Clarence Odbody, AS2

January 20, 2026January 2, 2026 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Most of you have probably seen the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” That’s where we are introduced to Clarence Odbody. He’s a “Second Class” angel who hasn’t received his wings yet. He’s sent to Earth to prevent George Bailey from committing suicide. George is facing a situation that he sees no way out of, and to him, hope has run out.

I believe that’s what often happens when someone considers suicide. The person thinks, “There is no more hope.” But let me say this: as long as you are alive, there is hope! The devil gets excited when someone reaches what they think is the end of their rope because they are about to end one of the greatest gifts God gives us—life.

Clarence shows George what the lives of those around him would be like if he’d never been born. Seeing the pain and distress was enough to cause him to change his mind. Clarence tells George:

“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”

“You see, George, you’ve had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?”

Several years ago, I had my own “Clarence Odbody” moment. I was a young minister, and I made a bad decision that led me to leave the ministry God had called me to. I was distraught, unsure of what to do next, and afraid to face my family and friends again. I was reaching into the closet for my shotgun when my “Clarence” appeared.

Before I could grab the gun, I thought back to my childhood in church. I was probably about eight years old. One Sunday, as our pastor was preaching under a heavy anointing, a scream and commotion erupted at the back of the sanctuary. It was Sister Woodward. (I don’t remember her actual name.) She gasped and then collapsed.

Several firemen in our church rushed to her aid. After about twenty minutes, the pastor asked, “What’s going on?” One fireman responded, “Sister Woodward has died.” The pastor asked, “Did you pray?” “No,” they answered. “Well, church, let’s pray.” He led us in a prayer of faith, believing. The moment he said “Amen,” Sister Woodward got up, insisting she felt fine but agreed to go to the hospital for a checkup. By then, an ambulance had arrived.

Standing in my closet, staring at my shotgun, I thought, “That woman had no future, and her hope was gone as she took her last breath, but then God stepped in and made a way.” That thought kept me from taking my own life. Instead, I grabbed my car keys, left the house, and didn’t return until I knew I wouldn’t harm myself.

Life is precious. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or deeply down, I encourage you to reach out and talk to someone. In America, you can dial “988.” Or simply start talking to God as if He’s sitting right there with you. He already knows what you’re going through, but speaking out loud can help. He might even send angels to minister to you. You may realize later it was your own “Clarence Odbody” moment.

God loves you, and so do I. You may never realize how much your presence touches the lives of others.

“Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation?” Heb. 1:14 (AMPC)

A Time for Life

January 9, 2026November 30, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Today, April and her Filipina Bible study group are surprising one of their members. It is her 45^th birthday. They have gathered at our house until everyone is here, and then they will go to her house all at one time. I must say, since marrying a Filipino, I have witnessed how sincerely honest and excited they are when it comes to celebrating life together. One member of the group had a brother in the Philippines who passed away this past week. The group mourned with her and shared words of comfort and support.

The Bible says a few things about life. Like how it goes and how we should do it together. Sadly, though, it seems as if in today’s times, people are narcissistic and selfish. It’s all about them. And if you are involved in their life, it’s as if they say, “What can you do for me?” I know that below are more scriptures than I normally share, but God really does know best how to do life with others.

3 To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:
²A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted,
³A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up,
⁴A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away,
⁷A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak,
⁸A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecc. 3:1-8 (AMPC)

12 ^1-2So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

³I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

^4-6In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.

^6-8If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

* * *

^9-10Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

^11-13Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

^14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

^17-19Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

^20-21Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good. Rom. 12 (MSG)

Are You Wearing a Costume?

October 31, 2025October 18, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Today is Halloween. A day where children, and some adults, put on a costume and either go Trick-or-Treating or to a party. Although for some, it is a very real day of worshipping Satan. I have written about that before, but I won’t here.

I think throughout time, people have enjoyed wearing a costume and, at least for one night, being someone they are not on a daily basis. They pretend. But what if they are wearing a costume all the time? Not of their favorite superhero, monster, or movie star, etc., but one that conceals who they really are or what they are facing.

Believe it or not, people may not be wearing a costume, but they may very well be wearing a mask! Hiding something. Perhaps the pain of life failures, a bad marriage, or maybe a secret sin. They don’t want to reveal their weaknesses or struggles. This is no way to live. And this isn’t what God wanted for us.

He wanted us to have life, an abundant life! That is why He sent us His Son, Jesus. (John 10:10) Jesus not only can forgive us of our sins but can be with us when we face difficulties. The Holy Spirit can comfort us when we are sad or suffering a loss. He can also guide us by still small whispers into our spirit. And of course, we can enter into the presence of God at any time through our prayers and praise to him.

There is no need to hide behind a mask. No need to be ashamed of our past lives. If you have accepted God’s gift of salvation, then you become a new person. Then the only thing you will be wearing is a robe of righteousness.

Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you. 2 Cor. 5:17-20 (MSG)

Running On Empty

October 10, 2025September 23, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

In preparation for writing this post, I soon realized that it was going to be difficult. The subject matter is serious and very opinionated. I’m not a trained professional at all, but my observations and lots of thinking, trying to understand, have formed my beliefs.

We have had a lot of mass shootings in America in recent years. At the time of this writing, there was another one last week. It’s sad and tragic, and even more so when the victims are children. Our country has put in place stronger gun control laws, yet shootings still exist, so gun control isn’t the answer. Then there’s the anthem, “Guns don’t kill people, but people kill people.”

So, one must look at the people, the individuals who commit these travesties. We have to ask, “What is going on inside of them that would cause them to ‘act out’ in such a way?” Some are beginning to look more and more at mental illnesses as a leading cause, and they are most likely onto something.

If we had a way to count them, we would probably learn that millions of people suffer from some form or level of mental illness. Many, most likely, use medication to control it. But what about the ones who can’t get the prescriptions or counseling they need? Or worse, what if they have never been diagnosed?

Here is my opinion: Not to overly simplify the problem, I believe, in some sort of way, these individuals are “empty.” In other words, they are not flowing with life. This may lead them to feel they are alone, there is nothing worth living for, or why keep fighting? Some may have issues of feeling abandoned, that no one sees them, or cares. They probably struggle to make sense out of life. They find themselves living with darkness all around them and without peace.

As for why they attack children at a school or people at a church, this may be where they identify their life went dark. Or perhaps this is where they feel individuals stopped caring about them.

If these hurting, empty, living in darkness, individuals could meet Jesus. Hear about his love and care for them, and then feel it. Then, they might just accept him, and their lives could take on a whole new meaning. Doing so could be their turning point. They would, perhaps for the first time, experience the peace they seek, the meaning and fulfillment they need, and start walking with the Light of the world. All confusion about who they are could become clear.

Most likely, these hurting individuals walk amongst us. If we see them, we should be bold to confront them. Share Jesus and his love with them, and then follow up or stay in touch with them. It may take a lot of work to combat the lies of the devil they have been listening to for some time, perhaps, years. But with God’s help and guidance, we can do it. We can rescue these people, and Jesus can deliver them out of darkness and into the light. A significant challenge, but we must try. You never know, but your efforts could save their life and the lives of countless others.

“Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Mat. 5:15b-16 (MSG)

“I tried everything. Parties, women, buying expensive jewelry… Nothing helped. There was no peace. Just emptiness inside. When I found Christ, I found what I had been missing all those years.” – Deion Sanders

The Tale of Two Women

September 16, 2025August 7, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Earlier today, I was doing our weekly shopping at Walmart. I ran into two different women, who had two different tales to tell. The first one made me laugh, but the second, the second one caused me to tear up.

The first one, Nancy, was shopping while carrying a new white, plastic step stool. I saw it and instantly knew why. I thought, if she was going to purchase it, then it would be in her shopping cart, but it wasn’t. That means she was using it to reach items on the top shelf that she wanted to purchase. I found her in the soda aisle.

I helped her by retrieving two two-liter bottles of Coke. Yes, I was tall enough to reach them, although I was standing on my tippy toes! I asked her about the stool, and she confirmed I was right. She mentioned that she had complained that they put items too high and that when her shopping was done, she put the stool back until next time. I laughed at her creativity.

The second one, Sharon (changed to protect her), works there. I see her most weeks. She always looks tired, and it bothers me to see a woman who looks as if she should be at home knitting, working. In the past, I have treated her with respect, as if she were the owner.

Today, she told me her daughter suffers from a mental illness and that yesterday, she had her committed to a facility. She said, “I’m her mother, but there is nothing I can do to help her.” I replied, “That is why you need God. He can.” Tears swelled up in her eyes as she asked me to be praying for her daughter,” I matched her with tears in my own eyes as I assured her I would. I asked for her daughter’s first name and explained that April and I have a board where we list people and needs to pray for.

Whenever you go out into the world, you never know who you will meet or see again. The ones that you see repeatedly, please, I hope you take the time to get to know them. You never know when they will open up to you and share what is consuming them or their thoughts. A lot of people are hurting and dealing with heavy things in their lives. To them, the world is dark! We need to be there for them just as God is.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Mat. 5:14 (NLT)

“You Give Love a Bad Name”

June 6, 2025May 26, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

You live life however you want to. It’s all about you. You are the only one that matters. Your opinions are always right. You build yourself up while putting others down. It’s your way or no way.

Have you ever met someone like that? I hope you aren’t married to one. It’s bad enough when you have one in your family. If you must deal with someone who lives like that, then you know firsthand how difficult it is. You also know how many times they have hurt you. I’m sorry if you have.

To make matters worse, they will lie about you and spread lies. Truth is whatever “they” believe. They tend not to have any true friends. And the ultimate insult is when they go to church and claim to have accepted Jesus Christ into their lives. They give love a bad name!

I have known a few. Most people probably do, too. I have thought about one of them, in particular, standing before God. I wonder if He will say, “Depart from me. I never knew you.” Now, I’m not judging them, but it is biblical to judge the fruit of their life. And I gotta say, it’s sour!

When one accepts Jesus into their life, it should change them. They should trust him to help them deal with whatever demons are slow to come out of them. There may be reasons, valid ones, as to why they are full of hate, but after inviting Jesus to rule and reign in their life, they need to let those things go.

“Christian” means follower of Christ. If you claim to be a Christian, then you should strive to be like him, full of love. Loving people as you love yourself after loving God first. Reading his word, the Bible, learning what truth really is, and walking it out daily.

If you are one of these types of individuals, then I pray for God to help you and let him do a work in you. You can overcome anything going on now and anything that happened in your past that might be causing you to be resentful or, perhaps, jealous of others and their lives.

Don’t be a person who gives love a bad name. Be known as one who, no matter what, loves. And one who walks this planet with the presence of God about them, demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit. If you do, you will probably find others wanting to be around you instead of avoiding you. He’s got this because He’s got you. Give love a good name.

¹⁶You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. ¹⁹So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Mat. 7:16-20 (NLT)

13 If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Cor. 13:1-3 (NIV)

²¹“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Mat. 7:21-23 (ESV)

God – No Matter What

April 25, 2025April 22, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“They drove me away from the church because I was divorced.” — Kathryn Kuhlman

On one occasion, Kathryn Kuhlman was preaching in a church. Someone informed the pastor that she was divorced, which led the pastor to walk up to the front, grab the microphone from her, and apologize to the crowd for having a “false prophet” preaching. She was escorted by the ushers out of the church and ran out of town. SHE WEPT!

On a rare occasion when Kathryn would address her past, she made this comment about her peers during her crisis. “… You know, sometimes it’s a thousand times easier to die physically than to keep on living. You see, the Lord forgives, but people don’t. They’ll drive it in, and they’ll drive it in, and they’ll drive it in, and they’ll drive it in. And they’ll pierce your heart, and they’ll pierce it clear through.”

Kathryn Kuhlman Died! This was her popular phrase. She would go on to say it was the price she paid for the glory. Kathryn vividly remembers the days she died to carry God’s glory. “It’s much easier to die than to live, death to the flesh and the opinions of this world. Today, I feel it was part of God’s perfect will for my life.”

For Kathryn Kuhlman, her greatest anointing began to manifest from 49 to 59 years of age.

In those days, she walked past people, and they collapsed to the floor because of the heavy presence of the Holy Spirit she carried. Healings and strange miracles never before recorded accompanied her ministry till death.

Even though Kathryn Kuhlman was out of public ministry for almost 8 years, when she hit the platform again, the glory of the latter house surpassed the former. Suddenly, all the churches that attacked her because of her divorce opened their arms wide like they weren’t the ones that almost drove her into suicide.

The anointing was always there. All it needed was activation and constant use. God’s grace is irreversible. He does not change His mind about what He gives. He’s not two-faced. Your perspective or mindset about Him may change, but he does not.

So many may have left the ministry because of one thing or the other. You may have stopped pastoring, holding meetings, or whatever form of ministry because of pressures, financial, marital, or personal issues, but know that God uses these pressures to bring out His best in us.

The Apostle Paul says, “⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹²So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 2 Cor. 4:8-12 (NIV)

From Kathryn’s example, we have learned that no one is too far gone, no one is out of God’s use, and instead of driving the word of God against people who are under pressure, let’s help them heal. Let’s get them back on track. Handle that brother or sister with care. God does not just want some individual spiritual giants; He wants to build His body! God is not just interested in your denomination; He wants to build His Church!

HER LAST MEETING….

As everyone left the auditorium, Kathryn walked quietly to the end of the stage. She raised her head and slowly scanned the balcony as if she were gazing at every seat. It seemed like an eternity. Then, Kathryn dropped her gaze to the second balcony, following every row and every seat with her eyes. Then, she looked at the ground floor, studying every seat.

We can only imagine what was going through Kathryn’s mind: the memories, the victories, the healings, the laughter, and the tears. Was it possible that Kathryn knew she would never return to the platform? Was it possible that, at that moment, she said goodbye to her earthly ministry?

In just a little over three weeks from that November date, Kathryn passed on into glory in the Hillcrest Medical Center of Tulsa, Oklahoma, after open-heart surgery.

(The author is unknown, but I saw this posted on Facebook and wanted to share it.)

The Other Side of Love

April 22, 2025April 17, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

You’ve heard it said, “There are two sides to every coin.” A true statement. But did you know there were two sides to love? Yep. It is easy to love those who love you. It is easy to do for them: go the extra mile and sacrifice because you love them, and they love you.

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” Mat. 5:46-48 (MSG)

But what if you figure out someone is taking advantage of you?
Go the extra mile. Do more than what they ask.

But what about when they hurt you?
Turn the other cheek.

But what if they hate you?

But what if they persecute you?
Bless them.

“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, gift wrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more payback. Live generously. Luke 6:28-30 (MSG)

Doing what Jesus instructed is so difficult! You don’t want to. In fact, it goes against everything that is within your flesh. But we are called to live by the Spirit of God. A lot of us find it easy to love when loving the other person is easy, but those same people probably find it almost impossible (including me) to love those who hurt us. If you can do this, you will be close to becoming like Jesus in ALL ways.

Our goal, as Christ’s followers, should be to be like Jesus, who only did what He saw His Father in heaven do. So, we should be like God. And God is love—perfect love—to every person, no matter what! That is living “both” sides of love!

Care Package

October 4, 2024September 2, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

I have a cousin who seems to suffer a lot in life. I know they believe in God, but I’m not sure if they live a life pleasing to God. Living by God’s commandments and in a relationship as God designed them to be. As well, and I’ll explain why this is important later, I don’t know if they handle their finances the way God instructs us to. If my observations and instincts are correct, then I can see why they have a difficult existence.

I have said before that living a life pleasing to God doesn’t guarantee your life will be problem-free, but living it with God on your side certainly helps. When God smiles upon you, He protects you.

1 Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion.

⁸God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.” ^9-10Satan retorted, “So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose! Job 1 (MSG)

When it comes to finances, God asks us to give back ten percent of our income. God says if we do this, He will open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing upon us. But here is the part that is even more important and powerful. God says He will shut the mouth of the devourer. That means He will stop Satan from eating away at our lives. Our homes, our finances, our health, and our relationships!

¹⁰Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

¹¹And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts. Mal. 3:10-11 (AMPC)

God really does care for us, for you! He doesn’t demand you live the way that is best for you, but He hopes that you will choose to. He wants you to be one of his favorite children in his family. (I’m not sure if God actually has favorites because He loves us all, but some probably put a smile on his face more than others.)

Even people like my cousin I mentioned earlier, God wants them to accept him so He can love on them even more, send them a personalized care package, stop the destruction and pain in their life, and pour out blessings upon them like no one has ever seen.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Eternity in Hell?

September 6, 2024August 10, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Do you believe in hell? You should because it is undoubtedly real. It exists whether you acknowledge it or not. After you die, you will stand before God and give an account of how you lived your life. If you accepted Jesus Christ and asked for forgiveness, then your sins would have been covered by his blood that was poured out for you on the cross when he died. You will then enter heaven forever.

I was wondering, after you die and are judged by God and sentenced to hell, would you go there in the same state or condition you were in when you died? In other words, stay in a fallen state. My point is this: if you go to heaven, you are promised a new body and to receive the mind of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (NLT)

5 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. ²We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. ³For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.^[a] ⁴While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. ⁵God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

⁶So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. ⁷For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. ⁹So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. ¹⁰For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Fun fact: Hell was never made for you! It was meant for Satan and the one-third of the angels that sided with him after rebelling against God. God had to “expand” hell to include or fit those individuals who chose of their own doing not to accept God.

So the place of the dead wants more and more people, and it opens wide its mouth.
Is. 5:14a (NCV)

I cannot imagine being in sin for eternity and suffering the conditions of hell as well. I have not seen this mentioned in the Bible, but since hell is the opposite of heaven, then it makes sense.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Rev. 21:4 (NLT)

I could be wrong, and it’s okay if I am because the Bible does describe hell.

Utter darkness – Job 10:22: to the land of utter darkness, like the deepest darkness, and the deepest shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”

Lake of fire – Revelation 20:10: “And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

There are two things that humans need: time and gravity to feel grounded. In hell, neither will exist!

Falling forever – Revelation 20:1-2: Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ²He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

No time – Revelation 20:10: “And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

HOW TO AVOID HELL

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. John 3:16-18 (MSG)