The Lord spoke to my heart the other day when I was going into the Manor to see Steve after Harvey’s death and going home. The devil can steal thoughts from your mind so I stopped and wrote it down. There’s no place like hell.
Mark 9: 43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
There’s no place like hell. Many try to ignore it. Some pretend it’s not in the Bible or just wish it wasn’t there. The fact is that Jesus taught more on hell than he did heaven. Why? That’s the reason he came. Sure he came to heal infirmities but his motivation was our basic need. He came to be our Savior. It was that for us or hell. He suffered at the hands of sinners to save souls from hell.
We’ve all heard the saying “there’s no place like home.” There isn’t. Family and friends and even our church family—there’s nothing like it. Jesus used extreme illustrations because he knew that everyone who gets to heaven will be complete. There will be no limitations in heaven. We’ll get a new body one day. I thought about the toll suffering took on Harvey’s body. I saw that young photo on his obituary and thought how good he looked then and realized he’s even better now that he’s gone on. Here Jesus said if it takes giving up your eyes or hearing or limbs you’d still be better off going to heaven like that than going to hell. It’s better than having it all in this life and going to hell. I’ve seen people save all they can to enjoy life in later years but seen it take every nickel they have to stay alive.
There is no nirvana or other fantasy of religions that get you to heaven. Those are tricks of the devil. If we don’t believe Jesus we’ll die in our sins and go to hell. If all you have is religion—and you can make a religion out of Christianity—you don’t have enough to get to heaven. Nicodemus, the best of the Pharisees, was told by Jesus that he must be born again.
No matter what your greatest fear is, it is not worse than hell. I’ve heard people say war is hell. I’ve seen the suffering effects many have gone through afterward. Nightmares, Agent Orange, PTSD are all real and if you use the word in that sense they are a “hell” but they are not worse than hell. Stop and think about it. The worst-faced fear, no matter how hellish and painful and hopeless, is nothing compared to the horror of hell. People have faced many hellish things in life. Don’t abandon your faith over it. Never think that hell couldn’t be worse. IT IS! I think about getting to a point of immobility and not being able to do anything for myself. I don’t want to get into that shape but hell is worse than that. Nothing is worse than hell.
We all live with a heartbeat separating us from eternity. No matter how hard life is now, at least we have food and water. God provides. In hell the rich man couldn’t even get a drop of water. We’re too smug with life and it’s foolish to think we can plan our tomorrow. Life today and live it for Jesus. The Bible says today is the day of salvation. Why? Tomorrow we may be in eternity. Is there anything in your life you don’t want to face in eternity? Holding grudges? I don’t care how hellish people have been to us we must forgive them. Grudges will not go through the pearly gates.
In verse 49 Jesus said for every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. He’s telling us that nobody has to go to hell. The fire needs to be quenched. A chemical that is used on certain fires is salt. The only way to stop the fires of hell in your future is to be salted by the sacrifice of Jesus. He died to put out the fire of a future in hell. Everyone that believes on him will be saved.
No matter how bad you think it is now, hell is worse. It’s a place of fire. One place in Matthew calls it a furnace of fire. It’s a fire that is not quenched—NEVER. Repent or face the fire. I don’t want anyone to go there. Call on God today.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 