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“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:46).

Mistakes.

We all make them, and if you’re like me, you wish you could be given a second chance to go back in time and choose differently.

How nice it would be if time machines actually existed. If we literally could have another chance to right a wrong or change a choice.

How wonderful it would be if we could go back, knowing what we now know… a little smarter and a little wiser, and choose a new path or make a better decision.

But, unfortunately, the idea of circling back and having a “re-do” is not realistic. Yes, we can forge ahead and learn from our past. We can offer forgiveness for past mistakes to those we’ve harmed or who have harmed us. We can even decide to shake off regret, forget the past, learn from it, and venture confidently forward deciding better choices will be made in the present and the future.

We can improve our outlook and attitude. We can even vow to live a different kind of life and better ourselves in every way.

We can change addresses, change careers, change our behavior. We can move forward while trying to live out each day with wisdom and make decisions that will not lead to more regret.

Yes, as long as we have breath, we can do all these things. We can make positive changes now, but we can never truly go back.

There is no time machine for anyone, but for many, there’s still time to make a change. There’s still time to live better… to take a new path… to venture in a new direction, to change the course.

This is a fact… this is true. Yes, as long as you and I have breath, this is true.

However, there is another truth. One day, we each will wake up to an inevitable reality. We will, one day wake up unaware of the fact that it will be our last day on earth… our final day.. the only day we will draw breath this side of eternity.

That very thought should have you pausing in place.

That very thought should strike you hard.

That very thought should take your breath away.

It’s interesting that when people are asked on their deathbed what they wish they would have done in life, so many say the same things. So many express regret for time spent on things not as precious… time wasted. Time not focused on what was most important.

So. Many. Regrets.

So many not only have regrets, but so many have spent their whole lives planning for the here and now, the temporal, without one thought concerning their future eternity.

It seems strange to think no thought would be given to what happens after death. It seems strange no one would think to seek out such answers to such an important question. It seems beyond comprehension why a person would not wisely study and seek answers to something that seems so permanent. It seems perplexing, particularly if there is, in fact, an afterlife.

There are those living who may be deemed the most intelligent by human standards but ignore or dismiss the idea of a “forever.” Why? Why take the chance with something so, well… so final?

The truth is there is an afterlife. The Bible makes it very clear this is the case. The Creator of all conveys in His Word that there is a literal heaven and a literal hell. These are real places with real consequences. These are final destinations, and there is no escape and no other alternatives.

Hebrews 9:27 makes it clear. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

In other words, once one takes their final breath on this earth, their fate will be forever sealed… no more choices will be given; no more opportunities will be given. There is no in-between… there is no second chance after some time has passed to change one’s fate. There is no time machine. There is literally no exit. What’s done will be done and set for all eternity.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have the peaceful assurance that you will be welcomed into a bright and beautiful eternity in heaven. You will spend your days in the presence of your Lord and Savior and be in daily fellowship with other believers… your family in Christ.

If you have put your faith and trust in Christ and Him alone, realizing He died for your sins so that you could be saved, a wonderful life awaits you… a perfect paradise without end. A place so unbelievable 1 Corinthians 2:9 describes it as a place where “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

Jesus himself said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3).

Revelation 21:4 goes on to state, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Amazing!

If this is you, take time today to worship the Lord for His rescuing YOU! Thank Him for saving you from an eternity in hell. Thank Him for loving you enough to shed His innocent, perfect blood… a blood that washes away all your sins. A blood that provides a bridge to God the Father and an eternity forever bright.

If you die in your sins and have not accepted and become a believer in Jesus Christ, you will find yourself in a nightmare of no escape. A literal place of horror where there will be no way out, and your eternity will forever be sealed. The Bible describes hell as a place of conscious torment. It is the worst place imaginable. It is eternal and also irreversible.

Matthew 13:50 says unbelievers will be “cast into the furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

Other descriptive verses convey the following:

“And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb” (Revelation 14:10).

“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48).

“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:11).

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

This, friend, does not have to be your destiny. 2 Peter 3:9 states clearly, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

John 3:16-17 further expresses His love toward all humanity and conveys that salvation is a gift extended to all, not just some. It states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Friend, God does not want anyone to suffer and be sent to hell. Hell was made for the devil and his demons. God wants no human to go to such a place. He wants all to have a bright eternity in heaven forever with Him.

But, in his love and care, He has given everyone free choice. He has not made us robots but has allowed us freedom to think… to choose. He has, however, paid the price in full for everyone and has provided a way of escape. He has provided a way out. He has given everyone the opportunity to cry out to Him and accept Him as Savior so all can have a beautiful and bright eternity with Him forever.

In His great, unconditional love, He came to rescue every human. And all who put their faith and trust in Him, He promises to receive to himself and to save.

Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Heaven and hell are not mythical sci-fi fictional tales. They are real places where real people go for all eternity. God wishes for all to enter heaven and no one to enter hell, which is why He provided a way of escape.

Romans 6:23 reminds us that we had no hope until God sent His only Son, Jesus, to rescue us. It states, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

There are many things in this life that may sound too good to be true. This is the one thing that definitely sounds too good to be true but is absolutely true. God makes it very simple… so simple even a child can understand. He made it simple for a reason. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 shares the truth that salvation is a gift… a gift we can never earn or be good enough to earn. It’s solely based upon what Jesus did, period.

It says, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

It is very clear. Where one decides to go (Heaven or Hell) is determined by whether one believes and puts their trust in Christ alone to save them. If you cry out to the Lord and believe, asking Him into your heart, you will be saved. You will be sealed. You will be His. You will have a bright eternity in heaven. That’s His promise… that’s the truth.

John 10:27-29 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”

Acts 4:11-12 proclaims, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

And Revelation 21:5-7 says, “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

You have a choice – heaven or hell. Jesus promised to all who believe and receive Him he would save. Jesus also promised He would return. John 14:2-3 states, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Time is running out. No one is promised tomorrow. The urgency to accept Christ is now, not later.

If you are saved, praise Him and vow to spend the remainder of your time planting seeds and sharing His truth and love to all you meet. You never know when your last day on this earth will be and how many more opportunities you will have to be a witness.

If you are not saved, please don’t wait another second. Don’t take a chance in thinking you have ample opportunities in the future to make a choice. Tomorrow on this earth may never come. Today may be all you have. Know where you will spend eternity.

I pray you live your life with no regret. I pray you accept Jesus into your heart today.

spate.holly@gmail.com

If you were found guilty of committing a crime and were scheduled to be severely punished, how would you feel about someone else stepping forward and taking your punishment in your stead? Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” And to add to this, Romans 5:8 states, “but God showing His love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (ESV – all emphasis mine)

Please consider Romans 3:10-12; “as it is written, none is righteous, no not one; No one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Going to verse 23; “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

The “wages of sin” destines every one of us to the lake of fire that was specifically made for Satan and his demons or fallen angels (Matthew 25:41). If we did not have an intermediary to stand for us and actually take our punishment, our forever would be absolutely horrible. However, we do have choices, and each individual will decide which eternity they will enter.

We have the opportunity to have that person – who gave His all so that we could have it all – stand up for us to the Heavenly Father and declare that we are His. And, yes, there is something we must do to have this wonderful gift.

The absolute “catch” is we must follow Romans 10:9-13. “because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the scripture says ‘Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Just a note here: for anyone who is mute and unable to speak out loud, God “hears” our thoughts as if spoken from the mouth.

Jesus gave the ultimate pure, sinless sacrifice so that every one of us could have the opportunity to be with Him forever. He was not forced to do so, but as John 10:18 states, He came willingly.

In 2 Corinthians 5:21, we’re told, “For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” As stated in Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Then, going to 1 John 3:16, “By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our life for the brothers.” (That would include sisters as well.)

The hardest part for many people is to believe there isn’t more that we can do to be saved. It would seem logical that we would have to do continuous works or spend large amounts of money to be able to secure a place in Heaven.

First, John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Then, of course, Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.”

Today we are witnessing a turning away from the true word, just as Jesus said would happen. Looking at 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

Peter states in 2 Peter 3:3, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.”

Luke 21:17 states that Jesus told His disciples, “You will be hated for My name’s sake.” Are we not witnessing people of faith being persecuted by the secular world? Bakers, florists, photographers, and other businesses that hint at believing in the Savior are being discriminated against. Yet, the owners do not turn against the Savior, even when they have to shut down their businesses. Also, it’s sad that the courts where they should receive relief are extra slow in hearing their cases.

In 1860, Frances R. Havergal (1836-1879) wrote a song titled “I Gave My Life for Thee.” It is a praise and worship song that is still here today.

1.) I gave My life for thee; My precious blood I shed, that those mightst ransomed be and quickened from the dead. I gave, I gave My life for thee; what hast thou done for me? I gave, I gave My life for thee; what hast thou done for Me?’

2.) My Father’s house of light, My glory-circled throne, I left for earthly night for wanderings sad and lone. I left, I left it all for thee; hast thou left ought for Me? I left, I left it all for thee; hast thou left ought for Me?

3.) I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell, of bitterest agony to rescue thee from hell. I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee; what hast thou borne for Me? I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee; what hast thou borne for Me?

4.) And I have brought to thee, down from My Home above, Salvation full and free, My pardon and My Love. I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee; what hast thou brought to Me? I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee; what hast thou brought to Me?

We don’t know the day or hour, but in the not-to-distant future, there will be an event known as the Rapture. The mechanics are found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. It will not take place over an extended period of time, but as 1 Corinthians 15:52 states, “In the twinkling of an eye.”

Today, I would advise anyone who will consider their eternity to read these passages. The tribulation period after the Rapture will be the worst time this earth has ever experienced yet. Consider the absolute value of having a true relationship with our Savior. He gave His all for us, and He asks us to call on Him to be saved.

Our Heavenly Father will force no one to accept His Son, but for all who refuse Jesus, there will be a White Throne Judgment, as given in Revelation 20:11-15. Anyone who ends up in that line will be lost forever with no chance of calling out for forgiveness.

All who truly call on the Savior and ask forgiveness will be saved. The unforgivable sin is to follow Satan’s lie and decide Jesus isn’t really necessary. He would have you believe there are many ways to Heaven; however, John 14:6 and Acts 4:12 dispel this completely.

Remember John 3:36, as given above. Also see John 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 5:11-12; 1 Corinthians 8:6, and many many more that tell us Jesus is the only way to have eternal life.

There are only two paths to eternity. One is the broad path leading to destruction, and the other is the narrow path leading to eternal life with Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14). You have a free-will choice as long as you are still alive as to which path you wish to be on. There is no third option; and at your last breath, your eternity is set.

Jesus plainly states, “I gave My life for you.” No one took it from Him. He could’ve stopped the event at any time, but because of His pure love for us, He endured a brutal death on a cruel cross. He would love for everyone to call on Him to be their precious Shepherd and to become a part of His eternal flock.

The time is drawing near. We are not guaranteed another day here. Right now would be a wonderful time to seek His forgiveness and ask Him for a Home with Him when we leave this earth.

For all who are saved today, we do not fear leaving this earth to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, our Redeemer and absolute best friend.

Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com

(Also, see raptureforums.com Home/Featured Articles)

No Regret :: By Holly Spate

An Honest Question :: By Dennis Huebshman