During His earthly ministry, Jesus talked more about hell than heaven. Hell is serious business, and Jesus wanted people to understand that apart from Him, that’s where they are headed. Out of love, He warned people about hell in the most caring, heartbroken, and compassionate way. In today’s devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef takes a look at the serious topic of hell.
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[00:00:00] You are listening to My Devotional, the Daily Devotional from Dr. Michael Youssef and Leading
[00:00:06] The Way.
[00:00:08] What Hell is Like by Dr. Michael Youssef
[00:00:12] During his earthly ministry, Jesus talked more about hell than he did about heaven.
[00:00:18] Hell is serious business, and He wanted people to understand that apart from Him, that's
[00:00:23] where they were headed.
[00:00:25] Out of love, He warned people about hell in the most caring, heartbroken and compassionate
[00:00:31] way.
[00:00:32] Today, however, hell is not a popular subject.
[00:00:36] Many pastors avoid it altogether, not wanting to be labeled a fire-and-brimstone preacher.
[00:00:42] But if Jesus thought it was important to talk about hell, shouldn't we?
[00:00:48] Some people wonder, if God is so good, how could He send people to hell?
[00:00:53] The truth is, the everlasting fire was prepared for the devil and his angels.
[00:00:59] While Satan and his demons have no choice about their eternal destination, every human being
[00:01:04] can choose to escape from hell.
[00:01:06] We can choose to come to Christ in repentance, faith and confession, receiving the gift of
[00:01:11] forgiveness and eternal life from Jesus' hands.
[00:01:14] But Satan cannot be redeemed.
[00:01:17] Revelation shows us the future when the devil was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur
[00:01:22] to be tormented day and night forever and ever.
[00:01:26] Can you see why Satan wants to keep the church quiet about hell?
[00:01:30] Not only does he not want to be reminded of his eternal destiny, but he wants to take
[00:01:36] as many people with him as he can.
[00:01:38] Brothers and sisters, that is precisely why we cannot remain silent.
[00:01:44] Pastors must preach the full counsel of the Word of God, including the reality of
[00:01:49] hell, and all of us must allow the seriousness of hell to spur on our own zeal for evangelism.
[00:01:58] In Matthew 1834 Jesus says, Hell is a place of torture.
[00:02:03] In Matthew 2530 He tells us it's a place of utter darkness where there will be weeping
[00:02:09] and gnashing of teeth.
[00:02:11] And it's not only physical darkness, hell is a place of moral and spiritual darkness,
[00:02:17] a domain without God's presence or goodness.
[00:02:20] It's a prison for the soul and the spirit.
[00:02:23] We might say it's like a nightmare, but no one has ever had a nightmare as horrible
[00:02:30] as hell is.
[00:02:31] Those who are confined to hell will experience constant agony and relentless regret.
[00:02:39] The Bible speaks plainly about hell, but every person must decide for themselves
[00:02:44] what they will do with the grace that God offers.
[00:02:48] May we who know truth share it boldly.
[00:02:51] The eternal stakes are very high.
[00:02:56] Let's pray together.
[00:02:57] Lord, thank You for Your mercy and grace that You've saved us from hell to heaven.
[00:03:03] Help us to boldly share the good news of salvation through Christ, and may many come
[00:03:07] to know Your goodness through the work of Your Spirit in our lives.
[00:03:11] We pray this in the name of Jesus.
[00:03:13] Amen.
[00:03:15] If today's devotional encouraged you, we'd love to hear about it.
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[00:03:23] My devotional is a ministry of leading the way with Dr. Michael Yusef.
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