Hell is a real place. It’s made of stuff that is worse than your worst nightmare! 1 John 1:9 says, “God is love.” So if God is love, then why does He send people to Hell? The answer is he doesn’t. People choose Hell as their eternal destination when they reject God and His free gift of salvation through Jesus.
Hell was created for Satan who once was an archangel in Heaven, named Lucifer. Lucifer became jealous of God and decided he wanted to be God. As a result, he and one-third of the angels in heaven attempted a coup in Heaven. Only, they were defeated. God created hell for Lucifer and his followers. Lucifer is more commonly called the Devil or Satan. In the Bible he is also called the Great Deceiver. His followers are known as demons. God created Hell for Satan and his demons.
When man sinned way back in the Garden of Eden, a great divide was created between a holy and righteous God and sinful man. God created man to have fellowship with us. Yet, when man sinned, God’s holiness could not look on sin and God had to judge sin. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. Wages are what you earn for a certain action. If you get up and go to work every day this week, the wages you earn will show up in your paycheck. The wages we earn for our sin is death. (Romans 6:23) Just as a child has consequences for disobeying his or her parents, so there are consequences when we disobey God. As a result, we are all spiritually dead in our sin until the moment that we accept Christ as our Savior. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth as a baby, lived among us, and then he paid our sin debt for us. Remember that our wages for sin is death – Christ died in our place. He was buried in a tomb for three days and then rose again. When we recognize our own brokenness and sin and that we are on our way to Hell as payment for our sin, we have the realization that we are a sinner. We then have a choice to remain lost in our sin or to come to Christ by faith in who he is and what he did for us and ask him to forgive us and cleans us of all our sin. (1 John 1:9). As we invite Him to be our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit moves in and dwells within us.
One of the most amazing concepts is that when God created man, He knew man would sin. He knew I would sin. He knew you would sin. He also knew that because of that sin, He would have to send His only begotten Son to this earth to pay our sin debt. Even knowing what it would cost Him, he created us anyway.
Yes, God is love. We know He is love because even when he knew from before the world was created that you and I would sin, he still created us and he still provided a way to restore fellowship with us and redeem us from our broken, sinfulness. He knew every sin of our entire lives. He knew that we would need someone to save us from those sins and so in his love and mercy, he sent his son to die a horrible, cruel death in our place so that we would not have to spend eternity in hell.
Why then do people go to hell? Because they reject the free gift of Christ’s sacrifice and payment of our sin debt. They turn away from it. Revelation 21:8 says, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and the murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Sinners do not want to be confronted with their sin. They would rather create laws that will legalize sin than to confess their sin. They think if they can make a sin legal in the eyes of man they will not be guilty. However, no law of man would over over-rule God’s law and when we stand before God at the end of our lives he will judge us according to His laws – not man’s. At that time, he will either see you covered in the blood of Christ which cleanses you from all unrighteousness and you will spend eternity in Heaven with him or the sins of your entire life will be exposed and you will hear God say the worst words you could ever hear: “Depart from me for I never knew you.” My friend, God does not send people to hell. They send themselves.
What is hell like? Pastor Rick Warren describes it like this:
In human terms, it’s tough to define Hell. It’s like trying to explain the Internet to an ant.
But Jesus actually talked more about Hell than Heaven. And to read how Jesus — and others in the Bible — described it, we don’t want to have any part of it, and we don’t want anyone we know to have any part in it.
So what does the Bible say about Hell?
- It’s a place of torment. Luke 13:28 says that in Hell, “You will cry and be in extreme pain” (GW). We get our visions of fire and agony in Hell from the Bible.
- It’s a place of complete separation from God and other people. That’s the worst part of Hell. Go through your whole life saying you don’t want to have anything to do with God, and you’ll eventually get your way. Hell means total separation from God. “If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be separated from God — lost forever!” (1 Corinthians 16:22a ERV)
- It’s a place without love. The Bible tells us that God is love. Without God, we’ll spend forever without his love in Hell. The Bible also says, “There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear” (GNT). What’s it like to live without God’s love? It means you’re scared to death all the time.
Everyone who goes to Hell chooses to do so. They’ll get what they always thought they wanted — a life away from God. You don’t want that! You don’t want Hell.
The Bible says that Hell is place for wicked souls; it is referred to as a fiery furnace, a place of unquenchable fire; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, constant and eternal torment; there will be no rest; there is condemnation and destruction; you will be eternally separated from God; it is a place of outer darkness; it is a lake of burning sulfur; and there will be eternal suffering. Yet any description we give it, will not compare the just how horrible spending eternity in hell will be.
How do you not spend eternity in hell? By placing your faith and trust in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. His death on the cross paid your sin debt. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” He died in your place so that you do not have to spend eternity in hell. In 1974, a movie was made and shown in churches across the country. “The Burning Hell” is a 58 minute film created by the evangelist Estus Pirkle. This film is Pirkle’s interpretation of what the Bible has to say about hell and you can watch it on YouTube here.
Heaven or hell….the choice is yours. Eternity in hell….or eternity in heaven. What is heaven like? A river, clear as crystal, will flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus] down the middle of the city. On each side of the river there will be a tree of life, yielding twelve kinds of fruit every month. The streets will be pure gold, like transparent glass. The walls of the city will be adorned with every kind of jewel, emerald, onyx, amethyst, topaz, etc. There will be no need for a sun or moon, and no need for a temple or church. The presence of the Lord will be its light. There will be no sickness or pain, no death, no tears or sorrow.
Just as our human mind cannot accurately envision the horrors of hell, so can we not fully imagine the splendor and glory of heaven. Yes, my friend, God is love and He invites you right now to spend eternity in heaven with him. Romans 10:13 says, “Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
“Whosoever” that means you!
If that is your heart’s desire, then you can pray the following prayer:
“Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
If you just prayed this prayer, please let us know through the contact us page. You will also want to find an evangelical church and talk with a pastor so that he can lead you through the next steps, being baptized, and growing as a Christian. If you just prayed that prayer, then welcome to the family of God! I look forward to meeting you in Heaven one day.
Please share today’s Devotion to your social media accounts. We’re using the following hashtags: #4thweekinAdvent #Advent #Love #secondcoming #faith #athrillofhope #hopeoftheworld #WCM
Get the daily devotional delivered to your email. Enter your name and email address in the boxes below to sign up:
Become a distributor of Living Water with us by joining our fundraising campaign as we grow and expand our ministry. Click here to make your secure tax-deductible contribution.
T-shirt Fundraiser Event: If you missed getting one of our Christmas designs, be sure to check out all the other designs. We have some great Christian designs based on popular Scriptures that can be a testimony of your faith and a witness to the lost.
New Year’s Day is just around the corner. Revelation 21:5 says that God makes all things new. You can get this shirt for New Year’s Day now. (Click the shirt to go to the store).
Thank you for helping us grow!
Click here to view the Teespring store.
Click here to view the Spreadshop Store
#fundraiser #tshirt #WCM #teespring #spreadshop #Revelation21:5 #allthingsnew
Become a distributor of Living Water with us by joining our fundraising campaign as we grow and expand our ministry. Click here to make your secure tax-deductible contribution.
BOOKING NOW! Be a host site for the NEW God, Love & Marshmallow Wars Book Tour & Couples Conference:
This event helps couples understand why the daily activities found in the book will equip them to build a stronger marriage and the book provides them with 365 intentional activities to take what they learn at the event and apply it on a daily basis. Through the event, couples will discover the Biblical “why” behind the categories of activities found in the book and the “how” these activities are important to building a stronger marriage. Focus points of the event includes :
- How memorizing scripture together and studying God’s Word together as they study, meditate and apply scriptures related to marriage and life issues will help them develop marriages that honor God.
- Why utilizing fun conversation starters that spark meaningful conversations will keep interest alive as they continually learn new things about each other.
- Why keeping romance alive is essential to intimacy and connectivity.
- How making memories and working together builds relationship investment bonds and how these investment bonds can become the knots that keeps them together through the tough times.
- How they can understand what they are or are not contributing to the marriage as well as how they might be contributing to problems or potential problems within the relationship through the use of targeted, intentional personal reflections
- Why it is important that couples never stop dating and how group dates with Christian friends can be both an encouragement and accountability to their own relationship.
During the event, couples will be given an activity from each focus point to do together, making this event an interactive, fun, and engaging event with practical, hands-on learning. Unlike other couple events that are over when the event ends, couples who attend the GLMW event will be able to apply what they learn when utilizing the book on a daily basis for a year. Since the book is not dated, couples are able to reuse the activities year after year to continue being intentional in strengthening their relationship with each other and with God as they strive to live out God’s design for marriage every day.
Learn more about hosting this event at your church or conference site by clicking here.
About the book: The GLMW book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble
#GLMW #couplesevent #GLMWbook #intentionalmarriage #Godlymarriage
Looking for a keynote speaker for your next ministry event? Julia is now booking for 2019 and 2020 Christian events for women’s and couples’ ministries for both small and large events.
Book with us now.
Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants. Today, Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.
With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities, regardless of size.
To request more information or a booking,
fill out the online form here.
Or call us at 904.524.8073
#JuliaBruce #speaker #keynote #author
Wellspring receives an 8% commission for any item purchased
at CBD through any of these links. Your cost to purchase any item through an affiliate link is the same as purchasing directly from CBD.
Clicking any affiliate link will open a new browser page and take you to Christian Book Distributor’s website.
Christmas Items at Christian Book Distributors:
Here are a sample of items from CBD. We are an affiliate of CBD and receive an 8% commission on any product you purchase through these links which we then use to advance our ministry. If you need a Christian gift or looking for Christian Christmas decorations, go to CBD through any link below and search their website for books, Bibles, gifts, decor, and more.
 |
Overcomer, Blu-ray/DVD/Digital
By Provident Films From the creators of War Room, Courageous and Fireproof. Basketball coach John Harrison’s high school team is crushed by the closing of the town’s largest employer. Hundreds of families move, leaving him running a struggling cross-country program. But then he meets Hannah and begins helping this unlikely runner attempt the impossible in the year’s biggest race. Starring Alex Kendrick, Priscilla Shirer, and Aryn Wright-Thompson. Rated PG. Dove approved (12+). Approx. 119 minutes. Blu-ray Exclusives:
Special Features:
Other Features:
|
 |
Waiting on God
By Charles F. Stanley / Howard Books Are you waiting for God to answer your prayers? Does time tick by without any hint that things will change? You’re not alone! Drawing on personal experiences and biblical principles, Stanley offers a practical and encouraging guide to making the most of the “delays” and following God’s lead to the blessings he has planned for you. |
 |
Letters to the Church
By Francis Chan / David C Cook If God had it His way, what would our churches look like? In his most powerful book yet, Pastor Francis Chan digs deep into biblical truths, reflections on his own failures and dreams, and stories of ordinary people God is using to change the world. As Chan says, “We’ve strayed so far from what God calls Church. We all know it. We know that what we’re experiencing is radically different from the Church in Scripture. For decades, church leaders like myself have lost sight of the inherent mystery of the Church. We have trained people sitting in the pews to become addicted to lesser things. It’s time for that to change.” When Jesus returns, will He find us caring for His Bride-even more than for our own lives? Letters to the Church reminds us of how powerful, how glorious the Church once was … and calls us to once again be the Church God intended us to be. Bonus Videos: The 4 videos from Francis Chan’s BASIC Study series (Fellowship, Communion, Teaching, Prayer) are included here as additional material for you to feel free to use in your church. They are not part of the “Letters to the Church” series. |
 |
A Hunger for God: Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer
By John Piper / Crossway Is your soul so stuffed with worldly desires that you have little room left for God? Piper invites you to turn from materialism and sharpen your appetite for God through prayer and fasting. His exploration of fasting will help you understand how this ancient biblical practice can nourish your spiritual life and satisfy your longings. 201 pages, softcover from Crossway. |
 |
Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity, and the Things We’ve Made Up
By Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle / David C Cook In Erasing Hell, Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle take on the topic of hell and our eternal destiny, with a sense of humility and a deep respect for the inspired Word of God. They will address questions such as “Will everyone be saved?” and “Does God Get What He Wants in the End?” as well as reviewing in depth, everything Jesus said about Hell. Chan and Sprinkle lay all the evidence on the table and present all the facts from Scripture, so that people can decide what to believe for themselves. |
 |
Double Blessing: How to Get It. How to Give It.
By Mark Batterson / Multnomah New York Times bestselling author and pastor Mark Batterson believes the key to radically increasing your faith, joy, and abundance can be found in these three words: Flip the blessing. His discovery started with a simple experiment. Whenever he received a blessing, he would give a similar blessing away. If someone paid him a compliment or gave him a gift or went out of their way to help him, he would return the favor by doing something similar for someone else. We flip the blessing by blessing others in the way God has blessed us. That’s how the blessing becomes a double blessing. It turns giving into a game–one we can’t win because God will always outgive us! It’s an ancient truth found within the Abrahamic covenant: “I will bless you…and you will be a blessing.” In other words, we are blessed to bless. In a day and age where the idea of blessing has been reduced to a hashtag (#blessed), Batteron challenges readers to pursue true, God-glorifying blessing and experience an exponential impact by participating in the double blessing. Don’t settle for half of what God offers. Discover how you can both get it and give it. |
 |
Not Safe: Discovering God’s Dangerous Plan for Your Life
By Mark Batterson / Zondervan As believers, we may feel tempted to “play it safe”—but God wants to make us dangerous on his behalf! In this inspiring message based on his book All In, Batterson explains that “holding the fort” was never Jesus’ plan for his followers. Instead, he dares you to choose a radical life of spiritual surrender—beginning today. 160 pages, hardcover from Zondervan. |
 |
Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God
By Mark Batterson / Multnomah God still speaks today. His voice and guidance wasn’t only for the saints and prophets of old, but for followers of Jesus now. In Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God, author and pastor Mark Batterson shares seven ways that God communicates with His followers, if they’ll stop to listen. Through the tools of Scripture, Doors, Dreams, People, Promptings, and Pain, God weaves divine messages of love, encouragement and insight, into our lives every day. Hardcover. |
 |
Zondervan’s 2020 Church and Nonprofit Tax & Financial Guide
By D. Busby, V. Laue, M. Martin & J. Van Drunen / Zondervan One of the few resources offering advice to churches and nonprofit organizations on issues of financial accountability, receiving and maintaining tax-exempt status, and charitable gifts. Also includes a thorough description of tax laws, sample policies and procedures with easy techniques for simplifying them, insights on medical expense reimbursements, sound compensation planning, and examples of required IRS filings. 224 pages, softcover. |
 |
Zondervan’s 2020 Minister’s Tax and Financial Guide
By D. Busby, V. Laue, M. Martin & J. Van Drunen / Zondervan If you find April 15 taxing in more ways than one, let this easy-to-follow manual come to the rescue! The 2020 edition features a line-by-line explanation of Form 1040 and recent changes in the tax code—with valuable hints about how to reduce next year’s bill. Also includes guidance on compensation, retirement, and ways to maximize business expense reimbursements. 192 pages, softcover. |
 |
2020 Multiple Blessings Create It Planner
By Caroline Simas Simas / Perfect Timing Inc Multiple Blessings Create-It Planner lets you plan out your schedule the way you want with pages for reminders, lists, monthly goals and special dates. Blank calendar grids in a perpetual 12-month format lets you start on any month you choose in weekly and monthly views. Includes additional space for project tracking, contact and password info, and drawing make this all-in-one planner a must-have! Details:
|
 |
2020 Planner Too Blessed to be Stressed
By Debora Coty / Barbour Publishing Ideal for personal or home use, the 2020 Too Blessed to be Stressed 15-month engagement planner, features memorable quotes from Debora M. Coty’s heartwarming devotional, Too Blessed to be Stressed, as well as specially selected Scripture quotations. Other features include:
|
 |
2020 Mornings with Jesus
By Zondervan Begin each day with Jesus . . . and get to know him as your Redeemer, Friend, and Faithful One! Designed to take just five minutes every morning, these 365 engaging readings include Scripture verses, meditations from 13 different authors, and challenging “Faith Steps” meant to inspire and encourage you in your daily walk. 379 pages, softcover from Zondervan. |
 |
One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land, Member Book
By Priscilla Shirer / Lifeway One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land – Member Book by Priscilla Shirer provides a personal study experience five days a week plus viewer guides for the group video sessions of this discussion-driven women’s Bible study. Priscilla encourages participants to fully engage in the abundant life God has waiting for those who will allow Him to take the lead in daily living. One in a Million is an opportunity for you to experience your deliverance from strongholds, to conquer your wilderness living, and to claim your God-given inheritance. 6 Sessions. Includes Leader Guide. |
 |
Before Amen: The Power of Simple Prayer (Study Guide)
By Max Lucado / Thomas Nelson In Before Amen, Max Lucado, a self-professed “recovering prayer wimp,” reveals his personal struggles with prayer. He will show you how he discovered that prayer is not a privilege for the pious or the art of a chosen few but a simple tool all believers have been given to have a conversation with God. Through the use of a simple, easy-to-remember, pocket-sized prayer that he distilled from the prayers in the Bible, he will lead your church members in building a prayer life that is stronger, better and deeper. Designed to be used with the Before Amen 4-session small group DVD study, this study guide includes leader helps, discussion questions, conversation starters, and between-session activities to enhance your understanding and application of Max’s teaching. |
God, Love, and Marshmallow Wars: 365 Daily Challenges to Grow Your Marriage
By Julia M. Bruce / WestBow Press
