Bible Verse of the Day:
"If a man dies, shall he live again?"
Job 14:14
Death and dying. Nobody likes to talk about it. In fact, sometimes we do everything we can to avoid the topic. Death is for wrinkly, old people. People who have lived long lives and whose bodies are now too feeble to go on. Death is for grandparents and family members you didn't really know too well anyway. Why think about it when you're nowhere near being old? You're young, healthy and living life to the fullest!
Well, maybe you should talk about it. Because death isn't only for the old. Death is also for the sick. Those who have diseases called Cancer and Heart Attack and Aneurysm. Death is the cousin of Accident. Accidents that can happen at any time, at any age, unexpectedly. It's precisely because you don't know when Death will come knocking at your door that you should talk about it. More importantly, you should ask yourself: what happens after? Where do I go? Will I simply sleep forever? Will my soul simply wander the earth? Is there such a thing as heaven? If so, is that were we go when we die?
Have you ever gone to a funeral? If you have, and you've taken a peek into the casket, you might have noticed that the person lying there doesn't really look like the person you knew. You can't really put your finger on why, but they just look different. Well, it's because their soul is gone. Their soul, the very thing that gave them life and personality, the core of their physical being, has left their body. All that is left is an empty shell. The Bible tells us in Genesis 2:7 "...God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life..." That breath of life is called our soul.
When we die our soul leaves our body, but it doesn't float around or haunt some bad person or go to Purgatory. It doesn't go into a deep sleep or just disappear into nothingness. When you die your soul either goes to Heaven or to Hell. It's as simple as that. It might not be what some people want to hear, but there it is. The question now is: where is your soul going to end up? Are you going to Heaven when you die, to spend the rest of eternity with our Lord Jesus. Or will your soul spend that very same eternity in Hell, a place that, according to the Bible, is full of torment and anguish and darkness.
Oh, yes, my friend. Hell is real. It does exist. And it's not just a place where Satan (aka: the Devil) and his minions (aka: demons, fallen angels) live. It is also the home of many souls who, during life, chose to live their lives without God.
A lot of people nowadays -- even Christians -- don't like talk about Hell. Some even say it doesn't exist! But not talking about it isn't going to make it go away. The Bible is very clear about its existence. In fact, the Bible mentions Hell more than it does Heaven. Here are just a few verses found in the Bible that talk about Hell:
Matthew 25:37
"Then he [Jesus] will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels..."
Luke 16:21-23
"One day the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. He went to hell, where he was constantly tortured...[And] he shouted, 'Father Abraham, have mercy
on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.'
on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.'
Revelation 20:14-15
"Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
But unlike Keanu Reeves, once a person's soul goes to Hell, he can never leave. The Bible uses the word eternity. That means forever. There's nothing you can do down there -- no good deeds, no prayers, no penance, no amount of money -- that can get you out. Even if your family prays for you night and day, they can do nothing for you once you are dead. While physical death is the separation of your soul from your body, spiritual death is the separation of your soul from God. Once you have died without being saved, your soul is forever separated from Him. And since God does not live in Hell, you will never again have a second chance.
Second chances are only for the living.
Jesus offers us that second chance now.
Look, we're all sinners. Each and every one of us. Even if you think you're a good person -- and maybe you are -- you're still a sinner. The Bible says we are all born with sin; it was passed down to us from Adam and Eve when they sinned in the garden of Eden (remember the story of the apple and the serpent?).
Being a "good" person does not mean that when you die you will go to Heaven. Sorry. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that. I used to tell myself that since I didn't drink, I never did drugs, I didn't steal or murder anyone -- heck, I even gave my time in community service -- that I was okay. I believed in God, that He existed. He would accept me into Heaven if I died because I was good.
But I was wrong. Because again, the Bible doesn't say that believing in God and being "good" is enough to be saved.
So what does it say?
First, you must have faith that Jesus is the son of God, that He died for us and our sins on the cross, and on the third day, He was raised up. You must believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that what is in it is truth. This is called Faith: believing, even when your eyes cannot see. You weren't there two thousand years ago, you haven't actually seen Jesus standing in front of you, but still...you believe.
Then, you have to accept Jesus into your life, into your heart, as your Saviour. You have to admit to Him that yes, you are a sinner, and that you want Him to wash those sins away. Trust me, there is nothing that you could have done in your life that He cannot forgive. Nothing. The apostle Paul was a murderer (he persecuted Christians with a vengeance) and yet Jesus sought him out and forgave him when he asked for it. In fact, most of the books in the New Testament were written by Paul! That's just an example of how, when you turn to Jesus with an honest heart and seek His forgiveness, He will give it to you, no matter what kind of drunkard or womanizer or liar you used to be. This is called Grace: forgiveness even when you don't deserve it. And trust me, nobody deserves it.
Once you've accepted Jesus as your Saviour you're done, right? Wrong! So many people are under the wrong impression that once you've said that one prayer, that's it. You're saved forever and no matter what you do -- or do not do -- you will go to Heaven when you die. But that's not true.
There's a story in the Bible where Jesus is talking to a guy named Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee and a member fo the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council that ruled over the Jews of Jerusalem at that time. (In other words, he was rich and powerful.) Despite Nicodemus admitting to Jesus that he believed Jesus came from God, Jesus tells him “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3)
To be "born again" means we must first die to our sins, to our "old" self. That person that you used to be has to go. Now you have accepted Jesus into your heart, into your life. Your sins have been washed away. You have been given the wonderful gift that is your salvation. Your old life is gone and now all things are new.
Now you live for Christ. Now you use His Word (the Bible) and let it guide you as to how you should live your new life. You read it, you study it, you pray and ask God for guidance. You don't go out there and continue with your life of drinking and partying and whoring around (that goes for you, too, ladies!) You make God the center of your life. Not your job. Not your money. You stop hanging around people or places that might make you want to fall into your "old" life. If you used to be an alcoholic, don't go out and hang with your buddies at the bar. If you used to be a womanizer (or a slut), don't go have dinner with your old fling. In other words: you clean up your act. Whether you had just a small amount of dirt or a whole lot of it, it's what Jesus tells us we need to do.
When you accept Christ into your life, you undergo a transformation. Your old nature is changed and you receive a new one. You receive a new heart, new desires, new ideas, and a new direction for your life.
More importantly, when you die, you are now going to Heaven. Hell is no longer your destination. You are saved now. You walk with Christ now. You've turned away from sin and walked straight into the arms of Jesus.
Hell wasn't made for us. Really, it wasn't. It was created for Satan and his demons and fallen angels. But when we sin, when we refuse God and His gift of salvation, when we live a life that goes contrary to how God wants us to live -- and die in that state -- then we have separated ourselves from God forever. And since you were not saved, your soul will be condemned for all eternity and your so-called resting place will be Hell.
Peter tells us in his second letter that Jesus is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." But that's just it. You have to first repent. But the choice is yours. God will not force you. Just don't wait too long to make your decision because honestly, you just never know when you're time will come. You could get hit by a car tomorrow. You could be told you have cancer with only months to live. You could be wheeled into surgery and then wheeled right into the morgue. I mean, you just never know.
The only thing you can be certain about is your final destination.
Which is yours? There are only two choices.
(Just make sure it isn't Hell.)
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Listening To.... Savior Please by Josh Wilson
Click on to watch video.
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