“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
— Matthew 25:41-46

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
— Psalms 139:7-8

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The Shadow and the Light
by Jennifer Kane

Beneath the veil of endless night,
Where souls once mocked the morning light,
A whisper echoes, cold and low—
“Depart from Me,” the voices grow.
No star ascends that crimson gloom,
No breath of grace, no sweet perfume;
For there the fire, unquenched, remains,
A throne of wrath, a crown of chains.

Yet still—O dread!—His presence stays,
Through endless years, through burning days;
Not gone is God, but changed His grace—
The sinner meets His frowning face.
In hell He rules, yet none adore,
His mercy sealed, His love no more;
For holiness, once sweet and mild,
Now roars against the soul defiled.

But higher far, beyond that shore,
Where death and sorrow are no more,
Another Presence fills the skies,
And wipes all tears from weary eyes.
There mercy sings, and justice sleeps,
There Love eternal vigil keeps;
And every tongue, from sin set free,
Cries out, “My Lord! Remembered me.”

Two realms—one hand upholds them still,
One King commands both grace and will;
To one He comes, the Light adored,
To one—the Fire, the righteous sword.
O soul, choose well while day yet gleams,
Before the dusk consumes thy dreams;
For Heaven’s joy and Hell’s despair
Both prove—our God is everywhere.

~~~~~

Scripture: Matthew 25:41–46, Psalm 139:7–8

There are many who recoil at the mention of hell — calling it cruel, archaic, or a contradiction to God’s love. But Jesus, the embodiment of love Himself, spoke more about hell than anyone else in Scripture. Why? Because He knew its reality and came to deliver us from it.

Hell is not a fairy tale of fire and brimstone invented to frighten sinners — it is the dreadful destination of separation from God. When Jesus says, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”, He reveals the most horrifying truth of all: hell is not merely a place of torment — it is a state of eternal absence from the presence of God’s goodness.

David once wrote, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there”. Even in hell, God is not absent — but His presence there is not mercy. It is wrath. His justice remains, but His kindness is withdrawn. His holiness is felt, but His comfort is gone. On earth, even those who reject Him breathe His air, eat His food, and enjoy His sun. But in hell, every trace of grace is stripped away. The soul will remember goodness but never touch it again. What greater torment could there be than to forever long for the God one refused to love?

Hell was never meant for humanity. Jesus said it was “prepared for the devil and his angels.” Yet when people reject God’s grace, they choose alignment with the rebellion of Satan — and thus share his fate. It is the ultimate irony: those who deny the existence of the devil in life will spend eternity with him in death. Those who desired independence from God will find themselves eternally enslaved to sin and suffering.

Hell is a place of perfect justice. Every act of rebellion, every cruelty, every careless word against the Holy One demands a reckoning. The punishment is not cruel — the crime is that severe. For sin is not only against man, but against an infinite God. Therefore, the debt cannot be measured in years or centuries — it is eternal, just as the One offended is eternal.

To deny the justice of hell is to deny the holiness of God. To understand it rightly is to tremble in awe of His righteousness — and to fall on our knees in gratitude for His mercy.

When Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” He entered into the very horror of separation — the agony of hell itself — so that we never would. He bore the wrath of God in our place. He felt the abandonment we deserved. He took the darkness, so we could live in the light.

Hell reveals not only the justice of God, but the measure of His love. For the Savior who warned us of its reality also went there on our behalf.

The true horror of hell is not the fire — it is the absence of God’s face. And the true wonder of heaven is not the streets of gold — it is the presence of God’s love. Every soul will dwell eternally in one or the other.

Let this truth move us to compassion for the lost, gratitude for the cross, and urgency in the Gospel. The horror of hell is real — but the hope of Christ is greater still.

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Father God, open my eyes to the reality of eternity. Let the truth of hell not drive me to fear, but to love — to love You more deeply, to love others more urgently, and to praise You for the salvation that cost You so much to give. Amen.

October 11, 2025