Heaven, hell, and a bat in my kitchen sink. What do these three things have in common?
It was an unusual morning right from the start. It’s been downright toasty in our air-conditioning free house the last few days, so I ran a fan all night to push the cool air up from the basement. Unfortunately along with the basement’s cool air came the basement’s smell.
“Easy enough to fix!” I thought. “I’ll just light a candle to dispel the musty odor.” But the candle was low and the matches were short and I ended up burning my thumb, which is why I went to the kitchen sink – to run cold water on it. Except that I never did get around to putting my thumb under cold water.
Have you ever glanced at something you really didn’t want to see? My first inclination was to convince myself that the truth is what I want to see, not what I’m truly seeing. “Maybe it’s just a leaf,” I thought to myself, (a stretch, I know.) “It’s early, I don’t have the light on over the sink, my eyes aren’t focused yet, etc.,” but with a second glance I was sure enough that it was a bat to wake up my husband who had just gone to sleep.
Bob, deemed (by me) to be in charge of anything high, heavy or horrid, removed the bat from the premises. I then proceeded to don rubber gloves, load everything I could into the dishwasher and wipe down everything else with bleach. Eww!
So what does a bat in my kitchen sink have to do with heaven and hell? Like it or not, they are all a reality.
There’s a lot of discussion about heaven and hell right now. Many like the thought of heaven but dismiss the thought of hell. We can make ourselves feel better by thinking that hell doesn’t exist, but that doesn’t change the fact that it does.
People are eternal and there are only two options. You either spend eternity with God in heaven or apart from God in hell. Scripture is very clear about that.
Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life." ~ John 5:24
“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. ~ John 5:28-29
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ~ Daniel 12:2
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power ~ 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
Thankfully, heaven is available to us all. God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” ~ 1 John 1:9
The choice is up to you: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” ~ ~ Deuteronomy 30:19
Father, I thank you that you sent your son Jesus to die on the cross, paying the penalty for my sin. Thank you for leading me to accept His gift of forgiveness so that I may spend eternity with you. I pray that those reading this will choose an eternity with you as well.
