Prayer Journal

Sunday, February 29, 2004

Read the Bible through in OneYear

60/306

"It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. Mark 9:46

Today is an "extra" day we can enjoy after 1,460 days pass. Since Read Thru the Bible in a Year is divided into 365 segments, this extra day is a good time to catch up if you've gotten behind in your reading.

In the past, I've complied daily devotions based on what God was teaching me daily where I would supply relative Scripture to drive home my point. However, on January 1, 2004, I elected to focus on Scripture within the designated portion of the Thru the Bible program.

Might I say that it's been both rewarding and challenging to tie Old and New Testament Scripture into one lesson. However, since this day is a freeform day, I'm choosing a topic you might enjoy. My subject is "Hell." That's the place I wish was fictional, the place I don't like to think about and I seldom enjoy discussing with others. After all, wouldn't conversation about heaven be more rewarding and less controversial? However, Jesus talked about it. Therefore, so will we.

It's ironic that we can accept the concept of heaven and even dream about going there someday, but we begin to get extremely nervous when we discuss the "other" place. Regardless of our attention, hell is as real as heaven. We know that because Jesus spoke of it as clearly as he did heaven. He said hell is eternal and those who go there will be there eternally even though their bodies will return to the dust. It must be extremely hard for God, who sacrificed so dearly to see many secure a one-way ticket there by rejecting His free gift.

Few will read this devotion because it will be readily available for one day only. After that, it will be filed away in the Prayer Journal archives. For those who read it, I believe God will have directed them to do so. But afterwards, it will be available only to those doing a web search on the subject of hell. What are the chances of that? Not good, I'm afraid.

Who goes to hell, you might ask? Answer: Those who don;t go to heaven. What's your destination? This devotion is like hell in that it won't go away just because you don't read it or act on it. I urge you to deal with the issue directly so you can secure your one-way ticket to be with Jesus and avoid being buried with eternal regret. Remember, few if any go to hell on purpose. Instead, it's their neglect and/or procrastination that seals the deal.

Just Thinkin'... WebServant

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I'll pray today for...
* My spouse
* My children
* Their friends
* My friends
* My employer
* My city
* My country
* Civic leaders
* Schools
* Teachers

* The sick
* The lost
* Those in despair
* The hospitalized
* The grieving
* Widows
* Orphans

* My church
* My pastor
* Church leaders
* Other churches
* Persecuted church
* Missionaries
* Myself