I had two separate dreams about heaven last night. In the first one I was with some of my family and friends, and it was just like my life down here, except there was no more pain, no more worry, no more sadness, no more fear. But the overlying sense was one of relief, because there was no more sin. No more struggle to do what is right, no more wondering what other people might do to me, no more trying to avoid temptation. It was amazingly restful for that fight to be over. I remember thinking briefly, “I wonder where the other people are” and realizing that they were either still on earth or in hell. But it didn’t bother me.

My second dream was much like the first, but much shorter, and involved me walking into a room to play some card game with my wife. There were a bunch of other people there, and it had the same sense of relief that sin was no more. We didn’t know what was going to happen next, but we KNEW it was going to be good. We KNEW there was nothing to worry about. As we sat there, a woman commented to me, “I shouldn’t drink this Mountain Dew until later because I have to work tonight.” I remember thinking, “You’re never going to need caffeine again. You’re never going to be exhausted again.”

I woke up with the aftereffects of that feeling of peace that the dreams gave me. I told God I was ready for that peace. And then I remembered that there are people out there, people I know, people I love, who do not know Christ. People who have not asked for God to forgive their sins through the death of Christ. People who, if the world were to end today, would not be with me in that wonderful place. And while, in my first dream, the thought of these people living in hell for eternity didn’t bother me, it bothers me now.

To those of you who are not trusting in Christ for salvation: I believe this is a personal choice that exists between you and God. I believe there is nothing I can do to force you into heaven. But I also believe that there are things I can do to help you get there (such as remind you about the choice, talk about it, just like I am doing right now). And I want to make absolutely sure that, at the Great Judgment when you stand before God and He asks you why He should let you into heaven, you will not be able to say “I didn’t know how.”

I want to make sure you are there in heaven with me. And if you’re not, I want to make sure I did everything in my power to help you choose God. Everything else I leave to God. I love you, and I want you there. Please don’t choose hell over God.