Quels termes bibliques dépeignent le châtiment éternel?
L’opprobre, la honte éternelle (Daniel 12.2).
Le feu de la géhenne (Matthieu 18.9)
Le feu qui ne s’éteint point (Marc 9.43)
La géhenne ou leur ver ne meurt point, et ou le feu ne s’éteint point (Marc 9.48)
La fournaise ardente (Matthieu 13.41-42)
Le lieu des pleurs et des grincements de dents (Matthieu 22.13)
Les ténèbres du dehors (Matthieu 8.12)
La peine d’un feu éternel (Jude 7)
La privation de la présence de Dieu (Nombres 13.34)
L’étang ardent de feu et de soufre (Apocalypse 20.10, 15)
La seconde mort (Apocalypse 21.8)
De toutes ces représentations, il ressort que l’enfer est une terrible réalité. Jésus-Christ n’est pas venu pour envoyer les gens en enfer, mais pour leur donner la vie éternelle, car Dieu a tant aimé ce monde qu’il a donné son fils unique afin que quiconque croit en Jésus ne périsse point, mais qu’il ait la vie éternelle (Jean 3.16). Les lieux de tourments n’ont pas été faits pour les hommes, mais pour Satan et ses anges, les hommes y vont à cause de leur désobéissance à la parole de Dieu (Matthieu 25.41). L’enfer consiste véritablement en la séparation d’avec la présence de Dieu. Loin de la face du Seigneur, c’est la ruine éternelle (2 Thessaloniciens 1.8-9).
TKM
Ce document vidéo en anglais est un témoignage du jeune Kenneth Hagin sur ses descentes dans les lieux infernaux de tourments. Pendant qu’il descendait dans ces lieux horribles de tourments éternels il disait à Dieu qu’il a eu son baptême par immersion et qu’il appartenait à l’église. Dans cette expérience tout près de la mort, il a réalisé qu’il n’avait pas encore Jésus-Christ comme Seigneur et Sauveur de sa vie personnelle. Le Seigneur Jésus l’a ramené à la vie et il était guéri de son insuffisance cardiaque. Kenneth Hagin est devenu après ces évènements le fondateur de Rhema Bible School. Il est considéré aujourd’hui comme étant le « Père » du mouvement « Parole de la foi » ou « Word of faith » en anglais.
Beaucoup de gens aujourd’hui se disent chrétiens, mais ils ne sont pas encore nés de nouveau (Jean1.12). Ils ne connaissent pas Jésus-Christ bien qu’ils aient eu le baptême d’eau. D’autres par contre sont nés de nouveau, mais ils ne font pas la volonté de notre Père Céleste. Jésus-Christ a dit dans Matthieu 7.21 : « Ceux qui me disent : Seigneur, Seigneur! n’entreront pas tous dans le royaume des cieux, mais celui-là seul qui fait la volonté de mon Père qui est dans les cieux. »
Prière à faire individuellement avec foi pour être sauvé et recevoir Jésus-Christ comme Seigneur et Sauveur de votre vie :
Père Céleste, je viens à toi au nom de Jésus. Ta parole dit : « Si tu confesses de ta bouche le Seigneur Jésus, et si tu crois dans ton cœur que Dieu l’a ressuscité des morts, tu seras sauvé » (Romains 10.9). Tu as dit encore que mon salut est le résultat de ton Esprit qui me donne une nouvelle naissance en entrant dans ma vie (jean 3.5-6). Sur ces paroles, je confesse que Jésus-Christ est Seigneur. Je crois dans mon cœur que tu l’as ressuscité des morts. J’accepte Jésus-Christ comme Seigneur et Sauveur de ma vie. Merci pour le pardon de mes péchés, pour ma nouvelle naissance et pour le don du Saint-Esprit dans ma vie comme tu l’avais promis dans ta parole. Amen
TKM
There was a crisis with my children and I was a long way from home.
And I had no one on hand to pray with me.
This was ironic. At the time, I was serving on the staff of an evangelical conference for over 1600 kids roughly the same age as my own children. Even so, there was only one person I felt free to ask to pray with me. She smiled compassionately and said she would pray for me. I suppose she did — I don’t really know because I didn’t hear her. But I desperately needed someone to pray for me.
Fortunately, I belong to an Internet loop of women who not only will pray for me, but also email to me their prayers on my behalf. I cherish these women and my faith is bolstered from their prayers.
Sometimes, when the pain is very deep, you need someone to do your praying for you. The Bible has a name for these people: intercessors.
Warriors in Heavenly Places
Intercessors are a rare breed of spiritual warriors who set aside their own needs on behalf of others and strap on holy armor to do battle with evil forces in the heavenlies. These people are near to the heart of God because they lay down their lives for their friends. In a way, you might call them living martyrs.
Strategic planning, talent and training are fine and good, but spiritual battles are won or lost based on intercessory prayer. Ministry advances — or retreats — based on it.
Moses learned this. As the Amelekite army was confronted, Moses stood on top of a hill overlooking the battle holding the staff of God. The Israelites gained ground when he held up the staff: they lost ground when Moses’ arms grew weary and set it down. Finally, Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ arms until the war was decisively won. (Exodus 17)
What did Moses, his fellow intercessors, and the Israelite soldiers learn from this? What should we know for our personal and ministry battles?
•The army of God moves forward on its knees. Hold up the staff of God and advance.
•The Lord is our banner or war flag.
•Fight spiritual battles any other way and you will ultimately lose ground.
Here’s what you need to know to be an intercessor and to form an intercessory team around you and the ministry God has called you to:
Intercession is a sacrificial gift of self. Intercessors become spiritually one with those for which they pray, so generally speaking, if you intercede in person, women should intercede for women, etc.
•True intercessors sign on for the duration of the battle. They continue to pray until the battle is finished and God — not you — is victorious.
•Intercessors pray from knowledge. It is important that intercessors pray for specific needs as well as general needs.
•Intercession is work. The disciples slept through their big intercessory moment in Gethsemane. You’ll be tempted by the demands of your flesh, too.
•Intercessors will go through a transforming process. The Holy Spirit thoroughly cleans intercessors. After purifying, He blesses them with depths of knowledge and understanding of Him that is beyond the norm.
•Ask God to lead an Aaron and Hur to you. Don’t feel you need thousands of “prayer partners.” That would be wonderful, but what you really need are a few who take intercession seriously.
•As the Lord builds trust, be vulnerable and admit when you are weary and your arms need to be held up.
•Intercession is a mutual spiritual responsibility. If God sends you intercessors, be prepared to hold up their arms too.
Rebekah Montgomery, Editor, Right to the Heart
El.
The word El () appears in Assyrian (ilu) and Phenician, as well as in Hebrew, as an ordinary name of God. It is found also in the South-Arabian dialects, and in Aramaic, Arabic, and Ethiopic, as also in Hebrew, as an element in proper names. It is used in both the singular and plural, both for other gods and for the God of Israel. As a name of God, however, it is used chiefly in poetry and prophetic discourse, rarely in prose, and then usually with some epithet attached, as "a jealous God." Other examples of its use with some attribute or epithet are: El 'Elyon ("most high God"), El Shaddai ("God Almighty"), El 'Olam ("everlasting God"), El Ḥai ("living God"), El Ro'i ("God of seeing"), El Elohe Israel ("God, the God of Israel"), El Gibbor ("Hero God").
The commonly accepted derivation of this name from the Hebrew root , "to be strong," is extremely doubtful. A similar root has been explained from the Arabic as meaning "to be in front," "to be foremost," "to lead," "to rule," which would give the meaning "leader," "lord." But the fact that the e in El was originally short, as seen in such proper names as Elkanah, Elihu (), and in the Assyrian "ilu," is strong evidence against this derivation. As in the case of Elohim, it is necessary to admit that the original meaning is not certainly known.
JewishEncyclopedia.com
Ever feel like spiritual terrorists are ambushing your church? Jesus told us that the work of authentic ministry would be resisted. He said "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18). The implication is that, although the gates of Hades will not ultimately prevail, they will always be trying to overcome Christ's church.
But the longer I'm in ministry, the more I'm beginning to think that "the gates of Hades" aren't our biggest problem. After all, Jesus said they would fail. To be honest, I see more kingdom resistance coming from within the church than from without. This wouldn't be the first time God's people resisted him. Stephen made it clear that Israel, God's Old Testament people, "always resisted the Holy Spirit" (Acts 7:50). God's chosen people we're actually obstacles to him. They were the gates against whom God had to prevail. The church can be the same thing, if we're not careful.
I'm beginning to think that if Jesus was teaching today, he might say something like, "I will build my church, and the gates of the church will not prevail against." Or, "I will build my church, and the gates of the pastors will not prevail against it." Or, "I will build my church, and the gates of the Elders and deacons will not prevail against it."
Maybe we've been giving Satan and hell too much credit for resisting the work of the church. Maybe, just maybe, the gates that are currently prevailing are us! Through our refusal to change, adapt, live by faith, listen to and follow the voice of God, and risk all for the sake of Christ we could be God's greatest obstacles in building his church. Leaders, we need to be sure that we're not resisting the move of God in our midst. We need to be certain that we've not allowed Satan and hell to go on vacation by doing their job of resisting God for them.
We need to look at every area of our churches to be sure they're designed to welcome God not resist him. Think of your leadership, worship, small groups, spiritual development, evangelism, and structure and ask yourself, "In this area of our church, are we in any way resisting God and doing Satan's work for him?"
We need to return again and again to the pattern laid out in James 4:7. We're to "Submit to God," and "resist the devil." Let's be sure we're not submitting to the devil and resisting God.
By the way, I realize that when Stephen told Israel they were resisting God, they became, "furious and gnashed their teeth" (Acts 7:54). Then they proceeded to stone him. If I've evoked the same feeling in you, please send your stones to the editor, he'll add them to his growing collection.
E. Glenn Wagner , FutureLead