Most People In Churches Are Not Going To Heaven

Matthew 15:7-9, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

I read today that there are approximately 10,000 different religions in the world. Yet, we know Scripturally that salvation is not found in any religion; but rather, in the person and finished redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of the following religious faiths are FALSE religions (I've also listed what they require to get to Heaven):

• Roman Catholicism (requires keeping seven sacraments, doing good works)
• Mormonism (requires water baptism, doing good works)
• Jehovah's Witness (requires water baptism, doing good works)
• Seventh-Day Adventist (requires keeping Sabbath, Lordship Salvation)
• Lutherans (requires water baptism, keeping holy communion)
• Church of Christ (requires water baptism, turn from sinful habits, confess Jesus publicly)
• United Church of Christ (requires water baptism)
• Baptist (80% of Baptist churches today teach the heresy of Lordship Salvation)

These are some of the major FALSE religions today, which mislead people how to be saved. Now, I have been an independent fundamental Baptist since I got saved at age 13 in 1980. But sadly I have seen that most Baptist churches today have become deadly cults, teaching the Satanic lie that you cannot go to Heaven without first being willing to give up your sinful bad habits.

Pastor Jack Hyles refutes the dangerous theological heresies of Wrong Repentance and Lordship Salvation. Dr. Hyles also expose False Bibles in his helpful book titled, “Enemies Of Soul Winning.” Tragically, 99% of people who attend churches today are merely playing church in a cult. Jesus said in no uncertain terms in John 3:3b, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

There's No Such Thing As An Atheist

Romans 1:17-21, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

I have a bittersweet 85 year old lady across the street from me named Maggie. I like Maggie, but she is miserable in life. She hates her dead former husband and speaks ill of him. I listen more than I talk when I meet with her. We only talk every few months at most, because we are both recluses by nature, total homebodies. The first time I met Maggie in January of 2023, I boldly stated to her, “I am a Christian!” She quickly replied, “I am an atheist!” I smiled and said, “Well I'm glad to meet you!”

I have witnessed the Gospel to Maggie numerous times, but she is hardened against God. She told me that she didn't come to her decision to become an atheist quickly. She said she had given the matter much thought, and after several years concluded that God doesn't exist. That is so sad and tragic. This year I offered her a free hard copy of the helpful book by Michael P. Bowen, “I Never Knew You,” but she coldly refused to accept it. I am trying to get her saved, but she is defiant against her Creator. Isaiah 45:9, “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!  Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth.  Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?  or thy work, He hath no hands?”

What saith the Scripture? Romans 1:20-21, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” This is an amazing passage of Scripture. The inspired Word of God teaches that there is no such thing as an atheist, because the INVISIBLE THINGS of God from the creation of the world are CLEARLY SEEN BY THE THINGS THAT ARE MADE? Could the Word of God speak any clearer? I humbly think not.

Luke music, nature's voice testifying about God's wisdom, omnipotence and goodness transcends all barriers of language, age and race, as well as all cultural and national borders. Psalms 19:1-3, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” Everyone knows that there is a supreme God, a divine Creator, and He is a good God. Nature itself testifies to the existence of God, “so that they are without excuse...” (Romans 1:20b).

Moses saw the INVISIBLE GOD. Hebrews 11:27, “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” The Bible openly acknowledges that GOD IS INVISIBLE to mankind.

1st Peter 1:7-9, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” The Bible openly acknowledges that Jesus is invisible to humanity. That is why we are invited in the Word of God to BELIEVE ON HIS NAME. John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” It is perfectly acceptable to simply BELIEVE ON JESUS' NAME, since we cannot see Him.

The Bible is abundantly clear in all these Scripture passages that we cannot physically see God. But dear reader, we don't need to see God, because the universe around us PROVES GOD'S EXISTENCE. Romans 1:20-21a, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful...” At some point every child KNOWS that there is a God... “when they knew God...” (Romans 1:20b).

It's been well said that there are no atheists in fox holes in war. When you're life is on the line, and you're being shot at relentlessly by an enemy trying to take away your life, you tend to believe in God. I can tell you one thing for certain, there are no atheists in Hell! The Bible teaches that there is no such thing as an atheist, because nature itself evidences that God exists. In fact, atheists are wicked unbelievers who have bitter unthankful and bitter against God, so they have chosen to deny that He exists. Romans 1:28a, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind...” There are no true atheists, only ungodly sinners who choose to dishonor their Creator.

Help, I Still Don't Know That I Am Saved

By God's grace alone, I KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that I am going to Heaven—not because of anything I have done, but because of what Jesus Christ did to pay my debt of sins on Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago. JESUS PAID IT ALL!!!

I first felt convicted that I was lost at age 13. It was a Sunday morning in an old-fashioned Baptist church on Chicago's northside. The pastor said if you can sin without having any Holy Spirit conviction whatsoever, then you're not saved. I knew immediately that I wasn't saved. So, that morning from my pew, I called out silently in my heart and asked Jesus to saved me. I believed that I was asking a risen Savior, who died on the cross to pay for my sins, to be saved that day, and He did.

Unfortunately, since I was too scared to walk the aisle to find out how to be saved, I didn't know what had just happened and I was confused. I agree with Pastor Max Younce (1935-2023) who hated when preachers require lost sinners to walk down an aisle to learn how to go to Heaven. Dr. Younce rightly contends that every preacher should tell people how to be saved right from their pew. I wish to God that the pastor that day had done so, but he didn't, he required people to walk an aisle to learn how to be saved. Since I had grown up in Sunday school and attended random churches with my Mom (my Dad didn't go to church), I knew enough about the Gospel to be saved; but I didn't fully understand what God expected of me, so I suffered much worry, doubt and fear. Here is the free .pdf format version of Pastor Younce's helpful book, "SALVATION AND THE PUBLIC INVITATION" (backup).

That book helped to solidify my salvation beliefs around 2005. I had already stopped doubting my salvation about 15 years earlier, but I still didn't have perfect peace about my salvation. Dr. Younce explains that you can be saved by simply BELIEVING the Gospel (Good News) that Jesus died on a cross for our sins, was buried, and bodily resurrected three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Tragically, the Gospel has been embellished and messed with in 95% of today's Bible colleges and churches, hindering people from receiving the new birth. By God's grace, I wrote a 42 chapter book about my own salvation saga—sharing my fears, doubts, uncertainties and how God eventually helped me to find the perfect peace of soul which I wanted so desperately.

Dear reader, if you haven't read it yet, please read Michael P. Bowen's helpful book, "I NEVER KNEW YOU." If nothing else, please read the introduction and first chapter. This book will give you a solid foundation of what the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is, and is not.

I also encourage you to read "WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?," a wonderful Gospel tract by Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1951). I love Dr. Ironside, he pastored the famous Moody Church in Chicago from 1930 to 1948.

Also, you might want to read "ANOTHER GOSPEL" by Pastor Ironside.

I am confident that these resources will definitely help you settle the assurance of God's free gift of salvation dear friend. I worried for several years, crying often, not sure that I was going to Heaven. Like many other folks, I prayed and asked Jesus to save me more than 50 times, following every religious tract I could find to read, but still felt that I might not be saved. It drove me bananas! In hindsight (which they say is 20/20), I now realize that I had been woefully deceived by every preacher and tract I had read, by being required to pray a Sinner's Prayer to be saved. I learned from Pastor Younce, in his book above SALVATION AND THE PUBLIC INVITATION, that you don't need to pray, ask or call to be saved, you can simply BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (Acts 16:30-31).

I had never heard any preacher tell me that before. It was so simple. I had somehow known it all my Christian life, but it didn't register in my brain until I actually hear Dr. Younce say it. God is already offering us eternal life as a free gift (Romans 5:15-18). So, it is pointless to ask God to give us what He is already freely offering to us, by faith in His only begotten Son. John 20:31, "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." God authored the Gospel of John to try to convince us that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God, so that by BELIEVING ON JESUS we would be saved. The only requirement to be saved in the book of John is to BELIEVE. The word "believe" is mentioned 85 times in John. Something very different is being preached in most churches today.

I visited the First Baptist Church of Pensacola several months ago, which is one of 45,000 Southern Baptist churches (they pay $50,000 each year to belong to the SBC). I am against the SBC. Their senior pastor Dave Snyder asked a 12 year old boy to stand up, and said that he had been saved that morning by "becoming a Christ follower." That was it. That's all he said how the boy got saved. That is tragic, because you don't get saved by following Christ. The false prophets in Matthew 7:21-23, whom Jesus said He didn't know as His sheep, whom He called "workers of iniquity" FOLLOWED CHRIST. They boasted of their "many wonderful works," even calling Jesus "Lord, Lord" (there's the heresy of Lordship Salvation exposed in the Bible). Unfortunately they had never ceased from their own human works, to REST in Christ's redemptive work alone (Hebrews 4:10-11). Jesus said the only "work" we can do to be saved is to BELIEVE ON HIM (John 6:28-29).

In nearly every Baptist church today I hear the Satanic lie that you must first be willing to reform (to turn from your sinning) to be saved, which is a counterfeit plan of salvation. Turning from sin is strictly a matter of Christian SERVICE, not SALVATION. Pastor M.R. DeHaan gets it 100% right...

"There is a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer, while coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer one accepts the invitation of the Gospel, to be a disciple one obeys the challenge to a life of dedicated service and separation. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ; discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to His call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk. Salvation can't be lost because it depends upon God's faithfulness, but discipleship can be lost because it depends upon our faithfulness." —Pastor M.R. DeHaan, “Hebrews”; Zondervan Publishing House; 1959 (p. 117)

Amen and amen! If you realize you are a guilty sinner in God's sight (Romans 3:19-20), and your only hope for Heaven is Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, then you are saved (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). The Gospel itself is the POWER OF GOD unto salvation to all them that BELIEVE (Romans 1:16; 1st Corinthians 1:21). The Gospel is "the simplicity that is in Christ" (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). God had to make getting saved simple, because there's a lot of ignorant, base and low intelligence people in the world. It is so simple to be saved that even a small child can be saved (Mark 10:14).

I welcome questions if you have any. I hope you will take the time to read through some of the materials I have shared with you, which I know will help you find the peace of salvation. I was saved all the years that I worried, praying over 50 times for God to save me. I was already saved, but I couldn't nail it down. That may be where you're at now. My book on SALVATION will help you, from learning the same Bible truths that helped me. People fear what they don't know. Walking in the dark is scary, because we don't know what may be lurking in the darkness. Likewise, we fear missing Heaven, not because we aren't saved, but because no one has ever taken the time to properly explain the Gospel. Many born-again saints, like myself for several years, worry that they might not be saved. Preachers are to blame. Tragically, 99% of preachers today simply don't know how to properly present the Gospel.

When I was 17 years old, I went to my pastor and told him I couldn't settle my salvation. He wrongly assumed that since I didn't know I am saved, I must not be. I wish he hadn't done that, because instead of helping me understand God's simple plan of salvation, he just slapped a Band-Aid over the problem. Then he did the worst thing he could have done, he led me in another Sinner's Prayer (which I had already done over 50 times on my own). He told me I was now saved. He called my parents to tell them I am saved. He told the whole church I am saved. I was water baptized weeks later, scared to death that I still didn't know I was saved. And now I was reluctant to tell anybody that I still didn't know I was saved, because I'd look like a fool.

It wasn't until I learned many years later that I didn't have to pray at all to be saved, I could have simply BELIEVED. Acts 16:30-31, "And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Paul and Silas didn't tell the Philippian Roman jailer to pray a Sinner's Prayer. They didn't tell him to turn from his sins, confess Christ publicly, get water baptized or anything else, but simply to BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF JESUS.

If you know that you are a guilty sinner in God's sight, and you believe (rely upon) the facts that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God—who died on a cross, was buried and resurrected from the dead three days later—and this is your only hope for eternal life, you are saved dear friend. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

God Will Punish This Evil World Of Sin And Shame

Isaiah 13:11, “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”

I am in a battle right now with Amazon.com over a movie review that I wrote. I used the phrase “ungodly sodomite scene” to recommend that customers DON'T buy the 1990 movie, “Lord Of The Flies.” It was because I referred to homosexuality as “ungodly” that Amazon's moronic “Safety Community” falsely accused me of “Hate Speech.”

Today's ungodly corporations and big tech companies like Facebook are hiding their wicked liberal agendas behind the pretense wall of “The Community.” The Bible calls their so-called “community” THE WORLD. Isaiah 13:11, “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”

Here is an excellent quote from Pastor E.M. Bounds (1835-1913) which made an impact upon me as a young Christian man over 35 years ago:

'The world' includes the mass of humanity that is alienated from God and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ. It involves worldly affairs, earthly things, riches, pleasures, and pursuits that are shallow, frail, and fleeting. These things stir desire, draw us away from God, and are obstacles to the cause of Christ. The divorced or torn relationships between Heaven and earth, between God and His creatures, finds its expression in the term 'the world.'” —Pastor Edward M. Bounds, a quote from chapter 7 - 'Overcoming The Enemy Of God,' from the classic book titled: “GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL WARFARE”

This sin-cursed world is so horrible. I eagerly long to leave this ungodly place to go home to be with Jesus my precious Savior in Heaven...

1st John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

The world is a cold-hearted place. The world never meets anybody halfway on anything. Someone has rightly said that the world is like a man who holds a saxophone in one hand and a gun in the other; he blows his saxophone to drown out the cries of his shooting victims. The world protects their own (John 15:19). The world hates Jesus (John 7:7). The inspired Holy Bible warns that no one can be friends with the world, and also be friends with God (James 4:4). We must all choose either God or the world, there is no middle ground.

God didn't create Hell for humans, He made it for the Devil and his fallen angels. However, any human being who rejects Jesus as your Savior will spend eternity burning in Hell. The Bible makes this truth very clear (Revelation 20:11-15). 2nd Peter 3:9 says that God is NOT WILLING that any should perish, but that all men should come to repentance. That is, that all men would get saved by faith in Jesus. We are now living in very wicked times, when people no longer fear the righteous God of the inspired King James Bible. What saith the Scripture? Hebrews 9:27-28, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

I've never seen such ugliness in people as I have in recent years. Americans are as greedy, rude, selfish and rotten as ever, and things only seem to be headed downhill from here. No one is going to get away with anything, I assure you friend. Nothing escapes God's sight, nothing. Hebrews 4:13, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” I fear God, and I hope that you are smart enough to do the same. The wicked world doesn't fear God, and they never have (Romans 3:16; 1st John 5:19).

Isaiah 13:11, “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” This ungodly world is living every moment on borrowed time from our Creator.

How Can We Find Peace Over People Who've Gone To Hell?

Heb​rews 12:1-3, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.​”

There are others that I am straddling on the fence about, not sure where they went. My best friend when growing up at one time professed faith in Jesus Christ. But several years later, after I went off to Bible college and we parted ways, I met him again and he told me he was now an atheist and a communist. I was heartbroken. A year or so later he commit suicide with his father's shotgun. His name was Greg and he was only 22 years old. I have no idea where my friend went. My heart tells me he didn't make it to Heaven. But even John the Baptist while in prison, whom Jesus had said was the greatest man ever born among women (Matthew 11:11), doubted if Jesus was the Christ. So, even God's best and brightest saints can still succumb to depression, doubt and discouragement. I hope my friend was saved, but just down and discouraged at the time. Only Greg and his Creator know.

But to answer your question, there's really no way to find peace and comfort about friends, acquaintances and loved ones who've perished in their sins and gone to Hell forever. All we can do is LOOK TO JESUS as the Bible tells us to do...

Heb​rews 12:2-3, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.​”

I have received countless emails from discouraged believers over the years, some even talking about self harm, because they are discouraged. I always remember Hebrews 12:2, which exhorts every believer to stay focused on our dear Savior, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. What God has started, He will finish. Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” If we foolishly take our eyes off of the Lord Jesus Christ—instead focusing on this horrible temporary world, dwelling upon personal problems, thinking about things that mean people have done to hurt us, and allow the ungodliness in society today to fill our brains—then we will definitely become discouraged, disillusioned and frustrated.

I trust God's wisdom, omnipotence, love and omniscience. I cannot find peace and comfort in knowing that my best friend while growing up is likely burning in Hell forever. I laid my small pocket New Testament on his coffin as they lowered him 6-feet down into the grave. I was crying uncontrollably alongside his living family members in sadness for my dear friend, forever saying goodbye. On the way home from Bible college on my way to work, I used to stop by the cemetery and visit Greg's grave, to walk with God and pay respect to my beloved friend, wondering where he was in eternity. It is so sad and tragic.

Greg made his own choices, for which I cannot blame myself or feel guilty and sad. I have peace in knowing that God will one day wipe away my tears as He promised. Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” I don't know exactly what the phrase means, “for the former things are passed away.” I find it hard to accept that God would allow us as His children to spend eternity feeling sorrow, discomfort and depression knowing that our family, loved ones, friends and neighbours are burning in Hell forever.

Will God erase our bad memories? I don't know. Revelation 21:4 will happen AFTER the 1,000 year millennial reign of Christ over the earth. The dead (unsaved) throughout the ages will be judged and sentenced to the Lake of Fire (Greek: Gehenna) at this time (Revelation 20:11-15). When all is said and done, God will wipe away every tear. In my humble thinking, the only way God can wipe away our tears is to remove our memories of the painful past. Because as long as I can remember people who have gone to Hell forever, I will cry tears.

I simply do not know the answer to how to find peace and comfort over those who are burning in Hell forever, except that we are commanded in the inspired Scripture to LOOK TO JESUS, the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our faith. God knows what is best. Our omnipotent Creator would never allow anyone to suffer in Hell for their sins, unless they intentionally rejected Jesus as their personal Savior. That is why all children automatically go to Heaven. Every child's name is already written in the Lamb's Book of Life, Someone's name is not removed from the Book of Life until they knowingly reject Christ.

My Heart Breaks For Hellbound Atheists

There have been many celebrities who died in their sins without Jesus (John 8:24). Some names that come to mind are: Gene Roddenberry, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, Roddy McDowall, Gene Wilder, David Bowie, Steve Jobs, Stephen Hawking, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, Margaret Sanger, Britney Spears, Pat Tillman and Orson Welles. Some hellbound living atheists are: Jodie Foster, Bill Maher, Warren Buffet, Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, to name but just a few. Psalms 14:1, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.  They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”

I am so glad to be a born-again Christian. I have great peace and comfort in knowing that MY NAME is written down in the Lamb's Book of Life. Jesus told me to rejoice about this fact (Luke 10:20). Every believer should rejoice that we are saved certain!

But did you know that anybody who denies Jesus' deity is effectively also an atheist? It is true! The inspired Holy Bible teaches that Jesus was 100% a man, but He was also 100% God. The Jews knew whom Jesus claimed to be, which is why they tried to kill Him. John 10:33, “The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” If Jesus were not in fact, God, He would have been committing a horrible sin to impersonate God.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an atheist. I realized that he professed faith in God, but Mr. King denied Jesus' deity, which effectively makes him an atheist. I find no comfort or peace in knowing that Mr. King went to Hell forever. I realize that he was a Baptist preacher, but that didn't make him a born-again Christian. Jesus emphatically stated in John 3:3b, “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN” to enter into the Kingdom of God. Being a Baptist won't do it. Being a Roman Catholic won't suffice. Partaking of the Seven Sacraments of the Vatican won't get you through the pearly gates. You've got to be born-again by faith in Jesus Christ.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!