Charles was a young Christian in high school. He always took his New Testament to school and often told his friends and classmates about the Lord Jesus Christ who came into this world to save sinners. Because of this, he was sometimes ridiculed and called “Holy Chuck.”
One afternoon in shop class as the students were working on their projects, one boy yelled out, “Hey, Holy Chuck, let me have your Bible and I’ll preach a real nice sermon!” The others laughed, but Charles calmly handed the boy his New Testament and said, “Okay. Why don’t you read to us from the Gospel of Luke in chapter 16, starting at verse 19.”
And so the boy found the place, with a bit of difficulty, and started reading the story of two men: a poor man named Lazarus and a rich man, who had both died. Lazarus went to heaven, but the rich man was in hell. The boy became quite serious when he got to verse 23: “In hell he [the rich man] lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and [sees] Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that [you] in [your] lifetime [received your] good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and [you are] tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from [here] to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from [there].”
After he finished the chapter, you could have heard a pin drop. Something that had seemed so funny minutes earlier was no longer funny. The truth of God’s own Word could not be laughed at.
We don’t know if that boy or any of the others believed what had been read that day. But we would like to ask you if you have believed that there truly is a heaven and a hell? It means you have to decide ... where are you going after you die? The Bible says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). You will spend eternity in one of two places — either heaven or hell. You must decide if you want it to be heaven. If you do nothing, your decision is already made. Would you like to spend eternity with the Lord Jesus who loves you, in a wonderful place where all is light and love and happiness forever, living in God the Father’s house as one of His own children? Then believe what God says and admit to Him that you are a sinner, and then trust Jesus to save you from your sins by believing that His death on Calvary’s cross was for you.
If you do not come to God this way, then your eternity will be spent in the lake of fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. The Bible warns of the terror and unhappiness of hell: “There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:5050And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:50)).
Please stop and think that eternity is forever! Will you decide right now for everlasting life in heaven with a Savior who loves you? “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:1919I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deuteronomy 30:19)).
Messages of God’s Love 5/30/2021