It has stood the test of
time, God's book, the Bible,
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still relevant in
today's complex world.
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It Is Written,
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sharing hope around the globe.
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Thanks for joining me today.
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I'm John Bradshaw -
and this is It Is Written.
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A number of years ago I met
a young woman named Mary Ellen.
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Standing at the door of
her apartment in a small,
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Southern town where I was
at the time, I noticed right
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away that she was ...
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she was different.
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I wasn't sure exactly
how, but she was different.
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The more I spoke to
her, the more I noticed.
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I began to notice that
her hair was different.
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I don't mean weird, I don't
mean outlandish, it was just
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different.
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Her clothes, her makeup, her
jewelry, all were a little...
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What's that
word I'm looking for?
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That's it ...different.
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As we spoke, I learned that
not only was she a very nice
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young woman, but that
Mary Ellen had been raised a
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Christian.
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But she said to me: "But now
I don't go to church," before
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adding,
"Although I do, sort of."
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I had to know what she meant
by that, so, standing in the
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humid heat of a southern
summer afternoon, I asked her
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to explain.
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She got right to the point.
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She said "John, I was raised
in a hell-fire and brimstone
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-spitting [and here she
named the denomination],
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a hell-fire and
brimstone -spitting church,
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where the preacher would talk
about God roasting and toasting
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and torturing and frying
people in hell for all eternity
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- for as long
as time would last.
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He said again and again [this
is Mary Ellen telling me] he
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said again and again that
people would burn and burn
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and burn, and that their
burning would never come to
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an end."
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I tell you, it was
obvious Mary Ellen still felt
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strongly about this.
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And then she added, "So I
decided that if that's what
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God was like, I'd be
better off without Him.
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So that's why I
don't go to church anymore.
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And then she added,
"although I do, sort of."
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Mary Ellen could see the
questioning in my eyes, so
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she spelled things out
for me nice and clearly.
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"John," she said,
"I'm now a witch."
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Which was the first time
I'd ever had someone tell me
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THAT!
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I glanced around to see
if there was a broomstick
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nearby, I mean, I really did.
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But all I saw was her
little red car parked out front.
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"A witch?"
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I said - acting like people
told me that sort of thing
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every day.
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"Well, what kind of witch?"
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She explained to me that
she met with other witches at
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organized services (which
is why she said she 'sort of'
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attended church), and told
me some of the details of what
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she did as a real-life,
fully paid up, practicing witch.
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She was bothered by the
subject of hell - and she's
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not the first person to have
had some real questions about
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hell nor is she the first
person to wrestle with that
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subject.
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What's interesting is that
came to the place where she
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was SO bothered by
what's actually a very common
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Christian teaching that she
entirely rejected the notion
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of the existence
of God altogether.
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"God cannot possibly be
like that, therefore there is no
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God," she concluded.
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She rejected the God of
the eternally burning hell.
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So my question for you is -
was she right to do that, or
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was she wrong?
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Was she right to reject
the idea that God burns people
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for ever and ever?
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Now, I'm not asking if you
think she was right to become
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a witch!
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I think we know
the answer to that.
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But did she have a point -
was she right to be repulsed
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by the thought of an
eternally burning hell?
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Today we're going to look
at this subject of hell - hell
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fire.
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[Sound of fire crackling]
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Can we know with
certainty what the Bible teaches
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on the subject?
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As Frances Chan and Preston
Sprinkle wrote in their book
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"Erasing Hell" - they said
"We can't afford to be wrong
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about this."
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A couple of years ago a
well-known pastor in the
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United States sparked a
debate on the subject that
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ended up involving some
of America's theological
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heavyweights.
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The question being
asked was, Is there a Hell?
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And if there is, what's it like?
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Well evidently this pastor's
thinking was challenged when
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someone suggested that
Gandhi was burning in Hell.
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So the pastor wrestled
with this idea, the idea that a
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person would burn in hell
forever and ever and ever -
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and his questions on what
hell might be like - coupled
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with what struck some
people as a definite lack of
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conclusions - got a lot
of people asking a lot of
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questions.
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So what IS hell like?
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Have you ever given
that question much thought?
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It seems to me that most
people have at one time or
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another.
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In the good old days
preachers (or were they the
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bad old days?) ...
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in the good old days
preachers would do their best
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to preach the hottest
hell they could muster up.
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Puritan preacher Jonathan
Edwards's sermon "Sinner in
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the Hands of an Angry God"
was a classic sermon back in
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the 1700s.
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In that sermon he
said, "The pit is prepared.
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The fire is made ready.
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The furnace is now hot, ready
to receive them [that's the
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sinners].
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The flames do now rage and glow.
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The glittering sword is whet,
and held over them, and the
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pit has opened her
mouth under them...
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O sinner!
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Consider the
fearful danger you are in!"
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About two thirds of Americans
believe there is a hell - but
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not everyone sides with
Jonathan Edwards about what
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it is like.
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As far back as the year
2000 US News and World Report
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magazine dedicated it's
cover article to the subject of
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hell.
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And they reported in
the article that more people
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believe hell to be simply
an anguished state of existence
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separated from God than
believe in hell as a place
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where people will
suffer eternal fiery torments.
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The article quoted Pope
John Paul the second as saying
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that - and I quote -- "rather
than a place, hell indicates
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the state of those who
freely and definitively separate
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themselves from God."
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Now that's different to
what I learned when I attended a
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parochial school as a kid:
we were told about a hell that
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would burn
forever and ever and ever.
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We were told [they said it
was in the Bible] that if you
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were good you went to heaven
forever, and if you were bad
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you went to hell forever.
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That's what we were told.
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But a growing number of
people are challenging that
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idea.
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So what's the truth?
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We're going to examine
some of the most commonly-held
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views on the
subject of Hell Fire.
00:06:48.13\00:06:51.13
"Those who would have us
compromise the faith of our
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fathers say they do it in
the name of love, fellowship,
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while at the same time
calling us close-minded,
00:06:59.00\00:07:01.73
sectarian legalists, all
those rules, and rights and
00:07:01.73\00:07:04.56
rituals ...
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Where was Christ?
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With fishermen, and
tax collectors, dining with
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sinners and publicans.
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Can there be a more shining
example of unity fellowship
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than that?
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That's coming up
in just a moment.
00:07:16.76\00:07:24.26
In Matthew 4:4 the Word of
God says "It is written 'Man
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shall not live by bread
alone but by every word that
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proceeds out of
the mouth of God'."
00:07:33.33\00:07:35.40
Every Word is a one minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:07:35.40\00:07:38.56
presented by Pastor
John Bradshaw and designed
00:07:38.56\00:07:41.46
especially for
busy people like you.
00:07:41.46\00:07:44.56
Look for Every Word on
selected networks or watch it
00:07:44.56\00:07:48.16
on-line everyday on our
website itiswritten.com.
00:07:48.16\00:07:50.36
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:07:50.36\00:07:53.20
Watch Every Word.
00:07:53.20\00:07:54.36
You'll be glad you did.
00:07:54.36\00:07:56.56
I'm John Bradshaw.
00:08:00.23\00:08:01.40
Thanks for joining me
today on It Is Written.
00:08:01.40\00:08:03.83
So what's the
truth about hell fire?
00:08:03.83\00:08:07.13
Does God really burn
people in hell forever?
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Maybe he doesn't
burn anyone in hell?
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Maybe there's no
hell - maybe there is?
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Whatever the truth is, we
ought to be able to find out
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from the Bible just what
that truth of the matter is.
00:08:17.96\00:08:21.60
So let us today look
at what the Bible says.
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We'll also look at several
commonly-held ideas about
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hell.
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One of them is the school
of thought that is known as
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Universal Reconciliation.
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It suggests that everyone
will ultimately be reconciled
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to God and so
therefore there's no need for an
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eternally burning hell -
or even a temporarily burning
00:08:39.70\00:08:41.86
hell.
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Which isn't altogether
unrelated to the suggestion
00:08:42.93\00:08:45.46
made by Pope
John Paul the second.
00:08:45.46\00:08:47.70
Before he died he went on
the record as saying that hell
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isn't a place but a state
of being and that the Bible
00:08:49.96\00:08:54.36
simply uses symbolic language
when it talks about hell the
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hot place.
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You can understand why those
ideas might appeal to people
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- but do they stack up
with what the Bible says?
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You see, it's important
for people to form their
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religious beliefs
based on the word of God.
00:09:08.80\00:09:12.43
There's not a lot of point
simply believing whatever it
00:09:12.43\00:09:14.80
is you want to believe
- especially if it isn't
00:09:14.80\00:09:17.53
accurate!
00:09:17.53\00:09:18.53
Does the Bible teach
that there's no hell?
00:09:18.53\00:09:20.63
And keep this in mind as we
study: what you believe about
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hell essentially reveals
what you believe about God.
00:09:23.63\00:09:27.96
God's character is
implicated in this subject.
00:09:27.96\00:09:31.23
What does hell or one's
understanding of hell say
00:09:31.23\00:09:35.10
about God?
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Perhaps the first person we
ought to speak to about this
00:09:37.86\00:09:39.33
is Jesus.
00:09:39.33\00:09:40.93
And here's what Jesus
said in Matthew 10:28.
00:09:40.93\00:09:46.03
"Do not fear those who kill
the body but cannot kill the
00:09:46.03\00:09:48.73
soul.
00:09:48.73\00:09:49.76
But rather fear Him who is
able to destroy both soul and
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body in hell."
00:09:53.10\00:09:56.03
That sounds a lot like
Jesus thought there was a hell.
00:09:56.03\00:09:59.53
Or was He just
speaking metaphorically?
00:09:59.53\00:10:03.10
Descriptively?
00:10:03.10\00:10:04.10
Was Jesus merely making a point?
00:10:04.10\00:10:06.10
Well, the Greek word He
used for 'hell' is the word
00:10:06.10\00:10:08.63
'Gehenna' - That's the
word Jesus used when He was
00:10:08.63\00:10:11.66
referring to a place of burning.
00:10:11.66\00:10:14.36
It sounds like Jesus thought
there was an actual hell.
00:10:14.36\00:10:19.30
So what if there was no hell?
00:10:19.30\00:10:20.76
Some people believe that
if there was no actual place
00:10:20.76\00:10:23.40
called hell and if sinners
didn't burn and burn and burn
00:10:23.40\00:10:26.56
and burn there, that that
would remove the motivation
00:10:26.56\00:10:30.03
for sinners to be saved?
00:10:30.03\00:10:32.63
Well - I can see
what they're getting at.
00:10:32.63\00:10:35.46
But really?
00:10:35.46\00:10:37.96
No.
00:10:37.96\00:10:38.96
Because as the Bible says,
"We love him (why?) because
00:10:38.96\00:10:42.90
He first loved us,"
(that's 1 John 4:19)
00:10:42.90\00:10:47.63
not "we love Him
because we're afraid that if
00:10:47.63\00:10:50.83
we don't we're doomed!"
00:10:50.83\00:10:51.73
In 2 Corinthians 5:14
Paul wrote that "the love of
00:10:51.73\00:10:55.96
Christ compels us" - in other
words, our motivation to want
00:10:55.96\00:11:00.43
to follow God and accept
Jesus as our Savior doesn't
00:11:00.43\00:11:03.16
come or shouldn't come from
the idea that there's a hell.
00:11:03.16\00:11:05.96
The motivation to follow
Jesus comes from the love of
00:11:05.96\00:11:08.96
God.
00:11:08.96\00:11:10.00
Not from fear.
00:11:10.00\00:11:11.46
If the only reason or the
main reason a person wants to
00:11:11.46\00:11:14.73
be saved is because they're
afraid of what happens if
00:11:14.73\00:11:16.80
they don't, that person
is missing the point just a
00:11:16.80\00:11:20.13
little bit.
00:11:20.13\00:11:21.13
I've heard that called
"fire escape religion" - people
00:11:21.13\00:11:23.83
getting religion just so
they can escape the fire.
00:11:23.83\00:11:26.63
But still - you'd hardly be
human if you didn't have some
00:11:26.63\00:11:29.23
sort of healthy respect
for the fate of the lost.
00:11:29.23\00:11:31.56
In Matthew 13 - discussing
the parable of the wheat and
00:11:31.56\00:11:34.23
the tares - Jesus says
this in verses 40 to 42:
00:11:34.23\00:11:39.63
"Therefore as the tares
are gathered and burned in the
00:11:39.63\00:11:42.70
fire, so it will be
at the end of this age.
00:11:42.70\00:11:45.96
The Son of Man will send
out His angels, and they will
00:11:45.96\00:11:49.13
gather out of His kingdom all
things that offend, and those
00:11:49.13\00:11:53.16
who practice lawlessness,
and will cast them into the
00:11:53.16\00:11:56.83
furnace of fire.
00:11:56.83\00:11:58.40
There will be wailing
and gnashing of teeth."
00:11:58.40\00:12:02.93
So could we really believe
that there is no hell at all?
00:12:02.93\00:12:06.56
I'm going to leave it to you
to decide that - but when you
00:12:06.56\00:12:09.30
add this to the verses in
Revelation that refer to the
00:12:09.30\00:12:12.16
Lake of Fire - you can
understand why so many people
00:12:12.16\00:12:15.16
think there IS a hell.
00:12:15.16\00:12:17.80
Well - what about the
idea that hell burns forever?
00:12:17.80\00:12:20.90
That's a commonly-held view.
00:12:20.90\00:12:22.60
It's what I was raised to
believe - and it seems the
00:12:22.60\00:12:26.66
great majority of Christians
were raised to think like
00:12:26.66\00:12:29.43
that and many are raising
their kids to think just the
00:12:29.43\00:12:31.96
same way.
00:12:31.96\00:12:33.26
Here's where you find
people basing that view.
00:12:33.26\00:12:36.43
Passages like this one
found in Revelation chapter 14.
00:12:36.43\00:12:41.13
"Then a third angel followed
them, saying with a loud
00:12:41.13\00:12:43.33
voice, "If anyone worships
the beast and his image, and
00:12:43.33\00:12:47.26
receives his mark in his
forehead or in his hand, he
00:12:47.26\00:12:50.80
himself shall also drink of
the wine of the wrath of God,
00:12:50.80\00:12:54.76
which is poured out full
strength into the cup of His
00:12:54.76\00:12:57.16
indignation.
00:12:57.16\00:12:58.33
He shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone in the
00:12:58.33\00:13:01.16
presence of the holy angels
and in the presence of the
00:13:01.16\00:13:04.16
Lamb.
00:13:04.16\00:13:05.23
And the smoke of their
torment ascends forever
00:13:05.23\00:13:11.40
and ever."
00:13:11.40\00:13:12.96
Revelation 14:9-11 There's
another passage much like
00:13:12.96\00:13:17.43
this one over in chapter
20 of the Book of Revelation.
00:13:17.43\00:13:20.63
This is the traditional
view, the Jonathan Edwards view
00:13:20.63\00:13:23.73
and it's taught pretty typically
in Christian churches today.
00:13:23.73\00:13:27.76
Does this view present
the idea that there's a hell?
00:13:27.76\00:13:30.70
Yes it does.
00:13:30.70\00:13:31.70
It suggests strongly
that YES there IS a hell.
00:13:31.70\00:13:34.16
But do these verses
prove that there's a hell that
00:13:34.16\00:13:36.50
burns forever?
00:13:36.50\00:13:38.93
And are there other ways
to understand those texts.
00:13:38.93\00:13:42.10
One significant objection
to the idea that hell burns
00:13:42.10\00:13:44.63
forever and ever and
ever and ever and ever is this
00:13:44.63\00:13:47.63
question: What sort of
picture of God does that
00:13:47.63\00:13:52.03
belief present?
00:13:52.03\00:13:53.66
How can God be just,
some people ask, and yet burn
00:13:53.66\00:13:57.46
sinners forever?
00:13:57.46\00:14:00.46
Mary Ellen - the woman I told
you about earlier - and many
00:14:00.46\00:14:03.13
others like her have been ...
00:14:03.13\00:14:04.63
have actually been
turned away from faith in God
00:14:04.63\00:14:06.70
altogether by this view.
00:14:06.70\00:14:07.96
If God burned people forever...
00:14:07.96\00:14:12.30
we'd have to agree
that's a very long time.
00:14:12.30\00:14:14.80
Now there have been any
number of theologians who have
00:14:14.80\00:14:17.73
made the case that
hell doesn't burn forever.
00:14:17.73\00:14:21.70
One of them was a
Church of Christ pastor
00:14:21.70\00:14:23.96
named Edward Fudge.
00:14:23.96\00:14:24.96
When Edward Fudge was just
a boy he had some experiences
00:14:24.96\00:14:27.56
that left him
asking some hard questions.
00:14:27.56\00:14:30.66
A movie on Edward
Fudge's life has been recently
00:14:30.66\00:14:33.50
produced.
00:14:33.50\00:14:34.66
I want you to take a look
at this with me right here:
00:14:34.66\00:14:36.93
"What's going on?"
00:14:36.93\00:14:40.56
"Come sit.
00:14:40.56\00:14:42.56
You know David
Hollis, don't you?"
00:14:46.03\00:14:48.63
"Sure, he's a good friend."
00:14:48.63\00:14:49.70
"Um Hum.
00:14:49.70\00:14:51.83
Well, I just got off
the phone with his mother."
00:14:51.83\00:14:53.83
"What did he do?
00:14:53.83\00:14:57.36
Leave town already?"
00:14:57.36\00:15:00.10
"No.
00:15:00.10\00:15:01.10
There was a car accident."
00:15:01.10\00:15:05.50
"What happened?"
00:15:05.50\00:15:07.43
"Apparently, he lost
control, I don't know, 14 near
00:15:07.43\00:15:10.33
Hagget's Creek.
00:15:10.33\00:15:11.53
His pick up flipped over
into a ditch and pinned him
00:15:11.53\00:15:16.60
underneath."
00:15:16.60\00:15:18.60
"Is he okay?"
00:15:23.63\00:15:25.63
"They say he died instantly.
00:15:27.23\00:15:30.66
[silence] "I'm sorry son, I
00:15:33.26\00:15:39.26
am truly sorry."
00:15:41.30\00:15:44.00
"Where is he?"
00:15:44.00\00:15:45.00
"What?"
00:15:45.00\00:15:46.03
"Where is Davey now?"
00:15:46.03\00:15:48.33
"He's at the
Curtis funeral home.
00:15:50.90\00:15:53.16
They are
preparing him for services."
00:15:53.16\00:15:55.23
"It's not what I mean.
00:15:55.23\00:15:57.23
Is he in hell?
00:15:58.60\00:16:01.06
Is Davey in hell?"
00:16:01.06\00:16:02.73
[Sound of fire crackling ...]
00:16:02.73\00:16:08.73
The hot topic of hell.
00:16:11.43\00:16:13.80
According to the Bible, is
there a hell, and what's it
00:16:16.16\00:16:20.23
like?
00:16:20.23\00:16:21.23
Does it burn forever?
00:16:21.23\00:16:22.90
Or is there another way
to accurately understand the
00:16:22.90\00:16:26.13
reality of hell?
00:16:26.13\00:16:28.00
Before we explore this
further, maybe we ought to
00:16:28.00\00:16:30.00
admit that there's a fair
amount of fiction mixed in
00:16:30.00\00:16:32.43
with whatever the
facts are about hell.
00:16:32.43\00:16:35.13
I remember hearing a preacher
claim that hell was located
00:16:35.13\00:16:37.76
somewhere under
the Bermuda Triangle.
00:16:37.76\00:16:40.43
Really?
00:16:40.43\00:16:41.43
And that's in...
00:16:41.43\00:16:44.40
what verse of
the Bible, exactly?
00:16:44.40\00:16:46.96
Years ago my wife and I
were driving across the top of
00:16:46.96\00:16:49.53
Idaho ...
00:16:49.53\00:16:50.60
this was several years BC
(before children) and seeing
00:16:50.60\00:16:53.23
as this was also BCP (before
cell phones) we stopped, we
00:16:53.23\00:16:57.13
had to stop at a payphone.
00:16:57.13\00:16:58.63
And at the payphone in Idaho
I found these - well, there's
00:16:58.63\00:17:05.50
just one in my hand, but
I found many of these, just
00:17:05.50\00:17:07.33
like this.
00:17:07.33\00:17:08.33
They'd been stuffed into
every crack and holding place
00:17:08.33\00:17:12.63
they could
possibly be stuffed into.
00:17:12.63\00:17:15.63
Someone had been out
doing their missionary work and
00:17:15.63\00:17:17.50
they had distributed these
tracts in the hope that some
00:17:17.50\00:17:19.63
dear soul would not want to
go to hell and would instead
00:17:19.63\00:17:22.80
embrace Jesus.
00:17:22.80\00:17:24.50
Now let me read
some of this to you.
00:17:24.50\00:17:26.40
I must say it may well
be excerpted from a book or
00:17:26.40\00:17:29.20
something larger than this.
00:17:29.20\00:17:30.70
I would credit the source
if I had any idea what the
00:17:30.70\00:17:32.50
source was.
00:17:32.50\00:17:33.80
But all I have is
my little tract here.
00:17:33.80\00:17:37.30
Now, let me read
some of this to you.
00:17:37.30\00:17:40.53
In this passage Jesus takes
someone on a guided tour of
00:17:40.53\00:17:44.03
hell.
00:17:44.03\00:17:46.20
It is shaped like a body and
is in the center of the Earth
00:17:46.20\00:17:49.06
- and it's populated by
snakes and rats and evil
00:17:49.06\00:17:51.66
spirits.
00:17:51.66\00:17:52.66
(Now I would have
thought that hell would have
00:17:52.66\00:17:54.66
destroyed the rats and
snakes but evidently in this
00:17:54.66\00:17:56.66
scenario that's not the
case, which I feel is too bad).
00:17:56.66\00:17:59.46
This tells the story of a
woman in this place whose eyes
00:17:59.46\00:18:02.86
and hair and nose have all
been burned out and burned off,
00:18:02.86\00:18:06.33
and who is being burned
by fire as dead flesh falls
00:18:06.33\00:18:11.36
from her body.
00:18:11.36\00:18:12.63
Let me pick it up.
00:18:12.63\00:18:13.63
I'll read this to you.
00:18:13.63\00:18:14.76
Here we go.
00:18:14.76\00:18:15.76
Stay with me.
00:18:15.76\00:18:16.76
"Oh Lord, oh Lord,"
she cried, "I want out."
00:18:16.76\00:18:21.16
As we watched she finally
got to the top of the pit with
00:18:21.16\00:18:24.46
her feet.
00:18:24.46\00:18:25.93
I thought she was going
to get out when a large demon
00:18:25.93\00:18:28.90
with great wings that seemed
to be broken at the top and
00:18:28.90\00:18:32.43
hung down his sides ran to her.
00:18:32.43\00:18:36.10
His color was brownish-black,
and he had hair all over his
00:18:36.10\00:18:39.20
large form.
00:18:39.20\00:18:40.60
His eyes were set far
back into his head, and he was
00:18:40.60\00:18:43.13
about the size of
a large grizzly bear.
00:18:43.13\00:18:46.46
The demon rushed up to
the woman and pushed her very
00:18:46.46\00:18:50.30
hard backward
into the pit and fire.
00:18:50.30\00:18:52.86
I watched in horror as she fell.
00:18:52.86\00:18:56.76
I felt so sorry for her."
00:18:56.76\00:18:59.76
Well, you would.
00:18:59.76\00:19:01.26
Now I'm not questioning
the sincerity of the dear soul
00:19:01.26\00:19:03.60
who wrote this, but let's be
honest: is there any reason -
00:19:03.60\00:19:08.03
Biblically - to believe
that hell is shaped like a human
00:19:08.03\00:19:11.90
body and is in the
center of the Earth?
00:19:11.90\00:19:16.33
Rats and snakes and
demons like grizzly bears?
00:19:16.33\00:19:21.86
Does the Bible
even hint at this?
00:19:21.86\00:19:24.90
Edward Fudge was commissioned
to study this subject and he
00:19:24.90\00:19:27.30
was surprised at the
direction some of his studies
00:19:27.30\00:19:30.03
too him.
00:19:30.03\00:19:30.96
Watch this.
00:19:30.96\00:19:31.96
"Do you ever get
tired of that job?"
00:19:31.96\00:19:34.56
"No ..
00:19:34.56\00:19:35.56
ha ha.
00:19:35.56\00:19:36.56
No, this stuff is deep.
00:19:36.56\00:19:37.73
It takes a while to get through.
00:19:37.73\00:19:41.40
But, what I am trying to
do is to verify and disqualify
00:19:41.40\00:19:45.26
each of those cards up there.
00:19:45.26\00:19:46.56
Now, I started with
the Old Testament issue,
00:19:46.56\00:19:48.80
traditionalists, they
say that there is little or
00:19:48.80\00:19:50.83
nothing about the
lost in there, but the
00:19:50.83\00:19:52.83
conditionalists
think it has plenty to say.
00:19:52.83\00:19:54.83
"So what do you got?"
00:19:54.83\00:19:56.10
"Well, take a look.
00:19:56.10\00:19:58.86
These, these are
all Old Testament texts.
00:19:58.86\00:20:02.00
All of them.
00:20:02.00\00:20:03.00
Now, there are dozens of them.
00:20:03.00\00:20:05.93
You use words like "cut
off", "come to nothing,"
00:20:05.93\00:20:10.00
"disappear," "destroy,"
"perish," over here, now and
00:20:10.00\00:20:13.33
that all sounds
like oblivion to me."
00:20:13.33\00:20:16.90
"Wait, what about where it
says that the worm will not
00:20:16.90\00:20:19.06
die and their fire
will not be quenched?
00:20:19.06\00:20:21.06
That sounds like
eternal torment to me."
00:20:21.06\00:20:23.76
Where might the Bible
suggest that hell burns and then
00:20:23.76\00:20:26.86
eventually burns up and stops
burning because it has done
00:20:26.86\00:20:29.66
its job?
00:20:29.66\00:20:30.80
Now John 3:16 talks about
a world that would perish.
00:20:30.80\00:20:34.20
Remember "For God so loved
the world, he gave his only
00:20:34.20\00:20:36.20
begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not
00:20:36.20\00:20:39.46
perish."
00:20:39.46\00:20:40.46
Romans 6:23 says
the wages of sin is....
00:20:40.46\00:20:44.43
DEATH.
00:20:44.43\00:20:45.43
Revelation refers to the
lake of fire as the "second
00:20:45.43\00:20:49.00
death".
00:20:49.00\00:20:50.00
Ezekiel 18:4 states that
"the soul who sins shall die."
00:20:50.00\00:20:54.60
While the little book of Jude
says Sodom and Gomorra are an
00:20:54.60\00:20:58.40
example of what those who
"suffer the vengeance of eternal
00:20:58.40\00:21:03.33
fire" will get - and
Sodom and Gomorra were turned
00:21:03.33\00:21:07.60
by God into ashes.
00:21:07.60\00:21:09.43
Jude says, that's the example.
00:21:09.43\00:21:13.13
So just as there are verses
that some say seem to indicate
00:21:13.13\00:21:15.90
hell burns forever,
and ever and ever and ever
00:21:15.90\00:21:19.30
and ever, there are other
verses that seem to indicate
00:21:19.30\00:21:22.43
hell burns and
eventually burns out.
00:21:22.43\00:21:26.20
And the big challenge is,
"What does hell say about the
00:21:26.20\00:21:30.66
character of God?"
00:21:30.66\00:21:33.20
Quoted in that US News and
World Report article I told
00:21:33.20\00:21:36.00
you about earlier, Dr Clark
Pinnock suggested that a God
00:21:36.00\00:21:39.00
who would torture people
for all eternity is "more nearly
00:21:39.00\00:21:42.53
like Satan than like God."
00:21:42.53\00:21:46.03
Here's what we know for sure.
00:21:46.03\00:21:47.83
If we're talking about three
different views on hell, all
00:21:47.83\00:21:50.93
three of them
can't possibly be right.
00:21:50.93\00:21:53.53
And we know the Bible is
true - the answer must certainly
00:21:53.53\00:21:56.46
be in there.
00:21:56.46\00:21:57.56
And something else we can
keep in mind is that God is
00:21:57.56\00:21:59.73
love - so our conclusions are
going to have to support that
00:21:59.73\00:22:02.96
idea.
00:22:02.96\00:22:04.10
God can't be love and be
a tyrant at the same time.
00:22:04.10\00:22:07.00
Nor can He be love and be
so permissive that nothing
00:22:07.00\00:22:09.53
really matters and
there are no consequences.
00:22:09.53\00:22:13.33
One key issue is that
ultimately those who don't
00:22:13.33\00:22:15.33
choose Jesus Christ are
going to be separated from Him
00:22:15.33\00:22:17.83
without the hope
of everlasting life.
00:22:17.83\00:22:20.30
And wouldn't that
be an enormous tragedy?
00:22:20.30\00:22:23.43
The Bible is pretty clear
that there's a hell and that
00:22:23.43\00:22:26.10
some day lots of people
are going to end up there.
00:22:26.10\00:22:29.76
But what kind of hell?
00:22:29.76\00:22:31.56
A no hell hell?
00:22:31.56\00:22:33.26
Well, that's not even a hell.
00:22:33.26\00:22:34.86
A hell that burns forever
and ever and ever and ever?
00:22:34.86\00:22:38.66
Well, that would make
God worse than Hitler.
00:22:38.66\00:22:41.00
And I know somebody said to
me one day, well, God can do
00:22:41.00\00:22:43.30
that if he wanted to.
00:22:43.30\00:22:44.30
But the wonderful news
is God doesn't want to.
00:22:44.30\00:22:47.50
And you know what?
00:22:47.50\00:22:48.50
We've got clear
biblical evidence of that.
00:22:48.50\00:22:50.50
I'm reading from Ezekiel 28:18.
00:22:50.50\00:22:53.43
Therefore will I bring
forth a fire from the midst of
00:22:53.43\00:22:55.70
thee.
00:22:55.70\00:22:56.70
It shall devour thee and I
will bring thee to ashes upon
00:22:56.70\00:23:00.96
the earth in the sight
of all them that behold you.
00:23:00.96\00:23:03.86
And you know what is so
very interesting about that
00:23:03.86\00:23:05.86
passage?
00:23:05.86\00:23:06.86
It is that that passage,
Ezekiel 28:18, is talking
00:23:06.86\00:23:09.13
about Satan.
00:23:09.13\00:23:11.30
The Bible says that God
will turn Satan into ashes.
00:23:11.30\00:23:15.40
It can't get much
clearer than that.
00:23:15.40\00:23:17.56
Then, Malachi 4:3, it says:
"And you shall tread down the
00:23:17.56\00:23:22.66
wicked for they shall be
ashes unto the soles of your
00:23:22.66\00:23:27.16
feet in the day that I
shall do this sayeth the Lord of
00:23:27.16\00:23:30.13
hosts.
00:23:30.13\00:23:31.13
Now, I know somebody is
going to say, no, but the Bible
00:23:31.13\00:23:33.13
says forever.
00:23:33.13\00:23:34.13
You know something?
00:23:34.13\00:23:35.13
The Bible says forever a
lot about things that don't last
00:23:35.13\00:23:38.86
forever.
00:23:38.86\00:23:40.10
Jonas said he was in the
belly of the fish forever,
00:23:40.10\00:23:42.76
three days and three nights.
00:23:42.76\00:23:44.13
Samuel was taken by his
godly mother to be at the temple
00:23:44.13\00:23:47.43
forever.
00:23:47.43\00:23:48.43
Read that in 1 Samuel 1.
00:23:48.43\00:23:49.70
But then she said, six verses
later in verse 28, that he'd
00:23:49.70\00:23:53.30
be at the temple
for as long as he lived.
00:23:53.30\00:23:57.63
Forever as long as he lived.
00:23:57.63\00:23:59.53
Forever three days.
00:23:59.53\00:24:01.23
Hebrew slave.
00:24:01.23\00:24:02.30
He would serve as master
forever, but they were often
00:24:02.30\00:24:04.36
released.
00:24:04.36\00:24:05.76
Forever in the context of
hellfire simply means for as
00:24:05.76\00:24:08.73
long as the fire lasts, as
long as the fire must burn to
00:24:08.73\00:24:12.70
do its work.
00:24:12.70\00:24:14.40
Thank God there is no
burning, burning, eternally
00:24:14.40\00:24:18.33
burning, eternally burning hell.
00:24:18.33\00:24:20.76
Unfortunately, it's a myth,
or should I say fortunately?
00:24:20.76\00:24:24.03
It's fortunate
that it's not true.
00:24:24.03\00:24:26.26
But, it's unfortunate that
so many people have been told it
00:24:26.26\00:24:29.63
is true.
00:24:29.63\00:24:31.30
The most wonderful news is
that nobody needs to be lost
00:24:31.30\00:24:35.60
or burned in any
kind of hell at all.
00:24:35.60\00:24:38.66
All of us can have
everlasting life through
00:24:38.66\00:24:41.03
Jesus Christ, through
simple faith in him, and I hope
00:24:41.03\00:24:45.76
you'll choose to have
faith in Jesus One of the most
00:24:45.76\00:24:49.73
serious subjects in the Bible
is the subject of hell and it
00:24:49.73\00:24:53.56
is one of the least understood.
00:24:53.56\00:24:55.56
What does the Bible
really say about hell?
00:24:55.56\00:24:58.26
Is there a hell?
00:24:58.26\00:24:59.26
And if there is,
how long will it burn?
00:24:59.26\00:25:02.16
You don't want to
miss today's free offer:
00:25:02.16\00:25:04.70
Understanding Hell -
Separating Fact from Fiction.
00:25:04.70\00:25:08.33
It's a practical, biblical
look at a subject that has
00:25:08.33\00:25:11.23
puzzled a lot of people.
00:25:11.23\00:25:13.26
You'll be thrilled to
understand just what God's
00:25:13.26\00:25:16.00
Word says about hell and
what Jesus himself says on the
00:25:16.00\00:25:19.16
subject.
00:25:19.16\00:25:20.16
Just call of write and
I'll send you this free book,
00:25:20.16\00:25:22.83
Understanding Hell.
00:25:22.83\00:25:24.70
You really ought to have this
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00:25:24.70\00:25:27.23
no cost to you and
there's no obligation.
00:25:27.23\00:25:30.36
Just call 1.800.253.3000
and ask for the book
00:25:30.36\00:25:35.13
Understanding Hell.
00:25:35.13\00:25:36.23
You can call
anytime, day or night.
00:25:36.23\00:25:39.26
If the line is
busy, just keep trying.
00:25:39.26\00:25:41.63
You can also get this
free book by writing to It Is
00:25:41.63\00:25:44.10
Written, Box O, Thousand
Oaks, California, 91359.
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We'll mail a copy to your
address in North America, and
00:25:48.06\00:25:51.33
you can download a free
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00:25:51.33\00:25:54.36
book, Understanding
Hell, from our website,
00:25:54.36\00:25:57.16
itiswritten.com.
00:25:57.16\00:25:58.16
It Is Written can only
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Thank you for sending your
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can make a gift on
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00:26:07.46\00:26:12.03
Thank you for your
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00:26:12.03\00:26:16.16
support.
00:26:16.16\00:26:17.16
And to get Understanding
Hell, write to us or call
00:26:17.16\00:26:21.80
now: 1.800.253.3000.
00:26:21.80\00:26:23.10
I'd love to pray with you today.
00:26:23.10\00:26:25.10
Let's pray together.
00:26:25.10\00:26:26.60
Our Father in heaven,
some subjects in the Bible we
00:26:26.60\00:26:29.83
wrestle with and when we
find your will and your words,
00:26:29.83\00:26:33.46
sometimes we are challenged.
00:26:33.46\00:26:35.10
This whole idea of people
being separated from you for
00:26:35.10\00:26:38.03
all eternity.
00:26:38.03\00:26:39.03
It's a challenging idea
because it's so serious, it's
00:26:39.03\00:26:41.83
so final, it's so eternal.
00:26:41.83\00:26:43.63
Father in heaven, as I
pray today, I pray that we today
00:26:43.63\00:26:47.33
would be committed to you.
00:26:47.33\00:26:48.46
Friend, would you
choose Jesus today?
00:26:48.46\00:26:50.53
Would you do that?
00:26:50.53\00:26:51.53
Thank you, Father, that
through faith in your son
00:26:51.53\00:26:54.10
Jesus Christ, we
don't have to fear hellfire.
00:26:54.10\00:26:56.90
It's not something we
even need to worry about.
00:26:56.90\00:26:59.10
I'm grateful Lord, that
Jesus is our Deliver, our
00:26:59.10\00:27:03.30
deliverance.
00:27:03.30\00:27:04.30
Jesus is our
Lord and our Savior.
00:27:04.30\00:27:07.93
We choose him today.
00:27:07.93\00:27:08.93
Friend, choose Jesus today.
00:27:08.93\00:27:10.93
Lord, we want to
have faith in you.
00:27:10.93\00:27:12.50
We thank you for your Word.
00:27:12.50\00:27:14.20
We thank you for
the gift of Salvation.
00:27:14.20\00:27:16.53
And, we pray in
Jesus' name, Amen.
00:27:16.53\00:27:22.93
Thanks for joining me
today and look forward
00:27:43.73\00:27:45.13
to see you next
time, until then remember
00:27:45.13\00:27:47.23
"It is written Man
shall not live by bread
00:27:47.23\00:27:49.53
alone, but by every word that
proceeds from mouth of God."
00:27:49.53\00:27:54.03