World War I: The War To End All Wars

James 4:1-4, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

I enjoy history. The old adage is true: History always repeats itself. Therefore, a wise person tries to learn from history so as to hopefully not repeat the same folly.

World War I (also called the Great War) lasted from July 28, 1914, to November 11, 1918. It was fought between the Allies and the Central Powers and caused an estimated 22 million deaths. So sad and tragic! It is for the same reasons why individual people cannot get along on a personal basis that there are large scale wars. What took one month to manufacture in military factories were spent on the battlefield in just a matter of a few days.

Everything You Need To Know About WW1 In 3 Hours

World War I was a war of numbers. Whoever had the most men and ammunition won. Quantity was the difference between victory and defeat. Over one billion artillery shells were launched. Over one million machine guns. Fifty billion bullets were fired by 65,000,000 men at war! Each and every day 6,000 soldiers were mowed down with guns and bombs, killed. Over one billion artillery shells were fired during World War I, significantly impacting the war's destruction and the battlefield experience. This massive use of artillery was a defining feature of the conflict.

The Battle of Verdun in 1916 was one of the longest, bloodiest and most ferocious battles of World War I. Some 300,000 people were killed in just four months, with many more wounded. At the battle's onset 140,000 French soldiers died in just four days, with heavy casualties occurring. The average life expectancy of a British Army pilot in World War I was only 11 days. By 1917, the British empire was supplying 50 million artillery shells per year for the war. The Germans alone used 52,000 tons (104,000,000 pounds) of poisonous gas against men. Britain used 14,000 tons. France used 26,000 tons. Flame throwers were greatly feared.

One of my enjoyable interests is learning the biographies of famous people. I was recently learning about the fighting among the members of Bread, one of my favorite 1970s bands. I find it disturbingly ironic that one of the 1970s most iconic bands who sang about love, hated each other so much. You couldn't make that stuff up. I could just as easily show you the same toxic relationships between the members of The Beatles, the Eagles, Boston, Megadeth, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Journey, Metallica, Creedence Clearwater Revival, et cetera.

Such fighting is not exclusive to the music industry. The same hatred, bickering, grudges and hatred has existed throughout Hollywood's long and troubled history. Sadly, the same fighting is seen in the churches and Bible colleges. Galatians 5:15, “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” Human beings by sinful nature have difficulty getting along with each other. Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold is right that all you have to do sometimes for people to hate you is just show up. Some people are critical and given time will always find fault with everyone around them. You know I am right.

It is for the same reasons why humans cannot get along on an individual level why nations go to war. In a word, “pride.” Proverbs 13:10, “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” I was reading singer James Taylor's website today, and he writes about Russian President ruthlessly attacking Ukraine unprovoked. Vladimir Putin is an ungodly tyrant. Putin has lamented the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, describing it as a “major geopolitical disaster” and expressing that it represented the disintegration of “historical Russia.” Putin has often indicated a desire to restore the influence and territorial integrity of the Soviet Union. Hence, the present war against Ukraine.

Sadly, you cannot believe anything that Putin says, because he lies so much. That is why Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wanted assurances when he met with President Trump and Vice President Vance in 2025, but they horribly attacked him instead. I lost a lot of respect for Mr. Trump after he belittled Zelensky and reminded him that he has no cards left to play. Trump and Vance are bullies! I just read today that there are 3,200 cases of measles nationwide in the U.S. (the highest in 35 years), as a direct consequence of President Trump's reduction of vaccinations. Does our U.S. President know what he is doing?

My heart breaks every time I watch war documentaries, seeing human life thrown away and extinguished so cheaply. American banks loaned the Allies nearly $3 billion between 1914 and 1917, significantly profiting from wartime orders and bonds. Additionally, the war elevated approximately 21,000 U.S. investors into millionaire and billionaire status, with some individuals making substantial profits during this period. War equals profits!

On his website, singer James Taylor says: “What the world desperately needs now is cooperation, global cooperation on a list of pressing issues.” Is that what we desperately need? I kindly beg to differ.

I believe what the world needs is uncompromising Bible preaching coupled with God's unconditional love for everyone. Hard preaching of the letter of the law without love for sinners spiritually kills (that is what has happened to Steven Anderson's New IFB); but loving sinners without hard Bible preaching only produces apostasy (which is what has happened to Hillsong and Joel Osteen's crowd). I humbly agree with Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001):

“Old-fashioned, Spirit-filled, Christ-honoring, sin-hating, soul-winning, Bible preaching! It is the hope of the church! It is the hope of the nation! It is the hope of the world!” — Pastor Jack Hyles

NO GOD = NO PEACE;
KNOW GOD = KNOW PEACE

Estimates suggest that there have been about 230 years of peace during the last 3,500 years, which means that only about 6.5% of recorded history has been without war. Think about that.

Ephesians 2:1-2, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” As we just read, Satan works in the spirit of the unsaved, influencing the world to do his bidding. This is why there are so many wars. So, the answer is the Gospel.

Two men were once challenging one another's beliefs. One of the men was a Christian, and the other an atheist communist. They both noticed a man walking with a tattered coat in the cold weather. The communist man said, “You see that man—communism could put a new coat on that man!” The Christian man replied, “You see that man—Christianity could put a new man in that coat!” I heard that story many years ago and I've never forgotten it, because it is true.

James Taylor means well with his humanistic approach to fixing the broken world, but Biblically nothing will ever change by attempting to outwardly change human nature. There must be a new birth within that is wrought from above by the Holy Spirit of God. John 1:12-13, “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.”

Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Next Time You Feel Down

Revelation 22:9, “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”

Dear reader, the next time you start to feel down or depressed, just thank God you don't live in North Korea. Go watch some YouTube video documentaries about life in North Korea, and I guarantee you won't feel so down anymore.

In North Korea, citizens are required to literally worship their leaders, particularly Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un, as part of the state ideology known as Juche. This cult of personality is enforced through propaganda and strict social controls, on penalty of death if you fail to comply. Christianity is not allowed in North Korea, as the regime strictly controls all religious activities and views Christianity as a threat to its power.

While there are a few state-sanctioned churches, they are largely considered to be for show, and practicing Christianity can lead to severe punishment. Churches are present in Pyongyang, but critics say they serve only as a deceptive façade for religious freedom. ...

North Korea claims victory in 'war on religion'

Julian Ryall | November 28, 2025

Pyongyang boasts of crushing underground churches, but defectors and rights groups say secret worship persists despite harsh crackdowns and severe punishments.

North Korea is continuing its crackdown on underground churches, with dissident media reporting that the authorities are "patting themselves on the back for bringing religion under control."

The Seoul-based DailyNK news site reported on November 18 that its sources within North Korea say the regime is confident that it has "practically exterminated" underground churches and worship groups.

However, defectors and human rights activists told DW they are confident that small groups and individuals who remain secretly committed to their faith still exist in the North.

"They have been targeted by the regime and many people have been detained, but we know there are still strong Christians who are worshipping in small groups or as individuals," said Song Young-Chae, a South Korean academic and activist with the Worldwide Coalition to Stop Genocide in North Korea.

"There are defectors who have arrived in South Korea this year and they say it is still happening and other defectors who still have contacts there say the same thing," Song told DW.

"We have our own contacts as well. I cannot provide you with more information as it would be dangerous for them, but we know they are still there." READ MORE

North Korea has no known official statistics on religion, and it is officially an atheist state. In practice, religion is tightly controlled, and the main religions are Buddhism, Shamanism and Chondoism. I THANK GOD that I wasn't born in North Korea, enslaved to an insane madman named Kim Jong Un and his spoiled rotten family. What an evil villain!

Isaiah 14:9, “Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.”

We should all be grateful to God every moment of every day for our liberty and freedoms in the United States, despite how messed up our country is today. At least we are free!

Blessed Are The Pure In Heart

Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

Dear reader, if you are pure of heart you will ultimately end up at Jesus' feet. At the end of your search for the truth, you will end up at the inspired King James Bible. You will end up at a free grace Gospel, without works, to get to Heaven.

Always be pure of heart. To be “pure of heart” means to sincerely desire the truth. It means that you truly want to learn about something free of bias and corruption. We see that the wicked Pharisees were NOT pure of heart, following their own religious traditions instead of obeying God's commandments. Mark 7:9, “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

Tragically, billions of humans today are making the same dire evil decision (not a mere mistake), to follow false religion (the traditions of men) rather than God's inspired Word. The Bible teaches that Satan blinds men's minds from seeing the truth of the Gospel, lest they should be saved (2nd Corinthians 4:3-4). But if a man truly desires to see the truth, God will give it to him. Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” Nobody ever went to Hell without having had a chance to be saved.

Sadly, most pastors are not pure of heart. I know because when I warn them about Satan's modern English Bible revisions, they refuse to listen to the truth. It doesn't require a degree in theology to see a serious problem in the following chart...

Well which is it? Was Jesus' scars in His hands, back, chest, arms or body? The reason why you are seeing this insane confusion is because in order to obtain a copyright from the U.S. government for a new Bible version, it MUST contain “substantial and creative” changes from all existing Bibles.

And, as you can expect, the Devil is not done publishing new Bible revisions. The new Catholic American Bible (CAB) is scheduled to be released on February 10th, 2027, the first day of Lent. I cannot wait until Lent! Although there's not a Catholic bone in my body, I absolutely love Whataburger's fish sandwich, the Whatacatch! Can you picture me drooling?

Dear reader, always be pure of heart. If you want the truth nobody can keep it from you. Although clouds may block out the sunshine for a time, the sun is still always shining! Likewise, the truth is always unchanging and unmovable. By God's grace, I have spent my entire life searching for THE TRUTH, and I believe I have found it; hence, my blog ministry.

John 8:32-36, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Will The Real PCC Please Stand Up?

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 have always been intrigued with this passage of inspired Scripture. The prophet Isaiah seven hundred years earlier had experienced the same phenomena with hard hearted people. Jesus said, “Well did the prophet Isaiah say that you people are a bunch of religious phonies!” The Lord indicted them for drawing near unto God superficially with their mouths, but their hearts were somewhere else entirely. It was all a formal game of show and tell.

Something is very wrong at Pensacola Christian College (PCC) and their Campus Church (which is essentially nothing more than a chapel for their thousands of students, or should I say “victims”). I found four different plans of salvation at their institution. Clearly, PCC draw nigh unto God with their mouths, but their hearts are far from Him when it doesn't matter which plan of salvation they promote. Galatians 1:6-7, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Did you know that Chicago University was started in 1891 by a Baptist preacher as a Christian school? The University of Chicago was founded by Baptist church leaders, with significant funding from John D. Rockefeller. The original institution, known as the Old University of Chicago, was established in 1856 but ceased operations in 1886 before the new university was created in 1891. Sadly, today a century later, Chicago University openly supports the ungodly homosexual LGBTQ+ agenda. How did a once fundamentalist Baptist college in the 19th century deteriorate into a cesspool of iniquity over a century later?

Although I do not support Pastor Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) because he was at least a 2-point Calvinist (i.e., Limited Atonement and Perseverance of the Saints heresies), I agree with the following quote from him:

“A little laxity leads to a little complaisance, and this soon leads to a little acceptance of false teaching.” —Pastor Charles Spurgeon, 1887

Whatever a pastor stops preaching against is what his church will fill up with in five years! All that needs to happen for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

It is shameful that a Bible college as popular as PCC doesn't care enough about the accuracy of God's simple plan of salvation to get on the same page. It reveals loud and clear that making money is a higher priority to their leadership than maintaining the truth.

Their Campus Church promotes one plan of salvation from the pulpit. Their incompetent pastor Jeff Redlin has his own unique plan of salvation. The literature they distribute publicly says something entirely different. The college website promotes a different plan of salvation. I found Four different gospels in all. What a house of confusion!

Will the real Pensacola Christian College please stand up?

The Episcopalian Church Is Dying And I Am Glad

Romans 3:20-23a, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe...”

The inspired King James Bible couldn't be more clearer that sinners are saved by God's grace alone, and not be any degree of self-righteous works. Yet, manmade false religions by the thousands still continue to preach a works-based plan of salvation, which is really damnation.

Case in point is the Episcopalian church, which present worldwide membership is comprised of approximately 2.7 million people. Sadly, the church similarly to Roman Catholicism preaches an accursed works-based plan of salvation. Episcopalians believe that faith in Jesus Christ, participation in sacraments like baptism and the Eucharist, and living a life of good works are essential for obtaining eternal life in Heaven. They emphasize that God's grace plays a significant role in the journey towards salvation, but works are required.

To no surprise the Episcopalian denomination is dying. I am glad it is dying because they preach another gospel that sends people to Hell forever. It doesn't help that the Episcopalian denomination has openly permitted lesbian and gay priests into their clergy. People are not naive, they know a falsehood when they see it. Who wants to attend a fake church?

Like many of Satan's minions, the Episcopal church has sold out to be politically correct at the expense of membership. Nobody wants to get onboard a sinking ship. God is holy. Who wants to attend a phony church? And like the Roman Catholics, Episcopalians adhere to the same atrocious unbiblical Seven Sacraments. The term “sacraments” is foreign to Scripture. My Christian father was right, “Religion is the worst thing that ever happened to this world.”

Read from their own words what Episcopalians teach you must do to get to Heaven:

We believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, as the “bond which God establishes in baptism is indissoluble” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 298). This is why baptism is unrepeatable and considered valid across most Christian denominations. When a person is baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—whether in The Episcopal Church or another denomination—they are marked as Christ’s own forever, having “clothed [themselves] with Christ” (Galatians 3:27). It would thus be inappropriate to be baptized a second time, even when moving from one denomination to another (there are different rituals for marking that change).

In the waters of baptism, we are lovingly adopted by God into God’s family, which we call the church; given God’s own life to share; and reminded that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ. During the rite, the candidates make a series of vows referred to as the baptismal covenant. For this reason, even though The Episcopal Church baptizes people of all ages, the text of the ritual as contained in the Book of Common Prayer presumes a candidate who is able to speak for themselves. [emphasis added] SOURCE

I triple dog dare you dear reader to show me from the Holy Bible where baptism produces “the forgiveness of sins.” It doesn't.

The Accursed Church of Christ is Wrong On Baptism

1st Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” This Scripture passage confirms that water baptism does not save someone; nor is baptism required to “seal the deal” as Max Lucado (a deadly Church of Christ minister) errantly teaches. Pastor Lucado later changed the name of his former 'Oak Hills Church of Christ' to a non-denominational title, 'Oak Hills Church,' to broaden his toxic influence.

I once showed 1st Corinthians 1:17 to another corrupt Church of Christ minister (and they are all corrupt), and he said Paul's disciples did the baptizing instead. Do you see how false prophets wrest the Word of God to their own destruction (2nd Peter 3:16-17)? The Church of Christ wickedly requires water baptism to get to Heaven.

And as do the Episcopalians, the Church of Christ also foolishly requires repenting “of your sins” to get to Heaven; a teaching nowhere found in the King James Bible. You only need to repent of the one thing keeping you from being saved, which is the sin of unbelief. Nowhere does the King James Bible say that you must forsake your sinful bad habits to be saved, it says to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31b).

I triple dog dare you to show me one verse in the inspired Word of God that teaches to be water baptized to be “lovingly adopted by God into God's family.” And please notice that as an authority the preceding quote does not cite God's Word; but rather, page 298 from their toxic 'Book of Common Prayer.' This is manmade false religion, not Christianity.

I triple dog dare you to show me from the Holy Bible where it says by getting water baptized you will be “marked as Christ's forever.” What saith the Scripture? John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” And we further read in Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Where in the world did the Episcopalians ever get the false idea that baptism gets anyone to Heaven? The Bible teaches we are saved by trusting in the Lamb of God, not by getting baptized with water.

Only The King James Bible Hasn't Been Tampered With

And to clarify, the reason why I keep mentioning the “King James Bible” is because ungodly men have tampered with all of the modern English Bible revisions, perverting the word “repent” to mean turning from your sins. For example: Here is a comparison between two different Bibles concerning Mark 1:15...

King James Version (KJV) - “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) - “He said, 'The right time is now here. God’s kingdom is very near. Change your hearts and lives, and believe the Good News!'”

EasyEnglish Bible (EASY) - “Jesus said, ‘Now is the time when the kingdom of God has come very near. You have done many wrong things. Turn away from them and change the way that you live. Believe God's good news.’”

Common English Bible (CEB) - “saying, 'Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!'”

Do you see friend? Do you see how wicked the Devil's minions are? They have corrupted the inspired Word of God for the almighty dollar! In order to obtain a copyright from the U.S. government, they were required by law to make “substantial and creative” changes to all preexisting Bible versions. The Devil's hands have been busy!

The Greek verb for the word “repent” in Mark 1:15 is metanoeo which simply means “to think differently.” That is all it means, nothing more implied. A literally interpretation of the last part of Mark 1:15 would read, “think differently and believe the Good News that Jesus died on a cross for your sins, was buried and physically resurrected three days later.” That is “the gospel” according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-6. So, where on earth did unlearned men get the false idea that to “repent” means to turn away from your sinful ways and live a changed life? That is heresy! That is works! That is not the free grace of God!

Considering that the Episcopalian Church preaches another gospel, ordains homosexuals and doesn't recognize homosexuality as being a sin in God's sight, and that they require living a life of doing good works to get to Heaven, I for one am very glad to learn that their denomination is dying. I hope they close all of their door over the next ten years. I say that kindly, but with a love for God, people and the truth. False religion will take you to the Lake of Fire!

Are People Inherently Good Or Bad?

Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

Are people inherently good or bad? The answer is yes, depending on your perspective.

From a Biblical viewpoint, all humans are inherently sinful, wicked and bad, as evidenced by our text passage of Scripture. That is why Jesus Christ came into the world to pay our debt of sin, so that we could freely receive God's gift of eternal life.

But from a practical standpoint, as far as sinful men go, most people have no desire to hurt others. I think most people are inherently good, as far as sinners go. Nearly everyone has their own sinful bad habits, whether it be gossiping, worrying, lust or getting drunk. But despite such bad habits, most people are not evil. That is, they don't intend to hurt others, even though they sometimes do, such as drunk drivers.

I like what an Alaskan state trooper taught his son, who was also a state trooper. His wise father said, “Most people who get into trouble with the law are not bad people, they are just at a bad point in their life.” I like that. Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) taught us preacher boys to view people as being broken, not bad. You don't throw an expensive Swiss watch away when it stops working, you get it fixed. How much more priceless are humans created in God's image! So, we see that from a certain perspective that both ideas are true. Indeed, people are inherently good and bad, depending on how you look at it.

To clarify, I reject humanism. I do not believe that mankind is slowly improving and getting better over time. What saith the Scripture? 1st John 5:19, “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.” The Apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit penned those words 2,000 years ago. The world has always been a wicked place. The human race hasn't improved over the millenniums. We have new technologies and increased knowledge in these modern times, but these modern discoveries have merely allowed mankind to travel further down the road we were already on.

I listened to Alex Jones for decades on his Infowars show falsely claim that the human race was improving and would ultimately reach its climatic utopia at some future point. Alex couldn't be more off base! That is humanism. The inspired Word of God teaches that the world is a wicked place, and it always will be, prone to self-destruction. Only 17% of human civilization's history has been without war. Think about that! Read Romans 3:10-23 if you want to learn what God thinks about the human race.

And yet God the Father loves us so much, that He sent His only begotten Son into the world to die on a cross in our place, so that we could freely receive eternal life as a gift (Romans 6:23).

I like the 1982 song by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, Ebony And Ivory, in which secular song we hear the lyrics, “There is good and bad in everyone.” That is very true. But please don't overlook the Biblical truth that even though there is good in everyone, we are wicked sinners by birth and by nature according to Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (cf. Romans 7:11-25).

We are all wicked sinners by nature. We were born that way, spiritual dead, alienated from God (Ephesians 2:1-2). But even the vilest sinner still has some capacity to do good. Gangster Al Capone (1899-1947) was infamous for having his competitors murdered during the Prohibition era in the 1920s. As a kid, I loved watching The St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago on television each year. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre occurred on February 14, 1929, when seven members of Chicago's North Side Gang were murdered by assailants disguised as police officers, believed to be ordered by rival gangster Al Capone. This event marked a significant moment in the violent gang wars during the Prohibition era.

Yet, the world's most infamous mobster ran a free soup kitchen for suffering Chicagoans during The Great Depression. Even the Devil does good things to deceive his victims and hide his true nature. Ironically on Al Capone's gravestone is the epitaph, “My Jesus Mercy.” Did Mr. Capone go to Heaven in 1947? I sure hope so, but dear reader, he was a devout Italian Roman Catholic. Catholics do not trust solely in Jesus Christ, they trust in the sacraments of their ungodly cult. Catholics trust in The Blessed Virgin, Mary. I sadly doubt Capone's salvation.

Two hours before his death Capone received the last rites from his parish priest, Monsignor Barry Williams. When he died newspapers reported that during his lifetime “he was blamed directly or indirectly for 500 deaths.” During his criminal career historical accounts relate that he made between $60 and $100 million a year in illicit profits. Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” The $64,000 question is did Al Capone trust exclusively in the finished redemptive work of Jesus; or did he trust in the sacraments and non-existent power of Catholic priests to absolve his sins? We'll find out one day when we reach the afterlife ourselves.

 

People are both inherently good and bad. I have met some moral sinners throughout my lifetime, who were good people even though they weren't saved; and I have also met some rotten evil saints of God, who were contemptible and injurious toward others. The false prophets in Matthew 7:21-23 boasted of having done “many wonderful works,” but they went to Hell forever. And yet we read in the Old Testament about Jacob who ruthlessly cheated his own brother, and David who murdered one of his own soldiers to steal his wife. It doesn't matter if people are saved or lost, we are all capable of both good and bad things.

Pastor Jack Hyles' Mother's Favorite Bible Verse

Psalms 103:14, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”

I heard Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) say in a sermon that Psalms 103:14 was his mother's favorite passage of Scripture. His mother was Coystal Mattie Hyles (1887-1984). I often think about that Bible verse too, realizing that God is incredibly understanding and He fully knows my human weaknesses, temptations, burdens and frailties.

Here is one of my favorite sermons by Brother Hyles, in which he shares what his mother suffered during her life. ...

Why Mama Was So Smart

Here is the Hyles' family heritage...

Family Tree Information:

• Mattie Coystal Hyles (born Frasure) was born December 13, 1887, at birth place, Illinois, to James Washington Frasure and Eugenia. Fredonia Frasure (born Cook).
• James was born on February 19, 1848, in Gilmer, Upshur Co., Texas.
• Eugenia was born on December 4, 1852, in Ennis, Ellis Co., Texas.
• Mattie had 5 siblings: Errett Basil Frasure, Arvie Jimmie Harris (born Frasure) and 3 other siblings.
• Mattie married Willis Athey Hyles.
• Willis was born on April 5, 1878, in Italy, Ellis County, Texas. He died in 1950.
• They had 4 children: Jack Frasure Hyles and 3 other children.
• Mattie Coystal Hyles passed away in September of 1984, at age 96.

SOURCE: My Heritage

Coystal and Athey lost their grocery store during The Great Depression. My own father was put into an orphanage in Escanaba, Michigan, during The Great Depression. It was a tough time for most Americans.

Then, the Hyles' family lost two of their daughters to disease at age 7. Back then you didn't go to the hospital when you were sick, you just hung in there at home and hoped you made it. Brother Hyles father, Athey, turned to booze and became a wife-beating alcoholic. Dr. Hyles shares these painful memories in his beautiful sermon, 'Why Mama Was So Smart,' based on Psalm 119:71, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” You'll never learn more about the things of God than when you are suffering.

I am so thankful that we have a personal God who can be known. James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” I hear new agers and other false religions, like Christian Science, claiming that there is no individual God. They think God is a force in nature, a divine conscience, but not an individual who you can fellowship with. James 4:8 wouldn't invite us to draw nigh unto God unless He were an individual being, a person.

1st Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Again, this passage of Scripture implies that God is a person, inviting us to pray. He cares. God is available to hear our concerns, needs and burdens, because the Lord cares about us.

And here is one of my most cherished Bible passages...

Hebrews 4:14-16, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

I love that! Jesus was tempted, like we are, so He knows and understands our infirmities and struggles with sin, people and life. Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” With these precious Bible truths in mind, it makes perfect sense that we read in Psalms 103:14, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Thank you for reading my ministry blog. Jesus is precious!!!