News and Events:
* What a glorious time we had in Indiana. We were overwhelmed by the turn-out and your expressions of love and appreciation. We thank the Lord for everyone of you, and especially for those who did so much work preparing for the seminar, and those who prepared and served food and break-time refreshments. We knew it took a lot of time and hard work. But, we know the Lord will bless you for it (if not here, then up in Heaven).
This weekend we travel to Midland and Odessa, Texas, for another all-day-Saturday Seminar. Then, out to Amarillo, TX, July 11th, where we will be spending the day at The Church in The Mall, Family Life Fellowship, Western Plaza Mall (east end of the mall), 2201 S. Western, #133, Amarillo, TX. Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm. Date: Saturday, July 11th, 1998, Snacks will be provided mid-morning and mid-afternoon; you will be on your own for lunch - lots of restaurants in the mall and outside the mall area.
For all of you special people in Minnesota, remember the all-day-Saturday Seminars at the Concordia College Music Auditorium, August 1st and 8th. We appreciate you and thank you for your prayers.
We get so many questions regarding our ranching. Our whole family lives within a 4-mile radius of one another (this really helps when the big jobs come up). Our oldest son, Greg, helps us full-time and is the reason we can be gone as much as we are. Todd, our youngest helps out when needed. Our daughter Laura and her family also help a lot during hay season.
We run between 350 and 400 Brood Cows, which have their calves born during March and April. The calves are weaned in the fall, at which time some are sold to 4-H and FFA kids. About 50 or 60 of the females are kept for replacement or herd enlargement, and the rest go to a commercial feedlot in West Texas until they reach Choice and Prime Beef for your supermarket.
Focus On Our Friends:
Les, You have been a great blessing to myself and my family. Your television program makes TV valuable again. Thank you. B.W.
Dear Sir, Your teaching ministry is a daily blessing. I appreciate your humble nature and the modesty of your television program. It is wonderful to see the Word of God presented so clearly and without the garnishing of expensive surroundings. J.C.
Dear Les, I was introduced to your television program by a friend. I truly appreciate your love for the Word and the informative way in which you present it. Your teachings are simpler to understand than any I have heard before. Thank you for each and every lesson. Hopefully, I will get to meet you wonderful people someday, O.P.S.
World events continue to announce the soon coming to the air of our Lord and Saviour, the Head of the Body.
The release, now, of the Euro dollar is one of the great leaps toward a World Government and Economy. We have been alerting people for many years of the rise of Europe as the primary area of the World.
Note how many European companies are taking over American companies. The latest is Mercedes Benz' acquisition of 57% of Chrysler. British Petroleum (BP) has acquired many of our companies as well.
Also, many people do not know that a considerable number of brand names they believe are American are actually primarily European, examples of which include Bayer, Rhone-Polenc and Sandoz.
Another world event trumpeting the end is India's and Pakistan's testing of nuclear weapons. No doubt the last days of the tribulation will be marked by a nuclear holocaust. Zechariah 14:12 seems to indicate the results of the radiation, "And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will Smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth."
Even though we can never be specific about dates, we feel the time is very short and we should be ready.
I John 3:2-3 is so appropriate. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
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Question:
Did Jesus go down to Hell the three days and three nights He was in the tomb?
Answer:
No and Yes. He did not go into Hell as we usually define the word. Hell, Hades or Sheol all mean the same thing. The place of the dead during the first 4,000 years of human history.
Animals blood could not take away or atone for sin, so, even believers such as Abel, David, Isaiah and all, except Enoch and Elijah (remember, God is Sovereign and He can make exceptions) went down into Sheol.
But, Sheol was divided by a great gulf fixed (Luke 16:26) into torments and Paradise. That Jesus did not go into torments is attested to by the remark to the thief on the Cross, "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise, not torments.
That He went down is obvious from His own words in Matthew 12:40 and Paul's in Ephesians 4:8-10. Peter also refers to His going down to the Paradise side of Hell or Hades and proclaimed to those Old Testament Saints that now the atoning Blood has been shed; now, they are ready for entrance into God's Heaven. And so, at His resurrection, Paradise was removed from the Center of the Earth up to Heaven. Now, Paul teaches that believers go immediately, at death, in soul and spirit up to Paradise (or the Lord's presence), II Corinthians 5:8; waiting for the Great Resurrection Day, I Thessalonians 4.
For your own personal study, refer to these Scriptures, Matthew 12:38-40, Luke 16:19-26, Ephesians 4:8-10, I Peter 3:18 & 19, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, and I Corinthians 15:51-52. As for the unbelievers, they continue to go down to torments waiting for their resurrection to the Great White Throne Judgement. Since Paradise was removed, it has all now become Hell as we use the term (Isaiah 5:14).
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Iris and I always enjoy hearing from you, and we are so grateful for your love and support.
The newsletters that are sent to reader's by regular mail always contain the upcoming seminar schedule, the TV and radio schedule, the class schedule, and the ministry's contact information. But on this web site, all of this information is kept current on their own pages at these four links. To avoid confusion, the older information that is less up to date has been removed from the newsletters that are placed on-line.