The sting of death

Hebrews  2:14-15  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.  15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

It's been a while since God laid on me a good ole "fire and brimstone" message.  Truth is, we are to talk about hell and satan and satan's power over the world.  Case in point, before I truly repented and was saved, I was so scared of death that I was almost bedridden for a short while.  I had panic attacks and just a constant fear of dying that I couldn't get rid of.

I know now it was God in some way trying to get me to look to him.  I didn't though.  I found that by drinking a lot more, I was able to forget myself and the fears I had.  Fear is a terrible thing, especially when you are scared and don't know why.  I do remember being scared to go to sleep because I thought I might not wake up.  OK.  Now what was I really scared of?  I knew in my soul that if I died I would immediately go to hell.  Whether I admitted it or not, I was headed on the fast track to hell.

Basically the verses to day are just saying that Jesus came and through His death and resurrection, conquered the sting of death for christians.  Whether you know it or not, if you are not saved, you are in bondage because there is no way out of the fact that you are going to hell.  I know that's harsh, but I needed the harsh truth in my past so some of you might also.

I want you to clear your mind right now.  Just focus on your relationship with God.  Get rid of all distractions.  If you died right now, or were asked to die because you are a christian:  Would you die for your faith?  If you died right now in a car wreck, honestly, do you know where you would be the minute your heart stops beating?  You are going to either heaven or hell.  Remember you know if you are saved by looking at your fruits.  Are your fruits good?  Are you bearing any fruit at all?  God doesn't want us to be lukewarm either. Are you lukewarm?

I say all that to just let you know not to go through life thinking you can continue in sin because you will just get saved later, or you will change your life later.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow.  Hell is forever!  Is waiting to turn your life over to God worth the risk of eternal separation from God and eternal torment? You don't have to even worry about this.  Jesus died so you wouldn't ever have to worry about death anymore.  Ask him to forgive you of your sins.  Tell Him you are sorry for your sinful selfish life.  Turn your life to Him and His will. Pray daily and read your bible.

I beg of you to just look into your heart and see who is guiding your life.  Are you driven right now by your own selfish desires?  Are you doing what God's wants you to do?  What decisions are you making right now in your life?  Are they being based on yourself and your happiness or What God wants from you?

Today is just a day of reflection.  We should all think about this stuff as often as possible.  It sounds harsh to preach like this, but Hell is real and people who are not saved will go there!

Tell someone about Jesus today.  Send this link to someone today.