Is Hell Real?
By Radio Pastor Perry F. Rockwood
3. A Picture of Hell
Hell is neither a matter of circumstances here upon the earth nor a state of mind. It is a definite place. It is a place just as real as Heaven - as real as any city in our nation today.
In Luke 16:19-31 we have a description of this awful abode:
"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, as was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth 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 thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise
Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
Notice carefully that Hell is spoken of as a place of everlasting fire. Yes, there is fire torment in Hell. The Holy Spirit uses the word "fire" in speaking of the eternal punishment of the lost.
" ... hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:47,48).
" ... everlasting fire" (Matthew 18:8).
" ... everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).
" ... a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:42).
And here in Luke 16 the rich man cried: "I am tormented in this flame."
We do not need to prove that the fire of Hell is literal fire any more than we need to prove that the gold of Heaven is literal gold. I believe that when God says fire He means fire, and when He says gold He means gold.
Hell is a place of torments. Three times in Luke 16 we read of the rich man being tormented. In Revelation 14:10,11 we also read: "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 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."
Hell is a place for all sinners whether vile or self-righteous. My friend, if you die unsaved, this will be your sad destiny. All the unrepentant of the land will be there. Romans 1:29-31 is a picture of the sinfulness of the human heart: "Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." And Revelation 21:8, in speaking of Hell, says: "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." The Devil and all his demons will be there, too (Revelation 20:10).
Hell is a place of no escape. There is no Purgatory where the dead can be released through prayers and money. In all the public buildings of our cities the word "EXIT" is a word not found in Hell. Jesus said, "there is a great gulf fixed."
Hell is an eternal place. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: But the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 25:46). Most people want to believe in life eternal yet they reject everlasting punishment. The words "eternal" and "everlasting", however, have the same meaning.
Hell - a place where the Holy Spirit never strives; where every soul is left to its own depravity; and where there is neither leisure nor repentance.
Hell - where there will be gnawing of tongues and blasphemy against the God of Heaven.
Hell - immortal pain and tears; an infinity of wretchedness and despair; the blackness of darkness forever; weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth; a long, long eternity - oh, miserable condition of the damned!
Yes, Hell is a lake of fire (Rev. 20:15). A devouring fire (Isaiah 33:14). A bottomless pit (Rev. 20:1). Everlasting burnings (Isaiah 33:14). A furnace of fire (Matt. 13:41,42). A place of torments (Luke 16:23). Where they curse God (Rev. 16:11). Where they can never repent (Matt. 12:32). A place where they have no rest (Rev. 14:11). A place of everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46). A place of blackness of darkness forever (Jude 13). A place where they gnaw their tongues (Rev. 16:10). A place where their breath will be a living flame (Isaiah 33:11). A place prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). A lake of fire into which the Antichrist and the False Prophet are cast alive (Rev. 19:20). A place from which the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and forever (Rev. 14:11). A place where they drink the wine of the wrath of God (Rev. 14:10). A place where they do not want their loved ones to come (Luke 16:28). A place where there are murderers, liars, the fearful and abominable (Rev. 21:8).
You may smile now at these serious words. You may fall back on your conceited intellect and your college degree, but there will be as many - if not more - educated people in Hell as of any other group. In fact, it is as easy to go to Hell from a university as it is from a booze joint or gambling den.
You are either on the way to Heaven or Hell right now. You are either lost or saved. You are on the broad way with the crowds, or on the narrow way with the people of God. One day your destiny is going to be forever settled and you will be either in Heaven or Hell. That is why the Holy Spirit pleads with you today to come to Christ. He alone is able to save you having paid the penalty for your sins on Calvary's Cross. "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25).
http://www.tpgh.org/IHR.htm
U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOLS PORTRAY FOUNDING FATHERS AS “OLD DEAD WHITE MEN” AND HITLERS
(Friday Church News Notes, October 15, 2010, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - A public school program known as Flocabulary uses rap music as a tool of education. One song entitled “Old Dead White Men” depicts the founding fathers as murderous racists. Andrew Jackson is even likened to Hitler. Flocabulary founder Alex Rappaport says the songs are “meant to keep students engaged and promote discussion” (“Oklahoma Postpones Teach-Through-Rap Program,” FoxNews, Oct. 6, 2010). How can students become engaged when they are being brainwashed with lies and half-truths divorced from a proper context historical context? The programs are being used in more than 10,000 schools. The government-run public school system is one of the most evil influences in the nation.
Urgent Alert for Home Schoolers in Sweden and Germany
Home School Families in Other Countries Need Your Help!
Throughout the world, more and more parents are wanting to home school their children. However, many countries either do not allow it or make it very difficult.HSLDA is thankful that we can bless home schoolers in other countries in a small way by advising them on legal strategies, corresponding with government officials, and sending out periodic alerts to HSLDA members asking them to contact foreign embassies on behalf of fellow home schoolers. These alerts and the incredible response from U.S. home schoolers have helped legalize home schooling in South Africa, stop a very restrictive home school bill in Ireland, and dismiss a case against a home school family in Germany. We ask that you take a few minutes in this season of giving and e-mail the Swedish and German embassies to help the outnumbered and harassed home school families in these two countries.
SWEDEN
The Magnus Drysen family is home schooling family with three children (ages 7, 10, and 12) in Vingaker, Sweden. They are in court facing both a fine of $4500 for home schooling and an order to send their children to government school. The court is holding an important hearing on their case on December 14.
Home schooling is technically allowed under strict government approval. Under section 10 of their federal compulsory attendance law “A child of compulsory school attendance age shall be permitted to do their school duty in another way than what is stated in this law, if it is regarded as a equivalent alternative to the education that otherwise is accessible to the child according to what is stated in the law.” Every school district applies this vague law in a different manner. Home school families are forced to flee from their homes to other more tolerant areas in Sweden. Some have simply fled the country in order to home school more freely. The Swedish Minister of Education recently expressed on a TV program that she wants to change the laws in Sweden to make it even more difficult for Swedish home schoolers.
ACTION:
1) Please immediately e-mail or call the Swedish embassy with this message (in your own words):
“Swedish families are being harassed for simply practicing their fundamental right to home school. Some are in court and others have fled to other parts of Sweden or other countries. We urge you to communicate to the Swedish government that they need to guarantee the right of all parents to choose home schooling and immediately dismiss the case against the Magnus Drysen family in Vingaker. Protecting this basic human right of parents is essential for any progressive democracy. Home schooling really works and it produces well-socialized, academically advanced students.”
Also include a paragraph or two on how home schooling benefits your family.
(E-mail or call throughout December and January)
Swedish Ambassador Jan Eliasson
1501 M Street, NW
Washington DC 20005
Telephone: (202) 467-2600
Fax: (202) 467-2656
ambassaden.washington@foreign.ministry.se
2) E-mail a copy of your letter to the Swedish Minister of Education, Ingegerd Warnersson, (registrator@education.ministry.se) who was recently on TV stating that she will work this coming year on legislation to increase restrictions on home schoolers.
3) Please pray that home schooling will become clearly legal in Sweden so children can be thoroughly trained in the Lord.
GERMANY
After HSLDA launched a nationwide alert on June 5, thousands of calls jammed the phone system of the German Embassy protesting the criminal prosecution of a German family, the Harders, for their choice to home school. An embassy official confirmed that he received at least 1000 e-mails and over 300-400 letters from concerned home schoolers. The official also said the embassy informed the German government about the outpouring of public opinion.
By the end of June, the scheduled court hearing of the Harders had been inexplicably canceled. A few days later, their attorney, Frau Eckerman, received a formal notice that the case was dismissed and charges dropped.
However, another family who is being severely persecuted has asked for our help. The Eberhard Kaula family (4 children) in [Etzelwang] Bavaria is being repeatedly prosecuted for simply choosing to home school. Their persecution is in the form of fines. Their first fine of $800 was dismissed on a technical flaw on appeal. In May and June they were fined another $1000 and $1500. Both fines were unsuccessfully appealed. In November another fine of $1000 was levied. Although deadlines have passed, the Kaulas have steadfastly refused to put their children in government school. The apparent goal is to financially force this family to concede to the wishes of the state, disregarding their conscience. The courts have reasoned that home schooling is not in the best interest of the children.
In the meantime, Mr. Kaula has asked the President of Germany and the Minister President of Bavaria for help without success. The Bavarian Ministry of Culture answered on behalf of the Minister President, saying that no exception can be made for the children to use a home school correspondence school. They said that a correspondence school does not qualify as a school as required by the mandatory school attendance law.
REQUESTED ACTION:
Your calls and e-mails have worked before. In order to help the home schoolers in Germany, we urge you to call or write the German Embassy immediately (through the months of December and January) and give them the following message:
“The continuing persecution of home schoolers is an embarrassment and shame to Germany. Although the Harders’ home school case was dismissed this summer, other innocent home school families such as the Eberhard Kaula family in [Etzelwang] Bavaria are still being prosecuted. A parent’s right to direct the education of his children is a fundamental right that must be protected for every free nation. We request that you urge the government to immediately drop the pending fines and dismiss the case against the Kaula family and urge the government to legalize home schooling throughout Germany.”
We encourage you to rephrase this message in your own words and include a few paragraphs in your letter describing the benefits of home schooling to your family. The whole family should participate in this project of writing letters to the German Embassy. This is a great educational opportunity for your children to learn the importance of the freedoms we have in the United States and how easily such freedoms can be taken away.
http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000002/00000282.asp
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