10/06/2012
GOT A MINUTE? DEVOTIONAL
Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012
Ever Think About Hell?
"...dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power," - 2 Thessalonians 1: 8-9 NAS
Have you ever taken a minute to think about hell - who's going to be there and what it's all about? Did you know that Jesus spoke more about hell than He did about heaven?
Jesus tells an interesting parable about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The beggar sat each day at the gate of the rich man's house, hoping for some leftovers from the rich man's feast, but they never came. Both men died. Lazarus, the poor man, went to be with God, and the rich man went to hell. Seeing Lazarus across a great divide, he begged that Lazarus might dip his finger in water and bring even a drop to cool his tongue because of the agony of the heat, but it was too late. They were separated by the great divide - forever.
Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm certainly not saying the poor will go to heaven and the rich will go to hell. This is just the parable Jesus chose to use. But have you noticed how many people act like hell doesn't exist? They believe everyone eventually goes to heaven because God is love. What if they're wrong? Jesus believed in hell. Do you believe He was wrong or do you believe He tells the truth?
A truth about eternity: until you believe in the bad news of hell, you can't understand the good news of Jesus. He came to save us from hell and guarantee us a place in heaven. The question is: what do you believe about hell? What Jesus says, or something else?
