But notice the first words of one of the verses from the Bible we just read: "Do not be deceived..." Why do you suppose God put those words there? Because He is warning us! He knows we can be deceived! He knows Satan is at work to DECEIVE us! God says the choices we make in life today will have consequences. Those choices we make today will determine the quality of our life, eternally. Satan says, "No, it's not true. You've got to grab what you can while you've still got time to enjoy it! How do you even know for sure there's even such a thing as eternity? Who can prove to you there is ANYthing after death? So, go on! Get it all, while you can! Nothing's going to happen, cause you're smart! You won't get caught! That's just those other dummies that get caught!"

The question is simple: do you want to be with God, or not? Many people will answer me very frankly at this point in the discussion. "Hey! No biggee! I've gone this far without God, and I can handle things myself, thank you very much! I can just be me. I can't see that it makes a whole lot of difference whether I'm with God, or not. So, wha'do I need God for?"

Well, here's the difference. If you're with God - if you decide to do things God's way and choose to follow His direction and guidance while you're here on this earth - then you're also with God in heaven when you die. If not, you're in hell, separated from God when you die because you chose to live your life here on earth separated from Him. You chose, so God just gives you what you wanted - only for eternity. Sorry, no other alternatives. Heaven if you choose to love God and do things the way He has prescribed them, or hell if you choose to do it your own way and ignore God's prescription.

"So, what's so bad about hell?" they ask next. "I've known plenty of hell right here in this life. Can't be much worse than what I live through right now!" I know. I've lived through some pretty hellish things, too. That's why I'm convinced if Jesus Himself hadn't told us what hell is really like, we wouldn't believe it. The descriptions I read in the Bible are so terrible, especially when I remind myself the conditions of hell are going to last FOREVER!

Those who ignore God choose to be surrounded in hell by thick, outer darkness blacker than the darkest spot deep in a cave with not the slightest glimmer of light, EVER! Flames lick at their bodies, burning and never put out, burning and NEVER any relief. Worms eat at their flesh, eating but never satisfied, flesh eaten but NEVER fully consumed. Screaming voices of pain and suffering fill the air around them with weeping and gnashing and grinding of teeth, FOREVER! (Matthew 8:12, 9:48, 13:42) There's never a moment when it lets up. NEVER! There can be no change. It is ordained, for you have chosen this by choosing to do things your way, without God.

Do you need some help, trying to grasp how terrible these descriptions really are? Let's use some experiences many of us have already lived through. Hell is described as black darkness. How black? How dark? Have you ever taken one of those cave tours, and the guide waits until you're all the way down in the center of the cave and then turns the lights off to let you see how dark it is deep inside the cave? Did you feel like screaming, "Turn the lights back on!"? Hell will be darker than that, and no one will ever turn on the lights.