We will miss you, dear friend! Can't wait to see you on the other side. Our hearts and prayers are with your family.
A Blog About Life Along THE WAY ~ Acts 24:14
Showing posts with label Death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Death. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
When God Calls You Home...
We lost a dear friend from our college days yesterday. Allyn Pepper went Home to be with our Lord Jesus. He'd fought a fierce battle against brain cancer for many months, but through it all he remained an amazing inspiration to me and countless others. His Facebook posts were filled with scripture and encouraging words, evidence that Allyn was hanging on to God's hand through the storm he and his family had to go through. His testimony is so powerful and beautiful, and I'm so glad he shared it on YouTube. Allyn is now enjoying the sweetness of heaven and the presence of our Lord Jesus. It doesn't get any better than that!
We will miss you, dear friend! Can't wait to see you on the other side. Our hearts and prayers are with your family.
We will miss you, dear friend! Can't wait to see you on the other side. Our hearts and prayers are with your family.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Laughter Hides Their Silent Cries
"Laughter hides their silent cries."
That is one of the lines in the song, "People Need the Lord" by Steve Green. This week, we know the truth in those words. I was stunned, along with the rest of the world, to hear the news about Actor and Comedian Robin Williams and how he took his own life. I can't even imagine the depth of pain one must feel to do such a horrific deed. By the world's standards, he had it all. Fame, fortune, adoring fans. But the stories coming out also tell of drugs and alcohol and depression. My heart hurts for his family.
People need the Lord.
I have no idea what Robin Williams believed about Jesus Christ. I don't know where he will spend eternity. He made his life choices about these things. There is no turning back the clock. His life on earth, with all the earthly treasures he accumulated, is over.
People need the Lord.
There are people in my life who need the Lord. Friends. Loved ones. A family I pray for daily. When will they realize, the song lyrics go. But it also goes on to say, "They must hear the words of life only we can share."
Did anyone share those words of life with Robin? We'll probably never know. But there may be folks each of us knows who are, like Robin Williams, at the end of their hope. We have to open our mouths and shed the light on THE Hope of the world.
People need the Lord.
"Lord, help me share the hope found only in You!"
That is one of the lines in the song, "People Need the Lord" by Steve Green. This week, we know the truth in those words. I was stunned, along with the rest of the world, to hear the news about Actor and Comedian Robin Williams and how he took his own life. I can't even imagine the depth of pain one must feel to do such a horrific deed. By the world's standards, he had it all. Fame, fortune, adoring fans. But the stories coming out also tell of drugs and alcohol and depression. My heart hurts for his family.
People need the Lord.
I have no idea what Robin Williams believed about Jesus Christ. I don't know where he will spend eternity. He made his life choices about these things. There is no turning back the clock. His life on earth, with all the earthly treasures he accumulated, is over.
People need the Lord.
There are people in my life who need the Lord. Friends. Loved ones. A family I pray for daily. When will they realize, the song lyrics go. But it also goes on to say, "They must hear the words of life only we can share."
Did anyone share those words of life with Robin? We'll probably never know. But there may be folks each of us knows who are, like Robin Williams, at the end of their hope. We have to open our mouths and shed the light on THE Hope of the world.
People need the Lord.
"Lord, help me share the hope found only in You!"
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Write Your Own Obituary
I have to chuckle at how many of you probably clicked the link to this blog thinking I've lost my mind. LOL. No, no, I'm as sane -- or as insane -- as I've always been. And no, I'm not dying and writing my obit. At least, I don't think I am.
What I am, however, is sobered by the deaths in the news this week. A teacher murdered by a 12-year old student who then killed himself. Another teacher, 24-years old, beaten and stabbed to death by a student. A 12-year old girl who took her own life because she couldn't take the bullying anymore. A head-on collision on a local Interstate that killed both drivers. A WWII plane crash that killed two people. On and on. Every day, every hour, every minute, you can turn on your TV or your computer and see news stories about the untimely death of average people.
Of course we all know and love people who have died. Old age, cancer and other diseases destroy our bodies. Death is a part of life. It isn't something anyone can avoid, and many of us won't have a clue that it's knocking on our door the day it arrives. Car accidents, shootings, and a whole host of other events can bring an end to a life in a matter of moments.
So, this brings me to the title of this post. Knowing that life is not something you can cling to, what do you want your obituary to tell the world about you when you die? Because you will die someday. For some, it will be today. For others, tomorrow. None of us knows for sure. All we can be certain of it will happen one day.
I keep the obituaries of my Mom and Dad in my Bible and read through them every so often. Sometimes it strikes me as odd that a person's life is condensed into a few paragraphs in the newspaper when they die. Daddy and Mom each lived 85 years on this planet. Can a few lines about their families and careers really give us an understanding of all that their lives encompassed? Of who they were down deep?
No. There's just no way a few lines of print can ever achieve that. But there is a man in the Bible whose obituary, if you will, was even shorter, and yet when I read it I know everything about him that was important.
"When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. All together, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Genesis 5:21-24
Enoch walked faithfully with God.
That pretty much sums it up, don't you think? I mean, what more is there to say? That he was a farmer, or a carpenter, or a grape grower? That he enjoyed reading, music and jokes? We know who his father was. We know he had a lot of children. But does any of that tells us the heart of the man, of what made this man tick?
Enoch walked faithfully with God. To me that means he was an obedient son to his parents. He was a faithful husband to his wife. He loved his children and taught them about God. He helped his fellow man. He worked hard and enjoyed the life God had blessed him with. It means he loved God with all his heart, soul and mind.
My hope and prayer is that when it comes time for my obituary to be written, my life can be summed up in five words: Michelle walked faithfully with God.
How about you? What do you want your obituary to say?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Philippines, Russia, Malaysia, Canada, China, South Korea, Ukraine
What I am, however, is sobered by the deaths in the news this week. A teacher murdered by a 12-year old student who then killed himself. Another teacher, 24-years old, beaten and stabbed to death by a student. A 12-year old girl who took her own life because she couldn't take the bullying anymore. A head-on collision on a local Interstate that killed both drivers. A WWII plane crash that killed two people. On and on. Every day, every hour, every minute, you can turn on your TV or your computer and see news stories about the untimely death of average people.
Of course we all know and love people who have died. Old age, cancer and other diseases destroy our bodies. Death is a part of life. It isn't something anyone can avoid, and many of us won't have a clue that it's knocking on our door the day it arrives. Car accidents, shootings, and a whole host of other events can bring an end to a life in a matter of moments.
So, this brings me to the title of this post. Knowing that life is not something you can cling to, what do you want your obituary to tell the world about you when you die? Because you will die someday. For some, it will be today. For others, tomorrow. None of us knows for sure. All we can be certain of it will happen one day.
I keep the obituaries of my Mom and Dad in my Bible and read through them every so often. Sometimes it strikes me as odd that a person's life is condensed into a few paragraphs in the newspaper when they die. Daddy and Mom each lived 85 years on this planet. Can a few lines about their families and careers really give us an understanding of all that their lives encompassed? Of who they were down deep?
No. There's just no way a few lines of print can ever achieve that. But there is a man in the Bible whose obituary, if you will, was even shorter, and yet when I read it I know everything about him that was important.
"When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. All together, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Genesis 5:21-24
Enoch walked faithfully with God.
That pretty much sums it up, don't you think? I mean, what more is there to say? That he was a farmer, or a carpenter, or a grape grower? That he enjoyed reading, music and jokes? We know who his father was. We know he had a lot of children. But does any of that tells us the heart of the man, of what made this man tick?
Enoch walked faithfully with God. To me that means he was an obedient son to his parents. He was a faithful husband to his wife. He loved his children and taught them about God. He helped his fellow man. He worked hard and enjoyed the life God had blessed him with. It means he loved God with all his heart, soul and mind.
My hope and prayer is that when it comes time for my obituary to be written, my life can be summed up in five words: Michelle walked faithfully with God.
How about you? What do you want your obituary to say?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Philippines, Russia, Malaysia, Canada, China, South Korea, Ukraine
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Christian Persecution: How the Early Disciples Died
Hostile.
That's about the only word that adequately describes how the vast majority of the worlds non-Christians feel about Christians these days. I see it every single day in the media. I mean, literally... Every. Single. Day. From news stories and the comments that follow, to sitcoms and late-night jokers. We are labeled ignorant, fools, idiots, bigots, intolerant and hate-mongers, just to name a few. I can't include a lot of other things we're called because the words are not ones I would ever type let alone say. Mr. Cathy of Chick-fil-a recently experienced an outpouring of hate because he expressed his biblically based beliefs regarding marriage. The Family Research Council headquarters in Washington DC was attacked by a gunman and a guard was shot, all because the shooter didn't agree with what the FRC stands for. Just this week the FRC put out a report called the "Study of Religious Hostility in America" illustrating over 600 examples of what it characterized as "religious animosity shown by judges, government bureaucrats, schools and secular groups" toward Christians.
But we American Christians have it easy as far as persecution goes. Our rights are being attacked every day to be sure, but we still have the freedom to worship in our churches, carry a Bible in public, have Christian radio stations, etc. etc., where as Christians in other parts of the world can't. They could face prison or even death if they are caught with a Bible or meeting together.
Is any of this new? Of course not. Jesus Christ himself was persecuted until death, and he made it clear that we, his followers, would be too. So, lest we begin to feel sorry for ourselves because of what is going on in the world, here is a reminder of what our forefathers -- the very first Christians -- went through for the sake of Christ:
Peter: He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
James: The brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple, over 100 feet down, when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.
James the Great: The brother of John, was beheaded at Jerusalem. His amazing faith in the end so impressed his Roman guard that the man, overcome with conviction, declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
Mark: Died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.
John: Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in a huge basin of oil in Rome. Miraculously delivered from death, John went to prison on the island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation. After his release, he died an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
Paul: After suffering years of torture and imprisonment, Paul was beheaded by the Roman Emperor Nero.
Luke: The physician, author of Luke and Acts, and travel companion of Paul, was hanged in Greece.
Andrew: Peter's brother was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece.
Thomas: The doubter who ultimately claimed Jesus as "my Lord and my God" was stabbed with a spear in Madras, the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Barthalomew: Also known as Nathaniel, was a missionary to Asia and present day Turkey. He was flayed to death by a whip for preaching in Armenia.
Jude: Also one of Jesus' brothers, was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
Matthias: The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas, was stoned and then beheaded.
These men never gave up. They never denied Christ. They didn't give in to those who opposed them.
We can do no less.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Russia, United Arab Emirates
That's about the only word that adequately describes how the vast majority of the worlds non-Christians feel about Christians these days. I see it every single day in the media. I mean, literally... Every. Single. Day. From news stories and the comments that follow, to sitcoms and late-night jokers. We are labeled ignorant, fools, idiots, bigots, intolerant and hate-mongers, just to name a few. I can't include a lot of other things we're called because the words are not ones I would ever type let alone say. Mr. Cathy of Chick-fil-a recently experienced an outpouring of hate because he expressed his biblically based beliefs regarding marriage. The Family Research Council headquarters in Washington DC was attacked by a gunman and a guard was shot, all because the shooter didn't agree with what the FRC stands for. Just this week the FRC put out a report called the "Study of Religious Hostility in America" illustrating over 600 examples of what it characterized as "religious animosity shown by judges, government bureaucrats, schools and secular groups" toward Christians.
But we American Christians have it easy as far as persecution goes. Our rights are being attacked every day to be sure, but we still have the freedom to worship in our churches, carry a Bible in public, have Christian radio stations, etc. etc., where as Christians in other parts of the world can't. They could face prison or even death if they are caught with a Bible or meeting together.
Is any of this new? Of course not. Jesus Christ himself was persecuted until death, and he made it clear that we, his followers, would be too. So, lest we begin to feel sorry for ourselves because of what is going on in the world, here is a reminder of what our forefathers -- the very first Christians -- went through for the sake of Christ:
Peter: He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
James: The brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple, over 100 feet down, when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.
James the Great: The brother of John, was beheaded at Jerusalem. His amazing faith in the end so impressed his Roman guard that the man, overcome with conviction, declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
Mark: Died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.
John: Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in a huge basin of oil in Rome. Miraculously delivered from death, John went to prison on the island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation. After his release, he died an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
Paul: After suffering years of torture and imprisonment, Paul was beheaded by the Roman Emperor Nero.
Luke: The physician, author of Luke and Acts, and travel companion of Paul, was hanged in Greece.
Andrew: Peter's brother was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece.
Thomas: The doubter who ultimately claimed Jesus as "my Lord and my God" was stabbed with a spear in Madras, the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Barthalomew: Also known as Nathaniel, was a missionary to Asia and present day Turkey. He was flayed to death by a whip for preaching in Armenia.
Jude: Also one of Jesus' brothers, was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
Matthias: The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas, was stoned and then beheaded.
These men never gave up. They never denied Christ. They didn't give in to those who opposed them.
We can do no less.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Russia, United Arab Emirates
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
When God Allows Evil
A number of my Facebook friends asked how I responded to another friend who wanted to know my thoughts regarding a post about the Colorado movie theater shooting. The story we both commented on can be found here. It's an amazing story about one of the victims. My response to this post was to quote Psalm 139: 16:
"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
My friend wanted to know my interpretation of that scripture in regards to the shooting, as well as to share her views that if God manipulated events in this young woman's life to be saved from death in the shooting, then He must have also manipulated the lives of the others to die a horrible death in that movie theater.
This is my response, followed by a few additional thoughts:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I believe the passage in Psalm 139:13-16 tells us that God knows the day we will be born and the day we will die. God has never hidden the fact that death will come to us all. In Genesis 3:19 He makes it clear we will all return to the ground. How each of us will die, however, is a mystery. Some will pass peacefully in their sleep, which is what I'm praying will happen to my mom. Others, however, will experience pain and misery. Why the difference? I have no idea. Why would God allow some in that movie theater to die an awful death while others were spared? I have no idea.
But I don't think it's our place to ask why. Rather, I think the more appropriate question is "Why not?"
God allowed His only Son to die the most horrific death imaginable. As awful as the things those people in the movie theater experienced last week, it is nothing (I don't say that lightly) compared to what Jesus experienced on the cross and beforehand. So if Jesus, who was fully man when he died so he felt pain the same as we do, was allowed to go through such an agonizing death, why do we think we are too special to die in a manner that is painful and awful? Why do we think God should spare us when He didn't even spare His Son? Certainly, we would never go so far as to say God didn't love Jesus. We would never say that God didn't care about His Son. And we would never say that God didn't have a specific plan in place for allowing Jesus' arrest, beatings, and ultimate death to happen.
We, of course, know that Jesus had purpose in dying on the cross. We have the benefit of looking back and seeing what it was all about. It was for our sakes He suffered. The people in the theater obviously weren't dying to save someone from eternal damnation. Some, though, did sacrifice themselves for their loved one. Those sacrifices affected countless other lives, even lives not yet born. Only time will tell in what ways.
I do believe the girl in the story had a brain defect that God allowed to form, with foresight that one day a bullet would travel through her brain on that defective path. Why? I guess we'll have have to wait and see, but already her story has touched thousands of people.
God loves us so much that He sent His Son to reconcile us to Him so we can spend eternity with Him. But no where in His word does He say our lives will be rosy and perfect down here on earth until that day. No where does He say we won't die a painful, awful death. The disciples and Paul and lots of other faithful servants of God through the years died really awful deaths. Being a believer in God doesn't spare us pain. He never said it would. Why do we, the folks living in modern 2012, think we shouldn't have to experience pain and suffering, when nothing in God's word says anything to make us believe that?
BUT He does say in Revelation 21:4 that "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." This world is NOT our home. We WILL experience bad and terrible things on earth. But once we get HOME, that will be no more.
That is the promise God gives us. That is the promise I cling to every single day. Especially on days, like last Friday, when I don't understand. When I can't see the "why" of it all.
So, I don't know if any of this answers your question, but it's what is in my heart.
My friend wanted to know my interpretation of that scripture in regards to the shooting, as well as to share her views that if God manipulated events in this young woman's life to be saved from death in the shooting, then He must have also manipulated the lives of the others to die a horrible death in that movie theater.
This is my response, followed by a few additional thoughts:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I believe the passage in Psalm 139:13-16 tells us that God knows the day we will be born and the day we will die. God has never hidden the fact that death will come to us all. In Genesis 3:19 He makes it clear we will all return to the ground. How each of us will die, however, is a mystery. Some will pass peacefully in their sleep, which is what I'm praying will happen to my mom. Others, however, will experience pain and misery. Why the difference? I have no idea. Why would God allow some in that movie theater to die an awful death while others were spared? I have no idea.
But I don't think it's our place to ask why. Rather, I think the more appropriate question is "Why not?"
God allowed His only Son to die the most horrific death imaginable. As awful as the things those people in the movie theater experienced last week, it is nothing (I don't say that lightly) compared to what Jesus experienced on the cross and beforehand. So if Jesus, who was fully man when he died so he felt pain the same as we do, was allowed to go through such an agonizing death, why do we think we are too special to die in a manner that is painful and awful? Why do we think God should spare us when He didn't even spare His Son? Certainly, we would never go so far as to say God didn't love Jesus. We would never say that God didn't care about His Son. And we would never say that God didn't have a specific plan in place for allowing Jesus' arrest, beatings, and ultimate death to happen.
We, of course, know that Jesus had purpose in dying on the cross. We have the benefit of looking back and seeing what it was all about. It was for our sakes He suffered. The people in the theater obviously weren't dying to save someone from eternal damnation. Some, though, did sacrifice themselves for their loved one. Those sacrifices affected countless other lives, even lives not yet born. Only time will tell in what ways.
I do believe the girl in the story had a brain defect that God allowed to form, with foresight that one day a bullet would travel through her brain on that defective path. Why? I guess we'll have have to wait and see, but already her story has touched thousands of people.
God loves us so much that He sent His Son to reconcile us to Him so we can spend eternity with Him. But no where in His word does He say our lives will be rosy and perfect down here on earth until that day. No where does He say we won't die a painful, awful death. The disciples and Paul and lots of other faithful servants of God through the years died really awful deaths. Being a believer in God doesn't spare us pain. He never said it would. Why do we, the folks living in modern 2012, think we shouldn't have to experience pain and suffering, when nothing in God's word says anything to make us believe that?
BUT He does say in Revelation 21:4 that "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." This world is NOT our home. We WILL experience bad and terrible things on earth. But once we get HOME, that will be no more.
That is the promise God gives us. That is the promise I cling to every single day. Especially on days, like last Friday, when I don't understand. When I can't see the "why" of it all.
So, I don't know if any of this answers your question, but it's what is in my heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I honestly don't know why God allows evil to exist. I don't understand why He didn't stop that shooter before he even got to the movie theater. I don't understand why anything bad has to happen to anyone good.
But my inability to understand it all doesn't affect my faith in the One True God who DOES understand it. Who DOES have a master plan. Who DOES see the big picture when we can't. Our lives are not our own. We were created by God and for God (Colossians 1:16).
My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Immanuel, God with Us
Christmastime is a wonderful season for our family. We enjoy being with one another celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But for many people, Christmas is not a happy time. In fact, it's extremely painful and difficult to get through, and many would almost rather forget the whole thing completely.
Just this morning I heard about a tragic car accident involving a Texas A&M football player on his way home for the holidays. He swerved to avoid a buzzard in the road and ended up hitting an 18-wheeler head-on. My heart aches for his family, especially because of my own two college boys who drove home last week. Instead of planning Christmas celebrations, this family is now planning a funeral.
Last month a young friend of mine suffered a terrible loss. Her twin sister died suddenly from complications from a disease they shared. This will be my friend's first Christmas in 20-something years without her twin by her side.
Years ago when I was home from college our telephone rang very early on Christmas morning. A friend was calling to say her husband, John, had died after a long battle with cancer. I'll never forget the feeling of sorrow filled with inexplicable wonder that John was spending Christmas with Jesus! I'm sure that even all these years later his widow and son remember losing him on Christmas day.
It is that kind of world---a world where bad things happen even at a wonderful, joyous time of year---that needed Immanuel.
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel--which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23
God with us.
I find that truly, truly amazing.
God loved us so much that He willingly came to dwell among us. He left the perfection of heaven, was born as a human infant, and lived a very normal, unremarkable life until the time came for him to be revealed as the Messiah. I imagine in those first 30 years of life Jesus the man experienced situations very much like those I've listed above. I imagine he lost people he cared about, including his father Joseph. He no doubt had people in his circle of friends and family who suffered from illness and died. Tragedy and sadness are part of life in a fallen world, even for Christ.
Yet Jesus was Immanuel. He knew that although bad things happen, there is hope. There is a promise of something better. He looked into the future and saw Revelation 21:3-4 come to pass:
"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
You and I did not get to experience Immanuel when he lived on earth two thousand years ago, but we will someday soon!
Merry Christmas! May the joy and hope of Immanuel be yours!
Friday, October 7, 2011
The Rich Man and Lazarus
A rich man died this week. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers, lost his battle with cancer. He was only 56 years old. Far too young to die in many peoples' eyes, including mine. I'm not that far behind him age wise. What an amazing mind he had! Such creativity and brilliance. His legacy will live on for ages.
But one question lingers in my mind as I think about Mr. Jobs.
Where is he spending eternity?
I've read that he embraced Buddhism several years ago but also that he wasn't necessarily a 'practicing Buddhist'. Obviously I don't know for certain what, if any, faith or spiritual beliefs he had. I haven't read any articles in the past few days that give a definitive answer about it. Which is telling to me.
There is a story in the Bible that speaks to us about life and death. It's found in Luke 16:19-31. It's about a rich man and a poor man. It's about heaven and hell. It's told by Jesus, who would certainly understand these things better than anyone else.
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus...longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table...The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side." (v. 19-22)
Already we can make some assumptions about how these two men lived their lives. The poor man didn't have much material wealth to show for his time on earth. But clearly he lived his life in obedience according to God's word because he is now receiving his reward: A life in heaven. The rich man, however, is in hell. He had everything the world can offer, but no amount of money will ever buy a ticket out of hell.
The rich man goes on to ask Abraham to send Lazarus down with a drink of water because "I am in agony in this fire' (v. 24). But Abraham makes it clear there is no going back and forth between heaven and hell. "...between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us." (v.26)
What you do on earth matters! How you live the life God has given you matters! Your choices matter. Your heart-beliefs matter. Your words matter. Your actions matter. We are only given one chance to get things right. One life to live and be the person God intended us to be. We are created by God and for God's purposes, not to fulfill our own ideas about what our lives should be.
There is no question Steve Jobs was a brilliant man. His ideas and inventions have benefited millions of people, myself included. But if he didn't acknowledge God and accept Jesus as his Savior, none of those things matter. He'll be remembered on earth as a great man, but his eternal life will be lost.
Now don't misunderstand this post. I am not saying Steve Jobs is in hell. I have no idea what his last months, weeks, days of life were like. I'm sure he contemplated life-after-death in the quiet moments when he knew his body was dying. I hope he sought spiritual guidance and found the Truth that is Jesus Christ.
It's too late now for Steve Jobs to change his mind if he didn't. It was too late for the rich man in the story too and he wants to warn his loved ones.
"...I beg you, father [Abraham], send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." (v. 27-28)
I wonder, does Steve Jobs wish he could send a warning to anyone? His family. His friends. The world. You.
He can't, but like Abraham told the rich man, we already have the warning! It's called the Bible!
"They have Moses and the Prophets, let them listen to them." (v. 29)
Are you listening??? Please do before it's too late. I don't want to look over the great chasm from heaven and see someone I love in hell. ='(
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Russia, Paraguay, Latvia, Germany, Ukraine, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, India, France
But one question lingers in my mind as I think about Mr. Jobs.
Where is he spending eternity?
I've read that he embraced Buddhism several years ago but also that he wasn't necessarily a 'practicing Buddhist'. Obviously I don't know for certain what, if any, faith or spiritual beliefs he had. I haven't read any articles in the past few days that give a definitive answer about it. Which is telling to me.
There is a story in the Bible that speaks to us about life and death. It's found in Luke 16:19-31. It's about a rich man and a poor man. It's about heaven and hell. It's told by Jesus, who would certainly understand these things better than anyone else.
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus...longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table...The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side." (v. 19-22)
Already we can make some assumptions about how these two men lived their lives. The poor man didn't have much material wealth to show for his time on earth. But clearly he lived his life in obedience according to God's word because he is now receiving his reward: A life in heaven. The rich man, however, is in hell. He had everything the world can offer, but no amount of money will ever buy a ticket out of hell.
The rich man goes on to ask Abraham to send Lazarus down with a drink of water because "I am in agony in this fire' (v. 24). But Abraham makes it clear there is no going back and forth between heaven and hell. "...between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us." (v.26)
What you do on earth matters! How you live the life God has given you matters! Your choices matter. Your heart-beliefs matter. Your words matter. Your actions matter. We are only given one chance to get things right. One life to live and be the person God intended us to be. We are created by God and for God's purposes, not to fulfill our own ideas about what our lives should be.
There is no question Steve Jobs was a brilliant man. His ideas and inventions have benefited millions of people, myself included. But if he didn't acknowledge God and accept Jesus as his Savior, none of those things matter. He'll be remembered on earth as a great man, but his eternal life will be lost.
Now don't misunderstand this post. I am not saying Steve Jobs is in hell. I have no idea what his last months, weeks, days of life were like. I'm sure he contemplated life-after-death in the quiet moments when he knew his body was dying. I hope he sought spiritual guidance and found the Truth that is Jesus Christ.
It's too late now for Steve Jobs to change his mind if he didn't. It was too late for the rich man in the story too and he wants to warn his loved ones.
"...I beg you, father [Abraham], send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." (v. 27-28)
I wonder, does Steve Jobs wish he could send a warning to anyone? His family. His friends. The world. You.
He can't, but like Abraham told the rich man, we already have the warning! It's called the Bible!
"They have Moses and the Prophets, let them listen to them." (v. 29)
Are you listening??? Please do before it's too late. I don't want to look over the great chasm from heaven and see someone I love in hell. ='(
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Russia, Paraguay, Latvia, Germany, Ukraine, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, India, France
Monday, May 2, 2011
Every Knee Will Bow
It's hard to know how to feel about the death of Osama bin Laden. On one hand, I'm thankful he's dead. He was an evil, hate-filled person and his existence offered nothing positive to the world. On the other hand, I don't celebrate the death of a human who will now spend eternity in hell because of his rejection of Jesus Christ.
And that is what all life comes down to: When you die, where will you spend eternity?
Philippians 2:5-11 tells us who Jesus is and what is to come for us all. Verses 9-11 read:
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the very name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Osama bin Laden made his choice. He chose hate and evil. He chose to believe a lie instead of the truth. He rejected his Savior and embraced the Deceiver.
BUT...
Osama bin Laden---like every single one of us!---will come face-to-face with Jesus one day! He will stand in judgement for every single atrocity he played a role in. He will have to give an answer to the choices he made. He will have to confess his rejection and denial of God's Son. And when his judgement is final, he will experience the second death described in Revelation 21:11-15 and 22:8.
Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess.
It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter if you have people who worship you and follow your every command. It doesn't matter how much money you have in your account or how powerful your word is. What matters is the answer to one simple question:
Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
If the answer is no, you will suffer the same fate as Osama bin Laden. It's too late for him.
Don't come to the end of your life only to realize how wrong you've been.
And that is what all life comes down to: When you die, where will you spend eternity?
Philippians 2:5-11 tells us who Jesus is and what is to come for us all. Verses 9-11 read:
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the very name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Osama bin Laden made his choice. He chose hate and evil. He chose to believe a lie instead of the truth. He rejected his Savior and embraced the Deceiver.
BUT...
Osama bin Laden---like every single one of us!---will come face-to-face with Jesus one day! He will stand in judgement for every single atrocity he played a role in. He will have to give an answer to the choices he made. He will have to confess his rejection and denial of God's Son. And when his judgement is final, he will experience the second death described in Revelation 21:11-15 and 22:8.
Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess.
It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter if you have people who worship you and follow your every command. It doesn't matter how much money you have in your account or how powerful your word is. What matters is the answer to one simple question:
Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
If the answer is no, you will suffer the same fate as Osama bin Laden. It's too late for him.
Don't come to the end of your life only to realize how wrong you've been.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Do Not Be Deceived!
Our dog does not like to go outside when the weather is sketchy. Cold, wind, rain and especially thunder make him cower under a blanket. But because the world is his potty, he has to go out at times no matter what the weather may be doing. Like this morning. It was windy. Leaves were blowing and he did not want to go out the backdoor. So my husband tricked him. "Let's go get the mail, Copper!" Immediately Copper jumped off the couch and ran to the front door. He was excited to go outside now. Yes, we had to deceive our dog to get him outside, but it was for his own good.
Yet deception in real life is never a good thing. Merriam Webster defines 'deceive' as:
Ensnare; to be false to; cheat; to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid
I hate it when someone tells me a lie! I canNOT stand it when I know someone is lying to me or trying to trick me into doing something. It makes me distrustful of them from that point on. And like I tell my kids, once trust is lost it is not easily gained back. But the truth is we get duped all too often in this world. Sometimes by people, businesses and governments. Sometimes, however, we get duped by someone far more sinister.
The very first reference in the Bible to deception comes in Genesis 3:13. God has created everything beautiful and perfect, including mankind. Adam and Eve are living in paradise in the Garden of Eden. They want for nothing. But, like most of us at one time or another, that isn't good enough. God's best was not enough for Adam and Eve. It didn't take long for The Enemy to figure that out. He slithered into the Garden, approached Eve and told her the first of many, many lies he would tell from that point on. And Eve, like most of us at one time or another, bought into his lie. When God confronts her about it, she says,
"The serpent deceived me."
Folks, the serpent is still deceiving people today.
"There is no God."
"The Bible is just an ancient book of fairy tales."
"Cheating isn't wrong as long as no one gets hurt."
"God made me gay."
"I fell in love with someone else so divorce is okay."
On and on. There isn't a human around that hasn't fallen for his lies. Paul knew this was true. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 he writes:
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? DO NOT BE DECEIVED! Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (Emphasis is mine.)
(For those like me who need to know what the original Greek text said, here is a link.)
Do not be deceived! Do not buy into the lies the Enemy is telling. In John 8:44 Jesus himself calls Satan "a liar and the father of lies." That tells me that 1) Satan is real! and 2) we need to beware of his lies. The Enemy tells us what is not true or valid. And when we accept it as truth we jeopardize our place in the Kingdom of God.
How do you know when you've been deceived? How do you know what is truth and what is a lie? Ask youself one simple question: Does what you're doing and/or believing align with the Bible? Are you on the same page as biblical teachings? If not, then you've been deceived, plain and simple. God will never, ever trick you. He is truth. Sometimes we don't want to hear the truth He offers and that's when the Enemy steps in.
DO NOT BE DECEIVED!
Your very life may depend on it!
Yet deception in real life is never a good thing. Merriam Webster defines 'deceive' as:
Ensnare; to be false to; cheat; to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid
I hate it when someone tells me a lie! I canNOT stand it when I know someone is lying to me or trying to trick me into doing something. It makes me distrustful of them from that point on. And like I tell my kids, once trust is lost it is not easily gained back. But the truth is we get duped all too often in this world. Sometimes by people, businesses and governments. Sometimes, however, we get duped by someone far more sinister.
The very first reference in the Bible to deception comes in Genesis 3:13. God has created everything beautiful and perfect, including mankind. Adam and Eve are living in paradise in the Garden of Eden. They want for nothing. But, like most of us at one time or another, that isn't good enough. God's best was not enough for Adam and Eve. It didn't take long for The Enemy to figure that out. He slithered into the Garden, approached Eve and told her the first of many, many lies he would tell from that point on. And Eve, like most of us at one time or another, bought into his lie. When God confronts her about it, she says,
"The serpent deceived me."
Folks, the serpent is still deceiving people today.
"There is no God."
"The Bible is just an ancient book of fairy tales."
"Cheating isn't wrong as long as no one gets hurt."
"God made me gay."
"I fell in love with someone else so divorce is okay."
On and on. There isn't a human around that hasn't fallen for his lies. Paul knew this was true. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 he writes:
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? DO NOT BE DECEIVED! Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (Emphasis is mine.)
(For those like me who need to know what the original Greek text said, here is a link.)
Do not be deceived! Do not buy into the lies the Enemy is telling. In John 8:44 Jesus himself calls Satan "a liar and the father of lies." That tells me that 1) Satan is real! and 2) we need to beware of his lies. The Enemy tells us what is not true or valid. And when we accept it as truth we jeopardize our place in the Kingdom of God.
How do you know when you've been deceived? How do you know what is truth and what is a lie? Ask youself one simple question: Does what you're doing and/or believing align with the Bible? Are you on the same page as biblical teachings? If not, then you've been deceived, plain and simple. God will never, ever trick you. He is truth. Sometimes we don't want to hear the truth He offers and that's when the Enemy steps in.
DO NOT BE DECEIVED!
Your very life may depend on it!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Not Our Home
I will attend a funeral this afternoon. The 43-year-old daughter of a family we've known for 30 years was killed in a tragic car accident last week. Rachel was a teenager the first time I met her. She was in high school and was visiting the college I attended, staying in our dorm with friends. As an adult, Rachel made life-choices that went against her Christian upbringing and brought a lot of pain and grief to her family. She's been on my prayer list for years and it broke my heart to cross out her name. I don't know where Rachel will spend eternity. I didn't know what was inside her heart, but God did. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7: "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." My deepest prayer is that Rachel loved the Lord and His mercy will cover her for all eternity.
The little 9-year-old girl who was killed in the horrific shooting in Arizona Saturday will be buried tomorrow. Christina was a beautiful child and its heartbreaking to think of her family losing her at such a young age. I have no doubts that she is resting in the arms of our Savior. "Let the little children come unto me," Jesus said in Mark 10:14. He goes on to say that "the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
As tragic as these deaths are to the loved ones left behind, death will come to us all in one form or fashion. Every single one of us will die. This world was never intended as our permanent home. Paul tells us in Philippians 3:20 that "our citizenship is in heaven." But lest you believe everyone will go to heaven, remember what Jesus said in John 14:6: "No one comes to the Father but through Me." You must acknowledge Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior if you want to spend eternity with God. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you are included in Jesus' words to the thief on the cross in Luke 23:43: "TODAY you will be with me in paradise." The thief's body was dying but his spirit was headed to heaven.
When the day comes that your heart will stop beating, your lungs will not draw breath, your blood will run cold...on that day, don't you want to be assured that your spirit will live on in paradise?
You can! There is no reason to fear death when you know Jesus as your Lord and King! If you aren't sure where you will spend eternity, please contact me. It would be my honor to pray for you. Salvation and eternal certainty are a breath away.
(For more information on what happens after we die, scroll down to Post #15 in my "Revelation" category titled "The Dead are Judged.")
The little 9-year-old girl who was killed in the horrific shooting in Arizona Saturday will be buried tomorrow. Christina was a beautiful child and its heartbreaking to think of her family losing her at such a young age. I have no doubts that she is resting in the arms of our Savior. "Let the little children come unto me," Jesus said in Mark 10:14. He goes on to say that "the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
As tragic as these deaths are to the loved ones left behind, death will come to us all in one form or fashion. Every single one of us will die. This world was never intended as our permanent home. Paul tells us in Philippians 3:20 that "our citizenship is in heaven." But lest you believe everyone will go to heaven, remember what Jesus said in John 14:6: "No one comes to the Father but through Me." You must acknowledge Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior if you want to spend eternity with God. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you are included in Jesus' words to the thief on the cross in Luke 23:43: "TODAY you will be with me in paradise." The thief's body was dying but his spirit was headed to heaven.
When the day comes that your heart will stop beating, your lungs will not draw breath, your blood will run cold...on that day, don't you want to be assured that your spirit will live on in paradise?
You can! There is no reason to fear death when you know Jesus as your Lord and King! If you aren't sure where you will spend eternity, please contact me. It would be my honor to pray for you. Salvation and eternal certainty are a breath away.
(For more information on what happens after we die, scroll down to Post #15 in my "Revelation" category titled "The Dead are Judged.")
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Happy Birthday, Mom!
Today is my Mom's 83rd birthday! Happy Birthday, Mom!!
I wish I could tell her myself. I wish I could call her on the telephone and sing "Happy Birthday" to her. I wish I could send her some flowers or a funny card that would make her smile. Even though 700 miles separate us, I'd still like to help make her day special.
But I won't do any of those things.
You see, the very sad reality is that my mom doesn't know who I am. She probably doesn't even know it's her birthday. My mom has Alzheimer's Disease.
I've never known anyone with Alzheimer's until now. It's a mean disease. It robs the victim of the person they once were. It has robbed my mom of decades of memories. She and my dad were married for 56 years before Daddy passed away in 2007. My mom doesn't remember him. She can't recall his name when she looks at his picture. Not even when he was a young man.
And because she doesn't remember that she was married, she certainly doesn't remember having five children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
I will never understand, at least in this lifetime, why my mom had to suffer with Alzheimer's Disease in these final years of life. She was a God-fearing, Jesus-loving woman. She loved her husband and her children. She did her very best as our mother. She taught Sunday School as long as I can remember. She held backyard Bible school's during the summers when I was growing up. She served her church faithfully. She taught other peoples' children for 25 years in the public school system. She was a good woman by the world's standards. She was a faithful servant by God's standards.
And yet she was not spared from this mean, mean disease.
I don't understand. But I accept it. She did too. She knew the disease was coming. She didn't know why, but she knew it would steal her away from us.
One day in the not too distant future my mom will be whole again. She will smile and laugh and sing and dance. She will know everyone around her. She'll see her loved ones again. She'll see my dad. She'll be Home.
Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you with all my heart!
I wish I could tell her myself. I wish I could call her on the telephone and sing "Happy Birthday" to her. I wish I could send her some flowers or a funny card that would make her smile. Even though 700 miles separate us, I'd still like to help make her day special.
But I won't do any of those things.
You see, the very sad reality is that my mom doesn't know who I am. She probably doesn't even know it's her birthday. My mom has Alzheimer's Disease.
I've never known anyone with Alzheimer's until now. It's a mean disease. It robs the victim of the person they once were. It has robbed my mom of decades of memories. She and my dad were married for 56 years before Daddy passed away in 2007. My mom doesn't remember him. She can't recall his name when she looks at his picture. Not even when he was a young man.
And because she doesn't remember that she was married, she certainly doesn't remember having five children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
I will never understand, at least in this lifetime, why my mom had to suffer with Alzheimer's Disease in these final years of life. She was a God-fearing, Jesus-loving woman. She loved her husband and her children. She did her very best as our mother. She taught Sunday School as long as I can remember. She held backyard Bible school's during the summers when I was growing up. She served her church faithfully. She taught other peoples' children for 25 years in the public school system. She was a good woman by the world's standards. She was a faithful servant by God's standards.
And yet she was not spared from this mean, mean disease.
I don't understand. But I accept it. She did too. She knew the disease was coming. She didn't know why, but she knew it would steal her away from us.
One day in the not too distant future my mom will be whole again. She will smile and laugh and sing and dance. She will know everyone around her. She'll see her loved ones again. She'll see my dad. She'll be Home.
Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you with all my heart!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Revelation Part 15: The Dead are Judged
Here is a statement no one can argue with:
Everyone will die someday.
There is absolutely no way to get around it. YOU. WILL. DIE. SOME. DAY! The question a lot of people ask, however, is, "What happens after we die?"
The answer is in Revelation 20:11-15:
"Then I [John] saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Folks, it doesn't get much plainer than that! We will be judged according to what we've done here on earth! And one of the things that will be asked is, "Did you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Did you know His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Savior?"
Jesus himself said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Good deeds will not get you into heaven where the Father is! Being a good person won't do it. Giving to the poor won't do it. It is only through Jesus Christ! He is our door to heaven.
Notice the books mentioned in Rev. 20:12. "Books" are opened, which have all our deeds recorded in them. The dead are judged by what is in these books. I imagine these books are huge and many since every single person that has ever lived will be judged. This is where our good deeds and giving to the poor come in. It's where our victories and failures have been recorded. God will remind us of all we've done--good and bad--and he'll judge us based on what is in these books.
But...
...There's another book.
This book is THE book! It is the book of life! When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, our names are written in the book of life.
"If anyone's name is not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (20:15)
We already know that Satan, the beast and the false prophet have been thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death. Rev. 20:10 says "they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Even death and Hades--which is hell--are thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is worse than any "hell" we can imagine.
If your name is not written in the book of life, you will be thrown into the lake of fire and experience the same eternal punishment that Satan and his minions will endure.
I've said this before in this study:
The time to repent is now, folks!
My deeds are recorded in those books. I will be judged. You will, too. But praise God, I am assured that my name is written in the book of life, so I will not suffer eternal punishment!
Is your name in the book of life? If not, what are you waiting for? It can be written in there today!
Everyone will die someday.
There is absolutely no way to get around it. YOU. WILL. DIE. SOME. DAY! The question a lot of people ask, however, is, "What happens after we die?"
The answer is in Revelation 20:11-15:
"Then I [John] saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Folks, it doesn't get much plainer than that! We will be judged according to what we've done here on earth! And one of the things that will be asked is, "Did you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Did you know His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Savior?"
Jesus himself said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Good deeds will not get you into heaven where the Father is! Being a good person won't do it. Giving to the poor won't do it. It is only through Jesus Christ! He is our door to heaven.
Notice the books mentioned in Rev. 20:12. "Books" are opened, which have all our deeds recorded in them. The dead are judged by what is in these books. I imagine these books are huge and many since every single person that has ever lived will be judged. This is where our good deeds and giving to the poor come in. It's where our victories and failures have been recorded. God will remind us of all we've done--good and bad--and he'll judge us based on what is in these books.
But...
...There's another book.
This book is THE book! It is the book of life! When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, our names are written in the book of life.
"If anyone's name is not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (20:15)
We already know that Satan, the beast and the false prophet have been thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death. Rev. 20:10 says "they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Even death and Hades--which is hell--are thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is worse than any "hell" we can imagine.
If your name is not written in the book of life, you will be thrown into the lake of fire and experience the same eternal punishment that Satan and his minions will endure.
I've said this before in this study:
The time to repent is now, folks!
My deeds are recorded in those books. I will be judged. You will, too. But praise God, I am assured that my name is written in the book of life, so I will not suffer eternal punishment!
Is your name in the book of life? If not, what are you waiting for? It can be written in there today!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Not afraid of death....
You may think this strange, but death is not morbid to me. I'm not afraid of death or of dying. To me, it's just a part of life. Everyone will die. Every single person who has ever been born will die. Every plant will die. Every animal will die. Every creepy, crawly 'thing' will die. So why be afraid of something that is part of life?
I suppose the real fear lies in the Unknown of death. What happens to us after we die? As a Bible-believer, I have the answer right in front of me. My imperfect body will die. It will cease to have blood and oxygen flowing through it. My heart will stop and my flesh will begin to rot. But that is only part of Me. My spirit will continue to live forever. Yours will too.
What happens to our spirit when our body dies?
That is the million dollar question, folks. And I'm gonna talk straight with you. There are only TWO options. You will either spend eternity in Paradise with Jesus, as he told the man on the cross next to him (Luke 23:43) or the you will spend it in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).
As a Christian, this weekend means many things, but the one that stands out to me this morning is this: JESUS DEFEATED DEATH!
Hebrews 2:14-15 says, "Since [we] the children have flesh and blood, [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."
Folks, Jesus defeated death! There is nothing to fear if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior! He will save you from eternal death, which is described in Revelation 20.
Are you afraid to die? Have peace this Easter. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved!
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