HELL HOUSE PUBLICITY POSTCARD. ILLUSTRATION BY JASONFORD, HEART USA, INC.

While reading on the internet the other day, I stumbled across the concept of “Hell Houses”. A Hell House is apparently the “Christian” equivalent of a haunted house where tourists are taken from room to room to view various horrific scenes designed to create terror and revulsion at the consequences of sin, including an eternity of conscious torment in Hell. At the end of the tour visitors are often asked to accept salvation by repenting of their sins and trusting Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

It has been suggested that some hell houses are purposely made to resemble conventional “haunted house” attractions and that the customer only realizes that they have a religious twist after they have bought their ticket and gone part of the way through the house.

After a little more investigation I discovered that New Creation Evangelism, Inc (of Clearwater FL) sells a “Judgment House kit.”¹ I kid you not. You can purchase, ready to use, “an 8-scene drama that makes people aware of the reality of heaven and hell.”  It shows “them the joy of having a relationship in heaven with Jesus.” It also shows them hell, “the ultimate haunted house, which is where they will spend eternity if they do not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour…” A Judgment House Promo Pack and other benefits are sent to churches who join in a “Single Year Covenant Partnership” for US$599.

Trying to scare young people into “accepting Jesus” is wrong. Trying to scare them into “accepting Jesus” by using scenes of graphic violence including “abortions” where fetuses are ripped out by crazed abortion doctors, and “rape” scenes where women are killed (I am not even going to give you the website where these things were discussed), is terribly, terribly wrong.

Suggesting that God would inflict such a punishment as eternal conscious torment on any of his creatures – a punishment that would make any of the atrocities depicted above pale into insignificance – is also terribly wrong. It should be an offence to any right thinking Christian. We should speak out against such distortions of God’s truth.

That is what this organization – The Conditional Immortality Association – is about. Thank you for your part in standing with us to promote God’s truth against the Devil’s lie.

¹Check it out for yourself at: www.judgementhouse.org

Further information on “Hell Houses”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_house

This piece originally appeared as an editorial in “From Death to Life” Issue 21 Oct / Dec 2001 and is being reposted as we approach the anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.

The recent terrorist attacks on America have profoundly altered the way not only Americans but all of us see the world. I herad that in the weeks following the disaster many churches had people come whose hearts and minds had been turned to God by these events . And all over the world peoples’ hearts and minds are struggling with this issue: “Where was God?” “How can a God of love and power allow such things to happen?”

I would not want to minimise in any way the enormity of the tragedy that has directly affected nearly 6000 people [the death toll turned out to be 2993 - ed.] and their families and friends , and indirectly affects us all, but there are some biblical truths that we must hold on to at a time like this:

1. God originally created the world and all that was in it “very good” (Gen. 1:31).

2. The crown and pinnacle of this good creation was humanity made in the image of God and capable of exercising free will (Gen. 1:26-29);

3. The whole world is now fallen and bound over to sin (Gen. 3, Rom. 8:18-39).

4. There is a new world coming, free from the curse, sin and death (Rev. 21:1 c.f. 2 Pet. 3:7-13).

Again, without wanting to minimise the pain of those most directly involved it is interesting that such an event should trigger outrage the world over – that 6000 [2993 -ed.] soils can be subject to sudden death in a fiery inferno – and yet at the same time we are asked to accept as a matter of Gospel truth that God will condemn untold millions to suffer conscious pain in the fires of hell forever and ever, without end. Will there ever be an end to pain and suffering?

Absolutely! The Bible has an answer to the problem of evil! Evil will not go on forever! Our hope is that when God’s program of salvation for people is completed all the children of god together will experience a glorious freedom from sin, Satan and death and decay.

Creation itself will be “liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:22). Just as God’s plan for individuals is that they become a “new creation” (2Cor. 5:17, Gal. 6:15), all of creation will be restored to its original Edenic harmony (Isa. 11:6-8). We are told in Revelation 20 that a time is coming when God will call every rebellious sinner into judgment and destroy eveil forever. We are told there will be a “new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1 c.f. 2Pet. 3:7-13). For those who trust in God we are told in Revelation 21:4 that there will be “no more mourning , crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 22:3 promises that the Curse will be done away with!

Meanwhile in Romans 8:18 Paul says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” In 2 Cor. 4:17 Paul says: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ” Again in Romans 8:28 God promises he will work together with us in every situation to bring about our ultimate good.

Here is a Partial Index to “from Death To Life”; Issues 1 to 42

Over time I hope to “republish” most of the articles previously published  in “From Death to Life” by way of this blog. This will make them more easily accessible. They will be searchable and tagged according to the various Scriptures discussed.

I will still continue to put up new articles (including new articles that are one hundred or more years old) so that those of us who read the magazine regularly still have plenty to stimulate our thinking.