Jean sniffed the air again, as she had been doing all afternoon. “Honey, what do you think that strange smell is?” she asked her husband, George.
“I don’t know. I’ve noticed it too, and I can’t imagine what it is. While you put Joy to bed, I’ll go down and add more wood to the furnace. It’s pretty cold out tonight.”
Jean started getting the baby cleaned up and ready for bed while George went down to the basement.
It sure is warm down here for such a cold night, he thought as he checked the thermometer. Eighty-two degrees! Wow! And I haven’t added more wood for quite a while. George put his hand on the wall beside the chimney. That was hot, too. Suddenly his mind began connecting the heat with the smell.
Dashing upstairs, he felt the chimney there. Sure enough, it was even hotter there than downstairs. Glancing up, he saw the corner of the wall and ceiling starting to turn black. What a scary feeling!
Quickly George dialed the fire department. And within a few minutes four fire trucks with their sirens wailing were on their way up the street to the house. Jean and George were bundling up the baby in warm clothes and putting on their own winter coats.
“Better get out of the house right now!” yelled a fireman as he disappeared up a ladder. “You’ve got a bad chimney fire, and the attic is likely already burning!”
George and Jean didn’t have to be told a second time. They grabbed up baby Joy and left! How many times have you been told about the fire of God’s judgment — a fire that will never be put out, far hotter than any house fire! Are you sure you’ve left that fire behind? There’s only one way to escape that everlasting fire, and that’s to admit to the Lord Jesus what a sinner you are. He loves you and He’s longing to forgive you. He took the punishment for sin in His own body on the cross — so we could go free! Isn’t that wonderful? We never need to fear the fire of hell again if we come to Him and accept the pardon He so freely offers. But don’t wait; there isn’t time! Let the Lord Jesus forgive you now.
Luke 3:1717Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. (Luke 3:17) tells us, “He will thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather the wheat [those who have confessed that they are sinners and trusted the Lord Jesus to save them] into His garner; but the chaff [those who continue in sin] He will burn with fire unquenchable.”
The firemen did put the chimney fire out before there was much damage done to the house. George and Jean were so thankful for the firemen’s warning and what they did to save the house. Will you listen to the warning of God’s judgment for sin and accept His loving offer of forgiveness through the work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ?
ML-05/14/1989