Homeless!

Well, here we are, says me walking into a beautiful and large lounge room where I introduced my young homeless lad, Joey, to the very rich owner of the home, Mrs Slater, my friend Jeanette.

Joey had been into all sorts of troubles - he had run away from an orphanage when he was really young after his Mum and Dad, who hadn't actually owned any properties, were killed so horribly in a car accident just five years previously.

He had lived in the streets up until now - no schooling, no family, no job, begging on the streets and stealing things to eat, and sleeping really rough.

Jeanette had no children; she also ran a private stable yard where she had at least fifteen horses, all trained for all sorts of wonderful and marvelous things, and also a boarding house. Her husband, Al, had unfortunately died of cancer ten years before, and she had just resumed running all the things that Al had worked so hard for many years before his untimely death.

I had previously explained to her that I had found and befriended Joey, and he had no one to turn to. He was at an age where he really needed work and maybe catch up on the schoolwork that he had missed out on for years.

We had spent hours encouraging him off the streets, getting a huge medical check-up, and treatment for his health, also off to the dentist with lots of work having to be done after living on the streets all these years. 

I had contacted my friend, and as it turned out, she was actually looking for a young apprentice to start caring for the horses, initially, and then possibly taking on a more senior position, depending on his abilities and what he truly wanted to do.

Poor Joey looked pretty miserable. He was standing there all dressed in his new gear and new shoes, which were completely bizarre for him, considering that he had lived so roughly for the past five years. he was miserable because he had no idea what was in store for him.

Jeanette turned to Joey and said, "Come and help me make some tea, and you can have afternoon tea with us."

Joey seemed pleased with that, and he actually shocked me when he said, "Thank you, Mrs Slater."   I was sitting there all alone in the living room, and I must admit I was a tad teary, especially hearing Joey say that to Jeanette. I could hear them talking, which was pretty encouraging.

Joey and Jeanette chatted for about an hour, and Joey completely started to unwind. He shared with Jeanette everything that had happened to him, well, almost everything. 

She explained to Joey what the job entailed and what he would have to do. She explained that he would be boarded out in the small flat above the stables, and she expected him to get up really early in the mornings and get the horses ready for whatever the day had in store for them.

She told him what his salary would be and also said it would not be that amazing, considering he would be getting board for free and also three meals every day. Depending on what he wanted to do, there would probably be some openings for him to maybe try his luck in all sorts of places within the compound of her boarding house and stables.

Jeanette told him he didn't have to accept the job if he preferred something else, and if he decided to think about it, to let her know when he was ready.

Joey suddenly didn't have to think about it. He was startlingly active for the first time I had ever seen him. "I would love to accept your offer," he said. "I have never been offered any sort of job before, and this one is amazingly so so good. Thank you so much."

I was astounded!  In the short time I got to know Joey, I had never heard him talk like this. Jeanette was upfront and so truthful. She explained everything to Joey, even all the taxation he would have to pay, and how she would be deducting this from his wages, and what to do about it.

She also explained just about everything he would have to do to commence employment with her business. Also, the best way to approach the horses is to get to know all the people involved in their care. She didn't 'pull any punches' when it came to explaining just what the job entailed and told him not to expect that everything would go according to his plans. The job was going to be hard and often tiring.

Joey seemed to accept everything Jeanette told him. I had never seen him so excited about anything until today.

He came home with me after all of this with a new perspective on life. He was thoroughly nervous and yet so excited. he couldn't believe that his life was changing so much. As soon as we walked through the door, the first thing he said was, "How do I learn to read and write? And what do I have to do?"

I was totally gobsmacked! Here was this guy who had lived on the street for all these years and was so ready to jump into life, boots and all. I was totally gobsmacked!

You know, the Bible does not run away from difficult realities and hardships in people's lives. The Bible recognises that homelessness can be a real problem. In Mark chapter 14 in the Bible, it says, "The poor will always be with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me."  Jesus was always so good with the poor and needy. He helped them constantly. He also knew that he wouldn't be around physically to help them. He was a great example of helping the poor and needy.

Jesus was so radically different from those around Him, especially the pompous leaders at that time. Their constant 'putting people down', their need to excel, and to show others how superior they were. There are so many people today just the same.

God tells us through Jesus' ministry and through His word, the Bible, that we have to be different from the world at large. Showing love, compassion, and kindness, and providing for the homeless and destitute in our society.

Jeanette was a Christian, and she knew she had to help where she could. She remembered what it said in the Bible in Mark chapter 10: "Even our Lord Jesus did not come to be served but to serve."

Jesus Himself took on the role of a servant. He was the most humble of all. He put everyone ahead of himself and virtually asks us to do the same. You know, Jesus calls us to lower ourselves, put others above us, be last.

Jesus was a servant to all. He loves us so much.

Helping others is amazing and astounding. We often can't afford to do what Jeanette did in the story above, but helping others, even in small things, can make a huge difference in people's lives. And God Himself knows how we believe and what we do to help others. 

Are you ready to become a Christian by receiving Jesus as your Savior? All you have to do is believe and ask God to forgive your sins, whatever they may be, and He will. That was God's plan of salvation for all of mankind when He gave His life for us on that cross all those years ago.

We have all sinned so much, and to think God is so ready to forgive us astounds me. Just put your faith and trust in Jesus, and He will save you for eternal life with Him.

God bless you this week. Hope to see you next time.

Scary

The day was going well. As soon as the rain stopped, both her children, Felicity and Troy, asked to go outside. Despite Lucy's concerns, she had put on a bright smile and agreed. After all, they were on holidays and that's what it was all about.

The rain had stopped, and the sun was gradually poking through what remained of the lingering clouds. Their holiday home was right on the beachfront, and no one seemed to be about; they were so happy there. It was completely secluded, and the beachfront was practically on their front doorstep. What a great holiday spot.

"Ok off you both go and stay where I can see you from the window. I won't be long, I will just clean up the breakfast things." 

Off the kids went, armed with buckets, spades, towels, and hats given to them by mum.

Lucy certainly kept an eye on them both, and it wasn't long before she joined them on the beach. She dragged down her beach chair and, armed with her sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, and book, joined them on the beach.

She paddled a bit, laughed with the kids, built a sandcastle with them, then sat down and watched them. She dragged out her book, put on her hat and sunscreen, and smiled a lot.

It was pleasantly warm, and she was slowly lulled into laying her head back and closing her eyes. Listening to the laughter of the children and the chattering of birds in the nearby bushes, she realised this was the most serene she'd felt in a very long time.

When she opened her eyes a little while later, she noted that a little red boat had appeared with a fisherman busily baiting his lines and hurling them out to obviously catch a load, and waiting patiently for the fish to take his bait.

He looked over and saw her, smiled and waved, and she waved back. She took up her book again and attempted to get back into it where she had left off.

Suddenly, she realised that the children weren't there. How long had she dozed off?  She quickly got up and ran down to the shoreline - no sign of them anywhere. She looked around, expecting them to emerge from behind the rocks on the shoreline or the bushes that circled the sandy shore.

When nothing happened, she ran toward the house, calling their names, trying not to sound too frantic, knowing that for Felicity at least, that could cause her some distress. She heard Troy shout. "In the kitchen, Mum." She called back, " Is Felicity with you?" A few seconds later, she saw her precious daughter's head emerge from around the kitchen door.

"Why did you come inside without telling me?" she said, only to be informed by Troy when he said, "Mum, you were asleep, why would we wake you up?"

Oh dear! I can only imagine what Lucy's concerns were. I guess we have all been in similar situations when our kids, or at least one of them, have gone missing for a while. It's really scary.

Last week, we chatted about when Jesus went missing after a long journey to Jerusalem with his parents. Check our last episode to find out more. It's frightening for parents, especially those parents who have been absolutely broken-hearted when one of their children has completely vanished, never to be seen again, or has died tragically. It is really sad and something we never really get over.

The loss of friends, parents, and extended family can be so deeply and even lastingly painful, particularly if these people have played a huge role in influencing our lives

When Troy and Felicity took off from the beach, they really had no intention of waking Mum as she had drifted off to sleep on the beach. I guess it would have been nice to wake her and tell her they were going inside. They were only being thoughtful and nice in not waking Mum, but the consequences were horrific for Lucy. There is very little worse than thinking your kids have vanished and never knowing what could have happened to them.

Lucy was absolutely beside herself when she was with her two once again - she picked up young Felicity and hugged her so much and gave her a real Mum's kiss. "I love you both so much,"  she said, "and I will never let you out of my sight, well, anyway, while we are here."  They all laughed!

The very God who created us actually knows us better than we know ourselves. He understands our pain and is very keen to show His love and to give us His peace.

Losing someone to death or missing is probably the most painful experience we may feel. Jesus himself had family and friends while here on earth, and it was when he lost his very best friend, Lazarus, that he was really brokenhearted. Jesus cried so much when Lazarus died. He was really upset. So he understands entirely where each of us is coming from when we lose someone we hold dearly.

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live even though they may die."  That is pretty amazing, and really, death is not the end for those who believe in Jesus as our saviour. We still experience the loss of our loved ones, and that is totally understandable.

I can really understand where Lucy was coming from. She really feared for her children. She felt so guilty, lying there, fast asleep on the beach, not keeping an eye on her children at all. They could have been washed out to sea, taken by someone, or even drowned. 

I can only imagine what she must have felt like. The very thought of having to live the rest of your life knowing that you were responsible for the loss of your loved ones. It must happen so frequently, too! How very sad, and what a terrible burden to have to live with.

You know, God does not and never will despise or look down on our emotions and feelings that we live with. In Psalm 55:22, it says, "cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you." So let's trust His love and assurance of real comfort. 

It's amazing how good our memories can be, especially when we can remember all the amazing and beautiful things our past loved ones had, which we were blessed to have shared with them.

Does this make it easy to live without them? No. But what a real privilege to come to God in prayer and ask Him to give us comfort and healing. God loves us all so much, and he understands entirely what we are all going through at the moment.

Come to Jesus and put all your burdens on Him. He will give you rest and help you to cope with all sorts of problems and anxieties. They may not disappear, BUT he will certainly help you to cope if we keep our hearts and minds on Him.

God bless you this week. See you next time.

Startling!

For the fifth time that day, Rhona called the school - but of course, no one was there, the sports day was well and truly over.  The teacher who answered her call was so excited, all she could talk about was who won the main spots and what the outcome was going to be as far as the school was concerned.

Rhona couldn't believe it - Sam had vanished, and all the teacher could think about was who had won the sports day, not even a thought of Sam!

Sam had vanished! The teacher continued and told her all about the presentation to the winners - how exciting!

Rhona closed her eyes, breathed in, breathed out, Calm. Breath. She hung up on the teacher. 

Most mornings, Sam liked to walk, and there were also times he wanted to jog, but his commitment to it never lasted long. Where was he?

How could he vanish? Where could he be?

Jesus vanished when he was just twelve years old. They had left their home and, with a pretty much multitude of people, had trudged their way to Jerusalem. It was a special day, apparently, and there would have been lots of friends trudging along with Jesus and his family.

They obviously spent a good deal of time with the crowd and all sorts of people in the Temple praising God and chatting with all and sundry about what following God meant to them.

They spent a few days there, and then Mary, Joseph, and Jesus' brothers and sisters started out to go back home. They obviously trudged along the road with all the other people, and the kids played along with their friends.

At the close of the day, the children came alongside Mum and Dad, obviously looking for something to eat, BUT where was Jesus? The other children were there, but no Jesus!

You can imagine Mary and Joseph! Absolutely distraught! They rushed around among all the other people looking for Jesus. He was nowhere, and no one had actually seen him with the crowd as they made their way home. 

How could he vanish? Where could he be?

Rhona had the same horrible feeling that Mary and Joseph felt all those years ago. The missing child! The horrible thoughts running through your minds! Will we even find him?! Where do we even start to look for him?!

She really had no idea where to look. He was good at school, and he enjoyed school. He had lots of friends, and so Rhona decided to call around, but first she had to phone the police.

Mary and Joseph tried everything to find Jesus. Where to look? Who to ask? All a huge mystery! They had to make their way around Jerusalem as best they could.

They had no one to ask. They were new to the city, and now they were on their own. Searching for a boy of just twelve years old. Completely missing.

Rhona called into the local police station. She, through her tears, tried to explain to the sergeant at the desk that her boy was missing, and what did she have to do?

The sergeant was pretty cool about the whole thing, really.

"Now, Rhona, it's like this - your boy is twelve years old, it's not like he is a little boy, he has probably gone to a mate's place, and they have gone off together somewhere. He will probably come home soon, so really all we have to do today is take a note of what you have told us, and we will keep an eye out for him. If he is still missing in the next couple of days, then we will definitely send out a search party for him."

Rhona was completely mortified by what he just said - He really had no idea what she was going through.

Mary and Joseph were getting nowhere looking for their boy. No one had seen him at all. 

They obviously tried everywhere looking for him. In those days, there was no one really to take a hand in looking for him. Very much like what Rhona was going through. 

Mary and Joseph did not give up; they continued through the night and the next day, then the next day, and then the next day. Obviously, they had left their other children in the safe hands of their friends.

Rhona decided to go home and restart the search for her boy. She was all alone! 

Arriving home, she went to his room and searched through his things - nothing seemed to be missing, except his bike helmet - OF COURSE!! THE BIKE!

She ran out to the garage - the bike was gone! He's gone somewhere on the bike! It must have been in the morning of the school sports day. Why would he do that? Was he going somewhere?

It was getting dark; the day was drawing to a close. Sam would definitely be home now. Something was wrong, really wrong. Where would he go on his bike, and why this morning of all mornings, especially when the sports day was on, his most favourite day!

Joseph and Mary must have wracked their brains trying to consider if Jesus was OK, where would he have gone?

They made their way to the temple - that huge place in the middle of the city - where the leaders of the people of God were!

Rhona took off in her car. She really had no idea where she was going. She came to the busy roundabout. It was quickly getting dark. The roundabout was really busy. Everyone is going home. Lots of headlights all blazing away.

She followed the road towards Hillsend. The traffic was horrendous, with cars speeding to get home, lights blazing in the windows, and horns honking away. She drove on. The road narrowed to one lane, with cars everywhere. 

Bushland and scrub on one side of her, cars zooming up behind her, cars going the opposite direction, lights blazing. Tears streamed down her face; she could hardly see. But what was that?

She just caught a glimpse. She quickly pulled on the brakes, much to the alarm of the car directly behind her, and she got blasted for her trouble. It was something shining in the bushland.

Mary and Joseph were utterly dismayed when they slowly made their way to the huge temple. Lots of worrying went on. As they entered the temple and made their way to the interior, they caught a glimpse of many priests gathered around and listening to someone telling them exactly what was going to happen.

It was Jesus! In the middle of the crowd of priests, explaining to all about the very love of God. He was twelve. His parents were awestruck. They listened and finally took him home after three days of searching! Read about it in Luke 2: 41-52.

What was that? Cars zooming past, honking their horns at her, even people yelling at her for pulling to the side of the road. It didn't faze her one bit! It was his bike!

Down in the gully near where the bike had landed, there was Sam, unseen by passing cars, lying in a gully all crinkled up. 

Rhona took off. Sliding down into the gully to be with Sam. He was alive but completely unconscious. Obviously, he had either been hit by a car or swerved and fallen. She immediately called for help from the ambulance service.

It took no time at all. The police arrived, the ambulance arrived, and they immediately took him to the hospital. He was quickly admitted and sent to the operating theatre, where he lost his spleen but slowly survived. 

As the doctors explained to his mother, it was so fortunate she found him when she did; his life would have definitely been in the balance.

After a few days in the hospital, he couldn't really remember much except that one car just clipped his bike as he was riding. That was all he remembered.  

You know the love Mary and Joseph had for Jesus, and also the love that Rhona had for her boy Sam is amazing, and I guess we can all relate to that so well - the love for our families always intrigues me.

No matter what they do or where they go, usually the love we have for our families never stops; it just keeps on going.

That is beautiful in itself, BUT the love God has for you totally and exceedingly outshines the love we have as humans for our families and for everyone else that comes into our lives.

God's love outshines anything this old world has to offer. His love loved us all so much that He sent His son Jesus to die on that cross to pay for our sins and also for any sins we may commit in the future.

All we have to do is accept what Jesus did for us. He took our sins and killed them on that cross years ago. Jesus rose again after three days. All we have to do is accept what He did, paying for all the sins we have committed, and asking Him to come into our lives and lead us.

God's blessings to you this week - see you next time

Nero

 A.D.38. Thirty-eight years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Rome had pretty much taken over most of the known world at that time. Was it a disaster for many thousands? Certainly was.

Nero was the fifth Emperor of Rome and the last of the Claudian Dynasty. 

He was known for his cruelty, especially watching so many people suffer horribly in the Colosseum, which today is still standing, albeit in ruins, but remarkable anyway, and, of course, he was responsible for the Great Fire of Rome, which killed thousands of people.  He led a very lavish lifestyle, and he was passionate about music and acting. 

He had his mother murdered, and his whole life revolved around cruelty to so many others, extravagance, and tyranny.

He blamed the Great Fire of Rome on the Christians, and he burned so many of them while alive at the stake and crucified many more, including many young children, using a lot of them as human torches while banqueting with his cronies.

He committed suicide in 68 A.D. after the senate declared him a public enemy. Oh, what a life!

During his reign, he indulged himself and many others in the Roman Amphitheatre, where so many Christians were killed, including mothers with children and families of Christians mutilated and tortured to death for the entertainment of many. 

There were also so many Chariots in races around the Amphitheatre in the Colosseum. Not just chariots but all sorts of entertainment. Even filled the place with water and had boat races.  Of course, many were executed horribly, and he continued to classify it all as entertainment. 

Sulinus was a prisoner of war captured and taken from the Celtic tribes of Britannica when Rome invaded the island of Britain years before, and now he was trained to entertain in the Amphitheatre. The life that he knew and loved was taken from him, and he always longed for England.

Sulinus clasped his hand around the shaft of his spear and tapped the charioteer on the shoulder, giving the signal for the man to set off. He jerked the reins, and the chariot creaked and groaned as the horses broke into a gallop.

The crowd shouted encouragement with lots of whooping and screaming as the horses increased their speed to a thunderous gallop. their hoofs churning up clods of earth. He braced himself and twisted his torso in the chariot as the driver encouraged the horses to go faster and faster.

He launched his spear in a pretty graceful motion at the condemned human target, striking the man at chest-height, drawing more and more whoops from the crowd as the man screamed in agony.

How horrible and disastrous was that time in history? So many people were mutilated, tortured, and killed in the arena of the Roman Amphitheatre, which is still around today, albeit in ruins, but still there.

Nero, unfortunately, goes down in history as probably one of the most torturous and disastrous leaders in history. He ended up committing suicide because he sort of knew that he would be done away with.

Nero's mother was Agrippina the Younger, and was one of the most prominent women at the time. She was the Roman Empress from AD 49 to AD 54 and the fourth wife of Claudius. She was pretty well-known.

Her first husband was Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, who would later become Nero's father. It all points to the fact that she poisoned her second husband, Passienus Crispus, in 49. She ended up marrying her uncle Claudius that same year that Crispus was poisoned.

Claudius, her husband and uncle, was persuaded to adopt Nero as heir to the throne in place of his own son.

Nero killed Agrippina, his mother, in 59 AD, all because she was constantly a very powerful influence in his rule, and he didn't like that.  He tried, apparently, to do away with his Mum several times. She was on her way to a party, apparently, and he sent off a boat that was designed to sink her boat so she would drown. But she swam ashore; she was only 43 years old.

In absolute desperation, Nero sent off a soldier to kill her, which he did. Poor Agrippina! She had certainly led a very different lifestyle, considering her young age at the time of her death.

Jesus himself was tortured and killed 40-odd years before all this cruelty was still taking place. Many people were captured from Jerusalem and taken to Rome as slaves, and many were killed if they became Christians - so what is a Christian? 

All the followers of Jesus Christ were first called "Christians" because of their behaviour and their love of Jesus. Apparently, the word "Christian" means becoming a follower of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, being a member of a church, attending services regularly, and giving to the work of the church do not make you a Christian. And doing lots of good works, where it seems wonderful, and it truly is, doesn't make you a Christian either.

So being a 'good' person is great, but it doesn't make you a Christian. Doing all sorts of good things doesn't make us Christians. In the Bible, in Titus 3 and verse 5, it says, " He has saved us, not because of the righteous or good things we do or have done, but because of His mercy and the rebirth through the Holy Spirit." 

So being 'born-again' simply means putting faith and trust in Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2, the Bible tells us, "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is a gift of God."

Jesus died pretty horribly on that cross as a payment for sins, which is truly a remarkable thing and so beautiful, really. He died to pay for our sins so that all we have to do is accept him and put our faith and trust in Jesus. That is all - amazing really.

Are you ready to do this? Hope to see you next week. 

Which Way?

Gabrielle's home was across the street and down half a block from the federal courthouse. On her way there, she called in to see Scott, her solicitor, who was going to represent her this morning.

Here she was all ready to go to court, only to find out that the proceedings had been put off until the next court appearance, which was due sometime in the future. How frustrating!

Poor Gabrielle had been accused of harassing and being a Miss Nosy Neighbour to a guy who had lived next door to her and her family for many years. Gabrielle couldn't understand what had truly happened.

She had been a neighbour of Herbert's for as long as she could remember. She had lived in that home with her parents since birth, and she and her siblings had thoroughly enjoyed their time there together.

She and her brothers and sisters had grown up, gone to school, achieved and earned part-time jobs, finished their education, some attending university, all achieving what they desired in life, and all gone on their way, except Gabe, who had still lived in the same home with their parents.

Working so well at Uni, she achieved high qualifications in Investment Banking and Financial Management. Achieving a great job in banking, she became hugely successful and worked pretty hard to achieve what she really liked out of life. 

So something like this with a neighbour, completely out of the blue, really knocked her around. Herbert accused her of all sorts of things, amazing things like peering over the fence and trying to break into his home, stealing washing off the line, and scaring his dog.

She was amazed, hurt, and bewildered. He had called the police and taken legal action, and now the court proceedings had begun and were supposed to begin. What was she going to do?

In Psalm 35:20, the Bible says that often there are false accusations against those who are usually quiet in the land, and they devise words of deceit. This can be a pretty true description of what happens in our world today. Lies are told of innocent people just to stir up trouble.

Jesus Himself said in Matthew 5, "Blessed are you when people falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven." That is so straightforward.

Making false accusations will become accountable to whoever says it when it comes under God's final judgment, as mentioned in Psalm 5. Pretty scary if you ask me! No matter what other people may say about us, which so often is all lies, we can really rely on His word that is the Bible.

Jesus Himself had to face extreme false accusations from the top brass of the Pharisees and their followers in those days. No one was ever brave enough to stand up against them. Jesus told them the truth, which went over like a bomb.

Well, here we are: Gabrielle went to court after it was reassigned to another date, and she and her neighbour were present. Herbert, with his solicitor, and she with Scott, her own solicitor, all very professional.

Both sides put their arguments to the judge, who could see pretty much straight away what Herbert's solicitors' main points were in the session, and after all the arguments were put to her, the judge left the courtroom and adjourned the hearing for another week.

What a week it was for poor Gabrielle. She cried a lot (not that it helped much) and really threw herself into her work mode.

Nervous Gabrielle and her solicitor's team headed for the court and had to wait well over two hours while Herbert and his team sat nearby. Gabby tried smiling at Herbert, only to be ignored, which really upset Gabby, knowing how much she had been such a friend with Herbert from such an early age.

The court resumed, and lots were said for and against poor Gabby. The final judgement came down.

Herbert was found to be lying about Gabby, much to his solicitor's disgust and shock. He was told he had to meet the court costs and to make some arrangements with his solicitor to stay well away from Gabrielle and her home.

The relief on Gabby's face was incredible. Her parents, brothers, and sisters threw their arms around her and shook hands with her solicitor. All was over, or was it?

She had decided to move out of her home. Two of her sisters agreed it was for the best, and between them all, they had already found a unit at least thirty minutes away from where she used to live with her parents, who, by the way, had also decided to move. 

Isn't it amazing how our lives can be altered depending on the circumstances under which we find ourselves? 

Jesus found His life well and truly under the death penalty, and for what? All because He told us the truth that whoever believes and accepts Him as Lord of their life will be saved from the judgment of God.

Nothing really has changed. We are all in that situation. If we completely IGNORE what God says that we have to come to Him and ask Him to take over our lives and for us to live for Him, then we are all destined for hell, which is just as real as heaven. 

Why don't you come to Jesus right now? Ask Him to take charge of your life and to lead you in the way that He wants you to go. Does that mean that your life will always be rosy and lovely? Absolutely not, unfortunately. But it does mean eternity with God, which is absolute and so rewarding, no matter what this life throws at you and me.

God bless you this week, hope to see you next time.