It was purely out of respect for the families and close friends of Kobe & Gigi Bryant, Keri, Alyssa, & John Altobelli, Sarah & Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan that I purposely refrained for several days from offering anything other than prayers that this tragic loss would teach us all to number our days and gain hearts of God’s wisdom.

Today, I break my silence to expound on God’s wisdom with hopes that hearts will receive it and be saved. You see, this latest Kobe artwork depicting both him and deceased Fast & Furious star Paul Walker speaks volumes about an even greater tragedy than the unexpected loss of physical life. Let me explain with this thought from Jesus in mind…

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26)

I’ve already lost count of how many pictures and memes I’ve seen of Kobe in the clouds of heaven with everything from halos to angels wings. I’m sure you’ve also seen the one where he and his daughter are depicted heading toward “that great basketball court in the sky”.

Yet, in my opinion, this picture of Bryant and Walker is more indicative of the error and satanic deception that people the world over are moving through this life with. And the saddest fact is that many of them think they are Christians. So why is this picture so profoundly telling to me?

Paul Walker is sitting there on a “fast & furious” car, signifying that he’s in heaven doing what he most loved doing on earth. And of course, as in just about all of the Kobe pictures, Bryant is shown wearing a Lakers uniform, signifying that he’s in heaven also doing what he most loved doing on earth.

The great lie that such a picture perpetuates is that heaven is for WHOMEVER and WHATEVER we decide it’s for. And we overwhelmingly tend to make it for WHOM and WHAT most ENTERTAINS us. Never mind, for example, that Nipsey Hustle was devoted to a murderous gang. Never mind that he continued to make records and videos that glorified lust, greed, and hedonism. All that matters is that his music and lifestyle entertained us…

Just about everything we see today of Nipsey Hustle depicts him in the image of Jesus or walking around in heaven. Yet I trow to find any evidence that God’s clearly delineated plan of salvation through true faith in Christ was ever obeyed by Hustle. Is he in heaven? Is Walker in heaven? Is Kobe in heaven? I don’t know. But I do know this, that if they were never born again by true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are not there, or the Bible is not true.

We wonder why so many call themselves Christians, but continue to live for (and like) the very fallen, sinful world that God’s word clearly and undeniably warns us about when it says…

15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and [also] its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

It is unbiblical ideologies that inspire lying illustrations such as this picture that encourage people to go on with life as usual, doing what they want to do, never even dreaming of taking up their cross, never following Christ in a life devoted to Him, and then expecting to “go to a better place” when they die. But if that is true faith, then even Jesus lied when He said…

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt. 16:25)

Please don’t miss the fact that “FOR MY SAKE” is the operative term in that verse. Just because a person lives a decent life, achieves phenomenal success, helps improves the lives of others, or even dies for others, doesn’t mean that he or she is going to heaven.

The depravity of the deceitful and desperately wicked human heart can trick us into thinking that living like a Ghandi, a Mr. Rogers, a Mother Theresa, or just living better than anyone else we personally know, makes heaven our home. Yet if that is the case, then the Bible lies when it says…

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

People, your soul and the souls of others are eternal. And they will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. The Bible makes it crystal clear that the only way to be saved is to have true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is also clear that true saving faith is transformative, because Christ has taken the true believer’s sins to the cross, paid for them in full by His blood, and God has raised them from death with Christ to walk in newness of life as new creations in Christ IN THIS LIFE.

It is my prayer that everyone who names the name of Christ stop hindering the message of the gospel by producing or promoting all of these unbiblical ideas. I pray that they will realize that to do such is to preach another gospel. And the Bible is clear that if anyone preaches another gospel other than that which the Bible clearly teaches, he or she is to be ACCURSED (Gal. 1:8-9).

When all the true saints of God get to heaven, we will only see those there who God has saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. And our understanding will be exponentially increased. And we will agree with God 1000% that everyone who is there should be there, and everyone who is not, should not.

People, it is time to stop playing church. It is time to stop preaching or permitting the preaching of another gospel. Heaven is not for those WE FEEL should be there. And it is definitely not for those who merely entertain us down here. Heaven is for all those who truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and by faith receive the new-birth from heaven, and the indwelling, sealing gift of the Holy Spirit.

If you cannot comprehend this just now, then you likely are not saved. Repent of your sins before God in prayer, and ask Him to have mercy on your soul. Ask Him to save you, and never stop asking, seeking, knocking for salvation in Christ until you know in your heart and see in your life that you have received that which you could never earn, you’ve found HIM who was never lost, and the door to the kingdom of heaven has truly been opened, and you have entered in.

When OR if this happens, believe me, YOU WILL KNOW. The Spirit of God is perfectly capable of bearing witness with your spirit that you are an eternal child of God, bound for heaven, and not hell.

So, away with terms like “RIP”. We cannot tell a dead person to do anything. And if they died without Christ, I assure you, based on Scripture, they cannot possibly rest in peace, because they will lift up their eyes in hell’s torments and they will know and eternally mourn the fact that the gospel of Christ they REJECTED in this life was ABSOLUTELY TRUE.

One final word about HEAVEN and HELL from Jesus (the ONLY way, the ONLY truth, the ONLY life through which one can have an eternal relationship with GOD). In John 8:23-24, He said…

23 “…You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for UNLESS YOU BELIEVE THAT I AM HE, you will die in your sins.”

JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY OF SALVATION—Not our goodness or good works. All other ways lead to hell. To put people in heaven based on anything but Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, and their true faith in that is blasphemy. This is the gospel that we who are in Christ are left here to tell the whole world. Repent, believe in Christ, with the evidence of a transformed life, or eternally perish.

It was purely out of respect for the families and close friends of Kobe & Gigi Bryant, Keri, Alyssa, & John Altobelli, Sarah & Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan that I purposely refrained for several days from offering anything other than prayers that this tragic loss would teach us all to number our days and gain hearts of God’s wisdom.

Today, I break my silence to expound on God’s wisdom with hopes that hearts will receive it and be saved. You see, this latest Kobe artwork depicting both him and deceased Fast & Furious star Paul Walker speaks volumes about an even greater tragedy than the unexpected loss of physical life. Let me explain with this thought from Jesus in mind…

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26)

I’ve already lost count of how many pictures and memes I’ve seen of Kobe in the clouds of heaven with everything from halos to angels wings. I’m sure you’ve also seen the one where he and his daughter are depicted heading toward “that great basketball court in the sky”.

Yet, in my opinion, this picture of Bryant and Walker is more indicative of the error and satanic deception that people the world over are moving through this life with. And the saddest fact is that many of them think they are Christians. So why is this picture so profoundly telling to me?

Paul Walker is sitting there on a “fast & furious” car, signifying that he’s in heaven doing what he most loved doing on earth. And of course, as in just about all of the Kobe pictures, Bryant is shown wearing a Lakers uniform, signifying that he’s in heaven also doing what he most loved doing on earth.

The great lie that such a picture perpetuates is that heaven is for WHOMEVER and WHATEVER we decide it’s for. And we overwhelmingly tend to make it for WHOM and WHAT most ENTERTAINS us. Never mind, for example, that Nipsey Hustle was devoted to a murderous gang. Never mind that he continued to make records and videos that glorified lust, greed, and hedonism. All that matters is that his music and lifestyle entertained us…

Just about everything we see today of Nipsey Hustle depicts him in the image of Jesus or walking around in heaven. Yet I trow to find any evidence that God’s clearly delineated plan of salvation through true faith in Christ was ever obeyed by Hustle. Is he in heaven? Is Walker in heaven? Is Kobe in heaven? I don’t know. But I do know this, that if they were never born again by true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are not there, or the Bible is not true.

We wonder why so many call themselves Christians, but continue to live for (and like) the very fallen, sinful world that God’s word clearly and undeniably warns us about when it says…

15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and [also] its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

It is unbiblical ideologies that inspire lying illustrations such as this picture that encourage people to go on with life as usual, doing what they want to do, never even dreaming of taking up their cross, never following Christ in a life devoted to Him, and then expecting to “go to a better place” when they die. But if that is true faith, then even Jesus lied when He said, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt. 16:25)

Please don’t miss the fact that “FOR MY SAKE” is the operative term in that verse. Just because a person lives a decent life, achieves phenomenal success, helps improves the lives of others, or even dies for others, doesn’t mean that he or she is going to heaven.

The depravity of the deceitful and desperately wicked human heart can trick us into thinking that living like a Ghandi, a Mr. Rogers, a Mother Theresa, or just living better than anyone else we personally know, makes heaven our home. Yet if that is the case, then the Bible lies when it says…

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

People, your soul and the souls of others are eternal. And they will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. The Bible makes it crystal clear that the only way to be saved is to have true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is also clear that true saving faith is transformative, because Christ has taken the true believer’s sins to the cross, paid for them in full by His blood, and God has raised them from death with Christ to walk in newness of life as new creations in Christ IN THIS LIFE.

It is my prayer that everyone who names the name of Christ stop hindering the message of the gospel by producing or promoting all of these unbiblical ideas. I pray that they will realize that to do such is to preach another gospel. And the Bible is clear that if anyone preaches another gospel other than that which the Bible clearly teaches, he or she is to be ACCURSED (Gal. 1:8-9).

When all the true saints of God get to heaven, we will only see those there who God has saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. And our understanding will be exponentially increased. And we will agree with God 1000% that everyone who is there should be there, and everyone who is not, should not.

People, it is time to stop playing church. It is time to stop preaching or permitting the preaching of another gospel. Heaven is not for those WE FEEL should be there. And it is definitely not for those who merely entertain us down here. Heaven is for all those who truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and by faith receive the new-birth from heaven, and the indwelling, sealing gift of the Holy Spirit.

If you cannot comprehend this just now, then you likely are not saved. Repent of your sins before God in prayer, and ask Him to have mercy on your soul. Ask Him to save you, and never stop asking, seeking, knocking for salvation in Christ until you know in your heart and see in your life that you have received that which you could never earn, you’ve found HIM who was never lost, and the door to the kingdom of heaven has truly been opened, and you have entered in.

When OR if this happens, believe me, YOU WILL KNOW. The Spirit of God is perfectly capable of bearing witness with your spirit that you are an eternal child of God, bound for heaven, and not hell.

So, away with terms like “RIP”. We cannot tell a dead person to do anything. And if they died without Christ, I assure you, based on Scripture, they cannot possibly rest in peace, because they will lift up their eyes in hell’s torments and they will know and eternally mourn the fact that the gospel of Christ they REJECTED in this life was ABSOLUTELY TRUE.

One final word about HEAVEN and HELL from Jesus (the ONLY way, the ONLY truth, the ONLY life through which one can have an eternal relationship with GOD). In John 8:23-24, He said…

23 “…You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for UNLESS YOU BELIEVE THAT I AM HE, you will die in your sins.”

JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY OF SALVATION—Not our goodness or good works. All other ways lead to hell. To put people in heaven based on anything but Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, and their true faith in that is blasphemy! This is the gospel that we who are in Christ are left here to tell the whole world! Repent, believe in Christ, with the evidence of a transformed life, or eternally perish.

It was purely out of respect for the families and close friends of Kobe & Gigi Bryant, Keri, Alyssa, & John Altobelli, Sarah & Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan that I purposely refrained for several days from offering anything other than prayers that this tragic loss would teach us all to number our days and gain hearts of God’s wisdom.

Today, I break my silence to expound on God’s wisdom with hopes that hearts will receive it and be saved. You see, this latest Kobe artwork depicting both him and deceased Fast & Furious star Paul Walker speaks volumes about an even greater tragedy than the unexpected loss of physical life. Let me explain with this thought from Jesus in mind…

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26)

I’ve already lost count of how many pictures and memes I’ve seen of Kobe in the clouds of heaven with everything from halos to angels wings. I’m sure you’ve also seen the one where he and his daughter are depicted heading toward “that great basketball court in the sky”.

Yet, in my opinion, this picture of Bryant and Walker is more indicative of the error and satanic deception that people the world over are moving through this life with. And the saddest fact is that many of them think they are Christians. So why is this picture so profoundly telling to me?

Paul Walker is sitting there on a “fast & furious” car, signifying that he’s in heaven doing what he most loved doing on earth. And of course, as in just about all of the Kobe pictures, Bryant is shown wearing a Lakers uniform, signifying that he’s in heaven also doing what he most loved doing on earth.

The great lie that such a picture perpetuates is that heaven is for WHOMEVER and WHATEVER we decide it’s for. And we overwhelmingly tend to make it for WHOM and WHAT most ENTERTAINS us. Never mind, for example, that Nipsey Hustle was devoted to a murderous gang. Never mind that he continued to make records and videos that glorified lust, greed, and hedonism. All that matters is that his music and lifestyle entertained us…

Just about everything we see today of Nipsey Hustle depicts him in the image of Jesus or walking around in heaven. Yet I trow to find any evidence that God’s clearly delineated plan of salvation through true faith in Christ was ever obeyed by Hustle. Is he in heaven? Is Walker in heaven? Is Kobe in heaven? I don’t know. But I do know this, that if they were never born again by true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are not there, or the Bible is not true.

We wonder why so many call themselves Christians, but continue to live for (and like) the very fallen, sinful world that God’s word clearly and undeniably warns us about when it says…

15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and [also] its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

It is unbiblical ideologies that inspire lying illustrations such as this picture that encourage people to go on with life as usual, doing what they want to do, never even dreaming of taking up their cross, never following Christ in a life devoted to Him, and then expecting to “go to a better place” when they die. But if that is true faith, then even Jesus lied when He said, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt. 16:25)

Please don’t miss the fact that “FOR MY SAKE” is the operative term in that verse. Just because a person lives a decent life, achieves phenomenal success, helps improves the lives of others, or even dies for others, doesn’t mean that he or she is going to heaven.

The depravity of the deceitful and desperately wicked human heart can trick us into thinking that living like a Ghandi, a Mr. Rogers, a Mother Theresa, or just living better than anyone else we personally know, makes heaven our home. Yet if that is the case, then the Bible lies when it says…

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

People, your soul and the souls of others are eternal. And they will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. The Bible makes it crystal clear that the only way to be saved is to have true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is also clear that true saving faith is transformative, because Christ has taken the true believer’s sins to the cross, paid for them in full by His blood, and God has raised them from death with Christ to walk in newness of life as new creations in Christ IN THIS LIFE.

It is my prayer that everyone who names the name of Christ stop hindering the message of the gospel by producing or promoting all of these unbiblical ideas. I pray that they will realize that to do such is to preach another gospel. And the Bible is clear that if anyone preaches another gospel other than that which the Bible clearly teaches, he or she is to be ACCURSED (Gal. 1:8-9).

When all the true saints of God get to heaven, we will only see those there who God has saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. And our understanding will be exponentially increased. And we will agree with God 1000% that everyone who is there should be there, and everyone who is not, should not.

People, it is time to stop playing church. It is time to stop preaching or permitting the preaching of another gospel. Heaven is not for those WE FEEL should be there. And it is definitely not for those who merely entertain us down here. Heaven is for all those who truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and by faith receive the new-birth from heaven, and the indwelling, sealing gift of the Holy Spirit.

If you cannot comprehend this just now, then you likely are not saved. Repent of your sins before God in prayer, and ask Him to have mercy on your soul. Ask Him to save you, and never stop asking, seeking, knocking for salvation in Christ until you know in your heart and see in your life that you have received that which you could never earn, you’ve found HIM who was never lost, and the door to the kingdom of heaven has truly been opened, and you have entered in.

When OR if this happens, believe me, YOU WILL KNOW. The Spirit of God is perfectly capable of bearing witness with your spirit that you are an eternal child of God, bound for heaven, and not hell.

So, away with terms like “RIP”. We cannot tell a dead person to do anything. And if they died without Christ, I assure you, based on Scripture, they cannot possibly rest in peace, because they will lift up their eyes in hell’s torments and they will know and eternally mourn the fact that the gospel of Christ they REJECTED in this life was ABSOLUTELY TRUE.

One final word about HEAVEN and HELL from Jesus (the ONLY way, the ONLY truth, the ONLY life through which one can have an eternal relationship with GOD). In John 8:23-24, He said…

23 “…You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for UNLESS YOU BELIEVE THAT I AM HE, you will die in your sins.”

JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY OF SALVATION—Not our goodness or good works. All other ways lead to hell. To put people in heaven based on anything but Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, and their true faith in that is blasphemy! This is the gospel that we who are in Christ are left here to tell the whole world! Repent, believe in Christ, with the evidence of a transformed life, or eternally perish.