It could be anywhere, Israel, Ukraine, Armenia, North Korea, Palestine, Sudan, India, Myanmar…a large majority of the world is at war with people they have absolute hatred towards. This has lead to the most heinous crimes and evil behaviour that one could ever imagine. Babies being beheaded in their cots, women being raped in front of their toddlers, men being stabbed to death in front of their families, children being tied to a tree, then set alight. If we are aware of all these atrocities and still maintain that people are inherently good, then we are spiritually blind.
No matter our scorn, shock, or disdain for these wicked acts, we need to come to the realisation that we have the same potential to do all of the above, unless we are surrendering our lives to the control of Jesus, daily.
So, not only could it be anywhere, it could be anyone. You and I were born in sin and entered a world where the devil ruled in our hearts until Jesus forgave us when we repented of our *wrongdoings. (*See previous chapter for the definition of ‘sin’.)
That’s the only difference between Christians and those who are not. I’m not referring to people who claim they are Christians, but those who actually practice what they preach.
Over the years, many people have claimed to be followers of Christ, but have tortured and killed the opposition, sexually abused children, stole money from their church congregation and had illicit affairs behind the back of their wives.
It’s some of these people who you are thinking of when you say in your heart, “Man, they’re hypocrites!” and yes, you are right – those ones are. They are no more Jesus disciples than Adolf Hitler was.
However, we cannot use the excuse of wolves in sheep’s clothing when we stand before God after we have died. Yes, my friend, you will be there at his feet whether you believe it or not.
We all have to give an account of how we lived our lives here on earth and what we did about the truth of Jesus being the saviour of the world.
Make no mistake, every hardworking nun, every self-sacrificing charity worker, every generous philanthropist, every doting foster carer, every humble missionary worker, every skilful children’s doctor, every patient psychiatric nurse, every caring person who takes in stray animals, will have to answer for how they lived their lives, and no amount of good works will be able to save them from Hell.
“Oh here we go, the hell and damnation talk of the fanatic Jesus freak!”
Put simply, Hell was never made for human beings. It is the place set aside for Satan and his demonic cohorts. But God did not just grant us the gift of life – he also granted us the freewill choice of whom to serve. There are only two masters: Jesus or Satan, so:
which one are you serving?
If you have not repented of your sin, that means, acknowledged that you were born with the nature to do things that displease a holy God, and need to be cleansed of these sins, then you are certainly travelling on the wrong road.
The good news is that God has made it easy to get yourself right with him. He sent Jesus into this world to pay the penalty that we could not pay – the penalty of our transgressions. That is why he suffered torment and died on the cross. His sacrifice was the once and for all payment for the things we have done wrong.
“But I haven’t done anything wrong!”
The bible says, “…for everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23)
We have all lost our temper, been disobedient to our parents, stolen an item, laughed at a crude joke, been selfish, proud and uncaring. We have called people names, told a lie, used bad language and lusted after things that belonged to somebody else. We have been greedy and gluttonous by eating more than we needed and not been satisfied with what we have got, but rather been jealous of somebody else’s success or possessions. Most of all, we have lived a life independent of God, by not turning to him for guidance. Lastly, we have broken at least one of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20, and by being guilty of just one of them, we are considered guilty of the lot.
Sorry to be so morbid, but this is the truth: you could die at any moment before having the chance to put things right with God, so please don’t delay. I am not on any divine commission – it doesn’t work that way. I tell you because Jesus puts his love in our hearts to care about where you will end up after death strikes.
There will always be people who will never turn to God and will happily die in their unforgiven evil state. Any one of those people could be planning to plant a bomb. It could be anywhere. Your nation, your county/state/province, your neighbourhood, your street.
Or, there may be some kind of malfunction in your body or brain that renders you to suddenly collapse and die unexpectedly. Again, it could be anywhere.
Well, I don’t know what will be the cause of your last breath. Though, one thing is for certain. This phrase cannot be used to describe what happens to people when they die. Deceptive people will shrug and say, “Don’t worry, nobody knows where you will go when you die, it could be anywhere.”
No, it could not.
You will end up in either Heaven or Hell.
I urge you to make the right choice before it is too late.
Death is traveling at rapid speed around the world, touching, millions per second.
And right now…it could be anywhere.
Here’s a prayer you can pray to make things right:
Dear God,
I am sorry for the wrong things I have done in my life, which you call sin.
I acknowledge that I was born a sinner, which means that it’s in my nature to do things that displease you. I know that this includes the deepest thoughts and attitudes of my heart and the real motives behind everything I do.
Please forgive me for those sins and especially for the sin of keeping you out of my life.
Even though you love me, I know that because you are a God of justice and holiness, if I die without having my sins forgiven, I will spend eternity without you, in a terrible place called Hell.
I acknowledge that I need you and I want you in my life.
I believe that Jesus Christ is your son and that he died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I believe he rose again and is the living power that can take the Devil’s hold off my life. Please come into my life now and touch my heart with your forgiveness and love.
I want to have a relationship with you and to get to know you more. I believe that my very being was created for this purpose and without you, my hunger for peace and happiness will never be satisfied.
I give you my life now. Please lead me to people who will help me become a good, strong Christian and who will show me how to relate to the things of God. Help me to find a bible that suits my understanding and a church that I can call home.
I believe by faith now, that you have answered my prayer. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
