Gone In an Instant
“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:15)
Our pastor stated recently, and correctly so, that while walking through a cemetery you will find tombstones of men, women, and children of all ages; infants, preteens, teens, young adults and the aged – there is not an age group which is not represented in a graveyard – and no single one chose the day they would die.
In the summer of 1971, two twin brothers with whom I was attending elementary school were mowing lawns for neighbors. Not long into their efforts one of the brothers collapsed to the ground while pushing a mower; doctors said he was likely dead before he hit the ground. That young child, who most probably by the time of his death was at the age of accountability, will either be in that place of torments Jesus calls Hell, or is forever resting in the presence of his Lord – I choose in his case to believe the latter.
On 17 May, 1987, a friend of mine, and of others with whom I am friends on Facebook, was killed instantly when two Exocet missiles slammed into the port side of the U.S.S. Stark. Stephen Kiser and thirty-six other men died in that attack, most of them instantly with others dying very shortly afterwards. Stephen was the Senior Chief of the Command and looking forward to his quickly approaching retirement; he was also a born-again believer, and if I recall correctly, often led Bible studies for the crewmen of the Stark. Stephen closed his eye in death that night of the attack and immediately awoke in the presence of the Lord; but what of the other thirty-six, all very young men? It is certain that among those thirty-six men some died as unbelievers and in all probability they, like the rich man in Luke 16, were buried and are in Hell today – it is heartbreaking, but true.
It does not matter who you are, how old you are, what your ethnicity is, nor does it matter your social status in life – death can take you suddenly, unexpectedly. God’s word says to “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1) We just do not know what will happen from one minute to the next, much less one day to another. Many millions of people have been hurled into eternity having no warning that death was at hand; a great many of them were taken so suddenly that they did not even have time to discern they were dying.
In God’s word no one spoke more of Hell than did Jesus. In Matthew 13, Jesus said of the unsaved, “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (vss. 49, 5 In Matthew 25:41 he warns, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into EVERLASTING FIRE, prepared for the devil and his angels”; and again “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
Revelation 20:11-15 speaks of a terrible day of judgement, an event to which ALL the unsaved will be summoned; there will be no avoiding the gathering that day, there will be no escape for those who have lived their lives in open rebellion against God. On that dreadful day the book of life will be opened, and we are warned, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the LAKE OF FIRE.” (vs. 15)
John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Friend, please understand that because of your sin debt, you are on your way to an eternity in the flames of Hell; but God, in a profound exhibition of great love and grace sent His only begotten Son to bare your sins to the cross paying your debt for you; and believe too that Jesus rose from the grave three days later and sealed that deal. If you will believe this and then with a broken and contrite heart call on Jesus to save you, he will do so – you will be delivered from the eternal flames of Hell. Do not put Jesus on the back burner; do not wait until your time is up.
In Memory of Stephen Greg Kiser, SCPO (1951-1987)
