Imagine you're heading down the road in a car and the driver is falling asleep at the
wheel!
What do you do? The driver doesn't see the danger, so you desperately try to wake him
up - otherwise you could all be killed!
One day, Jesus told a story to warn people about a real but unseen danger. To this
danger they were sound asleep! He told them this story to wake them up:-
There were 2 men. They both died. The poor man went to heaven, but the rich man was
sent to hell where he was in constant torment.
The rich man cried out to heaven across a great divide that no one could cross. He
wanted someone from heaven to go and warn his brothers and friends about this terrible
place called hell.
He'd never believed in hell! Now it was too late! There's no escape from hell once
you're there. There's no such thing as "Purgatory" - there's no second chance.
Where will you go when you die? Jesus said that he will not allow you into heaven by
virtue of your own goodness - in fact you and I are far from being good enough. God says
in the Bible that we all deserve to be punished in hell, forever.
But there is a way that a man or a woman may go to heaven.
Do you know what that way is? It's the way of the cross of Jesus. He died on the cross
so that you and I can be made right with God. Because we are sinners, rebellious against
God, we need to be forgiven. On the cross, Jesus was taking the punishment that should be
ours. I can say, "Jesus died for me."
You and I don't have a right to a place in heaven. It's a gift from God. The Bible
says, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Are you asleep at the wheel of Life? Do you see the danger you are in? Like the rich
man in the story, are you heading straight for hell?
Did you know that Jesus not only died, but that he rose again? By coming back to life -
something he predicted he would do - he proved that his death, on our behalf, was
acceptable to God. It means that forgiveness and eternal life are being offered to you -
now.
How will you respond to Almighty God?
Are you willing to turn from your sin & turn to Jesus? Are you willing to fall at
his feet & cry for mercy? Are you willing to have Jesus as your Lord so that you obey
Him in your day to day living?
Then God is willing to forgive you, to save you from the punishment of hell and give
you eternal life -real purpose in life now and heaven when you die!
The Bible says, "Whoever believes in the Son (Jesus) has
eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life for God's anger remains on
him."
Jesus said that we must believe in Him. Put your trust in Him today and you will be
saved from the punishment your sin deserves.
I suggest you humble yourself and pray something like the following:-
Dear God,
I'm sorry for all my sin and rebellion against you. I need your forgiveness.
Thank you for sending Jesus to die in my place that I may be forgiven.
Thank you that he rose from the dead to give me new life.
Please forgive me and change me. From now on, I want Jesus to be the Lord of my whole
life. Amen.
©1996 A.J.Thorne
For more information read the Bible and/or contact me. The story Jesus told about
the two men who died can be found in Luke chapter 16 verse 19.
PO Box 120
Faversham
Kent, ME13 8XD
UK
