Tag Archives: heaven and hell

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

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Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:15-24

Luke tells us that without exception, the initial invitees made excuses why they turned down the invitation. All of the excuses we read about here are self-serving.

I bought a field so I NEED to go see it.
I bought oxen so I’m GOING to try them out.
I just got married so I CAN’T go.

The old I rears its ugly head once again. I need, I’m going, I can’t.

I think that some people still today think they have a special exemption from God’s invitation. “God and I have an understanding.” “I’ve done lots of good things.” “I haven’t murdered anyone today.” They rationalize that if all that is true, surely God will let them squeak by. They’ll just find a seat in the back when they are good and ready.

This parable tells us God has made one invitation, extended it to everyone – good and bad – and we have one of two responses: yes or no.

That’s it. No “but I…”

Friend, you are not the exception. The guy wearing his own clothes (his own righteousness) found that out in no uncertain terms. Heaven has closed borders. You go through one Door wearing Jesus’ righteousness, or you don’t go at all.

The invitation is this: enter and enjoy the bounty of God’s kingdom now and forever. Refuse and there will be consequences worse than your most frightening nightmare.

Consider yourself invited. What is your response?

Rest

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Hebrews 1-4

Everything in creation, every life experience recorded in Scripture, and individually lived in 2023 points to God. I believe we don’t see the half of it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not there.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that God rested after six days of creation. Many people have asked, “why?” I think the overall reason is, God was revealing something about Himself and His plan for humans. We find the answer in Hebrews.

God was done creating. His work was finished and it was very good. Then He showed us on the seventh day, that there is something after the work.

Rest.

And what we see is, God invites us to join Him. The older I get, the better that rest sounds.

But the writer of Hebrews also reminds us not everyone will enter that rest. That rest is reserved for believers.

If you are a non-believer and think life is hard, that things can’t get much worse, that you are hoping things will improve in the future – you don’t understand hell. If you toss and turn on those sleepless nights now, get used to it. There will be no rest in hell. If you have experienced trying to function after a couple consecutive nights of no sleep, think about sleepless consecutive nights for a couple million years.

God demonstrated that there is something after the work. There is life after life. And He is inviting you into a sweet rest with Him where you will put your feet up. Snuggle in. Take a deep breath of heavenly air. Rest.

My prayer is that if you haven’t already repented of sin in this lifetime, if you haven’t received God’s grace and forgiveness through the blood of His Son, Jesus, you will do that today.

Our souls need that. You need that. Receive the Lord Jesus and you will find rest for your soul. That’s a promise.

Truly Free

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Malachi

There is so much in this wonderful book. But if we take only one thing away from it, we’ve got to understand God will be honored, respected, obeyed, and worshiped alone. He’s not fooled by good works or fancy words. He recognizes the pure and the contaminated. He will not accept anything less than what He demands – no exceptions.

That fact should cause us to fear Him. It’s His way or hell.

But He is not a tyrant. He’s not a slave-driver. He is love. He is just. He is a friend and a father. What we seem to have trouble grasping is that His way is what is best for us. It’s better than anything we can come up with on our own. Your best plans, your most favorite dreams, are nothing compared to what God offers.

It’s like a prisoner chained to a wall saying, “I don’t want freedom on God’s terms. I’d have to give up my chains. I’d have to move out of my cozy cell. I’d rather paint a picture of the sky on my wall than step out and see it for myself. I’d rather hug a mannequin than be embraced by God.”

You’d think that prisoner has lost his mind. Especially since you’ve seen the sky and know how beautiful it is.

Well, my friend. I have seen the sky. I have been embraced by God through the blood of His Son, Jesus. I am free from the chains of sin because I have repented of those sins, and I am forgiven. Why wouldn’t I want that for you, too?

For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will lead them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. (Malachi 4:1-2)

That’s what God, through the prophet Malachi, wants us to take away from his book. There are only two sides to this coin called life. Choose wisely. There is only one way to be truly free.

HIs name is Jesus.

Don’t Ignore the “But…”

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Psalm 145

This is one of many psalms that speak of the goodness of God. Verse three says; Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. Then David goes on to explain why that is true.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made. (verses 8-9)

God is good to every human being, merciful over the entire earth. We, along with every created thing is cared for and blessed by our good God.

But there is a distinct difference between how He relates to believers and non-believers.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. (verses 18-20)

Back in verse 17 David tells us God is righteous in every way. He’s kindness is seen in His care of His creation. Just look around and you know that is true.

But God is only near to and fulfills the desires of those who call on His Name. He has a relationship only with us who have received His forgiveness through the blood of Jesus, who worship Him in truth.

I think it’s time we start making that distinction, too. I recently was reminded of a popular praise song that says God restores every broken heart. Sounds right. In fact, the whole song is full of wonderful truth about God. But it’s partial truth. And it only applies to people who are saved by grace, although the song never makes that distinction.

Can the person who refuses to repent of sin sing that and apply it to themselves? The truth is God does restore the broken hearts of His children. But not everyone is His child. Do we give false hope to an unrepentant sinner when they sing about the blessings of knowing God, without making the important choice to surrender to Him?

Look at verse 20. That’s an important “but” in there. In fact, it’s the difference between life and death. I just think if we insist on inviting unsaved people into our worship services, we need to be careful about the message we are sending out to them. Not everything that is said or sung applies to them. And we’re wrong if we ignore the “but.”

It’s Worth About A Penny

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Leviticus 9

When I read God’s instructions for the various sacrifices, I try to picture the scene. I am often struck by the gruesome death of one animal after another; blood splattered layer upon layer on the altar, then poured on the ground at the base; Aaron and his sons wearing blood on their ears, hands, and feet.

So much blood everywhere.

But God, in His Sovereignty determined before the creation of the world, that blood would be required for the forgiveness of sin. Without the blood no one could have a relationship with Him, no one could be saved from the consequences of their sin.

Friend – blood will be required when you face the Holy Judge, God Himself. And like it or not, believe it or not – you WILL face Him when this life is over.

We who have accepted in this lifetime what Jesus did on the cross will stand before the Judge wearing Jesus’ blood on our heads, hands, and feet because Jesus’ blood covers our sin. God will look at the blood of His precious Son and say, “Debt paid in full.” Our eternity will be in God’s sweet Presence, too amazing to be described by words.

But if you stand before God expecting to pay for your own sins with your own blood, you’d be putting about a penny toward your billion dollar debt. Far, far from paid in full. And owing the cost of sinning against God will be an eternity of horror you can’t even imagine right now, too painful to be described by words.

Our Holy God wants each of us to know Him, so He Himself came to earth, lived, died, and rose again to make a way for that to happen. You are a sinner. You are piling up a debt of sin against God that you cannot pay. So Jesus paid it for you.

Have you accepted it? He’s offering His blood to cover your sins. Personally, I think it’s a no-brainer. But God has given you the privilege of choosing for yourself. If you think your penny will cover the cost of your sin, then take the gamble and choose that.

I’m praying you’ll choose Jesus.

(Daniel 8-12) Is It Time?

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If God sent an angel to interrupt prime time regular programing with a message that the world would end in 1,290 days – what would you do? How would you spend the next 3 1/2 years? Would you live it up with partying, sex, and drugs? Would you marry your sweetheart (or maybe divorce your spouse)? Would you buy a yacht and sail around the world, or would you climb Mt. Everest?

Maybe you’d live the high life for the first 2 1/2 years, then clean up your act just in time for the end. Or maybe you’d hit your knees, repent of sin, and spend the remaining 3 1/2 years of life on earth praying that people would turn to God. Maybe you’d be more bold when speaking to your friends and loved ones who need Jesus.

Would you take the angel’s warning seriously if you were sure he really was sent from God?

Well, my friend. That angel HAS appeared. That message HAS been sent from God. We don’t know if we are living in day 1,289 and have years and years before the end, or if we are actually living day 0002. But God, through the vision he gave Daniel, wants us to understand the day of the end has been set. It’s going to happen. There is no doubt, no alternate plan.

Many people are looking for signs of the end. Many try to figure out who or what the “last days’ will look like. I mean, you don’t want to get ready too soon or too late, right? I think their focus is misdirected.

The point is: it’s time. Now. Today. It’s time to clean up your act and get busy because the day is coming when the last chance to be saved will be past. Jesus IS coming again. And when He comes, judgment will follow. And eternity will be set.

Heaven? or Hell? There is no third option. And there will be no change of address a few millennia down the road.

Quit looking for signs. Quit postponing a decision to submit to God. He has spoken. The end is much nearer today than it was last week. You have this lifetime to make a decision that will determine your eternity, an eternity where you will be conscious of your every moment. A very real heaven or a very real hell await each one of us, depending on what we do with Jesus in this lifetime.

Friend, it’s time to choose. Choose wisely. Eternity is a very long time.

November 17; He Is Coming

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James 4-5; Acts 11:19-12:25

My pastor preached from I John 2 this morning. John warned that this is the last hour, that Jesus is coming again, and time as we know it will be no more. For those who know Jesus, it is a day to look forward to!

James, in chapter 5, is saying the same thing. Except he gives a different kind of warning. In fact, he says “weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.” How could John tell us to look forward to Jesus’ return, and James tell us to prepare for misery concerning it?

James goes on to talk about those who are ok with life as it is, who live in luxury, who live by their own rules. The Judge is at the door, he warns.

I don’t pretend to know when Jesus will return. Anyone who says they do are lying. The truth is I might die before that trumpet sounds. Or the clouds may part and Jesus appear before I’m done typing this today. I don’t know. No one does because Scripture doesn’t say.

But Scripture is clear that I – and you – will one day face the Judge. Everyone who has ever lived will be held accountable for the lives we lived on planet Earth. Until the day we stand before God Almighty, we have choice.

We can either align ourselves with God through the blood of Jesus, or we can live by our own rules, then stand before Him on that day on our own. I can absolutely tell you what to expect, without being your judge.

The Bible leaves no room for interpretation on this subject. With Jesus, you will go to heaven. Without Him, you will go to hell. Standing before the Judge, wearing Jesus’ righteousness, will usher you into a glorious eternity with God. Standing before Him wearing your pitiful attempt at goodness (which is nothing more than used menstrual pads) will usher you into an eternity more painful than anything our minds can even imagine.

There is no third option.

Jesus is coming again. When He does there will be no time to change your mind, no time to accept what He did on the cross when He paid for your sin. Oh, you can pay for them yourself with an eternity of hell if you choose. But I can’t imagine why you’d want to, when that debt has already been paid.

Jesus is coming again. It might be today. It might not. You may die today and face the Judge before the sun sets on your town. Or not. But are you ready to meet the Judge? You need to decide right this minute, my friend. Because when it’s over, it is truly over.

June 3; Train Up A Child

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Proverbs 22-24

We as Christians have a serious charge. We know the truth. We have had an encounter with the living Jesus. And we can know for sure that we will see Him face to face when this life is over. Life – eternal life – is ours.

However, we Christians also know that people without that encounter with Jesus have no hope. Their eternity promises to be more awful than any of us can imagine. Solomon tells us we need to rescue those being led away to death. (23:11)

In other words, share what you know. Introduce people to their only Savior. None of us can say we didn’t know the seriousness of their choice to reject God. The question is, what are we going to do about that knowledge?

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. (22:6)

Our church is having Bible School this week. Starting today, about 80 kids will come and sing songs, play games, make crafts, and hear about Jesus. (and this from a church that has about 5 total kids who regularly attend Sunday School with us.) Will you pray with me?

We take this responsibility very seriously. There may be children who have never heard that Jesus died to save them from the penalty their sin deserves. There may be children who will make a decision this week to follow Jesus, or reject Him. We are praying that as we train up these kids in the truth of Scripture they will accept it, and cling to it the rest of their lives.

May Proverbs 22:6 be true for every boy and girls who hears the Word this week as we look at “The Incredible Race.”