One of the grand achievements of the devil…concerning stabilizing men in sin…is the ability to make people believe hell will be a place of FUN! The flip-side of this is the cajolement that heaven will be one boring atmosphere, with people just wandering around, worshipping morning and night… dulled!
I once heard some guys say something in this line:
Fela anikulapo will be in hell…
Michael Jackson will be in hell…
Tupac Shakur will be in hell…
“Oh what fun and party will be in hell”…
They don’t mind going to hell too! Have you heard such too? Sincerely the devil deserves an accolade for this feat! Deception par excellence!
A pastor and author, Mark Buchanan, admits to the fear that heaven might just be the extension of a particular dull church service… He admits to getting a little antsy (uncomfortable) after an hour of church… He yawns, his backside aches, and his stomach growls — and he’s the pastor o!
This occasional dullness of his church services transpired into his perception about heaven…as often presented in all kinds of art: ‘…Plump, cute angels whizzing around on silken wings or kicking back on fluffy clouds: people playing their harps and singing really old music…’ In his words: “everything soft, wispy, dainty, pastel, languid. And this is supposed to inspire us?”
Oh. If a pastor could have accommodated such thoughts about heaven… Then there is no limit to Hell’s perception by a sinner who lives a hedonistic life of constant lust and entertainment!
One of the persons who would find it surprising about how folks think hell will be a place of fun…is the rich man who found himself in (pre) hell…in the story illustrated by Jesus: The rich man and Lazarus! Concerning Lazarus, the fun he missed in life was first started when he was given a convoy to carry him to Paradise…
Luke 16:22 “…the beggar was CARRIED BY THE ANGELS into Abraham’s bosom…” Carried.
But when the rich man experience was to be described… It was clear that his fun experience ended while he was on earth! Immediately he died, the next thing that was said about him was:
“… and in hell, he lift up his eyes being in torments…” (Luke 16:23)
We were not even told how he got to hell… He probably dreadfully trekked his way there…or dropped through a ‘not-funny’ spiritual gravity…. The very fact that a convoy was mentioned for Lazarus and not for him speaks loudly of the torments he was up to! What kind of fun would be in a place where this rich man would plead that Abraham would indulge Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue! (Luke 16:25)
I tell you the truth… The presence of Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson will have no impact in reversing the torments of hell!!! 2Thess 1:9 summarizes the experience of people who miss heaven…
“…they will be punished with EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the Majesty of His power…” (2Thess 1:9 NIV)
People want to be “on their own” in this life – without God… Well, hell will be where God allows one to live that prideful principle throughout all eternity, living with nothing but regrets and memories of missed opportunities! In the words of George MacDonald, “The one principle of hell is — “I AM ON MY OWN.”!
Where do people even get the idea that heaven will be boring from??? In one of his “far side” cartoons, Gary Larson captured this common misconception about Heaven. In the cartoon, Larson pictures a man with angel wings and a halo sitting on a cloud, doing nothing, with no one nearby. He has the expression of someone utterly bored! The caption under the cartoon reads: “Wish I’d brought a magazine.”! Wow.
This is exactly how some folks perceive heaven to be like. Boringly dull! To assert that heaven could be boring, is to imply that God Himself is boring. Now that’s utter nonsense because God Himself placed within us our very ideas of excitement and pleasure!!! He shaped our interests, our drives and emotions! You are admiring a “Head of State”… Well, God is the King of the Universe! Who actually do you think invented music and art?? Take a conscientious look at creation and get your plain answer!
You can be sure that neither God nor heaven will be boring – and neither will you! The Bible didn’t fully reveal what we will be doing in heaven…but we have hints from scriptures that we will have some exciting and meaningful tasks to perform… For example we are told that we will
– judge angels (1Cor 6:3)
– sit on thrones (Rev 3:21)
– and reign with Christ (Rev 20:4)
What revelation of heaven does the psalmist hold that made him exclaim: “… In your Presence is FULLNESS of joy…and at your right hand PLEASURES FOREVERMORE! (PS 16:11)
This verse in revelation about heaven is so short but loaded:
“…no more sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain…” (Rev 21:4)
O glory! Therefore we must banish from our minds those insipid images of heaven that the devil plants in our minds! Instead we must learn to see heaven through Biblical eyes – the heaven too beautiful for human eyes and more thrilling than the most exciting moment any life has ever experienced!
If you are among those who have a virtual envy for the imaginary fun going on in hell… Repent! Believe the Gospel of your salvation through Jesus Christ today. And be certain of your eternal destination – a place of real ‘pleasures forevermore’.
Amen.
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