Pastor Jeff Strite shares this true story about being comfortable in Hell.
My Dad was what was known as “a rounder.” A man’s man. Hard worker, hard fighter, and a hard player of baseball and basketball. He was attractive to women and he loved to go out and dance.
Now, it’s not that dad was a stranger to church (when he first met mom, he kissed her behind the furnace in a church basement). He wasn’t unfriendly to church; it’s just that God held little interest for him. He didn’t need God to run his life.
After he married Mom, they settled down as married couples did. Mom, a deeply religious woman, never failed to go to church, but Dad always had work to do. And church wasn’t all that important to him anyway.
But after awhile, mom’s church going got to bothering him. He accepted the idea that he might go to hell, but the idea of being there without the woman he loved troubled him.
Dad finally decided to force mom to avoid church. He asked her if she would feel comfortable in heaven if he were in hell.
Now, Mom was the quiet type of Christian who didn’t try to force her faith down dad’s throat, but now she had the opportunity to address his need. How would she respond?
She thought for a couple of moments, then asked him: “Lowell, would you really feel comfortable if I were in hell with you?”
The simplicity of her response led Dad to change his way of thinking and he turned his life over to Jesus. Why? Because hell wasn’t a comfortable concept to him especially when it came to someone he loved.
The idea of a literal Hell has been ridiculed and rejected, even by people who consider themselves Christian. But Hell is real! It may surprise you to know that the person in the Bible who spoke the most often (and in the most graphic terms) about Hell, was not one of the fiery Old-Testament prophets, or John the author of Revelation, but Jesus himself. It has often been said by notable pastors and authors that Jesus actually talked more about hell than heaven, though this is debated by others. But Jesus definitely warned His hearers about a literal Hell that is a place of eternal suffering and damnation. It is certainly a place where we do not want to go!
Jesus is very emphatic: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6) and “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). If there is a Heaven waiting for the righteous – those who have repented of their sin and are covered by the righteousness of Christ – then there is a Hell waiting for the unrighteous, those who have rejected Jesus and what He did on the Cross.
This Sunday, November 13, we will continue our fall teaching series, “We Believe!” with the terrifying truth of “Hell!” When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He defeated death, hell and the grave. You do not need to spend eternity in hell; you can live forever with Him in Heaven. Please invite someone to join you at 10:35am either in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream every Sunday to both locations.
Coming Up: Our 2022 Thanksgiving Celebration and Lunch will take place Sunday, November 20. Turkeys are provided by the church, so bring your favorite side dishes (mashed potatoes, stuffing, salad, dessert, and more) to add to the table. November 27 is “Deck the Halls” Sunday. We will decorate the building for Christmas and then enjoy a delicious prepared lunch together. (The lunch is free; you don’t need to bring anything that day.) Our 11th annual Christmas Lunch and Treasure Trade for ladies and girls will take place Saturday, December 3, at 11:30am. Please bring your donations of new or gently used items to the church before the event. Tickets are available at Sunday services or by calling the church office. (Tickets are free and help us know how many to welcome.)
Aloha ke Akua!