Fire Escape
In the early morning hour on April 5, 2019, my niece and her family in Cleveland, Tennessee, escaped a raging house fire with nothing but their lives. I can’t imagine the sheer terror they experienced upon waking to consuming flames encircling them.
My mind continues to play a movie reel of their frantic screams and desperation to get everyone safely out of the house before it was too late. Their home is a total loss, along with three vehicles and three fur-babies.
Thankfulness
I’ve had lots of varied thoughts swirling in my mind since learning of their tragedy. First and foremost, is thankfulness to God for sparing their lives. Material things can be replaced, but our loved ones cannot.
Temporary
Secondly, this fire serves as a reminder that our lives on earth, and all we work for and possess, are just temporary and fleeting. Here today, gone tomorrow. I have asked myself what I’m clinging to on this earth that would devastate me if I were to lose it. Are my heart and gaze set on eternal things, and not things of this earth? Ask yourself the same.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18
Torment
My third observation deals with the reality that hell is hot and is a real place of torment. When I see the aftermath of the fire that destroyed my niece’s home, I shudder at the thought of a fire that burns for eternity. No end…no relief…eternal flames that can’t be escaped.
My precious family escaped with their lives in tact, but on the Day of Judgement, many will not escape the flames of hell. My mind sees faces in anguish, screams of pain, and overwhelming regret that they didn’t heed the warnings while they lived. It will be too late for them then.
Check out this parable Jesus told about a rich man and Lazarus that confirms this truth.
But it’s not too late for those who are still living.
As long as there is breath in our body, we can turn to Jesus and be saved. I implore you to search your heart and know for certain you have turned to Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Make sure you haven’t just uttered a prayer at some point in your life to use Jesus as a “fire escape.”
Salvation is more than just escaping hell. It is a decision that changes your life. It’s a new birth – a spiritual birth. If your life has not been radically changed by the power of God, and you are not walking in obedience to His Word, you may want to get gut-level honest with yourself and examine whether you truly are in the family of God.
Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5
How do we know if we are truly born again?
Have you repented of your sins, confessed to God your need for his forgiveness, and turned from your sinful ways? Have you given control of your life over to Jesus, and do you seek to obey Him?
Salvation is not a prayer. It’s a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. It involves complete surrender of our lives and will to him. Genuine faith will be evident in the way we live.
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? James 2:14, 19-20
Don’t put off a decision for Christ because you think you have plenty of time. There is no promise of tomorrow. My niece and her family could have entered their eternal destination last week, just as any one of us could at any moment.
Would you stand face to face with Jesus, or would the fires of hell be your eternal home?
Read about the final judgment here. If you are unsure whether you have eternal life, please contact me and let’s talk about it. This is too important to get wrong.
Join the conversation. Have you ever been in a fire? If so, what emotions did you experience? Did it cause you to think more about eternity? Do you know someone who needs to read this message…someone who needs to turn their life over to Jesus? Share this post with them via the social media links below.
Deena Adams
As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena Adams understands how important hope is to daily life, which fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true to life stories. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and is a multi-award-winning writer, an active ACFW member, and ACFW Virginia president. Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
4 Comments
Lynn Moore
Wow Deena…,,powerful message through your blog today. Evidence that God is using you for His kingdom glory…..and to change someone’s eternity! Thank you for your obedience.
As a Young girl, I experienced the loss of two homes due to fires. One at age 6 and the second at age 18. Thankfully none of my family members or myself were at home at the times of the fires, but I can still vividly see in my mind the rubble left behind from the destruction. As I reflect on that day, I can surely see the grace of God, allowing us to begin again. God offers that same concept, the opportunity to begin again, each day until our last breath. Some may need to accept His generous gift of grace and salvation for the first time. Others, who have made that profession in the past, today may need to rededicate their lives, turn away from their sinful living, and return to Jesus. But the fact remains, all are in need of a Savior. From my study of the Bible, I have learned the reason why we are all here on this earth. One, is to glorify His holy name and two, to share that name with everyone.
Restoration has been God’s plan for man since Adam and Eve. Sometimes, when I think about judgment day, I can see the two lines standing before the throne. And the line to the left screaming in sheer agony and great fear to the line to the right……….
“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME!” For those of us who know Jesus as our personal Savior, let today be the day we “begin again” by sharing the good news to the lost. And, may today be the day that the “lost begin again” by excepting the Savior. For both groups, because of the grace of God, regardless of which group we are in today or what kind of “fire” we’ve been through, we can……
“begin again.”
Deena Adams
Thanks for your input, Lynn. I’m so grateful God’s grace kept you and your family safe in the midst of two fires! Sobering visual of the two lines awaiting judgment. And yes, we are accountable to TELL others so they can escape eternal punishment and receive God’s saving grace, just as we’ve been privileged to receive. Praise God for new beginnings.
Patricia Davis
I have been battling with a heavy heart for months. I have had many opportunities to talk to several of my neighbors about the Lord and his saving grace. The Davis family who lived next door to me died a tragic death when the wife took her life, the life of her husband and tried to burn her house down with her two German Sheppards inside. I talked to them many times about the Lord and the blood of the cross. Did they listen…I am not sure. Belinda would always tell me that she was good. How often do we hear that?
I was not aware of the drug addiction that consumed Belinda’s life. Was I nieve? I do not know. I am in tears as I write this because I have no peace. I realize that my responsibility as a Christian is to tell people about Jesus and the holy spirit has to intervene. I have asked the Lord for reassurance but still, it is a battle.
Asking myself did I do enough is a daily struggle. The only thing that I can glean from this experience is to be bolder for the sake of the lost. People often say that their family member is in heaven. I know that if they died and did not accept the free gift of salvation, they are crying out from the gates of Hell for their loved ones to know Jesus. No matter what, tell people about the sacrifice on the cross that Christ made for all of us. As Easter approaches, I think about what Christ did for me even more.
Patricia
Deena Adams
Hi Pat. Thanks for joining the conversation. I’m so sorry about your neighbors.How tragic! We had a neighbor pass away last week and my heart is not settled about her eternity. Like you said, all we can do is obey God and tell the Good News to those he brings into our lives and leave the results up to him. May our hearts break for the lost around us in a way that spurs the boldness to speak up and not be silent. Love you sister.