- Jun 27, 2003
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In the Face of Hell
As the wind went rushing through the turning leaves of Autumn, the rustling startled the woman asleep on her bed. The house was trying to settle to the new weather, but the creaking and cracking unsettled the lonely woman. Her husband was away on a business trip and her three children were at their grandparent's house for the weekend.
Finally the old tree in the front yard decided to give way, crashing with a thunderous sound. It had been threatening to do so the past week with all the new winds. She had called the city to come and trim the tree back, but they had not gotten to it yet.
The woman, needless to say, was no longer in her resting slumber. She was awake more than she has ever been before. Once she was enjoying the comforts of sleep and the peace of dreams, but now she faces the terror of the night and darkness. Fear had taken over all of her senses and emotions. She was totally unable to see where she was at or where she was going. Never had she felt such a fear or anxiety over anything.
A gush of wind went sweeping through the house, causing her head to turn in its direction. It should not have been able to get through the house. No windows were left open, nor are there cracks under the doors. "Where could it have come from?", the thought chilled her. Just then a crash of thunder echoed through the house.
Terrified, she ran blinded by darkness, and engulfed with fear. Lightning came crashing down, lighting up the house, and letting her see she was headed toward her bedroom. She finally reached the place she started this horrible journey. "It is so cold and lonely in this horrible room, why? Why are the lights not working in this place?"
Another roar of thunder and breaking of lightning came, enabling her to see trees and electrical lines down around her neighborhood. With another flash of lightning she saw what had awakened her.
In the middle of her room was that old tree. It went crashing through the wall landing right upon her bed. Chills went running up her spine as she approached it slowly. Laying there under the tree she noticed a body, broken and lifeless. The closer she was, the more familiar the body looked. Then everything fell into place, "That's me!"
Just then she heard a noise behind her causing her to turn. Behind her now was a new background, no longer was she at home. It was still dark with no signs of light, but the heat was throbbing through her.
A man stood in front of her, pain lines covering his face. When she looked at him she could see tears in his eyes and the pain behind them. He reached out his hand toward her, his head turned down, sympathy filling his demeanor as his shoulders shook with his tears. "Come, take my hand," he said quietly, "I must take you to your new home." He approached her gently when he saw she was not moving and put his arm around her.
"Where are we going, may I ask?" she finally managed from her fear.
"I'm here to introduce you to Hell. I am sorry to say" he replied.
"NO! I am not going. I don't deserve Hell. That place is only for criminals. I have been a good person. I didn't do anything wrong!" she cried.
"I am sorry to tell you this Ma'am, but you do deserve this. You see, from down here we see where we have gone wrong and where we have sinned. Every one of our sins haunts us all down here, every second of our eternal lives. Not only must we face that fact, but we know what we could have done to escape this fate. I think that is the hardest part of this whole thing. Yes, the pain is so horrible, the fear unending, and guilt tremendous, but the fact that I knew how to escape this, tears me apart daily." "I really don't belong here. Are you listening to me? I am a good person. I had never killed anyone, nor have I stolen anything. I have lived a good life, ask anyone. I am a very pleasant person. I give money to charities. I have helped the homeless. I have put my family first. If I hurt someone either on purpose or on accident, I would apologize. Go ask my three children, they will tell you that I have been a good mother. My husband will be back tomorrow, ask him if I have been a good wife, he'll say yes. People at work love me, I'm there on time, I do my job, and I help my peers. I am telling you that I Do Not deserve this!" she fired back at him.
He stared at her for a moment and finally asked, " Ma'am, have you ever lied?"
"Well, yes, of course I have lied a little, but it never hurt anyone" she said calmly.
"Ma'am, have you ever looked at another with lust in your heart?"
"Yes again. Of course I have. It is a part of our nature. I could not help it." She was now beginning to become frustrated with him and his questions.
"Ma'am, have you ever put your wants above someone else's needs?"
"Yes I have. I worked for what I have, therefore I deserve it. Just what are you getting at?"
"Last question Ma'am. Had you asked Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior?"
"No, I have not! Why is that important anyway. I didn't need Him!"
"You are wrong about that Ma'am, you did need Him. You answered all of my questions but that one with a positive yes, meaning that you have sinned, and the wages of sin is death. If you did ask Jesus into your heart, His blood would have cleansed you. He died on a cross to take away the punishment of our sins, the punishment that we both must face here in eternal damnation."
The tears now began to build up in her eyes as she claimed that she didn't know. He then sat her down and reminded her of the times someone had told her of the love of God. "That young lady on the bus that shared the fact that Jesus loves you. That friend that you no longer had contact with because she was so wrapped up in 'religion.' Only she called it a relationship with Jesus. Do you remember? What about when God witnessed to you, Himself? When your eldest son fell out of a tree, putting him in a coma for over a month. You remember that you began asking God to get him through this, and to make him healthy and well again. I know you remember that. God was faithful to you, though you did not know Him personally. He wanted to show you that He does love and care for you and your family." "If God is so loving then what are we doing here?" she demanded.
"He gave us a way to escape this, Jesus Christ, remember? All we had to do was ask Him into our lives and turn from our sins. God did not desire us to be here, and He did not want us dead. We did this to ourselves, and there is no denying it. Now please take my hand and let us proceed to the burning gate ahead of us."
So she reached for his hand, which was shaking violently, and held on tight. As they walked hand in hand she began to ask God to help her friends and family. She pleaded with Him to open their hearts to Him and help them accept His gift of Jesus.
The pain-felt gentleman began to squeeze her hand tightly at that moment as he asked, "Please do not pray here. Not to God. It only causes me more pain and you ounce you get inside."
So she stopped, but was thankful that he let her pray that little prayer. She was so unaware that by her praying that it was causing him pain. He was in charge of her at that time, so of course he would be punished. She then made it a point to apologize for praying and thank him for allowing her to, even though it hurt him so.
She looked toward him seeing the fear fill his eyes as they continued to walk on. She did not know what was ahead, and she did not really want to find out, but just a short distance in front of them was the burning gate the gentleman spoke of. As they proceeded closer she began to feel some of the pain and fear the poor man next to her had felt. Suddenly she found herself screaming and crying in a way she never had before. As she entered the gate she could not help but ask God one more time to save her family. She finally gave a helpless prayer for God to help her, though she knew it was too late. She had already had her chance to escape this.
By: Carnegy Abblett
Submitted by Richard
The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below.
Proverbs 24:15 NKJV
As the wind went rushing through the turning leaves of Autumn, the rustling startled the woman asleep on her bed. The house was trying to settle to the new weather, but the creaking and cracking unsettled the lonely woman. Her husband was away on a business trip and her three children were at their grandparent's house for the weekend.
Finally the old tree in the front yard decided to give way, crashing with a thunderous sound. It had been threatening to do so the past week with all the new winds. She had called the city to come and trim the tree back, but they had not gotten to it yet.
The woman, needless to say, was no longer in her resting slumber. She was awake more than she has ever been before. Once she was enjoying the comforts of sleep and the peace of dreams, but now she faces the terror of the night and darkness. Fear had taken over all of her senses and emotions. She was totally unable to see where she was at or where she was going. Never had she felt such a fear or anxiety over anything.
A gush of wind went sweeping through the house, causing her head to turn in its direction. It should not have been able to get through the house. No windows were left open, nor are there cracks under the doors. "Where could it have come from?", the thought chilled her. Just then a crash of thunder echoed through the house.
Terrified, she ran blinded by darkness, and engulfed with fear. Lightning came crashing down, lighting up the house, and letting her see she was headed toward her bedroom. She finally reached the place she started this horrible journey. "It is so cold and lonely in this horrible room, why? Why are the lights not working in this place?"
Another roar of thunder and breaking of lightning came, enabling her to see trees and electrical lines down around her neighborhood. With another flash of lightning she saw what had awakened her.
In the middle of her room was that old tree. It went crashing through the wall landing right upon her bed. Chills went running up her spine as she approached it slowly. Laying there under the tree she noticed a body, broken and lifeless. The closer she was, the more familiar the body looked. Then everything fell into place, "That's me!"
Just then she heard a noise behind her causing her to turn. Behind her now was a new background, no longer was she at home. It was still dark with no signs of light, but the heat was throbbing through her.
A man stood in front of her, pain lines covering his face. When she looked at him she could see tears in his eyes and the pain behind them. He reached out his hand toward her, his head turned down, sympathy filling his demeanor as his shoulders shook with his tears. "Come, take my hand," he said quietly, "I must take you to your new home." He approached her gently when he saw she was not moving and put his arm around her.
"Where are we going, may I ask?" she finally managed from her fear.
"I'm here to introduce you to Hell. I am sorry to say" he replied.
"NO! I am not going. I don't deserve Hell. That place is only for criminals. I have been a good person. I didn't do anything wrong!" she cried.
"I am sorry to tell you this Ma'am, but you do deserve this. You see, from down here we see where we have gone wrong and where we have sinned. Every one of our sins haunts us all down here, every second of our eternal lives. Not only must we face that fact, but we know what we could have done to escape this fate. I think that is the hardest part of this whole thing. Yes, the pain is so horrible, the fear unending, and guilt tremendous, but the fact that I knew how to escape this, tears me apart daily." "I really don't belong here. Are you listening to me? I am a good person. I had never killed anyone, nor have I stolen anything. I have lived a good life, ask anyone. I am a very pleasant person. I give money to charities. I have helped the homeless. I have put my family first. If I hurt someone either on purpose or on accident, I would apologize. Go ask my three children, they will tell you that I have been a good mother. My husband will be back tomorrow, ask him if I have been a good wife, he'll say yes. People at work love me, I'm there on time, I do my job, and I help my peers. I am telling you that I Do Not deserve this!" she fired back at him.
He stared at her for a moment and finally asked, " Ma'am, have you ever lied?"
"Well, yes, of course I have lied a little, but it never hurt anyone" she said calmly.
"Ma'am, have you ever looked at another with lust in your heart?"
"Yes again. Of course I have. It is a part of our nature. I could not help it." She was now beginning to become frustrated with him and his questions.
"Ma'am, have you ever put your wants above someone else's needs?"
"Yes I have. I worked for what I have, therefore I deserve it. Just what are you getting at?"
"Last question Ma'am. Had you asked Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Lord and Savior?"
"No, I have not! Why is that important anyway. I didn't need Him!"
"You are wrong about that Ma'am, you did need Him. You answered all of my questions but that one with a positive yes, meaning that you have sinned, and the wages of sin is death. If you did ask Jesus into your heart, His blood would have cleansed you. He died on a cross to take away the punishment of our sins, the punishment that we both must face here in eternal damnation."
The tears now began to build up in her eyes as she claimed that she didn't know. He then sat her down and reminded her of the times someone had told her of the love of God. "That young lady on the bus that shared the fact that Jesus loves you. That friend that you no longer had contact with because she was so wrapped up in 'religion.' Only she called it a relationship with Jesus. Do you remember? What about when God witnessed to you, Himself? When your eldest son fell out of a tree, putting him in a coma for over a month. You remember that you began asking God to get him through this, and to make him healthy and well again. I know you remember that. God was faithful to you, though you did not know Him personally. He wanted to show you that He does love and care for you and your family." "If God is so loving then what are we doing here?" she demanded.
"He gave us a way to escape this, Jesus Christ, remember? All we had to do was ask Him into our lives and turn from our sins. God did not desire us to be here, and He did not want us dead. We did this to ourselves, and there is no denying it. Now please take my hand and let us proceed to the burning gate ahead of us."
So she reached for his hand, which was shaking violently, and held on tight. As they walked hand in hand she began to ask God to help her friends and family. She pleaded with Him to open their hearts to Him and help them accept His gift of Jesus.
The pain-felt gentleman began to squeeze her hand tightly at that moment as he asked, "Please do not pray here. Not to God. It only causes me more pain and you ounce you get inside."
So she stopped, but was thankful that he let her pray that little prayer. She was so unaware that by her praying that it was causing him pain. He was in charge of her at that time, so of course he would be punished. She then made it a point to apologize for praying and thank him for allowing her to, even though it hurt him so.
She looked toward him seeing the fear fill his eyes as they continued to walk on. She did not know what was ahead, and she did not really want to find out, but just a short distance in front of them was the burning gate the gentleman spoke of. As they proceeded closer she began to feel some of the pain and fear the poor man next to her had felt. Suddenly she found herself screaming and crying in a way she never had before. As she entered the gate she could not help but ask God one more time to save her family. She finally gave a helpless prayer for God to help her, though she knew it was too late. She had already had her chance to escape this.
By: Carnegy Abblett
Submitted by Richard
The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below.
Proverbs 24:15 NKJV
