DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT 01-02-2015 THE REALITY OF HELL By Fred Trokie I would like to share a story. A few years ago I got a call from a believer friend that his 89 year old aunt had been taken to the hospital with phenomena. The prognosis was that this might be it. We knew her fairly well and my wife and I immediately drove to the hospital. Upon our arrival I began to share the gospel (1st Corinthians 15:1-4) to her. I explained to her that at her age and in her condition death might be imminent. I reminded her that if she died without Christ she would first go to hell, and then ultimately the Lake of Fire, an awful place were she would spend her eternity. She would never see her loved ones or her friends, and she would live in everlasting agony. I ended the conversation by telling her that I loved her and God loved her and He did not desire to send her to hell. This was quite a thing to say to an 89 year old lady on her death bed. I could image what the nurses and other patients were thinking. However that did not matter, urgency precluded any political correctness that may have been expected. Now let me add this, Im a Jewish believer in Jesus Christ. My friend (the nephew) who is a believer, is also Jewish. When I first met his aunt a few months prior to this, she told me that being a Jew, I should be ashamed of myself for believing in Jesus, and that she did not want any part of anything that I had to say. Well she didnt die that day in the hospital, and she went back home (she lived with my friend and his wife). A couple of weeks later we were visiting with them and I asked her if she had ever believed the gospel. She would not admit to believing the gospel to me or her nephew, but she told me that she loved me very much and thanked me. Did she get saved? I wont find out until were raptured or Im home with the Lord, but I learned a great lesson. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says: 18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. We must speak the truth to the unsaved people we come into contact with. The truth encompass the fact that those who do not believe the gospel for salvation will spend eternity separated from God in the Lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14-15, see also: Luke 16:19-31). We must also to be sure to always give the correct presentation of the gospel, which is found in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4: 1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Notice that the gospel includes both Christs death and resurrection. We need to share the whole gospel, and not just tell people that He died for our sins. I know that it is very difficult to imagine people that you know and loved spending eternity separated from God, but I hope this encourages you to always be ready to share the gospel, whether it is politically correct or not. The Apostle Peter exhorts us in 1 Peter 3:15 when he says: But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. God Bless - Fred
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 23:53:45 +0000
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