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And I didn’t mean to get too far sidetracked from this posted article, which I though was a good one,

And while I don’t have anything against ‘mega-Churches’ (whatever that is) these purpose driven astrodome prosperity preachers, speaking with vague watered down generalities, paraded about in honor by those that despise the Gospel are exactly what we’re told would come, and they have their reward now,

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34

We are in agreement. Mega-churches are like small churches: Some are good and some are bad. But they are usually good and bad in ways different from small churches. I’ve attended both.

I don’t have a problem with “seeker friendly” churches, as long as they don’t abandon the truth. You can be seeker friendly and still obey Christ’s teachings. I suppose it depends on how you do “friendly”. If you do it by abandoning Christ’s teaching, you are doing it wrong.

And I didn’t mean to get too far sidetracked from this posted article, which I though was a good one,

This “annihilation vs eternal suffering” thing is the new hot button. Before the internet, the teaching on this was very limited, Just as the teaching about Christ was very limited at first (not a lot about him was being preached in Europe, asia, Africa, Austrailia, the Americas, etc.

The internet has allowed both sides to get their position out there and let people re-examine what the bible actually teaches. I always believed the eternal suffering thing but put it in the box of “this makes no sense, but I don’t have perfect knowledge” stuff. But the more I studied the bible and understood the personality of God, the less sense it made.

And seeing how it was used by the other side was quite troubling. And then I ACTUALLY STUDIED IT. And being exposed to the teaching of others who taught that it is not eternal suffering really opened my eyes. Or, more precisely, they opened my eyes to the biblical evidence that was right there in front of me.

An interesting side note: Friday, I prayed in the morning that God would give me clarity on this subject. I then hopped in the car for my 75 minute commute and, after the first half hour or so, switched to listening to Romans on CD. Holy cow, I was inundated with the fate of the lost being clearly described as death. And in very plain words.

Thanks, God!