“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht   

“Homily Grits Devotional”   http://www.homilygrits.com/

Matthew 10:28… “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fearHim who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  (NKJV)

I could understand an atheist not believing in hell…  If they don’t believe there is a God…why would they believe there is a hell ??  But a Christian should have no doubt that hell exists…because hell (or Hades) is mentioned several times in the Bible…  Here is a link for 54 verses with the word hell, in the KJV Bible…  http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=hell&searchtype=all&version1=9&language1=en&spanbegin=1&spanend=73&startnumber=51

The opening scripture was spoken by Jesus; and unless one doesn’t believe Jesus spoke the truth…or that every word in the Bible is true (Both of which Christians are called to believe in faith)…I can’t see how any Christian could dispute the existence of hell… 

Many of these 54 scripture verses with the word hell, also include the word down or below…  Many believe that hell or Hades is deep with-in the earth…  This makes sense to me, because of the molten lava we see coming up from active volcanoes…  It is also believed that hell was originally created for the fallen angels, as we see from this scripture penned by the Apostle Peter, in…2 Peter 2:4… For if God did notspare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;  (NKJV)

Hades is a holding place for not only the fallen angels…but for the souls of the dead who died as unbelievers…who are awaiting final judgment at the end of times…  I believe we see the resurrection of the dead bodies of unbelievers, and the souls of unbelievers that have been temporarily held in Hades, in the following scripture, in…

Revelation 20:13-15…  The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hadesdelivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone notfound written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.  (NKJV)

Jesus gives us a horrifying story of what Hades is like, when Jesus teaches us about Lazarus (the poor man) and the rich man, in…Luke 16:19-31…  Here is the link for this short, descriptive and horrifying teaching by Jesus, about the reality of Hades…   http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=lu16:19-31&version=NKJV

There is much debate as to whether this story taught by Jesus about Lazarus and the rich man, is a Parable or a true story…  Some believe (as I do), that it is not a parable, because Jesus calls the poor man by his first name, (Lazarus)…  There is no other parable with real names in them…  One thing is for sure…Jesus teaches that after death, the unrighteous are eternally separated from God…  Jesus also teaches that those in Hades are cognizant of their torment in flames…their failure to repent and believe in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)…and that their eternal suffering in Hades cannot be remedied…

Here is a brief synopsis of the story:  The rich man, while still living…paid little mind to the poor man Lazarus, who only wanted crumbs of food which fell from the rich man’s table…  They both died, and Lazarus went to paradise; and the rich man was sent to Hades to remain forever in torment in flames…  Here is the rich man’s plea, for just a drop of water for his scorched tongue…

Luke 16:24… “Then hecried and said, ‘Father Abraham, havemercy on me, and sendLazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’  (NKJV)

Lazarus was seen by the rich man on the good side of Hades, in the arms of Abraham…  We see the rich man still expecting service from the poor Lazarus…  It is believed that the rich man was sent to Hades because of his lack of sharing his wealth with the poor…  There is much in the Bible about giving to the needy…  Here is a link with 93 Bible verses on this important teaching…  http://www.openbible.info/topics/giving_to_the_needy

The Bible is clear that all of us will have to give an account of our actions, when we die…  Those who have been graced with salvation by saving faith alone in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9), will be heaven bound… (See link at the very end about God’s grace)  And those who never understand and obey the message of the cross, by obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, will be judged at the “Great White Throne Judgment”…Revelation 20:11-15…   Here is a link with answers to the question…“What happens after death”…  http://www.gotquestions.org/what-happens-death.html

And here is a link that answers the question: “What does the Bible say about when God will judge us ??”…

http://www.gotquestions.org/judgment.html

God gave us His inerrant Word, the Bible…to be able to answer any question about how to best live our lives…  The Apostle Paul pens this most important scripture on God’s Word, in…2 Timothy 3:16-17… All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  (NKJV)

Those who neglect the truth, that can best be found through reading and applying God’s Word to their lives…will be shocked, when it’s too late…  Jesus warns us in the following scripture, about those who believe their good works done in the name of the Lord (like having to go to church every week), are false beliefs, in…

Matthew 7:21-23…  “Noteveryone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Yourname, cast out demons in Yourname, and done many wonders in Yourname?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knewyou; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”  (NKJV)

Heavenly Father, I pray that Your Word will open the eyes of those who need to see the truth presented here today…Hebrews 4:12-13…  I pray Lord, that You would draw those in need of Your saving grace to Yourself…John 6:44…and that the message of the cross would be sought, understood, and obeyed by all of those in need…  I pray for this fullness of Christ in all of our lives, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

Blessings in Christ,  bruce r mills 

P.S. Here is a link for this most important days writing, about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…

https://godsmanforever.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/gods-group-thoughts-for-10202012-gods-grace-through-obedience-to-the-gospel-of-christ/