Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
Lou Coleman
By Lou Coleman
Oh, Sinner Man, Sinner Man…. Jesus said, twice He said it [Luke 13]: “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve learned that when Jesus says something it’s very important to listen. Turn or Burn! The urgency of repentance, [Isaiah 55:6-7]. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. For the Lord is not slack concerning his promise , but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance [2 Peter 3:9].
God wants all of us to be saved, but as the prophet Isaiah says, “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you” [Isaiah 59:2]. Sinner Man! Do not be deceived…The rich man in Hell [that Jesus talks about in Luke 16] wanted someone to return from the dead to warn his brothers, lest they would also come to that awful place. The answer given to him was, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31). God is not going to send someone back from the dead to convince you that Hell is real. The Bible is clear enough, and its message is God’s first blockade to try and stop you from traveling on the broad road that leads to destruction. You say, “But surely God is too good and too loving to permit a person to suffer in Hell.” I challenge you to put your finger on a red hot stove and see if God is too good to keep you from getting burned. Jesus says of those who reject God’s plan of salvation, “These shall go away into everlasting punishment.” Evidence that God Will Punish Sinners in Eternity…. [Matthew 25:41-46; 2 Thess. 1:8; Revelation 20:11-15]. Sinner man, make no mistake about it, if you go to Hell, you’ll suffer. You will close your eyes in death, and the Devil will have your soul to torment in Hell forever.
The suffering of Hell is horrible. Not only is there physical suffering, but there is also a great deal of mental suffering. You’ll always remember your earthly life. You’ll remember your family and your friends. You’ll remember your spouse and your children. You’ll remember it all! You’ll also remember the chances that you had to be saved. You’ll remember reading this article, and you’ll remember your thoughts and comments about it. Do not be deceived! God is not a man that He shall lie! In Hell you will hear people screaming for mercy twenty-four hours a day. It’ll never stop! There will be no peace and quiet in Hell. Hell will be forever filled with roaring flames, boiling hot lava, and the horrible screams of billions of lost souls! You’ll never escape the sounds of Hell. In Hell, there will be nothing except weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth! [Luke 13:28]
Jesus said, that the rich man died and was in Hell immediately [Luke 16:22-23] He was a sinner, so he went straight to Hell. The rich fool in [Luke 12] had big plans for the future, but God said; “Thou Fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. . .”Hell comes suddenly. When King Belshazzar threw his drunken brawl in Daniel Chapter Five, he had no idea that he’d be in Hell before sunrise. Goliath had no idea that a small stone slung by a young shepherd boy would land his soul in Hell forever, but it did. Before his corpse was even cold, his soul was suffering the torments of Hell. Hell almost always takes its victims by sudden surprise, and you could be next. Repent Sinner Man, Repent!
The Shame of Hell… If you go there, you will eventually come to grips with one unforgettable truth: You didn’t have to go! Imagine that! Imagine spending eternity with that on your mind! Imagine being in Hell for a million years and then thinking, “I didn’t have to come here! I could have received Christ! Oh, what a fool I was! If only I had not been so stubborn! If…if…if…!” That’s the shame of Hell: going there when you don’t have to go! ”
Jesus says, [Isaiah 1:18] “Come now, let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Why not turn to Him right now? Turn from your sins! Claim His promises and trust Him to save you while there’s still time. Tomorrow may be too late. Repent, Oh Sinner Man! Repent!
