I'm reading the book pictured here; I can hardly put it down (read till almost midnight last night)! This guy is a Christian who God chose to "drop in on" hell one night for 23 minutes. His experience is incredible and it will give you new insight on the truth of the existence of hell, what it's like and what it means to be "consigned" there for eternity.It seems we've forgotten to talk much about hell. I guess because we're trying to focus on the positive. But I do believe in my own life, the thought of hell kept me on the straight and narrow until I learned the truth about God's love for me and his desire that I NOT go there. Now my focus is not so much on this place I don't want to go to, rather on Jesus who has lifted me up from the pit. I serve God not out of a fear of hell, but because I love Jesus!
One thing this book brought out that I never thought about before, is that hell was created for Lucifer and his angels- NOT for humankind. God's intent was not to punish those people who turned against him. In fact, he sent Jesus to let us know how very much he wants us to be with him for eternity. It's only through our own dogged desire to get to hell that we actually end up there.
I once saw a quote that has stayed with me for years- "If you drive like hell, you'll get there." I guess it could be modified to: "If you live like hell, you'll get there." Not exactly God's intent for his creation, made in his own image, but it is certainly our own fault if we do get there. Especially when God has done so much to keep us from that fate.
If you'd like to read this book too, click the picture which will link you to a site where you can buy the book.
2 comments:
interesting-sounding book!
hell. . . what a word - what images it conjures, how overused and casually used it can be.
i like your attitude. . you don't serve God because you'll be afraid of going there. . you serve him cuz you love him. I recently had someone 'apologize' to me for some serious hurt they had caused me. They told me that the reason they were apologizing was cuz they didn't want to go to hell!!! I felt almost invisible in that apology scenario. . i felt as if they didn't care if they had hurt me or those i love, i felt as if their apology wasn't sincere. . . because it seemed to me they were just afraid for their own hide!!!!
it was weird.
bah. .
i also used to think that satan was in charge of hell. . now i know that isn't the case and that God is the one who is in charge. . .which causes me to shake in my boots just a TAD!!! But you know, I love him and I've learned to trust in love and not be afraid for my own hide, but to know his heart and want to know it better.
I'll take a gander one day. It's true we don't serve God because we want a free ticket out of Hell. We were never meant to go there in the first place. We are meant to be seated with Christ in the Heavenly realm. When you look at Hell in that way (which I guess everyone should) it seems like you have to work really hard to be sent to Hell. There is so much opportuity to avoid it but not everyone notices it or is told about it.
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