Their Worm does not die.

I have recited Mark 9:48 serveral times and I just understood its meaning tonight and I have to say I am even happier that I am not going to hell. I looked it up in several versions to make sure that what I was seeing was what I was thinking.

Mark 9:47-48 (New International Version)
47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48where
" 'their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.'[a]

Mark 9:47-48 (New American Standard Bible)

47"(A)If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into (B)hell,

48(C)where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND (D)THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.

Mark 9:47-48 (Amplified Bible)
47And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell (Gehenna),

48Where their worm [[a]which preys on the inhabitants and is a symbol of the wounds inflicted on the man himself by his sins] does not die, and the fire is not put out.(A)


Mark 9:47-48 (New Century Version)
47 If your eye causes you to sin, take it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.48 In hell the worm does not die; the fire is never put out.

Mark 9:47-48 (English Standard Version)
47(A) And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into(B) hell, 48'where(C) their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'


Cross references:
Mark 9:47 : Matt 5:29; 18:9
Mark 9:47 : Matt 5:22, 29
Mark 9:48 : Isa 66:24

Wow that just gives me a bad feeling inside. That worm thing is yuk.

Women tried to kill her husband

Today in Oakland I talked to a women in a wheel chair who did not think she was going to go to heaven since she was not a good person. She said that she was one that would never take anything from anyone. She told me that she had tried to kill her husband but was unsucessful. She told me that he had stabbed her first and she really did not know why. She had gone to prison and had prayed to get out of there. She told me that she got angry at people all the time and could see that she was not a good person. I explained that God created us and did not create us to be robots. God knew we would not be able to keep his law and that he sent his only son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of those who repent and put their trust in him. I told her that it is Gods rightiousness that gets us to heaven and not ours. She told me that she liked talking to me. She told me that her friend keeps asking her to go to her church. I pray that she does start going to church and puts her trust in Jesus's rightiousness.

Your children (Charles Spurgeon)

"Bring him unto Me!" Mark 9:19

Despairingly the poor disappointed father turned away from the disciples, to their Master. His son was in the worst possible condition, and all means had failed--but the miserable child was soon delivered from the evil one, when the parent in faith obeyed the Lord Jesus' word, "Bring him unto Me!"

Your children are a precious gift from God--but much anxiety comes with them. They may be a great joy--or a great bitterness to their parents. They may be filled with the Spirit of God--or possessed with the spirit of evil. In all cases, the Word of God gives us one recipe for the curing of all their ills, "Bring them unto Me!"

O for more agonizing prayer on their behalf, while they are yet babes. Sin is there, let our prayers begin to attack it.

In the days of their youth we shall see sad tokens of that dumb and deaf spirit, which will neither pray aright, nor hear the voice of God in the soul--but Jesus still commands, "Bring them unto Me!"

When they are grown up, they may wallow in sin and foam with enmity against God! Then, when our hearts are breaking--we should remember the great Physician's words, "Bring them unto Me!" Never must we cease to pray for them--until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless--while Jesus lives.

The Lord sometimes allows His people to be driven into a corner--that they may experimentally know how necessary He is to them. Ungodly children, when they show us our own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts--drive us to flee to the Strong One for strength--and this is a great blessing to us!

Whatever this day's need may be, let it like a strong current--bear us to the ocean of divine love! Jesus can soon remove our sorrow. He delights to comfort us. Let us hasten to Him--while He waits to meet us!

'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.

Jer 6:10-19 To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it. Therefore I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary of holding it in. "Pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the gatherings of young men, also; both husband and wife shall be taken, the elderly and the very aged. Their houses shall be turned over to others, their fields and wives together, for I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land," declares the LORD. "For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown," says the LORD. Thus says the LORD: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it. I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not pay attention.' Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.

Preach to one person

I was stoplight preaching on Hollywood Blvd on Friday. I go through the following over and over again.

" The Million dollar question is: if you died today would you go to heaven or to hell? Here is a quick test: If you told 1 lie, stole one thing, hated one person or lusted after one person God sees you as a liar, a thief, and murder and an adulter at heart. If God judges you by the 10 commandments you would be guilty and go to Hell. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of those who repent and put there trust in Jesus. God commands everyone everywhere to repent and obey the Gospel. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have ever lasting life. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father but by me. Please I beg of you repent and put your trust in Jesus dieing on the cross."



There was a woman in a pink head scarf or vail. She watched me preach as she walked by and I turned and preached to her. She smiled and seemed to listen the entire way. I am not sure how she did not bump into anyone even 10 feet past me she still had her head turned my way. She is probably someone who would not have stopped to listen to me but she listened and smiled as I preached to her. I pray for the women to get saved every night.

Preach even if you do not have an Audience

I preached the gospel on Friday in Glendale CA. While preaching there was no one that I could see was listening. Several people told me that they could hear me 2 blocks away preaching the gospel. I learned that night to preach to an audiance of one. (God) The next day I was preaching at Huntington beach. I picked Marci out of a crowd of about 100. Marci heard me preach the gospel on Friday night in Glendale CA while he was eating dinner. I did not know that anyone heard me. He and his girlfriend saw me preaching and remembered me from the night before and I picked him out of the crowd to take the good test. Here is what happened next.

Great Things to Come

In the seventies God moved in a great way in Pittsburgh. My heart is praying for that to happen again. We had seven people out with us last week handing out gospel tracts and witnessing 1 2 1. On Wednesday we had 3 of us out in Oakland sharing our faith. What a wonderful day they both were.

If you run into this blog and want to get trained up to share your faith and you have a love for Pittsburghers please contact me. If you are in another city then I recommend that you go to : http://www.wayofthemaster.com/videolessons.shtml

The Way of the Master has a great way to share your faith that is Biblical and gets people soundly saved. One of my elders uses it because it is very conversational. He does not go out and hit the streets like I do but it is very effective to helping people see their need of a savior.

Pray that God will move mountains in Pittsburgh.

That is all they have to enjoy (Charles Spurgeon)

"Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity!" Psalm 119:37
No Christian enjoys comfort--when his eyes are fixed on vanity.
I do not blame ungodly men for rushing to their pleasures. Why should I? Let them have their fill. That is all they have to enjoy! A godly wife who despaired of her husband's salvation, was always very kind to him, for she said, "I fear that this is the only world in which he will be happy--and therefore I have made up my mind to make him as happy as I can in it."
Christians must seek their delights in a higher sphere--than the insipid frivolities or sinful enjoyments of the world. Vain amusements are dangerous to renewed souls. It is when the Christian departs from God, becomes spiritually starved, and endeavors to feed on vanities--that the devil discovers his vantage hour. O for grace to sincerely pray, "Remove vanity and lies far from me!" Proverbs 30:8

New Friend

The best blessing is to have a partner to go out and witness with. I found a new person to witness with today. Well she found me. She is a person faithful to witnessing. Going out and sharing the Gospel with an other person really makes all the difference. It pushes you to witness more and give you more boldness. If you have a friend that goes out and witnesses by themselves I would beg you to get trained and go out and witness with them just for that person that goes out and witnesses. What a great blessing you would be.

What if Shirt

Last week I went to MOPS and I had a new tee shirt that I made on. A women that I would never had guessed was not a Christian asked me about it. She said is it what if I get to eat all the ice cream I wanted. I said What if you died to day would you go to heaven or hell. She said why does it have to be that. I said well it is an important question where would you go. She did not believe in an actual Hell. She thought everyone went to heaven as long as they did not murder anyone. She thought she could just ask and she would be forgiven. I asked her if your mother was raped and killed and the judge is a good judge he will punish the man. Then I said if I had my son die in that mans place then the judge could be just and let the guy go. Then I explained Jesus dieing on the cross for the sins of those that repent and trust in his death and she asked for a website and I gave her way of the master sight. It was great. I am going to make some more of these tee shirts.