Mark 13: 24-32
Several years ago, the newspapers reported (with great zeal, I might add)
that a man had left $57,000.00 in his will to Jesus. It was for His personal
use when He returned at the Second Coming.
So, what do you think that Jesus will be doing with all that money?
Buying a new seamless garment, perhaps? Better yet, does anyone here
actually think that He will judge us on how much money or power that we have?
No, I didn't think so.
I prefer to think that Christ is more interested in the way we are
conducting our lives in His service. I prefer to think that our Lord is more
interested that the Second Coming should be happening right now and right
here.
- In fact, I saw the Second Coming at a soup kitchen when a white woman dished out a hot meal to a poor, homeless African-American man. As he was thanking her, she noticed that he had no shoes, so she brought out some shoes which had been donated. As he put on the correct size shoes, tears ran from both of their eyes, especially when she bent down to help him tie them. Yes, the Second Coming was happening right then.
- I saw the Second Coming at a fast food restaurant when a group of hungry teenagers took time out from their meals in order to help a very pregnant waitress clean up a huge mess on the floor after a tray of dishes had been dropped.
- I heard about the Second Coming when a woman I know told me about how her husband had a deal with a local florist to send her flowers every two weeks while he was stationed overseas with the Army.
What takes place at death will only be a continuation of how we behave each day. The final 'yes' or 'no' to God is worked out in the little things that come our way every moment. So where we spend eternity is completely dependent on us. God doesn't send us anywhere-we choose where we want to end up.
If any of us know people who aren't concerned at all about where they're going to spend eternity, let me give you a few observations about hell.
First of all, forget about hell-fire. Hell's deepest essence is anguish, agony, hate, frustration, sorrow, sadness, regret and, most of all, misery. The misery of knowing that things could have been different if I only chose to do things differently. Knowing that I and I alone am the one to blame for being in hell. Hell is a fate far worse than fire and brimstone. It's the realization that "I" could have prevented it - I and no one else. My whole being cries out for God-and God is out of reach-forever. I have absolutely no reason to live, but live I must - unendingly. Made for God, I am now literally Godless. Made for love, and now I am completely loveless. Made for union with others and with God, I am totally alone-eternally. And, I could have prevented it.
- C. S. Lewis probably expressed this idea better than anyone. "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done'".
- One day, an angel asked a woman if she wanted to see the difference
between heaven and hell. In an instant, after she said yes, she was
transported into hell.
But, it wasn't what she was expecting. It was beautiful, with many mansions. But then she heard terrible sounds of agony, frustration and pain. The angel took her into a huge banquet hall-where the sounds were coming from. The tables were filled with delicious food and all of the residents of hell were seated around the table.
They all looked normal except for the fact that they all had very long arms-about 5 feet in length. In their hands were forks but they couldn't get the food into their mouths because no one had an elbow. Each of them was screaming in the pain of hunger before a huge banquet.
Next, the lady was taken to heaven. And, it too, was not like she expected. It looked exactly like hell. But, instead of cries of agony, she heard only sounds of rejoicing.
At the exact same banquet table that she saw in hell, she saw the same type of people-with 5 foot arms and no elbows. But, here, every one was rejoicing. For, you see, eating didn't cause them any difficulty at all because each person was feeding the person across the table. Each one was feeding 'a friend'.