Is Hell In Your Life?

Ever since the establishment of the Christian church, which was in 33AD, it's been preached that, you should be good so that you don't go to "Hell". In the midst of all that, it's been said that "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die". Although this quote is intended to be humorous, it has some truth to it and by the time we reach the end of this post, you will understand more. Now let's get back to "hell", because that's why we're here and I mean that literally as well. After the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, God sent them forth to till the ground from which they were taken. They no longer had the privilege of living off the garden that was full of every type of tree with good food for them to enjoy, and never to be in lack. The bible doesn't say how the generated their food, but it says that they had to till the ground, which means work and hard labor. It is possible that there were trees that held food there but was covered, surrounded by trees and bushes hidden in the midst. Nevertheless, it was no Paradise.

You can imagine how they must have felt after being blessed with such treasures of comfort and lifestyle and then to have it all taken away, but it was their bad choices that cost them, their heaven on earth. The minute that God sent them away from the Garden of Eden was the moment that they also embraced Hell. Hell is the absence of God, loss of fellowship, unity, peace and harmony, declining into a state of void, emptiness and darkness. Hell is the state and condition of your mind, based upon how you see your environment that surrounds you. The hell that surrounds you is mostly due to your choices or a lack of making choices when you should.  Even if you are there due to the decisions of others, regardless, you are there now and getting out is your primary goal and purpose. Hell is those unexpected situations that come out of nowhere and turn your world upside down. Your mental outlook regarding your situation will determine the depth or degree of hell in which you dwell in. Ever since the fall, man has tried to rebuild Paradise but has only been building hell on top of hell because they tried to build it without God. You cannot build a successful kingdom without God, and this is what has been the downfall of the human race.

So, I'm here to tell you, that in spite of what has been said about going to Hell, you will not be going to Hell! At least, not in the way that you have been taught by the church, a place with burning fire for sinners in the afterlife. Thats a whole different matter, the lake of fire was prepared for the Devil and his angels and at the day of Judgement the beast and the false prophets will be cast there also. What they fail to tell you is, Hell is on Earth, right in the midst of us and always have been! We wake up to Hell every day, whether we realize it or not. The objective is to avoid Hell at all costs, but this can sometimes be a difficult task to achieve. If necessary, Hell will find you and it always catches you off guard and especially with living in a System that doesn't honor God. That's doom no matter how you look at things, and no good can ever manifest from a Godless people. Everything becomes a moot point, and life becomes an illusion of success and prosperity. Living life without God is like trying to see without eyes, breath without nostrils, hear without ears, and eat without your mouth. Impossible....likewise!

,

Let me tell you of a story of a man, who I will refer to as Martin. It's Monday morning and Martin is headed to work after hanging out all night with the guys and side chicks. He enters the building with his on top of the world attitude as usual and before he can sit down at his desk, the boss calls him into his office. He tells him that he's going to have to let him go due to some vital mistakes that's causing the company money. Martin has been employed there for over 20 years, so he's not taking this news well. They argue the point back and forth for about an hour then finally he accepts the termination and proceeds home. He exits the building to go get into his car, when he gets outside, he begins looking around, puzzled and mumbling, saying, "Now, I know I parked rightttt here!" Looking all around, totally confused and then he looks up at the bridge across the way and sees his car being towed away, with the driver waving and smiling! So, he calls for an Uber and because it's the holidays, the wait is soooo long. He's anxious, pacing frantically, trying to come up with an excuse for not only losing his job but also his car. Finally, he makes it to his neighborhood and as he approaches his street, he sees lots of furniture outside, thinking to himself,

"Someone must be having a yard sale", as he gets closer to the house, he sees a recliner and he says" Thattt loookkk justtt likeeee myyy chairrr!" then realizes it's his furniture. He yells at the driver, heyyyy let me out here! Then he walks the rest of the way trembling, knees knocking, because now he gotta face wifey and explain to her how in the H*ll you lost y'all home. Fortunately for you, she so made, she ain't got nothing to say to you! She takes lil Annnie and lil Andy and jumps in the car and speeds away.

If you haven't realized it yet, Hell is saying "Hellooooo, I've been waiting on you, following you for some time and now we finally meet". Karma told me that you needed a wakeup call and now I'm here. "I've been waiting on the right moment to reveal myself" says Hell. You sit down on the curb next to all your belongings, deep in thought, trying to figure out how you got there. What happened? What do I do now? Ok, so now you are thinking with the right head, hmmmm, Real talk! For the past ten years, you've been living like a single man, proclaiming yourself as God's gift to women, taking so called business trips, wasting money entertaining other women, gambling, neglecting your financial obligations, just living reckless and now your world has crumbled. Your family trusted and depended upon you; your wife had no reason to suspect that the world that had become her safe haven have now crumbled. So, now what? Has he lost it all, is it too late or can he rebuild his life? It will be up to him and getting him to change his ways certainly won't be a problem now. He's woke now, he's seeing his real world and how it's all been destroyed in one day. Hell has accomplished her mission; she has caused you to examine your ways, but she's not going anywhere no time soon.

If Hell has stepped into your world, there is a reason why, either you have opened the door and invited her in, or you're connected to someone who has, or Satan has received permission from God to afflict you. Hell, the circumstances that engulfs and consumes us, leaving us feeling trapped, with no way of escape in route. This entrapment effects our mind, body, heart and soul, creating barriers that prevents us from moving forward. How you respond to hell will determine how long you remain there and if you decline into a deeper hellish state, and that is what you don't want. You want to rise up from that low place, so feeling sorry for yourself and playing victim won't help either. To exit the clutch of hell's grip requires planning, actions, determination, patience and perhaps guidance or help from others. Sometimes, you're in there all by yourself, then what? If this is you then you're not alone, God has planted you there for a reason and a purpose, that you may not understand yet, but you will. The Lord says, "I will restore unto you the years that the locust has eaten, the cankerworm, the caterpillar and the palmerworm. It was "I" who sent this great destroying army against you". (Joel 2:25) If God causes you to face and endure severe hardship, know that it is for a great purpose, so trust totally in the Lord alone and you will be fine. On the opposite side of that coin, if you find yourself going through hell, alone, due to your bad choices, then you have placed yourself there and not God. Regardless of how and why, you're there and the goal is to get out, to transition to higher grounds, to rebirth, so you may obtain your Heaven on Earth.

The Hell, that our life becomes reduced to is there to teach us lessons, to help us to grow and develop into that image of God. Wasn't that the plan from the beginning? Let us make man in our image and after our likeness. Hell serves as a vehicle (God's Grace) to transport us to our Heavenly state, right here on earth. Living in our Heaven on Earth state is what we desire, that is why we try so hard to achieve that good life. However, our appetite for success should exceed that of this material world. We cannot neglect to fulfill the requirements to grow spiritually, which benefits the inner man, the soul and ultimately the whole body. There has to be balance otherwise you will tilt the boat of life over and you will have to rebuild if you can. We don't always get a second chance to make up for our bad choices, so why not make it count? "If a man father a hundred children and live many years and become old in age, yet his soul is not filled with good, a miscarriage is better than the life he has acquired, so it is better if he had never been born." (Ecclesiastes 6:3) This scripture speaks huge volume and doesn't need any further explanation.

Sometimes, we start out with good intentions but then the more material things we acquire the further we move from God. This World's System has made it very easy to do just such, by offering you deception wrapped up in a package tied with a pretty red bow. Being presented with such great opportunities, why would you need God, so you think? However, God is very clever and creative in convincing you to change that foolish way of thinking, to pull you out of the grips of the enemy. That strong, skillful persuasion that caused you to turn a blind eye and a death ear, unobservable of the trickery right before your very eyes. The only way out of their net is to acknowledge and admit that you have been deceived, ask for forgiveness and move forward. As long as you are coming from a sincere place of the heart, God will have mercy. That doesn't mean you are alleviated from the consequences of your actions, but He will help you to bear it, that's the mercy.

Your Hell will be the environment you create depending on the path you travel, your deeds and actions, which will lead you either to lower levels of hell or elevate towards Heaven. Hell has different levels and is different for each of us uniquely for everyone; there is mild, medium, hot, extra hot, etc. The more you decline, the hotter your hell becomes. The level of your hell will depend upon if you are taking heed to the lessons that hell is presenting to you. Therefore, if you reject the lessons, hell is working behind the scenes, burning down everything, you think you're building, little by little. Hell will give you a scare, to see if you will get the message to mend your ways, then another, another and another. This is the Grace of God, still there because he loves us so much. When you insist on going contrary to the guidance, you eventually miss the boat and all Hell breaks loose. The problem is, we are not able to see the big picture of life because we are so busy living for today and acquiring as much wealth as we can.

The reason why God will allow you to attain an abundance of worldly treasures, then turn around and watch you to lose it all is because you are trying to build your world without him. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". (Matthew 6:21)

The big picture regarding why Hell visits us is, it is God's way of attempting to reach you, that he may cause a shift in your heart. Otherwise, you will not be spared in the "Day of Vengeance" when His wrath is poured out upon the land. This is His expression of how much He loves us and wishes that none should perish. So, in essence, He's trying to help you and spare you from destruction. "For whom the Lord loves, he chastises and disciplines. (Hebrew 12:6) Unfortunately we have reached the end times, and many did not prepare, mislead by the Wolves in sheep's clothing. God knows those that are His and will be spared during the Tribulation period. God will have mercy on whom he pleases to. For he said unto Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So, then it does not depend upon your will and efforts, but of God alone that shows mercy". (Romans 9:15-16)

Once we have the understanding that God is not out to get us or punish us because we stray away but instead is throwing out a lifeline to pull you back to him. The minute you reach out, take hold and never let go is when your life will begin to move in the direction that will place your feet on a solid foundation. Although, having the experience of hell under your black belt can yield beneficial lessons, it's not a place you want to make home. So, you want to maneuver through this process as quickly as you can. Your attitude plays a major role in how you rise from Hell's grip. It will get worse before it gets better, but you can't give up. You will even beg and plead for God to remove your burdens, and he can, but he won't, because you need to learn the lessons and apply them for growth. If you become angry, bitter and blame everyone for your mishaps, instead of taking responsibility and being accountable for your actions, then hell will be your home. If you have not done anything to cause you to be in state of hardship, then just hang in there. Regardless, it's essential to maintain a positive mindset which will keep you mentally strong. You cannot allow your situation to consume you, but see it as an opportunity to move you forward and just a temporary setback. Stay hopeful, be kind to others, develop a heart of love and compassion to all people and allow God to shape your character. Be genuine in all your dealings and cause no harm to anyone, honor and respect God, trust His guidance, commit to walking in his ways and he will reward you for your faithfulness. Little by little God will elevate you, plant your feet on higher ground and bring you out with lessons that will guide you as you move forward on your journey. This doesn't mean that there won't be challenging times but if you remain steadfast, trusting that this too shall pass, you will keep on thriving. Before you know it, that difficult phase in your life will be just a memory of the past.

I speak to you not as a dictator, a know it all or a holier than thou, but as a witness of God's Grace and Power. I lived the life, I did it my way, I made poor choices, over and over and over, dancing with the devil on his turf, not realizing that he had a price for my head, because unknowingly I was a threat to the demise of his kingdom. In spite of my lifestyle, I've always possessed a heart of love and a love for God. Therefore, there was always a tugging within my heart, one that caused me to deny my ways and surrender to God's guidance completely. I was very clear of the person whom I wanted to become, but I didn't see it as an urgency to do so, so I was taking my sweet time. Thank God that his thoughts are far from ours, because I was clueless to the magnitude of the need for my transformation. When there is a Divine purpose for your life, God will make the necessary interventions to get you on the right path and especially if you are striving after his ways. So, God will step in and help you make it to your destination and on time. When God steps in, it won't be an easy ride, and you have to be determined and strong to survive.

Therefore, when I speak, I speak from experience of which was no walk in the park. I never knew that I could descend to a place so dark, cold and dreadful, alone, without a soul in sight, not even my own, to be stripped of everything and broken to pieces. Hell was all around me, circling day and night surrounding me like a blanket, but I found no comfort. I didn't quit, never thought about it either, it just wasn't an option. Then one day, I was feeling so heavy, completely entrapped, my conscience began to sink in a very dark empty void, as I cried in agony. It felt like my conscience was falling deeper and deeper, and feeling lifeless, I surrendered lying in a deep space of nothingness and it was very dark, dwelling there for some time. Then there was a total void, like everything cease to exist, which last for approximately 30 seconds. Then I felt my conscience begin to rise up, the heaviness lifted and the space became lighter. Immediately afterwards, I was stronger than before this episode began. I felt myself transition from death to life, the rebirthing of my Soul. I knew then that I had completed my journey through Hell!

My Hell experience became my life saver. It served as a death to everything that I thought I was and everything I thought I knew, breaking forth, seeing the world with a new set of eyes and beholding all the illusions it presented. Most of all, I clearly understood my assignment, life purpose and why it was necessary for the affliction I had to endure. For a moment, Hell was my home, and I didn't know how to escape, but I knew that God was with me through it all, so I trusted him to lead me and here I AM! After which I received the "KEYS" of the Kingdom of Heaven, the keys to Hell and Death, according to Matthew 16:19 and Revelation 1:18. Period! To God be the Glory!

Now, let's get back to Martin!

Martin lost his job, car, home and family in one day. He was in total disbelief and shock about what had just happened to him. Suddenly the world around him had become very real and it was no laughing matter! For the first time and in a long time, he is doing a self-evaluation of the man he had become. He reached out to his wife to apologize to her, but she is still angry and won't talk to him. So, he decides to give her some space and time to calm down. He realizes that his reckless lifestyle has created difficulties for her. His wife, who I will refer to as Lisa, did not work and she depended solely upon him for everything. That was the way he wanted it; with a six-figure income, why should my wife have to work, he would often say unto her. After they lost the house, Lisa and the kids moved in with her mother. She is now seeking employment, trying to rebuild her life.

A month has passed, she is now working and is not angry at Martin anymore. They communicate on a regular basis but, unfortunately, He hasn't been able to find work and is homeless. He told her that he was staying with one of his friends because he was too embarrassed to tell her the truth. In fact, he found out that the friends he thought he had, turned out not to be friends after all. At his lowest point they all turned their back on him and none of them would allow him to stay at their house. They all had excuses and seemed to not even care about his sudden misfortunes. With nowhere to go, he found himself sleeping on the streets, a cozy spot under the bridge hidden away from the view of traffic. He purchased some blankets from the thrift store not far from where he way camping. In spite of his situation, he was grateful that it was summertime, although the nights were a little chilly. Each day he would walk several blocks to this restaurant, to freshen up and then sit down and eat. Most of the time he would buy food for later, so he didn't have to make that trip twice in a day. This was his daily routine, while also stopping at different business seeking work.

Three more months has passed, and Martin has had a lot of time to think, feeling hopeless, still no job and his money is getting very low. He has less than $50 left and desperately needs to figure out his next move. Martin usually goes for a walk after the sun goes down but had been feeling depressed lately, so it's about a week now of just sitting under the bridge. The next day he goes for his walk and as he approaches the hotel a few blocks away, the marquee reads, "Maintenace Worker needed, apply at the front desk." For the first time, since he lost his job, he felt a glimmer of hope! He goes to the front desk and inquires about the job. A middle-aged man comes to speak with him, Mr. Brown is his name. He explains to him the expected duties to be performed and the pay rate and offers him the job, but with one condition. Mr. Brown says, the condition is, you must be available around the clock even on off days in case of emergency and you must live on the premises. Martin was so excited, he yelled I'll take it! Then asked, when can I start? He answered that he would start tomorrow but could move into living quarters immediately if he wanted to. Martin just laughed to himself, thinking this is best news I've heard in a long time, the room is just what he needed. It wasn't his $300,000.00 house but neither was it the spot under the bridge, which had become his home.

Martin begins his new job and is enjoying the comfort of the nice studio style room. He's been there for six months and have saved all his earnings. He lives and eat free, making it possible for him to do so and is feeling blessed and is so grateful! He and Lisa have moved passed their difficulties and are planning to buy another house one day. Although, the past ten months have been filled with complications of getting accustomed to a lifestyle of lack, their relationship is stronger than ever. They both have learned valuable lessons about life, overcoming challenges, disappointments, forgiveness and love. They spend time together, doing the little things that brought them together in the first place. Thirteen years later and they realize that their love is far from superficial but solid. In the next six months they will be celebrating their fourteenth Anniversary. Martin has decided that a new home would be the perfect gift to give his wife to celebrate their anniversary and their life together. He has almost $15,000 saved up, but she doesn't know because he wants to surprise her when the time is right.

Another four months has passed, and Martin has been diligently searching for the perfect home for them to start their life over again. They have moved past the loss of their former home, and she doesn't hold it against him anymore. The many times that she has mentioned how much she misses her homes, has not gone unnoticed. His so-called friend made sure that he informed him when someone else bought it, two months after they had moved out. A month later, Martin is searching the internet looking at some houses and he sees their previous home listed for sale. He can't believe his eyes, he wondering how can that be? He calls the Agent listed and sure enough their home is for sale. The Agent explains to him that the family that lived there, had a home willed to the wife by her late father, who had recently passed away. The couple has already moved but is still paying the mortgage until it sells. He explains his situation and how he was the former owner, but lost his job. After meeting with the Agent and the Mortgage Banker all goes well and they set up a closing date, just two weeks prior to their anniversary. He leaves the meeting with so much excitement and he has more than enough for a down payment, he has saved almost $30,000. The whole ordeal feels like a dream, he can't believe how things are coming together.

Another month passes, then reality hits him, he had forgotten about the job condition of living on the premises, with less than two weeks left till closing on the house. While he was deep in thought about how to proceed with the situation. He receives a call from his former boss, in which he offered him is job back. His boss told him it was another employee that had cost the loss to company. He was transferring funds to a personal account by using his sign in information access the database. He was caught red handed trying steal money using another's coworker's password. After looking into the matter further, they learned that he was also responsible for the shortages found on Martin's computer. He offered him his job along with back pay of all loss incurred for the time off. He tells him to report to work as soon as he could, after he explains that he would like to give a proper notice at his current employment. After another week goes by Martin reluctantly goes to Mr. Brown to explain to him that he will be leaving. Mr. Brown had been so kind to him, he gave him a job and shelter, he helped him turn his life around, he helped him in so many ways, both naturally and spiritually. He had found gratitude, thankfulness and appreciation in the most unexpected ways. His outlook on life had changed tremendously and the things that really mattered most to him, which was his family. He vowed to himself never to let them down again and he learned the value of having a wife that stood with him for better and for worse.

Martin talked to Mr. Brown about how he had been offered his old job, with the back pay and the closing on their former home. He thanked him for everything and expressed his gratitude for their paths crossing. As he proceeded to talk to Mr. Brown, a young man came in inquiring about work. Mr. Brown said, young man you're right on time. He explained to him the job description, the pay rate and the one condition required. The young man, who is named Charles, replied saying, I have a wife and a little boy. We currently live with her sister, and I don't think I should take job that will separate us. Mr. Brown said, well bring them along, there's plenty of room for your family. Charles was so excited and was told that he could start in one week at which time Martin was also leaving.

A week later, Martin has just left closing with the keys to their once again home. There are three days remaining leading up to their Anniversary Day, in which he has planned a special outing with Lisa, at least that's what he told her. He hires movers to transport their furniture from storage and set the house up the way it was before she left. He orders Roses in every color and fills the living room, which now looks like a botanical garden. He has a banner placed on the front of the house, that reads, "Welcome Home Lisa, The Love of My Life, I love you, Martin!" The past two days Martin has been working hard making everything perfect for Lisa's arrival. It's the day of their anniversary, Martin calls her and says put on her finest gown and I will be picking you up at 6:00 PM, she giggles as she hangs up the phone, being very excited. Martin has prepared a very exquisite day with a five-course meal, champagne, soft music, candle lights and the fireplace burning bright. He is so excited and can't wait to see the expression on her face. He begins to reflect on all that has transpired and concludes that good can come out of a bad situation, when you are willing to change.

Martin arrives at his mother-in-law's home on time, in his new ride, sharply dressed. She opens the door, and he says, WOW! you look beautiful. Lisa responds, you're looking mighty fine yourself and they both laughs. Then he lands a big kiss on her lips! They linger at the house with the kids then leave around 6:30, as she exits the house, she says to her mother, "Don't wait up!" smiling as she closes the door. As they are riding and talking, he tells her that he needs to stop by their old house because he learned that some very important papers had been mailed to the old address. She said that's fine, hiding the fact that it saddens her, being reminded of losing their home. She doesn't have a clue that she is about to be knocked off her feet! As Martin is driving towards the house, she sees the banner but can't quite make out the words. He pulls into the driveway, she begins to read the sign, then she screams so loud, with tears running down her face. He smiles, teary eyes and dangles the keys in front of her. She grabs the keys, kisses him and jumps out the car, running to open the door. He yells..... slow down before you fall! She opens the door, "Happy Anniversary" by Ray, Goodman & Brown is playing on repeat, as she continues to scream. Martin smiles as he walks towards the porch feeling all good inside, seeing her with so much excitement. She meets him as he enters the door and kisses him all over his face. After the shock had settled, she done cried off most of her makeup and he has lipstick kisses all over his face. Afterwards, they freshen up and have a wonderful evening and a very good night!

Mr. Brown's Story,

Mr. Brown began working at the hotel in his early 20's as a Maintenace worker, he was referred to as Larry, being a young man at the time. Just like Martin, he was homeless, staying anywhere that he could. The one condition required of living on the premises provided Larry the shelter he needed and free meals. Those living arrangements gave him a sure foundation to secure a solid future. During his time as a young man, there was Mr. Jones who helped and coached him into becoming the man he is today. After ten years, Mr. Jones retired, and Larry became the Head man in charge and was no longer required to live on the property unless he wanted to. Mr. Jones also told him that the requirement to live on the premises was not actual a requirement but an opportunity. Larry was confused at first, but he explained to him the method behind his actions. He stated to him that it was an opportunity to prepare him for the future and a chance to mentor and guide him with his acquired wisdom. Mr. Jones had the ability to see when a young man had the potential to be great, but just needed help in getting there. Therefore, he made living on the premises a requirement that he may take them under his wings and guide them, while also saving for the future. When Mr. Jones spoke these words to Larry, he was in awe and so very grateful and thought to himself, what a brilliant idea. Larry lived at the property for an additional five years after Mr. Jones retired. He got married and bought his own home and with a $20,000 down payment, all thanks to the one requirement clause. Thirty years later, and the now Mr. Larry Brown has carried on the tradition of Mr. Jones in which Martin was fortunate enough to be a part of this noble gesture of kindness. Mr. Brown will be retiring soon, but not until he has helped the young man, Charles that he recently hired.

"If You're Going Through Hell"

By Rodney Atkins

Well you know those times when you feel like

There's a sign there on your back

That says I don't mind if you kick me, seems like everybody has

Things go from bad to worse

You think it can't get worse than that

And then they do

You step off the straight and narrow

And you don't know where you are

Used the needle of your compass, to sew up your broken heart

Ask directions from a genie in a bottle of Jim Beam

And she lies to you

That's when you learn the truth

If you're going through hell keep on going

Don't slow down if you're scared don't show it

You might get out before the devil even knows you're there

I've been deep down in that darkness

I've been down to my last match

Felt a hundred different demons breathing fire down my back

And I knew that if I stumbled I'd fall right into the trap

That they were laying

But the good news is there's angels everywhere out on the street

Holding out a hand to pull you back up on your feet

The ones that you've been dragging for so long

You're on your knees. You might as well be praying

Guess what I'm saying

If you're going through hell keep on going

Don't slow down if you're scared don't show it

You might get out before the devil even knows you're there

Yeah if you're going through hell keep on moving

Face that fire walk right through it

You might get out before the devil even knows you're there

If you're going through hell keep on going

Don't slow down if you're scared don't show it

You might get out before the devil even knows you're there

Yeah if you're going through hell keep on moving

Face that fire walk right through it

You might get out before the devil even knows you're there

You might get out before the devil even knows you're there