A Glimpse of Hell on Earth

Our neighbor's house is on fire. Thankfully, no one is hurt.

I've never seen a house on fire up close and personal. It's a shock seeing firetrucks and red flashing lights on the street where our neighbor plays ball with his boy.

I felt the anguish of the moment in my neighbor's arms when I found her by the road staring in disbelief. She didn't want to let me go.  Holding on to a human is more comforting than watching smoke fill your newly redecorated home.

As I stood there marveling at the volunteer firemen and firewomen who risk their lives putting out a neighbor's fire, one could feel the devastation in the air.

It was quiet, but not peaceful.

All I could think of was Hell. That one day those who reject Jesus Christ will burn eternally. No fireman will come and put the fire out. No neighbor will offer an escape or a human touch. There will be no splashes of serenity on that day.

"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:15

"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."

As quick as a spark, the end will come. Are you ready? Is your neighbor ready? Go and tell them. Go and tell them. Bring Rivers of Living Water to their eternal souls,

Dr. King had a Dream. I had a Nightmare.

Dr. King had a dream that changed his life; I had a nightmare that changed mine.

My nightmare was Hell. Literally. Sitting in Heaven upon a puffy cloud surrounded by angels ministering to my every need, I praised God for my plush pad. All was, well--Heaven. Then His Hand tapped me on the shoulder and pointed down. My eyes followed His finger past my Heavenly domain and into a fiery Hell. I saw flames burning people. Their tortured eyes gazed up at me. Looking closer, I gasped, realizing the faces were my relatives, neighbors, and friends all screaming at me the same sentence, "Why didn't you tell me about Jesus? You knew!!! You didn't tell me!"

Life hasn't exactly been the same for me since that dream. My heart burns with passion to tell people about the One who saves us from flames in this world and the next--my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Last week a horrified world watched the nightmare in Haiti. Our hearts hurt, our lips pray, and our check books give to ease the pain. I watched and thought this is only a small clip of the big picture of what Hell is like. Haiti will eventually recover, Hell is eternal.

The horror of Haiti, reminded me of a poem I read in Leslie Vernick's powerful book, "Lord, I Just Want To Be Happy." She quoted it from inside a Covenant House Christmas card:

"On the street I saw a small girl
cold and shivering in a thin dress,
with little hope of a decent meal.
I became angry and said to God:
'Why did you permit this?
Why don't you do
something about it?'

For a while God said nothing.
That night He replied quite suddenly:
'I certainly did something about it--
I made you.'"

God created me to give to the poor, comfort those who mourn, and tell a suffering world there is a Savior. My nightmare has become my dream to do all God made me to do to tell people about the One--Jesus--who rescues people out of the rubble of life.

Dr. King knew what God created Him to do. He had a dream. May all of our dreams come true as we do what God sent us to do. Don't sleep through it--do it!