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SCRIPTURE - Heb 9:27                                    MAY, 2006

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

SUBJECT - ALL ABOARD!! NEXT STOP, HELL!!

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When I was a little kid, my mother used to take me, to visit my relatives, that lived in Chicago.

In order for us to get there, we used to take a mode of transportation, that I have not been on since the '60s, and that is, trains.

I remember how, we would go in to the station, and get our tickets, then be directed to the area where there were many trains, just sitting there.

Now, near each train, was a sign that, had the destination of each particular train on it. And we had to look for that train, that had the sign by it, designating it, as being the one we wanted to get on, because it had, as its destination, Chicago, Illinois.

Naturally, it was a given, that we knew how to read. However, there were some people that would be there to direct us to the correct train, just in case we couldn't, like the blind, or deaf.

Once we got on the train, we took our seats.

Now, sometimes, if we hadn't given our tickets to the conductor, before we got on the train, he would come through each car, and ask for our tickets, and if we had the wrong tickets, meaning we were on the wrong train, he would direct us to get off, and what track to go to, for the correct train.

After all of this, he would then announce, the destination of the train, just in case he missed anybody, so that they could hear the destination, it was headed to, before the train started.

Then, at some point, he would stick his head out of one of the cars door, and announce 'All aboard, next stop', and then give the destination. It was not unusual for the train, to make several stops before it got to Chicago. And other times, Chicago, was just another stop, on the way to some other final destination. In any case, there were plenty of announcements, as to just where that particular train was headed.

All of this was done, so that, those depending on the system, to get them where they wanted to go, would, get there.

It would be a bad situation, if a person, got on a train, to go one place, and the train, wasn't going anywhere near where they wanted to go, and no one told them about it, before it started.

It is also incumbent on the individual to check, to make sure they are on the right train. People have been known, to be on the wrong train, and not realize it, because they either don't ask for help, because they thought they knew what they were doing, or got distracted, and didn't hear the directions.

In the movie, 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York', a boy, after losing track of his family, while running through an airport, to get on a plane heading for Miami, accidentally gets on a plane headed for New York.

What happened, is that, he followed a man, he thought was his father, because he was wearing the same coat his father was wearing, to the wrong gate. He had his ticket in his hand, but, when he ran up to the assistant, at the entrance to the plane, he knocked the tickets she had on to the floor, along with his, and in the rush to get the plane loaded, and out on time, the attendant allowed him to get on the plane, when he told her, that the last person that passed by her, was his dad.

Then, when he got on the plane, he took a seat, and put some earphones on his head, to avoid listening to a passenger, sitting next to him, who was talking to him in French. The thing is, because he had the earphones on his head, he did not hear the announcement, by a stewardess, that the plane was heading for New York. If he had heard it, he could have, in all likelihood, gotten off of that plane, without ending up somewhere, where he didn't want to be.

Now, my whole point is this.

In each of these situations, there are people, employed by these companies, that are there to help us make the right decisions, so we can get where we want to go, without a lot of problems. That is their job. No one can put blame on a company if they provide all of this assistance, and the person, not taking advantage of it, winds up, somewhere they didn't want to be.

After all, the responsibility for getting to your correct destination, rests solely, on you. You can't blame anyone else, if they provide assistance to give you the correct directions, and you ignore them.

Well, if you haven't realized it by now, let me tell you about another trip that you are taking, right now, that, if you are not careful, you will end up, in a place I know you don't want to be.

Hell.

Life, my friend, is the mode of transportation, that is taking you from a point of origin, birth, to, a final destination, death, and hell.

The length of that trip, is unknown, because death, is not, always predictable.

However, death, is the final destination for the body, but, not for the soul. The soul's final destination, is hell.

As the subject scripture says, death, is appointed to every single individual, that comes in to this realm of physical existence, that is called life.

From the minute you enter this world, you are on a journey, whose length, is unknown, but whose destination, is.

That destination, can't be changed, even though the length of time it takes before you get there, can be.

But, there is a final destination, that can be changed, and it is, this destination, that I want to address.

Thanks to Adam, all of us have an appointment with death. And we, or rather our souls have a destiny of hell.

This not something we asked for, so to speak, but what we inherited, because of Adam's disobedience, and God's curse on all of his descendants.

Now God, was justified in doing what He did, and we deserve everything that is coming to us, via that curse.

However, God, being justified in doing what He did, also made a way for those of us that are truly sorry, to avoid hell, and end up, in Heaven.

Now, the question is, if He made the way, then, how do we get there??

That is where I, and others, that are ministers, and Christians, come in.

When I got saved, it was because I, just like you, was on a trip, life, that if I stayed on it, would take me straight to hell.

And, while I was on it, it provided me with all of the fun, and entertainment, I could handle, and then some. I mean, 24/7. Women, drugs, money, prestige, popularity, and power. All of things I thought I wanted.

And I was enjoying it, to the hilt.

But, one thing kept bothering me, amidst all of this, and that was, these people that kept coming through, and announcing, that the final destination of my trip, was hell.

That, really, ticked me off.

What are they doing, on my trip, spoiling my fun?? Why don't they go somewhere else, and bother someone else?? I am perfectly able to see what I am doing, and, it doesn't get any better than this.

But, every once and a while, someone comes by announcing,

'NEXT STOP, HELL!!!

I got to the point, that every time I saw one coming, I could identify them, you see, I ran from them, to another part of the vehicle, or I put on the earphones, and turned up the volume, so to speak, to drown out the sound, of what they were saying.

Then, while I would be looking out of the windows, still with the earphones on my head, I would see signs, saying, 'NEXT STOP HELL!!! It was like someone was targeting me, trying to destroy my fun, and I would have none of it.

So, I decided to stop one of these individuals, and ask them just what they thought they were doing.

That is when they told me, that their employer, Jesus Christ, has sent them, to tell me, and everyone else, that if we stay on this present course, we are doomed to hell, and the lake of fire and brimstone.

So, me and my smart self, responded with, 'Well, you are on this same trip, aren't you??'

They said 'no, not exactly. You see, we have special passes, that allow us to travel on a different train. We are both going in the same direction, but the train we are on, has a detour that when we reach the final destination (death), Jesus is there, to direct us on to Heaven.

Your body, is the baggage that will be deposited with death, but your soul, will continue on to hell, if you stay on this train.

Now, just like on a bus, you can, at anytime, pull the cord, and the bus will stop, and you can get off. The choice is totally up to you.'

Well, needles to say, after fully understanding what I was headed for, I got off, and got on the other train. And you know what?? It is a lot better, than what the other train had.

There is love, joy, and peace of mind. All of the things I really needed. All of that other stuff, I thought I needed, were merely vain attempts to fill a void in my life that only Jesus Christ could fill.

But, there was something else, that He wanted me to do. He wanted me, to go back to other people's trains, and do the same thing for them, that was done for me.

Why??

Because He doesn't want anyone to end up in hell. But the only way they won't, is if someone let's them know, what the final destination of their train, is.

That way, they will have been warned, and they will have no excuse, if they end up there.

They can't blame God, for not giving them warning, or not providing direction, because He will simply replay all of the times that their lives were interrupted by His servants, trying to get the message to them, that their final destination, is hell, and they didn't listen.

So, having said that, what train are you on??

If you haven't made the switch, it's about time you do, before it is too late. Your train may be getting ready to pull in to the station. You better hurry and get off. All you have to do, is pray, a simple prayer. Just say, Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, and I want to be saved. I accept you as Lord of my life. I believe you died on the cross for my sins, and arose again for my justification.

If you prayed that prayer from the heart, welcome aboard, 'NEXT STOP, HEAVEN!!!