Life’s Greatest Disaster

Life’s Greatest Disaster ... And How To Avoid ItGreat Disasters
On September, 11, 2001, terrorists crashed two highjacked airliners into the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center killing almost 5,000 people. In January 2001, a major earthquake in India killed over 20,000. In 1991, 131,000 died when a cyclone devastated Bangladesh. In 1990, an earthquake struck Iran and 50,000 perished. The AIDS epidemic has already killed more than 25 million people world-wide. Between 1998 and 2001, over 2.5 million were killed by rebels in Congo. And religious persecution in Sudan, forced starvation in Somalia, and “ethnic cleansing” in Rwanda and other countries have killed millions. These examples tell us we live in a day of great disasters. And all the victims have one thing in common – death! The Greatest Disaster
The Bible tells us to be prepared for death at any moment. Whether it’s a terrorist attack, earthquake or disease, when disaster strikes, the eternal destiny of immortal souls is at stake. God’s Word says that all of us will spend eternity either in the punishment of hell or the joy of heaven (Rev. 20:15; Lk. 12 4-5; 23:43). You may never be directly affected by the disasters occurring around the world, but sooner or later you will die. Wouldn’t it be the greatest disaster of all if you died and went straight to hell? That’s what happened to the rich man in the story Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31). The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Death is not simply the end of life as some people think. Without a Savior, death means eternity in hell! The Greatest Joy
You can turn your coming death into eternal joy by accepting the salvation God has provided through Jesus Christ. His death on Calvary’s cross atoned for all your sins. His resurrection says that you too can spend eternity in heaven. But to go to heaven, you must do one thing. Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death,” but it also says that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” In other words, to go to heaven, you must confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Savior. The Bible says that “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 Jn. 5:11-12). It’s that simple! Your Choice
Sooner or later you will have to face the disaster of death and God’s judgment. Everyone does. But Christ has already offered Himself as a sacrifice for your sins. Accept His gift of salvation now and you can avoid life’s greatest disaster – eternity in hell! By Curt Darling