John 12:47-48 — And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Over the last week or so, as well as Pastor Todd and his wife the wonderful Sonya Stearns directing us from time to time, we’ve been blessed to have Lindsey Graham rehearse us in a song that starts with a series of expressions of awe … “Whoah,…whoah …”. (In case you don’t know Lindsey Graham and her wonderful music ministry, I feel bound to include a reference to her website http://www.lindseygrahamministries.com/ ).
As we rehearsed the song Lindsey pointed out something she had been told, that really made an impression on me. Sometimes, perhaps, we take the “whoahs” (and maybe the “ohs” and “ahs”) in devotional songs a bit lightly. But there will come a day when we stand in the presence of Jesus … and then “whoah!” will certainly be in our vocabulary!
OK, changing gear a little …
This morning, as Myra and I were having our devotions, she pointed out that at the last judgment there’ll be two sorts of people, and two sorts of fear. There’ll be Christians, with the kind of fear of God that is “the beginning of wisdom”. Then there’ll be everybody else — and they will have the fear that is abject fear of the terrible future that inevitably will lie ahead. As she said it, “whoah” and  “woe” popped into my head!
When I consider the “Woe”, I think of an extraordinary book — “The Devotions Of Bishop Andrewes”. Lancelot Andrewes was head of the committee that created the King James version of the Bible. He wrote his manual of devotions in Greek, and they were translated by John Henry Newman. They contain this passage that surely describes the state of the wicked on judgment day. It is so clear and accurate that I make no apology for this long extract:

Alas, alas! woe, woe.
…
when the thrones are set
and Angels stand around,
and men are brought in,
the books opened,
the works enquired into,
the thoughts examined,
and the hidden things of darkness.
What judgment shall be upon me?
who shall quench my flame?
who shall lighten my darkness,
if Thou pity me not?
Lord, as Thou art loving,
give me tears,
give me floods, give me today.
For then will be the incorruptible Judge,
the horrible judgment seat,
the answer without excuses,
the inevitable charges,
the shameful punishment,
the endless Gehenna,
the pitiless Angels,
the yawning hell,
the roaring stream of fire,
the unquenchable flame,
the dark prison,
the rayless darkness,
the bed of live coals,
the unwearied worm,
the indissoluble chains,
the bottomless chaos,
the impassable wall;
the inconsolable cry,
none to stand by me,
none to plead for me,
none to snatch me out.

So which is it going to be for you? “woe!” or “whoah!”? To know that so many will be doomed to that horrific future is heartbreaking. It is hard for me to believe that many reading this devotion can fall into that group. If you do, I beg you find a good Christian advisor, and surrender yourself to Jesus now! For everyone else — look forward to “Whoah!”