"You know what's real? Death. Death is real."
we went on to talk about how now a days, death is everywhere. Haiti, peoples mothers dying from cancer, people's fathers dying in car accidents, college students committing suicide.
its not fun to talk about, but its everywhere and, at least to me, its becoming more and more real in life.
I'm reading two books by two awesome authors. "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan and "What Jesus Demands From The World" by John Piper. Recently, the chapters i've read in each book have mentioned death. i'll share.
"Are You Ready?
As a pastor, I'm often called upon when life "vanishes like a mist." One of the most powerful examples I've seen of this was Stan Gerlach, a successful businessman who was well known in the community. Stan was giving a eulogy at a memorial service when he decided to share the gospel. At the end of his message, Stan told the mourners, 'You never know when God is going to take your life. At that moment there's nothing you can do about it. Are you ready?' Then Stan sat down, fell over, and died. His wife and sons tried to resuscitate him, but there was nothing they could do - just as Stan had said a few minutes earlier.
I'll never forget receiving that phone call and heading over to the Gerlach house. Stan's wife, Suzy, was just arriving home. She hugged me and cried. One of her sons, John, stepped out of the car weeping. He asked me, 'Did you hear the story? Did you hear? I'm so proud of him. My dad died doing what he loved doing most. He was telling people about Jesus.'
I was asked to share a word with everyone gathered...I asked everyone what it must had felt like for Stan. One moment he was at a memorial service saying to a crowd, 'This is who Jesus is!' The next, he was before God hearing Jesus say, 'This is who Stan Gerlach is!' One second he was confessing Jesus; a second later, Jesus was confessing him!'"
- Crazy Love by Francis Chan
"The Description Jesus Uses for Hell
Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone in the Bible. He referred to it as a place of 'outer darkness' where 'there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth' (Matt. 8:12). In other words, all the joys that we associate with light will be withdrawn, and all the fears that we associate with darkness will be multiplied. And the result will be an intensity of misery that makes a person grind his teeth in order to bear it.
...He calls it 'the hell of fire' (Matt. 5:22), 'eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels' (Matt. 25:41), 'unquenchable fire' (Matt. 9:43), 'eternal punishment' (Matt. 25:46).
This last description - 'eternal punishment' - is especially heartrending and fearful because it is contrasted with 'eternal life.' 'These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.' In this contrast we hear the tragedy of loss as well as suffering and endlessness. Just as 'eternal life' will be a never-ending experience of pleasure in God's presence, so 'eternal punishment' will be a never-ending experience of misery under God's wrath (John 3:36; 5:24)."
Death is real, you guys. And as morbid as this may seem, there's a reason God is showing me all of this.
Obedience.
When He tell us to do something, there's a reason, I PROMISE. and this is something i'm definitely learning and struggling with at this very moment.
We have been demanded to spread His love and to obey Him and in obeying Him, we spread His love. People are dying every day and are going STRAIGHT to hell.
no second chances.
no take-backs.
no changing their minds.
there's nothing we can do.
hell.
eternal punishment, misery, fire.
think about that.
i recently got burnt at work and have a blister on my finger. that hurt really bad. imagine the worst burn you've ever had.
now multiply that all over your body.
now take the time it hurt and think about eternity.
who could EVER wish that upon someone? even their enemies?!
how can we just sit back and watch the people we care about walk straight down the path of hell. because that's pretty much saying, "i hate you so much, that i'm gonna watch you destroy yourself." SCARY!!!
we are on the earth to tell them, "YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!"
we cant expect for them to hear it from someone else.
we cant whisper it.
we cant mention it just once.
we are told to live as Jesus lived.
walk the talk.
everyday.
every second.
they need to know that we have an unfathomable love and Who that is.
don't just live like you've got it and not share.
SHARE!
don't keep it to yourself!
because by doing that, we're sending them to hell.
harsh?
heck yes its harsh.
true?
oh yeah
my prayer is that God continues to teach me the realness of peoples death: Teach us, dear Father, what hell really is. Show us where these people are going without You. Open up our eyes to the things unseen and break our hearts for what breaks Yours! Give us such a passion and love for these people, that we can just stand by and watch them. Empty us of our nasty, selfish flesh, Lord, and fill us up COMPLETELY with You, so that everything we say, do, think is for Your glory. Please, Lord. This is my plea, my cry, my deepest desire, to glorify You and I hope and pray that it continues to grow every second of every day, and that it spreads to others. Because i do believe WE are the generation to make things change. we just need to see the reality of things.
I praise You, God, for who You are.
what You have done
what You continue to do
PRAISE THE LORD!
