The Number One Priority for Everyone
As Taught by Jesus

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

What is the Number One Priority for every human being?  Sad to say, some people go through life and die, never having found out.  

Little babies, infants, and also toddlers who are still learning to talk, if some terrible catastrophe occurs, and the little ones die at that age, I believe they go straight to heaven.  They weren't old enough to have learned the difference between right and wrong.  

In fact, Norvel Hayes said the Lord showed him the part of heaven where little babies go if they die at that age.  

But as people grow up they learn the difference between right and wrong.  When they learn that God has some rules for people to follow...    Rules like the Ten Commandments in Exodus chapter 20.  Don't lie.  Don't steal.  Don't commit adultery.  Don't covet.  Honor your father and mother, etc.  

By then it can be said that those people have reached the age of accountability.  Don't ask me exactly what age.  

Children grow up at different rates.  Some mature faster than others.  God takes it on a case by case basis.  

When the first man, Adam, was created, there was no sin in the world.  Then God made a wife for Adam.  

Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit that God had told them not to eat.  The fruit from The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

They were allowed to eat from every other tree, but not from that one.  

And then, sin was in the world.  And from then on, people had to die.  But when you die, it's only your body that dies.  Then you, the person who had that body as their house that they lived in during their life on earth, will go to one of two places.  

You'll either go up to a wonderful place called heaven, where God the Father and Jesus are, or you'll go down to a very nasty place called hell, where there's crying and gnashing of teeth, where their worms don't die, and where the fire is not quenched, Jesus said.  

And Jesus doesn't lie.  Nor does God the Father.  

They showed on TV how some place in Africa, there was a man who would go around and pull worms out of the legs of people who had worms.  Apparently, the worms came because the person drank contaminated water.  

It very much does not appeal to me to have worms inside of me.  

But in hell, that's just the normal thing for the human residents of hell.  Also, they are tormented by fire, Jesus said.  

Our main source of information about heaven and hell is Jesus, in the New Testament part of the Bible, especially the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 

God sent down his only begotten Son, Jesus, to teach the world, to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and Jesus raised some dead people back to life.   

Jesus, and God his Father, want us to understand that there's a hell to avoid when our lives are over.  

When Jesus and God his Father started the world with Adam and Eve, I believe they looked into the future and knew that there would be me, and knew that there would be you.  

Did God choose ahead of time which people would go to hell, and which people would go to heaven?

I don't think so.  

The Bible says, "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Pet 3:9)

Most people find jobs.  You work to earn money to buy food to eat, and to pay your rent, or your mortgage payment on your house.  

Once a week, I spend the time to wash the laundry.  

It takes some time to go and buy groceries.  

But THE NUMBER ONE PRIOITY FOR EVERYONE IS TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO AVOID HELL, AND HAVE HEAVEN AS THEIR DESINATION IN ETERNITY.   

Chapter 2

Unfortunately, some people scoff at the Bible and the things of God.  But that will be their undoing if they don't repent--change their minds and start fearing God.  

The Bible says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Psa 111:10)

If you don't have the fear of God, friend, you're in a heap of trouble, whether you realize it or not.  

The fear of God will help you stay out of hell.  

But the scorners and the scoffers are on the road to hell.  And when they get there, they won't like it.  

Unfortunately, there's no getting back out of hell after arriving there.  

We know about "default settings" now that we have computers and cell phones.  The default settings are the ones that come that way from the factory.

Then when you get your new device home, you can begin to make changes to the settings.  Maybe you'd rather have a blue screen for background than green.  

And then, sometimes there's a button to click on with your mouse to restore the default settings, if that's what you choose to do.  

The default destination for everyone is hell.  

You have to do something to stay out of hell.  

In John chapter 3, Jesus said, "You MUST be born again."  This word "must" doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room.  IT IS REQUIRED THAT YOU GET BORN AGAIN.  

But someone might say, "But what if I don't believe the Bible, who's going to make me get born again?"

O.K., no one can force you to go to heaven.  

In fact, most people go to hell, Jesus said. (Matt 7:13,14)

Earthly governments have requirements, too.  You're required to pay taxes on your income.  You could say, "Who's going to make me do that?"  

You can say that, but the fact is, the I.R.S. has full-time employees whose job it is to find the people who are not paying their income tax.  

And when they find you, bad things will happen, such that you'll see that it would have been better just to pay the tax to begin with than to have all the hassle for not doing so.  

Similarly, if you try to dodge the requirement to get born again, you'll go to hell, and in hell, you'll wish that you had gotten straight and stayed straight with God during your life on earth.  

There is simply no pleasure on earth that is worth going to hell for.  

Most people have sexual desires. God has provided for that, a thing called marriage between a man and a woman.  

But the Bible says that Christians should only marry other Christians. (2 Cor 6:14)

But if you're going to get born again, it's likely to affect your lifestyle.  If you were into sex perversion, you'll have to give that up.  But what would be so bad about God's plan, marriage?

Jesus said, "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt 16:26)

You've lost your soul if you go to hell.  

The richest man in the world can't buy his way into heaven.  No, he still has to get born again, like the rest of us.  

And how to we get born again?  By hearing the gospel message that Jesus, the Son of God, was sent down from heaven, lived a righteous life on earth, preached to the people, healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, and then died on the cross for the sins of the world.  On the third day, God raised Jesus from the dead.  

After his resurrection from the dead, Jesus was seen by his disciples, and by more than 500 Christians.  Then Jesus ascended up back to heaven where he now sits at the right hand of God the Father.  

Then, after hearing or reading the gospel message, we believe the gospel, and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Let me give you a three-word prayer:  "JESUS, SAVE ME!"

If you'll pray that three word prayer, Jesus will hear you, and accept you as a Christian, and your name will be written into a book in heaven called "The Lamb's Book of Life."  Jesus is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. (for those who accept him as savior.)

Another scripture on the subject is Romans 10:9,10,  "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you're saved.  For with the heart man (and women) believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation."  

The Bible says Now is the day of salvation.  Please don't put it off until tomorrow.  You may not have tomorrow.  

Not long ago, it was on the news that a sink hole opened up under a house.  A man in his bed went down into the sink hole.  They could hear his shouts for help, but no one was able to save him.  

My guess is that man didn't have a clue what was about to happen to him ten minutes before the sink hole opened up under his house.  

Please get right with God now, friend.  



___James chapter 1
 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.
 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,
 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.
 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2
 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
 6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?
 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3
 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
 2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.
 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4
 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
 6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5
 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
 8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
 11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
 13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.
 14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.