Recently over one thousand men and women seeking merriment packed a large Boston night club. People of many walks of life mingled as the evening's gaieties progressed; and eating and drinking, music and dancing all combined to drown the cares and sorrows of this world.
Suddenly a cry of "fire" shrieked out above the din. Panic quickly followed as the vast throng of careless pleasure seekers was transformed into a frenzied, crying, fighting mob. Consternation filled every heart and mind as the fire spread with almost lightning rapidity. In the mad scramble to leave the blazing inferno, men and women were trampled to death; and the exits became blocked with human bodies. All chance to escape the scorching flames was quickly cut off. Firemen fought valiantly to control the blaze, but before long almost five hundred persons had met a horrible death and were plunged into eternity. A large number of others lay in hospitals suffering from burns and injuries.
The next day the whole country stood aghast at one of the worst holocausts in its history. Relatives sought for loved ones among charred remains at the morgues. Once more, God had spoken loudly.
Millions of people are living carelessly—careless as to their eternal welfare. They have very little thought of God although they may have a form of Godliness. God describes the last days as the time when men would become lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Tim. 3:1-51This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy 3:1‑5)). We should not suppose that those who met death in that night club were worse sinners than all the rest. You, my friend, may never have been in a night club; and yet you may be living without God just the same.
There are two roads through life and only two—the broad road and the narrow one. The broad road is the popular one, for it will accommodate anything. There you can believe anything you wish and allow or disallow according to your own thoughts.
You will have lots of company on that road which has two sides; for there are two sides—one clean and dry, and the other shady and muddy. Some people prefer the clean, respectable side, while others take the dirty side with its lusts of the flesh; but the terminus is the same in both cases. The end is weeping and gnashing of teeth for all eternity (Matt. 22:1313Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:13)). One may be approved of his neighbors and live a clean, moral, upright life and yet travel the broad road to destruction.
The broad road is easy of access;
Behold, how the multitudes swell!
They appear to be joyful and happy;
But the end is the blackness of hell.
That awful catastrophe on the night of Nov. 28, 1942, should speak to each one living in forgetfulness of God. His word declares, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psalm 9:1717The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9:17).
But the good news of God tells us that He in love to sinners has provided a way of escape from the wrath to come through the finished work of His own dear Son upon the cross. That sure way of escape is offered to any and to all who will receive "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).