The Congregation of the Dead

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

"The man that wanders out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead." (Prov 21:16)

The congregation of the dead.  What is that?  Well, you see, the congregation of the dead are the people in hell.  

In hell, their worms don't die, and the fire is never quenched, where there's crying and gnashing of teeth, Jesus said.  

And Jesus wasn't just kidding around.  I don't think Jesus ever kidded around during his life on earth.  Jesus wouldn't kid around because men's souls are at stake.  

But how does someone wander out of the way of understanding?

You wander out of the way of understanding if you have good knowledge and then forsake it.  

If you understand basic principles of the Bible, if you have the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom, and then you let it slip.  (Psa 111:10)

Notice Hebrews 2:1--

___Hebrews chapter 2
 1 "Therefore we ought to pay more earnest attention to the things that we've heard, so we won't ever let them slip."

Here, the Apostle Paul tells us not to let our salvation slip away.  

If you let your salvation slip away, you've wandered out of the way of understanding.  

Let it slip how?  By neglecting the Bible, by neglecting prayer, by failing to "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."  (Phil 2:12)

I know of at least two men who have wandered out of the way of understanding and shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

But women can also wander out of the way of understanding and remain in the congregation of the dead.  

I was talking with someone about one of those men across the table from me in the dining car on a trip by railroad train.  

They said, "Well, maybe that person will return to Christianity."

I don't think so, and I believe the Lord has shown me that the person will go to hell.  

And notice Hebrews 6:4-6--

 4 For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
 6 If they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify to themselves the Son of God again, and put him to an open shame.

The heavenly gift is Jesus.  I believe both those men were once Christians.  

But they fell away from Christianity, and I believe they will not be renewed again to repentance.  

Notice Rom 1:28--

"And since they didn't want to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a rejected mind, to do the things that are not convenient,"

In the King James Version, it says God gave them over to a reprobate mind.  

That means God gives up on you.  

Back in the Old Testament book of Genesis, God says, "My spirit shall not always strive with men." 

When God gives up on you, his spirit no longer strives to try to get you on the right road that leads to heaven.  

Notice also in Jesus' Parable of the Sower (Planter) in Matthew chapt 13--

 3 And he spoke many things to them in parables, and said, "See, a planter went out to plant,
 4 And when he planted, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them up,
 5 Some fell on stony places, where they didn't have much earth, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth,
 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away.
 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked them,
 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold."

Jesus went on, in the same chapter, to explain that he that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

Getting all choked up with the cares of this world has sent many to hell.  

I believe both of those men got themselves tangled up with the things of this world.  

In one of the other gospels, Jesus said that the thorns were the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things.  

I wrote about one of those two men in my book, "Can Christians Lose their Salvation."

(Yes, Christians can lose their salvation.)

God says, "I am a jealous God."

Jesus said, "If you love son or daughter, brother or sister, father or mother more than me, you're not worthy of me."  

In other words, if you're a Christian, Jesus must have first place in your life.  It is not acceptable if your family is number one with you, and your career is number two, and Jesus is somewhere further down on your list of priorities.  

If that is the case, then Jesus says you're not worthy of him.  

Better get your priorities straight, promptly.  

Chapter 2

The first verse in this book here is Prov 21:16.  

But notice the very next verse, # 17--

 17 "He that loves pleasure shall be a poor man, he that loves wine and oil shall not be rich."

The loving of pleasure can send people to hell.  And excessive use of alcohol has sent people to hell.  

One of the two men that I mentioned starred in a weekly TV show that was on for decades.  They're still playing reruns of that show.  

He started out as an Evangelical Christian.  He knew the right way.  

Does it make a difference what church you go to?  Of course it does.  You can't go to the Buddhist temple and find salvation through Jesus Christ.  

Nor the Muslim Mosque.  

Nor Christian Science, which is neither Christian nor scientific.  

So this guy who had been an Evangelical Christian switched from that over to the Church of Religious Science, which is not a Christian church, and they don't believe the Bible.

He wandered out of the way of understanding, and gave up the genuine salvation in exchange for a pile of garbage.  

But why would anyone do that?

Well, you see, I think there was a woman involved.  

Notice 2 Cor 6:14-18--

 14 Don't be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship does righteousness have with unrighteousness?  And what communion does light have with darkness?
 15 And what agreement does Christ have with Belial?  Or what part does the believer have with an unbeliever?
 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?  For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, "I will live in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
 17 "So, come out from among them, and be separate," says the Lord, "and don't touch the unclean thing, and I'll receive you,
 18 And will be a Father to you, and you'll be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

It says, "Don't be unequally yoked together with unbelievers."

That means Christians are not allowed to marry non-Christians.  

I think the man got tangled up with an unbelieving woman, married her, and let her persuade him that Church of Religious Science is just as good as genuine Christianity.  

He'll perceive his error the instant he arrives in hell (the congregation of the dead).  

The other of the two men started out life as a Christian, from his youth.  

And he had a good heart.

He was my friend.  

He was a very talented person, intellectually, musically, and in many of the skills.  

But then, several years ago, (we were sitting at a table in a restaurant and having a meal), and he said to me, "That's why I quit being a Christian."

The reason he gave for quitting being a Christian was that he thought he had caught Jesus in a lie.  

Jesus said, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it."

He referred to a certain unsaved man for whom a lot of prayer had been made.

A lot of people had prayed for that man's salvation, and yet the man didn't get saved, and died and went to hell.  

But Frederick, how do you know the man went to hell?  

Because hell is the default destination for everyone.  You have to make other arrangements not to go to hell, and that man didn't make the necessary arrangements.  

In John chapt 3, Jesus said, "You must be born again."

To go to heaven, you have to get born again, otherwise, you'll go to a fiery hell.  

To get born again, obey Romans 10:9,10 (see below).  

So did that man catch Jesus in a lie?  Of course not.  

I expect that the man who didn't get saved in answer to prayer was already too far down the wrong road before the man who thought he caught Jesus in a lie was born.  

After people reject the Lord for long enough, the Lord gives up on them.  

And God never forces anyone to be a Christian.  I'm sure the Lord made an honest effort, in answer to the prayers to get the man saved.  

And that man claimed to be an Atheist.  He believed there was no God, and no hell.  

Upon his arrival in hell, however, he then saw that, yes, there is really a hell.  What a pity.  

But this man who thought he caught Jesus in a lie, by the time he said that, I think he was already "hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb 3:13)

I believe the man got into some things that he shouldn't have gotten into.  I think he got into some sexual sins, and let it pull him away from his salvation in Jesus.  

What a pity.

He'll realize his error upon his arrival in hell, whereupon he will pay for his error, and pay, and pay, and then pay some more, for eternity.  

And all that talent that he had!  

But talent doesn't get you into heaven.

Paul says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Phil 2:12)  

Romans 10:9,10--

"That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved.  For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation."  

___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.