Prayers Are to Be Made for All Men

Paul sent this note to Ellis Skolfield:

Hi Ellis,

You make this remark in one of your letters:

“The God of the Bible and Allah are not the same being, nevertheless, some church leaders invite Islamic Mullahs to preach from their pulpits.”

You are right in the first statement. The reason, however, that “some church leaders invite Islamic Mullahs to preach from their pulpits” is because they both serve false gods.

Have you red our paper, The Muslim Scourge?

In another letter you write, regarding the Muslims:

“May our beloved God, who sacrificed His only begotten Son for all mankind, take the blindness from their eyes while there is still time.”

While it is written that some, by the predetermined will of God, serve as vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction, it is also written that in due time every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. Everyone will know and worship God, each person in his or her own order. Do you believe the Scriptures? If you do there is great cause for hope with assurance of justice and mercy.

Please read:

The Good News
The Reconciliation of All Things
Who Then Can Be Saved?!

Let us know what you think.

Paul

And this:

Brother Victor adds this thought-provoking question:

If the beast and the false prophet are taken and cast into the lake of fire, why pray for their salvation? It is already determined.

Ellis’s response:

Hello Paul,

You wrote: “You are right in the first statement. The reason, however, that “some church leaders invite Islamic Mullahs to preach from their pulpits” is because they both serve false gods.”

True of many churches, but not true of all churches.

You wrote: “While it is written that some, by the predetermined will of God, serve as vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction, it is also written that in due time every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. Everyone will know and worship God, each person in his or her own order. Do you believe the Scriptures? If you do there is great cause for hope with assurance of justice and mercy.”

The Bible states that those who have the Mark of the Beast are without hope . . .

Rev 14:9-11 “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

Please take special note of the “forever and ever.” Pretty long time, forever, don’t you think? So yes, every knee shall bow at Jesus’ return, including Satan’s, but that does not mean that everyone who does so shall be saved. If you are saying that all mankind will be saved regardless of heart condition (the view of the Worldwide Church of God), then there is the following:

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

That “second death” sounds pretty terminal to me.

However, if you are saying that all who turn to Jesus during this era will be saved, good for you. That has been the stand of true believers throughout the Christian Era and if pushed could probably find a few verses to support the position, including . . .

Joh 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.”

Pax Christi,
ehs

And this:

Mercy, you guys to read the rest of the Bible . . .

1Ti 2:1-4 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Heb 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

ehs

Victor’s reply:

Hi Ellis, Victor here.

When we speak of “everlasting,” or “forever and ever,” what are we talking about? Let the Bible itself define those terms. See the attachment (it is clean) with several irrefutable proofs. As to the Bible saying those with the mark of the beast are “without hope,” that is not declared in the verses you have quoted. (The document we sent to Ellis: The True, Scriptural Meanings of “Forever” and “Hell”)

Furthermore, back to my question on praying for them, but from a different perspective this time: If they are without hope, why pray for them? One can only wisely, spiritually pray if there IS hope. Is that not so? The question does not necessarily suggest that we would not pray for them. It is a question that deserves an answer more enlightened and spiritually substantial than simply pointing to the letter and saying, “The Bible says so.”

As for your qualification concerning those who invite Islamic Mullahs to preach from their pulpits, “True of many churches, but not true of all churches,” how do you explain shepherds who are children of light (those truly worshipping the true God) inviting children of darkness to preach to their flocks, presumably children of light, a murderous, vindictive god, empowered by Satan? Do true shepherds invite wolves to feed their sheep? We don’t think so. Nor do they invite wolves under some pretence, with the hope of saving them. It is time those worshipping in vain knew their folly, rather than having it excused, don’t you think?

Please read the papers we sent you.

Victor

Ellis’s reply:

So is EVERYONE in Islam there because he has rejected God’s son, or is it possible that some are in Islam because that is all they know and they would turn to Jesus if they heard the Gospel in love? I personally know the latter to be true so it is those Moslems for whom I pray. I do not pray for those who have “committed the sin unto death.”

Now Paul, with over 1000 visitors to our sites every day, generating a pile of e-mail that requires an answer, I don’t have time to read your papers or continue debating minor differences in doctrine.

Pax Christi,
ehs

Paul’s reply:

Ellis, it is not at all a minor matter for you, or for anyone else, that you believe and promote a false gospel, one which has you confounded and not able to hear or comprehend the simple words and questions we have asked of you. What good are you to your many inquirers when you are blind, deaf, and lost regarding those things that represent the Way, the Truth, and the Life? So what if you have understanding in some timelines and historic matters? Your listeners will not be saved by your knowledge, and neither are you.

It is no small matter that you make God out to be a vindictive monster. This makes you no different than Islam, except worse inasmuch as you represent God as “love,” yet attribute such acts and attitude to Him. At least Islam has a god that is unapologetically vindictive and cruel, who makes no bones about punishing any and all that do not agree with him and his prophet in the never-ending flames of hell. The God you profess as manifest in Christ, however, laid down His life through the Son for the very sinners who took it from Him (and the rest of the world, too), saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” If Christ died for men that saw Him and His works, yet rejected and crucified Him, who will not be saved by the forgiveness paid for in His blood?

The God of the Bible is all-powerful (Matthew 28:18, Revelation 19:6), and desires that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He also declares that no man seeks after Him (Romans 3:11). Every person has gone astray (Isaiah 53:6), even and particularly His own people (John 1:11). So who is it that can “accept” Him? Is the power of acceptance in men’s hands, or God’s?:

“And He said, Because of this I said to you that no one can come to Me unless it was given to him from My Father” (John 6:65 MKJV).

“For God has locked up all in the prison of unbelief, that upon all alike He may have mercy” (Romans 11:32 WNT).

Read The False and Misleading Gospel of “Accepting” Jesus Christ.

So does this mean that we are to pray only for some men, as you say you do? Not for those of us who believe God, and His Word:

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1 KJV).

Ellis, you are found to be in contradiction to the Lord, His Scriptures, and therefore even to yourself. Being stubborn about hearing and investigating what we are telling you does not serve you well. Being self-righteous and defensive is not a good thing at all. Little do you know that you are the one committing a sin unto death by dismissing servants of God that bring you His Word of Life.

Paul

Ellis’s response:

I am way too busy leading people to the Lord Jesus to spend time responding to legalistic foolishness. I am blocking you forthwith.