#ListenUpNG Wk27: HEAVEN AND HELL - MYTHS FOR THE GULLIBLE?

Hello friends! This month on #ListenUpNG, we are going to be debunking some myths in relationships and life in general. Our first guest this month is @TolaSeedy, a dynamic and captivating speaker, trainer and life coach. He will be sharing on the topic: HEAVEN AND HELL - ARE THEY REALLY MYTHS FOR THE GULLIBLE?

Do #ReadRestRelaxAndReflect on his tweets.

Is heaven real? Is hell real? Is there a life after death? Is there anything like eternity?

These answers to these questions are the basis of all religious beliefs (or lack of it).

Atheists and Agnostics do not believe in the exitence of God –who I see as the 'Landlord' of heaven and earth. And even hell!

Most of the world's religions are convinced that these two places exist and that they are the ultimate reward or punishment for our decisions on our earthly journey

I recently read about some individuals who believe there is heaven but that 'God is too kind to let people burn forever in a fire'.

Some people believe that God exists but to them, the concept of heaven and hell are fictitious. 

There are religious sects who believe in Jesus Christ but believe that human beings will at the end of time inherit this earth when the evil people have been taken to hell or some bad place.

Christianity, Islam and many other religions believe in the existence of these two places and are considered deceived by Atheists and some others.

Seeing as all these divergent beliefs cannot be right all at once, it's pertinent to examine each one afore mentioned.

For the Atheist and the Agnostic, human beings did not come from heaven; they were not deliberately made by anyone and as such go nowhere after death. If there's no God, He can't possibly inhabit a heaven.

Likewise, they believe there's no Satan, and therefore no one lives in hell.

It is important to note that these people only reason with PHYSICAL EVIDENCE and cannot relate to something that is not obvious.

The problem with this stance is that they seek to reduce life to only things that can be seen. If that is all there is to life, then it's a very big waste. 

The biggest forces that drive life cannot be seen! It is their works that are shown. These forces include love, vision, and the biggest of them all – GOD.

It's difficult to see sense in the thinking that God does not exist.

The delicate formation of the human system, weather situations, different planets, and predicted happenings in our world today cannot be by chance or a big bang theory.

A product takes its being and logic from its creator. I am special because a special being made me! It would be wrong to even think that

I am this amazing by accident. Somebody CAREFULLY and DELIBERATELY formed me!

And if He did, then I am accountable to Him as to what I did with the amazing job He did in forming me.

Denying or refusing to acknowledge Him should understandably have its consequences just as pleasing Him would have its ultimate rewards.

That is where heaven and hell come in.

For people who opine that God is too kind to have created hell because He cannot bear to see His creature in eternal damnation; they are only focusing on one side of our many sided God!

God would not be a good Father if He didn't have rules; and He would not be a fair Ruler if His rules carry no consequences; and He would not be in control if these consequences are negligible.

Does He forgive offenders? Absolutely! But that is while we are still in a position to sin and repent.

The moment we leave this earth (either by death or rapture), we would not be able to sin nor repent in our new state.

God's mercy and grace is infinite but the whole essence of mercy and grace is to help us avoid the big consequences of our wrong actions.

Mercy and grace give us new opportunities to do things right, not make God lower His own standards to suit us.

So for such people, there is need to pay attention to the things that this 'kind' God said in

His literature (the Holy book) about eternity. He did make promises of a beautiful hereafter (heaven) and the ugly one (hell).

To say that heaven and hell are not real and to live our lives based on such beliefs is the riskiest thing to do.

Simple wisdom should tell anyone to live for heaven and not hell just in case both places truly exist.

Living for heaven is living for God and doing what He instructs. This way of life already guarantees a great life here on earth such that even if there is no heaven, you wouldn't have lost anything.

Heaven then becomes the icing on the cake for you (in this case, the icing is more special than the cake!)

Living carelessly already brings pain to us and our loved ones and to die and find out that there is hell would be a disaster.

What makes it worse is that it is for eternity (which is a very looooooong time).

I am convinced that heaven and hell exist. The same way I am convinced that God exists, the BIBLE is His word, and His word is ultimately TRUE.

I am also glad that He has made it relatively easy to make heaven! All I have to do is accept Him into my life and stand by my decision.

Those going to hell have also made a decision to live by their own rules alone. We must admit that such people will find it easier to deny the existence of hell than to admit that they are going there.

Whether it is physically and logically proven or not; I know where I DO NOT want to find myself and I live with that conviction.

I encourage you to 'play safe' and invest your life in that hereafter so that you don't lose it all when it's too late to make amends.

Please live your life in such a way that "if indeed heaven and hell exist", you will be in heaven.

Because they really do exist!

If you are not sure you will be in heaven after your life here on earth, I invite you get yourself in, the ONLY way I know of and believe there is.

Give your life to Christ, ask Him to come into your life, forgive you of your sins and help you to live for Him.

My understanding of what I've learnt of heaven is that it's an amazing place. I hope as many people as possible (including me) make it there.

By the way, there is no in between, anyone not making heaven is making hell. Nobody gets left here on earth at the fullness of time. Everyone gets into one of those two places.

And I must confess- I don't know when the fullness of time will come. Neither do you!