One of the best illustrations of hell (IMO) is the story of 'The Rich Man and Lazarus'. We can surmise from this that hell is indeed a place of unbearable heat and flames. The residents live in constant torment and anguish for all eternity, and once there, they cannot do or say anything that will allow them to cross the "great chasm."
I'm focusing on hell this week (or at least for a few days) because I think we tend to only talk about Heaven; it's as if the negative consequence doesn't exist. Maybe the unsaved don't have a good handle on what it means to spend eternity in hell. They only have this time here on earth to make the choice where they want to reside forever. And, we're not promised tomorrow, so it's really important that we make haste and say or do whatever's necessary to get people to understand that by not believing in Christ, by not repenting, they are actually making their decision about the afterlife.
We don't "push" our beliefs on family members because they've maybe gotten angry with us in the past, or even threatened not to see us anymore, but we have got to find a way, to the best of our ability, to convey how important and how urgent this is. Start by praying like there's no tomorrow.
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Luke 16:19-31 ESV
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Please join me this week in praying for our loved ones who are not yet saved. It's not God's wish that any perish, but we need to petition Him for the unbelievers in our life by praying fervently and unceasingly for their salvation.
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power
#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #salvation #intercession #petition #unsaved #prayer #hell
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