Of Heaven and Hell

Speaking of someone who has died we often say they are "in a better place", but that may not be true of course.

To enter Heaven, a person must know the Holy One who created it, and this world which He gave completely as a blessing to mankind, all of whom (particularly myself) are busy polluting it with sin every day. With many people it is impossible to be sure if they do truly know God or not, because like myself we are all hypocrites somehow, so being blessed with knowing God may not be obvious. Its also true God might call people to faith in Him through dreams.

Despite that we rarely speak of it, there is an eternal alternative to Heaven. And no, it isn't under control of the Devil. He will be the primary subject of Hell at the end of time, not in control of it. Hell is the total absence of all good things, because they come from the Source of all good things. Hell is total loneliness and utter regret with an eternity of knowing Heaven was within your reach and you delayed or refused to reach out for it. A Good God would not condemn anyone there? Of course not. It is always by the individual's choice, God does not want anyone to be Lost but He will not override your personal preference in eternity.

For anyone reading this who does NOT have that assurance of knowing the Holy Creator, the best I can do is tell you to take the Bible as literally as it tells you to do, and take all of it to heart - for that is what God's Book and You were designed for. Keep truly seeking Him there with all your heart and He will come to you.

For anyone who DOES have that assurance, I recommend the book "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn. His Eternal Perspective Ministries is at www.EPM.org. "Heaven" is available in many Christian book stores. It gives all the Biblical evidence about how Real and Physical the New Earth - Heaven will be at the end of time. No sickness, no tiredness, nothing boring, everything uplifting in every real and joyful sense - just the way we try to imagine the Garden of Eden was. No floating around with harps, especially if you'd rather ZOOM around with a guitar Wink. When there is singing it will be full-out incredible concerts by folks you know and love, sometimes including Me and maybe You (by then I will be a MUCH better singer Wink). Cooking, eating, hugging, walking, talking, sight-seeing, even playing with pets and playing sports I suppose, without end without limit, all to the glory of the Creator and what He has made for us and, by then, made of us.

PS: Don't believe everything the Young Earth Creationists say about the Bible. The way I read it, they refuse to take both Genesis 1 and Job 38 literally.