WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
JULY 28, 2022
TOPIC: HELL IS NOT A JOKE!
BY T. O. BANSO
“So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, ‘Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!’ But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking” (Genesis 19:14 New King James Version).
Hell is not a joke! Unfortunately, many people crack jokes about it. We even tell people to go to hell! Many think that hell is just a creation of some writers of the Bible. Even, some preachers, who had warned people about hell in the past, no longer believe that there is hell. They’ve become atheists and former preachers! This is sad.
When Noah warned the people of his day of the impending flood, they must have called him a joker. How would God cover the earth with a flood that would destroy all living things He had made?
Hebrews 11:7 says by faith, Noah heard God’s warning about things he could not yet see and built the ark that saved his family from the flood. The people of his day continued to hold banquets, parties and weddings until the flood they had thought was a joke came (Matthew 24:37-39; Luke 17:26-28). They all perished. Only Noah, his family and the animals that entered the ark survived.
In Genesis 19, the angels told Lot to escape quickly from Sodom, with his family and sons-in-law, because they were going to completely destroy the city. Verse 14 says, “So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, ‘Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!’ But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking” (New King James Version).
However, Sodom and Gomorrah were razed down by fire. The columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace (verse 28). The fire was not anything near hell-fire. But it wasn’t a joke.
Hell is not a joke! Mark 9:45-48 says, “And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched — where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire — where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’” (New King James Version).
The wicked shall be turned to hell and all the nations that forget God (Psalm 9:17). The only way to escape hell is to give one’s life to Jesus and live according to His Word (John 3:16, 6:47). Revelation 21:8-9 says that the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.
Hell is not a joke! The rich man in Luke 16:19-31 knew this very well, after his death. The torment was too much for him. The final abode of whoever fails to repent and turn to God, through Jesus Christ, is hell. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour now.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and was raised on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: O Lord of the harvest, send out workers into Your field for the harvest of souls; touch the hearts of sinners to respond favourably to the message of salvation and give their lives to Jesus. I shall not spend my eternity in hell in Jesus’ name.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
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