk by them or whenever I speak with them. It does not matter if my physical eyes are closed or opened. The Lord shows me the spiritual aspects of other people."

"The Lord also taught me when to speak and when not to speak. He had strictly distinguished the difference to me. Whenever I was unaware and spoke freely, the Lord rebuked me. I had to have the Lord’s permission on every little matter. It was very difficult and tiring. However, when it came to hanging out with kids my age, the Lord never told me not to hang out with them."

"The Lord had told me that I could hang out with them and have fun but to be very careful of their deceiving spirits. Around noontime, on the way to church, I happened to pass by the outside bar that was open. The people were drinking hard liquor and beer. They were having a good time partying. I felt like vomiting from the unpleasant smell of liquor and cigarette smoke. I passed by holding my breath. However, I decided to go back to the outside bar and closely observe the drunk people. I wanted to know with my spiritual eyes what could be in the glasses of liquor and observe the circumstances."

"The drunk people held onto big beer glasses. I was very surprised as I saw the beer glasses with my spiritual eyes. I was not sure of what I was seeing, so I double-checked by opening my eyes more widely. In the glasses of beer, I could see wriggling snakes. They looked like king cobras. The small glasses of hard liquor were filled with small stringy snakes. The scene was very disgusting. I could not watch anymore."

"The people did not care about anything except drinking more. In fact, they appeared to be competing with each other on who could drink more or faster. As they drank in a binge, the small stringy snakes that looked like king cobras said, 'Oh, I feel great!' The snakes shook their tails and went down the throats of the drinkers. Jesus appeared next to me and said, 'Joseph! Watch this scene very carefully and remember. Then go tell Pastor Kim to write this scene in the book.' The people cheered and shouted as they toasted and drank."

"Moreover, in this scene, as some people took out their cigarettes and lit them, they inhaled and blew out the smoke. When they blew out the smoke, a dark smoke continuously blew out from their noses and mouths. Suddenly, in an instant, the smoke transformed into a king cobra snake. They snakes came out from the smokers’ noses and mouths but they went back in as the smokers inhaled."

"Bizarrely, when the snakes re-entered the smokers’ bodies, the appearance of the snakes became more heinous than when they initially came out from the smokers’ noses and mouths. As the snakes re-entered the smokers’ bodies, the snakes had an evil facial expression. As the partying continued, the number of smokers increased. The liquor glasses were all filled with different, small stringy snakes and the snakes from the cigarettes. The people were really drinking and smoking snakes. The party was really a party of snakes. As the party drew to a close, I realized it was not a party of people drinking and smoking, but it was a party of snakes eating people. The scene was revolting and I was getting sick witnessing the event. I decided to leave."

"Whenever I see drunk people walking unsteadily, I am able to see the various kinds of large and small snakes coiled around the drunks from the top of their heads down to their toes. Both of the drunk person’s eyes are covered with a snake sitting coiled up and hissing. There was also a snake sitting coiled up on the drunk person’s head and it glanced at me evilly as it hissed at me with its tongue."

"As people smoke cigarettes and they pass by me, the smoke lingers in the air and with our physical eyes, we see it fade and dissipate into the air. But in reality, the smoke turns into snakes which comes from the smokers’ mouth and then instantly go back into their bodies. When the snakes enter the bodies of smokers, they do not come out from the bodies of smokers on their own. Moreover, the snakes lay their eggs inside the bodies of smokers and as a result, more snakes dwell inside their bodies. Within time, swarms of snakes are housed within the smokers’ bodies."

"I thought I would only witness these events or the demon snakes from outside the church. However, some Christians from throughout South Korea who would visit our church to pray and be blessed would end up screaming. They screamed and fell on the floor as they hissed with their tongues as the Pastor would draw close to pray for them. I witnessed countless scenes of such events and still continue to do so presently."

"When drunks and smokers speak, I could hear them speak though they were speaking with a crooked tongue. The sounds of their words were crooked. As I see and hear them speak with my spiritual eyes, I could see that the snakes were hissing and speaking in their place. As I witness these accounts, I am startled all the time. When the drunks vomit to the ground, I am able to see coiled snakes on the vomit. In the market stores, where they sell all types of liquor, I can see swarms of stringy snakes swimming and dancing in the bottles. I am always able to see that."

You may read more at Baptized by Blazing Fire -- a Korean church's testimony.

Scriptures about Alcohol and Drunkenness
Here are just a few more Scriptures about the use and abuse of alcohol:

"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal 5:19-21)

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit," (Eph 5:18)

"Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk So as to look on their nakedness!" (Hab 2:15)

"Harlotry, wine and new wine take away the understanding." (Hos 4:11)

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise." (Pro 20:1)

"Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags." (Pro 23:20-21)

"It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter." (Pro 31:4-6)

"Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, Who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them!" (Isa 5:11)

"Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine And valiant men in mixing strong drink," (Isa 5:22)

"And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions, They totter when rendering judgment. For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place." (Isa 28:7-8)

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. "They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink." (Pro 23:29-35)

A Perpetual Statute for Priests About Alcohol
“The LORD then spoke to Aaron, saying, ‘Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die--it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations-- and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses.’" (Lev 10:8-11; cf. Eph 5:18).

The New Priesthood of Believers
"But you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of god; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."  (1Pe 2:9-10; cf. Ex 19:5-6)

The New Temple
"Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1Co 3:16)

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1Co 6:19-20)

Also see Joel 1:5; Amos 4:1-2.

Scriptural Basis That Cigarette Smoking is a Sin
The standard for heaven is high and although the Lord still loves you, He is not going to lower His standard for anyone. God is no respecter of persons (Rom 2:11; Ac 10:34), so don't make excuses that you are a special case and God understands. No, He will not make exceptions for anyone.

Cigarette smoking is a dirty, nasty habit, and smokers often receive the due penalty for it in their physical bodies (Rom 1:27). According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), "Lung diseases caused by smoking include COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Cigarette smoking causes most cases of lung cancer. If you have asthma, tobacco smoke can trigger an attack or make an attack worse." Moreover, the American Cancer Society states: "Smoking is a major cause of many other deadly health problems − heart disease, aneurysms...and stroke. Using tobacco can damage a woman's reproductive health and hurt babies."

There is an abundance of medical and scientific evidence that smoking destroys the body of the smoker and those who inhale their second hand smoke. The Scripture says, "If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are." (1Co 3:17). The Scripture also says, "Love does no wrong to a neighbor" (Rom 13:10a), so you smokers are not loving your neighbor, you are harming them. Therefore, if you smoke tobacco, you are breaking the second greatest commandment, which is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mk 12:31).

Another word for habit is addiction. "Addiction is a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance." Webster defines addiction as "The act of devoting or giving up in practice; the state of being devoted." That means that an addiction is the act of devoting yourself to something or giving yourself up to it in practice. Smokers have given themselves up to cigarettes, and are devoted to them! You cannot be devoted to them and to God, too. "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Mt 6:24).

Smoking is an idol! Idolatry is an abomination to God, which the Bible strongly condemns! Webster defines an idol as "Any thing on which we set our affections; that to which we indulge an excessive and sinful attachment." And the Word of God says, "Little children, guard yourselves from idols." (1Jn 5:21) And Paul said, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." (1Co 6:9-10)

You cannot be a disciple of Christ unless you give up everything (Lk 14:33). That means if you come to Christ, you must give up smoking and every other addiction. If you are going to give Him 99%, you might as well not follow Him at all, because He won't accept less than 100%.

To smoking husbands and fathers I say that as the head of your wife and children under Christ, you should be lovingly leading them by example.  You are supposed to follow Christ, and imitate Him, and He never smoked. There is also no smoking in heaven and no place in heaven for smokers of any kind. Smokers have their place in Hell!

You are a slave to whatever has mastered you (2 Pe 2:19). So you smokers are slaves to cigarettes.  But if you will accept the Truth that I am giving you, you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free. Those cigarettes don't glorify God the Father or the Lord Jesus Christ His Son.  We are supposed to do all things for His glory and in His name. "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord." (Col 3:17). "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of .... do all to the glory of God" (1 Co 10:31). Since you cannot smoke for His glory or in His name, then you must not do it. "Anything that is not of faith is a sin" (Rom 14:23).

And you ministers of the gospel who are smoking, I am warning you that your role makes this sin even more serious. "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." (James 3:1). You are supposed to be consecrated to the Lord's service, devoted to prayer and the ministry of the Word of God (Ac 6:4), leading people to Christ, and showing them how to get to heaven. You are supposed to be practicing and preaching holiness, righteousness, and truth. An overseer must be above reproach, not addicted to substances (Tit 1:7), because when you yourself are addicted, you are like the blind leading the blind. "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?" (Lk 6:39). First get set free from bondage yourself, before you attempt to set others free.

I do not speak in anger or judgment on you, but only love. The Word of God will judge you on that great day. And all these Scriptures I have just cited will judge you. "Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Lk 13:5). I don't want that to happen to you, but it's your choice. I smoked cigarettes from age twelve until the Lord delivered me as a newborn Christian at age nineteen, after smoking for seven years. At times I smoked quite heavily. If my memory serves me right, I smoked up to two packs a day at times. So I know how addictive nicotine is, and I know first hand the power of God is great enough to break it.

Nobody will be there by your side at the Judgment. You will stand there all alone and you won't be able to make one excuse for sin, so don't rely on any other person's behavior as an excuse for your sin. You won't be able to say, "My wife smoked, so it was too difficult for me to quit." Or "I was unable to break the habit, because my husband's smoking was too great a temptation for me." Or "I smoked because my father did it or my pastor did it, and I didn't know it was a sin," Or "My friends did it, and I thought it was cool."

Your money belongs to the Lord and you must give an account for the way you spend it. Can you afford to spend it on those expensive cigarettes to support your sinful addiction? There are people dying and perishing in hell because the gospel did not reach them. Missionaries are willing to go and preach to them, but they need funding. Do you think you will have any excuse on Judgment day for spending the Lord's money on cigarettes, while people went off to hell for eternity? Remember what the Lord said to the servant who did not use his Master's talent wisely: "You wicked, lazy slave!" And He ordered: "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Mat 25:30). Don't smoke the resources God has given you to steward.

Destroy those devices of satan, also known as "coffin nails", "lung darts", and "cancer sticks", since the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work (1 Jn 3:8). Cigarettes are the property of satan and you don't want to be found with one of those in your possession when Jesus comes in all His glory, or else you will not be going up in the rapture. He is coming for a holy Bride without spot or wrinkle (Eph 5:26).

King James on Cigarettes
I believe that King James I of England said it well when he stated that cigarette smoking is "a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless."

Putting it All Together
Dear friend, I think the Lord has made it abundantly clear from these Scriptures and divine revelations that those who drink alcohol and/or smoke cigarettes will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.  The Lord has shown this independently to nine different people in seven different nations, including South Korea, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Zambia.  I hope that this article has helped to confirm to you what is already written about this in the Bible, which is the Word of God.

The apostle Peter said, "a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him" (2 Pe 2:19b, NIV). There is no repentance in hell, and that is why people must continue forever to do the sins they were committing on earth. So if they were a drunkard, they must drink forever as a form of torment.  In hell, the deceptions they fell for on earth are in their true form, so the alcohol burns their mouths and stomachs like acid or fire.  If they were an immoral woman, the demons stick sharp spears up their private areas and large snakes go up into them.  If they were a liar, the demons force them to tell lies.  If they were a worldly dancer, they must dance non-stop for eternity. In His love, God gives them what their hearts desire. "Whenever the love of sin controls a soul, it is the greatest of all punishments for them to be abandoned to that evil love" for all eternity (Visions of Heaven and Hell, by John Bunyan). It's torment, because their is no repentance in hell and there is no mercy in hell.  Mercy is only available while you are on earth. 

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." (Gal 6:7-8, NIV).

If you are using alcohol or cigarettes, you need to know that those sins will take you down to hell, so repent of your sin today before Jesus comes.  Ask the Lord to have mercy and forgive you.  Ask Him to cleanse you.  Pray through Psalm 51.  Not only to say, 'I repent,' but turn from the acts. Take all the alcohol in your house and pour it down the toilet.  Don't ever buy alcohol again.  And if you have tobacco products in your possession or in your home like cigarettes, then destroy them.  You may want to take them out of the packs and flush them down the toilet where they belong, so that nobody else can smoke them.  And never buy cigarettes again.  Ask the Lord to deliver you from these highly addictive substances, and He will be faithful to do it.  I for one was delivered from both alcohol and cigarettes, and He will do it for you, too, if you sincerely repent and ask Him for deliverance.

I recommend that you get with someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit and power, who can bind those filthy demons and cast them out of your life.  If you don't know of anyone like that, then after you have given your life to Jesus, and repented of alcohol and cigarettes, renounce those things as well. Say solemnly and loudly before God in prayer, "I renounce my past use of alcohol and cigarettes. I reject these substances as tools of satan to take me to hell."  You might say, "In Jesus Name and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I bind you filthy spirit of alcoholism and I command you to come out of me now and I forbid you to ever go back inside of me again!"  Do the same with the spirit of cigarette addiction and send those snakes slithering away. (For more help on this, see Demonology 101).

I also recommend that you get an accountability partner, which is another Christian brother or sister, who will keep you accountable.  This is a person who will meet with you (brother meeting with brother, and sister with sister) each week for prayer, Bible reading, and discussions about your life in Christ.  You need to give this person permission to ask you any question he or she wants to ask, such as "Have you smoked a cigarette this week?" or "Have you taken a drink of alcohol?"  And answer them honestly.  The Bible tells us to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other, so that we may be healed.  I pray that this article will be of some help in bringing you to that place of healing and deliverance from bondage to alcohol and cigarettes.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. 

Author's note: Please prayerfully listen to these testimonies, and use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to these people.  For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with the Lord, whether something is valid or not. The individuals mentioned in this article are not personally connected with this site. For more information on our position, please see Disclaimers.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Evil Spirit of Alcohol, Delivered from Cigarettes and Saved, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Australian Pastor Raised from the Dead, Pleasing the Lord, and the other posts on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.