...but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." Genesis 2: 17
Death. Nor a topic that most folks want to talk about, think about or do, for that matter, but
the statistics do not lie in this case. Each of us has a 100% probability of dying. Well, we
could pull an Elijah, but that is a stretch.
Woody Allen said that 'He isn't afraid to die...he just doesn't want to be there when it happens.'
That's because we weren't created to die; it is an experience that our bodies were never meant
to have. We fear it, even if we have complete confidence in what will follow, because it is
alien to how we were meant to be.
We ,all of us, are born into this fallen world spiritually dead. Now this isn't a first death,
literally but it follows that we must be 'reborn' to become spiritually alive. At that
moment, we actually die with Jesus... we die to sin. So that would be our first taste of
death. It is a necessity, according to Jesus, as He explained to Nicodemus.
Our lives, saved or not, are a one-way ticket from birth to an end. We age, unless we
die early in terms of years, toward a time when our bodies no longer function and our
souls depart. I have seen cases where the picture painted by some Christians proves to
be a bit ridiculous. Christians do not often die with a smile on their lips and a
countenance of joy as they take that final breath. In fact, I have seen folks battle
ferociously right up to that final moment or two, folks who I truly believe were
destined to be with the Lord moments later.
Our bodies have a built-in survival goal. In the processes of dying, the body shuts
down "unneeded" organs and condenses toward its center to try and remain alive.
Again, we were never created to die.
So the second death, which is inevitable, is there for us all. With Christ a part of
your life, you have every reason to believe that He will be there to walk with you
across the divide.
It's the 'next' death that you will be unable to avoid, should you not be the righteousness
of Christ. It's the Lake of Fire death which will come to those who have rejected
Him. It's a death that no one wants to experience; unfortunately. many, many will do
so. Please do everything to avoid this third death. Reach out, call out to Jesus.
He is waiting and will answer your heart's desire to be a part of His Kingdom
eternally.
Praise our God!
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015
From strength to weakness..and back again!
A good friend fell asleep this past weekend; I will miss him very much. He is with
the Lord and, thus, I have no worries about where he is and how he is! If I am
interpreting scripture correctly, there is a very good chance that his wait to see his
loving wife, Kathie, and friends, which there were many, will be in the blink of an eye.
The whole temporal aspect of our own space-time is God created and not at all
applicable to those who have gone on.
Noel was a very strong individual. He was strong physically, strong in personality
and strong in his views on things. At first, this was a bit of a problem for me in terms
of creating a friendship, but that all passed. I was fortunate to teach and coach with
him at the middle school level for a number of years. This strength that describes
him continued throughout his years, though I did feel that he mellowed a bit from
a 'black or white' sort of soul to one who could see grey areas. His heart was big and
he would do anything for a friend.
Over the past few weeks his health deteriorated very quickly. Though I talked with
him and his wife, I really do not know exactly what was going on inside his body, and
it appeared that doctors also had a very difficult time determining how to help.
That strength of body changed into abject weakness as he told me over the phone that
he really had no strength. In the end, in ICU, his body gave out and shut down and
he went to be with the Lord.
Our strength, our very ability to live in a body wherein all sorts of things have to
be operating efficiently just to put our feet on the floor and stand, is derived from
God. It is imputed to us; we are sustained at all times by Him; otherwise, we
would lose that strength immediately. We also have a shelf-life. There is a beginning
and an end to our very short time on this earth, and, once again, God is in total
control of that. When the strength of good health, of a body that is functioning
at the necessary levels gives out, our time has come.
That strength given to us by God is promised to be renewed by the giving of an
nonperishable body, one that does not wither, does not fail, will be
everlasting. Noel is in a place that we simply are not allowed to see in clarity,
but the veil has been teased open enough to realize that it is more wonderful
than words can express.
So I do not feel sorrow for this friend, in fact I would have to admit a bit of
envy. I will wait to see him and be overjoyed that my days in the place I was
meant to be will be forever. We will have coffee, a few laughs, and will be
joined by other special people that God has placed into our existence. I
am anxious for that time.
Praise our God!
the Lord and, thus, I have no worries about where he is and how he is! If I am
interpreting scripture correctly, there is a very good chance that his wait to see his
loving wife, Kathie, and friends, which there were many, will be in the blink of an eye.
The whole temporal aspect of our own space-time is God created and not at all
applicable to those who have gone on.
Noel was a very strong individual. He was strong physically, strong in personality
and strong in his views on things. At first, this was a bit of a problem for me in terms
of creating a friendship, but that all passed. I was fortunate to teach and coach with
him at the middle school level for a number of years. This strength that describes
him continued throughout his years, though I did feel that he mellowed a bit from
a 'black or white' sort of soul to one who could see grey areas. His heart was big and
he would do anything for a friend.
Over the past few weeks his health deteriorated very quickly. Though I talked with
him and his wife, I really do not know exactly what was going on inside his body, and
it appeared that doctors also had a very difficult time determining how to help.
That strength of body changed into abject weakness as he told me over the phone that
he really had no strength. In the end, in ICU, his body gave out and shut down and
he went to be with the Lord.
Our strength, our very ability to live in a body wherein all sorts of things have to
be operating efficiently just to put our feet on the floor and stand, is derived from
God. It is imputed to us; we are sustained at all times by Him; otherwise, we
would lose that strength immediately. We also have a shelf-life. There is a beginning
and an end to our very short time on this earth, and, once again, God is in total
control of that. When the strength of good health, of a body that is functioning
at the necessary levels gives out, our time has come.
That strength given to us by God is promised to be renewed by the giving of an
nonperishable body, one that does not wither, does not fail, will be
everlasting. Noel is in a place that we simply are not allowed to see in clarity,
but the veil has been teased open enough to realize that it is more wonderful
than words can express.
So I do not feel sorrow for this friend, in fact I would have to admit a bit of
envy. I will wait to see him and be overjoyed that my days in the place I was
meant to be will be forever. We will have coffee, a few laughs, and will be
joined by other special people that God has placed into our existence. I
am anxious for that time.
Praise our God!
Friday, November 21, 2014
Life can and will be breathtaking!
I got to thinking recently about what a beautiful messed up world we live in. It isn't the
world that God created. It was altered by sin and the ramifications of that change are in
evidence right down to our own cellular level. Yet, there are so many beautiful things about
this gift of life that can take our breath away.
I was recalling, for example, the beauty of the Smoky Mountains that were a frequent
destination when we lived in Tennessee. Hiking back along the trails adjacent to streams
of crisp, cold water, the smell of the pine trees and the sunlight filtering down through them
were breathtaking. The birth of my daughter and the chance to hold her for that first
time, breathtaking. Any of us could begin a list comprised of the many wonderful,
memorable things in our lives.
In another sense which we often choose to suppress, God almighty has knowledge of the
moment in which we will draw our final breath on this earth. Along with and as a result of
sin, we are all to go through death. This moment is suppressed in our culture due to fear
and we choose to ignore it on a day to day basis.
God, through His beloved son, Jesus, devised a plan which does not circumvent death but
conquers it. We will die, but that death, with the resurrection of Christ Jesus, is a moment
of glorious passage into the family of God. It is a passage, through grace, that renders us
acceptable to a Holy God based solely on the work and love of Jesus to make atonement
for our sins. We don't accomplish it in any way; we are given this gift due only to the God
who values and loves His wayward creation.
There was death upon that cross, but that death was life-giving because it triumphed
over the grave, over sin and over the evil one whose temptation brought about death in
the first place. So in a very real way, that moment of death is breathtaking and truly
breathtaking.
Are you a child of God? Are you saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ? Have you
gone to your knees and asked Him to forgive and save you? God calls and woos but He
will only save those who are willing.
Praise Him!
world that God created. It was altered by sin and the ramifications of that change are in
evidence right down to our own cellular level. Yet, there are so many beautiful things about
this gift of life that can take our breath away.
I was recalling, for example, the beauty of the Smoky Mountains that were a frequent
destination when we lived in Tennessee. Hiking back along the trails adjacent to streams
of crisp, cold water, the smell of the pine trees and the sunlight filtering down through them
were breathtaking. The birth of my daughter and the chance to hold her for that first
time, breathtaking. Any of us could begin a list comprised of the many wonderful,
memorable things in our lives.
In another sense which we often choose to suppress, God almighty has knowledge of the
moment in which we will draw our final breath on this earth. Along with and as a result of
sin, we are all to go through death. This moment is suppressed in our culture due to fear
and we choose to ignore it on a day to day basis.
God, through His beloved son, Jesus, devised a plan which does not circumvent death but
conquers it. We will die, but that death, with the resurrection of Christ Jesus, is a moment
of glorious passage into the family of God. It is a passage, through grace, that renders us
acceptable to a Holy God based solely on the work and love of Jesus to make atonement
for our sins. We don't accomplish it in any way; we are given this gift due only to the God
who values and loves His wayward creation.
There was death upon that cross, but that death was life-giving because it triumphed
over the grave, over sin and over the evil one whose temptation brought about death in
the first place. So in a very real way, that moment of death is breathtaking and truly
breathtaking.
Are you a child of God? Are you saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ? Have you
gone to your knees and asked Him to forgive and save you? God calls and woos but He
will only save those who are willing.
Praise Him!
Friday, September 20, 2013
The Saddest Kiss of All
Matthew 26:49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.
It's more than a bit embarrassing to note that despite being an English teacher
for many years, and having a liking for idioms and colloquial expressions, I never
knew what the phrase.."The Kiss of Death." meant. That just shows the
frightening reality that people can so easily live their lives outside the knowledge
of the Bible, Jesus and the Gospel.
It's obvious that Judas was sending a signal to those who were about to
apprehend Jesus, one that he had previously discussed with them in exchange
for a handful of silver coins. It is also obvious that Jesus foreknew which of His
disciples would betray Him.
Matthew 26:23-25 The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will
betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to
that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not
been born.
Then Judas, the one who would betray Him, said, "Surely you don't mean me,
Rabbi?
Jesus answered, "You have said so."
There is scripture that suggests that Satan entered Judas about this time. It's
interesting to wonder about the chain of events that we know had to play themselves
out for the divine plan for salvation to occur. The savage treatment and horrific
death that Jesus was to encounter were necessary and inevitable. He knew what
"the cup" entailed and willfully accepted the role that He had to play.
Judas may not have had a choice; it may have been part of the plan. He may have
had free will and made the decision based on some sort of rejection that the
messiah could die before doing what was expected or he may have been driven
by satan... we can only speculate.
The reality is that this kiss of sadness was one of many events
that brought about the greatest gift ever given, the grace-filled path to
redemption and reconciliation with God. A gift paid in full by the blood of
Jesus.
It's more than a bit embarrassing to note that despite being an English teacher
for many years, and having a liking for idioms and colloquial expressions, I never
knew what the phrase.."The Kiss of Death." meant. That just shows the
frightening reality that people can so easily live their lives outside the knowledge
of the Bible, Jesus and the Gospel.
It's obvious that Judas was sending a signal to those who were about to
apprehend Jesus, one that he had previously discussed with them in exchange
for a handful of silver coins. It is also obvious that Jesus foreknew which of His
disciples would betray Him.
Matthew 26:23-25 The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will
betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to
that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not
been born.
Then Judas, the one who would betray Him, said, "Surely you don't mean me,
Rabbi?
Jesus answered, "You have said so."
There is scripture that suggests that Satan entered Judas about this time. It's
interesting to wonder about the chain of events that we know had to play themselves
out for the divine plan for salvation to occur. The savage treatment and horrific
death that Jesus was to encounter were necessary and inevitable. He knew what
"the cup" entailed and willfully accepted the role that He had to play.
Judas may not have had a choice; it may have been part of the plan. He may have
had free will and made the decision based on some sort of rejection that the
messiah could die before doing what was expected or he may have been driven
by satan... we can only speculate.
The reality is that this kiss of sadness was one of many events
that brought about the greatest gift ever given, the grace-filled path to
redemption and reconciliation with God. A gift paid in full by the blood of
Jesus.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Twice born..Once dead
All we humans are complex, differently unique and created by God. The two things we all
have in common are being born and facing death. I don't remember my birth in much detail, and that's probably a very good thing! In a previous blog entry I called the birth process Miraculous, and I stand by that assertion!
One of the things I found most odd prior to truly accepting Jesus into my life was the concept
of being Born Again. Like the man who questioned Jesus about the idea of retuning to the womb,
I found the concept almost amusing. I believe that Jesus makes it perfectly clear that this
rebirth is a prerequisite to being a part of God's kingdom. That makes things a lot more serious;
it's a process of changing from lost to saved, from world centered to God centered, from
prideful to humble...I could go on. It's a process performed at the heart level, it's passive
in the sense that it is done to us, not by us. Serious, yet simple in the sense that we simply have
to give our lives over to Christ Jesus.
Now on the other end of things, we all are mortal. The wages of sin is death. All of us will
face this inevitable end, even though we often refuse to accept it until it is happening. Having
a spiritual tie to Christ and to God makes it less fearsome. I truly am no longer afraid of
death, yet I am fearful of the dieing process. The fact that there is the eternal hope provided by
the gospel, that Jesus conquered death in his resurrection and that we are saved by grace to
an inheritance in the family of God, make this end point a lot less fearsome.
But...we do not want to die twice! That second death, yes second death, is the one facing those
who have rejected God. It's the death that follows judgement, the judgement faced by all of us
in the end, where we stand before God on our own merit or on the merit of the Son of God.
We cannot save ourselves from the wrath God holds for our sin, but we can accept
salvation through the atoning blood of our precious savior, Jesus.
As Rich Mullins says in the song,:" Everyman, " There's room for everyone at the foot of the
cross! I'll see you there!
have in common are being born and facing death. I don't remember my birth in much detail, and that's probably a very good thing! In a previous blog entry I called the birth process Miraculous, and I stand by that assertion!
One of the things I found most odd prior to truly accepting Jesus into my life was the concept
of being Born Again. Like the man who questioned Jesus about the idea of retuning to the womb,
I found the concept almost amusing. I believe that Jesus makes it perfectly clear that this
rebirth is a prerequisite to being a part of God's kingdom. That makes things a lot more serious;
it's a process of changing from lost to saved, from world centered to God centered, from
prideful to humble...I could go on. It's a process performed at the heart level, it's passive
in the sense that it is done to us, not by us. Serious, yet simple in the sense that we simply have
to give our lives over to Christ Jesus.
Now on the other end of things, we all are mortal. The wages of sin is death. All of us will
face this inevitable end, even though we often refuse to accept it until it is happening. Having
a spiritual tie to Christ and to God makes it less fearsome. I truly am no longer afraid of
death, yet I am fearful of the dieing process. The fact that there is the eternal hope provided by
the gospel, that Jesus conquered death in his resurrection and that we are saved by grace to
an inheritance in the family of God, make this end point a lot less fearsome.
But...we do not want to die twice! That second death, yes second death, is the one facing those
who have rejected God. It's the death that follows judgement, the judgement faced by all of us
in the end, where we stand before God on our own merit or on the merit of the Son of God.
We cannot save ourselves from the wrath God holds for our sin, but we can accept
salvation through the atoning blood of our precious savior, Jesus.
As Rich Mullins says in the song,:" Everyman, " There's room for everyone at the foot of the
cross! I'll see you there!
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